vegangirl.com

Planting blueberries

vegangirl — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:23:28 +0000

Herb gardening for the lazy and impatient

vegangirl — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:28:25 +0000

When I decided to start gardening (see earlier posts in this category) I really thought that by now I would have a lovely backyard garden, springing forth a bounty of fruits and vegetables. It's taking a long time to get that going. I need to bring in some decent dirt and finish loosening up what's there with a pickax. I've been dragging my feet on it quite a bit due to the expense and the effort involved. But that's no reason not to get some other gardening projects done. I always thought that planting herbs around my front yard would be a practical and beautiful addition to the decorative plants that are already there. There is probably a "right" way to do that. Waiting until I found the motivation to look into all of that was just holding me back from actually doing it. I've had a potted mint plant in my kitchen for months, doing quite well. I recently saw a cilantro plant for sale at the grocery store and just had to bring it home. My kitchen counter was getting too crowded so I figured it was time to plant the herbs. So, what was the complex process for starting my "herb garden"? I dug a hole, planted the herbs, and gave them a little water. After 2 days, they look quite well. I'll post another picture after they've either flourished or died. [Full article]

Oprah takes veganism mainstream

vegangirl — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:47:47 +0000

You know if Oprah is doing it, then half the soccer moms in the Western world are soon to follow. Oprah Winfrey is several days into a 21-day vegan cleanse. She will eat no meat, dairy, eggs, sugar, gluten, or caffeine. Good for Oprah! Read the full story on People This is the same woman who went to court with Howard Lyman, the "Mad Cowboy," over her comments that information about cows being fed to other cows "stopped me cold from ever eating another burger." Does anyone know if she stuck with that promise? You go, Oprah! [Full article]

Moving forward

vegangirl — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:24:15 +0000

This Tutsi man was nearly burned to death along with 100 of his friends and neighbors by rival Hutus. He narrowly escaped through a window but suffered severe burns that reached all the way to the bone of his right shin. He is now set to run in the London Marathon and hopes to make it to the Olympics. In 1996, he came face-to-face with the man in charge of killing him and those many others who were not so lucky. As this mass murderer begged forgiveness at Tuhabonye's feet, he let him go free. "If I can let someone who tried to kill me go free, I can do anything - it inspired me." What are you still holding on to? [Full article]

Pickaxing the weeds

vegangirl — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:31:28 +0000

It's been almost 3 months since I covered up my new garden area with black plastic in order to kill the weeds and lawn underneath. Amazingly, some of the plants are still alive under there, so I've decided to move the process along by breaking up the dirt with a pickax and pulling out the weeds. In retrospect, maybe I should have hacked up the yard first to cut the plants from their roots. Pickaxing the ground is a lot of hard work, so I will be doing a small area at a time over the next couple of weeks. Once an area of dirt is broken up, it's very easy to pull the weeds out from the roots. You can also run your hands or a rake through the dirt and find a lot of stray roots that way. When I'm done for the day, I am going to cover the dirt back up to keep killing off any plants that may still have roots down there. I want to reiterate that I am not an experienced gardener. I am figuring things out as I go based on what I remember from years ago, what I learn from friends, and what I find on the internet. Any advice is welcomed. [Full article]

Migun massage bed improves circulation

vegangirl — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:52:59 +0000

The first time I ever tried on a mood ring in junior high school, I was sure that it was broken. It stayed black - didn't change color at all. But when my friend tried on the same ring, it immediately turned blue. I touched it again and it turned right back to black. My whole life I have had freezing hands and feet. I have always had to wear socks to bed so I don't accidentally shock my partner with my ice cold feet at night. I knew it was a sign of poor circulation but I never knew what to do about it. [Full article]

This is why Obama will be our next President

vegangirl — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:22:30 +0000

Think what you want about Obama or his policies (I strongly oppose his expensive, big government policies), this man is going to be the next President of the United States. If you're a Republican and you want to effect the direction of this country, I'd suggest you start focusing on Congress because you've got no chance against a man who can give a speech like this. Watch this video and then compare Obama's presence to John McCain (who isn't even supported by his own party) singing "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran." You need to have flashplayer enabled to watch this Google video [Full article]

Fighting food cravings

vegangirl — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:00:59 +0000

I often hear people say that food cravings are an indication that your body needs nutrients that are in the food you are craving. For the vast majority of people, this is a complete fallacy. Through years of junk food abuse, our bodies have become addicted to foods that make us feel terrible. This is no different from cravings for cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. We can become addicted to meat, sugar, wheat, dairy, salt, etc. I'm a "food-motivated" individual, so I sympathize with people suffering from uncontrollable food cravings. I haven't completely eliminated mine, but I'm getting pretty close, so I thought I'd share a few strategies that I have used to combat them. I'll admit up front that I have no way of knowing whether these strategies were actually effective or if it was just a coincidence. [Full article]

Study: Anti-depressants don't work

vegangirl — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:53:01 +0000

There is a horrifying trend in the U.S. to put everyone on pharmaceuticals for mood disorders, rather than trying to find and correct the underlying cause. The medical industry wants us to buy into this idea that we are helpless victims of circumstance, rather than in control of our physical and mental health. They dismiss diet, exercise, and environmental factors as possible minor contributors, but even that seems to be too "inconclusive" for them. As far as I can tell, they will slap a "disorder" label on perfectly normal people, just so they can cure them with pills. I remember a commercial from a few years ago for an anti-depressant that directed people to ask their doctor about some pill if they have felt depressed for longer than 2 weeks. Anyone who has ever been dumped, worked at a job they hated, or suffered a loss in the family has surely felt depressed for at least that long. I have, and I didn't take any pills, but somehow I turned out just fine. [Full article]

The Paradox of Choice - Why More Is Less

vegangirl — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:57:22 +0000

I watched this video today and realized almost immediately the cause of at least half of the anxiety and unhappiness that permeates my life. Generally speaking, I am a fairly happy and care-free person. I don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Well, not too much at least. But even so, I realize now that there is a constant undercurrent of anxiety as a result of the multitude of choices I am faced on a daily basis. Just watching this video, and being made aware of the phenomenon, lifts a lot of the weight off my shoulders. This seems like an important component of simplifying your life, which I think is essential for happiness. [Full article]