A Personal Victory, Thanks to Veganism

May is finally here!

Now, my birthday aside, May is a very special month to me. Flowers bloom, farmer's markets have beautiful foods, there's an energy in the air that is happily contagious. May is also Lupus Awareness Month, and I want to share why that is special to me...

I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE Lupus. Basically, a "healthy" body creates antibodies, which are like little armies of cells that attack the bad things that enter your body, such as disease and illness and such. Well, my body's antibodies can't tell good from bad, so not only do they attack the bad things, but they also attack my healthy tissue, in my muscles, joints, and certain organs. It causes me to be exhausted all the time, my brain functions like someone who is legally intoxicated most of the time, causing me to slur my words often, be constantly dizzy and such. I have to have bi-annual kidney biopsy's to make sure that my body hasn't attacked my kidneys to the point of needing dialysis or chemotherapy. I get terrible swelling in my joints, much like someone with severe arthritis, and I get these super awesome (/sarcasm/) rashes on my face and shoulders any time the sun makes contact with my skin. In a nutshell, this is my every day life.

Now, before you go feeling sorry for me or anything, I want to share with you what a POSITIVE impact my VEGAN diet has had fighting my Lupus!
First off, my Rheumatologist firmly believes that the ONLY reason that my Lupus has not attacked my GI system is 100% because of my dietary choices I have made. He also believes that, of the inflammation that I have, people who have lupus as severe as mine tend to have about triple my inflammation, which is largely due to a poor diet consisting of red meats and dairy products. Basically, if it weren't for my vegan diet, I could be unable to work, I could be in MORE pain, and I could even be on permanent dialysis to keep my kidneys functioning. My VEGAN diet has kept all this from happening!

Secondly, there are MANY studies that show how a vegan diet is beneficialhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif to those with Lupus. Beef and dairy products are rich in phenylalanine and tyrosine, which are not only unhealthy for anybody, but are chemicals that wreak havoc on somebody who has Lupus, causing severe damage to organs like your liver and heart. It has also been proven that a vegan diet that is at least 80% vegetable-based has had a profound effect on causing skin rashes and lesions that occur due to Lupus to disappear. I know that every time I get a rash, I try to make my diet as vegetable-based as possible, and my rashes not only stop itching and burning, but they tend to go away within days, as opposed to the weeks to months that they typically last!

Dr. McDougall's http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflow-http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffat vegan diet has also had such success stories that Lupus has actually gone into full blown remission from switching to his diet from the Standard American Diet....seriously, how cool is that?!

So in honor of Lupus Awareness Month, which also happens to be one of my favorite months of the year, I encourage you, if you don't already, to give veganism a shot. Even if it's one day a week for the month of May, or maybe do some research on what a Vegan Diet can do for you in your life! Give some of Dr. McDougall's literature a read, or check out Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet, to see what a profound effect her diet had on her health.

Happy May, and here's to good health!

A Vegan Hair Salon - Can it Be?!

Have you ever taken a trip to Target for toilet paper and ended up spending ten times as much as you should have? Then, when you get home and unpack your bags, discovering all the things your hands somehow snuck into your shopping cart you stumble upon that box of hair dye you bought? Excited, you rush to the bathroom and start mixing all those little bottles until the colors blend together and you pour this “stuff” all over your head without thinking twice about it. Your scalp starts to burn, your nose bleeds from the fumes, and you have to turn on every fan in your apartment because the stench of toxic chemicals is so overbearing that your cat has begun walking like someone who’s drunk in public? I know you know what I’m talking about. But seriously, does anybody REALLY know what their “natural” haircolor is anymore? I doubt it. We live in an age where looks and beauty and pampering yourself is in the forefront, and yes, even us vegans need to feel pretty! So what do we do? We KNOW that nearly all haircolors bought at Target or at your high-end salon are tested on animals, filled to the brim with harmful chemicals, and just plain aren’t GOOD for you. But you want to look and FEEL a certain way.


My hair color and/or cut changes with the moon phases. Seriously. It’s not a thing of vanity, but of self-expression for me. Being sick, there are many things about myself that I cannot change, but I still have control over my hair, so I express myself through it. And thank Mother Nature that I finally found a salon in Madison that caters to my need to express as well as my desire to be as eco-conscious as possible!




KODE Salon. Founded and owned by three of the most talented hair designers in the Midwest, and as someone who has lived coast to coast, I’d say in the country! You walk into the salon and just *know* that your experience here is going to be different from any other salon you’ve been to. From the hairstylist stations that were built from recycled barn floors, to the amazing nook the salon is nestled in in one of the coolest, most eco-friendly neighborhoods in Madison, to being tossed a beer as you walk in to wait for your appointment, this place has it going on!
KODE strives to source their resources as locally as possible, keeping money in the community.




The products that they use are not only vegan, but gluten-free, too! Now, out of sheer curiosity, I HAD to do some of my own research on this, because, well…I’m not good at taking things at face value. So I researched the brands and products they use and was so happy to see that, as far as a salon goes, this one is about as cruelty-free as it gets, folks! From Davines Haircolors, which even come in eco-friendly packaging on top of their cruelty-free stance and ingredients, to Surface styling products, which are all vegan and gluten-free and amazing in general!




But what about your HAIR? Does it look good when you leave? Let me just say, I’ve been to some of the most expensive and well-known hair stylists in the country and I have never left a salon more happy than when I left Kelly Z.’s amazing hands for the first time. The stylists spend massive amounts of time formulating a look that is not only 100% “you”, but one that is simple to maintain, grows out nicely, and a look that you will be more than happy about. I’ve only seen Kelly Z. when I go, as she’s my go-to-gal there, but I’ve seen the work the other stylists do and it’s also nothing short of awesomeness.




So, if you live in Madison and have been desperately searching for a place to get cut up, dyed out, or waxed off, then hit up KODE Salon. And afterwards, hop across the street to the best vegan restaurant in town, the Green Owl Café. Yes, it’s right across the street! I told you it’s located in the best neighborhood in town! So what are you waiting for?! Check them out and “fan” them on Facebook!


*All photos from the KODE Salon Facebook Page*

Heartland Farm Sanctuary Work Day...Volunteers in Madison Needed!

Some of our current animal residents with founder Dana Barre.



I have mentioned the Heartland Farm Sanctuary in a few posts on here, but I have some really great news to share with every one…a VERY generous family in the community has donated a home for our sheltered farm animals!!! A lovely family in the Madison area has donated their barn and over 25 acres of fenced pasture to the Heartland Farm Sanctuary, which means all of our animals can now be at one place, together! This is absolutely fantastic news, and I’m so excited to share this!




Now, the goal of HFS is to have the animals all moved to this new location as soon as possible, but a lot needs to be done to the barn/land to make it “animal-ready”. So, they are having a work day for anybody interested in donating some time to help prepare the land! The work day is scheduled for this Saturday, December 11, from 8:00 am until whenever. According to the email, it would be great if anybody who wants to help could bring the following items (if you already have them):

*Very warm outdoor clothes and boots (hello! It’s December in Wisconsin!)
*Hammer, electric screwdriver, heavy-duty nails and screws
*Work gloves
*Cardboard boxes
*pitchfork, shovel, pickaxes
*Wheelbarrow, heavy-duty outdoor brooms

If you would like to help, you can rsvp at dana.barre@heartlandfarmsanctuary.org . Also, if you are unable to help, but know someone who might be interested, please pass this information along! This is super exciting, because now the sanctuary finally has room to help even more animals in need of rescuing, which is so desperately needed in the Midwest! From what I hear, the barn is just a little bit outside of Madison, in Verona, I think, so if you can come out, that would be super-duper awesome. The more help HFS has, the sooner we can get all the animals moved out and comfortable, and the sooner we can start helping more critters that need it. So please, think about stopping by and lending a helping hand if you can! This California girl has honestly never used a lot of the “tools” that are needed (pickax?? I don’t even know what that is!), but I’m still going to offer any help I can. You don’t have to be a farm-pro, but just willing to put in some time to help the animals and a great cause. I’d love to see you guys out there, and maybe even meet some of my local followers!




*photo credit*
All photos are not my own. Found via Google Images. Please let me know if a photo is yours and you do not want it on here. Thank you!

Plastic Demons

In our house, we try to be as kind to our planet and to ourselves as possible. Now, we don’t have a ten-thousand page book of rules that we follow or anything, but we do always try to make conscious decisions about the things we do. I’m not going to give up baking just because I know that sugar is bad for me, but I do choose to create recipes using less sugar, and I always buy “kind” sugars. See? Just little things like that. We try to keep our trash down to one bag a week and compost everything we possibly can. When possible, we try to re-use our trash bag if it hasn’t torn or anything, but we don’t guilt and torture ourselves if it isn’t possible. I’m not going to live a life of restriction and rules to fit into some standard, and I want people to know that being vegan doesn’t mean you have to do so! Those small steps you take can make huge impacts!


Plastic waste that has gathered in our oceans...so sad.

One of the easiest things that we have done to lighten our footprint is to try and rid the household of plastic. Now, you’re probably wondering what on earth is so bad about plastic. Well, there’s a LOT bad about plastic, and reducing the amount that you use is something that is so simple that you can do that will not only benefit you, but benefit generations and generations to come.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American creates half a pound of plastic waste a DAY. That’s 182.5 pounds of plastic waste each year from one single person, which equals about 5 BILLION pounds a year in the US alone! Now, most plastics cannot be recycled, so the majority of this is filling up landfills, filling our oceans, wreaking havoc on our ecosystem and killing thousands of plants and animals each DAY. Not to mention, storing and microwaving foods using plastic releases dangerous chemicals and carcinogens directly into our food…now really…why on earth would we want that?!

But HOW do you get rid of all the plastic?! You really don’t realize how much you use until you try and cut it out of each part of your life. I suggest starting small and working your way up to the bigger things. As far as our house, these are some of the steps we have taken to remove plastics:

Shopping: This is the easiest and cheapest thing you can do…buy re-useable bags!! We got a bunch of them for fifty cents apiece at our local grocery store. They also hold a lot more than a plastic shopping bag, and you can fold one up and keep it in your purse just in case you have to run somewhere and pick up a few things.

Trash: If you don’t compost, or don’t have room to do so, don’t worry. There are brands of trashbags out there that are not made of plastic, and even more that are made out of recycled plastic. The brand we use are made of biodegradable bio-resin by Nature Friendly. You can find them at any grocery store, and they are only about a dollar more than regular trash bags. We buy the large box of 50 and it lasts us about a year!


Food Storage: Most people have a cupboard dedicated to “tupperware” or like products. Storing your food in plastic totally defeats the purpose of trying to eat right in the first place, because you are allowing your good foods to soak up toxic chemicals into them. The best things that I have found, and they are super cheap, too, are Ball canning jars! Not only do they look cool, but you can see exactly what is in them, how much you have, and you can get them in all sorts of sizes! We keep our dry storage (grains, beans, etc.) in the largest size, homemade condiments (vegan ranch and other salad dressings, etc.) in smaller ones in the fridge, and they are a great way to transport leftovers if you take them to work and such! Not to mention, they are easy to replace, and really inexpensive (I bought a new box of 16 of the large ones a few months ago for $6). Plus, when I go grocery shopping, I can look in the pantry and easily see what I need to stock up on.


Now, there is a LOT of other things you can do to reduce your plastic waste, but these three are small ones that have a truly ENORMOUS impact on our world and our health. If anything, start with these three, and educate yourselves on how to further eradicate plastic from your life when you’re comfortable with these. Best of luck!!!


Vegan MoFo!!!

Pan de Muerto y dia de los Vegans!!!

First off, I want to say HAPPY VEGAN DAY to everyone!!! I hope everyone has a day full of yummy vegan goodies ahead of them! I was a vegan baking machine this weekend, between Halloween and dia de los Muertos and everything else, so I have lots of yummy recipes to share with you this week! But, in honor of my favorite day of the year, el dia de los Muertos, I thought I’d share a recipe that turned out super fantastically amazing!! Now, this is not my recipe for pan de muerto. I must tell you that. I would LOVE to take credit for this recipe, but I gotta give credit where it’s due, ya know?! Anyway, this recipe is from the blog VeganMania and it is incredible!

a dia de los Muertos altar in San Diego I visited a few years back.


Now, I’m sure some of you are asking, what the f*ck is pan de muerto?? Pan de muerto is a Mexican bread that is traditionally served on el dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to celebrate and honor your ancestors who have passed on. It is sweet bread that is typically decorated with pieces that resemble bones, or if you’re really crafty, the bread can be shaped like a skull. It is eaten at the altars that are set up on this day to honor your loved ones. And, it’s just a damn tasty treat, if you ask me!


Vegan pan de Muerto
3/4 cup lukewarm water
4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup Earth Balance melted and cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 lb medium firm tofu, pureed until smooth
1 tbsp orange blossom or rose water
1 tbsp orange or lemon zest
1 tsp salt
up to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
up to 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the yeast with the warm water and let sit for five minutes. Stir in the melted Earth Balance, the pureed tofu, the sugar, the orange blossom or rose water, the zest, the salt and 1 1/2 cups of each flour. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between the whole wheat and the unbleached, until the dough forms a sticky ball. Turn this onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size — about 90 minutes.

Punch the dough down and knead a couple of times. Lightly oil baking sheets (I used two pizza pans), and form the dough into two round loaves. You can break off a bit of dough and roll it into long snakes or strips to form skull shapes or bone shapes to arrange on top of the loaves, if you like. Let these loaves rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour on the pans, preheat your oven to 375 F, then brush the loaves with the 1 tbsp of soy milk and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Remove the loaves from the oven, brush with a little extra melted Earth Balance, and immediately sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.


I'm not that artistically blessed, so this was my version of "bones" on my bread...don't judge me!


YUMMY FREAKING YUM!!!

World Go Vegan Week!!!

For those of you who don’t know, next week, October 24-30 is World Vegan Week!!! I wanted to give a heads-up, because you should definitely start scoping out your areas for vegan deals! I know that, in Madison, a few bookstores are having sales on vegan cookbooks, and *drumroll* certain restaurants are giving discounts on vegan food!! Some are even donating a portion of the cost of your meal to different vegan-friendly charities and such! So get your butts on out of your house and start supporting!!! The more people that support these movements will give bigger and bigger momentum each year to continue doing these things! When companies realize how many people appreciate these things, they’ll be more apt to put vegan items on their menu or stock more vegan cookbooks, or even begin to educate themselves on the vegan lifestyle. So rock on with your bad-ass vegan self and support World Vegan Week in your area!!!

Now, if you’re in my hood (I’ve been in Madison almost a year now, so I think I can start calling it that…haha), here are some of the restaurants that are offering specials next week:

The Green Owl Café: If you read my blog, you’ll know that I have reviewed this restaurant a handful of times, just because it is absolutely my favorite place to eat in Madison! If you mention “World Go Vegan Week” when you order, you will get 50% off a dessert with a meal purchase here!!! Hell yes! Their desserts seriously make life worth living!

Bunky’s Café: Order a vegan entrée (make sure you mention World Go Vegan Week) and receive a complimentary vegan Mediterranean Appetizer Platter!!! Also, 10% of the cost of your meal will be donated to the Madison chapter of Alliance for Animals.

The Roman Candle Pizzeria: Mention World Go Vegan Week and take $3.00 off the purchase of their “Animal Lovers Pizza” – Any size! Just make sure to ask for it without cheese!

As of now, these are the only places I’ve heard of that are participating in Madison, as well as Borders Bookshop having a large display/sale on vegan cookbooks in the store entrance, but I’ll try and update this weekend if I hear of any other places getting involved! Is there anything going on in YOUR town for World Go Vegan Week?!

For more information, jump over to http://www.worldgoveganweek.org/


You'd be downright silly to pass up half-off on the amazing vegan desserts at the Green Owl!!!

Hooping through the Ages - Fitness Review

Imagine. It’s 1955. Bill Haley and the Comets’ “Rock Around the Clock” starts whistling through the jukebox at the diner, and all the cheerleaders and their quarterback boyfriends can’t help but take one last sip of that strawberry malt before getting up to boogie. Waitresses bust out their hula hoops, climb on the tables, and a party that’s the bees knees starts bumping out…but ends at a respectable time, of course.

I have to admit, when I first heard about hula hooping for weight loss, this was the image that popped into my head (yes, I probably watch WAY too many movies for my own good!). I didn’t honestly think that my favorite childhood toy could actually be a tool to whittle down my waistline. But, in all actuality, it really is one hell of a rockin’ workout!

I first started “hooping” a couple of years ago. I used to be a nanny/tutor for a young girl who had such severe allergies that she was not even able to leave her home, and survived on a diet of hormone-free ground beef, corn, bosc pears (allergic to the rest) and egg/dairy free spelt pancakes/bread/anything else you could make with spelt, water and soymilk. Her allergies were so severe that she couldn’t even leave the house to play outside or go to school, which broke my heart, but her mother had set up quite the play area for her inside. One of her favorite things to do was hula hoop, like most 10 year-old girls, and they also had an “adult-sized” hoop that her mom or I could use. We started having contests to see who could keep their hoop up the longest, and this would sometimes we’d still be going strong after 30, 45, 50 minutes, upwards of an hour! When one of us would finally cave, we’d be sweaty, but not tired, and even felt more energized! Cut to the next day and Holy Hell were my abs paying the price! After a couple of weeks of these random competitions through the day, I started doing some online research.

Turns out, “hooping”, as it’s called in fitness circles, was beginning to show up in gyms across the country as a great way to shed inches, get that heart rate up, and get the blood flowing with super-low impact, and a whole lot of fun (I mean, who can’t help but smile and reminisce on their innocent and fun childhood toy when hooping?!)

Cut to now, two years later. I have my own “weight-loss hoop” that cost a mere 30 bucks. It weighs 3 pounds (I’ve graduated from the 5 pound hoop [the more the hoop weighs, maxing out at 5 pounds, the easier it is to keep up]) and is considerably larger than the hoops we used when we were kids. It’s something that takes up little space (fits in the closet), and something that you can do while watching your favorite tv shows after a long day of work. The best thing about it is, I honestly don’t feel like I’m exercising! Hooping burns up to 100 calories every TEN MINUTES, which is more than the treadmill, and much nicer on your joints (which is good if you’re someone like me, who has very sensitive joints). I make a point to hoop between 40-60 minutes a night, which realistically, is one tv show. Instead of letting my ass form to the sofa as it gradually expands, I’m up and doing something about it! And according to Hoopnotica.com, hooping consistently does the following:

Physical Benefits:
Builds core strength
Tones your entire body
Provides an intense cardiovascular workout
No to Low Impact
Increases energy
Develops balance and coordination
Increases flexibility

Mental/Emotional Benefits:
Clears and quiets the mind
Reduces stress
Improves self confidence
Generates joy and laughter
Improves one's mood
Opens up creative self expression

Seriously? Swinging a hoop around your hips does all THAT?!?! I can honestly say that, yes, it does. Now, I’m not going to lie. I have not lost weight doing this. HOWEVER, I have a very severe disorder, and essentially, my metabolism is literally dead. Most people with levels like mine in my condition gain on average, 3-5 pounds a month on a restricted-calorie diet with 3-5 days of exercise a week. And between hooping and my Biggest Loser for Wii Fit, I have maintained my weight, which basically means that anybody who does not share my condition WILL lose weight and whittle down your waist by doing this. The fact that I’ve been able to maintain my weight for almost a year now (and even lose 5 pounds this year, which is nothing to most people, but HUGE for someone with my disorder), so clearly, it’s doing something for me. It’s also increased my energy and stamina, which was something that I didn’t think I’d ever have again. I HIGHLY recommend hooping to everyone out there, whether you need to lose weight, or whether your just looking for something fun to lift your spirits a little bit.


I LOVE using my hoop to stretch before and after using it. It stretches muscles I was never able to properly stretch before!

So, what does this have to do with a vegan diet, you ask? Well, if you want to get super analytical, I suppose nothing. But I truly believe that the more you get up and move, the better you feel, and the easier it is to make good healthy choices in all aspects of your life. I know that I feel better about myself when I move a bit, and it also keeps me focused on what I put into my body. Plus, being vegan, I believe, is about being good to your fellow living beings, your mother earth, and yourself and getting yourself moving is honouring your body, and thanking it for being that vessel of power. So hoop on!

Just an FYI, this is similar to my hoop if you're interested in shopping around for one: Weighted Sports Hula Hoop


And yes, you can still be "rock 'n roll" as a hooper...it's not just for hippies anymore!

Veganism for Cheap-Asses Like Me!

I’ve had many friends and co-workers who have questioned me about my vegan lifestyle…whether or not I feel left out, hungry, if I crave certain things, how I plan meals, etc. I actually love when people come up and ask me these things, because I know that they are genuinely interested, and I’m not “preaching” if they come to me, right?! Well, the two biggest questions I get are:

“Where do your nutrients come from?” (Discussed in an earlier post)

-and-

“Isn’t being vegan super expensive?”

Now, in all honesty, I have no idea where that second question comes from. I mean, I get the first question. As a society who grew up with the Meat and Dairy industries funding our Government and the Food Commissions, many people believe we cannot survive without red meat and cow milk in our diets, so obviously, that question is understood by me. But the thought of our “diet” as expensive boggles my mind! Now, maybe it’s because I’m probably one of the cheapest people you’ll ever meet…or maybe it’s because I hate seeing things go to waste, but in all honesty, switching to a vegan diet has done wonders for my cashflow!

When Julian and I were eating meat, dairy, and processed food (although very little, but we did have an occasional processed package of food see our pantry), our grocery bill totaled around $200 every two weeks. For two people, we had friends that were very impressed with how little we could spend, but I still felt like this was a lot of money. Our groceries would consist of large bags of chicken breasts, cheeses, milk (for Julian, not me…I was never a milk drinker…I don’t even like drinking soy or rice milk!), ground turkey, eggs, pastas, rice, and various other completely unnecessary things. Now that our home is meat and dairy free (aside from occasional fish that Julian buys since he eats it about once a week), our grocery bill has dropped to less than HALF of what it was before! Just to show you that you most certainly CAN feed two people on $40 a week, I did a little online grocery shopping to show what we buy and how we do it. I don’t know of any grocery stores that deliver here in Wisconsin, so I went to Vons.com, which was a grocery store we shopped at in Los Angeles. Now, their foods were a little pricier, and they incorporated a “delivery fee” in this, so it’s actually still a little more than what we pay now, but only by a couple of dollars. Now, this is what we buy every two weeks or so at the grocery store. Keep in mind, that all the beans and grains typically last longer than 2 weeks, so sometimes we can stretch this to last an entire month, or else we’ll replenish one or two items at a time for less than five bucks.

Our total for these groceries is around $45 for two weeks. Then, each week, we pull out a $20 bill and use this for produce. We only use $20 because it’s only the two of us, and limiting what is in the fridge makes you more aware of everything you have, and more likely to use it up before it goes bad. We can usually find everything we need at the weekly Farmer’s Market, but if not, we’ll take our leftover money to the grocery store produce and get what we need there. So:

$15-45 every two weeks at the grocery store
+
$20 every week for produce
=
$28-42.50 a week for groceries
=
$112 to $170 a month for groceries for TWO PEOPLE!!!

Okay folks, we went from spending around $200 bi-weekly, which is around $400 a month to less than $200 a MONTH!!! And we eat well (if you don’t believe me, just look at our recipes!)!!!

So there you have it. Next time someone tells you that being vegan is way too expensive, have them check this out! The fact that two people can eat tons of food and eat healthy and nutritious for $112-170 a month is something I would have never believed myself, but it’s totally possible! So not only is veganism good for your health, but it’s good for your wallet, too!
 

What I mock-ordered from Vons.com to show what we buy at the grocery store every 2 weeks or so:
2 bags Stacy’s Naked Pita Chips - $3.99 each
2 packs Boca Vegan Burgers - $3.00 each
Whole Wheat Pita Bread - $1.79
16 oz. bag of pearled barley - .81
16 oz bag of pinto beans - $1.74
16 oz. bag of black beans - $2.45
2 – 16 oz. bags of navy beans - $1.25 each
2 – 16 oz. bags of red beans - $1.65 each
10 lb. bag of rice – $14.79
42 oz. box of Quaker Rolled Oats - $5.29

Total - $46.63 for 2 weeks


Filling up on your veggies at the Farmers Market is usually much more cost-effective than the grocery store, and you get to see exactly where your food is coming from!



As always, every ad clicked on this blog is a donation to a local animal shelter!! I am going to donate any money made from clicking ads to our local shelters here in Madison, so please, click away!

Is my Tattoo Vegan?!?!

Tattoos. One of the oldest art forms known to man. Tattoos have had many stigmas through the centuries, and even change with the decade/year! Once used as a symbol of greatness, then to mark prisoners, then only seen on the derelicts and gypsies and such, the patterns of tattoo stigmas span centuries. Currently, it seems as though the stigmas have finally disappeared from tattoos…everyone from Punk Rockers to Famous Athletes to Soccer Moms are sporting ink, and the mainstream has become more and more acceptable each day.

I’ve been drawn to tattoos ever since I was little. I specifically remember the first time I noticed a female with a tattoo. It was Thanksgiving, and I was 6 years old. We were going to our Thanksgiving movie, a family tradition, and I specifically remember the girl working at the box office had her eyebrow pierced and a bracelet tattooed on her wrist. To this day, 20 years later, I can still remember every single detail in that tattoo as vivid as if I saw it yesterday. And from that day on, I knew that I wanted them. Now, I don’t get them for shock value or for making statements. My tattoos are all very significant and mean a great deal to me, and for the most part, are completely covered by my everyday clothing (with the exception of a small one on my forearm). Not meant to shock or draw attention to myself, but more or less to mark milestones in my life, and I see my body as my canvas.

Now, when I went vegan, I began to question everything…and I mean everything! From the liquor I drank to the jewelry I wore to the types of tools the dentists used on my teeth. And then I got that itch. That one I get every so often where I crave…body art. And then I got to thinking…is tattooing vegan?!?! Well, I did my research, and sadly, it turns out that most tattoos are not vegan, and although I couldn’t exactly go back in time to see what types of ink and dye were used in my tattoos, I was fairly certain that they probably weren’t. The fact of the matter, is that most tattoo inks (black especially) are made from burning animal bones,crushing and liquefying them…lovely, I know. What makes matters worse, is that most tattoo artists don’t even know what is always in the ink, because ink suppliers are not required by any laws or restrictions to list ingredients. Now, these dyes are the easiest to come by and are also the cheapest, but as it turns out, not a lot of tattoo artists use them anymore mainly because the pigment fades quick and as an artist, they want their work to last. Many artists have begun mixing their own dyes, so they should very well know everything that is in them if that is the case, and there is also a very popular brand (which is a little more expensive) of tattoo ink called “Stable” ink. It is vegan, and completely plant based. Most tattoo artists that use it don’t even realize it’s vegan, but use it because it really is one of the best inks on the market.

Once discovering these options for vegan tattoos, I was on the hunt to find an artist that could give me a vegan tattoo for my newest piece. Luckily, “Stable” inks are extremely popular in the Madison area, and I had a great many artists to choose from! I got really lucky in finding a great vegan tattoo artist, and I just wanted to give my inked followers a heads up for your next work of art, to call ahead, ask if the tattoo artist uses Stable Ink or mixes their own, and if you have an artist that you love that uses questionable ink…by all means ask if they can order Stable Ink for your next tattoo! You might get charged a little extra for the ink, but most places won’t have a problem doing this for you, and not only will you get a tattoo with better pigmentation, but you’ll have a truly kind piece of artwork!


My first (that I know of) 100% Cruelty-Free tattoo...honoring my heritage and worn proudly on my ribcage...isn't she beautiful?!

Bill Clinton...Eating Plants? There's a Dirty Joke in there Somewhere!!

The other day, I read in the paper a little blip about Former President Bill Clinton being on a “plant-based diet.” I immediately turned the paper to the front cover to make sure that I wasn’t reading The Onion, because everything about this man screams CARNIVORE!!! Growing up while he was the President, it was almost daily they would show him on the morning news, taking his jog around DC and stopping each morning after his run at MCDONALDS for breakfast!!! On many occasions you would hear him refer to himself as a Southern boy who loved his steak and fried chicken…so you can imagine my initial disbelief that this was even true! I mean, I worked at Hard Rock Café when he came and donated one of his Saxophones to our restaurant, and he had a giant steak when he was there just a few short years ago! I decided I had to research this further, because now I was very intrigued!


It turns out, he was a total skeptic who has changed his life through a plant-based diet! Although he says he is eating fish on occasion, although rarely, he has cut out all other flesh foods, as well as dairy products, and has already lost 24 pounds on top of feeling tremendously better, which is amazing considering all of his health problems as of late. He even gives credit to one of my favorite books, The China Study, which I strongly believe is a must-read for anybody trying to reach optimum health, no matter what your current eating habits are. Check out the following video of him…and congrats, Mr. President, for setting such an awesome example of health and self-healing!

Kick-Start Your Life...Do It Now!!!

I do have a few recipes that I am excited to share with you, but at the moment, I have some super cool news that I think would be totally awesome to get some of you involved in! Whether you’re a long-time vegan, a vegan “flirt”, or not vegan at all and just come here to cyber stalk me or for alternative recipes, this is something that we can all get up on and involved in! It’s called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, and vegans and non-vegans alike can definitely learn some things and get some crazy awesome advice from this!

Now, what is it?

The 21-Day Vegan Kickstart is a program that was started by the PCRM (the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). Now what it is, is a 21-day program (duh!) that is completely health-based. I have heard success stories from longtime vegans who have done this, and have lost up to 15 pounds in three weeks, just by following the meal plan! I’m an email buddy with someone who did this last time they offered the program who is not vegan and she lost 25 pounds in the three-week program through the plan that has been created by some of the top medical doctors and nutritionists in the business. Now, if that doesn’t say something for this program, then I don’t know what will! From those who I know have done this before, they all say that the recipes are super easy, super fast, super filling, super delicious, and super inexpensive! It’s not like one of those plans that make you buy obscenely expensive processed foods and crap like that. And for you omnivores out there, from what I have heard, you won’t miss meat at all on this plan.

Now, the best part…IT’S COMPLETELY FREE!!! How is that even possible, you ask? Simple. This is a program that was created to help counteract the Obesity Epidemic that has struck this country. Nobody is trying to make a profit off of this, because it is about education and educating people on how good food decisions can also taste good and be good for your waistline and overall health.

Now, they only do the kickstart a few times a year, and the next one is starting next week on September 6, so you should sign up for it now! Even if you don’t want to follow it exactly, it’s an opportunity to get some awesome recipes sent to you daily. I plan on following it for the 21 days, and I’ll be sharing my opinions on it, but I’d love to hear from you guys as well! So head on over to the PCRM website and sign up now! Do it!

Mike Tyson Drops Meat, Drops 130 Pounds!!

I always love hearing the positive stories about how veganism can literally transform a person’s entire life. One of my favorite stories right now is that of Mike Tyson. Now, before you get all “Mike-Tyson-is-a-crazy-no-good-woman-beating-ear-biting-good-for-nothing,” just chillax a little bit. I was about 13 or 14 when I first heard of this guy. And believe me, it wasn’t a good impression. I was not into boxing, but recall him being all over the news for weeks after biting off part of his opponent’s ear in a boxing match. For years, this was my one and only impression of the guy, followed by allegations of abuse, drug addiction, and various other problems. Clearly, he was not on my radar as being someone I looked up to.


Fast forward about 12 years from that point (about a year ago), when I realized that, as much as I hate when people judge me, I was no different in my perceptions of a man I didn’t even know! Julian and I went to see his documentary in Los Angeles, because the reviews were astounding, and curiosity was getting the better of us both. What in the world was everyone so interested in seeing from him?! Well, I quickly saw for myself what an incredibly complex human being he was. Now, I’m not saying that some of the stuff he did in his past was right, but I am saying that you need to get to the core before you judge. Did you know that the first time he ever fought someone was because he was protecting an animal?! I had NO IDEA!!! He used to see the pigeons as his only friends, and loved these animals. To this day, he still has a close bond with these animals. I would have never thought that compassion for an animal could lead to a life built on smashing people’s faces in, but you never really know! Anyway, after a personal tragedy and battling some demons, Mike Tyson stumbled upon the world of veganism about nine months ago. I’ve been following it pretty closely, because that was also around the time when I decided to give up 100% of the animal products I’d been putting in my body.

Recently, an interview was done with Mike Tyson on ESPN where he revealed his amazing 130 pound weight loss all credited to veganism…rock on, Iron Mike!! Here is what he had to say on the weight loss:

"I became a vegan. Vegan is where no animal products. No livestock products. Nothing. I just did a lot of training and try to become more faithful in life. I wanted a different life. I felt like I was dying. I had an incident in life where I lost my 4 year old daughter in a tragic accident at home. I don't know. I didn't want to live anymore. So I said, that in order to go there, I had to change my life. I am going to change everything I dislike about myself. I changed everything that I was as a human being. I started that journey in October or November. … I don't smoke anymore. I wanted to give up everything. I had to change my life. I didn't have a problem with drugs or nothing. I had a problem with thinking. My thinking was broken. That was the solution of my broken thinking using drugs and living crazy. It was just the way I was thinking."

Now if that isn’t inspiring, than I don’t know what is! And if you haven’t seen the documentary Tyson, I highly recommend you do. Fan or not, it really gives you a new perspective on how the cards your dealt in life can always be played in your favor…it’s all just up to you!

LADIES ONLY!!! Menstruation Ahead!!

Photo from the Diva Cup Facebook Page

Did you know…

The average woman uses between 300-420 pads/tampons a year???

So…what happens to all those when we are finished using them? Or, let’s take a look at the bigger picture…

“Women, on average, experience a lifetime menstruation span of 41 years (11-52). From use of disposable feminine hygiene, an estimated 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons are dumped into the North American environment each year (1998). More than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999. Our revolutionary, reusable product is a modern, viable alternative to disposable tampons and pads.
Most tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives and additives. In addition, most pads contain polyethylene plastic whose production is a pollutant. Also, dioxin, a known carcinogen, is a by-product of the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon. In landfills, many of these substances can leach into the environment (groundwater, streams and lakes) causing serious pollution and health concerns.” ~Taken from the DivaCup Website

170,000 tampon applicators alone collected on the US coast in only a year?!?! That’s disgusting! Not to mention, terrible for the environment. But what can we do?! It’s not like we can just let it all hang out, so to say…it’s not really something that as a woman, we can do without. What is left for us?!
Ladies (and probably not gentlemen), I give to you, the Diva Cup!


Okay, by now you probably think that I’m insane, talking about something like this, but I was asked for a tampon at work today, and told that I don’t use pads or tampons, and was met with the strangest look! I explained what I used instead, and was met with curiosity. I then tracked down the website and sent it to her, and the lady went out to Whole Foods on her lunch to buy herself one! After browsing their site myself, I realized how terrible for the environment all the other stuff really is…and how much of a burden it can become on your wallet.

I have been using a Diva Cup for about 9 or 10 months now, and I cannot believe I ever used anything else! I don’t know what it is, but the terrible cramping I used to experience (I used to miss at least one day of school or work a month due to cramps, severe nausea, and vomiting) disappeared instantly! Not only that, but mine cost $30…which is about what I would spend on 3 months’ worth of tampons. It’s recommended to replace the cup every 1-5 years, so you can see how much money I’m saving by using one! AND, the environmental aspects of this are awesome, too! Before I made the switch, I used OB tampons, because they don’t have an applicator, and I hate how much trash was involved in a tampon anyway. Now, I don’t have to throw anything away!! There is no footprint associated with the cup! And unlike a tampon, where I would go through a super-absorbency tampon every 45 minutes-1 hour, I can wear my cup all day long, for up to 8, sometimes 10 hours before I have to empty it! No worries, no carrying around obnoxious and embarrassing supplies during that time of the month, nothing!
Diva Cups are also made of medical grade, hypoallergenic silicone and not latex, so they can be used by nearly everyone. And if you do decide to make the switch and don’t know what to do with those leftover pads and tampons, you can always donate them to women’s shelters or homeless shelters. It sounds strange, but feminine hygiene products are the #1 needed item at these places, as women cannot afford them.

Seriously though, feminine products are filling up our landfills, are made with toxic and cancerous chemicals (yuck!), and seriously, aren’t we all a little tired of sticking that super dry, uncomfortable hunk of bleached cotton up our poonannies?? I know I was!

A Little Rock and Roll Couldn't Hurt...!!!

Me, rocking out with some of my favorite peeps!


So, I watched a film last night on my computer called “Edge” about the straightedge subculture amongst the punk-rock scene.
Being somewhat of a “rocker girl” myself, I found the film quite interesting, as it seemed to go hand in hand with one of my all-time favorite books, Dharma Punx by Noah Levine. The book is an interesting tale of punk rock and religion, and how the two can truly become one entity. The film I watched last night was very similar. A lot of it was about the drug-free movement amongst certain punk rockers and a sober, yet still totally rock and roll lifestyle. There was also a part in it about animal cruelty, and being completely drug-free and cruelty free, and still being rock and roll. Now, some people may think that you can’t be hardcore and rock and roll without the “extreme” lifestyles of debauchery and drug usage and the biting off of bat heads (I love my Ozzy, but this thought gives me nightmares!). I mean, I’m not saying that you can’t have a good time…I’ve been known to throw down a 5th of Jack before a party has even started, but that’s beside the point! What I’m getting at is, you don’t have to fit into a mold to be who you are. Just because you are vegan doesn’t mean you have to run around smelling like onions because you don’t shower and don’t shave and hug every tree you see. Just as much as being rock and roll or punk rock doesn’t mean you have to live your life in a drug-fueled, hate-fueled haze.
Anyway, I think that this is an excellent movie, and everyone should definitely try and watch it, vegan or not. Like I said, it’s just a small part about animal cruelty in it, but I think that it speaks volumes. It was also produced by Compassion Media, which is a great production company to support. Give it a watch, and tell me what you think! And, if you don’t believe you can rock the stage until the sun comes up without animal protein, check out this small compilation of musicians (just that I know of, I’m sure there are more) who go out and do it every night!!


Joan Jett
Prince
Karl Buechner of Earth Crisis/Freya
Ray Cappo of Youth Of Today/Shelter

Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat
Bull Gervasi of R.A.M.B.O.

Chrissie Hynde
Quinn Allman of the Used
Fiona Apple
Hunter Burgan of AFI
Davey Havok of AFI
Terence “Geezer” Butler of Black Sabbath
Dave Davies of the Kinks
Boy George
Dave Goodman, original producer of the Sex Pistols
Alanis Morissette
Reggie Riot of Three Man Riot

Pat Thetic of Anti-Flag
Weird Al Yankovic (no, I’m not kidding!)

So there. And like I said, I’m sure that this is not all of them, just ones that I have heard of around the grapevine. So you can have your rock and be cruelty-free, too!!!

Vegan-Friendly Airports

First off, I want to say thank you for all of the support with my beloved dog passing this past week. It was a really hard thing to go through, and receiving the support that I did from all over really helped. So, thank you all so much for your words of kindness.

I travelled from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. this weekend to spend some much needed time with my mom, where we shared many happy memories of the friend we had to say goodbye to. This was also the first time that I have travelled via airplane since going vegan (I like to drive wherever I go since flying is rarely a positive experience for me…I’ve even driven cross-country to avoid airports!) and needless to say, I was quite nervous about what my food options would be. So, I have put together a little rating system, if you will, for the airports that I travelled through:
Milwaukee, WI: F
Detroit, MI: A+++
Washington, Dulles: D-
Minneapolis/St. Paul: A

I left from the Milwaukee, WI airport, and let me tell you, they FAIL the vegan ratings. I found one place in the entire airport that sold a “veggie southwestern salad”. This salad’s description listed cheese, but I tried ordering it without the cheese. The guy then proceeds to tell me that all of the salads are pre-made and that they actually have chicken on them, too, because “nobody wants a salad without chicken.” Ummm…really?! I asked if he could make me one, and he said that they don’t stock the ingredients. So, starving Danielle had to wait, and pray that I’d have better luck during my layover in Detroit.

Let me just say, I left work that day at noon, was not able to grab lunch before driving the 90 minutes to Milwaukee (we were going to grab food before the boy dropped me off, but a bad traffic jam caused us to run a bit late), and so I had only had a small bowl of oatmeal the entire day. It was now around 5:30 when I arrived in Detroit, and I honestly thought I just might pass out (my own fault for not packing snacks, I know…but my head was in outer space when I prepared for this quick trip). I walked off the airplane, and knew that I had entered the Vegan “Oz” of airports…there was literally restaurant after restaurant, more than I had ever seen in an airport, and as I read every menu hanging outside, I realized that every single one not only offered vegan and vegetarian options, but clearly labeled them as such as well!! I was literally drooling after about ten restaurants, and since I had a few hours, I decided on the Mediterranean Grill located at gate A54 (if I recall!). I was sat quickly, greeted quickly, and since I had looked at the menu posted outside, I knew what I was going to order and quickly ordered the falafel pita platter with dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). My food was out in record time, and I quickly dug in. The super spicy falafel was like heaven in my mouth. Tucked away in a perfectly toasted pita, and stuffed with hummus, tomato and lettuce, and of course, plenty of falafel. And to top it all off, I had four massive dolmas awaiting my stomach. Even with how famished I was, I could hardly manage to finish ¾ of my meal so I went ahead and took the bill…$8.49?!?! This couldn’t possibly be right. A nice, sit-down restaurant in an airport I already knew was going to set me back around $15-20. But, I managed to sit down, have a beautiful meal presented to me for less than ten bucks!! I was so happy, and am actually looking forward to the next time I get to travel through Detroit, as there were so many delicious looking places that I cannot wait to try!

Mediterranean Grill, Detroit Metro Airport

On my way back, I left from the Washington D.C./Dulles airport. I honestly thought I’d be all set here, because, well, it’s a huge city, a massive airport, and I truly thought I would at least be able to find SOMETHING. Well, I was clearly mistaken. The ONLY think I was able to find was a mini carton of Silk Chocolate SoyMilk. I found this at a little coffee shop where I tried to get a plain bagel. The man at the counter asked what kind of spread I wanted on it, and I said I didn’t want any. He told me that the price includes it, and I said I don’t mind paying full price, but I don’t want any spread. I was told they couldn’t do this…what?! What kind of crazy rule is that?! So, after standing in line, I at least wanted something, so I picked up a carton of soymilk and bought that. Not too tasty (I hate anything with a milky texture, real milk or not), but it was something in my tummy until I got to my next destination.

I arrived in Minneapolis and was at first disappointed, as the only options I saw right away were the standard Burger King, McDonalds, and Starbucks. However, the closer I got to my next gate, the more options started popping up. I ended up eating at a little place directly at my gate called the French Meadow Bistro, as their foldout sign clearly exclaimed that their soup of the day was a Vegan Black Bean Chili. Obviously excited by the fact that they were so proud of their “vegan” chili, I stopped in. I took a look at their menu, and they had a plethora of vegan options, which were all organic as well. Yay! I ended up just getting an order of the chili, which came with a side of vegan sourdough and every single bite was a perfect little taste explosion in my mouth. Perfect. And at $4.95 for a cup and bread, it didn’t totally break the bank either.

French Meadow Bistro, Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport


So, these were my experiences at these four particular airports. Has anyone else had good/bad experiences at any other airports? Would love to hear suggestions!

Heartland Farm Sanctuary

Since moving to Madison, I have been trying to find a good place to volunteer at that not only helps animals, but helps people, too. Surrounding Los Angeles, there are a few different farm sanctuaries that work with animals and troubled youth. There are also programs where they rehabilitate animals to be suitable to adopt through a program working with prison inmates. These types of places are where I like to donate my money, time, or both, as I feel that they help everyone involved.

Well, I finally stumbled across a Farm Sanctuary in Madison that is apparently very new. The Heartland Farm Sanctuary was founded in 2009, and is actually still looking for a land donation to provide for the animals they rescue! They are very new, and their outreach goals are very wonderful, and I truly believe that this is an organization that will benefit the entire community. I know that not everyone who reads this blog is from the Madison area, but even a couple dollars can help this sanctuary really get its bearings. They currently have two rescued goats that a farmer is letting them keep in his barn for now, but as the need for their services increases, so will their need for an adequate space for these animals.
Rock and roll Vegan Joan Jett Volunteering at a Farm Sanctuary


“Heartland Farm Sanctuary, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless farm animals in Wisconsin, and building connections between animals and vulnerable youth. We created Heartland to provide a safe, peaceful environment where youth and farm animals could come together to heal, grow, and have fun.
Many children today face significant life challenges such as physical, emotional, or cognitive developmental delays, a history of delinquent behavior or other detrimental life choices, and an abusive or otherwise troubling home life. Research has shown that these children can benefit tremendously by taking part in animal-assisted therapeutic activities, such as those programs developed by Heartland using the farm animals we help.

Our mission is to provide care for farm animals in need, nurture people through the human-animal bond, and foster respect and kindness toward animals and each other.” (Direct quote from their website)

There are farm sanctuaries currently across the US, but it seems that the area of the country with the greatest amount of farm animals and agriculture is the area that has the fewest sanctuaries for these animals. When the floods hit Iowa in 2008, sanctuaries in New York had to send rescue services there, because there were not enough of these organizations in the Midwest to aid these abandoned animals. By creating this organization here, there will be a huge need fulfilled to the people and animals of this region.

I guess what I’m asking…is do you really need that Starbucks coffee this morning? What about this week? Instead of feeding your coffee habit, or Diet Coke habit, maybe think about putting even that small amount of money toward a great cause like this today. Every couple of dollars helps. And, if you live in the Madison area, be sure to shop at Whole Foods on June 17. On this day, 5% of the entire day’s sales will go directly to the Heartland Farm Sanctuary. How easy is that? You need groceries, and this way, when you buy your groceries, you’ll be helping the Sanctuary at the same time! I signed up to be a volunteer for the sanctuary today, and cannot wait to hear back to see how I can help the animals, and the children of the community. Please visit www.heartlandfarmsanctuary.org for more information on this amazing organization!


Saved cows are happy cows!!

I'm a Big Loser...weight, that is!!

So I haven’t really been updating this week. Quite frankly, after the birthday celebrating and all that, I needed to get my body back to a more neutral place. Very basic foods this week…green salads, lots of plain brown rice and quinoa and beans. Nothing to really write home about, but I know my body needed some help getting back to a neutral state. Anyway, I wanted to tell you all about a new program I have started that can really rock your ass off that couch cushion!!

For my birthday, my amazing man got me the Biggest Loser game for our Wii Fit. I have wanted this game for a while, since I have heard that it is pretty killer. Not only that, but the two trainers (Jillian and Bob) are super hot, super inspiring, and one of them is even a veg-head!! Yes, Bob Harper has to promote “Jennie-O Turkey” and “Milk” on the tv show, but these things were written into his contract before he became vegan a few years ago. It’s unfortunate, but if you follow his Twitter and Blogs, he explains the situation he’s bound to. But regardless…if people think that vegans are just skeletons walking around with skin stretched around their frames from lack of nutrients, all they have to do is look at his amazingly hot body, to realize that yes, vegans can be buff, too!!


So, I got home from work yesterday and set the game up. You build a program for yourself and it helps you in setting realistic and attainable goals, and then gives you the tools to achieve those. Then, you start your first workout with Bob and Jillian. Let me just say, that I was pouring sweat, and we were not even done with the 6-minute warm-up yet! I knew I was in for some trouble at that point! Well, the circuit kicked my ass (although I did start at intermediate instead of beginner), and as soon as I was about to collapse on the floor in a puddle of my own sweat, Evil Jillian tells me that we’re doing the circuit…AGAIN!!! Awww hell no! I honestly didn’t think I could do it, and I was shocked that a video game was really pushing me this hard, but it was! And incredibly enough, I was able to get through the circuit the second time around! I knew I was going to be sore, so I ended with one of the cool-down options, which was 18 minutes of “light” yoga, which was really quite refreshing after the drills I had just been through. Needless to say, I’m feeling every single squat and every single speed-punch today, that’s for damn sure!! And yet, I’m super excited to do it again tonight! Call me fuckin’ nuts, but I actually want to impress my little virtual Bob and Jillian! Hahaha…okay, yeah, that does sound pretty nuts, but it’s true! It’s like I don’t want to let them down!

America's Hottest Trainers...ooooowww!!!

But seriously, if you are looking for a good workout, and want to support a fellow veg-head (and I’ve heard rumors that Bob is beginning to pull Jillian to the “plant side”…let’s hope!), then definitely buy this workout game! I KNOW for certain that if I do this at least 5 times a week, then I’m going to be seeing a different silhouette pretty soon!!

A Little Humor for the Day...

"The standard diet of a meat-eater is blood, flesh, veins, muscles, tendons, cow secretions, hen periods and bee vomit.
And once a year during a certain holiday in November, meat-eaters use the hollowed-out rectum of a dead bird as a pressure cooker for stuffing.
And people think vegans are weird because we eat tofu?"

~Vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke

The Spanish Diet

In front of one of many beautiful castles in the Spanish Countryside (I'm in the green zip-up...haha)




In 2005, I studied for a semester in Madrid, Spain. To say it was one of the greatest times of my entire life would be an understatement, to say the least! Anyway, when I was there, I came to a very quick realization – there was not a single overweight person. Seriously! And ironically (and sadly) enough, when I saw an overweight family (after about three weeks of living there) it turned out that they were American (or Canadian…they spoke English w/o a British Accent) tourists…and not really from there. I hate to say this, but I couldn’t help but stare. It had been so long since I had seen anyone that was even slightly overweight that I realized how much it really stood out. Now, I’m not saying that I’m perfect by any means, or that there is no such thing as an overweight vegan, but I did realize a lot of things about their culture that I’m certain had a lot of influence on their physiques and overall health.

1. The Spaniards (at least in the city) literally walk everywhere! I can honestly say that I’ve never walked that much in my entire life as I did when I was living there! The walk to school each day was a little over a mile, and I would walk to school, home for lunch/siesta, back to school, and home again five days a week. Not to mention the walking I’d also do going to different shops and just generally exploring. A few miles a day really add up!

2. Meal portions. The first few times that I went out to eat with fellow students (as well as eating what my host “mom” would cook), I felt like I was getting ripped off. Turns out, they just don’t eat out of control portions like we do here! Yes, even vegetarians and vegans are culprit to over-eating at times. This was probably one of the most important dietary lessons I learned there, which was HOW to eat:
•Small breakfast, just enough to get your system started (apple and slice of bread/toast)
•Lunch: soup, small sandwich on fresh bread
•Dinner: soup, grains and vegetables
Now, I discovered a common denominator between eating at home, eating out, and what everyone else was being served at their host homes…soup! These people ate soup at least two times a day, and would eat it before their main meal. Not only is it super yummy and simple, but it fills you up, leaving less room in that growling tummy to be filled up by huge portions and such. This past week, as soon as I began incorporating soup back into my diet 2x/day, I ended up losing 4 pounds. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

3. Rest. It may seem simple enough, but I truly believe that Americans just don’t sleep enough! Every day, the entire city of Madrid literally seemed to shut down between noon and 3:00pm. Stores would close, schools closed, everything closed! People would go home, eat, and “siesta” for a few hours before returning to work! At first, my roommate and I tried to do this, but felt absolutely absurd taking a ‘nap’ in the middle of the day when we could be out exploring! Well, after a few days of finding nothing to do (since everything was closed) we really began enjoying our siesta time. Not only that, but people really value their sleep at night…you won’t find a television in anyone’s bedroom in Spain! And getting enough rest is absolutely imperative in maintaining a healthy weight!


So anyway, these were just a few keys that I discovered while living there that I really try to value each and every day, especially being back in America. Not only this, but these should really be keys to anyone’s life, vegan, vegetarian, or not! These small changes in how we do things can really make huge impacts on our lives!

And, if anyone was wondering what kind of delicious soup I’d made this week, well, here ya go!

Navy Bean Soup

2 cups Navy Beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup V8 vegetable juice
8 oz. frozen green beans
1 cup shredded carrots
4 tblsp. Minced garlic
½ onion, chopped
½ tsp. sea salt
Seasonings/herbs to taste

Pop all these ingredients into a slow cooker for 8 hours on low. Enjoy!



Can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and can also be frozen! I like to keep some out to have at lunch and dinner before my meal, or even as my main meal, and when I run out, I’ll thaw a batch out to have for the next 2 days or so! It’s super simple, super delicious, and your digestive system will LOVE you!

What do you say...?

“Vegan?” “Where do you get your protein?” “How do you get enough calcium?” “Are you anemic? Your iron count must be really low.” “You can’t get all your vitamins and nutrients from lettuce.”

Yes, I’m sure you have all heard these and many more of the same questions over and over and over when people find out that the “V” word is incorporated into your lifestyle. Well, through various sources, I have tried to compile a pretty darn good list of foods that I think we should all know (as it is important to know where our vitamins and nutrients are coming from, it’s just annoying to be hassled about it!) and how important they are to our diets. I know that there are many more than the ones I will be listing, but now, when people ask, you can rattle off an entire freaking fact sheet to them! So there!

Calcium

Most people believe that milk and other dairy products are the best sources for this mineral. Yet, not all of it can be used by your body. Oxalates in those foods bind calcium so it is not absorbed. Some dark green vegetables, such as kale, spinach and parsley, contain a fair amount of calcium. Almonds, filberts and legumes also contain fair amounts of calcium. Calcium fortified soy milk or rice milk are good to add to a vegan diet. Calcium fortified orange juice and pasta are also good sources. The recommended intake for calcium in men and women, 19-50 years old is 1000 mg.
Calcium Content of Selected Foods

Legumes (1 cup cooked)
Chickpeas 78 mg
Great northern beans 121 mg
Navy beans 128 mg
Pinto beans 82 mg
Black beans 103 mg
Vegetarian baked beans 128 mg

Soyfood
Soybeans, 1 cup cooked 175 mg
Tofu (processed with calcium
sulfate) ½ cup 120-350 mg
Tempeh, ½ cup 85 mg
Textured vegetable protein, ½ c 84 mg
Soymilk, 1 cup 250-300 mg
Soymilk, fortified, 1 cup 252 mg
Soynuts, ½ cup 120 mg

Nuts and Seeds (2 T.)
Almonds 50 mg
Almond butter 86 mg
Vegetables (½ cup cooked)
Bok choy 79 mg
Broccoli 89 mg
Collard greens 178 mg
Kale 90 mg
Mustard greens 75 mg

Fruits
Dried figs, 5 – 258 mg
Calcium fortified orange juice, 1 cup – 300mg
Blackstrap molasses, 1 T 187 mg

Iron

Good non-meat sources of iron include:
• Legumes
• Dried fruits
• Dark green, leafy vegetables
• Whole or enriched grains and cereals
Your body is able to absorb more iron from these foods when they are eaten in the same meal with vitamin C rich foods. Some foods high in vitamin C are:
• Broccoli
• Strawberries
• Citrus fruits and juices
• Melons
• Baked potatoes
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Kiwi
The recommended intake of iron for men and women 19-70+ years is 8 mg/day.
Iron Content of Select Foods

Breads, cereals and grains
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice -.9mg
White bread, 1 slice .7mg
Bran flakes, 1 cup 11mg
Cream of wheat, ½ c cooked 5.5mg
Oatmeal, instant, 1 packet 6.3mg
Wheat germ, 2 T 1.2mg
Vegetables (½ cup cooked)
Beet greens 1.4mg
Sea vegetables 18-42 mg
Swiss chard -1.9 mg
Tomato juice, 1 cup 1.3mg
Turnip greens 1.5mg

Soyfoods (½ cup cooked)
Soybeans 4.4mg
Tempeh 1.8mg
Tofu 6.6 mg
Soymilk, 1 cup 1.8 mg

Nuts/seeds (2 T)
Cashews 1 mg
Pumpkin seeds 2.5 mg
Tahini 1.2 mg
Sunflower seeds 1.2 mg

Other foods
Blackstrap molasses, 1 T 3.3mg


Protein

Plant proteins are not complete, as they do not have enough of one or more amino acids. However, the kinds of foods you eat may combine to form a complete protein. When the plant proteins are eaten with another select plant protein, the foods will balance each other to form complete protein.

Most people will need 2 to 3 servings of either animal or plant proteins daily to meet their needs. Below are servings of protein:
1/3 cup hummus
½ cup legumes
¼ cup nuts and seeds
2 T. nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond and soynut butters
3 ounces seitan
3 ounce soy burger
4 ounces tofu


So, in review, I think it’s pretty obvious that it is SUPER easy to get everything that we need from a plant-based diet!
•Vary the foods you eat: fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, legumes, nuts, seeds.
•Be certain that all bread, pasta and other grain products are 100% whole grain. Pasta and bread from local bakeries may not be fortified.
•Use whole grain products to increase intake of iron, and fiber. These include whole grains, whole wheat, bulgur, barley, brown rice, cornmeal, and oatmeal.

These guidelines were compiled by me using WebMD, www.vrg.org/index.htm, and the book Vegetarian Diets by the American Dietetic Association.

I hope this was helpful! Now happy (vegan) eating!