mrs meyer's clean day

i love mrs meyers' cleaning products. not only are they natural, biodegradable and animal friendly (no animal testing), they smell amazing and they have the cutest labels ever!

i just started worrying about cleaning products this year when i saw a holistic doctor about my allergies. this doctor isn't your typical doctor. she has her m.d. and went to traditional medical school, but decided to take a more holistic approach to medicine. she feels that we should be treating the sources of many issues as opposed to just medicating or covering up symptoms. when i asked her what i should avoid (and i was thinking food-wise) to stay healthy and steer clear of diseases like cancer, she said that she thought that most of these diseases are caused by things in our immediate environment - harsh chemicals in cleaning products being one of those things.

i immediately threw away all of my 409 and windex and purchased mrs meyer's cleaning products. they work just as well and i feel so much better when i use them. there are some other brands like seventh generation that are good, but their labels aren't nearly as cute as mrs meyers'.

rawvolution

eating vegan is hard, but eating raw is just crazy. this weekend we walked down the street to the popular raw food restaurant called euphoria loves rawvolution. if the name doesn't scare you away, the food might. i ordered an enlightenment salad and my husband, joe, ordered a breakfast burrito. i don't know why, but, even though i knew this was a raw food restaurant, i was still picturing a huge burrito coming out in a warm flour tortilla with guacamole and sour cream on the side. even vegans know how to make a good breakfast burrito! this "burrito" (if you can even call it that) looked more like a sausage. it was wrapped in some kind of a raw version of a tortilla and inside was vegetables, avocado, and something they decided was the closest thing to cheese. not as tasty as it sounded on the menu.

the enlightenment salad was ok, but it was a little too seaweedy. it was made up of kale, seaweed, avocado, and some kind of raw cole slaw on top. there is no doubt that it was healthy (green, green, and more green), but it wasn't the tastiest thing i've ever eaten.

we both left feeling unsatisfied and a little malnourished. i'm not against raw food, but i don't think euphoria loves rawvolution is going to be a place that i frequent. as much as i love raw fruits and vegetables, there's nothing wrong with throwing a little steamed brown rice or sauteed kale in the mix. just sayin'.

yeast. yum.

i'm allergic to yeast, so i try to avoid it at all costs. ok, that's not true. i avoid it when it's convenient and i would say that the majority of the time, it's not so convenient. when a loaf of warm, crusty bread comes to the table and i'm starving, i've been known to forget about my mild yeast allergy and inhale it without hesitation.


i used to put nutritional yeast in the same category as the yeast that's in bread, beer, and everything else, but it's actually completely different. nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that is chock full of B vitamins and protein. it has a sort of cheesy flavor that makes it the perfect topping for vegetables, popcorn, or even rice (which i did tonight). many vegan cheese substitutes use nutritional yeast to give it its creamy cheese flavor.

the only hesitation i have about adding nutritional yeast as a staple to my diet is the free glutamic acid that it contains. some say that this glutamic acid mimics MSG and can actually be harmful if consumed in large quantities. just like anything else, i think anything in moderation is ok.

calafia palo alto

one of the most difficult things about being vegan is traveling. it's hard enough to find vegan options in l.a., let alone in random cities across the country. when i ask the waiter at most restaurants if there is a vegan option, he usually lights up as he tells me about the roasted vegetable plate that the chef can easily put together for me. i'm sorry, but grilled zuchinni and rice pilaf does not excite me in the same way that a spinach dragon noodle bowl does.

tonight i am in palo alto for work and i decided to go out to dinner with some co-workers. we ended up at a hip little restaurant called calafia that will now most definitely be my go-to when i'm up here. not only does calafia have an entire menu dedicated to vegetarians (here), but tons of the things on that menu are vegan and gluten free! i had the crimson quinoa salad (above) and braised greens with almond butter. highly recommend the latter.

the food is not the only thing to rave about. the atmosphere at calafia is awesome, too. the light fixtures made out of old milk bottles and the old wooden community tables give it a really funky, yet inviting vibe. if you're ever in the palo alto or mountain view area, i'd highly recommend you visit calafia. yum.

calafia
855 el camino real
palo alto, ca
(650) 322-9200

regional best

[it's all vegan!]

mmmmm....baked goods. what is it about spongey, creamy, fluffy desserts that makes them so absolutely irresistible? well, it's actually the milk, butter, and eggs. this is when being vegan is a little rough. but imagine being able to eat all of the things above (because they're vegan), and, while you're eating them, feel really good about where they are coming from (because they're local). at regionalbest.com you can buy food from family-owned bakeries, farms, and ranches - like blueberry jam from north carolina and handmade Texas tamales - and ship to your friends (or yourself) anywhere in the country. there's even a vegan section on the site with tons of yummy goodies: vegan stuff

the hardest part is deciding what to order!

roasted brussels sprouts

for no apparent reason, brussels sprouts have been given a bad rap. in fact, in 2002, they were voted the most hated vegetable - it's just not fair. i think there are more people that are afraid to try them just because they think they'll hate them than people that have actually tried them and hate them. brussels sprouts are amazing, and if you've ever tried them roasted, you'll definitely agree with that statement. not to mention they are packed with vitamin K, vitamin C, and tons of other nutrients.

here is a recipe for roasted brussels sprouts that i use all the time:

buy organic brussels sprouts - i prefer the smaller ones, but you can just cut the larger ones in half
cut off the brown stems and place the brussels sprouts in a big bowl
drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper
toss brussels spouts until coated
place on pan and place in oven at 400 degrees
they will probably take about 20 minutes to brown, but keep checking on them.  when the outer leaves look like they are a little bit burnt, the brussels sprouts are ready

i like to toss them with some slivered almonds or sauteed shallots and enjoy!

coconut water

if rihanna drinks coconut water, we ALL should drink coconut water, right? not so fast. although it has been referred to as the "natural sports drink," the clear juice inside of young coconuts (aka coconut water) lacks essential ingredients that sports drinks like gatorade and powerade have.

when you sweat, you lose water, but you also lose sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. if you remember anything from 9th grade biology (or was it chemistry?), our cells use sodium-potassium pumps to regulate cellular volume. remember this diagram?  when you lose sodium (by sweating) you need to replace it, so that's why gatorade and powerade have sodium in them. if you were to replace your sports drink with coconut water, you'd be missing out on the sodium that your body desperately needs after a workout.

stick with water or gatorade when you're doing any kind of strenuous exercise, but don't feel like you have to toss your juice box just yet. coconut water is still good for you (and it's tasty) - it just shouldn't be your go-to for post-workout replenishing!

vibram five fingers

although i've resisted the urge for several months now, i finally caved this weekend and bought a pair of vibram five fingers. the hardest part about trying them on was forcing my pinky toe into the tiny pocket set aside for that seemingly useless toe, but other than that, they were fairly easy to get on. having your toes separated feels a bit funny at first, but it's actually kind of fun and it's supposed to be much better for your body anatomically. i went on my first run this morning with them (4 miles) and it was awesome. at first i felt like i was running in aqua socks, but soon enough i realized that i felt much swifter in the five fingers than i ever have in my traditional running shoes. i'm not sure how i'll feel after 10, 15, or 20 miles, but if this 4 mile run was any indication, i'll feel great. have any of you tried running in vibram five fingers?



vibram five fingers

the studio mdr

as you may remember from my post here, i am obsessed with spx pilates. i have been on somewhat of a hiatus for the past several months, and in the meantime, my favorite teacher ky decided to leave pilates plus and start working at a brand new studio on washington called the studio mdr. the studio was started by an ex-pilates plus student so she totally understands what it takes to make a studio successful. the color combination of nude and hot pink is both inviting and fun, which is everything you want a workout studio to be and all of the teachers are being trained by the amazing ky evans. i haven't actually been to a class yet (the studio opened today), but i'm attending my first one on wednesday morning and i'll be sure to post about my experience. in case you're interested in trying it out, see details on pricing and parking below:


first class is only $18
$35 single class
$99 three sessions
$155 five sessions
$265 ten sessions
$259 monthly unlimited
$219 monthly unlimited (w/three month commitment)
$475 twenty sessions


the studio mdr offers parking located on the ground floor of the latitude 33 parking garage which can be entered by making your first night off at via dolce and following the signs to spots labeled "retail" or "guest." in addition, there is ample free parking on side streets as well as plenty of metered parking on washington blvd directly in front of the studio.