In just a couple of weeks we will be welcoming summer. It is a short-lived season in Toronto, so I do all that I can to savour every second. Over the next three months, I have local farmers markets to visit, picnics to plan, and patios to patron.
With the change of seasons most people find their appetites turn away from the hearty, warming meals of winter to lighter, fresher fare. I consume a high-raw, vegan diet throughout the year but the bounty of local produce during the summer makes eating raw easy and incredibly delicious. Nothing saves a sweltering afternoon like a big juicy slice of watermelon. Salads, smoothies, and fruit slushies, sure say summer to me.
When the sun is shining I want nothing more than to be outdoors. Eating raw foods, means there is no need to heat up your house by turning on the oven. Putting together a salad, or blending up a smoothie takes a couple of minutes, leaving you more time to spend strolling through the city. Plus, raw foods are easier for our bodies to digest and provide plenty of energy to fuel a fantastic summer full of dancing at outdoor festivals, bike riding by the water and swimming at sunset.
Here’s a great recipe for an energy-packed snack bar to keep you full and satisfied as you tackle your 2011 Summer to-do list.
Sweet Lemon Fig Poppyseed Bars
1 cup of rolled oats (the old fashioned not the instant kind)*
1/2 cup raw cashews
pinch of sea salt
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted (approximately 10)
2 TBSP lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
3 dried Turkish figs
1 TBSP poppyseeds
In a food processor, pulse the oats, cashews and salt until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Press into a parchment-lined 8X8 pan. Cut into 12 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Thank you to Lindsay for inviting me to share a recipe with all of you. I hope your summers are full of fun and fantastic food. Well, if you’re a regular reader of Lindsay’s blog I have not doubt you’re already eating very well! If you’d like more raw food inspiration I’d love for you to stop by my blog veganculinarycrusade.com.
xo VeganLisa
*It can be hard to find raw rolled oats. They are usually steamed during processing. If you’d prefer to consume only raw ingredients replace the oats with 3/4 cup of almonds.
Hi Bloggies! The next few days I am working 12 hour days (or more) so since I am going to be crazy busy so I have asked Megan to do a guest post about her journey to becoming a runner. I hope you enjoy her inspirational story of how she came to run her first half marathon. She is amazing such an inspiration especially to me because I am preparing to run my first 5k, 5miler, 10k and 1/2 MARATHON (eek) over the next 6 months.
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Hi everyone! My name is Megan. You may remember me from this guest post about what it’s like to live in Germany as a vegan. Now I’m back in the US and blogging about my life as a vegan, dog mom, and runner in Upper Michigan.
Not long ago, that third descriptor – runner – wouldn’t have been included. I did gymnastics in high school and ran sprints on the track team for two years, but at my best I couldn’t run more than 3 miles. Some of the people I looked up to/envied the most in high school were long distance runners, but that sport just “wasn’t for me.”
Throughout college and graduate school I was a casual exerciser, going to the gym a couple times a week (in the best of times) to use the elliptical, lift, or do Pilates.
In September of 2009, after quitting graduate school and spending a summer working and studying in Sweden, I moved to Germany to teach English for a year. It was a life-changing step, but nothing compared to what happened after: I became vegan. I’m still not sure where the conviction came from, but the idea had been simmering in my brain for awhile. Finally, it boiled over and I went vegan overnight in October 2009.
After that, everything changed. I felt like each day had a bit more of a purpose and challenge to it. I began to eat differently, cook and bake more, and to come out of a slump caused by an unhappy two years at grad school and a summer of eating delicious but often unhealthy food in Sweden. I didn’t realize until much later, but I had gained some weight and was just feeling weird in my body. Now, as a vegan, I was thinking much more about what went into my body and what I did for my health. I joined a Pilates studio and started taking class 2x a week.
The fall gave way to winter. I began to make new friends and form a life in Germany, but with life comes struggle. Shortly before Christmas I began a short-lived relationship with one of my new vegan friends, who also happened to be a marathoner. The few weeks the affair lasted were intense and tumultuous and ended abruptly right after my first Christmas every away from my family. I was sad, angry, hurt, and lonely. I was also on break from school until mid-January and had way too much time to feel bad for myself.
Then, one of my new Twitter friends Lindsay (yes, this Lindsay!) retweeted a link to Tia’s post about completing the C25k running plan. I read Tia’s words about her silent struggle to complete the program. I was so inspired and, even though it was bitter cold outside, suddenly needed to go run. Right away.
And that was it! The program was so simple to follow and had such a firm goal that I never stopped. From January to April (I had some breaks for illness and travel) I ran in all sorts of weather, often the only person on the street. I began to feel so much better physically and mentally, and I started to lose some weight I didn’t know I’d gained, likely a result of the running combined with my new diet. I even brought my shoes on a backpacking trip to Portugal ran through the town of Sintra. Who was I?
On April 25, 2010, the last day of my C25k training, I ran the 24th annual Hildesheimer Wedekind-Lauf 5k in Hildesheim, Germany. I could NOT believe it! I was so proud and so thankful that I had felt driven to train, even if I was inspired by pain and sadness.
After the race, I continued to run a few times a week, loosely following the One Hour Runner plan. I moved back to the US in July 2010 and kept going, but in August I began working toward teacher certification at the local university and my Masters thesis was due in October. I stopped running almost completely and before long it was snowy and icy and I didn’t have a park across the street to run in.
I missed it, though, and I also knew how well I had responded to having the goal of the 5k during the C25k program. On New Years Day 2011, after nervously considering the idea in the back of my mind for a week or two, I took the leap and registered for the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon.
Yep. A half marathon. I was so scared but C25k had proved to me that slow, steady, dedicated training can prepare you for things you never thought possible.
I joined my university’s gym and began following an adaptation of Hal Higdon’s novice plan. If I hadn’t registered I never would have trained! Without having $60 invested plus the verbal commitment (to my parents, boyfriend, etc), it would have been so easy to bail. There were many dark and nasty winter days when thinking about going to the gym felt painful. But I stuck with it for 14 weeks, gradually increasing my mileage closer and closer to 13.1.
No part of it was easy, but the rewards were great. Each week brought a new personal distance record. I was accomplishing something and I could see and feel it. As May 15 grew closer, I knew I would be able to finish the half marathon. I had put in the sweat!
On April 23, I ran a local 10-miler (in the SNOW!) as a training run and after that it seemed like just the blink of an eye before mid-May.
The morning of my race (full recap on my blog), I knew I was prepared but it felt like a dream. I had read so many half marathon recaps that I couldn’t believe it was me who was going to run. I was not a runner!
But, in that moment, and the 2 hours and 25 minutes that followed, and all moments since January 2010 and all the ones since, I was and am a runner. If you run, you are a runner. I will be a runner forever and I have the C25k and the support of my Tweeps to thank for it. If you think you could never do it, you can. All it takes is one step, and then another and another – with plenty of walk breaks.
Hey Bloggies! Hope you are enjoying your weekend I am sure the Hubz and I are. Ashley is currently on the last leg of preparing for her June wedding and is presenting you with her top five tips for planning a vegan wedding. Enjoy!
How to Plan a Vegan Wedding
You may want to choose a vegan wedding for your commitment to the environment, to match your own diet or just to do something different. Of course a vegan wedding is just as much work as any other wedding. The difference is your leg work and research into everything from the best vegan caterer in the area to what your wedding dress is made of.
On June 25th of this year I will marry my fiancé, Richard. Afterward our friends and family will enjoy a delicious vegan meal of sloppy joes, tempeh wraps, roasted sweet potato salad, sesame green beans and cornbread at our barbeque style reception. Our decision to host a vegan wedding is a reflection of my own vegan diet and Richard’s desire to show our friends and family how exciting eating without animal products can be.
Below are a few tips for planning a vegan wedding.
Remember: vegan is delicious. There is more to a vegan meal than lettuce and rice and beans. Talk to local vegan/vegetarian restaurants who believe in show-stopping local and creative vegan food. If your town has never heard the word “vegan,” contact caterers and ask if they’d be able to cater to a vegan event.
Consider not telling your guest list. Some guests think that lack of meat equals lack of taste. You know that is not true and that your meal will be delicious and filling. No need to create an uproar before the big day.
Expect conversation. A vegan meal is sure to spark discussion. Be ready for lots of “really, this is vegan?” and “I didn’t think vegan could be so tasty,” comments.
There is more to vegan than the food. Consider vegan options for your attire, china and decorations.
Make a statement with your wedding. Compostable plates and flat ware, local vendors, recycle bins and fair trade favors all give a nod to social and environmental responsibility.
Neil and I are celebrating our Third Wedding Anniversary this weekend and today we are off to explore Providence, Rhode Island. While we are galavanting around Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire I hope you enjoy the Vegan Wedding Feature posts. In this first post Tess Challis discusses her all vegan menu and how if the food looks beautiful and taste delicious anyone will eat vegan. Enjoy!
Lentil Spinach Soup (photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Although my marriage didn’t have a fairy tale ending, I can happily say that my ex-husband and I are still great friends! We were married in the fall of 2002 in the Lizard Head wilderness. Here in Colorado, you can legally marry each other without anyone else present. However, we did want to have a gathering to celebrate a few weeks after the actual marriage took place. At the time, we were on a shoestring budget so we had to get really creative. Luckily, there were lots of incredibly kind and generous people who offered to participate. Local professional musicians offered to sing at our celebration for free and the space we rented for the celebration was also practically free!
So, all that was left was food! Being a vegan since 1991, I was determined to work delicious vegan cuisine into the event as well. And since I was in charge of the food (and my husband was a vegan-friendly vegetarian), we decided on a delicious, all-vegan menu. Having done quite a bit of catering and personal chef work at that point, I knew what dishes were crowd pleasers. For an event like this with mostly omnivores, I wanted a menu that would be exciting and satisfying for everyone. I didn’t want even one person to say, “That was good, but where’s the meat?” So, we decided on a menu that included the following: Creamy hummus (pictured) with sourdough bread, gourmet mini-pizzas (pictured), Italian bread salad, fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce, Lemon Asparagus Linguine (pictured), Lemon Lentil Soup (pictured), and Chocolate Decadence Cake (pictured). I’ve obviously found that Italian food is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! And it was – even my meat-and-potatoes grandma said after dinner: “If you cooked for me every day, I would be a vegan!” Everyone loved the food and talked about it for many months afterward.
Creamy Hummus with Sourdough Bread (Photo by Olga Vasiljeva)
Mini PIzzas (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Lemon Asparagus Linguine (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
Chocolate Decadence Cake (Photo by Michelle McCluggage)
So, this has been my path! Turning people on to a vegan lifestyle via delicious food. It’s such a sneaky approach, but one that works surprisingly well! I can’t tell you how many people have told me over the years that the vegan food I’ve served them has been just about the best thing they’ve ever eaten. It’s so exciting to turn people on to really delicious food that awakens their taste buds – and then to tell them, “By the way, that was all vegan – and healthy!”
Quintessence (“Tess”) Challis began her holistic health journey in her late teens. After a lifetime of numerous health ailments (including acne, obesity, strep throat, constant illnesses, anxiety, and depression), she found that a vegan diet along with an “inner wellness regime” of meditation and visualization literally made a world of difference.
In 1994, she began sharing this knowledge through cooking classes, catering, meditation classes, and workshops. She has also been a personal chef to many clients across the United States.
In 2009, Tess published the 2nd edition of Radiant Health, Inner Wealth, a vegan cookbook and complete holistic health resource. Tess’s latest book, The Two-Week Wellness Solution: The Fast Track to Permanent Weight Loss and Vitality, was released in June 2010 and includes a foreward by Dr. Neal Barnard. Her next book, Radiance 4 Life: The 4 Cornerstones of Ultimate Vitality, is due out in June 2011. She currently works as a wellness coach, cooking class instructor, author/speaker, and personal trainer.
I went vegan when I was 16. It was August 2003, the month of my 17th birthday, the summer after graduating from high school, and a month after getting my wisdom teeth out and subsisting on Jell-O, pudding, and ice cream–all of which were of the non-vegan variety, of course. Vegetarianism, let alone veganism, was not even on the radar. And if it had been, I’d’ve scofffed at it vehemently. I lived off convenience foods and Italian foods, the latter of which was not necessarily bad: coming from an Italian-Canadian household, I ate food that was fresh and flavourful, with Nonna’s stamp of approval by way of my mother and father. However, I certainly wasn’t indulging in Italian veggies: pasta and loads of any kind of cheese you could place in front of me, along with Italian meatballs, sausages, and sliced meats, were huge parts of my diet. I ate fast food several times a week, and if it weren’t for my teenage metabolism and my not being old enough to have a driver’s license, and thus having to take the bus and walk everywhere, I probably would not have been as small as I was.
In August of 2003, I attended the Vans Warped Tour, the touring punk rock show that visits outdoor venues across North America every summer. Some friends and I were visiting the merchandise booths at the venue when, all of a sudden, this gentleman from none other than the PETA merchandise booth pointed at me–me, not any of my friends, but me in particular, it seemed–from several metres away. Curious sixteen-year-olds that we were, seeing that a guy was beckoning to us, we trotted over without a second thought. He invited us to sign up for PETA2’s newsletter, offered us stickers and pamphlets, and informed us on what PETA does. No sooner than we’d trotted over, we were skipping away, armed with leaflets that we shoved into our bags without a second glance at them. I remember getting mildly heated about how I believed it inappropriate to impose one’s own views on those of others. I thought the PETA2 guy had a lot of nerve, and I went off to eat my prosciutto sandwich I had packed for the day.
A few days later, I emptied my bag of my Warped paraphernalia and discovered the PETA pamphlets. I disregarded them but didn’t dispose of them. More days later, while cleaning my room, I sat down and actually read the pamphlets–less out of interest than of a desire to delay the room-cleaning process by dilly-dallying. I was instantly horrified. I read simply of the treatment and living conditions of farmed animals in factory farms. Those pamphlets did it: I didn’t even go vegetarian first–I went vegan, then and there. There was no way around it. The girl who would easily shun steak but who would have cheese in every meal of the day decided to give up all animal products. I was alone; I wasn’t believed; I was lost. None of my friends who’d also received the pamphlets were fazed. But I knew what I had to do. My stomach wouldn’t stomach another piece of consumed flesh.
It’s seven years later and people can’t even remember me as a non-vegan. Since high school, I’ve lost about twenty pounds. I was never a big girl, but going vegan slimmed me down, cleared my skin, increased my energy, and strengthened my immune system. If I do catch a cold, it is mild and disappears within days. Though I now have my license and sometimes miss a day of working out, I don’t have a hard time managing my weight. I eat a whole-foods diet and few processed foods since, let’s face it, vegan processed foods are expensive (though, I admit, delicious). I do have a mean sweet tooth and confess to having at least one sweet a day, but I can’t say I feel guilty for doing so, since my diet is virtually cholesterol and trans-fat free. Everything in moderation, though, right?
In short: Veganism has changed my life. It’s made me healthier, happier, and more conscious of every thing I put into and onto my body. I read labels like it’s coming out of style and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Diabetes; high blood pressure and cholesterol; cardiovascular issues; and weight issues run in my family. I’m confident, and hoping, that in choosing this lifestyle, I am not only saving myself from suffering these chronic health problems, but I am sparing animals horrific, unnecessary cruelty and lending a hand to curb environmental havoc caused by factory farming. The bonus in all of this, too, is that, though I thought I appreciated food before, going vegan has made me a veritable foodie: by going vegan, I didn’t feel deprived of food but, instead, the veil was lifted from my eyes, and I was exposed to foods I didn’t know existed, tastes that went beyond my comprehension. Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Japanese, Lebanese–these were ethnicities whose foods had never crossed my plate. I was in love. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
November marks my FIRST complete year of following a vegan diet. I am an opera singer married to an aspiring conductor and even though these two lifestyles come together very nicely our eating lifestyles are so different. When I approached my husband about changing my eating lifestyle he did not know what was coming. I had been a vegetarian for two years back in 2005 but incorporated meat back in my life after I started dating my husband. After a year of marriage, my diet was in hysterics. I was suffering from migraines, digestive issues, and moodiness. When I switched to a vegan diet I slowly started seeing changes, especially after adding vitamins, minerals and more. As of last night, my husband told me that he can tell how quick I am on the racquetball court because I am not out of breath and I am living healthy. Even though my husband chooses not to be vegan, he enjoys all the dishes I prepare that are vegan, even requesting them again.
I know it sounds so cliche’ but I really was moved by Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet and nearly read the entire book on a flight back from Houston last year November 2009. Before dating my husband I had been focusing on a vegetarian diet but was easily swayed by stress to eating lots of dairy and unhealthy foods. After I started dating my husband I decided to give up my healthy eating. What did that do for me? I went up 2 dress sizes before the wedding and it got worse after the wedding. I added diet colas, meat, dairy, and too much sugar to my daily diet. As a result I suffered horrible migraines, worse than my normal heat and exercise -induced headaches, and decided it had to be diet-related.
After a year and a half of being married I sat with my husband and told him I needed to make drastic changes in my life. I was not a happy person around him at times because my food choices were making me a moody person. I think the fact that I cried showed him how serious I was being wanting to change my eating habits, he just wanted to make sure it was not going to affect what he was going to be eating. It was hard at first trying tomake 2 meals an evening, cooking meat for my husband and making an all-vegan meal for myself.
I am an experimenter when it comes to cooking so I knew that I was going to have fun making new meals. The more I tried the recipes in the The Kind Diet the more I knew what type of recipes I needed to make. I started substituting cheese for vegan cheeses, even though Daiya was not out yet. I purchased tofu, Match vegan meats, and Field Roast sausages and added more fruits and vegetables to my diet. As soon as I eliminated the diet colas and the increased amounts of sugar I lost my first 20 pounds.
I know it is hard for people to realize that I did not become vegan because of the pain caused to animals, but I know that in my becoming vegan I am not supporting the pain caused to animals. My becoming vegan was a personal conviction to become a healthier eater focusing on whole and natural foods. Every day is one step towards supporting the love of all God’s creation and if it means eating from the fruits of the earth, I will do that.
After visiting a naturopath in July 2010 I found out I was B12, Vitamin D, iron deficient. I added a whole vitamin and minerals regimen and started enjoying protein shakes and a more focused meal plan. I have been working out consistently at a gym daily and feel better than ever! I continue to strive towards my goal of not being deficient in an area and being at my goal weight. Being vegan is the best thing that has happened to me!
Being vegan has tremendously improved my migraines, increased breathing support for singing and changed my whole emotional well-being too!
If you enjoyed this check out these other guest posts:
Please enjoy this guest post from Britta Conner regarding her journey to veganism.
My journey into plant based eating began in October 2009. My birthday was in the month before and I make it a habit to get a check up around that time every year as a gift to myself.
I had long known that high cholesterol ran in my family, on both sides, so I knew it was likely that it would hit me at some point. In 2005 I was tested and found that my cholesterol was 224. Until that point I had eaten the Standard American Diet, mostly white and brown foods. I decided to do a diet overhaul and reduced white sugars, stopped buying white flour and I opted for all whole wheat products to include all breads and pastas. I started cooking more foods and relying far less on convenience foods. I started portion control and exercising and I dropped 15 pounds in a month. I reduced meat intake, and only ate red meat once a month or less.
I didn’t think about my cholesterol at all, I just assumed it was going down as I was eating healthier and exercising regularly as well as losing weight. I didn’t get it checked again until September 2009. It was 251. Somehow it had raised!
I have a friend who goes in and out of being vegan, she loaned me some reading material and I decided to commit to it for 6 months, when my insurance would pay for another cholesterol test. It was an interesting time becoming vegan, right around the holidays, but it was a wonderful time to try out new recipes and really dig in to the new way of eating.
I didn’t experience weight loss right away. It’s never been easy for me and though I had read many accounts of weight falling off of people who began a plant based diet, I was not one of them. By January I had only lost 2 pounds. I found that to lose weight, I still had to count calories, despite all the promises I had read that a change to vegan eating would be an end to weight problems.
Six months from beginning to eat vegan I went back to the doctor and found out that my cholesterol was 188. No longer the danger zone. I hope it continues to drop, but if it doesn’t, my heart is safe at this level. I got checked again this October, after a full year as a vegan and I am waiting on results.
In that time I have had more weight loss success. I went from 174 pounds on a 5’1″ frame (after my second child was born) to 152. I am about half way to my goal weight. In the beginning as a vegan I made a lot of the less healthy vegan foods to prove to myself that I wouldn’t have to lack the things I grew up loving. I made candies, baked goods, and rich savory things. I also did this for my husband, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of vegan eating. I eventually moved away from this and now use those foods for parties and special occasions. I get the bulk of my nutrition from whole grains (like bulgar wheat, cous cous, millet and brown and wild rice), vegetables, beans and some nuts and fruits. I am also adding a lot of raw foods into my diet. I still have a long way to go with my dietary reform, I make mistakes and hinder my own progress frequently, but I am getting there one step at a time.
If you enjoyed this check out these other guest posts:
Quintessence (“Tess”) Challis began her holistic health journey in her late teens. After a lifetime of numerous health ailments (including acne, obesity, strep throat, constant illnesses, anxiety, and depression), she found that a vegan diet along with an “inner wellness regime” of meditation and visualization literally made a world of difference. 
