Baked Pomegranate Oatmeal

1 cup old fashioned oats
3 tbs brown sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tbs flax meal
2 tbs warm water
¼ cup almond milk
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs melted Earth Balance
1 cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Lightly oil or grease an small square glass baking dish (I used a 6” dish)
Prepare the flax egg (1 tbs flax meal with 2 tbs warm water).

Combine the dry ingredients (oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ginger.)

Wisk together the wet ingredients (almond milk, maple syrup, Earth Balance)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add flax egg. Stir to combine.
Fold in pomegranate seeds.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and even out the top with the back of a spatula. Top with almonds.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until dense and cake like. It’s ok if it’s a little gooey, though!

Discovering Kiwiberries

Trudging along my usual path in my favorite local farmers-marketesque grocery store, I felt a force overcome me. My eyes were attracted like a magnet to the refrigerator towards a pyramid of plastic half-pint containers. Location: between the raspberries and the blackberries. I was intrigued. In these containers were like no berry I’d ever seen. The size and color of an unripe grape tomato, with a few splashes of red and brown, the curious food appeared to be tasteless and sour. But my perception was quickly changed when I read the packaging: Kiwiberries. Possibilities of what dances of the tongue these berries performed exploded in my mind almost immediately. My hand floated out of my pocket and was sucked with the suction of a vacuum wand on the dirt in the corner of a room. I had to try them! I love kiwi. But they are so inconvenient to eat! Although cute, fuzzy, travel-friendly and portable, the fact that the hairy flesh is not edible makes consumption quite impossible on-the-go. Behold the solution! Freshly waxed and the champion of last season’s The Biggest Loser, the poppable kiwiberry is here to rock my world.
  The skin is smooth and taught. Slick and fairly thick, tied on one end by network of brown fibers, arranged like a firework on the Fourth of July. The other end of the oblong berry looks like the wrinkles in a balloon near the knot at the bottom.

Oh, but the smell! It is a scent reminiscent of a summer fruit bowl, overflowing with grapes, sliced kiwi, and honeydew melon. I couldn’t wait to take them home and sink my teeth into the sweet mystery of a berry.

Alas, the moment that nudged my life slightly to the left. I could hardly wait long enough to rinse a handful under water before I lifted a berry to my lips. I felt the flesh slip across my lips like a hand over a microfiber sofa. I clasped the berry for dear life, saving it from the bottomless depths of my throat. Though, my efforts were no match against the attack of my dental guillotine. The kiwiberry was sliced in half, exposing the internal meat and small black seeds. It looked just like a miniature kiwifruit, sans fuzz!

The skin was a little tougher to chew than that of grapes or a tomato, but not quite as thick as an apple.The meat was light green and white. It squirted along my tongue, hugging every taste bud as it slugged to my throat. The experience was marvelous, though mildly interrupted with one problem: I neglected to remove the end before biting the berry, so I got an unpleasant bite of the woody bottom of the berry. I decided to try again.

This time, I punctured the skin on each end with my fingernails, discarded the firework strings and the woody bottom, and popped the remaining bulk of the berry into my mouth. Perfection. The seeds crunched and popped between my teeth, like Mother Nature’s Pop Rocks. The meat was chunky and slimy, yet a texture as enjoyable as my favorite applesauce. The sweetness traveled across my tongue. As I swallowed, I could smell the candy-like flavor deep in my nasal passage. A lingering syrupy aftertaste remained in my mouth long after gulping down the fruit.

Ringing in at $3 a package, these berries are a bit costly. But I do recommend at least a one-time splurge for an indulgent taste test. I’m not sure what details were involved drawing the kiwiberry and I together today, but I am convinced it was fate.

Phoenix, Jamaican me Crazy!

Okay Phoenix, I think you have made your point. Highs of: 111, 113, 115, 108, 102, 106…and up to 50% humidity on top of it!? On top of living in the oven of the planet Earth, I also don’t have A/C in my car. Blake Shelton, sing to me!

“SOME BEACH… SOMEWHERE…”

Yes, that sparkle you see is sweat. Lovely, no? Right about the time this picture was snapped, my mind was drifting away to a beach: Toes in the water, fanny in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a Island Shrimp Saute in my hand..and a margarita in the other (with a mini umbrella).

Island Shrimp Bowl

Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Inspired by the Coconut Rice recipe from the book Color Me Vegan

½ cup brown rice

¾ cup coconut milk, full fat

½ cup water

1 tsp coconut extract (optional…but recommended!)

2 TBS olive oil

½ yellow bell pepper, julienned and then halved

½ red bell pepper, julienned and then halved

1 zucchini squash, julienned and then halved

½ cup eggplant, julienned and then halved

8 oz frozen shrimp, cooked, deveined and tails removed

1-2 tbs chili garlic sauce

2 mangos, diced

1 avocado, diced

Optional to garnish:

¼ cup green onions

3-4 lime wedges

¼ cup cilantro

 

First, get the rice cooking. I used my rice cooker (set it and forget it!), but you can definitely get it going on the stovetop. In the rice cooker, simply add the rice, coconut milk, water and coconut extract to the magic pot. Push the red button and RUN! Just kidding, just turn it on. And distract yourself with preparing the rest of the dish… don’t just sit there and stare… you’ll annoy the rice.

If you choose to be a rebel and go with the stove, add the aforementioned ingredients (rice, coconut milk, water and extract) to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice, waft the coconut goodness into your nasal passages and feel yourself floating away to the sandy shore.

 

Wait come back! You can keep the bikini on, just come make the rest of the dish. I promise I’ll find you a coconut bra as soon as we’re done!

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat until it sizzles when you splash water in the pan. Add the peppers and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Add the zucchini and eggplant and sauté about 5 minutes more. Add the shrimp and sauté until shrimp is warmed through—about 5 more minutes. Finally, dollop in the chili garlic sauce for the final round of sautéing: you guessed it, about 5 minutes.

Lay a bed of rice on each plate. Top with half the shrimp and veggie mixture.

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with the diced mango and avocado, and add any of the optional garnishes mentioned. I only used what I had on hand from my nearly naked struggling-student pantry, but I thought green onions, cilantro and lime would have perfectly complimented the dish!

Curry Fury

If you have yet to discover it, I highly recommend you jump on the red curry paste bandwagon. Ok, it may not be a bandwagon, because that would imply there was a fad taking place and some sort of trend was occurring… and possibly that fad would be going out of style…and that is the farthest from the truth, ever. However, I do propose a Red Curry Paste fan club be initiated. I elect myself president.

I remember needing curry paste for a recipe a while back, and I made the unforgivable mistake of believing curry powder would suffice as a substitute. I was sure my laziness contributing to not wanting to get my booty to Sprouts to look for this hidden treasure was pardoned with the substitution. This substitution, however, is no where near an equivalent.

It was a night that unfolded in a way no one could possibly predict – I had my hands full with a list of ingredients I had yet encountered – unknown territory with little guidance as I navigated these unknown culinary paths. The recipe was Curried Swiss Chard. The source was Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Godreau. My life, was changed. (stay tuned for the recipe)

Following this discovery was a series of unfortunate financial events which left me low on funds for a good while. I didn’t venture to the grocery store for a good month, and I was left to deplete my cupboards, creating odd dishes composed of a little bit of everything. Meanwhile, that beautiful jar of red curry paste sat in my refrigerator, plotting its next attack on my taste buds.

Tofu-scrambled out, and not feeling up for the traditional maple and brown sugar oats, I felt my creative bone tingle one morning. I was hungry for oatmeal, but, like I said, I wasn’t feeling the sweet (weird, I know…I’m the queen of sugar). From this curiosity, history was made: Creamy Curry Oats. (recipe to follow) It was the perfect combination of creamy comfort I was yearning for in my morning bowl of oats, while adding the mild heat from the curry to raise the bar to a whole new level.

The following morning, I was hungry for more. But I wanted spicier. This time, I added some apple cider vinegar to the oats, and mixed in a touch of dijon mustard and spicy sambaal with the curry and almond milk. To buffer to the perfect heat level, I added a mini glug of maple syrup. WA-LA! I dub thee: Skadoosh (this is a Kung Fu Panda reference. There is no shame in my game.)

My curry-licious adventures didn’t stop with breakfast. After being sick in bed all day, I woke up feeling capable of working out some icky toxins at the gym. 500 calories of cardio later, my stomach was a-grumblin’. Leaving the gym around midnight, I fought with myself on the 20-minute drive home, debating whether I was going to eat this late. I knew I had a bunch of homework I had to catch up on, of which I was supposed to devote the very day I slept through. That was enough to lead me to the decision to feed the monster in my belly and get some fuel to my brain.

So, I went to my cupboard, freezer, and refrigerator. Again, I have been on yet another 1-month stretch of not going grocery shopping. My pickins were slim. But I managed to find a bag of frozen spinach, brown rice noodles, some light coconut milk, and of course – that beautiful jar of red curry paste. With the wave of my wand and the magic of a microwave, Spinach Curry Noodles were emerged. (don’t worry, I’ll give the recipe for this also!)

I’m not sure if anyone else shares the passion I do for this gem of a food product. Maybe, at present, I’m a one man band. But give these recipes a try, and I’ll be standing by with member applications. You’ll be hooked too!!

 

Curried Swiss Chard (adapted from Color Me Vegan)

1 TBS coconut oil

1 large red onion, sliced

1 large bunch Swiss chard, chopped (I used the stem and all, but I learned from Chopped on Food Network that the traditional uses utilize one or the other. You decide!)

1 TSP or more (shocker… I used more) red or green curry paste  ( I used red… I am being stubborn and have yet to experiment with the green. I would love to hear your experiences!)

1 C milk (I used leftover coconut milk, but if that’s not your preference…go for whatever you’d like)

Heat the coconut oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chard and stir into the onion until they both begin to cook down and shrink in size. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the curry and milk and cook for 5-10 minutes, uncovered, to fully tenderize the chard and deepen the flavor of the curry. you don’t want to cook it so long that the milk totally evaporates. It makes a delicious sauce over rice (try her coconut rice!!)

 

 

 

Creamy Curry Oats (an original recipe)

1 C almond milk + 1 TBS

1/2 C old fashioned oats

salt

1/2-1 TBS red curry paste

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1/4 C fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional..it makes it pretty and extra tasty!)

Bring almond milk just to boiling. Add salt and oats and lower heat until gently simmering. You may need to lower all the way to “Low” until the bubbles calm down before steadying at a “Med.” Cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Liquid will be almost completely soaked up.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the TBS of almond milk and curry paste. Add to oats, mixing until completely incorporated (the whole pan will be a consistent pink). Add in the nutritional yeast until flakes have dissolved completely. Remove from heat and stir a bit more. Consistency should appear cheesy and creamy. Add the chopped herb and mix until just incorporated. Dish and devour! (:

 

 

Skadoosh (an original recipe)

 

1 C. almond milk + 1 TBS

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

salt

1/2 C old fashioned oats

1/2-1 TBS curry

1/2 TBS spicy sambaal (aka Thai chili sauce)

1 TSP dijon mustard

1/4 C nutritional yeast

1 TSP maple syrup

Dash of paprika (optional)

Bring almond milk to a boil, then add salt and oats. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and allow to cook until almost all of the milk is soaked up – about 10-15 minutes. Add apple cider vinegar.

Meanwhile, mix TBS of almond milk with curry, sambaal and mustard. Add to oats. Mix until consistent. Add nutritional yeast and stir until flakes are dissolved. Remove from heat and add maple syrup. Stir well. Dish and top with paprika powder.

 

Spinach Curry Noodles (an original recipe)

1 bag frozen spinach

salt

1/4 cup brown rice noodles

1/4 cup light coconut milk

3 TBS red curry paste

Defrost spinach in a microwave safe casserole  dish until no longer icey. Drain well of excess water.

Meanwhile, boil about a cup of water with a pinch of salt. Add the dry brown rice noodles and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until noodles are tender.

In a small bowl, mix together coconut milk and curry paste.

Combine all ingredients in casserole dish and microwave for about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Split up for later, or eat the whole thing – I won’t judge you.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, y’all. I just want to share the magic with you ASAP! I’ll come back and add them later!

 

Double Dare Muffins

This post may shock you. You may be forced to go to a place you have said you would never go. Never fear, my friend, for trust and good health should be your foremost thoughts reading this post. And chocolate. Just look:

Tell me you don’t want a bite. I’ll call you crazy.

Now come closer. Closer. A little closer… Okay, that’s close enough! I have a secret for you. These muffins have a secret ingredient or two. I bet you’ll never guess:

Beets and Instant Coffee! Prepare to broaden your horizons. You’re welcome.

Now before you click exit and scrunch your nose, I’ll have you know these muffins have been taste tested by non-gluten free, non-vegans and I have been told they are AMAZING. (Because they are) Moist, but not underdone. Rich and chocolatey. No beet taste whatsoever. Just fudgy heaven.

Double Dare Muffins: (adapted from the amazing Minimalist Baker)

1 medium roasted beet, cooled to room temperature

2 TBS Flax eggs + 5 TBS room temperature water (whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes)

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup Madhave Agave Five Sweetener, or equal parts honey, agave or maple syrup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder

1 1/3 cup sifted Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I like Guittard Extra Dark)

2 Packets Starbucks Via Instant Coffee, or 1 TBS instant espresso powder

 

Preheat oven 400 degrees F and line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners, and spray with cooking spray (not olive oil!)

In a food processor, puree beet and applesauce until the consistency of applesauce is achieved once more. If there are chunks, the muffins will have a beet-y after taste… make sure it it smooth!

Add puree, flax egg, oil, agave sweetener, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk for 45 seconds.

Whisk in almond milk.

Sift cocoa powder, flour and instant coffee together and add to bowl. Fold in until just combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup portions into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 22-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Minimalist Baker is truly a genius. I made her recipe according to her rules, but they were beety tasting, and they didn’t get done all the way in the middle. Maybe it was my methods, but I tweaked a little here, added a bit there… BOOM. Chocolate craving curbed.

Try it. I double dare you.

Update! Moving Forward, Makin’ Plans

Looking back on my last post, it has been over a year since I have contributed! Life got the best of me, school got seriously high maintenance, and a lot of change occurred from my residence to my employment! But I’m back and I have a plan. Starting this summer, I am committing to a theme. Each week I will introduce you to one nutrient and its importance to the body and good health. If the focus isn’t a nutrient, it will be on a particular ingredient. The recipes posted will include that nutrient or ingredient, and a tasty irresistible way!

Since my last post, I have broadened my nutrition knowledge, and addressed my prudence to a few foods.

I am no longer fully vegan, as I found my focus and mental function was simply suboptimal on a completely plant based diet. I eat eggs for breakfast 4-5 times a week, but I try to stick to just the whites. I enjoy fish, such as salmon, cod, tilapia, tuna, mahi mahi or shrimp, once a week.

My energy is boosted, and my focus is back. I don’t feel tingly or weak. I feel strong and energized. Also since adding in these foods, I’ve lost the pesky pounds I was clinging onto, despite my herbivore habits. Maybe the full green life is for everyone. I know I have no plans to add in red meats, and I’m not convinced I need chicken or pork. I won’t be able to add in dairy, due to my allergies. But after researching eggs and fish, it seemed like the obvious decision for my optimal health.

This summer, I am going to provide the knowledge you need to find YOUR optimal health. Not everyone is the same, and no body processes foods the same. I will give you the tools you need, recipes to try, and facts to consider so that you can find what works for you!

If there is anything you have been curious about, and you want me to shed some light on the topic, PLEASE ASK! If I don’t know, I will do the research and give you perspective. I’ll even try my best to create a recipe in light of the topic.

In the meantime, here’s a few pics of what I’ve been up to! (not even close to full story, but just a taste!)

Joe loved these! Gluten Free, Vegan–Delicious and SUPER filling. Leftovers were never better 😉

Sauteed rainbow chard, brown rice and chickpeas with red curry

Gluten free, Vegan Tahini coleslaw with dried cranberries and avocado, topped with white sesame seeds–YUM!

Stay posted, give me feed back and tell me what you would like to read about! Just a preview of what’s to come: Double Chocolately Fudge Muffins (with a couple surprising ingredients!) Stay tuned (:

And I-ron… Iron so far away

I’ve been experience intense vertigo spells the past week or so, and I’ve deducted I’m missing some important nutrients in my diet. I’ve noticed that I don’t really have much hunger, and I’m super tired, no matter how much sleep I got the night before. Feeling this way makes me want to do nothing but crawl into bed at the end of the night – but my school agenda just doesn’t give me that luxury. I have finally found the mental motivation to push through this semester and achieve the best I can, however I find myself hitting a brick wall every time I leap into the books headfirst. 

With the aforementioned motivation as my backbone, I am slowly re-adopting all my best habits once-followed, since-abandoned. I’ve started to pick back up on my work-out schedule, with the goal in mind to get-it-right, get-it-tight. But with the way I have been fueling myself lately, I can tell I’m off to a wobbly start…I can tell my diet isn’t giving me what I need – I am not going to get away with chips and salsa, fruit and nut bars, lots (I mean lots) of coffee and canned chili alone. 

My main concern here is the the dizzy spells I get – they aren’t fun and it makes it very hard to concentrate throughout the day. Dizziness is linked to many things but of the most common include: anemia, iron deficiency, and low blood sugar. The first two are in relation to iron absorption.

In order to increase my iron absorption, I’m going to need to:

1. Eat more iron containing legumes (peanuts, lentils, beans, peas) – The intake increase is a no brainer. But here is the tricky part – plant based iron sources contain what are known as phytates. These buggers actually INHIBIT the absorption of the iron contained in the very same food source!

2. Consume more vitamin C, preferably with every meal. 65% of the iron contained in meat sources is easily absorbed because it is bound to the heme molecule – it is easily released from the food. The rest of the iron, and all of the iron contained in plant-based sources of iron, is bound to the non-heme molecule. In order to break away the iron for the body to be able to use it, the environment in the stomach has to be just right. We could get more technical, but long story short, vitamin C has what it takes to push past the barriers and create an ideal environment in the digestive system. Not to mention, it counter acts the tendency of phytates which attempt clog the iron-absorption commodes. Vitamin C is abundant in leafy greens, citrus fruits, strawberries, leafy greens, and bell peppers.  

3. Here’s the kicker: avoid coffee… and chocolate. Coffee, cocoa and caffeinated tea contain another set of absorption clogging culprits known as tannins. These are polyphenols that can significantly counteract my mission to increase my iron levels.  This isn’t going to be pretty guys. (http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/iron)

And now for the double whammy: Celiac disease is the cause of some cases of unexplained iron deficiency anemia. The lining of the small intestine mucosa erodes as a effect of CD. For those of you in my boat, it’s no wonder absorption is affected.

Weakness and dizziness could also be affected by low blood sugar. This could be a result of low caloric or low-carbohydrate intake, or even high-sugar food intake. 

 

With everything discussed above, I think I have a few ideas for my game plan: 

1. Stock up on plenty of Vitamin C rich foods and be sure to incorporate into every meal. 

2. Add grains and legumes to my meals.

3. Cut out coffee and chocolate for a while – Count on the natural energy from my food. Also, steering clear of the chocolate can help me keep a hold on my blood sugar and prevent spikes and crashes. 

4. Drink lots of water

5. Keep low calorie, highly nutrient snacks nearby to prevent hunger and drops in blood sugar.

6. Keep the good juices flowing by continuing my workout schedule!

 

Check out the website I cited in this post: it goes into a lot more detail (believe it or not) about iron absorption. Good stuff. 

I hope this helps you guys, I know this research has inspired me to get back on those good brain waves!

One of my good friends who happens to hold a degree in Dietetics giving the lowdown on overnight oats. It’s a deliciously economical, time-saving breakfast option that is filling and very nutritious! Knowing this girl makes me happy. I miss her though – we would have blog worthy convos all the time. She should come back to Phoenix – just sayin’.

medley of me

Even if you don’t love traditional hot oatmeal, you might like this. A bowl of overnight oats is whole grain goodness meets instant gratification. No more waiting 10 minutes (that you don’t have) to microwave oatmeal and wait for it to cool off.  Even better – no more sugary, overpriced breakfast cereals.

My friend Alli was the first person to tell me about overnight oats, and now I have them 5-6 mornings each week and sometimes as an afternoon snack. Here’s how you make them:

The night before you want to enjoy your oats, put them in a tupperware container, cover them with milk, put the lid on and stick ’em in the fridge overnight. I usually make mine with ¾ cups of oats and ¾ to 1 cup of original almond milk.  Peter enjoys his with dark chocolate almond milk.  In the morning, the oats will have soaked up…

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True Life: I’m Obsessed with Sweet Potatoes

Pictured: Sweet Potato Tacos (recipe from Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau) topped with fresh lime juice and a generous a heap of the best herb on the planet: cilantro.

Guys. I think I’ve fallen in love.

Thanks to the great in-season prices and the fact that ’tis the season to eat sweet potatoes, I’ve  recently tried a few recipes featuring this great vegetable. I’m hooked! I can’t help but exclaim in euphoria while eating anything I make with this magic food. Deliciously sinful, yet so good for you, I’ve decided to validate my new obsession with the benefits of the sweet potato (or yam…whatever is available!)

Magnesium: You can relax knowing this delicious food contains good amounts of magnesium. No really, magnesium helps stress levels and reduce anxiety! Don’t be part of the majority of the Americans estimated to be deficient in this mineral… TEAM SWEET POTATOES!

Vitamin C: You already have heard this vitamin helps with your immune system, but did you also know it helps give your skin a healthy glow and build that stuff called collagen? Collagen is what keeps your skin strong and elastic.

Vitamin B6: This vitamin helps with homocysteine balance. High homocysteine levels are linked with heart troubles. Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, they’re good for your heart.. the more you eat…nevermind.

Vitamin D: Take that carnivores! Us herbivores don’t have to worry about Vitamin D deficiency, sweet potatoes have our back…well, they have vitamin D which supports bone health, so in a roundabout way, they really do. They also take care of our skin, nerves, teeth, and help us stay in a good mood!

Iron: That’s right, sweet potatoes pump that iron. They are so buff, they help our immune function, keep us from stressing ourselves out, and helps us metabolize protein to turn into our own muscles!

Vitamin A: Sweet Potatoes provide about 90% of your body’s necessary amount of vitamin A! This wonderful organic compound is responsible for healthy eyesight, increased immune function, and aids in other basic body functions.

Beta-Carotene: No, it’s not just in carrots! This bright pigment does more than make a beautiful presentation! It’s anti-inflammatory and also helps your body respond to insulin to better control bl0od sugar levels.

Honestly, I think this case is closed. I elect Sweet Potato for president. He’ll do great things for this country.

I’d Wear Leather Boots… if I could afford them.

“You’re vegan? I mean, I’m all about the puppies, but I love my burgers!”

This is why I avoid that word altogether. I follow a plant-based diet. I’m not vegan. Vegan is a term used to describe someone who has chosen a lifestyle, not just altered their diet. Not only do they avoid eating any products with which animals were involved, they also avoid other products, such as hair care, clothes, makeup, and hygiene products. Not to mention, they care about bees. I hate bees. I’ll eat their honey out of spite! How dare they think they can control me with their butts. So disrespectful. 

Sorry, that was off topic. Anyways, the point is that I didn’t adopt this diet for the sake of animal rights. While I do not in anyway care for any sort of torture to innocent animals, I don’t see myself as an advocate for furrball rights. I’ll admit, I wear my leather jacket into my favorite local Vegan restaurant… whoops. I eat the way I do for my health! It’s selfish, I know. But unless you ask me, you assume I’m compassionate! 

The facts are that there are endless studies showing plant-based eating is so much healthier! Even going plant-based for one day out of the week has been shown to improve cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood pressure levels! I don’t have to worry about having high cholesterol because plants don’t have cholesterol (they do have what are called plant sterols, but these actually help to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol)! In case you didn’t know, you don’t need to take in cholesterol because your body makes it naturally!

With the exception of B12 and, arguably, omega-3 and vitamin D, you can easily get all of your essential vitamins and minerals from an entirely plant-based diet. With those more difficult to get, they can easily be supplemented without all the added trans fat, cholesterol, and possible carcinogens. That’s right, I said carcinogens: cancer causing! Meats cooked at high temperatures produce carcinogens call heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, that may be linked to colon and rectal cancer. In comparison, plant-based diet have therapeutic affects on cancer patients. 

Now, I do joke that animal rights and saving the environment aren’t in my closest radar. But in all seriousness, I do appreciate what I am doing to be a more friendly resident and neighbor to all life on this great planet. While I did talk about my personal reasons in respect to my health I always feel so good knowing I am doing my part.

I could always bring up to cow fart card…yeah, I’m going to go there. The meat industry has gotten so big that the majority of agricultural crops, especially corn, is used for livestock feed alone! This feed, as well as the livestock is transported countless miles. Not to mention, cows produce more methane gas and contribute to air pollution and the erosion of the Ozone more than our vehicles! This gas is most likely due to the fact that cows were meant to be grazing, grass-fed animals and their digestive systems weren’t meant to handle a corn-based feed. It would be like feeding ice cream to a lactose intolerant patient…not thing pretty come out of that situation (pun-intended).

I could go on and on, but let’s just leave it at this: I am plant-based..a thriving herbivore that is focused on fueling her body with only what’s best for it. From what I can tell, I’m doing the right thing.