Chew on This: Banana Flax Granola and Bill Clinton's Vegan Story

                                                                                                                                                                   





This banana flax granola has been going like hotcakes since I made the last batch on Tuesday.  It tastes wonderful eaten alone or topped with almond butter and honey.  I had some this morning for breakfast and it is extremely filling.  My boyfriend loves it too, which is part of the reason it is not lasting very long :-).  I am making another batch today so I can have enough to last through the weekend.  I am so happy to have a dehydrator again so I can make delicious granola!  I experimented some with baking flax seeds in the oven to try and make crackers and granola but they never turned out very well.

While you munch on that, I wanted to talk about Bill Clinton and his journey towards a vegan diet.  Bill Clinton was well known for his love of hamburgers, barbecue, and french fries when he first reached the White House.  He has a family history of heart disease and his unhealthy diet was causing plaque to build up in his coronary arteries.  Almost four years after leaving the White House, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.  In 2010 he needed another heart procedure: two stents to open one of the veins from his bypass surgery.  Clinton made an appointment with Dr. Ornish who directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at the Cleveland Clinic.  Dr. Ornish, along with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn have concluded from their research, that a plant based diet can prevent, and in some cases reverse heart disease.  Currently, the former president states that he does not consume any meat, dairy, or eggs.  For the full report, click here.  Since his diet change, he has lost twenty pounds and is feeling healthy.

I believe it is a positive thing that someone so well known is living a vegan lifestyle and sharing his story with the public.  The Clinton Foundation has joined forces with the American Heart Association to help 12,000 schools offer healthier school lunches.

Banana Flax Granola:

2 cups of flax seeds
2 cups of water
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of raisins
1 tbsp of cinnamon
2 bananas

Directions:  Soak the flax seeds in water for one hour.  Put the bananas in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Combine the almonds, raisins, cinnamon, and banana puree to the flax seeds and stir until well combined.  Spread the mixture onto dehydrator trays and set the temperature to 115 degrees.  Dehydrate the granola for 15 - 20 hours, until crisp and dry.  Break apart into pieces and store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!