Want good skin?...go vegan!

natasha @ ole henricksen has been doing my facials for over a year now. today, she looked at my face and said: "your skin looks alive...what are you doing different?" "alive"? duh! i'm eating raw vegan food, the closest thing to nature....and guess what? nature is alive!

do you know how much money in facials this raw vegan thing will save me? :)

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

Food of the Day

Berries: “Excellent general tonic and skin cleanser. Mild laxative and diuretic. Improves kidney function.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the Day:

“The ladder of success is never crowded at the top.”
- Napoleon Hill

SMOOTHIE OF THE DAY:
1 cup diced Pineapple
whole coconut meat
water
lots of Spinach

SALAD OF THE DAY:

CABBAGE SALAD:

1 cup shredded green cabbage

1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 tbsp soy sauce

cayenne pepper

chives

Is coffee an addiction?

ok, here i am doing my vegan thang and eating meat maybe once a week. my blood sugars are doing great, i'm feeling good. however i had a hypoglycemic attack last nite while i was teaching a class. why? because i drank coffee. a full, rich, yummy cup of espresso that gets your blood sugars all messed up. i've never done drugs but i have a feeling i have a better understanding of why people take drugs in spite of them knowing it will mess them up in the long run. i know coffee is poison for me yet i choose to drink it and have a hypoglycemic attack. i've committed yet another "vegan sin".

so now, let's get to the good part. i'm incorporating more veggies into my diet so i have a bunch of fun salads that i wanna share with you. mamma over here loves corn. so here's a great corn salad:

SALAD OF THE DAY

2 fresh cut corns on the cob

1/4 cup diced tomato

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 medium avocado

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

turmeric and cayenne pepper

arugula

And here's yet another healthy, yummy smoooooothie:

SMOOTHIE OF THE DAY
Coconut water
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1-2 Tbsp chia seeds
finely chopped celery
clover or alfalfa sprouts

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

FOOD OF THE DAY:

Beets: “Good cleanser for the liver and gallbladder. Beneficial in cases of iron deficiency anemia. Improves energy and vitality. Reduces hardening of the arteries.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"Think doubt and fail, think victory and succeed."
-David J. Schwartz

Salads, salads, salads....easy and good!

so today is my birthday. i had about 400 happy birthday wishes on facebook! that made my day. and my hank giving me a laptop and taking me out to a wonderful dinner...that involved meat. forgive me, vegan gods, for i have sinned...again. however, the good news is that i found out that sugary desserts don't do it for me anymore! why? because after having rod's rich, creamy, HEALTHY desserts every day, i feel like i don't need the sugary, high calorie ones. it's like when you are in love with someone, you don't even look at other people. so thank you rod!

anyway, tomorrow i'm back on track with my vegan regime. this week it's all about delish salads. i'm gonna give you some recipes that are good for you, easy to make and inexpensive. now remember to buy organics veggies if possible. i know they cost a bit more but if you eat lots of veggies, you'll be surprised how much money you save by not buying expensive meats and processed foods.

salad of the day:

celery/carrot salad

2 cups thinly sliced celery,

1 cup thinly sliced carrots,

1/2 tbsp nama shoyu (soy sauce),

thinly sliced fennel,

2 tsp lemon juice,

1 1/2 tbsp sesame/olive oil.

smoothie of the day:
½ banana,
lots of kale,
1 Tbsp chia seeds.
water,
a pinch of stevia.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

Food of the Day-
String Beans:
“Excellent food for diabetics because of their slow release of their glucose content. They help to keep blood sugar levels stable. Excellent source of fiber and protein.”
Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the Day:
“What your mind feeds upon, your mind ATTRACTS to you.”
Napoleon Hill

You can't lose with vegan....weight, that is.

i'm weighing myself this morning and i'm like...i've been eating veggies, fruits and nuts for almost 2 weeks yet i haven't lost an ounce. whattup with that?! i can't blame it on the desserts cause i only eat one a day. so what is it? is it the nuts? or is it that losing weight is more about portion control? the good thing about vegan is that it has leveled my blood sugar and i'm eating healthier than i used to. i encourage people to incorporate vegan to your diet, not for weight loss (don't hold your breath, hold your gut instead) but for sheer health.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

Food of the Day-:

Bean Sprouts: “High amounts of easily digested protein. The Chinese use sprouts to cleanse and detoxify the body.” (such as mung beans, alfalfa, lentils, chickpeas)

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the Day:

“NO ONE can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

One word....MOOOOO!!!....oops!

i haven't had any meat in the last 2 weeks. we went to see a musician friend play and we were hungry after the show. there's something about rock 'n roll that makes you feel like a rebel. so i rebelled against the vegan gods: i decided to eat meat.

on this journey, i'm trying to find out what works for ME. there's a lot of colors in the food spectrum. most of us are in the grey area. we want to eat healthy, yet there are some things we will never give up. for me, meat is one of them.

so this whole food adventure is for me to learn to incorporate healthier meals into my diet. it's not about being 100% vegan. last nite was a perfect example of you can have your cake and eat it too! i found out that once a week, i'm gonna eat meat.

like my friend rod rotondi says:

love your food,

love your planet,
love your Selves.

amen!

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

Food of the Day:

Avocado: “Excellent nutritional food containing plentiful amounts of beneficial oil, vitamins and minerals. Helpful for peptic ulcers and inflammation of digestive system.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the day: “No one is ready for a thing until he BELIEVES he can acquire it.”

- Napoleon Hill

She said: Replace the desserts with the soups...I said: No comprendo ingles.

"My favorite liquid diet now is mashed potatoes and gravy in a blender, maple syrup and a 40 oz Bud light".

this is part of my comedy act. so you can imagine how hard it is to give up the bad stuff and embark in a vegan adventure. i get an email from nadia today, she tells me i should start replacing one of my daily desserts for a soup. i'm like "i don't think i can transition from dessert to soup at this time."...ok, it was more like "hell no!!" what is a girl with a sweet tooth to do when she hears this? she does the right thing: she goes to the pantry and grabs some corn chips.

so i've been craving red meat. eventually i will incorporate some organic meats to my diet but right now i just wanna get my health on track by shocking my body with a lot of good stuff.

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

Food of the Day-:

Asparagus: “Asparagus juice helps to break up oxalic acid crystals in the kidneys and muscular system, thus good for the pain of rheumatism and arthritis. Reduces kidney stones.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the day:

“Your only limitations are those you set up in your mind or permit others to set up for you.”

-Napoleon Hill

Smooooooothie!

i wanna report that thanks to introducing vegan into my life, my blood sugar has been stable! wow, who knew??? all those years of eating desserts with refined sugar were a waste of time. they made my blood sugar soar only to bring it down again to the point where i'd have a hypoglycemic attack! and made me gain weight! now, with vegan desserts, my sugars STAY level and i satisfy my sweet tooth!!! what a great deal! also, i notice that since my blood sugar is leveled, i can focus better and i have more energy. oh! i asked leaf organic's rod rotondi if i could post some of his recipes...and he said yes!! so stay tuned for recipes like vanilla and raspberry chocolate cheezecake.

but before i do that...here's another easy yummy smoothie. i find them to be great mid morning snacks! enjoy!

½ banana
lots kale
3 Tbsp chia seeds
R.O. (reverse osmosis) or filtered water
pinch stevia or agave

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS

Food of the Day:
Apricots: “Excellent for skin problems. Acts as a blood tonic and helps to reduce anemia. Helpful for chronic cough and asthma.”
Source: Sandra Cabot MD

Thought of the day:
“All success begins with a definiteness of purpose, with a clear picture in your mind of precisely what you want from life.”
Napoleon Hill

if you have any food questions, email Nadia @ food.consultant@yahoo.com

It's working....no sugar drop today!

i think this vegan thing works. i haven't had a sugar drop today. i ate all vegan all day and i feel good! call me crazy, but i can hear my body thanking me. :) this is how tough it is to be vegan: i had a guac wrap, an indian wrap, sinless cinnamon rolls, vanilla cheezecake (no misspelling, i swear that's how the vegan spelling goes!) and a very berry smoothie. this is easier than i thought. :) check out rod rotondi's place, that's where i order my food from. best, most delish vegan food in town:

LEAF ORGANICS

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

FOOD OF THE DAY:

Apples: “High in soluble fiber pectin, which soothes the intestines and reduces constipation. Increases the elimination of toxins via the intestine. Massages the gums and lowers cholesterol.”

Source: Sandra Cabot MD

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Take possession of your mind and direct it towards YOUR desire or idea of success.”

- Napoleon Hill

I never thought it'd come to this...goodbye coffee :(

i've been told many times that coffee will give me a high and then make my blood sugar drop. i got final and clear confirmation today. i ate great food all day, things like:

the raw vegan version of a sloppy joe , sloppy jose,

the raw vegan version of an oreo cookie dessert, the orweo,

vegan raw oatmeal and a deep green smoothie from leaf called lean green scene: it has kale, mango. banana, OJ & cinnamon. you should make this one at home! delish and nutrish (that's my new word)

BUT....i had coffee in the afternoon. 2 hours later....i felt a hypoglycemic attack popping its ugly head. so i had to take 2 glucose pills. so if you suffer from hypoglycemia, please stay away from coffee. i'm a serious coffee addict and today i've finally decided to give it up. watch me blog complains of headaches and sleepiness. i used to drink a whole 12 cup carafe by myself before noon. to me coffee is liquid crack. so, bye bye luvah....im gonna miss u!

by the way, i find smoothies to be a great snack! here's one of nadia's easy smoothie recipes:

2-4 apricots or peaches
Coconut milk ( coconut water + meat)
lots Lettuce
1 Tbsp chia seeds

FOOD CONSULTANT NADIA SAYS:

FOOD OF THE DAY:
Almond milk: "supports the nervous system. Beneficial for muscle tone and body building. Excellent source of calcium for the teeth and bones."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill

For the first time in my life, I rejected candy!

yes, it's a historical date in my life: i have never ever rejected candy! but i did today! whahhh???? that's right, you heard it here first. grace refused awful, refined, yummy sugar. you might be asking yourself, "why??" because....because....i didn't want it.

ok, this is how it went down: before i was offered the candy, i had just eaten rod's chocolate raspberry cheesecake. this did 2 things: my body was happy with the natural sugars AND my sweet tooth was appeased. i had healthy snacks all thru the day and i felt great. to the point where my blood sugar never dropped! so no glucose pills for me today. this is so cool, i think this vegan thing works.....

food consultant, nadia says.... food of the day: alfalfa sprouts- 'an excellent source of chlorophyll. assists with weight loss and supports liver function. useful for menopausal symptoms, as it contains large amounts of phytoestrogens." source: sandra cabot MD thought of the day: "it is always your next move." - napolean hill

My first all vegan day!

you're wondering, how is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? well, with rod's desserts, it's possible! i had sinless cinnamon rolls for breakfast. what a great way to start the day! lunch consisted of a delish kale salad (also by rod) which included spirulina and kream cheeze. no, not a typo. that's how vegans name their foods, the same way we carnivores do, except they misspell it so you know you ain't getting the real thing! however, to my surprise it tasted like real cream cheese. and it's really good for you! I'm really liking this! for dessert i had chocolate mousse (real chocolate, people) and orweo dessert(vegan oreo) that made my day even sweeter. for dinner, raw corn chips with guacamole dip.

so my first day report is...who thought organic and raw could taste soooo good???

my recommendation: go to leaf organics and try some raw vegan desserts. you get all the taste without the sugar! it's a different and new kind of "high"...and i like it!

Picking up the yum yum!

i just picked up all my vegan dinners, breakfasts, desserts and drinks from leaf organics. i'm ready to start tomorrow! today i had to take 3 glucose pills cause i felt the onset of a hypoglycemia episode....this diet should eventually balance my blood sugars so they don't drop often. i'll be recording that fer sheer!

last nite i had a pre-emmy's party and i ate lots of indian foods and drank red wine. that was my farewell to meats and sugar. countdown to incorporating vegan into my life starts in.....12 hours with my breakfast tomorrow.

also, check out nadia's comments, she knows what she's talking about! :)

Incorporating easy, healthy recipes

i got a call from my doctor telling me that my sugar was quite low on my last blood test. this only fueled the fire to start incorporating more vegan into my life. so today, hank cooked some awesome, vegan, healthy meals for me. they're simple and delish! he made a kale salad and brown rice mix that were out of this world. here are the recipes:

1- kale salad:

ingredients: kale, avocado, chopped red onion, finely chopped beet leaves, juice of one lemon,1/2 tsp seasalt, dash of cayenne.

remove the kale leaves from the stem, tearing the kale into bite size pieces. put it in a large bowl, ad one avocado (in pieces), red onion, beet leaves, juice of one lemon, the salt and cayenne. mix it all together with your hands to break up the avocado. now you're ready to eat an amazing salad! told you it was easy!

2- brown rice:

ingredients: 1 cup of long grain brown rice, 1 stock of finely chopped celery, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp of coconut oil, 1/2 tsp of soy sauce, dash of garlic powder.

bring to a rolling boil, cover and lower heat. let it simmer for approximately 45 minutes. when the rice is done, remove cover, add finely chopped celery, coconut oil, soy sauce and garlic powder. mix it and enjoy!

Shopping vegan...

i met with nadia, the nutritionist at whole foods today. we bought mostly veggies. i was shocked to see how much cheaper it is to buy veggies than carnivorous foodies! even at whole foods, whole paycheck store. wow! i learned that the leaves from the beets can be chopped raw and add it to brown rice with some red onion and celery. hank made it for us today and it was yummy! we bought lentils which nadia said you can mix with any salad or brown rice and add some points to the "nutrition scale". we also bought some raw snack bars (10 for $10 on sale) for those long days when i get hungry and stop at the 7/11 and end up buying donuts. another tip is bring water with you always so you stay hydrated. 2 years ago i was in the hospital being treated for dehydration so i know to carry water with me all the time. plastic bottles have bleach that leak into the water so carry a glass bottle with you that you can refill with filtered water. cheaper and healthier!