Vancouver in bloom !
Tag: Environment
Vancouver
Vancouver
Volunteering
It is official, I have received my training and am now a volunteer at the Oncology Department at a nearby hospital. Every week I will be greeting, assisting, listening to, and comforting patients scheduled to meet the Oncologist, or to receive a chemotherapy treatment.
You may be wondering why I opted to volunteer with the Oncology Department. Three simple words…………it grounds you. I get to converse with individuals of all ages. Some patients are humorous about their situation, some are still in shock, and some are understandably very angry. However, some are in recovery, and simply follow-up with the department when necessary.
This is a constant reminder to me that I am blessed, as my family is all in good health, and we can go about pursuing our projects and dreams. For cancer patients, some projects and dreams have to be put on hold.
Volunteering or giving back may have positive benefits for the person or community but for the volunteer as well
I get inspired meeting individuals in adversity, and I feel a have a purpose if somewhere I was able to bring comfort or make someone smile in such times.
Cristina for Peas & Peace
Expo manger santé et vivre vert 2019
My visit to the Health Expo was most enjoyable. Am always looking to discover new products. Here are my 4 favorites exhibitors for this year !
Gourmet Sauvage ! www.gourmetsauvage.ca
A tribute to the Canadian wilderness
*Drawing inspiration from a rich and ancient Native American tradition, Gourmet Sauvage presents a unique selection of gourmet specialties featuring the best vegetables and wild fruit of Canada. Carefully picked by community groups and indigenous people across the country and processed entirely by hand*.
I purchased 3 different varieties of Pasta, their latest addition. Bolete mushrooms, Lobter mushrooms & Balsam Fir. Cant wait to try them out !
Varech Phare Est ! varechphareest.com
Hand picked seaweed in Gaspésie by its owner Stéphane Albert. you will notice on the image that he distributes in various venues. Love seaweed, purchased his Wakame from the Atlantic and a Gomasio mixed with various types of seaweed that I can not wait to add to my salads and other dishes,
Kémia ! Kémia.ca
*Kémia offers original condiments, marinades and vegetable spreads, as well as grilled vegetables. Their creations come from the Tunisian culinary tradition, perfect blend between the Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines. Kémia is the Tunisian word that describes an assortment of finger foods traditionally served before a meal.*
I often like to add kick to my meal so I purchased their Harissa, sample tasted it and WOW !
They distribute in Quebec and Ontario as well
Boulangerie Citron Confit ! citronconfit.ca
Artisanal, Vegan, gluten-free Bread & pastries. They deliver at no cost across Quebec if order is over $ 100.00
Tasted their Bread simply delicious !
If you come across these products while at your preferred grocer, do give them a try, they wont disappoint
Cristina For Peas & Peace
NOMU Casa de Te
Visited this quaint tea salon in San Jose Del Cabo and fell in love ❤️ had a Rooibos and vanilla tea, divine
Canada’s Food Guide 2019
I am quite content with the Government of Canada having finally updated the food guide. The guide encourages everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables and to opt more often for plant based recipes for protein. In lieu of juice, milk or other, to make water your drink of choice.
This shift towards plant-based foods comes despite intense lobbying from the meat, dairy and juice industries.
Here below are some highlights and where plant based foods are mentioned. For the complete guide please visit the site https://food-guide.canada.ca/en
Hopefully the next guide would of had eradicated meat and dairy altogether.
Benefits of healthy eating patterns
Making healthy food choices can help you develop a healthy eating pattern. A healthy eating pattern helps you improve your overall health.
The term eating pattern refers to what you eat and drink on a regular basis. In a healthy eating pattern, all the foods and drinks work together to:
- help you feel good
- maintain your health
- meet your nutritional needs
Many of the well-studied healthy eating patterns include mostly plant-based foods.
Plant-based foods can include:
- vegetables and fruits
- whole grain foods
- plant-based protein foods
Eating plant-based foods regularly can mean eating more fibre and less saturated fat. This can have a positive effect on health, including a lowered risk of:
- cancer
- heart disease
- type 2 diabetes
Most healthy eating patterns include little to no highly processed foods.
How to eat more protein foods that come from plants
Here are some easy ways to eat more protein foods that come from plants:
- Add soft tofu to a blended soup to make it thicker and creamier.
- Try a bean salad, lentil and rice pilaf or a bowl of vegetarian chili for lunch.
- Make your own trail mix by combining your favourite whole grain cereal with a handful of nuts and seeds.
- Spread hummus on the inside of a whole grain pita and fill with vegetables such as romaine lettuce and shredded carrots.
Each week, plan a couple of meatless meals. As your main course, try using:
- beans in a burrito
- tofu in a vegetable stir-fry
- chickpeas and beans in tacos
- lentils in a soup, stew or casserole
We are definitely heading in the right direction
Cristina for Peas and Peace
Two ingredients only !
Make your own ! TEETH WHITENING that is !
I kid you not, Baking Soda and Coconut Oil, 2 ingredients that we all have at home.
You are assured of no additives and will not pay the exorbitant amounts certain brands retail for.
Simply mix one teaspoon of each ingredient in a tiny bowl. Mix it well, that is until there are no lumps and until you no longer hear a grainy sound.
1st step, floss and brush as you would regularly do, then use your toothbrush to do same but with your mix, use it entirely. Rinse well.
You will notice a difference after the very first time !
I Repeat every month but you can certainly do it once a week if you wish or on a need basis.
Cristina for Peas and Peace
Some can get away without
Many can get away with not wearing a deodorant, I for one can not, not blessed in that aspect and stink from a mile away. I certainly tried going without…… but simply the fact that I could not bare my own scent was not a good sign .
That being established, then the question was what deodorant to use ?. Remember in one of my previous articles on how skin absorbs all that we apply on it. Well I surely didn’t want my body absorbing anything toxic. I gear towards natural, vegan and cruelty free.
I can suggest the one I use, but do shop around as everyone has their preferences in scents and other.
I love the light scent of the grapefruit and lavender !
I use a few of Cocooning Love’s products: www.cocooninglove.com They are a local Company, this way I am also supporting and giving a small local business a chance.
Cristina for Peas and Peace
Montreal Vegan Festival October 2018
Hello everyone! I had the pleasure of attending the Montreal Vegan Festival. I was actually told that attendence has tripled since the event first started 5 years back! From this fact, one can draw the conclusion that more and more individuals are becoming curious about veganism and want to know/understand more about all of the wonderful benefits it has to offer. One can also ascertain that there has been an increase in people leading a plant-based lifestyle, for whom the festival is a great opportunity to see what new products, food items, etc. are currently out there!
Interesting data supporting this idea of an incline in plant-based diets comes from recent research conducted by Dalhousie University as conveyed by an article on ctvnews.ca, which asserts that “there are 2.3 million vegetarians in Canada, up from 900,000 15 years ago. Another 850,000 people consider themselves vegan. Those two numbers add up to 9.4 per cent of the Canadian population”.
More about the festival now… There were many new and not so new companies (of the beauty, shoe, apparel variety), as well as bakeries, food item producers, etc. selling/displaying their wonderful offerings. I remember 20 years ago there weren’t nearly as many options!
Speaking of bakeries at the festival… special shoutout to Audacieuse Vanille, a Montreal-based bakery from which I bought the BEST pumpkin muffin ever! And my husband couldn’t resist trying the banana bread with chocolate chips, which he says was divine.
Also, while at the festival, I discovered a new company that I truly believe to be my “coup de coeur,” or my newfound love. I plan on featuring it in an upcoming blog post! I’m not going into further detail right now, as I was only able to order some of their products online, as opposed to purchasing them at the festival (they had their complete line on display, however no stock to sell) and I’m 100% committed to ALWAYS testing items personally before writing about them. Stay tuned for that!
To conclude, in exiting the festival, I was left with this wonderful feeling that a collective interest in protecting animals and the environment is alive and growing here in Canada, which is great news!
Bye for now,
-Cristina
Peas & Peace TM 