I discovered vegan chef Christy Morgan on Twitter and instantly fell in love with her philosophy and her food. I asked the LA-based veganista, who has whipped up dishes for the likes of Alicia Silverstone, to share her journey, insights and one of her fave recipes…
How did you become the Blissful Chef?
I’ve been studying plant-based nutrition for about eight years and teaching for four. I came up with the name “The Blissful Chef” as a way to brand myself and create an image that people will remember. The name fits me well, because to feel bliss is to experience true happiness and spiritual joy. My life, business, teachings, blog, and whole existence is all about spreading happiness and joy to others through food, and helping them access their bliss.
What inspires you?
In life, I’m inspired by all of my amazing friends that do what they are passionate about everyday and those who have dedicated their lives to saving animals. With cooking, I’m inspired by the changing seasons and the different produce that is available throughout the year. I love gardening, and find growing my own food to be a fascinating process. I’m also inspired by different cultures. Often times I just open the fridge, see what’s in there and whip something up.
Your fave raw vegan treats?
I love raw vegan desserts because they are made with wholesome ingredients and they are so rich that I only need a little to be satisfied. If I eat baked desserts, like Uncle Eddies cookies for instance, I can literally eat the whole bag in one sitting. I love raw chocolate, Earth Cafe pies, and my Heavenly Raw Chocolate Mousse.
If you could recommend one thing about veganism to someone who’s not, what would it be?
Eating a healthy, balanced, plant-based diet I feel is the best thing for our minds, bodies, spirits and for the planet. But if you can’t go whole hog overnight, then start by having two plant-based meals a day (or as much as you can). Slowly start transitioning the “good” things into your diet, like whole grains and dark leafy greens, then start taking away the not-so-good things (meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, processed foods). I have some great tips on my blog for making the transition that are extremely helpful and realistic.
The 80/20 Rule
This is the only thing that keeps me sane and not OCD about my diet. If you can eat super healthy 80% of the time, you can let yourself be a little naughty 20% of the time. Hold on now, I’m not talking about having hamburger and fries for that 20%, but if you are at a party or want to go out to dinner with your friends you can have something fried or a piece of cake with frosting. I don’t compromise as far as eating only vegan foods, but sometimes I do eat sugar or have more oil than I’d like to when I eat out. I’m human too! I just have a rule that at home I’m making the healthiest food possible, with wholesome organic ingredients, no oil and no sugar. That way I can relax when I go out with friends.
It doesn’t serve you or your health to be fanatical about your diet. But it is the most important tool that you have for creating optimal health free of physical pain and mental suffering. Your food choices will affect everything in your life, so choose them well.
Check out The Blissful Chef blog for more ramblings from Christy Morgan, natural food chef and educator, who continues to study plant-based nutrition with the best in the field, has cooked for Alicia Silverstone, and continues to be sought out for her accessible approach to nutrition and holistic living.
Follow Christy on Twitter @TheBlissfulChef.
Avocado, Strawberry, & Grape Tomato Salad
Strawberries are the most popular berry in the world. They go great in salads and as a compliment to a savory dressing like Balsamic Vinaigrette like in this recipe.
1 head butter lettuce, leaves torn or chiffonade
2 avocados
1 medium carrot, thin julienne
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
6 strawberries, ends cut off and sliced
1 cup yellow pepper, thinly sliced
Pinch of pepper and sea salt
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
¼-½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 clove fresh garlic, sliced (optional)
Preparation
Blend dressing ingredients in a blender or whisk by hand. Toss salad ingredients together with vinaigrette right before serving.
You just have to browse the web or your nearest book store to see the world is obsessed with dieting. Yet if statistics are accurate, we’re not just tipping the scales, we’re on our way to breaking them. It has taken many of us years of restrictions and meal replacements to figure it out: diets don’t work.
From calorie counting to cutting out carbs, a Pandora’s Box awaits those who still dare to follow the latest diet craze. Yet achieving and maintaining your ideal figure is actually more simple than what we’ve been lead to believe—and it comes with a bonus: vibrant health.
There is one major requirement that’s needed on this path to ultimate wellness and the body we’ve all dreamed of: taking full responsibility. Taking charge and becoming our own nutritionist and not relying on big business to deliver a magic bullet that is nothing more than body-disruptive chemicals dressed in drag.
Perhaps it’s an assumption to say most of us were taught the same stuff in school, none of which covered off real nutrition and how to actually apply it. Yet, the lesson of nutrition is one of the most important life lessons we can ever learn. We also weren’t taught that nourishing ourselves is actually fun and can lead us to a full, love-fuelled life. A nourished, healthy body results in clear thinking, more energy and, for many, a channel to the divine. No pill could ever compete with that.
Enter Lars Gustafsson: author, speaker, life and nutrition guide. Born in India to Canadian parents, he grew up living an authentic mix of tribal and western life. “This upbringing,” he says “created a balance between the scientific passion of the west and the ancient wisdom of the Far East.”
For 23 years, Lars has explored nutrition, fitness and healthy lifestyles. As founder of the BodyMind Institute—a global enlightened school of learning—he teaches that nutrition is so much more than just the food we eat. It’s the total way we nourish our mind and body.
In 2003, Lars introduced The BodyMind Nutrition Certification online programs to meet an emerging demand for true to life systems, formulas and programs, creating the opportunity for people everywhere to discover and pass on a nutrition and lifestyle process that creates a personal discovery of balance in body, mind and spirit.
“I believe in the scientific method, that there are natural laws that govern our physical universe … yet in these 23 years I have often found the ‘unexplainable’ happening all around me,” Lars says. “These have created questions which led me to find hard scientific data that hasn’t found it’s way into the mass media or awareness of the masses.”
“Over these years I found that I needed to personally experience something in order to accept it as fact. In the end I have found that it is only through personal experience in the application of any information can you make your own informed decisions. Your own level of personal truth will grow according to your willingness to experience more.”
Most recently, Lars has teamed up with raw food nutritionist and expert David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe to deliver a program in raw food nutrition—a course that shares more than 15 years of David’s sought-after knowledge. With this course and other programs including 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and Sports Nutrition, the BodyMind Institute is changing the way we look at real nutrition, forever.
As a student of the BodyMind Raw Nutrition, the 90 Day BodyMind Renewal and the Nutrition I certifications, I wanted to reach out to Lars, to hear first hand how these online courses are bringing real nutrition to people at their own pace, in their own time. What I discovered is a man with a passion that goes beyond simply developing courses. Lars Gustafsson is making a difference, one person at a time through life-enhancing education that literally changes lives.
So passionate is he about reaching those who share his dream to make a difference, that with David Wolfe, Lars is offering free entry to the BodyMind Institute Level I BodyMind Nutrition Certification for those who sign up for David’s Raw Nutrition Certification. It’s a $1,500 gift, he explains, to reach those who also want to make a difference—to their own health, the health of others and the health of the planet.
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One of my favourite sites is The Vegan Decision. It’s full of inspirational stories that explain why people from all walks of life decided to stop eating animals—personal journeys from those who are giving back every day by being vegan (or vegetarian).
The following is a guest post from Kelley Derr, courtesy of The Vegan Decision. If you want to share your own story to help inspire others on their journey, click here.
Always being a supportive yet concerned parent, my mother made an appointment with my pediatrician when I suddenly declared myself a vegetarian at age 11 in 1984. I felt victorious when I heard my doctor respond, “Well, she’ll be healthier than the rest of your family.” On the way home, my mother stopped by the local bookstore and purchased Diet for a Small Planet
Admittedly, my self-imposed dietary restrictions meant I would subsist on Morningstar Farm’s “Grillers” (the original veggie burger) and cheddar cheese—lots and lots of cheddar cheese—which wasn’t the best way to eat. But I was swearing off meat because I couldn’t stand the thought of eating anyone, not because it was a healthier diet.
It came easily to me. I found that all I had to do was think a little bit harder about what I was putting into my mouth. I started reading food labels and navigating restaurant menus and that was that—I never looked back. However, I quickly discovered that no matter how comfortable I was with my dietary decision, others around me were not. In fact, I was regularly interrogated and challenged by anyone who discovered I was a vegetarian, despite the fact that I was a quiet one.
Most responded as if I had attacked them personally, as if my taking advantage of meat-free food options was a direct comment on their carnivorism, despite the fact that I never (ever!) broached the subject without invitation. I suspect the judgment they were feeling was from within; and if I could make even one person stop and consider the way they were eating, I was willing to have that uncomfortable conversation.
It is my belief that very few meat-eaters would actually kill their food themselves, were that a requirement.
I am still a vegetarian, but I have evolved beyond Grillers and cheddar cheese. It has been a process, a natural progression. I stopped eating animals when I was a kid because I love animals. I have recently stopped eating animal products because I could no longer talk myself into believing that nobody has to die in exchange for a glass of milk and that eggs could never become chickens because they are not fertilized. The health factor is still an added benefit for me, a freebie.
And being a vegan, which innately requires taking pause to reflect on what I am feeding my body, has affected my health in immeasurable ways: five servings of fruits and vegetables today? Check. (Actually, double check.) Diet? Huh? And getting eight hours of sleep per night has never been an issue. Perhaps because I know that in my own small way, I am not contributing to the horrors of factory farming.
It is my belief that very few meat-eaters would actually kill their food themselves, were that a requirement. And I am certain that shoppers would think twice if ham and bacon were labeled “pig parts,” and their grocery store purchases consisted of “chicken embryos” and “horse, cow, and pig collagen” instead of eggs and Jell-O. I suppose all of these more gentle terms adequately distance the eater from what is really on their plate. And I would bet that if more parents were honest with their children about where food comes from, hot dogs would not be so popular.
These days people are not as defensive when they hear I am a vegan. Most often I receive a much more gentle response such as, “I wish I could do that, but I just don’t think I could give up (insert meat or dairy product here).” Being a quiet vegan, I listen willingly, glad to know that people are paying more attention to their choices, are realising that there are infinite options, and are considering a change.
Kelley Derr, 36, Los Angeles, CA
My favorite vegan things:
The China Study
Farm Sanctuary (organisation)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
Trader Joe’s Chicken-less Strips
Vegan Donuts at Buddha Belly (restaurant, Sarasota, FL)
Photo courtesy of bronclune
I’m not sure how long ago Jamie Oliver was quoted as saying, “stop being a vegan and start enjoying what you eat”, but I only heard it for the first time the other day. It felt a little ironic to me, as I only truly started enjoying food when I became vegan. It’s of course understandable that you could only know that when you actually become vegan. I like Jamie and I think he is creating a healthy food revolution in many regards. I do look forward to the day he becomes vegan, however.
Besides discovering living foods and their incredible benefits, becoming vegan also taught me to be conscious about food … to think about where it came from, the energy and life force it holds and how lucky I am to be transferring that life force into me. It’s such a powerful process when you really think about it: a plant has lived and breathed the earth’s elements … soaked up the sunshine, filtered rain water. Then we, hopefully consciously, get to transform this energy into us, so that we may live our greatest potential, fueled by life force energy as it was all intended, really, in the beginning.
While Jamie Oliver isn’t yet vegan (and I do hold expectation that he will one day stop eating meat—why not?), he is doing some great work to transform the way we all think about our food and health. He’s working to at least get people to be conscious about not consuming junk and highly-processed “food impostors” and chemicals. To start thinking about what we’re feeding our kids. To put fruit and vegetables back on dinner plates.
Right now, after making healthy food choices a high priority in the UK, Jamie has set his sights on the United States where obesity has become the norm and many children can no longer identify what fruit and vegetables are (yes, this is true). In his quest to bring healthy food choices back to American schools and homes, The Naked Chef has started a petition to highlight its importance and start a movement towards health (you can sign it here).
Jamie’s mission is an important one that we could all pitch in and help with. No matter how small a contribution we can offer, it can help lead to not only greater health in America and in the countries so influenced by America, but also to a shift in consciousness.
A better diet, as Jamie is pushing for, also leads to clearer thinking, which leads to better choices, which leads to even better choices. Of those who directly benefit from Jamie’s work, some may awaken to find they have a passion burning inside that could influence others in ways never thought of. Even if Jamie doesn’t become vegan, those he has encouraged and helped to become healthy may blaze a vegan trail to encourage others in this fabulous, conscious way of life. With every transformation to good health comes unlimited potential. The wonderful thing is, we can all help to make it happen.
Jamie Oliver was recently awarded the 2010 TED prize for his contributions. Here is his speech…
Main photo courtesy of EatBoutique.com
As a journalist, you get to meet people from all walks of life. Over the years I’ve met some wonderful souls, been welcomed into people’s lives in the name of a story, learned many things and questioned much.
In the 15 years I’ve been doing this, there have been a few incredible people who have, just by their very nature, etched their message into my heart—some, albeit few, have even influenced me to change my life.
Once such interview was about five years ago: “Come along and meet this guy, he’s amazing,” the publicist promised. She was talking about Don Tolman, a guy from Utah known fondly by many as the Indiana Jones of Wholefoods. I’d never heard of him, or his message.
His message, I soon learned, is simple: live with nature, by nature and from nature. Understand what foods benefit particular body functions and eat them. Stop putting chemical pills and potions into your mouth. Drink fresh spring water. Stop brushing your teeth with fluoride. Listen to your great grandmother and use her natural remedies. Know that your body’s symptoms are your body’s cures. Eating meat causes putrification and dis-ease. Question everything.
A 30-minute meeting with the Stetson-wearing cowboy felt like five minutes. His message spoke directly to me, as if what he was saying I already knew on some deep level. I’d already been following some of his recommendations, purely on instinct, such as never taking a pill to relieve a headache or antibiotics to fix an ill, and no longer eating red meat.
If you haven’t had a chance to hear Don Tolman speak, below is an interview he did with Samantha Backman. I hope you enjoy hearing his message, as much as I always do.
Why it’s great: Packed with a gold mine of information that will change the way you look at your body and the food you put in it, forever. Tolman also talks about how every wholefood has a signature that corresponds to parts of the body, such as an avocado, which looks like a pregnant woman and takes nine months from blossom to ripened fruit. If a woman eats just one avocado per week, she is helping prevent cervical cancer.
Who’s watching it: Health care professionals, university lecturers and doctors who are realising the Western way of healing with pharmaceuticals doesn’t work. Also anyone who is interested in honest-to-goodness nutrition and how it greatly improves life through diet and exercise.
What you’ll learn: How your body actually works, why disease is not a mystery and how wholefoods, water, sunshine and clean air can prevent just about any disease.
Want to know more? See www.dontolmaninternational.com
Photo by Wheeloflife.tv
I love eating out and especially if what I’m eating is going to contribute to great health! If you’re ever in LA, check out Planet Raw in Santa Monica—one of the best known raw vegan restaurants around. I’ve reviewed it to whet your appetite…
A NATURAL STATE If you hadn’t heard of raw food aficionado Juliano and happened to stumble upon his restaurant in LA’s famed seaside suburb of Santa Monica, you’d be forgiven for wondering where the grills and ovens are. Here, words such as bake, boil, steam and barbeque are left at the door of the nearest fast food joint. At Planet Raw, it’s all about food preparation that keeps nature’s (organic) food in its natural state, with life-giving enzymes kept fully in tact to give you a boost that, quite simply, no other form of food preparation could. Yet, it’s important to know that carrots and beans on a plate it’s not. Food here is prepared with loving care, with many ingredients spending long, lazy hours in food dehydrators before being whipped up into gourmet works of art at the instruction of the “guru” himself, Juliano.
GOOD TIMES While optimal health through good eating is obviously important at Planet Raw, this is one must-visit restaurant that also knows how to have a good time. From organic espressos to the wine and elixir bar, a night (or day) out with Juliano is guaranteed to put a spring in your step.
MENU FAVORITES Whatever your pre-conceived ideas are about raw food, be prepared to leave them at the door. The Planet Raw menu is packed with incredible flavors in a menu that literally has a dish for every taste—from the “bacon” western double burger, with its side of more-ish zucchini fries to the green curry pasta (made from zucchini) dripping with a Thai nut curry kream and topped off with coco-noodles. Dessert (which Juliano suggests you eat at the beginning of your meal for your health’s sake) is also an experience to behold. I say go for the chocolate parfait or the “best ever cheeze cake”.
THE LITTLE EXTRAS Planet Raw is more than just a restaurant with great food and friendly service. Here, you can sign up for Juliano’s raw food classes, his seven-day detox program and stock up on all sorts of healthy goodies from kombucha
(a cold Chinese tea packed with probiotics and natural vitamins) to the God of all food processors, the Vita-Mix
TIP For those who are serious about raw food, inquire about Juliano’s certified raw chef program, which is said to be one of the world’s best.
609 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90405, U.S.A
Phone (310) 576-3180
www.planetraw.net
Juliano’s butternut squash soup pic courtesy: Swellvegan.net
Obtaining optimal health, eating living foods and detoxifying isn’t as difficult as it may seem, says New York-based clinical nutritionist and yoga instructor to the stars, Kimberly Snyder. It’s all about knowing how and having fun with it. The result—radiant beauty that glows from within—is well worth the effort.
I was fortunate to meet with Kimberly while she was in LA last year. During our chat (and snack of delish homemade raw cacao balls she brought with her) Kimberly shared all sorts of great tips about veganism and the raw food lifestyle.
Below are some of her top tips for staying young and healthy. For more fabulous vegan and living food insights head to Kimberly’s blog at www.kimberlysnyder.net. Enjoy!
1. Max out on raw greens. Uncooked greens and vegetables are a powerful beauty secret. The living enzymes in uncooked greens and vegetables contribute to skin health by acting as catalysts that assist body processes like digestion, detoxification, and rebuilding. For example, by assisting the body’s energy-intensive digestive process, enzymes free up energy for other tasks, like repairing and rebuilding the skin- the largest organ of all. Unfortunately, the valuable enzymes, proteins and vitamins found in plants are heat sensitive and can be damaged or destroyed by normal cooking temperatures. In fact, cooking can easily destroy a food’s entire enzyme reserve. So pack as many completely raw greens, salads, veggies, sprouts and fresh herbs into your diet as you can! An easy way to get a large amount of easily digestible greens is from a green smoothie. The simple recipe is available online at www.kimberlysnyder.net.
2. Add açai to your diet. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fiber. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste products, promoting youthful, smooth and radiant skin by keeping skin cells hydrated and strong. Acai is a key component of The Solution, as it is also extremely beneficial when applied topically.
4. Drink detox tea. Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from the environment, our diet and chemicals from products we put on ourselves. Over time, these toxins promote illness and can accelerate skin aging. The liver is the blood’s filtering system, and when it becomes overloaded, the liver stops effectively filtering and neutralizing the toxins that enter the body. These excess toxins continue circulating and are deposited in fatty tissue, building up over time. The long-term effects of toxic overload are manifested externally in the form of wrinkles and spotted, leathery skin. One of the easiest and tastiest ways to promote healthy liver function is to drink detox tea 2-3 times per week. The recipe is available online.
3. Switch to Celtic sea salt. Celtic sea salt is unique among salts because it is a sun-dried – a process that allows 70 minerals and trace elements, enzymes and even marine microorganisms to remain intact. Other sea salts are kiln-dried, which causes valuable magnesium and most other minerals to evaporate. Normal table salt is the worst of all, being irradiated and denatured sodium chloride. It not only has no nutritional benefit, it depletes the skin’s natural hydration. So make the switch to Celtic sea salt!
5. Eat more onions. This everyday food has a considerable amount of sulfur, which helps cleanse the skin and liver and rebuild connective tissues like collagen. Onions are also an exceptional source of usable quercetin, which works to eliminate free radicals, protects and regenerates crucial Vitamin E and decreases capillary fragility.
6. Add sea vegetables to your diet. Sea vegetables are about 12 times richer in minerals than average vegetables. They are an especially good source of iodine, which regulates the metabolism by feeding the thyroid, iron, B6, B12, and magnesium, which opens over 300 different detoxification pathways in the body. You can throw sea vegetables such as dulse, hijiki and arame in salads or make nori wraps stuffed with salad. All are available at any health store.
7. Sprout your seeds and nuts. A raw, dry nut is dense in calories and encased in inhibitor enzymes, which keep it from sprouting before it is in a safe environment. The sprouting process changes the constitution of the nut, making it more like a plant. The nutritional benefit is that the proteins in sprouted nuts are more easily assimilated by the body. Here is a simple method for spouting almonds: Cover almonds in filtered water in a bowl and place in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Rinse well several times. You should peel off the outer coating of the almond before eating. A handful is a wonderfully nutritional, filling snack. Throw a few in a bag and take them to work!
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1. Start with you. While scientists once believed we were separate from everything else on earth, we now know that couldn’t be further from the truth. We human beings are made up of the same stuff that makes up the stars we gaze at, the grass we walk on and the very food we eat. Spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra says it best: “At some point in our lives, the realization dawns upon us that freedom does not come from external situations or circumstance. All of creation, everything that exists in the physical world, is the result of the unmanifest transforming itself into the manifest. Everything that we behold comes from the unknown. Our physical body, the physical universe — anything and everything that we can perceive through our senses — is the transformation of the unmanifest, unknown and invisible into the manifest, known and visible. The physical universe is nothing other than the self curving back within itself as spirit, mind and physical matter.”
With this in mind, how we think about ourselves, treat ourselves and feed ourselves becomes a whole new ball game: every negative thought we hold and reaffirm to ourselves is also reaffirmed to the universe, every bad diet choice directly affects the health of universe, every unkind action or thought towards another has a direct affect on the universe and so on. Making conscious, educated choices every day is the first and most important step in healing the earth. A great place to start the education is with inspirational author and teacher, Louise L Hay and her bestselling book You Can Heal Your Life
2. Change your diet. While the meat and dairy industries do everything in their power to ensure consumers believe meat and dairy help us grow healthy and strong, there is much evidence to the contrary. Besides the undeniable health risks of eating meat and dairy that can no longer be ignored due to the rise-and-rise of cancer cases, there’s another reason it’s important to reassess the amount of animal products in your diet—and that’s the detrimental impact meat production has on the planet. A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. When asked by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) what personal change people could make to help the environment, ex-Beatles star Paul McCartney answered, “I think the biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian.” Find out how here.
As with anything, it’s about being kind to yourself during the process if you decide to give up meat and dairy. Do your research to ensure you do things at a pace that works best for your body and lifestyle. An important thing to remember: vegetarianism and veganism are not diets in the common sense of the word, or religions for that matter. Rather they’re a lifestyle choice—an action resulting from understanding how everything on the earth is deeply connected, and how what we put in our mouth has a profound effect on everything we are and do. That means taking it all one meal and day at a time, so leave any feelings of guilt or failure at the door. Every step you take towards making a difference adds up. Be proud of yourself and tell yourself often.
3. Stop buying plastic water bottles, shopping bags or containers. We’ve all certainly heard it before: buying water in plastic bottles and getting plastic bags at the supermarket isn’t a good choice for the environment. Treehugger.com has an article that gets straight to the point detailing what is known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” or “trash vortex”: (it’s) essentially a floating expanse of waste and debris in the Pacific Ocean now covering an area twice the size of the continental U.S. Believed to hold almost 100m tons of flotsam, this vast “plastic soup” stretches 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan. Gotta see it to believe it? Watch this.
As said before, being kind to you, also means you’re being kind to the world around you. Plastic water bottles contain the cancer-causing chemical known as Bisphenol A, which leaches from the bottles to the water you consume. Step one: buy a reusable water bottle. Step two: fit a reverse osmosis filter to your kitchen tap (same goes for the shower: many municipal water supplies are not only highly chlorinated, but also contain high levels of pharmaceutical drugs—such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives etc—which get ingested through the skin, which is the body’s largest organ. Read more here.
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Hungry? Before you head to the refrigerator, check out these tips:
1. Clean out your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. Read the labels of every product in your home that you deem edible. If you can’t pronounce it, or it has more ingredients than words in the bible, chances are your body isn’t meant to digest it. Are there foods in your cupboards you feel guilty just looking at? Guilt is the greatest destroyer of emotional energy—therefore you don’t need it, or the Snickers bar in your life. Nature provides some of the most delectable treats you could ever imagine. Head to nutritional expert David Wolfe’s website www.davidwolfe.com, for the low-down on one of nature’s most incredible gifts: raw cacao. The cacao bean is nature’s number one weight loss and high-energy food.
2. Clean out toxins and old waste with a cleansing detox. According to nutritional expert and Tree of Life founder, Dr Gabriel Cousens, research shows when intestinal toxemia is removed, symptoms such as fatigue, nervousness, gastrointestinal conditions, impaired nutrition, skin manifestations, endocrine disturbances, headaches, sciatica, low back pain, allergy, eye, ear, nose and throat congestion—and even cardiac irregularities—have been healed in hundreds of cases. Find out more at www.treeoflife.nu.
3. Download the Honest Food Guide from Mike Adams’ Naturalnews.com. This indispensable free guide was developed with you in mind, not big business. Unlike the traditional food pyramid (which is sponsored by major food corporations) you’ll find honest nutritional information, “not watered-down information designed to boost the sale of milk, beef and grains,” says Adams. Print out and post to your refrigerator for easy referral (and email the link to all of your friends!).
4. Make weekly trips to your local farmer’s market. Buying local is a great way to ensure your food is fresh, organic and free from scientific tampering. That is, anything genetically modified (genetically modified food is not as nature intended, therefore does not contain adequate nutrients and is considered by some to be unstable). The American Academy of Environmental Medicine recently issued a warning urging the public to avoid genetically modified foods. They also called for a suspension on GMOs until long-term, independent studies can prove their safety. Shopping at your local farmer’s market is also a way to become more connected to the food you eat, as you’re buying directly from the person who put their hard work, love and energy into growing the produce. There’s also an added bonus of upping your essential Vitamin D intake as you wander (without wearing chemical-laden sunscreen!) from stall to stall. See www.localharvest.org (US), www.farmersmarkets.net (UK) or www.farmersmarkets.org.au (Aus), www.farmersmarket.org.nz (NZ) to find a market near you.
I was a little shocked to hear one of my favourite raw vegan restaurants in LA shut its doors this month. Leaf Organics wasn’t a five-star dining experience, no doubt. The service got better the more you visited and the interior had worn over time. But the food was always great and of course über healthy. Some of their smoothies were incredible, as were the burgers and wraps (loved the Flying Felafel).
As I Googled to find out the goss behind Leaf’s closure, I read a lot of comments from those who had visited Leaf at least once. Reviews were definitely mixed, but that’s bound to happen, especially when a restaurant is vegan and raw. It’s more than likely that some of the general public just don’t get it and that’s completely understandable. If someone had asked me to eat a mostly raw vegan diet just two years ago, I would have thought they were a touch on the crazy side. My, how things change.
What surprised me the most about some of the comments that referred to Leaf, was the belief that a raw vegan diet is extreme. Now as a mostly raw foodist (although this is only a label I give myself for the purpose of this entry), I’d of course have to beg to differ. But it did get me to wonder how many people out there think of the raw vegan lifestyle as off-the-scale extreme, and what part of raw veganism do they see as extreme? Inquiring minds are keen to know.
If you have any thoughts on, or questions about, the raw vegan diet, feel free to leave them in the comments. Or have your say in the poll below…
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Leaf Organics Culver City store
Main photo by: sweetonveg
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.
I’m often asked why I choose to live on a mostly raw diet. When I began to understand that life creates life, it made the raw transition an easy one. Enzymes, which are present in live vegan foods, fuel the human body with nutrients that are almost completely devoid in cooked foods.
Since eating a roughly 80 per cent raw diet I have loads of energy, my skin has much better tone, my thinking is clear and I simply feel great.
Here’s are some basics:
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I heart the holidays and I love to travel. But there’s no doubting the menu options for vegans can be a little limited in lands we less know.
In my quest to visit just about every continent on earth (still quite a few to go, mind you) I came across the travel-fabulous ResponsibleTravel.com, an earth-friendly company that keeps us animal-loving lot very much in mind when it comes to making travel plans. To date, they have 33 vegan (and vegetarian) destinations on their books, which you can check out at the click of a mouse.
From a Pyrenees caravan park to bed and breakfast accommodation in Cornwall, this fab site is a must for any vegan adventurer or rest-and-relaxation seeker.
Booking a vegan holiday means you can relax, rather than trying to explain your dietary requirements in (possibly) another language.
My must-visit list includes eco accommodation in Ventimiglia on the Italian Riviera. I’ll be sure to write!
The stunning, and vegan, Italian Riviera
Rushing around during the holidays isn’t always conducive to eating healthy meals. I’ll often take snacks such as nuts and raisins with me just in case, but there are times when I’ll just plain old forget (beware the friend or relative who accompanies me on those journeys!).
But there are some great products on the market that are a) vegan and b) healthy. It’s just knowing where to look. Sometimes that means ordering online if something’s not available in your own city (or country for that matter).
One of my on-the-run faves is Probar, a super healthy, organic food bar that comes in all sorts of (delish) flavours.
I caught up with the Probar founder, Art Eggertson, in LA earlier this year to chat about the state of food (specifically in America, but much of what we talked about is relevant to other countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the UK).
Art has been vegan for many years and founded Probar while snowboarding in Utah in the late 90s. Looking for a healthy snack to sustain him while on the slopes, he soon realized there were no nutritious alternatives to “bland-tasting, rock-hard” energy bars on the market—or the next option of “greasy slope-side-fare of cheeseburgers, fries and soda”.
Here is an excerpt from our interview:
VG: What is your mission?
AE: To co-create the new world centered on principles of truth and birth the lives of others into it.
VG: You’re one person making a big difference to the world. What advice could you give to someone who doesn’t think they, as one person, could possibly make a difference?
AE: I would encourage them to do some self-examination and learn what it is to be a human being. The awesome power that is inside each of us is greater than standing armies. The single most powerful thing in this world is the individual.
VG: What advice would you give to someone who does think they can make a difference?
AE: We must stick to our guns! Be on the side of truth and love. Pick our issue or issues and stand by them no matter what. Give our lives to it and the Universe will provide the details and organize itself around us in its own time and in the BEST possible way, we must trust it.
VG: What’s wrong with the food in America? Who has the power to fix it?
AE: The food in America has been industrialized, modified, manipulated, pasteurized, homogenized, corporatized, processed, reprocessed, preserved, shipped, stored, condensed, evaporated, distilled, enriched, enrobed, freeze dried, flash-fried, irradiated, dyed, stabilized, subsidized and just plain messed with in every way. We eat Frankenfood!!
The power to fix this mess is in our hands; we are the ones making the purchases. We must demand better! We need to know what our food is, where it is coming from and who is growing it. Supporting the right producers is critical; independent, family owned, cooperative and sustainable players need our support. Ideally we need to be producing our food locally. From local bakeries and breweries to roadside produce stands and individual vendors who craft real home made preserves and other items; the choices are all around us.
We can network into community gardens if we are urban dwellers. We can have backyard gardens if we live in suburbia. Combining our efforts with our friends and neighbors nets huge returns as well. Tear up a flowerbed and grow tomatoes and other veggies instead. Plant fruit trees instead of decorative trees. Whatever the steps are required to end industrial food systems are the steps we must take. Wall Street agribusiness and global markets must shift to Main Street and the neighborhood farmer’s market.
VG: Your definition of real food?
AE: My definition of real food is twofold. Real food is from nature, the tree, the vine or the field with nothing added or taken away. Real food is also specie specific and must be right for the organism consuming it; termites eat wood and not cotton candy, for example.
VG: What is one thing people may not know about the food in their kitchen?
AE: Something most people don’t know about the food in their kitchens is that it is responsible for over 1.5 million preventable American deaths every year. This includes deaths from obesity related conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. The number of Americans suffering from these and other chronic conditions is staggering, as is the amount of money we pay to relieve our symptoms. This is the key to unlocking our health care disaster.
VG: Who are the people you admire for making a difference?
AE: I am blessed; one of my heroes is a family member. My Aunt Esther is not only one of my heroes she is also a mentor. Among her many accomplishments is the Consumer’s Bill of Rights which she co authored with JFK. She also wrote the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act for women. She is known as the Mother of Consumerism.
I also admire Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Vandana Shiva, John Robbins, Dorothy Day, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Nelson Mandela and countless others who inspire me with their fearless lives.
VG: How long have you been vegan? For someone isn’t familiar with why someone might choose to live a vegan lifestyle, can you explain the benefits and misconceptions?
AE: I have been vegan for over 15 years and I really believe that the biggest misconception that people hold about it is that somehow it is a diet of deprivation. Nothing could be further from the truth! Plant foods are what we season our meats with, without them most people would never enjoy animal flesh. The flavors, textures, and variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, beans and lentils, herbs and spices is staggering and endless. A plant-based diet can be just as decadent and delicious as any other diet. Only on this road we end up feeling great physically, mentally and emotionally. Food is no longer the enemy.
Food becomes a powerful solution to our health and well-being. It becomes a powerful tool against water pollution (over 60% of the water pollution comes from animal waste, more than all other polluters COMBINED). It becomes a powerful force against global warming (animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gasses than all transportation combined) and it helps us side-step our own suffering from poor health! It does require change and most of us resist any form of it, but we also manage and get through it when it comes!
This is no different, the question is will we wait for the invitation to come in the form of disease and suffering or make it proactively before we end up having it forced upon us? 1 in 3 women in this country will have a heart attack and be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and one in two men, respectively. This is a painful invitation to receive and many of us are getting it! Global warming is also an invitation, only to all of us.
VG: What makes up a Probar? Why are the ingredients so good for us?
AE: Probars are made with organic whole food ingredients, a lot of them! Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, rolled grains, malted grains, natural nut butters, in other words it is food. We do not cook our bars; that means the nutrient quality is as good as it gets! Healthy organic soil produces nutrient rich foods; left unprocessed those foods deliver optimal nutrition and flavor.
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Melanie Joy’s Why We Love dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows—a book that explores the human relationship with animals and why we believe it’s acceptable to eat one animal, yet not another.
Here’s an excerpt from a VegSource.com review:
The opening chapter of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows is startling and effective. We are asked to imagine a dinner party at which the guests are enjoying a delicious stew. But when one guest asks for the recipe, the host explains that it starts with a golden retriever. The disgust and revulsion that follows this announcement is examined in detail later in the book, and Dr. Joy is both succinct and smart in showing us the overlapping circles of identification, empathy and disgust that color our relationships with animals.
Take a look at this compelling, and confronting, video, compiled to demonstrate the author’s point:
I would love to hear from anyone who has read the book, or from those who are simply keen to discuss the topic of why humans eat some animals and not others.
