Monday, May 30, 2011

Intersesting!!

  As you know from my blog I LOVE to read.If I had only one thing to entertain me it would have to be books.It is a great addiction.I learn so much.So I am going to share some interesting health facts that I have read recently.I liked them because they make your body and it's connection to food so much easier to understand. 

  I knew that my body has acid and alkaline needs to say healthy.But it's really confusing so I had read this recently and it just clicked with me.The reason why animal proteins are so deadly for the body, is that it turns the blood to an acid environment.This makes your blood thick and goopy.(this was not the term they used in the book~that is my visualization.)Which in turn makes it hard to get around.This affects everything.If you think all the work your body has to do to get the blood to the feet and to the head.Then you add this thickness to it~YUCK!Think of this thick blood trying to make it's way through the brain(links to Alzheimer's)the heart(heart disease),poor circulation,cancers(cancer cell thrive in an acidic environment). I thought it was an easy way to understand something really tricky.

  I recently read from John Robbins book "May all be Fed." Something that I thought was really intriguing.One long term study  found that even with as little as 75 grams of protein(less than three quarters of what the average meat eater consumes)more calcium is lost in the urine than is absorbed by the body from the diet-a negative calcium balance.We in North America have the worst bone densities.More women die from the effects of osteoporosis than from breast cancer and cervix combined.Regardless of how much calcium we take in,the MORE PROTEIN in the diet ,the more calcium we lose.You know all that Vitamin D and calcium you get from your milk..nope you pee it all out.That is why the FDA does not allow the dairy industry to promote the calcium angle anymore.INTRIGUING!!

  These are a couple of thing that were my light bulb moments recently.I have got Josh off dairy milk and on to Almond milk.He really likes it and I consider that one of my personal victories this month.When you read this take what YOU want from it,I won't preach anything to anyone unless they ask. But on my blog if I have something to say I am going to put it on here.I am going to end with a quote from one of my favorite doctors.The famous Dr Ornish.

     "It's easier to PREVENT illness than to reverse it.The real point is that these simple changes increase the joy of living.You don't have to be sick to notice the improvements when you change your diet and lifestyle.People lose weight,they feel lighter,happier,freer,more full of joy.These simple changes can be very powerful.The implications of all this go way beyond treating and preventing heart disease."

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Inspiration



  I have always been a huge fan of The Biggest Loser.But this season these two sisters won me over.They had an amazing relationship,they were very supportive of each others journey, they made me laugh and cry.I LOVE these two and they will be a big inspiration for me.They are going on my board because they are two regular girls who did something extraordinary!!!!! LOVED IT!!!!!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

6 more days!!

 Only 6 more days until my next class with the lovely Spork Sisters.I can't wait...Pizza Party.One of my favorite things.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Well.. what the heck have I been up too?

  Yes I know it's been a long time.I have getting other parts of my life organized and if I get on here I tend to get consumed.So I thought I would share what has been going on.

1~ Getting my small condo garden going.As you know from my previous post I did plant some herbs which are just getting some volume.We just started getting warm here.I added a tumbler tomato plant,lettuces and three types of basil.I am most excited for the Thai basil.The picture above is the new gorgeous big black pot I added to my front door.(Thank you JJ for making me hunt for the perfect pot!!)I will take another picture when it fills out.
This is my balcony garden this year.I am pumped about the tomato plant.I have heard they are very hardy and they produce lots of tomato's.I even got candy cane mint...I think it will be spectacular in drinks this summer.I love it that Josh loves to get involved and he will go and pick stuff right off the balcony to eat.

2 Garage Sales~ oh yeah I am in LOVE with garage sales.People get rid of the most outrageous things and they want barely anything for them.I go with my mom and Aunt. We pile Josh in with us and we visit and have a blast.Josh will be patient for three hours now.He always gets what he is looking for, it blows us away."Mom I want Tinker Toys"...wham next garage sale sitting right on the lawn -Tinker Toys for 5 bucks. My real bargain this last Saturday.....The Magic Bullet pictured above.12 Dollars and it came with the cups and the juicer.Yesterday Josh wanted a smoothie.No problem in 2 seconds I had a blueberry smoothie for him.AWESOME!!

3.Me and Rodney Yee. Yep there is a new man in my life...the yoga man himself Mr Yee.I love his voice and he has such a great way to prompt you without me having to look up every two seconds.I have been trying to get in a yoga practice every day.Even if it's just 15 minutes.Consistency is key.I am making some great strides and I LOVE the way it makes me feel.I need the calmness.I need to bring that stillness to my thoughts and not get so wound up.I know Yoga will help me with that.

4.Worm farms and bug hunting.Yep, you read that right.Josh and I have been spending time outside.We both needed it.So this year we made a worm farm,we have been bug hunting (it's pretty cool) and making the earth healthier by cleaning up garbage in our neighbourhood.

5 Eating a Plant Based Diet- I have been doing great in the no meat,fish or chicken department.I am struggling with dairy and sugar.I have had small amounts of cheese.We have been eating out and I am having no problem with vegetarian meals but being Vegan has had some issues.So I do what I can at home and if we go out I relax.My next post will be more detailed about the past month.I passed my 4 month mark a couple of days ago!! I am super happy with my progress so far.It will only get better!!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Nothing else to do..let's make bread!!

   So today had other plans for me.Josh is not feeling well and the house is done and I had to make lunch.So I got thinking about the Mediterranean Olive Bread in The Joy of Vegan baking on pg 58.I have been really wanting to make it since I seen it.So might as well take a crack at it.First I had to pick my egg replacement...I did the flax seed trick for my pies at Easter.So I wanted to try Egg Replacer ( it's potato starch and tapioca flour) it comes in the most retro looking box~I HAD to take a picture.
I think they need a new picture.This one has got to be from when I was little.Which isn't that old:)
  The bread turned out lovely.This bread had hits of different flavour with every bite.Walnuts, rosemary (from my pot) sundried tomatoes and olives.Josh gave it me a top compliment"I love this bread mama." It can't get any better than that!!
   The bread was baking so I thought I needed a soup to go with it.So out came Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin she has a Black bean and Tomato Soup I wanted to try on pg 99.I had been wanting to try a soup since have been watching The Spork Sisters make soup with their immersion blender.I had asked and received an immersion blender for my Christmas from my in laws. I have not used it yet.( I have no idea why soup made me so nervous,my mom and dad tell me about their soups all the time)So I was excited to try that bad boy.It was AWESOME!! I loved this soup it had just a hit of spicy but, not hot..Josh doesn't like hot.This recipe got a "Yum, you make good stuff mama." Two for two today.I loved that he would eat this it has protein,tons of veg and lots of nourishment.Yeah!!



 I have to hope we will get some heat from the sun soon.It has been a cold spring .But one amazing thing I love, our little spring birds are back.They are loving our bird feeders in the tree.I can open the computer room window and they sing all day.I am calling our place the "bird belt". The amount of birds in front of our house and behind is crazy.The other day the ground was moving there were so many.Josh and I had to go out back to check it out.When my friend and I went for a walk it was quiet a couple of blocks down then back on our street it was alive with birds singing.I love it!! I did take a picture I have no idea what birds they are I will have to look it up.They are the cutest things ever!!