-Kitty

Hey Y’all! So… I did an interview with my friend Jennifer Pastiloff, who also happens to be my Yoga Guru!

When I first started my blog Veggie Boom Boom, I was also thinking of ways to support Jen in getting her own message out there. I figured I could use the success of VBB to allow other to see how amazing Jen was, and how inspiring her classes and workshops are. She does Yoga/Manifestation retreats all over the world and I wanted people to get to know her!

Funny thing is, she got inspired by my site and began to do her own blog, Manifestation Yoga, and I was spiraling  down a frightening rabbit hole in my personal life, and completely stopped doing Veggie Boom Boom.

A year has passed, and I’m out of the rabbit hole and recently got offered a job on the new CW Network show, The LA Complex. Any of you that know me, know that was the etherial life rope sent by the universe to pull me out of the hole and into the world again. Now, Jen is doing an interview with ME. (and she is hugely successful with her blog!)

She has watched me sink and rise, and never once faltered in holding a space of love for me. Even in the darkest moments of my past few years. I am eternally grateful.

Believe in yourself. You know who YOU are. It’s not the “self” that tells you your stupid, or not enough, or unworthy of life’s blessings …
It’s the true self, that speak with a soft voice … playing underneath those harsh old tapes that try to prove you need to stay small to be safe.
The voice to listen for, is the one that says ” I LOVE YOU and YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOO WORTH IT!”

Enjoy,
Krista XO

THE REAL KRISTA ALLEN … BY JENNIFER PASTILOFF

So most of you have at least seen her face. What most of you don’t know is what an amazing and passionate human being Krista Allen is. My intention in having her sit down with us today is to have you be as inspired by her as I am. She is kind and humble, grounded and funny, generous and compassionate. And drop dead gorgeous to boot.

I am so excited to have the world get to know Krista in the way I know her. She has taught me many valuable lessons, not only about my own spirituality, but about life. In the interview below, she is raw and honest and insightful. It is my greatest honor to introduce you the incomparable Krista Allen.

Jennifer: What are you most proud to have manifested in your life?

Krista:
Well, it’s all about the power of thought, right?

I am most proud to have manifested every bump, bruise, failed relationship and painful experience in my journey so far. Without THAT, I wouldn’t be here.

I literally had to “manifest” my reality in a way that was so contrary to who I Really AM. And there is a profound beauty in that … I got to see myself.

Really See Myself. Like really truly, unabashedly look at the shadow side of ME… of my own special I AM-ness.

I needed to lose myself, in order to find myself. I experienced very devastating “force de major” the last 2 1/2 years that needed to happen so I could choose to wake up!

So, I opened my eyes. I re-created a belief system that was all mine, instead of the one that didn’t even belong to me. I am now, on this path of freedom, finding peace. It wasn’t until I was willing to LET GO of the belief system that “I AM NOT ENOUGH” that I was able to embrace and allow the truth of “I AM SOOOOO ENOUGH.”

Jennifer: I used to wait in you for years when I was a waitress at The Newsroom and trying to be an actress. You were always so kind and funny and humble. I admired you for that. That’s what stuck out about you. Years later, it’s those same qualities I admire in you. How do you stay so grounded?

Krista:
That made me laugh! You have watched me on this recent journey, and to ask how I stay grounded knowing what you have seen, and how you even had to detach from me for a bit is humbling. I just look for the honesty now, much more than demanding the truth. I used to have an insatiable need to pretend to control the outcome in order to feel worthy. The grounded part of me NOW is all about letting go of the need for control, in all aspects of my life, and allowing God to be my personal GPS. I mean, it’s always been there … but my ego would generally convince me that “I know a better way” … so I wouldn’t listen to the loving voice telling me “WRONG WAY!!!” … but my personal Higher Power GPS continues to recalculate all the time, and when I LISTEN, I get where I NEED to be and it might not be where I think I want to go. I’m trusting more and more that when I’m guided to make a U turn… I take the damn U turn!

Jennifer: What has been the toughest decision you have ever made?

Krista: Letting go. My toughest decision has been to look at myself and begin to forgive myself for buying into those belief systems for so long that kept me stuck. I was always looking for something or someone to believe in. I had a tough time as a kid, and there was a lot of abuse present in my childhood. So, I kept a lot of secrets. I learned early on that if I said something, then I would be “bad” and I was afraid to “get in trouble”. This was my belief system. I was taught early on that I didn’t have a valid voice. I would be seen as weak if I spoke up and then, there was this false bravado if I stayed silent.

In order to make decision, You have to make the choice to let go of something. That “something” I was attaching to was that I needed to be controlled to feel loved, and stay small to feel safe.

So, a lot of my choices were based on choosing people to believe in, that might not have been so … how can I say this … wise to pick. I figured at the time, if I could just make “this person” be good to me, then I must be worthy of love, and then I could believe in myself.

In all truth, my past thoughts and core beliefs were my greatest hindrance to any freedom and happiness in my life. Choosing to be willing to change that was/is the most powerful decision I have ever made.

Jennifer: How has that reflected in your years of working an actress in Hollywood?

Krista:
I’m always a work in progress. In this moment, right now, is the greatest adventure I’ve ever been on. If I look at certain roles I’ve done, especially, early on … some were questionable, to say the least. As I mentioned, I adapted a false belief about who I AM. (… which is a lot more about who I thought I needed to be.) There was so much of myself that I refused to own and embrace, and that put me in a really vulnerable place. So, there was some anger and frustration there. Like… “COME ON! Someone give me a freakin’ break now!” … it was me that had to give myself a freakin’ break. My career, much like my life, is evolving. I’m loving this part of my journey.

Jennifer: Can you tell us your favorite part about working on The La Complex?

Krista:
MARTIN GERO!! (creator of THE LA COMPLEX) That man is a genius! Besides that… I really love my character. I have never played a role like this. I guess I can’t give too much info on that as season 2 has not started yet. But I will tell you that my storyline is great. The entire cast is so talented and I’m really proud to be on this show. It’s like a blend of Unscripted (an HBO series I did), Melrose Place, and … Friends?

Jennifer: What is the greatest lesson you have learned this past year about yourself?

Krista:
The greatest lesson at this time is that I don’t have to ever keep myself small to make someone else feel better about themselves. EVER.

I have learned that I am a powerful woman, a wonderful mother and daughter, and an incredibly loyal friend. I am so grateful for my family … the one I came to be with here in this lifetime, and the family members that I have “adopted” throughout my journey, so far. I’m learning how to balance humanity and divine truth.

Jennifer: Speaking of adopted family, I know you are dear friends Tom Shadyac, and as I am a huge fan of his film I Am ( get it folks! It is amazing.) I would love to know what you have learned Tom Shadyac.

Krista:
Tom is my voice of reason. The funny thing is that I met Tom in 1996 when he directed me in Liar Liar. How fitting for my perception of what I was believing about how life showed up for me …and, I played the role of “elevator girl” … which again, is pretty fitting since an elevator is all about “pushing buttons” to go up or down! Tom has been a huge influence in supporting me in my I AM-ness. He’s my divinely adopted big brother and I adore that man.

Krista wears a Conscious Ink tattoo that says “I am”
Click to see more tats!

Jennifer: What is the greatest lesson you have learned from Jake, your son?

Krista: Forgiveness and patience. He is 15! (agggghhhh!!!!) He has shown me, especially recently, what forgiveness and patience through unconditional love looks like. That boy is so freakin’ special. My son is the most important person in my life.

The love of my life, my son, Jake.

Jennifer: Who/what inspires you the most?

Krista: Besides Jake, who inspires me daily to be the best I can be. I have so much that inspires me!

(side note from Krista: as your readers peruse the following, they might want to imagine the pungent smell of pachouli seeping through cyberspace and out of their air vents in the computer… and perhaps, a funky harp playing?)

I believe that there is a power greater than me, greater than anything I could ever achieve in my own way of thinking. My best thinking has gotten me into some pretty messy places in my life! It’s the feeling of oneness that inspires me. The connection to the stillness of the Palm tree just BEING a damn Palm tree. Observing. .. the roots in the ground that can’t easily be shaken… The way a little seed can become that massive Palm tree. … The Ocean… Dolphins… People …. Life force inspires me! .. (okay… end the damn pachouli smell and harp music.)

Jennifer: What would you say to your 16 year old self?

Krista: “Oh my God!! You poor thing!! I will save you!”

Ha! That’s what I would want to say … But what I would say now is this: Know this you beautiful girl… No one can ever save you. You will be your own savior. It will take you years to understand this … so your journey is not going to be easy. But it will be worth it. I promise you this. You are good. You are powerful… and one day, you will know this. If I told you what your life will be like, I would doing you a huge disservice. This is your journey and I understand why you are angry. Believe there IS a reason for every single moment. Your tears will be liquid prayers, even in those times you decide to believe there isn’t anyone to pray too. You will always know, somewhere inside of you, that you are never alone, even when you feel like you are. … You are heard. Believe that. You have so much beauty to see in this lifetime … even though it might not be very pretty.

Jennifer: That is so beautiful. thank you. Can you share with us a bit about your passion for saving animals and being a Vegan?

Krista: I guess this goes back to being connected to everything. If an animal is in pain or suffering… I feel that very deeply, and it hurts. There is such an innocence to animals. Just like there is an innocence to humans. But, the difference is the ego. Have you ever seen a dog make his fellow pack mate pay over and over for peeing on the floor? NOPE. But we see that in humanity all the time. Don’t we make people and ourselves pay over and over for our/their mistakes? … Ahhh, I digress into spiritual babble, again. (note from Jen: That is one of the qualities I love most about Krista!)

Okay, back on point… I believe that the quality of life pertaining to all living creatures is crucial to the global consciousness in the world. I’m simply not okay eating animals. I shutter at the thought of the intense fear they must feel in their short time in this life as a food source. I believe when humans eat the flesh of another living creature, the fear or sadness of their quality of life is also taken in… and don’t get me started about all the hormones, antibiotics, sickness and cruelty…. I could write a whole book about it!

Here is an article Krista wrote about her vegan journey:

Jack the Beagle

Jennifer: You could write a book about it! You sort of did!
I love all of your knowledge about veganism. Who has been your greatest teacher in life?

Krista:
Well…Life! It’s not so much a who, but a what. I have always been a student of life … I just didn’t choose to pay attention and I played hookie a lot. I totally thought I had all the answers, but never acknowledged what my own questions were. The joy I have found is that once I was truly willing to change, and willing to listen… the teachers appeared in every form imaginable.

Jennifer: What are some of your “aha” moments in your life that you can share.

Krista: I have “aha” moments a lot. …and I also have “A-HA!!” moments …Like…

“A-HA!! … he ain’t gonna change!!”

You know when people change?… When they are ready too, and not one second sooner.
… My true “aha” moment was seeing that it was ME that needed to change.

I create. … and I mis-create. … I fall and I get up… I fly high and I crash and burn … and, it’s taken me a long time to understand that this is all part of my human experience and there’s not a thing wrong with that. It’s just being human. So, to be able to experience separation from the good stuff… makes it utterly blissful to experience oneness in the good stuff. And for me, that journey is all about forgiveness. It’s the key to my happiness. This is a constant process with gradual progress.

I see myself in others a lot now, in those moments that trigger my impatience or judgment. Which is more often than I care to admit! Look, I just got mad and gave a mean angry face to someone this morning for stealing “my” parking space in the Whole Foods parking lot. Then, after I realized that I was being just as entitled, I laughed. I remembered that I’ve done that TO someone else … oh … a few hundred times!? I was able to say “Hello Me, there I am, stealing someone’s parking space again!” … That’s an example of an AHA moment today.

Jennifer: How do you define success?

Krista:
I like to think of it as achievement rather than success. I’ll know I’ve achieved my own personal success when I can put my head down on my pillow at night and not be a little freaked out when I pray “Dear God, Tomorrow, please have everybody that I come in contact with, treat me exactly the way I’ve treated people today, AMEN!’…

Jennifer Pastiloff: Thoughts on the mind/body connection?

Krista:
It’s all about that divine energy … that amazing power that as humans in a temporary body.. we forget is all part of the package. We are so much more than the body. And, once that is explored… miracles really do happen … and I think, that is where the healing begins.

Jennifer: What would a snapshot of Krista Allen’s day look like?

Krista:
Wake up: laugh at my sleepy pups with their legs stretching out while sliding across the sheets on their bellies, giving me kisses. I Pray. I Meditate. I ask for guidance and send love to the people and places in my thoughts. Regardless of the thought! I nourish my body with food. I follow the divine guidance I receive, if I’m not feeling too cheeky. Or, I rebel against it if i let my ego take over, and then I pay later. I tell my son I love him, I check in with family and friends, I study my lines, work, I read new scripts, I meet with some amazingly talented directors and writers, I get creative and share my ideas with other artists, I hit the beach with my pups or go on a hike. Practice Yoga. … I write a lot, I reach out to friends and do some business stuff, I read, I laugh a lot…I call my son and my mom and my dad. Maybe get a mani-pedi… Check on my social networking stuff which I have recently gone back to as part of my FREEDOM journey.

… And some days, I don’t wanna do anything but sit in a feeling and have a pitty party for a thought that won’t leave my mind. But I allow it now, instead of resisting it. I pushed my feelings down for so long and I was a just pretending to be okay, instead of just experiencing humanity and being honest enough to say “I am so not okay in this moment!” … But no matter what, I write a gratitude list. Even if all I can muster in the moment is “Grrrrr … I am grateful for knowing there is something I am grateful for!!”

Jennifer: Gratitude is the greatest force In my life. Most of my classes are set to this theme. If you could say thank you right now, who would it be to?

Krista:
The universal mind… which to me is simply, God. THANK YOU!

All the opportunities to grow are right there, I think, for a reason.

Jennifer: If you weren’t acting what would you be doing?

Krista: Oh, that’s easy!

Something super simple like … running a yoga and meditation and surfing retreat complete with spa and beauty services, and a revolutionary holistic healing center, while running an organic vegan bistro from my incredibly vast and sustainable garden, that also has the most amazing animal rescue in the world, and of course, lots of kids of all ages (0-199) running around happy and learning… adopted, fostered, healing, feeling love…. while writing best selling novels and oscar winning screenplays and relaxing in the middle of it all on my very own tropical island, with a full art studio, and harnessing epic guitar playing skills and have a voice like Adelle, and all this would be on the eco friendly tropical island which housed an amazing community of my entire family and friends … and a true life partner, just for me… and be independently wealthy to do all of that while also supporting a kazillion charities and non profit organizations and kick starter projects to help make the world a better place … Just simple, see?

Jennifer: Can you share with us about your yoga/meditation practice?

Krista:
I practice yoga as often as I can. It really is a way of living … and not just going to a class. It’s the practice OFF the mat that sustains me. Meditation is a daily ritual. I love guided meditations… my brain likes to jump around a lot, so I find when I can be guided by a CD or a class, I stay more focused. But I’m working on just being mindful in the silence for longer than say …. Oh, 2 seconds! (… Hey look, there’s a squirrel!)

Jennifer: You’re funny! Next question. What fulfills you?

Krista:
I am fulfilled when I “get it” … whether it’s with my son, my friends, my family, my dogs, riding a wave in the ocean (even for a split second!!), taking someone through a Vynassa that’s never done one…. that moment of connection. Yeah… Being of service and allowing that gift to reciprocate the way it just does. That magical flow of energy. There’s truly is nothing better than that.

Jennifer: I know these past few years have been really hard for you and for everyone who wanted you to be happy. What has been the silver lining to come out of those years?

Krista:
FREEDOM ….I bought into the believe that it was selfish to take care of myself or that I had the right to live my life out loud. I thought that I must hide the truth and live my life the way others wanted me too, in order to be a loved back. And ya know what? I did it with a ton of resentment and expectation. OUCH! That’s a tough one to say, but it’s true. So,in the words of Janice Joplin.. “Freedom’s just another word for nothin left to lose, nothin’ don’t mean nothin, hun, if it ain’t free!”

Jennifer: What are some words you live by?

Krista:

Thank you.

I am grateful.

I forgive you.

I forgive myself.

Rock on!

Jennifer: What’s up next for Krista Allen?

Krista:
I am spending time with my son and my pups and my family and friends!! I have the show LA complex that I’m working on, I’m writing a lot, I’m teaching Yoga to my surfer and MMA buddies when I am in LA, I’m getting offers for new projects with people that inspire me, I’m cooking a lot of yummy vegan and raw meals for friends and family, I am speaking at charities for abused women, supporting them in finding their solution …. and I just signed on to work with OM TIMES and ONE GREEN PLANET! I get to host interviews with some brilliant people that are helping to shine their light in the world! It’s really very cool, as it will also be in conjunction with my blog www.veggieboomboom.com! 

Please follow Krista on twitter @KristaAllenXO

Please also follow Jennifer @ManifestYogaJen

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Krista Allen

“But the animals are already dead …” some would say “…The meat would be wasted if people didn’t buy it!”
Okay, I get that point, and it’s a damn good point!
However, if the demand for meat wasn’t so insatiable, there wouldn’t be such a desperate need to supply it!

Pretty simple.
But, I didn’t always think that way.

We live in a time where the convenience of mass produced meat and dairy products, outweigh the inconvenience of taking the time to understand how the daily intake of these foods effect our bodies, the environment, and the animals in question.
It’s been like that for as long as I can remember.
As a kid in Texas, I certainly wasn’t informed about the cruelty to living creatures in slaughter houses, or what the heck greenhouse gas emissions were, or even how eating miserably diseased and hormonally injected animals were effecting the health of me and everyone I loved and cared about.
It was just NORMAL to eat meat at every meal! I was told that meat was a good, healthy source of protein, and that milk did my body good, and I just assumed that EVERYONE over 45 years old must be at risk of a heart attack and/or would have to take a lot of pills for their “old people” health aliments.

I heard about all the hormones in the foods approved by the FDA, but I still ate it and loved it, and figured I would just take one of those magic pills when I needed to, down the line. But I had time, and I was “fine”!
The thought of not eating meat and dairy, seemed to be a formidable challenge that I would NOT partake in, thank you very much!
I started hearing terrible stories about factory farming cruelty, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually think about what the animals went through to get on the plate.
“No way! Like, Oh my God ….Too Sad!!”
So, I did what any misinformed, gullible,and convenience addicted American gal would do … I adapted an “ignorance is bliss” mentality and continued onward through the fog.

That was my go-to thought process for most of my teenage years, playing with the idea of being a vegetarian because I wanted to prove to my mom that french fries could get me through anything.
Okay, that didn’t work very well for me, but it was fun for a second.
I attempted going off meat again in my twenties .. but didn’t have the time or the attention span that I felt was needed to be a successful veggie. … And NO ONE I knew shared my curiosity at that time.
I read a few books and tried few things, but my families concern for my protein intake forced me to give up my quest for a no meat diet.

When my son was a baby, I found myself with a terrible sinus infection, due to bad allergies.
I went to the doctor and he put me a Z pack, which at that time was the new super charged antibiotic.
I was still nursing my son, and he warned me to stop breast feeding until the antibiotics were out of my system.
Seemed like a fine plan!
On the drive home from the pharmacy, with my new fancy prescription tucked away in my purse, I thought about what my doc had said.

I shouldn’t breast feed because of the antibiotics, but it’s okay to give my baby the milk from cows that have antibiotics in it?

Hmmm ….

From that point on, I was on a mission to understand the effects of food sources that were processed with hormones and antibiotics and the benefits of a whole foods diet and alternate protein sources. It wasn’t easy and yes, it was very inconvenient, but my son’s health was clearly more important to me than than my own.
It took my maternal instinct of wanting something better for my son to get me to wake up to a different way of thinking.

… I went back and forth for a few years years, tossing and turning in my hypothetical sleep to finally understand the connection between what I eat, how it’s connected to my emotional and physical health, my true love of animals and actually make the change in my life.

It’s a vicious circle out there that goes something like this:

It starts with the supply and demand for meat and dairy in our nation based on our own family eating practice and the deception of advertisements with seemingly well meaning products, so there is mass breeding of tortured animals at a rapid pace to supply the demand of meat and dairy … then use of multiple hormones is needed to make bigger and faster growing animals to keep up the pace of production … overpopulation of these animals and the disconnect of compassion brings on severely confined conditions for the creatures of circumstance who are so sick from birth on, they require antibiotics to survive until they reach their ideal weight for slaughter … all the while living a depressed, abused and awful existence … the greenhouse gas emissions caused from the chemicals and the mass overpopulation of these animals continue to effect our suffering environment … while even stronger antibiotics are created for we the people to counter-balance the hefty antibiotic intake we already get from these animal sources … and of course, the demand for more special pills and remedies to allow us to continue on and mindlessly consume the injected, fatty, cholesterol laden diseased meats that we feel so comfortable eating at every meal of the day … and yes, then even more pills to offset the plethora of health issues caused by the processed foods we eat, the polluted environment we live in, and the mere convenience of a drive through window followed by the instant gratification of a favorite over-the-counter heart burn tablet.

But at least you got the value meal right?
I guess they do that to keep money in our pockets for our doctor bills that will ultimately follow.

… and then the circle continues … until we really get sick or we make a choice to see things differently.

The truth is, we as a society, just don’t connect to the reality that the CAUSE of so many issues in our bodies and our environment are often the EFFECTS of our mass consumption of meat and dairy and use of chemicals and pesticides.
I wish more people cared about earth, people and animals as much as they cared about who they believe created it all.
Most of us do believe in a greater power or a God.
We go to Church, Temple, Synagogues, Mosques or we pray to the God within us, we love our families, we struggle to be better people, we do the best we can with what we know and hope like hell that we can get it right at some point… or at least a little better than our parents did.
That said, I am grateful to the companies that do care about the quality of life of an animal, even though they are bred as food sources. There are lots of companies that understand how important it is to give animals freedom, to keep them happy, and not to pump their bodies full of poison or fill their soil with chemicals.
I think those folks are doing a hell of job for the people that choose to eat humanely, and they should be applauded for their efforts. I believe that just cutting down on the intake of meat would make a huge difference in the health and wellness of our nation as a whole.
Every little step counts.

What if everyone really tried a little harder to live a kinder, cleaner life?
What if consumers made the demand for organic whole foods and a plant based diet greater than the demand for meat and dairy …
I know it would be supplied.
We just gotta make the request.
Can you even imagine?

Here’s a challenge for your ego:
Would you be willing to try no meat or dairy for a day? A week? … Two weeks?
Could you be willing to TRY?
Let me know if you are up for it, because I’d love to walk with you on your journey and hear your thoughts!
There are SO MANY brilliant resources out there today to help you on your journey!
There are incredible recipes sites and blogs and books and restaurants and AMAZING plant based meats and products that taste delicious! I know that if I had these things available to me when I was on-the-fence about an organic plant based lifestyle, I would have been so happy!

BOOM!

The article below is a great guide to start with … Check it out here or continue reading on. If you click on the link to the actual article, you will find helpful sub-links through out his post.

Nil Zacharias, is the co-founder of One Green Planet and has incredible information on how to make a plant based diet do-able, as well as MANY other important topics.

The Quick Guide to Vegan Living
By Nil Zacharias

Most people are very intimidated by the idea of eliminating animal products from their lives. This isn’t surprising, considering we live in a society that’s largely built on the use of animals for food, clothing, as raw materials and also to test new products. Going vegan is like rejecting society itself, and that obviously doesn’t seem like a lot of fun. To make matters worse, choosing to avoid animal products can have some perilous social consequences. That’s just the way it is — choose not to eat broccoli and you may illicit a polite chuckle, but choose not to consume animal products and you’re likely to attract a barrage of concerned questions, pseudo-scientific opinions, or at a minimum, some eye-rolling. Not all of it is negative all the time, but it can make life seem like a bit of an obstacle course, where you’re trying to do what you believe is the right thing, without simultaneously offending those that don’t share your views. It’s a tricky balance that can be enjoyable (if you’re prepared!).

Assuming you want to give vegan living a try, or even if you’ve been doing it for a while, you should know that the recipe for enjoying the experience is planning and preparation, sautéed with a sense of humor.

If you dive head-first into eliminating animal products from your diet without learning the ABCs of plant-based nutrition, it’s possible that you’ll turn into a bitter “ex-vegan” very soon. There are a ton of myths associated with consuming a plant-based diet and that’s why you have to be somewhat familiar with the basic facts. The research will not only help you make nutritionally sound choices, but will also give you the ammunition you need to respond to probing questions about your eating habits. Some people are genuinely curious, while others just want to prove you’re wrong. Either way, you’ll end up learning a lot about food and health, even if the health benefits are not your primary reason for choosing vegan.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS BRILLIANT ARTICLE PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK.

and a very special thanks to One Green Planet for being AMAZING!

Excited to see all your ideas and we are so grateful for your support!!

BOOM!!

Krista Allen and Katrina McCaffery

Cool Things from one of my FAVORITE daily’s PURE CITIZEN.
There motto is simple:
“Because you love saving money, you love giving back and you love supporting companies who are changing our world”

Please visit them HERE and sign up for their newsletter!

SOUL REBELS is a company that I adore. ♥ They make vegan fair trade sandals, flip flops and shoes featuring recycled car tire soles and an array of recycled and sustainable ingredients like hand spun + hand loomed organic fabrics and a pallete of unique natural fibers including organic pure abyssinian jutes and PURE Abyssinian KOBA.

Check out their sale HERE! …brought to you by PURE CITIZEN.

SOLE REBELS – VEGAN + FAIR TRADE – SAVE 30-50%

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SALE PAGE AND BUY!

Plus you can give back to AAVS in support of Leaping Bunny. A non-profit that protects animals from wrongful testing, experimentation, and cruelty.

Make a difference and look cool doing it!

Happy Friday!
VEGGIE BOOM BOOM
Krista Allen

*Please click on the links to follow me on twitter and please also join our Veggie Boom Boom Facebook Community for lots of great Vegan and Yoga and Green info!
Or, you can just follow that little birdie on this page and click on the icons at the top of the page!
Become part of the Veggie Boom Boom family!

There are a bazillion certified yoga teachers in Los Angeles. But it takes more than just a piece of paper and iron core strength to be a great instructor. It takes grace, humor, patience and dedication while also being humble and inspiring to really stand out.

That said, I want to introduce my personal yoga guru and cherished friend, Jennifer Pastiloff.

" If you fall ... you MUST laugh!!" - Jennifer Pastiloff

From the kick ass play lists that she selects to the words of wisdom and self-written poetry that are peppered throughout the class, you find yourself immersed in a natural flow that would leave the ghost of Biggie Smalls feeling envious. (excuse that reference, my husband is a rapper and music producer and he told me Biggie Smalls has the best “flow”)

But okay .. you get the point.

Simply put, Jen is awe-inpiring and she gives her students access to find the awe within themselves.

She is known throughout Los Angeles for her brilliant Manifestation Workshops and her Yoga and Wine Retreats around the world.
And guess what? … The next one is coming up in Ojai, CA this Thursday 7/14.
Click here for more information and to reserve a spot for this all VEG and Organic catered retreat! (by Consciously Culinary)
There is only ONE space left!!

… I was lucky enough to secure a spot for myself for this event for the second time!
Cooking classes, massages, music classes, vision board classes, hiking, YOGA, Organic Wine, Prepared Veg meals, great people and lots and lots of laughter… and of course, some major manifesting and healing energy!
Check this out!

Do something for you! You deserve it!

Hope to see you there!

Krista “Veggie Boom Boom” Allen

Things that make ya go Hmmmmmmmmm?

I subscribe to a fantastic blog by Kevin and Ann Marie Gianni over at the amazing www.RenegadeHealth.com.
They posted a great article (below) about the 2014 “Obama Care” health care bill and I wanted to share.
This whole “Mandatory Health Insurance” thing is pretty overwhelming for lots of us.
Love to know your thoughts!

1. Mandatory health insurance gets closer to reality.

Last week, a U.S. Federal appeals court ruled that mandatory health care is constitutional – meaning everyone would have to buy health insurance by 2014 or face a fine (as long as the case is not brought to the U.S. Supreme Court.) Mandatory health care is part of the “ObamaCare” health care bill that has been labeled by some as the most important legislation to come out of his presidential term.

The Good: I don’t see much here. It could be argued that having mandatory health insurance will help the hospitals collect money that they would not get from care given to uninsured individuals. That’s a minor plus in an overwhelmingly bad situation.

The Bad: There’s a lot of bad here to discuss.

The most evident is that mandatory insurance doesn’t solve any of our health problems. Having mandatory insurance is like putting a bigger band-aid on a severed leg.

As our population becomes unhealthier, there’s a larger need for medical care – which the insurance companies obviously are projecting. They need more money to cover everyone’s bills and lobbying the government to make changes that will put more cash into their accounts seems to have worked.

But instead of attempting to fix why people are getting sicker, the government has taken a shortsighted approach by siding with the insurance companies and not working to fight the industries that are causing us to get sick – which are namely the food, farming and petroleum industries.

This approach they’ve chosen is more like putting more water in a bucket that is leaking out the bottom, instead of closing up the cracks and holes.

Another potential negative side effect of mandatory health care is that the insurance companies basically will then take complete control of medical industry pricing.

They already have a good deal of control, but this will put them completely in the driver’s seat.

When everyone has insurance, the insurance companies are the ones that are negotiating how much care will cost. They obviously want to pay as little as possible, which doesn’t necessarily help the patient.

Doctors may choose not to give the best care because it doesn’t make financial sense to them.

I’ve talked to many doctors and chiropractors who have told me that the insurance companies determine their fees for many treatments – and sometimes (if not all the time) they’re far from fair.

What this does, is puts them in a position to either lose money – which some do – on some treatments or causes them to question what treatments they will give and which ones they won’t.

Others report incorrect treatments to the insurance companies to be paid fairly (though this is highly illegal.)

Not exactly a good situation.

Finally, if the insurance companies take over the payments of all medical care and start to decide what prices care will be, the care will eventually suffer (even more, since it is suffering already.)

Good doctors may switch over to cash only – led by the chiropractors who are already doing this in droves – and then those who need good acute medical care may end up under the knife of a doctor who’s not nearly as qualified.

What it really means: This is not the end of the legal due process for this bill. Just because it has been labeled constitutional doesn’t mean that it’s now law, many believe the bill and issues at hand will make it to the Supreme Court. There we can only hope that at least 5 judges believe that mandatory insurance is unconstitutional and that it’s time to address the really hard issues that make the biggest difference like banning processed sugars, flours and artificial ingredients.

Highly unlikely, but we’ll see.

The Link:

CNN: //www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/29/health.care.appeal/index.html?hpt=us_c1

2. A possible radiation fallout event in Hawaii.

This report doesn’t come from an accredited media source like the New York Times (if that matters or not, I don’t know), but from what I’ve read from his site, I feel this is trustworthy information.

On June 23rd, Tim Flanegin reported on his website radiationetwork.com that there was a spike in Geiger counter readings for an extended period of time during a rainstorm on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

RadiationNetork.com is an independent network of people with Geiger counters who read radiation levels all around the globe. It’s about as close as we have to real, honest readings as you can get.

Here’s little of what he wrote:

“Yesterday, June 22nd, our network’s Monitoring Station on the island of Kauai, within the Hawaiian island chain, broadcast yet another Radiation Alert over the Network, at 8:08 A.M. local time – a 3 minute surge of 209, 456, and 186 CPM (Counts per Minute) respectively, accompanied by a generally elevated level leading up to that, and followed by another blip at 2:52 P.M. The Kauai station indicates it was raining at the time, so we believe the precipitation brought down Fukushima fallout from the atmosphere.”

The Good: Radiation fallout is never good. I guess – selfishly – you could say, “at least it’s not in my hometown,” but that statement makes you sound like a jerk.

The Bad: If this is a correct reading, then we have evidence that radioactive materials are still making their way around the globe even though the media has long since forgotten the disaster in Japan.

Radioactive materials, if you’re exposed long enough, increase your risk of cancer considerably.

The reading of 456 CPM is about double what you’d experience on a plane, but on a plane you’d be exposed for a significantly longer time.

A note on these readings: Since Tim’s site looks like it’s frozen in 2002, I have to say a few things about what I’ve observed there since the earthquake in Japan. I’ve seen him, on numerous occasions, dispute readings on the Network many times. In fact, it’s more of the norm that he’ll share why the reading was definitely NOT a fallout type event. This makes me feel that’s he’s not a doomsday-er, but someone who is interested in passing along information that is as accurate as possible.

If you take some time and read through the site, you’ll see how detailed he is and this gives me a good sense of what his motivations are – real, accurate information that is geared to inform the public, not scare the pants off of them.

I’m trusting this particular reading in Hawaii, so it’s up to you to decide if you want to as well.

What it really means: It means there is fallout still. We already knew this was going to happen (or happening), so it’s no surprise.

The only thing that it means to us is that we will still be eating nutrition rich foods and supplements like kelp, chlorella and antioxidants.

I think it’s the most reasonable approach, unless you’re able to move down to the Southern Hemisphere for a few years.
(BTW: This is completely unsubstantiated, but if you move to a place like Peru, I have a feeling the chances of dying from a radioactive event would decrease, but the chance of dying from a crazy taxi ride increases quite significantly.)

What this also means is that I’m going to bring out my Geiger counter again the next time it rains and see if there is a higher reading. I’ll keep you posted on this, but don’t wait around for me, it doesn’t rain much here until November…

(Also, please read here for more information on radiation damage and health: //renegadehealth.com/blog/2011/03/17/how-to-protect-yourself-from-the-nuclear-radiation-hype/)

The link:

Radiation Network: The link

3. When will we stop relying on oil?

A ruptured pipeline in Montana has spilled a reported 42,000 gallons of crude oil into the Yellowstone River. Some people have reported feeling dizzy and sick with acute hydrocarbon exposure.

The Good: Again, not so much. Hopefully, the last few oil spills we’ve seen will inspire more investments into the alternative fuel industry. Eventually, I feel, the right technology will be released that is light on resources, renewable and cost efficient.

But here’s the thing… It might take 30-40 years to strip down the walls that are blocking these technologies from being developed now. I’m sure you’ve all seen “Who Killed the Electric Car.” Whether this film is accurate or not, you have to acknowledge that the market isn’t as “free” as we’d like it be.

The Bad: Fish will die and ecosystems will be ruined. A habitat, no matter how small the spill, will be changed for decades, maybe longer. More people may get sick.

It’s just a sad situation.

What it really means: Unless you live in the woods, make your own tools and have built your own house from sticks, you rely on oil in some way or another. The computer I’m typing on now is plastic. It’s components are made with petroleum. We drive a car – very sparingly now – that still relies on oil. My running shoes are made with synthetic rubber – petroleum based.

To separate us from our oil addiction will take a massive movement, but in order for it to happen there needs to be some other source of energy ready to take over – particularly when it comes to our transportation.

I’m looking forward to the change, but feel relatively helpless. I don’t know how to make alternative fuels – it’s not my skill set. We don’t have millions of dollars to invest into new technologies.

The only thing I know I can do is ride my bike, take the train, walk and buy more eco-friendly materials and products. It’s probably the best thing you can do as well.

The Link:

New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/us/03oilspill.html?ref=us

Thanks for all that info RenegadeHealth.Com!
That’s a lot to digest.
They say knowledge is power, but sometimes, knowledge sure can make you feel a little weak in the knees.

In Kindness,
-Veggie Boom Booom

Check this out! … and just click on the pics to see ‘em in detail!

BBQ Love Burger-
Thinly sliced Native Original Seitan slathered in smokehouse BBQ sauce and topped with crunchy Asian sesame slaw. A traditional Native favorite for Summer. $9.95

Indian Summer Samosa Salad- Chickpeas, golden potatoes, cucumber, and red onion marinated in a coconut-cilantro-jalapeño chutney on crisp romaine. Topped with fresh mango, crunchy Samosa croutons, currants, cashews and cilantro. $9.95

Mama Mia Pizza- 
Portobello mushrooms, grilled Native Sausage Seitan, salsa pomodoro, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, pesto and Native Parmesan. $7.95

Saigon Roll- Braised lemongrass tofu, lightly pickled daikon and carrot twirls, brown and jasmine rice, cucumber strips, fresh cilantro and basil, tangy peanut sauce in a whole wheat wrap. $5.95

Strawberry Shortcake Parfait- 
Moist vanilla cake layered with almond creme and fresh sliced organic strawberries

Back by popular demand!!!

New Soups to look forward to:
Summer White Bean, African Peanut, Summer Mint Pea with fresh leeks and Lemon Lentil.

…. Now excuse me while I prepare to get my hungry tummy to the Native Foods in Culver City!

check out the native foods website for all thier locations.

and THANK YOU www.quarrygirl.com for the great post!

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