The Vegan Movement is Hot, Hot, Hot..Jump on board!

It seems everywhere I turn these days that Veganism is being touted by celebs, firefighters, triathletes, scientists and more. There are books flying off the shelves about how to eat more of a plant-based diet and how to live longer, lower you cholesterol, get off drugs and be the healthiest you can be by doing so. You know what I say??? Halleluah! It's about time...And this is not only because I am a Vegan chef and believe in eating clean, but because of the amazing opportunity for America and many other countries to live longer, healthier and happier lives, not to mention saving our dear animal friends.

This is truly a very important time in history where we can turn our obese, fat-ridden, cholesterol ridden, heart-disease ridden society around and really make a difference with our health and the planet. And, I'm sure it's no secret anymore that the animal/meat/dairy industry is responsible for the most pollution on the earth right now, not to mention the unethical treatment that happens to our fellow animal friends. If you haven't read the chapter on meat in Rory Freedman's, "Skinny Bitch" book, I highly recommend it. I don't have to give you all the statistics. You can pretty much look anywhere on the internet and find that grim and sobering information.

So on a lighter note, I want to share a glimpse of my day today and how this all ties in together.
I had such a synergistic and life-changing experience. I went to meet a dear friend and fellow vegan (BTW, we were friends before I knew she was a vegan) at a tea house today in Hollywood, called T Salon. I rolled up upon this amazing new tea house when I was on my way to an event and trepsing through Hollywood looking for a parking spot, which all of us So-Cal residents know is not easy to do. I was so ecstatic when I saw that this beautifully painted tea house with it's smart and simple stainless sign, had opened up right next to one of my favorite Veg restaurants, M Cafe. I had visited this same tea house in NYC many years back and LOVED IT! And now, here it is right in my very own town!

Anyway, to get back to the synergistic part of the story, I recommended to my friend that we meet at this funky, cool, new spot because they have vegan food, desserts and amazing tea. 250 different types of tea to be exact. I arrived a bit early and ordered my tea while I talked to the lovely woman at the register who took my order. This woman is so friendly and lively and shows interest in other people's lives, and I mean GENUINE interest. Not the usual half-assed, laxadasical customer service you get here in LA, but true and heartfelt. The reason I know this is because I told with her that I was a Vegan chef, after she asked and then she proceeded to ask me many more questions about my business and what I do. I talked to her about the many vegan desserts they offer there at the tea house, that all look amazing, but in my book, are not the healthiest because even though they are vegan, they are still made with white flour and white sugar. Yes, you can be vegan and still be somewhat unhealthy, but I'll save that for another blog post. After our conversation, she prompted that I should meet the owner of the tea house and drop off some of my very own gluten free, refined sugar free goodies for the Salon to try and possibly sell. I told her I would be honored and I went about my business of catching up with my friend and sipping some delicious Dark Roast Yerba Mate tea with almond milk and a bit of Agave nectar.

Ten minutes later, the friendly T salon lady introduced me to another fellow vegan customer in the Salon who happened to be a writer for the Huffington Post. We shared our stories about becoming Vegans and how it has changed our lives and how amazing we feel. Ms. Huffington post told me she has only been Vegan for 5 months after partaking in a cleanse and decided she felt better off the meat, than on it. She also expressed that she hasn't told her father and that in her culture, it's taboo NOT to eat meat and she was fearful of her father's reaction, even though she is doing something good for herself and the planet. Kind of ironic isn't it??

Shortly after that, Ms T Salon came back to our table and handed me the phone saying she was talking to the owner of the Tea house and she wanted to talk to me about making Vegan desserts and soups for their lovely tea house. I was ecstatic. I set up a time to bring in some samples of my healthy fare and felt blessed for being in the "right" place at the "right" time.

Afterward, again, my dear friend and I went about our business talking about how ecstatic we are to live in LA, own our own businesses and are able to spend a Friday morning sipping tea and meeting fellow vegans, randomly.

Another 10 minutes passes and Ms T Salon brings a gentleman over to meet us, who is, guess what? a fellow vegan. I know at this point you might think I was getting annoyed, but to me it was a sign that we all attract who we are, what we do and how we act, so I went with the flow and knew that these people were in front of me out of divine guidance. We chatted up with the gentleman and I asked him if he knew some of the other vegans in our circle and he did. He looked familiar to me and I realized that I had seen his photo on Facebook, as he is a friend of one of my friends, who is an amazing Macrobiotic Chef here in LA as well, Christy Morgan, The Blissful Chef.

The point of this story is that, not only is Veganism becoming more recognized in the public eye, I mean even Oprah recently had book author, Michael Pollan on her show (Ominvore's Dilemma & In Defense of Food) along with Vegan Celeb, Alicia Silverstone, whose new book "the Kind Diet" is all the rage these days, but there is a whole community available to us in this day and age to change the way we eat, get healthier and change the state of the planet.

Will Tuttle, former monk and long-time Vegan's book, The World Peace Diet touts that we have been disconnected from our food since we were children and we never really understood how the meat we eat got from farm to our plate and what happens in between. As children, we weren't really given the choice, we just had hot dogs cut up and thrown on our high-chair trays without even KNOWING what we were eating. Again, I don't need to share all the gory details, and unless you have your head buried in the sand, I'm sure you have heard faint whisperings of the unethical treatment of animals and how the meat industry pollutes our earth and the consumption of meat and dairy can cause all kinds of dis-ease in the body.

Yes, I know, you think I am preaching...well, maybe I am. But the bottom line is that now is the time for us to wake up! Now is the time to take charge of our health. Things are changing, but WE - YOU need to be a part of that change. It's not enough to sit back anymore and pretend we don't know what's happening to these animals and the damage that is being done to the earth, on top of what damage we do to ourselves and our health.

If we continue to go the way we are going, our life span is going to get shorter, not longer. Studies are now showing that with the obesity epidemic rising the way it is, that we are going to die much sooner than we think, not to mention what is happening to the planet with all the pollution from the meat industry.

Who really thinks that all this natural disaster is just Mother Nature doing her thing? Or does anyone think that the HUMAN RACE has anything to do with it??? Hmm...I wonder.

So, what will you do to make a difference? Give up meat 1 day a week..or maybe two? Check out Meatless Mondays. Fill your plate with 80% veggies instead of 80% meat ad 20% veggies?? What will you do? Or will you just sit back and hope it gets better??? And if you are one of those people who think you need Animal protein to build muscle, get energy and stay alive, I highly suggest you read T. Colin Campbell's latest book, The China Study or Vegan Triathlete, Brendan Brazier's book, Thrive. You might just change the way you think..and that's a start!

Day 3 - Candida Cleanse Chronicles

Well it's day 3 of the cleanse and honestly, I am feeling like doo -doo on a stick, as Daniel would say. First off, I am so proud of him for taking this journey with me and staying the course. I think the caffeine has been a bit harder for him since he was drinking multiple red bulls, rock stars, pit bulls..whatever these energy drinks are called, to keep himself going. I am blown away by his dedication to want to be & feel healthier and to support me through all of this!! We recently read in a the Quantum Wellness book that these CRAZY energy drinks thicken the blood and can cause STROKES in young men. I think that really hit home for Daniel. It's amazing how many packaged, processed, chemical ridden products are out there that are so bad for us. Just think of how many people drink Diet Soda and think they are cutting calories, but in turn tricking their bodies only to crave more sugar! UGH!!!



After being off caffeine for 6 days, I realize that the yerba mate' that I was drinking in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon was a serious vice for me too. I used it to wake up with and to get me through my afternoon slump. Now there is nothing to get me up or through the slump but ME! And that's a good feeling, although a tiring one right now. I know that "this too shall pass" as does all else, but today is a tough one. Thank goodness that I had a free day to just putz around and nap at will. I am not much of a napper, but today I needed it. Among all the neighbor frenzy that goes on outside I managed to slip in a few zzzz's here and there. Yes, we live in LA and it is a city, even though we are close to the beach...so the screaming kids and mariachi music out the window is sometimes a bit much!

Another thing that happened is I just started crying..I was feeling so out of control and like I was in jail. This deprivation thing is hard for me since I have suffered from an eating disorder most of my life. It literally feels like I am in a prison, my very own self-made one, but prison nonetheless! Once I cried, and Daniel talked me through it all, I felt so much better. I know I have said this before, but if you are going to do a cleanse or anything else that requires serious willpower, find someone to do it with. The SUPPORT is profound and necessary!!!



All the meals I cooked were a success and I am ready to hit the kitchen for another round. The creamy cauliflower carrot soup with fresh dill is awesome. I throw a little cooked millet into it and Daniel and I have been having it for breakfast. Soup for breakfast is awesome! Have you ever tried it?? Today I made some scrambled eggs with zucchini, red onion, asparagus and dairy free/nut free pesto! The eggs were delicious, but I am still craving my damn Greens + Chocolate Peanut Butter High Protein bar...ugh. Just to bite into the gooey richness would take me to a happy place. BUT, I know that this kind of set back will not help me heal, so off I go back into the land of chocolate free. I also made some suprisingly tasty herb & veggie burgers which I have been enjoying immensly. I am allowed to use a little Amaranth flour to hold them together and boy it feels like I am cheating. Amaranth is a seed that is high in protein. Most people think it's a grain, but it's actually a seed, so it's allowed on this cleanse. The only grains we are allowed to eat are Quinoa, Buckwheat, Amaranth & Millet. All of which are very good by the way and loaded with protein!



Ok, well Daniel and I are off to get our Colonics. Did I really say that? Yes, we are getting colonics. I know..too much information. And I had to do a lot of co-ercing to my other half. He just felt that it was all wrong, but has now seen the light. And this is about the good, the bad and the ugly and who says we need to be so darn politically correct anyway? I am a health practioner and a chef and my mission is to teach people how to be healthy through whole foods eating and having a stellar digestive system. That's where it all starts. If you don't have a healthy digestive system, you will most likely end up with a lot of ailments and disease.



So, on that note, I must run but in case any of you are interested in jumping on board this cleanse or doing one in the future, I am happy to help. Donna Gates' book, The Body Ecology Diet is amazing and she will teach you all about the ins and outs of killing yeast. Oh no, is that coffee I smell wafting through the window again..someone help me!!!


I am here to teach the world to eat healthier, be healthier and feel better, so if any of you are interested in learning more please email me at missy@karmachow.com



Truly yours,

the Ambivalent Cleanser

AM I CRAZY?? Time to kill the yeast

Well, I recently went to the Doctor to get my annual check up and I had some blood work done to be certain all my systems were in check! As a vegetarian, I wanted to make sure my cholesterol, my protein, my iron, all of my nutritional systems were running up to par. Well, everything checked out perfectly, except one thing...My body is riddled with Candida..or YEAST, to be exact.

Candida is ever present in the body and everyone has it, but it often lays dormant and doesn't cause too many problems if you take really good care of yourself. But lately, as much as I hate to admit it, I've been lacking in the "good night's sleep" department, skimping on the yoga and honestly, just not taking the best care of myself outside of my eating! When we don't take care of ourselves and the Candida decides to invade the body it can cause a whole slew of problems; digestive issues, bloating, fatigue, weight gain, bad memory, spaciness, skin problems, eczema, bad breath, body odor, sugar cravings, athlete's foot, yeast infections...and the list goes on and on.

Being healthy isn't just about exercise and eating good. It's about your emotional, physical, spiritual and mental state too. I notice that when I let any one of these things get out of balance, that I suffer. Sometimes it's a challenge to keep it all in balance. I take every step I can to make sure that what I put in my mouth is clean, clean, clean. But sometimes I feel like I can get away with not sleeping enough, exercising, breathing deep, meditating, writing; anything that nourishes my soul and helps me to feel balanced and happy.

So, needless to say, I made a decision to do a Candida Cleanse and I am not jumping up and down about it. Some of you may know that I have suffered from a mild eating disorder most of my life and have taken many steps to tame this "monster" that lives inside of me. Lately the monster has been quiet and my weight has normalized and I feel good. I don't torture myself about what I put in my mouth, even though what I put in my mouth is really healthy! I don't torture myself about feeling or looking fat. I don't compare myself to others. But let me tell you, when the monster rears it's ugly head, he rules my every thought, action and deed.

About two years ago I did this same exact cleanse and it was the most challenging thing I ever did. I wasn't even sure if I actually had candida, but I had a few friends who did the cleanse and they had boundless energy, clear skin, didn't need much sleep and just felt really good and happy doing this cleanse. I wanted what they had. What I didn't account for was my "issue" with food and the never-ending conversation in my head about deprivation.

Depriving myself is NOT what I need to be doing. Especially since I am such a clean eater already and deprivation has been a way of life for me. But depriving myself of fresh strawberries, cherries, agave nectar, mushrooms, eggplants, tomatoes, yerba mate; foods that are good for me, yet are feeding my candida and making me sicker in a sense, did not bode well with this Health Addict Virgo.

I know that I need to do this cleanse for a healthier me. And I also know that this time will be different; and the reason I know is because I have support. Someone to walk through the fire with me and support me on my journey. Daniel (my other half) and I are going to walk this path together, and I must say that it feels a lot less scary to deprive myself when I know I am being loved through it all. When I know I have someone to cry to, or whine to, or just hug when I am feeling low, or feeling like I can't make it through.

Having a partner or friend in anything we do in life is important. Whether it's a cleanse, working out, going to a movie or whatever. We are human beings and we need support. We were built to be in community and to support one another on this journey in life. we weren't built to do it all alone!!!

So, for any of you that are considering doing a cleanse; two words of advice: get support! If you want to know more about this cleanse and learn more about Candida feel free to email me! You can also find out more by visiting Donna Gates' web site http://www.bodyecologydiet.com/. She is one of the top advisors on Candida and her book is amazing!!!

Here's to Happy Cleansing! check out my blog tomorrow for DAY 1 of Greens Plus Protein Bar Free Day!!!
PS ~ I already gave up the Yerba Mate' 3 days ago, and although I am tired and headachy from giving up the caffeine, I already feel better physically! I think Daniel might have a bit of a harder time...It's my duty in life to get him off the RED BULL!!!
PEACE & WELLNESS