Things You Should Make Yourself - Almond Milk

This is the first part in an on-going series of things you should make yourself. Not only is homemade better, tastier, and healthier - it's usually far less expensive!

What motivates you to learn to make something yourself? For me, it was Almond Dream changing the formula on their almond milk. They were the only brand I had been able to find that did not contain carrageenan, a seaweed additive I have a sensitivity to. It makes me sick so I avoid it as much as possible and I especially cannot consume beverages with it. When I noticed it was now in the almond milk I was consuming, I got mad and then I got smart.

I started venting to my vegan friend, Morgan (who has a fantastic vegan blog) and she said "girl, why are you not already making your own almond milk?"

The answer was simple, I just hadn't thought of it!

Using Morgan's terrific and easy recipe I tweaked it to work for my personal taste - I use 1 cup nuts to 6 cups water and leave the rest the same, skipping the hemp powder.

I found my own version of almond milk nirvana!

I used to use almond milk in cooking and baking and to splash on cereal but I was never one to pour myself a glass and drink it up ... that is, until I started making my own!

I've been making it for awhile now and I make it at least once a week, sometimes two. You can make it unsweetened for cooking too (just skip the sweetener and vanilla, keep the oil)

Morgan gives you great direction and she even has a link to her sisters blog that has a video of her making the milk!

I do highly recommend buying a nut milk bag. It will make life so much easier. I ordered mine off Amazon.com and there is a direct link to it at the bottom of my blog. You can also get the cacao powder and make chocolate almond milk. Yummy!

I keep my almond milk in quart sized Ball canning jars. It's easy to store and I can just shake it up before using. I also date mine with a sticker each time so I'm sure to use it up within 5 days.

I use medjool dates in mine since I don't like Stevia and I'm not a big fan of agave since it's processed. Dates give you fiber and vitamins and minerals and they are all natural!

I used to have a Ninja brand blender and it worked great for almond milk. I now have a Vita Mix  and it works even better but don't assume you need one to make almond milk. Any decent blender with some power should work. Bed, Bath & Beyond has the Ninja ... use one of their coupons and save 20%!

The best part of making my own almond milk? It costs 1/3 what I was paying for the store bought almond milk!

If you try making your own, let me know how you like it!

Summer Reading

I love books and I love to learn about nutrition, veganism, and other health topics. Many people ask me to recommend books to them about the vegan lifestyle. I also get requests about vegetarianism ... I was vegetarian for 7 years before becoming a vegan. I would rather someone start with a vegan book even if they aren't ready to go straight into being a vegan because there is always room to grow! I've found that most people that start with being vegetarian will eventually go vegan so it's better to at least educate yourself on the lifestyle even if you continue to consume eggs and dairy. Most of these authors have websites and I've included the links for you. You can get free recipes and learn more about their books.

These are my most fave vegan books:

21 Day Kickstart: Boost Metabolism, Lower Cholesterol, and Dramatically Improve Your Health by Dr. Neal Barnard

This book is a plan that will allow you to try veganism for three weeks, that is how long it takes for you to get used to change. Three weeks is a good amount of time for you to re-train your taste buds and to start seeing some health benefits of a life without animal products. There is also a great website about the 21 Day Kickstart. 

A couple times a year they host a free online program that you can sign up for. Every day they will email you recipes, videos and vegan celebrity pages with lots of info. I've done the program twice even tho I am already a vegan.

The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds by Rip Esselstyn

The Engine 2 Diet is especially good to help men make a change into becoming vegan. The book is by a pro athlete turned firefighter who happens to be the son of renowned cardiologist, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. There are lots of easy and manly recipes! Rip's website.

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  and Terry Hope Romero

The vegan bible! This cookbook is one of the most popular vegan cookbooks available. I've only made a few things from it but it's definitely one to get if you love to cook. Isa has an amazing website.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres

A tough love approach to all things vegan. This book will empower you to dedicate yourself to the vegan lifestyle and it is not for the faint of heart. This is the book I go to when I need to remind myself why I'm choosing this lifestyle and why it's more important than ever.

Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet by Brenda Davis and  VesantoMelina 

This is my most favorite information book. Chock full of scientific info on nutrients and vitamins, this is a solid go-to book for vegans. I think it's one every vegan should own.

Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life by Dr. Neal Barnard

If you want to go vegan for health reasons, this is the book for you. Dr. Barnard makes a convincing case for the new four food groups - whole grains, veggies, fruits and legumes.

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone

Another favorite, Alicia's book is a gentle teaching of why being vegan is important for the animals, for your health and for the health of the planet. She's tough when she needs to be but she also comes across as the perfect first vegan friend you need as you start your journey. She talks about three stages - flirting (dipping your toe into being vegan), vegan (taking on a no animal product lifestyle) and superhero (more of a macrobiotic diet). The recipes are great. Alicia also has a website, The Kind Life

Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that Are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod by Kim Barnouin

I liked the Skinny Bitch series, which I also recommend if you are tough enough to handle it.  I was excited to get Kim's new book. It has fantastic recipes and photos along with lots of information about  food ingredients, food shopping and the vegan lifestyle. Kim has a website, Healthy Bitch Daily

You Don't Have Time To Eat Healthy? That's Bullshit.

Do you often say  ‘I don’t have time to eat healthy?’   Let's be honest... a little tough love here... It’s more like ‘I won’t MAKE the time to eat healthy’ ..  if you really WANT to do something, you will find a way. It’s true. You find time to do other things like watch TV or attend a sporting event or read a book or go to the mall.

I realize I am fortunate to work from home and I probably have more free time than someone with kids or a regular job but there are MANY people that do have full time jobs and families and go to school and all sorts of other things that manage to eat well and exercise.

You do what is necessary if you want to do it.

A couple hours of prep time during your free time is really all it takes to put habits into place that can keep you on track for the week.  Making a weekly meal plan is a great first step. This way you know what you’re having so there is no last minute panic to pull something together. Plus, it makes shopping easier and you tend you use up ingredients if you make a plan. I sketch out a basic weekly plan on what I want to have and then each day I decide what I’m in the mood to make from my weekly list.

Where to find the time?

Place a TV where you can see it in your kitchen so you can do prep work while watching your fave TV shows.

Get the kids or hubby involved!

Get up an hour early on your days off to get a little prep work done. It really doesn’t take much time.

Crockpot! It’s an important tool to utilize. It can cook meals for you like a personal chef! You can come home, have dinner and then freeze the leftovers!

If you can afford it, buy some pre-prepped items like baby carrots, bagged lettuce, shredded carrots, jarred garlic, prepared hummus. Of course, it’s cheaper to do it yourself but decide what it’s worth to you to cut a few corners.

Use frozen veggies. They are just as good as fresh. Limit canned veggies tho. (except beans)

Buy canned beans if you can’t make the time to cook from dry. They cost more than dry but they are still pretty cheap!

Using a jumbo muffin pan is a great way to freeze individual servings of oatmeal and bean dishes. You just need the freezer space to allow it to freeze. I like to use Ball freezer jars or Gladware mini containers as well.

If you take a lunch each day it’s easier if you take the same stuff every few days to limit what you have to think about. Did you know Jennifer Aniston ate the same salad every single day for 10 years when she was working on Friends?

When you are making a meal, make extra and then you have instant leftovers that can be reheated later on or tossed into a lunch.

What to prep?

Make a bowl of brown (never white) rice that you can use for quick stir fry and bean dishes. A rice cooker is a great investment. I make rice twice a week.

Make a bowl of pasta  (penne works great) and toss it with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Then you just need to toss it with some hot marinara and sautéed veggies for a quick meal.

Make a pot of soup or chili at the beginning of the week and eat it all week long. You can even take it in your lunch.

Make a batch of steel cut oats in the crockpot and then portion it out into individual servings and freeze. You are about 2 minutes from hot oatmeal in the morning. It's really good with a diced banana and a little nut butter mixed in.

Make veggie burger patties and keep them in the fridge or freezer, then just cook one up when you want it.

Make a pot of rice and beans and freeze into individual servings. They can be eaten alone, with chips as a dip, or turned into tacos and burritos!

Chop up salad fixings so it’s easy to toss together a salad or a quesadilla.

Chop up veggies for stir fries ahead of time. (I always keep thin sliced mushrooms and chopped green onions in my fridge and then toss in a handful of frozen peas)

Mix up your own salad dressings. They are fresher, less fattening and won’t contain crappy ingredients. I make a couple kinds at the beginning of the week.

Make a couple healthy dips or spreads (like Mexican tofu dip, muhammara or hummus) and then you have a quick snack with carrots for dipping or to spread over crackers. You can also use them to make a veggie wrap.

Have a healthy dessert or cookie made up to snack on when you want something sweet. I like to have brown rice treats on the counter each week. Perhaps oatmeal cookies! I always keep fresh granola around too.

Keeping healthy habits.

The most important thing to remember is this  - Don't buy junk and you can't eat junk.

The same goes for the hubby and the kids. Just stop buying crap and bringing it into your house. If you want to eat junk then you should have to make the effort to go and get the junk. Buy one serving so you can’t overeat it. Surround yourself with healthy foods and you will grow to love eating them. Like the old saying goes “if you aren’t hungry enough to eat a piece of fruit, you aren’t hungry”.

Only buy wholesome foods like whole wheat breads, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley, whole oats), whole grain pasta, sweet potatoes, fresh veggies and fruits, beans and nuts.

Commit to trying to new things and ingredients or things you’ve disliked in the past. If you hated a certain veggie as a kid, buy it and try it again. Cook it in a different way. Almost every veggie is delicious roasted. You may discover that you love it! But whatever is in season and find something to do with it.  It’s usually priced really well and the best time to eat it!

Buy healthy snacks like nuts, veggies, and fruits. Again, don’t bring crap into your house. Pack healthy snacks in your bag or desk drawer. Temptation is everywhere so don't ever allow yourself to be caught without a healthy choice.

Stay away from anything packaged and processed. It’s garbage and it’s full of sugar and crap. Eat whole foods.

Educate yourself on what is good and bad for you. Make the decision to take control of your own health. Strive to get off or stay off medicines by choosing the right foods!

Google for new recipes! There are millions of great blogs and websites that are literally a few clicks away on the internet. If you have kids, invite them to plan a meal once a week by looking for recipes they’d like to try.

Challenge your kids to try new things. Let them choose a veggie or fruit at the store and then come home and Google for a recipe to make with that ingredient. If you make veggies, fruit and whole foods a normal part of your lives, your kids will grow up eating them and they will actually like them.

Gary Yourofsky's Speech

Gary Yourofsky has spoken to thousands of students about the true meaning of animal rights.

Gary's powerful and enlightening message has been heard by more than 60,000 students in 170 middle schools, high schools and universities nationwide,

Gary uses thought-provoking prose, inspiring stories, indisputable facts, quotes from Pythagoras, William Ralph Inge and other great thinkers, plus graphic footage from slaughterhouses (land and sea), to ask people to be kind to animals and, ultimately, go vegan.

Gary lectures only to schools and universities. He does not charge and he has nothing to sell to you.

If you are thinking about cutting out animal products, you need to watch this video. If you choose to eat and exploit animals, you should watch this video. At least own your choice and that way you can be comfortable in the choice you've made.

Be brave. Watch this.

The best speech you will ever see.

The 30 minute Q&A session after the lecture.

Gary's website.

Building The Perfect Salad

Ah, salad. There are some of you who love a good salad while the mere mention of a plate full of the colorful stuff strikes fear into the heart of veggies haters! What is the perfect salad? The one you'll actually eat.

You should be eating a good 6 - 8 cups of veggies a day. Raw is best because then you get the full nutrient value. Salads are a great start to a healthy meal. A small side salad not only helps give you the vitamins and minerals you need but it can also help to control your appetite for the meal following it.

I've chosen to use Bed, Bath & Beyond links for certain products as most people have access to this chain store and you can use those 20% off coupons! At the very least, you can see what I'm talking about and then find them locally.

Greens
The best greens are the ones you like and will actually eat so determining that will help you look forward to a great salad. Dark greens are best nutritionally but if you only like iceberg then eat that! Give other greens a try tho. I love romaine, spinach, spring greens and butter/bibb lettuce best but when it comes to my ginger dressing, only iceberg will do. There are different greens for different needs and tastes. Experiment. You can also buy mixed bags of greens but it's much less expensive to buy the various kinds and make your own blend.

One thing I recommend buying and using is a lettuce knife. It's made of a plastic material. A regular knife that is metal will cause your greens to brown so don't use a regular knife if you're pre-cutting greens for later use. They are inexpensive and they are also great to use on brownies or sticky bar type cookies.

I also recommend getting a salad spinner. Moisture is what ruins greens.. so wash them, spin them dry and store them properly! Then you just have to remember to eat them!

Veggies
The heart and soul of a great salad are the veggies!  Again, toss in what you like. Shredded carrots, chunked up cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, chopped green onion, diced celery, broccoli and cauliflower, red pepper slices, zucchini ribbons, peas, corn, the choices are practically endless!  Go for a rainbow of colors and choose based on texture and crunch!

A little prep work in this area will make your life much easier. I always buy my salad goodies and spend a half hour chopping stuff up and placing it back in my fridge. This way you have a sort of salad bar available whenever you want a salad. It's much easier and quicker to grab the pre-chopped stuff and toss a salad together! One thing I've found is that using my food processor to thinly slice or grate veggies makes for a fun salad!
Bonus - those prepared veggies can be used in your brown rice stir fries too!

Fruit
Some people like fruit in their salads. (I'm not one of them. I prefer my fruit on the side) but some faves are chopped apple, mandarin oranges, grapes, apples and thin sliced strawberries. Whatever gets you eating the greens is alright by me!

Beans & Natural Good Fats
All salads should have beans! It's a great source of protein. My favorites for salads are garbanzo (chickpeas) or black beans but you can use any bean you enjoy. I also recommend adding in some good fat sources like avocado or olives. Some people also enjoy sprinkling ground flax seed onto their salad. Tempeh bacon, cooked crisp and added to a salad is the best damn thing ever. Trust me on this!

Nuts & Seeds
Sunflower seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds and sliced almonds are all terrific texture builders for salads. They also give you some protein and natural oils that your body needs and will love.

Croutons
I'm a huge crouton fan. I make my own. Croutons give a salad a fabulous crunch and texture and I really miss them if I don't have them. Processed and packaged croutons from the store are loaded with HFCS,weird preservatives, chemicals and strange ingredients. They also taste like bark. Making your own is so easy that you really don't even need a recipe. You can use any kind of bread. I've even used sandwich bread. I prefer whole wheat, sourdough or french bread. I will also take stale (not moldy) or leftover bread, cube it and freeze it. Then I have bread ready to make croutons whenever I want and I'm not wasting bread.

My 'recipe':

Just cube up whatever loaf of bread you choose, put it in a big bowl and set aside. Then, in another bowl mix up about 1/2 cup olive oil and you can also toss in a tbsp of melted vegan 'butter' if you want a buttery taste but the olive oil is great on it's own. Then, just add in whatever flavors you like. I like to use 'Spike', garlic powder and a few mixed herbs. Blend that together and pour it over the bread pieces and toss to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet with sides and bake at 350 degrees until toasted. Stir them every 5 or 10 minutes to keep them from burning. Once cool, store them in a ziplock baggie with as much air removed as possible.


Edited to add: Here is a recent post with an actual recipe.... click here

Other Crunchies

Crushed tortilla chips, broken up pita chips, and crispy Asian noodles are all great in salads. just watch the ingredient listing and don't buy crappy kinds full of weird stuff. You can find healthy versions.


Dressing
A perfectly healthy salad can turn horribly wrong if you top it with the wrong dressing! Did you know that some dressings have upwards of 100 to 200 calories in a 2 tbsp serving? Do you really only use 2 tbsp? Probably not. First off, learn to measure your dressing. Put it in a small side cup and then dip your fork in it and then spear the salad. You can also take the pre-portioned amount and toss your salad with the dressing to get it evenly distributed. Don't let your healthy salad turn into a Big Mac by going crazy with the dressing.

Also, don't overdue the dressing. Dressing is meant to enhance the flavor of the veggies, not drown them.  Vegetables taste so good on their own that you want their individual flavors to shine thru... you want them all at the party so don't overwhelm them with a heavy dressing placement.

The body prefers that you have a little fat when you eat veggies so if you are using a dressing without oil, make sure you toss in avocado and nuts to keep your body happy!

Homemade is best... not only in taste but in nutrition. The ingredient listing on a bottle of processed dressing is scary and disgusting (and all the sugar!) so if you absolutely refuse to make your own, at least splurge on the dressings you'll find in the health aisle or check out the refrigerated ones at the supermarket. Always opt for all-natural.

I like to use a Magic Bullet type blender to make most dressings. There are a few brands on the market and they can be used for many things so they are a nice tool to have. These type of mini blenders can emulsify oiled dressings to make them creamy. You can try using a blender but they are usually too big to get the job done properly.

Here are a few of my fave dressings:

Vegan Caesar Dressing

¼ cup sliced raw almonds
1 to 2 cloves chopped garlic
½  cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used bottled)
2 teaspoons capers
½  cup vegan (egg-free) mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise)

½ tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place almonds, garlic and olive oil in a blender and pulverize until mostly smooth. Add lemon juice, capers, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and puree until smooth. If a thinner dressing is desired, add more lemon juice, water or olive oil.

Julie’s Balsamic Dressing

(from Skinny Bitch Everyday Cookbook)

½ c olive oil

¼ c balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp strawberry jam (I’ve also used raspberry)

1 tsp salt (plus more to taste if needed)

¼ tsp pepper (plus more to taste if needed)

1 tsp herbes de provence

¼ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp ground mustard

¼ tsp ginger

¼ tsp dried sage

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

I blend it all in my Bullet blender and then I add in some water. It's rather thick once it's blended so thin it with water until it's the consistency you prefer. It will emulsify and change to a lighter color. The recipe says to whisk together tho so you can decide how you'd prefer it. I also sometimes add more jam and agave depending on how I am feeling. If you want it sweeter, add in more to taste.

Also.. since I make this so often… I will measure out multiple servings of the herbs and baggie it so all I have to do is add an herb pack to the wet ingredients… takes less time.

Engine 2 Basics Dressing (no oil)

I know this sounds really weird but once I tried this, I started craving it. I love this dressing and it has no oil!

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
1 tbps mustard (I like dijon)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 orange, lime or lemon (abt 3 tbsp)
1 tbsp agave nectar, honey or maple syrup (I leave out)
1 tsp of vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (look for one without anchovy)
1 tbsp wheat germ (I used flax seed instead)
Water to desired consistency

Mix all together. I prefer to emulsify it in the Magic Bullet.

Benihana Ginger Dressing - serve this on iceberg with a slice of tomato! it's just like you get at the Japanese places! Serve with your brown rice & veggie stir fry! 

Veggies Are Not The Enemy!

I am often very saddened by the amount of veggie hate I encounter on a regular basis and I blame parents. Generation after generation of parents have forced children to consume mushy canned veggies before leaving the dinner table and that is wrong. This forced eating turns some people into veggie avoiders and then they raise their kids to never even eat veggies! I'm here today to tell you that veggies are amazing and good and if you find a way to give them a second chance, you could find that the hate in your heart can replaced with an understanding... maybe you won't end up loving veggies but you can at least be friends.

I personally love many veggies - carrots, peas, green beans, brussels sprouts, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, kale and so many more but others are just 'eh' for me, which means that I probably won't buy them and make them at home but I'd eat them if I were out someplace and happened upon them.  With the exception of zucchini, I'm not a big fan of squash so that is an 'eh' veggie for me. Don't love it, don't hate it. I pretty much like all other veggies.

I have one veggie hate confession to make. I only have one veggie I despise with every fiber of my being and I will not, under any circumstances eat this veggie.. I hate the flavor of it and I think it destroys any food it comes into contact with so it isn't something I can even pick out of a dish because it's ruined if it has this veggie in it and that veggie is the green pepper!

I'll eat red, yellow and orange peppers but green is non-negotiable! Green peppers are unripe peppers.. so if you eat them, you are eating peppers that aren't finished! Red peppers have more vitamins and nutrients and contain the antioxidant lycopene. The level of carotene is nine times higher in red peppers. Red peppers have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers. Also, one large red bell pepper contains 209 mg of vitamin C, which is almost three times the 70 mg of an average orange.

The best way to start with veggies is fresh, of course. Fresh veggies (organic if you an afford them) are the building blocks of a solid, healthy diet. You should be eating (and enjoying) a ton of veggies everyday!

Frozen veggies can be a great second choice. My favorite frozen veggie is corn. All the work is done for me and all I have to do is warm it up or thaw it to toss into dishes! Frozen can be great if you can't get fresh but some veggies lose their crispness when frozen and you have to make sure you aren't buying veggies packed with crappy ingredients that take away from their goodness - like cheese or butter sauce.

The worst thing that ever happened to us - canned vegetables. Yes, they can be convenient but they taste horrible. Veggies are meant to crunch and snap. They aren't meant to disintegrate into pulpy piles in our mouths. You should have to chew veggies, not swallow them like pudding. Our teeth are specifically made to chew plants, so use them! Canned veggies shouldn't be a choice at all, if you can help it. I don't mind canned spinach but I rarely use canned veggies at all.

So, how to reintroduce veggies back into your life?

A Daily Smoothie.

Blend together the following in a blender:

1 cup of unsweetened nut milk (or use homemade almond milk sweetened with dates!)

a scoop of your fave protein powder (I prefer hemp)

1/2 cup berries or tropical fruit (frozen is great in this case, it acts as ice)

1 TBSP flax seed

1/2 banana (frozen will give it a shake consistency)

a handful of spinach

* you may need a couple ice cubes if you are using non-frozen fruit.

wait.. spinach in a smoothie? yep! It's fabulous! First off, you won't really taste it and you'll be drinking a full serving of veggies in there! When I buy a big container of spinach, I'll eat it fresh for a few days and when it starts to wilt, I'll pop the rest in the freezer and then I can grab a small handful and toss it into my smoothies. It keeps for a long time that way. Other optional additions to your smoothie can be Maca powder, Cacao powder, Chia seeds, and whatever supplements you want. You can pack a whole lotta goodness into a shake every day! You could even make that your daily breakfast! It's quick and easy.

Make Up For Lost Time

I want you to make peace with your parents veggie mistakes. I want you to wipe the slate clean and start over when it comes to veggies! I want you to re-try a veggie you have a hatred for once a week. Pretend you've never had it. When you start with fresh veggies you have endless cooking options but the easiest way is to roast them because I don't think I've found a veggie yet that isn't delicious roasted.

Take a cookie sheet and place a piece of foil on it and mist it with oil (or use a quick spray of cooking spray) then lay out whatever veggies you are trying on to the foil. You can also mix in a variety of them!. Then drizzle or mist olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with sea salt. You can also add any herbs and spices you want. then, cook at about 400 degrees (turning once in awhile to prevent burning) until the veggies are fragrant and fork tender. They should be able to be pierced with a fork but shouldn't be mushy. Different veggies cook at different speeds... potatoes and carrots take longer than asparagus and mushrooms so you may need to cook the harder veggies for a bit first and then add the ones that cook faster.

Some veggies, like carrots and onions will caramelize and turn into sweet gems of deliciousness while others blossom in flavor. A good example of that is broccoli. Broccoli is ok raw but steam it for a couple minutes and it is really delicious.

You need to experience veggies on their own.. so avoid dumping sauces on them or hiding them in other foods. Veggies actually taste really good. Once you've started eating healthy and removed sugar and processed foods from your diet, your taste buds will re-emerge and come to life again. You'll find that you prefer less salt too!

Steaming is great for broccoli and cauliflower. I love to saute green onions, mushrooms and peas to add to my brown rice for a quick stir fry. My favorite way to eat green beans is sauteed with a little hoison sauce, an Asian sweet soy type sauce. I love corn and baked potatoes with a little sea salt, fresh ground pepper and Earth Balance buttery spread. I love sweet potatoes with a little Earth Balance, cinnamon and maple syrup. Speaking of potatoes, you can toss whole potatoes (regular and sweet) into your crockpot and bake them that way. Cook on high for a few hours and you have perfectly baked taters!

There are tons of other ways to enjoy veggies. Get on the internet and google for veggie specific recipes!

Find Your Inner Bunny!

Your parents may have started your aversion to veggies but if you continue to hate veggies then that is on YOU. As we grow up and mature, tastes change so things you didn't like in the past may become a new favorite but you'll never know if you don't try those things at different times in your life.  I'm guessing the store is full of veggies you haven't even tried and maybe feel a little intimidated to bring home and that's ok! Just google a veggie you are interested in and find a few recipes to test out. Ask friends if they have a fave way to make that veggie and get recipes! If you have kids, start a weekly veggie project... choose a new veggie each week, research it, buy it and have everyone try it!

A gorgeous salad is the obvious choice for eating raw veggies. I'll be posting about building the perfect salad in my very next post! Stay tuned!

I simply can't comprehend it

One thing that frustrates me is when people are so willing to take dangerous pills, have risky surgeries to correct heart disease, replace organs and actually have body parts removed, inject themselves with the urine of pregnant women (gross, right?) or go on crazy diets where you eat 14 jars of baby food a day, live only on weird canned chemical drinks or give up whole groups of foods like carbs or fruit (really? fruit? that makes sense to people?) to lose weight or cure disease but no one seems willing to simply eat the correct way.

I don't understand it. It's so simple and it won't cost you thousands of dollars or require you to attend meetings, count calories, deprive yourself, allow doctors to cut into you or introduce harmful drugs into your body. Think of the money you'll save!

Eating plant based foods means you can stop counting calories because if you only eat the foods that are good for you and nourish you then you don't have to worry about how much you eat. Choose to eat whole, fresh foods and give up the processed, sugary and chemical-laden garbage that make up the Standard American Diet (SAD as we call it).

Just stop. It's a choice that you need to make. Today.  You can choose to start eating a healthy diet and you can choose to give up eating crappy food. It really is true that you are what you eat so do you want to be cancer and diabetes and heart disease or would you rather be vibrant and happy and feeling great?

Don't go into your future thinking you have to get sore and tired and start taking medications to keep yourself alive... embrace food for the medicine it is! 

You only get one body and you are probably treating it like complete shit. It's there for you and will do amazing things if you only give it the fuel it needs to function properly. Your body wants to work for you, not against you... but it can only give you as much as you're giving it.

Start eating every few hours to keep your energy up and enjoy eating all day long! Stop buying shit! If you don't buy it, you can't eat it! Only allow yourself to eat the foods that are good for you like veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and beans! You will feel better, look better, your attitude will change, your outlook will change and you'll be fighting and preventing disease!  The earth provides us with all the nutrients we need in plant life (yes, including calcium and protein!).... where exactly do you think the animals get the nutrients? FROM PLANTS... so cut out the middle men (animal products) that are killing you with saturated fat, cholesterol and hormones and choose to live without any bad karma.

Knowing that you are living without cruelty is a big game changer as well. It's a great feeling knowing you are not contributing to the suffering of other beings. It fills up your heart like you wouldn't believe.

Embrace your fellow earthlings ... they don't deserve any less than you do.