Hi! How is your week unfolding??? I am so happy that the weather is getting cooler. I’m just waiting for the leaves to change. I love fall!e
I went to zumba last night and of course my knee is swollen today so I’ve been doing the usual to-do list around my place today before I have to teach all night. Paying bills, laundry, dishes, all of that. I have to take little precious back to the vet yesterday am so- the chaos is finally calming down. But there are some serious knots in my left shoulder let me tell you.
Poor thing- now I’m forcing medicine down his throat. But if I throw some cat nip in that box.
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So I wanted to talk to you guys about Meatless Monday. The premise behind this is cutting out meat one day a week. According to their website, the point of going meatless on Monday is that Monday is the beginning of the week- the star over point where you’re moving on from the previous weeks events and the weekend. Like a clean slate.
As you all know- I love vegetarian food as well as food in general. But I think eating veggie meals are important for numerous reasons. I am not here to preach or to convince you to become vegan or vegetarian (even though there are blogs out there that will try to). But- some of the main reasons that speak to me are the following:
- Your mother told you to eat your veggies- so you just should. Period.
- It is better for the environment. We cut down trees and plants all day long to make more space for animals that are bred in poor conditions so we can have our steak for dinner. We need plants to live so obviously- we need to stop hurting the landscape.
- From personal experience with stomach problems- eating veggies helps with digestion. The majority of African American and Asians are lactose intolerant- as well as thousands of Americans! I know cheese tastes good. Seriously- I’m the one who will eat the whole wheel of cheese! But- is the stomach ache really worth the pain? Probably not. Veggie diets are full of fiber (so yes, duh, if you beans you will be gassy lol)- but you will be regular! I’m just trying to put it nicely.
- You will help the animals!!!! Who doesn’t love animals!? Come on- everyone does. I have read numerous books and seen many movies about animal cruelty that beaks my heart and makes me physically ill. I’m not asking you to read those, but it will change the way you eat if you think about that before you grill up your burger.
- Colon cancer runs in my family and there are many links to a carnivorous diet and cancer. My cousin who is 37 (!!!) had to have surgery last year and had to deliver her daughter 2 months early because she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She and her family (husband and the children) have now been vegan for almost a year!
Ok so those are just a few and I am happy to go into it more if you guys would like. But I would love it if you take the Meatless Monday pledge on their website and see if you can go meat free once a week! I promise- it’s easy!! And yes- lordy- you will get enough protein!
Here are some ideas!
Coconut curried veggies and lentils
All the smoothies you want- click here for ideas
Green juice- this one was half a stalk of celery, abt 3 handfuls of spring lettuce mix, 3/4 lemon, 1 pear, and 1 apple plus fresh ginger- so good!
Yeah- too much to wrap it all up- wrap fail! Lol
Let’s see- this had lettuce spring mix, chopped onion, tomato, avocado, bean sprouts, and a dash of dressing if you like of your choice. You could always humus too!
So you can eat your veggies (like your mother told you to) and be full and healthy!
Here’s a list of other resources that can help you make meatless Monday easy! And of course these are some links and books that I also like.
Diet for a New America by John Robbins- one of the first books I read by my first vegan friend back in high school
The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer (he is a wonderful philosopher and has written for years about animal rights. I heard him speak in college.
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr- just go to her website and read about her. LIVING with cancer for years because she is vegan. Amazing.
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone- Check out her healthy living website as well.
Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon
The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen- great and easy vegetarian recipes- a def go to!
The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose- turned me on to juicing, raw healthy soups and smoothies!! **From personal experience, if you don’t do raw on the regular, it can be a bit rough on your tummy. Just saying.**
Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Pho This book is amazing! I have made TONS of her recipes. Love her!
Eat, drink, and be vegan by Dreena Burton
So these are just a FEW of the many many resources that are out there and you can start with easy steps like switching milk to almond or rice milk and using Earth balance instead of butter.
When I was in San Francisco in December, I met a woman who owned a vegan restaurant. She asked if I was vegan and when I said no- she told me that I should be because the animals would thank me and that I had good karma. 
Vegetarianism preserves live, health, peace, the ecology, creates a more equitable distribution of resources, helps to feed the hungry, encourages nonviolence for the animal and human members of the planet, and is a powerful aid for the spiritual transformation of the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. ~Gabriel Cousens
This is vegan! I’ve showed you this picture before! It’s making me hungry just think about how good it was! Yummmmm!
Let me know what you guys think!!!
xoxo, C
Holy bush. I’ve been staring at that last picture for the past five minutes. For someone who has been a vegan for only a week and a half, I’m still craving meat and cheese. I have to get that recipe!!