Hi there! Welcome to your life. My name is Brittany and I will be your flight attendent today. First off, please buckle your seatbelt and prepare for the flight. Have you ever felt like you are living your life on autopilot? Are you letting food control your life? Here is your wake-up call! All I am asking you to do is to read and have an open mind. Pretty easy right? Enjoy and welcome to life!
Yes it's that time again! Back to school means back to the same old lunch routine. I challenge all of you to bring a healthy lunch every day for the first week of school. Seem impossible? No worries, all you need in a truly healthy lunch is in this diagram below:
I get this question a lot: "are you a member of PETA and if so, do you stage crazy protests and burn down buildings?" My answer? Yes and no. Yes I am a member of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, however, I do NOT stage crazy protests nor do I burn down buildings. Instead, I get really cool stickers for free and put them everywhere! I have some on my school binders, my cellphone, laptop, you name it! I joined PETA after watching this video clip, "Meet your meat." (Warning: this video is pretty graphic)
This changed the view I had regarding PETA; it encouraged me to get involved to stop animal cruelty. If this video inspires you like it inspired me, I encourage you to go to www.peta.org and sign up for the organization. Not only can you get free stickers, you can rack up points to buy some pretty cool PETA gear. However, if you do not want to, please do not feel pressured to sign up for anything. The purpose of this post was to change some misconceptions people have about PETA.
Wow! I can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog post. I apologize to anyone out there that still looks at my blog occasionally. It's pretty obvious I need to get back on track and finish what I started almost 6 months ago, writing a daily blog on the trials and tribulations I face due to my decision to become a vegetarian. So anyway, I cannot promise that I will always be able to write daily, but I will do my best to update my blog at least once a week. I also gurantee that I will continue to do this blog until the header says "Day 365." If anyone is out there, thank you for following my blog, and I will continue to try to help you with your journey in life as a vegetarian.
OK I'll admit it. I too, like to joke about Asian people eating dog meat and other animals that I find revolting, but it still doesn't make it right. As day two of my culture week continues I am shedding light on Asian cuisine (obviously). In this segment I will attempt to explain some of the misconceptions people have about Asian cuisine in a condensed fashion, as well as, be as unbiased as possible while I explain some of the cuisine people in Asia are cooking up.
The truth: some Asian cultures condone eating dog and occasionally cat meat. This is especially prevalent in third-world countries like Vietnam. However, in more established countries like China and Japan eating dog and cat meat is not always OK. Everyone has differing opinions.
In remote villages in Japan, especially on the coast, eating dolphin meat is considered perfectly OK and even a cultural tradition. However, due to the levels of mercury and the health problems this type of meat poses most Japanese people refuse to eat it.
One of my favorite Latin dishes is tostones. Tostones are fried plantains seasoned with salt. They taste like potato chips and are an excellent way to sneak essential vitamins into your food. You can find recipes for tostones at http://www.recipe.com/ or any other recipe site. If you live in the Lilburn area, the Lilburn farmers market currently has the cheapest plantains. Happy eating!
Recently I have been asked the question that irritates me to no end: "why are you a vegetarian." I'm sorry but vegetarians should not be singled out for their beliefs about the consumption of animals. However, what really gets me is these same people turning their noses up at different cultures and the eating habits and customs they have. So I have made a decision, I am going to create a new blog post everyday for a week celebrating a different culture and their eating practices. Should be fun right? If any of you guys are familiar with the eating customs of people from different cultures comment on this post or get in touch with me through some other form of communication.
"The way I see it, we are all part of a living, breathing, working system known as spaceship earth."
Gardein products are plant-based "meats," they are meat-free and considered vegan. All of the "meat" is made of soy protein and different plants. They come in a variety of flavors and dishes including chicken nuggets, beef tips, buffalo wings, and many more! They are a healthy and Delicious addition to any vegetarian or vegan's diet.
I just had the Gardein chicken nuggets and they were awesome! I love the taste and I also love that they are meat-free. One tip though, when you cook the nuggets, make sure you turn them over halfway through their cooking time or they will be a bit hard. All-in-all, I love this product about as much as I love Morningstar "meats."
*Tip of the day: Try out new products, you never know what you might find. Oh! Check out my new blog at http://brittanyajay.blogspot.com/. Trust me, it's different from this site and completely and totally awesome!
As all of you know, yesterday was Earth day. However, seeing as Earth day also fell on Good Friday this year, I have decided to celebrate an Earth weekend. It's time that we all start doing some major loving on our mother Earth. It is projected that at the rate we are consuming oil, it will all be gone in 40 years, pretty scary right? I propose that for this Earth day you try to do something special for our Earth. Plant a tree, plant plants, clean up trash, start recycling, pledge not to eat animals this weekend. Whatever you decide to do, don't forget to keep in mind that: "There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew."
*Tip of the Day* Lowe's is giving away a million free trees today! Go and claim yours!
For those of you that are fans of Jamie Oliver from the Food Network, don't forget to watch the new season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution starting today at 8 p.m. For those of you who have not watched Jamie Oliver's food revolution, I implore you to give an hour of your time tonight to watch this show so that you can see the message behind it. Last season, Jamie Oliver helped the fattest town in America, Huntington, West Virginia. However, I have not been able to find an update on how the people in the town are doing. This season Jamie will be in New York trying to help America end the obesity epidemic. All I ask of you is to watch this great family-friendly program and think, think about what you can do to change your eating habits to become a healthier and happier person. If you want more information on the show or how you can get involved go to http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution. Don't forget to tune in tonight at 8 pm. on ABC!
*Tip of the day* As the weather is getting warmer it's time to go running!! If you can't run, try walking every night after dinner. Set a goal and try to reach it before summer! Good luck!!
Mmm! I just recently discovered the delights of Chobani Greek yogurt. This yogurt has twice the protein of regular yogurt and it tastes amazing! There are even little chunks of fruit in the yogurt. My personal favorite is the pomegranite flavor. Go try some Chobani today, you'll be glad you did!
*Tip of the day* Try a Greek restraunt at some point. Their food is chock-filled with protein and fiber.
Pesky flies and mosquitoes? Put the fly swatter down and consider investing in some carnivorous plants! Carnivorous plants are nature's exception. They eat insects and require very little up-keep. Here is a list of carnivorous plants: pitcher plant, venus flytrap, lobster pot traps, bladder traps, etc. These are great learning devices for kids (and adults) of all ages! If you are considering purchasing one of these plants go to http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7&chapter=1 for care sheets and additional information on the plant you would like to purchase. Happy hunting!
*Tip of the day* If you live in the Gwinnett/Loganville area (GA) the Family Tree Garden Center (http://thefamilytreeinc.com/) has some carnivorous plants for sale.
Without herbs, where would we be? We would be eating bland, tasteless food and we wouldn't know any better. Just the other day I planted my yearly herb garden. This year I planted mint, chives, lavender, basil, oregano, chili peppers, lemonbalm, and cilantro. I use these herbs throughout the year for soups, stews, and pickling.
The most common complaints I hear from people are about bad, infertile soil and no room to plant herbs. This year instead of planting my herb garden in the ground, I went to my local nursery and bought a window box to hang on my back porch. Here is a great website to check out if you're interested: http://thefamilytreeinc.com/.
*Tip of the day* Research different types of herbs that can be grown in your area and consider investing in some plants.
Soy burgers, soy milk, soy bars, soy beans, etc. These days the move towards soy products is becoming increasingly inevitable. Not only is soy a better alternative to animal products, it also offers many health benefits that animal products do not offer. Most soy milk actually contains MORE protein than animal-based 2% milk. Soy beans are simply amazing. If you boil them and throw a little bit of salt on them, they are the best thing ever and they are great for your heart. So hop on board the soy train and enjoy the benefits of these tasty little beans.
*Tip of the day* Try some soy! It is extremely good for you and tastes amazing!
When you stroll down the aisle at your supermarket you may see a lot of items labeled "all natural." The technical definition of "all natural" is: "Any item directly derived from nature." Sounds great, right? Wrong! All natural products can still have pesticides, fertilizers, and other poisonous chemicals in them. These chemicals are harmful to everyone, especially children, elderly, pregnant women, and those with medical conditions. However, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not require "all natural" products to be grown organically. In my opinion, organic products are the way to go. Organic products are grown without ANY type of chemical additive. This is not only good for the environment, it is good for you.
If you have any questions about organic or "all natural" products, feel free to comment in the comment tab underneath this post.
*Tip of the day* Try some organic cereal or yogurt today. You won't want to switch back to regular "all natural" brands.
Sweet tea, green tea, black tea, red tea, hot tea, cold tea, etc., I am a person who loves to drink tea! Not only does tea taste good, it is also good for you. Tea leaves contain antioxidants and a lot of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Tea, especially green tea, is a natural appetite suppressant, which means that it gives you the feeling of being full when in reality you are not. This is ideal for people who want to loose weight. Tea comes in many different flavors, shapes, and sizes. If you want a hot cup of tea, I would suggest trying tea blooms. Tea blooms are pods of flowers (usually jasmine and green tea) that bloom in hot water and seep to create tea. For those who want cold tea, I would suggest Apricot sweet tea or Chai tea. Both of these teas are very good. Good luck with your tea hunting!!
Don't believe me? Here is a video on blooming tea. It is about a minute long and is definitely worth the time!
These days if it's not "quick and easy," Americans don't want anything to do with it. With advancing technology, our lives get faster and easier every day. However, with all these new innovations, people are beginning to forget the importance of healthy eating. For example, I witnessed a little girl go up to her mother the other day, she must of only been about 5 or 6. She told her mother "I don't wanna go to McDonald's! I want to go get some vegetables!" The mothers' response? "We don't have time for that right now honey. You can get extra lettuce on your burger and ketchup instead." With examples like this, what are we teaching the next generation? Apparently time is more important than what you put into your body?
Here is my challenge for anyone out there reading this. I want you to go a week without eating fast food (i.e. McDonald's, Chik fil a, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc.). If you can accomplish this demanding feat that the majority of the American population cannot, because of their addiction to unhealthy food, you have my utmost respect.
*Tip of the day* Try to eat at least one home-cooked meal a week. When I say home-cooked, I do not mean frozen dinners you heat up in the microwave. Get out that old cookbook and start cooking. You never know what recipes you might find in there.
It's finally that time of year again, spring! Spring means warm weather, pretty flowers, and a lot of time outdoors. Spring also means planting time. Now is the time to start planting most of your crops for the year. If you have never planted a garden before and are considering it, make sure to weigh the benefits and the disadvantages. Some of the benefits of growing your own food include: easier access to healthy food, being able to eat food that you have just picked, and saving money. Some disadvantages include time consumtion and costing a little bit extra to get started, but in the long run it actually save you money.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx This planner is a good guide for when to plant crops and how to arrange them. When you get to the website, click "launch" and then sign up for an account. After you do this, you will have complete access for 25 days. It is a very useful and helpful tool.
The first thing you need to think about when considering starting a garden is whether or not you receive enough sunlight throughout the day to support the plants you will be planting. Most plants need around 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. If your home does not receive 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, you might want to consider crops that do not require a lot of sunlight. You also need to test your soil. To test your soil, you can buy a test kit at your local hardware store or you can send your test sample to UGA to be tested. You can find out about UGA's testing at: http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/.
Herbs and vegetables are some of the easiest plants to start off with. If you have never grown anything before try going to your local hardware store and looking for window boxes. Window boxes attach to your window and allow enough room for herbs and small vegetables to grow in. These are ideal for the elderly, people living in apartments, and first time gardeners.
*Tip of the day* Don't go overboard with your garden this year, and make sure to check which plants grow in your area and which plants will work in your yard.
*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/savory-vegetables-1/
- This is a very easy recipe for yummy fresh vegetables. Make sure to buy organic or at your local farmers market.
These days it seems like everyone is telling you to eat your breakfast, but is it really that important? Yes it is. Breakfast is "the most important meal of the day," because of the benefits it brings. Eating a balanced breakfast can not only improve your performance in school, work, etc., it can also help you to stay focused and even loose weight. A "bad breakfast" consists of too many carbs, fatty foods, processed foods (ie. doughnuts), etc. A good breakfast consists of dairy, protein, grain, and fruit.
Fruits salads, bagels, muffins, cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, coffee, etc. are all good breakfast ideas. People who eat a good, balanced breakfast are usually more focused and are able to better succeed in school, work, and other activities. Studies have shown that those who eat a balanced breakfast also tend to weigh less than those who do not eat breakfast at all.
*Tip of the day* Start thinking about your Earth Day plans. Plant a tree, plant flowers, clean up your yard, or any other activity that loves "Mother Earth."
If you are one of those people that suffer from seasonal allergies Honey is one of the best super foods for you. Why? Because recent studies have shown that people who eat honey from bee's in their area develop an immunity to seasonal allergies. Pretty great, right? Not only does honey taste really good on a piece of multi-grain toast in the morning, it also helps prevent runny noses, itchy eyes, and other symptoms of seasonal allergies. Obviously it's a little hard to believe that honey could do these great things and no one has heard about them. Trust me though, a little honey everyday will help you to get build up an immunity to some seasonal allergen's. Besides, isn't it worth it to try? Good luck and happy honey eating!
*Tip of the day* If you live in Georgia, stop by http://whippoorwillhollowfarm.com/ it is definitely worth the drive up there. Though it may not look like much, their food is delicious and all naturally certified organic. Ask them for a tour of their farm while you're up there and don't forget to buy some of their yummy fruits, vegetables, and eggs!
For those of you who don't know, it is national pancake week! Whether you like blueberry, whole grain, apple cinamon, or any other delcious flavor, make sure to go easy on the syrup, butter, or jam. Although they may say "reduced fat" or "all natural" a lot of them aren't. There is almost no nutritional value to syrup, so go easy on it and try to buy light syrup. The same goes for jam, jam has some nutritional value, but tons of sugar. Go easy on the sweeteners and happy pancake eating!
*Tip of the day* Try pancakes with nutella, not only is nutella good for you, it also tastes amazing!!!
Wow! I cannot believe that is has already been 10 posts since I started this blog. I hope that I have helped anyone who reads this blog (even if it's on a whim) in some manner or fashion. Now it's time to criticize myself. When I started this blog I meant to write one post every day, obviously that has not happened yet.Anyway, I hope to keep up with this blog for the next 354 posts. Thanks for reading my blog and please comment on with any tips on how I can improve this blog.
*Tip of the day* Load up on vitamins C and D during this month to keep away pesky colds and flu virus's.
Ah yes the joys of tofu. I felt the need to dedicate an entire post to this amazing food. Throughout the years tofu has gotten a lot of criticism from different groups of people. The truth: tofu is a super food and is really good for you, plus it tastes awesome! Tofu is a flubbery kind of material and is made from vegetables, beans, and a lot of other really good things. I challenge anyone who reads this to make tofu at some point this week.
*Tip of the day* Live, love, laugh, and enjoy your life to the fullest!
These days it seems like everyone is on fad diets and fast programs. While these programs promise to help you to loose weight, they also have many down sides. When you do programs that make you eat their food, the food usually has no nutritional value and does not fill you up. Thus, you inadvertently starve yourself. When people "complete" these programs they usually gain most of the weight back because they have to start eating real food. Why? Why does everyone want to loose weight fast? And when did fruits and vegetables become "diet food?" Personally, I love fruits and veggies. I love the texture, taste, and smell of fruits and vegetables. I believe that if people want to loose weight they should do it the "old fashioned way." That is, they should eat a balanced diet and only eat sweets ocasionally.
*Tip of the day* Check out the organic section of you local grocery store.
Everyone loves carbs, right? Bread, pastries, pasta, cereal, etc. they all "promise" to have whole grains in them. The fact: most carbs that you eat do not have whole grains in them. They may have been whole grains to start off with, but they have been processed into chemically enhanced carbs. Just because an item has added vitamins does not mean it's safe to eat. For example, white bread is one of the worst bread types to eat. Why? Because it has chemicals added to it to make it white. In some studies these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer.
*Tip of the day* Try GoGo squeeZ applesauce. The only ingredients are apple puree, water, and sugar.
Revitalize, refresh, and reclaim. These are the three "re's" I refer to all the time. I believe that these three "re's" are the keys to living a healthy lifestyle.
Revitalize. Revitalization is key for living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Some ways to revitalize your life are through exercise, beauty treatments, and through eating raw fruits and veggies.
Refresh. I try to refresh my body at least once a week. Personally, I go to yoga classes and I always leave feeling refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the week. However, some other ways you can refresh your life is through deep breathing exercises, exercise and nutrition, and getting adequate amounts of sleep every night.
Reclaim. No matter how old you are, you can still reclaim your life back. Whether it's from clutter, relationships, or weight problems, it is never too late to reclaim your life back.
*Tip of the day* Go to YouTube or some other site and find some yoga poses to try at home. Not only will they help to relax, but you will also feel better after doing them. Don't forget the deep breathing!
One of the biggest problems people have found after going vegetarian is unsupportive family and friends. My response? What you choose to put into your body is solely your decision. If you don't want to eat that piece of steak your parents are trying to coax you into eating, don't. At the end of the day your decisions will help or harm you.
Your body is like a car, what you put in it determines how well it will run. You wouldn't put cheap gasoline in your car if you are about to go on a 6 hour road trip. The same goes for your body. If you put in processed foods, simple sugars, and starches you can expect to be sluggish and to see an increase in weight gain. However, if you put nuts, whole grains, fruits, veggies, protein, and good foods in your body not only will you feel better but you will look better.One of my friends was recently telling me that it had been about 2 months since she had a cup of coffee. During this time her complexion cleared up completly and now she looks radiant!
*Tip of the day* Check out experiencelifemag.com for great recipes, tips, and ideas for living a healthier and better life.
I decided to dedicate an entire blog post just to lunches. The reason? Most people feel like they cannot become vegetarian because of this meal. The majority of Americans either work or are attending some sort of school from 12-3 pm. This causes many people to either skip lunch altogether or to buy all the processed junk that comes out of vending machines. However, it is really simple to correct this problem. Bring your own lunch. It really isn't that hard. Many people tell me they don't have time or there aren't a lot of lunch options for vegetarians. My response? That is a load of crap. I make my lunch every day for school and it usually only takes me about 10 minutes. Some good lunch options that take very little time are: any type of fruit, salad (don't forget the dressing!), chips and salsa, sandwiches (yes you can make vegetarian sandwiches), and a whole lot more. It really isn't difficult or time consuming to make your own lunch and by the time lunch actually comes around you'll be glad you did.
*Tip of the day* Search your area for a Whole Foods market and take a trip up there. You will not be sorry you did!
A lot of vegetarians ask me this question: "Where can I go to eat out and still maintain my vegetarian diet?" My response is this: you can eat out just about anywhere you want to. If you go out make an otherwise meat-filled dish vegetarian. For example, last night my boyfriend and I went out to eat at an Italian restaurant, I ordered the baked cheese tortellini. This dish came with meat sauce on top so I asked the waitress to put marinara sauce on it instead. Voila! I had a very yummy vegetarian dish without any hassle. Next time you go out make a dish work for you and 99% of the time you will not regret your decision.
*Tip of the day* Check out some yummy vegetarian and vegan restaurants in your city. They are usually taste really good and are really great for your body.
One of the biggest mistakes new vegetarians make is eating processed foods to replace the meat they aren't eating. When you replace meat with processed foods you can gain weight very quickly. It is ok to eat processed foods every once in a while, but not every day. Many vegetarians make this mistake and thusly decide that vegetarianism is not a healthy lifestyle for them. If you eat right and substitute enough protein into your diet you will actually look and feel better. You will also start to loose weight because you are not eating fatty meat and other processed foods which can cause you to gain weight.
*Tip of the day* Try Morningstar "meats," they are soy and bean "meats," and they taste delicious!
Welcome to my blog! I started this blog because recently my friends have been asking me for tips on becoming vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for over 5 years so I consider myself somewhat experienced. My hope is to blog everyday for 365 days and include tips, recipes, and other ideas for being vegetarian and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Contrary to popular belief vegetarians do not sit around all day and eat only salad. We eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and just about everything non-vegetarians eat. The only difference is that we choose not to eat meat.
If you are a new vegetarian or someone considering becoming vegetarian there are a few things to think about:
1. Why do you want to be a vegetarian? There are a lot of different reasons people go vegetarian. Some do it for the health benefits, others do it because of the way animals are treated, and some do it because it is considered the new "fad."
2. What kind of vegetarian do you want to be? There are a lot of different types of vegetarians in this day and age. You need to think about what types of foods you are willing to eat and what you are not. For example, Vegans eat only foods with no animal by-products, while pescetarians don't eat meat but they eat fish.
I am attaching a link to a video PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) put out regarding slaughterhouses. *BEWARE!!! This clip is very graphic and should not be viewed if you have a weak stomach.
*Tip of the day* If you are a new vegetarian do NOT stop eating meat cold-turkey. Gradually adjust your diet to fit your needs until you ease out of eating meat all together.
*Recipe of the day*http://www.recipe.com/barley-vegetable-soup/
This recipe is for a great vegetable soup. It is full of fiber, protein, and essential vitamins, plus it tastes amazing! Happy eating!
OK I'll admit it. I too, like to joke about Asian people eating dog meat and other animals that I find revolting, but it still doesn't make it right. As day two of my culture week continues I am shedding light on Asian cuisine (obviously). In this segment I will attempt to explain some of the misconceptions people have about Asian cuisine in a condensed fashion, as well as, be as unbiased as possible while I explain some of the cuisine people in Asia are cooking up. 
