Video Review: Grilla Bites Ashland, OR - Organic, Vegan Food Made with Passion

Last year on my West Coast trip with Robert Cheeke during his book tour we stopped in Ashland, OR to grab some food for the road from their local coop. The town was so beautiful that we decided to crash there for the night - it's Shakespearian, organic, vegan-friendly vibe completely won me over. We sought out a place with WiFi so we could book a place to stay and update our websites, which is how we stumbled upon GrillaBites. The green certifications on the windows and vegan items on their menu lured us in, but we had no idea how much of a treat we were in for.

Video: Jake Gyllenhaal The Sustainable Gardener, Leo DiCaprio Not As Green As We Think, & Whoopi Adopts A Cat!

I was never a huge Jake Gyllenhaal until he started talking to me about Facebook and Twitter...long story short I was working at the AFI Film Festival in LA for The Love and Other Drugs premiere, standing across from him in a tiny hallway and he caught me social media-ing about him - awkward! But boy is he charming! He's even sexier now that he's promoting his love for growing his own food and partnered up with Alice Waters to teach kids about it! Which was good timing after my eco crush Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that he didn't actually buy his girlfriend Blake Lively a Prius like we all thought last week - does he really want her to continue driving her Range Rover around town?! And props to Whoopi Goldberg for being so public about recusing a kitten from near death!

All that and more on this week's episode of ecorazzi's Good Gossip, where you'll also find out who wins the Douchebag of the Year award!

Video: Fashion Giveaway, New Vegan Movie, Man = Meat, Gluten-Free Bagels & More!

What better way to beat the Monday blues than with a weekly roundup?! Here's what I share in this week's video (hint - I'm giving something away worth $50!!):

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:

Green, Vegan Women Give Tips On How To Eat Sustainably

I was thrilled to be on a WorldFest panel with my eco-vegan gal pals Rachel Avalon & Vanessa Meier to talk about sustainability and food. We had a great turn out and I even got to meet some Eco-Vegan Gal followers! Luckily, if you missed it, Vanessa and her amazing vegan fiancé Todd edited together some of the best parts of our talk - check it out:



Here are the points made in the video:

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Peanut Butter, Yams, Celebs, & New Years/York

• Review of Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups ~ I am really impressed with their sustainability initiatives!

• Ancient Harvest quinoa/corn pasta with nutritional yeast, olive oil, peas, carrots, corn, green beans, basil, dulse flakes, paprika, and sea salt. Very satisfying meal.

• Yam rice (adapted from this recipe) ~ flavors and texture were a little off...

• Baked yams with coconut oil and sea salt ~ yummmmm!

Eco-Vegan News

• Animal Rights Conference in LA is coming up (July 2011) - register now to get the discounted rate.
• Some say Jessica Simpson is becoming a vegan celebrity, even though she's not actually vegan, her fiancé is. But, she's taking cooking classes (I wonder with who), so maybe she'll adapt the plant-based diet...
• Carrie Underwood Says to Protect Others She Will Not Cook Meat
• Alicia Silverstone is added to the list of veg celebs who are pregnant right now - hopefully this means vegans will really be taking over the world in 20+ years (just wait until I start having kids!). Alicia has some great articles on vegan pregnancy on her website The Kind Life.
• Fairmont Hotels offer vegan options ~ "The luxury hotel line has begun to include a “Lifestyle Cuisine Plus” option on their menu which targets guests with diabetes, heart disease and gluten free issues as well as those eating a macrobiotic, raw or vegan diet."

5 Eco-Vegan Things Worth Sharing from the Web:

1. Why Bees Matter ~ most vegans choose not to eat honey because we care about bees, and this is a big topic of debate. I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about the matter, especially when I read about the bee crisis. We need bees to pollinate our crops and plants, otherwise we're pretty much screwed.
2. Bring Back the Bar: Soap Flakes ~ a cool, non-wasteful way to get the most out of your bar soap. But you may not be using this if you go Soap Free.
3. Carnival cruise line is far from vegan ~ check out this sad post my friend Lindsey at Happy Herbivore wrote about her awful experience with the ship. We should all raise our voices and express our disapproval with Carnival and let them know they should serve plant-based options.
4. 5 Food New Year’s Resolutions ~ sure, it may be well past the typical time to make resolutions, but I believe you can make them any time of year. This article highlights a lot of things that I believe are crucial to the health of our bodies and the planet.
5. New York City’s Plan for Sustainability ~ it's about time one of my favorite cities in the world became greener!

Summer cool down with gluten-free vegan beer

I've never been a big drinker, but in recent years I've developed a taste for beer and I like to have it on occasion. It all started when I discovered Fat Tire - not only is it delicious, but New Belgium is very sustainable and it's often on-tap in CA. That was my beer of choice until I went gluten-free and realized beer was full of it. I wasn't too upset about giving up that occasional treat, but was pretty happy to learn that there are a few gluten-free and vegan beers.

No Whey! Vega shakes and bars are real fast food (and yummy too)

After receiving a tub of Vega Health Optimizer (Vanilla Chai) as a gift last month from Robert Cheeke, I'm officially hooked on it. I've since grown to love the Chocolate and Berry flavors, and the Whole Food Vibrancy Bars. I'm not a huge fan of sport drinks though.

I use the Whole Food Health Optimizer as a meal replacement, usually for breakfast. I feel very full and satisfied after drinking it. Sometimes I'll just have it as a snack or a treat, or to curb a sugar craving. Though I can't say they're filling, the Vibrancy Bars are great snacks - I love the buckwheat crunch. The Sports drinks are OK - they remind me of a vitamin drink or Red Bull in taste, but apparently they're great if you need some extra energy (I drink them fast because I don't like the flavor)

Vega is made from whole foods that haven't been overly processed, and the proteins are about one third raw. There is no added sugar - stevia is used instead. My favorite thing about Vega is that it is free of GMOs, pesticides, corn, gluten, and soy. It has a tiny carbon footprint as well - check out the sustainability details here.

I always recommend Vega for men who transitioning to the vegan diet and are looking to stay at a healthy weight. Veganism is often associated with being stick-thin - while it definitely helps maintain a healthy body, being vegan doesn't mean you have to be scrawny (check out this great article: Building Muscle on a plant-based Diet). Vega is used by many athletes as a protein supplement, pre and post workout drink, and energy boost. Bredan Brazier, a vegan triathlete, developed the formula to assist with his training - you can read the full story here.

I've met Brendan a few times through Robert and he's a great guy - really mellow and modest. Both Brendan and Robert have books out right now - Thrive and Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness.

Sustainable Restaurants

Today the L.A. Times had a great article on eco-friendly restaurants in Los Angeles, with the header: "Restaurants are looking beyond today’s special, by growing gardens on site, dealing with eco-conscious farms, installing water filtration systems, recycling grease and more."

Here are some bullet points:

• The article starts out by talking about Grace, a restaurant I've been meaning to review for a while - now I feel even more compelled to go! They will be moving to a new location and plan to plant a garden that "could yield as much as a quarter of the produce for [the] kitchen", use low or no VOC pant, "install cisterns so water from designated prep sinks can irrigate the garden", and compost. At their current location they also recycle their used oil to run a family car!
• "There's no legal definition for a sustainable restaurant" but it "generally means serving the needs of the present while preserving the ability to meet the needs of the future" Which often translates to "using locally grown produce, buying supplies from companies that respect the environment and encouraging frugal practices in their kitchens."
• Tender Greens also got a shout out (love that place). They are hoping to find some disposable gloves that "could be recycled or composted" Although they're doing some eco things already like, "uniforms [that] are organic cotton T-shirts" and "buy produce from local growers"
• Chipotle was mentioned (a good go-to mexican joint for vegans across the country). The owner commented on his experience of visiting a pig farm: "What I saw was horrifying...real exploitation, terrible exploitation of the animals in terms of their well-being, exploitation of the land. Factory farms pollute, they smell...I did not want my success to be based on this kind of exploitation" Though that didn't turn him or the chain vegan, he now buys animal products from small farmers.
• The Green Restaurant Assn. "issues certifications based on a point system in categories such as food, waste and building materials"
• Leslie VanKeuren has some more suggestions for restaurants: "Use cloths from the hamper to wipe up spills rather than reaching for paper towels. And switch to "inquire versus include" for takeout orders."
• Santa Monica has a green certification program: "close to 800 restaurants, as varied as Jack in the Box and Campanile, take part in a city recycling program that has diverted 55,000 tons of food waste from landfills to compost"
• Napa Valley Grille has a new community-supported agriculture project: "people can buy shares in the harvest from a farm, Kathy and Michael Feig's Country Fresh Herbs, and pick up boxes of food for about $35 at the restaurant on Wednesdays"
• Mixt Greens makes sustainability a top priority: "the floor is concrete with fly ash, a byproduct of power plants that otherwise would go to a dump, Silverglide says. The counters are made from scrapwood from a frame manufacturer, and the tabletops from plastic detergent bottles"

Since EVG is evolving, I've realized how important it is to me to go to restaurants that are both vegan (or vegan-friendly) and sustainable. Therefore, those types of establishments are getting priority over others for reviews. Is this important to you too?

The Super Bowl goes green!

Ok, not entirely.

I watched some of the Super Bowl ads (wasn't too impressed), but this one is definitely worth sharing. Kinda makes me want to get an Audi - good marketing! ; )

Audi: Green Police

Glee Guys

A few years ago I bought some products from Glee Gum, who make "All-Natural, Eco-Friendly Chewing Gum Made With Sustainably Harvested Rainforest Chicle", which is "Vegetarian, Additive Free, Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Yeast Free, Nut Free, and Peanut Free."

They sent me a newsletter today full of great information:

• Halloween Goes Green
• Coffee Exchange - "a small batch coffee roaster in Providence, RI", who provides their "expanding global neighborhood with fresh roasted sustainable coffee".
• Cloud Forest School - "Known locally as the Centro de Educación Creativa, this bilingual school is located in the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The school emphasizes the integration of environmental education in all aspects of its creative, experiential instruction."
• And check out all the following events happening around the country (click to enlarge)

Santa Monica - Revel with a Cause: video coverage

Sustainable Works Residential Greening Program (Los Angeles)

The Sustainable Works Residential Greening Program starts up again next Monday (January 12th) and I highly recommend you take it. It is a 6 week course all about making your life more eco-friendly. I loved the class - Nancy is a fantastic teacher! Plus, it's at The Green Life - my favorite eco-store!

$25 for Santa Monica residents, $50 for Los Angeles residents. Sign up here!

CFLs (compact fluorescent lighting)

In the Residential Greening Program class on energy we discussed CFLs. To me it seems obvious that people should replace their old bulbs with CFLs, but I'm learning that many people are hesitant to do so. Here are some answers to common worries:

• The color isn't "right" - CFLs come in all sorts of color "temperatures", check out Energy Stars' website to find the right one for you
• The buzzing is annoying - this is something you can get used to!
• They're more expensive - the savings from your lower electric bill will make up for it
• You want dimmable - there are dimmable CFLs!
• You're afraid of the mercury - it's not a big deal, just make sure you dispose of them properly

Here are the The NY Times' favorite CFLS:

1. TCP SpringLight/Soft White (slightly cool, bad buzz)
2. n:vision (Home Depot) Soft White (warm, slightly pink)
3. MaxLite Spira Max (clean, slightly pink)
4. n:vision (Home Depot) Soft White (covered) (bright, clean, a little cold)
5. G.E. Energy Smart (bright, pinkish, buzz)

Resources:

• Greenlite
• Satco

The Healthy Bean: California

This place has a great mission and principles: The Healthy Bean strives to be the global leader in functional, nutritionally enhanced coffee and wellness products. We support wellness and a healthy lifestyle in every aspect of our business. All of their coffee is sustainably farmed, shade grown and organic. All of the coffee beans we use are Fair-Trade certified. 

Although, I read that they put whey in their coffee...which is a little weird.