The ugly and painful truth~ Earthlings

I had attempted to watch this documentary before...but only managed to get through about 20 minutes, this time I painfully watched the entire film. It was ugly, disturbing, and...brutally honest. I had seen the link to the movie on a Vegan forum and it had awesome reviews. It's called Earthlings. Really, the most important movie you will watch! I have seen other documentaries about the food industry, Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, but this movie was unbelievable, heartbreaking, and so so sad. 

It starts with Pets, mostly unwanted ones, puppy mills, and shelters. I am a pet owner and love my dogs like they are my kids! I enjoy their company, I snuggle with them, I seek comfort from them, they are part of my family. I couldn't imagine hurting them, giving them away, or dumping them on the side of the road and leaving them to die!!! The movie reveals some very disturbing behaviors humans will do...throw a stray dog into a dumb truck to be crushed, euthanize hundreds of dogs because some selfish person decided they didn't want them anymore :(  The images were real and horrifying, so intense I began to cry. 

The film moves on to the food industry, meat & dairy. I don't eat meat or dairy anymore, but I never thought about where my cheese or chicken came from when I did. I never gave it much thought until I began researching  organic foods and plantbased diets. This is the most graphic and horrible part of the movie, not only the way we treat our food supply, but also the behaviors of the employees in these factories. I think the moment we begin slaughtering animals in such masses, and so brutally, we become desensitized & mentally ill, and no longer see animals as actual living, breathing beings. The amount of meat produced in this country is out of control, we are destroying our land, creating illness and disease, and being extremely inhumane! Next time you go to the store, think about where your meat came from, the horrifying process, and the filth it lived in, and the disease it caused...do you still want to eat it??? 

The film sadly continues to expose the whaling and dolphin industry, mainly in Japan. Images one can only bare to watch for a few minutes without getting sick. I didn't know this was happening, I had always considered these amazing animals something pretty incredible, not anything we would harm, and definitely not food! Earthlings then goes on to expose fur farms, the circus, zoo, and animal testing. Very disturbing images of animals getting their fur removed while they are still alive, monkeys being used to simulate head injuries, and it goes on and on. I cried through the entire movie.

Is this just one of those "shock factor" movies made to make us feel bad or scared? Some might say it only exposes the bad and doesn't show the good, like local beef farms, or no-kill shelters. It is shocking, only because this is reality and it is the majority! I bet 90% of Americans DO NOT purchase local farm-raised meat, or local raw milk from the dairy farm. We get these items from a HUGE grocery store, and they get them from industrial meat/dairy factories. We don't care or question the quality of the food, the living conditions, the horrible of work conditions, and the disease and illness these foods have caused...not to mention the stress put on the environment. It is easier not to ask questions because we know the answers would make us angry. 

I want to know, I want to teach my child the truth, I want to stop this madness, I DON'T believe that ignorance is bliss. Ignorance equals health issues, disease, pollution, destruction, and a horrifying future for our kids and grand kids. Selfish? Yes we have become a selfish and greedy specie, where we ONLY think of ourselves. The problem here is that as we live these lavish, over fed, yet empty lives, and karma is already winning. This lifestyle has created more problems, more illness, more death, more addiction, and more mental disorders than ever...KARMA!! So maybe this selfish behavior is proving to be destructive, and change is needed now more than ever. When we start opening our eyes to the devastation we have created and are supporting, we can begin making changes, but as long as we keep our eyes and minds closed and turn the other cheek we will continue down this path. 

You decide...but your decision will effect me and my family, so please don't be selfish!

Everybody needs to watch this film!!!!!
   http://earthlings.com/?page_id=32
 

 

The best "Taco Pie" ever

Taco Pie Recipe!!

This is one of my favorite Mexican meals! I took the Taco idea & Lasagne idea, and made a "Taco Pie"!! So here goes:

Chop and roast 2 large or 3 medium Sweet potatoes! Season with chilli powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes! Roast on a cookie sheet on 375 until browned a little and soft! Place in a baking dish and smash! This is the base!

Add a layer of black beans, and top with your favorite salsa (as much or as little as you like)

In a saute pan, cook up some red & green pepper, corn, and onion (about 1/4 onion chopped). I used a small bag of frozen peppers, and frozen corn. You can use fresh! Layer the cooked veggies on top! Place in the oven on 375 for about 10 minutes!
**Meanwhile, thin slice romaine lettuce, chop half a large tomato, chop one avocado, and a 1/4 red onion. Also chop jalapeno peppers if you like a little spice :) **

Remove the "taco pie" from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes, top with your fresh veggies, squeeze a little fresh lime juice, and sprinkle with black pepper! Scoop out and serve :) This is a great mix of hot and cold just like a taco...and very filling!!

Enjoy!

Recipe Review~ Quinoa Brownies

 ~RECIPE REVIEW~

I recently found this recipe online and was really excited to try it! One thing I have learned through "Pinterest fails" is that some online recipes just aren't very good! I was skeptical...but this is a HIT!! I wanted not only to share this recipe, but give the credit to the fabulous creator! 

Here is the link!
 http://rinutritionhousecalls.com/?p=1349


This is mine :) Hot out of the oven, perfect and gooey like a brownie, and I used creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy! The texture is great, though my blender did not like it...I switched over to the food processor! 

My son thought these were great...he had 2! I love the simple ingredients and the fact that there is no flour, no sugar, and no artificial crap!! Great recipe, I give it 2 thumbs up!

Workouts I Love ♥

HOOPING ♥♥♥

I absolutely fell in love with hula hooping the moment I picked up a hoop! It is a feel good workout, you will laugh, play, create, feel beautiful, and burn a ton of calories!! I love feeling feminine and sometimes the fitness industry can make you feel a little "manly", and hooping quickly reminds you how sexy and beautiful you are!! One of the best parts of hooping is it can be done to your favorite music and you choose your own style! No 2 hoopers are alike :)

Barre ♥♥

I think I have always wanted to be a dancer (Ballet) but never had the opportunity. Last year I had the pleasure of taking a Barre class at work from our Barre Sculpt Instructor. WOW!!! This workout helps with posture, works your legs like you would not believe...they will burn throughout the ENTIRE workout. The movements are slow and delicate, low impact, but really work! I have included these moves into my own workout routines as well as for my clients! There is no dancing going on...but you do feel like a dancer as you get into positions at the barre and pay attention to every part of your body. Toes pointed, shoulders down & back, and create fluid movements!

Tracy Anderson Floor workouts ♥

Tracy Anderson is known for her TINY body and "dancer" style workouts. She has created a huge following of women who want to be fit and stay very slim! She does not promote weight lifting, instead focuses on full body intricate moves in high reps to create a lean & slim body! I do her floor work outs like she instructs...30 reps of each exercise ON THE SAME LEG and then switch sides! It burns like crazy, but after a few sessions it becomes easier! This is great to do at home, you can lay a mat on the floor watch TV and get a terrific workout! Get a great butt and watch your thighs get slimmer!!!!

Squats, jumps, push-ups♥

These are old-school exercises that WORK!!! I love squats...my favorite is a combo of squat-jumps! Jumping really gets your heart rate up, and is a wonderful power move! Push-ups are the way to go if you have no equipment at home! Nice way to sculpt the upper body. Most women HATE push-ups...but the more you work at it the better & stronger you get! I am working on my push-ups, so far 10 is my max! There are many ways to squat and jump, so do some research or meet with a trainer to show you the proper moves and ones that suite your needs!

Spin ♥♥

 I LOVE spin!!! if you haven't taken a class you really should! It is a indoor bike ride done to music! It is fun, upbeat, and a fantastic workout! You sweat like crazy, and push yourself a lot harder than you would cycling outdoors. I use to run outside a lot...but after getting hooked on Spin, I haven't wanted to hit the pavement in a long time! If you are looking for a cardio workout and HATE to run, or need to change up your cardio workout...this is a great option!

There are so many workout options out there! These are some of my faves! I encourage you to FIRST find a workout that makes you feel good & happy...and then continue to challenge yourself with new exercises. Exercise needs to be a part of your life...don't let yourself sit around, you were designed to MOVE!!

 

Vegan Lasagne Recipe...no meat, no dairy, no wheat, no soy and gluten free

Today I created a real veggie lasagne! I wanted to use some sort of "ground meat" substitute but NOT soy based "veggie-meat". I googled some recipes of nut based meats and came across an interesting one that blended cauliflower and walnuts! So here goes:

This is one head of cauliflower ground up, and about one cup of walnuts ground up! Season with your fave Italian seasonings like basil, salt, parsley, garlic powder, and smoked pepper!

Place evenly on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 mixing every 15 minutes to brown evenly.

When golden brown, remove from oven and let cool! You could make this in advance and freeze it just like meat, or keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

Using a Mandolin, cut zucchini into thin slices to use as your "noodles".

Start to layer the zucchini, tomato sauce, veggie meat, and I added a layer of sauteed mushrooms with onion and spinach!

Keep adding those layers :)

Top layer should be zucchini, a thin layer of tomato sauce, sprinkled with nutritional yeast, and fresh parsley! Bake at 350 about 45 minutes, or until top is golden :) Enjoy!

Veggie Lasagne- The real thing!

Are we frugivores?

As I continue to change my eating habits and study Natural Health, I find Fruit has become the biggest part of this experience. Reading books about plant based diets I discovered they all have one thing in common...FRUIT! Fruit has had a terrible reputation as "high protein" and "low carb" diets flooded the diet and fitness industry...well you know because fruit makes you fat, right??? WRONG!!! Now, I won't go into the dangers of eating high protein and low carb, instead I will talk about the benefits of eating HIGH CARB!
High carb does not mean eating bread and pasta, which is what most people associate carbohydrates with, it's all about eating an abundance of fruit...our natural fuel supply!
As a specie, we ALL have a sweet tooth, at one point, most of us ate fruit to satisfy it...exactly how nature intended, but as the food industry created man-made sweets full of refined sugars, food additives, and colorings, our taste buds have drastically changed. We have a sweet tooth because our natural diet should contain an abundance of fruit, providing us with fuel, amino acids, vitamins, and water! The modern day human has been so over-sweetened, fruit no longer tastes sweet. This has caused us to satisfy our NATURAL sweet tooth with UNNATURAL foods...dangerous foods. Is fruit making us fat & sick? NO...most humans don't even eat the recommended serving of fruit in a day, but I bet they are eating an abundance of man-made crap...oops I mean carbs ;)
What does the human body use for fuel? Glucose! Some will say protein and fat...I would disagree. And think about this...who benefits from a high fat, high protein diet? THE FOOD INDUSTRY and BIG PHARMA, no one else! Ever seen an athlete "fat load" or "protein load" before an event? No! The human body can run like a smooth machine on a high fruit diet, it provides it water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins without robbing us of energy!
We need protein, that is very true, but the RDA grossly exaggerates what our real need is. Well, let's break it down to what we really need...AMINO ACIDS, about 21 grams per day! We have been sold this idea we need meat and lots of it, meet contains protein which the body needs, if you think the meat industry doesn't have their dirty little paws in our RDA of protein you are brainwashed. Fruits & veggies contain amino acids, most contain all essential amino acids! When we eat an abundance of fruits and veggies we are eating a direct source of what we need, instead of eating meat...which is high in protein, but the body needs to break it down into amino acids. This is a laborious process robbing us of energy! Eating fruit and veggies gives us the amino acids we need in the raw and ALIVE form.
As I add more fruit to my diet, I have seen many amazing changes! My desire for processed foods has been cut down 90%, really, Fruit has become my natural carb supply, and it has excited my sweet tooth! When you give your body natural fuel it will set you free from processed food cravings! Does protein make you lean? Ask any high raw food vegan and they will say NO WAY! I haven't been this lean without restricting calories EVER!!! That's right, no cutting calories! No robbing your body and mind of fuel (glucose)! My diet is very high in fruit, I eat fruit all day, as much as I want! I have a ton of energy, hydrated, clear headed, and my body is LEAN!
I cannot go back to eating the American standard Diet...also known as SAD. It is sad for sure. Most who are living on this diet created in labs by people more concerned about the bottom dollar, are struggling with major health problems including obesity! I do believe our natural diet is supposed to be high fruit & veggie, low protein, low fat! This s a lifestyle full of abundant eating, no calorie restricting, eating so much raw food you really do feel ALIVE! So are we a fruit eating specie? YES WE ARE! So ditch the man made protein bars, energy snacks, and weight loss shakes, and eat fruit! Give your body the fuel it craves, don't deny your natural sweet tooth!  Try 30-60 days on a high fruit, low protein, low fat diet...do it for your health!