Just Because You Are Vegetarian Doesn't Mean You're Healthy!!

To many of us, Vegetarianism is a mystery. Becoming a vegetarian is usually a choice that people make for health reasons, ethical reasons or environmental reasons. But most vegetarians and not particularly healthy, per se.

Being a vegetarian takes work. It takes commitment. It takes dedication and it also takes creativity and knowledge. It's easy to be an unhealthy vegetarian, but most people have no idea that they are being unhealthy. The reason is usually due to lack of knowledge. If you go to any grocery store today, there is an array of supposedly "healthy" vegetarian foods, but most of these foods are over processed and contain high amounts of soy, gluten, sodium and other ingredients that wreak havoc on our digestive system.

There are many types of vegetarians according to today's society. But I believe that a true & healthy vegetarian is a person who eats a diet consisting of unprocssed whole foods. Whole foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, healthy fats and the occasional egg. If you think you are doing your body good by becoming a vegetarian while still eating cheese, yogurt, any kind of dairy, white flour, white sugar and processed "vegetarian" foods, you aren't. You might as well still eat meat and chicken for that matter. Those choices are better than most of the heart clogging, high cholesterol cheeses and yogurts or the acidifying processed foods that will cause heart disease and a whole other ilk of health problems down the line.

If it's an ethical issue to you, and you don't care about health, than so be it. Yet anyone who does not care about their health and what they put in their mouth is looking for trouble in the long term. Your body is a temple and the only one you have while you are here. It's important that you treat it with respect so that it works optimally to assist you in a long, happy and healthy life.

Ok, let's talk about the different kinds of "vegetarians" (remember, a true vegetarian does not eat any animal flesh at all). A vegan on the other hand, eats absolutely NO animal products including eggs, honey, white sugar & dairy.

Vegetarian: Eats a plant based diet and does not eat red meat, chicken, pork or any other meat from an animal
Pescetarian: A vegetarian who eats fish
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: A vegetarian who eats dairy & eggs
Flexitarian (this is a newer type of Vegetarian): one who is a vegetarian but will occasionally eat fish or chicken
Total Vegetarian: does not eat any animal products including eggs, dairy, honey and sometime white sugar (some white sugar is processed with the ash of cow bones so it is not considered vegetarian)
Vegan: Eliminates all animal products from their life even clothing & shoes made from leather, wool or silk.

As I said earlier, many vegetarians can be extremely unhealthy and sometimes it takes a lot of planning to have this type of lifestyle. Eating pizza, nachos, or any other greasy foods that don't contain meat is not the path to being a healthy vegetarian. Yes, sometimes those foods are easy to grab on the go, but these foods will leave you feeling bloated & tired, along with an array of other possible health problems. And, you will not get the necessary nutrients you need for your body as you would from eating whole foods.

If you are thinking about becoming a vegetarian or already are one, please remember that what you put into your mouth is the most important thing you can do for your body other than exercise. Be mindful of your choices. Eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit. Eat minimal amounts of processed foods. Take baby steps. Cut out one unhealthy food per week and add in a healthy one. If you are used to the Soy chicken nuggets or the frozen pizza from the freezer section, I urge you to rethink those choices and choose foods that are minimally processed. Make time each week to plan your meals.

Remember, having a healthy lifestyle takes work. It's an investment in your health. You are worth the effort and commitment it takes to be healthy. Before you know it, it will become old hat and you will be feeling and looking better than you ever have in your life! The key to your success is Baby Steps! Have fun!!!

Who Cares How You Look or What You Do ~ Are you HAPPY??

So many of us live a life that is filled with work, errands, to-do’s, emails, etc. The list goes on and on. Sometimes I wonder if there is ever enough time to get it all done. Why is there always something to do? A list of “things” that seem to keep us from enjoying our daily lives?

Is there time to be happy with all these things that we have to do on a day-to-day basis?? Will our To-Do Lists ever be fully crossed off? And if they are, will we finally be happy & fulfilled?? Or we will look for more things to do and keep us distracted from the present moment?? To fill up the empty space inside that is unhappiness.

We exercise hard so we can look & feel good. We eat healthy or check out the latest diet craze to help us lose weight so that we can feel better and look better. We think we’ll be happier when we reach some future goal, lose that final 10 pounds or get some better job, better computer, car or phone.

But, the question is, do all these things really make us happy?

There are millions of ways to distract ourselves from life, real life ~ the present moment. When I say real life, what I mean is our passion & our purpose. What we are here to do. Why we are here living on this Earth in human form. I don’t mean to make mockery of a life filled of to-do lists and emails, but I want you to think for a second if you are happy. Are you really happy? Do you feel joyous inside? Do you feel like you have a purpose and a mission? What would you do and how far would you push yourself to find that purpose or fulfill that mission? Would you quit your day job to pursue a life of creativity, philanthropy or writing?

Over the years as I struggled to find my calling, I dipped my toes into many different small ponds. The pond of the Hospitality industry, the pond of TV commercials, the pond of teaching yoga, the pond of… well, you get the picture…but after time, I realized that all these different ponds just didn’t make me happy. What I also realized was, that each one I didn’t enjoy brought me closer to the big ocean that was my calling and passion. I knew that I was passionate about health, fitness, food, teaching people how to be better and feel better, but I didn’t know how to bring it all together in a way that would fulfill my soul. I always thought these were just “things” in my life that I enjoyed but had to keep to myself.

I was tired of working for other people. Tired of building other people’s businesses, when all I wanted to do was work for myself. I wanted the flexibility of having my own business. To work when I wanted, not when I was told. I wanted more quality time with my friends and loved ones. I didn’t want to have my head buried at a desk behind a computer while life was happening outside. I wanted to participate. To be part of the solution, to feel my heart sing, to teach others how to feel better, eat better, make positive changes for themselves so they could get closer to their dreams and goals; their happy place.

I’m not saying that I feel happy everyday, but I am truly happy doing what I love and knowing that I am helping others to be better in their life. I feel a sense of freedom, a sense of belonging in a world that can feel so alone and empty at times. I get to connect with amazing people every day and help them to become better.

So, what is it that makes you happy? What is the message you want to spread? Isn’t it time you found out? Isn’t it about time you follow your passion? Find your calling? Maybe your calling is to be the best parent to your children, or the best friend to your friends. It doesn’t mean that your calling is what you do for work, or your career. Your calling is the thing that you feel most passionate about that truly lights you up inside and makes you want to share it with the world!

Remember, life is too short to sell out on yourself and not experience the true happiness that comes from doing what you love! Make a difference for YOU first, and all else will fall in place! Write a list of the things you love to do. Figure out ways you can do them. Take Baby Steps. Remember that small steps toward a greater goal are the key to success. Have your purpose, make your plan and put it into action!!

If you are following your dreams, your to-do lists will feel like a walk in the park. You will jump at the chance to cross things off your list. You will feel success in your accomplishments and joy in your heart. And that is true happiness!