“Skinny Bitch” Kim Barnouin

by EcoStiletto

The vegan lifestyle can seem threatening and dramatic from the outside, when really it’s all about happiness, love and compassion. And many plant eaters don’t take themselves too seriously, like “Skinny Bitch” Kim Barnouin. Kim co-wrote the book that became a New York Times best seller in 2007 and lead to several spinoffs, including workout DVDs. (How to work out non-vegan? We’re stumped.)

Like a smart-mouthed Fairy Godmother to many modern-day Vegerellas, Kim dispenses commonsensical advice at her Healthy Bitch Daily blog. Our recent favorite was her answer to a question about how to cook vegan when you don’t live near Whole Foods. Kim responded:

If I had a quarter for every time this question popped up, I wouldn’t have so many damn parking tickets.

It’s a travesty that we don’t have more natural health food stores in smaller cities and rural areas. It’s not like city slickers are the only ones that enjoy putting good stuff into their bodies.  But until someone makes me God and grants me the power to replace every Starbuck’s with a Mother’s Market, we need to get creative.

Here are some tips to discovering hard-to-find ingredients so you can bring your healthy vegan recipes to life:

Explore your local grocery store.You would be surprised how many healthy and/or vegan foods have made their way to your local grocer.  Look near the produce section and you can usually find meat and cheese alternatives. Nowadays there are even health food sections in grocery stores—though they are usually small, you can often find what you’re looking for.

Shop online. Buy your perishables at your local grocer, and look to the Internet for everything else. Some of my favorites are VeganStore and VeganEssentials.

Find a local farmers market. Dig around in the community listings to see if there is a weekly farmers market in your area. Even if it’s 45 minutes away, make it a day trip! Farmers markets are surfacing in the most inconspicuous of places due to the rise of the health food movement. You can get pesticide-free produce, herbs, spices, jellies, and florals, while connecting with local farmers to understand where your food comes from. Also, farmers-market finds are often cheaper than the grocery store. Visit LocalHarvest to find a farmers market in your area.

If you want something you can dig your teeth into—pun intended—Kim’s at it again with a new title in the series called Skinny Bitch Home, Beauty & Style, a self-proclaimed “no-nonsense guide to cutting the crap out of your life for a better body and a kinder world.”

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It’s perfect for the BFF who’s got the diet down and is now ready to face the scary realities of beauty, fashion and design. Save a tree and ask to be first on the loan list when your girl is finished absorbing every last word.

Can you believe it’s holiday shopping season already? Whether you’re an established vegan or simply sleuthing presents for an animal lover, our Veganista insider Whitney Lauritsen, the writer, photographer, filmmaker and creator of the online go-to EcoVeganGal.com, found great cruelty-free gifts for you, your BFF, your man, the ‘rents and your boss. Happy shopping!

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