Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 196

cassis new quality of life

[image error]

Kind Lifer and performer Cassi recently shared her success story with me. Not only has she kicked her food allergies she is able to perform at a higher level than before adopting a kind diet! Check it out:
 
"My journey to the kind life began with a new and mysterious food allergy. I was very ill with stomach flu-like symptoms that escalated to anaphylaxis in 2009. I thought soy may be the culprit and eliminated it from my organic/omnivorous diet. Apparently soy was not the culprit nor were any of the other common food allergies. I saw a specialist who told me he thought I may have developed a sensitivity to a combination of items found mostly in processed foods. As I was on the hunt for health and living without fear of eating and getting very ill I happened upon Alicia's The Kind Diet. I saw a few of her interviews regarding the book on TV and figured "Hey why not?" I had never considered a diet free from animal products - I ate them at every meal. Wasn't that a crucial part of the American diet?
 
I am amazed and thrilled to share through the knowledge and insight in TKD I have been allergy free since January 31st 2010. I feel best when I eat as raw vegan as possible. An added bonus to finally having my energy and health back has been losing about 10 pounds. I have those last 10 to go and am confident I will reach my all time fitness and health goal and actually be able to maintain them for my health and my career. My asthma has improved greatly as well! I can sing dance and jump up and down without missing a note which may sound trivial but is crucial as I am a performer. I feel like I can do everything I put my mind to.
 
Thank you Alicia for opening my eyes mind body and heart to this new life!"
 
I'm so proud of you Cassi!

sheris southwestern tofu scramble

[image error]

Here is Sheri's recipe for a yummy tofu scramble see my last blog about Sheri that has another recipe from her!  Let me know if you try it!

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. firm Tofu rinsed pressed/drained for 15-30 mins.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil divided
1 t. chili powder
3/4 t. turmeric
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. ancho chile powder
1/4 - 1/2 t. smoked paprika to taste
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. chopped parsley
1 small zucchini cut in half then into half moons
1 small summer squash cut in half then into half moons
1/2 small red onion diced
1 c. frozen sweet corn
fine sea salt & pepper to taste

STEPS

Crumble rinsed/drained tofu into a large bowl with your hands mashing and breaking up the tofu with your fingers until no large chunks remain - the tofu will retain a bit of moisture. 
Add in all dry spices again combining with your hands until well mixed. 
Pour 1 T. olive oil into a saute pan and cook tofu over medium-high heat for 5-8 mins. stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
While tofu is cooking warm the other 1 T. olive oil in a separate saute pan. 
Add onions & cook over medium heat for 3-5 mins. until they start to become translucent. 
Add in the rest of the veggies and cook for another 4-5 mins. until they are crisp-tender. 
When done stir veggies into tofu mixture and heat through 1-2 mins.
Garnish with chopped parsley and add sea salt & pepper to taste.

a couple questions from the community

[image error]

Hey Kind Lifers - I've been receiving some really great questions via direct message and because of a lot of these questions popped up multiple times I thought I'd give some answers to everyone. I figured if I keep getting the same questions over and over a lot of you are probably having these questions as well!  So here it goes...

Carolyn asks...
I read in your book that you stopped using birth control pills. Could you give me advice in this area and tell me what your solution has been?

Okay here is my answer but don't blame me if you get pregnant. And obviously this won't work for everyone. I personally don't like condoms I hate them!! I read this book called A Cooperative Method of Birth Control by Margaret Nofziger and I recommend you do the same. The book basically outlines how women can chart their days to try and get pregnant. I used it to try not to get pregnant. I learned from those books that there are very few days that you can get pregnant and it's right before you ovulate and right after and of course during... So take action those days. Basically read that book for all the info.  Again this plan isn't for everyone but it's what works for me.

[image error]

Brendan Brazier

Apple writes...
I notice that you mention in the book that you were able to lose weight on The Kind Diet. Well suppose someone wants to gain weight or at least maintiain their current weight how can I incorporate the kind diet without loosing weight?

[image error]

Robert Cheeke

So for anyone trying to maintain weight or gain weight you will want to eat from the vegan section of the book. Feel free to enjoy Seitan and Tempeh each three times a week. Enjoy whole grain breads not necessarily everyday but 3-4 times a week. Providing you have no other conditions health wise also eat nut butters and vegan desserts from the book. Add principles from superhero like greens miso and seaweed for great health. But feel free to go crazy on vegan stuff that appeals to you. And you can have fun processed stuff every once and a while if you want. You have freedom so play and enjoy.

[image error]

You can use protien powders if you want to...they always make me feel wierd but they work for some people. If you want to be strong and have big muscles then you have to workout - it's the workout that gets you that! Remember Bruce Lee Brendan Brazier and Robert Cheeke? A good guy book would be either The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn or Meat is for Pussies.

guest blog by lea michele from glee!

[image error]

I recently became friendly with the wonderful Lea Michele from Glee.  I had heard that she was a fan of The Kind Diet so I reached out to her and she has agreed to write some guest blogs for us!

Horses
By Lea Michele

[image error]

Friends

My name is Lea and I grew up in New York. Growing up I was the little girl who always wanted to save the animals. I even would ask my mom to buy me stuffed animals that looked sad because I felt bad for them. When I was about 10 I found a box of kittens someone had left on the beach. I tried my best to care for them and while some were able to be saved many were taken from their mother too early and we didn't get to them fast enough. To this day it's still sometimes so hard for me to not get overwhelmed by all the animals out there that need help.

My biggest trouble these days are the poor horses in Central Park. Living in New York City I see them sadly standing on the sides of busy streets with their heads right in the asses of the horse right in front of them! They walk in the rain snow and heat pulling people all day long rarely getting proper food water or care.

I know people may not understand - maybe they just want to take their kids for a ride through Central Park but trust me you'll do better for you're kids if you take them for a walk! Sometimes I wish I could just go and set them free on some sunny field somewhere where they could just roam free and run around all day. I know that sounds cheesy but if you saw them trust me you would want to do the same.

If you live in New York next time you're walking down Central Park Blvd. and you see tourists considering going for a ride suggest to them that they take a stroll through Strawberry Field instead--the horses cant go through there-or rent a bike...or now they even have people who ride bikes and have seats for people on the back! It's so much more fun!

Like I said some people just don't understand the severity of this situation so it's our job to spread the word in a loving way.  If you're traveling to NYC and see these sweet creatures give them a pet and send them some love and hope that this will end soon.

So that's all for today.

Much love...

LM

[image error]

Lea – thank you so much for writing this. I love you for this and I feel exactly the same way that you do. It breaks my heart to see these horses in this situation so much that I don't like being anywhere near Central Park because I don't like to see it. I take different routes and walk on certain streets to avoid the upset that it makes me feel. And yes just keep sending the horses love... That's what I do.

If you want to read more about this subject learn why the horse drawn carriage industry is cruel and find out what you can do to help check out my previous blog on this topic.

my thoughts on fake fur...

[image error]

People often ask me what I think of fake fur. My feeling is this – if it helps to keep people aesthetically happy and will prevent them from buying real fur I say go for it. That said I get concerned that people won't be able to tell the difference and then it feels like we are advertising that fur is good. So it is a very tricky situation. I have fake fur trim on my coat pictured above and I always worry that people might think it's real. But then friends gently point out to me that it doesn't look one bit real. A good way to tell if fur is real or fake by separating it – if you see stitching it is fake. If you see skin it is real.
 
However you can't be totally sure that your fake fur is cruelty free or even 100 fake. According to the Humane Society of the United States some fake furs contain real dog or rabbit fur. The reason this goes unchecked is that the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act only requires manufacturers to identify the use of fur when it is valued over 150. The California State Senate is currently considering a bill AB 1656 that would require manufacturers to label any items made with fur. To support the bill or lobby for similar legislation in your home state you can find out how to contact your representatives here.
 
PETA recently shared their view on fake fur with me. Here's what they have to say:
 
"Encouraging people to buy faux fur rather than real fur certainly helps but we and HSUS don't have an updated list of which companies are mislabeling fur so it's best to avoid it all together unless you're very familiar with the sourcing and the designer.

Because of the inherent cruelty in the fur industry as seen in this brief video narrated by fashion guru Tim Gunn a growing list of companies and designers—including Stella McCartney Marc Bouwer Vivienne Westwood Ralph Lauren Calvin Klein Tommy Hilfiger Perry Ellis and Liz Claiborne—have all chosen to create wonder work without using any animal fur. Many retailers including H&M Topshop Zara Harvey Nicols Gap J.Crew and Urban Outfitters either never sold fur or have permanently pulled it from their shelves. You can visit our website for a list of companies that offer stylish cozy fake furs.

We also understand and respect why many people choose not to purchase any faux-fur products. For those who do wear fakes PETA has pins patches and stickers to help people make it clear that their jackets and other items are not made from animals. These can be found on our site at PETACatalog.com."
 
Thanks PETA! Let's make sure that we are all able to make informed purchases! There's also a great film called The Witness on this topic that is really worth seeing. 

Let me know what you think about this – fake fur or no fake fur?

I'd also love to know your opinion about this - a faux fur company wanted to sponsor The Kind Life but I didn't feel comfortable saying yes. What do you think? Would you want to know about a faux fur company?

bob barker helps to expose cruelty

 

Mercy for Animals has released a video documenting abuse of calves raised for veal at Buckeye Veal Farm in Apple Creek Ohio. Buckeye is the primary veal supplier to Costco and Great Eagle grocers.

[image error]

Longtime animal rights advocate Bob Barker has joined Mercy for Animals in urging consumers to boycott Costco and Great Eagle dairy and veal. I urge consumers to go further and boycott these stores altogether. The sweet little calf in the picture above represents the way these animals should be living.

Here is what Kind Lifers can do to help:

Go vegan - if you haven't this is another  great reason to consider it
Urge Costco and Giant Eagle to end the sale of veal immediately. You can use the form letter here 
If you live in Ohio please contact the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board and urge them to honor the common-sense agreement reached in June by leaders of Ohio's farm community humane organizations and Governor Ted Strickland that would among other things phase out the cruel confinement of calves in veal crates. Scroll down for contact information here
Spread the word - embed the video on Facebook Youtube and any other social media profiles
Send a link to your family friends and coworkers
Make a donation to Mercy for Animals

Mercy for Animals is a non-profit that works to be voice for animals and expose abuse through advertising campaigns and undercover investigations. You can support Mercy for Animals here.

If you have friends or family who eat veal do you share your knowledge with them?

my thoughts on the documentary outfoxed...

Outfoxed is a fascinating documentary that is not so much about Fox for me as it is about the nature of the news and how to ask intelligent questions that help you to truly understand the complexity of current events.

I stopped watching the mainstream news a long time ago because it always felt like a big flashy commercial to me. I just didnt trust that I was being told the truth. Intuitively it didnt feel right plus it was just so upsetting. Id get all riled up so quickly over events that are out of my hands. If Im going to get worked up I want it to be about something that I know is real and that I can act upon. We already have so many stressors in life - we dont need the additional sensationalism that channels like Fox or CNN broadcast 24 hours a day.

The news I do watch is PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. I feel like it is just straight news. There is no spin nothing sensational or artificially exciting. In fact it can be quite boring at times! PBS doesnt try to sell you any ideas or make you see the news from a single perspective. They just show facts and intelligent analysisat least thats what it feels like to me. I tivo "NewsHour" everyday so I can watch as much or as little as interests me.

Anywho Outfoxed gives very important information that will broaden your understanding of the news and the way we gather and receive news today. If you are a big news watcher or watch any of the major news networks please check this film out and let me know what you think! Im so curious! Where do you find your news? How important do you feel it is to watch news at all? Do you feel the news you watch is the truth?

your vegetarian pregnancy by dr. holly roberts

I just discovered this great book called Your Vegetarian Pregnancy. Im sorry it's taken so long for me to respond to all of your pregnancy questions... But I promise answers are coming!

In the meantime I wanted to recommend this book. Ive been doing some research since you all sent me your questions on vegan pregnancy and I found this book. It is so great!!!!

If you are thinking of having a baby or you are already pregnant read this book. Its written by Dr. Holly Roberts who is a board certified Obstetrition/Gynecologist. I think it will answer tons of your questions and much more. Its really a must read for anyone who wants to have a healthy pregnancy... Especially non-vegans!

If you read it let me know what you think!

Inner Peace Is Now Available Over the Counter - Sponsored Post

[image error]

Attaining inner peace is something we all strive for; however it is hard to feel tranquil with internal distress! The intestinal tract's natural bacterial balance needs to be maintained for proper digestion and optimal health. Environmental stressors poor diet illness and medication can all disrupt this balance unsettling your digestive system and compromising your health! Doctor Ohhira's Probiotics will not only replenish your body with beneficial bacteria but also enhance the body's ability to restore and maintain its inherent strains of lactic acid bacteria. Create a serene internal ecology with Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics!

•    Support your immune system
•    Detoxify your body and stimulate cell repair
•    Increase energy
•    Promote a healthy metabolism
•    Relieve occasional heartburn and digestive function

Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics are backed by over twenty years of scientific research and widely considered to be one of the finest probiotics on the market. Twelve carefully selected strains of bacteria are used in a three year fermentation process that maximizes therapeutic properties. The fermented medium of 92 naturally grown plants is encapsulated with the bacteria to provide an effective pre-biotic. The bacteria are never freeze dried and no refrigeration is necessary because the fermentation takes place at ambient temperatures. Dr. Ohhira's probiotics are also 100 vegetarian and free of pesticides and chemicals.

 

[image error]

For more information visit our website here.

Essential Formulas is giving away a fantastic gift basket including:

•    One Kampuku Beauty Bar
•    One month supply of Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics
•    One month supply of Dr. Ohhira's Essential Living Oils

To be eligible to win just go to our Facebook page here and "Like" to become a fan! We will pick at random and post the winner on our Facebook page!

the end of cheryls allergies!

Kind Lifer Cheryl recently shared how cutting out dairy rid her of her seasonal allergies and the need to take antibiotics. Check out her story:

I have always suffered from chronic sinus infections from pollen/dust allergies 3-4 times per year necessitating antibiotics and all the side effects that go along with them. Vegan since February this is the first year I have suffered no allergy symptoms at all! It has to be the dairy. I know this because at one point I accidentally ate some powdered parmesan cheese at a buffet I could taste it a little but couldn't see it and my sinus was full and miserable the next day.

Note -- to anyone detoxing from dairy -- there are some very addictive qualities to dairy. It continued to call to me cravings for a full 6 weeks much longer than the call of sugar one week. So if you are like me stick with it and you will be totally over cheese in a couple of months. It's worth it lost 15 lbs. too while eating piles of great food! Good luck!

Im so happy for you Cheryl! Keep me posted on your successes by writing in the forum and clicking like!