Little Grawnola

This page is created with love from the Gabriola Farmer's Market food stand: Little Grawnola! It's a place to share ideas, resources, amazing food, and get people excited about living healthy and kind! <3 I’m Alina! I call myself an eatie (not a foodie) because I can eat until I burst and still go on eating. That’s why I inhale this healthy and delicious food! Well, that, and because I love animals. I’m a prairie girl by label, but a westcoast gal at heart. I moved to BC at 18 years of age and never looked back. And I just can’t seem to stay away from beautiful Gabriola Island! With a masters under my belt, and an awesome job planning events for the Gabriola Arts Council, I get to spend the rest of my time making delicious food, black-thumb gardening, gymming it up, being at my favourite place (the farmer’s market), and watching Netflix of course. I’ve been a vegan for two years but before that I was an on and off vegetarian for eight years. I am one of those vegans who unfortunately likes the taste of meat, so while the transition was tough, I made it! (my brothers didn’t) I am so thankful and blessed that I did. I feel better, I look better, and I am happy to not be contributing to all that goes along with animal agriculture. I love all beings and would prefer they not suffer needlessly. And I am thriving on this lifestyle! Yay! PS I am not an expert on anything. My retention stats are low to non-existent. I read articles, I watch movies, I make food, and I pretty much do what works for me. WHY VEGAN? Eating a vegan diet is good for the planet, our bodies, and other animals. It brings us closer to nature and teaches us that the planet and other animals are not ours to exploit. Veganism creates peace on many levels. Planet: Animal Agriculture is the worst offender against the earth. Animals: Millions of non-human animals are unnecessarily suffering in poor living conditions. Me: Energy. Health. Happiness. WHY RAW? (and what the heck is raw, anyway?) Raw foods have not been cooked, altered, or processed over 117 degrees Farenheit. Plant-based whole foods provide us with the phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and enzymes we need to keep us healthy and thrive. Cooking our food destroys aspects of these, and increases our chances of getting/keeping various diseases/cancers. When eating raw, these natural enzymes (proteins) keep our own enzymes alive. We are born with a certain amount of enzymes that will one day run out, and using these up is one sign of aging. We can stop using our energy to digest harmful foods and use it to living life fuller! WHY ORGANIC? There are more than 600 types of chemicals used for agricultural purposes, which have not been extensively researched for our diets. Each person per year ingests approximately 16 pounds of these chemical pesticides. And who knows what they’re doing to our bodies?! Post Script There are more nutrients in the soil of organic crops than of non-organic crops. Organic food tastes better. There has not been enough research done on genetically-modified foods (science) to make it okay for humans to eat. Organic crops preserve our eco-system, agricultural diversity, and protect water and soil.