A meatless, guiltless Holy Week

One day of the week, cut out the meat  that’s the thoughtful, purposeful advocacy of an international movement called, yes, Meatless Monday. By encouraging people to go meatless one day a week, it hopes to help people reduce their meat consumption by 15 percent and reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Why Monday?  There are reports that say that heart attacks and strokes happen more frequently on Mondays when one has to get back on track after a weekend of indulgence. Some say they experience the most stress on a Monday, being the beginning of the week. For some people, it means atoning for a sinful weekend of pigging out by starting the week on a fresh, healthy note.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee notes that on average, Americans consume eight ounces of meat daily, which is 45 percent more than the recommended daily allowance.

The Committee points out this big fat fact: “We are under-consuming several nutrients due to low intakes of key food groups including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy. We are also over-consuming sodium, refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fat.”   

Nice and smooth: Mango-banana smoothie

I have friends who have sworn off meat forever and are going meatless not just every Monday but 24/7 or every day of their lives. And they feel lighter, healthier, sexier, and happier!

There are really many big reasons to go veg. For one, it’s good for our health. According to a study, eating just one veggie meal a day could lower one’s risk of dying of cancer or heart disease by as much 20 percent. For another, it’s good for the health of Mother Earth. It helps reduce people’s carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

Going meatless one day of the week is one of the most thoughtful, sensible things you can do. And now is as good a time as any to abstain from meat, as we’re now into the Lenten season. For a meatless, guiltless Holy Week, Angelo Songco of Sugarleaf shares some delicious recipes.

“These are recipes tested by the original Sugarleaf, the lady who started it all, Gina Yambot who celebrated her birthday recently,” says Angelo.

MANGO-BANANA SMOOTHIE

1/2 ripe mango, sliced

1 medium banana, sliced

3 pechay leaves

2 tbsps. coconut sugar 

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup ice

Blend together in a blender. Add cacao nibs or chia seeds to make it a superfood smoothie.

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CRUSTLESS SPINACH QUICHE

1tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

300g spinach

3 eggs, beaten

150g kesong puti

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a nine-inch pie pan or muffin pans to make smaller versions. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie or muffin pans.

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Sugarleaf is at the G/2G, MediCard Lifestyle Center, 51 Paseo de Roxas corner Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Urdaneta Village, Makati City with telephone number 812-7323; visit www.sugarleaf.ph; Facebook Sugarleaf Makati,
Instagram @SugarleafMakati. 

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Beware of fire smoke!

It’s Fire Prevention Month — statistics show that March happens to post a high record of fire incidents nationwide.

In view of this, an environmental watchdog recently alerted the public on the dangers of being exposed to fire smoke, which consists of chemicals and particles that are hazardous to health and should be avoided, says Aileen Lucero, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition.?“Depending on what is burning, which is often a combination of mixed combustible materials, the smoke can cause or even worsen health problems, particularly for young children, the elderly, and persons with heart and respiratory conditions and those with chemical sensitivities.”

She observes,?“Oftentimes, we see victims and spectators standing close to the fire scene and directly breathing in the toxic smoke.”

Aside from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and dust particles or soot, smoke may contain a variety of air pollutants, including acid gases, benzene, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide and persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins, which are formed when materials containing chlorine are burned.

The World Health Organization gives this clear warning, “Air pollutants have been linked to a range of adverse health effects, including respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.”?

To reduce the negative health consequences of exposure to smoke, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the public to consider the following health and safety suggestions:??

• Stay away from the fire source, take precautions, and avoid exposure to intense and even to low or moderate smoke.??

• If you are within a safe distance from a burning building, factory or residence requiring no evacuation, stay indoors and shut the doors and windows to prevent smoke from entering your place.??

• Switch off the air conditioner until the air quality outside has improved.??

• If you need to go outside, find a suitable respiratory protection to minimize exposure to harmful gases and particles, bearing in mind that bandannas, handkerchiefs or dust masks may not be effective in filtering out very fine particles.??

• Refrain from cigarette smoking, which can only exacerbate pollution in the fire area.??

“We hope that our fire fighters as well as rescue volunteers are properly supported with tools to keep them safe from pollution hazards inherent in their life-saving job,” Lucero muses.??“It’s also important for the public to follow the instructions from the crowd control authorities and keep the streets and alleys accessible to the fire respondents.”

Once more with feeling: Don’t let smoke get in your eyes — and in your lungs!