February, 2010                                                                                         October 2014

I can’t say that I have never been ashamed of being a fat girl, but I can say that I learned to accept myself for my outer casing while still striving to do better and staying confident. By and large (pun intended), the thing that has helped me to cut down my body fat has been going vegetarian first and then vegan. The people around me observed a noticeable difference in my face, and my overall body shape. A waist started to emerge, my shoulders started to look more defined and my midsection flattened out. 

I attribute those improvements to jogging, eliminating alcohol, walking, water, fruits, veggies and definitely the absence of cooked animals in my belly. Meat is the most fattening thing that you can eat. I’m not biased, these are the facts! Just today MSN.com released an article entitled The 13 Most Fattening Foods on Earth. Twelve out of thirteen were rotting animals or animal by-products that cause clogged arteries and heart failure. So who are the heavy hitters? Porterhouse steak, cheese burgers, chicken-fried steak and ribs (just to name a few) topped the list.

Want to improve your health during this resolution season? Put the meat down and tap into vegetable protein sources such as beans, lentils, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, etc.

What am I adding to my resolution list? I’m definitely cutting back (but not eliminating) my nut consumption. According to the article, nuts are extremely high in fat. They are a good fat, but I know for a fact that I eat way too many of them per week. Let's continue to learn as we grow and open our eyes to what we know is damaging our health. Time to reel it in ladies & gentlemen!

What are your top health goals for 2015? I wanna know! Feel free to comment below.

Today was a good day between the sheets. Pass it on. . .

(The pictures above are from NoNoBurger.com)

There are a few things that you should know:

1. Being vegan is a learning experience.

2. There are vegan comfort foods that make you feel like you are in Grandma's kitchen.

3. No No Burger is the absolute best vegan burger in the world.

Picture it, Sunday, December 14, 2014. There I was just minding my own business at the Jack London Square Farmer's Market sponsored by the Pacific Coast Farmer's Market Association and I walked up to the No No Burger stand. There were all kinds of delicious smells coming from the cart. I was so happy because most of the farmer's markets that I've been to in The Bay have not featured hot vegan meals. No No Burger was the exception and they welcomed me (and all of my excitement) with open arms. Honestly, when I purchase anything, I pay attention to customer service and the folks at No No were not only polite, but they were engaging. 

So, here are the deets:

• The No No Classic was $7 and of course I had to order fries; I couldn't resist. Altogether my meal was under 10 bucks. Ya can't beat that!

• The burger was SO delicious. The texture was even. The flavors were on point and if you like onions, this burger will make your eyes roll into the back of your head. This burger contains raw onions, fried onions, "cheese" sauce, pickles, lettuce, and a delicious tomato that was extremely fresh!

• Lastly, the most important thing to me on a burger is the char. I need crispiness. I need grill marks. The No No Burger had it all and then some. You know your food is good when people come up to you and ask you what you are eating - that happened.

Being vegan doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite comfort foods. Daron & Kendall, thanks for starting this awesome company and creating a simply scrumptious burger. I'll see you next weekend. I can't wait to try more from your menu! 

Is veganism just another diet? Definitely not, but I'm treating it that way. I've been cheatin' ya'll! 

• Chocolate covered raisins
• Hershey's Chocolate Kisses
• Cookies
• Cake

Notice how everything that I'm cheatin' and eatin' with is sweet? Notice how most of what I'm eatin' is chocolate?

Okay, let's divide and conquer, what do I know about the situation at hand? 

1. I have been eating all of these items at my new snack laden day job. 
2. I have eaten all of these items when I've been stressed. 
3. I started eating all of these items during the most festive time of the year (October-December).
4. All of these items contain caffeine and feel good chemicals that take you up and make you crash to the ground. 

While doing research for this post, I found that chocolate only has about 5 milligrams of caffeine compared to the 80 milligrams that exist in just 1 cup of coffee, but still, I don't like it! Even though I would never dream of ingesting meat (ever...no, like never ever again), I don't like the fact that I run to sweets when I'm overwhelmed. I also don't like the fact that I am an emotional eater. I have no desire to go back to the S.A.D. but the sweets were calling my name and now that my belly fat has increased (read: I've gained weight), I need to reel it in and remember why I'm vegan. 


So, why am I vegan anyway!?!?!


I'm vegan because I love my life and I want to extend it as long as possible. 


Studies have proven that vegans live longer. Go ahead and look it up! 


I'm vegan because I don't think animals should die for me to be "full" and rotting flesh in my stomach or animal secretions don't make me feel good...at all. 


Nuff said. 


I'm vegan because it tastes good. 


There are no chemicals in organic fruit and veggies. They are naturally delicious and provide so many health benefits that we'd be here until Christmas trying to explain them. 


I'm vegan because I feel and look my best as a vegan woman. 


When I eat fruit and veggies, my skin glows and my waist definitely loves it. My poo is regular and easy flowing. I have so much energy and can go for hours without feeling lethargic. 


I'm vegan because fruits and veggies provide feel-good vibes that a piece of chocolate can't compete with. 


Oranges don't bring me down. Grapes don't break me out. Strawberries don't make my urine smell. The S.A.D. does all of this for me. 


I hereby pledge to get back on the lovable vegan horse, not because it's a diet, but because it's how I truly desire to LIVE. I pledge to travel with fruit and other vegan snacks so I don't feel pressured to eat whatever is available. I pledge to THINK before I stuff something in my mouth. I pledge to call a friend and talk it out before I eat away the issue, because it will never go away until you deal with it head on. 


To all of my vegans that have ever felt lost in our almond milk, fruit smoothie, steamed broccoli, cacao life, don't give up! Remember the reason why you started on this journey in the first place and keep going! There are animals to save and your life deserves saving as well. 

Welcome to December! YAY! I love the holidays.

The gingerbread cookies, the pies, the cakes, the deliciousness. . .

You've been eating fruit and veggies all year and you should still eat them, but don't forget to partake in the deliciousness of the season sans guilt. 

Here are a few simple tips to vegan-up your home cooking for the holidays:


1.       Spices/Flavoring – herbs, dried spices, broths, etc. are essential. The devil is not in the details with vegan home cooking. Details are an important component of vegan dishes.


2.       A.O.A.P. – Alternatives Over Animal Products

Use Earth Balance in place of animal fat/butter

Use Dandies Marshmallows (and lots of em) J

Use Almond Milk in place of cow’s milk


3.       Love – Don’t serve the food if it isn’t good. Always taste test it first.

Practically ANY meal can withstand vegan alternatives. Don't think that you have to sacrifice flavor because you are saving your life and the life of animals. I enjoy yummy sweet potatoes, succulent greens and satisfying cornbread stuffing each year and you can too. Don't believe the hype, you don't need the animal fat. 

Shout out to Souley Vegan for supplying my fixins this year. :-) 

You.Must.Love.Oakland.