Welcome to My Blog

Vegan Beet Burger from Real Food Daily in Santa Monica, CA.

Four years ago, I made the decision to cut out most animal products out of my diet ( I still eat some cheese, eggs, and on occasion grass fed beef and free-range organic chicken). I had just finished graduate school (for the second time) and was suffering from many health related issues that comes from being sedentary, eating bad, toxic food, and not getting enough exercise. I was not overweight, but I definitely was not in the shape I wanted to be in.

I had practiced martial arts for 10 years, played sports, and was a fanatic about working out and eating right. However, when I really got into developing my career and finishing my education, these things that I once loved, became secondary in my life. I was eating food that was making me sick. All of this food however was and is considered "normal" in the standard American diet.

Too much sugar, too much fat, and too much caffeine was making me tired, irritable, and really...really...depressed. Foods like bagels, Hamburger Helper, lots of bad hormone-ridden meat, cheese, and dairy products made up the majority of my diet. Vegetables and fruit were more like small accompaniments or side dishes. One day, I had had enough!

I decided that I was going to make a change. I knew that I wanted to go back to being a vegetarian for the majority of my diet (something that I had flirted with for two years during my early 20s--I am now 35). I started to hit up YouTube. I began conducting searches for "vegan" and "vegetarian" recipes. Through my searches, I discovered a video featuring Alicia Silverstone. It was a video featuring her doing a photo-shoot for her book called The Kind Diet. I immediately went that evening to Barnes and Noble and purchased her book. That evening, I began reading the entire book into the wee hours of the next morning. That was it. It was time to make the change.

The next day I headed to Whole Foods and began to substitute what I normally would purchase for healthier (and yummier) products. I purchased "crazy things" such as: seitan, tempeh, kelp noodles, and nutritional yeast. Instead of butter, I purchased Earth Balance butter. I also purchased TONS of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice.

That evening, I made a stir fry with seitan, broccoli, fresh bell pepper, and onion over brown rice. It was amazing. After I ate, I didn't feel bloated and gross like I normally would when I was eating food from my "old" diet.

Four years later, I feel so much healthier. My allergies--especially food allergies have almost disappeared. I have almost zero digestion issues and I feel like I can also eat A LOT more. This is something that is awesome because I LOVE to eat!

I know that is may be controversial that I still occasionally have meat and dairy products, but I am definitely more conscious of the kind of animal products that I purchase. For example, I would NEVER eat veal or foie gras.

I would definitely call the way I eat a sort of "hybrid" diet. 80 percent of my diet is packed with fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, nuts and seeds. On occasion, (once or twice a week), I will have dairy, eggs, or some grass fed, free range beef or organic free range chicken.

My hope in this blog is that I will be able to introduce you to products, food, recipes, and health tips that may help you in your own journey to health and fitness. ENJOY!