Welcome to the VeganCoach.com newsletter focusing on everyday vegan advice. The Golden Banana Newsletter is dedicated to assisting you with your everyday vegan cooking and nutrition questions.

This month, the focus is on healthy kids. With a change of seasons in the air, it's important to do all you can to keep your kids well for the cold and flu season.

And as usual, I'll answer questions sent in from my dear sweet darling VeganCoach.com VIPs (that's you!). We'll cover Vegan Vitamin B12 for kids and the elderly, wheat in your diet, and recipe suggestions for a bridal shower.

Then we'll round things out with a kid-friendly recipe that adults will love too!

Oh! And check out the updated section about Get Sauced With Sass -- COMING VERY, VERY, VERY SOON! Whoo-hoo!

Finally, I wish you a Happy No-Turkey Day on November 27th. Click here if you need ideas for vegan recipes this holiday season.

Hope you enjoy this issue of The Golden Banana, which is actually created by you and the questions you send me. Do you have a question, comment, or something else you'd like to share with our growing community of Vegan Coach fans? Please don't hesitate to fill out the form on my Contact page. I look forward to hearing from you. :O)

It is my sincere hope that the information I provide on my little website VeganCoach.com assists you in being the healthiest Vegan you can be.

Wishing you a beautiful day! :O)
Sassy

PLEASE NOTE: For an easy-to-view version of this newsletter, or past issues, please visit the VeganCoach.com Backissues Page.

As a Vegan Nutritional Consultant I assist my clients by examining their current diet to figure out areas that might need more attention. It’s nice to have someone you can go to for advice that's YOU-nique.

"Working with you, I felt at ease right away. You were very concerned with what I was or was not doing and helping me eat right as a Vegan. I felt like you were a good friend and even a family member." - Aleta J., Claremont, California

If you...

• want someone you can call on to take your hand and walk you through the maze of vegan diet and nutrition information that you are constantly bombarded with;
• need someone who can answer all your questions about how to create a successful vegan diet plan with patience and understanding;
• simply don’t have the time to figure out which foods are best for your unique nutritional needs and vegan weight loss plans;
• want to spend your time doing what YOU love instead of spending hours on research;
• have limited special knowledge about food or nutrition -- but you're ready and willing to learn more...

...then working with me, your very own personal Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coach, may be just what you need.

For more information about this service, please visit the Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coaching page.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Get *SAUCED* With Sass!
• Vegan Tip of the Month: Kidetox!
• Vegan Vitamin B12 For Kids and the Elderly
• Wheat Free?
• Bridal Shower Vegan Recipe Ideas
• Vegan Month of Food
• RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa

Get *SAUCED* With Sass!

How To Create Delectable
Meat-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Vegan Sauces
WITHOUT Recipes!

Good news!

Get Sauced With Sass is rounding the bend to the finish line. Whoo-hoo!

You're going to LOVE this book. Early reviews are coming in. Everyone is having fun with the book and learning a lot.

"I really can't believe how your book has opened my eyes up to another realm of sauces and has gotten me back into more vegetarian/vegan/healthier cooking! Thank you so much."
-- Chef Francie Fuhrel, Las Vegas, Nevada

"I love your approach, teaching an understanding of the foundations of great sauces. Your readers will be encouraged to get comfortable and creative in the kitchen and move beyond rigidly following recipes. You should be incredibly proud of it!"
-- Chef Jesse Miner, San Franciso, California

"You have compiled an instructional guide that will help people to learn to cook with creativity. This book is not just another compendium to add to the bookshelf. It is something that should be kept in the kitchen, in the brief case, and on the bed stand at all times."
-- Jessie "Chopper" Ferraris, Half Moon Bay, California

"Get Sauced With Sass is fresh and original, and would inspire many people to just go into the kitchen and see what they have available to create a sauce. The book is INCREDIBLE!"
-- Chefs Sara and Dave Levi, Durham, North Carolina

Click the link below to receive 10% off.

But be sure to do so before November 17th, when the book goes on sale to the general public. At that time I'll gather up all of the names of those who signed up for the discount and will send an email with ordering instructions.

Thank you!
xoxo
Sassy

My favorite "internal cleanse" company has come up with a brand new way to keep your kids healthy, especially this winter.

Kidetox is designed specifically for your little ones. (And the name is pretty cool.)

And of course, it's 100% vegan.

Perfect for kids who:

• Have irregular bowel movements
• Suffer from weight issues
• Consume a lot of junk food and soft-drinks
• Suffer from low energy and fatigue
• Catch everything that is going around
• Have a lot of gas and other digestive troubles
• Have a difficult time concentrating at school
• Suffer from food and/or environmental allergies

Kidetox is very easy to use and takes only a few minutes each day. Unlike the adult cleansing system Colonix, which comes in the forum of capsules, Kidetox comes with handy dandy droppers and chewable tabs.

This is the first and only detox cleansing system available that is made specifically for kids (age 4 and up).

Q: How long should my child take Kidetox for?

A: This really depends on the age and level of toxicity of your child. We recommend a minimum of one month with up to 2-3 months for older children.

Q: How long before we see results?

A: Every child is different but usually by the second or third week, your child will start looking and feeling better.

Q: Does my child need to increase his/her water intake while on the Kidetox program?

A: Children need pure clean water in order to grow and thrive. This is even more important during the cleansing process in order to assist the body in removing toxins. Try to get your child to drink at least 4-6 (8oz) glasses of pure filtered water a day, or more if he/she is very active physically or if you live in a very hot climate. Please do not substitute soft-drinks or fruit juices for water!

Q: Is there a special diet to follow while taking Kidetox?

A: We know how hard it can be to get children to eat healthy! Although no particular diet is needed for Kidetox to work, eating healthy foods is always a good idea. A diet containing plenty of organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds complements this program very well. Try to limit your child’s consumption of red meats, cured meats (such as hot dogs and bacon), refined foods, canned foods, junk food, sugar, salt, saturated fats, sweets, food additives, colorings and preservatives while cleansing.

Q: My child is overweight. Will this help him lose weight?

A: Toxins that build up in the body can add many extra pounds and interfere with proper metabolic function. Once the toxins are removed, digestion and assimilation improve and your child will have a much easier time reaching and maintaining his ideal weight. Of course, a healthy diet and exercise are also crucial for long-term results.

Q: My child is underweight already. Will he lose more weight on Kidetox?

A: A possible cause of your child being underweight could be the improper absorption of nutrients. With the removal of toxins and improvement in digestion, your child will be healthier and happier, making it easier for him to come closer to his ideal weight. Of course, a healthy diet and exercise are also crucial for long-term results.

Q: Will Kidetox interfere with my child’s medication?

A: Our experience is that Kidetox does not interfere with medications or other nutritional supplements. If your child is taking medications and/or has a serious medical condition, please consult your physician before starting a detoxification program.

Here's to the good health of your little whippersnappers. :O)

Dear Sassy,
I was looking to see if there was any harm in giving my son an extra 500 mcg of B12 and I was led to your article about vitamin B12.

He currently takes 6 mcg per day, but I've been told of the benefits of increased cognition and 500 mcg of the vegan B12 seems to be the lowest I've found locally. I gave him one tablet today and felt I noticed a greater ability in him to concentrate. He's not diagnosed with any specific disorder.

In your article you mentioned 5 mcg per day and yet you take 1000 per week. I also noted that since the vitamin is water soluble, we need not be concerned with taking too much.

My conflict is the contrast between 6 mcg per day verses 506 mcg. This seems like a big difference. What's your opinion? Thank you for your insights.
-- Jeanne, Grand Forks, North Dakota
p.s. We just began giving my mother-in-law 1000 mcg in addition to her 200 mcg due to the fact that she suffers from dementia. Any comments?

Hi Jeanne,

Since B12 is (as you noted) water soluble, have no fears about giving too much. The excess will simply be washed away.

Have you read the link to Dr. McDougall's site that I have provided on my site? Here it is -- I think you'll find it most interesting.

Dr. McDougall's thoughts on B12.

I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's dementia. I know how hard this can be on a family. My heart goes out to you.

One characteristic of the elderly seems to be that they have challenges with their "intrinsic factor" which is what helps your body to make use of B12. (You can read about that in the McDougall link above). Sometimes the intrinsic factor is not there, or not as strong as it needs to be, and B12 shots may be necessary since they bypass the stomach.

I recommend you speak with your doctor or a certified dietician or nutritionist. ;O)

All the best to you, Jeanne.

Dear Sassy,
For a while now I have been eating a lot of products like organic whole grain oats, rice, etc. But then I have also been eating a lot of organic whole grain wheat grains.

I thought these products were healthy because they do not have any pesticides or anything else added to it. But I am not sure if I am right. I recently read that one should stay away from wheat gluten like the plague. Can you tell me if I should stay away from this?

Thanks, Veggie Coach. I really appreciate it.
-- Cedric W., Los Angeles, California

Hi Cedric,

It can be so confusing out there. The best you can do is take in all the information from those you respect and make your best educated decision. You're inherently smarter about this stuff than you know.

To begin with, you are not doing anything wrong. Whenever you choose whole grains and whole grain products over non-whole grains and their products, you're doing the right thing for your body. You can read more about why it's important to eat whole grains here:

The Ins and Outs of Whole Grains.

Now, to your question about whether or not to avoid wheat and/or wheat gluten.

About 2 years ago, I came across information about the possible negative effects of wheat on our bodies. This information started me thinking about how wheat was affecting me, personally. So I started to keep track. And I was ASTOUNDED at what I discovered.

When I ate wheat and wheat products, I would get extremely tired afterwards. My stomach would hurt. I'd feel sort of gassy and bloated.

So I decided to just remove wheat from my diet for a while and see what would happen. As things like this go, I didn't notice a difference.

Until I added the wheat back in. BAM! There it was again...exhaustion, bloating, even feeling crabby and unmotivated.

So I removed wheat and wheat products from my diet, for the most part. (I still occasionally dabble in them.)

That's not to say I have removed gluten, though.

There's a difference.

For example, I have now switched to spelt pasta. Spelt contains gluten. For me, spelt works. Wheat, however, doesn't.

Interesting, eh?

I encourage you to do your own experiments and come to your own conclusions.

Best wishes, Cedric.

Dear Sassy,
I received a bridal shower invitation for a girlfriend of mine. In it they enclosed a recipe card to fill out. I am the only one out of all of the people who eat healthy with 22yrs of a vegetarian past and a new vegan future.

I would love to give them a fantastic dessert recipe that comes out fabulous but isn't "too weird" as they all think. Do you have any recipe suggestions? I would like it to be something chocolate but different- not the typical choc chip cookies. Thank you so much!
-- Sherri, Beachwood, New Jersey

Hi Sherri,

These two recipes are delicious.

The first, made with avocados, will blow her away since NOBODY would think avocado would work for a pudding. But OMG! I serve it at dinner parties to my non-vegan friends and they LOOOOOOOVE it. Such a nice little surprise and a very unique dessert.

The 2nd - there's only one "weird" ingredient and that's the silken tofu. But it won the 1st place prize in a Vegetarian Times 2005 recipe contest. I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to share it. The dessert is FANTASTIC.

All the best, Sass

Chocolate Silk Decadence
By: Vanessa Sherwood
www.SomeLikeItRaw.net

Serves 6

3 avocados
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Up to 1 1/2 cups water to thin

1. Process all of the ingredients except the water in a food processor. Add water to thin to desired consistency.

2. Great served with sliced strawberries or raspberries. It also freezes very well and can be served as a gelato.

Crunchy Chocolate Truffle Pie
By: Shannon Allison-Leszek, 1st place winner

Serves 12
1 Pie

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces firm silken tofu
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 9-inch premade graham cracker crust
1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered pretzels

1. Place chocolate chips in a double-boiler until melted. Set aside.

2. Combine tofu and maple syrup in food processor, and blend 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add peanut butter, and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate, and process once more until smooth.

3. Pour peanut butter-chocolate mixture into pie crust, smoothing the top; refrigerate 20 minutes. Sprinkle pretzels on top, and serve, or refrigerate until ready to eat.

In celebration of World Vegan Day (November 1st) and National Vegan Month (November), I recently participated in Vegan MoFo, which stands for Vegan Month of Food.

It was QUITE a lot of work, let me tell you. But I was not alone -- there were hundreds of other Vegan MoFo-ers out there spreading the word about veganism in the best way they know how. Some focused on vegan issues, some on vegan relationships, some on vegan desserts, and so on and so on.

My blog, Everyday Vegan Cooking and Nutrition, focuses on the best of the best recipes I pump out of my kitchen.

But for Vegan MoFo, I shared every single solitary dinner Jeff and I had every Monday-Friday for the entire month of October. Good or bad!

This little experiment was really interesting for me. Sometimes I found it difficult and just a little intimidating to share every dinner we ate. When it was good, it was a joy! And when it was bad...oy! (Hey, that rhymed.)

Take a peek at the results.

Click here to view my blog entries for the entire month of October.

You just might find a new recipe you'd like to try. Or maybe you'll just laugh. :O)

Either way, enjoy!

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

This was a recipe I made on-the-fly one day, per usual. It's simple to make, and is quite delicious and positively addicting.

This is a kid-friendly recipe that is filled with important healthy fats we need. Your little ones will love it. And so will everyone else. :O)

Serve with a favorite veggie for a well-rounded meal.

Vegan Cheesy Italian Quinoa
Serves 1-2
(Recipe can be doubled.)

Raw Vegan Macadamia Ricotta Cheese (recipe below)
1 cup organic unwashed (dry) quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 Tablespoons marinara

1. Make the Raw Vegan Macadamia Ricotta Cheese: Place 1 cup organic macadamia nuts in a small bowl with enough water to cover. Let soak for 30 minutes. Drain.

Place soaked and drained macadamias into a food processor with:

1/2 cup dry macadamias
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
5 Tablespoons water, as necessary

Process until completely smooth.

(This ricotta recipe will make more than you need for the recipe. Simply store the rest in a covered container in the fridge and use in 3 days...if it hangs around that long!)

2. Make the quinoa: In a large DRY pan heat 1 cup quinoa, stirring often, until lightly toasted. (Do not burn!) Add veggie broth.

Cover, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until broth is absorbed and quinoa is cooked -- filaments will be visible and quinoa will be al dente (softened yet with a bite). If quinoa is cooked but the broth hasn't been completely absorbed, simply pour off some of the broth, if desired.

3. To the quinoa, add 2-3 Tablespoons Macadamia Ricotta and combine thoroughly. Add 1-2 Tablespoons marinara, or to taste, and stir to combine.

p.s. Feel free to add wilted spinach, fresh basil, or vegetarian bacon to the dish, if desired.

For breakfast, lunch, dinner -- anytime you need a cheesy Italian fix! :O)

Happy cooking!

That wraps it up for this edition of The Golden Banana newsletter.

VeganCoach.com has been created to help YOU. To contact me with questions, comments or suggestions, please fill out the form on my Contact page.

Thanks! :O)
Sassy