Wendy's Vegan Mexican Casserole

Wendy Ritz is our Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook guest blogger today. She shares with us her experience being athletic and adopting a vegan lifestyle. She has also shared one of her favourite recipes - Vegan Mexican Casserole! Yum!

Wendy looking fit & fabulous on the beach!

My name is Wendy Ritz.  I am an athlete, a Personal Trainer, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.  Eating meat always felt unnatural to me.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but a couple years later, I found out a few reasons why this might be.  I began experiencing digestion issues, lethargy, depression, weight fluctuations, skin break outs, and SEVERE mood swings during PMS.  After a few doctors either dismissed me as a moody young girl, or tried to put me on medications, I decided to pursue a solution on my own.

I started to research the implications of diet on hormonal regulation, and I found much scientific backing that suggested women who consume a diet low in animal fats, and high in vegetable fiber and protein had a much healthier hormonal regulation.  That was when I started to gradually become a vegetarian.  I instantly felt inspired.  Then I started reading more books, such as Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, and The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.  I also started to watch documentaries such as Food Inc., and Forks over Knives.  It was my own research that pushed me into complete veganism.

I lost weight, my digestion is perfect, my energy is great, my skin is clear, and my PMS is rare and slight.  I feel great…and CLEAN.  That’s probably the best word to describe it.  Even my “meat and potatoes” Marine husband loves my vegan cooking.  My veganism began with my own health issues, but the more I learnt about factory farming, animal cruelty and other health issues that run rampant in America with our heavy animal protein diets, the more I know I made the right decision not only for myself, but for the environment.

Now that Tosca Reno has come out with her Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook, perhaps more athletes like myself, will open their eyes to the exciting lifestyle it can be.

Vegan Mexican Casserole

Xtrema Cookware Giveaway!

I love giveaways and today we have a really fabulous one.

Xtrema Cookware has generously offered one of their super popular 10" skillets for 1 lucky Eat-Clean Diet reader.

I love using their products in the kitchen (as you can see in the video above) because they are practical, durable and even green.

Xtrema's 10" skillet. 

All you have to do is be the first person to respond below with your reason for wanting a new skillet.

Thanks Xtrema!

P.S. Don't forget to join me this Thursday, May 17 for my UStream Live Chat. 

Rocking a Six-Pack Post-Pregnancy

Today's Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook guest blogger is super-fit mom of twins, Natasha Kay. She shares her 85 pound transformation and transition into vegetarian eating. Don't miss her delicious Morning Oats Goulash recipe by checking out her blog. 

Considering myself a “healthy eater” and an active person, I simply accepted my apparent fate of a 5’5” frame that would always weigh around 145 pounds and fluctuate between a size 8-10. But after ballooning to 205 pounds while pregnant with twins, I quickly realized that my idea of healthy wasn’t healthy at all.

Natasha 8 months pregnant with twins. 

Learning to Eat Clean

Loving Mom on Mother's Day

Mommy & me in Mexico in December.

Welcome mothers to your big day.  Today I want to thank my mother, Tina.  Early in the weeks and months that we were dealing with Bob's illness my about to be 77 year old mom got into her car and drove three hours in winter weather to be with me.  Taking care of Bob and the other assorted things I had to do in a day was becoming a challenge.  Bob and his healthcare were the priority then and I was spending a lot of time taking him to his various medical, diagnostic and other appointments related to his lung cancer.  During that time Bob also contracted various other illnesses that further impeded his health.  I had no one to help me handle the basic things that needed to get done like cleaning my house, buying groceries, doing dishes or cooking or even taking the garbage out.  I remember one day just having a complete breakdown, calling my mother and blubbering to her on the phone ,"Can you please come and help me?"  Within hours she was there and ended up staying for 6 weeks until the end.

When Bob was well enough I could even go to work and my mother would be there for Bob during the day.  I would come home to a spotless house, dinner on the go and coffee on the brew.  The three of us would sit and chat about our favorite things while sipping coffee.  For my mother that was always politics and religion while for Bob it was art, business, creativity and his family.  Those were lovely times protected by our innocence of what was yet to occur.  Bob and I even had the audacity to plan a trip to the South of France - it was to be a combined birthday and anniversary trip.  Mom and Bob and I spent hours dreaming and laughing this way.

I could not have managed without my mother.  She held Bob's hand and she held mine.  I had many a cry with her as I began to comprehend the situation with Bob.  She cleaned, cooked, listened, watched, supported, wiped my tears and loved me through it all.  My mother had lost her own husband, Bill, my father, when she herself was 54.  She knew only too well what I was going through.

In the final days she made her peace with her friend, my Robert.  She was so strong.  I watched her say goodbye and it broke my heart because I knew she too was losing someone dear to her.

Now she and I have a new relationship with each other.  I depend on her for strength when my days are too emotional to bear.  She makes me coffee and we sit in our living room remembering and holding hands.  I am truly blessed to have a mother such as mine to be with me now and always in this life.

Mom I love you and am grateful to you always.
 
Love and blessings to all the mothers out there.
Tosca

PS.  Please also remember to thank your own mother and visit for our Mother's Day contest.

P.P.S.  One more thing.  Please also visit Mom's on Pinterest for some good clean fun. 

Paola is an Eat-Clean Vegan

Today, Paolo Deocampo, NPC competitor & personal trainer, shares her story of transitioning from a lifestyle of junk to veganism all with the guiding hand of The Eat-Clean Diet. She is very excited about The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook. I love the mention of role models. We all need them to maintain this journey. Thanks Paola, we love your story. 

Before I had heard of Tosca Reno, my idea of Eating Clean meant washing my hands before sitting at the dinner table.  I grew up eating anything and everything, never questioning the content of my food as long as it satisfied my taste buds.  But many years of having a sedentary lifestyle and eating junk caught up with me.  I realized that I had never been comfortable in my own skin.  I hated the way I looked and felt.  I flaked out on several social gatherings because I was too disgusted with my own reflection.  A change was needed, but I had never wanted to be supermodel skinny.  I wanted lean curves, but without any role models, I was lost.  That is, until I discovered Oxygen magazine’s fitness models and Tosca’s column.

As I read about Tosca’s own struggles and learned about Eating Clean, the contents of my kitchen cupboards began taking on a different form.  White breads and pastas were replaced by whole-wheat versions.  White rice was thrown out as I made room for brown rice and quinoa.  And although I had plenty of lapses in food choices since, Tosca’s inspirational column in Oxygen kept me motivated to pick myself back up and start fresh whenever possible.

It all came together when I decided to transition into the vegan lifestyle in 2010.  Among the many other benefits, becoming vegan has prompted me to pay even closer attention to what I put into my body.  My diet is Cleaner than ever and my body fat is down.  I even felt so fit and energized during my transformation that I decided to take it to another level by entering a National Physique Committee Bikini competition in 2011.  I am now a NPC Bikini Competitor and Certified Personal Trainer.

So, imagine my excitement when I heard about The Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook!  I am loving these recipes and am introducing new dishes into my meal plan!  Thank you, Tosca Reno, for inspiring me through the journey to better health since Day One!

Fresh & Clean - Yoga & Recipe with Karen

Today's Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook guest blogger is Karen Young, MPH. She's a yoga beauty and teacher with a delicious vegetarian recipes & tips to share on her site. She lives outside of New York City with her husband and two children. 

Karen showing off her yoga skills. 

I have an extraordinary life, but before I read The Eat-Clean Diet, I didn’t have the energy to enjoy it. With the help of Tosca’s books I’ve had amazing physical changes and remarkable improvements in my health, mood, and energy level.  These changes gave me the boost I needed to pursue a career as a yoga instructor.  Meat and animal products suddenly stopped appealing to me so it was a natural progression to avoid them.  I have found that I can be wholly satisfied with a plant-based diet, and enjoy the calm energy I receive from these foods.

People frequently ask me to help them find a good source of plant-based protein.  The recipe below uses inexpensive and delicious Urad Dal (Split Matpe Beans) - small white beans that are nutritional powerhouses containing 120 calories, 24 grams of protein, and 16 grams of fiber per ½ cup.  I use traditional Indian spices on these beans in the winter, but when the weather warms, I use farm fresh veggies and herbs from my garden to enhance flavor, color and texture.

Dal Salad 

Building Super Moms!

Today's Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook guest blogger is supermom, Carrie Zamora, AADP, HC. Not only is she a superfit health, nutrition & lifestyle coach, she is also a mommy to 3! Take it away Carrie...

When I first read Tosca’s story, I realized my personal fitness goals were within my reach; I didn’t need to settle for where I was physically. Having three kids wasn’t an excuse for not being my personal best!  

Tosca’s inspiration gave me the confidence to do walking lunges and side squats through the neighborhood without a care in the world and the realization that Eating Clean was the gateway to achieving the body I wanted!  Reaching my goals was thrilling, soon I realized I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up – who cares that I was 37.  I wanted to inspire and support others the way Tosca inspired me. My passion for nutrition and wellness would be my new career path. I received my certification as a Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach. Tosca’s Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook and Oxygen magazine are invaluable resources that I regularly use with clients.

Maybe Tosca, myself and others are simply late bloomers; late bloomers clearly produce magnificent results!
 
As the only vegetarian in our family, mealtime can be challenging.  I’ve had to learn to prepare one meal that will satisfy the entire family. Tosca’s Eat-Clean Vegetarian Cookbook brings fresh meal-time ideas! Dinner needs to be a family affair and shouldn’t require separate meals.  I focus on meals that have choices and variety; simple fresh veggies, brown rice or quinoa, beans/legumes and a lean meat so everyone can build a delicious plate they will enjoy.

I love the outdoors.  My favorite workout is 90 minutes on the jogging trail through the neighborhood.  Begin with 20 minutes of brisk walking then alternate sprints and walking recovery.  Work in 3 sets each, 15-20 reps of walking lunges, walking side squats, high skipping, and jump squats.

There is no excuse!