Vegetarian Zen

Summertime, and the grilling is easy…with the helpful vegetable-grilling tips you'll hear in this podcast episode.  There are many vegetables, fruits and meat alternatives that do great on a charcoal or gas grill, but there are some tricks to getting them to turn out just right, with minimal sticking, burning, or falling through the grate. […] The post VZ 057: How to Grill Like a Vegetarian appear...

Becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a very personal choice. Some may have ethical reasons, some health, some environmental. If you follow a plant-based lifestyle, you may or may not choose to share your reasons with others. This episode of the podcast is based on listener responses to the question "How do you explain your […] The post VZ 056: Explaining Vegetarian Choices appeared first on Vegetaria...

Scenario #1: You're interested in adopting a plant-based diet, but you have kids who may or may not jump enthusiastically on the veggie train. Scenario #2: One day, out of the blue, your child announces that (for whatever reason), she wants to be a vegetarian. In either case, what do you do? How do you […] The post VZ 055: Kids and Vegetarianism appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

"Fed Up" is a powerful new documentary from Katie Couric, producer Laurie David, and director Stephanie Soechtig. The premise of the film is both simple and complex: what if everything we've been told about diet and exercise for the past 30 years is wrong? The research that went into "Fed Up" is extensive and revealing, […] The post VZ 054: "Fed Up" Documentary Review appeared first on Vegetarian...

To soy or not to soy, that is the question! Soy is an ancient food source.  It's been used in Asia for 5000 years.  3000 years ago, fermentation techniques were developed that helped to make soy more easily digestible, in the form of miso, tempeh and tamari.  Tofu came along in China in the second […] The post VZ 053: The Soy Controversy appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we'll be discussing sugar.  By the time we say goodbye, you'll have learned about the six different types of sugar and some of the negative effects that sugar has on our bodies.  You'll also discover many sources of "hidden sugars" in the foods we eat and gain […] The post VZ 052: Sugar appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

  Detox and cleanse diets are all the rage these days, and the idea behind them can be very enticing.  Who doesn't want to think that your insides are squeaky clean and healthy?  We bathe to keep our outsides fresh, so why not "bathe" internally as well?  It was in the name of freshness and […] The post VZ 051: Help Your Body to Detoxify Naturally appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

Wow!  It's hard to believe we've reached 50 episodes of the Vegetarian Zen Podcast!  In this episode, we take a look back at how far we've come.  We revisit our purpose for starting this journey and discuss some of the many lessons we've learned along the way. Of course all of this would have been […] The post VZ 050: 50 Episodes of Vegetarian Zen appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

Summer is nearly upon us.  Down here in South Texas, it's already steamy and hot.  We all know that staying hydrated is important, and even more so during the warmer months.  But, besides drinking plenty of water, did you know that eating certain fruits and vegetables will help keep your body healthy and hydrated? In […] The post VZ 049: Fruits and Vegetables That Will Keep You Hydrated appeared f...

If a food doesn't contain chunks of meat it's vegetarian, right? Not necessarily. Being vegetarian or vegan isn't just about going "meatless".  There are some foods that have hidden animal products in them that you'll want to be aware of if you're trying to maintain a strictly vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. In this episode, we'll clue […] The post VZ 048: Foods That Seem Vegetarian (But Are Not!)...

Summer is nearly here.  A time for picnics, grilling out, spending time outside with family and friends.  For many, some of our best memories are tied to summertime and food.  When you were a kid did you enjoy fat slices of juicy watermelon out on the porch?  How about grilled corn on the cob, seasoned […] The post VZ 047: Summer Fruits and Vegetables appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

Funny story: when I was researching the topic for this episode, I went out searching for information about how eating meat could make you more succeptible to seasonal allergies.  I thought surely that would be true.  I mean, eating meat is bad for your body in so many other ways, right?  Why couldn't it make […] The post VZ 046: Can a Plant-Based Diet Help Alleviate Seasonal Allergies? appeared fi...

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we are happy to be joined by Farnoosh Brock, founder and president of Prolific Living, and author of The Healthy Juicer's Bible: Lose Weight, Detoxify, Fight Disease, and Live Long.  In this interview, Farnoosh shares with us some insights from her newest book The Healthy Smoothie Bible: […] The post VZ 045: Interview with Farnoosh Brock appeared firs...

Fat is bad for you, right?  Otherwise, why would food companies produce items labeled "low-fat", "reduced fat" or "fat free"?  Despite the implications of many popular diets, we do need some fat in our bodies.  Fat helps protect our organs from getting banged around when we move, and the right kinds of fat are important […] The post VZ 044: Healthy Fats appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

"I have a big report due at work tomorrow." "Where did I leave my keys?" "I need to pick up the dry cleaning in the morning." "Where did I leave my keys?" "Kayleigh needs 3 dozen cupcakes for school on Friday." "WHERE DID I LEAVE MY KEYS?" With all of this going through you head […] The post VZ 043: Sleep Well Naturally appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

We love cooking with fresh herbs.  They provide amazing flavor for just about any dish you can cook and, if you grow them at home, cost very little. In this episode, we provide a high-level overview of herb gardening.  We discuss which herbs are annuals and which are perennials, the benefits of growing herbs in […] The post VZ 042: Herb Gardening appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

Acclaimed actress, accomplished neuroscientist, awesome mom and full-time vegan Mayim Bialik has now created a vegan cookbook, aptly called Mayim's Vegan Table.   Packed with over 100 recipes plus four chapters full of helpful tips and guidelines, this book is easily a must-have for every vegan kitchen. Join us in this episode as we offer […] The post VZ 041: Our Review of Mayim's Vegan Table appe...

Two of the biggest obstacles to eating healthy meals during the week are time and effort.  How often do we come home tired from a long day at work and end up eating pre-packaged, easy to cook foods or take-out fast food? In this episode of the podcast, we offer seven meal planning tips that will […] The post VZ 040: Meal Planning 101 appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

One of the biggest arguments against eating fresh, wholesome, healthy foods involves time.  After a long day at the office and a long commute home, many people say it's just too late to make a healthy meal and still eat at a decent hour.  It's much easier and faster to go through a drive-through, pick […] The post VZ 039: Meal Prepping Shortcuts appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

Did you know that when "Super Size Me" was filmed back in 2004 only seven McDonald's menu items (hash browns, sausage, chicken McNuggets, coffee, tea and diet coke) did not contain sugar?  How about the fact that a today's ten-piece order of chicken McNuggets contains 470 calories, 30 grams of fat and 900 milligrams of […] The post VZ 038: Discussing the Documentary "Super Size Me" appeared first...

Raising animals for human consumption has a tremendous negative impact on our environment.  Grazing animals such as cattle, sheep and goats release harmful gases into the atmosphere as part of their digestive process.  The estimated number of cattle currently being farmed worldwide is 1.5 billion.  Add to this number billions of other grazing animals, both […] The post VZ 037: Vegetarianism & the...

So, you've been juicing for a while now (like we have), and you love it (we do too).  But how do you know for sure you're "doing it right"?  Are you prepping your fruits and veggies correctly?  What should you peel, and which peels are okay to leave on?  Which foods are beneficial for which […] The post VZ 036: More About Juicing appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .

One of the questions most persistently asked of vegetarians and vegans is "How do you get enough protein?"  As any veg*n will tell you, this question gets old fast.  But how do we, especially at breakfast, which really is "the most important meal of the day". In this episode, we discuss how some traditional breakfast […] The post VZ 035: Breakfast Protein Options for Vegetarians appeared first on...

What's that, you say?  Chocolate is good for you? Okay, okay…before you go out and load up on Whitman's Samplers at the grocery store, there are a few rules.  Many children (and I was one of them) long for the "I can eat anything I want" aspect of adulthood,imagining, perhaps, swimming pools full of Skittles and […] The post Bonus 01: Bonus Episode – Health Benefits of Cacao & Chocolate appeared f...

I'm sure many of you have had that ugly, burning feeling in your stomach or throat.  You know the one, where it feels like acid is burning holes in your gut.  This is a fire that water doesn't put out, and don't dare drink milk, which is a notorious acid-producer! Of course modern medicine has […] The post VZ 034: Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux appeared first on Vegetarian Zen .