The Smoothie Vegetarians

My 4 Favorite YouTube Channels for Yoga! People are always shocked when I say pretty much everything I have learned about yoga has been through YouTube. While I would love to be able to go to more classes in actual studios, they are just too expensive for me right now. That is why the internet has been so helpful in allowing me to enjoy my passion for yoga. YouTube yoga videos are almost as nice as studio classes, and they are free! All you need is a yoga mat, or even just a nice carpet, and your phone/laptop/ipad. I have been doing online yoga for a couple years now, and I have narrowed down my favorite channels to these four: 4) Allie The Journey Junkie Allie has amazing follow-along Yoga videos that are appropriate for all levels. There are great flows for begginers, advanced yogis, and everyone in-between. She also has some challenges such as a 30-Day Pose Challenge, Chakra Challenge, and Yoga Body Bootcamp. These are perfect for people who have trou...

I have a long running interest in health and nutrition. I work in a hospital and have done for a number of years; I've often been shocked, and even appalled at the food that patients are fed. When my daughter was a patient, one of her doctors once marched down to the kitchen and gave them heck, and made them prepare a good “kid” meal for her. I've been taking nutrition courses since last August. I know a lot about vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins, fat. I know a lot about the various effects certain toxins, including alcohol and cigarettes have on the body. I read a lot of articles about food. I google a lot of stuff about food. I collect recipe books. I rarely use my recipe books. I frequently come home from work and eat a bowl of cereal, or my all time favourite – a bowl of chips and salsa. I'll just pick at food. I'm tired, I've worked all day, I've prepared food for my family and it really seems like just too much effort to make myself some...

(photo by Danielle) When shopping at Whole Foods, I find some delicious foods. Sometimes it can be expensive but I combat that by buying things on sale and coming prepared with coupons. However, don't forget to treat yourself when you go in! Late July tortilla chips and salsa are one of the foods I usually pick up since it is usually a good deal. I also got some 365 chips for my family since I am not big on foods like these but I like to try them on occasion.  I picked up some milk alternatives and a creamer. I love picking up a variety of alternatives because it switches it up. I picked up some SO Delicious Coconut milk and some vanilla cashew milk by the brand Pacific. I also got a vegan cheese sauce/dip from the Brand Heidi Ho. I used this on some nachos and it was absolutely delicious.  I bought some delicious store brand food like the potato and pea samosas and pearled couscous.  I also got some chocolate and berry flavored Made G...

The term "flexitarian" isn't all that common in the dietary world, but it does have a certain meaning and people who use the label are often looked down on by "real" vegans and vegetarians. I think it's a shame and that people should be more accepting of the choices others make, especially when they are headed in the right direction. Maybe we should be more accepting of people who label themselves as flexitarian A flexitarian is someone who moves between a standard omni diet and a vegan one, more or less. Basically, someone who considers their dietary commitment to be somewhat flexible. To many vegans, that just means they are omnivores who are trying to put a pretty face on it. That the new label is a way to make themselves feel better about eating animal products. Like they are being pretend vegans. I disagree (mostly). So I thought I would share my opinions on the flexitarian. I will admit that someone who eats meat, eggs or da...

I will be going to the city where I grew up in a month or two for a few days. When I left, I wasn't a vegan – I was a lapsing vegetarian. I'll be seeing a couple friends – they may not even know; one of them isn't on Facebook (gasp!). So I've been thinking a lot about where I'll eat, how I'll eat, what I'll tell people if I eat at their homes. Do I take food with me? Am I going to be a royal pain to everyone? Most likely! But I'll take the ribbing from my brothers and I'll explain things to my friends. One of my brothers is an avid hunter, and has been for a number of years. He only hunts what his family needs, he butchers and wraps it himself. Years ago, when I lived there, he used to give me venison from time to time and I'd cook it in a stew for my family. It was good and I enjoyed it. I wouldn't eat it now, but it was good meat and even then I felt better knowing that it hadn't been factory farmed, that up until t...

(photos by Danielle) Pizza is not something that you have to cut out on a plant-based lifestyle! Good news! There are so many amazing alternatives out in stores that are so amazing and that I enjoy using in many of my recipes. I have found so many recipes recently and there are still so many out there that I have not yet tried. I love doing pizza, especially when friends are over. Pizza seems to be a common food at casual gatherings, however, it can create a problem for people like myself who are unable to consume dairy. If you are the type of person who gets stomach pains from dairy, are allergic, or cut it out for ethical reasons, do not worry about it! There are so many new vegan cheeses that will not complicate your health for consuming. Also, if you are trying to stay away from the more processed ingredients, there are also so many recipes that you can make it homemade. I find a lot of recipes on youtube and Pinterest that are really helpful in finding delicious veg...

In this week's blog, I wanted to talk about appreciation, give you a great, easy recipe and encourage you to support the effort to help pets find their forever homes! Spinach stuffed Mushrooms recipe below Last night I was with a group of my favorite women and we were discussing the topic of APPRECIATION and how do you show it.  So this is my question to everyone who reads this blog. How do YOU show appreciation? What do you appreciate?  Some people appreciate the fact that they can see because they know someone who is blind. Others may appreciate that they have a roof over their head and food in their stomach.  In my opinion, one of the most important things is to appreciate the people in your life. Sometimes, we hear about untimely deaths or accidents and people have regrets for never telling the person they lost how much they appreciated them. This is especially fitting because Mother's Day is approaching. Many times, women especially are challeng...

Now, we all know that good little vegans only snack on healthy treats like carrot sticks and apple slices. Ha! I think not. We all get crazy munchies and junk food cravings just like everyone else, and it's actually not that hard to get your snack on with plant-based goodies. And while there are some awesome specialty products on the market, like kale chips or quinoa puffs, you can actually find a huge range of vegan snacks on your standard supermarket shelves if you know where to look. A few of the easy-to-find vegan snacks that I'm noshing on these days. Crispy and Salty This is my preferred snack category and I am a complete sucker for chips or popcorn. The biggest pitfall is the ever popular cheese flavor so if you stay away from that, you'll find that most brands are free of animal products. Oh, sour cream flavors are another no-no. Classic flavors like plain, salted, all dressed, onion, BBQ, dill pickle, and salt & vinegar, are all safe an...