Groovy Vegetarian

Compassion Lifestyle Blog (with eco-friendly fun mixed in)

Top 5 Vegan Sandals For Summer

This is a guest post from Liz, she writes about all kinds of Vegan Shoes over at GreatGreenShoes.com Do pay her a visit.

Below are Top 5 Vegan Sandals For Summer. (which is your fave? tell us in the comments section)

1.) Dr Scholls Renew
The classic summertime sandal….Perfect for every warm weather outfit and oh so comfy! This vegan version is made from natural hemp canvas, with a buckle made from recycled metal. The wood soles are constructed of sustainable wood and they come in a recycled box and an organic cotton shoe bag.

$93.00 at Zappos.com (Free Shipping)

2.) Dopie Sandals
You can’t get any more summertime simple than the DOPIE sandal from Terra Plana. It consists of a single shape sole to protect the foot that folds up between the toes to provide control. The minimalist vegan sandals are made from recycled EVA and foam rubber. The best part about Dopies is that they come in about 15 different colors.

Men and Women sizes available.
$75.00 at Terra Plana

3.) Low Heeled Walnut Wedge Sandal
This handmade shoe is composed of solid walnut, cherry, or laminated Finnish birch plywood and a recycled rubber sole. Many of the woods are obtained from the Chicago area “urban forest”: sustainable wood from local trees that have been downed by a storm or construction. Each pair of sandals comes with five sets of ribbons of your choice…..so you get not one style here, but five different looks.

$256 at Mohop

4.) Toepeeka Sandal from Simple
Available in two colors and come in mens and women styles and size. Simple shoes donates $5.00 for each pair of these Stop Global Warming Toepeeka flip flops that you get. 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms.

$65.00 at Simple Shoes

5.) Lazy Boy Flip Flop from SPLAFF
Splaff vegan sandals are made with recycled race car tires and bicycle inner tubes. This version is an open toe slipper style that features a combination of hemp fabric and recycled bike tubes in its uppers. They are hand-crafted and are produced in a 100% waste-free and earth-friendly process. All left over materials are either re-used or recycled.

$50.00 at Splaff

Monopoly by Hasbro Goes Green With Solar & Wind Energy Utilities

I can’t tell you how many countless games of Monopoly, the family and I have played. It is always a blast, not to mention a fierce duel to the very end.

So i was quite amused and impressed from hearing that game board Monopoly (by Hasbro) has decided to introduce a green version of the uber popular game. The new Green Monopoly version will have utilities powered by wind and solar energy, further creating awareness of the viability for renewable energy sources. So essentially no “water works” or “electric company” in this version.

The NEW! green Monopoly, called “Monopoly Here and Now, The World Edition” will be out this fall. Get your strategy down now!

Related Products

To My RSS Readers, Do Come On Out To The Blog, and Say Hi.

To all my RSS feed subscribers, do come out and say Hi today. Lets chat or have a Q&A, what is on your mind?

Do de-lurk and share on anything at all. Politics, sports, vegetarian recipes, shopping, Mother’s Day, etc.

FYI

I am currently working on writing a series of tips on going vegetarian for new readers and visitors. Stay tuned for that. Also i am sprucing up the vegetarian resources and about pages, plus upgrading to the latest version of Wordpress.

Speaking of WP, have you upgraded. yet?

So Happy Friday, do come on out to the blog, and give me a shout out. Peace, Missy.

P.S. I’m quite active on Twitter, do join me there as well. It’s quite fun!

10 Hot Topics On The Net Today

If you re wondering what people are interested in? A good gauge is the Yahoo Buzz site, they keep track of what ’s hot from around the interwebs. Today is pretty much on the mark, take a look below, at what is the Hot Buzz. Note: This is an off-topic post.

A hot topic i’m gonna chime in on, is I keep hearing about Miley Cyrus, apparently she posed posed nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, and she is only 15 years old. I would say that is prime buzz. Why did she do it? Why did her parents allow it? What the freak is going on with the media aimed at guys.

Does a 40 year old man really want to see a 15 year old girl naked? Was that a really stupid question? I thin it is wrong, and unfortunately the buzz Miley Cyrus is now going to get, is only going to propel her forward like a rocket launch. I just don’t think posing naked on a mag cover at 15, is necessary, as she is probably the biggest act going. How many billions does a 15 year old need?

What a media sensation this is going to create. Sad, but true.

Technorati Tags: miley cyrus, barack obama, cheri oteri, tax rebate checks, grand theft auto, mindy mcready, giant squid, roger clemens, american idol

LOLCat Pic of The Week. Must See.

see more crazy cat pics

This LOLcat made me laugh lout loud. I just had to share it here. That site is crazy wild, like a million pics and visitors. It is amazing. A virtual cash cow for the owner, and managed mostly by the members.

Enjoy the LOLcat!

Earth Day Freebie From GreenLoop, Cute Eco Shopping Bag!

For Earth Day, eco fashion retailer GreenLoop is giving away a cute freebie. With every $50 purchase, they will send you a Get Hip Get Green Shopping Bag. (see it below)

If you’re not familiar with GreenLoop, they specialize in sustainable fashions, eco accessories, earth-friendly fabric shoes, and organic bodycare.

GreenLoop based out of Portland, Oregon uses socially responsible suppliers and carries some of the most eco friendly brands, including Envirosax, Lara Miller, Anna Cohen, Melissa Shoes, and one of my personal faves, Resource Revival.

Patronize GreenLoop, and grab the Get Hip Get Green Bag till April 27th, on a total purchase order of $50 or more. Be sure to take a look at the recycled accessories, they are too cute.

Technorati Tags: Earth Day, Shopping, Products, Freebies, Sales, Deals, Bags, Totes

Top 5 Nutrients Vegetarians Need to Feel Groovy

The following is a guest-post from Dr. Nicole Sundene. I am super excited she is writing a few articles for us on vegetarian nutrition. Please welcome her and do visit her blog, which is listed below. Love, Missy.

Are you the healthiest vegetarian out there?

If so, I bet you already know what I am about to talk about. If not, please stick around and make sure you have your nutritional bases covered for a healthy, happy and ultimately groovy vegetarian lifestyle.

photo credit: adamjinj

First of all, kudos to you for being a vegetarian as it is a great choice for the environment. Plant-based eating is much more sustainable than animal based eating. The environment in turn immediately rewards you, as vegetarians also consume less toxins and pesticides. Toxins are mostly stored in fat and concentrate as we move up the food chain. So eating vegetarian is clearly healthier for the environment, but is it healthier for you?

As a physician, I could answer that question either way. In the long term, vegetarian eating reduces your incidence of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease. In the short term though, low grade nutrient deficiencies may be jeopardizing your current state of health.

Vegetarians that are hip to healthy eating are usually the most vital people I ever see, unless they do not eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and superfoods. Struggling with nutrient deficiencies can create a myriad of symptoms. The most common signs of nutrient deficiencies that I encounter in my vegetarian patients are fatigue, dry skin, dry hair, brittle nails, anemia, hypoglycemia, frequent infections, osteoporosis and poor immune function.

Occasionally I will run across a vegetarian that is not aware of the essential nutrients inherently lacking in the typical vegetarian diet and much of their health problems are easily corrected by restoring these imbalances through diet or supplements. Most vegetarians are already savvy about alternative protein sources and the importance of pairing those proteins appropriately to ensure the essential amino acids are all covered.

So aside from protein, what are the other top five nutrients that you should watch out for?

• B12 - Is one of the toughest nutrients to get in a vegan diet and most vegan folks simply resort to taking it in a supplement to avoid the development of pernicious anemia or debilitating nervous system dysfunction. The RDA is 3 mcg. You can get that from eating three tablespoons of brewers yeast, or three sheets of nori. Chlorella and spirulina are also excellent sources of B-12. If you are vegan you REALLY need to worry about B-12 and be eating algae or yeast everyday, or you can take a multi-vitamin (it’s best to take the B vitamins all together as a group then individually, as they all work together).

If you are ovo-lacto then you can achieve this level by having two eggs and two cups of milk each day; or two eggs along with two other dairy servings such as cheese or yogurt.

• Iron- The Standard American Diet (SAD) is highly dependent on red meat for iron. Absorption of iron is dependent on stomach acid. The vegetarian form of iron requires vitamin C for conversion to the bio-available form, the body can use. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin C.

You can cook with cast iron skillets to also increase iron content in food, as acidic foods like tomato sauces pull the iron out of the pan. Vegetarian sources of iron from highest to lowest are tofu, black strap molasses, amaranth, lentils, swiss chard, dulse, lima beans, potato, wheat germ, pinto beans, kidney beans, dandelion greens, kale, pumpkin seeds, black beans, spinach, broccoli, almonds, pumpkin, beet greens, brewers yeast, quinoa, teff, figs, raisins, prunes, green beans, millet, whole wheat, parsley, kelp, oats, corn, peanuts, cashew butter, almond butter, blueberries, bananas and raspberries.

• Zinc - Is really important for the immune system, as well as for skin, and neurological health. If you tend to get frequent infections you should definitely add more zinc rich foods in to your diet to optimize your immune system. We need at least 15mg of zinc daily if not 30-50mg for optimal health.

The following foods rich in zinc contain about 2-5mg of zinc per serving and are listed in the order of highest to lowest: wheat germ toasted (1/4 cup), swiss chard, lima beans, baked potato, oats, mustard greens, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, rice, kidney beans, ginger root, wild rice, peas, leeks, lentils, cashews, sunflower seeds, and lima beans.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Almost all Americans are deficient in these fats that are necessary for a healthy nervous system as well as fighting inflammation. The best vegetarian source is freshly ground flaxseeds. Raw walnuts are also a decent source of Omega-3’s. Feel free to read my article on the Flax vs Fish debate and decide for yourself the best choice for your omega 3’s.

If fish oil is needed as a medicine some vegetarians opt to make an exception to their dietary rules to ensure adequate intake of this nutrient. Otherwise, buy yourself a little coffee grinder and a big bag of flaxseeds and grind them up fresh before adding to soups, salads, brown rice, smoothies, applesauce, or yogurt.

Flaxseed oil is extremely delicate and should not be cooked above 100 F. One tablespoon has 2 grams of fiber. Flax is also rich in protein and “lignans” that act as phytoestrogens and thus are a great choice for women trying to balance hormones. I mix flax oil with equal parts of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and add various herbs to make a quick healthy salad dressing. Whatever you do, don’t waste your money on supplements that have “the perfect balance of omega-3’s and 6’s” as a vegetarian diet is RICH with omega 6’s so you don’t need to pay to take these in a supplement.

• Calcium - Is tough enough to get in the SAD diet, and vegan makes it that much tougher. Be sure to use a calcium enriched soy, rice, almond or other milk substitute for the most of your calcium needs. Women over 40 especially need to be on top of this for osteoporosis prevention. Typically about three to four servings of these milks a day should get you what you need when it comes to calcium.

The take home message with calcium is that you need GREEN LEAFIES. Pretty much everyone needs green leafies. Vegans will need to eat a HUGE plate of green leafies each day. Cooking them increases the availability of calcium. The best sources of calcium from highest to lowest are: Cooked turnip greens, torula yeast, collard greens, cooked rhubarb, spinach, oatmeal, tofu, broccoli, dandelion greens, swiss chard, blackstrap molasses, soy flour, mustard greens, almonds, baked beans, filberts, oranges, cooked kale, fresh spinach, tahini, and garbanzo beans. Just remember that green=minerals. So eat your greens people!

Feel free to let me know what other vegetarian health topics you would like me to address, other off-topic alternative medicine questions may be left in the comments section of my latest blog at http://kitchentablemedicine.com be sure to subscribe and check back for the answer!

~Dr. Nicole Sundene

Naturopathic Physician

Resources: http://KitchenTableMedicine.com, “Medical Nutrition from Marz”.