Staying the Course

The internet is clogged with motivational materials telling us to never give up and to pursue our goals with passion. While I believe motivation is important in our careers (and weight loss), what about motivation towards compassion? Living a life of compassion is hard in a world that doesn’t understand. It’s too easy to compromise and make excuses when you’re in the minority. 

Some people have an incredible support systems. Their family and friends support a vegan, compassionate lifestyle. I hope everyone out there who is lucky enough to have this in their life understands how blessed they are. Most of us are having to justify our lifestyle repeatedly to those around us.

The truth is, an animal friendly life is contrary to tradition and cultural norm, especially here in the U.S. Staying true to our convictions and values can be a daily uphill battle. 

Personally, I have to remind myself everyday why I live this way. Even though our home family life is accustomed to living consciously, the minute we step outside the front door, there is an onslaught of in your face false advertising and propaganda. It’s easy to get angry at it all. I have to be consistently proactive about explaining to my kids why these foods and incorrect nutitional information are pushed onto us for pure monetary reasons. Sure it’s a lot for a child, but my argument would be, isn’t it worse if you are feeding into the lies that will harm them?  Coca-cola will make them happy.  A Big Mac will make them cool. Pills will make them skinny. 

So my conclusion to all of this is to keep it simple. Focus on what I, myself am doing everyday to make a difference. If a friend says they are vegan and goes out and has a cheeseburger, I may inquire as to their reasoning, but I’m not going to chastise them. Because honestly, no one gets anywhere doing that. If being a spouse and a parent has taught me anything, it’s to lead by example. My daily choices speak much louder than my words. 

When others criticize, complain and are just plain mean, smile and say thank you for allowing you to stand tall and say:

“I believe in compassion!” 

“I will not be brainwashed into cruelty!”

“I am proud of making conscious decisions!”

Making decisions that support compassion for living creatures and the planet everyday is how we succeed. Yes, be bold and stand by your convictions openly. But also live them in everything you do. Even the little things. 

So here is my compassionate living motivational quote for you today from one of the wisest people to ever walk the plant: 

Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi 

Eco in the Kitchen: Sponges and Soap

I have a love/hate relationship with dishes. I love when they are all clean and put away but I hate actually cleaning them. With a family of five, we generate a good number of dishes. While we do have a dishwasher, it’s old and doesn’t work that well so I find myself hand washing a lot of the time. 

A few years back my mom got me 3 reusable sponges. I used them and washed them and reused them and washed them again. Then, last month she came over and realizes I had been using the same 3 sponges for years and needless to say, they were in tatters. So she graciously ordered me a whole box! I wouldn’t recommend using reusable sponges until they disintegrate but they do save money and help our landfills! 

 To be honest, I tend to use things till they are no longer usable. I hate the idea of throwing away something without it being completely utilized. I still wear shirts with holes in them(only at home of course) and I have the same set of dishes from when I moved out in my own. I’m not a hoarder, because I don’t have 10 sets of dishes. Only one. Reducing, reusing and recycling are all great, but not buying new stuff every few years because tastes and styles change also helps. Yes it means I’m not as stylish in some aspect of my life, but I don’t really care. 

The sponges I have are Joe Campanelli’s. They are two sided microfiber and work well without scratching. I’ve noticed since our changed to a vegan diet, my dishes are easier to clean too. I don’t know if was the animal fat or what but now nothing needs more than a two minute soak before being easily scrubbed. 

There are bunch of different kinds of reusable sponges out there so it’s really a personal choice(or a moms choice). I’ve even seen handmade ones on Etsy that are super cute! I wash mine in the washer and dryer with my regular laundry. I probably wash them every week or so depending on the amount of insanely dirty dishes we have. 

As far as soap, I’ve become a huge fan of Mrs. Meyers products, especially the lavender scent. It’s obviously more expensive than the more mainstream brands, but it’s all plant derived ingredients and biodegradable. I also feel better washing the dishes we put our food on with a natural cleaner. 

What do you like to use when washing dishes? Are you one of those people who love washing dishes? Please, tell me your secret!

Next Eco in the Kitchen: Pots & Pans  

Bad Days and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m not going to lie. Yesterday was a rough day. My husbands 5:00am alarm was louder than normal, and woke up the baby. Gavin (my 4-year-old) is already asking me when is Halloween and spent 4 hours making sure I knew what costume he wants. I was tired along with my “almost”teenager from being up late the night before. Did I mention it was also the first day of summer break? 

Ok, so I love hanging out with my kids. Most days it’s crazy chaotic but fun. Yesterday was just plain crazy. Cranky kids, cranky mommy. Bad combo. Most days I really strive to stay positive. I believe in positive thinking to the extent that it is our choice to be positive or not. 

Don’t get me wrong here, I know I have a blessed life. I know I’m lucky to have what I do and I’m grateful for all of it. However, sometimes ya just have a bad day. 

So around 12:30, I started to loss it a bit and I had to take a walk outside.  Don’t worry, the baby was napping safely in his crib and Gavin was following me out. I had a realization that it’s ok to freak out once in awhile. It’s ok to get overwhelmed. The true test is what you do with it. 

I took some deep breaths, called my hubby to let him reassure me everything was ok and decided I was not going to let the day get the best of me.

My daughter, Olivia, suggested making cookies as therapy. I don’t always condone emotional eating but baking really does help me cope on tough days and she’s a smarty pants and she knows it. I really dont make it a habit to use her as my personal therapist. She is just insanely good at reading people and not much gets past her. 

I definitely did NOT want to take everyone to the store so we had to find a recipe that included ingredients we already had. We went on the Oh She Glows website and she did not disappoint!

The result was Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. The original recipe is chocolate “chunk” but we only had chips(which was no biggie). We also substituted almond butter for sunflower butter(which I didn’t have) and they turned out fantastic. 

I probably didn’t grind the oats enough because you can see the in the end result. Note to self for next time. 

We don’t make a lot of sweet treats, but when we do, we try to use the best ingredients we can. Organic cane sugar(no weird bone char craziness), organic pure vanilla(no corn syrup!), we love Dr. Bronner’s Coconut Oil(it’s organic and fair trade) and my new favorite MaraNatha Almond butter(I like the organic too but it’s crazy expensive and not practical for how much we eat the stuff). If you would like to try the recipe too here is the link. 

My hubby came home from work, gave me a few minutes to myself and once the kids went down, I got out my broom and mop and cleaned those floors with vigor. It was floor day after all and call me OCD but if I don’t stay on my cleaning schedule, the house gets so insanely gross and I get a twitch. 

Today I woke up feeling much improved. All the kids slept in and we are definitely better for it. 

We are all going to have bad days. But the key is to work through them and move on. 

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!

3 Reasons Why I Stopped Eating Corn

I was the kid that stuffed herself with corn on the cob at the family BBQ. Corn bread muffins were my breakfast of choice after moving out on my own. But my favorite of all was my moms corn soufflé.  

Giving up corn was no easy feat. Why did I do it? In my quest for a healthier life, It was because of these three reasons:

Corn is NOT a vegetable. 

Seriously. It’s not. It’s a grain. I don’t believe all grain is bad for you because some are loaded with great nutrients. But corn is not a good grain. It’s pretty much worthless. In fact, many countries outside the US think we are nuts for eating it because they use it strictly for animal food. 

Corn is an inflammatory 

Refined corn acts like sugar. And just like sugar, it creates inflammation. Why is this a big deal?

Think about it like this. How does anything work when it’s repeatedly being inflamed. Not very well right? Let’s say it’s a knee that’s inflamed(or swollen). It doesn’t move as fast, it aches, it doesn’t work as well. So picture this going on inside your body. Not a great visual is it?

Chronic inflammation has been linked to depression, obesity and even cancer. New Medical has a great article on the effects of chronic inflammation. Check it out here. 

Corn is taking over the world. 

Ok well maybe not literally the world but definitely our grocery stores. Corn is cheap. It’s subsidized by the government because it’s fed to cows instead of the grass they are SUPPOSED to eat. It’s cooked down and added to a disturbing amount of processed foods(mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup). Very well paid scientist are in a lab right now trying to find new ways to synthesize corn to taste like real ingredients so it’s cheaper for the manufacturer. 

Read your labels. I would bet 80% of the boxed, package food in your home contains some kind of corn concoction.  

It’s seriously in everything. It’s disguised as ingredients with different names like Citric Acid, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Ethanol, Maltose, Saccharin and Baking Powder. Did that last one catch you off guard? Cause it did for me. Turns out there are brands that make corn free baking powder for home cooking.  Unfortunately,  there is no guarantee when it’s listed as a ingredient.  

Why can’t we see this as a real problem? Don’t let the manufacturers of these products  treat you like an idiot. Demand real ingredients, not corn chemicals cooked up in a lab. Refuse to eat ingredients that make you sick and/or addicted. And don’t feed this crap to your kids either. It’s training their mind to crave it while harming their bodies. 

Breaking free from corn has been difficult. It’s hard to know when I go out where it might lurk. It’s not labeled like everything else(vegan, gluten-free, nut-free).

 I’ve been away from corn for long enough though, that when I accidentally do consume it, I get physically ill.(like running to the bathroom, what the hell did I eat ill. No joke). My body completely rejects it. This very fact has convinced me more than ever that I made the right decision to cut it out. Just say no to corn. 

Veganism: Activist vs. Pacifist

The more blog posts I read, videos I watch and Instagram profiles I follow, the more I see a split among vegans. On one side you have the friendly, veganism is my choice but do what you want, I don’t want to make anyone angry type. The other being more I’m a vegan because consuming animals and their products is harming the planet, animals and my body and you need to figure that out too and convert. 

I started to wonder “Where do I fit in?”  At the beginning, I was definitely more passive and made sure people knew it was a personal choice and I wasn’t going to start preaching. I think it was mostly due to the fact that I was the only vegan in my family. Now that my husband is now vegan and we live an all encompassing vegan lifestyle with our kids, my boldness is increasing. Support can do a lot. 

The longer I live this way, the more I see the benefits and feel strongly that others could see the same results. It really does change your life in a positive way. And truely, if it’s not, than your doing it wrong. I’m talking about a whole food, plant-based diet.

I don’t like people telling me what to do, how to live and what I should be spending my money on. Maybe it’s a pride thing or maybe I just like to think things through myself and not rely on what someone else is telling me. So it’s difficult to think about trying to tell other people what to do. But the truth is, NOT talking to people about it is creating disease, pollution, depletion of resources and cruel, inhuman treatment of animals. 

It doesn’t have to be an in your face approach, although some people go that route. I really like the YouTube channel Your Friendly Activist.  He explains things in a way that you actually want to listen. Check him out here. 

 We need to talk to people like we care about them. Show them how they can help the planet and all the living creatures on it. 

Fear of rejection can paralyze people from speaking out about their beliefs. My argument against that would be, if the person is going to reject you because you feel strongly about choosing a vegan lifestyle, you don’t need them in your life. I know people say that all the time, but it doesn’t make it any less true. 

I have people in my family who don’t understand our family’s lifestyle choice. Jokes and comments like “I hope this is just a phase” or “You are difficult to cook for” are common. It’s also a struggle with the kids when they go to grandparent houses who don’t know what to feed them. 

I have to admit, I haven’t been the best at standing my ground in the past. I’m afraid they won’t want to have my kids over. Or I don’t want to hear another joke or feel like I’m an inconvenience. But standing up for anything worthy is going to be tough. 

I’m striving to be a better advocate for my kids and feeling sympathy for those who mock. They are really missing the point entirely. It’s not about food. It’s about compassion and the health of ourselves and the planet. Going into a conversation with someone with empathy and a desire to communicate our own passion is a good starting point. 

What barriers do you have when trying to talk to others about being a vegan? What have you found are common responses in your family, with your friends or in your community? Are you a vegan pacifist or activist?

Eco in the Kitchen: Anxiety and Surgical Towels.

We do the best we can. We don’t always get it right. But the point is we try. We give it our best effort. Over and over. Day after day. I wanted to do an Eco in the Kitchen series but I serious anxiety about all the things in my kitchen that are not Eco-friendly. I’m not going to lie to you. I use paper towels and plastic dishware and I even put them in the microwave! I know! How can I have a blog called EcoVegan Mama?! Am I a fake?

But the truth is, being 100% Eco-friendly with multiple kids and especially in the kitchen is hard. Not impossible, but definitely a process. I began my process a few years ago after reading an article about using cloth napkins instead of the paper version and surgical towels instead of paper towels. Maybe I just liked the idea of having surgical towels in my kitchen, but I took the plunge and purchased some(along with the napkins). 

Cloth Napkins

Habits are hard to break, so switching to cloth napkins took some time to integrate into our family. Now, the kids like to pick out what color they want and it’s become our norm. My daughter even had a phase where is would oragami them into different animals. 

When we have guests over, it’s interesting how some will insist on grabbing a paper towel instead of using our napkins and in the case of my father, we just let him. But for the most part, we let people know that this is how our family eats every night and to just enjoy them. 

 Mine are starting to get old and worn looking, and I will be buying new ones(made locally with organic cotton and natural dyes of course), but this first set will always have sentimental value to me. Wired I know.  

Surgical Towels

No, I haven’t lost my mind. I promise. You can buy these on Amazon and a number of other places, although I’m not sure there are any organic options. When first purchasing them, the plan was to completely eliminate paper towels. And it worked for awhile. But my second kid turned 2 and then I had another baby, so….we started using paper towels again because it was easy.  

Also, the adjustment to the towels was even more difficult than the napkins. And honestly, it’s still a struggle sometimes. 

I really just need to buy more. The original 12 I bought is no longer enough. And you know, writing this post has just motivated me to purchase more and once again shun those wasteful paper towels!

Oh, I do also have regular kitchen towels, but the difference with the surgical towels is they are thinner, more absorbent and don’t seem to stain as easily. They are just more versatile in general. Similar to with my napkins, my towels are getting old and faded but being strictly for cleaning up, I don’t mind so much. 

Of course, both of these items require washing. Since I’m already doing laundry pretty frequently, it’s not a big deal to just throw them in with a load. Or you can wash separately if desired. I really don’t care either way cause I know my kids clothes are covered in the same mess, if not worse. 

The point is not to be a perfect, 100% Eco-friendly everything, all the time. The point is to try what you can and work at it. Find fun ways to make it work and commit as a family, a couple or even just you as an individual to be more aware of everyday habits that could use some tweaking. 

What small steps have you made to reduce paper usage in the kitchen? Has it been difficult for your family to adjust? Have you started a new tradition? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Next Eco in the Kitchen: Washing Dishes!

Back on the Green Drink bandwagon

The infamous green drink. I know it’s best to juice and we have a juicer. But honestly, it’s a pain in more ways than one. It has a bunch of parts to put together and then clean. Also, the instant my 4-year-old sees it, he insists on being part of every single part of the process…every time. This is cute and all, but everyday…I prefer our blender. When my old one went out last year, we upgraded to a Ninja. Hi ya! I love it. It’s also really loud and my little ones don’t come near it 😁

Now, I say everyday but I have been slacking a little. Ok a lot. I started my green drink education with Kimberly Snyder. Actually, hers was the first vegan cookbook I ever purchased. At the time I didn’t know it was vegan and she doesn’t market it as such, but nonetheless, I count her as one of my first vegan mentors. 

If you’ve heard of Kimberly Snyder, than you probably know about her GGS(Glowing Green Smoothy). If you haven’t, she’s good people. I also love her even more now that’s she’s finally popped out a kid. Check her out at www.kimberlysnyder.com I don’t have all her cookbooks but I will be picking up a copy of her new one that comes out in September. She’s also fun to follow on Instagram and Snapchat. 

Of course, there are many other people who have green drinks and you can make your own up, I’m just partial to hers. 

So back to my slacking. When Kimberly  announced she was doing a 14 day GGS challenge, I saw it as a way to get back into my healthy GGS habit. I asked Olivia(my 12-year-old) if she wanted to join me in drinking a GGS everyday for 14 days and surprisingly she said yes. It is now day 6 and so far so good(Olivia’s only had to remind me to make it once so far). 

I prefer the original recipe in the book, but there are tons of different variations. 
Some of the foods that can go into a GGS:

• Spinach
• Romaine
• Celery
• Kale
• Apple
• Banana
• Pears
• Lemon
• Pinnapple
• Cucumber

She does recommend to keep a 70% green, 30% fruit ratio for whatever you decide to use. 

What are your thoughts on green drinks? Do you have a specific green drink recipe that you like? Let me know. I’d love to try it! 

7 Simple Steps to Becoming Vegan

So you have decided to become vegan. Cool. You rock. The planet and all living things(including your own body) thank you. But now what? What’s the process for actually being vegan? Here are 7 simple steps to becoming vegan.

1. What’s your why? 

Why are you becoming vegan? Why are you completely changing your eating, shopping and social habits? You need to have conviction behind your reason or you won’t commit fully. You need to care more about WHY you are vegan than your family and friends hoping it’s just a phase and complaining about how difficult you are to cook for.

2. Start Slow

Don’t try to start a vegan diet overnight. Let yourself ease into it. Research vegan recipes and incorporate them into your normal diet once or twice a week at first. Then more frequently as you get used to the foods and/or ingredients. Or, another option is to slowly eliminate certain foods. Like red meat, then poultry, then cheese, then all dairy…something like that. There are vegan meal plans free or for purchase if you need help or you can create your own. There are tons of easy vegan recipes floating around the web(Pinterest).  Eventually, your taste buds will change and the foods you thought you couldn’t live without won’t even be tempting. And if you do try them again, they won’t taste like you remembered…not like I’ve don’t that or anything…

3. Ask Questions & Get Informed

You don’t have to know everything to start, but don’t be afraid to have questions! We all do and STILL do. There is no dumb question if it means you are wanting to further immerse yourself into a vegan lifestyle. In fact, I guarantee the more you ask and learn, the more you will know going vegan was a wise choice.  Don’t know who to talk to about your questions? That brings us to…

4. Find Other Vegans

Even if it’s entirely online at first, reach out and connect. You will need a support system when your friends/family find out about your amazing decision to change your life(get used to questions that begin with “But what about…”). Once you see other everyday people with families and jobs and who go on vacations all the while eating vegan, you will feel more confident in your ability no matter the circumstance. For example, I learned from reading Angela Liddon’s blog Oh She Glows, that she takes vegan dishes with her to family gatherings to eat and share. Find out how others are making it work. It’s inspiring. Yes. It really is.

5. Get yourself a B12 Supplement

We used to get b12 from minerals in the soil(fertilized with animal poop) that transferred to the grown food. But since soil has been pretty much stripped of all that, go get yourself a supplement. I’ve been told that dissolvable supplements are best, but do what you want. For more information on b12, like why we need it, more details on where it comes from and how much to take, check out this great article from Nutrition studies.org 

6. Don’t Be A Fast Food Vegan AKA Learn To Read Labels. 

We are all busy. I have 3 kids. I get it. But don’t become vegan and only eat french fries and Sour Patch Kids(yes they are vegan). If you do, fine whatever, but it goes back to your “why”. If it’s for health: Duh. Not healthy. If it’s for animal compassion: Filling your body with crap is a lack of compassion for yourself! And environmental: Going to McDonald’s and only ordering french fries is still profiting McDonald’s. I’m also pretty sure their french fries are not entirely vegan but you get the point. Anyways. Just sayin. Be smart. Greasy, processed, chemical ridden foods are bad for you even if they are vegan. Learn about ingredients, read labels, know what’s in your food and question everything!

7. Keep An Open Mind

When my husband did his first 30 day transition to being a vegan, it was rough. He was a meat and potatoes, with extra helpings of cheese and sour cream kind of guy. The first 2 weeks of a total vegan diet will be the most difficult(which is why I recommend starting slow). However, the longer you commit, the easier it gets. I know I’m being redundant here, but your taste buds will change. Try new foods, new ingredients and give yourself time to adjust. You can do it!

Are you a new vegan? Do you have anxiety about one of these steps or something that’s not listed? Or do you have something you would add? Would love to hear from you!

The Story of Me in Bulletpoints

In an effort not to bore you, here are the highlights of “my story” in bulletpoint fashion and my wordy philosophical version is below. 

-Drama queen youth. Vintage wearing weirdo(yeah before it was cool). Made my mom do my back to school shopping at Goodwill. 

-Vegetarian, Punk Rocker wannabe in high school. Got made fun of often for caring about recycling, voicing my political views and my hair(in all its many colors and styles). 

-Spent my early 20’s trying to find myself. Experimented with fashions, drugs, music and living arrangements.  

-Single mom working full time in a cubicle job at age 25. Help me. 

-Turned 30. No life realizations. 

-Turned 32 and had my 2nd child(married now). Quit my job and began my quest for purpose. Started to get interested in health and bettering my life. Finally geez. 

-Started pursuing a vegan diet at the age of 33 for health reasons. 

-At the time of this post I am 35. I now have 3 kiddos and a hubby who is working toward his goal of being a vegan bodybuilder. Our family of 5 lives a complete vegan lifestyle for health, compassion for living things and environmental reasons. We care about how our daily lives affect the planet and other people. We encourage each other to stay motivated towards our goals and believe success is achievable. 

I’ve never really been a fan of following the crowd. I believe more than ever that it’s important for individuals to think for themselves and make decisions based on values and not desired acceptance. 

This isn’t a self righteous blog. It’s a way to share and connect. Through facts, stories, smiles and rough days, I hope to create a community who has love for life, the planet and themselves! 

We don’t personally know a lot of other vegan families. Ok..we don’t know any. It can be isolating. (Do you feel sorry for me yet?) We want to know you and hear your stories! No matter who or where you are. Because while healthy eating seems to be on the rise, my daughter is still the only 12-year-old vegan in her class, and as far as we know, in her entire 6th grade.

Even though we don’t have a personal relationship with other vegans, I do follow some online. Two that I’m liking right now are Frugal Vegan Mom and Oh She Glows (I LOVE her cookbook)

What is your story to becoming a vegan or even coming to a point of considering it? Do you live in a community of vegans or are you a one man show like us? Would love to hear from you!

Welcome to EcoVegan Mama

Thanks for stopping by the EcoVegan Mama blog! My name is Rachel, and I am an EcoVegan Mama. This is my blog about all things vegan, eco friendly, sustainable, fair trade and mom related. I created this blog as a way to connect and share with other like minded people. Whether you are new to the vegan lifestyle and still figuring it all out or a seasoned veteran looking for everyday tips, laughs and great new products, stay tuned! Since I am a mom to three kiddos, you will also get to see how living an EcoVegan lifestyle merges with being a busy mom. Good times!