Tales of a New Vegetarian

I recently went to my yearly check up and several labs were drawn.  Thyroid disease and high cholesterol both run in my family and to be honest, I have always anticipated developing a thyroid condition waaaaay before anything else.  So to my surprise, a few of my labs came back abnormal.  They were not the ones that I thought! My thyroid panel was completely normal, but my total cholesterol and my LDL were high.  LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins.  This is also known as BAD cholesterol.  On the other hand, HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins.  This is your GOOD cholesterol and if you are healthy, it should be fairly high.  Sometimes this value can knock your total cholesterol off if it`s abnormal.  The nurse practitioner told me that my HDL (good) was so high that it brought my total up.  However, I asked that she give me the values of all three so that I could make my own inference (yes, I`m annoying).  As it turns out, my LDL was slightly high!  This was really depressing, as I never eat an excessive amount of fried food or egg yolks (high in cholesterol).  My mother has high cholesterol (runs in that side of the family) and I just found out that my sister does too!  My sister is tiny, has always been tiny, and probably always will be tiny.  That just goes to show that you can try and try to do all the right things and take care of yourself and be healthy....but you can`t change your genetics.  My own mother eats very healthy and exercises, yet she still has this issue.  Enough rambling...the point is that I am pissed off at my genetics and I want to do something about it!  There is a lot of evidence out there that supports the lowering effect vegetarianism has on cholesterol levels.  So, starting January 1st...my sis and I are going vegetarian.  (Not to be confused with vegan.) I`m not sure how long she wants to try this, but I`m setting a 3-month marker for myself.  I want my levels checked at the end of the 3 months to see if cutting out all meat had any sort of effect on my cholesterol!  I don`t believe in cutting out dairy, eggs, or fish.  This is called a lacto-ovo-pesco-vegetarian. However, I do want to only use egg whites or cholesterol-free egg substitutes, fat-free dairy (which I already consume), and those fish which have been found to have the most omega-3`s: salmon, halibut, tuna, etc.  If you`re my friend, please send some support my way!  I looooove me some steak and although I don`t eat it regularly, I will miss it.  I`ll be posting vegetarian recipes that I have success with soon. =)  Goodbye Sirloin, Hello Boca Burger!

Hummus for me, chickpea!

If I was ever forced to go vegetarian, I can tell you what would be my two main sources of protein: peanut butter and hummus.  Peanut butter, because it`s good on ANYTHING. And hummus, because it corresponds with my Mediterranean food obsession!

Hummus actually originated in the Middle East, but is now typically associated with Turkish and Greek cuisine. It is primarily served as a dip alongside pita bread and the main ingredients are chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and tahini (sesame seed puree). The chickpeas, of course, are the source of protein. It is thought that when served with a whole grain product (such as whole wheat pita), the proteins in the wheat help complete those from the chickpeas. However, the latest research has concluded that you don`t have to ingest two incomplete proteins to ensure that your body completes the protein.  Rather, if you consume a variety of foods, you will consume ample protein.

The best kinds of hummus are those that are made fresh.  Don`t get me wrong...the store-bough stuff can be good too!  But this is a nutrition AND cooking blog, right?  So I have to encourage making your own from scratch....

Basic Hummus

2-3 tsp minced garlic (I buy the “Old World” brand)

¼ c olive oil (or less, depending on the consistency you want)

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1 can chickpeas, not drained

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

Sea salt to taste

¾-1 c tahini

Garnishes:

kalamata olives

feta cheese

parsley

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except the garnishes.  Process until a smooth consistency is reached.  If too thick, add more olive oil. Garnish with olives, feta cheese, and parsley.  Serve with warm pita bread.

Also try one of these add-ins when you process the ingredients:

*Roasted red peppers (can be store-bought or done in the oven)

*Artichoke hearts

*Cilantro

*Sun-dried tomatoes