Plants! Plants! Plants!

I just found this "Vegan Myths" song/video on That Vegan Site. So funny. Watch it!!!

Veganism for Weight Loss

I have just discovered the website Vegan Mainstream, and after reading this article on Vegan Uncensored, I feel the need to comment. Mostly because I completely agree.

My senior year in high school I was a vegetarian for 9 months, with the goal to lose weight (which didn't really happen, because I ate crappy foods). After nine months, I ate some lamb at P.F. Changs and decided to go back to eating meat.

The summer before my sophomore year in college, I decided to return to being vegetarian. After three months, I started out on my vegan journey with the goal to lose weight, which is really why I started reading the book Skinny Bitch. Initially all was well, and I did lose a few pounds, but I also dropped vegan/vegetarian entirely after a month. It wasn't until I really started to absorb what I had read that I decided to convert to being vegan for good.

After that month, I went back to being vegan, where I have been now for about 5 months. I love it! I feel so much healthier, even though I do still eat a lot of sweets and carbohydrates, which I am now working on getting under control. I have recently discovered raw foods; the idea is still new and a little weird to me, so I plan to explore it and see how it goes. I would love to eventually be 80% raw and 20% cooked all the time...but with my passion for sweets, the cooked aspect might be a tad higher :)

Either way, the reason I've now stayed a vegan is because I have discovered all the horrible ways animals are treated in slaughterhouses, the transportation to slaugherhouses, on dairy farms, and in many other places. It is really sad. And really, you need to ask yourself: would you eat your cat or dog? Why is eating a cow any different? They are also sweet animals who are caring... and you can tell that just by visiting a farm. Go visit some farm animals and you'll see what I mean.

Still, my primary reasons are now health, animal rights, environment, and THEN losing weight.  The vegan diet is not just about looking good, even though, that will naturally happen when you eat more fruits and vegetables (clearer skin, ladies!). You start noticing how fried foods and junk food effect your body, which allows you to naturally eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegan is a great thing, and don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise or bring you down.

Favorite Vegan Foods

Although I still have not tried many delicious vegan foods still (like tempeh!), I have found some favorite snacks, seasonings, and meal items that I have come to love. Below, I have listed my favorites. What are some of yours? What do you recommend?

1. Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding
     If you have not yet tried a recipe by vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli, make this your first. The recipe can be found at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/a-vegan-chef-dishes-up-thanksgiving/. It is so decadent and delicious, even the pickiest person won't be able to tell its dairy free.

2. Sour Worms and Sour Berry Bears
     These are delicious snacks made by Surf Sweets. Seriously, they are some of the best gummies I've ever had, ESPECIALLY the sour berry bears. Try them. They are wonderful. Just be careful; their regular gummi bears contain gelatin and are therefore not vegan.

3. Dark chocolate
     I love it. No matter what brand or type, I will love it. It's the only kind of chocolate I've ever really liked.

4. Quinoa
     I tried this on Christmas for the first time; it cooks quickly and its so tasty! Plus, it gives you lots of energy and is really healthy for you. Use it wherever you would use a rice or pasta to try something different.

5. Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
     Really, all of his nut butters are great, but the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is by FAR the best. It tastes identical to Nutella but is vegan, so it's even better. TRY IT! The only difference between the two that I could find is in Justin's you can feel the individual sugar crystals when you eat it.  Still, its AMAZING spread on chocolate cake with fresh blackberries. Divine.

6. Hummus
     I could eat all flavors of hummus by the tub full....enough said. Especially the garlic or roasted garlic flavor. That's my favorite. Use raw veggies to dip into the hummus for a great meal or snack!