Healthy World Cafe will be open for lunch Wednesday, Aug. 27!

We have been floored and beyond grateful by the contributions coming in for our IndieGoGo campaign, which launched Aug. 5 and aims to raise $15,000 toward construction and renovations at out 24 S. George St. location. We're very ready to be open full time in downtown York and be part of the great energy going on here!

If you haven't yet, please consider donating to the campaign. Every donation counts, and we can't do it without our tremendous supporters -- you!

If all that supporting makes you hungry… Healthy World Cafe will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, at First Moravian Church, 41 N. Duke St., York, where we'll be serving up delicious, locally sourced eats.

Check out our menu!

Menu:
-- Chicken Salad -- A Healthy World Cafe favorite with cranberries and locally raised chicken. Served with focaccia or on a bed of greens.
-- Curried Egg Salad -- Made with raisins, cilantro and cucumber in a creamy curry dressing. Served with focaccia or on a bed of greens (VEGETARIAN).
-- Fresh Fruit Salad -- Celebrate York County peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, berries and plums tossed with refreshing mint, lime and local honey.

-- Gazpacho -- Back by request. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and fresh herbs blended for a smooth, invigorating summer soup. Served with an optional dollop of sour cream (VEGAN).
-- Pesto Pasta with Ratatouille -- August begs for this hearty seasonal stew made with basil, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and black olives. Served over pasta tossed in our zippy basil pesto. (VEGETARIAN. VEGAN AND PASTA-FREE AVAILABLE.)
-- Honey Roasted Tomatoes and Hummus -- Served over your choice of focaccia or a bed of greens (VEGETARIAN).
-- Dried Fruit and Oatmeal Cookies -- A Healthy World Cafe staple!

Of course, our menu is always based on what's available from our farmer friends, so check back for updates.

At Healthy World Cafe, we always feature our "eat what you want, pay how you can" philosophy. The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food.

Housekeeping items worth noting:

-- PARKING: When coming to the cafe for our Wednesday lunches, please DO NOT park in the private lots surrounding First Moravian Church. You may park on the street (metered), or you may park at First Presbyterian Church at E. Market and N. Queen streets in the un-numbered, yellow-lined parking spots, and please include a sign on your dashboard to indicate you are a Healthy World Cafe volunteer. Then, walk one block west down Clarke Avenue to First Moravian (and enter on north side)!

-- TAKE OUT: Take out orders for lunch are available by e-mailing your selections (by 10 a.m. Aug. 27) to healthyworldcafe(at)gmail(dot)com. Please specify optional items or choices when ordering (i.e. would you prefer your soup with sour cream; your chicken salad on bread or greens, etc.)

-- VOLUNTEERING: In order to better respect our volunteers' time, we split the Wednesday lunch into two volunteer shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free, of course, to sign up for both shifts, if you wish.

Here's a breakdown of our volunteer needs for this month's lunch:

-- 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27 -- Food prep and serving at FMC. We're now splitting our lunch days into two volunteer shifts to better respect our volunteers' time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free to sign up for both, if you wish. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 2, but not as early as 9), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!

Find other upcoming dates, including construction and cleaning at our 24 S. George Street location, and sign up to volunteer through our calendar on VolunteerSpot.

Cheezy Chickpea Balls

Yesterday, I received a big bag containing Lupin flakes, sent to me by Rhiannon over at Lupin Foods, all the way from Australia. So, what are Lupin Flakes then? The first thought that popped into my mind was Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter books. Ehrm, obviously not the case here. I did a little research on lupin Foods’ website and here’s what I found:

·      Lupins are part of the legume family and are mostly produced in Western Australia

·      Lupins are one of the best sources of vegan protein ON THE PLANET with 40g of protein per 100g dry flakes! (yes, I’m as shocked as you are)

·       If you’re looking to incorporate more fiber in your diet, look no more. Lupin flakes contain 37g of protein per 100g dry flakes. That’s almost 4 times the fiber content of whole wheat flour!

·      There’s no risk of Lupin poisoning when you’re consuming Lupin Flakes; the Australian Sweet Lupin contains only miniscule amounts of the toxic alkaloids found in the bitter varieties so no need to worry.

·      Is one of few vegan foods that contain all the 9 essential amino acids.

The packaging

Those are pretty amazing stats as far as I’m concerned and I really do look forward to using Lupin Flakes in more of my recipes!

This was my first attempt at a lupin recipe and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. These chickpea balls are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and provide a wonderful, savoury contrast to the sweet potato fries. Plus, one serving  contains 18g of protein! I mostly stick to a low-protein diet as I don’t believe the overconsumption of protein, that is so common these days, does any good to our bodies. Still, it’s absolutely vital to get enough protein when you’re on a plant-based diet and these balls are the perfect way to do so.

Cheezy Chickpea Balls

2/3 cup chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed)

2 tbsp Lupin flakes*

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp almond milk

½ tsp psyllium husk

½ tsp dried oregano

Pinch of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

*if you don’t have access to Lupin flakes, you could make the balls without them.

How to: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. Blend all ingredients with a hand blender and shape meatball-sized balls with your hands. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until they’re crisp and golden on the outside.

Easy-peasy Sweet Potato Fries

1 medium sized sweet potato

That’s it!

1. Pre-heat your oven to 170C. Cut your sweet potato into long strips and trim off any thin, sharp edges that might burn in the oven. Place the fries on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, turning them halfway through for an even bake.

Serve your fries and chickpea balls with lots of veggies and a yummy sauce to dip in if you wish!

Love, Tilda

Peanut Butter Squarebar-Chunk Cookies and a Squarebar Review!

A while ago, I received a package of Squarebars sent to me by the lovely Sarah, who together with her husband Andrew, launched Squarebar back in 2012. Let's just say our paths couldn't have crossed at a better time. Since my decision to slowly ease my way into a vegan lifestyle, I have been looking everywhere for tasty, vegan protein bars that don't taste like sand and that I feel comfortable eating. By comfortable I mean eco-friendly (no soy), refined-sugar-free and last but NOT least an ingredient list that doesn't contain 64827349 different ingredients of which you can only pronounce about 0.05%. Yup, my standards are high. Or are they? Is it really that weird to want something pure and cruelty-free, something that I know has been made with love and every earthling's best in mind? I think not. Nevertheless, those criteria are hard to fulfil.

This is where the Squarebars come into the picture. Because they are all of that and more; Non-GMO, organic, no gluten and no peanuts can be added to the list. Plus they pack a punch of protein with a whooping 11-12 grams of plant protein per 48g bar. I haven't been able to workout as much as I would've liked to lately (hehe) but I can imagine these bars would be perfect to refuel with after hitting it hard at the gym. Well, perfect for any snack to be honest. I chop these bars up and use in my baking or to top my nana ice cream bowls with (and trust me, the dark chocolate coating is even better when it freezes on top of the nice cream, yummy yummy).

All the different flavours

But, let's be honest here, no food is worth eating if it doesn't taste good. I wouldn't eat dog's shit, frog intestines (ew) or plastic pellets, even if they were the healthiest super foods on the planet because there are limits, even for health-fanatics like myself. Okay, I've probably scared half of everyone reading this away so let's just blurt it out: these bars are not any of that, they're absolutely DELICIOUS! No need to worry. They're all coated in a crowd-pleasing (crunchy, if you keep it cold), delectable dark chocolate layer, a pretty good first impression if I may say so myself. Then comes the actual filling which differs slightly between the bars. The Cocoa Almond has small slivers of almonds in it (I love the fact that you can actually SEE the almonds), the Cocoa Coconut combines the chocolate and coconut flavours wonderfully (hey, we all know that choco and coco are besties, don't we?) and finally, my favourite; the Cocoa Crunch bar which is a real chocolate hit with added crunch from brown rice crispies. Does it get better than that? (Answer: Unless it suddenly started raining perfectly ripe bananas from the sky, then no, it doesn't)

Inside the Cocoa Crunch bar

Conclusion: I can without doubt in mind tell you that these are some of the absolute best vegan protein bars out there. They're a 10/10 for me. My sole advice for you would be to get your hands on a box of these goodies asap! You can buy them from Squarebar's own website,  Vitacost or (my own no. 1 choice for international shipping) iHerb. If you're a first-time customer with iHerb, feel free to use my promo code, PWF503 for up to 10 dollars off!

So let's cut to the chase, here's the recipe, using Squarebars of course! best vegan cookies I've made so far :)

Peanut Butter Squarebar-Chunk Cookies

Vegan cookie line-up!

Yields: 12-14 cookies

Pre-heat oven to: 175C 

Mix:

3 tbsp all-natural peanut butter 

5 tbsp brown rice flour 

1/4 cup raw date sugar or coconut sugar

4 fresh or soaked dates (about 50g)

1/2 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds (don't use pre-ground as flaxseed oil goes rancid very quickly)

1 tbsp coconut oil

Fold in:

1/2 chopped Squarebar (any flavour)
1 handful raw or unsalted, chopped peanuts

How to:

1. Place all of the "mix" ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and pulse with a hand blender until the dates have become a gooey mess. This could of course be done in a food processor as well, only I find a hand blender much easier to use when working with smaller quantities like this.
2. Fold in your chopped Squarebar and peanuts. Work the dough with your hands until the yummy nuts and chunks have spread out evenly.
3. Press the cookies out on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes (175C). Let them cool on the baking tray, then store in an airtight container in the cupboard.

Cookie Monster hugs and kisses!
Tilda

Fresh from the oven 

Statins increase the risk of Bell's palsy by 47%

This study was published in Drug Safety 2014 Jul 31

 

Study title and authors:

Association Between Statin Use and Bell's Palsy: A Population-Based Study

Hung SH, Wang LH, Lin HC, Chung SD.

Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25079142

This study aimed to evaluate the association between statin use and Bell's palsy. This case-control study identified 1,977 subjects with Bell's palsy as cases and 5,931 sex- and age-matched subjects without Bell's palsy.

The study found that statin users had a 47% increased risk of Bell's palsy compared to non-users.

Can Hypothalamic Inflammation and Leptin Resistance be Reversed?

A new study by yours truly begins to address the key question: can hypothalamic inflammation and leptin resistance be reversed?

Leptin is the primary hormonal regulator of body fatness in the human body (1).  Secreted by fat tissue, it acts in many places in the body, but its most important effects on body weight occur via the brain, and particularly a brain region called the hypothalamus.  The hypothalamus is responsible for keeping certain physiological variables within the optimal range, including blood pressure, body temperature, and body fatness.

In obesity, the brain loses its sensitivity to leptin, and this causes the body to begin 'defending' a higher level of body fatness, analogous to how a person with a fever 'defends' a higher body temperature (1).  Once a person has become obese, it's difficult to return to true leanness because this system vigorously opposes major fat loss.  Leptin resistance makes fat loss more difficult.

In rodent models, leptin resistance is caused at least in part by inflammatory signaling in the hypothalamus.  We can observe this in multiple ways, but one common way is to look at the appearance of specific cells in the brain that change number, size, and shape when inflammation is present (2).  These cells are called microglia and astrocytes.  In addition to the work in rodents, we've published preliminary evidence that these same inflammatory changes occur in the hypothalamus of obese humans (2).

A key question is whether or not these inflammatory changes can be reversed.  Is a person with leptin resistance doomed to have it forever, undermining fat loss efforts for the rest of his or her life?  Or can it be corrected, possibly allowing easier and more sustainable fat loss?  We just published a study in Endocrinology that begins to answer this question, using a mouse model of dietary obesity (3).  I'm co-first author of this study along with my colleague Kathryn Berkseth, MD.  My former mentor Mike Schwartz, MD is senior author.

The Study

Read more »

Fund. Build. Open. Eat.

Healthy World Cafe Kicks off Crowdfunding Campaign on Indiegogo.com

Healthy World Café, York’s “Pay How You Can” community café, is thrilled to announce it has launched an online campaign throughIndieGoGo.com to raise $15,000 toward the buildout and renovations at its new location at 24 S. George St., York. 

Healthy World Cafe, which has been serving delicious, locally sourced lunches once a month at First Moravian Church, catering and popping up at community events since 2012, intends to open for business five days a week in the late fall.  

“In order to open full-time downtown, we're relying on community donations and support,” said Healthy World Cafe chair Audrey Bowen. “We recognize the tremendous role our patrons and community supporters have played in our progress this far. A crowdfunding campaign through IndieGoGo, where people can contribute anywhere from $10 to $5,000, allows everyone to participate in helping us raise funds and open our doors.” 

The IndieGoGo campaign, which launched today, Tuesday, Aug. 5, runs until midnight September 9, 2014. For those interested in contributing outside of the online campaign, donations may be sent to Healthy World Café, PO Box 1226, York, PA 17405.

Healthy World Cafe is dedicated to supporting the local farming and business community while eliminating local hunger and food insecurity. The 501(c)3 nonprofit aims to build a sustainable community by providing nourishing food for all. Some patrons pay the suggested prices, while some pay more or less. Diners can also volunteer their time at the cafe in exchange for a meal.

“Our monthly lunches at First Moravian Church have allowed our organization to grow in every way,” said Liza Naylor, cafe director. “Our food is delicious, our volunteers are active, our local farmers are engaged and the model is working in York.”

Healthy World Cafe has until midnight September 9, 2014, to meet its $15,000 goal through IndieGoGo, at which time the crowdfunding site will pay out the funds.

The cafe is also seeking in-kind contributions of kitchen equipment, skilled labor or volunteer time. View a wishlist at the Fund. Build.Open. Eat. website.

Vegan Caramel Pancakes (Gluten-free) with Healthy Chocolate Mousse

Vegan Caramel Pancakes 

Serves: 1

Dry

1/3 cup (50g) buckwheat flour

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp lucuma powder

Optional: 1 tsp maca powder 

Wet

1 chia or flax egg (1 tbsp ground seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water, whisk until thick)

1 medium-sized ripe banana, mashed

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Optional: extra sweetener of choice

How to:

1. First, place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until the baking powder has been mixed in properly. 
2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana and, with the almond milk, fold gently into the dry mixture. Add a little at a time to avoid clumps.

3. Prepare your vegan egg by grinding the chia seeds either with a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder. Mix the ground seeds with 3 tbsp of water and stir well. I prefer to use chia seeds because they swell so much faster than flax does, but if you've chosen to make a flax egg you'll have to let it sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to thicken up.

4. Once your 'egg' is done, mix it in with the rest of the batter.

5.Cook on medium to high heat in your oil of choice (if not using a non-stick pan) for a couple minutes on each side.

Healthy Chocolate Mousse

Serves: 1

1/2 avocado

1 tbsp + 1 tsp unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp cacao or carob powder

1 tbsp sweetener of choice (I used date sugar)

How to:

1. Simply mix all ingredients with a hender blender until smooth. Have a taste and add more sweetener if you want to. The secret here is to use a very ripe avocado and you won't be able to pick up any avocado flavor at all! It's like magic ;)

Assemble by stacking the pancakes on top of each other with layers of the chocolate mousse in between. And of coure, finish it all off with some fresh fruit or berries!

Have a lovely Saturday,

Tilda