Holiday Success!!

 

 

     I am happy to report I made it completely through the holiday season while remaining an organic vegetarian! If I can do it than anyone can.

   I have mentioned previously that traditional holiday food is not my forte as it is bland to my taste buds that were raised eating traditional Mexican food, and meals made by my foodie parents. You can imagine my excitement when my uncle announced they were having Mexican food for Christmas Eve dinner. Not only do I love Mexican food for its flavorful properties that excite my pallet, I also love that it is simple to make a vegetarian option with Mexican food. 

I have currently been taking my own like meals to family events, I find out what they are having in advance, cook my own organic option and bring it to the dinner. For Christmas Eve dinner I wanted to be able to contribute, I already had an awesome Mexican rice recipe that I had found on food.com, I turned it organic and made it my own. I cooked a pot of Mexican rice and was able to make my own Mexican rice nachos! They were delicious, the best part was I had enough rice to share, as well as enough left over to make another plate of nachos for Christmas dinner at Moms although mom made a traditional Christmas meal of ham and all the fixings!

           

  I didn't show up to Christmas dinner empty handed either. I made a delicious chocolate trifle I had made previously for different events. I took the recipe from Betty Crocker, turned it organic, created it completely from scratch, and made it my own. I am extremely proud of it as this was the first time I had made it completely from scratch. It was a hit!
 

With only one minor skirmish... (its not the holidays without an argument)  everything went off without a hitch.  I was able to stay true to my organic vegetarian lifestyle while still participating in all holiday activities.  The hardest part of the year to have a lifestyle that is different than most, I made it through with ease!

  I have been under the weather this week and was unable to make a trip to the grocery store.   The particular grocery store I frequent is  almost 19 miles from my house so often getting there is a task in itself.  Luckily the town I live in has a store with organic options, options are limited yet organic none the less and perfect when in a bind.  I am what my Dad calls a "food hoarder" as my Mom does some of the things I do as well, I like to call it "semi-prepping".  What this means is when I use one of a particular item in my pantry, I replace it with two.  I cleaned out my pantry of all non-organic food in late September 2012 and have been working on refilling it with only healthy organic options ever since.  I am happy to say it is almost back to where it was before donating all the non-organic food!  Back to the semi-prepping, I do this for a multitude of reasons one being inflation,  it is less expensive for me to purchase two now then it will for me to purchase one six months from now.  Another reason and a biggie is convenience, I can cook virtually anything anytime without having to run out to the store for ingredients.  I am always prepared, even if I am unable to make my bi-monthly trip to my favorite grocery store.

  My stocked pantry came in very handy earlier this week,  I had some over ripped bananas I did not want to go to waste.  I found a banana nut recipe, turned it organic, made it my own and in less than an hour I had banana nut muffins without having to run to the store for ingredients or even get out of my pajamas!

  Making things from scratch is not hard at all,  I think the list of ingredients can sometimes be intimidating for people.  Just take it one step at a time!

  Four months now and I am still an organic vegetarian,  I have to admit it is getting a lot easier.  I can't wait until spring/summer for all the wonderful fresh produce.  If you are just starting your journey to vegetarianism, an organic lifestyle or whatever you lifestyle choices may be, there will be bad weeks, as well as good weeks, one thing I can promise is it DOES get easier and you CAN absolutely do it!!

Laughter Yoga

I recently had the privilege of taking a laughter yoga class!  Although I am a very spiritual person, frequently meditate, and believe in all elements of the metaphysical world I have not yet joined a traditional yoga class (although it's been on my mind for years) nor had I even heard of laughter yoga.

My best friend and I were glancing through the local "hippie magazine" we typically pick up at whole foods titled Natural awakenings.  She ran across an ad for laughter yoga, proceeded to read it out loud when I shouted, "let's do it! It'll be fun"!  We picked a time that was best for us and headed to our first laughter yoga session full on anticipation a few days later. 

Pete was the gentleman leading the group, although he is not the usual laughter yoga leader, he was full of vital information for us.  Our session was only 30 minutes long, however Pete informed us they have classes that run an hour, and even though there is not your typical yoga stretching and workout, people still leave in a sweat.

Laughter yoga combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing which helps calm the body and unconsciously put your mind in the moment, so you are focused on the now.  Anyone can laugh for no reason without relying on outside tools, your body can not tell the difference between real and simulated laughter therefore offering your body the same health benefits. 

We stood in a circle partaking in various laughing exercises while making eye contact with each other, I believe it is the eye contact combined with the silly, playful, child like exercises that soon turns your fake laughter into real laughter.  We would shout out our favorite animal noise and follow it with laughter, or pretend we were in church or a library when something funny strikes yet you have to hold in the laughter, along with various other laughing exercises.  It was followed by a brief guided meditation session, which I enjoyed.

There are several benefits to laughter yoga:  To boost endorphins, when you are happy everything else seems to fall into place!  It reduces stress, much like a typical cardio work out, also has been shown to help boost immunity, as well as help with a multitude of other ailments.  Laughter yoga also has been shown to help create a more positive out look on life in turn boosting one's quality of life. 

I absolutely agree that laughter yoga does do all the before mentioned things.  It is a class I look forward to attending again, and bringing as many friends to as I can accumulate!  You can't go through life taking it, as well as your self too seriously.  It's okay to loosen up, have fun, de-stress and above all these things LAUGH!

Potluck Panic!

One week ago the dreaded pot luck sign up sheet showed up on the refrigerator at the salon I work in.  We have two pot luck luncheons yearly at my job, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.    For Thanksgiving it is the traditional Thanksgiving meal, although I never understand why we do it that way when the real Thanksgiving meal is the following week.  One year in the 6 that I have worked at this salon we had an Italian food pot luck, this seems more practical being that in a week we will be cooking and eating the same things again.  Once again they opted for the traditional Thanksgiving meal.

When I saw the sign up sheet it made me nervous, aside from coming up with something to bring for my contribution, what about the temptation.  I immediately text my best friend for her opinion on food ideas since she is on the same nutritional path as me.  When her ideas weren't to my ideal I went to Mom, her first suggestion was a veggie tray, not what I wanted to hear.  I love to cook and this had to be a dish that would fill me up as well as be organic and clean.  Last Friday during our weekly dinner Mom and I spent time looking through cook books and scoured the Internet for vegetarian dishes I could make organic.  No recipes were jumping out at me, so I opted for a very less practical dish I already had the recipe for and most ingredients.

The problem with cooking a dish, the day before the pot luck I was up at 4am for my job in retail and worked through my stylist job until after 8pm.  The day of the pot luck I had to be at the salon for clients by 8:30am, time was not on my side, I even contemplating picking up a GMO filled platter and calling it good.  Like a good organic girl I went to the store after work the night before for ingredients to make Organic Ravioli Soup.  Soup is the least practical thing to bring to a pot luck, I knew that but made it any way, because I knew it was clean and filling for me.

I started the soup the night before the pot luck, and got up an hour early to finish it.  I don't even know if anyone ate it besides me, being that it wasn't practical, but that is fine, I know I ate clean for the most part.  I did sneak a few pieces of pumpkin bread in.  Although very delicious, I could tell the bread wasn't clean, it made my anxiety flare up.  Not anxiety because I ate something I shouldn't, but anxiety that I feel when I have eaten something full of chemicals.  My ears start to get really hot, and I don't quite feel right on the inside, it is very hard to explain.  I have received these feeling previously from eating a fast food hamburger, and various other unhealthy dishes.  It wasn't until recently I could pin point part of my anxiety being caused by my diet.

I swore I would never reveal this of myself, however I feel that I should in order to better explain my journey although I am slightly embarrassed.  I started this path not only to feel better all around, which I do, but to also help cure the anxiety and mild depression I have been dealing with for the past few years.   Don't get me wrong, I am a very happy positive person, just a slight feeling I have struggled with for a while.  That being said, I am out to cure myself naturally, because YES our bodies have the ability heal with the proper nutrition!

For my Ravioli Soup Recipe you can find it here http://mobile.eatingwell.com/recipes/ravioli_vegetable_soup.html!  I used all Organic ingredients of course!

An organic vegetarian Thanksgiving!

     Thanksgiving is only a little over two weeks away, time to start planning how to stay involved with Thanksgiving while remaining true to my organic lifestyle.

I'm not usually into much of the traditional Thanksgiving foods anyhow, while usually I do indulge in turkey this year I will not be partaking.  I usually just eat a few sides with my Turkey, being organic I will not be able to indulge in the typical side dishes as I have in years past.  I am a Caucasian/American Indian girl, however I was raised on a lot of Mexican food.  When I say Mexican food I don't mean a taco seasoning pack thrown into ground beef with microwaveable taco shells.  When I say Mexican food I mean authentic made from scratch gorditas, fajitas, tamale's, my personal favorite tortas etc.  I have had friends comment in the past about how much Mexican food my family eats, that being said Thanksgiving food tends to be somewhat bland to me.

My best friend who is an organic pescetarian (a vegetarian that eats fish) and I have devised a plan for Thanksgiving with our families.  I personally don't want to stand out as eating something different from everyone else for 2 reasons: 1. I don't want to answer questions about my lifestyle all evening and 2. I don't want to upstage my Mom who is a rock star in the kitchen. 

Our plan is to get together the night before Thanksgiving and cook all our favorite dishes organically, then we will divvy them up onto plates to take to our family's houses.  Our meal includes:  Stuffing, egg noodles (my favorite part), rolls, sweet potato & potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  I will probably only be taking a few of the listed items.

I usually bring a side dish to my Moms, whatever she wants to to bring, this year my contribution will be organic because you can make ANYTHING organic.  I probably wont tell anyone it's organic, I'll just keep that to myself as my goal is about not standing out.  I may even go so far as to borrow one of my Moms plates the night before so mine doesn't look any different than anyone else's.

The hardest time of year to be an organic vegetarian is the holidays, however its not about what we can't eat, its about what we don't eat.  We don't eat GMO's, we don't eat animals for obvious reasons, and we don't eat chemically enhanced or processed foods.  It's not about being different or standing out, it's about being happy, healthy, and natural.  If you can make it through the holidays and stay true to your organic lifestyle there is no reason you can't make it through the rest of the year with ease.  Besides, at the end of it all you will feel amazing for choosing the healthy options over the GM options that alone is the biggest reward.

When the going get tough... Stay positive!

                           

I have lived a lot of  life for only being 29.  I have been through trials and triumphs some people never see, however I will spare you the details knowing there are plenty of others who have been through much more.  I have had some terrible as well as embarrassing let downs and some amazing achievements as most people have I assume.

I have mentioned that I am naturally a kind person.  I almost always have a smile on my face, try to see the best in everyone as well as everything.   I approach every day life with an open heart and open mind. 

Although I have always worked hard to see the best in every person who walks into my life, that has caused me to have a bad judge of character.  Due to the fact I have no judgement toward anyone it makes it easy to be taken advantage of, this is something I am working on.  I am not observant, yet I am intuitive, somewhat of an oxymoron however I assure you there is a difference.

Today I stand before you a proud, independent, positive woman, however I have not always been so positive.  There was a time in my life several years ago I wouldn't shed a smile, I was a pessimist, a downer if you will.  Part of being "organic" is about being positive.  When you give out positive feelings or vibes or a positive attitude you will receive them in return.

It took me years to train myself to always be positive, always look on the brights side, and always look for the rainbow in every storm.  I feel I have mastered positivity which is so important in our lives today.  I believe everything happens for a reason and although it seems tough at the moment ultimately every experience we go through is for a particular reason.  Although we can't see why today was bad, tomorrow may be amazing.  Don't get me wrong I am a realist, I know that when things go bad that alone is an awful experience, however looking for the positive in every negative helps me through. 

I am the type of person who always has a smile on her face, who will lift you up when you are down even if I'm on my death bed.  I would do anything for a laugh and ultimately want to make everyone happy.  If you were to ask anyone who really knows me they would say I am one of the most positive happy people they know.

Today I was called a negative influence by someone I hold on a pedestal higher than I probably should.  While initially this broke my heart, and yes I shed a tear, I had to realize there is a reason for this.  My organic life style is not about retaliation, or hate, or anger.  Perhaps there is deeper meaning here and there is something I must search inside myself to fix.  Perhaps there is an internal struggle with the important figure in my life who calls me negative. I have been blind sided by this comment however I have definitely learned when the going get tough the tough does in fact get going.

No matter what life throws our way, weather negative or positive,  we must remember there is a reason, it could always be worse.  Look for the rainbow in every storm.  Living the whole organic lifestyle is about being healthy and inner peace as well as positivity is what keeps us healthy, well-rounded beings.

Something I like to share, while every day may not be good, there is something good in every day.  You just have to keep an open mind and look for it, before you know it the good will fall in your lap!

It's not just about the food!

While much of the organic life style is about choosing a whole foods diet with out synthetic hormones and pesticides, there is a lot more to it that may not be realized.  I have been on the path to an organic life style for quite some time.  In fact for many years I have been called a "hippie" I embrace that name and take great pride in it! 

 

An organic lifestyle is not just about improving ones own health but also about promoting a healthy life for the environment.  Unfortunately I do not live in an area that makes it easy to recycle, however I do the best I can with the resources I have.   I recently started composting, If I have scraps of produce or egg shells etc.  I bought a juicer not too long ago, and have learned to waste nothing, I take the pulp out and put it in my flower beds.  Composting will give the earth the nutrients it needs to grow healthy plants!

 

 

An organic lifestyle is also about using natural cleaning products to keep the home free of chemicals.  I have used borax and vinegar for cleaning purpose for a few years now.  Although I have a long way to go before the chemicals are completely out of my home, I have made a particularly good start!  It doesn't just stop at home cleaning, cleaning the body as well.  I have recently started using baking soda as face wash, which you can also use on your body, my face has never felt so clean.  I have also been using raw organic coconut oil as moisturizer.  I am also very excited to be making my own fluoride free tooth paste soon!  Not only are these changes good for the enviornment, they are also good for the over all health of your family.

 

 



 

Another part of the organic lifestyle is natural medicine. Meditation and yoga are great ways to promote a healthy body, mind and soul.  You can also control a great deal of how you feel and think by what you chose to put in your mouth.  I have been taking a number of natural supplements for several years, I feel amazing.   It doesn't stop with supplements, there are natural remedies for virtually all illnesses.  With the proper nutrition as well as herbal remedies, your body has the power to heal itself, that is incredible.  Why put synthetic chemicals in your body if you don't have to.

 

For me this doesn't stop at herbal remedies.  For quite some time I have voiced that when I have children I would like to give birth at home with a midwife completely naturally.  Although the thought of a home birth really scares my family and friends, my mind is made up unless there are unforeseen complications in which case I will have to eat my words.  I have done research on home births and when the time comes I will be doing a lot more extensive research.

 

 

Lastly and probably most important thing is to always be kind.  Be kind to yourself, be kind to others, be kind to all living things.  The world has become so fast paced that people forget to slow down long enough to smile and give thanks for the things we are blessed with.  I am naturally a kind person, however my biggest struggle is being kind to people whom I have shown kindness to for long periods and never received it in return.  I am learning to let go and let live, be kind to everyone no matter if they deserve it or not.  In the end you will receive the greatest reward for your kindness!

Junk food vs healthy food cravings

 

   It has been over 3 weeks since my raw food detox!  What ended my detox was a dinner at Olive Garden, plans that had been set for a while with my Mom.  After cleaning out my system and riding my body of all bad chemicals and toxins that meal, though very tasty upset my stomach.  The next day I jumped back on my organic band wagon! 

 

When I was growing up, we didn't have a lot of money therefore we didn't eat out  a lot.  My Mom cooked every meal and to be honest I do not remember eating fast food unless on a car trip until I was in high school.  I remember a time in high school, my Mom had made a great home cooked meal, but I was thinking Arby's.  A friend of mine said he would gladly take me to Arby's in exchange for my home cooked meal.  I learned that his Mom didn't cook so they ate out often.  It was then I became aware that not every one's parents cooked at home.  Fast food was relatively new to me, being young and not knowing the effect it has, it was a treat to me.

 

About eight years ago, I went on vacation and realized I could in fact live without it.  After I got back, I gave up fast food for a while, though over time with my hectic schedule it crept back in.  Over the past few years I had given up McDonald's after hearing they are cruel to their animals and so full of preservatives their food does not digest properly.  I had also given up Taco Bell after learning on boxes of meat they keep in the freezer it reads, "Grade D still edible."  Although none of it is good for you that was a start for me and now I have once again swore it all off.

 

I have never been a junk food junkie, however like everyone else I would get a craving and indulge in a guilty pleasure on occasion.  Even before my organic switch I chose to eat more healthy items.  Since my early-mid 20's I would without question chose a home cooked meal over eating out any day of the week.  I guess all those home cooked meals growing up paid off!

 

Previously I would randomly crave things that were not healthy, a fast food burger, chips, brownies etc.  Since my detox I have noticed I don't crave those things anymore.  Cravings I get instead of bad food now are almonds, or broccoli, and my most recent craving cucumber.  I researched and found once your body is clean of all the bad food chemicals and toxins you don't crave it anymore.  When you crave food after a detox it is your body telling you what nutrients it needs. 

 

I enjoy packing my lunch, it's cheaper, it's healthier, and I have a super cute lunch box that no one even has to ask who it belongs to, it screams my personality!  When I package up dinner left overs, I pack it into individual serving size containers.  This way I can grab it to throw in my lunch box, or dump it out to reheat in one serving.  I've been doing this for years, it is very convenient!

 

I would rather crave something healthy any day!  It's been 3 weeks, my body still feels great and my mind is clear.  I feel so good I don't want to go back to the way I ate before!