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lakitiamarie

lakitiamarie

Organic or Non Organic Fruits and Veggies…Which do you buy?

The common practice I try to stick to is buying organic fruits and veggies. However, buying organic can be challenging because it is more expensive. The reason I buy organic is to try to eliminate as much pesticides and chemicals from my diet as possible. As a guide for determining what to buy organic I’m going to use the shopper’s guide found on the Environmental Working Group website. This guide can help save money and stretch my budget by buying both organic and non-organic produce.

This group works to protect the environment and bring facts to public about the foods we consume. Please check out their website because there is a lot of information there. Click here for the shopper’s guide to use the next time you head to the grocery store.

Bananas are a Girl’s best friend

Following a diet that is 80% raw can be a bit of challenge. 80% for my purposes means five out of six meals a day are raw because I eat one cooked meal a day. Normally, the cooked meal is always at dinner so my body has overnight to digest the food. Eating raw food during the day keeps my energy up and I no longer have the “itis” after a meal.

The weekends are a little difficult because I’m on out and about for most of the day. It’s really easy to fall off my plan because fast food restaurants are everywhere. Recently, I discovered eating bananas as a mono meal or snack throughout the day helps to keep my energy up while feeling full and satisfied. A “mono” meal means to have a single food item for that meal which in this case is bananas.

For example, one day I didn’t have breakfast before leaving for work and decided to stop at the grocery store. The easiest, cheapest, and quickest item to pick up was bananas. That day I ate 4 medium sized bananas for breakfast and did not feel deprived at all. According the cron-o-meter, four bananas contain 5.1g protein, 107.8g carbs, 1.6g fat, and 420 calories along with a host of vitamins and minerals. Again for me the high number of carbs are not a concern because these carbs were used for energy throughout the day. Also, since these carbs are consumed by fruit and not processed foods my body is able to digest them properly.

This is a quick tip for anybody, not just vegans or vegetarians, who needs a quick and healthy meal on the go. Not to mention the cost for this quick, easy, healthy meal was only $.78 which beats McDonald’s prices any day. Another quick tip is throwing the bananas in a blender and adding a little vanilla extract for a healthy “milk shake”. For those of you who are not banana fans try this with your favorite fruit. Remember eating healthy is only as hard as you make it.

Cheese...why did I bother??

my bloated belly :*(

Recently my niece left to return home with my sister. While she was here I started experimenting with my diet so the grocery shopping didn’t change completely. Well now that she is gone there are a few things I need to get rid of but I hate to waste food. So last night I decided to make queso from cheese that I bought specifically for her.

Now I could have just thrown it away but again I hate wasting food and ate the queso anyway. Today I’m totally paying for it because now I’m bloated and miserable. Why did I bother? On this journey, I learned that eating dairy keeps me bloated and uncomfortable. This is a lessoned learned (again) and when I get home the cleaning of the refrigerator and pantries will start. Furthermore, my workout this morning wasn’t the best surely from eating the cheese last night.

On the bright side I did have a very good and healthy green lunch today. The salad was really good!

Salad: mixed greens, spinach, cucumbers, sprouts, olives, and avocado with my homemade chips and salsa on the side

Dressing: ginger soy

Green Smoothie with a Cherry Twist

There is no need for measurements when making smoothies. This is simple and yet oh so delicious!! Just pile as much as you can of each in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Frozen dark sweet cherries

Banana

Spinach

Almond Milk or water (enough to get the consistency you want)

Vanilla extracts (2 caps full)

Ice (optional)

The best part is this smoothie is red which makes it appealing to kids!!

Green Smoothie with a Peachy Twist

Pile ingredients in a blender, blend, and enjoy!

Frozen dark sweet cherries

5 Peaches (pitted, small, chopped)

Spinach

Water

Ice (optional)

Remember "the riper the peaches the sweeter the smoothie".

Chicago in the RAW

Recently, a friend and I started a personal RAW challenge for eight weeks. Well my Chicago trip fell within those eight weeks and I was a little concern. Sticking to the challenge was important to me and I needed to experience eating healthy while traveling. As you know, I swore off chicken, beef, turkey, and pork about eight months ago. To help stick to my challenge I told my aunt I was a vegan and she was very supportive, shocked, but supportive none the less. She stocked the refrigerator with spinach and fruit for my green smoothies. She also made me the biggest salads with loads of veggies which helped out a lot. Now I purposely left out the RAW food challenge and eating 80% raw a day to avoid additional questions.

The efforts I made to stick to my challenge started off not too bad. Before my flight I didn’t eat so we ate at the airport. There were plenty of fast food restaurants that were not RAW Vegan friendly. Yes, I could have bought salads but a plate of iceberg lettuce with little to no veggies did not sound appetizing. Instead I got the tortilla soup with all the fixings on the side enjoying only the brothy soup loaded with veggies. The soup was surprisingly very good.

The first morning in Chicago I started with a green smoothie. To my surprise my aunt has the Vitamix blender which is awesome. This blender is used by a lot of RAW Foodist for blending and it costs about $500. It made the smoothest smoothies I’ve had and it was so easy and simple to use. It should be with a hefty price tag. Later on that day while visiting the mall I stopped and bought another smoothie while my honey ate at taco bell. Later that night my aunt made me my own personal pan of salad loaded with veggies. 

For the rest of the trip as we bounced from family to family and I did consume some cooked food. Since it was my honey’s first time in Chicago I could not let him leave without trying some deep dish pizza. Needless to say, I gave in and one half of the pizza was veggie.

As a result I did gain four pounds during my trip but the bright side is I can always start over. Also, the only meat I ate was fish and only twice within the week we were there and loads of vegetables. The extra four pounds was not a big deal for me because I expected to gain more. Now that I know more about what works for me I’m sure those four pounds will fall off in no time.

Me, Cousin the Graduate, My honey

Ohhh wee he so tall. I love him!!

I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!!

Can I get some vegetables please?!

Since becoming very strict on eating more veggies throughout the day I’m noticing that restaurants are stingy with the veggies. Today for lunch I brought a salad and cinnamon/raisin whole grain bread but felt I needed more. The Insanity workout this morning really made me feel I needed more fuel for my body. So I called the café near my job to order a vegetarian taco from their burrito bar.  

There is a three step process to ordering from the burrito bar.

1.       Choice of meat: beef, chicken, fish, vegetarian

2.       Choice of salsa: cilantro mayo, chipotle pepper, green tomatillo, jalapeno ranch

3.       Choice of topping: lettuce, tomato, corn, Pico de Gallo, red cabbage, mixed cheeses, sour cream

My choices were vegetarian, green tomatillo salsa, and tomato, Pico de Gallo, and red cabbage. Well before she completed my order I asked her what vegetables are included within the taco. Normally, the taco has grilled veggies like zucchini, red peppers, or maybe beans. She told me the “toppings” I selected would constitute as the “veggies” within the taco. They do not add vegetables to the vegetarian taco. Huh?!

If I selected chicken, I would have received chicken within my taco along with the green tomatillo, tomatoes, Pico de Gallo and red cabbage. What’s up with skipping out on the veggies in a vegetarian taco? What if I did not want the additional toppings? The menu clearly states I get a choice of “meat”, salsa, and toppings. Needless to say, I cancelled my order.

From vegetarian, to pescaterian, to vegan, to raw vegan to…Part II

This is part two to my last post explaining the changes I’ve made in my eating habits. Since making these changes I’ve experienced very positive changes in my digestion, energy levels, and cardio activity. For starters my digestion is back on track which leads to constant elimination. Secondly, I’ve finally bust through my weight plateau and now weighing 134lbs with only 9 more pounds to go for reaching my goal weight. Thirdly, I’ve experiencing lots of energy I have no idea what do with and I’m loving it.

Raw until Dinner

This is a wonderful tip I’ve incorporated into my eating habit from the book “The Raw Food Detox Diet”. Simply put I eat fresh raw fruits and veggies for breakfast, lunch, and snacks all the way up to dinner. For dinner I’ll eat a “cooked” meal that follows the food combining rules. By making this very simple change has totally eliminated the “itis” that we experience after eating a big meal. Additionally, I feel light on my feet and energized throughout the day. No late afternoon naps sitting in front of my computer for me. Furthermore, my body is able to fully digest all the food I’ve eaten throughout the day and use it for energy. This leads to faster metabolism, weight loss, and regular elimination. When eating raw fruits and veggies I make sure to follow the food combining tips as well.

So you may be thinking I’m eating celery and carrots all day which is boring, right? Not necessarily but I do love to snack on carrots when I start to get cravings or feeling hungry in between meals. For a better picture of what I eat this is my food diary for today.

5:30am – workout Green Smoothie (fresh spinach, banana, tangelo, nutritional yeast, calcium supplements, flax seeds, water, ice)

7:30am – Green Smoothie or Fruit Smoothie (fruit smoothie has no veggies but at least 2/3 different fruits)

9:30am – Grapes and apples

12:30pm- Sandwich (Ezekiel bread, broccoli sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, mustard) Salad (green lettuce, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, oil/balsamic vinegar)

3pm- apples and oranges

5pm – in the car on the way home- snack on baby carrots

7:30pm – dinner – tilapia, collards, asparagus

As you can see I get a lot of meals in the day which probably barely totals 1000 calories. Since my workout routines are intense I must increase my calorie intake and eat more fruits and veggies. For instance instead of eating 1 apple and 1 orange, I’ll eat 2 apples and 2 oranges. This is a mindset I have to get use to since calorie restrictions were the norm for me. Since I’m eating fresh raw fruits and veggies throughout the day I can eat a lot more and should eat more to make sure my body gets the calories it needs. The reason is that fruits and veggies have very small amounts of calories. Remember the body needs an adequate amount of calories to do simple functions like typing this post.

This eating plan has worked very well for me and saving my “cooked” meal for dinner works out perfectly. Eating a cooked meal for dinner allows me to have dinner with friends without feeling like an odd ball. Kiddie Kurls does not feel forced to my eating lifestyle, she’s only 10. However, I still face strong temptations when eating out because a lot of the fish dishes have some type of cream base. The few times I’ve caved to those dishes I immediately feel a difference in my body and start to regret it. Fish and steamed veggies do my body good and I have to remind myself to stick to the basics!

Stay tuned for my third post in this series. Remember to stay healthy and happy!

From vegetarian, to pescaterian, to vegan, to raw vegan to???

The last couple of months I’ve experimented with different types of eating styles as you can see from the title. As a result, I finally burst through my year long plateau and lost a total of 10 pounds. So far I have gathered a lot of information about veganism and raw veganism. In order to fit my life style I decided to encompass all the different eating styles in one. Over the next few posts I will break down my reasoning in sections to prevent very lengthy posts.

No chicken, beef, or turkey just seafood

In order to stay sane and enjoy life I decided to keep seafood in my diet. Where I live there is not a lot of vegan or vegetarian restaurants assessable. To speak frankly, my man and friends have expressed several times they are not vegans. When eating out sometimes they will compromise and decide on a restaurant like Sweet Tomato. Sweet Tomato is a salad and soup bar and there is no meat on site. This restaurant is great and has saved me many times when eating out. These last few weeks I’ve noticed that most restaurants do not have a “vegetarian” option. A few times I find myself getting creative with ordering off the menu. For instance, if the dish has rice I’ll replace it with extra vegetables lightly steamed.

Living a vegan lifestyle can cause deficiencies in the diet such as a B-12 deficiency. B-12 is not found in vegetables so you will have to consume dairy or meat. According to Fit Day, B12 helps in maintaining the health of the nerve cell and the nervous system. The vitamin B12 is also needed for the synthesis of the red blood cells. It has been found to be very much needed for the growth and development of children. 

As a compromise because I do not want to consume chicken, beef, pork, or turkey, fish or seafood became the best option. Even though seafood is back in my diet, I do not eat it every day. Normally, I save fish for days my honey wants to take me out or hanging with the girls on the weekend for dinner.

No dairy or sugar

In 2005 when I had a personal trainer assisting me with my weight loss goals, one tip he gave me was to stay away from cheese. He stated that cheese adds fat to the waistline. All these years later did I follow his advice, maybe but not all the time. But this time around, I plan to really stay away from cheese. Last year, during my no dairy/cheese challenge I ate soy cheese as a substitute. Well throughout my research I learned that casein which is found in milk can possibly lead to cancer.  One day I decided to check the ingredients of my favorite veggie cheese and casein was there. From that day forward I swore off of veggie cheese as well. Every now and I’ll fall victim to cheese but it’s real cheese and not the “vegan” version.

Additionally, I’ve stayed away from mayo, yogurt, and ice cream. Every now and then I’ll have a bowl of cereal but will drink almond milk instead of cow’s milk. By no means am I perfect so yes there are mishaps. When the mishaps happen I can totally notice a difference in my body because after consuming some form of dairy I’m immediately bloated and gassy.

These few changes discussed have made such an impact on my body. For one, at times I have more energy than I can deal with which is very new for me. One morning at work I was waiting for my cinnamon/raisin toast to pop up and I started doing one leg hops. Yes, for no apparent reason I started doing hops because I couldn’t keep still. Amazing! Stay tuned for more of the changes I’ve incorporated.

Ciao!

Green Berry Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with fresh yummy goodness! Before you turn up your nose, try it out. Kiddie Kurls loved it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

Ingredients:
Spinach
Mango
Tangelos
Black Berries
Strawberries
Water
Ice

Just put as much as you like of each in a blender and blend. No need to freeze the fruit because the ice makes the smoothie cold. Feel free to add more fruit if you like! Enjoy!!

Guess who burst through their plateau!

The title says it all and that’s right your girl burst through her plateau and I’m so excited. For a while now I’ve been researching proper eating habits and last year decided to become a pescetarian (vegetarian that eats fish). Since making that decision I cut out dairy products and sugar as well and experienced some results.

The turning point in my weight loss is when I increased my workouts to 6 days a week and read the book The Raw Food Detox Diet. If you haven’t read this book and trying to refine your eating habits then read this book. The book is not about a quick weight loss “diet” but is about a way of life that’s easy to follow. Well of course making a “change” can be difficult but nothing anyone cannot conquer and succeed at doing. This book will debunk a lot of myths about eating such as having a balanced meal with protein and carbs. With this book I learned about food combining for better digestion which takes away carbs from your meal when eating protein. Some tips I learned about food combining are: do not eat protein with carbs, eat all fruit as its own meal, and any type of “melon” like watermelon should be ate alone.

The valuable tips I learned from this book helped me to burst through my plateau. Now I weigh 135lbs and I’m so excited. Soon I will post pictures but with everything going on I have not had time to slow down and take pictures. The goal is to take what I’ve learned from this book and research about veganism to devise a healthy eating plan for myself. Of course I will share this information with you in the future but for now take a look at some of the yummy foods I’ve enjoyed.

Raw Banana Ice Cream

Protein Shake and Raw Salad

Kale Chips - this is my FAVORITE!!

Frustration = Venting Session

Right now I’m so frustrated with my lack of patience. Recently, I decided to switch my eating habits and become a pescetarian (vegetarian that eats fish). This is not a smooth or easy transition so I’ve been researching. Of course the main concern with a vegetarian or vegan diet is getting the proper nutrients which encourage my constant researching.

All this research has caused confusion on whether I should just go strictly vegan. This is a big step but for some reason I cannot find simple answers to my questions. One question I have concerns oil substitutions including olive oil. Today I watched the documentary “The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue” which is a spin off from the documentary “Forks over Knives”. In this documentary olive oil is considered a non-healthy oil because of the saturated fats. Well I cook with olive oil like most people thinking it is a healthy choice and good for the heart.

If that was not enough the documentary also shows how some vegetarian substitutes I’ve grown to love is also un-healthy. Before watching this documentary the plan was to dedicate a post to these substitutes for others that are interested. With this information I cannot promote healthy eating with these particular foods. For example, Earth Balance spread was a butter substitution that I fell in love with. Well after paying closer attention to the label, I discover the spread is 100% fat. The spread is 80 calories per serving and the fat calories per serving are 80. The serving size is 1 tablespoon and I do not follow the serving size which means fat is constantly added to my meals. This is another eye opener courtesy of the documentary.

All in all, I need to practice patience and understand my transition may take some time. There is a lot to learn for guaranteeing a successful transition. Of course I know challenges will present themselves but DANG!

That’s the end of my venting session…

A New Year and a New Way of Eating

For the past couple of months I restricted my intake of meat, sugar, and dairy. The reason was to lose weight and force myself to eat healthier. This experiment led me to make the decision to become a pesce-vegetarian or pescetarian. This means fish and dairy are acceptable in my diet. Some may say that pescetarians are not “true” vegetarians and that’s fine. But through my research vegans and vegetarians have to undergo strict diets in order to make sure their body gets the proper nutrients. Unfortunately, my lifestyle does not afford me the room to have such a strict diet which is why I chose to add fish and dairy.

Now fish and dairy will not become a staple in my diet but will give me wiggle room when needed. For instance, not all restaurants are vegetarian friendly and usually the best choice is a fish entrée. Adding fish and dairy back into my diet doesn’t make the practice that much easier I still have to get creative with meals and snacks. Plus the plan is to eat fish once or twice a month only when eating out with family and friends.

For clarification, this practice is to aid my weight loss and force me to make better eating decisions. Unlike most vegans/vegetarians, this practice only pertains to my eating habits. With that said the picture above is my first attempt at a healthy “vegetarian” snack that’s really easy to make.

Ingredients: cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, green goddess seasoning, and balsamic vinaigrette. To make this a fun party appetizer, put the tomato, cheese, and basil leaf on a tooth pick, sprinkle the seasoning, and drizzle the balsamic. Yum! Enjoy!!