Holiday time is a wonderful time for families to get together and enjoy. For some it is tough because family time may feel like obligatory torture, but for me and my family, it is awesome, outstanding fun and joy! This year we spent the Holidays in Dallas, and it was truly magnificent. My family in Dallas loves to laugh, loves to eat, loves to make hilarious jokes, and shares in the genetic love for a healthy sense of humor with a hint of sarcasm, which I thrive on at times. It is good to be able to laugh at yourself once in a while, and when you are surrounded by like minded people, it makes the experience so much funnier!
While I maintained my vegan diet, and stuck to my daily yoga every morning, I used the opportunity to enlighten my omnivore relatives to leave the dark side and come to the healthier, higher energy, youthful glow, energized, global consciousness, animal loving side for good - vegetarian, I did experience backlash. Luckily for me, the Indian diet has many healthy, delicious vegan options, and my family members are amazing chefs. Since I have many family members who do eat meat, I have always been compassionate and understand how habits, marketing and comfort can dictate a persons dietary habits. While you may not want to read every label, it doesn't hurt to be more aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Also, when facts prove that the acidity level, toxicity level, hormone and chemical processing that goes into an omnivore diet can affect your complexion, your ability to withstand sickness, increase your chances of cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and heart disease....well it doesn't hurt to eat some veggies once in awhile. I enjoyed the ribbing from my family, and was happy to highlight the long term benefits from a more alkalized diet, especially since I could use myself as an example. I have to admit I ate more than I usually consume during the Holidays, and loved every vegetarian bite. My amazing cousin Roshni (our designated family chef) was kind enough to bake delicious vegan brownies for me one night which I enjoyed and shared. Thanks Roshni! We had a great organic market called "Sprouts" literally down the block from the house, and my cousin Ambily took me there so I could stock up on my favorite foods: Kale, Spinach, Avacados, nuts, Cucumbers, grapefruit, bananas, berries, and of course Coconut Ice cream from "So Delicious" in Peanut Butter Chocolate swirl!!! Yea, I said Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl folks!!! Even my hard core Omnivore relatives enjoyed that one!! I may have enjoyed it a little too much myself, as I seem to have come back with a 5lbs extra winter coat, but worth every delicious inch.
On my last day in Dallas, my Amazing cousin Ambily, took me to a cute, wonderfully delicious vegan restaurant in Dallas, called Spiral Diner. Thanks Ambily! Although they had amazing food options, we went after lunch, so we ate dessert and had yummy Coconut based Vegan Strawberry ice cream, and took vegan dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and vegan snicker doodles (which I never knew what a snicker doodle was until now), and vegan pumpkin cheese cake, in a take away box. That evening 20 of us ventured to the Cheesecake factory, so while I feasted on my salad & sweet potato fries, I also got to enjoy some Vegan Cheese cake when it came to desert time. Thanks to my family, Y'all made the Holidays such an amazing experience!!! Haven't had a christmas this good in years!!!
Pictured: Ambily and myself at Spiral Diner in Dallas!
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