Let's Get Dirty

Pesticides are not sexy my friends. They are often overlooked but have the potential to be life-threatening. The word "Organic" basically means "Hello, I'm going to add an extra 5 dollars to whatever you are purchasing. Goodbye."  No, obviously not, but sometimes that's exactly what it feels like. For something to be considered "Organic", it must be GMO and Pesticide free. The Dirty Dozen is a list of the 12 most highly contaminated fruits and vegetables. If you're on a budget, buying organic is not always possible. Although it is always better to buy Organic, it's not entirely necessary for certain fruits and vegetables. Without further ado, THE DIRTY DOZEN.

Most Contaminated

▪ Peaches

▪ Apples

▪ Sweet Bell Peppers

▪ Celery

 ▪ Nectarines

▪ Strawberries

▪ Cherries

▪ Pears

▪ Grapes (Imported)

▪ Spinach

▪ Lettuce

▪ Potatoes

Least Contaminated

▪ Onions

▪ Avocado

▪ Sweet Corn 

▪ Pineapples

▪ Mango

 ▪ Papaya

▪ Asparagus

▪ Sweet Peas 

▪ Kiwi Fruit

▪ Bananas

▪ Cabbage

▪ Broccoli

So what happens if you eat contaminated produce?... well you die. No I'm totally kidding, but there are some pretty brutal side effects. The Dirty Dozen is said to be connected to Leaky Gut Syndrome. I don't know about you, but I like my guts just the way they are. They have also been linked to Heart Disease, Cancer, Hypertension, Diabetes, Crohn's Disease, Allergies, etc. A solid rule to follow when deciding when to go organic is buying non-organic foods with a peel. This is a natural protective layer but be sure to wash whatever you are consuming prior to peeling. There are times when the pesticide is put directly into the soil. In which case you are totally screwed. So be nice to your body and buy organic. 

Turns out it's bad to be dirty.

Always Remember: 

Animals are friends, not food.

Sincerely, 

Jasmine Millner

Dude, I'm Broke

One of the common misconceptions about being a Vegan is that it's unreasonably expensive. While this is sometimes true, it is completely dependent on outside factors. I'm in college. While most kids can survive on Ramen, I have to pay for overpriced grass. So here are some tips to get past those pesky price limitations.
1) College Kids
Dining halls are your friend. As Veganism gets more and more mainstream, almost every school has begun to add some sort of Vegan option to the menu. Our school has a whole station dedicated to it, not to mention the salad bar. You'll be fine. Not everyone has a kitchen in their dorm... or a microwave for that matter. If you do, invest in microwavable Veggie burgers or Vegan pizzas. These are surprisingly very easy to find. Look in your local organic section.
2) Make your own damn food
Where are you shopping? If it's a natural foods store, don't get me wrong I love these, it is probably slightly overpriced. That's usually because their produce is local. Which is great... but I'm broke. I would love to save your economy but first I have to survive. On top of this, pre-prepared Vegan food replacements are generally more expensive than their non-Vegan counterparts. Stop trying to buy foods to replace non-Vegan meals and try something new.
3) Frozen Food 
Vegetables are expensive as hell. I don't have a job, but even if I did there is no way I am spending $5 on a damn carrot stick. I don't care how "Organic" you claim to be. We have a mini freezer in our dorm that is just stockpiled with frozen vegetables. Well it was before I got the plague and got shut in my room for three days.
4) Packaged Food
If you're on a budget, the cheapest way to get food is by making it from scratch. Vegan is not for the lazy. If you cut out pre-prepared meals and make it yourself you would be saving an epic amount of cash. Don't have cooking supplies? Get creative. P.S. You don't need cooking supplies to make a salad.
5) Buy in Season
Buying out of season produce is way more expensive because you're buying imports. They can raise the price because the demand for these foods is higher than the supply. They're less abundant and you have to add in travel costs. The best way to find in-season produce is stopping by your local farmers market.
6) Grow Your Own
Not the easiest solution, but a solution nonetheless. Obviously don't do that now it's fricken cold outside. During the winter, I try to keep a couple of herbs growing like sage, basil, chives, cilantro, etc. I don't exactly have a green thumb though so this is usually a fail.

I'll have a list of cheap packaged foods coming this week so keep a lookout :)

And always remember:
Animals are friends, not food.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Millner

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Look everyone. I can still eat the same foods you do... well kinda. This is your basic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe but with a few minor modifications. Disclaimer: There was no grass used in the making of this recipe.

What you need:
Yields about 13-15 cookies
    • 2 cups Almond/Quinoa/Rice flour. You can use regular flour but the other options are gluten-free.
    • ½ cup coconut oil
    • 1 cup brown sugar (or Stevia if you are looking for something healthier.)
    • ¼ cup sweetened almond milk, soy milk, or hemp milk
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips or cocoa nibs (cacao nibs are just raw cacao pieces)
    • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions: 
    1) Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
    2) Mix together the brown sugar and coconut oil, then add the almond milk and vanilla. There shouldn't be any separation at the end so mix until it is one solid consistency.
    3) In a different bowl mix the baking powder, baking soda, almond/coconut flour and salt.
    4) Combine the wet & dry ingredients. It's going to be all crumbly and stuff but that's fine.
    5) After this, throw in the chocolate chips & any other additions of your choosing (My personal favorite is throwing in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, or PB2).
    6) Roll into 13-15 balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Flatten the dough with your hands.
    7) Bake for 7-10 minutes depending on your oven.

    8) Refrain from eating all 15 cookies.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't just eat grass and cardboard :)
Always Remember:
Animals are friends, not food.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Millner

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

Whenever I tell someone I'm a Vegan, the first response is always "Where do you get your protein?" First of all, we don't need as much protein as everyone thinks. America especially has an issue with consuming way too much of it. As most of you know, there are complete and incomplete proteins. When people think of complete proteins they usually think of meat, fish, and dairy. While it is true that these are the easiest ways to get complete proteins, it is definitely not the only way.
Complete Proteins
1) Quinoa (8g/cup)
2) Soy(8g/cup)
3) Chia(4g/2 tbsp)
4) Hempseed(10g/2 tbsp)
Complementary Proteins
Complementary proteins are two incomplete proteins combined to create a complete protein. This would include like nuts and legumes, or grains and legumes.
1) Hummus and Pita Bread
2) Rice and Beans
3) Peanut Butter Sandwiches
4) Trail Mix
5) Spirulina with nuts (Homemade energy bars)
6) Lentils and Rice

What I Eat in a Normal Day:
Breakfast:
1 cup Oatmeal(6 g)
1 Banana(1.3g)
1/2 cup Soy Milk (8g)
Lunch:
3 cups Spinach(3g)
2 tbsp Hummus(2.4g)
1/2 cup Tofu(10g)
Dinner:
1 cup cooked Broccoli(4g)
1 cup Brown Rice(5g)
1 cup Black Beans(15g)
Snack:
1 Larabar Bar(5g)
2 tbsp Peanut Butter(9.2g)
                                                
Total: 68.9 Grams of Protein
Since I do endurance training, I need a minimum of 68.75 and a maximum of 80 grams of protein per day for my weight category. The amount of protein each person needs is entirely dependent on their weight and level of physical activity.

Always Remember:

Animals are friends, not food.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Millner

Fun Things I Can Still Eat

I know it may seem like Vegans survive on celery sticks and grass (which is sometimes what it feels like too...) but that isn't always the case. There are plenty of normal human foods that I can still eat. Most of these are accidentally Vegan, meaning the companies that produced these products didn't actually intend on this happening, but there are no complaints here.
1)Fritos
I'm not a very big fan of these but it's nice to know I can eat something out of my dorm's vending machine.
2) Oreos.
Yes. Oreos. Every flavor. Now I'm not sure what exactly goes into Oreos... Like I'm looking at the package right now and I just don't understand. Well that's absolutely terrifying.
3)Unfrosted Pop-tarts
Again, I don't understand how exactly this can be Vegan but sure; I'll go with it.
4)Red Bull Energy Drinks
Ew. This stuff literally tastes like liquid sweet tarts and death.
5)Most Clif Bars
I pretty much survive on these at college. Actually, I survive on my suite-mate's Clif Bars... and the rest of her food. Also, Larabars are actually Vegan approved and are the best creation in the history of the Universe.

Since we're talking about fun foods that ARE Vegan, I think now's a good time to address the fakers. These are the dirty liars of the bunch. On that note, here are some things that, sadly, ARE NOT Vegan :(
1) Pumpkin Spice Lattes
This one hurts my soul so much you have no idea. Seriously. I'm personally offended. Even if you swap out your regular milk for soy you are still drinking condensed milk from the flavoring itself. Not to mention that there are no actual pumpkins in the recipe.
2)Honey 
People always forget about this one. Honey comes from bees, therefore it is not a plant source. Anything with honey in the ingredients list is off limits.
3) Marshmallows/ Chewing Gum/ Jell-O
Gelatin. For all of you that don't know where gelatin comes from: It's basically just boiled bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, etc. YUM. Thankfully, the make Vegan marshmallows :)
4)Almost all dark Colas
Most of your sodas and processed drinks contain dyes made from insects or animals such as Red 40.
5) Certain Beers and Wines
Gelatin, isinglass (which is fish bladders), bone marrow, etc. Some Vegan examples are Redd's Apple Ale, Angry Orchard, Absolut Vodka, and Bacardi.
6) Anything with artificial Vanilla flavoring
Nothing better than some nice beaver anal secretions. This is not an exaggeration. They literally take secretions right out of the beaver's ass.

Always remember:
Animals are friends, not food.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Millner

Why Did I Become a Vegetarian?

To be frank, meat is gross. I went Vegetarian 3 years ago simply because I realized what I was actually ingesting and to be honest, I haven’t regretted a single second.  I'm sure most of you have heard of the documentaries Food Inc. or Forks over Knives but if not you should definitely go watch them on Netflix right now. No, seriously. Go watch one of them now before you finish reading this. It may seem kind of cliché, but that is the entire reason. I was literally afraid of meat.
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. 
Actually, no. Probably not. There are a lot of people that don't care about the animals or what they themselves are consuming. If you are one of those people, maybe I can change your mind. I’m not going to go all hippie tree-hugger on you guys, as much as I’d like to, but to put it simply; These animals are abused and neglected. How would you like to be locked up with no sunlight or space to move? There are plenty of people that argue that this is why animals were put on this Earth. Yeah, totally. Animals were totally put here by some mysterious chain of events so that humans could abuse, neglect, and eat their flesh. I really hope my sarcasm is shining through at this point. 
Live simply, so that others can simply live. 
My other favorite argument about giving up meat is that "One person becoming a Vegetarian does not affect the world." Oh really? While it may not seem like I am making that great of an impact, by being a Vegetarian I am saving 100 animals per year. What are you doing with your life? People are so concerned about world hunger but aren't willing to do a damn thing about it. If everyone would give up meat, or even limit it, there would be enough food in the world to feed everyone. Don't believe me? Alright. http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/reasons-go-vegan/ Here's some proof. By going Vegetarian I am not only saving myself, but others as well. One pound of meat uses 2,400 gallons of water. That’s absolutely ridiculous. There are people that don't have water and we are wasting it on things we don't need.  
You are what you eat.
In my opinion, diet is the best form of medicine. I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat.” That’s the truth. What you eat can either help you or harm you. I don’t know about everyone else, but I want to be the very best I can be. There are a lot of people with no concern for their personal well-being because they really don't see their diet as a threat. When I went Vegetarian, I was doing it solely out of respect for the animals, not so much myself. On the other hang, my choice to be a Vegan was entirely based on health reasons. That doesn't mean that I'm not just as eager to save the animals as I am myself because I totally am. “Save the planet” and all that bullshit. It has been proven multiple times that plant-based diets are the best way to go. I could go into this topic for hours so out of respect for time...

Always remember:
Animals are friends, not food.
Sincerely, 
Jasmine Millner

Going Vegan: Why Is It So Damn Hard?

Being Vegan is by far the best decision I've ever made. At this point in time, my lifestyle isn't really that much of a challenge. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of days where I would love to devour an extra-large pepperoni pizza by myself... but it gets easier.  So here are a couple reasons why being a Vegan is so damn hard:

1)The transition itself is brutal.

Becoming a Vegan is no easy task unless you have extreme will power (which I do not). I mean, I didn't cut out animal products cold-turkey. I was a Vegetarian for 3 years so my transition wasn't nearly as hard as those who just up-an-quit animal products entirely. Transitioning into this lifestyle is by far the best plan of attack. I started out by giving up red-meat, then meat as a whole, and now I am a full-blown Vegan. When I think back on the past three months... part of me wants to gouge my eyeballs out. Why work so hard for something that seems so pointless? Then I remember why I started and it's all worth while.

2) "Where do you get your protein?"

Fools; protein does not only come from animals. Where do you think the animals you are eating get their protein from? The reason why I respond so harshly to this one is because no one ever asks this question out of concern. This is always used as an attack on my lifestyle choices. My father is the best example for this one. I love him dearly don't get me wrong. Coming from someone who grew up on a diet centered around meat, there is no possible way that he could understand where I'm coming from. When he came to visit me at college, he was practically force feeding me because he was afraid I was malnourished. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is going to agree or understand. 

3) Slip-ups

You. Are. Human. We all make mistakes. Just remind yourself why you started and get back up on your feet.

4) "Being a Vegan is unhealthy"  

*buzzer noise* wrong. Now this one's a little controversial so if you have a problem with it... please turn away now. Humans were never mean't to eat animals. We just needed to adapt to survive. There are even studies now that prove how detrimental dairy products are to our health. Our bodies can't digest that stuff.  Although being Vegan is one of the best diets you can have, it is also one of the worst when not treated properly. Being Vegan does not mean starvation. So back to the main point, I'm still here... so it obviously can't be that bad right?

5)Peer Pressure

Yes. Peer pressure. There is nothing worse than when your friends wave slices of bacon-pineapple pizza in your face. 

SO... Go Vegan. Yeah, it's hard as shit. I'm not going to lie. 

But always remember:

Animals are friends... not food :)

Sincerely,
Jasmine Millner