I go through this. I get on a kick with one fruit, veggie or snack item and I won't let up. This week, it's pineapples. 

I want to marry pineapples and go live on pineapple island wearing a pineapple bra and a pineapple crown! Somebody get me to Hawaii, STAT. Obviously, that's my next vacation spot because I hear that the fruit there is heavenly. Can anyone vouch for that?

I adore the fact convenience stores like Walgreens offer on-the-go pre-cut fruit and veggie options. They even offer spoons and forks at the check-out counter. Also, everything is fresh and includes the expiration date. It's clearly labeled on the front of the package so there is no guess work involved. The Walgreens brand is called Good & Delish. The motto for their pre-packaged fresh food is "fresh. real. now." 

L-O-V-E! 

I'm certainly a Walgreens Woman. From their smoothie and juice bars, fresh fruit options and wide variety of nuts and seeds, they make it easy to make healthier choices. 

If you come out of Walgreens with a Snicker bar, you made that decision....you weren't forced. Don't blame the system, examine your choices instead. 

Okay, so on to the good stuff. . .

Pineapple Health Bennys! 

• Rich in fiber. If you're having a hard time releasing your bowels, pineapples will do the trick! 
• It's a fighter. Pineapples fight the good fight against cancer and arthritis. That's a 1-2 punch BABY! 
• Vitamin C to the 10th degree. No colds for you. Eat up.
• Vitamin A. Protect your skin and vision - dive in!

Now, where will Mr. Walgreens take me for the honeymoon!?!?

I feel like a chimp. All I've wanted lately are bananas. I’m not on “banana island”, but I am craving and eating a lot of bananas this week which must mean that my body is in desperate need of the nutrition that they provide.






























I totally get why people are so dedicated to the power of bananas. While they are not juicy, they are extremely dense and filling. In fact, Freelee The Banana Girl on YouTube attributes her slim physique and supreme levels of energy for hiking, cycling and international living to the power of bananas. While I don't agree with Freelee's views on overweight people the majority of the time, I do admire her for taking control of her health and embracing the fruitarian lifestyle for what it is. 

I have to admit that I’ve been skimping on eating the best food possible. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep nor have I been drinking lots of water. YIKES! I’ve been trying to get settled here in NorCal and I have neglected my health, so I guess the bananas are sending a signal to my body that I need to get on the good foot or as Nana used to say “get on the stick.” So, here I am...gettin' on it and practicing some self-correction.

Whenever I feel the need to dive head first into vegan junk food for good, I think of African-American vegan trailblazers like Annette Larkins! If you don't know who Annette is, you should really *in my DC voice* "know the girl!!" LOL!

Annette is awesome and looks way better at 70 than I do at 30 because of her no nonsense approach to eating a high raw vegan diet.

How do you practice self correction when you've neglected your health goals? I wanna know, so leave a comment below.

*Clears throat*  Let me eat this banana and get my ish together! 

I'm proud to announce that there was a wide representation from California in the mix. I'm prouder to announce that I was able to talk about this blog in the comments section of the ballot; I had to put the folks at VegNews on notice! Lastly, I'm thrilled to announce my epiphany moment. I remember filling out the 2013 Veggie Awards poll on the bus while heading off to a temp assignment in DC. This year, I was marking my selections in a coffee house in San Francisco. What a difference a year makes. 

In all transparency you should know that I've had a crappy day in San Francisco. My phone was stolen and the mosquitoes have been eating me alive out here. My transition has not been smooth at all really. I've been disappointed by a lot of circumstances here, but I don't doubt the reason that I'm out here and this VegNews poll is just one of the reasons. I moved to San Francisco from DC because:

1. I wanted to live a life surrounded by creativity, nature and everything that's beautiful to me.
2. I was totally over DC. I'll love it forever, but it was time for a change. I'm still a Redskins fan though. :-)
3. I had to break away from everything that was familiar to me to get the life that I know I can have (and deserve). 

Thanks VegNews! I'm excited that you are in my new city (only a short MUNI ride away) and I'm more excited that I had the guts to follow my dreams like all of the people that I voted for a moment ago. 

You don't magically end up in the most prominent vegan magazine in the world, it takes guts and a whole lot of risk. Everyone that has come before me had to risk something in order to make their dreams happen. So, when I'm having a bad day I'll remember that this is just dues paying season. 

Every season has to come to an end sometime. . . 

When the pre-school/elementary school/high school days are done, kids just wanna have fun-un...oh kids just wanna have fuuun!

One of the goals of this blog is to make the plant-based life accessible and cool for families that want to try something new and think that they can't. This fall I want you to remember that your kids follow exactly what they see you do. If you make this plant-based lifestyle fun, they will think it's a blast. You'll never have to say, "eat your fruit and veggies, honey." They will do it automatically! But if you scrunch your nose up at the sight or smell of broccoli they will grow up thinking that broccoli is disgusting. I happen to LOVE broccoli and I know I'm not alone. I found this awesome pic on Happy Herbivore's Facebook page. How the eff cute is this!?!? 

Do this after school. Do this on a lazy summer afternoon. Do this on Easter Sunday. Do this on a rainy day. Do this if you don't have kids! Dress up the veggies and make something delicious. Take the work out of it and just play. 

Much like a Lego tower, when you are done, take the "animals" apart. Make a nice fruit or veggie dipping sauce and eat up! 

So, Emily Nolan Joseph gets the Plus Sized & Plant Passionate shout out of the day! She is a gorgeous plus size model that has survived everything from unfair stigmas being attached to her name, 10 years of an eating disorder and multiple failed attempts at loving the skin that she's in.  Now she is a champion in the plus size and vegan community! The woman is gorgeous and that's in large part because she starts each day off with yoga. She clears her mind and sets her intentions for the day. That's the way to go!

She's an inspiration to me because she overcame and fought the status quo standard of living. She could have stayed a size 4 with a straight size modeling career and an eating disorder but instead she decided to embrace her size 14 self and WERK IT as a vegan plus size model! I'm so proud that there are women like her in the entertainment industry that aren't afraid to share what's real. Keep inspiring us Emily, and stay beautiful, centered and compassionate! 

If you are an 80's baby or even a pop-culture aficionado then you know just who Tia & Tamera are. I was a slight fan of theirs growing up, but it wasn't until their show on the Style Network (coming back this fall) that I fell in love with their distinct personalities, their drive and their message as African-American women that don't resort to half-nakedness and overt publicity stunts. From watching their show on Style, I've discovered that I'm a little more Tamera than Tia. So, I have dubbed Tamera as my favorite Mowry sister. Who doesn't love Tia's work on The Game though? :-) 

The point of this totally almost obsessive celebrity rant is that Tamera has a terrific, fresh and relevant blog that I'm currently loving! Her point of view is awesome and she sheds light on lots of nutritional myths that are out there. Recently, she wrote a blog post titled: How to Eat Healthy on a Budget! You KNOW I was all over that. While Tamera is not vegan (I think Tia is though), she provides a few great tips that will help you on your nutritionally sound journey. Some of them may sound familiar, but hey you can't hear this stuff enough right? Cheers! 

Vegans that don't like animals? 
Do they exist? 

I have a personal issue with rats (that I'm trying to work through), but puppies...no beef!

We are going to treat this blog post as a special dedication to the ones that I love (the canine variety). 

Starting from the left hand side - shout out to Shadow (Ang's Dog), LuLu & Lexi (Chenae's Dogs) and Annie (Jody's Dog)

Shadow from Maryland: Shaaaaaaadow! I LOVE you. You're like my boyfriend. You are always happy to see me and you like to jump on me after I wash my hair. You even cuddled with me all night when I was crying. I love you Boo! You're my main squeeze. I can't wait to see you again soon.

LuLu from Ohio: Girl, we have had our ups and downs, but through it all you have just...ignored me. We are so hot and cold with each other, but moving forward, I want to be honest with you. I miss you! There, I said it!!

Sexy Lexi from Ohio: You are my down ass bitch! I ride for you Lexi because you have held me down. You are ALWAYS there for me and I need you in my life. 

Annie from West Berkeley: You are the sweetest Pitbull that I've ever known. We didn't spend a ton of time together but we hit it off right away. Look me up when you feel like it and maybe we can hook-up! Keep the lines of communication open, Girl!

Laughing yet? That was the point.

Cancer has touched many people in my life and just recently my Uncle Ed reminded me about my Uncle Preston's blog dedicated to his victories with cancer. 

Doctors even found spinal cancer in my Mother's back a few months before she passed on. It's to the point where it's just ridiculous and I'm not going to fight it anymore!

That's right.

I'm done.

What? Are you surprised?

                                                                                                         Did you know that whatever you fight comes back with a vengeance?  


Picture Courtesy of DietAndI.com

                                                                                                         Whatever you resist is hard to get rid. 
                                                                                                         By resisting it, you essentially you delay the inevitable.
                                                                                                         If you fear it, it will come. 
                                                                                                         When you fear it, it's almost like a personal invitation for it.


So, instead of fighting cancer, I am going to PREVENT cancer from thinking that I am worth chillin' with.  

I am going to exercise.
I am going to eat leafy greens. 
I am going to avoid ALL negative energy.

When your body is acidic, so is your brain and we know that cancer can't live in a body that is fully alkaline. Let's stop wasting time by getting angry and start treating ourselves well. Eat from the ground and if you do happen to get diagnosed with cancer, know that it's not a death sentence. I've got family and friends that won't give up and if you look around, you do too. 

PREVENT CANCER BY EATING UP (see below)!
Be well.

Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, especially when it comes to how you are eating. You know that you want to eat  better but you are broke! AND you think it will cost a lot more than it really does because you've been listening to Carla The Condescending Carnivore talk about how expensive it is to eat from the earth:


"Girl, aren't all of those vegetables expensive? You know vegans are just too skinny for me and they spend most of their money on food. Let me tell you, that new leather bag is more important to me than some organic fruit." 


I've heard all of these excuses before. 

This misconception is common and sometimes it's true (when it comes to cost), but it doesn't have to be true for you. As a fellow Broke Vegan, you should know that I'm picky BUT I realize that I can have my pick and not eat crap (or feel like crap later).


My biggest tip is: Don't go for organic all of the time!
We know all about the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen, but who cares!? I know that pesticides suck, but if you can't afford organic veggies right now, don't kill yo self! 

You can grow your own. 
You can shop in the farmer's markets.
You can shop the discount stores for the lowest price possible and make an incredible meal happen with those veggies. 

Remember, I chose the vegan lifestyle because of ethics AND because I didn't like the way meat made me feel. I felt overly full, irritable, cranky and lethargic. When I eat veggies (no matter how many pesticides are on them), I don't feel that way. I still feel good. 

I can tell the difference between organic and conventional though. Maybe I should have titled this blog post "Snobby Vegan." :-) 

Instead of reaching for the 2 for 1 cheeseburger, try the 10 for $10 mango sale at Giant or the 19 cent bananas at Trader Joe's. What about the $2 vegan and gluten free noodle or soup cup at Wholefoods/Amazon.com from Dr. McDougall? There are options and it's always YOUR choice! 

Enjoy the pics of my choices as a Broke Vegan!

From the top (left hand side).
1. Dollar Tree Frozen Broccoli and Flavored Rice from Uncle Ben's (yep, the Dollar Tree sells brand names)! Planters Peanuts from the vending machine. I didn't need to have the iced tea, but screw it! Estimated Cost Per Serving: $3

2. Supermarket Boiled Sweet Potato with Cinnamon on top with Dollar Tree Broccoli. Estimated Cost: $2.50

3. Veggie Lo-Mein from the Chinese spot in Maryland with Supermarket Kale mixed in and a Spring Roll. Estimated Cost Per Serving: $6.00

4. Supermarket Baby Carrots, Black Eyed Peas mixed with Yellow Bell Peppers. Estimated Cost Per Serving: $2.50

5. Safeway Grocery Haul - Green Onions, Yuca Root, Canned Tomatoes, Canned Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Bananas, Kiwi, Apples, Cabbage and Tea Biscuit Cookies. Estimated Cost: $12.00

6. Dollar Tree Grocery Haul - BBQ Sauce, Rolled Oats, Raisins, Bow tie Pasta, Frozen Stir Fry Veggies, Frozen Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots, Canned Tomato Sauce, Tater Tots. Estimated Cost: $10

7. I don't remember which grocery store this is from, but it was delicious! Bok Choy, Potatoes, Green Onions, Carrots. Estimated Cost: $7.00

8. Navy Beans and Yellow Peppers.  Estimated Cost Per Serving: $2.50

9. Yellow, Green & Red Peppers, Avocados, Mangoes, Strawberries, Carrots, Mushrooms, Spinach and Collard Greens. Estimated Cost: $30

SHOP ON SALE and buy only what you need! 
Waste not. . .