Cheesecake, a wholesome healthy superfood? Shut the front door! Raw Lemon Cashew 'Cheesecake' (Vegan)

I'VE MISSSSSSSSSED YOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

Aw man, I've been missing out on blogging, but YOU (whoever reads this blog anyway which is probably a very minimal amount) have been missing out on so many cool recipes because I haven't been posting them! I've been cooking occasionally, but I just haven't been taking photos or writing about it! It's been so busy...I can't believe what a stressful year this is turning out to be! Hopefully I'll be making those things again and posting it soon! So many awesome baked goodies and other healthful stuff :)

On the diet note, it took me about 2 weeks for my system to start accepting dairy, and meats again- I've been mainly taking in my protein from whey protein powder, soy, egg whites, and whole grains like oats and quinoa.

How does the high-protein diet feel compared to the vegan diet? Um, only like 100 times better! Although the vegan diet was much cleaner, it made me lose a lot of weight...and although I had lots of energy, it usually wouldn't sustain throughout my long dance hours. I was cold ALL the time, always shivering, never sweat once, and to be honest, always hungry. I don't know how all those vegan runners and athletes @CCK or @Oh She Glows does it. Maybe you have to get used to it and do it for years and years.

The protein diet. The first thing I noticed right off the bat is that it kept me full for hours and HOURS. I mean, a protein shake in the morning kept me going until lunch. A quinoa bake at lunch kept me full for 6 hours. I was really surprised that I didn't have to keep eating ALL THE TIME like I did last month.

I stopped shivering. I wasn't cold anymore! And because I'm restricted to less foods, I did put on a healthy 10+ lbs. I know. It seems like a lot, but I'm back at my set point weight. (Y)

Okay enough about that. I'm going to talk about this recipe...ok ok it's vegan but it's way cool and I've been so fascinated by the phenomenon that is RAW FOODS. Did you know there are people who devote their life to eating raw foods? It's this crazy diet and it's getting more and more popular. These people ONLY eat raw, so instead of owning a stove or oven, they have dehydrators hehe. they don't even eat dairy or anything that's been pasteurized. They do this because once you heat a food over 40 celsius, it loses its full nutrition. By eating raw, you are getting all the good stuff!

So this 'cheesecake'...it's so FAR from the real thing but it tastes SO MUCH like the real thing. SO bizarre. The ingredients are 100% raw, wholesome, and healthy and nutritious. Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free, and 100% raw.

Soaking the cashews increases your body's absorption of the vitamins & minerals, and neutralizes enzyme inhibitors that are present in raw nuts. It also makes the blending process easier so it's a must. Soak in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight.

The Skinny on Coconut Fat (Cited from My New Roots): Coconut oil does contain saturated fat, but lucky for us, it comes in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (or MCTs). This type of fat differs from the types of fat we normally consume from both plant and animal sources, which are long-chain triglycerides (or LCTs). Without getting too technical, MCTs are easily digested, absorbed, and utilized in the body because their molecules are smaller than those from LCTs. This means that unlike other fats, they require less energy and fewer enzymes to break them down for digestion. They are an excellent choice of fat for active people and athletes as MCTs digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism. They are also ideal for those who suffer from digestive disorders and are often given in hospitals to provide nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat.

It wasn't easy finding coconut oil in Vancouver! I found it in most health and vitamin stores, but they were really expensive! I found a small jar at Thrifty Foods for $7.99. It is the Spectrum Organic brand. Coconut oil is white and solid at room temperature; for this recipe you will need to melt on low heat (below 40 Celsius) it so it is clear and liquid.
This cake was creamy, tangy (from the lemon- it really does make it taste like cheesecake!), and the crust tasted so coconuttily sweet! I couldn't believe it was so nutritious!

Raw Lemon Cashew Cheesecake serves 8

original recipe from Anja's Food 4 Thought

Crust

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 3/4 cup dried dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp water

Filling

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or more
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1/4 cup agave syrup, or raw honey (not vegan), OR maple syrup (not raw)

Line the bottom and sides of a 9" cake pan with a removable bottom (springform pan).

Crust: Pulse the almonds in a food processor until fine. Add dates, shredded coconut, and water until a dough forms. You should be able to pinch the dough and it will stick together. Spread the crust on the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Set aside.

Filling: Drain the cashews and add it into a food processor or blender along with coconut oil, lemon juice, and agave. Blend/puree until smooth and creamy. Spread on top of crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1.5 hours- 2 hours.

To serve, take it out of the freezer, cut it into 8 pieces while frozen, and then let it thaw in the fridge for 1 hour or leave it out at room temperature to thaw for 20 minutes. It's great with some strawberry puree! I pureed some strawberries, raw honey, and a tsp of lemon juice together. We all loved it!

I hope you can try this sometime...raw foods are SO cool.

The David Kirsch New Yorker's Diet

the book I'm reading now

that's Heidi Klum people!!!!

The basic run-down of this type of diet is simple minus all the scientific facts about how this food spikes up your blood sugar which leads to ____________ or how having fruit in the morning increases insulin which leads to hunger yada yada yada.

David Kirsch's diet and body plan consists of two things, really. Eat well, and exercise well. He has an A, B, C, D, E, and F or "forbidden foods". They consist of:

A: Alcohol, a calorie-dense carbohydrate

B: Bread- a binge starter, with empty carbs that spike your blood sugar sending your body into 'fat storage mode' and increasing your hunger. With Bread includes many carbohydrates such as crackers as well.

C: Starchy Carbs- potatoes, root vegetables, carrots, rice, pasta, corn

D: Dairy- contains lactose which is usually hard to digest for most people and lead to bloating

E: Extra sweets- leads to carb cravings. Oh boy.

F: Fruit and most fats- fruit contains high amounts of fructose and calories. Fats are forbidden except for the 'good' fats found in oils such as flax seeds.

In a nutshell, this is a crash-diet with a span of 2 weeks included with DAILY work-out routines (that consist of 45 minutes of cardio, and 45 minutes of cardio sculpting-legs, butt, arms, abs, etc) that deprives you of wholesome foods, any carbohydrates, fruits, and even starchy vegetables. It is also a high protein diet that includes a high-protein source in each meal and snack. A typical day looks like this:

Breakfast: Protein shake

Mid-Morning: Egg white fritatta with spinach and mushrooms

Lunch: Tuna Salad

Mid-Afternoon: Cup of Vegetable Soup

Dinner: Protein shake or Turkey Chili

Because I have no intentions of going on a crash-diet and losing 10 lbs in 2 weeks, I am adhering to his plan loosely as I did before and trying the different recipes in his book as well as his exercises! I've recently purchased an exercise ball (it's pink!), medicine balls, and a skiprope. With winter soon coming at us, it'll be a good way to keep in shape without having to run in the snow! The only intention that I have with this diet plan is to stick to a high protein/low carb diet, as that is something I am completely unfamiliar with. I actually started off today with a protein shake that kept me full for 6 hours. Definitely something that's never happened to me before! I quite like it!