30 Day Plank Challenge

30-DAY PLANK CHALLENGE

2016 Challenge Months: January, April, August, December

Hi! We're doing a plank challenge this month. You can join me at anytime. Our goal is to do at least 4 minutes, but 5 minutes would be ideal. Continue to do a plank every day after this challenge. There are three challenges to choose from:

Easier Challenge:

• Day 1: 10 seconds
• Day 2: 15 seconds
• Day 3: 20 seconds
• Day 4: REST
• Day 5: 25 seconds
• Day 6: 30 seconds
• Day 7: 35 seconds
• Day 8: REST
• Day 9: 40 seconds
• Day 10: 45 seconds
• Day 11: 50 seconds
• Day 12: REST
• Day 13: 55 seconds
• Day 14: 60 seconds
• Day 15: 65 seconds
• Day 16: REST
• Day 17: 70 seconds
• Day 18: 75 seconds
• Day 19: 80 seconds
• Day 20: REST
• Day 21: 85 seconds
• Day 22: 90 seconds (1.5 minutes)
• Day 23: 95 seconds
• Day 24: REST
• Day 25: 100 seconds
• Day 26: 105 seconds
• Day 27: 110 seconds
• Day 28: REST
• Day 29: 115 seconds
• Day 30: 120 seconds (2 minutes)

Normal Challenge:

• Day 1: 20 seconds
• Day 2: 20 seconds
• Day 3: 30 seconds
• Day 4: 30 seconds
• Day 5: 40 seconds
• Day 6: REST
• Day 7: 45 seconds
• Day 8: 45 seconds
• Day 9: 45 seconds
• Day 10: 50 seconds
• Day 11: 1 minute
• Day 12: 1 minute 10 seconds
• Day 13: REST
• Day 14: 1 minute 15 seconds
• Day 15: 1 minute 15 seconds
• Day 16: 1.5 minutes
• Day 17: 1.5 minutes
• Day 18: 2 minutes
• Day 19: REST
• Day 20: 2 minutes
• Day 21: 2 minutes
• Day 22: 2.5 minutes
• Day 23: 2.5 minutes
• Day 24: 3 minutes
• Day 25: 3 minutes
• Day 26: REST
• Day 27: 3.5 minutes
• Day 28: 3.5 minutes
• Day 29: 4 minutes
• Day 30: 4 minutes

Advanced Challenge:

• If you can already do 4 minutes, then start there. You can add 5-20 seconds on top of your previous day record.
• Pick a REST day for the 4th or 6th day.
• Write down your progress on a calendar or pre-fill your calendar with your goal.

Scrambled Tofu With Veggies Burrito

Scrambled Tofu w/ Veggies Burrito

This is my first breakfast on January 1, 2016. This was also my first time making tofu scrambled and I made it without a recipe. I was asked to create a recipe for it. That's kind of hard for me because I don't measure seasonings, so I think a video would be best. Until then, I'll try my best to do a recipe.

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

• ~7 oz, Firm Tofu, drained 
• ~2 cups, Dark Leaf Vegetables (e.g. Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Callaloo, etc--use at least one kind)
• 1 small Red Potatoes, cubed
• ~1/3 cup, Red Onion, chopped or in rings
• ~1/8 cup, Green Onion, chopped
• ~1 tsp, Turmeric
• ~1 tbsp, Coconut Oil
• Seasonings: Complete Seasoning, Black pepper, Oregano, Garlic powder
• Optional: Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce, etc
• 2 medium to large Tortillas
• 2 slices, giant green Avocado (you can use a Hass Avocado if you want)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a medium nonstick frying pan on medium heat, then add coconut oil.

Lightly season the potato cubes (do not add the turmeric) and add them to the pan. Stir until mostly cooked, then add the vegetables (add dark leaf veggies last or at the same time as the tofu). Cook until potatoes are cook through.

Push the potatoes to the side. Add the tofu to the pan and start breaking it up if you haven't done so already. Season to taste: add seasonings in order of the seasonings on the season list (the amount depends on the order, as well--more to less) and then add the turmeric for color. Stir everything together until it looks the way you want.

Warm the tortillas. I warm my tortillas one at a time while I'm cooking by using them as covers over the pan. However, you can warm yours however you like.

Put each tortilla on a plate and add the tofu scramble equally on each tortilla. Top it off with a slice of avocado and then close it up. Serve.

Complete below with your questions and comments.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

7-Day Juice/Smoothie Challenge

7-Day Juice/Smoothie Challenge

2016 DATES:

January 3-9, February 7-13, March 6-12, April 3-9, May 1-7, June 5-11, July 3-9,

August 7-13, September 4-10, October 2-8, November 6-12, December 4-10

Calendar Events: Facebook, Google+

GUIDELINES

• If you don't have a good blender or juice, click here for options.
• Take a picture of yourself before the challenge and at the end of the challenge. It's up to you if you want to share those pictures with the group. It's also optional if you want to take additional pictures during the challenge.
• If you're not used to eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables each day, then prepare your body 1-3 days prior to starting this challenge
• During the challenge (and forever if possible) drink 8-10 cups of water each day. Minimum amount of water depends on your weight.
• 
• Replace at least one meal a day with your detox juice
• DO NOT drink alcohol
• NO drugs unless prescribed by your doctor
• If eating solid foods, DO NOT eat animal products
• If eating solid foods, DO NOT eat processed foods
• NO dairy products
• NO caffeine (however, if you're addicted to coffee and this will prevent you from doing the cleanse, then continue drinking coffee, since, like a drug, it's hard to quit.)
• NO carbonated drinks (caffeine or not)
• Your only sweeteners are maple, agave, or real fruits

WATER

Start each morning with at least 8 ounces (1 cup) glass of warm water with lemon (optional: you can make tea with it) right after you wake up and on an empty stomach to start your day. This will flush toxins from your body and maintain your body's pH balance. It will also increase your metabolic rate (helps with losing weight), help your gastrointestinal and kidneys to function even better, repair skin cells to increase elasticity (look younger), etc. You can use a straw with your warm lemon water to bypass your teeth and/or rinse with plain water afterwards. Do not eat for 30 minutes after you drink your warm lemon water.

BEST TIMES TO DRINK WATER

• Drink one glass of water after waking up to activate your internal organs and to remove toxins before your first meal
• Drink one glass of water 30 minutes before you eat a meal. However, if you want to drink water after your meal, wait an hour to ensure your body absorbs the nutrients
• Drink one glass of water before taking a shower to lower your blood pressure
• Drink one glass of water an hour before you go to bed to replenish fluid loss during the night

EXERCISE

Lots of options here. Do as little or as much as you can. If possible (also depends on the type of exercise), try to exercise after you drink your warm lemon water in the mornings. You can use your smart phone or a step/activity/pedometer tracker to track your steps throughout the day. If you're tracking your steps, at minimum, try to do 8,000 to 10,000 each day. Here are some exercise ideas:

• Planks (Plank Challenge)
• Squats (Squats Challenge)

Ideas Taken From http://q.equinox.com

• Running/Cycling
• Strength-Training/Conditioning Classes
• Swimming/Pilates
• Yoga
• Low-Intensity Cardio (Walking/Cycling)

HEALTHY BENEFITS OF EXERCISING

From mayoclinic.org

• Controls weight
• Combats health conditions and diseases
• Improves mood
• Boosts energy
• Promotes better sleep
• Puts the spark back into your sex life
• Can be fun

From greatist.com

• Reduce stress
• Boost happy chemicals
• Improve self-confidence
• Enjoy the great outdoors
• Prevent cognitive decline
• Alleviate anxiety
• Boost brainpower
• Sharpen memory
• Help control addiction
• Increase relaxation
• Etc

BENEFITS OF JUICING

From Huffington Post

• Rest the stomach
• Rest and repair the gut
• Rest the liver
• Reduce your appetite
• Ease food decision-making
• Eliminate harmful foods
• Floods our body with super nutrition
• Lose weight
• Improve energy
• Re-hydrate the body
• Reduce physical problems
• Allow maximum detoxification
• Heal our cells

JUICE RECIPE IDEAS (5 Websites)

• http://www.justonjuice.com/7-day-juice-fast-plan
• http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/drink_recipes/how_to_start_juicing_7_day_juice_plan_to_add_more_fruits_vegetables_to_your_diet
• http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/clean-green-food-drink-cleanse
• http://www.avegangoddess.com/2012/03/recipes-for-seven-day-cleanse.html
• http://www.vegancooking.com/juicing/3-day-juice-cleanse

Vegan Dining Out: McDonalds

Vegan Dining Out

What Can I Eat At McDonald's?

2015

In this segment, we're going to talk about various fast-foods and dining out facilities to see what we can eat there as a vegan. We cannot eat any foods coming from an animal, which includes dairy products and meat (this also includes eggs). Today we're going to talk about McDonald's. (Update: this post is based in the US and it is NOT satire)

Breakfast:

• Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (minus the cream, if allowed)

Lunch and Dinner:

• Burger with vinaigrette dressing and veggies (minus meat, cheese, and other dressings)*
• Salads with vinaigrette dressing (minus meat, cheese, and other dressings)
• Premium McWrap (minus meat, cheese, and the sauce it comes with)*

Sides:

• Apples
• Side Salad
• Snack Wrap (minus meat, cheese, and sauce)*

Desserts:

• N/A

Beverages:

• Apple Juice
• Fountain Drinks
• McCafe Coffee (black or with a sweetener: sugar, Splenda, or Equal)
• Orange Juice (overpriced; can buy a container at the grocery store for the same price)
• Water

Note: You can only use sweet n' sour sauce, barbeque sauce, marinara sauce, ketchup, or mustard. In addition, vinaigrette is the only dressing you can use. If you're trying to eat healthier, then vinaigrette and mustard are your best first options; the next in line is the marinara sauce. Sweet n' sour sauce and barbeque sauce would be last on the list.

So you're wondering what about fries and hash browns? Well, fries and hash browns are NOT vegan. They are both made with milk and beef flavoring. Don't make the mistake (like I did once) of believing someone working there or the manager when they say, "It's just regular fries that we cook in vegetable oil." McDonald's baked apple pie is also NOT vegan. It is made with L-Cysteine which comes from animal hair and feather. As you can see from this list, McDonald's have limited options for those of us on a vegan diet. It's not vegan friendly.

Comment below if you have any questions or comments...

*Some places will not allow this option

Vegan Biscuits

VEGAN BISCUITS

Ingredients:

This recipe is simple -- no matter what experience you have or haven't had -- it comes out sweet and fluffy. It's a vegan alternative to store bought biscuits. All you need are three main ingredients:

• 2 cups, Self-Rising Flour (I use unbleached self-rising flour)
• 1/4 cup, Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance; make sure the butter is hard and not melting)
• 3/4 cup, unsweetened Cashew Milk
• Optional: 3/4 tsp, Salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

While the oven is heating, (if using salt, mix it with the flour first) use a fork or your fingers or a pastry blender to blend the flour and hard/cold butter together. 

After the first two ingredients are blended, add 1/4 cup of your cashew milk at time until you get to 3/4 cups all together while mixing everything with a spoon. It will be sticky.

Knead the dough and roll it into a ball. Use a roller to roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a biscuit cutter (or empty can) to cut the biscuits out.

Transfer the cutouts to a cookie sheet.

Bake for least 15 minutes. Enjoy!

<Video Coming Soon>

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Is Keratin Good For Our Natural Hair?

A Keratin Hair Story

(originally written February 4, 2015 on shared blog)

The other day I was at a friend's house helping her with her natural hair. Her husband is very supportive about her natural hair journey and wants to learn as much about it as she does. Right now, her hair is unhealthy and as a new friend and someone that knows a lot about natural hair, I wanted to help her. They have two daughters--one is transitioning from the relaxer and one is completely chemical free. The girls like their hair straight, so it is flat ironed straight every 3 weeks and wrapped and covered up at nights to keep it straight. My friend's husband ensures that they use a straightening keratin shampoo and conditioner as their only cleanser and conditioner.

A few days ago when my friend washed and conditioned her hair with their keratin straightening shampoo and conditioner set, she called me over to help her because she wasn't seeing any curls. Because she wasn't seeing any curls, she bought a hair jelly and it did nothing for her hair. I told her to stop using the straightening set and that curl jelly's are more for type 3 hair types, not her type 4 hair. I also explained to her that she has to look at ingredients before she buys her products from now on.

My friend's low porosity hair needs more moisture enriched products. She should do a protein treatment only when needed. The hair cuticles on low porosity hair is already tightly closed, which prevents moisture from getting in; therefore, adding too much protein, especially large proteins like animal protein for instance, will make it worse. (Click here to learn how to test your hair to see if it needs more moisture or protein.) In the case of her straightening shampoo and conditioner, it was ingredients that were preventing her from seeing her curl pattern. Please note, not all straightening treatments or products are made equal.

What is Keratin?

To simplify, it is the protein in which 90% of our hair is made up of. It is the main structural constituent of our hair, skin, and nails. Also, in feathers, hoofs, claws, horns, wool, etc. 

Functional vs. Hydrolyzed Keratin

The difference between functional and hydrolyzed keratin is the process by which it was extracted. Hydrolyzed keratin is extracted from animal horns and hooves using acid and extreme heat, which degrades the protein. Functional keratin is extracted from sheep's wool using techniques that do not use acid or heat. Therefore, making functional keratin more true to its original form. Most hair-care and skincare products use hydrolyzed keratin. Hydrolyzed keratin can easily absorb into the skin and penetrate low porosity hair, which makes it ideal for skincare products that requires absorption into the skin and naturals with low porosity hair. For naturals with high porosity hair and/or anyone with chemically treated hair, functional keratin is required to protect/repair your hair.

When shopping for keratin products, look at the ingredients on the back of the bottle or container to see which type is used in that product. Replicine Functional Keratin protein is the only functional keratin protein on the market. Products with Replicine Functional keratin will have the words, 'keratin', 'functional keratin' or 'oxidized keratin' on the ingredients label.

Is Keratin A Hair Straightener?

While keratin is a major component of keratin straightening treatment, it is not a hair straightener. As stated previously, it is a protein found in your hair, skin, and nails. It's only an ingredient in the hair straightening process and products. The word 'keratin' is popular, so a title of "Keratin Straightening Treatment" is better than "Formaldehyde Straightening Treatment". This also makes it difficult for some naturals to tell which keratin product is a straightening treatment and which is an actual a protein treatment. In any case, keratin plays a positive role in the treatment because it conditions and strengthens the hair after the actual treatment damages it to get it straight. If your goal is to keep your hair straight, then Keratin Straightening Treatments are for you. In addition, if you're going to the salon, ask to see the ingredients on their bottle/container. For the sake of your health, make sure the product is formaldehyde-free. 

Keep in mind that products with formaldehyde help keep the hair straighter for longer, so products without it won't have that long lasting effect. Which is it going to be? Also, if you stop doing keratin straightening treatments, it may leave your hair damaged because of the long term usage.

Is Keratin Good For Our Natural Hair?

Keratin protein is a great protein treatment (not talking about the straightening treatment). The problem with Keratin straightening treatments are the harsh ingredients that are added, not the keratin protein in the products. Functional keratin is more true to its original form; whereas, hydrolyzed keratin is a lighter/broken version. Light proteins, like silk protein, are good for low porosity hair. Heavier proteins, like vegetable protein, are better for high porosity hair. So yes, keratin protein, is good for our hair--strengthens it, less frizz, etc.


If you have any questions or comments about this article, please post a comment below. Have a great day!