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.

Whew! Lots to cover this week thanks to the influx of questions I have received from fantastic guests like YOU. The questions answered in this newsletter come directly from those who visit the VeganCoach.com website. So don't be shy - if you have a question, be sure to use the form on my Contact page. I personally try to answer every single question that comes my way.

This is the last chance to take advantage of the invitation to receive 10% off my new weight loss course "Get Down With Sass", which will be ready for purchase this month. YES!

If you live in or around Los Angeles, you will want to pay special attention to the Undercover Investigation of vegan restaurants in your area. All I can say is: Wow!

And this month, a new feature where I give you just a tiny peek into what's happening in the world of Sassy and Jeff. Do you care? Who knows? But it just feels like a good month for show and tell.

Hope you enjoy this issue of The Golden Banana, which is actually created by you with 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 VeganCoach.com assists you in being the healthiest Vegan you can be.

Big hugs to you,
Sassy
p.s. Please note: The Vegan Coach Backstage Password for all password-protected pages has changed.

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

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Stock These Vegan Ingredients
• Earth Balance and Saturated Fat
• Is It Okay To Eat Fruit With Other Foods?
• Adzuki/Aduki Beans
• Undercover Investigation of Los Angeles Vegan Restaurants
• Behind The Scenes w/Sass - New Feature!
• RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Lemon-Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

Get *DOWN* With Sass!

Coming September 2009
Click here to learn more!

This 7-week course will teach you how to add healthy foods into your current diet, no matter what that diet is (vegan, vegetarian or non-veg). At the end of the 7 weeks, you have all the tools you need to make healthy choices for the rest of your life -- not to mention you should notice your body slowly but surely moving to its ideal weight.

The comments are rolling in from my fabulous posse of reviewers, and I'm putting the finishing touches on the course, which will be ready this month. If you would like to receive notice when Get Down With Sass! is available and ready for purchase, please follow the link. (There's a special offer too, for all you Early Birds.)

Hi Donna,

Kinda sorta. There is a password-protected page of my site that addresses this topic. And it is available to those who subscribe to my newsletter, which is where you'll always find the most up-to-date password.

The page can be found here: Stock These Vegan Ingredients
Current Password: corncob

Please be warned this page was created many moons ago, and I would like to update it to include more specifics, but it will get you off to a good start.

Anyway, I am a strict vegan who reads everything! I use Earth Balance butter but noticed that it has 2.5 grams of saturated fat. I thought saturated fat isn't good for you? Help, Sassy!
-- Leslie, Middle Village, New York

Hi Leslie,

Please know this is just my take on things, and is not necessarily gospel. It is my belief that saturated fat is most harmful when combined with cholesterol. So it is best to avoid the largest source of these two combined (saturated fat and cholesterol) which is only found in animal products. In other words, you are getting a double whammy.

But saturated fat in itself is not necessarily evil. In fact, most foods which include fat contain a percentage of saturated fat. But those foods which contain a MAJORITY of saturated fat while still remaining cholesterol-free (meaning, plant foods) are tropical oils.

According to the Earth Balance label, it contains the oil of palm fruit, which is likely where this saturated fat content is coming from. But let's remember that there are also other nutritious fats of equal value mixed in, including monosaturated fats (such as olive oil). It also contains Omega 3 fats, is non-hydrogenated and has zero trans fats.

So the profile of this product is definitely on the healthier side. And while I wouldn't go crazy with it, a little here and there would in my opinion do no harm.

Also, would this apply to dried fruit, such as raisins and cranberries, added to cereal? I'm so bummed because I always include fruit in my morning breakfast of toast, cereal or yogurt.
-- Denise, Redding, California

Hi Denise,

Most fruit digests very quickly. If fruit is consumed at the same time as foods which digest more slowly (which is, basically, every other food out there), the fruit will not be able to make its way past the other food to find its way out.

So there the fruit will sit waiting patiently until it can exit. This can turn your beautiful healthy fruit into a food which begins to ferment and putrefy which can produce gas, acid, and even alcohol. The end result is bloating, indigestion, and other abdominal discomforts.

Melons take 15-30 minutes to digest, acid fruits (such as oranges and grapefruit) take 1 hour to digest, sub-acid fruits (such as apples, pears and berries) take 2 hours to digest, and dried fruit, bananas and dates take right around 4 hours to digest.

If you enjoy dried fruit on your cereal, and it is not causing you any discomfort, chances are the digestion times are jiving with what you are eating. And is a little orange rind okay in your yogurt? I would say yes.

Great question!

Hi Suzie,
Aduki beans (or Adzuki beans) are a small Japanese red bean that are rounded with a point on one end. They have a strong flavor that is a delicious mix of sweet and nutty but it can be a little different working with the flavor of this bean versus a more familiar bean such as pinto or black.

It might help to remember that aduki beans are sort of known to have a bit of a "meaty" flavor, which means they will tend to match nicely with ingredients that go well with meat, such as potatoes, basil, oregano and thyme, to name a few.

Thank you for the suggestion of aduki flavor matches. I have added them to the Beans page of my site:

How to Cook Beans

That was a long time coming, and I appreciate you lighting the fire under my butt to get that done. I always have soooo much to do on my site that sometimes it takes a special request to just get it done, ya know?

Hope it helps. :O)

Quarry Girl's Undercover Investigation

While we were there, Jeff and I went on a lunch date with our old friends John and Deo Robbins. (John is the world-renowned author of Diet for a New America, among many more amazing titles he has written over the years.)

John is currently working on his next book, and we cannot wait for it to be revealed so we can get our paws on it! The lovely Deo is slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things after a many-months-long recovery from shoulder surgery. Ouch! Wishing you a complete recovery, Deo!

Noah

I'm happy to report that not only did Noah and Chance survive, but two more babies were born and have already flown the coop (Hercules and Daphne). When you count in the 1st baby dove of the year (Clyde) that makes 5 dove babies born in our tree. It's a big year for doves.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Enjoy!

Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes
Serves 2-3

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk brought to room temperature*
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup non-dairy sour cream
1/4 cup Sucanat (or other vegan granulated sugar)
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, liquid
2 cups frozen blueberries, defrosted (or use fresh)
Coconut oil to grease the pan
Powdered sugar, to decorate

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Add milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, sugar, and liquified coconut oil. Whisk juuuust until completely combined. Add blueberries and stir to mix.

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and brush lightly with the coconut oil.

3. Ladle batter into the pan to desired pancake sizes. Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until bubbles begin to form and the center seems a bit set. Gently flip and cook until golden brown.

4. Keep pancakes in a 200 degree oven until all cakes are cooked. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, some Earth Balance (or other non-hydrogenated margarine), and pure maple syrup (I like Grade B organic maple syrup).

* Be sure your milk is room temperature or it will turn the liquid coconut oil solid (since coconut oil turns solid when chilled).

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

"Last week Sunday, I began following your advice from our coaching call. There was no feeling of coming home and wracking my brain about what to eat, and then passing out before I even make a decision, going to sleep without dinner.

"I've had a fresh and colorful green salad every day, and something good and nutritious to eat in the morning. Thank you so much for your advice. I can literally feel myself getting healthier!"
-- Yvette P., Los Angeles, California

"You have a bubbly personality and although I have never met you in person, I was very comfortable sharing personal information with the knowledge that you would be able to offer healthful insights.

"Reinforcement of the necessity of eliminating sodas was a huge thing for me, as was the guidelines for purchasing organics."
-- S.S., Roseville, 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.

Get *SAUCED* With Sass!

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

Click here to learn more!

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)