FAQs

July 15, 2009

Looking for an answer to a question you may have for me? Take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions below. If you can’t find the answer to your question, send me an email on the contact page.

Questions about Ryan’s eating lifestyle:

What does “vegan” mean to you personally?
How long have you been eating this way?
Are all of the meals on Greens for Good vegan?
How do you feel about eating organic foods?
Why don’t you drink anything that is caffeinated?
What’s your favorite Green Monster recipe?
How do you get your protein?
Do you count grams of protein daily?
How do you get your calcium?
How do you get your B12?

Questions about the Greens for Good blog:

Why did you change your blog from Chase Daylight to Greens for Good?
What does your blog name, Greens for Good, mean?
What is the abbreviation for Greens for Good?

Questions about Ryan and her life in general:

Who is Evan?
Is Evan vegan too?
What does your degree “Instructional Technology” mean?

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Questions about Ryan’s eating lifestyle:

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1. What does “vegan” mean to you personally? Technically the term vegan refers to abstaining from the use of all animal byproducts. There are definitely different extremes that one could take with veganism. I have my personal approach and that is what I’ll explain here. For general eating purposes this means avoiding all meat products (red meat, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, etc…) and dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc…). These are the foods that adversely affect my health the most, so I avoid them as much as possible. Some vegans choose to not eat honey as well. Honey does not bother my stomach and I consider it to be a healthy addition to my diet so I do not actively avoid eating it. I do, however, prefer alternatives such as agave nectar and maple syrup and you will probably see me eating these items more often. You will often hear me refer to my diet as “vegan-based” because of the gray area in my personal definition of veganism.

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2. How long have you been eating this way? I have been following a vegan-based diet since April of 2009. For more information on this decision, visit my welcome page.

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3. Is everything you eat on Greens for Good vegan? Yes, unless otherwise noted, all food on G4G is vegan. Some foods may also contain honey.

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4. How do you feel about eating organic foods? I try to eat as many organic foods as reasonably possible. Overall, I would say my diet is probably ~85% organic. There are certain foods that I feel are necessary to buy organic (thin skinned foods: spinach, berries, apples, peaches, pears, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, potatoes and also grains, nuts, etc…) and others that I’m willing to skip on (mostly thick-skinned foods such as pineapples, avocados, bananas, etc…)

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5. Why don’t you drink anything that is caffeinated? I have a high sensitivity to caffeine and stress, which came about during my sophomore year of college (the week of October 9, 2006 to be exact). I was having a really rough mid-terms week that had me relying on lattes and chocolate covered espresso beans a little too much. By the end of the week my heart was palpitating (fluttering and beating irregularly). It really freaked me out and I quit drinking coffee cold-turkey on Friday, October 13th. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of that week were probably the most painful and sickening in my life, but I got through the withdrawal symptoms and started feeling so much better. I realized that my dependency on caffeine was really dragging me down and giving me an excuse to treat my body poorly with not sleeping enough. Getting rid of caffeine has done much more good than just for my heart health. I rarely ever sleep less that 7 hours anymore, I learned how to manage my time more efficiently so that I could sleep more at night, and I learned how to decrease stress in my life, as that was another factor in my palpitations. I do still have palpitations occasionally and they’re usually a good indication of something that is off-balance, like sleep, eating or stress.

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6. What’s your favorite Green Monster recipe? You’ll see a lot of Green Monsters (thanks Ange!) on Greens for Good. Here’s my favorite recipe that I always make. This is the base to all of my Green Monsters and I might add something more if I’m feeling bold.

1 cup milk alternative (usually Organic, Enriched Original Rice Dream for me)
1/2 cup orange juice (I use Matt’s Organic OJ or WF’s 365 Organic OJ)
organic baby spinach (as much as I can pack in)
2 leaves organic kale
1 banana
ice!

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7. How do you get your protein? I aim for 50-60 grams of protein daily. This is based on my weight and is according to a formula I found in one of my favorite vegan health and nutrition books called Becoming Vegan. Their information is based on the RDA’s daily recommendation for 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight (you can find out more about this on this site). The 0.8g recommendation is for individuals eating more easily digested foods (meat substitutes like tofu or tempeh and refined grains). For individuals getting their protein from less processed foods such as whole grains, beans and vegetables, it is recommended that you follow a 0.9 grams protein/kg of body weight rule because these foods are a little less digestible. I definitely fall into the 0.9g category as I don’t eat a lot of meat substitutes. Hence, you will see a lot of whole grains, beans, vegetables and nuts on Greens for Good so that I can get in my protein for the day!

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8. Do you count grams of protein daily? No, I don’t strictly count the grams of protein I’m consuming. I make estimates in my head and aim for the 50-60 grams per day mentioned above. I make healthiest choices that I can throughout the day and eat the most that I can eat. I’m sure I get more than enough protein on some days and not enough on others. I try my best and leave it at that!

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9. How do you get your calcium? The majority of my calcium intake occurs when I drink my daily Green Monster. The milk alternative and orange juice in my GM are fortified with calcium. I also add calcium rich greens (spinach and kale) to get in that extra boost. The banana in my GM also helps with calcium absorption (see this website for more information on bananas and bone health). I get about 65-75% of the recommended daily intake of calcium with one drink! The rest of my calcium comes from almond butter, fun snacks like Z-Bars and Annie’s Bunnies or the occasional calcium supplement that has 33% of my RDA. I also try to ensure that I’m getting some direct sunlight (Vitamin D) to aid in daily calcium absorption.

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10. How do you get B12? It is a well-known fact that vegans are unable to get B12 through their diets because they do not eat meat. Oftentimes this fact is misconstrued into the idea that veganism is not natural because if it were, vegans would not need a supplement for B12. However, B12 is actually naturally found on plants. Animal meat contains B12 because animals eat these plants. So why don’t the plants we eat have B12? It is a necessity to wash our produce nowadays and by doing that we actually wash off the B12. Many foods that vegans commonly consume are now fortified with B12 (for example, my milk substitute has 20% of the RDA). Despite this, I still take a B12 supplement about every 2 weeks that contains 8333% of the RDA.

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Questions about the Greens for Good blog:

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|1. Why did you change your blog from Chase Daylight to Greens for Good? I decided that Chase Daylight was no longer a sufficient name or blog for the messages I wanted to convey about my lifestyle and healthy living. Greens for Good is much more food specific which is perfect because I consider myself to be a food blogger! Additionally, I wanted to take a big step into hosting my own site and therefore having the flexibility of building and designing it myself (that would be the geek in me talking!). I decided that starting over was the best route for me!

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|2. What does your blog name, Greens for Good, mean? Greens for Good was the perfect name for my commitment to a vegan-based diet and lifestyle. It has a double meaning which is why I love it so much. In one way Greens for Good means that I’m committed to eating greens (as in vegetables and healthy foods in general) for good! In another way, Greens for Good means that eating greens is good for you!

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3. What is the abbreviation for Greens for Good? The abbreviate for my blog’s name Greens for Good, is G4G.

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Questions about Ryan and her life in general:

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1. Who is Evan? Evan is my boyfriend, best friend, and co-collaborator in vegan eating! Evan and I started dating in November of 2007, back when I was quite the unhealthy eater. Even though Evan led a much healthier lifestyle (in terms of eating and exercise), he still found a way to love me! He’s more thrilled than anyone about my turnaround and has even learned a few things through my blogging experiences about what “healthy” means.

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2. Is Evan vegan too? Yes, Evan follows a vegan-based diet just like I do. I love dating someone who has the same eating beliefs as I do and it is even more wonderful now that we live together!

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3. What does your degree “Instructional Technology” mean? When I graduate from my master’s program, I want to be a key person aiding in the implementation of meaningful technology in the education system. For example, instead of using technology as a time filler or distraction in the classroom, I want teachers to know how to use them to enhance student’s learning. I believe that the #1 way to reach students’ motivation and enthusiasm today is through technology. Kids were raised around computers, the internet, iPods, video games, etc… and they’re way more excited about using these tools in the classroom than staring at a chalkboard or overhead projector. Realistically, I’d like to work for a school district implementing technology. I’ll also have the option of being an instructional designer where I can use my background in education and master’s degree in IT to design training programs and curriculums via technology (e-learning is an example). Basically, I’m just really excited about working with all the cool new stuff. Kidding…sort of.