Here at The Wet Coast Shop, we strive to eat and drink products that are as healthy and natural as possible - be it organic, non GMO, or just a lack of additives. We recently learned that Nutritional Yeast is not always the great healthy supplement that we have come to believe in, so we wanted to share our findings!
Supplement companies generally use corn, sugar cane, or sugar beet based starter medium, so there is a significant chance that (unless otherwise stated) the manufacturer may have utilized a genetically modified (GM) medium.
The vast majority of farmers growing sugar beets in the US cultivate genetically modified forms, and 92% of corn (81% of corn in Canada) is also of GMO origin.
Some manufacturers source organic or certified non-GMO ingredients for making their yeast products - but if the label does not specifically state this, contact the company to confirm the purity of their products before you buy.
As we ourselves list Nutritional Yeast as a product, we followed up on this ourselves, and are pleased to report that our manufacturer has verified that they use only organic or certified non-GMO ingredients for making their yeast products!
Got any questions or concerns regarding your favorite ingredients? Feel free to reach out to us, and our in-house herbalist will be happy to look into your questions for you.
]]>Nutritional yeast is a highly nutritious vegan food product, with various potential health benefits. It can be used to add extra protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to meals and is shelf-stable for up to two years. Typically added to many foods for a nutty, cheesy or savoury flavour as well as adding extra vitamins and minerals.
Fortified nutritional yeast is a vegan-friendly source of complete protein, B vitamins and trace minerals required for optimal health. One of the key benefits of working with nutritional yeast is that it contains many B vitamins:
One tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 30–180% of the RDI for B vitamins. When fortified, it is especially rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. One tablespoon also contains 2 grams of protein, making it an easy way for vegans to add high-quality protein to meals.
B12 is needed for a healthy nervous system, DNA production, energy metabolism and the creation of red blood cells, although it is only found naturally in animal products, so vegans are able to supplement their diet to avoid becoming deficient by introducing nutritional yeast to their meals.
Nutritional yeast also contains two main carbohydrates — alpha-mannan and beta-glucan! Beta-glucan (also found in other foods, such as oats and seaweed) in nutritional yeast may help lower cholesterol levels. All those healthy components, along with the rich flavour, can jazz up your healthy meals!
Nutritional yeast can be sprinkled over popcorn or pasta, stirred into soups for added flavour, used as a “cheese” flavouring in vegan sauces or as a thickener for soups and sauces. Nutritional yeast can even be added to pet food for extra nutrients!
]]>In 1969, teaching positions were scarce in British Columbia. The baby-boomer graduates had arrived. I was fortunate enough to be offered a job, a tense three months after my graduation. It was in Port Alice. I accepted. But where was Port Alice and how would I get there?
I soon learned Port Alice was a logging, pulp mill community of 1500-ish located on Neroutsos Inlet, an arm of Quatsino Sound, near the northern end of Vancouver Island. It looked like it was difficult to get there by car, unless you could get a small ferry that went along the northeast side of the island. Sadly, the ferry was totally booked for months in advance. I had no choice but the difficult interior roads. I had less than a month to get ready for my trip from my family home in southeastern BC.
Thus it was that on a rainy August 27th, I found myself on the last leg of my journey, driving north up the winding Island Highway to Campbell River, already farther than I had ever been before on this giant island. From there, my route diverted west on graded gravel, wending its way around a massive lake and through Strathcona Provincial Park to tiny Gold River, then turned north for one hundred and ten miles of “active logging roads” to Port McNeill. There I would have the respite of a few miles of pavement before heading south on more dirt roads to find my new home on an isolated mist-shrouded inlet. The rains had not eased; the day was gloomy.
I should mention that I was driving a cute red Triumph TR-4 convertible, whose suitability vanished the moment I left Campbell River.
The real tricky bit of the trip was this logging road segment. Hours for public access were limited and even when allowed, it was necessary to follow the signage to remain on the safe roads; that is, roads not being used by giant logging trucks. The TR-4 had good tires and power, but it was low. I could feel contacts with the rutted, muddy road through the floorboards. My wipers provided only blurred windshield visibility. Rain beat on my fabric roof like a snare drum. Estimated driving time on this section was five or six hours.
Sometime before I reached Woss camp, the only habitation, I missed an important sign. The road began climbing quite steeply, but I powered up through the mud. Suddenly, a logging truck appeared, bearing down on me with lethal force. I pulled the steering wheel hard, and veered off into a watery ditch. The truck roared past.
I realized that I was not hurt, but that my car was nose-down into running water. I pushed open the door and climbed out into mud. Far down the hill, the brake lights of the logging truck glowed red through sheets of rain as it came to a halt. Then, slowly, the fully-loaded truck began backing up the grade to me.
The driver´s expletive-laden verbal assault questioned my vision, sanity, suicidal tendencies, and more. He was not pleased. He had already radioed for a road closure. He hooked a chain to my car, pulled it from the ditch and told me to try to start it. It started. I managed to get turned around without sliding back into the ditch and he ordered me to follow him until he turned right and then follow the pilot vehicle that would be waiting for me.
After Woss camp, I was allowed to proceed on my own again, but not without an admonishment to watch for further road signs. The rains continued. Eventually, I found pavement, ever so briefly, before the roller-coaster road into a dark and wet Port Alice. Checking in at the local hotel was a relief after ten and a half hours of difficult driving.
The first thing I wanted was a drink. Something strong. I went to the hotel lounge and ordered a rum and Coke. The server asked for my identification. The legal drinking age was 21. I was nearly 23, but always looked younger. I gave him my driving license, which, in those days, did not have a picture. The only other identification I owned was a gasoline credit card. He refused to serve me.
I was shocked. I just could not believe I would have a problem getting a legal drink. I tried explaining I was a new teacher. It did not work. I had to leave. Unsatisfied, I found dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then, I went to bed.
The next morning, I was still in my room when someone knocked. I opened the door to a man in a tweed jacket, white shirt, loose tie and raincoat. He extended his hand and said, “Hello, I ´m Ken, your principal.” Then he opened his raincoat to reveal a small flask in the inside pocket, before adding, “I heard you could use a drink.” Word spread quickly in this small town!
A bit later, we both went down to the office of the hotel manager. He greeted me with an apology for the eviction from the lounge. He then invited me to return to the lounge that evening for a couple of free rounds of drinks for me and my friends. I told him I didn´t have any friends in town, but my principal instantly draped his arm over my shoulders and said, “Oh yes, you do!”
My tortured journey to Port Alice was certainly a topic of conversation when I met my new friends for drinks that evening.
EPILOGUE
I taught in Port Alice for three years. The roads never improved. However, trips in better weather let me enjoy the outstanding, rugged, natural beauty of the wild north end of the island. Now, a beautiful paved highway from Campbell River bypasses those difficult roads I once drove.
Red = my route; light Orange = new highway; Blue = alternate road and ferry route
( Thanks to Syd Blackwell! )
]]>