Yoga and Veganism

My lifestyle has changed over the years as I became more self aware as a person. Turning vegetarian seemed natural and vegan even more so. Living a peaceful lifestyle is very important to me and my family. I have practised yoga since my teenage years and qualified so that I could spread the word. One thing led to another and now Miller and I have a weekly vlog called 'Yoga Baby'. We aim to get mothers and their little rascals doing yoga for a variety of reasons. Mainly to have a great time whilst getting back in shape after childbirth but of course yoga is a lot more than that. Not least it promotes a healthy and non destructive lifestyle. Moving into stillness gives time for reflection and promotes positive thinking. I run yoga classes here and hope I present myself as someone who makes compassionate choices. I have no vegetarians or vegans as students yet try and make it known that I have made that choice and maybe raise some discussion. I believe yoga and a non animal diet co-exist beautifully together and would encourage anyone, new mom or not to give it a try!

If you are interested or if you know a new mom who would like to see the show, you can go to our site www.yogababy.tv or subscribe through blip.tv or itunes (we have a group 'Yoga Baby' on facebook too - the show is a free weekly series, demonstrating new poses and breathing techniques - sometimes it runs smoothly, sometimes Miller has other ideas!

I guess I like to think people can be flexible with their life choices...

Doctors

Yesterday my 2 year old girl, Heidi, had her MMR vaccination. We combined the visit with Miller's 6 month check up. Both children are doing really well. Miller is 2 months ahead of the charts in terms of what he is doing. Yesterday he actually started crawling for the first time. He had been spinning and shuffling for a while but now in 2 days he can cover a whole room in the time it takes to put the kettle on. Yesterday his adventures covered trying to eat my Yukka plant, eating Heidi's jigsaws and seeing if he could upend a chair! So, the fun begins! Also, he is wanting to stand (assisted) all the time and is eating 3 solid meals a day along with breastfeeding every 4 hours. Heidi is learning 2 languages simultaneously and loves puzzles designed for 3-4 year olds.

So, you would think all was well. Only I went and opened my mouth about our veganism. Not the best idea I'd ever had. I realized soon after I mentioned it that I was speaking to a health visitor and a doctor and not a nutritionalist and I do value my health centre and their expertise but it is clear that there is limited or non existent knowledge of the health benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The response was a very surprised 'you don't eat meat or dairy?' ....'I respect vegetarians but children shouldn't be vegetarian til at least 4 years of age'. I explained my choice was made and I was hoping for some clarification of if I was eating enough fat whilst nursing my baby etc. Let's just say I got no answers! If you want to know all the facts about the health benefits, please visit www.vegansociety.com where you can find info & factsheets. All I know is mine and my children's chances of getting cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol and osteoperosis (yes the thing you think you need to drink milk to avoid) to mention just a few, are lower than a meat and dairy eaters chances.

Please don't be discouraged by those who have not done their homework. The little you know is probably more than many know.

I'll finish by saying that yesterday, Heidi ate a well balanced diet consisting of fortified porridge (non-dairy) with soya milk, toast with peanut butter, some walnuts, hazlenuts and almonds with dried fruit pieces, a fruit soy yogurt, raisin bread, home-made vegetable soup, wholemeal bread and a banana. If that's not a good thing then I don't know what is... a mcdonalds? turkey twizzlers? Cheese strings?...... You get the point.

Good food!

Well, I said I hoped to post once a week and this is my third post in just a few days! I find myself with a little time tonight so thought I'd share those recipes I mentioned. Talking of food, I have just devoured a gorgeous chocolate mouse (provamol soya desert). Better than the ones I used to eat before I cut out dairy. It amazes me how much eating dairy dulled my taste buds - things taste much better now.

As I said, I am not a great cook. I am not too good at inventing recipes but since turning vegan I have found it so easy. Take yesterday for example, I had a busy day with the two kids, arriving home right at dinner time with no plans and no idea what was in my cupboard. In fifteen minutes I had made a tofu and veg stir fry with rice noodles and it was delicious, my 2 year old loved it and it took no effort whatsoever - and so low fat which is a bonus!

So, here are just a couple of my favourite things so far, I will add more when I learn more!

Lentil spread for sandwiches/pitas/tortilla wraps etc:

1 cup green lentils (cooked)
1 cup red lentils (cooked)
2 cloves of garlic
Spices of your choosing (my favourites are a mixture of tumeric, paprika and coriander - half teaspoon of each)

Optional: half a finely chopped red pepper /quarter of diced red onion or anything else you fancy throwing in there!

Put all ingredients in a pan with a small amount of water (just so it doesn't stick to pan). Cook for 5 minutes. Mash or puree then chill in fridge. Easy & tasty!

Tofu & veg stir fry:

Firm tofu
Mushrooms
Onion
Courgette
Beansprouts
Soy sauce
Chinese sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Rice Noodles

Of course you can mess around with the ingredients for this too. Marinade the tofu for an hour in some soy and chilli sauce (after squeezing the block to get rid of any excess water). Throw all veggies in a wok or deep frying pan with just a touch of vegan friendly oil (I use olive oil). When veg is done (firm, not overcooked) throw in the beansprouts for 1 minute. Add the tofu and touch more soy sauce. Take off heat. Cook noodles for 4 minutes, throw in stir-fry and mix everything together. Serve & enjoy!

Vegan chilli:

Kidney beans (one tin or cup of dried, soaked overnight)
Chick peas (one tin or cup of dried, soaked min 8 hours)
Tomatoes (1 x tin or a few fresh, chopped)
1 clove garlic
1 Onion
Mushrooms
Green or red chillis (how many depends on your taste, I use 2 green or 1 red minus the seeds)
Half cup red lentils (dried)
Optional: mixed peppers/fresh torn basil leaves

Couldn't be easier. Put all ingredients together in an oven pot with lid or cooking pot on top of the stove. Oven cook on a medium heat for about an hour and a half or hob cook on low heat for about an hour (stirring occasionally). If the sauce is not thick enough, add a little cornfllower during cooking or throw in a few more red lentils (but let cook for 20 mins minimum). Serve with rice or tortillas.

Tomato and lentil soup:

This was a favourite before I gave up meat many years ago and I still adore it. Fast, easy and very very nice!

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 x 450g tins chopped tomatoes
250 g dried red lentils
Basil (pref fresh but dried ok too or oregano)
Water
Veg stock cube
*optional dash of chilli powder (yes, i like spicy food!)

Cook the onion in a little olive oil til soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, lentils and herbs. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add water and stock (I guess with the amounts,depending on how thick I want the soup) Cook for half an hour. Cool a little then blend roughly. (Tip* use a slotted spoon to drain some of the water off for the first blending session to gauge the thickness of the finished soup, if too thick, put more liquid in the next time). Reheat when ready to eat and add a touch of soya milk if you want a creamy soup. Serve with chunky bread. Can't go wrong!


That's all for now on recipes and there are plenty of sites you can go to for more adventurous recipes, I will add some links when I get chance, (maybe get my husband to post the recipe for his wonderful paella) but I would like to spend a few moments looking at things to buy to have in your cupboard as a vegan or at least things that I have used a lot of in the last few weeks, some of which I'd never used before!

Soya milk
Dried lentils
Chickpeas (dried is more economical)
Kidney Beans (dried is cheaper, tins more convenient)
Black eyed Beans
Tofu
Soya flakes (good for making burger mix and adding to casseroles etc)
Soya cream
Dark dairy free chocolate (if you are a chocolate fan, after losing the taste for dairy it takes sooo good!)
Nuts - walnut, almonds, hazelnuts
Dried fruits - bananas, papaya etc (Tip* mix with a variety of nuts and some raisins for a perfect snack food - complements wine very well)
Brown rice
Rice or egg free pasta


Also, always have a good selection of tasty veg to hand, my favourites are below, it makes it easy to make anything whenever you like:

Leeks
Corn on the cob
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Red Onions
Courgette/Squash
Peppers
Asparagus

You will adapt easily to a new way of doing things and even if you don't, it's still just as good for the animals of you substitute meat with a vegetarian alternative. Try spaghetti bolognese with veggie mince, for hot dogs use veggie hot dogs, veggie meatballs with gravy, veggie chicken pieces in a curry. Think about it. You can make a difference. We change the world one at a time.

Choosing a cruelty free and healthy lifestyle for you and your family

Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Jill Forrest and I am a new vegan mother. The aim of this blog is to share advice, stories, recipes and tips for a healthier and more ethical lifestyle, free from animal products. Yes, I know it sounds impossible and that's what I thought too until I started to adopt certain things in my life. I hope to offer alternatives which make it easy to transition towards a vegan life. Trust me, you'll feel so much better for doing so!

Don't believe me? Well I'll start by saying that I lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks! Stick with me and I'll tell you just how easy that was.

First I think I should tell you a little about myself. I am English but I live and work in Northern Norway. I have two children, Heidi who is two years old and Miller who is approaching six months, you can see the little rascal here. We have been a vegetarian family for some years and made the change to vegan one month ago after listening to a very informative podcast which I shall tell you more about later (if you cannot wait, then go to www.compassionatecooks.com).

Like many, I used to believe veganism was impossible if you wanted to live a normal life but this is so untrue. Sure, it is what we are led to believe, after all the animal industry relies on our money but I hope in this blog to dispel some myths and raise awareness of just how much of a difference you can make to stop animal suffering in your everyday life.

Posts will be theme based and I hope to post at least once a week. As a mother of two young children, I may sometimes be interrupted by nappy changes and nursing but that goes with the territory. What I hope to produce is an informative and engaging blog and welcome any dialogue with you.

My first issue will be 'How to lose weight whilst eating great food!' as I know it's something many of us new mothers are keen to do without affecting the quality of breastmilk and without feeling tired all the time. The good news is, you can gain energy too. I'm not saying you will spring out of bed for that 3 o'clock in the morning feed but I think you'll be surprised.

So, if you are a new mother or if you are just interested in what I have to say then welcome!

Til next time,

Jill.