Author: carl@pedestalsearch.com

Chef V’s Vegan Thanksgiving Plan

carl@pedestalsearch.com

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re excited about spending time with friends and family. While we also love a bountiful feast, we beg to differ if you say turkey should steal the spotlight. And when you realize you’re ingesting thousands of extra calories, you’ll definitely want to check out healthier options. This piece discusses some delicious vegan Thanksgiving recipes to enjoy along with green drink and juice detox options to burn your extra calories this holiday season.

Healthy holidays = happy holidays

One-third of Americans prefer hosting a meat-free Thanksgiving dinner. Your friends may be making healthier choices this year, and you want to host them well. Opt for vegan recipes that typically incorporate whole foods, an abundance of healthy plants, and antioxidant-rich, nutrient-dense foods. Plant-based, plant-loaded meals can be your starting point to kick-start healthy beginnings and seal the deal for healthy New Year’s resolutions.

Traditional side dishes can be easily veganized. And with multiple ideas for creative vegan options, you don’t have to sacrifice taste for a healthy meal or stress out trying to create it. 

Planning a vegan Thanksgiving meal

If you’re up for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner this year, you must be wondering how to organize everything and what dishes to choose for a whole vegan meal. We’ve got the answer for you—slow down, and scroll down.

First things first, decide on the number of courses. Do meals with less than four courses feel incomplete to you? Or does a three-course meal swell up your belly just about enough? 

Next, zero in on the delicious vegan recipes that’ll look absolutely delicious on your Thanksgiving table this year, and then move on to arranging the ingredients. You can easily get natural sweeteners, dairy alternatives, vegan condiments, and other pantry essentials from any grocery store. Or you may want to prepare all dishes at home from scratch. Depending on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen, sort out what raw materials can be store-bought and what you’re willing to make at home.

Chef V’s recommendations: Vegan Thanksgiving recipes 

Are you struggling with choosing your Thanksgiving menu? We have some healthy, lip-smacking vegan recipes to share with you below.

Vegan appetizers

This delicious fall treat is a hit at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s  filling and makes you feel warm inside even though it’s a salad.

This vegan soup will suit everyone’s taste buds. The spicy vegetable soup with jalapeno, quinoa, zucchini, black beans, and lots of spice will leave your guests wanting more.

The only thing more comforting than a bowl of soup is a bowl of homemade soup that’s both vegan and gluten-free. This recipe is easily one of the most healthy ways to pop a pumpkin on your Thanksgiving table.

Vegan roasts

With only seven ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make. Filled with generous amounts of flavor and filling, you can’t miss this roast for your Thanksgiving toast.

Vegan main course

This gluten-free, dairy-free version of macaroni and cheese will become a favorite at your Thanksgiving dinner table! A recipe so fulfilling, you might just switch to this vegan version altogether. 

This delicacy incorporates pumpkin into the ricotta cheese mixture. Made with gluten-free noodles, it is sure to become a family favorite, for even the pickiest eater. This lasagna is an entree you’ll be proud of.

  • Vegan Green Bean Casserole
    A perfect combination of crunchy and creamy in a vegetable dish, this one is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Beans worthy of attention, you need this addition to your dinner.

Vegan desserts

This healthy take on tiramisu is a must. Once you discover baking with healthy ingredients, there’s a good chance you’ll want to continue!

A dessert you can’t do vegan Thanksgiving without. If you love ice cream, all things pumpkin and fall, and exquisite vegan desserts, you’ll love this recipe.

A dessert you’ll have a ton of fun making. Pair this poached pear recipe with scooped vegan ice cream for a delicious and healthy dessert. 

Vegan drinks

While these vegan Thanksgiving recipes should add some exciting and healthy new flavors to your meals, don’t temper your love for the meal by worrying about holiday weight. Gulp on! Just make sure you take care of your body with just as much enthusiasm.

With Chef V’s juice detox and green drinks, you can bid your worries goodbye and set a detox in motion. Chef V’s nutrient-dense drinks are freshly made and help you detox your liver, fight inflammation, reduce cholesterol, and much more. 

And these healthy green drinks are delivered with a hint of sweetness, kicking the boring out of the green.  Order your 7-day juice cleanse today to celebrate Thanksgiving with a healthy body and a thankful heart. Have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!

Chef V’s List of Top Foods that Cause Migraines and Headaches

carl@pedestalsearch.com

Migraines and headaches suck. There’s no dancing around the topic. And what really sucks about them is how hard they can be to get rid of permanently. There are many sources of headaches and migraines. But one of the most overlooked causes of these conditions is diet. It could be that your chronic head pain is because of foods that cause migraines. 

What causes headaches and migraines?

To understand why diet could cause headaches and migraines, it’s essential to understand why these bad things happen to good people like us. The terms are used interchangeably, though they’re actually entirely different. 

We won’t get into all the nitty gritty, but headaches tend to have a physical cause behind them. This could be because of an injury. But it could also be because you have tense muscles or pressure in your sinuses. Migraines, on the other hand, are caused by an issue with the nerves or chemicals in your brain.

So this means there are many ways your diet could end up giving you a migraine. Chemicals in the food you eat could mess with your brain chemistry. Foods that dehydrate you could cause the muscles in your head to lose moisture and tighten. Indeed, hydration is a crucial step to staving off head pain. With that in mind, here are a few of the top foods and drinks that will start your head throbbing. 

Kinds of foods that cause migraines and headaches

Alcohol headaches 

Overconsumption of alcohol is one of the top causes of headaches for many people. The hangover headache is real. The science beyond this is simple. Alcohol causes dehydration. This then leads to muscle-related headaches. So take it easy on the alcoholic drinks, and mix them with plenty of water. 

Caffeine headaches

Caffeine is a drug. And like any drug, it can come with a lot of withdrawal symptoms if you get hooked on it, then stop. Our recommendation is to swap your morning drink for something a bit healthier, like our green drink. 

Celery juice headaches

Celery juice is a bit specific to be on this list, no? Well, since celery juice is often touted as a cure-all, we thought it was worth a closer examination. So can celery juice cause headaches? Most of the negative side effects of celery juice that people report tend to be related to bloating and gas. 

However, celery juice side effects can often include headaches when consumed in large amounts. What’s probably also going on here is the fact that celery juice is relatively low in nutrition. Celery juice headaches are caused by relying too heavily on it, rather than more nutritious drinks. 

Salty food headaches

Food too high in sodium? Then you better believe you’ll experience a spike in blood pressure. And what comes with higher blood pressure? Migraines. Stay away from the salty stuff, especially if it comes with preservatives. 

Sugary food headaches

There are many potential foods we could list here, so we’re going to lump all the sweets and treats into one category. Can sugar cause headaches? You bet. Eating too many sugary foods can cause a rapid swing in blood sugar level and then, before you know it, you have a sugar headache. We recommend a low sugar cleanse to detox your blood sugar back to normal. 

Get relief with a low sugar cleanse

When it comes to hydrating and getting everything you need, there’s nothing better than a low sugar cleanse. And when it comes to low sugar cleanses, Chef V is a real winner. Our green drink is filled with everything you need to stay hydrated and healthy, and it even makes a great meal accompaniment on its own. 

Celery Juice Headaches and Green Powder: Wellness Fads to Be Skeptical Of

carl@pedestalsearch.com

At Chef V, we’re all about proven results when it comes to promoting health. With some hard work and patience, (and great Chef V green drinks!) anyone can achieve their personal health goals. However, in a world of instant gratification, everyone is looking for shortcuts. This isn’t something to be ashamed of, but it does mean that there is going to be a lot of misinformation out there about various health fads and fakes. We’ve heard some of the worst, and today, we’ll share some that we’ve heard, from the plausible-sounding to the plain wacky.

#1 Celery Juice Cures Everything

Now, we’re not trying to knock celery here. The crunchy veggie is a great part of many meals and makes a healthy low-calorie snack. However, we’ve seen plenty of people treating celery juice as equal to or even as a replacement for green drinks. People say that just drinking this veggie liquidated on its own is a magical potion for everything that ails you.

However, there doesn’t seem to be any real hard proof of any of that. Celery is low in calories, sure, but being low in calories doesn’t add up to being high in minerals and nutrients. Just drinking celery juice on its own is never going to be a replacement for an actually specially prepared green drink recipe as it lacks many vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

If you try and do a juice cleansed based entirely around blended celery stalks you’re going to run into some problems right away. The side effects of celery juice generally revolve around it playing havoc with your digestive system, leading to intense hunger (ruining a cleanse) and diarrhea (which can lead to dehydration and other problems.) While low in carbs, celery juice is actually pretty high in sodium – too much of it could lead to a variety of health issues.

#2 Green Powders are a Cleansing Shortcut

We’ve actually tackled this one before but it’s worthwhile to provide another reminder. Green powders are often touted as a convenient replacement to green drinks, one that you can store and use at your leisure.

Nonetheless, that convenience comes with a cost. Fresh veggies are always going to be easier to digest for your body than powders. However, the real problem lies with many of the powders themselves. They often include an excess of other additives used to modify the taste – and adding too much sugar to the blend sort of defeats the purpose of a blended juice cleanse.

Worst of all, many brands of powder actually contain ingredients that are actively harmful to you. So when it comes to green juice vs. green powder, it’s always best to reach for the green drink.

#3 Inserting… Things

Warning, but this one is gonna get pretty gross.

At Chef V we’re all about putting good stuff into your body. However, an alarming health trend intended to flush out ones body starting from the inside out is not the way to go. Some of these are older fads, such as the ever Hollywood popular colonics.

We get it. People want good digestive health and they want a clean colon. But is a strong stream of water down south the way to do it? It might sound like a quick but painful shortcut – why not get the cleansing started from the inside out (literally)? But if there’s a theme to this piece, it’s that shortcuts aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.

The problem is, the cleansing process simply doesn’t work backward like that. Developing a healthy digestive system involves eating the right foods for your liver, kidneys, stomach, and guts.

We’d like to say colonics are the weirdest option that people opting for in the name of health… but that wouldn’t be true. Just remember – no shortcuts! You want good health results, you should adopt a healthy diet or a cleanse. It just doesn’t work in reverse.

#4 Eating Charcoal (No, Really)

A lot of bad wellness fads can be traced back to someone taking a single fact or idea, and then extrapolating it out to its craziest level. It is true that charcoal is often used as a filter. And it is also true that activated charcoal is used in certain medical applications.

That does not mean that you should be chowing down on charcoal. It is true that charcoal tends to bind things to it. But this doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to drink or eat it. The charcoal will bind to absolutely everything. That means that it can interfere with the operation of healthy bacteria in your gut. Worst case scenario? It creates a blockage (ouch!).

We get the desire to take any sort of supplement that will help reduce toxins and flush out the bad stuff. But putting things that aren’t food into your body is rarely a good idea (which we just covered above). The best detox aids are natural ones, that let your body flush toxins on its own terms, without ruining your gut flora or blocking your intestines.

#5 Mainlining Vitamins

Want to try to get the vitamins from stuff like green drink, but without getting to enjoy that green drink? Some people who think this way have taken to not drinking their vitamins, but injecting them directly into their bloodstream with an IV drip.

We suppose to those worried about time and efficiency, this could make sense. You’re skipping out on the digestion part and getting right to the vitamin intake. The problem is, there’s no real basis for assuming that this works. This may come as a shock to many, but human beings were designed to ingest their nutrients… by eating and drinking. Crazy, we know! But there are actually establishments you can go to and receive a vitamin IV drip.

Beyond being a silly way to try and get your vitamins, this can be potentially dangerous, leading to bloodstream infections or clogged capillaries. Trust us – just get your vitamins the old-fashioned way. Thankfully, with Chef V’s green drink, getting your fruits and veggies doesn’t have to be a pain in your butt… or your arm. So check out our Green Drink plan today!

Juice Cleansing the Easy Way: Fiber and Juice Cleanse Diets

carl@pedestalsearch.com

Veronica working from home

There are, sadly, many people who will turn their nose up at the very idea of a juice cleanse. Very often, this group consists of those who tried a juice cleanse and couldn’t make it through. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, however, if you can get through a juice cleanse, especially if you are just starting out. Plenty of people report feeling too hungry, exhausted, and low energy to make it through. However, this is rarely a problem for those taking a Chef V cleanse, especially our more modest goal versions like the 3 day juice cleanse.

So what’s our secret? Chef V’s cleanse program is designed to give you all the nutrients you need while cleansing. And one of the most overlooked, but impactful nutrients when it comes to juice cleanse diets has to be fiber. Here, we’ll give you everything you need to know about fiber, and why it’s so important to even a simple 3 juice cleanse.

So What is Fiber Anyways?

Alright – so, fiber is a carbohydrate. Wait, don’t run away! Not all carbs are always bad for you. And fiber is a very unique carbohydrate indeed. Often, the problem with carbs is that they tend to dump a lot of sugar into our blood, causing blood sugar spikes. fiber, on the other hand, simply passes through our digestive tracts, not overstaying its welcome. This isn’t to say, however, that fiber passes through you without any long-term health benefits.

The fiber that we eat tends to come in two forms, soluble and insoluble, each with its own purpose and benefits. Soluble fiber helps keep your digestion working at a regular place. It’s not just digestion that soluble fiber helps you manage, however – it also helps you lower cholesterol levels, and manage blood pressure and blood sugar. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, simply passes through your body and is vital to preventing bowel syndromes like constipation.

What’s important to note about fiber is that while it’s super important to our health, it’s only found in plant-based foods, like fruits and veggies. In particular, dark leafy greens, squashes, carrots, and some fruits (like apples) are great sources of fiber.

Fiber and Juice Cleanse Diets

You’ll find that some juice cleanses (even short 3 day juice cleanses) will play havoc with your bowels. This is because, very often, those juice cleanses focus on the sexier nutrients like antioxidants, and don’t give poor humble fiber a second thought. Or, if they do consider fiber, they only want to chase the cholesterol-busting soluble fiber, while not giving enough attention to the bowel-helping insoluble fiber. This means that people often suffer intense intestinal distress when undergoing a juice cleanse diet.

Thankfully, if you’re on a Chef V detox diet, whether a 3 day juice cleanse or a 21 day juice cleanse, you don’t need to worry about running to the toilet every half hour. This is because we specifically designed our detox diet to be something that people could actually, you know, finish.

How do we do it? Well, first of all, we don’t just toss you a crate of juice and call it a day. Our Chef V cleanses come with protein shakes and detox soups as well, to make sure that you are getting a well-rounded amount of nutrients and fiber into you – especially through our detox soup’s sweet potato and carrots. Plus, our fresh juice is filled with tons of fiber-packed leafy greens. This means that our juice cleanses are great for losing weight by cutting down on carbs, not because of all the exercise you’re getting doing sprints to the bathroom. If that sounds great to you, make sure to check out the ingredients in our cleanse.

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