Veggies 101

So, you want to become a vegetarian?  Are you daunted by the thought or just turned off by the idea in the first place?  To tell you the truth, I was an avid meat eater/ anti-vegetarian for years.  I was annoyed by the fact that people assumed I was veg just because I did not shave my armpits.  Talk about putting people in boxes.  The funny thing is, when I finally started to shave my armpits I also became a vegetarian!

Whether or not you are interested in Becoming a veg seriously or are just curious about how us crazies do it,  I’ve compiled a few how-to’s  to make the transition easier.  Depending upon your lifestyle and personal reason for taking the plunge, I hope this will inspire and entice you into the wonderful  world of vegetarianism.

• Go to the store. 

Okay, duh!  But seriously, the closer that you can become with your food source, and the more acquainted you are with what you’re eating, will make all the difference in the world.

• Buy vegetables. 

Okay, duh! Really though, choose at least three different green things every trip to the market.  Try new and unusual veggies everytime you shop.  This way you can get into food by experience and learn what you prefer to eat.

•   Get Friendly with the spice rack

If you grew up in a home that rarely used spices then this little task can be especially scary.   Some of the coolest hot weather cultures in the world are masters of spice, from my personal favorite Indian, to Thai, Mexican and beyond.  Look up recipes from these culinary geniuses online.

•  Get cooking, blending, baking.

Invest in a few sauce pans, skillets, soup pots and baking dishes along with a good Blender. This will make your road to vegetarianism so much more accessible by allowing you to be creative with your meals instead of bored (wah,wah).

•  Fruit is an awesome way to satisfy those carb cravings

Every week I buy at least one bunch of bananas, one or two bags of frozen fruit and one small container of almond milk. I also buy fresh fruit and cut it up and freeze it myself. It really depends on what is more affordable.  I also buy a gallon of apple juice once a month or so.  I make smoothies 4-5 days a week with protein powder to help burn calories slowly in my system.

 Did you know?

 Hunger:

Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million.
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced
their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million.
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80.
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95.
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds.
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000.
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250.
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56.
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of beef: 16.

Natural Resources:

More than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S. is livestock production.
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25.
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000.
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet:13.
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260.
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78.
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2.

Environmental:

Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels

Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more

 Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75.

Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock farming: 85.
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million.

Antibiotic:

Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55.
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13.
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91.
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban.
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support.

(These facts reflect only factory farmed beef in the United States.  Not meat that is raised naturally on family farms.)

There are many other reasons to support your local famers, but these are my favorite.  I love animals and I don’t want to contribute to the unethical way that they are raised in this country.  My father raised chickens my whole life.  We also had other farm animals at different times.  There is a major difference between the meat raised on a small scale family farm and meat that is mass produced. 

Happy Vegging!

(sourced: vegycyber.com)

Natural Skin Care For Dry Winter Skin

Ahh... that flaky, peeling, dry-ass winter skin.  Yikes! Here we go again! 

If you are like me, it can be hard to find enough moisture in the winter.  Besides keeping well hydrated by drinking what feels like buckets of water, it still feels like I want to douse myself in a vat of butter, or take an avocado bath just to get some relief. (Well there’s an idea)  I really don’t like to put too many petroleum products on my body, but sadly sometimes I have to.  So this winter I’m making a departure from my usual Eucerine addiction and scary but super 'moisturizing' chemical conditioners to try some new natural products.  I’ve put a few old favorites and a few new ones!

For the Skin:

Yay for an old favorite.  Coconut oil!  I slather this on my skin like nobody's business, all year long.  I also use the unrefined version, which smells of coconuts and is far superior (in my opinion) for baking and in raw confections. 

• Learn More about the miracles of coconut oil here.  http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html 

 For The Lips:

My beloved all natural Badger Balm and Chapsitck.  My favorite is Vanilla.  You can pick this up at any Whole foods or health food store in your area.  Keep those lips kissable and your elbows nice and smooth!

                                                                                                                                                                              For The Hair:

Like I mentioned earlier, my goal this winter is to eliminate harsh chemicals from my beauty repertoire.  The reason I gave up on natural hair care in the first place, is that my ethnicity is of African American decent, so my hair is more of a pelt than a mane.  Which makes for a much drier and more tricky hair styling process.  I love my pelt of course...but keeping it soft can be an issue.  With all of my education on the matter, it is ridiculous that I would even use pantene or infuseum in the first place!  Man, oh man, do those products make a girl's hair smell crazy fake but they also end up making my hair drier and more damaged than when I first started using them, which is super lame to say the least.  Guilty as charged!  Avalon Organics is another Oldie-but-a-goodie brand which I left in the dust a while ago. There are no parabens,sulphites, or otherwise noxious shit to further damage my locks. Yes!

All the beauty of the world, 'tis but skin deep.

 

Yeah,Yeah, But does it have to be so dry?

One of the easiest ways to keep your skin in tip top shape year round is to exfoliate.  You can actually use apple cider vinegar if you want to go totally natural, or if you don't mind some chemicals, I am huge fan of st. Ive's apricot scrub.  I also use glycolic acid every two days or so (on my face) through the winter months.  One of my favorite brands is Epicuren 5% Glycolic acid peel.  Glycolic acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid naturally occurring in Sugar.  I can tell a huge difference when I use this along with my usual beauty routine.  My skin gets dry to the point of peeling so I really, really, love this stuff.

 

It may seem counter intuitive to give yourself a mud mask in the driest part of the year, but it is exactly what I do.  French green clay is the best!  You can order it in Bulk which I highly recommend. Don’t waste your money on specialty masks when you can use something completely pure and super effective.  French green clay literally pulls the dirt, sebum (oil), and moisture out of your skin. So use it sparingly. French green clay has the power to cure all sorts of maladies.  This stuff is amazing, definitely on my list of ‘Food of the Gods’ even though it’s not food (hehe).  It is that Good! Simply mix with water then layer it on thick to achieve more intense cleansing.  As long as you put on a deep moisturizing lotion or even oil afterwards, your skin will love you and you’ll probably spend at a least a few more minutes gazing in the mirror in the morning.  Self Love? Check!

 I'd like to leave you on a high note.  I totally and completely agree with this statement for a more healthy and balaced life.  Really, it's whats inside,outside, and all around us that affects our realities!  Have a wonderful day.