Vegan on a budget

'Isn't so expensive to eat that way?' It is a question us vegans are far too familiar with...right after 'where do you get your protein?' I believe that majority of plant based foods are actually cheaper than meat and dairy! But, any diet can be expensive, you could be a meat eater who wants steak every night, or wants to eat out at a 5 star restuarant nightly. Same thing goes with a vegan diet. There are numerous ways to go about it, but here are my tips for saving money, while staying healthy, on a vegan diet. Here are my top ways to save, shop, and thrive on a vegan diet!

1. Check your weekly flyers for sales, make a list, and then stock up! My favorite foods to stock up on are rice, pasta, tomatoe sauce, and beans. If you see your grocery store is having a major sale on dry beans, snatch them up! They will last forever in your pantry, and always good to have on hand! Comparing prices between a few local shops can be a huge saver! Sticking to your list will also make shopping easier, less complicated, and will keep you from straying to the snack isle!

2. Buy frozen fruit and veggies! I love to have a fridge full of frozen broccoli, it is my go to veggie. I love it with almost every dinner! Not only are frozen veggies cheaper than their fresh counter parts, but they are almost always on sale somewhere! Stock up! Frozen fruits and veggies are a great way to enjoy out of season foods without over spending. Fresh blueberries are almost impossible to find in the dead of winter...but you can enjoy frozen blueberries in your smoothie for about $2.50 a bag!

3. Buy seasonal fruits and veggies! I know it is nice to have an occasional exotic fruit or watermelon in the winter, but those will cost you! Stick to seasonal fruit which is usually plentiful and less expensive. During the peak of mango season I was able to find the for 69 cents each, and watermelon during the summer can run as low as $3.99 per melon!! There are also staple fruits you can buy year round at a great price like bananas, dates, and pineapple!

4. Cook!! That is the biggest money saver, and the easiest way to stay healthy! Eating out, for the
most part, is more expensive, loaded with added salt and lots of fat. Cooking allows you to use fresh ingredients, control what you are adding, and you can make enough to freeze! Sadly cooking seems
to have become a lost art, more and more families are eating on the go, frequenting fast food joints, and spending too much cash! Some of my favorite budget friendly meals are bean chili, veggie soup, and  rice and broccoli!

5. Keep it simple! Your meals do not need to be fancy or complicated! Vegan dishes are tasty even when they only include a few ingredients! You don't need a big center piece, something like steamed potaoes with tomato sauce and a salad makes a delicious meal! Not only are there fewer ingredients (which saves you lots of money) but it makes cooking quick and easy! Who wants to follow long complicated recipes? Not me!

6. Always make enough to have left overs! This will make lunch time the next day a breeze, or even save it for another dinner! Ordering lunch out at work can cost more than $10.00 a day, that is crazy!
Left overs can be really help you stay on budget!

Here is a list of vegan foods and their prices!! You will be shocked how inexpensive it is!

Organic rice $4.99 per 2lb bag

Organic dried beans $2.00 per 16 oz bag

Organic whole wheat pasta $1.50 per 12 oz box

Vegan stuffing $2.29 pet 10oz bag

Fat free vegan baked beans $2.50 per 28oz can

Frozen broccoli florets  $2.50 per 2 lb bag

Organic pasta sauce $2.50 per 24 oz jar

Organic potatoes $4.99 for 3lb bag,  $2.99 for non organic

Corn pasta $1.50 per 12 oz bag

Mushrooms $2.89 per 8 oz container

Organic tofu $2.50 per 14oz container

Lettuce $2 or less a bunch/head

Almond milk $2.50 per half gallon

Organic oat cereal $3.99 per box

Oatmeal $2.00 per box

Watermelon in season $3.99 per large melon

Pomegranate in season 2/$5

Grapes $2.99 per lb

Cucumbers $0.79 each

Frozen veggies, corn, peas, etc $1.89 per large bag

Canned tomatoes $1.29 per can, organic $2.50 per can

Organic oat nut bread $3.99 per loaf, none organic bread $2.50 per loaf

So, as you can see these are extremely affordable foods, these aren't even sale prices, just the average prices I pay at the store. Not only are these foods cheap, but they can make large healthy meals for the entire family! Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing vegan snacks and goodies that can break the bank, but those are special treats, not daily meals. Basic vegan foods are totally affordable! It is a family friendly and budget friendly lifestyle everyone can follow!

Starch Solution Review

If you are a fan of Dr. McDougall, then you probably have heard of or read The Starch Solution. I am a huge fan of Dr. McDougall and for the past few years have followed him closely. I love the work he does, he plays a huge roll in the plant based movement, especially the low fat vegan lifestyle. After hearing so many incredible reviews and testimonies from his recent book and diet plan, The Starch Solution, I decided to give it a try!

If you aren't familiar with The Starch Solution, it is a low fat vegan diet based around starches. It allows you to eat the foods you love like pasta, rice, potatoes, pancakes, and all the other yummy carbs...even bread and LOSE WEIGHT! Foods that are off the menu are meat, dairy, eggs, butter, and oils, which for me was easy since those are already off my menu! My biggest concern was the 3-5 servings of fruit allowed, coming from a high raw lifestyle, fruit is huge part of my life! I love the taste of fruit, I eat it in abundance, I absofruitly love it! But...

Fruit stayed on my menu. I continued to eat fruit for breakfast as well as for snacks. My typical day looked something like this:
Breakfast- fruit meal or banana smoothies
Lunch- rice, potatoes, or pasta with fresh or steamed veggies
Snack- fruit, usually grapes or pomegranate
Dinner- salad, rice, potaotes, pasta, and veggies

Pros: This program is super easy to follow. All the foods recommended are highly accessible to everyone. No need to purchase any superfoods or supplements, which is always a plus! The book offers a 7 day program to help you get started as well as a fairly large recipe guide for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The recipes are all very simple, no hard to find ingredients, and all budget friendly.
This is also something the entire family can follow. All the meals are kid friendly which as a mom that is important! Foods like mash potatoes with gravy, pasta with marinara sauce, oatmeal, veggie pizza are all favorites in my home already! I was really impressed with how tasty the recipes were. I already cook oilfree so that was not a difficult adjustment for us, but the book gives simple instructions for cooking without oil, and keeping the food delicious! Trust me, no flavor is lost!

Did I already mention budget friendly? Yes, but let's talk about how inexpensive this lifestyle is! Potatoes and rice are some of the cheapest foods on the planet! They are available in every grocery store as well. The program does not require you to purchase a high price blender, juicer, or dehydrator. All you need is what you already have in a standard kitchen.

It is also very easy for busy families! Breakfast foods like oatmeal are great for kids trying to run out the door for school, even toast with a simple tofu scramble takes no time to make, or just pop some waffles into the toaster!  Lunch for me was dinner leftovers, quick to pack up and take with me to work. I made dinner nightly with leftovers in mind so everything was made to feed 5 instead of 3, that way my husband and I always had leftovers for lunch. None if the recipes were complicated or very time consuming, so if you are not great in the kitchen or just don't have time, this is perfect for you!
Did I lose weight? Gain weight? Stay the same? I actually lost 3lbs, (7lbs actually, weighed myself the day after I wrote this, which was a week and a half since the 3lb loss) though I was not looking to lose weight it was a pleasant surprise.If you are concerned with weight gain on this high carb program, please don't be, it will not happen!!
Cons: None! I really think this program would work well for everyone! Not only is it great for weightloss, but also great for those already at an ideal weight. The Starch Solution is a whole food diet which means you will be eating healthfully and really what are the cons of that? Lol!

Things I've Learned...

Since going high raw vegan, I have learned some very interesting (and funny) things about my fellow humans. When I began my journey, I had joined groups, followed pages, and read many blogs looking for support. What I found was somewhat hilarious, and a bit sad at the same time! So here are some of my favorites!!!

People love to hear good news about their bad habits! You know what I mean, like the article that comes out stating wine is great for your health....yay, ladies drink up! Lol! Seriously. If you do enough research you could probably find the health benefits of heroin. Understanding the difference between health food and food which may be harmful to your health BUT contains antioxidants is very different! Yes antioxidants are good for you, but try to get them from whole food sources...not alcohol!

I learned the word VEGAN is highly misused and misrepresented! Becoming a vegan is a huge but beautiful commitment...not a diet. It is a lifestyle you work on daily. You have to spend time educating yourself about animal rights, the environment, as well as food production. Many who say they are vegan, well, they are just on a plant based (sometimes) diet, lol. Sometimes they eat dairy, sometimes they eat meat, and they almost always eat honey...and they shop for leather shoes without hesitation! I highly urge anyone who is looking to change their life for the better to look into veganism as a lifestyle. The impact you make on your health, mental and physical, the planet, and the animals is incredible! It is a feel good lifestyle.

Nutritionist are everywhere...especially the moment they discover you are vegan! 'I read somewhere, something, about how vegans need B12 supplements or they will die'....really, do you know what B12 is? 'Yeah, it's like a supplement, right?' Not even kidding! I have these type of conversations on a regular basis! Things like 'raw food is so bad for you, you should really eat more cooked food'!!!     Right, because nature got it wrong and McDonald's got it right! Yikes, I highly recommend everyone
do some research on a plant based diet as well as Natural Hygiene, not only will it help you with your own health, but you will better understand nutrition! And when I say do some reading, I don't mean reading articles sponsored by the dairy association, I mean, read some books by those living and thriving on this lifestyle. See where the author is NOW, are they healthy, fit, active? Or are they overweight, sick, and sedentary? A great example is the author and 'founder' of The Paleo Diet, he is now overweight...from taking his own bad advice!

When I began eating large fruit meals, I began getting some strange looks and of course many worried about my health, lol! What I find so hilarious about this, is if I was eating cookies, drinking numerous cups of coffee, and having protein shakes for lunch, no one would bat an eye!!! But a meal consisting for fresh raw fruit sends people into a panic, lol! Boy do we live in a strange world! Maybe all the processed food has made us crazy.

People want to lose weight more than anything. They are willing to count very single piece of food they eat, just so they don't go over their calorie allowance for the day. The thought of removing unhealthy food, so they can not only feel better, but also be able to eat MORE of the good stuff seems crazy to them. Why not focus on health? Eat food that nourishes you, gives you energy, and heals you
from the inside out! Not only is eating for your health a wonderful abundant lifestyle, but it also rids you of junk food cravings! It may not be a quick fix, you may not lose weight immediately, but your health WILL improve, your energy will improve, and your LIFE will improve!

The biggest thing I have learned is that people use and abuse food on a daily basis and will defend it to the bitter end. No matter how poor their health is, not even a cancer diagnosis will change their ways.  The most heartbreaking part of this journey is watching others slowly poison themselves with food. Why change your diet if you can just take a pill to cover up the symptoms of poor health, right?  Food can be just as dangerous if not more dangerous than any drug on the market. It can be abused daily without anyone ever questioning it. It is the saddest part of my journey. Watching others destroy their health on a daily basis.

Life After Coffee

Last February I made a huge decision to finally give up coffee and all caffeine. Many questioned my sanity...why on earth was I torturing myself like this? Lol. Was I trying to become a purist? What's next, wheat grass shots? It was hard to explain to most people, as their morning (and sometimes all day) routine is accompanied by a cup of joe. To some the side effects seem to be minor compared to the incredible jolt of energy, but these really are something to consider. Here is how coffee/caffeine negatively effects you:

- coffee can cause rapid and irregular heartbeats

- causes sleep disturbances and an inability to fall asleep

- can elevate blood pressure

- increases risk of osteoporosis

- caffeine is a drug which leads to dependency and withdrawal symptoms can be harsh

- appetite suppressant, creating poor eating habits and a compromised metabolism

- increases anxiety

- caffeine is a psychoactive drug which acts on the central nervous system resulting in mood and behavioral changes

- can cause IBS as well as heartburn, poor digestion and gut health

- dehydration

- adrenal fatigue

- acid forming

Those were some of the concerns I had and really wanted to have a clean and naturally energized body. I felt like I fueling my body with the best food, yet slipping it a drug every morning to get started. So I finally quit! I am 7 months clean and I must say it feels great! Some of the changes that I have noticed have been interesting for sure, lol!

Let's start with my appetite. For the first 5 months I felt an insane hunger that wouldn't go away! Like I had been starved for years. So I ate, and ate, and ate. As you can imagine, over eating, even on a clean diet, will lead to a few unwanted pounds...in my case 6-8lbs! I knew this would happen. Many compare it to quitting smoking, weight gain is just part of the deal. The good thing is that my metabolism now is learning to work without a stimulant, instead of a jolt of caffeine first thing in the morning, I now enjoy a large jar of water! Wakes me right up naturally. My appetite is finally beginning to calm down and I am no longer eating like an animal, lol!

I no longer have that 3pm crash! There were days when I could barely get home without making a pit stop at Starbucks just to keep me awake while I drove. I feel properly fueled by fruit, all day, without any ups and downs! I can honestly tell you I can feel my food fueling my body where before I was completely unaware of it.

My concentration has improved as well as my mood. I have the ability to focus and have the energy to stay on task naturally. I feel consistently happy and just great. My workouts are better than ever, great energy all day long. Many athletes highly depend on caffeine to get them through workouts or races, I just fuel up with fruit and go! Since quitting coffee I have had some of my best runs, hikes, and spin classes!

My anxiety has improved. I have had anxiety issues on and off since 2001. I refused medication and have managed it on my own. Coffee definitely made it worse, so removing it has really relaxed me. My stress level in general has decreased. Even in some of the most high stress situations I am as calm as a cucumber. I feel like I can handle situations without my blood pressure flying through the roof!

So far so good. I am thrilled with my decision and now wish I would have quit sooner. Unfortunately like all drugs, it is not easy to admit there is more harm than good. Even as I decreased from 3 cups to one cup, I was still consuming it, and wouldn't experience optimal health until I quit 100%! Now I am excited to see how a year or even years without caffeine will feel!!

Raw Till 4 not working?

This isn't working!

I have heard this numerous times when it comes to a High Raw Vegan diet (raw till 4). Those of you not familiar with this lifestyle, here's the deal:

-vegan
-raw fruit and veggies until 4pm
-cooked low fat, high carb dinner
-no coffee, alcohol, or other stimulants
-80 10 10 caloric/nutrient breakdown
-low fat, no oil, low sodium
-high calorie intake no restricting
-fitness

This lifestyle is one if the best ways to thrive, lose weight, and get healthy! Stories of healing on this diet can be found all over YouTube and the blogosphere! Everything from diabetes, Crohns, Eating Disorders, Migraines, to psoriasis! Testimonials can be found from those thriving and more active than ever with boundless amounts of energy!

So why is it not working for you? Well, I can't say 100%, because I have not seen your food journal or your activity level! but I am confident enough to guess!

1.You are not exercising! A healthy body requires movement, especially when you want to improve digestion and increase lean muscle!
2. You are still consuming oils and too many fats! This is HUGE! If you won't remove oil from your cooking, you will struggle with weight loss and high energy. Oil is pure fat, stripped of all fiber and  nutrients! It has no place in the human diet! Give it up already! Too many avocados, or nuts are also going to slow down progress. Remember this is a high carb lifestyle not a high fat one!
3. Not eating enough! Another important part of the lifestyle is not to fall back into the trap of 'dieting'!! This is about providing the body with consistent fuel, all day long! Learning how to eat massive amounts of fruit and raw veggies can be difficult, be patient and focus on one meal at a time. Sit and relax, eat slowly, and taste every bite!
4. Eating out too often! Restauants do not cook low fat, low sodium food, or at least most don't! Restaurants use oils, sugar and salt! If you are eating out more than you are eating at home....you will struggle! If you have no choice but to eat out, keep it simple! Order things like steamed veggies, steamed rice, baked potatoes, roasted veggies, plain pasta with marinara sauce, or salads!
5. You are not eating a plant based vegan diet! Adding in foods like dairy, honey, or meat will interfere in your health and weight loss journey! There are so many vegan options out there, you really have no excuse!  

Take a close look at your diet and see if YOU aren't doing the work! This lifestyle works, it works for thousands maybe even millions of people, who are following the guidelines! If you are not willing to be consistent and do the work, you can't expect to see results!

Here are some pages to check out for motivation!
-Rice and Raw on Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram
-Vegan Vibes on Tumblr and Instagram
-Passion and Fruit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
-Durianrider on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
-Raw till 4 of Facebook
-Freelee the Banana Girl on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram

You will have the results you desire! No longer underweight or overweight!

Vegan No More...

Don't worry, this is not some sort of crazy meat eating confession. Just some thoughts on the recent vegans gone meat-crazy! I have been following many vegan and raw vegan blogs for the past 2 years, many I enjoyed and read for inspiration. Lately these so called vegan bloggers are dropping like flies! It is quite sad but really I am not shocked! I will tell you why, but first lets go over the blogs!

Young & Raw went back to meat last year. The reason...well, she found health, used a vegan diet to feel her best, and decided not to stick with it. Makes sense right?!?!? Still, their website sells juice fasts, detox programs, all plant based. What I just don't understand is why on earth you would go backwards! If you feel great, sell plant based diets to all your followers, why not be the example? If your detox programs work for long term health, why are you not following them?

Rawlosophy went back to eating fish and other animal products...from my take it was because she just wanted too. She didn't want to restrict herself and she wanted to be a 'normal' person, lol! Her explanation was all about 'dogma', religion' and all sorts of other vegan hate.

Raw Food Rehab...well, apparently the high fat raw food diet has failed again! We all know this! We all speak about it on a regular basis! Those who follow a high fat raw diet always go back to eating animals as they don't thrive on the lifestyle and just fall off the wagon.

Carrie On Vegan. Another sad story. She actually created the app called VeganDelsh, and she had a strong presence on social media, but her 'vegan' diet seemed high fat, and she consumed a lot of oils. Many of us recommended she try to seek help from Dr. McDougall or Doug Graham before turning to meat, but she had already made up her mind!

The Blonde Vegan, the latest to leave the plant world and probably the weirdest one. She came on the scene about a year ago, her Instagram account got thousands of followers almost overnight. She really is or was a newbie on the vegan scene. She quickly took her huge following as a sign to cash in, making the TBV clothing line as well as monthly 'cleanse' programs. Well...here we are, less then a year later we find out she has an eating disorder, and a spot on GMA selling her story! The most unfortunate part is she could have gone to many of the well known vegan doctors and asked for guidance. Veganism does not promote eating disorders, and she could have still maintained her plant based diet while receiving some psychological help.

The reason why I am not shocked is because of a few things:
~A high fat vegan diet is designed to FAIL.
~Detox programs and cleanses will cause you to under eat, fell famished, and ultimately go back to animal products.
~Snake oil salesmen or 'online stores' can be a red flag. Many bloggers genuinely want to help others, but many also want to make money selling supplements, powders, and other 'super foods'! Social media is an incredible tool to reach millions of people from your living room. The down side of social media is that is it also a stepping stone for those looking for fame and attention!
~Most are not willing to try a vegan diet different than the one which failed them. They are very quick to turn to animal products. There are SO many vegan doctors and resources out there!! Why not try them all!?!?

How to know a vegan business is REALLY vegan?
~Try to follow them on their personal and business page if you can, it will give you an insight into their real lives
~Ask about their stance on animal rights and the vegan lifestyle
~Ask for vegan clothing/product recommendations
~Ask if they are just plant based or vegan
~If they adding honey to their recipes...they are not vegan. simple.

The good that came out of all this is that those who are proud to be vegan and work very hard promoting and building the lifestyle are still shining bright! Those who used the vegan label as a business opportunity quickly found it is not that simple. The lifestyle requires dedication to health, the planet, and the animals! All three work amazing well together! These situations also build a tighter bond in the vegan community! We know how incredible the lifestyle is, and we will work hard to keep the movement growing!

Here are some awesome vegan pages to follow:
~Sexy Raw Food & Fitness
~The Vegan Effect
~Freelee The Banana Girl
~Durian Rider
~Dr. McDougall
~Bananiac
~Happy Healthy Vegan