Raw Banana Cream Pie

I have a champion juicer. I purchased it new, and I'm not going to lie, it cost a pretty penny. Couple this with the fact that I rarely use it for juicing.

I do use it to make this, however:

Raw Banana Cream Pie. The most delicious six ingredient pie you will ever make. And it only takes 15 minutes (or less!) to put it together.

We had special guests over a few weeks back and served this to them. They were floored with the decadent taste, and couldn't believe this could be healthy!

The "filling" is simple--100% bananas. I take frozen ripe bananas (the more ripe when you freeze them, the better) and process them through the juicer with the blank slate. Has the consistency of frozen yogurt, and tastes BETTER than frozen yogurt. My kids clamor for this stuff.

A client of mine, Cathy, recommended this recipe, or rather the idea of the recipe, because it's so simple to make, I can't really say it requires the help of recipe. It's more like assembling a few ingredients.

Raw Banana Cream Pie

Here's how I made it:

Crust:
1 c. pitted dates
2 c. raw almonds
1-2 tsp. vanilla (optional)
1-2 TBS. agave nectar

Process the dates in a food processor, slowly add almonds until a fine consistency is reached. Add agave nectar. Press mixture into a pie pan.

Filling:
Frozen bananas (I used probably 8-10)

Process through Champion Juicer using the blank plate. If you don't have a Champion Juicer I've been told you can slice bananas, freeze them (so they're in much smaller, more manageable pieces) and process them in a food processor or blender using 1-3 TBS. plant milk if necessary. I've never done this before, so if you try it, let me know how it goes. You want the consistency to be VERY thick and creamy, like thick frozen yogurt. Spread banana mixture over crust.

Optional Toppings:
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Sliced fresh bananas

Chocolate Syrup:
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. cocoa powder

Blend until thoroughly combined. Drizzle over top of pie.

[This probably goes without saying, but you'll need to store the pie in a freezer until you eat it.]

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There is hope.

There is nothing on earth that I would not give up, excepting of course, two things and two things only, truth and nonviolence.
--Gandhi

This last weekend I met one of Dr. Campbell's assistants, a recent college graduate of Cornell who now works for Dr. Campbell's Foundation. We had an interesting conversation. I asked her what her educational background was. Expecting her to say something like nutrition, or some field in the sciences, she replied that she had majored in Africana Studies, with an emphasis on the civil rights movement in the United States. She pointed out that there are many similarities between the civil rights movement and the plant-based nutrition movement. There are a few leaders who are willing to stand up for the truth, while others are content (or not informed) to maintain the status quo. Further, she said something that inspired me which was something along the lines of: "It does seem very discouraging, considering what we are up against. But I believe good will ultimately prevail."

I believe that too. Good will prevail. But it takes people to stand up for what is right and to fight for it.

One such example, in recent years, is the decline in smoking which has been a direct result of the litigious take down of the tobacco industry. A generation or two ago, smoking was very much common place--something that could be done nearly anywhere, even in hospitals, schools, and airplanes. It has now become taboo in most social circles, as people have become aware of the disease promoting effects of its consumption as well as some very damaging lawsuits against the industry.

What has to happen for good to prevail is for people to be willing to take a stand, even at great personal costs. Integrity, in the truest sense, is the choice to live what you know to be true.

I believe I may have shared this excerpt before, but it's one of my favorites. It demonstrates how upside down the world can be. John here, refers to Dr. John McDougall.

In this environment (medical profession), diet was considered quackery. John
would ask, "Doesn't diet have something to do with heart disease?" and his
colleagues would tell him that the science was controversial. John continued to
read the scientific research and to talk to his colleagues and only became even
more baffled. "When I looked at the literature, I couldn't find the
controversy. It was absolutely clear what the literature said."
Through those years, John came to understand why so many physicians claimed diet was controversial: "The scientist is sitting down at the breakfast table
and in one hand he has a paper that says that cholesterol will rot your arteries
and kill you, and in the other hand he has a fork shoveling bacon and eggs
into his mouth, and he says, 'There's something confusing here. I'm
confused.' And that's the controversy. That's all it is."
(The China Study, p. 330-331)

Try as I might, I cannot deny what I know to be true. You and I don't have to become victims of our palates. We don't have to live in fear of a premature death caused by a chronic degenerative condition. We have so much more power over our health and our happiness than we acknowledge. I know these things to be true, and I cannot escape the absolute weight of the responsibility to share with others.

For this reason, while it would be much easier to just live my own life and worry only about myself and my little family, I do what I can to share this message. While there are moments of discouragement (am I really doing any good here, or is all of this in vain??), I have seen friends and family, received emails, and have met personally, individuals whose lives have drastically improved by their decision to adopt a whole-foods, plant-based diet.

I'll leave you with an example of one such person. My brother-in-law, a firefighter (and for that matter, a very "manly" man) who follows the Engine 2 Diet (plant-based, but still consumes a small amount of meat 2-3 times a week), wrote the following email to the Rip Esselystyn:

Rip and the E-2 crowd,

I'm a professional firefighter/paramedic in Salt
Lake County, Utah. I'm 28 years old, married w/ 2 kids. I've been a firefighter
since 2002 and absolutely love the job.

I had a physical, with blood
tests done, in August. Bought the book in September, read it in a week. After
the 28 day program I had another health screening. My cholesterol dropped from
172 down to 121 and my body fat went from 18% to 13.5%. Making me almost heart
attack proof! I feel amazing, powerful, and energetic; like I am 18 again.

I'm always troubled by the LODD statistics, Heart attack is always at
the top of the list. I don't want to become another statistic. Also, I wanted to
prevent disease and build my immune system as much as possible because, lets
face it, we are exposed to a lot of carcinogens, disease, germs, and other bad
stuff.

I just wanted to write and tell you how excited I am about my new
health and wellness status; a big portion of this thanks goes to y'all! Thanks
for helping me get motivated. I really appreciate your efforts and research; the
program has changed my future.

I have a great support group with my
wife, several of our close friends, and a few other firefighters at work. We're
making it together.

I've also read The China Study, taken some of the
Wellness Forum classes, and read what I can from the others: Popper, Ornish,
Barnard, McDougall, Caldwell Esselstyn, etc.

Thanks again,

Stephen

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And The Research for Plant-based Nutrition Says...

[Note: This post is not for the faint of heart! I understand that you most likely don't have hours of leisure to read my rather lengthy blog posts, so I typically try to keep them short and to the point, but as you can see, I have many things to talk about. Please forgive me for my length today.]

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to meet with some real movers and shakers at the Wellness Forum's Fall Conference in Columbus, OH.

A few of them include, Dr. Ralph Moss, a well known and published medical writer who performs independent research on claims relating to conventional and non-conventional cancer treatments available around the world, Dr. Matt Brown, M.D. a lifestyle medicine doctor located in Boone, North Carolina, as well as whistle blower, Glenn Demott (read his story here), an ex-pharmaceutical rep for Pfizer, who is in part responsible for uncovering illegal marketing techniques which will cost Pfizer a record $2.3 billion, the largest criminal fine in U.S. history. I will discuss this and more, including posting pictures and sharing my experience with meeting some pretty remarkable and inspiring people in upcoming posts (and the food, the food, the food, was absolutely delectable--I did not eat one thing all weekend that was not prepared by Chef Del and all I can say, is I wish I could have taken him home with me!).

Going to this conference has made me think a lot about why more people don't know about the role of diet and disease progression and reversal. I would never suggest that evidence exists to demonstrate that you can "eat your way out" of a brain tumor or other such devastating cancer or disease, but I have seen and experienced enough to know that the role of a proper diet and lifestyle choices are so much more powerful than most people (including, perhaps maybe even especially, licensed health care professionals) acknowledge.

One of the remarkable things I encounter from people on a frequent basis is one of two things:

1) A great interest and desire (positive questions, thirst for knowledge) to know more about eating healthfully especially as it relates to a plant-based diet.

2) Skepticism, cynicism, and/or the intent to discredit the idea that a whole foods, plant-based diet is good for health and has been proven to reverse many degenerative diseases including heart disease and diabetes.

The first experience is much more common as many people realize that we are literally digging our graves with our teeth and that conventional nutritional advice is just not working very well. [Advice such as: moderation, portion control, there are no "bad" foods, you must drink milk to obtain calcium (even though about 60% of the world's population DOES NOT consume milk), eat meat for protein, and consume oils for healthy fats.]

The second experience is more interesting because I'm not touting the "Janae" diet. This is not MY diet! While my story is interesting (I DID lose 30 pounds after changing my diet after years of trying many diets and being an avid exerciser. I DO no longer feel chronically bloated, uncomfortable, and constipated, in fact I feel great, nearly all of the time!) but this, in my opinion is only circumstantial and anecdotal evidence at best. My story, or even the stories of others like me, is certainly nothing I would recommend people go off of when making important decisions regarding their health and the health of their family. What is important is the science that supports the evidence for a mostly or all plant-based diet. And I don't ask people to take my word for it. You do your own research and decide for yourself.

It's interesting, because I believe if I was touting the benefits of one of the many other ways of eating, approaches that are considered much more "mainstream," but are supported with little or no clinical/peer-reviewed research (The South Beach Diet, for example), I still don't think I'd receive as much of the flack that I sometimes get from people. There is something radical about saying, "Get nutrients from real food, mostly plant foods. Eat as close to as mother nature intended. You don't need to drink milk to obtain calcium, a mineral that comes from plants (where do you think the cow's get it?). Protein is found in ample amounts in a variety of plant foods and it is not necessary to get it from animal flesh." All of this, to some people is radical, or at least a virtually unknown concept, which just shows how far we've come from being connected to reality. I'd understand the raised eyebrows if I was touting the cabbage soup diet, or cookie diet, the blood-type diet or any other nonsensical fad diet that IS nothing but a fad. I feel like a whole-foods approach is not only reasonable, but makes complete sense on so many levels. But sometimes I have the feeling that maybe that's just me.

Rather than say, hey look at me, listen to ME, I try to relate information from the those who know what they are talking about and hope that others will be curious enough to do their own research. The first book I always recommend that people read is The China Study, by T.C. Campbell. Campbell, a nutrition scientist and epidemiologist, has studied the relationship between diet and disease for nearly half a century now and the results are clear: change your diet and dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. His research is thorough and compelling, you cannot help but listen up after reading about his research and the research of others involved in the China Project.

Of course there are many, many others who have published their findings in peer-reviewed (the gold standard of studies) scientific literature.

The fact is, people can read the research all day long, but until you actually act upon the knowledge and begin practicing plant-based nutrition, the knowledge is of little use. Most people who transition and comply with the principles of a whole foods, plant-based diet remain compliant with the diet not because of the research (although knowing about it certainly helps!) but because they feel great, finally, for perhaps the first time in a very long time--they have energy, they are no longer chronically constipated, experience heart burn/acid reflux after eating, they've lost weight, gone off of blood pressure/cholesterol lowering medication, ect.

RESOURCES for Research Relating to Plant-based Nutrition

Here is a brief list (this list is certainly not exhaustive, but covers a great deal) of some of the resources that I have found extremely helpful, that support the efficacy of plant-based nutrition.
Lifestyle Medicine Physicians

Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.
Published, peer-reviewed clinical research demonstrating the use of a lowfat vegan diet to reverse diabetes.

Dr. John McDougall, M.D.
For over three decades, Dr. McDougall has implemented a program that reverses degenerative conditions including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. He also works with MS patients and others with autoimmune disorders.

Dr. Caldwell Esselystyn, M.D.
A renowned cardiologist, researcher, and surgeon, Dr. Esselystyn has published his research regarding the effects of plant-based nutrition in the reversal of heart disease in over a hundred publications.

Dr. Alan Goldhammer, D.C. Oversees medically supervised water-fasting as treatment for a number of conditions.

Some other well-known physicians who have used some form of plant-based nutrition to treat patients also include Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D. (heart health), Dr. Joel Furhman, M.D. (obesity, heart, and prostate health), (the late) Dr. Roy Swank (MS patients), and Dr. William Castelli (heart health).

Registered Dietitians

Jeff Novick, R.D.
Jack Norris, R.D.


Links and other websites:

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
This organization has been at the forefront of plant-based research and education and has successfully brought forth (and won!) lawsuits against agricultural groups (such as the National Dairy Council) for making false claims regarding their products. Website includes research and resources for more information about diet and disease.

T.C. Campbell Foundation:
Learn more about plant-based nutrition.

Published articles relating to the Arrest and Reversal Study, by Dr. Caldwell Esselystyn, M.D.

Research Papers of Dr. T.C. Campbell

PMRI Research:
Includes references to 30 years of published clinical research headed by Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D..

The Cancer Project:
Diet and cancer related research. According to their website, The Cancer Project is "an independent, separately incorporated affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), The Cancer Project advances cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research."

The Cancer Project has two main goals: First, we aim to make cancer prevention a top priority. Just as important, we want to improve survival after cancer has been diagnosed by providing comprehensive information about the role of dietary factors in keeping people healthy. (http://www.cancerproject.org/about.php)

Dr. Ralph Moss's official website, http://www.cancerdecisions.com/:
I recommend this website for any person who has been diagnosed with cancer (or know someone who is) and is contemplating their treatment options. Dr. Moss provides very thorough research of the options available not only in the U.S. but in many parts of the world.

Dr. John McDougall's website: Dr. John McDougall is probably the most committed doctor to understanding and applying the messages in the scientific literature than any other doctor that I know. His website offers a plethora of referenced articles regarding diet and disease.

BOOKS

Check out my Amazon Store for the books I recommend on plant-based nutrition.

A few for starters:
1) The China Study, by Dr. T.C. Campbell 2) Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease, by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D. 3) Becoming Vegan, by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melian, M.S., R.D. 4) Any book by Dr. John McDougall 5) Diet for a New America (an oldie but a goodie), by John Robbins 6) Breaking the Food Seduction, by Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.

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Oil-free, Dairy-free Dressings

"What do I put on my salad?!!"

This is the question nearly everyone who embarks on a low-fat (ie., oil-free, dairy-free) plant-based diet asks me.

This is a common dilemma, especially as there are PLENTY of vegan dressings out there, but they rely heavily on oils. And for anyone who has taken Wellness 101, you know oils are NOT health foods.

When you're trying to increase your salad consumption and eliminate your oil consumption, what's a person to do? Must people don't find dry lettuce leaves palatable, yet finding oil-free vegan dressings (recipes and at the store) can be a challenge.

So, good news.

The Wellness Forum has just put together a small recipe booklet of the best, taste-tested, oil-free, dairy-free, DELICIOUS dressings, created by the WF's resident chef, Chef Del.

Cost is $5.00 (plus a minimal amount for shipping). You don't have to be a member to be able to purchase it, just let them know you heard about it from me.

If you're local, I have some for purchase, otherwise, call 800.761.8210 to order.

On a slightly different note, I'm going to Ohio tomorrow through the weekend for the WF's fall conference where I'm going to hear from Dr. Ralph Moss about alternative cancer treatments among many others, including Glen Demmot, one of the whistle blowers involved in the case against Pfizer that resulted in the largest criminal fine ever paid in U.S. history.

I'm so excited to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, not to mention taste some gourmet vegan food! I'm giddy just thinking about it!

I'll post pictures and tell you all about it next week.

Until then....

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