About Me

Thank you for visiting my blog! You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Bloglovin. My recipes have been featured on Foodgawker, Buzzfeed, FindingVegan, Healthy Aperture, Huffington Post, Babble, and The Frisky.

My name is Lauren, and I recently graduated college with an English major and a teaching certificate and started life in the "real world." I grew up in South Dakota, but I currently live in New York City, where I teach writing to a hundred darling sixth graders in Lower Manhattan. When I'm not working, I love theater, reading and writing, figure skating, ballet and dance, traveling, and exploring "the City." I'm a big fan of The Office, the Harry Potter series, and anything Irish. Oh yeah, and a little thing called oatmeal.

Why Oatmeal?

Oatmeal was my gateway to healthy eating. After an entire lifetime of horrible dietary decisions, I vowed to make some changes to deal with my IBS. Many sites recommended eating more oats, which contain more soluble fiber than insoluble fiber, an important difference when dealing with digestive problems. I started with the instant packages by Quaker and became almost immediately smitten! Around the same time, I moved out of college dorms and started pursuing a Slow Foods diet, so after a few months of Quaker Banana Bread Instant Oatmeal, I switched to making my own porridge from scratch to save money and avoid unnecessary ingredients. Four years later, I now eat a heaping bowl of oats every single morning!

Why Slow Foods?

I've always had a fast metabolism, so I typically ate whatever I wanted to. The only vegetable I ever ate was a potato, and the only green thing I willingly put in my mouth came from a Skittles bag. When I graduated high school, I endured a rough transition period and consequently put on a lot of weight. Once my self-esteem hit an all-time low, I decided to make an effort to take off the extra pounds.

At my heaviest...with Peggy Fleming. :)

I made some smart choices, like eliminating processed junk food (au revoir, Cheetos Puffs) and choosing apples and other fruit instead. Unfortunately, I was mainly concerned with calories, and Coke Zero, Lean Cuisine, and Crystal Light were regular choices for me. Then, a series of events pushed me toward a whole foods approach: 1) Watching "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" on ABC in the fall of 2009;  2) Trying to incorporate more soluble fiber in my diet to alleviate my IBS symptoms; and 3) Watching Food, Inc. during spring break of 2010. These three things heightened my awareness of food choices and gave me the passion and commitment necessary to make some serious lifestyle changes. Altogether, these adjustments helped me lose approximately 40 pounds.

I now believe wholeheartedly in the Slow Foods approach: taking the time to create, savor, and socialize around fresh, quality food in a way that nurtures the community and environment. I choose organic and/or local whenever possible. I also avoid fast food and most chain restaurants (Chipotle is the exception).

Meeting Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation; October 2011

Why Veg?

In September 2011, I became vegetarian for the environment. In October 2013, I became plant-based (vegan, but with honey) for health reasons. To learn more, read my page Plant Proud!

Why Running?

No, I am not trying to lose weight.

I have hated running my entire life. In high school, we used to have to run miles around the school during volleyball practice. My best friend Micaela, who ran extensively on her own time and therefore didn't "need" this extra stamina training, would literally walk with me while I pathetically jogged (and whined) at her side. Knowing that running is crucial to a healthy life (prevents cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, etc.), I tried on multiple occasions to acquire a habit of it, but just couldn't make it stick.

During the winter of 2011, I developed an interesting, new IBS symptom. Eliminating meat and dairy from my diet virtually abolished the pain and...errr..."bathroom issues," but now I was dealing with something new. You know that feeling after Thanksgiving dinner when you've eaten WAY TOO MUCH and you feel like you could never eat again? Imagine feeling that way after every meal. Imagine feeling that way even when you only ate a medium-sized salad. Imagine feeling that way for hours after eating only an apple. That is what I was dealing with.

Since this was new to me, I did not immediately connect it to my IBS. Instead, I made the logical assumption that I was overeating. Why else would I feel so full? This led to a dangerous accidental period of weight loss and malnutrition. When I realized that one stinkin' apple could leave me "full" for hours, I realized I definitely wasn't overeating and immediately needed to address the issue. I saw multiple doctors, who had a variety of theories, but nobody had an answer for me. Meanwhile, I continued my 24/7 misery, no matter how healthfully I ate. I tried multiple solutions on my own: eating more greens, eating less carbs, eating less peanut butter, cutting sugar, drinking tea instead of coffee, doing yoga and meditation, eating while standing up, eating small meals more frequently, eating gluten-free, keeping a food journal, eating bigger meals (seemed counter-intuitive, but figured it was worth a shot), and more. Nothing brought relief. Not even SLIGHT relief.

Having given up on my doctors, I researched on my own, and after nearly a year of discomfort, I discovered it's a common IBS symptom. It was so drastically different than my previous symptoms that I never even considered it to be related. Still, none of the advice people offered helped me. I was already following a pretty healthy diet (I wasn't entirely vegan yet, but I was eating no meat, tons of fresh produce, and very minimal amounts of dairy; plus, I was well-versed in soluble fiber vs. insoluble fiber). Finally, in winter of 2014 (an entire three years after this misery started), I found a handful of articles that recommended cardio.

I was annoyed. Wasn't it bad enough that I had to give up soda during junior high, when all my classmates were blissfully chugging Mountain Dew Code Red? Wasn't it bad enough that I had to say "no" to the pan of brownies someone brought to theater rehearsal in high school? Wasn't it bad enough that I could never enjoy pizza or my mom's lasagna without feeling sick afterwards? I felt like I had already made so many sacrifices for my IBS, and now I had to make another.

I tried it. One day in February 2014, I felt obnoxiously full after dinner (with normal-sized portions). Feeling desperate, I piled on multiple layers and headed outside, where I pitifully alternated between jogging and walking for about a mile and a half. That night, for the first time in three years, I felt relief. I could only describe the feeling in my stomach as "nothing," which I guess most people would call "normal." In the morning, for the first time in three years, I felt something else: hunger.

Although I loathed running, I hated the full feeling more. It had controlled my life for too long. Whenever I didn't feel like running, I thought about how I would feel the next morning: did I want to feel "nothing," or did I want to feel like I had a balloon full of cement in my stomach?

Now, I run around 2-3 miles at least three times a week. The relief it has brought me is unbelievable. I can eat more, and when I eat, I enjoy it more. Furthermore, I have more energy, and I'm happier. Once again, IBS has proven itself to be a positive impact on my life by forcing me to make healthy changes.

But it wasn't all easy. You can read about my journey to fitness in my Getting Fit series.

Favorites & Such

My favorite food (after oatmeal): Sushi (peanut-avocado roll on brown rice, please!)
My favorite ingredient: Peanut butter
My favorite fruit: Peaches
My favorite vegetable: Brussels sprouts
My favorite dessert: Tiramisu (Peacefood Cafe makes the BEST vegan tiramisu!) and pumpkin pie
My favorite spice: Cinnamon
My favorite herb: Basil
My favorite restaurants: Champs, Wild Ginger, Cafe Ghia, Asuka Sushi, Peacefood Cafe, Beyond Sushi, Red Bamboo, Peanut Butter and Company Sandwich Shop (all in NYC); Elbow Room (Newark, NJ)