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!

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!

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!

Recipe Blast from the 21-Day Kickstart!

Today marks day 5 of PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart…and I’m LOVING it!! Every single recipe, even the ones that I honestly thought I’d hate (especially never particularly enjoying Black Eyed Peas) have all been fabulous! Now, some people do the program to get into veganism for the first time, and others do it for new recipe ideas but not to really follow the plan. I’m doing this to see if this plan really does “kickstart” my weight loss as I have heard that it can. Well, I haven’t done a weigh-in yet, but I did slide my “skinny” jeans on with ease today…and to think, I haven’t even been able to pull them over my ass for over a year now! It’s like going shopping in my own closet! So anyway, I’m linking to all of the fabulous recipes that I’ve tried so far this week so you can all give them a shot. Also, if you want to have the recipes sent to you, it’s not too late to join up on the PCRM website!!


Cous Cous Confetti Salad
I'm not a fan of raw veggies in a hot dish like this calls for, but this was suprisingly delicious! As I type this, I'm currently eating the last of it in a hot pita for lunch...yummm....


Hoppin' John Salad
I was hesitant to try this one, considering I've always had an aversion to black eyed peas...but it was really good as well! And super filling! I couldn't even finish one serving size!

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
I didn't take a picture because well...it just looked like a bowl of tomato soup...and we all know what that looks like! This soup was so yummy and warmed me to the core...did just the job a soup was supposed to do. It was a perfect pairing with the Confetti Cous Cous, too!

Southern Beans and Greens
I made this recipe with the leftover Hoppin' John Salad (just threw it all in!), Kidney Beans and Navy Beans. It was perfect! The perfect savory dish on a day that seemed all too chilly for early September!

All in all, I highly recommend all the recipes so far...give them a try, and let me know how you like them!

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!

Ninja Turtle Super Juice!!

I have a new obsession…



…Juicing!!!

I’ve always been a smoothie-kind of girl, but I had been seeing on a couple of other blogs, bloggers talking about all these yummy juices they make with all kinds of stuff I had never thought about putting in liquid form! I must confess, as much as I hate admitting to it, that I tend to “overstock” my vegetables, and it does happen more often than not, that we buy more than two people can realistically get through before it goes bad. I hate composting things that are not “used” so it was getting quite frustrating, but I always felt that if we bought less, than we wouldn’t have enough! Well, we went out and bought this lovely Waring Juicer on sale at Target a couple weekends ago, and the poor thing hasn’t gotten much rest since then! And, we haven’t had any produce go to waste, either! When something looks like it’s getting “close” to not being edible, in the juicer it goes! I’m having so much fun with it, I’m getting way more veggies in my diet, and so far, I haven’t made anything that hasn’t tasted good!


My beautiful new toy!


Another thing that I like about juicing is that you get this really great fiber/pulp leftover stuff in the juicer. It’s super great to pop in the compost…and I’m super excited to use my compost for a nice balcony garden next year…by then I should have lots of good stuff to use!


So, for one of my favorite recipes that I have come up with in the juicer. It’s really quite simple, and super tasty. Also, it’s GREEN!! You can’t go wrong with Ninja Turtle-green juice! Okay, so the Ninja Turtles were soaked in green “ooze”, but it made them big and strong and I think that this juice can do the same!

2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 Handful of Purple Kale (I’m sure green would be fine, too, but I buy the purple because it’s pretty!)
2 Green apples
1 Carrot (you get more juice out of the carrot if it’s at room temperature, fyi)
4 Pineapple cubes
Pop it all in the juicer and enjoy!!

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!