What I Eat In A Day: Day at home

Yes, I know....I always say I'm going to post more often but I never do. It's no excuse but I recently started a new job, moved to a different city and I'm still working on my MA dissertation, so something has to go and it's usually the blog. Ok, maybe always.

Today I'm off work and I thought I'd share a typical day of eating when I'm not at work or super active. Please keep in mind that I spent the day at home in front of my computer. At work, I will usually eat more frequently, also because it makes it easier to resist all the cookies and chocolate lying around the office kitchen.

Breakfast: I have a few meals I rotate between (most recently I've been obsessed with fruit and rice milk topped with oats. Very simple but super delicious). Well, this morning I had a bit of a late start and just put a bagel in the toaster - ate it along with some strawberry jam and fresh strawberries. This is a super quick breakfast, perfect for a work day as well and it keeps me full and satisfied until lunch.

Lunch: I had lunch around 2pm, so 4 hours after breakfast. I had some leftover rice in the fridge (just some microwaveable rice, actually) and instead of microwaving it, I sauteed it in a pan along with mushroom, bell pepper and spinach. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric and cumin and also crumbled some ground vegan sausage in. Again, took me about 10min to make and it was very filling and satisfying. 

Snack: I usually snack more often during the day, but because I wasn't very active today, I didn't feel all that hungry between meals. I do always want something sweet, though, and I went for these dairy free chocolate buttons. It's a portion-sized packet and also perfect for taking to work or school. 

Dinner: For dinner, I made a big pot of lentil soup from Oh She Glows for the rest of the week. I always make one big meal, that I can eat throughout the work week. It's just really helpful when I have a long day and get home late. I usually put two portions in the fridge and freeze one. I've made this recipe a million times before, it's a staple in my house and I always have the ingredients at hand. It's pretty cheap, easy and delicious. I always put in a few carrots (4-6) as well because I just enjoy the sweetness they give to the dish. Today I had my soup with a wholewheat pita. 

While cooking I snacked on a carrot as well, but that's all I had for today. If you'd like, I'd be happy to do a post about what I eat at work. That's usually a lot more planned out and I put more preparation into it. 

Hope you've all had a fantastic day!

Steffi x

Frustration

If you're vegan or plantbased, you will surely have dealt with stupid comments and ignorance towards your lifestyle. Funnily enough, people get very interested about what's on everyone's plates. And that is important. If it wasn't, we wouldn't be vegan in the first place. Still, once you go vegan or even vegetarian, everyone around you instantly becomes obsessed with your food choices and they've apparently all studied nutrition. From protein to lacking in nutrients, I've heard it all before and I'm by far the fittest, healthiest person in my family and circle of friends.

Then comes the time when someone you know complains about health issues. Raised blood pressure, weight issues, feeling tired after eating, bad digestion, lack of energy......and all I really want to say is: I've got the answer. But I hold back because every time I do say something, they completely block the idea that veganism is a possible solution. But I'm the living, breathing example of a healthy, happy vegan and I just don't understand how they can still believe that a plantbased diet is unhealthy. How is that possible?

I'm not saying veganism is the answer to every health issue on the planet. But, I do believe it is the ethically best way to live and can prevent a lot of everyday health problems. You're not curing cancer with veganism, but you might reduce inflammation, have a stronger immune system, a healthy heart, regular blood pressure and so on. Not every vegan is healthy. Vegan junk food is just as bad as any other kind (but at least no one's dying for it).

At the same time, it frustrates me when my dad hires a personal trainer who tells him to eat a diet rich in lean meats and protein with little fruit (because sugar!) and very little carbohydrates. Basically all he's eating is salad with toppings. High in fat, high in animal products. Yes, he's loosing weight, because he dropped his calories so significantly,,. but what are the consequences of eating like that? To me, it seems obvious.

Then there are my sister and brother-in-law, who both work in animal agriculture. Obviously, they don't agree with my lifestyle and after being vegan for quite a while now, it's still a topic at every family event. Because I don't want to eat dead flesh. They start talking about humane killing, high quality meat, organic, blah blah blah. Why do they not make the connection? Why do they not see the dead animal on their plates but a yummy, juicy steak? How can personal pleasure win over ethics and morals when the problem is right in front you.

Sometimes I'm just frustrated.

London Calling

So, long time, no read. Even though, does anyone honestly read this blog? I doubt it:) It's a good thing I'm used to talking to myself. Does anyone else do that? I talk to myself all the time - when I cook, when I get ready in the morning. It's like I'm in a reality show but I'm the only one in the audience.

I digress and we all know that's nothing new. I moved to London!! YAY! That's what this whole post is supposed to be about...not me talking to myself.

I moved to London two weeks ago for work and I was really looking forward to it. It's not the first time I've lived in another country, so I can say that I'm pretty realistic when it comes to stuff like that. But nothing could have prepared me for London. Everyone who's moved here or to another huge city, like New York, can probably relate.

I had a nightmare kind of start in London. Originally, I had rented a room from Germany. I know, I know...everyone tells you not to do that...but I did it anyway. Let's just say those people were beyond crazy and I couldn't stay there. Luckily, my best friend lives in London, so I stayed with her for a week while looking for a new flatshare and also starting my first week at work. Did I say it was a crazy week? I've now found a nice place to live with great flatmates and it's really close to work as well. I was lucky, but it's certainly been one of the most stressful times in my life.

Another reason I was looking forward to London was because of the many vegan options here. Being vegan is easy no matter where you live, but big cities often have a variety of vegan restaurants and 'fake' vegan food in supermarkets. I was surprised to find that, while there are quite a few really nice vegan restaurants in London, supermarkets in Germany are much better stocked than over here. Most often I have to go into Wholefoods for things I was able to get at my local corner store back home.

Yesterday, my friend and I went to The Wildfood Cafe and ate a delicious vegan burger and raw hummus with crackers as a starter. Pretty pricey but the food was great and the atmosphere very welcoming. Highly recommended if you're into whole, plantbased food.

If you have any good tips for vegan living in London, let me know in the comments below!

Losing Weight On A Vegan Diet?

Today's blog post is about losing weight on a vegan diet. Many people turn to veganism for health reasons. No matter why you turned vegan, welcome and congrats!! You've made an important and fantastic change to your life. It's not always going to be easy, but you know it's the right thing to do and for that you deserve to feel proud!

Anyway, I disgress, as per usual....when you watch videos on youtube or read about these unbelievable transformations that people make after turning vegan, you're all pumped up and ready to go and, after 2 weeks of eating plants-based, you're not feeling energized, you haven't lost any weight and all of a sudden you're starting to doubt yourself. Well, I'm here to tell you DON'T!!

For many people, myself included, it doesn't happen right away - especially if you don't have a ton of weight to lose. When I turned vegan, I felt like shit at the beginning. I was tired, had massive mood swings and also ups and downs in energy. Some day I would wake up and feel like running 10k and other days I wanted to sleep 12 hours straight. Yes, I was eating enough, yes, I was getting all of my nutrients (tracked them on cronometer.com like a good little vegan) and I was eating very clean. Now some people might say you're detoxing or your metabolism is healing. I call bullshit - you don't detox for months and I don't believe in a minium 'must-eat' of calories. To me, that just promotes listening to a number instead of your body. We are all very different, some more active than others, with a very different body composition. A small woman with a sedentary lifestyle won't need that many calories. Eating towards a number without considering how much you really need or burn isn't what you should be aiming for - see it as a guideline instead.

Back to my start as a vegan. I put on a couple of pounds initially. Not a lot but I certainly didn't lose any. I believe one reason is that I allowed myself to eat anything I wanted as long as it was vegan and moderately healthy. If I wanted another burrito, I would have it. I benefitted from that in many ways:

1.) I didn't crave any non-vegan food ever - Because I was so full and hit all of my nutritional needs, I didn't have a craving for animal products. My body simply had everything it required.

2.) I stopped craving junk - This was definitely a slow process, BUT it happened. From eating chocolate and sweets every day, I now crave fruit 9 times out of 10 and if I want a muffin, I'll eat it. My tastebuds have changed over time and most things taste overly sweet to me now. 

After around 3 months, I started becoming more aware of my body and its needs. I experimented with food, found out that masses of fruits don't work for me and that I prefer lighter meals. I now recognize hunger, can easily pinpoint what satisfies me or what my body needs and, hello, I started losing weight. I didn't even realize it at first, it just happened naturally. Then it stopped for a while and now I'm slowly losing a pound here and there again. I feel much more balanced and have embraced intuitive eating. Having the connection to my body that I do now is the greatest gift veganism has given me so far. 

As always, the moral of the story comes last. Well, all I want to tell you is, not everyone miraculously loses weight and feels amazing right away on a vegan diet. For some it takes time, it takes experimenting a bit and finding out how your body ticks. Don't give up, embrace the journey and be proud of the decision you've made!!

Green Beauty Finds: Evodia Gentle Facial Cleanser

My skin is moody! I don't know about you, but I am always trying to keep up with my ever changing skin. Usually I struggle with combination to oily skin and clogged pores. While clogged pores are always a thing with me, lately my skin has been slightly dry in certain areas on my forehead, around my nose and my mouth. While I have found a few products that work well for me, many of them are quite expensive, so I'm always looking for something more cost effective that also performs well and is vegan! Natural skincare is really all about trial and error. Experimenting is key, but when a moisturizer costs 50 bucks, that's not so easy. 

A few weeks ago I happened to be at TK Maxx and I always love browsing through their beauty section. Nothing gives me a bigger thrill than finding a rare beauty brand for a bargain...clearly I need to get a life!

On my latest TK Maxx trip I happened upon, what later turned out to be, a real gem. A gentle, but thorough, facial cleanser, that properly cleanses my skin without stripping it of its natural oils and leaving it soft and smooth. In my opinion, cleansers are the most important step in my skin care routine. They can have such a huge effect on how my skin feels and behaves and how well it absorbs other products.

Evodia (www.evodia.com.au) is an Australian brand that uses no animal products in their skincare and also doesn't test on animals - two very important issues for me. They do ship internationally as well but check your local TK Maxx to see if they might still have it in stock. The cleanser is priced at 14.95 AUS Dollars on their website and I picked it up for 6.99€ at TK Maxx. What I love most about this cleanser is that it effortlessly removes all of my make up while being extremely gentle and soothing. The gel does not foam up but is slightly slippery, so there is no need for lather. It might only be my imgaination, but my skin looks and feels brighter and smoother after using this product for three weeks. I am very impressed and already went back to the store to pick up another one!

The moral of this story.....check your local stores! You don't need to order anything expensive online, like I have done so many times. Skin is very fickle and it's probably going to take you a while to find something that suits you. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars in the process. Also check your local organic gorcery store or markets, you never know what you might find!

Where Have I Been?

I'm back and you might wonder where I have been for over one year. I guess, the short answer is I was busy interning with a global company and writing my MA thesis, but then again it's always possible to make time for something that is important to you. The long and more complicated answer is, I was figuring out a few things about my health journey and I felt like a hypocrite blogging about natural living and clean eating, when I wasn't really embracing all parts of it, especially when it came to make up and nutrition. 

When I first posted a 'What I eat in a day', I was telling you that I like to have plant-based days but I wasn't a vegan. I had cut out dairy because of health reasons and never really liked eggs but I was still eating meat. On my journey (which I am still on, btw), I started looking into plant-based living, documentaries, speeches and online resources to educate myself. At the beginning of this year, I finally reached the point where everything clicked in my head and I knew I never want to go back to eating meat. There was a connection between animals and the meat on my plate that I never had before. 

I have a lot of exciting things planned for this blog such as more cookbook reviews, recipes and skincare items to show you. I am also just exploring natural make up, so I will definitely share my findings with you. 

I want to add that I tried veganism before about two years ago and it didn't work for me at all. The reason being that I had not done my research. I feel like I've finally found the right way to eat for me. I feel good and it has empowered me to listen to my body and recognize what it is telling me. I hope you share my journey with you!

Skincare Favourites: Cactus Skincare

My philosophy when it comes to skincare: KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

My bathroom set up - this is all I use!

I see all these people online using 20+ skin care items. To be honest, I don't have the time to spend 30 minutes on my skincare morning and night, but ingredients and quality are very important to me. Last year, I stumbled on Cactus Skincare through a youtube video. I checked out the brand and saw that they have an amazing sample service! I wish every brand offered this!! On www.cactusskincare.com/samples you can get a week's worth of samples for only $5 (AUD). That's a joke. Seriously!! So, I went ahead and tried the samples and I absolutely LOVED them! Everything smells amazing, is very gentle and made my skin glow. 

Since then I have purchased the combination skin bundle (http://cactusskincare.com/collections/bundle-packs/products/combination-skin-bundle-pack) and the Gentle Exfoliant (http://cactusskincare.com/collections/products/products/gentle-exfoliant). 

On to the products: 

cactuskincare.com

The combination skin bundle includes

1x Lemon Myrtle Cleanser

1x Light Balancing Creme

1x White Clay Mask

1x Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme

Let's break it down:

Lemon Myrtle Cleanser - This cleanser, while great, is my least favourite product of my Cactus Skincare range. It doesn't remove make up, not even slightly, and it leaves a bit of a film on my skin. That said, it is gentle and great for sensitive skin. It doesn't strip my combination skin, but doesn't clog my pores either. While I do like it, it's not worth ordering all the way from Australia for me. I've tried cleansers that have worked just as well and are easier to get a hold of. 

Light Balancing Creme - First of all, I am in love with the citrusy scent of this creme, but I particularly enjoy that it is light and hydrating at the same time. I have used all of the products for almost two months now and this creme has balanced my skin out from combination to normal. I don't get any dry patches but not oily in my t-zone throughout the day, either!

White Clay Mask - This is a great purifying mask for all skin types. It is gentle but efficient and leaves my skin feeling silky and smooth. Before I tried the samples, I was doubtful that this mask would be for me, as I find clay masks usually very drying. This does not dry me out at all, but it cleans my skin thoroughly!

Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme - The Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme is my hero product of this whole range. It is literaly magic in a pot. I apply this at night, or when I need an extra kick of moisture during the day. It sinks in right away but is extremely moisturizing. Best of all, it acts as a skin healer. Whenever I have a break out, I apply this creme and it calms it down instantly! Applying this at night, I wake up in the morning with even, smooth and calm skin. This deserves my holy-grail award of skin care!!

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Apart from this combination skin bundle, I also purchased the Gentle Exfoliant. As the name suggests, it is extremely gentle and I prefer to use it before applying the White Clay Mask. It preps my skin for perfect absorption of the mask, but doesn't irritate it at all. Depending on how abrasive you like your scrub, you might not be a fan of this. It is extremely gentle, and almost acts more as a face massage than a scrub. I am a huge fan! I do not believe in scrubbing away at my skin layers, but I also have pores that clog easily. This gives me enough of a scrub to clean our my pores (gross!) but is still gentle enough not to irritate my skin.

Gentle Exfoliant - cactusskincare.com

If you have a look at the ingredient list of every product in the Cactus Skincare range, you will notice that they only use natural and high quality ingredients. These products are worth every penny, and on top of that, you get amazing customer service as well. No automated or mass emails, you can talk directly to Ryan and Deborah and ask them questions, approach them with your concerns and get their help and support in everything to do with skin. They give you instructions on how to use the products and depending on your skin type, you get a personalized skincare schedule as well. Every time I have ordered from their website or been in contact with them, I have received immediate replies and have always felt very well taken care of. 

If you are still looking for good, high-quality, natural skincare products that actually work, check out cactuskincare.com!