Vegetable Curry

This is my new favorite dinner; it's so good! My friend made it for me the week after I had my baby girl. Enjoy!

Vegetable Curry (vegan)

Ingredients:
1 can full-fat coconut milk  (I love the Thai organic brand)
1 cup frozen peas
1.5 cups or one drained can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
8oz sliced mushrooms (or sliced summer squash)
10 oz/2 cups broccoli florets
3-4 cups (packed) chopped greens (I used kale)
1 sweet potato, scrubbed well and peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1.5 T curry powder
Salt to taste
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
3-4 large carrots,  peeled and sliced
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 T of coconut oil

Directions:

Prepare brown/black rice as directed on package (you can add some coconut oil and sea salt). 

In large saucepan, melt coconut oil and saute garlic, onions, and carrots until onion is translucent. Add all 4 spices and salt to taste. Cook 2-4 minutes, stirring often. 

Add potato, greens, broccoli, mushrooms, peas, and vegetable broth. Cover and reduce heat to medium /low and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potato can be pierced with a fork. 

Add vegetable broth as needed to keep pan from drying out. 

Add coconut milk, warm through - check seasonings and adjust as needed. 

Serve over rice and sprinkle with soy sauce before serving.

Why I Stopped Wearing Makeup

Last August I took a trip with my husband and two kids to visit my side of the family in California. It was during this trip that I stopped wearing makeup, as a kind of experiment. I had been questioning the reasons behind makeup for months now (why women wear it, why I wore it) and I decided that I wanted to see if I could go makeupless and still remain confident in myself.

It all started my first morning in California when I woke up and went for a run without makeup...for the first time EVER. It was amazingly freeing; I loved the feeling of just being myself. But as I passed others, I wondered if they cringed with embarrassment for me.

I ran along the beach, and out onto a pier going over the ocean. I stopped and gazed toward the horizon as the sun rose. It was amazing how far I could see (compared to living in the middle of a forest here in Virginia). I watched the blue-green waves crash on the sand. I listened to the seagulls all around me. I felt the warmth of the sun on my sweaty skin. And as I stood there, in awe of the beauty of this world, I felt all at once, that I was beautiful too because God created me, and He doesn't make mistakes.

As I ran back down the pier, something had changed inside me. I took several pictures of my makeupless face on the way home, and as I reviewed the pictures, I saw myself through new eyes.

I was beautiful just the way God made me. Why had this taken me so long to realize?

I got back to the hotel, and as I started getting ready for the day, I discovered that my mascara was somehow missing. I didn't mind much, because the idea had already taken shape in my mind to go without makeup that day. But still, having the mascara in my hand "just in case" would have been a bit more reassuring. I discussed my thoughts with my husband, and he immediately encouraged me to forget the mascara and do it. I shouldn't have been so surprised by his enthusiastic support of this endeavor, because he always tells me I don't need makeup. But this time, I actually believed him. (Maybe because I had begun to believe it myself....)

So I went a day without makeup, in a place far from home, with people I was never going to see again (besides my family, who were the only people I knew would love me no matter what, so I felt perfectly safe around them). It was the perfect setting for this experiment. I walked around the town, feeling almost naked, yet at the same time enjoying simply being myself.

Throughout the day, I had many questions rolling around in my head: Why have I always felt that my natural face isn't good enough to show in public? Is it because the world tells me I need to darken my eyes in order to be beautiful, to fit in? That, because of my light eye lashes and red hair, I'm not truly beautiful unless I'm wearing makeup? Why am I still listening to the world?

I had stopped following society's expected "way of life" on so many other issues: birthing at home vs. in the hospital, natural health/healing vs. trusting medical doctors, educating my own children vs. turning them over to the government's "conveyor belt" public school system, eating whole foods vs. the Standard American Diet (SAD), etc. I decided I was done following the crowd with this ridiculous mask-wearing, changing-who-you-are-to-fit-in mentality. Why should I care what society thinks of me? All that matters is what God thinks. "That's it," I thought. I was done with makeup.

Five months later, and I still haven't gone back to makeup (besides for our family pictures and Halloween). One of the greatest benefits has been that I don't obsess about my appearance anymore. I am who I am. My face doesn't change depending on the weather (sweat or rain), so I don't need to worry about how my makeup looks: it is simply always me. And although during the first few months it was harder to see my face as beautiful (I had spent 17 years looking at myself with makeup), I love it now.

I admit, initially it was hard to go to church without makeup. But I just couldn't bring myself to put it on. Why should I change my face when I'm going to worship God? So that I can impress those around me? That doesn't make sense. So I look "nicer?" That's why I used to think I was wearing makeup to church--to look nice, to look closer to the "ideal" of what a Mormon wife and mother should look like. And of course, to not humiliate myself by showing up with my bare face, heaven forbid! But after my "revelation" on the beach, I don't care what others think of me. If they think less of me, that's not my problem. Why should I live my life always trying to please other people? Isn't it more important to be true to myself, true to who I really am as a child of God, and to see my true beauty as He sees me, instead of playing the world's game of "Who Can Be the Most Beautiful (But Here Is The Standard, And By The Way It's Impossible To Achieve)"?

Too many women live their lives feeling inadequate. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image issues, the list goes on and on. I believe makeup is not helping these issues, it is making them worse. Makeup confuses people about what is beautiful and messes up the natural beauty scale. When makeup is used, a woman's beauty is easily measured by how good her makeup looks, not who she truly is inside. So if someone doesn't put on makeup one day, they are not as beautiful? How messed up is this?

What if we all stopped wearing makeup? I imagine the truly beautiful people would radiate light and brightness and love. On the flip side, there would be nothing to hide our ugliness if that's who we are inside. But maybe that would inspire people to clean up their inner selves (including working on their physical health and fitness), so that they would be able to radiate more light and become more beautiful, instead of relying on makeup to do it for them. If anything, a makeup free society would help people to accept their natural bodies, instead of encouraging women to live their whole lives thinking that their true bodies are not beautiful unless changed.

As much as I would love for all women to stop wearing makeup so that we can experience this utopian ideal where true beauty is the only kind of beauty, I realize this is not realistic. In this day and age, women and men are bombarded with messages from the media of what a beautiful woman should look like. It seems impossible to break free from internalizing this ideal. I don't expect anyone reading this to stop wearing makeup. Or even to think twice tomorrow about wearing it or not. I personally never thought I could go without makeup. After all, I couldn't even go for a run without it, let alone stop wearing it altogether.

But somehow... I just did.

Healthy "Chocolate" Pudding

What kid doesn't like chocolate pudding?

Let's take a look inside: avocados, bananas, almond/coconut milk, a little maple syrup, carob, and vanilla... where's the artificial flavor? Where's the chocolate? Where's the preservatives? Oh that's right--not in this super healthy, kid-friendly dessert! Yes, it's possible to taste delicious and be totally nutritious as well. That's what our kids deserve.

2 small avocados
2 medium bananas
3/4 cup almond or coconut milk (use canned coconut milk for richer pudding)
1/2 cup carob powder
2 tsp. vanilla (alcohol free)
1 Tbsp  pure maple syrup (add more to taste if not sweet enough for you)

Blend in a Vita Mix or Blentec. If it's too thick, add a little more almond or coconut milk. It will firm up in the fridge, so chill a bit before serving. Keeps in the fridge for several days.

Smothered Chimmichungas

I just made these Chimmichungas from my new favorite blog, Simple Healthy Tasty. This blog is filled with my type of recipes (whole food, plant-based, vegan, highly nutritious AND tasty), natural body care (here's my post about using simple natural ingredients for body care), plus she homeschools too (like I am planning on doing)! Not to mention, she is LDS. I feel like I'm looking at myself 10 years down the road. So if you don't hear from me for awhile, it's because I am trying out all her recipes! I will try to post my favorites on my spare time (none of that lately, though).

Are Vegans Too Thin?

You may have heard people say  something like "Aren't vegans are too thin? They look like they are not eating enough or are nutrient deficient."

Dr. Fuhrman's response (in his book Disease Proof Your Child):

"We live in a nation of overfed and overweight people, in spite of an overwhemlming amount of information that thin people are healthier and live longer. Most doctors are overweight and have overweight children, just like the rest of Americans....Being thin compared to his or her peers does not necessarily mean that your child is not the perfect weight for him or her."

He notes:
"It is important to be sure that the thin child is not eating sweets and junk food... It is never wise to fill up with poor-quality, disease-causing food in an effort to gain weight." (p. 124-5)

It's true that some vegans may actually be too thin. Vegan simply means not consuming animal products, it doesn't define what they do eat. There is a ton of vegan junk food, including fake meat & cheese products that are packed with chemicals and lots of soy (a big GMO food).

In contrast, those who follow a whole food, plant-based diet eat a very minimal amount of animal products and processed food, if any, and eat a ton of nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains. This is the way I try to eat, and this is what Dr. Furhman is referring to in his comment.

Some people may look at me and think that I'm thin because I eat this way. These people may have only known me since I started eating a plant based diet. They may not know that I weigh the exact same now as I did before taking out animal products (and back then, I actually drank whole cow's milk along with my toddler, because I thought I was too thin and needed more fat...what was I thinking?).

Here I am before changing my diet:

Almost a year after changing my diet (and having my second baby):

As you can see, besides the obvious difference of location, I look pretty much the same. My weight hasn't changed, yet I feel a huge difference in my overall energy level, strength, and wellness, not to mention a mysterious and excruciating pain that I used to get at least once a month has been completely gone for over a year, since I stopped eating meat & dairy. That in and of itself is a reason for me not to go back.

I am totally convinced, from learning about the latest studies as well as from my own experience, that it's possible to get all the nutrition you need from a whole food, plant based diet. I'm sure a little meat & dairy won't hurt anyone too bad if they are eating very little processed junk and refined sugar, and consuming loads of colorful fruits & veggies, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats (raw nuts, seeds, avocados).

But for me, I don't want to risk that pain coming back, and my stomach doesn't feel well when I eat meat or dairy, now that I have been without it for so long. So I'm going to happily continue my whole food, plant-based diet.

It's so natural to judge each other and jump to conclusions about people without knowing all the details. I struggle with this too. But in regards to food and weight, I think it would be great if we stop thinking we know everything about everyone, and just look at each other with a desire to get to know them, and acknowledge that we don't know all the details of their lives.

So, what do you think? Do you still think vegans are too thin?