What Food to Buy on A Healthy, Vegan Cleanse (Video)

Since I've been sharing my cleanse journey and inviting others to join me, I'm often ask what to buy at the grocery store. It depends on what type you're doing, but in my case it's the 21 Day Adventure Cleanse from Crazy Sexy Diet, which focuses on alkaline, whole, plant-based foods. During my last trip to Rainbow Grocery I documented each item I purchased and made this video and list to give you an idea of what to buy on your next trip to the store.

Foods to Eat While On A Healthy Vegan Cleanse (Video)

No matter if you're on a cleanse or trying to follow a healthy diet it's important to stock your kitchen well. You may be new to the whole foods plant-based way of eating or simply looking for ideas on what to eat for your January detox, either way here's a video of suggestions followed by a list of foods to buy on your next shopping trip.

Healthy Finds At Safeway: A Slideshow of Their Organic, Local, Gluten-Free and Vegan Foods!

In an effort to help people around the country find healthy foods no matter what stores are within reach and what the budget is, I've been exploring the options at national grocery markets. I started out with Kroger's Food Co, but wasn't able to find much at that discount warehouse. So my expectations were low when I ventured into a Safeway in San Francisco (16th & Bryant), but boy was I in for a surprise! This location has at least 100 vegan options, most of which are organic and many are gluten-free! Here are some of the highlights:

Q&A: Eco & Vegan Flip Flops

Question:
What source do you recommend for good vegan flip flops?

Answer:

What Stores Sell Natural, Healthy Food (North America)

image from greggavedon.com

A very common question I receive is, "where can I find natural food?", especially when it comes to unique recipe ingredients. My answer is typically to go to your local natural market or buy online. Availability really depends on where you live, so I did a poll on the EVG Facebook page & Twitter to find out where my community shops, and here are their answers (it's quite the list!):

Healthy Finds At Kroger's Foods Co.

If you frequent this website you know that I shop mainly at natural markets like co-ops and Whole Foods. I stopped shopping at Trader Joes because of all the packaging and lacking organic options, though I do enjoy the occasional visit. However, these stores are all quite expensive due to their high quality offerings, and I realize that not everyone can afford to shop at them and may not have a location nearby. So I've decided to start visiting bigger chains with lower price points in search of healthy foods - focusing on vegan items of course. 

Q&A: Where to Buy Tofu in Bulk in San Francisco

Question: Do you know where in SF or East Bay I can buy organic tofu that isn't wrapped in plastic? Asian markets sell tofu in bulk bins but they're likely not organic. I've asked Hodo Tofu and they don't offer that option in stores.  If you have any leads, please let me know. Trying to cut down on my plastic waste. ~ Mary


Answer:

Video: Vegan Zombie, Healthy Meals Under $4 A Day, Gluten-Free Advice, Sugar-Free Ice Cream, & More!

Time for another healthy and sustainable weekly roundup video!

Weekly Roundup: A Crazy Sexy Diet, Cure for Erectile Dysfunction, Healthy Soda, & Magical Enzymes

Welcome to another health and sustainability weekly roundup!

Here's what I talk about in this video:

Video Guide to Small Reusable Shopping Bags For Produce & Bulk Items

By now, most people at least know that they should bring their own reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. This prevents waste from plastic and paper shopping bags, which get at best a few uses after returning from the store. However, one eco trend that hasn't quite caught on yet is reusable produce and bulk bags - every day thousands of shoppers use the provided small, thin plastic or biodegradable bags at the market without even realizing there's an alternative, and they usually end up in the landfills. Good thing there's a fantastic option: reusable produce bags made from cotton, canvas, or related plastic! Skip to the bottom for the video.

Eco-Friendly Messenger Bags for Men

My boyfriend asked me if I knew of a "manly eco-friendly shoulder bag" - I was thrilled that he asked, but nothing came to mind. So I posed the question on my Facebook page and got some great suggestions worth sharing in case you're looking for one too.

 Bare Tree Apparel - made from canvas (also available in black) ($34) this is the one my boyfriend ended up buying

Another gluten-free beer: New Grist

While shopping at Co-Opportunity this evening I stopped at their beer section to see what gluten-free beers they had. The entire selection is very modest, and after a quick scan I didn't see any of the GF drinks that I often find in Whole Foods. I was upset for a moment - how could my favorite market not have gluten-free beer? However, during my second scan my eyes landed on a bright label with some of my favorite works: gluten-free. I grabbed a 12 oz of New Grist and decided to give it a shot.

I spy with my little eye...vegan cheese in the dairy section!

Last night my friend and I went to Ralphs market (Marina Del Rey). They have a surprisingly good vegan section there, along with organic and local produce. In each aisle there are cardboard flags that say "natural" to let you know where the healthy products are. They even have a health and green section on their website. As we were walking around I suddenly remembered hearing that Ralphs carries Daiya, so I started looking for it.

Say (Rock-a) Bye to Chemicals

Attention Mommies in Los Angeles: scoop up your babies, grab your stroller, and head to Sherman Oaks - there's a new sustainable store in town just for you! Whether you've just discovered that you're pregnant (congrats!) or you're raising a toddler, I highly recommend you check out GreenCradle.

"Offering families products that not only say ORGANIC or ALL NATURAL on their labels, but actually contain no chemicals, no synthetic preservatives, and no toxic fire retardants-- nothing unhealthy for you or your environment"

Eco-Vegan Shopping: local, organic, & bulk food

A few days ago I made a video about a great trip to the farmers market, and today I made a similar one about my visit to the Santa Monica Co-Opportunity. I felt incredibly empowered after buying spices, grains, and seeds in bulk and fresh organic produce - I barely used any packaging and I saved a ton of money. I invested in some glass jars, which were only $1.69 each, and then filled them up with the amount of organic spices I needed - in total this cost about $2. And of course, none of the items I bought contained gluten, soy, oil, or refined-sugar (with the exception of some flax crackers that had a tad of soy in them).

Farmers Markets: one stop eco-vegan shop for food naturally free of gluten, soy, refined sugar, and oil

Every Friday there is a farmers market within walking distance from my apartment, but I rarely go because it closes at 11am and I'm usually still sleeping (I'm a night owl and don't go to bed until 3 or 4am)! However, since I've been eating so much produce recently I decided it's worth getting up "early" at 10am and making it a weekly trip. Today I made my first trip there in a while and bought a bunch of delicious, local food that will last me about a week - all for less than $30! The best part is, most things at the farmer's market are naturally free of gluten, soy, refined sugar, and oil (unless you buy pre-made food like bread).

Vegan options at Venice Farmer's Market

I've been going to the Venice Farmer's Market off and on since I've been living in Venice the past 3 years, however I don't go often because it's on Friday morning/early afternoon and I'm lazy. I value it because it is small and not too crowded, therefore relaxing. I was up running errands this morning so I decided to go.

I did my usual circle around the market to check out all the stands before I bought anything. I noticed that they're now covering most of the fruits with fly netting or plastic cases, which is nice.

I also discovered a new chocolate stand: ChocoVivo, which advertised "fresh stone ground chocolate". I was excited to discover that they sell mainly vegan chocolate, including hot chocolate - yum! I didn't try any, but I'll have to do so next time. She also sells at Akasha.

I picked up a bag of pretzel bread ($4.50) from The Bread Man - very fresh. Rockenwagner has pretzel bread as well, but it has margarine in it.

My most exciting purchase was from Dave's Gourmet Korean Food. I have seen the stand before and knew they were vegan, but I never tried it. This time I tried a sample and I was hooked. I bought some Tempha ($5) and Olive & Pear dressing ($7) - this stuff is like crack. In fact, I hesitate to mention it because I'm afraid you'll go there, buy some, become addicted, and blame me. When I bought it the women next to me said she literally spends $100 there every week, and I believed her when I saw the owner give her a bag full of items without asking what she wanted.

Green tips from Crossroads Trading Co.

These days I buy most of my clothes from consignment shops. This is eco-friendly (reusing clothes others don't want) and inexpensive. One of my favorite places in L.A. is Crossroads Trading Co. They have multiple locations, but I usually go to the one in Santa Monica. Last weekend I found a really cute t-shirt (which you'll eventually see in one of my videos), and I've often found great dresses there too. You can also recycle clothes you don't like there, and either get cash back or credit towards a purchase at the shop - they're picky, so make sure the clothes are in-style, clean, and in good shape.

I was thrilled to see this poster on their wall with green tips. It's not a clear photo, so here they are:

1. Support your local library instead of buying books
2. Unplug your cell charger from the wall when you're not using it
3. Switch to electronic banking and online credit card payments
4. Do full loads of laundry & set the washer to use cold water
5. Share a magazine subscription with a friend
6. Carry a reusable tote and just say "no" to paper or plastic
7. Get a reusable water bottle or coffee mug
8. Use non-toxic cleaner made from everyday household ingredients
9. Car pool or use car shares
10. Shop at Crossroads where you can get greener while saving or earning cash year round!

Humanitaire: vegan store now open in Santa Monica!

Humanitaire, a vegan store, just moved to Main Street in Santa Monica! I was blown away by the amazing products they have there - from men's & women's shoes to handbags to kids stuff to tee shirts to jewelry! Their products are even eco-friendly, people friendly (no sweat shop labor), and some are even organic - this is eco-vegan heaven!

CAUTION: This video may give you the urge to run out to Humanitaire immediately! But don't worry, if you don't live near Santa Monica, they also have an online store!

Featuring:

• Vegetarian Shoes
• Samsara by Matt & Nat
• Harveys seatbelt bags
• Truth Belts
• A Scent of Scandal
• Scooter Bees
• Macbeth shoes
• Couch belts
• Beyond Skin shoes
• Relief Beads Darfur
• Falling Whistle
• Earthlings
• Animal Acres
• Zuzu Luxe cosmetics
• Snooty Jewelry
• Soysilk Pals

310-581-1369

Store hours:

Tu-Sat 11am-7pm,

Sun 10am-4pm,

closed Mondays

Tip ~ when you're done shopping, check out the vegan soups next store at Panini Garden next door, or Finn McCool's or Lula Mexican across the street.

Brides Save the Whales

Press Release:

Los Angeles wedding boutique, Lili Bridals, teams up with eco-friendly wedding gown designer, Adele Wechsler, and the Sea Shepherd Society to help Save the Whales.

Local California brides will have the opportunity to meet Toronto-based designer Adele Wechsler and try on her latest collection of eco-friendly gowns, as well as meet Ady Gil (Saturday only starting at approx. 12pm) and make a donation to the construction of the “Ady Gil II”. Litt is donating 5% of every dress sold at the trunk show to the resurrection of the “Ady Gil” and with retail prices starting at over $2000.00 that could make for a successful fundraising weekend!

The trunk show will take place on:

• Friday the 5th from 10am-6pm,
• Saturday the 6th from 10am-5pm,
• and conclude on Sunday the 7th from 12-5pm (by appointment only).

Lili Bridals is located at 18663 Ventura Blvd in Tarzana. **right next to Madeleine Bistro!*

View Larger Map

For questions or to book an appointment, please call 818-774-9700.