Vegetarian Is Beautiful

I keep my first body, the physical one, in good health and shape feeding it with the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that the vegetable kingdom provides me with abundance and joy.

I combine them with know-how and fantasy, because I know what I need and where to find it, and I get light, tasty, and balanced recipes that satisfy all my seven bodies, the dense, emotional, mental, sentimental, cosmic, and consciousness ones.

Taking nourishment becomes then, in each moment, an act of gratitude and celebration.

I'm lacto-ovo vegetarian because when a delicious cake, made of dairy products and eggs, happens to be in front of my eyes and nose, I taste it with joy and bliss.

I have also been vegan and raw food eating, during some of the various stages of my life, and I chose to be relaxed and free to move to the homes and restaurants of the world, without creating too much troubles.

I found myself a vegetarian for ethical reasons, because I love life and freedom; for humanitarian reasons, because there is food for everyone; for environmental reasons, because I love all forests; for physical reasons, to be healthy, fit, and positive; for social reasons, to be kind with others; for aesthetical reasons, because I like a living nature, and for metaphysical reasons, to keep my vibration high and zeroing my karma.

I find proteins in legumes, grains, seaweeds and their derivatives; carbohydrates in grains, vegetables, roots, fruits and yeast; fats in seeds, nuts, and oils; vitamins and minerals in salads, raw vegetables, fruits, and seaweeds.

I carefully prepare my food from my heart; I cook it meditatively; I chew it thoroughly; I wait at least three hours before taking another bite; I satisfy my taste and palate with sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent, hot, cold, soft, liquid, crispy and hard sensations and tastes.

I tell my friends that when I eat the fruits of plants and trees, vegetables that grow again, seeds that are cropped at the end of their life cycle, I take just what exceeds, and there's much of it, without burdening others' lives, in this case those of the vegetal world. This way we are all happy: me, mother earth, and the universe, because when one is happy, it means happiness is there and this is universal.

I have vegetarian friends growing up their sons and daughters in a conscious vegetarian way, at home and at school, and these are in good physical, emotional and mental health, they are beautiful, alive, and happy to be vegetarians.

More than that, at the moment, I don't know.

By Andrea Scarsi

Fruit Smoothie Recipe For a Successful Detox Diet Plan

Many people find that detoxifying their body is a wonderful way to jump start a healthy weight loss plan

But chemically induced detoxification programs are not the answer! A detox diet plan can be entirely natural and still very successful without the stress of potentially harmful chemicals. A natural detox diet plan relies on large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables to be effective and a good way to get the required amount is in smoothies. Fruit and vegetable smoothies can be prepared as a breakfast, lunch or mid day meal with entirely natural ingredients.

Preparing a smoothie that flushes out toxins and promotes energy is actually easy. Smoothies can be made from a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, juices and dairy products that contain exactly the ingredients you need to not only boost your metabolism but are also packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and nutrients needed for good health.

You can actually make a large number of different smoothies without violating your detox diet plan. Smoothies made with a wide variety of berries, carrots or even dark leafy green vegetables like spinach have a great deal of fiber which is vital to digestion. Making smoothies with citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines, lemons or limes will help flush out toxins. And, fruits with a diuretic effect include cranberries, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, or cantaloupe to name but a few. Detoxification does not have to be harsh and make you feel uncomfortable. With the right combination it can be natural and healthy.

There is also an easy and effective way to add even more vital nutrients to both your diet and your smoothies by adding In fact, be sure to add 1 Tbsp of Chia seed to all of your fruit smoothies.

If you are unfamiliar with Chia, it is a natural food source that is gluten free, sugar-free, high in fiber and protein, and loaded with Omega-3's! In fact Chia has:

8x more Omega-3 than Atlantic farmed or wild salmon
6x more Calcium than milk
3x more Iron than Spinach
2x more Potassium than bananas
15x more Magnesium than broccoli
2x more Fiber than bran flakes
6x more Protein than kidney beans
4x more Selenium than flax seed
9x more Phosphorus than whole milk
More Antioxidants than blueberries

Chia has no taste of its own and will mix well with all of your smoothie recipes without changing the taste or results.

Try this breakfast smoothie tomorrow and you will be pleasantly surprised at the additional energy you have throughout the day.

1 cup of frozen strawberries
1 large orange, peeled, sectioned and seeded (or 2 tangerines)
1 lime, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup light yogurt (plain or vanilla is recommended)
1 Tbsp Chia

Combine all of these ingredients in your blender and mix until smooth. Sometimes a smoothie can be too thick because of the natural state or ripeness of the fruit you use. If the smoothie is too thick, simply add a few ice cubes and blend again until it reaches the best consistency.By Jesse L Moore