Will be offline for at least a week . . . enjoy your days!

From Vegan Mainstream:

This 69-page online magazine is packed with articles from your favorite vegan bloggers, community leaders, chefs, and activists. Learn from them how to transform your kitchen, how fashion can save animals, what to say to the vegan opposition, why it’s time to overcome the fear of change, the challenges of transitioning a community and of course some mouthwatering recipes. These stories are not only informative, but they also encourage us all to make a difference in our own communities.

Articles, recipes, interviews and more with prominent figures in the vegan community!

• Okay, So You’re Vegan. Now What?
• The Chocolate Cake to Live For
• VegFests: An Inside Look and How to Start Your Own
• Going Veg: An International Perspective
• Vegan Parenting: Raising Compassionate Kids
• Inside Vegucated: Big Change in the Big Apple
• Kind Finds: Is Your New Favorite Product Inside?
• Recipes: Savory Dishes and Sweet Treats to Make Tonight
• Blogger Snippets: Get Advice from Top Vegan Bloggers
• Vegan Professions: Being Veg in the Business World

Photo Credit - Alter Eco

It has been a busy few weeks so this will be a brief update, but I wanted to share this lovable link for chocolate lovers who don’t partake of animal products! VegNews does it again with a wonderful compilation of products found across the U.S. The treats are flavored with everything from quinoa to bananas to figs. The Alter Eco brand is organic and Fair Trade to boot!

With some people touting the health benefits of dark chocolate for our hearts and beyond, let’s live a little!

Reprinted from Nourish – introduction by Julie Campagna and article by Ruthi Solari

Kauai Photo by Elsa Flores Almaraz

In honor of this month’s Spring Clean theme, I am thrilled to have Ruthi Solari guest blog.

Ruthi is the Nutrition Education Program Specialist for the County of San Diego’s Department of Health and Human Services. Her work includes nutrition education for CalFresh (food stamp) populations and community engagement in increasing the accessibility to healthy food in low-income neighborhoods.

Ruthi is a Certified Nutritionist through the Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy in San Diego, CA and is currently completing her Masters in Mind-Body Medicine through Saybrook University. Ruthi has worked as a Health Coach in the areas of Weight Management, Tobacco Cessation and Mind-Body skills for individuals nation-wide and she brings her knowledge of behavior modification to the implementation of SuperFood Drive: small changes in how we eat can create large changes in overall health and well being.

Ruthi found inspiration for SuperFood Drive after reading Dr. Steven Pratt’s book, “SuperFoods Rx” which opened her eyes to the health benefits of specific nutrient dense SuperFoods. This is also one of my favorite all time books. Then in January 2009 while at a “Food as Medicine” conference sponsored by the Center for Mind Body Medicine, Ruthi decided she wanted to ensure that SuperFoods were accessible to all individuals, even if they cannot afford fresh produce each week. In June 2009 SuperFood Drive was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information on how to get involved, please visit http://www.superfooddrive.org/.

Ruthi’s perspective on Spring and the healthy aspects of cleansing mirror my philosophies as well. I have found, in these first 9 days of my own cleansing, many benefits to a more balanced, mindful, nourishing approach to awakening the spring within. Much more to come on my experiences so far with my own Spring Cleaning, for now please enjoy the beauty of Ruthi’s words…

Spring. A speck of green poking through otherwise dull terrain. Delicate flower buds decorating seemingly dormant branches. The sun’s warmth on bare arms.  Even here in San Diego, there is a buzz of excitement in the coming of spring. Days get longer and colors get brighter. With spring comes possibility. After taking rest during the winter, spring is a time to wake up and rejuvenate with fresh food, fresh air and fresh perspective.

To support this rejuvenating phase of nourishing our bodies, minds and spirits, we can be mindful of three things: Chew. Breathe. Simplify.

Chew. On the physiological level, fully chewing food before swallowing invites the enzymes in our saliva to begin the digestion process right away, allowing for more complete absorption of nutrients in the food we eat. Chewing can also be part of a mindfulness practice. Give it a try: chew each bite of your next meal 15-20 times before swallowing and notice what happens to your mind. Simply focusing on chewing brings awareness to the present moment to more fully enjoy the flavors being eaten. And in spring, there are so many fresh, vibrant flavors to enjoy!!

Breathe. Deep breathing may be the most beneficial practice a person can do each day. With our fast paced, plugged in, connected yet disconnected world, stress levels are through the roof and our health is paying the price. Insomnia, headache, indigestion, fatigue, anxiety, depression…all result from stress. So before you stress about being stressed, take a moment and breathe. Set everything down, put your feet flat on the floor, place your hand over your lower abdominal area (below your belly button), and take 5 full seconds to slowly inhale through your nose. You should notice your belly puff out by the end. Pause after the inhale, then take 5 full seconds to slowly exhale out your mouth. Repeat 5 times (5 inhales and 5 exhales) and notice how you feel. Many people promote the health benefits of yoga; true yogis teach that the focus of yoga is less about the movements and more about the breath. Deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which triggers the relaxation response. Bonus: deep breathing before a meal helps prepare your body to focus its energy on digesting food, allowing for full absorption of the nutrients being consumed. Anytime, anywhere, just breathe.

Simplify. Much of the messaging in spring tends to be around deprivation: fast, cleanse, detox, what to avoid, how to lose weight, etc. My philosophy for nourishing spring rejuvenation: simplify. Simplify your foods to focus on fresh, colorful, local produce. Simplify your pantry by tossing complicated, overly processed items to make room for whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds to go along with the fresh produce. Simplify your closet by donating clothes that don’t allow you to feel amazing. Simplify your physical activity by stepping away from stringent routines and integrating fun ways to be active in nature. Try something new like hula hooping, paddle boarding, rock-climbing, walking, dancing. Simplify your schedule by clearing the calendar to allow for spontaneity, or a quiet night at home. Simplify your life by leaving home without your phone and see what you notice when you aren’t waiting for that next text. Simplify your mind by breathing deeply and taking a moment to celebrate being exactly where you are. You have worked hard to get here, so savor it, and continue to nourish yourself. You deserve it!

Photo Credit- San Diego CityBeat

I wanted to share a few exciting goings-on in the lovely spring month of April in seaside San Diego:

From San Diego CityBeat:

On Thursday, April 5, Sea Rocket Bistro’s serving up a $30, three-course prix-fixe vegetarian menu to help raise money for San Diego City College’s Urban Agriculture Program. The meal will feature produce grown at Seeds at City Urban Farm. We’re especially smitten with the Cape gooseberry bread pudding with candied fennel and gooseberry compote.

And on April 22 from 10 am to 5 pm in Balboa Park,  it is time for the 23rd annual Earthfair- the world’s largest annual environmental fair and Earth Day Celebration – produced by volunteers! For some reason this event always falls on a hot day, so bring your summer clothes and lots of water! However, the event may be in jeopardy due to conflicts between the World Beat Center and San Diego Park and Recreation Department.

From VegNews:

Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale
The fourth-annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale returns April 21 to 29, giving animal-welfare advocates a tasty way to raise money for a worthy cause. Participants sell their baked goods during the prescribed time period, with proceeds benefiting the charity of their choice. Approximately $100,000 has been raised in the three years since the event’s inception.

Photo Credit- Wealth for Teens

Do you believe in the power of your thoughts? For years I have added positivity to my life by filling journals (or saying aloud) things I am grateful for. This appreciation spills from small things like candles to no-brainers of significance such as good health and amazing friends.

When it came to affirmations, I was wary, thinking they were new-age and wouldn’t work. But it seems positive thoughts really do attract what we want toward us, demonstrating the law of attraction so many people  witnessed in the book and movie “The Secret.”

Recently I started reciting affirmations daily, several times both in the morning and evening. I rapidly noticed beneficial changes. On an Oprah webcast, I watched an expert share an affirmation: “Abundance comes into my life in surprising and miraculous ways every day.”

After adding that one to my abundant repertoire of affirmations, I suddenly won two prizes within one day, received a generous and unexpected check in the mail, was treated to flowers and several meals, and so on. While affirmations take some energy to really feel and visualize, pushing past negative thoughts that may pop up, these uplifting statements are simple and cost nothing. I, for one, am convinced.

I just wanted to let readers know that after blogging regularly for almost three years on all things vegetarian and vegan, I’ll be putting more time into rejuvenation.  You’ll find me doing Chopra Center (and other) guided meditations, cooking fresh meals at home, working on fitness, building quality relationships, and more. And of course, conserving energy for the sometimes demanding non-profit work that I have been doing for years.

Because of this, you will see shorter and probably less frequent posts.

This will be a fun transition though, because to keep things fresh, I will cover a broader base of topics to include art, spirituality, travel, humanitarian issues, and other things I love to learn and teach about!

Luckily, those wanting frequent veggie info can always find ample resources, from Vegan Mainstream to The Blissful Chef (on a book tour now) to Tryveg.com.

Stay healthy!

Article by author Ruby Roth

There’s a new species of children roaming the earth. My seven year old step-daughter is one of them: she is a vegan, born and raised. She’s never had a bite of meat nor dairy nor eggs run through her digestive system. Imagine? She’s also never had an ear infection, stomach flu, tonsilitis, or antibiotics. We might consider it a miracle, except that as a vegan family, we don’t. It’s normal.

We meet more kids like our daughter, most of them little, one of them a star athlete in his late teens. The report is similar across the board—exceptional health amidst classrooms of running noses and rampant asthma, allergies, diabetes, and obesity. These vegan kids are strikingly bright, clear-eyed, aware, and even-tempered. They sleep well, they’re not tantrum-throwers, and they have attention spans seemingly beyond their years. Instilled in their forming characters is also a respect for animals, nature, and the environment. Judging from the eldest of these kids, who works at an organic farmer’s market booth on his weekends, the little ones, too, will grow up with an inherent sense of what it truly means to “go green.” This is a new generation. They will think, eat, and live differently.

Ruby Roth

I wrote my new children’s book Vegan Is Love:Having Heart and Taking Action to support this new breed and their friends (after all, anyone can make a vegan choice). I have seen firsthand the influence that one or two vegan kids has on a classroom and school culture. It’s powerful. As the vegan movement grows and more people experience the vast range of benefits afforded to them by this lifestyle, more parents will be rearing vegan children. But even if a child is not born vegan, an early education which exposes him/her to the tenets of veganism can only improve our society’s potential. Having learned early to love deeply, think critically, and act responsibly—and with the quality of life that health affords them—these kids, this new generation, will change the world for the better.

-Ruby Roth, author and illustrator
Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action is available for pre-order now at www.VeganIsLove.com

SuperFood Drive is a nonprofit in San Diego I previously blogged on. Working with partner organizations, SuperFood Drive educates the community about the health benefits of eating nutrient-dense SuperFoods and works to ensure the accessibility of healthy food to all people, especially those in need. Support their event tomorrow evening, March 5.

Join SuperFood Drive for a night of delicious food and drink!

On Monday, March 5th, Local Habit will donate a percentage of sales from beverages and select plates to benefit SuperFood Drive and it’s programming! Additionally, SuperFood Drive will be playing the role of guest bartender so all tips from the bar will support SuperFood Drive as well!

Local Habit features organic foods made from scratch using seasonally available, local produce, and homemade breads. They also offer a variety of items for people with dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free and vegan options!

Proceeds from the following items will go to SuperFood Drive!

-all tips from the bar
-$1 from every draft beer
-$1 from every glass of wine
-$1 from one or more of our small plates or specials (to be decided that night)
-$2 from every Local Habit T-Shirt sold

So invite all your friends and family and help support SuperFood Drive and our efforts in ensuring the accessibility of healthy food for everyone! Our team will be there and we look forward to meeting you and sharing some of the exciting events coming in 2012!

Photo- Energydrinktruth.com

Is sugar evil? So many people struggle with cravings for sugar, succumbing to donuts or cookies at the office, and filling their coffee cup with spoonfuls of sugar time and time again, only to feel worse afterwards. The sweet stuff brings its own form of a hangover, which could include moodiness and depression, hyperactivity followed by the famous sugar crash, and more. We eat a piece of candy, and it leaves us still hungry. Turning to more food to fill the void in our stomachs, weight gain occurs. Many people are hopelessly addicted to sugar.

In a society with so many health issues – from diabetes to obesity to heart conditions and cancers -  shouldn’t we be more careful what we put into our mouths?

This detailed New York Times article talks about how the leading expert in childhood obesity at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, which is one of the best medical schools in the country, calls sugar “evil” numerous times and basically calls it poison.

I have read that sugar alternatives like agave nectar may not actually be much healthier than sugar, and xylitol can cause bloating. This leaves me wondering whether to eat anything sugar-like at all, or to stick to the old “everything in moderation” rule! What are your thoughts on the topic?

Life is sweet, especially when filled with treats like chocolate and cupcakes. But this is some serious food for thought.