It unfortunately seems like the meat industry practices haven’t quite hit rock bottom despite the fact that more and more people are becoming aware of the healthy dangers of meat, as well as the cruelty it entails for the animals.

This article from the Washington Post, published September 8th, 2013 details evidence that things seems as though they are going to get worse before they get better. All the more reason for people to put a rush on their transition to a healthy, plant-based diet!

The article, entitled, “USDA pilot program fails to stop contaminated meat” begins:

A meat inspection program that the Agriculture Department plans to roll out in pork plants nationwide has repeatedly failed to stop the production of contaminated meat at American and foreign plants that have already adopted the approach, documents and interviews show.The program allows meat producers to increase the speed of processing lines by as much as 20 percent and cuts the number of USDA safety inspectors at each plant in half, replacing them with private inspectors employed by meat companies. The approach has been used for more than a decade by five American hog plants under a pilot program.But three of these plants were among the 10 worst offenders in the country for health and safety violations, with serious lapses that included failing to remove fecal matter from meat, according to a report this spring by the USDA inspector general. The plant with the worst record by far was one of the five in the pilot program.

Read the USDA inspector general’s report on swine-plant inspection, with key sections annotated by the reporter.

What the USDA watchdog found

Read the rest of this article here. For me, stories like this are simply a reminder of the urgency to spread the word, and help people find the motivation and knowledge to be healthy, energetic, and fit through a whole foods, plan-based diet so as to be able to enjoy life for years and years to come!

12 Aug 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Nutrition, Vegan-Related Current Events

Tags: almond milk, almonds, food laws, nuts, pasteurized almonds, raw almonds, raw nuts, unpasteurized almonds

10 Comments

Think You’re Eating Raw Almonds? Think Again!

Did you know, even if labeled “raw” almonds produced in the U.S. are NOT sold in their raw form thanks to new laws requiring they be pasteurized.

I am not sure what the word for it is… alarming, disturbing, infuriating, disheartening? I guess I feel a bit of all those when it comes to the laws on almonds produced and sold in the United States. Here is a quick run down of the law:

Since September, 2007, all almonds produced in the U.S. are required by the USDA to be pasteurized before being sold. Pasteurization is a treatment process that uses high temperature heat or a toxic fumigant to “sanitize” the food, after which the food is no longer raw by definition. Despite this fact, the USDA allows for the almonds to be labeled “raw,” totally misleading consumers. For more details, here is one article, among the countless others out there, from the Alliance for Natural Health.

Vegan health & nutrition is my passion so I do research daily to discover and share information like this. Most Americans don’t have the time and energy to spend discovering things like this for themselves. Most people make decisions based on the food labels, assuming that the nutrition facts, regulated by the government, are truthful. This is why I am so up in arms over this topic… its impossible for people to make an informed decision when the information is wrong!

Changing focus, you may be asking, are raw almonds THAT much better for you than roasted ones? After doing the research, I choose, for the most part, to eat organic raw nuts and seeds over roasted ones. This article gives a good run down of the reasons behind my decision. Another good tip is to keep them in the refrigerator instead of the pantry to keep them from going bad (& prevent bacteria growth).

The good news is that it’s still possible to purchase truly raw, unpasteurized, organic almonds and almond butter. I often purchase mine from Wilderness Poets. They import their almonds from Italy. They also carry a great Nut Milk Making Kit that makes it fairly simple and easy to make your own almond milk.

03 Jul 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Product Reviews

Tags: bbq, vegan bbq, vegan swaps, veggie burger

4 Comments

So… You Are Invited To A BBQ and You’re Eating Vegan… Now What?!

Don’t worry… if you’re invited to a bbq and you’re eating vegan just follow my lead!

Independence Day is just the kick-off to a BBQ-filled summer for many of us… which to me, means a super fun times with my friends and loved ones!

Have you ever experienced something like this? As you are being invited to a BBQ, the invitation ends with an uncomfortable, “Oh yeah, but you don’t eat meat!” Sometimes it even seems like the person feels badly about having even asked! But here’s the deal… A BBQ does not have to be synonymous with a meat-eating extravaganza! I look at BBQs as an opportunity to spend time with friends, meet new people, play volleyball (there is often a beach v-ball court around here in South Beach), have a few drinks, a lot of laughs, and share my vegan lifestyle simply by being present and being me!

So when I am invited to a BBQ, I get the details first because for me, a pig skewered over a fire pit is simply beyond the boundaries of what I am able to handle! (But for some of you who are vegan strictly for the health benefits, this might not be a problem!) Then, if I accept the invitation, I of course offer to bring some food, which is never turned down. And the friend usually realizes at that point that they are also planning on cooking up some veggies anyway!

If you enjoy preparing food, then please, have fun making your home-made vegan patties, potato salad, coleslaw, and whatever else you are craving! There are tons of awesome recipes out there to try!

Since I am not much of a cook however, I usually grab veggie burgers and vegan hot dogs to bring, as well as baby carrots, celery (I chop ahead of time) and hummus. My top vegan picks to bring are:

– Amy’s California & Bistro Burgers (Great tasting, satisfying to meat-eaters and vegans alike, plus the California one is gluten free!
– Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle (love adding avocado to this one)
– Lightlife Jumbo Smart Dogs (Perfect hot dog sub and Gluten Free as well!)
– Vegenaise, Low Fat (Texture and taste are both fantastic.)
– Daiya Cheese Slices (cheddar, provolone, and swiss options.)

Believe it or not both the faux meats and the veggies and hummus are almost always a hit at the party!

Now relax & have a blast!!!

And if anyone has links to recipes you have tried and love, feel free to post a comment to share!

14 Jun 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Fashion

Tags: fashion, pleather, runway

3 Comments

Faux Leather Hits the Runway!

Talk about sexy fit vegan style.. Faux leather has hit the both the runway and the red carpet this year.

Celebrities such as Anne Hathoway asport their fashion forward cruelty-free boots and dresses, while top designers like Tom Ford and Stella McCarney are rolling out new pieces to add to their lines.

Check out the article in New York Magazine, “Pleather Is Back, But Don’t Call it Vegan Leather,” for all the hot details

flexoffers

14 Jun 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Going Vegan Tips, Vegan-Related Books & Documentaries

Tags: documentary, documentary review, vegan health

1 Comment

Documentary Review: Forks Over Knives

Forks Over Knives is my favorite documentary about the effects of adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet to date.

The scientific data presented throughout the film is staggering. I felt like every minute of the film held my attention. And the quality of the directing and videography was top notch.

Forks Over Knives co-stars Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, a book that presents the results of the most comprehensive study on nutrition ever performed. Dr. Esselstyn, the other costar, brought his experience and expertise from the clinical setting. But both discovered the same thing… Eating a whole foods, plant based diet, free from all animal products and byproducts, can prevent and even cure the diseases that kill millions of people every year, including heart disease and cancer.

After viewing the documentary, I was able to convince my mother and my newly declared boyfriend both to watch it within the next 24 hours. I want to share with you the text conversation (yes, I am a big texter, I admit) I had with my boyfriend, Rob, because maybe it will help you convince your loved ones to watch!:

Ella: “Please promise me you will watch this documentary… Forks Over Knives… It’s all about real scientific research on our nutrition, particularly as related to disease including cancer, prevention, and cures. Cuz I care about you. Please promise! I bought it on itunes.”

Rob (12 hours after texting me to say he promised): I watched that movie and I’m totally switching to eating Vegan! You’d have to be half [stupid] to see that n continue to eat meat n crap, I’m just going to need your help 🙂

It was music to my ears!! There is nothing I want more than to help him, and every single person in the world who wants to adopt a vegan diet!!! So download or order the DVD Forks Over Knives now, and lets get this revolution rockin’!

01 Jun 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Fame and Fortune, Vegan Fashion, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: Ella Magers, interview, magazine, media

3 Comments

Featured in Haute Living Magazine!

Check it out! Haute Living Magazine

Meet Ella Magers – Miami’s Sexy Celebrity Trainer

If you’ve been eating a little too much mac n’ cheese at Prime One Twelve, it may be time to get a trainer and some good, ahem, dietary advice. Enter Ella Magers, who offers up lifestyle consulting and personal training sessions to Miamians with means. Aside from nutrition consultation, she’ll help you blast fat in a one-hour workout with kick-boxing moves, abdominal workouts and strength training .

Ella Magers is a personal consulting and wellness professional based in Miami Beach who has worked with professional athletes like Alex Rodriguez. She started her practice of Muay Thai 10 years ago when she worked under a world champion and now teaches Muay Thai Boot Camps at SobeKick Miami.

“The work out is so great because you work everything. You work the lower body, and you have the kicks and elbows, so it’s the science of the 8 limbs,” says Ella of her practice of Muay Thai.

Magers isn’t just incredibly buff, she is also vegan, so in addition to personal training, Ella is also promoting her new website Sexyfitvegan.com. The website promotes a vegan lifestyle because “it is not only healthy, but a compassionate way to live.” Ella also does in-person consulting in Miami in order to help people transition seamlessly into a vegan lifestyle and drop pounds.

“I work with them on nutrition. I take people from where they are and look at schedules and families. Everybody has things going on in their lives and they need somebody to look and fit in the exercise and how to eat right, even if they’re traveling,” said Ella. “All of those components are really important.”

Ella was also the Fame Fitness World Champion in 2007 and knows a thing or two about getting results. Following her strategies and workouts, she says clients “start to feel a difference and start to feel their clothes fitting loosely” in no time at all.

But what if you want to hit the chocolate fountain at Dylan’s?

“As long as you find a balance in which you are eating healthy, and doing mostly the rights things, you got to go and have fun too,” says Ella. “I don’t want to be unrealistic, I want people to have fun.”

01 Jun 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Product Reviews

Tags: pasta, vegan food list, vegan protein, vegan swaps

6 Comments

Vegan Protein Pasta: Sexy Fit Vegan® Approved

Yes, a vegan protein pasta DOES exist and it blows away non-vegan protein pasta in terms of the nutrition and protein content!

A low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber, organic, grain-free, gluten-free, preservative-free, vegan pasta that actually tastes great… it’s hard to believe!

Here are the details…

Product: Organic Mung Bean Fettuccine

Brand: Explore Asian

It can be tricky to find locally so you may need to order it and stock up. You can find it on Amazon
among many other online health food stores.

Make sure to sign up for the FREE Sexy Fit Vegan Newsletter for a super easy to make healthy Mac’n Cheese recipe I created. You will also find a recipe for vegan protein pasta primavera in the How to Go Vegan Beginner’s Guide… YUMMY!!!

24 May 2013

Ella Magers, MSW

Vegan Fashion

Tags: tv