'Tis The Season To Be Giving

This wouldn't be a generic, all encompassing blog without a seasonal request for giving, right? So, let me do my part...

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention does a series of small fundraising walks throughout the year, as well as one rather hefty one every summer. In June 2011, their 18-mile overnight walk will be taking place in New York City. I have decided to participate, and for quite a few reasons. Psychology & psychiatry and mental health awareness have always been topics I am passionate about. I also have been personally touched by suicide and feel I owe it to myself and everyone involved to accomplish this walk.

An 18 mile walk is quite a huge feat for a suburban Californian who would rather not depend on a car to get places. Sure, people walk 18 miles and more a day. I admire them for using their bodies as they were designed to work. With this event happening in just under seven months, I am following a training plan the organization has offered to participants. This will allow me to get in shape and prep my mind & body for a distance I am not used to covering in one go.

As I am already on a mission to better my eating habits, I know that the training will come much easier. Once June 4th hits, I will be feeling enlivened, excited, energized, and ready to knock out 18 miles on foot.

There is a fundraising requirement, of course. Each participant must raise $1000 by the time of the event. So far, I have raised $228. That is a great start, but I still have $772 to go!!! I ask you, dear readers, if you have $5 to spare this season, those dollars will be greatly appreciated! More is just as appreciated, but $5 is an amazing donation.

I plan on throwing a few fundraising parties between now and June. That way, there will be a lot more substance to where your donation goes. If anyone has any fundraising tips, I would love to hear! Please contact me with tips, questions, wise words, or general support: ellie.mchale@gmail.com.

Support Me! This is my fundraising page. Visit! See how I'm doing! Get to know the organization & event!

Thank you!

Raw Food Movement

Wow. Where did this year go?? I'm amazed at how quickly the time has passed.

For your sake and mine, here is an update about what has been happening. I've done well avoiding dairy all year, although I went through a tiny spell of eating pears with cheese. But, I'm gladly over that phase. The pears have remained a part of my diet, but the cheese has gone. My weight has become more of an issue lately. Sure, I'm coming into a PMS phase, so I'm a bit worked up about it right now. But, I've been overeating. I take full responsibility for my bad choices. With my weight being an issue and the fact I got yet another nasty cold type thing, I have decided to try a healthy detox cleanse.

I have been interested in the raw food movement for awhile. It has never been something I've wanted to do, primarily because I have felt it is too time consuming. Also, looking at the food choices I felt very limited as to what I could eat, leaving me dreading the food boredom that I assumed would follow. I have never been a fan of avocados, so having said food pop up in many recipes was off-putting. But... According to everyone who has ever tried it, I make some of the best guacamole ever. Therefore, I should probably start eating avocados, even if I have to whip up a batch of guacamole each time.

After browsing recommendations on Amazon and checking out what my local bookstore offers, I snagged up a couple books on Raw Food Diet. Ani Phyo seems to make it fun and she offers many recipes that actually sound appetizing. I purchased her book "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen" as well as Penni Shelton's "Raw Food Cleanse" as it offers great advice and guidelines for four different cleanses.

As the majority of the food I consume right now is raw, uncooked, and seems to be from soil to mouth, I understand I will have an easier time transitioning than some. One of my favorite snacks is fresh cucumber with apple cider vinegar and olive oil. I am also a huge fan of apples with raw peanut butter - you know, the kind you grind yourself. Sliced pears with agave nectar is also something I'll reach for if I am craving something sweet. In fact, there have been days when all I have eaten is blackberries, oranges, pineapple, watermelon, and cucumber. Sure, I probably shouldn't eat like that every day, but I've noticed how amazing I feel when I have days like that.

So, over the course of the next few weeks, I will be experimenting, looking into home sprouting, and testing the raw food waters. I really hope this will help get my body back to a healthy state. I'm tired of being overweight and getting sick at least twice a year. I miss the days a few years ago when I was slender, toned, and vibrant. I crave being healthy... Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be major challenges for me during this transition. But, I will find a way of creating dishes I can eat that go with the flow of the themes.

Good luck to me!!!

Soy... No-no??

So, over the past few years, I've transitioned into a primarily vegan diet. While my fruit and vegetable intake has risen slightly [it was hefty to begin with], my protein intake has decreased slightly. The easiest way for me to supplement this deficiency is with soy products. When I eat soy, it is primarily in its whole form - the soy bean. Sure, I love soy dogs and soy veggie burgers, but I have kept those as a minimal part of my diet. Soy is everywhere and it is often one of the most common way many veggies seem to get protein.

But, the weight has piled on over the years and at a rate I find to be slightly unhealthy. A few years ago, after losing 30 pounds in a few months on a high protein, plenty of vegetable diet, I found that most of my protein was coming from dairy, primarily cow's milk & cheese. And, I was a naughty girl... I admit I ate the occasional bit of chicken. I did feel incredibly guilty every time I did, though. Once I cut out the chicken and the regular consumption of dairy, the weight slowly crept back on. Then, I went through a period of bad employment, leading to 3 months of unemployment. That made a dent in my self-esteem. I stopped exercising as much. I found that I was eating more potatoes than I needed to. You know, the usual slump. This lead to putting on the 30 pounds I lost... And recently, 10 more.

Now that I have had a full time job for a month and making it to the gym at least twice a week, I have the potential to be in a happier place. But, I'm not. I'm disappointed. I am trying very hard to shed this excess weight. But, it's not budging. In fact, it seems to be multiplying.

There are plenty of reasons why this is happening. And, I've come to the conclusion it is primarily hormonal. Sure, my metabolism is slowing as I am nearing 30, but it shouldn't be this slow. I have always had issues with my menstrual cycle, which is explained by a mild case of PCOS [hello stubborn weight]. I was also a varsity cross country and track runner in high school, which did a number on my hormones. And, now I am a vegetarian who uses soy as her primary protein source.

After reading plenty of articles and doing a bit of research, I have found that soy is possibly linked to hypothyroidism - the under activity of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism runs in the family on my maternal side [my mother had her thyroid gland removed, due to hypothyroidism].

This sparked a light bulb:
I should go soy free for a month!!!

Of course, that might not do anything. But, it's worth a shot, right?? So, starting today, August 13th, I am going to spend the next 30 days avoiding soy in any form. No soy lattes from Starbucks. No veggie burgers at friendly bbqs. No edamame with vinager and pepper. The latter leaves me feeling very heartbroken, as it is one of my favorite snacks.

From now on, my protein is coming from lentils, black beans, almonds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, dense vegetables, and flaxseed. Sounds entirely boring really, but as I have been in an adventurous mood lately, I am sure I can figure out a way to make my meals exciting.

I also plan on writing down everything I eat as a way to monitor my calories and learn more about my body. On top of that, I will do my best to exercise every day, even if it is just a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood.

Right now, I am going to finish my rice protein almond milk smoothie, eat half a cup of lentils I just cooked, and follow all that with a nice, juicy tangelo.

Wish me luck!!

She's Back!

While readership might be exceptionally minute, I promise I haven't forgotten about my goal to adhere to a vegan lifestyle these past months. Things are going well, and for awhile I had gone pretty much dairy free. I do admit that I had a few moments of weakness and snuck some lil' queso scraps. But, nobody's perfect, right?


Dive into the depths of darkness in an elevator.


What? Oh, never mind...


Anyway, I am back to throw an idea out into the world. For a couple years now, I have wanted to open up a vegan bakery/patisserie/cafe. One that holds a magical, sensual, exciting feel of the chocolaterie in Chocolat. And, in a part of America that needs to learn how to be more open to the idea of an animal-free diet. There is a chance I might make a move to Savannah, Georgia. And, as many of you may know, animals are a huge part of their gastronomy. It would be great to try my hand at a vegan bakery in Savannah. But, I would need a lot of support - financially and in manpower. I don't have the money to do this on my own. And, I certainly cannot be in three places at once. As veganism is growing in popularity (and PETA's headquarters are on the East Coast), I am sure I could be able to find a solid group of veggie minded folk that would be willing to get the bakery up and running. But, this is an idea that could take a few years to finalize...


That is why I am glad Portland, Oregon is another option of places to move to. Portland is a very "green" city. And, due to the colder & more moist climate, it actually is a lot more green than the Bay Area. Vegetarianism and veganism are welcomed and embraced. I dig Portland, because it is full of creative, Earth loving people that are conscious of what they are doing for themselves and the environment they are living in. The move to Portland is the wiser choice. Not only is it closer to home, it is just as cheap as Savannah, but much more quick on the veggie uptake. Leasing/buying property could be easier, as a vegan bakery business fits in perfectly to the eco-friendliness of the city. Finding a solid team to help run the operation probably would be much easier, as it is rumored that Portland is on of the best cities for veg*ns. And, that doesn't surprise me. It seems like such a great place to grow vegetables. And, I really do love my plate to be full of green things...


Please, think happy business thoughts for me while I learn how to write up an amazing business plan/proposal. And, please think happy moving thoughts, as well!

Sweet Potatoes & Yams.

Coming from a land outside these United States, I grew up without sweet potatoes and yams in my regular diet. Like oatmeal, these goodies were things that my mother told me I didn't like, even though I hadn't ever tried them. So, living my life convinced [by someone else] that I wasn't a fan, I avoided any dish that revolved around sweet potatoes and yams.

A couple months ago, after an invigorating Bikram session, I dropped into Whole Foods to make an unnecessarily expensive salad. I saw that they had baked sweet potatoes at their hot bar. I snuck a piece and I was amazed with the glorious taste in my mouth. What I was tasting was this buttery, sweet goodness. YUM! Ever since, these lil' tubers have been my new best friend.

Tonight, I had the kitchen all to myself. There were four yams hanging out in the fridge - mine, of course, as no one else in the house eats them. I chopped two of them up into cubes, zapped them for a minute or two in the microwave, and melted some vegan margarine in a pan. Plus, I threw some salt and onions in there while the margarine was melting. When the margarine was melted and the onions starting to brown, I threw the yams in there. With some stirring and flipping and general movement, I cooked the yams for about 5-7 minutes until they were soft enough to eat.

Let me tell you, this was a fantastic dinner. Sure, it would have been more complete if I had made a salad of spinach, edamame, celery, cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, and bean sprouts. But, I didn't have any of those at my disposal and I didn't feel like making another drive to a store that had fresh vegetables. It was too late and too wet outside. And, there is always tomorrow to reinforce my veggie intake. Anyway, the yams hit the spot. And, I have noticed that both yams and sweet potatoes seem to alleviate the emotional hooha that PMS puts us women through. Not only do they taste good, the starchiness of the food naturally boosts seratonin levels. And, they are naturally high in potassium and vitamin A. Potassium is great for regulating blood flow in the heart as well as alleviating muscular cramps. Vitamin A is great for the skin as it regulates oil production.

So, for those of you who haven't discovered the joy of yams and sweet potatoes, please experiment and explore. There are so many more options than sweet potato pie with marshmallow [yuck] or bland boiled yams. Vegan margarine, salt, onions, and garlic always go with sweet potatoes and yams. And, don't you forget that!

Legumes=GENIUS!

One of the small, mediocre jobs that I have entails making 100-200 cups of tea per weekend. During my mandatory 30 minute break, I venture over to the Tex-Mex restaurant in the mall. It's not the best Tex-Mex I have ever had and I'd rather prepare a huge pot of pinto beans myself. But, that requires time and constant gentle coaxing (or, so I believe). Often, I find that I don't have the time or energy to prep a huge pot of beans. But that's not the point right now...

On these half hour breaks, I order the same thing: rice and beans. Sure, they probably use some sort of animal byproduct in the prep and cooking of the beans, which is generally the case for authentic Mexican food. Unfortunately, I put aside that fact, because I see the bigger picture. Rice & beans is a perfect meal. It contains a little of everything basic: carbohydrates (including a good amount of fiber), a small amount of healthy fat, and protein. I am a firm believer that every meal needs to touch each three of those categories.

Yes, like the proper veggie lover that I am, I am a fan of carbs. Carbohydrates, if chosen wisely, are AMAZING. Fiber falls under the carbohydrate umbrella. And, any good doctor, nutritionist, and mother will tell you that fiber can make or break you, literally and figuratively. If you have too little fiber, your water balance is thrown out of whack, your body's ability to eliminate waste is highly diminished, and your body will have a harder time absorbing the nutrients that it needs. Too much fiber, and you are on the loo more often than you need. Just the right amount, and your body will love what you are doing to it.

My point is that legumes of all kinds are such amazing lil' nuggets of joy. And, I really do believe that I'd be happy to live on a diet of legumes and brown rice. Of course, that does, naturally, call for the use of tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, bean sprouts, celery, oatmeal, etc., because all those flavors and textures go so well with legumes!  Really... Make yourself a lentil loaf with a side of broccoli and bell peppers. You'll be in love.

But, I don't know how to make a lentil loaf you might be thinking. Fret not my pretties. Along with vegan mac & cheese, vegan shepherd's pie, and many other meals, I will share my take on vegan lentil loaf. You know, ingredients, prep, taste, pictures, and general enjoyment of such goodies. :)

Remember, legumes are magical!