There's a hot new craze that's spreading like wildfire: It's for all of you who can't imagine living the rest of your lives without meat. Especially during BBQ season and Tailgate Season coming up--you can't stand around with a fork and an empty plate?! There's a new way to look at your diet and it's called "Flexitarianism."
FLEXI-ble vege-TARIAN. This means incorporating more legumes, nuts, whole grains, and greens into your meals while still indulging in the occasional serving of meat. Not everyone can handle a Cold-Turkey Meatless-Overnight lifestyle! And most people wouldn't want to. But for all the health benefits, incorporating a few vegetarian recipes into your week would be a very intelligent choice to make.
Not only does a plant-based diet help your waist line, it will also add years to your life and keep you looking and feeling good longer!
The American Cancer Society recommends a plant-based diet, and this is not news! An article dated back to 1997 describes the benefits of plant-based diets on prevention of cancer, especially cancer of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. Antioxidants are necessary to reduce the effects of free-radicals on our bodies. The Society goes as far as to say that meat consumption should be limited, and is linked to cancers of the colon and prostate.
Coming up this week: FLAXSEED: My sexiest food of the week and i'll tell you why!!!
For more information on the American Cancer Society, visit http://www.cancer.org/
And Search: Plant-Based Diets
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Veggies in your Bread?
Just out of the oven, i'm putting together shots for my cookbook, here's a peak at one recipe:
My Flax Zucchini Bread which i'll be delivering to my Family in Need tonight.
My Flax Zucchini Bread which i'll be delivering to my Family in Need tonight.
And my friend DENA who just had a baby will be getting a loaf tomorrow night as well!!!
It is made with Whole Wheat Flour, Zucchini, Flax, Oats and lots of LOVE!
XOKarinna
XOKarinna
A Friend in Need
Somehow in my spare time, I have decided to start a charity helping out SoCal Families in Need during this difficult time. In the past, I would volunteer at food drives, soup kitchens in downtown LA, I've visited senior citizens, and during the terrifying Fire Storm of 2007, I volunteered at 2 Red Cross Shelters for 8 hours for which all volunteers were honored at Pechanga Resort & Casino.
This vision was fueled by my own Children's generosity. Every morning, my son Sergio (4) shows me which toys he'd like to donate to "little kids who don't have any." My twin daughters (2) say they want to "give away" the clothes that no longer fits them.
So, this will be a small effort at first and hopefully gain momentum. The family I've chosen this month (for June) is a family of 4 in Murrieta. Both parents work very hard to support their 2 children (7 and 12mos). I was approached by a friend who knew I had twin girls to see if i could donate any gently used clothes. I can't wait to help them out.
If you have anything cluttering your closets, let me know and i'll find a family that can benefit.
Thank you.
This vision was fueled by my own Children's generosity. Every morning, my son Sergio (4) shows me which toys he'd like to donate to "little kids who don't have any." My twin daughters (2) say they want to "give away" the clothes that no longer fits them.
So, this will be a small effort at first and hopefully gain momentum. The family I've chosen this month (for June) is a family of 4 in Murrieta. Both parents work very hard to support their 2 children (7 and 12mos). I was approached by a friend who knew I had twin girls to see if i could donate any gently used clothes. I can't wait to help them out.
If you have anything cluttering your closets, let me know and i'll find a family that can benefit.
Thank you.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Mighty Mushrooms!
Are you aware of the numerous health benefits of mushrooms? Mushrooms of all shapes and sizes are one of my favorite foods!
Here are Karinna's Top Ten Reasons to Fall in Love with Mushrooms (ok, Not all Types--i'm 100% drug free!)
# 10 Super High in Potassium (more than bananas!)
# 9 Great source of Copper (good for your Corazon)
# 8 High in Selenium (Anti-Prostate Cancer!)
#7 High in Riboflavin and Niacin and Zinc!
#6 Boost your Immune System! (Especially Shiitakes)
#5 They make a great vitamin-packed stock and they can be stuffed! (Non-veg: Crab Veg: Tempeh)
#4 They help fight Aging! (Antioxidants fight off the free radicals in our bodies caused by stress and environmental agents)
#3 Most are inexpensive but you can really impress your friends with more fancy Chantrelles, Shiitakes, Oyster, and the UltraSexy and $$ Truffles which sell by the GRAM.
#2 They pair deliciously with all types of Wine depending on which type: buttery, light colored mushrooms like Chantrelles go great with a Pinot Grigio and a Portabello or Crimini pairs phenomenally with a Merlot. Pair a Shiitake dish with a Sake/Champagne cocktail!!
#1 Ultimate #1 Reason to Love Mushrooms: They contain properties that supress enzymes that stimulate cancer cells in breast or prostate! YES: Mushrooms (especially plain old White Button ones) have Anti-Carcinogenic and Tumor fighting properties!
At the Cellular Level, Mighty Mushrooms FIGHT CANCER!
For Memorial Day weekend, while everyone may be grilling up ground beef, i'll be marinating and grilling big scrumptious Portabellos! Enter tomatoes, avocadoes, juicy onions, and a teriyaki glaze and we've got a tastebud adventure! I'm making Sweet Potato fries to go along with.
*Tip: To remove the stem of a portabello (be careful not to split the cap); hold face down with one hand and slightly jiggle the stem with the other hand clockwise until it loosens.
Vegan Cheers to You!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Small Changes
I'm all about being "Verde" and still living a normal life. I don't think you have to be an outcast just because you care about the world around you. Most people don't know I am Vegan until they get to know me. If you incorporate some of these things into your daily life, even just gradually, our quality of life would improve greatly!
*Eat less meat and dairy at least one or two days a week! Animal flesh is very hard for our bodies to process and i've read that red meat will remain in your GI tract for days! And we aren't supposed to leave food out for more than 4 hours!! EEK. Dairy was made for baby cattle, the casein protein agitates our system and causes numerous autoimmune conditions. There are complete proteins available in plant sources...i could write volumes. Be a conscious eater: where did this come from...and are you comfortable with the suffering involved in getting it to your plate?
*Conserve water and electricity! Yes, turn off the water while your brushing teeth, but it goes beyond that! Cutting down on watering lawns, reusing water in the kitchen, little changes like this add up exponentially if everyone cooperates! E.G: when boiling pasta: boil the entire package and refrigerate the cooked unused pasta for tomorrow! Then reuse that water for your plants and garden!!! Turn off the computer when not using it, turn off lights and unplug everything from the wall when you're not in the room. Tiny amounts of electricity are used by everything plugged in!
*Be considerate of our LANDFILLS! Produce and compost rots and creates valuable microbes for soil. Mixed with some earthworms, you've got the beginnings of a prize-winning garden! Separate your trash into bins and put them into appropriate trash cans. Back in the day, the waste collectors only made one trip around with a garbage truck. I'm thankful the garbage companies got smart. Recycle things at home before dumping them--e.g. wash and reuse old jars, and plastic containers, use newspaper as weed barriers in the garden, better yet, use old newspaper to clean your windows, they work better than paper towels! There are too many things to list but these are all ways to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by A. the transportation of excess waste in garbage trucks, B. the recycling plants, and C. the production factories working to make new products that we could have found at home. (Why buy mulch or fertilizer when you can make it at home!)
*Avoid unnatural products: With all this talk about supplement recalls like Hydroxycut, i scratch my head wondering WHY anyone would ever take that in the first place! I remember after having my twins, I thought I'd NEVER lose weight. I never once considered taking ANY weight loss pills/supplements. Ok, i drank gallons of caffeine but that is it! I would dance while playing with them, I would keep active and on the go, I would fit in late night workouts and most of all, I cut my portion sizes to control the amount of calories I consumed. Hard work will get you the results you want when it comes to being healthy/fit. Good old sweat, eating well, and gaining control of your eating habits. Also: stick with products you know support the environment and don't test on animals.
There are many ways we can improve our overall wellness and help the Earth at the same time!
*Eat less meat and dairy at least one or two days a week! Animal flesh is very hard for our bodies to process and i've read that red meat will remain in your GI tract for days! And we aren't supposed to leave food out for more than 4 hours!! EEK. Dairy was made for baby cattle, the casein protein agitates our system and causes numerous autoimmune conditions. There are complete proteins available in plant sources...i could write volumes. Be a conscious eater: where did this come from...and are you comfortable with the suffering involved in getting it to your plate?
*Conserve water and electricity! Yes, turn off the water while your brushing teeth, but it goes beyond that! Cutting down on watering lawns, reusing water in the kitchen, little changes like this add up exponentially if everyone cooperates! E.G: when boiling pasta: boil the entire package and refrigerate the cooked unused pasta for tomorrow! Then reuse that water for your plants and garden!!! Turn off the computer when not using it, turn off lights and unplug everything from the wall when you're not in the room. Tiny amounts of electricity are used by everything plugged in!
*Be considerate of our LANDFILLS! Produce and compost rots and creates valuable microbes for soil. Mixed with some earthworms, you've got the beginnings of a prize-winning garden! Separate your trash into bins and put them into appropriate trash cans. Back in the day, the waste collectors only made one trip around with a garbage truck. I'm thankful the garbage companies got smart. Recycle things at home before dumping them--e.g. wash and reuse old jars, and plastic containers, use newspaper as weed barriers in the garden, better yet, use old newspaper to clean your windows, they work better than paper towels! There are too many things to list but these are all ways to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by A. the transportation of excess waste in garbage trucks, B. the recycling plants, and C. the production factories working to make new products that we could have found at home. (Why buy mulch or fertilizer when you can make it at home!)
*Avoid unnatural products: With all this talk about supplement recalls like Hydroxycut, i scratch my head wondering WHY anyone would ever take that in the first place! I remember after having my twins, I thought I'd NEVER lose weight. I never once considered taking ANY weight loss pills/supplements. Ok, i drank gallons of caffeine but that is it! I would dance while playing with them, I would keep active and on the go, I would fit in late night workouts and most of all, I cut my portion sizes to control the amount of calories I consumed. Hard work will get you the results you want when it comes to being healthy/fit. Good old sweat, eating well, and gaining control of your eating habits. Also: stick with products you know support the environment and don't test on animals.
There are many ways we can improve our overall wellness and help the Earth at the same time!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mi Primavera...
At long last, I have succumbed to the trend of the decade. Today, May 10th, marks my launch into the blog-i-verse.
My friends know I am a very busy girl with a strong message of compassion, health, longevity, and Verde-ism.
My goal here is to chronicle my efforts to improve our quality of life, from our eating habits, our social habits, our beauty rituals, fashion trends, and our impact on the universe.
Whole body-mind-soul-spirit-community-earth health and wellness is my ultimate mission.
Vegan Cheers to you!
-xo
Karinna
My friends know I am a very busy girl with a strong message of compassion, health, longevity, and Verde-ism.
My goal here is to chronicle my efforts to improve our quality of life, from our eating habits, our social habits, our beauty rituals, fashion trends, and our impact on the universe.
Whole body-mind-soul-spirit-community-earth health and wellness is my ultimate mission.
Vegan Cheers to you!
-xo
Karinna
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