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CH Blog

"from bio-chemistry and beans to protein and poop"

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Welcome to the monthly CH Blog!

I'm thrilled you'd like to learn more! Each month, I'll write on a plethora of plant-powered topics from marketing tactics, farming, public policy, and research... to fitness and wellness, behavior change, kitchen hacks, and fun food factoids. Included are useful links focused on Real Food Recipes, In the News, and Feeding Families. If you'd like to subscribe, check YES, please on the contact form, and you'll be added to the CH Blog monthly mailing list. Thank you for visiting and enjoy! So... what's for supper tonight?

Subscribers receive 3 downloadable docs!

CHEAT SHEETS 1.0 + 1.1: CH's High-Low-Ox "Diet" + Food List (English + Spanish)

GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS: CH links, books + cookbooks, films, YouTubers, advocates

CH Blog - 2023

  • JAN Priorities: What's the relative value of health?

  • FEB  Branding: A love letter to advocates (and everyone).  

  • MAR  Food Pushers: How to navigate people we love but...

  • APR  Flavor Hacks 1: How to make kale (kinda) delicious.

  • MAY  Mental Health: Can plants help balance our brain?

  • JUN  Fitness 1: About habits and the myth of motivation.

  • JUL  Beverages: What's ideal for all living creatures?

  • AUG  Vegetarianism: A healthy option or gateway to WPF?

  • SEP  Sleep 1: Complex carbs and our circadian rhythms.

  • OCT  Falsehoods 1: Interview with a marketing vampire.

  • NOV  Celebrations: Tips and tricks for surviving holidays.

  • DEC  Medical Schools: Why is food science being ignored?

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Priorities: What's the relative value of health?

January 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Before finding the WPF diet and lifestyle, my previous life was filled with excuses and I thought some were rather valid, too. However, what I finally understood was this: it's ALL about daily choices and these choices don't have a chance of actually happening if our life priorities are cocky-wobbly-upside-down. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Sweet Potato Soul offers a vegan mushroom "carnitas" taco recipe. LINK

  • In the News: Passion, time, routine, skills, and rewards are five points for prioritizing fitness. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Plant-Based and Broke shares 19 kid-friendly, budget-friendly recipes. LINK

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Branding: A love letter to advocates (and everyone).

February 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Although vegan, plant-based, and WPF approaches are rapidly increasing around the world, there seems to be a branding problem within plant-powered messaging. Fiercely debated data, media focus on sound-bite activism, and people's tendency to avoid reality and intelligent change are a few obstacles. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Nutrition Facts offers a classic sheet-pan meal for novices and beyond. LINK

  • In the News: LinkedIn shares five strategies for effective messaging towards adopting plants. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Food Revolution Network shows ways to navigate healthy eating in families. LINK

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Food Pushers: How to navigate people we love but...

March 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

There are different ways people show love and appreciation. Because food is a common love language, eating primarily plants can become more of a challenge when faced with spoken and unspoken pressure to say yes to food pushers. Daily battles can diminish with a few communication and mind-set tips. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Monkey & Me Kitchen Adventures offers plant-based mac + cheese recipes. LINK

  • In the News: Happy Herbivore shares tips and tricks for dealing with sticky social situations. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Forks Over Knives discusses what to do when your family eats animals. LINK

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Flavor Hacks 1: How to make kale (kinda) delicious.

April 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Dr Greger of Nutrition Facts has an accessible system called the Daily Dozen. One category is devoted to charismatic cruciferous veggies ("crew-sif-er-us"). These include broccoli, arugula (aka rocket), bok choy, and yes, the ever popular kale. Don't love their pungent flavors? Me, neither. Let CH Help. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Oh She Glows entices us with a vegan Caesar salad recipe with kale. LINK

  • In the News: Healthline investigates 9 health benefits of kale including its anti-cancer agents. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Goodnesst shares 7 tips to get your kids to eat kale because it's that nutrish. LINK

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​​Mental Health: Can plants help balance our brain?

May 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Since going 95% WPF-based and shifting gears in my lifestyle, career, and exercise habits, I've noticed that my brain is more focused. One reason is after eating an abundance of brain foods like dark cacao (72%+), blueberries, raw walnuts, green leafies, and fiber-foods, my mood and memory improved. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: The Simple Veganista dives deeply into blueberries, a beloved brain food. LINK

  • In the News: Forks Over Knives writes on improving mental health on a plant-based diet. LINK

  • Feeding Families: With exercise, sunlight, and a rosy attitude, these plants can fight the blues. LINK

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Fitness 1: About habits and the myth of motivation.

June 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Although I was an athlete as a child and have been active most of my life (climbed Annapurna, hiked New Zealand treks, skied the German Alps), I also let myself go in my mid-forties via reverse culture shock and getting divorced. Now, I'm aware of how VITAL movement is for a healthy brain and longevity. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete shares ten grain-green-bean recipes. LINK

  • In the News: Heart specialist and researcher Dr Scott Lear busts nine myths about exercise. LINK

  • Feeding Families: The Nourished Child recommends 21 high-protein plants for young athletes. LINK

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Beverages: What's ideal for all living creatures?

July 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

My family used orange juice as a way to say sorry. Kids are given sugary juice boxes as a "healthy" option. And high-fructose corn syrup (from subsidized GMO corn) is used in Big Beverage and Fast Food so that soft drinks can be sold cheaply at a high profit. What's ideal? Water and tea. Simple as that. READ ON

 

  • Real Food Recipes: Sweet Potato Soul offers a refreshing hibiscus and pineapple-skin tea. LINK

  • In the News: Healthline shares 7 science-based health benefits of drinking enough water. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Habitz explains how to help kids break their soda and juice habit. LINK

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Vegetarianism: A healthy choice or gateway to WPF?

August 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Like many people who bought a ticket on the WPF train, starting a plant-powered diet often began with a transition from omnivore to pescatarian (fish) to vegetarian, including CH. Egg yolks, dairy, and processed foods are included in a vegetarian diet, so re-examining this approach might be beneficial. READ ON

  • Real Food Recipes: Cookie + Kate offers a simple and delish vegetarian caprese sandwich. LINK

  • In the News: Vegetarian Society explains all aspects of a vegetarian approach to eating. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Love & Lemons developed dairy-free vegetarian recipes for all tastes. LINK

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Sleep 1: Complex carbs and our circadian rhythms.

September 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Studies consistently show that many people just aren't getting enough shut-eye. Along with old wisdom like sleeping in an uncluttered, cool, and dark space for 7+ hours, it's also important to connect the dots between what/when we eat and drink, as well as what our natural body clock is trying to teach us. READ ON

  • Real Food Recipes: Bed Threads developed five sleep-enhancing, vegan dinner recipes. LINK

  • In the News: Learn what CNS says about plant-based nutrition and how to sleep better. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Veg Kitchen shares 9 familiar, kid-friendly foods that support healthy sleep. LINK

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Falsehoods 1: Interview with a marketing vampire.

October 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

I watched Moby's Punk Rock Vegan Movie (2023) and got inspired by his "what if" approach to stories. If Dark Forces were interviewed on how to create human, food animal, and global destruction, what would Big Marketing ask Big Food, Beverage, Policy, Law, Media, Education, and Medicine? READ ON

  • Real Food Recipes: BBC - Good Food shares classic-vegan Halloween and autumn recipes. LINK

  • In the News: Built Lean shows seven surprising facts about food-industry marketing lies. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Verywell Family educates caregivers about digital food marketing to kids. LINK

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Celebrations: Tips and tricks for surviving holidays.

November 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

This is a tricky one. For me, I'm a 95% WPF advocate who might include either processed foods like faux-vegan sausage and cheese or an occasional slice of pizza margherita. But for vegans or 100% compliant whole food, plant-based eaters, well... yeah, it's a tricky one. Check out seven smart suggestions. NOV 2023

  • Real Food Recipes: MamaSezz curated 12 last-minute, WFPB recipes for your holiday table. LINK

  • In the News: All Creatures gives advice for ethical vegans about grace during the holidays. LINK

  • Feeding Families: Plant-Based Juniors explains five ways to create a vegan Thanksgiving. LINK

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Medical Schools: Why is food science being ignored?

December 2023 / by Cookhouse Hero

Admittedly, I have trust issues with conventional doctors and modern healthcare (or rather disease care). Here's one reason why plant-based advocates have negative experiences: only 25% of medical schools offer nutrition courses, and for those that do, require only 8 to 20 hours of instruction. Why-oh-why?! DEC 2023

  • Real Food Recipes: Check out kick-start recipes that medical students can pass onto patients. LINK

  • In the News: Four "ironic" reasons why nutrition is a whisper-in-the-dark in medical schools. LINK

  • Feeding Families: UCLA Health physicians answer if it's safe to switch to a vegan diet for kids. LINK

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