healthy

Are you looking for your next big adventure? If so, why not start with your dinner plate? Exploring a plant-based diet may not sound all too adventurous, but it certainly can be. Preparing mouthwatering plant-based meals is far from boring; as I’ve grown older, I’ve become more and more creative in the kitchen, solely with the help of plant-based flavors. More importantly, I’ve lived on a plant-based diet my entire life, and have witnessed the numerous health benefits firsthand.

When I think of breakfast, the first thing that comes into my mind are pancakes. And although I don’t always have the time to make them in the morning, I do enjoy eating them once in a while. Over the years I’ve tried to alter recipes that I have loved by trying to make them healthier. Pancakes were always something I enjoyed eating as a kid, but as an adult I find that the pancake box mix you get at any super market just isn’t as healthy as I would like it to be. So, I researched and looked everywhere until I finally found a healthier version to make.

Maybe you have read the studies. Maybe you just love creating things for yourself. Perhaps you want to live more sustainably -- whatever the reason, there is no time like the present to stop purchasing cartons of milk at the grocery store and start making your own nut milks, quickly and easily. It is healthier, more economic and so much fun.

When looking for beauty solutions, we often look to crazy chemicals and even crazier contraptions to solve our problems. It’s so easy to forget that nature has always offered just what we need to look our best! Here is a handy guide to getting glam with Earth’s greatest gifts: vitamins.

Coconuts are a rich source of nutrients that have a myriad of applications. There are just as many ways they can be prepared. The nomenclature coconut is confusing because it is not a nut at all, but instead a drupe or fruit that has three layers: an outer layer that is smooth and green, a fleshy middle layer that is fibrous and a hard, and a woody layer that surrounds the seed. This third layer is what we find at the market. The origin of the coconut is somewhat mysterious. One theory is that it was first found growing in India.

It’s summertime and everyone is fighting an internal battle. As we add yet another bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen to our shopping lists, we’re secretly longing for our skin to have that perfect, sun-kissed glow. So, what do we do? Load up on sunscreen, while wearing our sunhats, out of fear of the almighty sun, or frolic happily and care-free in the sunshine without protection? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t all that easy.

This time of year, there is nothing better than a refreshing smoothie to start your day off right! Smoothies are an excellent opportunity to pack in a variety of nutrients and protein that you normally may not be the hugest fan of. Luckily, a balance of our favorite, delicious and seasonal fruits are enough to mask the flavors our taste buds may not love but our bodies absolutely benefit from consuming.

We have all heard of the juice cleanse, green juice, juiceries and so on. Juicing is so mainstream now that one can find pressed, organic juices readily available in any major chain grocery. In fact, there are a plentiful number of businesses that only sell juice and they are doing well in the marketplace. This commercial success usually means a quelling of the buzz amongst the more dedicated “health nuts.” So, I feel that it is finally safe for me to come out as a (gasp) “Smoothier.”

I’ve never been a serious carnivore; red meat stopped making its way into my diet by the time I was seven years old, and white meat only made up a small portion after that. But when I finally disciplined myself into what has now become five ongoing years of vegetarianism, I suddenly noticed some major changes. Here are five things I witnessed just a few months after making the switch:

Pre-cooking meals can be a great way to eat nutritional, affordable, and organic food on the go! Each week, I’ll provide a recipe for a few days’ worth of pre-cooked goodness. Each recipe will include vegetarian and gluten-free options. To read more about the benefits of pre-cooking your meals at home, click here.