Flavorful Fat-free Parsley-Tomato Pasta!

Yumm. I've got a super simple, intensely flavored, awesome low fat raw vegan pasta recipe, and I'm gonna share it with you!

This salt free, fat free, raw recipe is soo good, you've gotta try it!

Introducing, cucumber noodlies with tomato-parsley sauce!

Ingredients:

• Noodlies: (I just love that word. Say it: "Noodlies." Hehehehehehe.)
• 3 Cucumbers
• You could probably use zucchini as well if you like it; I don't. I do think the cucumber noodles give a lovely freshness to the dish.
• Dressing:


• ⅓ c sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ c parsely
• ½ c water
• ⅛ onion (or, preferably, use chives or scallions for a fresher tasting, less mucous-forming option!)
• 1Tbsp lemon juice


• Optional, but yummy:
• avocado chunks
• dried apricot slices

Spiralize, julienne, or use a veggie peeler to make noodles out of cucumber.

Blend parsley & water until smooth. Add rest of ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour sauce over cucumber s'gettis and enjoy!

Fruitarian Kitchen!

This makes me so happy :')

This is what a successful raw vegan's house looks like!

Low Fat Raw Gourmet: Crêpes

Merry Christmas, all; hope you had a great time opening gifts and hanging out with your wonderful family!

My family is full of cooks and food connoisseurs, so we like to do different cuisines for holiday meals. This year, the theme is French food.

Not eager to be left out, I decided I would take part in this French cuisine theme myself! I plan upon having a creamy, nut free, salt free, raw red pepper bisque (it's delicious); I'll definitely post that recipe in the near future!

For dessert, I shall be enjoying crêpes...yum!

This has got to be the easiest crêpe recipe ever. Its also super duper yummy & 100% fruit! It does use a dehydrator, but its still a great once-in-a-while treat, methinks.

Ingredients:
—3 bananas
—¾ avocado
—8 - 12 halawy dates (or 4 - 6 soft medjools)
—¾c water
—½c berries, +a few more for the filling

There is three parts to the recipe: the crêpe, the creamy filling, and a berry coulis to drizzle on top.

For the crêpe:
Blend bananas together in blender. Spread into two circles on a dehydrator sheet (you may want to spread a teeny bit of coconut oil down first, so they dont stick). Dehydrate until pliable, but not sticky (I just dehydrated mine overnight).

For the cream filling:
Blend dates (pitted), avocado, and water (don't add it all right away) in blender until smooth and creamy.

For the coulis:
Blend berries of your choice into a sauce (I used strawberries).

Assembly: (wait until your ready to eat or almost ready! If you assemble agead of time, the banana crêpe may absorb water from filling and turn back to mush.)
Spread half the cream on one side of each crêpe. Sprinkle some whole berries on top (I used raspberries). Roll up the crêpes, and drizzle the coulis on top. Now you're done, enjoy!

Low Fat Raw Gourmet: Chili

It's Christmas Eve! Happy day-before-the-overly-commercialized-stolen-from-the-pagans-everybody's favorite holiday. Ok, no more cynical.

Today, Daddy spent hours crafting a very complicated cooked vegan chili out of beans, mushrooms, and lots of spices.

I'm generally opposed to beans and salt and cooked things, so I decided instead, I would make a healthier version of their dinner that I could eat at the same time. I searched the internet, looking at traditional cooked recipes, overly complicated raw recipes, and the simplest of the simplest lowfat fare, and I think I've come up with something somewhere in between!

Like the sushi recipe I posted yesterday, this is a more complicated, more gourmet low-fat raw recipe - though it's still not nearly as long or painstaking as many high-fat gourmet raw recipes! If you're a chili fan, this is a good way to eat ligit chili yumminess and keep it low fat, raw, and salt free.

So without further ado,

(I know, my phone camera sucks. My apologies. Haha)

Recipe will feed 2 'cooked' people or 1 LFRV.

Ingredients:

• 3 tomatoes
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes (more for a richer, deeper tomato flavor; less for a lighter, fresher flavor)
• .5oz dehydrated mushrooms (I used shiitake)
• 1 zucchini
• .5 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 or 2 red bell peppers
• 1 or 2 poblano peppers
• 1 - 2tsp cumin
• 1Tbsp chili powder
• dash oregano

1. Blend sun-dried tomates with a little water in a blender to form a paste
2. Put tomatoes (quartered), mushrooms, garlic (minced), sun-dried tomato paste, onions (chopped up), cumin, chili powder, & oregano in food processor; blend until chunky
3. Grate, julienne, or cut zucchini into small cubes (I grated)
4. Slice or julienne peppers into small, thin strips
5. Mix together, and let sit 2 - 12hrs (the longer it sits, the more the flavors will blend).
• You could put it in the dehydrator to warm it/make the flavors blend faster
6. Serve & enjoy!

Low Fat Raw Gourmet: Sushi

Ahhh, winter break! As of last Thursday, I went from having little to no free time, to having all the free time in the world! I've been investing this time doing lots of yoga, playing outside, cleaning, reading, and making art in the kitchen!

Today I came up with a nut & oil free, low fat, raw, vegan sushi recipe that is just incredible!

It's not traditional simple low-fat fare; there are quite a few ingredients - but it's definitely a dish worth treating yourself to - without splurging on the fat, salt, and/or cooked foods!

There are 3 basic parts (rice, veggies, dipping sauces), plus the nori.

Rice
—1 head cauliflower
—¼ onion

Veggies
—2 carrots

—1 cucumber

Dips
—1in ginger, peeled & sliced
—½c water
—½ lime, juiced
—5 - 6 small dates (or 3 large), pitted

—1c arugula
—¾c water
—½ lime, juiced
—½ celery stalk
—1 garlic clove
—½ avocado

For the rice:
Chop cauliflower into pieces:

Put about a handful or two in your blender at a time, and pulse once or twice (until consistancy of rice):

Finally, mince onion and mix them in. Mix in a few tablespoons of ginger-date sauce.

For ginger-date sauce:
Put ¾c water, 1in ginger, and 6 dates in blender; blend until smooth. Mix some into 'rice' and set the rest aside.

For the pineapple-avocado sauce:
Blend arugula with water until smooth. Add celery, lime, and pineapple. Blend until smooth. Add ½ avocado.

For veggies:
Julienne or spiralize cucumbers. Shred, shave, or spiralize carrots (I used a veg peeler).

Assembly:
Lay out a nori roll, smooth side down. On one side, put a generous helping of cauliflower 'rice'. On top of the rice, put some carrot & cucumber, then drizzle some ginger-date & avocado-pinapple sauce, roll up tightly, and eat! (Or cut them into little noris, if you're sharing with other people. 

Yum! 

Makeup

Oh my goodness! One of my friends wrote an amazing poem for our American Lit class! Its not my work, but I love it! And she said I could share it with you, world :3

You
You are beautiful.
Beautiful with your makeup.
Makeup hides your imperfections.
Imperfections that need correction.
Correction makes you better.
Better than before.
Before you put makeup on.
On top of your imperfect face.
Face the facts, it's true.
True that you shouldn't return.
Return to the real face in the mirror.
Mirror your society.
Society is good, and you know that you should,
Should hid your true self to be someone else.
Else you should learn to be yourself.
Yourself is not anything good.
Good thing you've kept your makeup on.
On top of your naturally grotesque appearance.
Appearance is everything.
Everything repugnant about you should be hidden.
Hidden away so no ine can see.
See the ugliness that is you.

-Melissa Smit

On My Mind//12

New ploy to get my family to eat healthier........wake up early every morning and ask if they want me to make them a smoothie. Nobody can say no to a delicious, fresh, sweet fruit smoothie for breakfast! :D

On My Mind//11

Fruitarianism: The art of feeling, looking, and being the healthiest you ever have, by eating sweets for every meal!

Before & After II

Hey! I just realized, yesterday was my one-year blogiversary! Exciting day. Haha

In honor of a year passing since my first blogpost... I figure perhaps another before and after is in order. ヅ

I honestly haven't changed in weight that much, but I have been getting stronger, losing retained water weight, etc. - also, I think I look significantly healthier now than I did a year ago...or two years ago...or three!

What do you guys think? ☺

This is me! Today! (Actually, that's a lie. It's me, last night, before I went to bed. Haha)

I've been raw vegan for 2 years, and vegan for 3 - and honestly I can't remember feeling better than I do right now! So glad I discovered LFRV.

Oh my goodness! Don't laugh, guys! Haha. This is me almost exactly a year ago! I honestly didn't realize there was such a change!

Well there it is, folks. This is before I removed nuts and oils from my life - and you can see the difference!

And here I am 2 years ago! Haha.

It's almost exactly a week after I went raw, I believe!

Don't be fooled by the relative healthy-looking-ness.

I was pretty much starving myself at this point,, and I had loads of makeup on.

..That's all I've got for ya today! Peace! ☮

Banana-nog!

YUM! So it turns out even raw vegans can sip eggnog by the fireside this holiday season! (And anybody else can have a nutritious, guilt-free version of this favorite holiday drink!) Just made this for breakfast this morning, it really does taste pretty eggnog-y. (And yummy!)

It's super easy to make:
—2 bananas, chunked
—2 frozen bananas, chunked
—1c coconut milk (or, if you're staying overt-free, coconut water would probably be good as well)
—½ tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
—dash nutmeg (to taste)

Throw everything in the blender and blend away until it's smooth and creamy...then pour into your favorite mason jar and enjoy!

Curry-Ginger-Lime Soup

Tonight, I got to make dinner for the fam - and of course I wanted to give the people I love something yummy that would also nourish them, like all food should.

Well. Dad didn't want to be adventurous and Joe wasn't hungry - so I actually just made dinner for Mom and I... but she loved it! (And so did I.)

Tonight, we dined upon a delicious Curry-Ginger-Lime Soup!

If you're craving a savory, flavorful, creamy, warm raw soup yourself, give this one a try!

The ingredients are as follows:

• 1 endive
• 2 c lettuce (I used romaine)
• 1 c warm water
• 2 Tbs fresh ginger
• 2 Tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp curry
• ½ avocado

• ½ cucumber
• 10 small dates (or 5 large)

I know, it's kind of a lot of ingredients. But it sure is good!

It's very easy to make, too - no worries! 

1. Chop dates and cucumber into small-ish chunks.
2. Blend romaine & endive with warm water until smooth.
3. Add ginger, lime, and curry. Blend again, just until mixed.
4. Add avocado. Blend one last time.
5. Pour into a bowl, mix in dates and cucumber, and enjoy!

Yum!

The Cooked Experiment

"You know what I want more than anything for Christmas, Daddy?" I asked, following a list of objects I would like to receive under the Christmas tree. "The gift of life! You could be vegan with me...vegan December. Peace on earth."

To my surprise, Dad didn't look at me as if I was being ridiculous. In fact, his response was, "I would be willing to be vegetarian - if you would start eating some cooked vegan foods again."

And that was how it started. My family is eating vegetarian meals, which I will share with them - in true family dinner fashion (which was done away with a while ago in my family, when I started taking interest in my health and the ingredients that would make up my sacred temple of a body, while my mother, father, and brother lacked this enthusiasm), throughout the month of December (maybe longer, if cravings for their meaty addictions don't get the best of them), as an experiment for themselves (and maybe a ploy to get me eating 'normal' food again, and to experience family dinners again).

I still won't eat wheat. I still won't eat salt. I still plan upon keeping it low fat high carb. My breakfast, lunch, and snacks will still be fruit. I don't think I'll eat legumes. I don't want to eat refined foods like flour and sugar. And as soon as January comes, I already can't wait to metaphorically throw myself back into fruit's perfect embrace and start repairing the damage that I know I'm furthering with each bite I take.

Both parties will obviously have to compromise this month to make this work. I know the idea that I would give up my fruit for a month sounds ludicrous to a lot of my friends who understand just what I'm giving up, and the damage that I will be putting myself through.

But for this month, because I love my family and because I know it will make them happy, I temporarily walk away from the beautiful, colorful, flavorful world that is low fat raw veganism, for the less enchanting reality of cooked veganism.

Anyhow, this month, I plan upon posting about things I'm experiencing differently from fruit, tribulations and triumphs, etcetera.

So, tonight was December 1st. I had my first cooked family meal, "Brown Rice & Lentil Soup". It was fat free, basically tomatoes, rice, lentils, corn, and some other vegetables, all mixed together into a soup. I noticed just a few things.

• The soup (though there was a lot of water in it from the tomato juice, I assume) felt quite dehydrating.
• I normally don't feel the need to drink much water throughout the day (and my pee is most always clear), but I've been drinking non-stop since dinner.
• I felt really super full.
• I was kind of hungry, and the soup was pretty good...but after about half a bowl, I felt so full I just couldn't eat anymore.
• It would seem it is way easier to eat lots of energy from fruit. I can't imagine I had more than 200cal over dinner...
• I felt emotionally off after dinner last nigh.
• I don't know whether it was real or in my mind, but I felt distracted, heavy, tired, and just not...lacking that emotional glow I feel from fruit, I guess. Interesting.

That's all I've got for today. But stay tuned, I guess. I plan on posting every few days, listing new experiences and noticings.

Peace!

Can I Eat Cooked Food Sometimes?

There are a number of reasons that a person may decide to go raw vegan. Perhaps you've chosen this path because you want to be skinnier. Maybe you'd like to look vibrant and healthy. You might want endless energy. Maybe you were attracted at the idea of never getting sick. Or perhaps, you're in it for the benefits it offers to your athletic performance. My personal favorite result of low fat, high carb, raw veganism is the mental stability, clearness, and happiness that I have experienced.

Needless to say, there are a lot of different reasons that a person might choose to follow a raw path.

There is nothing like raw and it is absolutely worth every sacrifice you have to make to get there! However, staying 100% raw is sometimes a challenge - in terms of convienience, habits, addictions, and social situations. Most raw vegans have in some instant wished or wondered whether they could get the results that the want from raw veganism, and still occasionallu eat some cooked food. (After all, we've all been taught that moderation is key! Haha.)

Well, absolutely. If you feel like you need or want to eat cooked food, experiment with it and see what works for you. (One example I often use, is that I drink not-from-concentrate Florida's Natural orange juice very liberally, and have never noticed negative results.) If you do choose to go the route of eating some cooked food, I do have a few pointers and tips you may want to at least read over and consider:

1) Always stay vegan. No matter how bad you miss meat, or how much want to be inconspicuous in social situations, in my opinion, vegan is absolutely non-negotiable.
Animal foods are severly acidifying to the body, which encourages cancer cell growth. They have also been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other scary, chronic diseases. They are high in fats and protiens and low in carbohydrates and micronutrients. (And I'm not even going to go into the effects of animal consumption on the environment, the animals, and the starving inhabitants of Africa who are being exploited.)
I do not believe that meats have anything to offer the body, that we cannot get from whole plant foods.

2) You may not feel well constantly switching from raw to cooked and back again - you might find yourself in some sort of unpleasant limbo of constant detox or something of the sort. Just be aware of this.

3) I definitely suggest you stay away from salt (this can be very hard if you're trying to just eat what everyone else is eating/for social reasons, because it would seem that the entire world is addicted to this drug, and doesn't even realize it. As you may or may not know, salt is an excitotoxin (I don't actually know what that means in itself lol.) but, I know that what it does is 'excite' your tastebuds so that you taste flavors more vividly - however, it leaves tastebuds damaged, so that you are less able to taste flavor the next time you eat - therefore, you need more and more salt each time, for flavor....kind of the same way a heroin or cocaine user needs to increase the amount of drug that he's consuming to get the high he wants and to fulfil his addiction.
In addition, I'm sure you know that salt is cellular poison and dehydrates your body (this is why we have used it to preserve foods for hundreds of years). Bloating and other problems are the result of your body trying to protect itself from this damaging drug.

4) Stay away from wheat. It's addictive, refined, and the gluten makes you feel like crap.

5) Obviously, not all cooked foods are created equal. Try to keep it low fat, whole plant based, high carb. Baking, frying, grilling creates carcinogens. Steamed and boiled foods are always best.
Cooked veggies and tubers are the most ideal. Rice and other whole grains are acceptable. Legumes will give you toxic gas and stuff, they're hard to digest. Refined foods like bread and pasta are..well, refined.

Good luck!

Spiced Dates

I've got a delicious holiday recipe to share! It's perfect as a meal, as a desert, and it would be a lovely, easy little treat to pass at holiday parties with all your SAD friends!

It's also a fantastic way to pack in the carbs if you don't have a lot of time, and (like me) can't bring yourself just eat plain dates.

The ingredients include:
—500cal worth of dates (that'll be about 25 deglet noir or khadrawys, or 10 medjools)
—2tbsp dried, flaked, unsweetened coconut
—¼tsp fresh orange zest
—1tsp cinnamon
—1tsp ginger

Throw all ingredients in a blender and blend until everything is chopped up pretty finely and well-mixed. Pour into bowl, eat as is, or roll into nice little balls or press together and cut into bars or chunks. They're awesome served with caffeine-free tea (my personal favorite is a Lemon Zinger). Enjoy! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everybody (in the US) had an awesome, cruelty free Thanksgiving! I know I did. I just wanna share some pictures of my high-carb, low-fat, salt-free, whole plant food vegan (not raw, though) thanksgiving dinner!

Here's my pumpkin pie pudding, chillin' next to everybody else's!

Basically just roasted pumpkin pureed and blended with dates (soaked in water a few hours), and pumpkin pie spice, to taste.

On top is some delicious, creamy coconut milk (which is basically the consistency of whipping cream).

And here's my dinner! Fruit salad, squash, steamed brussels sprouts, more fruit salad, a baked sweet potato, and cranberries! All made from whole plant foods, without salt. All the 'side dishes' everybody else was eating and loving!

I love being a raw vegan, but I think sharing some traditional cooked foods with my family on special occasions is really awesome. I don't get to share meals with people a lot, because my family are a bunch of omnivores; so I think I'm missing out on an element of social life that a lot of people take for granted. Therefore, on the few occasions that I do compromise and eat some (still delicious) cooked foods, I really enjoy eating what everybody else is eating and sharing.

The Teaching Of Buddha

❝Buddha first taught himself to avoid the sin of killing any living creature, he wished that all people might know the blessedness of a long life.

Buddha trained himself to avoid the sin of stealing, he wished that all people might have everything they needed.

Buddha trained himself to avoid ever committing adultery, he wished that all people might know the blessedness of a pure spirit and not suffer from insatiable desires.

Buddha, aiming at his ideal, trained himself to remain free from all deception, he wished all people to know the tranquility of mind that would follow in speaking the truth.

He trained himself to avoid double-talk; he wished that all people might know the joy of fellowship.

He trained himself to avoid abusing others, and then he wished that all might have the same serene mind that would follow by living in peace with others.

He kept himself free of idle talk, and then wished that all might know the blessedness of sympathetic understanding.

Buddha, aiming at his ideal, trained himself to keep free from greed, and by this virtuous deed he wished that all people might know the peacefulness that would go with this freedom.

He trained himself to avoid anger, and he wished that all people might love one another...❞ 

I love this excerpt from "The Teaching Of Buddha." I think it's a great reminder that if we see something wrong with the world, change yourself accordingly, and then you will become part of the solution. Like Gandhi's quote, "be the change you want to see in the world."

LFRV Chocolate Icecream?!

Today for lunch, I've got a huge (24oz!) tub of chocolate icecream... Fat free, guilt free, and cruelty free! Vegans can't eat anything? Bullshiiit!

The recipe is super simple (and delicious, and totally the consistency of icecream!) :

—8 frozen bananas (chunked)

—8 dates

—½c carob powder

—⅓c water (if using blender)

Blend all ingredients in a blender (or with icecream maker? I assume it would work, I don't have one so I don't know.)

That's it! Enjoy!

(Recipe is best if eaten right after making it.)

Keepin' It Frugal On LFRV!

This article is for those of you who are young and can't afford to spend $100 on food per week. This article is for people who think spending such a huge amount of money just to eat raw foods is ridiculous. This article is for those SAD eater who say that they won't switch because organic vegan foods are so expensive. This article is for anybody who is already eating a low fat, high carb, raw plant-based diet and wants to explore ways to eat more cheaply on this diet.

I am a 16-year-old in High School, and I only have $40-$50 to spend on fruit each week.

I eat loads of bananas, because truthfully, they're pretty much the only thing I an afford to eat significant quantities of (especially in the winter). I don't really like bananas much at all, and contemplated, at one point, going back to cooked vegan in lieu of living on bananas...but I just absolutely didn't want all the bloating and gas and constipation and apathy and lack of energy that comes with cooked every time I try. HCRV is like golden handcuffs.. Now that you've tried it, you can never leave. Because its just too good.

So, I finally gave in and started making smoothies... I'm so glad, it really helps, and they're actually super delicious! Right now (I know it's bad food combining, but,) I've been making banana-OJ-frozen strawberry smoothies. Super cheap and utterly delicious. Sometimes I put chopped dates on top. Its an easy way to add calories and...yum! Extra sweetness.
Another nummy way to eat bananas (and making sure you always have ripe, raw calories in the house!) is letting them ripen, and then freezing them! Throw 'em in the blender with some dates and carob, makes a perfect chocolate icecream....guilt free! (;

Also, make sure you're eating plenty of greens, especially if you are eating mostly just dates and bananas. I find that it helps my appetite for these sweet foods. Especially on a limited budget, you'll probably want to grow your own (since there's no way you'll be able to afford organic greens, and there's generally a lot of pesticides in the conventional stuff). This is not hard to do, even if you live in a cold climate! Just put some big pots of dirt by a window, and sprinkle salad mix seeds - and a few days later, they'll start sprouting! They'll keep producing as you cut them, so it's super easy! Just make sure to keep them watered, and maybe put some compost on occasionally, to make sure they don't use up the nutrients in the soil (:

 So yeah, buying conventional produce and bananas from Kwik Trip, I'm living on $6 per day - that's less than most people on SAD!

An additional tip for young people: Ask your parents how much they spend on food for a week for your family. Then divide that by the number of people in your family - ask them if they can just give you your share of your families food budget to spend on your own food - if you're determined, you will learn to budget it correctly to get enough calories and make raw veganism work for you.

Peace, and good luck to all!

LFRV Mango-Strawberry Pie!

Yumm! You can use less nuts for lower fat...still delicious. Also, try adding some romaine lettuce in with the filling; makes it more savory, and still super duper yummy. (Though the color's a little less savory like this. Haha)

Veganism Saves Human Lives.

Have you heard mention of going how going vegan not only saves the lives of ythe animals that you chose not to eat (and you!) but those of starving children in developing countries as well? Are you intrigued by the idea, but don't really understand how it works?

Somebody asked me to explain this to them the other night, and I realized that there are probably more people out there who don't quite understand how exactly this plays out, so I wanted to share a simple version of the process, as I understand it, today.

See, the thing is, 150 tons of cereal grains and edible legumes fit for human consumption, fed to livestock results in less than 30 tons of meat. Obviously, we would be able to feed far more people if we fed the grains straight to people,rather than having them go through livestock.

In addition, many big companies exploit undeveloped countries such as Africa and Central American countries, by utilizing arable land there, to grow grain for livestock, which is then fed to Americans/developed countries. This, thereby, obviously creates a food deficit in Africa and the other less developed countries, as the grains that they could be eating are being used to feed cattle in America instead.

Thereby, eating meat supports the exploition and starvation caused by the meat industry in third world countries.

Fruit People Protein!

I talk a bit about protein on a low fat, high fruit raw vegan diet.

I Don't Understand.

I just don't understand it. I don't understand why somebody who choose NOT to live high carb, whole plant-based. People tell me it's because they "couldn't live without meat". No. No, you live in a society that insists you could never live without meat. Don't let media, advertising, and other people hold you hostage!

Who would want to have to spend their life counting calories, jumping from one miserable fad/starvation diet to another, in a futile effort to lose a few lbs?
Who wants to smell like BO after going for a run or after just a day or two without showering?
Who wants to live their life awaiting or dreading the day that they become obese, or are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease?
Who wouldn't want to take charge of their own health?
Who wouldn't want to eat AS MUCH food as they care for, without being concerned with getting fat?
Who wouldn't want to never have a cold or get sick?
Who wouldn't want to have loads of energy, and be happy for no reason whatsoever?
Who wouldn't want to follow a HEALTHY diet that had them eating only things that taste delicious to them?
Who wouldn't want to eat in a way that makes perfect sense anatomically, evolutionarily, and logically?
Who wouldn't want to be LFRV?

People tell me they couldn't because they love meat too much. Just try it for a couple months. The appeal of animal carcass pales next to the vibrancy, life, happiness, and energy brought into your life through the exciting, unique flavors of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pre-Vegans

I don't like to look at people as "vegans" or "meat-eaters". No. No, I much prefer to see all these such people as "pre-vegans" - simply people who have not yet recieved the information that they need to be inspired to go vegan.

Surely, for everybody this reason will be different.

Personally, it was the health aspects for me - with a little bit of ethics sprinkled generously on top.

For others, it may be humanitarian reasons - wishing to end the starvation caused in third world countries by the western world's excessive meat consumption.

Some may be concerned entirely with the dismal treatment of factory-farmed animals.

Yet others may be moved by evironmental reasons.

Luckily, there are so many fantastic benefits to just about everybody through a vegan diet, so unless somebody literally does not care about anything there must be some aspect of veganism that will appeal to each individual.

At any rate, never be discouraged or inclined to stop sharing your veganism with those around you. You never know what could be that one little fact or statistic or picture or explanation that will just click with somebody.

Little Kiddies.

Recently I've been feeling uncomfortably negative an cynical... A condition I attribute mostly to the simple fact that I am legally obligated to be in school every day for seven hours, with a structured schedule...rather than frolicking half naked in the hot sun all day - that coupled with other unfortunate realities such as the cooling weather, rarely getting adequate amounts of sleep, as well as being forced to spend the majority of my day the people I've grown up with - many of whom for whatever reason suddenly seem unbearably immature, self absorbed, and ignorant. I don't like thinking that way about people, and it kind of freaks me out that I have been. But anyhow, some part of this equation has lead to my existence becoming less than healthy, happy, and beautiful... And from there I fear it may have begun snowballing, especially had I not noticed it. Anyhow, that's not what this post is about. Just an observation, kind of. Haha.

So, last year, I got a job after school working with elementary aged kids. After about four months off, we started again this Monday - and just two days in, I've noticed just how much calmer, happier, more positive, and humbled I feel. I think something about working with young children is very therapeutic.

I love their honesty, I love their impressionability, I love their energy, I love their individuality, I love their curiosity.

I like that the job forces me to forget about myself and what's going on in my head for a few hours in a day, and focus on the children and their needs. I love seeing children engaged in and excited about learning. I love being able to help stimulate the kids. I love the idea that the things I do can help the child to further develop and learn.

It's amazing what the responsibility and privilege of caring for a little kid can do for a person. I definitely recommend it. (:

The Wolves & The Deer..

As hunting season draws near, I am subjected to enduring the regular discussions of all the rednecks I share my high school with, as they all eagerly anticipate the return of their favorite activity....being all manly, sitting in a tree, shooting deer with big antlers to hang on their wall.

One of these such individuals favorite reasons to give for why they hunt, is because they need to control the deer population, otherwise the deer would starve in the winter. And this is true. But I wonder whether any of them ever actually bothered to stop and wonder why we have to control the deer population? Doesn't it seem odd that every other species has a perfect natural system of checks and balances, but the deer don't?

Well, if you think about it, it's not hard to know why. It's because we've hunted the natural predator of the deer - wolves - to near extinction. And it's still legal to hunt wolves, with a permit. Why?!

It can't be because wolves logically pose a threat to human lives - significantly more people are attacked by dogs than by wolves each year. So the only possible excuse for killing wolves, must be that they kill and/or eat farmers' livestock.

So, I realized that I had just come upon yet another problem that a global switch to veganism would solve! We would finally be able to stop killing wolves, and in turn, we would no longer have to kill deer either! The ecosystem would finally be able to return to its own natural balance!

There are just so many reasons to give up meat. So. Many. Reasons. Come on already, jump on the wagon, join the vegan party and save lives, the environment, the ecosystem, the rainforest, and your health!

Peace!

Healthy Appetite Again!

So I have a story to share, I haven't talked about this much before.

Like most girls of my generation, I once upon a time had an eating disorder. I actually don't know when it started for me. I faintly remember worrying that I was too fat before I was even in school. I think maybe it stemmed from the fact that Daddy spoke badly of fat people on occasion... People would always tell me I was skinny/tiny, even when I was little, but for whatever reason, I didn't believe them. Anyhow, psychoanalyzing that is a job for someone like Sigmund Freud, not a 16 year old who's been in her first psychology class for about 20 days. 'Cause I'm just guessin'. Aha.

Anyhow, I remember being like 10 years old, and I would eat more than I needed. I wouldn't really be hungry - I just loved the taste of bagels and Ritz crackers!

In 5th grade, I visited France on foreign exchange; I was there for about 3 weeks, and spent  the last half frightened that I had gained weight eating all of this rich, probably unhealthy, french food. And I didn't have a scale to make sure I hadn't gotten fat! Not kidding. 5th grade.

In 6th, I went on my first diet.

In 7th was when the eating disorder started, officially, I think. I started eating like 200calories per day, pro-ana sites, the works.

In 8th grade, I started going through binge-starve phases. At times I would decide I wanted to get better, but at the time I didn't really know how to do it, and I was still super afraid of gaining weight... So even though I tried not to care and just "listen to my body", it had me eating crazy amounts of food (to make up for starving at other times), I puffed up to my highest weight of 114. (It doesn't sound that bad...for whatever reason, I'm lucky enough my weight actually has never fluctuated horribly.)

Around 9th grade, bulimia started as well.

Throughout all this, I was slowly working my way through veganism, gourmet raw veganism, and fruitarianism.

Recently, I came to a place where I really feel like I understand food and what I'm eating. I understand what my body needs, and no longer feel like its a fight.

I've been raw for almost two years now, and I finally feel like my appetite has returned to normal. Like, normal normal healthy healthy. I eat when I'm hungry, and I don't eat when I'm not. The food I'm eating feels good in my body, and I don't regret what I'm eating.

I feel like I've reached equilibrium. I think a lot of this long-sought-after peace is thanks to my raw vegan fruitarian diet, and I feel so lucky that I found the diet and had the strength and resolve to stick with it this long.

I can't explain exactly what the diet has done for me, I don't think someone who hasn't experienced it could understand. But I feel more confident, I feel more mature, I feel more empathetic, I feel more in tune with my body, I am able to feel emotions more purely and strongly, I feel capable of truly loving, I feel more positive, I feel more at peace, I feel stronger, I feel more independent, I feel better.

And I can't imagine why anybody wouldn't want to live this way. And lucky you, now that you've heard about LFRV, you have the opportunity to make it yours, too.

Might Piss Off Some Nationalistic Spaniards,

I hate bullfighting. I hate the idea that an entire people is enthralled with sombody exploiting and killing an animal. Congrats, you fucking coward.

 We're learning about it in my "clasé de Español" right now, and I'm seriously angry.

 They keep the bull in the dark for a day before the fight, did you know that? So it's disoriented when the fight starts. There are THREE guys that team up on a single bull, using weapons to pick on it. They wave that cape in its face. They poke it with these spear-like things. And after making a lovely fucking show out of the bull's torture, they kill it.

When a matador dies, it's a tragedy. Why is it so hard for these sick, desensatized zombies to feel at all bad for the BULL, who also suffers, has feelings, and emotions?! It's wrong. :/

 Bullfighting is pathetic. It is the epitimy of cowardice and bullying.

Dear Hunters,

Do you hunt? I don't. But that's just me. I know lots of people who do.

"If people didnt hunt, there would be too many deer!" they say "I help keep the deer population under control!" Ahahahaha, ahahaha, ahaha, yeah you do, you big bad hunter, you! Good job, protecting us from all those virtually defenseless animals! However, if i may offer a suggestion... I see You just killed one huge buck...congrats. However,  if you shot more does and less bucks, you wouldn't have to work so hard to keep populations under control, and less dear would have to die! Sounds like a win-win to me!

"It's a sport!" I'm told. Yes. Yes, Just like molesting children is a sport. Until the hunter and hunted both have a 50/50 chance of being the winner, and both parties chose to participate, hunting is not a sport. Hunting is a cowards game.

"I love the taste of venison!" you protest. If I told you I love the taste of brains, would that justify me killing you to eat them? "But it's so much healthier than any meat you can get at the supermarket!" Oh! So you do understand this concept! Good! Well you know even what's healthier than venison? FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Do you violently fight for your right to eat those?

"Hunting IS a sport! It really is a challenge! It's hard to ..find dear and stuff!" oh? You're still caught up on that one? Well. If you want a challenge, I've got one for you! Try going vegan! A lot of people have a bit hard time with that one - and rather than "fighting" the innocent and harmless deer, the fight is internal, and with your cravings and addictions - and the fight is to change the world for the better. That sounds like another win-win..-win to me!

"I'm protecting the farmers crops! And if we didn't hunt, there would be lots more car accidents from dear!" Ok, fair enough! People do need to eat, after all...how 'bout you get rid of them does, then? 

"It brings in revenue for the US!" seriously? where do you think the money was BEFORE? It didn't just materialize, it was already in the US. Lmao

I can't stop you from hunting, but honestly, stop trying to convince me that your doing it for any reason other than selfishness. It's pathetic. The animal, the farmer, the cars don't matter to you, as long as you get that 16-pointer or whatever hanging on your wall. 

Real men don't sit in a tree and shoot things to make themselves feel manly. Real men care for those who are weaker than them. Real men eat plants (;

I Suck On Cow Tits!

Hi! My name's Kati, I'm 16 years old, & one of my favorite things to do is suck on cow titties!

But that's not the only way I eat my dairy - I also like it curdled, fermented, pasteurized, AND in an unappealing lump of fat on my toast in the morning!

Mmmm! It's nature's perfect food!

And it's so HEALTHY, because it's full of calcium! ......Nevermind the fact that it's high protien content actually results in calcium being leached from my bones, leaving them weaker than they were before... No. The important thing is... Milk has lots of calcium! Yayyyy!

Cow milk is just such a perfect food...for calves! So it's obviously perfect for me and my family..of humans!

I used to nurse my child... But people milk isn't good for 2 year olds! Instead, My child now drinks the milk of a completely different species, which has completely different needs!

Cow milk is amazing! It helps a baby calf grow up big and strong!

In fact, it helps a calf more than triple in size in a single year.

Uhh... Do I look like I've gained weight to you?

It's my damn genes!

...

Come on, guys. You're a grown man or woman. You stopped suckling years ago...for a reason. But you're still so dependent on these mammary secretions, that you've justified enslaving an entire species, just to fulfill those 'needs'? Talk about mommy problems.

I don't think I need to tell you how unhealthy milk is, or how unethical it is. Adults drinking the milk of another species is just weird, and completely unnatural. You wouldn't suckle cow tits. The product doesn't change when you put in a carton.

Stop. Just... Stop. That's all.

Valuable Beginner Tips!

•young people (under 20) don't be afraid to eat a little extra fat (between 10 - 20%, probably-ish)

•get fats from fruits (avo is best from experience) rather than nuts & seeds

•surround yourself with fruit that you love!

• don't be afraid of overreating! (eat as much as you desire, that's the beauty)

•eat enough! Dont end up one of those people who decides veganism made them sick, emaciated and tired all the time - that was you under relating cause you're not used to the light caloric density of whole plant-based carbohydrate. (ideally fruit)

•if you're craving salt, eat greens. As many greens as you desire (try fruit-based dressings, no oil)

•it's not an all or nothing thing. Almost all raw foodists eat cooked sometimes. (not naming specific people, but I have heard from close friends of some big raw names, that they occasionally eat cooked; a few others like durian rider & Fredric patenaud are open about it. (i personally drink pasteurized not-from-concentrate oj, and will have marinara sauce sometimes) you do eat some cooked it's ok, just keep it high raw, always keep it vegan (although if you don't think you can do that even, then obviously mostly vegan is better than not at all), and try to keep cooked foods whole and carb-rich as much as you can.

•do what is right for you! Every step in the right direction is better than where you started, if you don't think your ready for something, that's fine. Don't push yourself and end up giving up and going back to SAD.

•educate yourself! Watch earthings, read 80-10-10 - if you know exactly why youre doing this, you'll obviously be more likely to stick with it.

•try smoothies! I'm personally not a big fan, but I know lots of people love smoothies and it enables them to get lots more fruit in, and even positively share part of this diet with those around them, and that's excellent.

•start paying attention to just how you feel after eating things, emotionally, mentally and physically. Rather than following diet dogma, listen to your body. As your body becomes more accustomed to a whole food, raw, plant-based diet, your body will become better and better at sending you signals - and it'll get more and more natural for you to pick up on them.

I Hate It When People Kill Flies.

I hate it when people kill flies. Not the biting kind, but the kind that just sits there. It doesn't hurt you. It just sits there. Symbiosis.

Why would you kill it? That's such a cowardly act. I understand killing a mosquito that lands on you, or not wanting to be stung by a wasp. That could be regarded as an attack. It then becomes survival of the fittest.

But the fly is harmless. And the fly is so much smaller than you, defenseless. It's not a fair fight, and it's not a justifiable fight.

As primitive as the fly is, as much as it doesn't think like you or feel like you, it is a life, and that life is all it has, and it wants to live. How can your needs be so much more important than anything elses, that you would take a harmless life, for no reason other than that it's a little annoying to you?

It's a fantastic thing to be able to coexist with another life, neither of you harming one another.

The strongest, most mature, and most successful do not destroy those that they do not like, but learn to coexist with them.

Animal Consumption Is Genocide!

Genocide is happening in the US, right now.

Babies are being stolen from mothers.

Newborns are being mass slaughtered.

Female bodies are being exploited.

Millions are being held in imprisonment, all over the country.

Violent and inhumane methods are being utilized to keep them under control,

And millions are tortured and killed, every day.

This isn't a conspiracy theory.

Why haven't you heard of this before?

Chances are, you have.

But just as with the haulocaust and other incidences of genocide, you have been desensitized and conditioned to believe that taking away their freedoms and rights is okay.

You've been told they don't think like you, they don't feel pain like you.

So it's alright to allow them to suffer.

...

There is genocide going on in America right now.

You are supporting genocide.

Wake up. Empathize with those who aren't like you. Speciesism...equals racism...equals sexism. Support equal rights. Go vegan.

DAIRY=VEAL

Your Body Is Amazing!

Shell123ey.

This is an amazing video, so inspiring! One of my favorites. ❤

Shell123ey is definitely one of my favorite YouTube-ers, if you're not subscribed, I suggest you get on that. (:

Cold, Hard Facts For Veganism

I did not assemble these statistics. This post is taken from the "Veganism" Facebook page.

The Hunger Argument
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 people:20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock:80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
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 edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
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 raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses:1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

The Cholesterol Argument
Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent

The Natural Resources Argument
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
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
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument
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

The Pesticide Argument
Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument
Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

Just Say No... To GMO!

A good number people have probably heard of Monsanto. I'm sure a lot haven't. At any rate, I think it is very important that people understand just what this company does, and what they really stand for.

To start off, Monsanto is a huge, American corporation that produces herbicides and pesticides.... But that's not all they do! They also genetically modify crops for the food we eat.

Because these foods are "created" by Monsanto, they "own" them and all the offspring, etc. Farmers that buy Monsanto seeds are not permitted to save seeds for the next year - rather, they have to buy new seeds from Monsanto the following year. Clever concept, right? Annoying - but clever.

Just wait. This is about to get a little more clever....and a lot more annoying.

Even if a farmer doesn't buy Monsanto's product, should GMO crops cross pollinate with non-GMO crops, the gene can be found in this farmers crop the next year. So if said farmer reuses the seeds from his non-GMO crop, Monsanto could test for their genes and find them. This means a lawsuit for the farmer - which the rich and powerful Monsanto almost never loses.

So farmers not caving to Monsanto and using their product, are now in danger of a lawsuit that would leave them bankrupt. In this way, Monsanto is moving towards monopolizing the food industry in America.

If that's not scary enough for you, don't let out your sigh of relief yet.

Recently, Monsanto released their first direct-to-costumer product: GMO corn. This corn contains a Bt toxin - a protein that ruptures the stomach of any insects that attempt to feed on it.

This toxin has been found to cause organ failure in small mammals.

Umm. I know it's a stretch to say that the corn could be dangerous to people - but I'd prefer my corn the way millions of years of evolution designed it...not exploding my insides.

Well, there's a special PLU code for GMO products. I could just make sure to stay away from codes with five numbers, starting with an eight.

OH WAIT! Companies aren't required to use the special PLU, so I really have no way of knowing whether I'm eating genetically modified "food" or not.

That makes me a little scared, super frustrated, and even angry. Does it make you angry? Because it should.

But what can We do about it?
Well, There's actually a few things you can do to help make a difference. Send letters to your legislature or house of representatives protesting Monsanto. Elsewhere in the world, GMO products are already illegal or at least regulated by the government. We deserve the same protections.

Also, you should know about the companies that are known to use GMO products.


"Control the food supply, control the people." Dont let that happen. Fight back. Just say no...to Monsanto.

On My Mind//10

So you think you're tasting the rainbow in a package of processed, artificial pellets? I dare you to try real fruit!

Did You Know...

Did you know that humans cannot taste fat or protien? Our taste buds pick up 5 flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty.

When you eat meat or something fatty, you're actually just tasting the sugars, minerals(salts), acids (sour), ect. Isn't that fascinating?!

Moreover, these are the flavors found predominantly in raw fruits and vegetables! So excite your tastebuds.... Naturally! Eat your fruits and veggies! (Especially fruit )

Why Are People Still Eating Meat?!

(the video and text say the same thing, so you can watch or read, based on your preference)

Do you eat meat? If so, could you tell me why, if i asked? Honestly, it blows my mind that so many people still eat animal products, and i want to tell you why. A lot of meat eaters aren't going to want to hear about this, but I really hope you'll read this through youth the end. I can't make you agree with me - but I really want to help you at least understand why many people are switching to a vegan diet themselves.

First of all, the meat industry obviously causes suffering to the animal that is destined to be eaten. Most live out their lives in tiny, uncomfortable, unclean, crowded spaces where they are nearly unable to even move. On top of this, even free-range animals must go to slaughter, where they are still alive and frightened as they are hoisted into the air, and are still conscious and kicking as their throats are slit and the blood drains from their necks, taking their only life with it. A lot of people know this to some extent, though many pretend they don't, or they deny that it is true.

This is only the beginning, though. It's not just domestic animals that are being killed for the purpose of our animal consumption. Elsewhere in the world, rain forests are being cut down for space to raise animals or forage for these animals. As rainforest is cut down, exotic plant species are disappearing and animals are going extinct at a breathtaking rate as their habitat is destroyed.

Huge amounts of fossil fuels are used to grow crops for all of the animals that we eat, and even more are used to transport these grains, as well as water and other supplies...and finally, the livestock itself must me transported to and from the slaughterhouse. Add all of this up and - did you know that animal farming is the number one producer of greenhouse gasses emitted to the atmosphere?

Did you know that with all the grain we produce just for livestock in the US, we could feed 800 million people? That means that if we were to feed this grain directly to people, rather than animals, we could virtually eradicate world hunger. Knowing this, I believe that by extension, one could say that by eating meat, we are contributing to the starvation of men, women, and children in 3rd world countries.

Finally, it's about time we all just accepted that meat is not necessary for optimum health. In fact, many studies have been conducted which show that eating animal products is actually detrimental to human health (for more info see Forks Over Knives), and that a diet of whole plant foods is the best and most straightforward way to stay healthy.
Despite this, there are many people who still argue that without meat, you will not get the protein you need. To those people, I say - did you know that there has never in history been a case of protein deficiency, without a caloric deficiency? This means that if a person is eating enough calories even from nothing but rice (not that i am suggesting it) they will NOT be deficient in protein. Supplement with some beans, greens, or nuts and seeds? Your getting more than enough.

When I asked you why you eat meat, you probably thought "because it tastes good", right? Well, I implore you right now - is all of this...starving children, species going extinct, poor health and degenerative diseases, as well as suffering animals...worth a few moments of sensual pleasure?
If you know the answer to this and you don't like it, I hope you will try to take a step out of your comfort zone and try out some soy products and/or experiment with some vegan recipes.

What can a little bit of experimenting hurt? I think we've all got a lot more to gain than to lose from your brave, mature, and selfless decision to go vegan.

Woodstock Fruit Festival 2012!

Flouride Warning!

DIY Tutu Time!

Hello, my name's Kati; I'm 16 years old and I spent the afternoon making myself a tutu.

Have you ever found yourself craving some tutu action, but are too poor or unwilling to buy yourself a professionally made tutu?

Do you have an old bolt of tulle just laying around, and you don't know what to do with it?!

Then this post is for you!

I made this tutu out of some elastic I found in mom's sewing desk, a few inches of thread, and a bolt of tulle from a thrift store.

This garment shall be used in an upcoming video - shall be tons of fun; stay tuned! :D

But anyhow - now I shall share with you the secrets of making a fabulous tut all by yourself!

First. I found a piece of elastic and cut it so it would fit around my waist, like so:

Then, I took my tulle and cut it into pieces; I assume any size will do, but for the size & fluffiness of mine, I made squares about 2.5' long by 1.5' wide.

Gather the tulle in the middle and fold it over on itself, and tie it around the elastic using a larks head knot. I tried to take a picture of this step, but it really didnt work. So I found a picture of the knot on the internet:

Did that all the way around the skirt (32 knots for me, may be more or less depending upon your size). Aaaand here is the finished product: (:

On My Mind//9

Ever eaten a big piece of fruit in the sunshine? Pretty much the best thing ever.

On My Mind//8

Home alone.

Herb, music, writing, and yoga.

Perfect night. ❤

Better Than Everyone Else?

My dad sometimes alludes to the idea that I put myself on a pedestal, or that I think I am better than others because I am a vegan, and I know that this is not uncommon when thinking of vegans.

Umm, hello? I love Daddy, but honestly that is a really stupid argument. When I tell you that you should cut out dairy because it causes things like osteoporosis, obesity, and cancer, it's not because I want to put you down and make you feel bad about drinking it. It's because I care enough about you to want to help you do better. When I comment on the way eating steak contributes to starvation in Africa, it is a desperate attempt to make you understand how drastically your choices are effecting others, and to help you improve those choices. It is not me trying to make you feel bad about what you are eating. When I tell you that the chicken that laid those eggs you had for breakfast lived out her life in a tiny cage where she couldn't so much as flap her wings, I'm not trying to make myself feel better because I don't support that. I'm trying to make you understand, so you won't support it either.

I went vegan because I decided that me and my taste buds are not more important than a suffering animal, or a starving child. I did my homework and decided that rather than blaming big companies and people around me for my obesity and health problems, I was going to take responsibility for my own life and my own health.

The way I see it, if you see me pointing these things out to you as me "putting myself on a pedestal", then somewhere in your mind, you are putting my actions on that pedestal. When I tell you about how animal farming contributes to 18% of greenhouse gasses, you are, probably subconsciously, deciding that it would be better not to contribute to that - and therefore placing me (who does not support animal farming) above you (who does) in your head. Naturally, there are only two ways to combat this.

Your first option is to raise yourself to the same level as me in your mind, and go vegan.

The second is to resent me and tell yourself things like "vegans are snotty and self -absorbed," "vegans think they are better than everyone else," and "vegans are stupid and they are going to die from lack of protein." The idea is to pull me back down a few notches, so we are at the same level again in your mind.

So next time you are hating on vegans, think about that. Are you bettering yourself, or just bringing others down to make yourself feel better?

Edit: Decided to make a video based on this post, if you'd rather watch than read:

Karma Always Wins.

Literally or hypothetically, I believe in karma. I know some people don't; I could go into a flurry of reasons explaining why I do (and, come to think of it, I might in a later post), but today I want to focus on karma and the food we eat. It all makes so much sense.

First, we all know somebody who eats a standard American diet. This person is eating animals that were imprisoned and miserable their whole lives, and then finally tortured (burned to death in boiling water, necks slit while they're still alive and conscious...read the book Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz) as their lives were ended. This person is almost inevitably going to be obese at some point in their life. They have endless health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, high blood pressure, fatigue... the list goes on. Score one for karma.

Now lets take a look at a vegetarian. Generally, this person eats no meat products - although some eat fish and chicken. They also still eat eggs and milk. A vegetarian's risk of obesity and/or most chronic diseases is generally significantly lower, but problems are obviously not rare. In addition, vegetarians still have problems with everyday illnesses like flus and colds.

Next, I shall speak of vegans and raw vegans. I'd say they're both about the same, ethically - so I am grouping them together. Vegans eat no animal products. This means that they are not contributing to the slavery and cruelty that is the egg and dairy industry. Unsurprisingly, their health tends to correlate with their compassion. Vegans generally do not experience problems like anger issues or depression as these are often caused by hormones in animal products. Their chance of heart disease is a whopping 46% lower than that of a meat eater, and a vegan is far less likely to become obese in their lifetime. In addition, they don't have the weight of 600+ lives weighing down on their shoulders. That's big.

Believe it or not, it can get even better. A true fruitarian takes no lives. Plants or animals. It is the epitome of a compassionate diet. What is fruitarianism like? There's so much to tell. So much energy. I sleep well at night. I'm almost never sick. No BO. Amazing capacity to feel and cope with emotions. Good mood. Constant, simple appreciation for everything. Excellent hydration, normally without drinking water. Clean, smooth, comfortable digestion.... I'm serious, I could go on for days, but you're not going to understand the real, simple, natural beauty that the diet really is until you've experienced it. And I want so badly to be able to share the experience with the world. Maybe that will never happen... But I can at least share it with you, and in turn, maybe you will inspire somebody close to you to share it with you...