Are You Hungry for Change?

Have you seen the movie: Hungry for Change? It is a movie that you can see online right now for free until March 31. This is an hour and a half very well spent that will change the way you view food forever. I know it deeply affected me...

The movie talks about how most of the food that is offered to us in grocery stores today has been specifically manufactured to look good, smell good, taste good, but it is Not Good for us. What we are actually buying is a concoction of chemicals that were conceived and combined in special formulations to make us believe we are getting good nutrition when in reality, we are eating chemicals that have no nutritional value when our body absorbs it. We have been tricked by food manufacturers!
This is why we are always hungry, craving more food, more sugar and this has lead to the epidemic of fatness in today`s society in North America. 65% of us are obese now!

The food manufacturers have led us to believe that what they are feeding us is good and nutritious. How could it not be with such beautiful packaging and marketing messages that promise to make us sexy and thin when in actuality, this food is making us moody, fat and our bodies are getting sicker and sicker.

The movie then goes into solutions for this epidemic. Mainly, going back to nature. Growing our own food, buying food from farmer`s markets, making our own bread or buying organic. Food grown and produced the way it used to be in the good old days before man started to mess around with chemicals in food. We have turned our back on Mother Nature when we stopped eating pure natural vegetables...and veggies are key to reclaiming our health.

Being healthy starts from the inside out. All your body wants is to be healthy. Eat and drink your veggies people! Visualize the body you want and feed these thoughts to your subconscious. Talk nice to yourself, exercise, laugh, sleep and eat good wholesome foods as the ticket to reclaiming your health.

When I woke up the following morning and for days after (still going...) watching this movie, all I felt like doing was cooking. Cooking real foods and nurturing my little seedlings of cucumber, tomatoes and sweet peppers that are getting ready for the garden.

Hope you take the time to watch this movie as it has the power to transform you and society as a whole...

You can see the movie here: Hungry for Change

Meatout 2012

Have you ever heard of the Meatout event?
This campaign is an international event to help people evolve to a wholesome, compassionate, healthy plant-based diet. The purpose is to showcase the tastiness, joy and advantanges of eating a diet focused on a wholesome diet of veggies, fruits, whole grains and plant based proteins.

Meatout started in 1985 and is now the largest annual diet education campaign. Thousands of people all over the world participate in Meatout through information tables, leafletting, exhibits, taste testing and cooking demonstrations.
You can get the full details of Meatout here: www.meatout.org

Meatout doesn`t only last one day though, this is a celebration that extends throughout the year. Presenting Meatout Mondays. Not sure if you have heard of this project but it`s all about extending the spirit of Meatout throughout the year. If you sign up for weekly emails and pledge to eat vegetarian every Monday, they will send you the vegetarian recipe of the week, health news, encouragement and inspiration. www.meatoutmondays.org

We invite you to sign up yourself, your friends, your family or anyone who may be interested in participating by filling out the Meatout Mondays Signup Form.

Italian Veggie Meatball Sandwiches

Part of my mission in life is to show people that eating vegetarian is not that weird!

Many people assume that vegetarians eat nothing but salad and raw vegetables. Actually, in this day and age, there are so many meat-like substitutes on the market, that you can pretty much eat the same way except substitute the meat for vegetarian substitutes.

Why bother you say? Why not just eat the meat? I could go on and on but will keep my comments brief for today and just give you my top 3 reasons...

1) So much healthier for you. Low fat, high protein, no artery clogging transfats.
2) Cruelty free. Even if you don`t really care about animals, by eating animals, you are eating fear, violence and cruelty. Is that really something you want to ingest?
3) No chance of ingesting the pus, fecal matter and bacterial contamination that you eat when eating meat.

Eat clean, eat fresh and highlight your family meals with classic favorites...vegetarian style.

Try this delicious "meatball" sub sandwich and discover Morningstar Farms vegetarian products. If you can`t find Morningstar in Canada, President`s Choice carries The World`s Best Vegetarian Meatballs in the frozen section of YIG, Loblaws and No Frills grocery stores.

Morningstar Farms® - Vegetarian Recipe: Italian Veggie Meatball Sandwiches

Vegetarian for Life: Get Up Close & Personal with Farm Animals

One of the most known and loved farm animal sanctuaries is Farm Animal Sanctuary. It has 2 locations: one in Watkins Glen New York and one in Orland California. I`ve visited the one in New York and can tell you from experience what a wonderful, healing, educational organization it is. Inspiring and touching, it allows bonding with happy farm animals which is a precious and rare occasion. On my visit to the sanctuary, I got to meet, feed and hang out with precious farm animals and visit the sanctuaries educational center and store filled with amazing vegan products. We had a campfire later that night and got to meet and talk to the one and only Peter Singer who wrote the book Animal Liberation. We slept in a beautiful cabin and after saying goodbye to everyone, we toured the city of Watkins Glen that hosts a number of fine vegetarian restaurants.

In addition to their wonderful centre that welcomes all to meet and interact with the pigs, chickens, goats and other farm animals from May to October,  they have constructed a very helpful website to help those that wish to go vegetarian. The website is www.vegforlife.com

The veg for life website in filled with helpful information such as resources, recipes and tips to help anyone wishing to go vegetarian. They even offer a Free Guide To Veg Living. I highly encourage you to visit their website to further your vegetarian study and get your guide as well as many tasty recipes.
vegforlife.com
And if you want to know more about the sanctuary of wish to plan a visit for this summer, go here: farmsanctuary.org

Want a Vegetarian Weight Loss Plan?

By Sophia Rodriguez 

Are you looking for a vegetarian diet weight loss plan to help you lose weight? A vegetarian protein diet may be your answer if you dream of parading around in a bikini on the beach or showing off your sexy abs to a loved one.

If you are an animal lover, or someone who cares about the environment, a vegetarian diet weight loss plan makes most sense for your health and will make a heck of a difference for your waistline.

Studies show that vegetarians generally have healthier body weights and are thinner than meat eaters. Once you become vegetarian, you can expect to lose at least 1 pound a week with no extra exercise or effort.

You can also improve your health big time with a vegetarian diet weight loss plan. You will feel hot, look hot and be in the best shape of your life. The pounds will just melt away on a proper vegetarian diet. You won`t crave crappy fatty foods anymore, you will never go hungry and you will be in the best shape of your life.

Studies show that eating animal products can increase the incidences of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity while a vegetarian diet can actually protect us from these same illnesses. A low fat, cholesterol free and high fiber vegetarian diet can go a long way towards promoting a healthy body weight.

Although the idea of never eating meat or animal products again may seem strange to those who were raised on a meat & potato tradition, once meat eaters are initiated into the world of tasty meat-like vegetarian foods, the transition won`t be painful, it will be tasty and eye-opening to a whole new delicious, sometimes exotic, sometimes comforting taste experience.

So what does a vegetarian weight loss plan look like from a practical way? What will you be eating every day?

Real foods, basic foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, and healthy, tasty meat substitutes in combination with exotic spices and seasonings. You will not go hungry, I promise you!

To embark upon this vegetarian adventure, I would definitely recommend starting with well designed meal plan to get you used to eating, cooking and preparing healthy vegetarian meals. These meal plans should be quick and easy to realistically fit in with your busy life.

After you learn how to eat foods rich in protein to feed your muscles, you will be on your way to a trim and tight body to show off whenever and to whomever your choose.

Want the exact recipe to a toned, healthy vegetarian body? Get the meal plans designed by a hot professional fitness champion, Kardena Pauza. Give yourself 30 days... 

Click Here to get slim and sexy, the easy, vegetarian way. Protein Diet for Vegetarians

Article Source:  A Vegetarian Diet Weight Loss Plan

Where Do You Get Your Protein: The #1 Question People Ask About Going Vegetarian

I can`t count how many times, people have asked me that over the course of the past 30 years as a vegetarian. And so, I thought I would adress the issue right now on my blog.

First of all, people don`t need half as much protein as they think they do...that is unless they are doing weight training to build muscle. In which case, they still need about half of what they believe to be true. Let me clear that up by giving you exact numbers. To find out how much protein you actually need, just multiply your body weight by .36. And if you are bodybuilding, multiply your weight by .50. Getting the protein you need...40-100 grams grams per day is very easy to get on a vegetarian diet and much friendlier on your body. "In fact, medical research shows that getting more than 30 percent of your calories from protein can actually harm you and put major stress on your kidneys, the organs that rid your bod of toxins."

So, here`s my Top 10 Sources of Vegetarian Protein to give you an idea of how easy it is to get your protein from plant based sources.

Number 1: Tempeh is the winner for top vegan protein, topping the chart at 41 grams. What exactly is tempeh you ask? Tempeh is made from soya beans just like tofu, but the beans are fermented much like cheese to create a totally different, chewier texture than tofu. Many people who are not big tofu fans love tempeh. You can use it for burgers, chilli, fajitas, barbecued shish kabobs, soups, sloppy joes, to name a few and it makes a mean vegetarian bacon. (Check out Isa Chandra`s Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook for the bacon recipe)

Number 2: Seitan: also known as wheat meat or wheat gluten. Even though it comes from wheat, it is not a carb, it`s a protein. It contains 31 grams per 3 oz! It resembles meat in look and can be made to taste like all kinds of meats, fish and seafood. The texture varies if it is baked, boiled or reheated in the microwave. The Seitan you can buy in airtight bags in the fridge section of health food stores is awesome however not available in small communities. To make your own is very easy, simply follow the instructions from teacher Sarah Kramer: http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-cooking-tips/seitan.htm

Number 3: Soya Beans are next up for most protein in a vegan food source. They have 29 grams in one cup. You can buy them dry if you don`t mind soaking and cooking them for many hours but it`s so much easier to buy them pre-cooked in a can or as frozen baby soya beans AKA. Edamame They are good as a snack or can be used in recipes in place of peas; you can make a delicious Edamame hummus. See Sarah Kramer`s Vegetarian a Go Go for that hummus recipe.

Number 4: Lentils are the most practical, quick cooking and versatile bean. It helps that they are also delicious and contain lots of protein 18 grams per cup. Tons and tons of recipes are out there for lentils. Indian food features many meals based around lentils such as Dal, in soups as well as combined with vegetables in an aromatic sauce. You can buy the red lentils for quickest cooking, green ones for a meatier taste such as in Sheppard`s Pie. There are also the types of lentils you can buy in cans which are the green ones already cooked for you. Mash them up to make burgers or “meat loaves“ See The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen for amazing meat-like healthy recipes.

To Get the last Top 6 Vegetarian Protein Sources, go here: Vegetarian Protein Diet

Portabello Chycken Rice Noodle Recipe

I have so many precious recipes that I am crafting into a cookbook at the moment. My husband has been asking me for a number of years now to put all my recipes in a cookbook that he can refer to if I were ever to die. I`m sure many other aspiring vegetarians will also benefit from this cookbook and see that it`s not that strange to cook vegetarian. Many long hours of typing till 1 oclock in the morning but it will soon be done....and then comes the editing and imaging...but that`s another story.

For now,
Here`s one of my recipes that I made for the extended family last night. Everyone loved it and I`m hoping you will too!
Give me some feedback in the comments if you like it... or not...

Portabello Chycken Rice Noodles

Olive oil

2 large Portobello mushrooms

2-3 Chyckenless breasts (Gardein or President`s Choice)

1 medium red onion, chopped

½ cup tomato sauce

1/3 cup apple juice or water

¼ cup mandarin orange salad dressing (or other fruit based salad dressing)

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic, puréed in a jar

½ tsp pepper

½ cup carrot or butternut squash purée (optional)

½ cup peas

Rice stick noodles

Combine all liquid and spice ingredients in a blender. Reserve.

Clean mushrooms and cut into strips. Also, cut the chycken into bite sized pieces.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in oil until softened. Add the chycken and mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Pour sauce into pan with the mushroom mixture and add peas. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.

During this time, cook the rice stick noodles. To do this, you can either do it in a saucepan according to directions in the package or you can simply boil some water and pour it over top of the noodles in a bowl or Tupperware with a lid. Cover and let the noodles soak for 5 minutes then turn them with a fork and let sit for another 5 minutes in the covered container.

To plate: Start with the noodles at the bottom and add mixture of mushrooms with sauce. Garnish with a sprig of parsley for added fancinessJ