Are you eating whole foods?

I have been a vegetarian for a little over two years now and throughout that time have tried to go vegan once but decided I wasn't ready for the task. When I came back from my yoga conference a few months back I was more determined than ever (after my intensive "Food of Yoga") to give my body what it wanted, not what I thought it needed. And to my surprise, reflecting back my diet has been mostly vegan. But the main thing I have learned is that MY BODY likes this diet and not everyone can thrive on a vegan diet. My body loves the vital nutrients from the abundance of fruits and veggies, but most of all it thrives on the foods that are "whole".

As humans, we seem to be confused or thrown off my the term "whole foods". When our life consist of hectic schedules and gruling life styles we tend to reach for the thing with the least amount of effort...the Tim Hortons on every corner or that cliff bar that comes in every flavor. But the truth is these foods are foreign to our bodies. When we ingest them our body actually works HARDER to break them down. And then when it does, it has all sort of "enriched" vitamins or minerals to act as if they are suppling our building materials for muscle, hormones or vital parts of our cells.

Meat lover or not, add WHOLE foods into your diet for a whole week and really notice the change. But don't be decieved by labels that say "whole wheat" or "whole grains" because sadly, we are lied to more than we know. It is all about the INGREDIENTS. Companies may be able to get away with lying to us about the amount of trans fats in our food but they cannot get away from listing the ingredients on the label. Take a moment to look over it, you body will thank you!

So I went into the kitchen with the intention of cooking a meal consisting of whole foods and I came up with a vegan friendly meal that was perfect!

My recipe:

-Barley (I tend to cook this in bulk but choose an amount that works for you)

-Sweet potatoes (not yams, yes they ARE different)

-Eggplant

-Kale

-Chia Seeds

-Walnuts

-Sunflower Seeds

-Shelled Hemp Seeds

1.) Cook Barley according to directions. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes because it is so dense. But all you have to do is boil it so you can easily do something else while it cooks.

2.) I mixed in Chia Seeds (about 2 tbsp) while there was still moisture in the barley so they would absorb the left over liquids.

3.) Chop up sweet potatoes and cook over olive oil until brown and tender. I added some parsley for flavor!

4.) On the side, cut up eggplant and cook over low heat until tender and slightly brown. Do not cut the eggplant too early becuase it tends to turn brown very quickly once oxygen hits it!

5.) Add in Kale and sautee for 3-5 minutes. I added some more olive oil to the kale so it was not as "tough".

6.) Time to eat! Add the Barley and sweet potatoes and then pour over the kale and eggplant!

This meal was so easy to make because it was made up of whole foods that are easy to prepare and great for your body. It is so reasuring to know what we are feeding our bodies. I hope you enjoy!