Easy, Creamy, Plant-Based Yogurt – Vegan, Oil-Free & Refined Sugar-Free

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HoZ0FZDjr7A&si=exmNT1L4w2unouQo

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas
4 cups water for soaking
4 cups water for blending
⅓ cup raw cashews OR raw sunflower seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla bean powder or 3 tsp vanilla extract

Fruit Layer:
10-12oz fresh or frozen fruit
2 tbsp – ¼ cup water
Date paste to taste

Instructions

Soak dried chickpeas in 4 cups of water for 10-12 hours at room temperature.

Reserve 2 tbsp of chickpea soaking water and set aside.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.

Add soaked chickpeas and remaining 4 cups of water to a blender and blend.
Strain chickpea milk through a nut milk bag into a pot until you extract all the excess liquid.

Add the raw cashews or sunflower seeds to the blender with about a cup of the chickpea milk and blend until completely smooth.

Add cashew/sunflower mixture to the pot of chickpea milk.

Bring chickpea milk to a simmer and mix for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. As you cook the mixture, scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking and scorching. You can also whisk the mixture to prevent clumping.

Once it has thickened, whisk in the vanilla.

Remove the pot from the heat to allow it to cool until lukewarm.

Mix and whisk to prevent clumping as the mixture cools.

Transfer to a clean glass jar and whisk in 2 tbsp of chickpea soaking water and the lemon juice.

Cover the jar with a cheese cloth or paper towel and allow to ferment for 12 hours at room temperature.

Cover and store in the fridge.

Add fruit mixture and/or date paste as desired. Enjoy!

Mar 21, 2026 of Low-SOS Vegan Plan

(This blog began 3/15/2015)

MEDITATION:
* Christ the Healer audio

EXERCISE:
* PT APP workout
– lower body stretch/stengthening
* Walk 3 miles indoors
* Walk 1 hour outdoors

WATER:
(2) × (32) = 64 oz (+)

EATS:
* gfo smoothie (greens, fruit, oats)
* cup of tofu-mushroom veggie soup w/ rice
* bbq restaurant: chopped salad w/ XL-fries, country XL-biscuits, plain sparkling water w/ shot of soft XL-drink
* frozen jackfruit

… SUN HAS SET …

* unsweetened green tea (hot)

Cmmt: XL indicates uncommonly excessive food, and wautéed means water-sautéed
  

Common Health Problems: Gallbladder Disease

Understanding the cause of gallbladder disease will help you with preventing or treating it. More than 90% of gallstones found in people living in affluent nations are composed primarily of cholesterol. When the bile fluids in the gallbladder become over-saturated with cholesterol, precipitation of the cholesterol into solid crystals begins, and then gradually accumulate to form stones of variable sizes. A diet high in cholesterol-containing foods–red meats, poultry, fish, and dairy products–is the primary culprit for the development of the super saturated levels of cholesterol in the bile. Polyunsaturated oils (vegetable oils), too, will cause the liver to excrete larger quantities of cholesterol that pass into the fluids in the gallbladder, and thereby favor stone formation…

https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/common-health-problems/gallbladder-disease/

Hormonal Balance After 50. Do You Need HRT?

Let’s break this down precisely. This is not an in-depth discussion, but I [Gutavo Tolosa] hope it will help answer some questions.

1. Breast cancer is strongly hormone-sensitive

Many breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), meaning they grow in response to estrogen.

Higher lifetime exposure to estrogen → higher risk

Factors that increase exposure:

Early menstruation

Late menopause

Hormone replacement therapy

Higher body fat (estrogen is produced in adipose tissue)

 

2. Dairy: the strongest dietary concern

Why dairy is implicated:

a) Natural hormones in milk

Milk (especially from pregnant cows) contains:

Estrogens (estradiol, estrone)

Progesterone

Even though amounts are small, chronic exposure + biological sensitivity is the concern.

b) IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1)

Dairy consumption raises IGF-1 levels in humans

IGF-1 promotes:

Cell growth

Inhibition of apoptosis (cell death)

This is critical because cancer = uncontrolled cell growth.

Epidemiology:

Higher IGF-1 levels are associated with an increased risk of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

c) Observational data

Several large cohort studies show:

Higher dairy intake → modestly higher breast cancer risk

Particularly hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer

3. Meat: indirect hormonal and carcinogenic pathways

a) Not primarily about hormones (in most cases)

Unlike dairy, meat is less about estrogen content and more about:

b) IGF-1 and growth signaling

Diets high in animal protein → higher IGF-1

c) Cooking byproducts

High-temperature cooking (grilling, frying) produces:

HCAs (heterocyclic amines)

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
→ both are carcinogenic

d) Processed meats

Classified by the World Health Organization as:

Group 1 carcinogen (same category as tobacco, but not same magnitude of risk)

 

4. Hormones added vs natural hormones

Important distinction:

In the U.S., growth hormones are sometimes used in cattle (e.g., rBST)

In many countries, regulations differ.

However:
The bigger issue is natural hormones + biological signaling (IGF-1), not just added hormones

 

5. What the strongest scientific consensus says

Major organizations like:

American Cancer Society

World Cancer Research Fund

Agree on this:

✔ Diet influences cancer risk
✔ Plant-rich diets are protective
✔ Limiting processed and red meat is advisable
✔ Maintaining healthy weight is critical

But:
They do not say dairy or meat alone “cause” breast cancer

 

6. The plant-based perspective:

A whole-food, plant-based pattern tends to:

Lower circulating estrogen levels

Reduce IGF-1

Increase fiber → helps eliminate excess estrogen

Reduce inflammation

This creates a less favorable environment for cancer development

 

Bottom line

Yes — hormone-related mechanisms linked to dairy (and to a lesser extent animal protein overall) are plausibly involved in breast cancer risk

No — they are not the single cause; risk depends on a complex interaction of:

Genetics

Hormones

Lifestyle

Body composition

Environmental exposures

*******

I [Gustavo Tolosa] hope this helps, and I hope you can join us for our 7-Day Reboot and ReSet Program. Here is the link to read more about it and sign up.

Mar 20, 2026 of Low-SOS Vegan Plan

(This blog began 3/15/2015)

MEDITATION:
* Christ the Healer audio
* Kenneth Hagin lectures

EXERCISE:
* hand/wrist workout

WATER:
(2) × (32) = 64 oz (+)

EATS:
* buckwheat Mickey Mouse pancake w/ blueberries, sliced almonds, strawberries & pure date syrup
* leftover spaghetti  from yesterday
* unsweetened applesauce sauce
* Actual veggie burger w/ unsalted pistachios

… SUN HAS SET …

Cmmt: XL indicates uncommonly excessive food, and wautéed means water-sautéed
  

Fresh vs. Frozen Broccoli: Is One Actually Healthier Than the Other?

… frozen broccoli is generally higher in vitamins C and A as well as some antioxidants, compared to fresh broccoli that’s been sitting in your crisper for several days,

… frozen vegetables are blanched to help preserve color, safety, and texture, which can reduce water-soluble and heat-sensitive nutrients, including sulforaphane.

… to make frozen broccoli even more nutritious. “Chopping broccoli and letting it sit for about 30–40 minutes before cooking allows an enzyme called myrosinase to activate, which helps increase the formation of sulforaphane,” Hadley says. “Adding a small amount of mustard seed after cooking can also help boost sulforaphane production, making both fresh and frozen broccoli more nutritionally impactful.

https://www.realsimple.com/fresh-vs-frozen-broccoli-is-one-healthier-11894791

Mar 19, 2026 of Low-SOS Vegan Plan

(This blog began 3/15/2015)

MEDITATION:
* No Greater Love podcast
* Christ the Healer audio
* Read God’s promises for health
* Biblical Research Institute

EXERCISE:
* 30 minute rebounding session outdoors as sun rose
* 15 minute non-stop lightweight kettleball workout (lifting, curling, swinging, etc) following meal
* hand-wrist workout

WATER:
(2) × (32) = 64 oz (+)

EATS:
* fresh banana & home-frozen jackfruit
* very veggie sub sandwich w/ sodium-free pistachios & plain sparkling water w/ shot of soft XL-drink
* 3 unsulphured, unsweetened, organic apricots
* Mediterranean chopped salad, Meati breakfast patty, teff injera

… SUN HAS SET …

Cmmt: XL indicates uncommonly excessive food, and wautéed means water-sautéed