Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 160

help katherine heigl rescue animals

[image error]

In honor of her late brother actress Katherine Heigl and her mother Nancy created an animal rights foundation called the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation JDHF.
 
JDHF works primarily in the Los Angeles area to rescue animals increase awareness of animal rights issues reduce euthanasia in high-kill shelters and transport adoptable animals from crowded shelters to areas with low supply but high demand for pets.
 
If you'd like to get involved with JDHF you can donate volunteer or adopt an animal here.
 
What animal rights organizations do you support?

action alert: kitten season

[image error]
Right now lots and lots of cute kittens are being abandoned at shelters around Los Angeles and Much Love Animal Rescue is doing their best to help. Unfortunately they are overwhelmed and kittens are being euthanized by the dozen. Let's do whatever we can to improve this situation ASAP!

[image error]
Much Love Animal Rescue desperately needs donations and adoptions to be able to continue taking in kittens. Here's how you can help:

If you live in LA and are able to adopt visit one of Much Love Animal Rescue's mobile adoption centers here.
To donate please make checks out to Much Love Animal Rescue and send to:

Much Love Animal Rescue
PO Box 341721
LA CA 90034-1721

You can also always donate old blankets to animal shelters. Most dogs in shelters have to sleep on concrete no matter what the weather so a blanket is a wonderful gift for them.

Thank you for any help you can give. What shelters in your area need help? Tell us in the comments below so Kind Lifers near you can help out!

the best oatmeal Ive ever had!

[image error]
If you haven't made my Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal pg. 196 of The Kind Diet you really ought to. I kinda forgot about this recipe for a long time but recently rediscovered it during my pregnancy and it's freaking delicious! Honestly it's maybe the best oatmeal in the entire world... I'm gonna go ahead and say it's hands down the best oatmeal I've ever had - it's just perfect for me anyway!

While I wouldn't really call this a superhero breakfast it is fast tastes delicious and is way healther than most easy breakfast foods! If you want to make it more of a superhero dish you can use less maple syrup than the recipe calls for. And if you want to go even more superhero substitute brown rice syrup for the maple syrup.

Here's the recipe; please make it and let me know what you think!

Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 cup organic rolled oats
2 tablespoons maple syrup you can use less or you can use brown rice syrup to make it more superhero!
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/3 crisp apple cut in cubes
About 5 dates pitted and chopped
Fine sea salt to taste
3 shakes of ground cinnamon
Scant 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

Steps

Bring a kettle of water to boil
Combine the oats syrup nuts apple and dates in a bowl
Add a pinch or two of salt then pour enough hot water to just cover the oats don't add too much or it will be too watery
Cover the bowl with a plate or pot lid and let the oatmeal stand until the oats have absorbed the water
Stir and add a little more water if the oats look too dry
Let the oatmeal cool a little and then drizzle with the flaxseed oil

Enjoy! What breakfast foods have been keeping you nourished lately?

guest blog: incredible cruciferous veggies!

I'm honored to have Dr. Joel Fuhrman guest blog for us here on The Kind Life. Dr. Fuhrman is a member of PCRM and author of numerous books about nutritional medicine. Today he tells us all about the wonders of cruciferous veggies. Enjoy!

[image error]
Cruciferous Vegetables are Anti-Cancer Foods
By Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Nutrition scientists have shown over and over that people who eat more natural plant foods – vegetables fruits legumes etc. – are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer. But are all vegetables equally protective? If we wanted to design an anti-cancer diet we would want to know which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects – then we could eat plenty of these foods each day flooding our bodies with the protective substances contained within them.

So which foods have the most powerful anti-cancer effects? Cruciferous vegetables. 

This family of vegetables is named for their flowers having four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross from the Latin word 'crucifer' meaning 'cross-bearer.' These are the cruciferous vegetables:

Arugula
Bok choy  
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Broccolini
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collards
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mache
Mustard greens
Radish
Red cabbage
Rutabaga
Turnips
Turnip greens
Watercress

All vegetables contain protective micronutrients and phytochemicals but cruciferous vegetables are unique – they contain compounds called glucosinolates which are responsible for their pungent or bitter flavors. When cell walls are broken by blending or chopping a chemical reaction occurs that converts glucosinolates to isothiocyanates ITCs – compounds with proven anti-cancer activities. The many ITCs work synergistically to remove carcinogens kill cancer cells and prevent tumors from growing. Some ITCs can even help the body excrete estrogen and other hormones reducing the risk for hormonal cancers.
 
Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other plant foods. In population studies a 20 increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20 decrease in cancer rates but a 20 increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40 decrease in cancer rates.

Cruciferous vegetables are not only the most powerful anti-cancer foods in existence they are also the most nutrient-dense of all the vegetables. Although the National Cancer Institute recommends 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day for cancer prevention they have not yet established specific recommendations for cruciferous vegetables. I recommend six fresh fruits and eight total servings of vegetables per day including two servings of cruciferous vegetables – one raw and one cooked. Remember: chopping chewing blending or juicing cruciferous vegetables allows for production of ITCs. Consuming a large variety of these ITC-rich cruciferous vegetables within an overall nutrient-dense diet can provide us with a profound level of protection against cancer.  
 
For your next cruciferous vegetable dish try one of these great recipes! 

Dr. Fuhrman is a best-selling author nutritional researcher and board certified family physician specializing in nutritional medicine. Learn more by visiting his informative website at DrFuhrman.com and his blog at Diseaseproof.com and following Dr. Fuhrman on Facebook and Twitter.
 
Thank you Dr. Fuhrman!

For all you superheroes remember to go easy on the fruit and choose those that are in season and grown locally. In macrobiotics excessive fruit consumption is believed to weaken the blood so superheroes should try not to eat more than one piece per day. For more on this reread the superhero section of The Kind Diet p. 97.

What do you Kind Lifers think? What are your favorite cruciferous veggies and how do you like to prepare them?

Sponsored Post: Get Cooking and Active with Daiya!

Summertime is all about being outside and active. In that spirit Daiya wants to inspire you to make healthy eating choices as part of a well-rounded healthy lifestyle so we're having a recipe contest to start you on your way!

Submit your favorite healthy Daiya recipe for a chance to win 500 toward the healthy lifestyle activity of your choice – choose anything! Whether it's a new bike you're coveting yoga classes or tennis lessons Daiya wants to make it happen. Visit the contest page here to view the contest rules then submit your Daiya creation today!

[image error]
Need more inspiration? Daiya also wants to help 2 Kind Lifers get their creative recipe juices flowing with a giveaway! Enter to win 6 free bags of Daiya products from a retailer near you!

There are two ways to win:

Post your comments below and tell us how you would get more healthy and active if you had 500 to spend.
Visit the contest site here check out all the deliciously healthy Daiya recipes that have been submitted and then simply comment on your favorite!

Winners will be selected at random from the comments on both this post and on the contest site. The two winners will be announced on Monday August 15 so remember to check back and see if you're one of them! 

cat challenges cardboard box...

Via Cute Overload

This cat is determined to fit into a box that's just too small! So sweet and funny! Do you have a cat? Rescued I hope! What silly things do they do to make you laugh?

success story: angela keeps MS at bay

[image error]

Kind Lifer Angela recently shared how she learned to control her multiple sclerosis symptoms by following a kind diet. Here's her story:

"On December 30 2008 my best friend insisted that there was something wrong with me and took me to the hospital to get checked out for multiple sclerosis. She was right - on my mother's 79th birthday I was diagnosed with MS. After getting back from the hospital I called another dear friend and told him my diagnosis. He said 'Angie you have to go vegan!' and so I did.
 
When my MS presented itself I finally learned how to cook great nutritious meals. I knew that the only way to control my symptoms was through diet and I thought "Bring It On!" It took me six months to get rid of my slurred speech and my drunken walk but going vegan has worked for me and I want to share it with the world. After my follow-up visits with my neurologist he said that with all of my brain and spinal lesions he was surprised I was still 'mobile'. I am certain that it is because of my vegan diet that I am still very much mobile and absolutely full of energy and life today.

I am almost glad that I was diagnosed with a serious disease because it has forced me to make sure that I take good care of myself and especially my children. Occasionally my hands don't want to cooperate with me so I have my ten year old help me in the kitchen! Hopefully it's a blessing he can take with him throughout the rest of his life - he is learning that the best way to take care of himself and his future family is by mastering the art of cooking.

If being vegan can curb my MS then why wouldn't it be great for everyone else? Even if you are just vegan for 75 of the time you will see serious benefits. How can anyone go wrong with a focus on plant foods? Most medicines are derived from plant foods so go heal yourself and your family! Look at this as an adventure; see how far you can go and how great you will feel."
 
Congrats Angela! If anyone has a success story to share private message me or publish a note in your profile and "like" it. I may feature you on the homepage of The Kind Life!

Sponsored Post: Use Products That Truly Care!

It's hard to imagine a company who has succeeded in making products that are good for both people and the planet but Andalou Naturals has done it and quite beautifully.

[image error]
Andalou Naturals' goal was to design products that help not harm at every stage of their lifecycle by using natural efficacious formulas truthful labels and recyclable packaging. Even our name – Andalou – means "path of light" a true reflection of our intention to bring good things to the world and enrich every life we touch.
 
We take this goal seriously – Andalou Naturals skin hair and body care products blend Fruit Stem Cell Science with natural and fair-trade ingredients with a minimum of 70 certified organic content resulting in products that are not only thoughtful but beautiful as well!

[image error]

A further testament of Andalou's commitment to giving back is A Force of Nature – a philanthropic venture that fosters sustainability by promoting socially responsible trade and commerce to benefit both humans and the communities they live in. Giving back and inspiring do-gooders feels good!
 
As a Kind Lifer you will also enjoy 20 off your entire purchase 2 free samples and free shipping for orders over 40 during the month of August! Use coupon code KINDLIFE when you checkout at Andalou.com. 
 
And in the spirit of giving Andalou is offering Kind Lifers a chance to win a Beauty in Action gift basket chock full of these amazing products! Ten all-vegan baskets valued at 100 each will be awarded at random on August 15th. To enter click here.
 
Andalou Naturals – doing business the way we believe business should be done beautifully and responsibly!

guest blog: nola singers kind jewelry

Nola Singer designs beautiful jewelry out of vintage pieces she finds all over the world. Here she shares how she got inspired to design sustainable baubles and lead a kind life. Thank you Nola!

[image error] 

How I Got Into a Kind Life
By Nola Singer
 

I have always been creative and after majoring in art in college I still needed to find my outlet. Fashion became my canvas and I decided to become a stylist. While having the opportunity to work with Alicia Silverstone Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett-Smith among others I had a difficult time finding unique accessories. I would go shopping and all the jewelry looked the same. I like to wear something different and as a stylist I wanted my clients to have their personal style reflected in their wardrobe as well. So I started making jewelry by recycling vintage pieces that I had collected over the years. I love how each vintage piece is one of a kind and special and I've always believed that accessories can make or break an outfit. I really wanted to make jewelry that anyone could wear to dress up a tank top and jeans but also wear with a black dress to stand out with some edge.

[image error]

My love for vintage started in high school. I remember my parents giving me  20 to go to the mall and see a movie or get food with friends. Instead I would go to Melrose and spend it at the thrift stores. This was a decade ago so 20 could get me a vintage T-shirt or slip dress. This is the moment I fell in love with vintage. There is something magical about the history of each vintage find. There is also an energy that I think lives on in the pieces.

[image error]

In college I spent a semester abroad studying art and fashion in Florence Italy. Having grown up in California where everything is torn down and rebuilt or remodeled I was enchanted by all the history in Italy. At the time the American dollar had a lot more value and I started collecting vintage treasures throughout Europe. I didn't know what I was going to do with these art deco dress clips shoe clips and filigree brooches I found but I knew I had to have them. My friends told me I was spending my money on junk but I knew I would make something with them. I also loved meeting the antique dealers and hearing the history of their antique finds.

So much vintage jewelry and vintage fabric still exists – you just have to search for it. I love re-working the vintage treasures I've found and making them into modern fashion. For example I love to break a pair of clip-on earrings and re-make them into a new style of chandelier earrings a necklace bracelet or a ring. It's exciting to take something old and reinvent it. I also feel like much of the new and mass-produced jewelry can't compare to the craftsmanship of vintage jewelry. Recycling vintage pieces ensures that all of my jewelry is one-of-a-kind and unique – and of course it's environmentally friendly.

[image error]

I think it is really important to be conscious of everything we do. I try to act ethically in my production of jewelry and in all aspects of my life. I hand make all my jewelry. I make environmentally responsible decisions in my life whenever I can or with every opportunity I have. Beyond being a sustainable jewelry designer I live in a 1930s house and even my workspace is decorated with hand-me-down furniture and flea market finds. When I am not making jewelry I volunteer at animal shelters and I rescue dogs. I love animals and I'm a vegetarian.

[image error]

As part of the green fashion movement I feel good knowing I'm not leaving a carbon footprint and that I'm making good use of a renewable resource by recycling old jewelry. Every piece of jewelry I hand-make is created from a one-of-a-kind piece that I love or that inspired me. I want my jewelry to be stylish and make a statement while capturing timeless elegance. My designs are feminine and classic but are mixed with an edge by incorporating asymmetric layering or mixed chains with a vintage piece. I feel very grateful to have been able to make my love for vintage jewelry my life's work.

[image error]

Nola Singer's jewelry and store locations can be viewed on her website at www.jewelrybynola.com. Nola is also on the board of Friends of Los Angeles Animal Shelters and also volunteers with Animal Advocates Alliance at the Baldwin Park Shelter when she is not making jewelry.
 
Thanks Nola! Do you Kind Lifers buy vintage jewelry? What are your favorite places to shop?

superhero recipe: how to tame wild rice

[image error]Here is a recipe from macro counselor Verne Varona. I haven't tried it but it looks good!
 
Wild Rice with Pecans & Shiitake-Onion Topping
 
For the Sauce

1 cup onion minced
1 cup fresh shiitake diced
1 1/2 cups filtered or spring water approximately
2 tsp tamari

Steps

Mince an onion and water fry in approximately 1 1/2 cups water until onion becomes clear
Add diced shiitake and stir
Make sure there is at least 1 cup of water remaining to cook the mushrooms
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes
Add in tamari and remove from heat
Put aside

For the Rice

1 cup wild rice
2 - 2 1/2 cups filtered or spring water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 - 1/3 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup roasted pecans

Chef's Notes: While I recommend hand-harvested varieties of wild rice as opposed to darker color commercial varieties they are harder to come by and usually more expensive. Hand harvested has a distinct nutty and woodsy taste and requires less water. Excerpted from: Nature's Cancer Fighting Foods Author Verne Varona
 
Steps

Oven roast or dry pan-roast chopped pecans until browned and fragrant
Put aside
Rinse wild rice in a colander under cold running water and allow to drain
Place water and salt in a heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil
Add rice when the water boils and lower to a simmer
Simmer rice for approximately 40 minutes - the kernels will usually split open
Add the roasted pecans and allow to steam with the cover on for another 10 minutes
Add shiitake-onion topping and mix
Optional: Add fine chopped parsley as a garnish

How do you tame wild rice?