Do you get enough protein?

Now, does this man look like he is protein deficient? Not at all!! This is my husband, Sean. He is 6-6, 220lbs, extremely lean and all muscle and power. And guess what? He doesn't eat meat!! Does he get enough protein? Absolutely. I'm sure that he gets more than the average man. He gets protein through protein shakes, vegetables, and so many vegetable products that taste just like meat and have the same texture of meat like firm tofu, textured vegetable protein, seitan and others. He feels stronger than ever since stopping meat!!

FYI, this photo was taken as my sexy husband swung off of a pirate party ship on the day of our one year anniversary in Aruba!!

Claire

My Body....

Today, I am wearing one of my new "statement" shirts that I ordered from www.cafepress.com. This one reads "My body will not be a tomb for other creatures" - Leonardo da Vinci. Isn't that so insightful and powerful? And it was written so long ago. And think about so many things written so long ago........ (The Bible), that have been trying to teach us lessons of life for so long.

When I first decided to not eat animal anymore, I kept it pretty quiet because of the "stigma." And I still don't announce it too often, but I read recently that this is my duty, so hence the T- shirts. It will tell others to consider being conscious and compassionate eaters.

It's almost lunchtime. BE MINDFUL....................

Claire

Veg Dining Out!!

When I decided to stop eating animal and animal products, I knew my most difficult part would be dining out. My husband and I love to travel and dine out!! So, one of the first things I did was do my research on the 'net before we hit the town looking for restaurants. I was truly amazed at the options we have in O-town!! Since I have eaten so much meat for so many years, I knew I would miss the texture so I sought out all of my options because I knew that tofu would get old quickly. I have listed below what I found in Orlando that my husband and I love:

Ethos Vegan Kitchen - Mmmm (especially their Philly Dilly!!) I have brought several friends there already to enjoy their great cuisine!

Garden Cafe - An Asian vegetarian restaurant; my children really like this place

Dandelion Tea Cafe

Tropical Heat Organic Market

Ali Baba

Udipi Cafe

(Indian cuisine is always a good bet to find many vegetarian options)

I know there are many more and I plan to hit them all and give feedback.

And....

I HAVE A HUGE SWEETTOOTH (that I have cut back over the years because something on my body got huge!!), so I have found two vegan bakeries so far:

Sweet Tooth Vegan

Zhane's Vegan Bakery


Have a conscious weekend!!

Claire

Volunteering

There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through sharing together, praying together, suffering together and working together. — Mother Theresa

The weekend is upon us and in the depth of summer, many have plans to go to the beach or see the most recent movie. Tomorrow, my children and I are volunteering at our church which we do monthly. We belong to a church named Journey Christian Church. It is filled with some of God's most amazing people!! We volunteer through a group called Buddy Break. Buddy Break is one of the organizations developed from Nathanial's Hope, created by Tim and Marie Kuck in honor of their son. Every month, parents who have special needs children are able to drop off their children at our church for several hours so they can have a well-deserved and needed break! My 10-year-old daughter and I first decided to start doing it in May and we have enjoyed it so much and last time, my 8-year-old son had to go because his father was unable to watch him and now he wants to go everytime.

I cannot express the importance of creating a well-rounded foundation for our children as they evolve into adults and create their own future. It is our duty to help them develop in every area of their life - in spirituality, physical fitness, conscious and truly healthy eating, education, environmental issues, the arts just to mention a few.

Have a spirit-filled weekend,

Claire

Conscious Eating

I have gone two months without meat! And if you know me, that is a major feat - major feat! I was a daily McDonald's (7% of the population is, believe it or not) person until then. I have never stuck to anything so diligently in my life until this and I never planned on it happening.





In May, my husband and I flew to New Orleans to the Jazz Fest and met up with four other couples including a good friend from undergrad. One of the women was reading "Skinny B--ch" and I didn't look at the book, but all she said was that it was hilarious. I am a medical director for a large weight loss company and I have been on every diet known to man (now at 5-6 and 122 lbs holding steady....).When I arrived back in Orlando, I bought the book on CD. And for those of you that are not aware of the book, it is VULGAR!! But she made the title and the book to be eye-catching and it did what she intended it to do. I had no idea it was written by a vegan and if I would have known, I may not have even purchased the book. "Where will I get my protein." I used to ask the question that I now get. And let me tell you, you can get all the protein you need to stay lean and fit! The first few chapters were about additives and sugar and exercise. They were basically things I knew. But when she got to the slaughter chapter, I sat up for the first time in my life and took notice. I was very painful to hear but I knew not as painful as what billions of animals go through every year. Well, that was it!! Now that I knew that information, I just could not ignore it. Ignorance is a species' first line of defense. We may be omnivores, but God did not intend for us to eat the amount of animal meat that we eat and at such a cost!





More on this later, but the most helpful things to me have been:





http://www.vegforlife.com/


http://www.vegweb.com/

http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com

The "Earthlings" movie that you can watch on Google Video for free


Quantum Wellness book by Kathy Freston


The China Study book by Dr. Campbell

If you are already a vegetarian, I commend you and wonder why I didn't listen to all of you years ago! By convincing just one person to go vegetarian, you directly save 93 more animals from slaughter each year, prevent untold damage to the Earth, and help that person lead a happier, healthier life! The wisdom of vegetarianism is a key ingredient in the new life of peace, compassion and nonviolence.

That is a start. I really encourage you to "meet your meat." And the next time you wonder why someone would NOT eat meat, ask yourself why you DO eat meat. (Hmmm.... food (plant-based, only) for thought.....

Consciousness Arising....Live With No Regrets!

Welcome to my blog!

The most important story any person will ever tell in their life is their own story.......

Why did I chose Bouncing Forward instead of bouncing back? well, if you have the choice after you have a significant setback in your life, do you want to return to where you were or transcend from that experience?

This is my first post on my first blog ever in my life and do I have a story to tell. Some parts (many parts), I can share and some that I cannot at this time (Big Brother is always watching - Am I fan of reality TV or a parnoid schizophrenic? - No!! And if you are watching, Big Brother, welcome to my page too. I hope you will appreciate how my live has evolved after I hit a critical point last March 2008). I did start this blog to be very transparent with my life with a goal to help with my own spiritual healing and wellness and to hopefully reach many others that are at that critical point in their life. Even if you have not had the "roller-coaster" of a life that I, and many others, have to experience to personally evolve, I hope that the information I provide on my blog will stimulate you to think more about your life, your family and relationships, your spirituality and the decisions you make in your life. I have been on a path of awareness in the last year and I truly want this to be a catalyst that sparks your awareness in this thing we call life too! They say that ignorance is the first line of defense of a species. So come now, we are much smarter than that! It is time for all of us to be truly aware of ourselves and our choices and how they affect us and our surroundings. And you can develop awareness and evolve from wherever you are in your life. "Enter from here" (I just love Tolle!!) with me. It is said that at the end of your life, your regrets will NOT be from what you did, but from what you DID NOT do! How is your life going? Where are you not evolving? What do you want to accomplish? Will my blog be your stimulus to change? If only one of you ever answers yes, then I have done my job.

I thought that it was about time that I write some great positive things about my life on the internet after the loom and doom that has been written about me. If I have one more long, lost friend who "Google's" me and calls or emails me in a panic, it is one too many! And for all of those that are wondering, I am doing great, feeling great and I will post many photos to come.

So where do I start? And why did it take a Mercedes-driving, Louis-Vuitton wearing, meat-eating, materialistic, ego-driven fitness model/pageant competitor/physician (I told you I was going to be transparent) to hit rock-bottom so that she could get her life on the right track? Well, as I have found out, this happens with many. Many "enlightened" individuals were once at a critical moment where they had to "evolve or die" (for you Tolle fans). That was me. For me, it took a reality check sitting in a dark, cold holding cell to realize that things had to change - everything! They say that it is darkest before the dawn and that is where I was. And when I lost my identity, I found myself......Life will give you whatever experience is most needed for the evolution of your consciousness. When there is nothing left to identify with anymore, who are you?

I haven't fully decided how to lay out my story, but I love those movies where they start in present time and do flashbacks, so that is how I have decided to blog my life. A wise man once said that "when you have a setback, you take a step back and make a comeback." Well, this is my comeback story and fortunately, I have the greatest Redeemer on my side (more on that later)!

And I don't want to Bounce Back to where I was when my whole world fell apart last year. I am bouncing forward...............

Some of the topics that I will be discussing among anything else that comes up are:

Wellness - Relaxation, Meditation
Weight Loss and Exercise - indoors and outdoors
Recovering from a major setback
Vegetarian/Vegan - for human decency, the enviroment among others
Spirituality
Forgiveness and other virtues
Parenthood, Children
Life Passions
Friendships
Remarriage
Redemption


Blessings,

Claire