Guest Post with Diary Of A Health Nut

If you're sensitive to getting your feelings hurt then you'd better not read this post because my new guest blogger is known to never make excuses or sugar coat anything when it comes to being real about food choices.  And don't let her catch you with a doughnut in your hand either!

Meet Megan, the potty-mouthed health food nut (pun intended) behind Diary Of A Health Nut.  Mom of two cutie-pies and devoted wife, Megan considers herself to be granola kind-of-a-gal who is obsessed with all things healthy.  She and her hubby are successful business owners and real estate investors but she can't deny her love for anything healthy, especially when it comes to food!  When she's not running her business or tending to her family, she's busy learning and writing.  Working on nutrition and holistic health certifications as well as a book, Megan is soon to launch her first eBook.

What motivated you to start Diary of a Health Nut?

Diary of a Health Nut is a culmination of my entire life's calling.  Looking back, so many events or seemingly small tidbits of my life were leading up to something bigger.  From donating all of my allowance to save the whales after seeing Free Willy to high school Ecology Club, the Universe it seems has always been pushing me in this direction.  I've always been a health nut, but after educating myself, I finally had a real direction.  It wasn't just about being skinny anymore.  

Then, my best friend's wife came down with a rare form of breast cancer.  While most people get upset about that sort of thing, I got PISSED!  Would she have gotten it if the companies who make her food had warned her about what she was eating?  We'll never know...  But I'll damn sure scream it from the rooftops when I find out the disgusting chemicals they have the audacity to deem 'safe for consumption'.  My website is that rooftop.

Why are you so "unapologetic" about it?

You won't win over crowds with hugs and carrot sticks.  I tried talking to my parents for years about it, lovingly.  Nothing.  Then my mom had 8" of her colon removed.  I had 2 choices.  I could contine what I was doing and literally watch her die, while I knew the 'secret', or I could rant, rave and throw stuff until she listened.  I chose the latter.  She listened.  She is now reversing her diabetes.  Screw being nice.  Nice guys finish last.  Tough love works far better.

VK: Is your family vegan?  
Nope.  Actually, none of us are really.  We do include small amounts of animal products in our diet.  My kids and I eat how I truely believe our bodies were designed/created to eat.  My husband is practically a carnivore, but he is coming around.  :)  We keep very minimal meat in the house and no dairy unless my husband smuggled it in.  He enjoys my cooking, so it hasnt been too hard for him and he has found his ailments like heartburn and gall bladder attacks have all disappeared!

How do you deal with cooking something everyone will approve of (because I find this challenging in my own home!!)?

If we are making a spaghetti type dish, my husband may add meat at times.  If we grill, I'll grill veggie or bean burgers and he'll have his own.  Since my daughter and I do eat some fish, we can agree there but most of the time he does eat what I eat without complaints.  My husband told me when I changed my diet that if the food was good, he would eat it; and he does.  In my book, I do plan to show some variations of dishes though to accommodate the meat eater in the family.  I make a mean Big Bang Cauliflower dish that is also great with shrimp.  Either way, its yummy and everyone can enjoy!

VK: How much raw food do you incorporate into your daily diets?   
I make sure that every meal I eat includes something raw.  If I make vegan waffles in the morning, I top them with an ungodly amount of fresh organic blueberries.  If I make a tofu salad sandwich for lunch, you can bet its chock full of romaine, tomatoes and sprouts.  Snacks are often raw nuts.  And, often enough, I eat completely raw meals.  I do make the best damn taco 'nut meat' I've ever had!  ;)

VK: What is your favorite go-to recipe that the whole family loves?

Shepherds Pie & my Vegan Philly 'Cheese Steak' hoagies (see recipe below).  My carniverous husband loves both and the Shepherds Pie is my daughter's favorite!

Here are two tasty 

DIARY OF A HEALTH NUT 

family-friendly recipes:

Philly Cheese Steak Hoagie

2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil

2 Portobello Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 medium Onion sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Braggs, tamari or shoyu 

2 Tbsp Worstershire sauce (vegan version if you are vegan)

Hoagie roll

Vegan mozzarella cheese (I prefer Daiya for this recipe)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add veggies and cook until soft. Add sauces and season with s&p. While its cooking, slice hoagie (butter if you choose) and throw in toaster over for a couple minutes. Top with veggies and cheese and return to toaster oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. 

I promise-this may be meat free but it is DAMN good!!!

Raw Sesame Noodles

Serves 1-2

1/2 -3/4 C Carrots, shredded

1 tsp rice vinegar (or seasoned rice vinegar), + 1 tsp1 tsp Shoyu, + 2 Tbsp

1 Large Zucchini, spiralized, or 2 Medium
(if you do NOT have a spiralizer, use a vegetable peeler to cut into thin strands)

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 Tbsp Raw Cashew Butter (or Almond if thats what you have!)

2 Tbsp Tahini 

1 Tbsp Raw Agave Nectar

1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Filtered Water

1/4 tsp Mustard powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (more or less to taste)

2 tsp Black Sesame Seeds, + more for garnish

Place the shredded carrots with 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp shoyu in a bowl and toss.  Set aside to soften and marinate while you prepare the rest.

Do the same with the zucchini and lemon juice.  Mix together, remaining rice vinegar and shoyu, cashew butter, tahini, agave, toasted sesame oil, water, mustard, peppers and sesame seeds.  

Whisk until well combined.  Toss with zucchini noodles.  The dressing will appear thick until you toss a few times with the noodles.  The water in the zucchini will thin out the sauce quickly.  

Top with shredded carrots and garnish with additional sesame seeds if desired.

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Check out the contest going on at Megan's FB Page to win a signed copy of the book!