Planting Our Lives

Greetings!

So before you click away because of the word Vegan, just hear me out…

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It wasn’t until my husband and I went vegan that I realized how much love I had for him or myself or my parents or friends or strangers or animals or bugs..even spiders!!

BEFORE I was vegan I thought I was a super nice person who cared about animals, the environment, my family and other things I held close to my heart.

Then we went vegan overnight and never looked back.

After this change I finally realized what love was and how much I actually care about random strangers, other living creatures, grass, fruit, air, my family, my soulmate, the planet’s well-being and literally anything you can think of.

I was finally able to truly appreciate and love everything around me. It was something I have never experienced before in 21 years of living…well what I thought “living” was all those years.

I’m beyond grateful to have found this path. I wouldn’t trade it for the world! This is why I want to help others and spread the love! Veganism doesn’t have to be a scary word or something to avoid. It has brought me and my family such growth, health and love!

If you are unsure about trying it, I really encourage you to at least TRY. You never know unless you try! If you give it a straight month with no cheating or couple bites here and there, just 1 solid month, I think you’ll be very proud of yourself and will want to make the change.

Change can be intimidating, but positivity will follow once you let go and let your body experience real nutritious unprocessed food! And your taste buds really do change. I never thought I would be eating raw veggies because I always hated them, but now I don’t even think twice about it!

You can always reach out to me if you have any questions! It seems hard to transition at first but I promise it’s just like riding a bike! You just have to practice!

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| Always with love |

Raven + Lily is one of those brands you’ll want to stand behind. They are taking action and making a true difference in the world. They are a Certified B Corporation and a member of the Fair Trade Federation. Below is a picture from their website showing how they are contributing positive change into the world.

 Raven + Lily have employed more than 1,500 artisan women from all around the world. They ensure that these women have a chance to thrive and are given the tools to break the cycle of poverty. This company goes above and beyond to save people and the planet.

It’s important that we make the choice to support companies like this so we can make the future better for all. If everyone took steps toward a more sustainable life then the impact would be unmeasurable.

I’m inspired every day.

But today is going to be the day where I stop myself from not reaching my full potential. I need to help people, animals, and the planet. It’s what I’m purposed to do.

It’s what ALL of us are meant to do. Why wouldn’t we want to help others? It helps make everything that much better in every direction. If you do something good it is going to do more good. I know I don’t have to be a doctor to come up with that conclusion.

I want to help everyone and everything. I don’t feel fulfilled until I’ve put a smile on someone’s face or made a difference in the world. First, just take one step forward. Ask someone to take those steps with you. I’m sure they will be grateful for the experience in the end. Second, do anything even if it feels like nothing. Letting someone go ahead of you at the grocery store since they only have one or two items can spark a conversation. Give your family or friend a hug and kiss. They ask what for? Respond with “just cause I love you.”

I want to know I made an impact on people’s lives whether I know them or not. Did you relate to something I posted on my Instagram or on here perhaps? Well, I’m grateful and would love to hear from you. Tell me what projects you are working on or what your goals are. Maybe you are just helping yourself or family right now, which is totally fine as long as you are taking steps forward. I also like to include those baby steps. Did you skip coffee today, eat an apple instead of fries or say no to getting angry while driving? Then I’m truly happy for you and I’m trying to make those same small differences to make not only my life better but the lives around me also.

If you feel better, then your actions will be better and someone will pick up on those actions and then their actions will be one step better and that will make another outcome a little better and before you know it…

BAM! — People are smiling and the sun is shining in the rain and we are spreading love and everything seems that much better than the day before.

That my beautiful friends: is progress. Beautiful, sweet, cozy progress.

Even if we’ve never met; know that I am rooting for you and I support you. Because honestly, the world needs more love and support.

Let me know how you are making progress or what difference you want to make for yourself and the world, I would love to hear from you!

p.s. You guys can follow me on Instagram @geena__m (it’s hard to tell but there are 2 underscores)

 

| Always with love |

There is something to learn at any stage of life. Especially from each other. If we all brought one positive thing into the world each day that would make an impact. Every day we can decide to take a new path and learn what we wish to change or improve on.

The amount of people we meet or see online who have such motivating and empowering stories is really what keeps us moving to improve ourselves. We are always aiming to spread our knowledge and help people find their happiness and passions in life. Making people feel open to sharing their experiences is what pushes others to share their stories.

Finding a healthy lifestyle can be challenging but it is good to be open to the challenges in life. Not only with plant-based eating but with the products you buy and how you can become more sustainable overall. There are so many amazing people out in the world who are trying to accomplish the same goals of lessening the negative impacts people have on the planet. Ways to help can be buying products that aren’t in plastic, finding companies that show their sustainable practices, buying food from local farmers, growing a garden and the list goes on and on!

There are so many ways to get involved and play a part in a better world not just for tomorrow but for future generations.

It all starts from within.

Wanting to better the environment and the lives that inhabit it, all stems from wanting a better life for yourself. If you have questions about how to start your positive journey there are so many resources. I would be more than happy to help anyone and there are many people on social media who have a lot of experience in different fields. The world is so big and there are so many people who are willing to help!

It doesn’t matter where you start, because if you are trying and making positive change then that is what matters most. Some local places that serve vegan food/options, as well as different vegan products, are Mustard Seed Market, Whole Foods, Troy, Grazers, Chipotle, Kent Natural Foods. There are more and more places incorporating a plant-based lifestyle into their company plan. It is amazing what the power of community can do to change the world locally and globally. If we stand together and spread awareness we can all do amazing things!

 

| Always with love |

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Hello to another beautiful day!

This week I want to talk about health. Specifically what we eat. Because we are what we eat. If we are feeding our bodies chemicals and not real nutritious food then it’s going to be difficult to have a balanced life.

It all starts from within.

It is a hard topic when it’s brought up about not eating meat or diary. Usually it goes something like: “I’ve been doing this my whole life”. “It would be too hard to change”. “How could I do something that seems not normal”? Well… from what i’ve learned you don’t know unless you try. Honestly, my husband and I thought it would be difficult but then a couple weeks went by, and then a couple months and now it’s been over a year and we are never looking back!

I used to sleep more than 12 hours a day if I could (with college and work sometimes I couldn’t) but when I set my alarm at night and it would say I would get 11 or less hours of sleep I was upset that I wouldn’t have enough energy for the next day. Even with 12 or more hours I was still taking 4 hour naps most days.

I don’t take naps now. I don’t need to sleep half of my life away anymore. It upsets me that I could let myself get to such an unhealthy state but all that matters is that I try everyday to become better and know I am fighting for the best in myself.

A healing journey never ends.

I will always be looking to find healthier options and what will work to make myself the best I can be.

A couple documentaries that are a good watch and got us started on our health journey are: Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, Earthlings, Hungry for Change and many others that you can find. There is a lot of great information from each of these. A fact I learned from watching Cowspiracy is: “Even without fossil fuels, we will exceed our 565 gigatonnes CO2e limit by 2030, all from raising animals” (Oppenlander, 2013). Something I learned from Forks Over Knives is: “Two acres of rainforest are cleared each minute to raise cattle or crops to feed them and 35,000 miles of American rivers are polluted with animal waste” (Simon, 2014). In Hungry for Change it talks about how: “MSG and free glutamates are used to enhance the flavour in about 80% of all processed foods, in both restaurants and grocery stores. They can be hidden behind over 50 different names, e.g. hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate, etc” (Cheap-Health-Revolution). These are a couple of things that just touch the surface on how much what we eat is important to not only our health but the planet. All of the information can seem overwhelming but with a positive attitude and a step in the right direction you will be setting yourself up for success and it will make you feel accomplished and empowered.

The benefits of going plant based are worth every second. Your body will reward you when it is given the right foods. It just feels right and the drive to keep feeling happier and healthier never ends! There is always something to learn and that is why we can all obtain valuable information from the people around us!

Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started, I’m more than happy to share my experiences and findings!

| Always with love |

 

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Works Cited

Hungry for Change Documentary. Cheap Health Revolution. 2012, Web.

Oppenlander, Richard A. Food Choice and Sustainability: Why Buying Local, Eating Less      Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won’t Work. Minneapolis, MN : Langdon Street, 2013. Print.

Simon, David. 10 Things I Wish All Americans Knew About the Meat and Dairy Industries. Sept. 30, 2014. Web.

Welcome to a beautiful life ahead!

| Planting Our Lives |
Life will blossom for anyone
if given the nutrients to grow. — Megan Melice

Finding your purpose in life can be difficult. But with positivity, love and a good environment you can achieve anything. Here we will find clarity, peacefulness, and see the beauty in everything.

There is always something to learn and experience from each other. My husband and I are on our journey to become the best we can and spread our love! We want to share our learning experiences on plant based foods, meditation, connection, natural medicine and more! We are open to hear what other people have experienced on their journey through life and hope to inspire others to become their true self.

 

| Always with love |