The No-Poo Method
Tired of not knowing what you’re putting in and on your body? Does the lengthy list of unpronounceable ingredients in your products make you think twice? Do you know what chemicals and toxins you’re being exposed to? Try the no-poo method! Sounds funny, I know. But here are the 3 simple ingredients I use to wash my hair.
1 tablespoon pure all natural baking soda
1 tablespoon raw organic apple cider vinegar
Water
Mix baking soda in a small jar and fill with warm water. Scrub on scalp and hair. Rinse. Mix apple cider vinegar in a small jar with warm water. Scrub on hair and let soak for 2 minutes. Rinse.
When using this method, my hair is clean and closest to its natural curly state without any mousse or product. I often do not use conditioner, but occasionally I use 1 tablespoon organic cold-pressed coconut oil and then rinse thoroughly with water.
Creative Lunching
According to the EPA, the US generated about 229.2 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2001 and of that 32% was attributed to food packaging materials. In 2008 alone, it was estimated that 9,500 tons of paper towels or paper napkins are thrown out into landfills daily. More than 100 million pieces of plastic utensils are used by Americans every day. These plastic utensils can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, leaking harmful substances into the Earth while they are breaking down.
Instead of ordering takeout on a daily basis, let’s do ourselves and the planet a favor and fill our reusable spaghetti sauce jars with healthy delicious snacks! Today I packed a grape and celery jar and a brown rice, onion, mushroom, spinach, and black eyed pea jar for lunch. I felt full without the gross food hangover I used to get at Chic Fa La.
Source: http://www.hearts.com/ecolife/eliminate-food-takeout-containers-reduce-waste/
Resources
Here is a list of resources that I have found very helpful in my journey toward positive change and wellness. Be sure to get used copies of the books from Amazon or the library and to watch the documentaries digitally if possible.
Books
1.) The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell
2.) Forks Over Knives by Dr. Colin Campbell
3.) Food Revolution by John Robbins
4.) No Impact Man by Colin Beaven
5.) The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone
6.) The New McDougall Cookbook by John McDougall
Documentaries
1.) Food, Inc.
2.) Super Size Me
3.) Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
4.) Forks Over Knives
5.) Hunger For Change
6.) Vegucated
Websites
1.) http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx
2.) http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/guide-to-vegan-grocery-shopping/
3.) http://chicvegan.com/resources/
Facebook Pages
1.) https://www.facebook.com/VegetableJuicing?hc_location=stream
2.) https://www.facebook.com/giveashitaboutnature
3.) https://www.facebook.com/GreenSmoothieGirl
4.) https://www.facebook.com/MindBodyGreen
5.) https://www.facebook.com/HealthRanger
6.) https://www.facebook.com/Foodinc
Also, be sure to follow me for tips, recipes and support at https://www.facebook.com/sarahssimplelife
Prevention
Preventative medicine is the best kind. Don’t wait until something is wrong to take care of your health. Give your body the advantage of a daily abundance of colorful nutrients.
Green Smoothies
Did you know that cancer cannot exist in an alkaline state? Raw leafy greens, like spinach and kale, are the most alkalizing foods we can consume. They are also among the cheapest and easiest foods to grow in the United States. Beginning each day with a green smoothie is the simplest and most efficient way to ensure you’re getting a big dose of these wonderful anticancer nutrients.
Big Green Smoothie
2 cups spinach
1 large kale leaf
2 green apples
3 bananas
2 cups frozen mango
2 cups cold water
Chop spinach and kale. Dice apples in small fine chunks. First, blend spinach and kale with 2 cups cold water until smooth. Next, add apples and blend again. Add banana and mango chunks and blend until smooth.
When I first began drinking green smoothies, I was so excited about this cheap, quick, delicious way of consuming an abundance of nutrients that I didn’t mind drinking a big 48 ounce jar in one sitting. However, I understand that other beginners may have difficulty consuming such a large amount, or may be turned off by the bright green color. My suggestion to anybody that feels this way is to omit the kale, add 1 cup of spinach instead of 2, add 1 apple instead of 2, and substitute frozen mixed berries for the mango as this will turn the smoothie a pretty magenta color—still use 3 bananas. Try this for a few weeks and then work your way up, adding more greens each time.
Vegan Wompkees
Vegan Wompkees
Serves 6 people
This dish is inspired by Polish Galumpkis—cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and ground beef. My version is tender, filling, delicious, and guilt-free. Eat as many as your heart desires!
1 head green cabbage, gently pulled apart
½ head red cabbage, gently pulled apart
2 cups brown rice
2 Portobello mushrooms, chopped
2 cups spinach
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1 jar Newman’s Own tomato sauce
Bring 2 cups brown rice to a boil in 4 cups organic vegetable broth. Turn down and simmer for 40 minutes. In a frying pan, cook mushrooms and onion. Add spinach once mushrooms and onions are almost finished—spinach only takes a few minutes. Once rice is cooked, add it to the frying pan and stir around the vegetables. Remove from heat.
Bring a 3 quart pot to a boil. Parboil each leaf of cabbage for 3-5 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Lay cabbage leaves out to dry. Once dry, spoon in rice-veggie mixture and roll each leaf closed. Use toothpicks to hold them together if they fall apart.
Coat a large baking pan with ½ the jar of tomato sauce. Fill the pan with the cabbage rolls. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture overtop the cabbage rolls. Bake on 350 for 35 minutes. Enjoy 🙂
Simple Bean Burgers
Simple Bean Burgers
Makes 6-8 burgers
Burger Ingredients
1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can chickpeas
1 yellow pepper
3 yellow onions
2 cups mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 cup cornmeal
Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
Chili powder to taste
Lightly blend black beans, chickpeas, yellow pepper, and two yellow onions in a food processor. You may have to do this twice to fit all of the ingredients. Once processed, transfer to a bowl. The consistency should be lumpy; not too smooth. Add cornmeal, pepper, paprika and chili powder to bean mixture. Mix until evenly dispersed. Roll into medium-thin burger patties.
Add water or oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium. Simmer chopped mushrooms, red pepper, and one onion. Once the vegetables have cooked for a few minutes, make room and add two or three veggie burgers to the pan at a time. Cook uncovered on medium for five minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for five minutes.
Put the burgers on buns and dress with mushrooms, red pepper, onion, lettuce, and Sarah’s Secret Sauce.
This tasty spin on a typical American dinner goes great with pasta salad. Use colorful Veggie Spirals pasta and mix in a generous bowl full of Sarah’s Secret Sauce.
Sarah’s Secret Sauce
I am so excited about this recipe! It’s great on mini pizzas, veggie wraps, in pasta salad, as a sauce substitute on veggie burgers, and as a savory dip for celery, carrot sticks, and all of your favorite veggies. It is a cross between spinach and hummus dip, with my own unique spin. No animals will be harmed in the making or eating of this product 🙂
Sarah’s Secret Sauce
3 cups spinach
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 carrot
½ yellow onion
1 can chickpeas
2 cups vegan mayonnaise
Chili powder blend
Paprika
Pepper
First pulse all vegetables in a food processor until smooth. Drain veggies in a strainer while pulsing the chickpeas. Drain base in a strainer for several minutes, moving around. In a separate bowl, mix vegan mayonnaise and seasonings—chili powder blend, paprika, pepper. Mix in veggie base a little at a time.
Winning Over Skeptics
One challenge you may encounter when transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is cynicism from others. Friends and family may express concern, skepticism, and even outrage. You may be bombarded with questions and accusations like, “This cannot be healthy for you” or “You are not getting enough protein” or “Don’t you miss burgers and fries?” Here are my top three suggestions for dealing with apprehensive friends and family.
1.) Do not put them on the offensive. Just a short while ago, you were in their shoes. While you may not understand how they could not feel as enthusiastic as you about nourishing their bodies and saving the animals/planet, that does not mean you should verbally attack them. Inform them—don’t berate them. For instance, it is a common misconception that vegans eat strange things, but actually some of America’s most loved snacks, like French fries and Oreos, are already vegan.
2.) Come up with a short but solid list of your personal reasons for choosing this lifestyle and accompany your reasons with facts. For instance, your first reason may be that you want to feel better. Meat has been linked to many health issues such as colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and kidney stones. I can personally attest that since giving up meat and animal products, my health has improved drastically. I used to suffer from frequent anxiety attacks. I had headaches and other aches and pains every day. I generally felt sluggish, unmotivated, and exhausted. Now, I do not experience headaches, I have more energy, and my anxiety has gone from debilitating to mild and under control.
Your second reason may be that you are an animal lover. Cows are capable of feeling pleasure and pain just like dogs. For traditional non-organic meat, cows have been abused and severely mistreated before slaughter. Someone may ask you, “But what about organic grassfed cows that are treated humanely?” My response would be that at this point in my journey, I have come to a startling realization; we live in an abundant technologically advanced world more than capable of surviving and thriving off of plant based foods that the Earth provides naturally, yet we choose to slaughter 90,000 U.S. cows and calves every day, 14,000 chickens every minute, and 300 million male baby chicks per year. We choose to murder these innocent animals as a matter of taste and preference when we could be eating the following without harming any living creature: apples, bananas, oats, rice, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, limes, broccoli, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, cabbage, bok choy, horseradish, mustard greens, arugula, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, kohlrabi, turnip, rutabaga, watercress, wasabi, artichoke, beets, yams, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, acorn squash, pumpkin, wakame, dulse, hijiki, arame, nori, kelp, sea lettuce, kombu, tempeh, and many more.
Here is a wonderful list of tasty treats you may already love that are accidentally vegan: http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx
Your third reason may be that you are aware of the massive effect meat production has on global climate change and you want to be a part of the solution, not the problem. It has been documented that the cows standing around being overfed and not exercised for the purposes of slaughter and meat production produce anywhere from 100 to 250 quarts of methane gas daily. There are 1.3 billion of these cows worldwide. The cows themselves are not the problem. The problem is that they are trapped, mistreated, and overfed to become plump to then be slaughtered, to then be packaged into a 16 ounce steak or pound of ground beef for our tacos.
3.) Share your lifestyle with your friends and family. Make delicious vegan recipes and share with everyone. Make a vegan buffet at your next birthday party—a mix of new things they have never heard of—like vegan wompkees—and old things they recognize that contain animal-free substitutes—like vegan pizza and vegan peanut butter cups. Share your knowledge about fruit and produce; which markets have the best deals; unique ways vegetables can be incorporated in daily meals. Introduce friends and family to the beauty of juicing and making smoothies—how quick, easy, cheap and satisfying this breakfast alternative is. Show them your grocery receipts. Let them see how much money you are saving since you have cut meat and animal products out of your diet. Finally, be kind, loving and generous. Your family will very quickly begin to notice the change in you. The light, the abundance of energy, the happiness. I can tell you from experience that I have had some of the biggest naysayers in my life turn around and ask me to make them a veggie wrap, or a vegan pizza, or a veggie burger. People want to feel better. People do not want to harm animals or destroy the planet. While yes, people are innately selfish, they are also innately good. People want to do good. The more you expose them to positivity and happiness, the more they will soften up and want to know what your secret is.
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Amazing Delicious Veggie Wraps
Amazing Delicious Veggie Wraps
Feeds the whole family
This dish is crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory and satisfying. The base will last you all week long and can be incorporated into many other dishes if you withhold the vegan mayonnaise. Try the base on top of a homemade vegan pizza or mixed into pasta sauce.
Base
3 cups spinach
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 carrot
½ yellow onion
1 can chickpeas
Vegan Mayonnaise
Seasonings
First pulse all vegetables in a food processor until smooth. Drain veggies in a strainer while pulsing the chickpeas. Drain base in a strainer for several minutes, moving around. Save half the base and place in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix vegan mayonnaise and seasonings—chili powder blend, paprika, pepper. Mix in half of the veggie base to create a spinach/hummus dip.
Wrap Ingredients
1 yellow pepper
3 carrots
5 celery stakes
3 cups organic spring mix
Chop veggies into long thin sticks. Coat wrap with a layer of dip and then a layer of the veggie base. Spread around organic spring mix. Add more dip. Spread yellow pepper, carrots, and celery sticks. Fold wrap and enjoy!
Sarah's Simple Life 
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