Eating Vegan on the Road

Vegan Indian food in DC

So this is what I had at the restaurant Rasika. The server was very helpful and told me everything I could have on the menu and even said they would modify some of the dishes if I chose to have them instead. He was kind, caring, courteous, and above all helpful. Needless to say, if you pick a restaurant in DC then go there and not just because of the service, but for the food too!

We had a chickpea pattie with onions and tomato chutney on top for our appetizer,along with some Truffle Naan (yes, it had truffle oil in it. It was delicious!!!). Then for our entree we had an eggplant and potato stew in a tomato sauce, some pan fried okra with mango powder and then a vegetable rice. It all was fantastic! The okra was my favorite part besides the naan. Also the presentation was divine!

So, besides this meal, I also ate on the road. Now, as most of us know, fast food usually means meat along with grease and fat and other nasty stuff. BUT…you can eat vegan on the road if you try. I packed snacks so I wasn’t as tempted to eat fast food. Gogi berries, seaweed chips, fruit, and small veggies and all great to take with you. Not to mention home made trail mix! But, if you have to eat a big meal, then here are a few pointers.

1. If you aren’t sure what is in it, then just ask. If you don’t ask, then you don’t know. Most restaurants have a nutrition chart and list of ingredients that are in their food now. So it is better to eat at sit down places because you have more options, but fast food chains will do what they can with what they got. French Fries are usually a safe bet.
2. A salad isn’t always safe. Again, you have to read what is in it. You can ask for no cheese and make sure your dressing doesn’t have anything in it that is dairy or egg based. If you need a bit of flavor, then vinegar or lemon juice makes a great dressing.
3. Mexican food is your friend. Most burrito places and even taco bell have a bean option and you can just ask for no cheese and load up on the veggies. Just make sure they don’t use re-fried beans. It’s filling, healthy and quite yummy.
4. Plan ahead. Snack foods are great and having a sandwich in the car just in case is always better than going hungry. It is also easier on the wallet.
5. Did I mention read your labels? I can not stress enough all the gross things that come in most packaged food. milk powders, egg derivatives, loads of sugar and salt, ect. Most local gas stations aren’t going to carry natural products, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

So, those are my tips and tricks for you. I hope this helps out some of you. 🙂 Enjoy!

The Meaning of Classical Art

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”― Leonardo da Vinci

 

So, being able to see artistic work by some of the absolute greatest artists of all time was so moving to me. I could have stayed in that museum for hours and would not have cared one bit. Monet, Van Gough, Toulouse Lautrec, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Cassatt, Picasso, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli,  Titian, Bellini, Lippi, and so many more. To be able to see every emotion and detail and not be moved is just asinine. Not to mention the gilded work from the Byzantine period. Or even the mosaics that were plopped into the  floor as if it was nothing.

So, the artists accomplished exactly what they were suppose to do. They moved me, created emotion, left me breathless, amazed and astounded me, made me study their work, and left me with a memory I will never forget. The original plan for this road trip was to go and see a Lichtenstein exhibit.  It was one of the last days we could go and see it before it was moved to a different location. Now, I like pop art, but it is no where near the shock value of classical art. I could not see any brushstrokes in Botticelli’s work. It literally looked like he took a buffer and made everything the same texture and evenness. Compare that to a painting of a hotdog or Donald duck… it’s just not the same. Those pieces are so old and valuable…that was the oldest damn thing I have ever stood in front of!

Needless to say it was the best day ever. I can die happy now, my life is complete. I will NEVER forget that day as long as I live. I did also take some mindfulness from this experience. Too often in life do we try and stick to the plan and stay on track. Not to deviate or let things stand in the way. But, sometimes it is best to get off track, slow down and just smell the roses (or oil paints in this case). Surprises are all around you, don’t be too busy to take them in or appreciate them. Appreciate your surroundings and put love into all that you do. Life is truly amazing.

Another cool thing that I did was get to see an albino squirrel in the wild (if you consider city is “the wild”), have some awesome Indian food, walk around DC and take in some of the sites and learn a lot from a really good friend. Life is full of wonders and taking it all in is just wonderful. I will be planning to go back hopefully next month at some point for a full weekend and not just a day. It will be amazing. 🙂 But for now, I will enjoy my art high and be content in my memories. Namaste!

ROAD TRIP!!!!

The after affect of seeing beautiful classic art. ❤

So I went on Road Trip to Washington DC yesterday. Because of that (and the lack of a proper tablet device like an ipad) I was not able to post. I apologize for the inconvenience. However, I do have photos and such that I have uploaded here on my facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.589824711035037.161885.100000225393483&type=1&l=e24cc85e12

I will be posting later today about how the artwork actually made me feel (life long dream accomplished and yes, I did cry) and then tomorrow I will be putting another installment about eating vegan on the road. I know it plagues a lot of people who try to eat healthy, let alone have special diet needs, when traveling. So, for now please check out my pictures and leave a comment or 2. I hope you all enjoy and stay tuned!

Do not tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled–Mohammed

Temptations…

Thou must resist temptation for it defiles the soul, body, and mind. So Purge thy soul so that you may be acceptable within the eyes of God. And so the story goes; good versus evil, right versus wrong, night versus day… We as the human race are interesting complex creatures. We have set our selves up in a society that sees things in black and white, and yet we dare not tread within the gray area that is oh so prevalent within our society. It is, after all, taboo and unspoken.

This is within religion, politics, education, philosophy and almost every face of life. Frankly, it bothers me that people choose to be so biased and not to listen to others if they have questions or concerns. Instead, we should teach with love and not fear and have an open mind concept to others and their beliefs as long as they are not harmful to others (i.e. picketing a funeral because someone is gay, using god to justify bigotry, and things of that nature). Alas, it is impossible it seems with how people tend to be these days…

So, the reason for my long rant above is because…well with cutting out certain things in my diet my body has gone on over drive and started cleansing itself of all the vile I put into it over the holidays. I have aches, pains, tummy issues and I am a bit crabby. With the lack of caffeine via coffee, abstinence from alcohol, no vegan chocolate in my house… I basically want to punch someone. I am a well of emotions, everything is coming up in waves, I basically just feel like my world has been turned up on its head.

But this is all physicality, and in the end I will have a pure soul to offer to god… or so they say. Most of the great gurus in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Asian philosophies were vegetarian, and even the Buddha himself meditated for days without food and water underneath the Bohdi tree to reach Nirvana. He was even tormented by the devil (Mara if you will) and told to turn back, that his ideas were not worthy and people would think that he is crazy.

So, here I am under my Bohdi tree trying to resist my temptations and reach Nirvana. What will that be like? Lord knows… right now I will just be happy to reach the breaking point where all of the detox symptoms will be gone. Hopefully that will happen within the next few days (I am assuming, when I have cleansed before it usually eased up after the 5th day), and if not then I will be investing in some coconut milk and cacao nibs so I can make super food hot cocoa!

On another note, I am rather proud of myself for resisting a turkey, cheese and mayo sandwich I had to make for Ann at work. Normally, I would have a total aversion to said sandwich, but for what ever reason it seemed rather appetizing because I was hungry. I just noshed on my sweet potato and apple with peanut butter though and stayed strong. Tomorrow I will be bringing a salad and lots of fruit and rice cakes to hold me over. My appetite has increased quite a bit in the past few days, not exactly sure why but it’s all good. But that is all for now!