Author: Monica

Monica

Should I Remove My Mercury Fillings?

In my youth I have to admit, I didn’t give to much thought as to what I was eating or pay as much attention to mouth care. I received all of the teachings from my parents and dentist to brush my teeth at least morning and night as well as floss after eating, but sadly had no idea of the impact that poor dental hygiene could have on our health. It was good that I was told to do these things but it would have been much more motivating to see the effects of what not doing them resulted in.

Fast forward to today, I have about 5 amalgam fillings (dental fillings that include a high percentage of mercury) in my mouth and with the development of certain ailments over time, I continue to wonder if these fillings have anything to do with it. Please take a minute to listen to Brian Peddicord’s story in the video below. Although I don’t have a lot of his symptoms, I can’t help but wonder what else these amalgams cause and that many of us that received them did not give our consent knowing the risks. The first time I was ever asked for me and any of my children if I wanted amalgam or porcelain (another available option), I was about 40 years old and living in Israel. Should a dental cavity develop now in my mouth or my children’s of course I choose porcelain. It is more costly but well worth avoiding the health risks of amalgam. At any rate, I am of course trying to be healthier so that we avoid dental cavities along with the development of other disorders in the body.

Video credit: Brian Peddicord “Mercury Poisoning & Amalgam Fillings – My Story”

The scary thing about this is, how many of us know someone that fits Brian’s story? How much of this could have been prevented and think of what his life would have been like, all of the pain that could have been avoided. Of course our stories and struggles if used for good help countless others. Thank you Brian for sharing your story.

See the below article for more info on safety information and those at high risk for mercury toxicity from amalgam fillings:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/dental-amalgam-fillings/information-patients-about-dental-amalgam-fillings#:~:text=Should%20Dental%20Amalgam%20Fillings%20Be,amalgam%20filling%20is%20not%20recommended.

Getting the amalgam removed is not without risk either, however, there is an emergence of hope. Many natural dentists are beginning to come forth and have the training to decrease the risk of toxicity to the patient and the healthcare provider by a series of steps in the removal procedure and with special equipment. See the below videos by Dr. Berg regarding toxicity, ways to detox with natural products as well as his personal story and opinion. The video that follows is a doctor who has been trained in the removal of amalgam.

Video Credit: “Mercury Toxicity”, by Dr. Eric Berg, DC

Bottom Line:

With amalgam, the concern is regarding the metals used and with resin there is concern over BPA. The American Dental Association has information regarding the safety and efficacy of both solutions, but can we trust it? We must be informed of our choices and the possible consequences of those choices. Many of us I’m sure were not aware back in the day of the impact that these fillings would have on our lives and health. I’m sure some of the dental professionals may not have either. Removal will have to be weighed with the size of the filling, the soundness of the filling (is it damaged or in relatively good shape) and the health of your gum tissue, bone structure and teeth. Speaking to your dentist and your general physician can help you to decide as well as if you are having symptoms of toxicity.
 

Video credit: “Mercury Filling Removal Process”, by Millennium Dental Associates

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Thanks so much for visiting and let’s get healthy!!!🙏🏿

Monica

Journey to Wellness: Turning Back the Clock Part 5- Age Reversal on the Micro Level

Are you feeling your age? I mean are you 40 but feel like 50, or 50 but feel like 60 or 70? Suffering from brain fog, low energy, a lot of aches and pains? Trying to lose weight but no matter what you do it seems to stay with you? Well no matter what age you are, I’m positive that we can reverse our age. Many of you know my story, that I began a new journey about 3 years ago in search of healing for the pain I was in from arthritis in my hips, hands and back. As a part-time dance instructor and full-time pharmacist it was hard for me to imagine that I was going to be on a medication for the rest of my life or just suffer. Many asked me, “So you’re a pharmacist that doesn’t like taking the very medication that you dispense?” My answer was always an immediate, ”yes”. I always knew there was a better alternative for healing, at least in over 90% of medical situations. Do I believe that there are some medications that have their place? Absolutely! However, the majority of our health issues come from not allowing our bodies to heal the way they are intended to by indulging in the wrong intake of so called food, alcohol, sugar, salt and environmental issues beyond our immediate control; even down to the quality of water that we drink and bathe in.

Let’s dive right in and take a look at this Steve Harvey video in which he gives a testimony of how a lot of us begin to feel at a certain age. It may hit some of us at 30 and others not until 60 or beyond, but at some point, that wake up call will come that we need to start seriously taking better care of ourselves. I’m not posting this video to necessarily endorse his health drinks, however, I have heard great things about them. Please watch the video to hear how Mr. Harvey took action to get to a point of better health and educate himself how to maintain his health and help others as well.

Steve Harvey and medical team explain how he reversed his age at the micro level

As you heard in the video, Dr. Castel Santana said that Steve, like a lot of us suffer from Mitochondria Decline. You may remember from anatomy class that the mitochondria are a structure found in every cell of our body. They are the “powerhouse” of our cells.

So let’s recap what Dr. Santana said to Steve Harvey about “Mitochondria Decline”:

  • It effects the way we burn our carbs and calories
  • How ageing relates to weight loss issues
  • If the mitochondria in our cells is in decline, our whole body performs poorly
  • The mitochondria turn the food we eat into energy for the body
  • This energy that the mitochondria convert is called ATP
  • There are 3 major things that contribute to the decline or destruction of our mitochondira: the standard American Diet, ageing (which naturally happens because there are some things out of our control entirely) and toxins that build up in our body over time

So what can we do about it?

Well as you know, this is what most of my health posts on my blog are all about. First of all, eat REAL food!!! You don’t have to go vegan, you can eat food from the ground as it was intended and other things like fish or meats but in moderation. Eat good fats such as olive oil, avacado, omega 3 rich foods, drink quality water.

Avoid foods that cause inflammation and aging. Avoid of course smoking and overindulging in alcohol. These are no brainers but not easy to let go of so it seems hard to even begin.

Make small lifestyle changes, for example, step one, cut out or at least cut down on sugar. Find healthy alternatives and transition to them little by little then on to the next goal.

Decrease salt and season your food with a small amount for flavor but take advantage of herbs and spices to season your food and leave out artificial seasonings.

Find a way to work in a regular exercise program….whatever works for you 3-4 times a week but JUST GET MOVING!!!

Have a support system. If you do it with loved ones and friends it helps to keep you motivated and more than likely you’ll be more successful at making it a permanent change.

JUICING IS GREAT! A good way to get your fiber, vitamins and mineral in

Eat with purpose. No snacking.

Meal prep for several days is great and takes the guess work out. You’ll be more likely to not “fall off the wagon” so to speak

Intermittent Fasting! This promotes autophagy (the eating up of old sludge in the body and dead cells, even precancerous cells). Also this promotes a healthy weight and so much more.

Below is a link from a previous post that may help you to get started on just one healthy thing. I hope you will consider and not only for yourself but pass the info on to those that you love. Spread the word!

Journey to Wellness: Turning Back the Clock Part 3- Cut Out Sugar!

As always, why not SHARE IT 💗, LIKE👍🏿,  REPOST♻️ , COMMENT💭 and YES, SUBSCRIBE by clicking Follow……

Thanks so much for visiting and let’s get healthy!!!🙏🏿

Monica

Listen to What Our Feet are Telling Us

Did you know that our feet communicate a number of things to us? No, I’m not saying that they actually talk to us, however, they reveal signs of some things that we need to pay attention to that pertain to our health and well being.

Check out this short video by Dr. Gus “8 Things Your Feet Are Telling You About Your Health” (Diseases Revealed By Your Feet)

Video Credit: Dr. Gus, “8 Things Your Feet Are Telling You About Your Health – Diseases Revealed By Your Feet”

So to recap the 8 things we saw in the video, look for the following things:

*Heart, Liver or Kidney:

Swollen ankles or feet. See your doctor to rule out organ failure.

*Poor Circulation and/or nerve damage:

You may experience numbness, tingling and pain in your feet. Some may have cold feet or toes.

Your feet may change in color, develop a bad odor, moles. See your doctor!

Exercise, decreasing sugar and losing weight may help

*Diabetes: this is a form of inflammation and most definitely decreasing sugar and inflammatory foods works miracles.

*Hormonal Condition:

Thyroid- you may experience cold toes and feet. See your doctor.

*Need to change your diet & lifestyle; take tumeric:

feeling weight bearing pain in the feet, inflammation

Also check out this great video by Dr. Berg for more ways to see what your feet are telling you about your health.

Video credit: Dr. Berg, “How Your Feet Are Warning You About Your Liver Problems”

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST ♻️, COMMENT🗬

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 by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!🙏🏿

Monica

Warning! Pick Your Tea Carefully

If you are a tea versus a coffee drinker, you know there are so many teas to choose from and some better quality than others. Then there are the bags versus the dry tea leaves and all that you can add to the tea to enhance the flavor and the health benefits. Typically I use ginger, lemon and raw honey to any tea that I make. This is not just for taste but for health benefits as well. Take a look at what Dr. Berg has to say in this video about drinking tea.

Dr. Eric Berg DC, YouTube “STOP Drinking Tea Until You Watch This”

So to recap:

  • Be careful where you get your tea from. China is most likely not a good source. Japan may be a better quality tea without heavy metals such as aluminum, lead and arsenic as well as pesticides and flouride.
  • Know the symptoms of B1 depletion (this can happen from drinking teas high in tannins)
  • The tea bags may be bleached with chlorine bleach which is carcinogenic
  • Take minerals if you drink a lot of tea because it can deplete your minerals
  • Buy dry, organic and lose leaf tea or buy organic

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST ♻️, COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE✔️ by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!🙏🏿

Monica

Using Foods to Counteract Bad Effects of Other Foods

Ever had way too much to eat and you said you wouldn’t put yourself in that situation again but you did anyway? Struggling with your craving for sugar? These are just some of the things that are spoken about in the video below by Dr. Eric Berg and he gives some suggestions on how to counteract the bad effects of a variety of things that we ingest. Some I can’t call food because they provide no nutritional value. Let’s a look at the following video.

Video credit Dr. Eric Berg YouTube

So having seen the video, let’s recap some of Dr. Berg’s recommendations. I want to mainly focus on sugar and overeating:

Photo by Ehioma Osih on Pexels.com
Photo by Delphine Hourlay on Pexels.com
Photo by Life Of Pix on Pexels.com
Photo by Delphine Hourlay on Pexels.com

Easy things to incorporate to combat the harmful effects of sugar:

*Burn off extra sugar by exercising

*Apple cider vinegar helps to regulate blood sugar

*Lemon water is excellent for those at risk of developing kidney stones from oxalate overload. Unfortunately this can happen when eating a lot of green leafy vegetables, almonds, etc. Lemon water is also good for boosting digestion.

*Cinnamon is a potent spice to lower blood sugar

*You want to eat foods low on the Insulin Index (pure fats such as whole eggs, olive oil, nuts higher in fats; add more pure fats to the meal to buffer the insulin response)

*One thing we can do to combat the effects of sugar is, yes, once again, intermittent fasting. See the chart on the left for benefits. It not only helps to combat sugar but it aids in weight loss, turns on your body’s antioxidants, increases growth hormone (which helps with anti-aging) and so much more.

Make sure to look through the video for more healthy tips on how to combat other harmful substances by using food as our medicine.

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE 👍🏿, REPOST ♻️, COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE ✔️by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!🙏🏿

Monica

30 Day Challenge Done, What’s Next?

I pray all that joined our community in Israel for our Tapin2life Almost Vegan 30 Day Challenge had a great experience. Thank you for those who commented back! My hope is that we all make it a lifestyle change. For those who have just started following my blog, please look at the previous posts and catch up with us in what’s been going on the past month. There are some very tasty, healthy, vegan and almost vegan recipes that can help jumpstart your road to better health.

So what’s next now that we have awakened many people to the benefits of minimizing animal products as well as eating whole foods?

For years I have been wanting to study our food sources a lot closer. There are so many illegal things going on in the food industry that it makes one wonder what we’re eating. Adulteration in the food industry seemed to spike in the midst of the Corona Pandemic. Why in this day of increased technology and information are we more unhealthy as compared to the past? Take a look at this video before we dive into possible solutions to prevent us from being victims of receiving adulterated food or items.

Although the above video can send one into panic and lead one to say, “So how do we know what’s safe to eat?” There is hope, here are some tips to help us to better discern what to buy and what to leave at the store or market:

  • First of all, know the top foods that are most common sources of food fraud according to scientists. They are usually expensive items and expensive to manufacture so companies that commit this fraud try to cut cost and corners. They may add another food product that’s cheaper or maybe even something that’s not even food.😲 For example cellulose (in the form of wood shavings) in cheese, canola oil in a product labeled 100% olive oil, or even fish that is swapped out for another type of fish or even a spongy material that’s not food. Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) is occurring most likely in this case.
    • Olive oil
    • milk
    • honey
    • saffron
    • orange juice
    • apple juice
    • grape wine
    • vanilla extract
    • fish
  • Of course read all labels if you’re buying a packaged food (look for any additives such as dyes, artificial flavorings, sweeteners, anti-caking agents. It’s best to leave it on the shelf if it’s not a whole food.
  • With fruits and vegetables, check out the sticker or brand. Of course it’s best to get our foods locally from farmers that we have a relationship with or at least have established how they grow their crops. What we can grow on our own, even from a window garden, why not? Small and local farmers may not be certified USDA Organic due to the cost but but may actually be an organic farmer according to the way he grows his crops.

For example, fruit labeling is divided into the following categories:

  • Organic
  • Genetically Modified
  • Conventional (contains pesticides)

Photo credit: website happilyunprocessed.com

  • Does your food have an expiration date? If not, it may be something other than food. I would highly recommend avoiding the purchase and use of these items.

See the below video about Israel and the Agricultural Industry. We are leading in this industry worldwide. I am looking into how much Israel uses pesticides compared to other nations, but I have to admit as my homeland, I’m very impressed with the technology.

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST♻️ , COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE ✔️by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!🙏🏿

Monica

21 Days Into the Tapin2life Almost Vegan Challenge- Autophagy

Only 9 more days to go in our Almost Vegan Challenge! We began as a community in Israel and abroad to support each other in going mainly plant based. Some on the journey like myself had already adapted to this as a way of life and some not. I thank everyone for sending their vids and photos of their journey this past few weeks. Please keep it up. 💪🏿😊 My hope is that you will make it a lifestyle change like me and many others.

A few weeks ago, I posted a video on the benefits of sprouting and this week I want to share my vid on sprouting on your own, particularly lentils. Check out the video below and also see the link in this vid for the previous one to learn about the benefits of using sprouts.

The main tip of the day that I want to share that goes along somewhat with some of the benefits of intermittent fasting is a topic called autophagy. Autophagy is a process by which a cell breaks down and destroys old, damaged, or abnormal proteins and other substances in its cytoplasm. There’s no wonder why when you hear about people receiving the worst diagnoses and then hearing their testimony on how they beat the illness, the majority of the time you hear it was a change in diet in some way, some will say they fasted for a prolonged period of time. Autophagy occurs when we’re in a fasting mode. Listen to the below video by Dr. Mindy Pelz as she describes how you can still receive some level of autophagy even after breaking the fast (keep in mind that autophagy starts at 17 hours). Maximum autophagy as she describes begins at 72 hours. For most of us, fasting is such a radical concept to an approach to better health because society tells us just the opposite. Since I began intermittent fasting, I most definitely see the health benefits. I’m not quite there yet with fasting 17 hours each day but I may reach this a few days out of the week. It’s a start.

Video credit: Dr. Mindy Pelz, YouTube Channel Fastlikeagirl

We have 9 more days to go in this Almost Vegan Challenge! The report I have received back from many is that it has not been as difficult as they thought it would be, however, it’s easy to fall back into old habits. Try to keep it going and just remember, the body will heal on it’s own if we allow it to through a healthy diet and lifestyle. The best cure for disease is prevention. Life is a gift from the Most High and I pray all will take the utmost care of the one we have all been given.

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST♻️ , COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE ✔️by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!

Monica

The Benefits of Sprouting

This is day 5 of our Tapin2life Almost Vegan Challenge!

I hope all that have joined us are doing well and are on the road to better health. Here are a few more meal combo ideas and an easy nutritional tip for those who haven’t tried sprouting. More recipe and vegan/almost vegan meal ideas to come as we continue the challenge.

Watch my quick Video on the amazing benefits of sprouting the lentil!

Lentils are healthy, however, sprouting our seeds and beans can pack in even more nutritional benefit. Take a look at the one minute vid by clicking the above link to see how easy and beneficial it is!

Try this combo for a healthy and filling meal:

Greens of your choice sauteed in olive oil and a bed of red onion, mushrooms and garlic

Brown rice, and if you want to upgrade make it Jollof Rice

Lightly breaded and oven-baked broccoli and cauliflower

Savory slices of sweet potatoes with zaatar seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper with roasted garlic

See this link for more recipes from the last post and if you want to come on board for the Tapin2life Almost Vegan Challenge Let’s Go!

https://tapin2life.com/2023/01/21/recipes-to-tapin2life-30-day-almost-vegan-challenge/

Shopping List for the challenge:

https://tapin2life.com/2023/01/14/tapin2life-30-day-almost-vegan-challenge/

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST♻️ , COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE✔️ 

by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!

🙏🏿

Monica

Recipes to Tapin2life 30 Day Almost Vegan Challenge

As promised here are some tasty, healthy, some all vegan and some almost vegan recipes if you need some assistance with getting started in our Tapin2life 30 Day Almost Vegan Challenge. My hope is that this will be an introduction to eating healthier in order to heal ourselves from various disease as an adjuvant or as a primary solution in addition to arriving at and maintaining a healthy weight.

As you become more comfortable cooking, my hope is also that you will begin to come up with different healthy combos of foods and pay close attention to eating in the proper order. These are some recaps of a few tips from the last post of do’s and don’ts on food combos and the proper order of intake:

  • Do not drink full cups of water right before eating your meals. It will dilute your digestive enzymes in the stomach and make it harder to digest your food. Drink at least an hour or so before and sip as you eat your meal if you must.
  • Fruits should be eaten alone- allow about 40 minutes at least to digest and never after proteins of any kind!
  • Combine Proteins (whether from animal or plant based) + Leafy Greens or Veggies like cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, kale and spinach
  • Combine a HEALTHY STARCH (brown rice, quinoa, barley, spelt) + HEALTHY FATS & NON STARCHY VEGGIES
  • JUICING is always a great way to break the fast before eating any solid food- a veggie juice is optimal. Invest in a blender if you don’t have one.

Some vegan and almost vegan recipes to get us started:

Breakfast Ideas to break your 10-12 hour fast!

To break the fast start out with fruit or freshly juiced veggie drink or freshly juiced fruits. Eat or drink about 40 minutes before you plan to eat the next meal.

If you want something more sustainable skip the fruit/fruit juice and you can always make a breakfast bowl with plain yogurt and some type of oats.

Lunch ideas

Remember, eat a reasonable portion and we’re eating within a shorter amount of time incorporating intermittent fasting!

  • A light side of mushroom stuffed ravioli pasta with a veggie cashew cheese sauce (recipe posted below) plus steamed broccoli and cauliflower:
    • Buy a good brand of stuffed raviolis and cook as directed, add in the cashew cheese sauce: (soak about 200 grams of cashews for a few hours in water, drain, blend with almond or rice milk- whatever alternative you desire, season with: salt, pepper, a dash of soy sauce and a dash of sesame seed oil, 1/2 teaspoon of mustard, a few teaspoons of nutritional yeast, a dash of paprika and alter to taste as you desire with other seasonings), steam your choice of veggies and lightly season with salt and pepper and other seasonings desired and enjoy!
  • Egg salad with the works
    • (boil a few eggs ahead of time, mix in chopped green veggies: cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, garlic, add humus instead of mayo, about a teaspoon of olive or avacado oil).
  • Mushroom, walnut, cauliflower and broccoli vegan patties with a side salad of green leafy veggies.
    • Blend all ingredients together with 1-2 eggs and a bit of soy and sesame seed oil but don’t over do it with the liquid oils. You want the patties to hold together. Season as desired as you would your meat/chicken or fish. Bake about 10-15 minutes both sides in a 325 degrees F or 275 degrees C Oven. Take out and lightly fry on both sides in a skillet with olive oil 5 minutes. May be served with a side salad, avacado, a simple side of whole grain pasta or brown rice.
  • Veggie Wrap using kale leaves as the wrap loaded with all the works. If you desire, incorporate eggs or tuna and use humus as the dressing.
  • Taco Salad
    • All the fixins of the traditional taco salad but swap out your meat for the same ingredients in the veggie patty (mushroom, walnuts, cauliflower, broccoli and instead of a patty, saute in a pan of olive oil with your typical meat seasonings, chopped or dried cilantro, cumin and spice it up with a lil hot sauce!
    • In place of cheese or sour cream top it off on top with avocado and cumus!
Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com

Dinner Ideas-

You can actually alternate between lunch and dinner and ideally the lighter the better for dinner. Lunch should be the heaviest meal but most of us have to ease into eating lighter in the evening as the last meal.

Photo by Ella Olsson on Pexels.com
  • Leafy Green Veggies plus Starchy Veggies like Oven Baked Potatoes and Chick Peas
  • Sauted Tofu in Sesame Seed Oil and a bit of Soy Sauce with Mushrooms, Scallions, swiss chard or kale (middle pic) with carrots and other veggies you desire. Can add noodles made from spelt flour. Avoid adding sauces like Teriyaki Sauce but if you must only a small amount (contains lots of salt and sugar).
  • Stuffed Bell Peppers or Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with a side of lentils or avacado or even starchy veggie like savory sweet potatoes (oven baked with olive oil, salt, pepper, sesame seed oil, a dash of paprika, nutritional yeast, cumin, and other seasonings as you desire).
  • Baked, lightly battered Egg Plant
    • Slice in half pieces and season as you would meat
    • (dip sliced egg plant in wet batter first- egg, almond milk or whatever sub you want, a bit of P Protein and nutritional yeast and flower if needed to make a pancake consistency wet batter, then dip egg plant in the dry batter- your choice of unseasoned bread crumbs or spelt flour)
    • Bake about 25-30 minutes (may need to flip half-way in between) in a preheated 350 F/275 C oven
    • Serve with a healthy grain plus a side of avocado drissled in olive oil and a small amount salt +pepper to season
  • Battered and lightly breaded baked cauliflower/broccoli or both. Same process as above egg plant recipe and switch out sides for salad or a healthy grain like brown rice, spelt pasta or whole grain pasta, quinoa or barley
  • Good ole’ fashioned veggie soup with spelt pasta noodles seasoned to your taste with a side salad is always a great stand by meal. Be creative with your veggies. Can add barley to your soup to bulk it up.

Others posts to come as we get started! Think of this as your starter kit and please comment back with your healthy recipes to help to encourage others to think outside the box and get more into experimenting in the kitchen. Unleash the chef in you!!!

If you’ve found this info helpful, please SHARE IT💗 , LIKE👍🏿 , REPOST♻️ , COMMENT🗬 and YES, SUBSCRIBE ✔️

by clicking ”Follow”…Thanks so much for visiting, and please be a blessing and be blessed everyone!🙏🏿

Monica

Tapin2Life 30 Day Almost Vegan Challenge

First of all what does it mean to be a vegan and what’s the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian diet?

Vegan- Oxford’s definitions are as follows: a person who does not eat any animal products such as meat, milk or eggs or use animal products such as leather or wool.

However, Dictionary.com says that vegan is as follows: a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet and a person who does not use any animal products, as leather or wool.

Vegetarian- Dictionary.com says: a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

Different styles of plant-based eating

Name of dietDescription
Semi-vegetarian or flexitarian includes eggs and dairy may include small amounts of meat, poultry, fish and seafood
Pescatarianincludes eggs, dairy, fish and seafood excludes meat and poultry
***Ovo-vegetarian***includes eggs excludes meat, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy
Lacto-vegetarianincludes dairy excludes meat, poultry, fish, seafood and eggs
Vegetarian (a.k.a. lacto-ovo vegetarian)includes eggs and dairy excludes meat, poultry, fish and seafood
Veganexcludes all meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy 
Chart credit: Heart Foundation; Plant-based, Vegetarian & Vegan Diets, Lily Henderson NZRD, National Nutrition Advisor

Eating and drinking our water and food in the proper order and combinations is crucial for maximum digestion and proper nutrition. Let’s look at a few tips:

Water Intake Tips:

Water should be drank an hour or so before eating meals so that you do not dilute your digestive enzymes. If you drink water while eating your meals it should be a sip or two here and there, not a full glass.

It’s great to include fresh squeezed lemon juice in your water to aid in digestion, again, an hour or more before eating a full meal and first thing in the morning after breaking your fast.

Water intake for the average person should be at least 8 cups a day, more for men and those that exercise or stay very active, nursing and pregnant women and depending on the environment (hot or humid climates)

*If you have been told to restrict fluids for some medical reason please always consult your doctor before changing any dietary plan

Watch this short video by YouTuber Joanna Soh Official to hear how to combine foods for maximum digestion and so the nutrients can actually be used the best by the body for fuel and our health

Video credit: YouTuber Joanna Soh Official, ”Are You Eating Correctly? Lose Weight with Food Combining (5 Principles)”

To Summarize & Next Steps

  • Drink Water at least an hour before meals
  • Fruits should be eaten alone- allow about 40 minutes at least to digest and never after proteins of any kind!
  • Combine Proteins (whether from animal or plant based) + Leafy Greens or Veggies like cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, kale and spinach
  • Combine a HEALTHY STARCH (brown rice, quinoa, barley, spelt) + HEALTHY FATS & NON STARCHY VEGGIES
  • JUICING is always a great way to break the fast before eating any solid food- a veggie juice is optimal. Invest in a blender if you don’t have one.

Grocery List!!!!!

DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF TO THIS….IT’S ONLY MY STARTER LIST

Upcoming Meal Prep and Recipes

I will begin posting recipes here on the Tapin2life Blog beginning the end of next week!!!

Ideally we will rotate between one to two juice options to break the fast, a few breakfast choices and about 7 dinner options. The less recipes you start with the easier it is to complete the challenge. As you research more and find what gives your body the best results you can try out other recipes as you become more confident. Don’t be intimidated, it’s just food. You’re allowed to experiment and have fun with it!

Intermittent Fasting is Crucial!

Please see my post on this and why it is so crucial for us. We ideally would eat between a 8-10 hour window and be in a 16 hour fasting state including sleep.

Water Enema for cleansing

Before you start, to remove as much built up waste as possible- this is a huge key to detoxing our bodies and to absorbing the nutrients. The mucus must be removed for proper absorption!

This device can be bought at your local pharmacy or some health food stores, insert with a lubricant, instill 300 mL of water via the rectum, hold for about 10-15 minutes and helps to walk and massage the stomach counter-clockwise then clockwise. Release in the toilet and feel refreshed.

Start Date: January 24, 2023

Since we’ll be doing this together, let’s support one another! Let’s begin our Tapin2Life 30 Day Almost Vegan Challenge together on January 24, 2023 in order to give ourselves time to procure all of the food for various vegan and mostly plant-based recipes. Do it with your whole family for better success.

To the right, a sneak peek at one of my new recipes, Cashew Vegan Cheese on Mushroom Stuffed Ravioli with Steamed Veggies

And last but not least…keep on movin’

Always get some form of exercise and strength building in 3-4 times per week for about 30-40 minutes whether you do brisk walks, resistance bands, free weights or go hard in the gym.

Countdown, feedback and follow-up

I would be so happy to hear how you feel and your comments after just 4 days! Buy all that you can on the above list and see you back here next week to give you some tasty, awesome recipes!

***Special note: this type of diet may not be suitable for growing children. Always consult your pediatrician or healthcare provider before making any dietary changes in general, especially for our little ones. Unless you are diligent at researching your intake of foods to ensure you are getting all of the proper nutrients and minerals, a vegan or plant-based lifestyle may not be for you. It takes ongoing learning in order to have the best outcome whether young or old.

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