My All Time Favorite Vegan (& healthy) "Milkshake"

After making myself a super tasty salad I decided I wanted something sweet.

YUM!

I usually make my milkshakes with cocoa powder but I have been out lately and too lazy to go get some. I've recently been making these milkshakes which are AMAZING! It literally tastes like a milkshake and it's super simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
• Scoop of peanut butter 
• Half a packet of Truvia (or more--this is up to you)
• 1/2 FROZEN banana (can do more if you want)

Blend and enjoy this amazing "milkshake"

:)

The Easiest Way to Lose Weight and See Results

I teach fitness classes at two gyms and I have had a handful of people ask me about nutrition and tips on how to lose weight. These people come religiously to class after class yet some get frustrated when they aren't seeing results. Here's the easiest way to lose weight and see results from your hard work at the gym: change your diet to a whole foods plant based diet. Many people work so hard at the gym, both males and females, but without having a healthy diet to compliment your hard work, little results will be shown.

I personally know people who weren't happy with their weight and all they did was change their diet and they lost impressive amounts of weight, all without even going to the gym! What you put into your body is so important because without a focus on good nutrition and health you won't be able to reach your fitness or health goals. My good friend who is a guy (who is also a vegan and follows a whole foods plant based diet) tells me all of his guy friends who go to the gym are constantly asking him what he does to gain muscle and stay fit because these guys go to the gym with him and basically do the same things he does. They wonder why they aren't getting the same results as him and he explains it is largely due to his clean diet.

Now I strongly believe that it is not about what you look like but rather more how you feel. I've been on a whole foods plant based diet for over a year, I don't have six pack abs but I work out almost five days a week and I feel strong, healthy and full of energy. I also feel like the work I do at the gym pays off because I'm eating a healthy diet. At the same time I can eat as much as I want...that is by far the best part about a whole foods plant based diet. No counting calories and no depriving yourself from eating. If you're interested more on a whole foods plant based diet check out this awesome book: Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman

He also has a website:  http://www.drfuhrman.com/

An Example of a whole foods plant based diet Day of Meals:

• Breakfast: Old Fashioned Oatmeal with chia seeds, walnuts and a banana mixed in (all optional)
• Mid-day snack: I usually work out in the morning so I refuel after with either a vegetable juice or a green smoothie
• Lunch: Quinoa or brown rice with beans (I like black beans and chick peas) and some salsa mixed in (avocado is always great too!). I'll do veggies on the side too like broccoli or cucumbers and tomatoes cut up
• Snack before dinner: Apple and a PB&J sandwich. I use Ezekiel bread (you can get this at Trader Joe's) which is super healthy/ way better than regular bread (here's why: http://authoritynutrition.com/ezekiel-bread/) and peanut butter that only has peanuts as the ingredients
• Dinner: Usually a big green salad and I like to get creative and put anything and everything in it such as: veggies, beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, sometimes fruit, avocado, salsa. Anything that is healthy and helps make the salad taste zestier. Depending on how hungry I am I may also eat a sweet potato
• If I get hungry later or if I'm craving something I'll make a vegan "milkshake" check out my simple recipe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlSZYbayPAk

This is just an example..I'm always trying to get more greens into my diet whenever I can. I also always eat if I'm hungry. Hope this helps :)

Green Machine Guilt Free Pancakes

 

These pancakes are SO good as well as healthy for you! Here's the best part: YOU CAN'T EVEN TASTE THE GREEN! :)

 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 1/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 packet of Truvia or Stevia 
• 1-3 handfuls of spinach (how much is up to you)
• 1 tbsp flax seed (optional) 
• A splash of vanilla extract (optional) 

 

 Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth

 Pour a small amount on a pan (w/cooking spray on it) with the heat on medium high. Since the batter is thick pour SMALL amounts in...it will cook quicker. I found it easier to cook if I put a top on it for a minute or so then flipped it to the other side.

After flipping, press on the pancake with the spatula to help the pancake cook all the way through, flip a couple more times till the middle is cooked through. These aren't like normal pancakes...they will be a little bit more "gooey" but there isn't anything wrong with eating them not fully cooked

 Add Agave Nectar as a syrup and enjoy these healthy, guilt free pancakes! They are filling but don't make you feel over stuffed like normal pancakes :)

 

Left over batter? Put it in the freezer & save for another morning!

For the Love of Animals & those crazy PETA people....

As the winter season is quickly approaching leather and fur jackets are making more of an appearance. Looking at someone wearing a leather jacket this time of year usually wouldn't phase me in the slightest bit. However, more recently I can not stand the sight of someone casually wearing a jacket made out of fur or leather. It literally makes me cringe and forces me to look the other way.

I've always associated PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as a group of CRAZY people who put on some of the most unthinkable protests and stunts all in hopes of getting people to stop eating meat or stop contributing in the violence of animals. I wish I could say that I decided to be a vegan because I was concerned about animal cruelty but the truth is I did it for my health. Before going vegan, I held the belief similar to many meat eaters out there: "What's the big deal? We've been eating meat forever! I need to get my protein, especially since I'm an athlete." I also, just like many out there, refused to think about how the meat I was eating ended up on my table. I blocked this part out of my mind and refused to think that any animal was being tortured but instead I believed the animal endured a quick and simple death.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-insane-peta-publicity-stunts.php

After cutting out meat and dairy for over a year I decided (since it would now be easier) to dive deeper into research on what exactly goes on behind the closed doors of factory farms and slaughter houses. All I can say is that I am deeply saddened that this type of abuse and neglect towards intelligent and harmless animals is accepted and that even after endless studies that show going vegan (getting rid of animal proteins in our diet) is the healthiest not only for our bodies but also for our planet, we're still eating meat and wearing animals on our bodies. I am disappointed not in humanity but simply disappointed that this information isn't shared more openly. Because if we really love animals, why are we so accepting of eating them when we could not only survive without consuming them but also be healthier without them.

I now understand why PETA can seem so intense sometimes. It's not that they are crazy, it's that they're passionate...for a good reason. We live in a society where eating animals is the norm. I can only hope that people open their eyes and realize this should not be happening. If you're interested more on animal cruelty and just what exactly happens to animals before landing on your plate or on your bodies as a piece of clothing, check this documentary called Earthlings out:
www.earthlings.com/?page_id=32  

If you're more interested in the scientific research on eating meat vs. a plant based diet check out the documentary Forks Over Knives.

I hope this inspires others to refrain from both eating and wearing animals. 

emphasize the importance of animal rights, specifically through protests, literature, and publicity stunts
Read more at http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-insane-peta-publicity-stunts.php#fKc14TMAed1HtdcM.99