PETA

Let me start this by saying that I have nothing against PETA at all. I think they are an amazing organization that has done wonders in the field of animal cruelty. That being said, I don't necessarily (personally) agree with a lot of their actions. Sometimes, for me they take it a bit over the top and can get EXTREMELY political- something I am not! I honestly don't have a clue about politics, especially now that I am living in Costa Rica. I would like to watch a basketball game with Obama and give him the occasional high five though. He just seems cool. (I honestly don't have a clue about his policies so please don't think I am endorsing him- just think its nice to see a family man with a life and a nice smile as our pres. Plus his wife plants a garden every year and focuses on childhood obesity- score!)
OK- So back to PETA. . .  Sometimes they get a little crazy, but I wouldn't discount them as an excellent resource. Thats why I am posting the link below. It's PETA's vegan/vegetarian starter kit and its FREE! Oh yea! I L-O-V-E a good bargain (OOOH Marshall's how I miss you. I could use some discount designer shoes to hike around CR in)!! You can order it and have it mailed to you, but I would suggest just checking out the online version. You'll be saving trees and animals all at once- what a glorious day! In the second paragraph theres a tiny link that says "online version." You can miss it if you're not looking for it.  So for those of you starting out this is a neat resource. Enjoy!

FREE PETA STARTER KIT

Stupid is as stupid does

I can't believe its been a week since I've posted anything! Sorry about the disappearance! Last week was the final week of my semester and I was busy writing term papers. I would have MUCH preferred to have been blogging about something awesome for my seven followers to check out :) I love you guys for your dedication!

My father has a saying. We only call something stupid for two reasons- 1. We are afraid of it 2. We don’t understand it.

For me, one of the hardest parts of living a healthy lifestyle is discussing it with other people.  A lot of people demand to know why, and when you give your reasoning will criticize you. To this day I am BAFFLED by that reaction. How can it be stupid to live a more natural, healthy, moral life? I have literally argued with people for hours, days, months, about my choice. This is partially my own fault. Simply explaining that it’s MY choice should be reason enough, and if I weren’t so stubborn I would leave it at that.  

What I find to be interesting is that I consider myself fairly well educated on the subject and a majority of the time the ones doing the arguing have no scientifically proven information. Sure they may argue that we need protein. But where did that idea come from? The media? Advertisements? Parents and familiy? A social construct with no empirical evidence what-so-ever? YEA! That’s exactly where it came from. So in essence you are challenging my choice and my lifestyle because you don’t have the information and education on the subject to fully understand it. Anyone who looks at the evidence with an open mind must admit that a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle is AT LEAST equally as healthy as a typical western diet. The FDA will even agree with me on that one. And for the record protein is in beans and legumes of all types, tofu, about any meat replacement you can find is made of SOY, along with ice cream and other dairy replacements, not to mention delish greens are FULL of protein and tons of other amazing nutrients and vitamins without being full of the disgusting antibiotics, diseases, and fats found in meat. 

This isn’t to make anyone feel bad. I was one of those people. I never took the time to research it for myself. Even once I began eating an animal free diet, I still didn’t know as much as I should have on the subject. Perhaps this is why I left so many discussions allowing people to “make” me feel stupid. I hadn’t done the proper leg work to back up my belief. My only purpose in this post is to encourage (maybe challenge is a better word?) those who haven’t researched it themselves to please do so. Please do not come at me with your naive argument that doesn’t have two legs to stand on, much less four. AND if you do have a well educated argument I would LOVE to hear it. I honestly believe that if you dont look at an argument from BOTH sides then you haven't done your work. Only allowing yourself to be exposed to research that supports your belief means that you don't believe it. If you know you are right then you shouldn't be afraid to go over and check out the other side. This should only strengthen your beliefs. 

For the record, I don’t consider this blog to be a sufficient source of information. Even though I feel certain that my points are well backed and based in unbiased (maybe a little biased. . .)  research, it’s up to each of us to do the work for ourselves and form our own opinions.   (Read Eating Animals this second!!!) My hope is to inspire people to make their own decisions and live their life however they decide is most healthy for them personally. (I just know that by encouraging this, no one would ever choose to continue eating the products we call meat, while knowing the truth about where they came from). 

Slightly unrelated, but equally interesting

Venturing into a world without animal products can be a little tricky. I was definitely a pasta, cheese, fried food kinda girl before I hit twenty five and realized I wasn't a spring chick anymore. My decision to stop eating animal products was for both health and humane reasons. My diet is a complete 360 from what it used to be and now I have learned to eat tons of stuff that used to gross me out. I actually crave it sometimes! Below are a couple of short videos that I found that are awesome!

Avocados are used all the time in vegan cooking. They are amazing for adding creaminess to sauces, and they make a great substitute for mayo on sandwiches and veggie burgers. I also throw them on just about every salad I make. Problem is, Im usually not going to knock out an entire avocado in one sitting and even though I know theres nothing wrong with it, I don't like eating them once they turn brown. This video is the JAM when it comes to solving that problem!

Another issue I run into regularly is egg substitutions. In Costa Rica everything is natural. There are very few "products" here, and that includes egg, meat and cheese replacements. On the plus side, it forces me into using natural ingredients. If you are choosing to eat vegan for health reasons, replacing animal products with unnatural products isn't a great idea. Replace with NATURAL ingredients! I do a ton of baking and have used the banana replacement many times, but was at a loss when it came to cooking anything that doesn't really go with the banana flavor. Here are some great alternatives! I esp like the flax seed because you're not only replacing the egg, but you're actually adding nutritional value! Yay fiber!

Don't even think about it!! 

FORKS OVER KNIVES

It's finally here!! I posted about this movie a few months ago on facebook. If you didn't check out the trailer then (and even if you did) WATCH IT NOW! And then find out where it is playing and go see it with 20 of your closest friends. I'm gunna go ahead and say it- I think this is going to be even bigger than FOOD INC! At least I hope so from the bottom of my heart. I like to believe (maybe somewhat naively)  that our country is slowly becoming more aware and open to the fact that the food we are eating is literally killing us! I don't care if being vegan or vegetarian is trendy or if people think its a phase- because once you start living the lifestyle I doubt you'll want to go back to poisoning yourself!

Think about it-
Number one killer in the US- heart disease!
Where does heart disease exist? Anywhere where people are eating a western diet
Where doesn't it exist? Anywhere people eat plant based diets that are low in animal and processed products.
Need I say more?

If you need more info check out the website
http://www.forksoverknives.com/
Its got all the movies times, locations, and tons of other cool info!

And if the Trailer above got you as pumped up as it did me and you want more info, check out the video below. Its just a bit of info on the background of the movie and those involved in the making. If it didn't get you super excited and you're a bit doubtful- def watch this. You can't argue with empirically proven evidence.

"The diet works long term. The diet works short term. We can't get better without it." - loves it!!!
(Although I do dislike the word "diet" because it has such a negative connotation. But I'm choosing to overlook that for now)

An incomplete guide to newbie-ness as a vegetarian/vegan

It’s funny once you enter the world of living life “animal-free” how quickly you forget how few people know about veganism. Two years ago I couldn’t have told you the definition. But now all of that has changed. I’ve got to admit, at times its still SUPER intimidating. I honestly don’t know how people just go cold turkey and live 100% totally vegan the rest of their lives. We, sadly, use animal products in almost everything! It wasn’t until a couple of months into my research that I started to find out about the clothing, shoes, beauty products, and on and on and on that contain animal products! It’s unexpected and completely overwhelming- and that’s an understatement.  

The most important rule to keep in mind is that we’re human! We make mistakes! We are not perfect! And expecting to live a life free of animal products from day one without slipping is an IMPOSSIBLE task! Repeat it with me kids! “IMPOSSIBLE!” If you go in with this mind set you will burn out and end up doing more damage than good. If you truly want to make an impact with your health and our food industry maintaining a vegan lifestyle over an extended period of time is key.

A very successful (and healthy) nutritionist told me that he eats one unhealthy item per day. Eating vegan is like going on a diet. Don’t crash diet and make yourself crazy. You’ll buckle and probably end up binging on animal flesh (I hope that sounds as nasty as it is). If you need that slice of cheese pizza on Friday- eat it! In the US we are emotionally addicted to food. It is a source of love, comfort, and sharing. Food is important. Don’t underestimate its power on your emotions. Going vegan will take you out of your element from time to time and I personally love to stuff those yucky emotions down with some delish comfort food.

So how do you do it? The first thing you need to do is read The Kind Diet- do it! It's whimsical and fun, plus there are some great recipes to get you started. (Disclaimer: there are also some weird difficult ones- don't be discouraged or turned off by these.) Most importantly Alicia talks about “flirting” with being a vegan/vegetarian. Do it at your own pace. Being a vegan requires shopping differently, eating differently, cooking differently, planning differently. It requires change <-- SCARY! It’s not difficult just different. Remember that. Quote it. Put it up in lights. Just make sure you focus on that little KNOWLEDGE GERNADE! (not quite a bomb) Just know it’s going to take time to re-teach yourself how to cook and eat. After all- we’ve all been eating the way the FDA has told us to for decades now.  

True story- walking into Whole Foods, Rollin’ Oats and even Greenwise was pretty anxiety provoking. This lifestyle is for hippies right? What do I know about that? And what the heck are these ingredients? *Insert Snookie WAHHHH* Well the truth is- a lot more than you think! Most of what you eat can be vegan/vegetarian if you just take the meat off the plate. So here’s my first BIG piece of advice

***KISS***

KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

I spent a lot of money and a lot of stress at those stores trying to figure out the right way to eat healthy. I got all these crazy vegan recipes and completely flipped out trying to make 4 course meals from tofu and 18 ingredients I had never heard of. Um. . . why? I never cooked like that when I was using meat and dairy! Why do we suddenly feel this need to cook like we were trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London? Best recipe I ever read wasn’t really a recipe. It’s called a bowl- extremely creative.

The Bowl

Get a bowl.

Put a layer of a grain/carb/base on the bottom (rice, potato, noodles, whatever)

Put a layer of veggies on top (steamed, grilled, any variety you want)

Make an awesome sauce and dump as much as you want on top

DONE!

See!! Not scary! Not hard! Not expensive! Not gross! I make different versions of the bowl at least once a week. You can do Mexican, Asian, American. You can use all the same prepped veggies and the same base three nights in a row and just change your sauce. Get CrAzY!! Woohoo!

And- for a very simple, yet very very important rule- DO NOT REPLACE YOUR MEAT WITH CARBS!!! This is such an easy trap to fall into, and it’s best if you are aware of this from the beginning. Being vegan has two parts- a love for animals and a love for health. You are not doing anyone any favors by eating the same diet you were before and only removing certain parts (meat, dairy). You MUST supplement. The best way to do this is greens! Make sure you are getting in a variety of veggies and I would recommend that you start taking a multivitamin ASAP!  (I am not a doctor- do what is best for you and if you need a medical opinion get one from a professional- ‘cause sweetie I’m not one!)

So to KISS this article (Vegan cheesey comment count: 1) here’s a little summary of a few ways to make the transition a bit easier.

-Change may be scary and different. It doesn’t have to be hard!

-Don’t go cold turkey and deprive yourself- maintenance is key.

-Read The Kind Diet.

-KISS

-Everyone feels lost in the beginning- trust me you’re not.  You know more than you think!

-Don’t remove- replace! Just not with carbs!  

I like think of the picture below as a metaphor for going vegan. You're the one with the rocket on your back. Those scared little guys on the left of you are meat eaters. And the rocket? That rocket is my blog- shooting you into a life where animals are super happy and we all have 6 packs. 

1-    

Why me? Why vegetarian?

* Let me just go ahead and start this off by sounding completely cliche and corny- there's really no better way to do it! *

Why? It’s such a simple word, and yet so deeply profound. Why is it exactly that we choose to ask "why" rather than "why not"? But that is a rant I will save for another day, another post! For now I will give the simply “why” answer, but I believe as you travel on your journey as a vegan or vegetarian, you too will quickly began to ask “why not?” as there simply is no good reason to eat animals. (You can exhale now. The cheesy intro is over.)

Back to the point- Why choose to be vegan or vegetarian? For me it’s simple. My family! Growing up as the middle of three sisters there was a lot of estrogen in the house, and we didn't particularly care for icky things- meat being one of them. My mother was never a fan of red meat and considering she did all the cooking, neither did the rest of us. My poor daddy. So I guess, in a sense, I've always sorta been grossed out by meat- just not to the extent that I am now that I am somewhat knowledgeable on the subject. 

One journey leads to another. . . 

It came as no big surprise when my brilliant little sis, Callie, announced her vegetarianism, and subsequently her veganism to the family. Actually, being naturally skinny and admittedly anti-gym, I suppose the focus on health was a bit of a shock, but her being the first to know about a hot new trend to save the world wasn't anything new. I don't how she does it. Seeing how I've always thought my younger sister was cooler than me and I already wasn't a big fan of meat I started testing the waters. Luckily so did my mom and my older sister, which made it super awesome! Callie is our little trailblazer! 

So I started eating. . . and shopping. . . 

I was introduced to a little something called Leek Crostinis with Pesto. O M G. Straight from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. Do it. These little bites of heaven will make you wonder why you ever needed meat. They are deeeelish.  From my first bite my love of healthy, fresh, vegetarian food grew. It became a lot of fun trying out new recipes and shopping at awesome stores like Whole Foods and Greenwise. I wasn't really sure about my commitment to an entire life of this, but it was a pretty fun hobby for sure! I love food, I love shopping (even if it is for food) and I wasn't a big fan of meat so this whole thing was right up my alley.

Then I started reading. . . . 

It was over after that. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back to meat. The dairy is a bit more difficult (I <3 CHEESE), but I'm getting there. I eat vegan about 70% of the time, and vegetarian the other 30%. Once I read Eating Animals, my life was literally changed. (Corny comment count: 2) But it was. 

Then I started feeling and looking super rad . . . 

Ready for some grossness (I’m probably going to regret posting this on the web)- I used to have issues with weird flaky skin on my scalp, my back, my big toe- you get the picture. I'd gone to a couple of different dermatologists, and got a slew of neat-O meds to clear it up, but it always came back. Now it’s gone! TA-DA!! Anyone who has known me for more than the last year knows some pretty significant changes have taken place in my life- and therefore my lifestyle- which probably have had a great deal to do with my current state of health. But none of those changes caused such a rapid change in the way I feel. Whenever I do eat meat or dairy now- Im sick! That is not normal! (Did you know that we are the only mammal in the world who drinks milk past infancy? Not only that, but we’re the only animals to drink a different species milk- GROSS! If it’s not found anywhere else in the natural world- ITS NOT NATURAL! BAM- knowledge bomb!).

In summary:

Meat has always been a little creepy to me, but now thanks to my lil sis, the rest of my family and a good deal of research I stopped eating diseased flesh and now look and feel better than I ever have! Hooray! So why not stop eating meat?