Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Over the weekend we made a butt ton of fruity things like Sangria (yes, I am aware that it's alcoholic and that most raw foodists don't drink but I am not fully raw and I at most drink 6-8 drinks a year and its usually at some sort of holiday), chopped fruit like watermelon (seen here) and lots of juice like the cucumber-watermelon-lemon juice in my cute Teavana glass.

What we did was use our fruit in the sangria, used juice from a half a lemon, I then took the left over lemon (with rind) and juiced it in with the my juice.  Since we didn't keep the rind on the melon I took the rind without skin and juiced that (it is the most healthy part of the watermelon) and used an entire english cucumber.  All the pulp got composted.

In our community they have a separate compost pickup where it is taken to the dump and thrown into a compost pile where it is available for a substantially lower cost than Lowe's and Home Depot to put back to use into our gardens.  I love this and think every county should have this kind of program, I would much rather compost from something local that is essentially a living organism that was not harmed to put life-force and energy back into me.  It's just another beautiful way to spread love back into our gardens and the food we eat.

I'm keeping today short but I just wanted to say the little things (food-wise) that we chuck into the trash can could most likely be repurposed in other ways and then be composted.  Even if your community doesn't compost you can do it all your own with mini pails like this or you could petition your community to start up compost pile to benefit the county/community/local gardens and lawns.

Love & Light,

Jessica

Cookbooks & Recipes the will Change the Way you Eat

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day (Weekend).  I have been insanely sick with the usual GI distress, so much so that in 24 hours time I've gained 12 lbs.  I have decided that when I wake (today) and weigh myself this morning if I hit the 20 lb mark I will be venturing the the hospital again.  This is an unfortunate and regular occurrence in my world, I can gain up to 30 lbs in a day due to water retention because of back ups in the GI tract (keep in mind I have DIOS, narrowing intestines, strictures from previous surgeries, gastroparesis, acid reflux/GERD, Celiac damage and diverticulitis to name a few).  Anyway, I digress from the pain of my weekend and get on to all the fun I actually had.

I spent my entire day on Sunday prepping my raw food for the week, I got crazy I made Banana Bread, Fiesta Bread (which is basically a standard onion bread with jalapeno, garlic, tomato and cilantro), Everything Bagels, Cashew Cream Cheese, Blueberry Lavender 4 Layer Cheesecake and Vanilla Bean Cashew N'ice Cream.  I had also set out to make 2 types of donuts and a block of cashew almond herb "cheese" but my cheesecloth arrived too late and my 3lbs of  raw dates never arrived.  I will be reporting back on those two because I think I have perfected my recipes!

I can easily spend all day everyday in the kitchen creating beautiful and loving recipes for me and my loved ones.  I have made a friend who views food the same way as me and believes in clean eating and we just vibe off of each other.  It makes the time in the kitchen even more fun because we have entire food prep days that we dedicate weekly to just having fun, eating, documentary watching and trash talking (as we like to say).  The only thing we are missing is a cleanup crew for our mess, my husband often tells me that it looks like a hurricane hit the kitchen once I've entered.

After my long winded word vomit on my illness and kitchen love I want to feature two new cookbooks I have recently acquired.

The first is from my newest blog obsession, My New Roots, which coincidentally is also the title of the cookbook.  It is the most amazingly put together cookbook, a. because it is a fantastic mix of raw and vegan cooking (there are also recipes with ghee, raw & local honey and local farm pasture raised eggs which I believe are the cleanest non-vegan foods) and b. because all the recipes are in seasonal order.  I have already made 3 meals from this book and each is more delicious than the rest.  The pictures are also so amazing, just soo beautifully put together.  I cannot express the excitement that came from receiving this book, I plan to buy this for many people because it is just filled with soo much love.

The second is from my favorite female YouTube Raw Food Vlogger, Dara Dubinet.  Her videos are soo inspiring and she makes everything look easy and highly gourmet.  I also feel that she embraces and represents why being in the kitchen is soo much fun and why preparing meals with love taste soo much better.  I picked up her e-tonics book which is CrayMazing especially her sleep tonic, it is out of this world delish and seriously soothing to the GI tract.  I have also ordered her herbal Energy Tonic I am thrilled to try that and I will be reviewing it once it arrives (well, after Ive used for a few days).

If you are looking for a way to start eating cleaner, vegan or raw check out this two women, they have it on lock.  If you don't have the funds to invest in their books or products they have a ton of recipes and/or videos for you to get started incorporating these delicious and healthy meals into your diet.  I will soon start to post some of my raw food recipes as well as some raw food prep videos.

Enjoy the rest of your week, yay for a shorter work week!!

Natural Sunblock Juice!?

All my life I've had a love hate with sunscreen, as a child I loved it then, from 11-13 (ah those tween years) I was too good for it, then I reembraced it for it's antiaging properties loving spf 100 and for the past few years I have not used any chemical (standard) SPF products and rely on my beloved Zinc based mineral sunscreen.  The diffence between chemical and mineral sunscreen is this chemical products are filled with toxins, breakdown quicker and typically do not protect from UVA (the most harmful of rays) and that number on the bottle basically only protects the skin from UVB rays.  Mineral sunscreens especially zinc oxide (heaven for the ghost-like) protects from both UVA and UVB rays and doesn't break down as readily in the sun all while providing longer lasting protection.  Just for reference you can check your sunscreen's safety at Environmental Working Group.

Now that I have rambled on about sunscreen, I mean it Memorial weekend and the first of the major "fun in the sun" holidays this weekend, I only found it appropriate.  I have recently discovered a new blogger (new to me, that is), My New Roots and I have stumbled upon her raw recipes section and found her Goji Ginger Lemonade.  Needless to say I am kind of obsessed since I have been craving tartness, nothing says summer like a chilled tart bev.  The recipe is soo simple and you can customize it to your preference:

- 2 Tbsp goji berries (soaked in 1 1/2 cups water (I pH balance my water with the santevia system) for an at least an hour)

- 1-2 tsp grated ginger

- juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon (I used whole because I love lemon and cannot get enough vitamin C)
- if this is too tart for you you can add a touch of your fave sweetner (honey, stevia, agave, etc)

**once your gojis have soaked in your blender add the ginger and lemon juice and give it a whirl until it is nice and juicy.  Add ice and enjoy**

I also love to use this as a way to incorporate herbs like echineca, pau d'arco, reishi, etc. because we are blending it and the boldness of this juice hides the herbs very well.

So why call this a Natural Sunblock Juice, first an formost this is mega mega high in antioxidants.  It DOESN'T replace sunblock but the ingredients help to aid in free radical damage caused by sun exposure.  Let's talk about the Goj, goji is extremely high in antioxidant scoring high on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) meaning that it will slow the oxidative process to prevent that free radical damage as previously mentioned.  My all time favorte goji berries come from Dragon Herbs they are really moist and supple.  I recenly read that ginger (and turmeric) are high in antioxidant proteins that protect human keratinocytes (aka the cell type in our outer layer of skin) from DNA damage and toxicity to our living cells, it also helps to absorb UV rays by neutralizing free radicals.  As far as the lemon goes, it may not have any SPF benefits taken internally but it is a natural coolant for your body (among a ton of other benefits) making this the perfect addition for a fun day in the sun.

Grab your zinc, make your drink and enjoy!!

I'm Back and in a Great Place

I have been in a 75 year slump (or so it feels) where my body has not been functioning properly, I have been constantly ill, lacking motivation and a plethora of other lame crap I could say as to why I have not been blogging.  Honestly, I feel like I lost focus on what I wanted to talk about and where I was steering by blog.  It wasn't really just my blog it was everything in my life, needless to say this slump may have been my longest slump ever and though I am still sick, I have more clarity and focus and I feel motivated to reach out to you once again.  I want to share all my amazing vegan finds from clothes, shoes, accessories, food, supplements; healing aids (naturopathic, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, etc); recipes; teas and supplements.

I think this slump or hiatus or whatever we shall call it has been beneficial, perhaps I went to a dark place in my life (let's be honest, who doesn't) but I'm emerging with a fresh perspective, school is finally over.  I am now a health coach and I have a lot to share.  I'm going to try my best to shoot for 2 blog posts or more a week.  I've been experimenting with a slew of vitamins & supplements, recipes-both raw & vegan (all gluten free due to my recent Celiacs diagnosis), fashion-oh the fashion and brands I have come across, Ayurvedic remedies and skin & body care--über  crucial, especially if you have to rid certain bi products from your regime.

I really feel in this past year, I have come into my own, narrowed down my focus on life and have made significant health progress to a point that I am ready to move forward and begin the next stage of my life in a more dedicated manner.  I am in really great place mentally, spiritually, personally and as always my health is a never ending journey.

I hope that you will continue to join me as I enter this journey in the next phase of my life.  Just a heads up I will be featuring a few of these brands/tonics in the upcoming weeks: Moon Juice Moon Dusts, Urban Moonshine Digestive Bitters, Diets-whats best for me isn't best for everyone, The Suja Juice Solution, Benefits of Detoxing the body, Eating Raw, Fed Up the Movie, Eating Seasonally, Tonics, Importance of creating a Regimen, Strange Invisible, OSEA, Crucial Vitamins for VEGANS, Cystic Fibrosis Updates along my personal Journey and a few vegan clothing brands that I cannot get enough of.

As much as I enjoy being a part of a consumerist culture I think I have let it "fill the void" too many times in the past where it is almost like Chinese Food, its great at the moment and that high is gone shortly after.  I also attribute that to losing focus and site of where I want to be at the moment.  I look forward to getting back into the swing of things and bringing you along with me.  I will also be updating my YouTube Channel regularly, I will do my best to feature my videos here as well.

Namaste, day to all of you.  They always say if there is something in your life that you are unhappy with, change it.  I finally did, so let's do this thing!

My Wonder Herb, Turmeric

Cystic Fibrosis presents inflammation all over the body, in vital organs such as the lungs, intestines and in the sinus cavities (to name a few).  Even if the patient is healthy inflammation will be present.  I have severe inflammation in my intestines and sinuses and a fair amount in my lungs this makes it very uncomfortable for me to digest my foods, breathe and wrecks havoc on my sinuses.  With anyone who has inflammation it creates a problem with allowing the body to function properly, puts the body additional pain, can inhibit bacteria growth, and causes disturbances in sleeping patterns.  I have been on a hunt to use a natural anti-inflammatory especially since my doctors have put the kibosh on my use of Motrin (the only anti-inflammatory that has ever been of help to me) because of future repercussions to other vital organs.

I brought my super hero herb turmeric into play, I have been adding it to my juice whenever I can find it at my natural grocer.  I need consistency by taking it daily so I went on a search in the herbal section of my natural grocer and came to my fave brands for herbs, Organic India and found a high quality, organic supplement that just so happens to be vegan friendly.  I have seen results in just a matter of days and I am honestly thrilled with how well my body is responding to the anti-inflammatory properties especially with the healing of my sinus infection.



Aside from supplements and juicing I also use organic turmeric powder (when I do not have the actual root and if I have the root the juice works just as well) to make a healing turmeric tea with lemon and ginger, it's fantastic for a sore throat and sinuses.  If you are you suffering this season please do not hesitate to give this a try, it's slightly spicy with a touch of acidity and it is highly alkalizing.  All the makings for a healing beverage if I do say so myself.

Turmeric can help your body in 13 major ways according to Mercola:

1. Boosts your antioxidant protection against free radicals*
2. Helps promote your healthy skin*
3. Supports your overall eye health*
4. Provides you immune system support*
5. Aids your skeletal system and joint health*
6. Encourages your healthy liver function*
7. Helps you maintain healthy cells with support against free radicals*
8. Balances the health of your digestive system*
9. Aids you in support of healthy blood and your circulatory system*
10. Helps you maintain normal cholesterol levels to support your cardiovascular system*
11. Assists your neurological system's healthy response to stress*
12. Promotes a healthy female reproductive system*
13. Helps you maintain blood sugar levels already within the normal range*

Welcome All, My Message to the Bloggerverse

Veganism to some is like a plague or even worse like a "preached" religion. When I began my vegan journey 7 years ago I preached (and preached and preached), yea I was that guy.  It all changed when I actually worked for a vegan company and saw that some people were incredibly self-righteous, I took a step back and realized that I may be one of those assholes too. I'm not here to be PC; I'm here because I want to be open, honest and true to myself.

This got me to thinking about my feelings on religion (that is for another time) but when the topic of religion comes up some people are so overbearing and pushy and though Veganism isn’t a religion but the way people can act it was the most relatable. I absolutely do not want my lifestyle to be perceived as overbearing.  Then again I thought (I am never out of my head) what if I have already left a bad taste in others mouths about Veganism because I may be been pushy in the past.

So here it goes. This is an all vegan, cruelty free, natural (sometimes raw & gluten free) blog.  I care about animals, animal rights, healthy living, clean eating, the environment and I want to look damn good while doing so.  I hope that the intent of The Vegan Vixen will not push you away (including former followers of Cupcakes, Rings and Glittery Things), I do however hope that even if you aren't vegan whether you are curious or dabbling in vegan/vegetarianism, you are looking to get healthier or in shape, interested in natural beauty or simply looking for budget friendly fashion that this blog (or a portion of it) may resonate well with you.

Again, the intent is not to shove Veganism down anyone's throat but to show you that you don't have to be a granola eating (who even hate's granola anyway), hippie dressing vegan freak. In life the purpose is to have fun and if you aren't healthy how the hell can you have fun!?  I am struggling with aspects of my Cystic Fibrosis and I will touch on that from time to time and I will talk about how Veganism has helped me conquer hurdles in my general existence on mother earth.

Ultimately I want this blog to inspire you even if it is just some small way, again you don't have to be a vegan to be curious or find vegan recipes and products that may tickle your fancy.  So I say this why not try it for 30 days believe me there is a ton of vegan food out there in the grocery store and you probably don't even know it. Maybe you will lose weight, maybe you will have more energy, and maybe you will even consider selling or donating your leather/animal-based products in favor of more animal friendly options. Whatever you choose I want to thank you for taking the time to drop by my Blog, here's to a healthy & happy new you!

*My disclaimer for this post, no one is perfect. I've known people that fall off the vegan wagon and for some people, it just happens. The trick is not to beat yourself up over it. I think the way to look at Veganism is not as a diet (some people view is it to be very restricting) but as a way of life. I realize Veganism isn't for everyone but I think that making minor adjustments to your standard diet can ultimately increase overall longevity. So be "imperfect" as long as you are true to yourselves and to loving to animals, its all good*