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Taryn's Update

12/10/2015

5 Comments

 
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Hello beautiful souls,

Let me preface this blog with a little back story. 

​Five years ago, I lost my father to cancer and it was a huge turning point in my life, spiritually. I began seeking the “higher being” and asking the age old question, “what is the meaning of this thing we call ‘life’?”  

Raised Catholic, as an adult I knew organized religion was not for me, it never quite felt right with my soul. I began to research. With my research, I began watching Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday” on the OWN network. Watching various spiritual leaders on this amazing show was crucial in my eyes beginning to open and realizing everything is connected; we are such a small piece of such a massive puzzle but one thing remains the same, WE ARE ALL CONNECTED. 

Soon after, I took up meditation, which was life changing, to say the least. Meditation allows me to keep calm, centered and focused on seeking and reaching my ultimate purpose on this earth. This lead me to read the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and again my life was altered; there it was again…ultimate life purpose or personal legend, as it is named in the book. That book forced me to go deep in my introspection and find out what makes me, well, me. Soon after, I found a church called True Worship Tabernacle and another life altering moment occurred. 

In a bible study on a Wednesday night, the scales fell from my eyes and I realized who God is and once again how we are ALL CONNECTED!! I was baptized in Jesus name in November 2014. From that day forth, I have sought God and my ultimate life purpose. Which leads me to where I am now, I am a 35 year old woman who has tried every diet in the world and each has failed due to me not addressing the real problem…my emotional connection with food.

I had contemplated going vegetarian for some time, almost as a last stitch effort to lose all of this weight which I accumulated over all the years of dealing with my trials and tribulations in an unhealthy manner aka stuffing my face and drinking myself silly. 

However, as I began finding peace within myself and letting go of past hurt and anger (through God, prayer and meditation), I was able to really listen to my body and spirit and it really urged me to work on how I fuel my temple. 
That is when I received a call from the beautiful soul, Leda Beluche, and a week later I am one week into the GirlieVegan Raw Till 4pm 22 Day Challenge and three weeks without any animal meat (with the exception of Thanksgiving. I totally picked an inopportune time to start this lifestyle change…lol). 

The first week of the 22 day vegan challenge was actually pretty amazing. I lost 6lbs, I feel lighter, I wasn’t hungry and I enjoyed the vegan food. However, in a conversation I had with Leda, we realized I may have a gluten allergy (working on getting an appointment to the doctor to confirm) so we decided to also cut out gluten; which changed a few things…lol. This limits my options and gluten free bread, well, it is not very delish. LOL. 

The problem is where I live, vegans are a very very very small minority; therefore my options are extremely limited. We do have Sprouts and that has been a lifesaver for me on this journey but the selection is not vast. Which brings us today, day 8 on the challenge and I have a headache and I am hungry!!! This morning, I had my smoothie and it was great but there is a lot going on in my world and my mind is trying to get me to comfort it, as I have always done, with food. Old habits die hard. Please pray for me and I will keep you guys posted and post some pics soon. Sending light and love your way, beautiful souls!!!

Taryn De La Rosa

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Dr. Maya Angelou

5 Comments

Interview with Taryn!

12/3/2015

6 Comments

 
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I am SO EXCITED to introduce to you Taryn De La Rosa. YAY!!!
I'm super excited for Taryn because she agreed to try the GirlieVegan Raw Till 4pm 22 Day Challenge! 

Taryn lives in Corpus Christi, Texas and her options are pretty limited when it comes to having vegan restaurants or even vegan support for that matter. But like a true Leo she wasn't afraid to take on this challenge! Between my guidance and her research she was able to find a great store in Corpus Christi called Sprouts and realized they sold vegan products! Taryn is now aware of websites like VeganEssentials.com which sell all vegan products :)

I ask that all vegans new or seasoned, please join me in supporting and mentoring our dear Taryn! You can feel free to contact her through her social media which is listed below. Feel free to give her recipes, ideas, mental and emotional support. As a wellness, health, spiritual, animal rights and vegan community we should be there for each other. This GirlieVegan is sooo happy to support and coach Ms. De La Rosa!!! I have no doubt that Taryn will ace this task! 
Let's get to know her a bit better, shall we?! 

Name: Taryn De La Rosa
 
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas

Currently resides: Corpus Christi, Texas

Birthdate: July 29th 

Sign: Leo 

Education: Double major in Psychology & Sociology (Texas A&M: Kingsville) 

Career: Social Worker

Fave colors: Purple and Black

GV: What are you most excited about with this GirlieVegan Raw Till 4pm 22 Day Challenge?

T: I am excited about becoming healthy and gain spiritual clarity and good karma...lol...

GV: What are you most worried about with this GirlieVegan Raw Till 4pm 22 Day Challenge?

T: I am worried that my emotional eating may rear it's ugly head and return me to my past ways...But in this journey I pray for a healthier relationship with my emotions and subsequently with food. 

GV: What does Taryn like to do on her spare time? Besides connecting to music and singing! 

T: I love reading, meditation, new found love for yoga, makeup, and a slight obsession with Facebook...Most importantly seeking God and working on my spiritual connection with him. It is amazing...as your spiritual eyes are opened, you see EVERYTHING is connected! Everything! 

GV: What is Taryn's your favorite food?

T: Pizza

There you have it my loves! A little piece of Taryn for now until she starts blogging :) 

Please encourage, support and share recipes with Taryn by clicking the links in pink below: 

Instagram: @NYRAT245 
Facebook: Taryn De La Rosa 
Hashtag on social media: #GVRT4

Let's get to itttt!!!!! 

And remember: 
GirlieVegans Do It Better!!! 

Love and light,
Leda xxx


Photo Courtesy: Taryn De La Rosa 

6 Comments

How To Go Vegan!

6/15/2014

1 Comment

 
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How to become vegan? Sounds overwhelming when you start thinking of how to completely change a lifestyle you have been accustomed to for years! But I have good news for you, it's not that hard!!! 
Being vegan these days is a piece of cake compared to 20 years ago. We are in an era where we are lucky to be vegan!!! YAY!!! (happy dance!)

So let's begin! In my previous post I explained the difference between veganism and being a vegetarian, I am a strict vegan who also maintains a gluten-free lifestyle. In my posts I will always promote anything that is vegan & gluten-free, from vegan foods to vegan nail polish to vegan shoes. I will also be posting quick and easy gluten-free and vegan recipes for you and your family. And I also welcome people to share their vegan recipes! 

First things, first! The one thing you should quickly remove from your everyday lifestyle is any meat. YES any and all sorts of meat (beef, chicken, seadfood)...What can you have instead? Well there are so many options today! 
You have to go to your local supermarket or a health food store and find the vegetarian/vegan section. There you will find tons of different meat-substitute brands for beef, chicken or even seafood. If you don't find a vegan brand or if you live in a small town, request to speak to a manager and place an order! The more you ask and others, the more likely they will order it! 

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Beyond Meat 

One of my favorite meat-substitute is the brand Beyond Meat! 
Their chicken-free strips taste and feel like chicken! You can even pull it apart like a chicken and its feels exactly the same. Best part It cooks in just a few minutes! 
The chicken-free strips come in 3 different flavors: Grilled, Lightly Seasoned and Southwest. 
It's real meat made from 100% plant protein. It's made from peas and soy. It's also gluten-free. 
For those of you that avoid soy like myself, I still make Beyond Meat chicken-free strips once in a while. 

However, their Beef-free Crumbles I do have often! They are soy-free and gluten-free! YAY!!!
They come in two flavors: Beefy and Feisty. 
The beef-free crumbles taste exactly like ground beef. It's incredible! 
Its made from peas. It's the only gluten-free and soy free beef-free crumble in the market!
I love adding them to my vegan gluten-free taco nights or to make some yummy pasta dishes. 
I will be sharing some great recipes down the road.

You can find Beyond Meat at your local Whole Foods, Publix, Sprouts or HEB markets. 
If you don't find it, remember ask the manager to place an order for you! 
www.beyondmeat.com
 
Next items you should quickly eliminate from your everyday lifestyle is your DAIRY products! 
I personally LOVE cheese, ice cream, and milk with my cereals. But once I ended my romance with dairy and switched to vegan dairy products, I felt so much healthier even though I was eating so much "dairy"! 
I noticed I no longer had to worry about catching a cold during winter season. 
During all my intensive research I discovered the link between dairy and mucus, acne, gas, osteoporosis and migraines to name a few. After all that knowledge there is no way I can ever have dairy again! Yuck! 
But now I can enjoy my cream cheese, pizza, ice cream and not feel guilty at all because its all vegan! 


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Milk 

There are so many different delicious non-dairy beverages you can drink these days. 
I highly recommend drinking almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, rice milk and hazelnut milk.
I drink all of them from different brands. I switch every week to a different one.  
I love the brand Dream for coconut milk, rice and cashew milk. For almond milk I enjoy the brand So Delicious.
Pacific Natural Foods brand has an awesome non-dairy beverage selection for almond and hazelnut milk which you can find at Trader Joe's or any health food store.  
www.tastethedream.com
www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com
www.pacificfoods.com


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Cheese

When it comes to vegan cheese the best one in the market is Daiya! 
Daiya products are all dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free.
The Daiya shreds style come in different flavors and they come in handy for pizza, quesadillas or even nachos.
The Daiya Wedges style are ideal for a fancy platter, melt them into your sauce or cut them for your kid's lunchbox.
The Daiya Slices style are perfect for your favorite sandwich. They feel and taste like real cheese. 
The Daiya Cream Cheese style spread is delicious to have with your favorite bagel. 
The Daiya Pizza come already prepared for you in different flavors and all you do is place it in the oven. 
After trying all their products I am hooked and can't live without them! 
I suggest you switch over to Daiya cheese products right away!!! 
us.daiyafoods.com


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Bread


Believe it or not, not all breads are vegan. A lot of breads contain eggs, milk or even honey. So when choosing a vegan bread make sure it is one 100% vegan. I personally love Food for Life brand because its vegan and they have gluten-free options. They even have vegan and gluten-free English Muffins! 
You can find Food for Life products at any health food markets and Trader Joe's. 
www.foodforlife.com


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Pasta

When it comes to pasta its always important to double check and make sure it is egg-free. Most boxed pasta contain eggs. 
I'm half Italian so I automatically live for pasta! I could have it everyday if I could!!! 
But I only have vegan and gluten-free pasta.
There are so many brands out there that are gluten-free and vegan. Check your local health food store to see what brands you like and taste delicious to you.
De Boles offer that Al dente taste that I so love!
www.deboles.com


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Butter

Vegan butter is a sensitive subject to some. There is the famous vegan butter that everyone loves but people also seem to not realize that they use palm oil which kills the Orangutans. Most animal activists like myself have been avoiding any vegan butter brands that contain palm oil (palm fruit oil) and have resorted to making our own butter.
Of course there are different butters out there like almond, cashew and coconut butter but if you're looking for the buttery taste then I would suggest making your own. 
I will later include a delicious, easy and quick recipe for you to make! 

I hope you can you use this post as a reference and guide on how to substitute your current meat and dairy products! Being vegan these days is a piece of cake! 
I highly recommend always checking your ingredients on all your products while you are at your favorite health food store. I know it sounds like a drag but you quickly get used to it and kind of love it!!! 
I look forward to posting more information on how to become vegan and some yummy recipes. 

And remember: 
Girlie Vegans Do It Better!!!

Love and light,
Leda xxx


Photo Courtesy: Gourmandia.net, Peta.org, Veganessentials.com, Meredone.com, Naturalie.net, Daiya, Onegreenplanet.org, Deboles, Vegan.com

1 Comment

    Author

    Leda is the founder of GirlieVegan. Has been an active Vegan for years. She also maintains a gluten-free lifestyle.

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