I'm About That (Sweet & Healthy) Life!

Lovelies! I hope all is well with you in your part of the world.

Thanksgiving just passed us by in the U.S. & I have yet to taste any of the desserts I made! Blasphemy.

Not sure why, because I'm usually all over the sweet potato pie situation. I guess my sweet tooth was not functioning this year.

I still want to share some healthy, delicious (almost unbelievable to some) vegan holiday desserts from some of my fave fellow bloggers. Let's go!

Apple Crumble Pie 

This comes from Nava Atlas' site VegKitchen, which features both vegan and vegetarian recipes. She's written many books on vegan and vegetarian cooking, as well as written tons of articles on healthy cooking which have been featured in VegNews & Vegetarian Times among others. I personally love apple crumbles and crisps because I'm not a fan of the flaky crust situation. If you are, I'll get you next time around =)

http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/apple-crumble-pie/

Bread and Butter Pudding

This kinda reminds me of a vegan UK version of the bread pudding I grew up on. Put custard in/on anything and I'm sold =\

Seriously, I became more aware of Jamie Oliver and his passion for healthy eating and healthy food awareness while I was in nutrition school at IIN. He's one of the good guys, it seems! You can find out more about his foundation here:

http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org.uk

Oh yeah, here's the recipe!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/vegan-bread-butter-pudding/

Cheesecake!

This dessert choice is pretty self-explanatory. Although, I have found people either love cheesecake or hate it. Hopefully, you're on my side of the fence and enjoy this recipe.

Minimalist Baker is a husband & wife team based in Portland, Oregon, who developed their site in 2012. Their recipes "require just 10 ingredients or less (sometimes 7), one bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare". They feature many gluten free and vegan recipes. What's not to love about that?

http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-pumpkin-swirl-cheesecake/

My Sweet Potato Pie!

So I might be a bit biased, but here's my favorite vegan sweet potato pie recipe. I pretty much grew up on this stuff for Thanksgiving, and tweaked it a bit after I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan over 3 years ago. No one knows the difference. I guess until now? Haha. I've featured this on my blog somewhere before I'm sure, but here it is again. I'm really bad with measurements, because I pretty much bake these freestyle, but I tried my best to keep track of amounts and such. Play around with the spices until you get it to your taste. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two pies:
2 graham cracker crusts (ready to bake), or your choice of crust
4-5 moderate to large sweet potatoes/yams, baked for about an hour, then peeled when cooled
cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom  (to taste...I never measure-sorry)
1/4 cup organic white sugar, 

3/4 cup  dark brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup or so of vanilla almond milk

3-4 tablespoons flour

raisins (optional)

Blend all non-crust ingredients in blender until smooth. Spoon into crusts. Mix in raisins, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean 

Now I want some dessert. What are your favorite holiday desserts? Share with us!

Remember, the key is not to stress over the holidays. Enjoy your treats, but also keep in mind that the important thing is the time you spend with your loved ones. Continue to stick to your healthy lifestyle and don't use the holidays as an excuse to run wild! Overindulgence and stress will only lead to frustration and derailment of your goals!

Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Nikki Thomas, RN, CPN, CHHC, AADP is a lover of life, health, and truth. I strive to help you find your balance and sanity in this occasionally insane world. I am a registered nurse, a board certified holistic health practitioner, life and health coach. Let's talk about health & wellness, fashion, beauty, and food! 

Find me at www.getthisglow.com

www.facebook.com/getthisglow

Instagram: @veganfashionista

Allow Me To Introduce You Two

Hello again, my lovelies! I hope all is well in your world.

You guys already know that I'm on a mission to keep myself and you all on top of the best of health, beauty, fashion, and wellness. When I feel like something got past me, I get highly annoyed. What am I rambling about, you ask? Ok, ok. Allow me to introduce some of you to a sly little bugger who's been hiding in the shadows of my almond milk and coconut creamer. Now, I have to take some of the blame since I hadn't been making my own almond milk at home like I used to. Sometimes convenience is not worth it.

Carrageenan 

As I got into the habit of reading the labels of everything, I became confident at my ability to spot non-vegan and also unhealthy ingredients. Then I found out what 'natural flavors and colors' meant (that's a post for another day), and I was on extra alert. Soon, I noticed the ingredient "carrageenan" in my favorite old brand of store bought almond milk and also coconut creamer. Alarms went off and I decided to do some investigating. Now, I'm not an alarmist or extremist. I know I can't protect myself from every potential harmful exposure to food or environment. Yet, I want the ability to be made aware of what's being put into my food. 

After doing extensive research from many different sources, this is some of what I found:

"All told, I recommend avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan. This is especially important advice for persons with inflammatory bowel disease." Andrew Weil, M.D. (Source)

"...are a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweed. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins. Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications, although it cannot replace gelatin in confectionery like jelly babies.While some indicate that carrageenan safely passes through rat GI tracts without adverse effect when it is a dietary ingredient,^[2] other animal dietary studies have observed colitis-like disease and tumor promotion. (source: Wikipedia) 

"Research links the controversial food ingredient carrageenan to gastrointestinal inflammation, including higher rates of colon cancer, in laboratory animals." (Source: Cornucopia)

"Research from Joanne Tobacman, MD, professor at University of Iowa College of Medicine, scientist and carrageenan expert, discusses valid concerns that digestive enzymes and bacterial action convert high weight carrageenans to dangerous low molecular weight carrageenans and poligeenans in the human gut—linked to human cancers and digestive disorders. Tobacman’s evidence and conclusions are based upon human tissue samples, not animal studies." (Source)

So this is important not just for vegans like myself, but for anyone who consumes dairy products and may have digestive concerns...or want to prevent any! Yeah, that covers a lot of us.

Here's a shopping guide for you so that you can have alternative options. Go a step further. If you see your brand on this list that uses carrageenan, be vocal about it! Some companies have removed the ingredient because of increased consumer awareness and demand. I've switched from Blue Diamond to Silk Pure Almond, but I will be going back to making my own almond milk now. It's so easy and tastes so much better. I'll blog about it in the near future.

Well, the moral of the story is to research anything you don't recognize on labels or in recipes that you are putting into your body. Don't be Chicken Little and worry that the sky is falling, but just be aware! You and your family deserve the best.

Until next time.

Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Vegan Mommies!

Hello my lovelies! As a tribute to my 2 year vegan anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks, I've decided to showcase the vegan lifestyle beyond my four walls. In my Health Coaching classes, we are learning about bio-individuality, and the fact that not one type of diet benefits everyone. Agreed! What works for my life, ethics, and beliefs is a vegan lifestyle however, and I love sharing it with anyone who is considering or already living this way.
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Olivia "Livvie" Caldwell as my first "Vegan Mommy". Now, not to get anyone to thinking about my age, but Livvie happens to be the daughter of an ex-coworker and nurse friend of mine. She is also the same age as my older son; in fact, they went to middle school together. Stop it! I see you doing the math.

Without further ado, here's a peek into some of the fun we had...

Vegan Fashionista: First off, I want to thank you for participating in this! I see from your Facebook page that you are an avid vegan like myself. I don't personally know a lot of vegans, but I'm part of a big vegan community...you know how that goes...
Olivia Caldwell: (laughs) Yeah...

VF: How old are your children? You have two, right? A boy and a girl?
OC:  Yep! Gabe will be 4 in November, so he's 3 and Cameron just turned 2.
VF: Wow! They are so cute!  Especially little Cameron with her poses and expressions. 
OC: (laughter)

VF: So, I wanted to do this series to drive away the idea for some that veganism is just a fad. I have had people ask me "are you still doing the vegan thing?". Not to say you can't change your ideals and way of living, but I want people to understand that there are entire families living this way, and it's sustainable. 
OC: That makes sense.

 Alicia Silverstone

Tia Mowry
Why mom Tia Mowry went vegan

VF: How long have you been a vegan, and how did you decide this was for you?
OC: When I was a freshman in high school, I cut out red meat and mom would just NOT let me cut out any other meat. She worried because I was a runner...she didn't think it was (safe). Once I graduated and went to college, I decided to do it. I haven't had meat for 7 years, and we've been vegan for about a year and a half. I kept reading about Forks Over Knives, have you seen it?
VF: Of course, yeah!
OC: And all these celebrities were going vegan...I mean, even Ozzy Osbourne watched it. I really liked cheese, and I didn't want to watch it, but I did, and halfway through I was like, I'm done eating all this junk! So I made Kevin (her husband) watch it and told him we were going vegan. He asked me if I was crazy. After he watched it, he decided to finish out whatever food we had in the house and said let's do it.

www.forksoverknives.com

VF: Wow! That was easy...especially for a guy!
OC: Oh, well he was vegetarian since he was a kid...
VF: Oh! I was gonna say!

VF: Okay, so what were your other family and friends' initial reaction? Did you get the 'where are you gonna get your protein?' etc. type questions?
OC: Yeah. I mean, you're always gonna get that. My mom said she just didn't know what to make for me anymore (laughs), and my mother-in-law at first was freaking out about the kids being vegan.

VF: Have they been vegan since birth?
OC: So they're not completely vegan..they've been vegetarian since they were born, but Gabe is such a picky eater. I've gotten him to drink green smoothies! Cameron is much easier...she'll eat what we eat. I kinda wish we hadn't listened (to other family members) and tried to (have them eat) completely vegan when they were younger. It would have been a lot easier. But I also think that later down the road, they can make that decision. I think they will. (The in-laws) are much more supportive now and tries to cook for us now all the time, but yeah..we still get those comments.

VF: So your children are mostly vegetarian, semi-vegan, is that right? Or do they eat meat?
OC: No, they don't eat meat. I try to incorporate new vegan ideas that they'll like, and it's hit or miss sometimes. They like a butternut squash mac and cheese, made with cashews, fruits, and some veggies. I got Cameron to eat broccoli, but I can't get Gabe to do that at all! It's a process.

VF: What about concerns from the medical community, and other parents that vegan/vegetarian children may not get all the nutrients that are important to their development like vitamin D, B 12, protein, etc. How did you research to make the decision that this lifestyle would be ok for them?
OC: Well, of course we looked into it and tried to see what would be the best way to do it. Their pediatrician checks their blood once a year for iron levels and everything, and they're always good there. They also take a pretty clean multivitamin every day. But I also think that through the week they get what they need because we mix things up. People will try to say things but I try to take it with a grain of salt. Obviously they're fine...they're really active..they're not starving or anything!

Article: Is Veganism Safe for Kids?

VF: Not at all! They look so healthy and happy. You posted pics of some yummy desserts for Cameron's birthday. Did you make those?
OC: Yes! I made vegan cupcakes for her birthday. If I hadn't told anybody, they wouldn't have known, but of course when you mention (they're vegan), some were like 'oh, then I don't want them'. (laughter)
VF: Of course! Automatically, they become gross and no one wants anything to do with them! So funny.
OC: I'm always bringing over food to mom's house that I 'veganize'. (My brother) Hayden likes a burrito bake that I make with adobe chipotle pepper. My mom was like 'is this vegan?' and I said yeah and you just ate the whole thing!

VF: You mentioned earlier that you felt like your children may gravitate to a higher percentage vegan diet as they get older. What if they ask you can they try a different diet and eat meat, cheese, etc? Would you let them? How would you feel about that?
OC: It wouldn't hurt my feelings. My cousin's family changed their diet to vegetarian, and he would sneak hamburgers, so (laughs) if that's what they want to do, then fine. Honestly, I don't think Gabe will want to do that. Cameron doesn't really know about meat. We'll be driving down the road and pass a BBQ place and Gabe will ask 'why do people eat pigs?'
VF: Wow! To live in the south and ask that question...
OC: I know! So we try to explain it like it's normal for a lot of people we know eat cows and pigs without telling him that it's 'bad' or anything. We'd never do that. He's such a gentle soul.
VF: Aw! That's really sweet. I think that's great to say some people eat that way, and some eat like us, without being judgmental.
OC: Right...

VF: What's some of their favorite vegan snacks or meals?
OC: They love the butternut squash mac &cheese, green smoothies, carrots and hummus...I can pretty much veganize anything.

Vegan Mac & Cheese
photo copyright www.cupcakesandcoffeebreaks.com

VF: Is it hard when you travel, or do you just bring your food everywhere like I do?
OC: We actually went to a wedding this past Saturday, and we knew they wouldn't have food there for us, so we went to a local produce store and got lunch there, and we also packed food in the cooler. Gabe is allergic to agave and we had some raw vegan bars. I was reading the ingredients and when he heard agave, he spit it out like 'no! agave!' It's more like a sensitivity, but he knows that he broke out before and it lasted a week...
VF: Poor thing!
OC: Yeah, it's hard sometimes because a lot of people sweeten things with agave. But it's alright. We know how to make vegan sweets!
VF: Thankfully, there are other natural sweeteners out there that you can use!

VF: Well, this has been great, and I'm not going to take up anymore of your time. Is there a message or something specific you would like people to know about your lifestyle?
OC: I've thought about doing a blog because so many people ask Kevin and I what we eat. I think people are really interested in it. When we first started...Kevin refers to that time period as 'the time we ate like rabbits'...it wasn't that serious! He was being dramatic (laughs). Some people just don't know where to start, so I thought about a blog, but I just don't know time-wise how to fit that in. But there are so many resources out there. You can pretty much take any recipe and veganize it!
VF: I agree! We went from Gardenburgers back in the day to now there are whole sections in grocery stores dedicated to health food, or entire health food stores period. There's no reason to think this lifestyle is boring or bland. I appreciate parents like you guys who are aware of not only their health, but the health of their children. I know you're a busy mom, so thank you so much for your time! Is there anything you wanted to add?
OC: I don't think so...they're fighting over a helmet right now, so...(laughs) 

VF: Oh no! Ok, thanks Livvie! This was really exciting and fun.
OC: You're welcome! It was great talking to you.


Well! How about that? She's such a amazing young woman, and a great mommy! I must say I've learned the word "veganize" from this interview! Love it. Maybe she'll share that butternut squash mac & cheese recipe with me and I'll feature it sometime. For now, here's a vegan mac & cheese dish that looks yummy from Erica Wodzak's Cupcakes + Coffee Breaks blog (pic above). Thanks for hanging with me again, lovelies!

Until next time,

Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Mission accomplished! 30 days RAW!

Hello once again,  my lovelies! It is a beautiful day here in the "A": 72 degrees and sunny. I likey. April definitely brought the rain which is great and all, but I'm ready for some consistent sun in May. I've got cute ensembles to rock =)

So, what's been going on with my 30 day raw journey you ask? Well freshen up your (healthy) drink, sit back and follow me. We left off on day 20 when I was finally out of my seemingly emotional slump due to what I believe were detox symptoms. Days 21-30 were pretty much a breeze, and I didn't want it to end, except when I started having dreams of cooked food--namely hummus and flaxseed chips-on day 28. Whatever, chile. Who knows what that was about?

Let's go...

Days 21-30

Day 21 was a rainy Sunday. I woke up feeling pretty refreshed, which was surprising seeing that we stayed out late at our 80's Throwback party the night before. I made a big brunch for the fam (which they had no shame in devouring it in front of me!), while I enjoyed 1/2 an avocado with sea salt and pepper and jasmine tea with a dash of coconut sugar. I pretty much drank tea and water for the rest of the day. I had an orange and 2 bananas for lunch and my usual salad for dinner. Meals are starting to get a bit repetitive, so I'm constantly searching for new recipes, otherwise I just end up not eating enough or grazing on fruit.

Days 22 & 23 felt like I was in a groove. It was if I had been eating this way all my life and didn't feel like a "challenge" at all. My emotions were in check...I was just plain happy. At work, people were side eyeing me when I didn't participate in ordering out. I side eyed them right back. Cooked food just wasn't appealing to me at that time, especially "junk" foods.
On both days breakfasts were smoothies (I made an especially delicious one that I called "Tuesday Sunshine Smoothie" that made me rub my tummy and dance as I drank. Ha! Judge not lest ye be judged!
Lunch was a variety of fruit such as bananas, grapes, bananas, mangoes, figs, dried apricots, dates, strawberries, and blackberries. Dinner on both days was a very large (think huge silver mixing bowl!) mixed greens salad with veggies, avocado, and seaweed. On day 22 I did a great kickboxing routine, and Tuesday was a boot camp style workout. Good times!

Mixed greens, veggie & seaweed salad

 Sunshine Smoothie

1 & 1/2 bananas

1 yellow mango, peeled & diced

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1 medium orange, peeled, sectioned & seeded

1/2 cup pineapple & juice

1/4 cup frozen red raspberries

add purified water to desired consistency

blend & enjoy!

Day 24 was an all fruit day. All fruit...all the day long. Don't know why, but it sho was yummy. You know bananas was up in there (4), oranges (had about 3!), 1 yellow mango, grapes, and pineapple. Also drank tons of water, about 7 cups, and 3 cups of herbal tea. I don't need to go into my bathroom situation that day, do I?

Days 25 & 26 were like BOOM! POW! I mean, I felt like a damn superhero. This raw ish can get you in trouble; got you thinking you can climb trees barefoot and jump off of buildings and ish. Man! Anyway, since I didn't eat any veggies on day 24, day 25 started off with a deelovely green smoothie that was packed with veggie power. I also added 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe's "Very Green" dietary supplement powder for insurance. It has tons magical goodness in the form of alfalfa leaf, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, etc. I'll post the label below. Breakfast on day 26 was a simple fruit salad.
Lunch was a raw avocado soup on both days (2 avocados, juice of 1/2 lime, 1/2 cucumber (peeled), 1/2 red pepper, cilantro leaves to taste, cumin to taste, dash sea salt, red pepper flakes, 3/4 cup of water, all blended. Um, hello..yum!) Dinner was nori veggie wraps on day 25 and mixed veggie salad with curry dressing on day 26. I drank 10 cups of water on day 25 and 12 on day 26. Go me.
Skin clear, allergies are much improved with very little mucous in the mornings (sorry), and my clothes are looser. Down 12ish pounds.

Green Super Powers Smoothie

handful baby spinach

smaller handful kale

3 leaves green leaf lettuce

1 banana

1/2 cup pineapple & juice

1/2 cup strawberries

mint leaves to taste

1 tablespoon Trader Joe's "Very Green" powder

1 cup purified water

blend & bottoms up!

Trader Joe's (Darwin's) Very Green Supplement, $19.99 (35 servings per container, so it lasts quite a while)

Alfalfa leaf extract, barley grass juice powder, pea fiber, spirulina powder, green tea leaf extract to name of few of the powerhouse ingredients. Good stuff.

 

Days 27-30 had me feeling very apprehensive that this challenge was coming to an end! I felt like I wanted to stay raw a bit longer...then reminded myself that, duh, I could if I wanted to. No one was forcing me to go back to cooked food! Smh. Then, as if right on confused girl cue, I wanted to take a bite out of the black bean burgers I was preparing for my fam on day 28. Smh again. I didn't, but it did show me that I was putting too much pressure on myself to choose raw vegan vs cooked vegan. I decided to stay high raw (75-80% raw), and cooked healthy vegan whenever I feel like it. Done. Sheesh. Fruits and salads pretty much ruled these last 4 days. I had a fruit smoothie that my love made for me on day 29, but other than that, it was just fresh fruits. I made a new raspberry vinaigrette dressing on day 29 that came out of nowhere. I tossed it in a fruit, kale, and spinach salad that lasted 2 days. Day 30 was a raw guacamole dip and mixed salad that was pretty good. Ended on a really tasty note. Proud of me.

Fruit, kale, and spinach salad

Kale, spinach leaves (as much as you want)

strawberries

orange sections

pineapple chunks

1 banana

1/2 cucumber

red pepper

sea salt, black pepper to taste

raw pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top

Raspberry vinaigrette dressing:

1/2 cup raspberries

1/4 cup pineapple juice

red pepper salsa puree left over from my black bean burger recipe

(3 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1 Turkish hot pepper)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbsp spicy mustard

1 tsp raw coconut sugar (or your choice)

dash salt & pepper

mix well in blender/food processor

Raw Guacamole w/salad



Well, that's IT, lovelies. I did it!!! Did anyone join me? Is anyone planning on testing the raw waters?If so, let me know. There's no experience like this one. Truly. Mental clarity, physical and emotional healing, and just increased overall appreciation for all things is what I toook away from this challenge.
Like I said above, I will be continuing my raw journey; it doesn't stop here. It's now a part of my life. I'll also be experimenting with more recipes, including desserts and will continue to blog about the experience.
Thank you again for ALL the support, emails, texts, encouragement, and shout outs! Love you guys.
To your health,


Love and happiness,


Nikki

Emotionally Raw...20 Days

Back again, my lovelies to update you on this raw journey of mine. Are you all well? Good! I've got lots to share so let's get to it. Days 16-20 were a roller coaster, but I held on!

Days 16-20

Day 16 was like a gift from the perfect life fairy. I kid you not. Tuesday is usually a good day for me. Don't know why. I don't question it, I just ride the wave. Ha! I woke up feeling so clear headed and light inside. Very energetic. Still congested and "sneezy" since my arch enemy pollen was lingering around like an unwelcome house guest. I had resumed my intense workouts in the past few days and was about to do a kickboxing class, when my fiance said he wanted to "go shopping". Screeech! This from the king of frugal?! I quickly ate 2 bananas for breakfast, along with 2 cups of water. I also take water with me wherever I go. After shopping (he bought me 2 GORGEOUS summer dresses!), we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill in Marietta. I had a really great HUGE house salad and water with lemon. I was hungry by dinner time, so I had lots of fruit and raw nuts-I find that helps with any cravings. Grapes, blueberries, bananas, raw cashews & peanuts, and pineapple. I also had a cup of herbal tea before bed. Still sleeping well with vivid dreams, 6-7 hours/night.

My lunch salad at Macaroni Grill

Day 17 found me with a ton of energy, but not much of an appetite. Boooo!
I only had a small breakfast of 6-8 Medjool dates (I swear they taste like candy) and that was it. About 2 or so hours later, I had a banana and herbal tea for a snack. Lunch was a smoothie made with oranges, pineapples, and bananas. Dinner was a big veggie salad made with red leaf kale, carrots, avocado, onions, raisins, and spinach. Going to the bathroom is now my most frequent past time =\
I'm also noticing that I am always burping or gassy (not stinky tho! That's another plus to this whole raw thing). Morning breath is also waaay less offensive! Almost non-existent. I said almost. Skin is soft and clear. Wish my allergies would disappear.

Day 18 was quite interesting. I woke up feeling pretty good. Worked out first thing (kickboxing and some yoga), and had a deeelicious Berry Banana Smoothie for breakfast. Snack was a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and 2 Medjool dates. Drank lots of water this morning, about 4 cups already. The day was uneventful until about 1 or 2 pm. I began feeling very anxious and wasn't sure why. I used to suffer from panic attacks, and it almost felt like the beginning of a panic attack which was very concerning. I also started to feel very tired physically and mentally. I don't know if I was having an emotional detox ( I talk about this in my first "raw" video), but it was not fun. I went on to eat a couple of oranges and bananas at work and drank about 4-5 more cups of water for the day, not including 2 cups of herbal tea. I didn't eat my salad for dinner.

Berry Banana Smoothie:

1 med-large frozen banana

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup pineapple chunks w/juice

3/4 cup frozen peaches

Blend!

Day 19 had me feeling a little better, but still emotionally flat.Wth? I wanted something crunchy with my breakfast so I had raw cashews and a fruit salad. I have to say my taste buds appreciate food in its natural state now. I can actually taste the flavors of each food I eat without having to season it or drown it in sauces or dressings. I was off from work that Friday, and slept most of the early part of the day. Maybe I just needed some rest because I woke up and had a smoothie my fiance made for me and went back to sleep for the night!

Day 20 Hallelujah. Woke up feeling like my fabulous self again! Lol. My energy was back. I jumped out of bed, but not before reminiscing on the dream I had about being married to Lil Wayne and...well, never mind. I've lost about 8-10 pounds so far for those who are asking. I didn't really weigh in on the first day, so yeah. I had a green smoothie for breakfast (spinach, kale, 1 banana, and pineapple). So good. I caught up with my best friend on the phone, talked with another girlfriend, went to the nail salon, and then shopping for the 80's Throwback party my fiance and I were invited to that night. Somewhere in there I fit in a mango and 2 bananas for lunch, 4 cups of water, and 2 nori rolls with lettuce and avocado for dinner. The party had an open bar, and this was the first time in recent memory that I partied while drinking only water all night...and had a blast!!! Go figure. Btw, I was Jody Watley and he was a B-boy =)

Nikki "Watley" wearing the fiance's B-boy glasses

MC Roc in the house!

There you have it...my crazy emotional detox days. I'm thankful for them, though because it means I've let go of whatever was buried deep down unbeknownst to me. I'm currently on day 24 and am almost sad this is coming to a close. I do miss rice and beans, and hummus, to be quite honest. Other than that, I feel amazing. We'll see what happens! Thanks for hanging with me again. Be well.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

 

Two Cent Tuesdays! Restaurant Edition

Hello again my lovelies! I trust you are all having a fabulous Tuesday.

I thought I would switch it up a bit this time and give my two cents on some of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I have visited over the past few months. If you live in the Atlanta area and are vegan/vegetarian, feel free to suggest or comment on some of your favorite eateries. Let's go!

Cafe Sunflower

2140 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30309
404-352-8859
Menu

My honey and I went to Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead back in January after some shopping at nearby Lenox Mall. This location is in the Brookwood Square Plaza.There is also another location in Sandy Springs.
Parking is easy and adequate.The decor is cozy and colorful, my favorite touch being the Chinese lantern type light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. Our waitress was really friendly without being overbearing. Their menu includes both vegetarian and vegan dishes with a touch of international variety. I was finally able to order a vegan  artichoke & spinach dip (that was actually very good!), so that's what we had as an appetizer. The fiance ordered a tall glass of herbal iced tea and I had a glass of vegan friendly cabernet sauvignon. Both of our beverages hit the spot, and our waitress was kind enough to tell us where we could purchase a bottle of our wine at a less expensive cost than at the establishment. See? I can be as frugal as the next chick.
Right at about the time our chips and dip ran out (and my buzz started knocking), our entrees arrived. Mine was a truly delicious sesame crispy soy "chicken" stir fry with snow peas, broccoli, and other veggies in a sweet & spicy sauce and brown rice. Lawd! He chose the orzo eggplant lasagna which was comprised of layers of portabella mushroom, eggplant, tofu ricotta and other veggies, laced in their marinara sauce. It also came with a side of salad greens with artichokes & olives in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This is bomb...he said (or something similar).
We were adequately satisfied for a surprisingly reasonable cost of just over $40 for a "specialty" lunch that tasted very good. I had to fight off our waitress's dessert Jedi mind tricks. I won. This time. The vegan dessert tray looked mesmerizing.

 Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip, $9  Herbal Iced Tea, $3



 Orzo Eggplant Lasagna, $12

 

Sesame "Chicken", $12

 

Bottom line: Recommended

The lunch menu had a great variety, and although you may have to hand over a few more dollars than you're used to for lunch, it's worth it. The food is delicious, the service is great, and they state they support local farms and use organic "whenever possible". Note: menus differ at each location.

Healthful Essence

875 York Ave. Atlanta, GA 30310
404-806-0830
 Menu

If you are Carribean (like me) and have adopted a non-meat eating lifestyle (again...moi), there are times that you can become nostalgic for the foods you grew up loving. Healthful Essence solves this problem without question! The fiance and I were in a throwback mood and decided to hit up this spot and give it a try. It's not easy substituting West Indian dishes, so we were not sure what to expect.
We made our way across I-20 to the West End of Atlanta. We nearly missed the restaurant due to it being a lot smaller than we anticipated. It's located in a strip plaza (kind of) behind a Krispy Kreme. Hmmm...I was skeptical. Ample parking was available on the lot, so I kept my judgement at bay.
When you walk in, there's the  cash register and the counter with the food to your left, a few tables and chairs to the right, a menu on the wall above, and that's about it. Double hmmm.
We were greeted by a very loud and cheerful character, who happened to also be from Guyana like the fiance. He explained our options for ordering "hot" and "cold" items and gave us a sample of anyting we wanted. One taste of the food and any concerns I had were GONE!
One section had raw, or cold dishes and my absolute favorite of those options was the seaweed salad. Let me repeat: THE SEAWEED SALAD IS BEYOND! I have yet to find another in Atlanta that is as good. They also had broccoli and cauliflower salads, cole slaw, kale salad, and other live salads which were all pretty good.
On to the cooked foods. Yessir! They call their vegan/vegetarian versions of meat dishes the "Un" dish. For instance, we sampled the curry UnGoat and the stewed UnSalmon. We ordered 2 cold and 2 hot sides each, along with our choice of "meat" all for $7.50 each. Pretty good, huh?
I copped the seaweed salad, live salad casserole, curried veggies, steamed greens, and curried UnGoat. Whew! My little belly was screaming for me to stop, but instead I gave it some ginger beer to muzzle it.
The fiance had the marinated kale salad, veggie wrap salad, jerk UnChicken, sauteed cabbage, and stewed veggies. His drink of choice was mauby. We sampled off each other's plate for the full experience, of course! We could barely move when done.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended
I love the fact that they have a raw foods selection that tastes amazing, and I can get vegan food reminiscent of my childhood that actually comes close in flavor. They are true to their name, and the price for dinner for 2 was about $25! What? I gladly traded a fancy decor for this amazing food. They also serve smoothies, roti, veggie burgers, patties, and nori rolls. We will definitely be returning customers as long as they are around and the food is this divine.


Why I did this review while on a raw vegan challenge is beyond me. Thank goodness I'm feeling strong. However, I know on day 31 where we will be headed to eat!! Thanks for spending time with me again today, lovelies. Until next time.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Still Raw!

Hello lovelies! I hope you are all well.

I want to take a moment to send my condolences to all affected by the horrible bombings in Boston last week. As a runner, it made me physically sick to imagine feelings of euphoria and triumph turn to fear and pain. As a human being, I am saddened by some who choose to also call themselves human, yet bring themselves to commit such unthinkable acts against others. My heart and spirit is encouraged, though. I know as a people, overall we are still good, kind, and full of love. RIP to all those who lost their lives, and peace to all those they left behind.

Well as promised, here is an update on my 30 day raw challenge journey! Today is day 15 (cheer, roar, clap..take your pick)!!! Dare I say that I feel like this could be a MAJOR change in my life? I know it may be a bit premature as I'm only 2 weeks in, but I feel so amazingly fabulous that I can't imagine not doing this from here on out. At least 80-85% raw, while incorporating some of my faves such as brown rice, beans, almond milk, and grains into the other 15-20% of my diet. Let me slow down...and take you back to the last 5 days =)

Days 11-15

Day 11 was a pretty good day. My diet is pretty much the same now daily. Over the past year I have grown to love bananas, which is funny because I used to hate 'em. Since on this raw challenge, I have been eating them like I'm a baby monkey. I had 2 for breakfast along with an Ataulfo, or yellow mango. Lunch was another banana and an orange. I snacked on raw nuts and dried cranberries and later had more fruit for dinner. I had no veggies today. Not sure why, but wasn't really wanting any. I drank about 6 cups of water and had 3 cups of herbal tea. My skin is softer and the eczema that occasionally flares up on my hands are gone.

Day 12 started with a fruit cooler for breakfast: 1/2 cup seeded watermelon, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blackberries, juice of 1 lemon, 1 peeled orange, 3 cups water and 2 tsp agave nectar blended. Really refreshing! I bottled and refrigerated the leftovers. Lunch was a spinach, kale, cucumber, and tomato salad with my home made curry dressing. I forced myself to have 2 bananas and an orange for dinner later that night. I was not hungry at all. I only drank about 4 cups of water today and had 2 cups of herbal tea. I have to increase my water intake to flush these toxins out and keep hydrated! My allergies are still irritating me. I wake up very congested still.

Day 13 started out with any innocent desire to have something different for breakfast and turned into a trail mix buffet of sorts. I received a call from my cousin in Canada and we were on the phone for about an hour. By the time 10 o'clock rolled around, I had eaten more than a handful of raw cashews, dried papaya, raw hazelnuts, raisins, and dried pineapple. I felt bloated and thought that it felt like a bit of a binge, but guilt has no business here so I let it go. I had a banana and some dried seaweed for lunch with herbal tea and water. I had fruit for dinner as the fiance and I watched a movie later. I'm in the bathroom so much, I might as well slap on a diaper =\
My sleep continues to be good with very vivid dreams. I sleep about 6-7 hours a night and feel rested.

Day 14 was a BEAUTIFUL, beyond day. Although I still woke up congested, once I hit the shower, my nose and sinuses cleared up and I stopped sneezing like a fiend. The fiance wanted to picnic in the park and that's what we did. He made a smoothie for my breakfast before we left: strawberries, blackberries, bananas, coconut and dates. Bam! Delicious. I packed a ginormous salad for the both of us, sandwiches for the manchild, a bottle of wine for the fiance, hummus and chips for the both of them, and fruit and water for me. We sat by the water at Sweetwater Creek State Park, played some Teena Marie and had a blast. Dinner was more salad for me and water. I feel noticeably lighter and my clothes are a bit looser. I haven't weighed myself in a while. Maybe I will tomorrow.

Day 15 has been a bit of a stomach churner. Literally. I swear it's like I can actually FEEL and HEAR all the food I eat digesting! Weird. I'm still congested, but not as bad. I had 2 bananas and some of my watermelon cooler drink for breakfast. I felt a bit tired today so I had a 2 hour nap from about 12-2pm and that did wonders. I snacked on raw cashews, papaya, seaweed, strawberries and blackberries. Dinner was leftover salad from yesterday's picnic. I drank 8 cups of water today and had 1 cup of herbal tea. I made sesame-ginger stir fried rice for the fam's dinner and for a split second, I thought I wanted some rice. This was the first time I've had something close to a craving since I've started. I even baked bread last night for the manchild without a second thought. Thankfully, as quickly as the thought came, it was gone. I'm actually excited for the the next two weeks.  My fiance says I smell like berries. I didn't believe him until I smelled my arms. I actually SMELL like fruit. Awesome!

 Picnic Salad

 Yellow Mango

Toasting life with my love

 Picnic basket

Well, there you are. I'm truly loving this challenge. I want to incorporate more veggies because it seems like I'm eating more fruit than veggies. Which, I'm not sure that it's necessarily bad, but I want to make sure I'm getting all my nutrients. I'll probably do another vid tomorrow. Until next time,


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

30 Day Raw Vegan (Is She INSANE?)

Hello my lovelies! I really have been here, I promise. Life is great and is keeping me busy. I hope all is well with you and that you are rocking this life OUT!

Last week I announced on Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc that I would be starting a 30 day raw vegan challenge, which I started on April 8. Today is day 10 of my journey and I have to say that I FEEL AMAZING. You can check out the video below for some quick info on what this is and why I'm doing this. I will be doing this challenge from April 8-May 8 and it will incorporate raw fruits, veggies and some nuts as well. Raw eating is an incomparable way of living. It's actually a lifestyle, because it impacts every other aspect of your life. I love this blog by 19 year old Em from Vancouver, Canada. She embodies my philosophy and has some pretty impressive raw recipes on her site:

This Rawsome Vegan Life

Wasn't that beyond?? Good for her!!

I thought I would be blogging about my journey 2-3 times per week, but I felt like it would be monotonous to keep posting about what I'm eating all day =) 
So instead, I will blog and vlog periodically with updates (that you may or may not care about..lol).

Days 1-6

Day 1 was pretty good. I didn't feel sluggish or have any detox symptoms. I ate bananas and grapes for breakfast. For lunch I had a green smoothie (spinach, kale, bananas, and pineapple) and dinner was a big salad made with avocado, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, orange slices, onions, and my homemade dressing made of curry powder, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, spicy mustard, sea salt, pepper, and raw sugar. I slept well and had no major issues.

Day 2 was a bit of a mixed bag. I woke up feeling very positive and light. I had a strawberry banana smoothie for breakfast. I ate similar to above, but I started to feel "snacky". Ha! That means I wanted some pita chips and hummus, folks. I worked that day, so that kept me from focusing on it too much. I ate a lot of raw almonds and raisins to help with the snacking fever. However, I did have to make a pit stop to Sevananda (a whole/heath foods store here in Atlanta), and found some raw vegan kale chips that were amazing. Satisfied that demon! Also, lots of visits to the bathroom (or water closet, as my BFF's hubby calls it-ha!). No details needed.

Day 3 was a sleepy day. My body just felt heavy and foggy. I tried to eat as much as I could, but I mostly just rested. Detox. Yuck. More fruits today than veggies.

Days 4-6 were much better. We were out of town for spring break in the Smoky Mountains! I surely did haul my raw life with me. For the road, I had bananas, grapes, water, and Bolthouse Farms unpasteurized juices (Green Goodness and Berry Blast), along with my raw trail mix. That kept me satisfied. Once we got to the cabin, I made a huge salad for dinner and banana ice cream for dessert. Banana ice cream is the shizzz! All you do is freeze a peeled banana (or several for more people) and let it soften a bit before you blend it. Once it's blended, it looks just like soft serve. It has a great taste, and you've used ONE  RAW ingredient. You can always add peanut butter, chocolate, fruits, etc if you want to, but I love it just like this. So did my future hubby =)
Throughout our trip, I noticed my appetite had begun to diminish, so I would have to remind myself to eat a banana or an orange just to keep my nutrients up. My boo even brought some cognac with us and I just sat back and watched him drink. Didn't even want  a sip. I KNOW....ME! You'll notice that the more natural, whole foods you eat, the less cravings you'll have. True hunger is an amazing feeling. I also slept very well and woke up by 6-3:30 on my own feeling refreshed. That mountain air is intoxicating, by the way. Had a blast.

Days 7-10

Day 7 had me thinking I was Superwoman. I felt so high! I was buzzing all over the place. My poor fiance just wanted to go and rest somewhere after our trip and I was so full of energy. Ha! I had a smoothie made of 1/2 apple, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 banana, and 1 orange. It was sooo good. It reminded me of that old school juice place in the mall, Orange Julius! Remember that? No? Ok, moving on.
We were on the road by lunch/dinner time so I had some more raw trail mix (raw peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins). For dinner, I wasn't really hungry so I had some herbal tea and 2 bananas.

Day 8 was another great day. I woke up feeling refreshed and had some beyond dreams that I won't puzzle you all with. They were dope, though. I had peach herbal tea and grapes for breakfast. Me and the hunny went to the Dekalb Farmer's market and scored big. I was in vegan girl heaven! I've lived in Atlanta for going on 8 years and I had never been there. Smh. We ended up spending about $115, but we got a ton of goodies. Can I just take the time to say how supportive my fiance has been this past week? He has unconsciously joined me on this journey and he didn't have to. Thanks, babe!!!
We came home and immediately, he made a huge salad from our exotic veggies. The most notable taste was the red leaf spinach. I swear it tastes like licorice!! I made another dressing from red wine vinegar, lemon juice, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic, and raw agave nectar. Beyond.
Dinner was a small amount of some more of the amazing salad. It was a great day.

Day 9 KICKED MY ASS!!! I felt horrible! What happened?? And I was funkeee. The fumes coming from my armpits could have won the war on their own. Oh my goodnasss. Since the skin is the body's largest organ, you will detox through it in the form of either increased body odor, rashes, pimples, or a combination of all. I was also cramping in my back, and my allergies were turned all the way up; I couldn't breathe. I felt like utter crap. I really pushed myself to eat, but ended up only having tea, water, 2 bananas, some raw trail mix that the fiance made out of our dried fruits and nuts, and a fruit salad that was the highlight of my day. I was in bed most of the day and finally drifted off passed the hell out around 10:30 or so.

Day 10 (today) is like I'm someone else. I feel like I did on day 7. My energy is through the roof. I was literally doing twirls around the house this morning as I got the manchild ready for school and yapping a mile a minute at my fiance. He just made me the most amazing "berry delight" breakfast smoothie as I'm working on this post. Just what I needed. Sometimes I think we can read each other's minds. Which makes me monitor my thoughts around him sometimes. Ha ; )

30 Day Raw Vegan Challenge Video 

Some of our Dekalb Farmer's Market Haul!!

Raw nuts and dried fruit, red kale, red spinach, organic red chard (hey, we were on a "red" kick), organic seaweed (so good!), fruits-including yellow mangoes, which were DIVINE, avocados, tomatoes/lemons/hot peppers, and my day 9 fruit salad

 

So that's where I am lovelies. I feel good today and hope I have made it through the worst of it. Don't let the funky days discourage you if you're joining me on this journey. It's just your body's way of ridding itself of the ish it doesn't need. Hope you enjoyed the pics, vid, and journey. See you soon!


Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Two Cent Tuesdays!

Hello again my lovelies. I know it's almost Valentine's Day, but um, Happy New Year (and Chinese New Year)! Hope you're having a helluva time keeping up with all of those resolutions you made so far =)

As for me, I've decided to be a bit more consistent with my Two Cent Tuesdays. I know! That's big news, right? It is for me...I realized that I can still be on track with curbing my spending and review products I already use. No need to go crazy buying things just to review! Light bulb.

So stick around to see what shenanigans I've been up to on my quest to find products I absolutely need in my life!


Apricot Oil

I discovered this oil by accident. I was shopping for avocado oil that I normally use in my hair and on my skin, and GNC was out of it. I read that Apricot oil was good for dry skin, so I decided to try it. Let me say that it did not disappoint. This oil is light, non-greasy, and absorbs really well. I ended up using it mostly on my skin and noticed it cleared up the eczema flare on my hands almost immediately. Looking for Vitamin A, E, and essential fatty acids? Check. It reminds me of sweet almond oil in texture and properties. Great also for psoriasis, dry, dull hair, and even scabies (ew!)

  Now Solutions apricot oil $4.99, GNC
Bottom line: Recommended


Benefit Cosmetics
benefitcosmetics.com

So it was my birthday on January 25th, and of course I made my annual pilgrimage to Sephora for some new goodies. I tend to splurge in there, but the good thing is you get a freebie on your birthday. Yep.
This year, I received the They're Real mascara mini and Watt's Up soft focus highlighter for the face. The price for the two on Benefit's website are $10 and $30 respectively.
The mascara's wand has a cool shape, and my lashes definitely rivaled the look my Maybelline Mega Plush Volume mascara currently gives me!
The highlighter looked okay under my brow line and on my cheekbones, but it was nothing mind blowing. I may have to go back to the store and have a demo of how to apply since this is not something I normally wear. I checked their website to see if their products are cruelty-free (owned by twin sisters Jean and Jane Ford), and the answer was somewhat ambiguous. They say that they don't test on animals, but also state that no company can completely make that claim...huh? Read for yourself here.

 

 Bottom line: Somewhat recommended. I would definitely purchase the mascara, but not quite sold on the highlighter for myself...yet. Especially for $30!


Sephora

 My new obsession is pink/purple lip color, so I tried several different shades while at Sephora for the perfect shade. I ended up choosing the 12 Hour wear Jumbo Liner Crayon in Lilac Shimmer, which is actually for the eyes. The color was perfect, and it does go on with a smooth, almost powdery feel. I make sure to wear lip balm first to prevent my lips from drying out and looking like a crazy person. It's also waterproof so I can eat and drink without having to reapply constantly throughout the day.
Sephora, $14

 
Loves it!!

 

 Bottom line: Highly recommended 

 

 Susan Nichole Handbags

I have been a fan of Susan Nichole vegan handbags for a couple of years now. I finally treated myself to one for Christmas. After rocking lots of high end leather bags for years, I was skeptical about "vegan" accessories because I hadn't found any that lived up to my taste...until now. These bags are fab, hot, and most importantly cruelty free. I was feeling kinda "hobo" and ordered the Meghan bag in gold. Since I was on their email list, I receive offers for special sales and other perks; to that end, I received my bag for only $38 versus the $125 it is sold for. Heeeck yeah!
The bag itself is very spacious, colorful with a funky burgundy strap that I wear across my body. I get lots of compliments on it.
Of note, on their website, you can learn how to enter to win a FREE BAG of your choice every Thursday at 10pm EST on Twitter and Facebook. Really simple to enter.
They even let you return your bag/wallet for recycling once you're done with it...AND they give you a $10 credit towards your next purchase for doing so! What else do you NEED??

Ivy in Dark Green, $125

Miss Betty in Oatmeal, $150

Meghan in Gold, $125 (but I received for $38)


Bottom line: With both fabulous fashion pieces and conscientious business practices, it's a no- brainer. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Highly recommended.


There you have it. Overall, I was very satisfied with the products/merchandise I purchased. I'm excited that some or all of this helped you guys. Thanks again for all the messages and love you all have been showing me here, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. We're gonna keep this thing growing!!!

Until next time,

Love and Happiness!!

Nikki