peace Archives - Compassionate Women

My China Diet

April 29, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I just returned home to Texas after a six month stay in Beijing, where I was teaching English to little kids and cultivating my blog. Before I went, I imagined that being a vegan in China would be fairly easy. Even though China has adopted a more Westernized diet in recent years (lots of meat and dairy), I figured it would be pretty easy to find plant based dishes.

Boy was I wrong! All I ate the first two months I lived there was rice with vegetables because that’s all I could find in the way of vegan options. That got tiring after a while and didn’t give me an array of needed nutrients. Eating out was wreaking havoc on my digestive and immune systems because the quality of food is so low in China, plus they tend to over-do it with the oil. I was always sick, had headaches, couldn’t sleep well, and felt tired and light headed. I decided to stop eating out, get a blender and food processor, and make all of my meals at home. What a difference!

For anyone that plans on being abroad for an extended amount of time, here are some suggestions for quick, easy meals that are healthy and plant based.

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Compassion In Numbers

March 29, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Today’s blog is all about numbers! Being a compassionate, caring individual that makes a difference in the world can be as easy as 1-2-3. In my opinion, it’s all about baby steps and focusing on what you can do today. Every little choice we make and every little action we take has a ripple effect. No matter how small of a good deed, it’s worth it and it impacts someone, we just don’t always witness that impact. Here are some simple suggestions to help you get started if you are overwhelmed or not sure where to begin.

ANIMALS

puppy love

Our furry friends need our help! Working with animals in various settings, especially homeless cats and dogs left to suffer their fates alone, I really realized how much of an impact I had on them just by spending ten minutes petting them or playing with them. It means the world to them. There are other ways to help out, too. Here are a few:

13 Ways To Help Animal Shelters

7 Ways You Can Help Wildlife

For kids:

5 Ways Kids Can Help Animals

10 Ways to Save Animals

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Veg Head In Vietnam – Part 2

March 10, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Hello my compassionate friends! A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Nha Trang, a beautiful and vibrant beach town on the southeast coast of Vietnam. I had such a great time exploring the culture, the food, and the natural beauty. But my adventure didn’t end there! From Nha Trang I traveled about an hour north to Doc Let Beach and spent three relaxing days swimming, reading, eating, and meeting other travelers. Let me tell you about my veggie vacation!

A FRUITY TRIP

My last morning in town I wanted to try out the breakfast at Lanterns, the awesome restaurant I went to a couple of days earlier for their vegetarian options. I chose the banana pancakes, coffee, and a fresh coconut. It was delicious! Their pancakes are more like crepes, very thin and light. It came with a small dish of honey rather than the traditional syrup I was used to. I personally don’t use honey because I’d rather leave bees to free roam the world and pollinate our food, rather than use them to manufacture products for us. Luckily, the pancakes were so tasty I didn’t need any honey.

After that I packed up all my things, checked out of the hotel, and took one last walk down the main beach road. I grabbed one last Vietnamese coffee and watched all the barbers set up their chairs and mirrors on the sidewalk to cut hair.

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Veg Head in Vietnam – Part 1

February 21, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

You know all those beautiful, tropical places you see in professional photos where the lounge chair is placed perfectly under the umbrella in the sand, with a view of a turquoise ocean that sparkles and a sun that never stops shining? That’s where I am right now. I never expected to find it in Vietnam, though. I had never given Vietnam much thought; it’s one of those overlooked destinations that stays under the radar and therefore less touched by tourists, which is exactly what I was looking for. As a teacher in Beijing, I get about two weeks off for the Chinese New Year holiday. I needed to get out of the city and to someplace warm! At first, Thailand was at the top of my list, but the flight prices were expensive and rapidly rising each day. A couple of friends had mentioned Vietnam to me and I decided to look into it. I eventually found Nha Trang, a little beach town on the southeastern coast of the country. I chose to stay there for two nights, and then make my way about one hour north to secluded Doc Let Beach. Let me take you on a magical ride through my vegetarian journey through Vietnam…

First off, the air in Vietnam smells so good! Maybe just where I traveled, but it smelled like a cross between salt water and incense, or sometimes flowers. Not bad, huh? Nha Trang is a busy little town, especially around this time of year. A lot of tourists from China come down for the holiday, and it’s a huge tourist destination for Russians and expats living nearby. Plus, it’s also Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, year of the goat. What I like is that there are just as many locals, so I felt like I got the full, cultural experience of Vietnam.

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Sweet Potato Pudding

January 25, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Sweet potatoes are one of my new favorite foods here in Beijing (the other being pomelos). They are super cheap and readily available, plus sweet potatoes are easy to prepare and very filling. Not to mention the health benefits. I’ve always loved my mom’s sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, but I know the recipe included butter, sugar, and eggs – 3 ingredients that pretty much cancel out the good stuff in the sweet potato itself. Last year I attended an amazing vegan workshop held through PCRM (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine) that focused on how anyone can help prevent and cure cancer through a vegan diet. I came home with some vegan recipes that were so delicious and simple to create, I was in a state of wild and utter happiness. One of those recipes was Sweet Potato Pudding. 5 ingredients, 5 minutes to make, and devoured in about 1 minute!

Before I wow you with this genius recipe, let’s take a quick look at the great health benefits of sweet potatoes:

They are a good source of vitamin C, which is necessary in warding off cold and flu viruses, instrumental in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It also accelerates wound healing and produces collagen, the substance that maintains skin’s youthful elasticity and helps us cope with stress. Vitamin C has been linked to fighting cancerous toxins as well.
They contain vitamin D, which is crucial to the immune system and linked to our energy levels and moods. Vitamin D is essential for building healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, as well as supporting the thyroid gland.
They contain iron, an essential mineral that is responsible for red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, adequate energy levels, proper immune functioning, and other duties.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium and potassium. Magnesium plays an important role in healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function. It’s also known as the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Potassium is an electrolyte that regulates heartbeat and nerve signals, and protects and controls the kidneys.
Another perk is that the natural sugars in sweet potatoes are slowly released into the bloodstream, which creates a balanced and regular source of energy without the negative side effects associated with other types of sugar, such as weight gain and fatigue.
Finally, sweet potatoes are high in beta carotene and other carotenoids, as indicated by their beautiful orange color. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that fight cancer, strengthen our eyesight, and boost our immunity.

I’m impressed not only with the health benefits of sweet potatoes, but the flavor and versatility of them. Take your pick – grilled, baked, roasted, sauteed, pureed, steamed, in soups, stews, salads, or even sweet potato fries. It’s important to note something that I learned from the instructor at my PCRM vegan workshop; be careful not to cook sweet potatoes at ultra high temperatures because it diminishes the nutrients. (this is true of many other vegetables as well). My instructor suggested roasting sweet potatoes in the oven at about 200-250 degrees. It takes longer, but the nutrients remain intact and the natural sugars have more time to simmer and come out, making for an even sweeter sweet potato!

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