Cooking and Recipes, Health, Lifestyle

Vegan Keto

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Vegan Keto may seem like a contradiction in terms…isn’t Keto that crazy butter and bacon diet? GROSS!  However, there is a way to do keto vegan and delicious!

After all, anything you can do I can do vegan, right? 

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Vegan Keto Chocolates! The dream can be real. Comment below if you want me to post the recipe!

So whether you are looking for a rapid weight loss diet, a cleanse, or something new, giving vegan keto a try could be worth it– you will eat ALL OF THE AVOCADOS, who doesn’t want that?

For me, Vegan Keto is the perfect way to transition between the seasons, reset my food habits, drop some pounds and change up my metabolic rate! I usually go 1-2 months Keto and then enjoy the comfort foods of the winter, the fresh fruit abundance of the summer, the crisp apples of fall, and the florals of spring. I’m never one to compromise flavor, so come and get inspired with my vegan keto shopping guide and meal ideas below!

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Cooking and Recipes

Jerk Jackfruit

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1 tsp cinnamon
Date Honey/Syrup

Jackfruit looks strange from the outside– its giant and green, oblong and covered in a million tiny green spikes– but inside it is a mildly sweet fruit somewhere between a mango and an artichoke.  The young green jackfruit can be found in cans, or it can be found whole or pre-cut closer to ripe in most asian grocery stores. I always like to finish my jackfruit in a cast iron pan (I use this one from Lodge)

A little bit of bravery and a very sharp knife will cut through the thick outer skin of the whole fruit, giving you a great base that can take on many flavors from pulled v-pork to jerk v-chicken, giving you a healthy plant-based alternative to classic foods! Even better, jackfruit grows in abundance, making this a sustainable crop for local farmers year-round.

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Health, Lifestyle

Supplements for Vegans, pt 3 Vit D

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Veganism can be great for your health, and for your family. Veganism has been shown to reduce or reverse many diseases, and more and more doctors are advocating a plant-based diet– not to mention the environmental benefit that is healthy for us all.  It’s no wonder that I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

While being vegan CAN be healthy, being a junk-food vegan is also possible. For example, you could go home and eat the totally indulge-worthy Beyond Burger for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced diet ☺  And, the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide, I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods, and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement here and there, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. And remember, balancing nutrition is not a Vegan problem, it’s an everyone problem, and healthy vegans are definitely better off.

Missed the first two? Jump to Part1: B12, and Part 2: Protein

Are fortified foods enough to replace supplements….?

fortified

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 3 Vit D →

Cooking and Recipes, Health, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Kombucha for ALL

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There comes a time for every health-loving vegan, every trend-loving hipster, and every ferment-loving culture-fiend, when it’s time to learn to make kombucha.  And why not? Buying it retail is upwards of $5 a bottle, produces a fair amount of single-use package waste, and sometimes the flavor choices are…questionable. Preparing your own kombucha can be a little addictive, especially since the basics are easy to master, and a virtually endless amount of tweaking and flavor combinations can radically alter the outcome! It’s such a rewarding practice that you’ll probably be making your own by the gallon every month in no time!

This recipe uses a combination of ceylon and sencha with organic sugar and will have 2 ferments over the next 20 days! Basic recipes below, look for amazing flavor recipes in PART 2!

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Health, Lifestyle

Supplements for Vegans, pt 2

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Veganism can be great for your health, with the overall reduced risk of most cancers, heart disease and diabetes, not to mention the environmental benefit that is healthy for us all.  This information is becoming more and more widespread, and I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

While being vegan CAN be healthy, being a junk-food vegan is also possible. For example, you could go home and eat the amazing Earth Balance Cheese-Snacks for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced of diets ☺  And, the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide, I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods, and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement here and there, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. (Or you can Jump to Part 1: B12 or Part 3: VItamin D)

Do vegans need a protein supplement?

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 2 →

Health

Supplements for Vegans, pt 1 B12

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Veganism is great for your health, with the overall reduced risk of most cancers, heart disease and diabetes.  This information is becoming more and more widespread, and I find myself wondering why everyone isn’t already vegan!  

With all of the benefits that come with a healthful vegan diet, it is very possible to live a vegan lifestyle that neglects your health. For example, you could go home and eat the amazing So Delicious Cashew Ice cream for every meal, and you would probably not end up with the most balanced of diets ☺  And the animals need you in fighting shape!

While there is a lot of confusion out there about nutrition in general, and for vegans in particular, with this handy guide I hope you’ll find great ways to manage your whole-health, mostly with whole plant foods– and maybe sometimes with a very well researched vitamin supplement, and the healthy food shopping list found at the bottom of each article in this series. (you can also Jump to Part 2: Protein)

The one supplement all vegans should take…

Continue reading Supplements for Vegans, pt 1 B12 →

Cooking and Recipes

Homemade Plant-Milk, Nuts and More

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The prospect of making your own plant milks at home can be a daunting proposition.  You need to trust your instincts, and you’ll run into a lot of recipes that describe esoteric equipment and lengthy preparations and the need to plan ahead (overnight nut soaking!)

In this easy guide, I will go over the basic outline of a plant-milk recipe, that can be applied to practically ANY nut or seed to produce your own plant milk, and a few variations you can use to get different results, whether they be for flavor, sweetness, or speed.

 

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Health

Fiber- Can We See the Forest for the Trees?

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Fiber, can’t see it now, shining and glowing, surrounded with gold, placed on top of the high pedestal of Health Food. Dieticians, weight loss books, and health coaches all ask you if you have enough fiber in your diet. In stores, everywhere, fiber fortified foods line the shelves, boasting fiber content this and insoluble fiber that. But is fiber actually that good for you? What exactly is fiber, anyway? How much is good, and how does it even work?

These are really important questions to ask, and there is no easy answer, no magic pill or formula. The closer we look at each of the component nutrients (fiber is a component nutrient of the macro-nutrient Carbohydrate) the more complicated we make these choices for ourselves. So, let’s talk about fiber, and see whether isolating fiber, and targeting it’s levels in our diets, is the answer to our prayers, the cause of all our woes, or just another nutrient that needs balance within a healthy diet.

Continue reading Fiber- Can We See the Forest for the Trees? →

Health

Boost your Metabolism

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What do scientists and the multi-billion dollar diet industry have in common: they are obsessed with metabolism. Chances are, you are too, because, well, who doesn’t want to be a lean, mean, fat-fighting machine? Your metabolism can play a role in getting you into fat-fighting-form, but contrary to popular opinion is definitely not the reason you packed on that extra weight in the first place. The quality, quantity, and type of food, sustained restful sleep, exercise type and duration, and the amount of water we drink play much larger roles.

So, we are all obsessed, but what is metabolism… and why should we sweat it? 

Continue reading Boost your Metabolism →

Lifestyle

Vegan Fashion- The List of Lists!

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Do you ever wish there was an index of all the best vegan shopping guides around?  Well, wait no more!  These links are all working as of this date, and they span a range of styles, costs, and special consideration has been given to lists that include sustainable industry practices.  Enjoy!

Our Short List:

PrAna-  Offering great options for men and women, especially geared towards active lifestyles and yoga, this eco-friendly company is often 1/3 the price of market competitors.

Vaute- Vaute is a fashion option for those not willing to lose their stylish edge when they ditch the animal products!  Good trendy options for men and women.

Herbivore Clothing-  Mostly vegan slogan t-shirts, this mainstay represents the message in fun and accessible ways.  Think of them the next time a witty t-shirt can make a mark.

Rawganique-  Known by hippies and vegans alike, this eco-friendly company focuses on hemp goods, natural fibers, and sustainability.

Moo Shoes- Despite the name, they have no Moo in their shoes, and also have belts, wallets and other items otherwise made from animal leather.  Moo Shoes offers classic and stylish items that may even fool your non-vegan friends and family.

Mercy For Animals Shop- When choosing where to shop, consider the beneficiary! In this case MFA!  One of the best animal rights organizations in the world has a shop that helps sustain their cause, and keeps you sporting vegan awesomeness yourself.

 

Original Cult/Lip Service-  I wouldn’t be doing by Goth Vegan duties if I didn’t at least pay them some lip service, get it?  This OG Punk company started using vegan leathers on everything before it was cool.  Now you can find everything from leather pants to those rocker holsters all in veg leather.

 

The List of Lists:

Vegan Kit

Farm Sanctuary

Vegan Online Stores

Peta’s Cruelty Free Shopping Guide

Etsy Vegan Clothing Search

The Vegan Scholar- Brands

Humane Decisions- Designers and Brands

The Friendly Fig- Brands

One Green Planet Shopping Guide

Buzzfeed Eco-Friendly Cruelty Free

Peta’s Vegan-friendly Retailers

Telegraph.Uk Best Fashion Brands

The Bustle- Best Vegan Designers

Compassion Over Killing List

Taste, Health, and Compassion