The Vegan’s Good Skin Guide

 

What we eat really does effect how we look and it is absolutely possible to achieve healthy, clear and glowing skin through diet. In the quest for healthy looking skin, many turn to expensive products, treatments or sunbathing to achieve that much desired plump skin or radiant glow, however you can improve the appearance of your skin more easily and cheaply by knowing what foods are important for your skin and eating well. With winter setting in, now is the time to eat the right foods to combat dull sallow looking skin and at the same time keep the immune system boosted.

Plump It Up

Youthful skin is plump and wrinkle free and while it is not possible to totally delay the effects of ageing, eating foods which increase the production of collagen or protect the existing collagen can help retain your skin’s suppleness and elasticity. Foods which are high in vitamin C are key to collagen production. The obvious sources are citrus fruits and tomatoes, but you might be surprised to know that chillies pack a powerful vitamin C punch and potatoes also contain vitamin C. Vitamin C in foods is diminished to a certain extent by cooking so eating raw foods which are vitamin C rich will see the maximum benefit. In addition to vitamin C, lysine (an essential amino acid) is also important in the production of collagen, according to Live Strong. Lysine rich foods that are vegan friendly include peas, lentils, beans and nuts. An added advantage of a increasing your intake of lysine is that it can help combat cold sores if you are prone to this virus. If you are considering modifying your diet to specifically treat an existing condition, it is important that you talk to a doctor first.

A Glow is Better Than a Tan

It shouldn’t be news that sun damages the skin and can contribute to signs of ageing but many still feel that looking bronzed also equates to looking healthy. What might surprise you is that you can actually eat your way to a healthy glow. Beta-carotene is one of nature’s organic pigments (or carotenoids) and is found in many fruits and vegetables. Eating a diet which is rich in beta-carotene actually has a visible yellowing effect on skintone, particularly noticeable for those who are fair skinned, and which results in that desirable glow. Furthermore, according to the Independent a study conducted by Ian Stephen at the University of Bristol which asked volunteers to compare images of people who had eaten a beta-carotene rich diet compared to people with a sun tan, that “people always preferred the golden effect from diet to the darker effect from the sun”. You might already be aware that beta-carotene is found in orange fruit and vegetables such as carrots, apricots and mango, but it is also found in green produce such as kale, spinach and lettuce. To really reap the full benefit of these foods, eat them together with oils (such as olive, rapeseed or walnut) or nuts which help the body to absorb the beta-carotene. An added advantage of beta-carotene is that they body converts it into vitamin A which actually protects the skin against sun damage.

Stay Moisturised

Well hydrated skin looks more fresh and youthful in comparison to dull dry skin but at this time of year cold and wind outside and heating indoors can take its toll on your complexion. Obviously drinking lots of water is always beneficial to your skin, however there are many foods which can help your skin’s moisture retention. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) such as Omega-3 are particularly important to your skin’s ability to retain moisture, however vegans needn’t worry that they aren’t eating omega-3 rich oily fish as omega-3 is also found in nuts, seeds and soyabeans. Consuming oils made from nuts and seeds also increase your intake of this EFA. Any easy way to up your omega-3 intake is by sprinkling a mixture of nuts and seeds on salads or casseroles and using oils such as flax seed or walnut oils when making salad dressings. Also important for moisture retention and additionally the combat of damage causing free radicals, is vitamin E. Almonds are particularly high in vitamin E as are pine nuts, spinach, dried apricots and even paprika.

Whether you are a vegan or not, by knowing which foods contain essential vitamins and minerals that your skin needs, you have the power to eat your way to healthier, more radiant looking skin.

Recently we’ve been getting a lot of questions from customers about our choice to source organic ingredients, so I thought I’d take some time here to answer any questions and clear up some common misconceptions about organic food. This is just a basic organic primer, so I encourage you to do some research on your own if the spirit moves you. Alright, let’s start with the definition:

“What is organic?”

Although legal definitions vary by country, organic farming is generally defined as agriculture that refrains from the use of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms (a whole ‘nother can of worms).  It is important to note that this is not the same as “pesticide free”, because “organic” denotes a wider range of prohibited chemicals.

“Isn’t everything organic?”

Too often when I explain the meaning of organic, this question pops up. This confusion stems from our disconnect with the entire food production system. Although we tend to think our food comes from sunny little farms owned by grandpas in overalls, modern agriculture is more similar in nature to a factory. The reality is that our food is sprayed, gassed, “fertilized” with raw sewage, and irradiated before its long journey to the table. So, the answer to that question is a resounding “no”—in fact, mostly everything in our grocery stores is not organic.

“This is just another one of those new-age hippie fads, isn’t it?”

The growing popularity of organic foods is often maligned as a trend. In truth, there is nothing new about organic agriculture—this is the way things have been done for thousands of years. What is new is the notion of intensive chemical treatment in the food process, and the organic movement is just the reaction to this.  It’s more of a revival, really.

“Why does it cost more?”

It’s cheap to douse your crops with toxic chemicals. Responsible alternatives are slightly more costly, such as pheromones, polyculture, trap crops, natural predators, and integrated pest management. Also, “conventional” agribusiness has lobbied effectively for government subsidies that allow them to keep their prices low. Many are pushing for the same privilege for organic growers, which would allow for more affordable prices. For those that can’t afford to always buy organic, the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/) is pretty handy. It lists the fruits/veggies with the highest and lowest pesticide residues, so you can prioritize which foods are best bought organic.

“Are there really health benefits to eating organic?”

Organic produce has been shown to have a higher nutrient density (also known as an ANDI score). More important than its benefits, however, are the health risks you avoid by choosing organic. Every year an estimated 3 million agricultural workers experience severe pesticide poisoning, out of which approximately 18,000 die. This is just from handling the substance sprayed on the food, not from actually ingesting the food (and no, pesticide residue isn’t something you can wash off).  Atrazine (which is banned in the European Union, FYI) is known for being one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, particularly in the U.S. It’s also known to be a carcinogen linked to thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma.Methyl iodide, a pesticide and proven carcinogen purported to be “one of the most toxic chemicals on earth”, was just pulled from the U.S. market in March due to overwhelming protest when it was approved for use on strawberries. Recent research has also shown that prenatal exposure to pesticides impacts fetal brain development, which affects behavior, hormones, and attention levels. The bottom line here is that chemicals used to dissuade pests from crops also disrupt numerous processes in the human body in a very serious way. Let’s think about this: there’s a reason the bugs avoid it.

“Is organic better for the environment?”

Absolutely. The adverse effects of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals on the environment are perhaps even more serious than their health risks. Pesticide and synthetic fertilizer runoff has been regarded as the root cause of much ocean ecosystem disruption, such as the 22,000 square kilometer dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico (larger than New Jersey).  Pesticides have been known to destroy delicate ecologies, decrease water retention, drastically reduce biodiversity, cause pollinator decline (linked to Colony Collapse Disorder), and threaten many endangered species. Some pesticides have even been linked to ozone layer depletion.

Pesticides and other agricultural chemicals may seem like a convenient method of pest removal, when in reality the costs outweigh the benefits on a scale so gargantuan it’s kind of ridiculous. And terrifying. Just as with going vegan, there are many reasons for choosing organic, and at Seabirds we find them to be pretty convincing. What do you think?

As always, if you have any questions feel free to shoot us an email at SeabirdsTruck@gmail.com.

-Dirty Bird

Sources:

Miller GT (2004), Sustaining the Earth, 6th edition. Thompson Learning, Inc. Pacific Grove, California. Chapter 9, Pages 211-216.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2005/1291/

http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/ritter/en/ritteren.pdf

 

Hi. This is Stephanie aka “Mama Bird.” I just wanted to address this popular topic because it is such a common follow up question when people learn I eat a vegan diet. I’m not speaking for all vegans out there, just myself here.

To preface, I have never once counted how many grams of protein I eat a day. I really believe that we do not need as much protein as we are lead to believe. Have you ever heard of some one going to the doctor or getting sick from lack of protein? Not me. In fact, there are a lot of studies that point to animal protein as a leading cause for many diseases but I’ll let you research that for yourself (check out The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD).

My favorite sources of protein come from nuts, seeds, sprouts, beans, legumes, organic tempeh, organic tofu, peanut butter, quinoa, brown rice, peas, spinach & broccoli (yes broccoli has protein!). And did you know that hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life? No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs (Hemp Line Journal, July-August 1992, pp. 14-15, Vol. I No. 1). Sorry to get all book-nerdy on you, but hemp is an amazing plant and, no, eating the seeds does not get you high or will not make you test positive on a drug test. But I would recommend blending them up in your next smoothie for a real treat.

Lots of people say that they dont feel full after a vegan or vegetarian meal and think that they need meat to have that “full” felling.  I know how that feels. When I first became vegan 4 years ago I had the same feeling….at first. I think it has to do with your body getting used to a new diet and a different kind of protein. But that feeling doesn’t last. Once your body gets used to a plant based diet, you start feeling better than ever. Increased energy, weight loss, shinier hair, stronger nails, lowering of cholesterol, healthier skin, reduced allergies, no indigestion, and less trips to the doctor are just some of the benefits that sealed the deal for me. (Here’s a great list of more health benefits: www.nursingdegree.net).

If you are thinking of trying a vegan diet, remember that you can make almost anything vegan! Below is a list of some common foods and their vegan alternatives:

Mayonnaise—>Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart

Cream Cheese —> Better Than Cream Cheese by Tofutti

Butter—> Earth Balance (even my grandma prefers this over butter)

Scrambled Eggs —> Tofu Scramble (personal fave!)

Milk —> Rice Milk, Almond Milk, Hemp Milk, Organic Soy Milk

Eggs (for baking) —> Ener-G Egg Replacer, Apple Sauce or Bananas

Eggs (for binding) —> Flax Seed Meal w/Water, Apple Sauce, Bananas, Chia Seeds

Cheese—>Daiya, Vegan Gourmet by Follow Your Heart, Cashew Cheese, Almond Cheese.

If you need any other substitue recommendations, shoot me an email at SeabirdsTruck@gmail.com. Happy to help!

<3 Stephanie

 

The rumors are true! The Seabirds Truck with team Nicole, Stephanie & Raya (pictured above left to right) were contestants on Season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race. Unfortunately, we cannot reveal the outcome (thats a HUGE fine) but we can tell you that it was awesome, stressful, hard as hell, crazy and exciting.

 

Once the show airs we will be able to talk more about it, so for now, sit tight and be sure to watch the premier on Aug 14th &  check out our promo clip. Personally, I think it’s hilarious that they chose our closing line in our clip to be half of a sentence, “We’re vegan and we can’t eat everything-.” (get out!) … Hmmm, next T-shirt slogan?

 

The Great Food Truck Race airs Sunday nights at 9pm ET on the Food Network! No cable? Watch on Hulu.com

<— That was our follow car. I think our car looked the best, but then again I might be biased.

If you are an avid Farmers Market shopper here in Orange County than 1.) you rock for supporting local growers and 2.) you no doubt you have seen Orange County Produce selling their amazing fruits & veggies around town. I found these guys at the SoCo Farmers Market in Costa Mesa and they won me over with their friendly and knowledgable staff and great local, organic produce.

I learned this company is based out of Irvine (Jeffrey Road) and was started by the Kawamura family in the early 1900′s. Taken from thier website, Orange County Produce “believes in the benefits of a local food shed that provides farm fresh, seasonal products that are produced with a sustainable commitment to the land, environment and their community.” Orange County Produce is a family business proudly practicing both conventional and certified organic farming.

 

Do you know where your produce comes from? Dont be afraid to ask! Its a shame that many people seem to have lost touch with where their food comes from these days. That’s just one reason why Farmer’s Markets are so great- you get to meet the people that work incredibly hard to grow amazing produce in your own back yard! Heck, Orange County got it’s name because it was an amazing place to grow oranges and all other fruits and veggies. When you buy from a local growe like Orange County Produce, you are getting a fresher “just picked” product, you’re buying produce that’s naturally in season, you’re being a sustainable shopper, and you know exactly where your money is going. It’s a beautiful thing isn’t it?


Be sure to check out Orange County Produce, LLC next time your at your local Farmers Market. Check out their schedule below:

Tuesday

Irvine 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
13042 Old Myford Road
Irvine, Ca

Wednesday

Tustin 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
El Camino Real and 4th St.
Old Town Tustin

Thursday

Costa Mesa 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
O.C. Fair Grounds
88 Fair Dr Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Friday

Laguna Hills 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Laguna Hills Mall Parking Lot, (By Sears store)
5 fwy & El Toro Rd

Saturday

Irvine 8:00 am-12:00 pm
4199 Campus Dr. Irvine, (across from UCI near In & Out Burger)
CA 92612

Costa Mesa 9:00am-2:00pm
South Coast Collection Retail Center
3315 Hyland Ave Costa Mesa CA

Sunday

Laguna Niguel 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Plaza De La Paz shopping center.

5 Fwy & La Paz

Great Park 10:00 am – 2:00pm
The 5 fwy and Sand Canyon Ave.
Sand Canyon & Marine Way.

for more info: http://www.ocproduce.com/index.asp

The South County Bowling Galley!

What: Dinner, Drinks & Bowling!

When: Tuesday evenings, from 5-9PM

Where: Lake Foret Lanes parking lot with 5-7 other food trucks. (located off of Rockfield, between Bake and Lake Forest where the 5 & 405 meet).

What to bring: your friends, appetite and a chair (and perhaps a DD)

Trux this week: Crepes Bonaparte, Seabirds, DanDanBBQ, Barcelona On The Go, Dos Chinos, Piaggio on Wheels, and Longboards Ice Cream

The bowling alley will allow our food truck food inside, but not our drinks. They will be providing a FULL BAR.

FLYER – The South County Bowling Galley

Not sure how many times I have answered this question. Our Jerk Jackfruit taco is definitely one of our more unique menu items. Quite simply, jackfruit is a very large asian fruit. Its a funny looking thing, huge, prickly and green and grows from a tree’s trunk instead of its branches because it’s so heavy. Quite honestly, I have never tried a ripe jackfruit, so I couldn’t tell you what that tastes like. But we use green jackfruit (not fully ripened) and it is almost tasteless, which makes it a blank canvas to create our own flavor.

The inside flesh of the jackfruit closely resembles a pineapple in structure, only it’s a light pink color with large seeds, and it’s pretty hard too. So we chop it all up and grill the heck out of it. Then we add a jerk rub and orange zest and some other secret ingredients. Most people say it closely resembling carnitas, and many people think they’re eating meat – which actually freaks out some vegetarians. But it’s a fruit, promise!

So we serve the jackfruit in two corn tortillas with our truck-made salsa verde, chopped onion and cilantro. Its quite the nice burst of flavor in a little street taco. Oh, and we also have Potato-Jackfruit Taquitos. These are super good! Taquitos were definitely something I missed after turning veg so I went a little crazy on these for awhile and had to cut myself off. Now I indulge in one or two a week, topped with guacamole, lettuce, and green salsa…. yummm.

I’m normally not a big cake fan.  It’s the frosting I dont care for. So with cupcakes I normally ditch the frosting and just eat the cake.  But now I can say that have been converted by Luscious Organic Desserts.

I was lucky enough to try their strawberry, pumpkin, chocolate, and gluten free chocolate cupcakes and they were AMAZING!  I especially liked the strawberry, it was super moist and the frosting was made with real strawberries. This company is no joke.  Everything they make is vegan and they only use the best natural and organic ingredients around. And their treats are free of hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, and bleached flours.  Whats not to love!?

Here’s a pic of their Oreo cupcake.

We will now be serving Luscious cupcakes starting July 14th!”Treat yourself sweet, enjoy something Luscious today!”

http://www.lusciousorganicdesserts.com/

Seabirds is dedicating to being as sustainable as possible so for us, selling the typical plasic water bottle was just not an option. We wanted to find a way to get our customers high quality water that was not only local, but green as well. Echo Beverages is our solution. This company embodies everything that Seabirds is about and we are proud to be selling their product. Not only is their water local, but their bottles are 100% recycled AND recyclable. You drink the water, recycle it, and the bottle turns into another bottle. Even the box the water comes in is made from 100% recycled material. No carbon footprint, no waste, just crisp refreshing water made and sold in Southern California. We had a chance to get a few bottles yesterday and I can tell you firsthand that the water is great tasting, very crisp with no aftertaste. Thanks to Michael and his team at Echo for supplying us with a great product! For more info check out www.joinecho.com.

Tanaka Farms is a local, organic farm located in Irvine and we came out for their Strawberry picking event that they hold every Saturday. We used the produce straight from the farm and cooked up some delicious food for everyone to enjoy. It was great of Kenny Tanaka to team up with us for this event and it was a total success. Everyone really enjoyed the food and most came back for seconds. Thanks to all who showed up to support the farm and the truck, we truly appreciate it. Seabirds plans to continue to hold events at the farm so we look forward to seeing you all there next time!