Super Foods

A mailing I recently got from the Center for Science in the Public interests lists the following 10 foods as super foods:

Cantaloupe -1/4 of a melon gives you all the vitamin A you need for the day

Sweet Potatoes -they have lots of carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Soy Milk with Added Nutrients

Blueberries- They have lots of vitamin C, and antioxidents

Oranges-They have lots of vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber.

Broccoli-It has lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid.

Whole Grain Bread-It is higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals than enriched white bread or "wheat" bread.

Watermelon-It is an excellent source of vitamin C and carotenoids.

Beans-They are low in fat, rich in protein, iron, folic acid, and fiber.

Spinach or Kale-They have lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium, and fiber.

I eat broccoli, beans, and whole-grain bread every day, and I eat most of the other super foods as often as I can. I think a good diet is very important. ************************************************************************************

"The animals you eat are not those who devour others; you do not eat the carnivorous beasts, you take them as your pattern. You only hunger for the sweet and gentle creatures which harm no one, which follow you, serve you, and are devoured by you as the reward of their service.-Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile

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Vegan Dessert Made From Avocados

Since I have been vegan, I have been having fun trying new vegan recipes, new kinds of foods, and new types of cuisine. I had never even heard of quinoa (a high protein grain), or seitan (wheat protein) until I adopted a plant-based diet. Lately I’ve been exploring raw or "living" foods just for fun, although I don’t think I’ll adopt a completely raw diet.

Last night I made Key Lime Mousse from a recipe I found in Raw Food Made Easy, by Jennifer Cornbleet, published by Book Publishing Company, Summertown, Tennessee. It’s very quick, and easy, very delicious, and very vegan. Who would have thought that you could make such a tasty desert from avocados?

Vegan Key Lime Mousse
makes 1 cup, 2 servings

3/4 cup mashed avocados (1 ½ avocados), make sure your avocados are ripe and soft

1/4 cup agave nectar (a cactus-derived sweetener, available at health food)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Sliced fresh kiwifruit and/or berries, for garnish (optional)


Place the avocados, agave, and lime juice, in a food processor fitted with an S blade (I found that a blender works better). Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor bowl with a rubber spatula. Garnish with kiwifruit and/or berries if desired. Serve immediately.


For vegan Key Lime Sherbet, freeze Key Lime mousse for at least 4 hours. Allow to thaw for 15 minutes before serving. Key Lime Sherbet will keep for a month in a sealed container.


Here are some interesting facts about avocados I found at http://www.healthrecipes.com/avocado_information.htm


Avocados have fourteen minerals including iron and copper.. The sodium and potassium in avocados keeps your body chemically balanced, and their low sugar content and absence of starch make them an ideal fruit for diabetics or hypoglycemics (eat small slices throughout the day to keep your sugar balanced). Vitamins in avocados include A, several B-complex, C, and E, as well as phosphorus and magnesium.

Because of their density, avocados, like bananas, are filling. Avocados make excellent and healthy dips for raw vegetables. When blended with fruit, they make particularly nutritious baby food.

Veganism is About Respect for the earth, and All Life on it.

"It is odd that we have so little relationship with nature, with the insects and the leaping frog and the owl that hoots among the hills calling for its mate. We never seem to have a feeling for all living things on earth. If we could establish a deep abiding relationship with nature we would never kill an animal for our appetite, we would never harm, vivisect, a monkey, a dog, a guinea pig for our benefit. We would find other ways to heal our wounds, heal our bodies. But the healing of the mind is something totally different. That healing gradually takes place if you are with nature..........................Jiddu Krishnamurti, Krishnamurti to Himself: His Last Journal

Veganism is not just about food. It's also about respect and love for this beautiful planet and all life on it. Modern humans have drifted very far from nature, and I think this is devastating to our spirits and one of the roots of our cruelty to other humans and to other creatures, and a cause of our disrespect for our planet. We are part of nature, and if we drift away from it we lose part of ourselves. For your physical and mental health, it is wise to spend some time every day with nature. Walk in the park and notice the trees, watch the sunrise, listen to a bird, look at the stars. Teach your children to respect and love the natural world, encourage their natural sense of wonderment, and come back to your own appreciation of the wonder of it all.-Vegan Grandma