Vegan Cauliflower/Cashew Un-Crust…and Menopause

After speculating about how the cauliflower pizza crust could be made vegan with the cashew cheese sauce from the Cheesy Kelp Noodles…I decided to give it a whirl today. As I was heating up the oven, I wasn’t thinking about NY’s outrageous heat index, but shortly thereafter I realized that today should not have been an oven kind of day. Oh well—sweating is detoxifying!

Long story short…the crust did not work. However, I think I may have invented a new favorite side dish. Or main dish if you’re me and you’re home alone eating 2 cups of riced cauliflower + 1 cup of cashew cheese sauce + 1/2 cup chia egg (p.s. I’d cut the chia in half or totally out next time—all it did was water down the cheese-y taste a bit).

I don’t have a picture. Trust me, it was ugly. But crusty (after baking) and delicious. And yes, I did think twice about consuming the whole thing considering it had 1/2 cup of cashews in it (that’s a lotta nuts). I also drank a Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer shake (with water and ice) after that, and later made vanilla avocado pudding (2 super ripe avos + vanilla stevia + 1 scoop vanilla SunWarrior).

One thing I’m sure of—I had plenty of fat and protein today.

I need to keep it a little lighter tomorrow. When I eat a lot of heavy and/or carb-y things, it weighs me down–I feel like I have lead weights in my arms and legs (and on my brain).

Last year's Disney anticipation (I can't believe how much bigger and older he is now!)

What are you up to this weekend?

Tomorrow I’m picking up Matthew at 12:30 and this will begin Disney Vacation 2011. Technically we won’t be leaving till Saturday afternoon, but the anticipation really is part of the fun!

When I get back from Disney (next Fri), I’ll be solely focused on preparing for my Sunday workshop:

Menopause: Food, Thoughts, Actions, and Supplements.

It may seem strange to some of my younger readers (and maybe older ones too) that I’m doing a workshop about menopause when I haven’t been through it myself—but I am going to be totally honest here and tell you that I am a bonafide Menopause Expert. For four years, I’ve been wellness coaching primarily 40-60 year old women. Menopause happens to everyone and rather than just learning about it in a theoretical sense (reading books), I’ve had the opportunity to use my clients as guinea pigs. Wait—that didn’t come out right. I meant to say: As my clients and I explore different options to both alleviate symptoms and get to the lifestyle and hormonal roots of menopause, we all learn a lot. I also read all the research studies I can find to make sure I have the science to back up what I promote (and frankly, some stuff just works without research studies admitting it!).

We won't think about coming back home yet...

This past week, I had approximately 14 menopause conversations, not all with clients. I’m telling you—menopause is happening everywhere. I gladly share information with everyone—the lady at the bank, the lady giving me a facial, the apartment complex manager. I don’t know why people bring up menopause around me (that’s not true—usually it’s after they know what I do for a living).

So if you are interested in menopause, I’m hoping I’ll have an audio recording of the workshop available in August, accompanied by an e-book. It is also evident that I am going to have to develop an additional workshop for bone density all by itself. I learned some new things from a functional medicine conference about bone density that made me so excited I had to immediately call my mom and tell her how it would change her life. I’m not exaggerating, I’m just a nerd.

What kind of learning do you get excited about?

Do you “help people” as a part of your job?

Do you believe Disney World is the Happiest Place on Earth?

27 thoughts on “Vegan Cauliflower/Cashew Un-Crust…and Menopause”

  1. I get excited about all kinds of learning. It’s one reason I like your blog! I think I’m happiest when I’m learning, and I do a lot of research for no particular reason. But if I had to pick one learning passion I suppose I’d say history.

  2. I totally get excited about hands on learning.  School was VERY challenging for me and I learned SO much more doing my practicum.

    I do help people with my job. I always have.  From kids – teens, to kids and adults with special needs.  Now that I’m working at a fitness place – I’m taking it upon myself to provide motivation and inspiration to people!  Plus a smiley happy face when they walk through the door! 

  3. bon voyage, lisa and matthew!! have a wonderful time. disney would be so much fun to experience with a child/children – i’d love to take my nieces! that’s great that you’re having a pre-trip kick-off time together today before you leave.
    i LOVE learning stuff that i am interested in learning (as opposed to info that’s forced on you in school). new ideas related to fitness, running, nutrition, knitting – those are what i search out the most, but i also enjoy just random newspaper and magazine articles that happen to catch my eye.
    i help people in my job at the store – we get in a lot of people new to running or who are interested in running, and it’s enjoyable to just chat and answer their questions.
    i do not think disney is the happiest place on earth! that idea is a marketing scheme! BUT – it IS a fun vacation spot. and if you’re with family, THAT makes it the happiest place!

  4. Perfect, Lisa! I am a motivated customer, ready for your eBook and audio recording.

    I DO feel like a guinea pig, somewhat, having been treated over the past 2 years by 3 different “alternative” MDs. I’ve been using bioidentical hormones. MY choice.

    The first MD (found his name in the back of one of Suzanne Sommers’ books) had me cycle estrogen cream and oral progesterone, plus use test. cream. The second (a very well-known NYC MD and author of several books) had me substitute the estrogen patch for the cream and NOT cycle the hormones, plus cut back on the test. My newest MD (a well-known expert in women’s health) has me switch back to estrogen cream plus progesterone and testosterone creams, also using continuous combined therapy (no cycling). (Naturally, lots of blood tests to help guide these MDs.)

    Just listened to Dr. Diana Schwarzbein’s Menopause Power webinars (the first one is free). Dr. S says continuous combined therapy (even with bioHRT) is potentially disease-promoting. She says you should cycle the hormones. She also urges the estrogen patch instead of the cream. And she says 90% of women don’t need supplemental testosterone, since progesterone converts to it satisfactorily in most women. Further, she says that balancing your hormones using continuous combined therapy with bioidentical hormones is critical to preventing the degenerative diseases of aging. I recommend the webinar, Lisa, and would love to know your thoughts on it.

    So there is lots of conflicting advice out there, even for bioHRT. As you must know, some conventional MDs warn of increased risk of breast cancer using even bioidentical estrogen (my mother and sister had BC, so it is a concern).

    I was diagnosed with osteoporosis (spine and hip) earlier this year and my father had AD. I am hoping the bioidentical estrogen I am using will help with both conditions.

    Looking forward to future posts on these subjects, and also your products. Yes, I DO get excited about health research! I am a big book buyer on these topics!

  5. Thank you SO much for your thoughts and sharing your experience. I have high
    hopes for reaching a very application-based level of knowledge on this
    topic. I’d love to chat with you sometime!

    I am a big fan of Dr. S! So much to say just on that… I’m going to spend
    significant time after vacation on compiling my info and sources into usable
    docs. Maybe at that point, we can chat.

    Osteoporosis—I have really exciting information about this having to do
    with the ratio between calcium and protein/collagen matrix of the bones. I
    wish I had time right now to write a post about it…but it will have to
    wait too. One quick detail that you may already know: it is equally (if not
    more) important for bones to be “bendy” and strong (hard). An error we make
    diagnostically is testing just the strength—with proper diet and exercise
    (which you have), it is completely possible and likely to have thin
    (osteoporosis) AND “bendy” bones that are healthier and less likely to break
    than having strong bones that are not “bendy.” The moral: dietary calcium
    from plants, magnesium, adequate vit D, proper pH in the body, and weight
    bearing lifestyle (walk places and carry a basket vs. pushing a cart in the
    store….plus exercise) may still yield thin bones…but they will be
    flexible and will not break or shatter. How to test it? Not DEXA….fall
    off your bike! (Not really…but in theory that is a better test for bone
    health…)

    I could talk about this all day 🙂

  6. I know what you mean about the “heavier” foods- I’m pretty sensitive to what I’ve eaten, so if I eat a lot of nuts or fats, I end up needing to balance it out with veggies and “lighter” foods. I mean physically light, not light calorically… jello would work here for me too haha:)

  7. I’m sorry the vegan cauliflower cashew crust didn’t work out as planned, but i’m sure cauliflower rice and cashew cheese is delicious in its own right. Maybe it would work better if you use less cheese and more chia seeds (but no water to make a chia seed egg replacer) and let it sit? It’s so nice that you’re able to use your knowledge about healthy living to make other people’s lives better. I really want to be a lawyer, but work for making social and environmental conditions better in general. I guess that helps everyone indirectly. Have fun on your vacation! 

  8. Thanks for your nice reply! If only I knew whether my bones were bendy and instead of brittle. I wonder how long it will take for better diagnostic measures to be developed! I have to wonder–will certain foods or supps help you make your bones more flexible–or are you stuck with what you’ve got?

    As you can imagine, I’ve read a number of books on osteoporosis since being diagnosed. At first, I was frightened. My then-doctor prescribed an injectable parathyroid medication (to be used daily) for 2 years (no longer, since the drug has a black box warning for bone cancer!) at the cost of $1200 a month. I refused 2 Rxs from him.

    My mother and sister both broke bones in their feet in their 50s–my sister stepped out of bed one day and crack! She had a cast up to her thigh for months. My mother stepped one rung off a ladder and did the same. I keep hoping, “I’m healthier/in better shape than them.”

    The Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis, by R. Keith McCormick, DC, is a great and thorough book about the condition and its possible causes. VERY hard to find an MD who will investigate the matter thoroughly, though. It’s totally up to the individual to press for appropriate testing.

    Would love to chat someday. Meanwhile, keep going with your important work! It is very much needed!

  9. It sounds to me like the “bendiness” of bones is almost entirely up to
    lifestyle—so that’s good news! From the sources I’ve been reading (which
    I’ll definitely post soon—I don’t have all the info right here), lifestyle
    is #1 and not taking the meds (like reclast) is #2. Some people with this
    approach and philosophy are fans of supplements and others are not—I think
    the agreement comes with not supplementing calcium (too much calcium leads
    to harder bones but upsets the ratio between calcium and
    protein/collagen—making them less bendy), and just making sure there is
    enough magnesium, vit D, etc. I have to explore silica and some other things
    a little more!

    The doctor approach is a barrier with so many conditions! Functional
    Medicine is on the rise…so I suppose there is hope 🙂

  10. I think it’s cool you are doing workshops on menopause….one of those under-discussed but needed-anyway topics!  Yay for you for putting it out there.

    Happiest place on earth?  For kids, yay, Disney does rank right up there 🙂

  11. I know what you mean about the heat/humidity here in NY…I am practically counting down the days until September.  😉  So excited that your vacation is about to start — I hope you guys have a wonderful time! 

    My mom is going through menopause so I think she’d definitely be interested!  I will pass along the info to her when it’s available.

  12. I love learning about health and wellness stuff, especially nutrition and how it affects every last cell in our bodies… the bone density workshop sounds very interesting and, of course, super valuable.  I’d definitely watch for an audio recording!

  13. Gina (Candid RD)

    I would LOVE to hear what you have to say about menopause!  I get a lot of questions about it at work, and obviously I’ve never been through it either.  The more I learn, the more I can help others (and eventually myself).  It’s sort of like how I am becoming a gluten free diet expert, but I don’t eat it myself….it’s possible!
    I hope you’re enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth!!  🙂

  14. Sometimes ugly food can be so delicoius 🙂 have fun is Disney! SO much fun! Disney is a very happy place…..but it was also ridiculously crowded and filled with some rude people last time we went :(. Hope you won’t encounter ANY of that! You won my uncle sams giveaway- send me your address itzyskitchen at gmail dot com

  15. I get excited learning about people who do amazing things.  It inspires me.  I also like to learn about things that make me indignant.  I’m not sure why…maybe I just like the sound of my own voice?  I’m a teacher, so I do like to think that I help people…although, like many teachers, it’s the ones that I don’t reach who linger in my mind the longest.

  16. Hi Lisa!  Would be interested in an audio of your Menopause workshop, e-book…even better!  Also, I’m anxiously awaiting your post on bone density.  This is the type of learning I get excited about…I guess I’m somewhat of a nerd, too!  😉  Have fun at Disney.  I’ve only been to Disneyland…I’d say it is the happiest place on earth.  🙂

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