If you’ve ventured onto Diary of a Vegan before today, you may be wondering where all the colour went. Well, since 2010 is a new year, I figured it’s time for a fresh start. I’m planning to add more content, interviews, the occasional guest blogger, a regular newsletter and perhaps even a vegan giveaway or two. Oh, and a gorgeous new template.
But just as that city in Italy wasn’t built in a day, nor will my blog be. It’s a creative work in process and I hope you’ll stick with me as I build all of the elements into the site. I promise it’ll look pretty in the end. Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
I’ve been glued to my computer the past couple of days, working on a new project. But all this work has left time for little blog play. So I thought it’s a perfect opportunity to share an interview, and subsequent story, I did late last year with The Laugh Factory’s Jamie Masada (who is just a few fish away from being vege, btw).
Read on to see why it’s so important to bring laughter into your life, for health and for happiness…
I heard something about a swine flu the other day. And what’s this of a recession?
Sure, I have a television just like everyone else, but I’m very selective about what I watch. If a program doesn’t lift my spirits, positively educate me in some way or give me a good belly laugh, then I’d prefer the remote to stay tucked under a cushion somewhere, along with the loose change, thank you very much.
Daily newspapers and mainstream news websites have lost my interest too, thanks to their incessant reporting on war, crime, manufactured diseases and the like.
So why is it many of us glue ourselves to the six o’clock news for our daily fix of depression and fear? Is it that we’ve become so hypnotised that we no longer realize what we’re actually doing?
Jamie Masada, founder of the world-famous Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, thinks so.
“The problem is with every news you see its ‘so and so got shot, police killed somebody, somebody killed police’,” he says. “I one day want to do a Laugh Factory channel and make all of the news fun. Let’s give people good news!”
“You see people going out of their houses, they’ve got to wait in the traffic, then they go to the bank and line up or the post office and line up for a long time, then they go to work, then they want lunch they have to stand in line for half an hour … they waste their life. They go to the airport; they have to go two or three hours early to go through security. These things all cause people a lot of stress.”
If you’re not ready to part with your remote or the Sunday paper, there’s something you can do instantly to improve your emotional wellbeing, says the comedy king who works closely with comedic favorites including George Lopez, Bob Saget, Damon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Adam Sandler, Roseanne, Paul Rodriguez, Jamie Foxx, Richard Pryor, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock and Rodney Dangerfield.
“Laughter is the best medicine. It really is,” he says. “The government should open clubs like The Laugh Factory all over the country to help people forget about this recession.”
Jamie’s not the only one who is getting the word out about the benefits of a good giggle. Oprah also promotes laughter as medicinal and good for the soul. She recently featured a story about “laughter yoga” on her show, which is a complete wellbeing workout and daily exercise routine that combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing.
Read More Post a comment (0)
I was never aware of any particular recipes my grandmother held in her beauty arsenal. I recall a dusting of powder and a smattering of lippy on the odd occassion. She certainly didn’t have a bathroom cabinet full of fancy jars filled with empty promises. She lived simply and her beauty routine was no exception. If she worried about stuff like that, she never showed it.
She had few wrinkles, her skin was soft-as-soft. She never wore sunscreen or used a commercial cleanser. Her skin glowed, as she did.
I’ve often wondered what my gorgeous gran would have recommended if I’d inquired. While she’s no longer here to tell me, I’ve put together some more recipes (see earlier post here) that I’m sure she’d endorse, no animal testing or ingredients in sight.
Stretch marks — whip out the olive oil for an all-over body moisture infusion.
Pimples — mix a one half of a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt into some warm water. Soak cotton bud and dab. Repeat if necessary.
Hand & foot exfoliator — Celtic sea salt and olive oil, combined. Rub your hands together, or better yet, have someone massage them for you.
Eliminating Dandruff — rub white vinegar through your hair for about five minutes, then shampoo as usual.
Hair cleanser — baking soda and water works like a charm to rid the hair of chemical build up.
Tooth paste — toss your toxic paste in favour of the very effective, much cheaper and healthier baking soda. Who cares about taste, right?
Breath freshener — suck on a fresh, organic mint leaf. Super easy to grow in a pot!
Last night an interesting documentary caught my eye. Half Ton Son, from Britain’s Channel 4, told the story of Billy, a 19 year old boy who was restricted to his bedroom due to his chronic obesity.
His mother helped greatly to fuel his illness (perhaps initally at a sub conscious level) in order to keep her son close and dependent. Through her own lack of education about nutrition, she fed her son on elaborate helpings of burgers, fries and basically anything dead, deep fried and drowned in high fructose corn syrup-laden ketchup.
The doco followed Billy as he was admitted to hospital to undergo surgery to remove some of his fat stores, encouraged to exercise and adopt a healthier way of eating (see preview video below).
After leaving hospital at half his original weight, the first meal Billy’s mum served him up as a reward for his hard work was a hot dog. There’s certainly a lot wrong with this picture, no doubt. But who’s fault is it? Billy for eating in excess? His mother for feeding him toxic food? The education system? Or perhaps the big companies who market their deadly wares without concern for the consumer?
It made me think a lot about what we’re teaching (or not teaching) our kids in school. For years, the food pyramid that was taught to most of us was sponsored by the meat and dairy industries. Of course their products will come highly recommended as healthy and must-additions to the every day diet. But why did our governments allow such outright lies to be printed and promoted? Self-interests perhaps. The millions of dollars involved, quite possibly.
Read More Post a comment (0)
Today I’m starting an eight week course in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life.
The teachings of Ayurveda explain (basically) that humans are a mirror of the universe, with our bodies made up of the five elements: air, space, fire, water and earth, as well as the soul. A microcosm of the universe within itself.
It then applies healing principles to the body types—Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is made of air and space, Pitta of fire and water and Kapha of earth and water. Certain foods are then suited to certain body types. As part Pitta, I should steer away from spicy foods for a start. No problem there.
For people who know about Ayurveda, they’ll likely wonder how the science can possibly fit in with the vegan lifestyle, considering some of the treatments include giving patients raw dairy products. Well, I’m of the mind that we can take something such as Ayurveda and apply it to a vegan lifestyle (just leave out the dairy bits, basically).
There are so many valuable lessons to be learned from other cultures and their holistic approaches to mind body medicine. Knowing that Ayurveda recommends dairy isn’t enough for me to not inquire at all. It may not be 100 percent vegan, but I am.
One of my fave raw food, vegan people, Dr Gabriel Cousens is guided by many of Ayurveda’s principles, as are others. It’s all about bringing the body back into balance and that, in today’s world, is a very good thing.
Some great (vegan) ways to introduce Ayurveda into your own life, according to a recent article, include:
1. Start your day slowly and quietly.
2. Eat properly. Only eat when you’re hungry.
3. Make time for some self-massage. Give attention to your head, neck, shoulders, face, temples and feet.
4. Laugh regularly. Adding regular laughter to your life can put you on the path to success and well-being.
5. Rest. Take time out to rest emotionally, mentally and physically. Resting is one of the best ways to recharge your mind, body and soul.
6. Don’t judge. Work on accepting things as they are. Not judgment is a great way to cultivate inner peace.
7. Stay active. Exercise, whether for fitness or fun, is a great way to get the blood flowing and rid toxins from the body.
8. Get up close and personal with nature. Walk on the beach or even in your own backyard. Spending time outdoors helps to balance the emotions and bring inner peace.
9. Get into a sleep pattern. Going to bed early and sleeping for seven to eight hours will help to recharge and give energy to burn.
10. Unwind at night. Night is for complete relaxation. Avoid stimulating your mind by watching television or spending hours on the computer.
Looking back at the last decade, it seems to me that looking after the environment greatly centred around driving a Prius and recycling. Both positive moves toward lightening ye ol’ carbon footprint. But with 2010 upon us and a dawning of a new decade staring us in the face, I thought it could be time to define what it means to be an environmentalist in the new age.
So, here are my top 12 attributes of the new age environmentalist, in no particular order… If you have some additions, please feel free to add them in the comments!
1. Not only recycles, but uses less waste material by buying less. Understands that buying more stuff means greater unhappiness and more suffering (check out the teachings of the Tao Te Ching for more insight into this). Lightening the material load clears the mind and allows for more quality time spent on the stuff in life that really matters.
2. Avoids processed and man-altered foods, including GMO, pesticide-laden produce. Knows that chemicals are not only bad for their own body, but for the planet and all of its inhabitants—plant, insect or animal. Grows or buys their own organic produce and helps to spread the word on this all-important action.
3. Doesn’t eat animals, consume or wear animal-derived products. Knows that they share the same consciousness as all living things, so to harm another is the same as harming themselves. Understands the many factual reasons as to why eating animals is also detrimental to the future of the planet.
4. Listens to their own heart and the hearts of others. Extends a helping hand whenever possible, knowing the greatest gift they can give is a selfless act of love toward another. Love without rules helps expand consciousness.
5. Is not concerned with their reputation, good or bad. Rather, the new age environmentalist marches forward in their life purpose, knowing their cause is much greater than themselves.
6. Meditates regularly. Maintains a close connection to source energy (or God) and the environment.
Read More Post a comment (0)
Each time I visit the supermarket, especially the big chains, I remind myself that every product I buy is an endorsement for that particular brand, the company’s values (or lack thereof) and the quality of food inside the packaging.
I’m often amazed that much of the produce on the shelves (in NZ) is shipped in from China, the US and beyond. Most of these are gassed or treated in some way to stop vegetables from sprouting, fruit from spoiling etc. So customers are not only buying pesticides with their “food”, but also other chemicals used to preserve the produce for the boat ride across the big blue. Of these chemical-laden loads, one only then has to wonder which ones were born in a laboratory … nutrient-deficient genetically modified imposters. Wannabe apples, if you will.
But the great news is, the more people who buy organic, locally-grown produce, the more supply there will be. Additionally, the more people who choose to eat this way, the less dis-ease there will be. Whether we consumers want to believe it or not, we can turn things around, every time we line up at the register. Every beep of the scanner is a vote.
Buying food as nature intended may hurt the hip pocket more than the mutant kinds that currently fill many supermarket shelves, but the vibrant health that can result from eating healthily means fewer doctors appointments and hospital visits in the long run. It’s also a beautiful way to contribute to the restoration of the planet. It’s a win-win for all.
