Finding Caffeine Alternatives the Macro Way

Hi Everyone!  I know it has been a while since my last blog but I've been so busy with school that finding the time has been somewhat difficult.  But know that it has always been on my mind ;)  Based on my hectic schedule I've tried to find ways to keep my energy going and made a pact to stay away from developing a coffee addiction, like many other students in my cohort ;P  So I've tried different things and here's what I have to say.

When you're macrobiotic you try to avoid caffeine as much as possible, this includes heavier caffeinated teas like green tea and black tea.  But if your body is telling you that you need the extra kick every now and then to help you get through your long day, like me with classes from 8am-7pm with only 45mins lunch break in between :S, then having a caffeine fix is much needed.  However, try your best to stay away from coffee (120mg of caffeine per cup) since this is the most extreme source you can get it from.  Especially if you've been off coffee for a while it' best to start off in lower doses of caffeine to see which one gives the boost you need with the least amount.  

Black teas are are one of the strongest caffeine sources besides coffee.  This organic earl grey (always go for organic tea when possible) was mountain-grown in India or Sri-Lanka.  It has a wonderful aroma and banks in at 50mg of caffeine per cup.  It gets its flavor from natural bergamot oil, a citrus fruit grown in Bergamo, Italy.  

I thought this tea did it's job, but would of definitely tasted better with some sweetener in it.  Although it seemed to wake me up right away it left me with dry tongue and an unpleasant dizziness at the end the night.  So it definitely gets some getting use to but it's such a beautiful product.  Look at the individual tea bags it comes in!  This is a very elegant tea and maybe a little too formal for my taste.

Next up is Green tea.  This is probably the next step up from the traditional macro choice of Kukicha tea.  Only thing is that, like Kukicha which has some caffeine, I feel like green tea does not really do much for my energy.  It is a great option besides coffee though and very accessible, you can find it everywhere.  Don't get me wrong, the taste is amazing and it has a lot of health benefits.  Green tea has an antioxidant called catechins which has been linked to anti-cancer activities.
But for some reason I seemed to have the opposite effect where it relaxed me more than woke me up.

This bulk tea bag version is available at Trader Joe's!

Finally, the newest thing I've been trying is called Yerba Mate.  Known as having the same "strength as coffee, with the health benefits of tea, and euphoria of chocolate," this sounds too good to be true.  It's naturally caffeinated with 150mg/serving with essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, 5 Complex, and Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, and much more.  It's a powerhouse.  But with the highest caffeine content it's probably the least macro.  The taste is also very strong and distinct, with a woody/smokey flavor, not like tea at all.  However I found that this gives me just the right amount of energy and caffeine if I steep it for just a few seconds.  Definitely worth a try.


Be sure to monitor your energy level.  Don't routinely take these in the morning if you have adequate energy to begin with.  When your energy begins to fall is when you should take these.  Also try to alternate between these caffeinated and decaf alternatives to avoid desensitization.

If you're not a follower of Alicia Silverstone's blog The Kind Life, log on and see what she has to say about some caffeine alternatives.  Amazingly, I had no idea she would blog about this as well around the same time haha so it's great to have additional sources ;)

Probiotics the Macroveg Way

Why should I take Probiotics?

If you are under stress, taking antibiotics, traveling or simply want to promote your health, taking Probiotics daily will maintain the health-promoting good bacteria in your intestinal tract. This is important because the intestines are the largest immune organ in the body and promoting their health strengthens your body's overall natural defenses. If the balance is disrupted, this can leave a comprised immune response. Fortunately, taking Probiotics supplements can help sustain the digestive tracks balance by re-introducing beneficial bacteria. To help restore normal dermal Probiotic balances natural Probiotic based skin products can assist the process.

People with flourishing intestinal colonies of probiotics are better equipped to fight the growth of disease-causing bacteria i.e. pathogenic organisms.

Probiotics also produce substances called bacteriocin, which act as natural antibiotics to kill undesirable microorganisms e.g. fungus and yeast, viruses, parasites and bacteria.

Where can we get our probiotics? 
Here are my top 3 vegan ways to get my probiotics.

In my previous post I talked about how pickled veggies/sauerkraut is a great way to get natural probiotics.  This is definitely the most macroveg way, but it's also the most inconvenient because you have to slice up the veggies, make sure you have brown rice vinegar and/or ume vinegar, and you have to pickle it for at least 1-2 days.

Buying sauerkraut is the second most macroveg way and so much more convenient.  I've really grown to love this organic raw kim-chi from Rejuvenative Foods.  Really turns your macro plate into a yummy
bi-bim-bop!

Then there's kombucha, which is sooooo good and addictive (literally!)  Just recently they've been selling it as a 21+ drink because it has 0.05% alcohol content in it which naturally occurs from the fermentation process.  So you can probably imagine that this is the least macroveg option but I feel perfectly fine drinking it a couple of times a week and I know it works magic with others who drink it at least once a day (jealous!).  I like the original but have really like the trilogy flavor too.  I resort to this when I'm unable to get something pickled with my meal to help with digestion.  So you'll find me drinking this when I have lunch at whole foods or when I'm traveling I go ahead and stock up for the hotel.  

Have fun trying these out ;)

Restaurant Review: M Cafe de Chaya

M Cafe Meal with Black Beans is the must go to dish.

M Cafe de Chaya is a modern day macrobiotic restaurant that serves both vegan food and fish.  It's hip and fast and very popular in the L.A. area.  You'll see celebrities walk in and order a juice to go and unfortunately sometimes you'll have to waif for an open seat.  But if you need simple macrobiotic fast food on the weekdays [they even have curbside pick-up] then this is the place to go.

Favorite dish to order is the M Cafe Meal with black beans.  It's a balanced macro plate with beans, brown rice, veggies, pickles and seaweed.  But what makes the plate good is the carrot ginger sauce that you pour over the veggies and brown rice.  It's so good.  However, don't expect this to be anything like the Inaka plate at Inaka Restaurant.  It takes literally 5-10mins for them to make it so go figure.  The taste is somewhat bland and on most occasions it comes out cold.  But it's satisfying and leaves you with the same balanced macro feel.  Be sure you get the sauce!

Probably the most popular thing at M Cafe is the Peanut Kale Deli Salad.  It is the best kale salad you'll ever eat.  It's healthy, rich, and tastes great with a side order of brown rice and miso soup if you want to make it a complete meal.  If I'm really craving it I'll order a side of it with my macro meal.

Another side to order that's really good is the Sweet Potato M Fries.  It's seasoned with chili, sea salt, and lime and comes with a spicy yuzu mayo which is amazing.  Order this with one of their sandwiches or burgers or of course with the macro meal if you feel like you need more of a root veggie to ground yourself.  

   



They have two locations: Melrose and Beverly Hills.  I personally like the Melrose location better because there's more seating, daily lunch and dinner specials, later open hours, and their service is better.  However big downside to this place is parking.  You may get lucky and find a parking right in front of their cafe but there's only 5-6 spots and it's a weird parking situation where you have to drive up onto the sidewalk and park [but you get the hang of it after a while].  If not then their parking in the back is only valet, which is 1 hour but I hate putting time restrictions when I eat.  The Beverly Hills location is much closer to where I live but it has less seating and seems to be a lot more crowded than Melrose.  Also the service is somewhat lacking [food comes out cold, noticed things missing in my dish like the sauce or the pickles] and parking in Beverly Hills is hard, especially during lunchtime [meter on the street, or parking structure around the block which is always full during lunch].  However, I've gone here for dinner on the weekdays and it's been pleasant and curbside is fast and easy.

Oh and one more advice, ask to buy their tote bag.  If you use it every time you order take out then you get $1.00 off!  I'm not sure how I got my tote bag, I feel like it was given to me free that one week I kept on ordering out from Melrose but I don't know how you go about purchasing one.  It's definitely worth the $1.00 off though.  

Here's a recipe for the kale salad.  To make it more macro simply replace the peanut butter with tahini and chopped peanuts for garnish with sesame seeds]  ENJOY! :D

Kale Salad

Ingredients
• 1 large bunch kale 
• ¼ cup peanuts, chopped for garnish [for more macro version use sesame seeds]
• ¼ red onion, halved and sliced for garnish 

Spicy Peanut Dressing*
• ½ cup peanut butter [for more macro version use tahini instead]
• 2 T low sodium soy sauce
• 2 T brown rice vinegar 
• ½ tsp. garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. ginger, minced 
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper 
• 1/8 tsp. salt 
• 1 ½ oz hot water

DIRECTIONS
1. Remove the kale from the stems. Add a pinch of Salt to a pot of boiling water, then blanch the Kale for 3 min. Remove the Kale from the boiling water and shock it in a container of ice water. Finally, squeeze the excess water out of the cooled Kale.
2. To make Spicy Peanut Dressing: Place all dressing ingredients into a blender. Blend until mixture turns into a smooth consistency.
3. Drizzle the dressing on top of the Kale and mix the kale and dressing together until kale is evenly coated. Garnish with sliced red onions and chopped peanuts [for more macro version use sesame seeds].

M Cafe de Chaya

Melrose Avenue Location
7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046

323-525-0588
Hours: M-Sa [9am-10pm]; Su [9am-9pm]

Beverly Hills Location
9433 Brighton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

310-858-8459
Hours: M-Sa [9am-8pm]; Su [10am-7pm]

Restaurant Review: Le Pain Quotidien (Claremont, CA) - Organic French Lentil Salad

Organic French Lentil Salad - french lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, red radish, cucumbers, carrots, and avocado on top of arugula sprinkled with flaxseeds.  

Sticking to lighter salads for summertime, I visited Le Pain Quotidien in Claremont, CA and ordered their Organic French Lentil Salad.  This salad was amazing and a great summer treat.  I think it may be a summer special and is only served at some Le Pain Quotidiens so it may not be available near you.  However here's a recipe that you can try to replicate it at home.  I have yet to try it but sounds like it would come out pretty darn close to tasting like the one they serve.  I added some ingredients to it to make it a little more macro friendly ;)

Macro French Lentil Salad

Eden makes a great raw unpasteurized one.

1. Cook 1/4-1/2 cup of green lentils a sprig of thyme and some diced onions.  To make it more macro be sure to cook it with 1 inch piece of kombu.  Stir in some presoaked hijiki towards the end of cooking.  Be sure to not overcook the lentils, it should be easily separable not mushy.  If you like you can add 1/4 cup of cooked chickpeas to your salad as well.
2. Slice 1/4 cup each of carrots, radish, and cucumber.  Mix on top of a bed of arugula.  Scoop cooked on lentils and top with 1/2 sliced avocado.
3. For the vinaigrette, mix red wine vinegar, with lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, minced shallots, pepper, chopped parsley, and pesto.  Add a dash of shoyu and ume vinegar for more macro dressing.  Pour on top of salad and enjoy :)

Restaurant Review: Lemonade L.A. (Pasadena, CA)

Their summer seasonal lemonade flavor is peach ginger lemonade.

What screams summer more than fresh squeezed lemonade!  I did a review on Lemonade L.A. at their USC location, but had a chance over summer to go to their Pasadena location multiple times.  If you're unfamiliar with how lemonade works, first thing you should know is that this place is not all vegan, they do serve meat, fish, and a lot of dairy desserts.  However their deli salad marketplace area is vegan heaven.  Just ask them which of their marketplace items are vegan and they'll point it out for you.  They usually have at least 5 items that are vegan.  You can order up to 3 full portions and you can have the portions split.  So then your 3 different marketplace choices turns into 6 different half size choices.  They rotate their menu with seasonal specials and the main hit for summer is their farro special with lima beans, chickpeas, and kalamata olives.  I absolutely love farro and this was the first time I actually tried it cold as a deli salad.  The olives gives it a nice kick and the lima beans gives the farro a very light almost creamy consistency.  I split the 2 portion option and got the farro special with 1) kale, mushroom, kumquat vinaigrette, 2) cauliflower, golden raisins, almonds, curry, and 3) snap peas, edamame, sesame.  So I urge you to head on down to the closest Lemonade L.A.!  Oh and don't forget to grab a lemonade.  They always have an unsweetened flavor which would be the most macro.  If you're in the need for an immediate cool down then try these macrobiotic summer drink refreshers!

Raspberry Lemonade

Just a few drops of lemon juice is a natural energy booster.  Mixed with antioxidant powers found raspberries, this drink protects against cancer and muscular degeneration.

1/4 cup fresh raspberry puree

lemon juice to taste

1 cup water

Apple juice to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender till mixed well.

Refreshing Grapefruit Spritzer

 Grapefruit is a rich antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer.  Perfect for a summer night!

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice  

1 cup sparkling water

Add ingredients into a glass and stir.   Try additional flavors with ginger, apple, lime, lemon, cinnamon, cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry.

Iced Barley Tea

This is a good summer drink and helps reduce fever, cooling the body.

Roast barley in a skillet, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until a fragrant aroma is detected. To 1 portion barley, add 10 times the amount of water . Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer 10 minutes.


Lemonade L.A. (PASADENA LOCATION)
146 S. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-304-7700
Open Daily 11am-9pm




*Street parking is available.  Seating is cafeteria style so it can be quite a challenge to find a seat when it is busy.

Natural sunny summer must-haves

Macrobiotics is all about helping your body adjust to the seasons.  While you need to do it internally by eating macro foods appropriate to the seasons, it's important to do it externally.  This includes soaking up the sun!  Here are a few natural products that I've been using to help me through the warm summer weather.

Th best sunscreen I've come across is Sun Shield from MyChelle (thank you Karly for the recommendation!).  This lovely little shield is cruelty-free, gluten-free, vegan friendly, and comes in a recyclable container.  Can you get any more environmentally friendly than that?  Full spectrum UVA/UVB protection is covered in this little bottle by ZinClear while Titanium Dioxide shields the skin from UV exposure.  What I love the most about this is that it is not oily at all.  It absorbs into the skin well and is so light that you don't even feel like you're wearing it.  I usually put about a dime size amount on my face in the morning, let it absorb into the skin for 15-30 mins., and then apply my makeup over it (my mineral powder also has SPF15 so added protection! Expect a future post on ISUN cosmetics).

Don't forget sun protection for your lips!  I am a huge fan of Hurraw because it's an all vegan cruelty-free raw lip balm that comes in many yummy flavors.  They made one especially for sun protection with SPF15.  Like the MyChelle Sun Shield, this also blocks UVA/UVB rays but this time with Zinc Oxide.  It sits on top of your lips actually creating a barrier to deflect the rays from the skin.  They also made this Hurraw balm extra thick and creamy for long-lasting protection.  

I love to use Weleda's Sea Buckthorn body lotion.  Sea Buckthorn helps stimulate the skins vital processes with essential fatty acids that nourishes dry skin.  This is especially great for summer because its kernel oil and juice helps protect the skin from UV radiation and free-radical damage associated with aging.  I love using this in the morning after I do my daily body scrub before I leave the house.  This helps my skin prep for sun exposure and the uplifting smell wakes me up in the morning.

Say hi to my aloe vera plant "Bob" :D

The most natural and #1 thing that I think you should DEFINITELY get for summer is aloe vera.  The plant is not only a remedy for minor skin burns and treatment for skin irritations such as eczema, but holds many cosmetic benefits as well.  Its antioxidant content tones and nourishes the skin by increasing collagen and decreasing the appearances of fine lines, while it's anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties treats acne.  I've been putting the gel on my face every night for 2 weeks now and I can feel and see a difference.  My pores look smaller, skin feels tighter, acne scarring faded, and have not had any breakouts since.  Although you can buy aloe vera in a bottle beware of parabens.  If you can, try and get the actual plant.  It lasts a long time and nothing beats fresh aloe.  What I do is cut a whole leaf (use the outer outgrown ones) as close as I can to the base, slice off 1 inch of the leaf, tear the leaf in half so the gel is exposed, then I rub the gel on my face, neck, and outer hands.  If you squeeze/puncture the gel part of the slivered piece you'll see that it'll give you more aloe.  Just store the rest of the leaf with saran wrap in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge.  It lasts a long time and cool aloe from storing it in the fridge is so soothing.  Immediately you'll feel your skin tighten once it absorbs your skin ;)

Get out and enjoy the sun!  Feel happy and uplifted :D

SF Trip Saved the Best for Last: Gracias Madre (Mission District)

Ladies and gentlemen I have saved the best for last!  Gracias Madre is my #1 choice for vegans to eat in SF.  This all vegan organic Mexican restaurant is a branch of Cafe Gratitude located in the Mission District.  I've heard so many great things about Gracias Madre and could not wait to try it out.  Yes, you can pretty much get Mexican cuisine in SoCal everywhere, but here you don't have to worry about the lard in the beans or resort to stale tortilla wraps with no cheese.  Because of these extra precautions I have not had Mexican food in forever!  Boy was I ready to indulge :)

I found the most macro selection on the menu to be the "Platillo de Legumbres," which comes with a choice of two season vegetables, arroz (local brown rice seasoned with cilantro and lemon), beans, and tortillas.  You could choose from the following seasonal veggies: Brocoli (seared broccoli w/chili and garlic), Nabos (roasted turnips w/garlic), Hongos (sautéed mushrooms w/garlic), Greens (seasonal greens sautéed with fresh garlic and chiles), Calabaza (roasted acorn squash), Rajas (sautéed poblano chiles w/onions), and Platanos (grilled plantains).  I chose the Greens, which was kale with garlic, chile, and pumpkin seeds, and the Brocoli.  Although I was a little bummed that I could not sub an extra side of rice for the tortillas, the dish was filling and I actually didn't eat the tortillas.  Quite frankly I don't think it needs it.  Everything on the plate was amazing!  The kale was tasty, the broccoli seared to perfection with a kick of spice, and the beans were smooth and very filling.  The rice cilantro and lemon brown rice was very different too, great for the summer weather.  Was the best meal!

  

I also needed a something pickled in there so I ordered a side of "Escabeche"- spicy pickled veggies.  This was sooooo good!  I recommend you order this on the side no matter what.  It was just the right amount of spice and really helped balance my dish.

Karly got the "Tacos" which although I did not get to try sounded amazing.  You can get a choice of three sides to fill the tacos with.  It’s a little funny being that I think it’s pretty similar to my dish since mine comes with tortillas and you can pretty much wrap up the same sides in that.  But I guess this saves you the time and there’s the added cashew cheez.  

Out came the "Mexican Wedding Cookies" and I was able to sneak a bite of both the cookie and their homemade dulce de leche ice cream.  Both were divine!  The cookie was nice and soft topped with powdered sugar.  I was afraid that it would just be overly crumbly but it wasn’t at all.  The ice cream was smooth and a great addition to the cookies.  I really think both together made it so special.  The other choice was coconut ice cream and that would have been delicious as well and would have totally changed the taste of the wedding cookies.  

So there you have it folks!  Gracias Madre is a definite MUST GO for your SF trip.  The best Mexican food I’ve tasted.  Bring your nonveg friends here and I’m sure they’d agree.  Location is a little off in a somewhat sketch neighborhood, with parking being quite a hassle.  Seating is communal style with a few long tables so it makes talking with your party kind of difficult sitting across a stranger.  But the service is fast and the workers friendly.  The atmosphere is fun and light and a great experience.

Here is the recipe for their amazing wedding cookies!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

8 oz of coconut oil

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbl vanilla

1 cup pecans

2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Beat together the oil and sugar until well combined.  Add the pecans, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until fluffy and well mixed.

Scoop out the dough and flatten them to about 1/2 inch thick.  Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes then bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Rotate them and then bake another 10 minutes.

Gracias Madre

2211 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA 94110

Open Daily 11am-11pm

415-683-1346