Colorful Diet

Following up on an earlier post about colored rubber bands/bracelets, I have finally gotten some. My friend gave me a set yesterday. They are just thin plastic bracelets. There are five colors: Purple, red, orange, yellow, and green. I have assigned each color a specific food group...

Purple (Protein): This would be a serving of beans, nuts, or a soy food.
Red (Fruit): Any serving of fresh fruit.
Orange (Vegetable): A serving of veggies!!!
Yellow (Whole Grain): Oatmeal, quinoa, whole grain rice.. you know, the fiber stuff.
Green (Green, leafy vegetable): Yes! Another vegetable!! I love my veggies. I want to make sure I'm getting more green than I normally do.

The whole idea is to start all of the bracelets on one wrist and as you eat a serving of a category, movie is to the other wrist. So, this morning I had all of them on my right arm. I had oatmeal and grapefruit for breakfast so I moved the red and the yellow to my left arm. I know that I'm eating a lot of grilled veggies and a quinoa and bean dip tonight, so I decided to get some green veggies in for lunch. About half of a bunch of asparagus.

Basically, these are just reminders not to let junk take the place of foods that I need every day. Like yesterday, I decided to have a salad instead of a calzone or pizza or a bread sandwich because I was lacking my leafy greens for the day.

This also seems like an easy reminder. It's visual and it's always right there with you.

Also, if I eat more than one serving of a group, I just move it back to the other wrist.

It's not difficult to eat a healthy, colorful diet. All you may need is a reminder.

Great new find!

So, I've been meaning to grab some non-dairy yogurt at Earth Fare for a couple weeks and yesterday I finally made it to that section of the store.. and I happened upon a great product!

It's yogurt made from almond milk! I should have known that this wonderful thing existed but I just never saw it. I try not to eat a lot of soy products (I mainly stick to tempeh and the occasional bit of tofu) and so I was thrilled to discover amande's cultured almond milk. I've never really liked the taste of yogurt because of that soured taste and most of them are overly sweetened. But this yogurt is very mild and doesn't have that awkward taste. I absolutely love it. And I'm so glad because I really want to add the benefits of the live active cultures to my diet to help with my digestive system.

I haven't been feeling very well the past two days and so Ben is coming over later to make some veggie soup with me  because that is all anyone ever wants when they are under the weather.
I am so glad to have someone so wonderful in my life. <3 He is so good to me, and we have so much fun together. It has been a long time since I've laughed so often. I really appreciate his curiosity for my vegan diet. He is eating completely vegan for this entire week, without any prompting by me. Next week we are going to start a half marathon training program. And I'm really hoping to get back into the routine of exercising, and we are both dedicated to making it happen. After playing volleyball on Sunday and being sore for so long afterward, I realized how out of shape I really have become.

No matter what stresses I have in my life (school, sickness, work), I can still say that I have never been happier. I'm always trying to improve myself and my life, but my emotional state has never been more stable and positive.

Be thankful, be active, be healthy, be happy.

Not Enough Time

It is so true that there are not enough hours in the day. So, how do we experience and enjoy all that we want to do while still accomplishing the tasks that we need to? I have yet to figure it out. I notice it more times than others, like when cramming for an exam, not having enough time to make proper meals, and failing to set aside time to exercise. But I especially notice it around the holidays. I love the holiday season and I want to do so much, like decorate, enjoy the weather and festivities, make holiday food, and other such things. When the season goes by and these things aren't done, I always wonder where the time went..

So, I'm going to try something new to be more productive. I'm going to wake up early, every morning. I'm going to drink a glass of water while I make my coffee or tea and make a list of all the things I want to do and need to do and make a quick priority list. Then I'm going to start doing things. First on the list every morning should be taking a 30 minute walk to start my day and get my blood flowing. Then it's breakfast. I want that to be my routine. I've heard it takes 21 days (3 weeks) to start or quit a habit. So for the next 21 days, whether I feel like it or not, I'm dedicated to this routine. Then, I'll have something extra to be extra grateful on Thanksgiving.

There are more things that I want to add to my daily life but I think I'm just going to start with this.
Baby steps, people.

It's Autumn!

And you know what that means!!
...
APPLE BUTTER!!!!

I bought my first jar of apple butter from the farmers' market yesterday. Mmm. : ] Happy place.
So, I woke up early this morning and made muffins so I could slather them with delicious apple goodness. Complete with coffee, it was the great start to my morning. It fueled me for my test and put me in a great mood for the day.

Today should be just splendid. After class I'm going to take advantage of the 25% off bulk items sale at Earth Fare in addition to my 5% student discount. I need to get some oatmeal, beans, nuts, and such. Then I get to pick up my CSA veggies from the UT Gardens farmers' market. I'll probably make some eggplant and rice stir fry for dinner just because it's easy, delicious and I have lots of Japanese eggplant left from my CSA.

I've been thinking of a wish list since the holidays are coming up and of course I can only think of cookbooks that I want!! Haha. I feel like I'm missing out on a bit of vegan culture since I don't own Veganomicon. But I was also reading a review of Super Immunity the other day by the same author of Eat to Live. These books sound great to me, being a health food vegan and all.

Speaking of health food.. I noticed one of my friends and fellow nutrition majors wearing five colored bracelets the other day. They were red, yellow, green, orange, and blue. She wore all five on once wrist at the start of the day and said she moves one to the other wrist each time she eats a serving of fruit or vegetables. I thought that was genius. Its a very good reminder. I don't really like to eat a lot of fruit but I would love to implement the idea to remind me to get different colored veggies and to do other things that I want to get into the habit of doing daily, like stretching before bed and various exercises.

I think I may go buy some colored rubber bands and try that method out for a while. I'll let you know how it works for me. It's kind of like tying strings to your fingers as a reminder.

Feeling Foodie

It has been a while since I've posted. I would apologize but I can honestly say I'm not sorry about anything that has happened this past few weeks. I've been having a great time and can't believe that I just am happier with my life each and every day.

I have been cooking a lot more now that I am not working quite so much and I don't have to just cook for myself anymore. Making food is so much more rewarding when you get to share it with someone, especially when it's a healthy meal.

I've been trying to make new things and also bringing out some of my favorite recipes to share with Ben. Last week I made my favorite dish, Spicy Almond Stir Fry, which is now Ben's favorite dish. Even though the recipe is not mine, it still makes me glad to hear Ben say it's the best thing he's ever tasted. We also made a sweet potato lentil soup last Friday with a bunch of veggies all that had been harvested no more than a week prior. The best part about it may definitely have been the fresh celery that I bought that day from the farmers' market. It was a beautiful dark green and had the best aroma I've ever experienced from a vegetable. It was so disappointing when I had to buy celery from the grocery store yesterday, even though it is organic and still really good. It just doesn't compare.

Last week I got a HUGE butternut squash in my CSA box. Actually, it was so big that it was halved. So, yesterday I roasted that with some of the many yams that I have and made a Yam and Squash Curry soup from The Everyday Vegan. I paired it with wild rice and enjoyed the punch of nutrition it gave me. I'm not sure if you've ever noticed how much heat squash and sweet potatoes hold but I splashed some of my soup onto my wrist and I think I may have a 2nd degree burn from it. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was definitely painful.

I really was into the cooking mood yesterday and made some Apple-Hemp Muffins after work. I have been meaning to make muffins for a long time because it has been such a struggle for me to wake up in time to make oatmeal for breakfast so I've been skipping breakfast (my nutritionist side yells at me every time I do).  So I finally got some healthy muffins made so I have something to grab and take with me in the mornings.

Tonight is going to be another Stir Fry night but it will be Broccoli and Cashew Stir Fry. I have some gorgeous broccoli from my CSA and some peppers, also. It's so nice to have a boyfriend that is so excited about all of the vegan food I make. I've never met an omni that voluntarily eats so many vegan meals (he eats tofu more than I do!).

I'm also going to cook up some Chipotle Two-Bean Hummus tonight to spread on some AWESOME bread I bought yesterday from the farmers' market. I have some tomatoes and greens that I need to just plop on a sandwich so they don't go bad first.

I have a bunch of eggplant still so I think tomorrow will be a day for some of that spicy eggplant dish that I make. It's really simple but I do love it. And Japanese eggplant is absolutely delish.

I'm so glad to be able to cook more these days. I was really missing being in my kitchen and having freshly prepared meals to eat. I love the pizza and sandwiches Ben makes me at Mellow but some local, fresh veggie meals just can't be topped.

: ]

On a non-food note, today is going to be awesome with some Disney movies, wine night with the girls, seeing a show downtown, and picking up my new bag that I bought. Also, I'm pumped to see my daddy even though my mommy won't be home and I can't see her until Friday night.

All in all.. my life is stupendous, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Well, off to do some homework so I can have a carefree evening when I'm done with classes today.

Enjoy the cool, rainy day. : ]

Back Down to Earth

I've been floating in the clouds lately. I've been having a great time and enjoying my life so much the past couple weeks. However, it's time to get back to my school work and such before I get into a big whole. I've been pretty unmotivated to study for the past week or two and after being out of practice of studying, my focus has been slacking hard core.

But, tonight I got the motivation that I needed to bring me back to center and remind me that I'm striving toward a goal, one that is noble and will help other people.
One of my co-workers came up to me and asked if I would like to buy a soy candle to help her and her sister raise money to pay for her mom's funeral, who is sick with cancer. She was given 3 months to live and has only about a month remaining from that prediction. Hearing her ask for help burying her mom really made my heart ache. I plan to buy a few candles and help her raise money, but I also gave her the we site for the Gerson Institute and told her that she really needs to look up their treatment. Hopefully people will be helping to pay for funding for her mother becoming well, rather than for her funeral.

I have been thinking a lot about how I want to approach my entry into med school. I've been considering waiting until later than April to take the MCAT like I had planned and then perhaps getting a job and some experience in the medical field before applying to help with gaining acceptance. I would really love to intern or something at the Gerson Institute or in some treatment facility. I could find a Gerson satellite to intern at. I have also thought about going ahead and getting my RD so I have another credential to help pad my application. I just really want to do this right. I want to take the MCAT when I'm ready for it. I want to apply to med school feeling as confident as possible. And I want to get some extra real world experience before I'm again stuck with my nose in a book for another four intense years of school.

So, I'm again seriously contemplating important steps in my life that will hopefully lead me to where I want to be.

Step one I accomplished tonight: I put in my 2 weeks at the Rush. Regular sleep may be a real part of my life again very soon.
Step two: Get caught up in all of my classes and continue to make good grades on my exams.
Step three: Develop relationships that will help with me gain good references.
Step four: Research to keep my interest sparked and passion fueled.

Fun may be put on hold for little while but I can say, I don't think there are many circumstances that can make me feel less than the happiest girl in the world. : ]

Stay healthy. For more than just yourself.

Birthday Blog

I very well could be the happiest gal in the entire world. : ]

Not only have the last two weeks been extremely wonderful, I couldn't really have asked for a better birthday. Last night started with one of the best presents anyone could give me... a big floppy hat with a bow on it. It was from the new special someone in my life. He's so sweet. <3  Then I got to go out with some new friends, some old friends and my favorite friend of all... my daddy. We had a couple drinks, some laughs, and a good time.

This morning I woke up early and I couldn't have asked for better weather. Brisk, fall morning. Ben and I went to Panera for pumpkin spice lattes and sat out in the sunlight and shared memories of when we were kids. Afterward we went to Victor Ashe park to walk around outside and enjoy nature a bit. I stood inside a tree that was hollowed by a strike of lightning and we saw some squirrels cuddle (promptly followed by unmentionable deeds), and jammed out to Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20 all before noon.

I loved spending the rest of the day with Ben and my family watching the Bears game at a bar I'm legally allowed in now, and then having a margarita with my mom at dinner with the rest of my family. I really missed my sister and her husband being there, but was glad to have the people around me that could be here.

Now I'm just drinking tea and playing on my new MacBook Pro reflecting on my life a little and how blessed and happy I am. I do wish everyone could feel like I do right now. The world would be such a nicer place.

I can honestly say I'm madly in love with my life and can only hope that it continues to improve.

Reflections on Progress

Looking back at the resolutions I made for myself for this year, I find that I've more or less realized my goals. To recap...


This year I resolve to:
~Practice a vegan diet and eat more salads
~Buy organic when possible
~Drink more tea, less coffee
~Cook more with variety
~Research and Learn
     + Ask questions
     + Read
     + Converse
     + Explore
     + Listen
~Create
~Dance
~Build new relationships and strengthen old ones
~Focus on family
~Live actively, not idly


I can't even begin to describe how much things like dancing and spending a good amount of time interacting with people will change your mood. I'm not sure I've ever been happier that I am right now, and I have felt this way for a good while. I always feel like things can improve in every situation, so as my 21st birthday approaches (Sunday!! Hurray!!) there are a few things that I feel would enhance my quality of life. However, instead of making a bunch of resolutions for this year, I have decided to make just one very serious commitment. 


I'm making a commitment to myself to really pursue happiness in all aspects of my life; to avoid situations and circumstances that create anxiety, stress, or bad feelings; and to maintain a balance between responsibility and liberty. 


I know some of the things that keep me sane and balanced.
- Stretching every night before bed
- Getting regular exercise
- Eating well
- Talking with good friends
- Spending time with family
- Interacting with nature
- Nurse my passion


It will be a little tougher staying committed to avoid the stressors in my life that are unnecessary. 
- Overeating
- Procrastinating 
- Clutter
- Lack of sleep


And in addition to all of that, I'd like to explore and learn about new things, places, and people. We are in this world to interact with who or what is around us. This is what makes life interesting and be having positive relationships with our environment, our lives can be a little more carefree. However, though it seems as though some of my commitments are to others such as my family and my friends, in the end these are just commitments to myself to lead the happiest, most fulfilled life, because at the end of the day, the only thing that is really important in my world is my own happiness... and I am the only one that is responsible for creating it.


Express your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Equilibrium

There isn't really any object of this post, I just have a spare minute and haven't posted in a while. My life has calmed down a little bit and I'm starting to get back to an equilibrium. I love how life is, we have crazy moments and disturbances but there's always a way to get back to center.

What do you do to realign yourself whenever you're feeling out of whack?
The other night before heading to work I felt as though I were going to have an anxiety attack. Not for any particular reason, I just was stressed and not right. So, I made a constructive list of things I needed to do to bring myself back to happiness and equilibrium.

First thing was to clean. When my environment is cluttered, it's hard to escape stress since it just adds to it. I vacuumed the house, cleaned my room, the kitchen, the living room and did my laundry. Immediately feeling better.

The I knew I needed to do something creative to stimulate my brain but in a different way than my usually studying and homework. (That's another reason I like this blog, it does that for me a little bit.) So, after cleaning up I hung some shoe boxes up in my room to add a little flair to my decor. I got out some old art pieces from high school to hang as well.

Whenever I'm stressed, one of the first things I examine is my physical well being, since all emotion and thought stems from chemical reactions in your body, improper balances of nutrients can really make someone a nut job. So, I have been really focused on eating at regular intervals and eating a normal breakfast, something I have recently gotten away from doing. I made some coconut curry, bought some bread and have been eating well.

I also have made the commitment to do some exercise everyday. It doesn't need to be a killer workout, just a short job to break a sweat and get my blood pumping. I believe that my qi was not flowing properly and so going for a jog really has helped that.

Also, instead of exercising inside, I've been jogging outside, in the sunlight and the fresh air. I've been really detached from the earth since school started back up and I think that has really taken a toll on my ability to see my life from a distant perspective. So, after my jog, I pick a tree and, yes, give it a big hug. : ]
Instantly light-hearted. You can't hug a tree and still be in a seriously down mood afterward. It's just not possible.

There are still some more things that I need to do in order to gain more satisfaction with my life but at the moment I've feeling peachy keen.

Picking up my CSA today. Making a healthy dinner this evening. Going to see Lion King in 3D tonight.
My day couldn't look any better.

Mind Munchies

What would you do if you weren't scared?

Bitter Sweet Life

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been so busy, I couldn't even imagine having time to just sit and type out a blog. However, I'm stranded on campus before class without any of my books, thus not able to work on the massive amounts of homework that define my life.

So, just a little update on my life. I've been working like a crazy person and taking 20 hours of class. So far, so good. I'm starting to hit a brick wall because it seems like when I'm working, I'm working both jobs every night, and then I get a few days off of both. So, I'm about ready for my recuperating time.

I absolutely love both of my jobs (and CBFO but that's a given). I have met so many awesome and fun people that it's not ever a chore to go into work. The only time I ever want to leave work is when I am just sleepy.

I have had to catch up on some sleep lately so I haven't had much time to get some of the studying done that I would like so normally my days off consist of doing copious amounts of studying. However, I still try to see my parents and my friends on a regular basis to keep me sane. I've been able to Skype Austin a lot lately which has been bitter sweet, such is the story of my life.

ANYwho, I've been so blessed to have the opportunity to talk to some really interesting people lately. One of my coworkers at the Rush is equally intrigued by health and nutrition as I am and we bounce ideas off of each other all the time. He is a really creative guy and I love being around people whose minds are constantly firing with new ideas. Also, yesterday at Earth Fare (I went to study but got nothing done) I was talking with this lady who works at a sleep lab. She was telling me about how many doctors lack the business mind to really grow and manage their practices as efficiently as should be. That was a new thing for me to think about and I really am grateful for all of the insight she gave me. (She also told me I could literally go crazy from lack of REM sleep. Haha. I'll be cautious about that.)

I've been in such a great mood for the past month or so I almost don't even know what to do with myself. I really love being out and meeting people. Everyone has something to offer and in the words of Jack Kerouac in On The Road, I like to dig people and dig life. To really get to know what people are all about and learn from their experiences and knowledge. So although I've been getting less sleep that desired and having so much to do, I've really enjoyed this semester thus far and I'm not at all regretful about taking this on.

I've been thinking about researching the effects of food and nutrition on hormones and mood for quite some time. Also, I have noticed a distinct difference in my mindset and overall emotional state since leaving adolescence and really would like to research hormone changes during adolescence (and of course the effect that nutrition has on those changes), whenever I find the time to do so.
Another small topic that I thought about while conversing with my coworker at the Rush was a question about corn. Most of you have observed first had that corn is not very well digested. I became curious as to the effect of corn products in so many of the processed foods in America with respect to its poor digestibility. It may be a simple answer but it also could so some really interesting things. So, again, maybe some day I'll have the time to research all of my questions.

On a completely off topic, I'm SOOO glad that the weather has cooled off. I'm sitting outside and I'm at my basal cold temperature rather than sweating profusely. Glad that fall is here and I can now bring out the cute cold weather clothing I love so much. : ]

Crazy life!

So, my life has been super nuts lately. I haven't really had a chance to post any blogs because of it. This one won't be too terribly long as I haven't done much other than work lately. Working night shift (midnight to 6am) is a different experience. I really like it so far even though my sleep schedule is slightly retarded. I have managed, due to the wonderful powers of my planning abilities, been able to get some sleep in every day. I have even be able to cook some food here and there. I made hummus at 10pm the other night. Cooked the chickpeas on the stove while I showered and dressed for work and then I mixed up a batch right before heading out. I've gotten a lot of use out of my cute lunch bag that I got from Border during their going out of business sale (R.I.P. Beloved Borders). The night before school started, Leah and I made some delicious treats so that we had snacks and breakfast (scones!!) for our first week of school. I have been enjoying my classes so far. My favorites will definitely be my physiology and microbiology classes.

Today for lunch I whipped up a quick stir fry from all of the remaining veggies that I have from my CSA box. (I have so many tomatoes I don't know what to do with them!) I through in some cumin and ginger just to play around and now I've decided that I'm gong to attempt to discover the recipe for the Japanese curry I love so much at Anaba.

Now off to get some homework done.
It's great to have so little free time as I'm way more efficient with the time I do have. : ]

Stay sane people!

Vegans Think They Are Better Than Meat-Eaters

eat, drink & be vegan: Vegans Think They Are Better Than Meat-Eaters: "We do?! I'm not saying that's the case. But, in reading some of the comments from my last post (trolling excepted), I feel that's what th..."

Tea and Veggies

This morning as I was working on my never-ending physics homework, I made some tea in my cute new tea mug. : ] 

 It was a perfect little substitute for coffee. I'm still trying to cut back on coffee, and seeing as I have TONS of tea, I'm drinking that instead. Plus, I have so many different flavors that I can have a new tea each time.

For my late lunch, I went veggie crazy. This is my lunch before it went into the oven. There's tomatoes, yellow squash, new potatoes, red onion, fresh corn, and chickpeas. Those little flashes of green are fresh basil leaves... Yummy.. : ]

This was veggie heaven. I have leftovers that I can put over rice tomorrow. Healthy, low-cal, fresh, and delicious. What every lunch should be. : ]

Spicy Vegan!

Oh my gosh, I love spicy food. So, yesterday I was trying out a recipe using the Japanese Eggplant I got in my CSA box this week. It was another really simple recipe, but holy eggplant! was it deliciously spicy.

I made it again tonight using the last two eggplants that I had, but this time I made it into a more complete meal with some brown basmati rice and I added some of that beautiful red cabbage I bought from the farmers' market last week. The recipe is just sauteed eggplant, onions, garlic with some soy sauce and chili garlic paste. I added a little more of the chili paste than the recipe called for because I like my food with an extra kick. I wish I had some more Japanese eggplant so I could make this meal again. I know the picture isn't that pretty but I wanted to show how bright the cabbage is.
I was telling my roommate how grateful I am of my vegan diet because I probably would have missed out on the glories of cabbage and Japanese eggplant otherwise. Especially with them mixed together in the same dish.

: ]

On a sad note, Borders is going out of business. : / So, I went by there to pay tribute and buy my school notebooks. They are all soo pretty. Everyone knows how dorky I am about my notebooks. I also got a really cute planner that will be my best friend this fall. I'm ready for school to start and the crazy to begin. Woo!

Final night of training is tomorrow and then I'll be making that paper all next week. I'm scheduled for Tuesday, Thurs, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I'll be doing crazy physics studying Monday and Wednesday.

Let the fun begin.

Endless Journey

Hey, so this week has been great so far. I started at Mellow Mushroom yesterday and I had a lot of fun training. This people I work with are great and I really like serving. I'll be solo next week and bringing in some much needed cash. 

Today I picked up my CSA box for this week and I got some lovely little cherry tomatoes that I decided to put on my sandwich instead of regular heirlooms. I think they add a little bit of an artistic flavor to my sandwich..

Cute, huh? This sandwich is basically what I've been having for lunch all week. Creamy hummus spead on rye bread that I got from the farmers' market last week, some spinach, and local tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. DELISH! And so simple. A mostly local and completely nutritious meal. Yum. I used the last of my rye bread with this sammich so I'll have to move on to some other fun meals for the rest of the week.
Oh, and "What's with the glasses?" you say.
I'M GOING TO SEE HARRY POTTER TONIGHT!!!
The guy who trained me last night is taking me to see it in 3D as compensation since I don't get tips while training. Heck yeah!

I've been doing some serious brainstorming and pondering about med school and my life today and last night with Julia, but more on that when I have all of my thoughts collected in a coherent fashion.. well semi-coherent at least.

Another note about food before I end this blog.
As I'm trying to cut back calories and as I'm getting this abundance of fresh fruits and veggies every week I'm trying to find ways to cut back on really calorie dense food items. We definitely need our whole grains but I try to get them in minimally processed ways. For a while now I've really made the effort to not have bread and pasta on the regular. Not that they are bad at all if they are whole grain, but seeing as I have a lot of produce to eat, I don't really have the calories available in my diet for that. Also, much to my dismay, this also applies to muffins, scones, and cookies. I was on a huge cooking spree for a while and I was making sooo many delicious and nutritious baked goodies but even if they are nutritional, they are very calorie dense. This doesn't necessarily mean there are a ton of calories in a muffin, but I can have a much more filling bowl of oatmeal for probably half the calories. And with the fiber in the oatmeal, I'll stay full longer and that may even replace some more food I would have eaten in the future. I love food and I'm definitely not going to completely cut out all of the wonderful things in life (aka breakfast scones with a big cup of coffee), but I just really need to work on letting those be special enjoyments. If you eat pancakes every morning, they aren't as special as if you were to have a special pancake time once or twice a month to really slow down and enjoy the morning.
Basically, the most optimal nutrition and the most benefits from food will come from eating things as closely to its natural state as possible. Minimally processed if you will. This is where the idea of eating raw comes from (not going raw anytime soon, no worries). One of the other aspects of an overall healthy diet that's still considered processed is oil. A lot of time we can do without it. Most of the time it can be reduced a lot in recipes. Oil and fat are essential in our diets, but we don't need a lot.
I'm really trying to use less oil in cooking and instead just add a small drizzle of flaxseed oil to a meal to get those essential fatty acids. Again, I'm not looking to deprive myself but just to simply be conscious of the amount of oil I'm using. Eating consciously is a major part of living healthfully and losing weight (or preventing weight gain).
Other calorie dense foods, like nuts and seeds I'm going to limit to using them for flavor adders (like sliced almonds on a salad), as opposed to just snacking on them. I want the majority of my food to be veggies, then whole grains, then fruits, nuts and oils (for you omni's out there, try to think of the veggies as the main dish and the meat as a small side or use cheese as you would salt, not something to be the main flavor of the dish but to compliment and bring out other flavors). These are the things that will lead to health and weight loss if that's your goal.

So, my food journey continues and is as adventurous as always. This week I'm going to tackle some recipes using chinese eggplant, summer squash, and red cabbage among other things. : ] Can't wait.

Oh boy, I love cabbage. : ]

Bok Bok!

This is my delicious Bok Choy lunch from today. I took the picture on my phone and it actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would. YUMM! It was even better today than the other day.

Now that I have found the camera on my phone is decent I'll post more food pics.

This week is going to be pretty busy, so hopefully I'll have a lot to report later on. I just wanted to do this short post to display the beautiful greens I ate today!

Adios!

Complete 180

This week has been the total opposite of last week. Just for a quick update, I got a job at Mellow Mushroom (discount for DELICIOUS vegan pizza?! I think so!!!), I signed up for the CSA and picked up some yummy goods on Wednesday, finished my detox fast and thus, have been able to eat some fresh, healthy food!

I've been eating peaches that I got in my CSA for lunch and they are about as perfect as peaches come. I didn't think I'd be able to eat the whole bag that I got but the way it's going, it will be easier than I thought. I got a bunch of cucumbers and tomatoes in my CSA also, so last night I made a salad from The Everday Vegan that was essentially cucumbers, tomatoes, lime juice and balsamic vinegar. There were some dried herbs thrown in there (the recipe called for fresh, but I didn't have any so dried had to suffice). It was delish. I baked some lime and pepper potato wedges to go along with it. It's sounds like a tomato, a cucumber and a potato wouldn't be that filling but I had to save half of it to eat a little bit later. It was a really refreshing dinner.

Today I've been cooking the beans that I set out to soak last night. I set out chickpeas and made a simple Creamy Hummus from Vive le Vegan to dip cucumbers or other various veggies in. I'm trying not to consume much sodium and compared to store bought hummus, homemade is much lower in salt (1/2 teaspoon for the whole batch).

Tonight for dinner it will be a white bean dish (I soaked those last night too.) with roasted red peppers paired with a quinoa-millet pilaf. I love the challenge of finding wholesome dishes to prepare with the food that's already in the kitchen. I have to pick up red peppers today and that's it.

I also got some bok choy in my CSA box. The first (and last) time I had bok choy was when I first decided I wanted to have a vegan diet. I was not a fan at all. I used a recipe from Alicia Silverstone's book A Kind Diet. It's steamed bok choy with a simple dressing of ume plum vinegar and flaxseed oil topped with some sesame seeds. I wasn't a big fan and thought it was bitter, and didn't finish it. I tried the same recipe today and I LOVED it. I don't know if the bok choy is better because its fresh and local or it's simply that my taste buds have changed since I've gotten away from food that is processed, salty, and full of fat.

Anyway, I have found a new love for that simple bok choy salad and will be eating more tomorrow. I unfortunately was wary about eating it today when I made it so I only steamed like 4 leaves from the head of bok choy and I was left wanting more afterward. I'm glad I've found a good way to consume some flax oil and good greens. Woohoo!

I need to get a camera so I can upload pictures to my blog. Because I would love to put pictures of the beautiful foods I'm making and eating. Oh well.

Smiles : ]

Today was the first really enjoyable day I've had in about a week. I took my physics midterm this morning and I had the rest of the day physics free. : ]

I went by the Rush to get a free 2 week membership and then by the farmers market to sign up for the CSA with Mountain Meadows Farm. If you're unfamiliar with a CSA program I'll tell you. Basically, you sign up with a local farm (Mountain Meadows is in Anderson County) and each week they gather a share of all of their crops. So, that's like a couple different fruits, a bunch of veggies, herbs and greens. They bring it to a meeting place (UT gardens) and you pick it up. My roommate and I are splitting it since it is meant to feed a family of 4 or 2 people who cook a lot. Well, I sure do cook a lot. : ] And now that I'll have an abundance of fresh, local, organic produce every week, I can only imagine that I'll be doing much more cooking. So basically all of my produce is paid for through October. I'll also be able to can any leftovers (I'm expecting a lot of tomatoes) and freeze (just learned how to freeze herbs) so I'll be able to enjoy healthy, delicious produce throughout the winter as well. I'm so excited I can't even stand it. I pick up my first share tomorrow so I'll post again soon, hopefully with a picture of all of the yummies that I get. I'm expecting all of the things I saw when I was at the farmer's market today like: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, all kinds of summer squash, onions, cherry tomatoes, heirloom and other varieties of tomatoes, eggplant. I'm also expecting bell peppers, potatoes, beans, peas, corn, and some greens like chard, collards, and herbs. I'm hoping there will be some really great herbs. Fresh basil is the best thing in the world, and fresh rosemary, parsley, cilantro and oregano would be stellar.

Also, I dropped off an application for Mellow Mushroom today. The manager was out at the moment, but I was assured they are hiring and I am going to go by tomorrow to talk to someone. That would be a stellar job. I need to get my ABC card so I can start serving. The next class is on July 24th so that's not too far away.

I have a wonderful trip to Chicago coming up that I can't wait for. I've been looking up some vegan-friendly restaurants that would be really cool to hit up while I'm there. My friend that I'm going with is a new vegetarian and I'm really happy that there won't be much pressure to go to some very un-vegan restaurants. I know that she really wants to have some Chicago-style pizza, and that's cool. Pizza is pretty easy to make vegan.

Anyway, today is the last day of my fast. Good thing too because the guy who I talked to about my 2 week trial at the Rush is going to give me a free training session in the morning. So, I'll be able to eat some breakfast tomorrow before my workout at 8am. Also, I'm gonna try to get a free juice out of the deal from the juice bar there at the Rush. My detox is tomorrow even so I'm not supposed to have any fat before my detox so it will be some delicious oatmeal in the morning and some fruit or a smoothie to follow-up my workout. Then I'm hitting the pool with some good friends before I go to check on my app and the job at Mellow Mushroom before going to pick up my CSA box.

This week is looking a lot better than last week. I hope it continues this way.
: ]

Physics..

Sucks...

I just wrote a paper about how physics has a large presence in our every day lives... I left out the fact that I do physics homework for about 8 hours every day. I don't think that's what she meant by choosing that topic..

I'm so ready to be done with this physics class. And I'm so ready to take some biochemistry that's actually interesting..
Ugh.

Inhale the Good, Exhale the Bad

Well, that's what I'm going to do for the next few days. I have been noticing my body having some detox reactions this past week since I've been getting back to my normal weight. This summer has done a toll on my body. I have been eating too much processed food like pita chips, store bought hummus, tortilla chips, white rice at restaurants, etc. Well, after coming home from the beach and eating only fresh fruits and whole grains my body is trying it's hardest to flush out all those toxins stored in the fat I've also accumulated in the past month.

So, seeing as I haven't done my regular fasting detox in a while, I figured now would be a good time to give my body's detoxing process a little boost in flushing out all the nasty things in my system. It's also convenient seeing as I have a TON of physics work to do to prepare for my midterm that I'll be taking on Tuesday.

I have been feeling a little in the dumps this week. I'm not sure if that's part of the detox symptoms or a combination of that and I'm feeling discouraged about having such a difficult time finding a job, on top of the fact that all of my friends have been out of town this past week so I've been basically without human connections for 6 days.
All of that being said, I'm going to flush out all of those negative feelings with my detox with a little meditation at night.

I have been meaning to get into the habit of meditating regularly because it's good for your mental and physical state of being but I just haven't been doing it.
So, meditative stretching will be on my agenda tonight when my fun physics-filled day is through.

So, wish me good detoxing and studying.

Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad.

Good On You For Trying

So, I was watching this documentary on Netflix yesterday called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It's about a Australian dude who developed a chronic disease and was overweight and decided to go on a 60 juice fast in the US because we are the nation of food and he figured to really overcome his addiction to food and an unhealthy diet, he should test himself in the place overflowing with that kind of diet. He did his first 30 days in NYC and then road-tripped all the way across the country for the next 30.

He talked a lot about how much energy he had even though he was only drinking about 4 glasses of fruit/vegetable juice and water every day. While he was traveling he would just chat with people about their diet and how long they really expect to live treating their bodies the way that they do...

Along the road, at a truck stop he met a 430lb man who had the same rare condition he had and offered the guy help and guidance if he ever decided to change his life.

The guy called for help about 2 weeks after the narrator had finished his fast.
Long story short, this morbidly obese, ill man lost weight and changed his life around.. you know the drill.

There was another lady along the 60 challenge that he convinced to do a 10 day juice fast and document her experience as well.
He suggested the juice fast to all of his friends and one of the things that really stuck with me was him saying how most people will immediately say that there is no way they could do a 10 day juice fast. But he said, if someone gave it a shot and stopped the fast at day-7 he wouldn't view that person as a failure, he would say, "Good on you for trying."

The failure is saying that you can't do something without even giving it a shot.

I have a lot of friends that are vegetarian. And even my friends who aren't vegetarian and still eat healthfully or not, whenever I suggest a vegan diet, all I get back are excuses why they couldn't do it.
So, many times I just want to say, JUST TRY IT!! Give it a week, 3 days a month, whatever. Give it a try.

All I would say is good on you for trying. I stumbled when I first became vegan, but everytime I slipped in the beginning stages and had something with cheese on it or made with any dairy, I felt more assured afterward that I much more prefer my vegan diet, no matter how good cheese fries taste. It took a good three months of eating dairy occasionally to completely be done with it and know I only wanted a vegan diet. I knew how awful I felt after eating dairy and how wonderful I felt on my vegan diet.

Our instincts are such that we want to eat what makes us feel good, but if you've only had lemons, you'll never know how good an orange tastes. I've you've felt how you feel on an animal-based diet, you'll never know how great you can feel on a plant-based diet.

And, let me tell you, the locally grown organic peaches from the farmers market that I had today are sooo good. : ]

Time Tested Beauty Tips by Sam Levenson

For attractive lips,
Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his or her 
fingers through it once a day.

For poise,
Walk with the knowledge
you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things,
have to be restored, renewed, 
revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.

Remember,
If you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older,
you will discover
that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself,
the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman
is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman
is not in a facial mole, 
but true beauty in a woman 
is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the passion that she shows,
And the beauty of a woman
with passing years-only grows!

Buddah

"Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others."

Focus

I'm really struggling with it.

Lately, I can sit and work on something for hours and still get nothing done. It's quite frustrating.

New resolution.. work on my efficiency.

I have trouble focusing at home or sitting in a house. Coffee shops help to isolate me and my work so I have fewer distractions but that's just pathetic. I should be able to sit in my room and just focus on my work and get it done.

I guess I just need to tell myself to buckle down and get to it.

Summer is killing me.. all this idleness is a hard habit to break after a month and a half.
Free time sabotages all of my efforts. When I don't have much to do, its hard to get even a few things done but when I have a ton of things to do, it's much easier to get it all done.. That makes no sense to me. How do I simple accomplish a moderate amount of work? Haha.

I will be glad when I get home and can get out of vacation mode. I've been in vacation mode since the middle of May so even though I'm having a good time on this trip, it's more of the same that I do at home. When I get home, there will hopefully be work to attend and other things that I can accomplish for my life.

I'm ready for the Fall semester to start.

Respect, Goals, and other randomness

So, I've been reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. So far, I'm really into it. First off, it's a great story, second, and because, it makes me think about things that I don't normally think about because I am not really concerned with them on a daily basis. I'm honestly not concerned with them even as I'm thinking about these things, such as the impact of big business and government interference on economy and the ideals and morals that these things indicate. I enjoy pondering this stuff though when time is permitting.

The philosophy of Ayn Rand that she explains a little through the book has prompted me to think about the respect we give one another. One thing that also has seemed to be hard for me to wrap my mind around is the ability to respect people who neglect to take care of or have any concern for their own health and well-being. I try to understand that I am extremely passionate about health as some people are passionate about sports or pop culture or scrapbooking, but I do not see how people cannot make their own body a priority in their life. Well-being... isn't it the goal of life? To be well in order to live life well? My sister has suffered from migraines her entire life and she has decided that maybe making a few healthier choices in lifestyle are worth having more days feeling well so that her experience of life is not hindered by her sickness.

Where these thoughts led me was in the direction of respect. I have a hard time respecting someone who doesn't desire to live well. Which also led me to the thought that the desire to live well stems from having goals. The goal of our lives is to live it. Let's live it well. If we don't have goals, aspirations, standards or values for our life, where does that get us. Passion sort of sums those things up for me. These things come from passion. Passion for achieving something that will give us the sense of accomplishment, of achieving something worthwhile, of a fulfilled livelihood.

Reading this book has really reaffirmed some of the desires I have for my life by the courageous, strong, dedicated characters.

I want to be a great, dependable, honest doctor some day. I want to help others to achieve another level of well-being.
I want to be true to my word and I want to be self-reliant.
I want to be educated and cultured.
I want to love as much as I possibly can.

A healthy lifestyle is crucial for me to reach these goals. My health is not the goal of my life, but it is something of great importance to the fulfillment of my goals and desires and values.
-----------

Each year I learn more about myself and I change. For once I feel like I am owning my age and I'm beginning to embrace the circumstances in my life all the more. I can see my development.

Mostly, I am happier.

Live well.

What do you do?

When you're in a rut?

I have found myself in a very somber mood lately. I will be missing a couple people that will be out of the country in the next month or two and I'm trying to push myself forward without being too sad about it.

Whenever I need a pick me up, I always like to take out the recycling. I know.. that's weird, but it has always helped to lighten my mood. I'm helping the Earth, doing something productive, and clearing some unnecessary garbage out of my house. It's always pleasing.

I think it's important to have something that can always cheer your up a little. It doesn't matter how simple. Simple is better actually because if you're like me, most motivation leaves when you're feeling blue.
Making food (cookies) helps also. : ] But give them away so you don't end up gorging yourself on them and feeling worse than before.

I'm leaving for the beach on Friday morning to spend a week with the whole family. It will be interesting but I'm very optimistic about it. I'm glad my family has finally excepted my vegan lifestyle and I won't have to fight against persuasions to eat in a way I don't feel comfortable with. It's quite exhausting to do that and it will be nice not to have to explain myself for an entire week since my family has given up trying to convert me back to an omnivore. It's a huge weight off my shoulders.

So, vacation for me of course is going to include lots of yummy food. I had a TON of recipes planned out to make but then I realized I'll be eating snacks mainly for lunch (because that's what you do at the beach) and I don't want to spend the whole week in the kitchen. However, I am making some muffins on Thursday night before I leave, as well as some artichoke dip.

During the week I have only a couple recipes picked out to make since I'm planning on eating really light during the day (fruit and nuts, veggies and hummus, etc). Enchiladas of course because I haven't had them in a while and I really would love for my mom to try them. Then I'm going to make a Tempeh Muffaletta that is really yummy. It's a sandwich filler so I can have that for lunch or dinner. My dad will probably make some veggies for me that are vegan or I could possible be in charge of that for the side dishes for dinner. It's going to be a great week, I can tell. And definitely interesting having the whole fam together.

This week has also been full of job hunting. I have an interview today, so hopefully when I get back home from the beach I'll have a job so I can make money and be a little more mentally occupied. I'm hoping to land two jobs for the rest of the summer and then somehow work all of that and school together. I'm going to be really busy this fall and I'm looking forward to it. My classes shouldn't be too taxing because I have a couple math oriented classes. I'm looking forward to my biochemistry class of course as well.

I'm hoping to pull in a lot of money in the next couple months because I now have a car payment, and some other things on my list to pay for (an extra online class in the fall) and I would love to save up my money to buy the one thing that I want most.. The Norwalk Juicer. But I may be getting my windows tinted and some side molding put on my car before that happens. We'll see though. Those are just extra expenses for an expense and I would definitely enjoy my juicer a lot more than I would enjoy side molding. : ]

Until next time, keep smiling, even when you don't feel like it.

Beauty

Where have I been?

Honestly, by the pool. HA!

I have spent most of my summer thus far next to the pool with some of the wonderful people in my life.

I'm feeling very blessed lately. I am really loving my life at the moment. There are definitely places that I want to improve on but, I'm truly happy. 

So, a brief on some food that I've enjoyed the past few weeks..

I have found a favorite place to eat out with friends.. Chipotle.. yummy yummy veggie burrito!!! It's the size of my head and I can easily pack it away.. mmmm. : ] Special thanks to my beautiful co-coach who took me to Baja Fresh for the first time so I could learn to feed my spicy food addiction. 

Ninja has also introduced me to this delightful Japanese restaurant where I discovered my deep love of Japanese curry.. I must find a way to make it myself. I also am so glad to be eating seaweed salad on a more regular basis, getting those good greens plus the necessary iodine that I miss because iodized salt freaks me out. : ]

Been back to Nama a couple of times also and each time my wonderful server had the chef make me a special vegan roll. Both times, utterly delicious!! The last roll I had was so incredibly artistic. The roll was placed around an orange that had been carved and filled with yummies. I wish I had my phone with me at the time so I could've taken a picture. It was gorgeous. 

Other that that? I've honestly been snacking between trips to the pool on hummus, guac, and salsa. Every now and then I'll cook up some veggies in my roommates favorite dish, Spicy Almond Stir Fry. It's super delish and I will be making it again this week since I just bought all the ingredients from the farmers' market yesterday. It will probably be the best stir fry yet because of the fresh ingredients. 

Earlier this week I also threw together a pasta dish that is yummy and sooo easy. 

Pasta, head of cabbage, 2 stalks of celery, 2 onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 5 tbsp of marinara sauce.

Saute onions, garlic, and celery in a little olive oil. Add cabbage, soy sauce, marinara and let cook on low heat a bit. Add cooked pasta and mix. Easy mode. Cheap. Healthy. Makes a TON of pasta. And is even good cold right out of the fridge. : ]

Tomorrow I think I'm going to make this awesome quinoa and black bean dish my daddy made a week or so ago for me. My daddy has been so great about making new dishes that are vegan friendly for me. I don't think anyone can know how grateful I am for that. 

Now to look into next week.. : ] It's going to be great. 

New hair. Bleach and it's all coming off.  <3

New car. 2008 Black Acura TSX

Best friend is coming home. 

And hopefully a new job at Teavana. 

Been going to the Rush with Ninja lately. We went twice this week. We go late at night and I really enjoy that. I'm not worried about having to be done at a certain time and I actually have a lot of energy around 10pm. Ran 4 miles Tuesday, and 5 miles on Thursday. I don't know if Ninja inspires me or what but I like it. I'm going to hopefully go again tomorrow night after I've rested my legs some. Dad said he plans to run 7 miles on Sunday so I have to catch up to that soon. 

Anywho, I have physics that I'm putting off in order to write this blog. I can procrastinate no longer.

Until next time...smile more than necessary and love as much as possible. 

Living

Sometimes we get so caught up in the things that we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to act that we forget to even enjoy the blessings that we have and embrace the possibilities at hand. I don't want to live like that. I never have wanted to just fit the mold.

I wish I could have a reminder of that every morning before I start my day.
I would be much more light-hearted.

: ]

YOU.

"You. Yes, you. I am writing this for you.

I know you are reading this. And I want you to know I am writing this for you. No one else will understand. No one else knows. They think that this is for them. But it’s not. I am writing this for you.

I want you to know, life…it’s hard. Every day can be a challenge. It can be a challenge to get up in the morning. To get yourself out of bed. To put on that smile. But I want you to know, that smile is what keeps me going some days. You need to remember, even through the tough times, you are amazing. You really are.

You should be happy. You are gorgeous.

I know that the weather might not be perfect. You might have to turn your back to the wind or feel the cold nipping at your nose. But you know what, at least you are there to feel it. At least you can enjoy the sun’s warm rays on your face. Or that cold February wind biting at your cheeks. You know what that means?

You are alive.

Everything will be okay."

90 Days

It's extremely gross outside and I don't like it. It has taken a pretty big toll on my mood. I have not been feeling too wonderfully about myself the past couple weeks. I really want to change that before it gets out of control...

Thus, I'm going to embark on the p90x journey of staying active and getting in shape for the next 90 days. I'm going to make a commitment to blogging every few days so that I can at least have some sort of accountability for myself. I am going to steer clear of my desire to bake and veg out on the couch.

So, I'm going to be cooking very healthful meals and getting in shape hard core... for the next 90 days...

Wish me luck.

Upon Waking...

...this morning, I was bomb-barded by Death. I am really disappointed in humanity and their celebration of death and brutality. It's so inappropriate.. Yes, Osama Bin Laden is responsible for an unfathomably number of human deaths. I understand the importance of his death. But, why is it that we have to celebrate his death directly with words like, "I wanted to be the one to shoot him." and "OBAMAS DEAD....FUCK YEAH!!!" I appreciate those who decided to celebrate the relief this brings, not the actual death of a human being.Not only that, people are using every chance they get to bash our President. I'm just disgusted and it's only 930am.

Can't we just all get along?

...ahimsa...

Interesting..

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29955927/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Proponents say:
HFCS contains mercury.

The verdict: Nearly half of the 20 HFCS samples tested in a recent study contained small amounts of potentially harmful mercury, according to a report in Environmental Health. While the Corn Refiners Association argues that the research was based on outdated information, another study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found that one-third of all HFCS-containing foods it bought in the fall of 2008 tested positive for the toxin. The researchers believe that HFCS is probably the source: A compound known as caustic soda, which is used to separate the corn starch from the kernel, can be tainted with mercury, and there's no way for you to know whether the caustic soda used was contaminated, according to study author David Wallinga, MD. Although much of the US production of caustic soda uses mercury-free technology, not all manufacturers worldwide have followed suit, adding fuel to the argument for minimizing HFCS intake.

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

As toxins and foreign proteins are being flushed out of my body, I begin to notice subtle changes in my body after I eat food. Example: I have recently discovered that after I eat sugary foods (cookies, brownies and the like) I feel awful. Not only is the effect physical but mentally and emotionally I feel depressed and sluggish. It was so much so that I have really considered just nixing sweets. I LOVE chocolate, like any normal female should, but I need to just keep a couple dark-chocolate bars in the pantry and break off a small piece when I want my chocolate fix. I used to do that but with all of the enticing vegan sweets recipes that I come across, I can't help but try them out.

However, my mental and emotional health is very necessary for my life, especially as finals are soon, so I will be giving up those sweet treats for a while.

The same effect happens when I over-eat. Obviously, over-eating is really awful. It's all about how you are perceiving food though. Food is fuel. It's nourishment and thankfully it's yummy too! But, we have to keep in mind that we are fortunate enough as Americans to have food security and the food will be there an couple hours later when we are hungry again. We have every day to eat new food.

So, a couple of my recent goals are to really work on eating until 80% full as recommended in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and also to cut down on the sweets for my mental state.

Have you ever?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going?

But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

Raw Detox

Okay, so since I'm always interested in new ways to enhance my lifestyle and be healthier, I picked up the book Raw Diet Detox last week. The main idea of the detox is to eat foods in a way that will stimulate quick elimination from the body, since this is the best way to prevent toxification and promote detoxification. So, for the new little while I'm going to try out this new diet/lifestyle. The motto of the book is "Waste=Weight" so the more nutrition that you flood your body with, the more toxic chemicals will be released from the tissues that have been stored there. This is where the waste comes from and as this waste is eliminated, you lose weight.

So, as my pre-summer weight-loss program, I will be putting this diet into effect tomorrow, in addition to some exercise because I am OUT OF SHAPE! It's pretty sad.

So let the detox and the weight loss begin!

Answers

So, I know that high-fructose corn syrup is awful for the body but after being asked why the other day I was stumped. I stumbled upon this article today about lowering cholesterol and it has some interesting facts in simple terms about the effects of HFCS, refined table sugar, white flour, and stress. It's pretty interesting. I really want to get back into the research mode and really find some good studies about the mechanisms and effects of these factors on other aspects of health, not just cholesterol.

Chocolate Overload

Okay, so I know that I said after my fast I was going to focus on not baking so much, but my beautiful friend Jesse that I coach volleyball with ran a half marathon yesterday ending her four month training sweets fast. So, to celebrate, I spent all of yesterday evening making cookies, brownies, blondies, and coconut chocolate candy... eating a little here and there along the way.

I didn't just eat chocolate yesterday though. I made a delicious enchilada, which is the only recipe that I've repeated in a long time. I really try to eat different foods and make different recipes as often as possible. It's healthier and way more exciting. My favorite part about my relatively new new diet is the opportunity to try new things.

Anywho, I also made some awesome chimichangas this week that I liked better the second time around since I used an avocado sauce on top.

Yesterday was a beautifully hot day and definitely was the inspiration behind the enchiladas (and I had all of the ingredients on hand). I sat by the pool a little bit in my bathing suit and realized it is definitely time to get back into running.

My goal is to run at least 3 times a week from now on, especially since the weather is getting better. I have a little accountability to just give me that extra motivation to get moving. So, good bye love handles and flabby thighs!

So, in my quest to look a little better in my bathing suit I'm going to work harder on being more active and eat a little lighter for the month of April. Tomorrow will be day one of my getting fit for bathing suit season regimen. : ]

I forgot to take a picture...

I made Brown Rice 'n Bean Jumble-aya from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan as my first actually meal after my fast/detox (which went quick well, by the way). It was a wonderful, nutritious meal. It was actually fat-free since I'm out of olive oil and figured it would be okay to simply saute my onions and celery in vegetable broth. The warmth from the paprika and cayenne pepper was very welcome, as it is still cold and rainy in Knoxville. I paired it with some lemon-broiled asparagus and a slice of french bread. I don't know about you, but I LOVE asparagus. And, again, since I'm out of olive oil, I just simply doused my asparagus with lemon juice, added a little pepper and paprika and stuck it in the oven. The asparagus was light, vibrant, and oh so yummy!

I really wish I had remembered to take a picture. I don't have a camera (or a phone that I can send pictures from), so picture-taking never really crosses my mind.

However, I WILL remember to take a picture of some of the food I'm making tomorrow. I know you're pumped.

Prior to my detox, I was baking a lot of goodies. This was mainly because I had all these recipes that were so fun and delicious, and I happened to have all the ingredients. My baked goods are pretty healthy compared to the butter, eggs, and dairy versions, but still not a good replacement for nutritious meals (I was eating cookies for lunch and sometimes breakfast too). Now, I'm not only going to try to resist the temptation to constantly make sweets (maybe only like once a week), but I'm going to try to reduce the amount of oil that I use in my everyday cooking. I've been noticing lately that I go through canola and olive oil pretty quickly. I realize the importance of getting those essential fatty acids in my diet, like from flax seed oil and I'm definitely not going fat-free. I am however going to try to be conscious of the amount of oil I use and if there are some areas in cooking where it can be replaced or omitted, as low calorie lifestyle is linked to longevity.

I've really been into spicy hot foods the past month or so and I just don't see an end in sight for those cravings, so tomorrow is going to be chimichangas for dinner! And I've already made dressing and croutons for my Caesar salad that I have planned for lunch tomorrow. I am still making an effort to eat more salads, and I'm actually improving. : ] Especially with this killer Living Caesar dressing from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. It's heavenly. : ]

Well, I'm off! Remember to always strive for optimum vitality, not just the absence of illness. : ]

On the Fast Track!

So, I have been doing a 3-day fast in preparation for a simple liver detox that's doing down tomorrow evening. I know that it seems absolutely absurd for someone to go 3 days without food and that it's supposed to be healthy. I just read this interesting paper about the bodily processes during a fast and it also describes the benefits. I don't have the time to recap the essay, but please check it out, if not just for your own knowledge.

Anywho, this is the second time that I have done this fast/detox. I am aiming to do one about every 1.5-2 months.

So, other than the physical benefits of a fast, there are other benefits that I really enjoy (maybe not at the time, though, haha).

First of all, it is a nice break from food prep and eating. I know that sounds even more ridiculous, but for someone who cooks all of her own food, has two jobs, 18 hrs of school and tries to maintain a social life, it is a welcome duty off of my list. I love cooking and eating so much that sometime I shove other priorities aside to play in the kitchen.

Which brings me to my next benefit of fasting. During a fast, I can't use cooking or food to mask any of the problems in my life, whether they are relationship problems, academic duties, or anything else you can think of, I have to deal with them. I really figure out what is not quite up to par in my life when I'm fasting because I can't lean on the bandaid of cooking. Thus, when I can't emotionally eat out of stress or whatever, I have to find a different, hopefully, healthier way of channeling my stress into more productive things. These practices carry on after the fast is over. (Sometimes not for long though, hence the regular periods of fasting.)

What else lingers over after fasting? Well, can I just tell you that after I do my liver detox (which is definitely not so fun, but worth it afterward), I really have no desire to waste all of that effort and fasting by eating sugary, fatty, nutritionally poor foods. On the contrary, during my fast I plan my next few meals for after the detox that will be chock full of vitamins and nutrients to really boost my immune system and the stimulate the effects of my detox. So, if my diet starts to get a little slack (recently I've been obsessed with vegan baked goods), my fast/detox is a regular checkpoint for me to get back on track eating healthier foods and trying not to stuff myself to the brim because they are so delicious.

Also, it is a little eye-opening to think about those who don't have regular daily meals. I'm very thankful that my body has enough energy stores that without eating for 3 days my body doesn't need to break down my muscle mass out of starvation. There are many people in the world that do not have the luxury of food-security. It's not really one of the more pleasant things to think about while fasting, but you really can't help it.

But, on a happier note! My detox is tomorrow so I have some really great plans for my meals on Thursday and Friday which I am more than ecstatic about blogging about. Hopefully, I'll remember to  take pictures also! Oh the joys of nutritious food!!

I know you can't wait! In the mean-time, remember to dance and enjoy life and good health!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Where did March go? This month has gone by so quickly to me. There are only like 10 days left!
Lately my mind has been on saving money and even saving the planet a little. Hehe. : ] After my trip to California and also looking into the future, I'm hoping to save up some money this summer season. My monthly expenses are simply food, gasoline, water and electricity. So... I have been thinking of how I can save money and precious fuels. These are definitely great things to be thinking about, especially with Earth Day coming up in April.

So, I've sort of come up with a list of areas in my life that I can start putting to good use the first two aspects of that famous mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".

-Gardening (what better way to save on food than by just growing your own!)
-Hanging clothes on a clothes line.
-Composting
-Reusing glass containers to get grains, beans, and nuts from bulk
-Taking quick showers

There are more details and I've already begun to plant some herbs and a few peppers, but I'm running short on time and must cut out!

More on saving the planet later!!

Looooooong, catch-up post!

So, it's been a while since my last post. I had a wonderful week in Berkeley and I definitely enjoyed some great food there but first I want to mention something from school last week.

My Biology teacher made some very wonderful points in the middle of one of his lectures last week. I honestly don't remember what the rest of the lecture was about but he began to speak of the energy transfer along the food chain which led him into a brief discussion into reasons why people become vegetarian. I was very thankful for the reasons he gave as they all are the reasons I have become vegan. One is obviously health. But he didn't mention necessarily the benefits of a plant-based whole foods diet in regards to the good nutrients and phytochemicals it contains but rather he looked at the lack of man-made, pollutant chemicals that this diet lacks.

Some people maybe believe that because as a vegan consuming way more produce than your average American, I am consuming many more herbicides and pesticides (lets pretend I don't even buy organic). However, he did a very wonderful job of making it clear that this is not the case. You see, for every pound of meat (say beef), 10 pounds of plants (say corn, since cows aren't ever really fed their normal diet of grass). This is an increase by 10 times. Biologists just refer to it as the rule of 10. So for every 100lb of beef, 1000lb of corn are required. Well, when an animal consumes this corn, which I'm going to assume not very regulated for pesticide levels since people aren't consuming it, cows are, the chemicals are not flushed out of the cow's body. The pesticides and herbicides (think DDT) are actually stored in the muscles and especially the fat tissues of the animal. So even though the amount of nutrients someone will get from eating an animal will decrease by 10 times as the animal must use these nutrients up, the amount of pesticides increases by 10 times. So, if corn contained only 20ppm of an herbicide or pesticide. Than same amount of meat would contain 200ppm of those chemicals. The majority of herbicides and pesticides that the average American consumes in their diet is from meat (I think the number was around 75%). Much of the rest is from other animal products like dairy (these chemicals get passed through cows' milk much like alcohol is passed through breast milk). Now, I DO buy most of my food organically grown but I also feel like by becoming vegan I have GREATLY decreased my exposure to harmful, toxic chemical buildup in my body just by no longer eating animal products, not to mention I now only eat plant-based, nutritious foods that support my immune system and my natural detoxifying organs (kidneys, liver, etc.).

And how delicious these foods are!! This week I got to splurge since I was in a more vegan friendly area of the US and actually go out to dinner! It was wonderful. When my plane arrived in Berkeley Monday night, my hosts were so kind as to have a delicious vegan meal, hot and ready for me at the house. Udon noodles with some greens and mushrooms. It was perfect after a long day of traveling. Tuesday was low-key with a vegan cookie for breakfast (it was vacation after-all), and then deliciously easy-to-make tortilla pizzas for a late lunch/dinner. Wednesday morning, we made Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton and they were just wonderful! I absolutely love breakfast pastries and this new recipe is a god-send for me. My gracious tour-guide took me to many a wonderful grocery store and on Thursday we went to a big farmers' market in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Oh, how I wish I could do all of my grocery shopping at a farmers' market! The Berkeley Bowl (another HUGE grocery extravaganza) was just like heaven. Organic bulk containers of every like of grain, nut and seed, raw, roasted or spiced, beautiful organic produce and just a wonderful selection. SOOO MUCH FOOD!! It was great! I hope to one day do a lot of my purchasing at the Berkeley Bowl.

On Thursday night we went to a fancy little vegan restaurant call Millennium. We ordered the prix fixe, 4-course menu and all of it was absolutely delectable. The first two courses were eaten before pictures could be taken but they were beautifully cooked. I tried my first falafel and we also had a mushroom dumpling with some sprouts and asparagus to begin. Our main course was this stuffed artichoke. It was heavenly. It had fava beans and there was a split pea side, as well as some greens and broccoli.

Dessert was AMAZING! It was a dark chocolate creme brulee with orange ice cream on top, garnished with a chocolate dipped orange slice (all vegan!). And.. I got to eat both mine and my friend's because he's a boy and boy's don't like dark chocolate. Haha! More for me!

I think that is it for now. I'll leave you wishing you had been eating this yummy vegan dessert with me!