Pasta that's a Fasta

It has been forever since I've posted one of my favourite veganish recipes. Before I delve into how to make a yummy pasta salad, I want to tell you something. Today is Friday the thirteenth. A day of bad luck. Yet at midnight, last night, I was starving and spent a good five minutes looking at my empty fridge and bare pantry, trying to figure out what I could make (I've been working like a fiend on my novel and food is no longer a priority).

Now don't you see this as good luck? Fate? That I made an awesome, easy pasta salad just in time for today's post? Now on to the food. I think I will call this dish: Friday the 13th Pasta Salad or F13PS for short. Yes, it's lame, but this salad is so good you'll forgive the lame name.

The Ingredients:

1 green pepper

3 roma tomatoes (2 if they are larger)

1 onion (sweet onions are best)

1 pack (400g should be good) of whole grain pasta (because it's healthier)

   salt and pepper

3tsp paprika

3tsp oregano

1.5 cups of vegan mayo (to start, then add according to your preference) (I know, not healthy, but that's          why we got the whole grain pasta)

3-5tbs of mustard

   your choice of protein, canned or prepared the way you like (I use tuna or salmon but you can use tofu or beans)

The Magic:

Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. While you wait, jullienne (love that word) the green pepper, tomatoes, and onions. 

Add the pasta once water has started to boil.

In a bowl, combine the veggies, seasoning, mustard, and mayo and mix. Once the the pasta has finished boiling, strain and rinse with cold water, then add it to the mixture.

Mix until pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.

And that's it. You can add more veggies or just increase the quantities. This recipe is so versatile is should be illegal. And no matter how you switch it up, it's hard to mess it up. Note, I never use a measuring cup or spoons unless I'm baking. The measurements I gave you are rough estimates of what I used.

As a side, this makes approx. 6-8 servings.

Yeast Beast

Now this in't a topic a lot of women like to talk about but it is a huge problem postpartum mama's face. Especially if you were more susceptible to infection before ever being pregnant. I am one of those mama's and I'm tired of my trips to the store to purchase treatments. It's costly and increasing the amount of medication I'm putting into my body. If you know me so far, you know I'm a huge hippie and meds go against my motto. So here's what I do to save money and keep pure.

Probiotics

There are great vegan, probiotic supplements you can get in pretty much any natural food store or section. There are some that are even labeled as yeast killers. These supplements need to be kept in the fridge and taken on an empty stomach, twice a day.

Go Commando!

Yes, it's not a joke. Yeast loves humidity and always wearing panties, specially in the summer, doesn't help. I'm not saying to go pantyless when you're out and about. Just try to stay in a housecoat or nightgown with no underwear when you're at home. Definitely don't sleep with underwear either. This is not only good for yeast, but to air the lady parts out. All parts of our body need to breathe and there are no exceptions! Cutting down my panty time has gotten rid of infections all on it's own!

Cut Down on the Sweets

I know! I know! How dare I suggest such a thing? Well unfortunately, yeast loves sugar and eating a sugary diet feeds it. Eat less sugary fruits and foods. Also, try to eat a less acidic diet. I know making changes to your diet is tough, so try the first two step first. Like I said, wearing underwear less beat the yeast on it's own for me. 

These are my top Yeast Beast killers. What are yours? And what works best for you?

***NOTE*** I am not a doctor or health professional. This is strictly advice that is not intended to replace a doctor's or health professional's opinion. I am simply stating what works for me. Always consult with a professional in regards to health issues. 

Define: Ursatarian Grrrrr

Okay, so after a lot of thought and a little bit of googling, I finally came up with what I should call myself. I love the flow of Pescavegan but lets be honest, the name is an oxymoron. Ursatarian is more fitting and honest to how I eat. It's derived from the Latin ursus/ursa which means bear. Why bear you ask.

The Bear's Diet
Is very similar to my own. There are few omnivore fellow creatures. Now when I say omnivores, I mean true omnivores. Not pets who are fed berries and peanut butter as treats. My favorite example is the bear. He eats a mostly vegan diet plus fish. Yes they eat other animals but they don't kill them. Those animals are usually killed by winter and bears eat them out of NECESSITY until the plants are more readily available. Hmmm, that sounds a lot like why we had to eat livestock. The only meat they actually seek out and hunt (or fish) are fish.


I'd like to follow their example. The nice thing is, we don't have any famine periods. Fruits and vegetables are always readily available. Sooooooo, since the bear's diet resembles my own (minus the winter killed meat), I will call my diet the ursatarian diet. Add it to your dictionary folks.

Shame

I need to apologize for my absence. It has been a while and I've gone MIA because of...shame. Remember my optimism about starting a mostly raw diet? Well I failed. MISERABLY. I think I lasted about two days. Although I continued my juicing for longer, I just couldn't keep up with it.

So now I'm here, ready to own up to my failure and to compromise with myself. Do I want to go raw? HELL YES! Do I want to give up the delicious vegan substitutes I have come to love and yummy cooked food? HELL NO! 

So what does this mean?

Well it's not about what I want. It's about what I need. I think about my daughter and how I want her to grow up on the best possible diet. At ten months, she is still breastfed and I do my best to keep her diet natural and organic. Guess what? She starting to reach for the food I PUT IN MY MOUTH. This was my wake-up call. How can I expect her to eat like a hippie when I can't do it myself? I wince even more when she reaches for my husband's Pepsi/Coke (which I don't touch at all anymore btw).

So now, my goal is a much more reasonable and attainable goal. I will slowly work my way towards a raw veganish diet. For now, I will strive to eat how I expect my daughter to grow up eating. 

I'm amending my encouragement to:

If you can go cold turkey; please, please, please, please do. If you can't; strive for it. Slowly work your way to eating raw. 

PescaVegan Mama is back and ready to convert you carnivorians into plant eating fiends. 

The Milk Debate

There seems to be a lot of controversy over whether milk is good or bad for you. Doctors and nutritionist have conflicting ideas and beliefs, but if you base the answer on unbiased research and plain logic, the answer is clear.

Milk is loaded with nutrition.
Milk has Vitamins A, B12, C, D. It's a great source for protein and calcium. Wow!

Milk is loaded with hormones.
Cows are given estrogen to to help produce more milk faster. These hormones are passed on through the milk. Imagine, as women, we already have enough of our own estrogen and now your giving a female hormone to men. Does that sound right?

Milk is loaded with antibiotics.
Cows are given antibiotics to fight illness. The conditions they are kept in are not ideal and illness loves it. These antibiotics are also passed on to us, weakening our immune system.

Milk has cholesterol.
It may have good fats but it also has bad fats and cholesterol. We all know that's bad.

Milk has lactose.
Our bodies were not meant to digest lactose. Those of us who can have adapted to it, it's not the norm.

Milk makes our bodies mad.
Our bodies consider milk an allergen, something that's attacking it. So to protect itself, our bodies create antibodies to fight it. Antibodies, as much as they like to help, cause inflammation within the body.

Milk breaks down bones.
I know doctors and nutritionist say milk keeps teeth and bones healthy, but if you look at statistics, the nations with the higher dairy intake actually have higher osteoporosis cases. North America's misconception about calcium is that it's something you need to load up on to have strong teeth and bones. Really, it's not about how much calcium you take in but how much you keep in. The North American diet is extremely acidic. For example we are huge coffee and soda drinkers. The acidity of these beverages cause our body to leech the calcium from our bones to lower the acidity in our blood. If we were to reduce the amount of acidic food we eat, our body wouldn't need to do this as often as it does.

NOW, let's take a look at this logically.

FACT: We are the only species to drink milk from another species.
FACT: We are the only species that continue to drink milk after infancy.
FACT: Being able to digest lactose is an adaptation, not something our bodies are meant to do.
FACT: Our body creates antibodies when we consume milk.
FACT: All milk from any species is meant for one thing: to nourish and fatten.

Facts that can not be disproved, show we shouldn't drink milk. Think about it. We all get grossed out at the idea of drinking human milk as an adult. What makes milk from another animal's tit any better? An animal with out the ability to practice proper hygiene, who is injected with hormones and antibodies, who bleeds puss and blood into the milk....

Grossed out yet? 

The truth about milk is there for anyone to see.

What about the doctors and/or nutritionists who still say "Drink Milk" and swear by it?
Realize that more money in the last few decades have gone towards all kinds of research besides nutrition. Now there are new methods for how to care for the umbilical cord stump, new medication for illnesses, new treatments for cancer. We laugh at the things people used to do because at the time, they were the latest and greatest methods. Only now, research is being done in regards to nutrition. So a lot of the information being taught to health care professionals (if even any) is old and out of date.

Well, there's some food for thought.

I'm Going Raw

Everyone knows that being vegan does not equal healthy. As a matter of fact, since becoming vegan, the amount of processed foods that I consume have more than tripled. Why? Because I need an alternative for this and an alternative for that. I eat "chicken" burgers and veggie dogs and a lot of other chemically engineered meats.

In my veganish journey, I have lost sight of my original intentions. My motivation went from health to surviving veganism. I love meat and especially eggs and cheese. I've spent the last couple of years searching for their equal vegan counterparts, exposing myself to more chemicals and toxins than ever before.

I've allowed myself to get full on bread and rice instead of fruits and vegetables. I eat loads of potatoes in every way possible. I slather my Earth Balance butter and Vegenaise on everything I can. I live off of pasta with marinara sauce. It's my go-to meal. Where is the healthy part of my diet? I feel as if I have failed myself and my baby. It pains me to think I have exposed her to so many contaminants while she was in the womb, and I can only imagine what I've done to my body.

When I had started off being vegan, I took the time and diligence it needed to create healthy balanced meals. I was healthy and energetic. I was too afraid to try the processed vegan foods so I stuck to what I knew. Now, I am tired and moody. I feel guilty with my laziness to assemble a half decent meal.

My wake up call came while watching Hungry for Change, a documentary about the North American diet. We fall victim to the marketing and tricks of the billion dollar food and dieting industry. Vegans are just as vulnerable as the rest. Diet Cola is vegan isn't it?

After I finish my delicious marinara sauce from Costco, I am going raw. I will stock my fridge with colourful fruits and vegetables and am going to start detoxifying and juicing. Once my body is back on track, I will never touch another canned or jarred food again. If I eat a treat, it's because I've cooked foods from the "garden" and embellished it with herbs for seasoning. This is a vow I am making to myself. I am excited and scared but damned determined. I want to feel healthy and beautiful again.

I apologize to my child and my body. From this day forward I will make it up to her and to myself. The next few months, I will update you of my progress and what I'm doing.

Please, watch the documentary. Take the pledge with me and lets get healthy together.

With Love,

PescaVegan Mama

Family and their Questioning & Misconceptions

I'm sure there are many green dieters who have faced the barrage of questions, comments, insults, and doubts from family members regarding their choice. I know I have. Every time, I calmly explain to them my reasons (that are based on facts) and still, they ask the same questions the next day.

As annoying as it is, you need to understand how foreign the concept is to most people. I was once asked if I could eat peanuts because they weren't sure if it was vegan! I still get asked by family members if I want eggs, chicken soup (because it doesn't have chicken...it was taken out), yogurt (because "it's not actually milk"). To me, and I'm sure it's the same for most, it's a simple concept. If it's an animal or came from one, I don't eat it. Of course, if you follow my blog, you'll know I still do eat seafood, but that's the only exception.

How to Manage Comments & Questions:

1. Be Patient: instead of getting angry, get passionate. You know why you changed and the reasons were great enough to make you cut out huge parts of your diet. Stay passionate and share.
   
2. Take it as an Opportunity to Educate: We were all raised with the misconception of a balanced, healthy diet. Take the opportunity to share what you've learned.
   
3. Don't Take it Personal: they're not attacking you. THEY feel like the ones being attacked and are being defensive, not offensive. Once  you understand that, their comments may seem a little less accusatory.
   
4. Know When to Stop: I have  a bad habit of not shutting up. You need to learn when words will fall on deaf ears and let it be. Just nod and do what you do. Silence doesn't mean you agree. Just agree to disagree.
   
5. Explain Your Shared Right: when all else fails, explain the your shared rights to eat as you please without reprimand. We all have the right to eat as we please, and as long as we are not harming anyone, we should be able to do so with little grief. 

Other funny misconceptions:

Gluten Free = Vegan

Organic = Vegan

Click HERE for a funny conversation I had with a family member.

Back from Another Trip to LI

Hello, everyone!

I just got back last night from my trip to Long Island. The drive down was horrible but the way back was great then tolerable.

For once there was no hurricane or hurricane aftermath :D

Christmas was wonderful.

The weather was better...much better than here.

No baby wearing fun this time. Click here --->   ;)  to see why I even mentioned that.

Less drama about my diet this time.

Yet again I was faced with the opportunity to explain why I can't eat cheese. Here's how the conversation went.

Unnamed Person: Here try this, I didn't put the evaporated milk yet.

Me: (had seen her putting cheese in it) But is there cheese?

UP: Yes, but no milk. See...(shows me the can) I didn't put it in yet.

Me: But I can't eat cheese either.

UP: Cheese is bad to?!?!

Me: Well it's dairy.

UP: But it's not milk.

Me: (mentally rolling my eyes) But cheese is made out of milk.

UP: Ohhhh. Ok....(still has an uncertain, confused look on face)

And my baby was an angel during the trip to and back!

Stay posted for my blog on how to deal with antagonizing questions from family.