Year: 2015

Posted on by — Leave a comment

40 Days Left in 2015!

The end of 2015 is just around the corner and vibrant beginnings await all of us. With 40 days left to wrap up your unfinished business, and line things up for a fresh new page, are you positioning yourself for living a  simpler, more significant and satisfying life?

The end of the year is usually filled with festive events, a mood of celebration, anticipation and gratitude (especially if you encounter lots of wrapping paper 😉 – LOL). But, then the first few days of the new year go by and you slump into the normalcy you floated in for most of the previous year: responsibilities, busyness, exhaustion, boredom and occasional moments to celebrate. But, is it possible to really get more out of a new year? Is it really possible to accomplish great things and create a more vibrant existence than you are accustomed to?

“We are all self-made, but only the successful will admit it.” ― Earl Nightingale

Some people are approaching the end of this year with overwhelming gratitude because of the things they had started the year aiming for and eventually accomplished. 

Some people are approaching the end of this year filled with awe because of the goals they had set and surpassed! Their accomplishments exceeded their expectations and now they have a new perspectives on what’s possible.

The difference between these people and the people who have been living on the same level for years – no changes: same girl, same problems – is one word: PLAN. I don’t mean, “thinking about”, “would like to” or “daydreaming”. I mean intentional living. They made a vision of what they want, decided on the goals that lead up to that vision becoming a reality and then stayed focused on doing all that’s necessary to see it come true. They made a plan of action and worked it!

In the next 40 days, you have the opportunity to reflect on your life: where you are now, where you thought you would have and where you want to be. It’s a good time to daydream a little – think big and ignore the limits you have lived within and pick a goal. Yes! One goal. Think of the one thing that would mean the most to you if you could be, do, or have it. It could fit into any of the 7 areas of wellness in your life:

  1. Physical e.g. eating habits, exercise, haircare, skincare.
  2. Spiritual e.g. life purpose, practising compassion, service to others, spiritual disciplines.
  3. Emotional e.g. forgiveness, self-acceptance, gratitude practice, authenticity.
  4. Intellectual e.g. reading daily, course of study, personal development habits, skills.
  5. Social e.g. community involvement, hobbies, top 5 friends, a mentor.
  6. Occupational e.g. building expertise, entrepreneurship, time management, money management.
  7. Environmental e.g. home decluttering, backyard gardening, relocation, home ownership.

The examples are just ideas to help you think about the areas of your life that need to be more vibrant. The ist isn’t exhausted and you could always think of something else to work on that I haven’t mentioned.

But, the main point is that, you can have a 2016 filled with dreams that come true if you don’t leave things to chance. You can build those habits you have been admiring from a far if you decide that it is important enouh to deserve your focus and commitment. You can begin your new chapter of life today! Just start by thinking about your ideals and choosing one thing to master next year.

You will have the next 40 days to: 

  • Research all that you need to make it happen
  • Enlist all the support you will need to not give up
  • Layout the steps you will take to succeed
  • Find all the motivational tools to pump you up when you get deflated

2016 is just around the corner and vibrant beginnings await all of us.

Are you ready to position yourself for living a simpler, more significant and satisfying life?

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    Walnut Meat & Other Nutty Adventures

    So, one of the most frequently asked question about eating plant-based is, “What do you eat, then?” Many persons have gotten used to having animal flesh as the main feature of their meals and have a hard time imagining a tasty plate without meat. This is why meat substitutes are a major concern for most people considering switching to a plant-based diet. Yet, most people have never been exposed to the endless variety of animal-free foods that can satisfy their meat-loving palate. There are more options than you can imagine – some are great for the meat-lovers among us and others are treats for the gourmet fans.     

    Vegan Meats (Source: VeganMiam.com)
    Vegan Meats (Source: VeganMiam.com)

    If you know anything about vegetarian diets, you will immediately think of fake meats or meat analogues like textured vegetable protein (TVP) – more popularly known as veggie chunks in Jamaica – or wheat gluten (also known as seitan, wheat meat, veggie steak). But, companies like Morning Star Farms, Quorn & Gardein have made it possible to pick up near duplicates of every kind of meat you can think of that are made from plants only. From burgers, nuggets and wings to sausages, bacon, and ribs, they have it all. In the early years, I tried many of them, but lately I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of processed foods I consume and I’m learning to make more whole food dishes just by stocking up on my legumes.

     

    Jerked Walnut Taco "Meat" served on a bed of dark-green leafy veggies (tatsoi, mustard greens and lettuce) and carrots. Dressed with homemade cashew sour cream. (Source: Facebook)
    Jerked Walnut Taco “Meat” served on a bed of dark-green leafy veggies (tatsoi, mustard greens and lettuce) and carrots. Dressed with homemade cashew sour cream. (Source: Facebook)

    My gourmet-diva, sister-friend, Cheryl (of CherButters of Jamaica) is always creating some work of mouthwatering art in her kitchen. She uses a lot of nuts, seeds and other legumes to replace the animal flesh in popular dishes and always gets rave reviews. We don’t need ground beef for tacos when you have spicy walnut meat! She goes all out to make her dishes authentic and never missed the opportunity to blend up sour cream from cashew nuts. Cheryl’s tasty treats include lentils to make ‘meat’ loaves or ‘meat’ balls and even jackfruit seeds get transformed into ‘cheese’ for delicious vegan pizzas or veggies wraps. Lets just say that your tastebuds won’t ever be bored and her blenders and food processor are well-used. 

    While it’s great to recreate all our favourite and more familiar dishes using meat analogues, variety is the spice of life. So, it is always a great idea to try some new recipes and get adventurous in the kitchen. As such, I want to give you some ideas. Below are some recipes I like. Check them out and try them all, then let me know how you like them.

    Walnut Taco ‘Meat’

    Classic Cashew ‘Cheese’

    Chickpea Veggie Nuggets

    Lentil ‘Meat’ Loaf

    That’s four different recipes! Try even one a week, and see if you want to make them regular features in your diet. These are just more baby steps for you as you transition to more vibrant health.

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    30 Days of Vibrance: Smoothies, Soups & Salads

    Most people want to improve their health by improving their eating habits. But, most people don’t want to make any drastic changes to their diet. Not everyone wants to be a vegetarian; and I don’t feel that everyone should be a veg-head either. Even if they try, the change is usually temporary. That’s why I’m always looking for new ways to help you transition from wherever you are now to where you want to be: vibrant and healthy on a diet that is more plant-based, whole and full of dark-green, leafy vegetables.

     

    Are You In For a Binge?
    I recently shared with you how diets that are built primarily on plant foods are the best way to create, restore and sustain vibrant health. Then I invited you to try binging on smoothies, soups and salads for the ultimate in high-nutrient, low-calorie vibrant health. Dr Joel Fuhrman has long been advocating smoothies, soups and salads as the backbone of the Nutritarian diet and I just got wind of a 30-Day SSS challenge being hosted by the awesome Deborrah Cooper from BlacksGoingVegan.com; I immediately wanted to join in, but they were already in full swing by the time she’d told me about it. Well, since April is just around, I thought I’d take it on for the next 30 days. I currently have green smoothies habitually and most days my lunch includes a soup. But, the vegetable salad is still pretty much a side dish for me – and I want to change that! I want to have really big, green salads everyday! So, I’ll definitely have to make some modifications to my current eating habits to sail through the month of April. BUT, I know that I will be increasing the amount of nutrition my body absorbs and improving my well-being at the same time. So, my question for you is, “Are you in?”

     

    Well, Here are the Rules!
    1. You must have at least 2 of the following everyday:
    (a) a 16-oz Green Smoothie
    (b) a Vegetable-based Soup
    (c) a Green, leafy Salad
    2. The smoothie must include dark-green, leafy vegetables (e.g. callaloo, spinach, kale), 1-3 fruits and the liquid should be either pure water, unsweetened coconut water or unsweetened nutmilk.
    3. The soup must be vegetable-based (e.g. red peas, pumpkin, pepperpot, miso, tomato) and can be hot or cold.
    4. The salad must be primarily dark-green leaves and may be topped with any combination of colourful vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and beans.
    5. You are free to eat and drink as you usually do, once you add these to your routine.

     

    I’ll be sharing my own journey on this 30 Days if Vibrance in the Facebook group and I look forward to seeing your posts as well. Please click HERE to join our online support group. It also helps to have some in-person company on this Vibrant journey. So, you should encourage a family member or friend to join you in this challenge. Over the next couple days, grab your shopping bags, dust off your blender, pull out a nice big salad bowl and shine up your soup pot. We’re getting ready for 30 Days of Vibrance!

     

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    3 Sneaky Ways To Pile Your Plate High For Vibrant Health

    We have all heard it: we should eat smaller portions, eat fewer meals and snacks and watch our calories. But that is extremely difficult when the food tastes really good! Not to mention when you’ve eaten they recommend portions and still don’t feel full. Well, I’ve checked in with the dietitians and nutritional experts, on your behalf. So, I’m excited to show you a few tricks you can use to get away with eating big portions, and as often as you want, and still achieve vibrant health!

     

    Before we get into the sneaky stuff, let’s take a look at why “eat less” is such a common mantra. The calories we’re told to reduce come from the carbs, fats and proteins in foods that are usually sweet and greasy. But, while we’re being told to cut back on the calorie-dense sugary drinks and oily meats, we’re being encouraged to fill up on the nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables that are full of healing amino acids and protective phytochemicals. That’s why food researchers and nutrition scientists have been publishing eating guidelines in the form of food groups, pyramids and plates to help get us eating a balanced diet. Most of them (like the USDA’s MyPlate and Harvard School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate) are plant-based. This means that majority of the food we eat come from plants, e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. However, I love the dietary guidelines of The Plant Based Dietician, Julieanna Hever, which serve up low calories and high nutrients in every meal. To follow a plant-based diet based on her guidelines, we’d eat our fill of Leafy Green Vegetables, High-fat Whole Foods (like nuts and avocado pears), Richly coloured & Starchy Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes and Fruit. That’s all! There is absolutely no need for seafood, meat, poultry, eggs nor dairy. This whole food, plant-based diet is the secret to eating all you want.

    wpid-pbd-food-plate-1024x731.jpg

    “Cholesterol has been called the animals’ revenge because the animals you eat leave a little bit of themselves behind in your arteries every time you eat them.” ~Anonymous

     

    The thing is, that meat, dairy and eggs are deficient in vitamin C and essential fats (omega 3 and omega 6), and they have no dietary fibre nor any energy-giving carbohydrates. Meat and eggs lack calcium, while dairy lacks iron. But, all these animal foods are high in protein and fat – saturated fat and cholesterol. This makes them high in calories without being filling; our bodies run down on energy just to digest these animal foods (which is why you feel sleepy at the end of a big lunch).

    On the other hand, there are tonnes of benefits to gain from piling our plates high with plant foods. For one, fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are cholesterol free! Plant foods are low in calories, but high in both macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat & Water) and micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals, Phytochemicals & Antioxidants). As such, they are proven to reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases (like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes) and are key to strengthening our immune systems. Plants are the only source of dietary fibre, so they are the best for feeling full without the lethargy, since they also boost our energy levels.

     

    So, now that you know what to pile your plates with, and why, let’s dive into the 3 ways you can make the veggie binge easy:

    1. Soups
    An amazing habit to pick up is having a vegetable-based soup with your meals. It’s a great filler and you will be sure of getting in your best nutrients before you dive into the other dishes.

    2. Salads
    It’s a great idea to have a large vegetable salad at the beginning of your meals. Use as many different kinds of produce as possible and make it as colourful as you can. Toss in nuts, seeds and legumes for extra protein and to vary the texture and flavours. Just changing the salad dressing can add even more variety to your veggie routine.

    3. Smoothies
    Always begin your day with a green smoothie, green juice or a fruit plate.

     

    So, let’s start a new healthy binge together – piling our plates high with fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes for vibrant health and tummy happiness 😉

     

     

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    4 Simple Eating Guidelines You Should Adopt For Vibrant Health

    For the past 5 years, I have been enjoying renewed health and increased vibrance by maintaining a plant-based diet. Many persons have asked me for tips on eating healthily and often shared their desire to cut back on eating certain foods. But, what exactly does a plant-based diet look like? How can you start improving your well-being by consciously choosing the foods you eat? Well, I’ve put some thought into it and settled on four guidelines that I know every one can follow without feeling deprived or missing out on the mouth confetti (food that tastes so good it throws a party on your tongue).

     

    FFill Your Plate With Plants
    We need to eat more plants. By plants, I mean fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These are the foods that heal, grow and sustain our bodies, because they supply us with fibre, vitamins, protein, minerals and complex carbohydrates. The more plants we eat, the more energised we are and better able to fight off disease.

     

     

    EEat More Leaves
    Many people eat a lot of plant foods, but not enough dark-green leafy vegetables. One doctor says, “Greens are the secret weapon to fight almost all diseases. Add greens to everything!” Another doctor encourages his patients with heart disease to eat leafy greens at least 6 times a day. This is why green smoothies are essential to health and wellness.

     

     

    E1Eat Real, Whole Foods
    The biggest mistake some vegetarians and vegans make as they switch from eating a meat-heavy diet, is replacing it with lots of ultra-processed foods. Real nourishment and vitality can only be found in whole (natural or minimally processed) foods. So, instead of eating pineapple-flavoured soft drinks, enjoy a bowl of fresh pineapple slices; or a package of corn curls snack, try having some boiled corn. Choose home-made over factory-processed.

     

    DDrink More Water
    This is a personal struggle for me. But, I know that water is life! High performance athletes often drink up to 6 litres a day. But, we shouldn’t drink less than a 2.5 to 3 litres a day if we hope to avoid dehydration (which is more common than you think). So keep drinking until your urine is colourless or a light yellow.

     

    Those are my four guidelines for feeding my body right! I’m sure you can eat for vibrant health, too. Please share which of these eating rules you’ll be adopting today?