The Vegan Lifestyle does not stop at mealtime! Compassion is making its way into mainstream fashion, much to the dismay of the leather and fur fashion giants. I've recently discovered olsenHaus a green and eco-conscious fashion house that brings trendsetting style and a socially responsible philosophy together.
Hello Animal Prints, Goodbye Animal Skins! Now you too can say no to cruelty in style!
View their Lookbooks and seasonal collections here.
I look forward to wrapping my little vegan feet in olsenHaus boots this fall! I'll be making a statement and strutting my eco-loving style everywhere I go.
Tantalize your taste buds and nourish your body from the inside out with this delicious raw, organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nutrient-dense Triple Berry smoothie.
Karinna's Berry-licious Smoothie Recipe
20 oz Organic Almond Milk
1/2 cup Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder
4 tablespoons Organic Sprouted Golden Flax
2 tablespoons Kal Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Health Force Nutritionals Truly Vitamin C Powder
1.5 cups fresh or frozen Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
4 tablespoon Organic Blue Agave Nectar
Place all ingredients in a blender on medium-high setting and blend until smooth, adding agave nectar to taste. (Makes 2 large servings)
This smoothie is great for fighting colds for its antioxidants, vitamin c, and other immune boosting nutrients. It is also a great meal-replacement for lunchtime or between meals. This is not a low-calorie smoothie but it is nutrient-dense and vegan so you don't have to worry about saturated fats, low-density-lipoproteins (bad cholesterol), or refined sugars.
Ingredient facts:
Almond Milk is low-calorie, approximately 35 calories per 8 ounces in the unsweetened version and 60 calories per 8 ounces if lightly sweetened which makes it a perfect alternative to soymilk. It is appropriate for smoothies since you will be adding so many other nutrients, you want the liquid base to be as low-calorie as possible. (Try Pacific Foods, or Silk)
Garden of Life Raw Protein is an excellent protein powder from raw organic sprouts. It contains 18 grams of protein per scoop (and the recipe above calls for double that amount). The organic sprouted proteins include brown rice protein, amaranth sprout, quinoa sprout, millet sprout, buckwheat sprout, garbanzo bean sprout, kidney bean sprout, lentil sprout, adzuki bean sprout, flax seed sprout, sunflower seed sprout, pumpkin seed sprout, chia seed sprout, and sesame seed sprout. Garden of Life Raw Protein also contains live probiotics and enzymes, bioactive glycoproteins and lipoproteins, amino acids, and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.
Organic Sprouted Flaxmeal provides essential Omega 3 Fatty Acids and dietary fiber and lignans which help maintain a healthy digestive system, maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and sugar, protect against heart disease and help regulate metabolism.
Nutritional yeast is one of the only plant-based sources of Vitamin B-12 and is essential for cellular metabolism and healthy circulation. It is water-soluble and is not stored in fat, so unused B-12 is excreted by the body. B-12, or cobalamin, is "essential," therefore must be consumed daily. Vitamin B-12 is also essential for proper neurologic function. It is hard to find, but i've found that KAL is a great brand and can be purchased at your local health food store.
Health Force Nutritionals Truly Vitamin C is a great addition to your smoothie. Most Vitamin C supplements contain synthetic forms of Vitamin C like Calcium Ascorbate or Ascorbic Acid. Health Force Nutritionals uses pure Acerola Cherry which is highly absorbable and does not create high acid levels in the body or put a negative strain on the liver or kidneys upon excretion.
Enjoy a healthy super meal in a glass for your longevity and immunity!
Just months after a huge recall of eggs originating from an unsanitary factory farm in Iowa, Salmonella has been detected at an industrialized factory farm in Ohio sparking yet another massive egg recall. These huge entities are not farmers who care about their consumers, they are simply mass-producing corporations whose only goal is to maximize profits. Sadly, they are exploiting sentient creatures for their ova--their reproductive cells. The lack of concern for LIFE is appalling.
Mark Middleton, founder of AnimalVisuals.org, has created this 3-D interactive view of what life is like for the hens stuffed in battery cages. But the suffering, pain, and mutilation cannot be conveyed through your computer screen. Take a minute to click below, read the captions and imagine life tortured and crammed into battery cages then read on for information on Salmonella and the dangers you risk every time you choose to eat eggs.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is the genus for many different species (aka strains) of salmonelloses bacteria; they are gram-negative, rod-shaped, and flagellated bacilli. If you were able to zoom in on these bacteria, you would see the rod shape and the flagella make them motile and able to maneuver through intestinal mucosa and membranes, and the gram-negativity produces endotoxins. What does this mean pathophysiologically? Salmonella is easy to contract and cause damage. In particular, S. typhi, S. enteriditis, and S. cholerae-suis are the most damaging strains.
Salmonella is transmitted through the FECES of animals. Yes, if you or anyone you know contracts Salmonella, it originated from the fecal matter of some animal and traveled either by water supply, unwashed worker's hands, or unsanitary conditions at the facility or in the kitchen.
What are the symptoms of Salmonella poisoning?
There are a couple of thousand Salmonella strains out there, a dozen of which cause severe illness in humans. Most of these illnesses are classified as Gastroenteritis, and in developing countries, Typhoid fever is more common. Incubation Period: several hours to 2 days.
Symptoms:
Nausea
Vomiting
Severe Abdominal Cramps
Fever
Headache
Chills
Muscle Pain
Blood in the Stool
SEXY!?
No. Eating eggs is disgusting! Eggs are slimy, disease-infested reproductive cells of a chicken, mass produced for our consumption. In our society, we've become nutritionally lazy. Protein, vitamins, and other nutrients can be and should be derived from natural plant sources which come from the earth. Our bodies naturally produce many of the nutrients we look for in animal flesh and by-products. Egg consumption has been linked to many long-term health disorders which most people do not realize until it is to late: such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and atherosclerosis. At this moment, however, the major concern is our immediate safety and the risk of contracting a horrible strain of bacteria that causes extreme discomfort and even death.
What can you do to avoid contracting this deadly disease?
There is only ONE solution to avoiding this disease and also sends a message to factory farmers that their lack of concern for human as well as farm animal life will not be tolerated: Stop Buying Eggs!
Egg Alternatives:
Tofu (e.g. tofu scramble)
Applesauce (baking)
Bananas (baking)
Ener-G Egg Replacer
Bob's Red Mill All Natural Egg Replacer
Ground Flaxseed
"But Salmonella has been found in vegetables."
Sure, Salmonella and E.Coli has contaminated our water supply and found its way into Spinach farms and other vegetable crops, so it is up to us--the mighty consumer--to speak out against careless farmers and corporations. By making a conscious effort to be informed and not support companies like Tyson, Butterball, Farmer John, and others who historically have allowed unsanitary and inhumane conditions, we take a stand to ensure our health and well-being.
Looking toward a healthy future and increased longevity
Can you imagine four years of your life without the use of eggs? Four years ago, I had no idea what I would do without meat, eggs, milk, and other animal products. I was uneducated on the subject (or just indifferent) and eating eggs for breakfast, using eggs in baked goods, and consuming other products processed with eggs was tradition for me -- it's bred into our culture. One evening after watching "I am an Animal" the story of Ingrid Newkirk, I decided that I would never consume animal products again. Simple as that, I walked to my freezer and refrigerator and threw out all meat, eggs, milk, dressings, cereals, condiments and anything else with animal products. I went Vegan "cold turkey."
I strive to inspire all of my readers to question everything and be informed. Take nothing for granted, including your health, the safety of the water you're drinking, or the food you are being served. However eye-catching a package of food is, however great the photographer was who captured a steamy delicious picture, or however enticing the words they use to market it are, you must be inquisitive and not be gullible.
I'll leave you with this thought: The current state of our food industry (i.e. agriculture, food production, market, trade, regulations) is tearing down our earth's resources--to the point of making even plant-based foods unsanitary--in order to produce animal products. Kill the natural, to produce the unnatural. It doesn't make sense does it?
Thank you and please leave me your questions and comments below. Find me on Facebook.com/KarinnaZ or Facebook.com/Verdelicious (click "like!") Be Well!
Parents, Listen Up! If you feed your children a Happy Meal, they are consuming over 1/3 of their daily recommended caloric intake and nearly 50% of recommended daily fat, sodium, and carbohydrate intake in just one meal. The saturated fat in a Happy Meal, if consumed more than once a week is enough to cause heart disease. Happy Meals lure kids with the colorful plastic toys, and the greasy, extra salty flavors. Not only are fast food meals high in fat, sodium, and low in vitamins and fresh vegetables or fruits, they are also loaded with preservatives that cannot be good for our bodies. New York Photographer Sally Davies documentation of a Happy Meal resisting decomposition brought media attention to this matter.
Setting a new trend, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance today to require meals with toys to meet specific nutritional criteria. Mayor Gavin Newsome promised to overturn such legislation, but fortunately the 8-3 vote is veto proof. Now let's just hope more cities in California and around the country follow in this example to help combat childhood obesity and promote healthy eating habits in children.
