If you didn’t know, Oprah committed to going VEGAN for 21-days. I’m stoked! I’m elated! I’m so happy for her and the animals that have been saved as a result. Follow her blog for more details. She reported being very satisfied with the food so far. This could be huge y’all with Oprah supporting a Vegan diet…I’ve been waiting for this day to come and it’s finally here.
Daily Conversation Question:
What’s the best and worst thing about being a man or a woman.
vegan
Smiling Smoothie and Vegan Diet Study
Update on acupuncture: Yay! I’m feeling better. I hope it lasts. I don’t see my amazing chiropractor until next week – fingers crossed it keeps feeling better and better. I’m not in the gym yet because I’m trying to take as much time to heal as possible, but my spirits are VERY high.
I made a scrumptious smoothie that was so yummy I was smiling from ear to ear with every swig (yes, it’s a swigger, I tell ya!). Did you know that bananas are known to help fight bloating as a result of the potassium content in them? Ladies, if any of you are experiencing excess bloat from PMS, then bring on the bananas (and this smoothie does just that).
Smiling Smoothie
Yield 4 cups
1 cup water
3 frozen bananas, peeled
2 oranges, peeled
1/2 cup coconut, unsweetened, shredded and dried
2 tablespoons raw chocolate powder (I love Nutiva)
2 tablespoons Manitoba Harvest hemp protein powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend all of the ingredients thoroughly and smile with every swig :)
Vegan Diet Study – Keep ’em coming! I love seeing vegan studies promoted in the news. If you know anyone suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, then send them here because the vegan diet comes to the rescue yet again.
Daily Conversation Question:
How would you like to spend your elder years?
*For those of you celebrating Easter this weekend…Happy Easter!
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Being Vegan in Mexico & Juice Feasting Today
Hola! I was in Mexico last week and it was very fun. The weather, beach, sunsets, hotel and food were all delicious, exciting and relaxing. We had many vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants from which to choose, so being vegan was easy! Was I Raw? For the most part, no. When I travel internationally I keep a few things in mind…the quality of the water, the quality of the produce (how it’s washed, whether it’s peeled, etc) and the culture in general (I love experiencing other cultures so I try to immerse myself as much as possible into their lifestyle). I will always stay vegan because that is my hardcore ethic and value, but when I travel to other countries, I don’t freak out about staying Raw. Therefore, I typically stick to cooked vegan for health and safety reasons. It’s too risky to eat some of the raw fruits and vegetables in some parts of the world, when I’m not accustomed to their resources, so I play it safe. I did have a fresh coconut on the beach while I was there…had to do that! (I also packed my Vitamineral Green Powder and we drank that every morning, so I still had my daily green drink.)
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Detox – Don’t Be Afraid… Be Free!
One of my favorite experiences when going Raw was the cleansing and detox aspect. Not everyone agrees with me on this. Sure, it can be a painful experience for some people. I was no exception. I had my share of headaches, pain, snotty nose, skin rashes, lethargy, and horrible pimples (my face suddenly looked like sandpaper with all the little bumps). I instinctively knew it was detox. I felt enormous relief and satisfaction at seeing it expelled from my body, while also experiencing gratitude for being smart enough to eat healthier (especially now that I saw what I was carrying around inside).
Frankly, I was a little shocked that my detox was as tough as it was. I had, after all, been vegan for about 2 years when I started incorporating more Raw. Wasn’t that enough? Apparently not. Hhmmmm…I guess I needed something stronger (Raw vegan) to shake loose the abundance of toxins I ingested prior to my vegan lifestyle (protein shakes for competitive bodybuilding, overloaded amounts of caffeine, prescriptions, cholesterol, conventionally grown produce full of pesticides and herbicides, and meat (even though it was grilled, broiled, or poached made no difference, it was unhealthy).
Bottom line – My detox was liberating, exhilarating, arduous and glorious. It was worth it. I felt free!
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10 Things You Should Never Buy Again
You probably know by now that I’m all about LIVING THE RAW VEGAN LIFESTYLE, and that means my actions are beyond what food passes my lips. I’m also trying to be as green as possible. Here is a helpful list from Co-op America Quarterly (Fall 2007) for 10 Things You Should Never Buy Again to help preserve our home, earth:
Styrofoam cups
Paper towels
Bleached coffee filters
Overpackaged foods & other products
Teak and mahogany
Chemical pesticides and herbicides
Conventional household cleaners
Higher-octane gas than you need
Toys made with PVC plastic
Plastic forks and spoons
PLUS 5 MORE:
Farm raised salmon
Rayon
Beauty/Body care with phthalates and parabens
Cling wrap
High VOC paints and finishes
Check out all the great specifics here.
And, did you know that you can recycle your compact fluorescent bulbs by taking them to your local IKEA store? Details. Another option – you can order a Sylvania RecyclePak for $15, which is a special lined box for 8 average CFLs. The fee covers shipping to and recycling at Veolia Environmental Systems. Cheers to our earth!
Oh, and by the way…One of my favorite shows on CNBC, Mad Money with Jim Cramer, is focusing on Green companies this week. It’s been great so far, as I’ve learned about Green technology companies as well as companies making changes to be more Green (like Wells Fargo). Whether you invest in the market or not, it’s great because it can help you make educated choices as a consumer… maybe you’ll choose Wells Fargo over another bank because they are doing so much to be Green. I think he’s doing Green all week, so there are still some days left to check it out.
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A FANTASTIC Gift Idea!
Here is a cool idea that I’m so excited to do this holiday season – I’m asking family and friends to go vegan for 5-7 days, as their gift to me. (Asking them to go Raw is probably too much of a stretch, so I’m starting with vegan. Next year I’ll hit them up with Raw! Remember, baby steps are important.) It’s a chance for them to feel great, learn about the health benefits, reduce their carbon footprint, see how simple it is, and hopefully start making better choices about their food in the future. This is a great gift for any occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc).
With the money they won’t be spending on me, I told them to buy a few staples to last the week (soy or hemp milk, fresh/frozen vegan foods, fresh Raw produce, etc). I’m providing them with a shopping list and I offered to go with them to show them how easy it is. I’ll also give them simple and delicious vegan recipes (as well as easy and great Raw recipes), a list of restaurants in their areas for great vegan food (I’ll use the Internet for areas that I’m not familiar with), as well as giving them ideas for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The goal is to give them everything they could possibly need for making the week easy and fun. I’m also giving them a free vegetarian starter kit from “GoVeg” www.goveg.com that I pre-ordered early to arrive in time.