Health & Wellness Champions

This version adds edamame for a satisfying, complete-protein upgrade while keeping everything whole-food and oil-free.

Ingredients

For the noodles and vegetables• 8 oz whole-grain linguine• 1½ cups shelled edamame (fresh or frozen, thawed)• 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced• 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded• 1 cup broccoli florets or snap peas• 3 cloves garlic, minced• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated• 2–3 tbsp water or vegetable broth (for sautéing)

For the peanut sauce• ½ cup natural peanut butter• 3 tbsp tamari• 1½–2 tbsp brown sugar (to taste)• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or fresh lime juice• ½ tsp chili garlic sauce or red pepper flakes (optional)• ½ cup warm water, added gradually

Optional garnishes• Chopped scallions• Fresh cilantro• Crushed peanuts or sesame seeds (optional)

I must admit - I have slowly put on 9 pds over the past several months. Eating too much vegan ice-cream and bread. :(. I decided to peruse my McDougall book and just made this tasty tofu based mayo. If you haven't purchased The Starch Solution by John McDougall - I highly recommend - it's a staple in the plant-based community and filled with tasty recipes.

Lately, I have been so alarmed about the misinformation floating around on the web - especially as it pertains to nutrition. I think what makes this topic so difficult to discuss is the fact that you may be having a conversation with someone on this topic and both will shake their head in agreement and yet each individual will have opposing views in mind while assuming they are in fact seeing alignment or agreement on what "misinformation" is. Which brings me to Dr. Aseem Malhotra. I believe he has done so much damage to milliions of individuals - touting that saturated fats do not cause heart disease (via high cholesterol and hence plaque build-up). He essentially ignores some of the most reputable, long-term data out there. Here is a critique from Dr. Gil Carvalho: https://youtu.be/HkRJn6CyoQM?si=dOXqbeaqUjhlw7IN. I wish he would have called out the work of Dr. Esselstyn - but worth…

Not according to NutritionFacts.org

Our neighbors up north swear by it. I am only ever tempted after a hot sauna and I will say it provides a sense of euphoria. However, you will not find me in Canada this month jumping into an icy cold lake - even if Lee bore a hole big enough!!

What say you?