Opening Our Eyes

I consider myself a happy person. I guard my happiness! I block people on Facebook with negative, depressing and sometimes even political posts. I, sadly, like many other Americans have taken a stance of non-involvement in our current political and governmental situation. All of it is so depressing and ignorance is bliss, right? Well, I have recently discovered that while ignorance is bliss, knowledge is power. I want to share with you some of the eye-opening documentaries I have watched recently. They are intense, depressing and at times even frightening. But I think it's better to know and have the choice to make change, as opposed to wallowing in self-indulgent ignorant bliss.

Vegan Mac n Cheese, Field Roast w/ Veggies & Asparagus

The first one I watched is "Forks Over Knives" which is available on Netflix as a "Watch Instantly" option if you have it. There is also a review of it on Plant Powered Living here. I have been vegetarian on and off since I was 12 years old. I used to go to Northern California once a year with my family to visit friends and family. Driving back on the 5, passing through Coalinga, there are miles and miles of cow farms packed full of innocent animals waiting for the slaughter. The smell is overwhelmingly nauseating and the sight is incomprehensible. This is what made me go vegetarian the first time. After years of being a vegetarian I went back to eating meat until I went to Burning Man the first time in 2007. That was the "Green Man." Burning Man changed my life forever! I came home and wrote down a list of all kinds of things I wanted to do with my life because of my experience. One was "learn to fire dance" and the other was "become a vegetarian." Well I definitely got the first one down :) The second one was also not hard to make happen again. It was for environmental reasons this time. I was trying to lessen my imprint on this earth. It is a proven fact that more fossil fuels are generated from cow farms than from cars. Again I went back to eating meat within a couple years and again I went back to being a vegetarian about a year ago or so. This time it was for health reasons. I wanted to slim down and felt like I was carrying extra unneeded weight with me.

Aerial Lyra at Burning Man 2011.

The transition to veganism came after lots of talks and inspiration from one of my best friends, Leela (Lady Leeloo). She is in my troupe, The Hoop Unit and works for Plant Powered Living, a vegan inspiration, recipe and success story company based out of Encinitas. I honestly never thought I would be a vegan! The amazing thing about my friendship with Leela is that we can inspire each other. I have taught her everything I know when it comes to hooping, burlesque, fire dancing, belly dancing and performing. She has taught me the importance of eating healthy and being true to yourself. She constantly surprises me on a daily basis with her talent and ability to do it all! There is nothing she can't do :) Being so much herself and no one else, in every way, helps me to remember how important it is! So this is my shout out to Plant Powered Living and all they have done to inspire me and many other people to choose a path of health, happiness and aliveness. The movie "Forks Over Knives" helped me understand exactly why I have chosen this path. I highly recommend it! It's only 90 minutes long and will forever change your view of the food we eat! I also want to mention that my vegan transition has been made exponentially easier and more delicious because of People's Food Co-Op. I live at this place! The people who work there know me by name and see me everyday :)

My favorite meal! Quinoa & salad :)

So what benefits have I experienced so far from becoming vegan? I have lost about 8 pounds. This is also due to my change in workout regime. I owe it not only to being Plant Powered but also to Aerial Revolution. I have taken on a new circus skill, the Aerial Lyra and man is it a work out! The most intense physical activity I have ever tried! It is not only a work out but also fun, beautiful and expressive. Aerial Revolution has lots of fun classes that make you sweat and make you smile. I even teach hoop there! I have also experienced lots of new energy from being vegan. My body is no longer wasting energy trying to digest animal products, so I can use that extra energy to do what I love! I don't have to sleep as much at night time, giving me more time to do what I love! (Notice a trend here). I haven't been sick in a long time, my skin is nicer and more radiant. Also, it is an exciting challenge. I love to cook and I love challenges. I get to figure out how to make delicious meals without using animal products, that are both satisfying and delicious. I can focus my meals around different types of food that I never used to focus my meals around. My boyfriend is not vegan so I have the added challenge of making food he will enjoy. I am pleasantly surprised to find out that the vegan meals I make, make him happy too :) I have recently started juicing and I love it! Fresh delicious fruits and veggies juiced together to make concoctions that are yummy and full of energy! I got my Champion Juicer second hand off Craigslist for a very affordable price.

The other documentary I watched recently is called "Thrive." This one talks about the energy crisis and touches on the Occupy movement all in one full swoop. It is incredible how much is related and how scary it is! This one has really opened my eyes in a big way. First thing I am doing after watching this film is switching banks from Bank of America to the local San Diego Credit Union. PLEASE watch this film! We are the 99%! This film is so informative on why and how we can change it.  It is available to be streamed on their website for only $5 and the link lasts for 72 hours.

The reason I am sharing this with you is because I have chosen a leadership role in my community. As a leader, I want to inspire people and help spread the knowledge and the love. I want the world to know what I know, and what has been beneficial to me in my life. So now you can share the love and spread the knowledge!