Life is a Basket of Cherries

I know you have heard the cliche, "Life is a bowl of cherries."  Well I'm here to tell you "Life is a basket of cherries."  You can carry more in a basket than in a bowl.

You want a super food?  Eat Cherries. 
They have a higher concentration of antioxindants and vitamin than blueberries.

You want to stay young?  Eat Cherries.  They help slow down the aging process.  Researchers haves hown thaat cherries contain melatonin, which is the key antioxindant that slows the aging process and regulates sleep. 

Radish Shoots the New Sprout

One of the best finds I've discovered since becoming vegan is spouts.  I first dabbled in the alfalfa sprouts.  These are the most common sprout, and also the sprout that most people have tried at least once. 
Then I moved on to the clover sprouts.  My world changed after I tasted clover.  Before the clover, I ate sprouts if they were there, but I never sought them out.  After the clover, I made a regular trip to the sprout and micro greens section of the store in search of any type of sprout I could find. 
Clover sprouts have a crisp freshness that alfa sprouts lack.  Clover leaves are a little larger, and the stems are much thicker.  I love to eat clover and avocado sandwhiches.  I also like clover in my maki rolls. 
 

One day while I was shopping, I noticed that all the alfalfa and clover sprouts where gone.  What the *&^%!!!!  I kept staring at the sprout section when my eyes saw these skinny stalks with big green leaves in a blue pouch-bag.  I picked up the skinny stalks.  I looked at the package.  I read the package, "Radish Shoots."  I read it again, but this time with feeling, "RADISH SHOOTS."  I sniffed the package, so I could get an idea of what radish shoots taste like.  They look like big , fat, yemmu, clover sprouts.  I noticed people staring at me as I sniffed the blue pouch-bag.  I felt embarrassed.  I put the shoots in my cart, and I walked away.
 
The first thing I did when I got home was open that bag of RADISH SHOOTS.  It was a science experiment.  It looked as if they were growing from some tightly bound coil of roots.  I kind of got freaked out.  RADISH SHOOTS are alive!! They Live!!!
 
I ate them.
 
RADISH SHOOTS are delicious!  They have a fresh peppery taste.  They are spicy!

Now, I cannot get RADISH SHOOTS at the store anymore.  I guess I was the only one eating them. 

Transition Tip 8: Collard Greens =Calcium

I've been craving collard greens.  I had them in rice.  I made a juice from collards.  I think that maybe I need calcium.  Collard greens are full of magnesium, iron and calcium.  so, if anyone ever ask you, "Where do you get your calcium from if you don't drink milk?"  tell them "From the greens Baby!" 

Fat Sick Nearly Dead

I did the best I could this week.  I’ve added some links that I hope many of you will watch.  The first link is the film, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, a documentary about Joe Cross.  He is a man who was overweight with health problems, and he went on a juice fast to change his life.  Cross lost an amazing amount of weight; learned how to incorporate fresh whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes into his diet; and became an exercise enthusiast.  In other words, he went from unhealthy to foxy.  I thought he was cute before when he was fat, but I like big butts (and I cannot lie).  I like this film because it is from a guy’s perspective.  Men deal with body issues just as much as women do.    

I started out three weeks ago with the ideas of a juice fast, raw vegan diet, and adding exercise.  My plan for the summer did not turn out the way I wanted.  I have not juice fast.  I’ve been raw, but then I got down with the cooked food.  My exercise has been sporadic at best, yet I have lost a few inches.  I don’t know how much I weigh because I do not own a scale. 

A sure way to drive yourself crazy is to own a scale.  I do not need to know how much I weigh.  If I start looking at numbers, the numbers will never be small enough.  This preoccupation with numbers usually leads to obsession, and I wish to be free of obsession; therefore, I do not own a scale.     

The second link is Vegans on Parade, which is a music video (song) created by TheSakars.  It is fun and light. 

I am going to begin again.  When?  First, I must examine the reason I failed at the juicing and the high raw diet.  The basic plant based diet is not enough to take me where I want to go with my health.  It is not enough because the vegan diet I eat is a meatless version of the Standard American Diet (SAD), which really is not that great for me.  The high cooked vegan diet was good for me when I first started.  It helped me lose over 100 pounds and helped with my glaucoma (eye pressure), but now I am at a plateau.  The processed grains and their byproducts (refined sugars and gluten) are clogging my body’s lympatic system. Plus, I know that when I get most of the processed foods out of my diet the health of my eyes will improve, and I’ll release the last of this weight that I’ve been holding.

I use the fat to insulate me from others. It is time to get on the bumper cars and smash into shit. It is time to collide like asteroids gliding in deep space; it makes no sound.

Okay everyone; tell me how your week has gone. Message me or post a comment down below. I'd like to know how you are doing. Please take care of yourself.

Much Love,  Nicole.

Words About Transitioning to Vegan

This week’s update I decided to do differently.  I have been inspired by two of my subscribers to write this update. This week’s video has two vegan recipes—chocolate cake and potato salad.  Click here for the Video of the Week.

Nicole’s Week:
Friday June 29 –Monday July 2, I exercised my butt off.  Well maybe I did not exercise my butt off, but I got it done.  Tuesday July 3 – Thursday July 5, my Aunt Sally came to visit, and I did not exercise.  I did partake in grilled veggie burgers and veggie dogs for this week.  I drank two bottles of wine this week; it’s a holiday week—American Independence. 

Words about Transitioning to Vegan:
Sogirlgems on Youtube is working on transitioning to a vegetarian diet.  She is doing a 14 day fast to get her weight out of the 120s.  I notice that she is eating.  I want to be clear on the definition of a fast.  A fast is to go without food.  There are different types of fast.  Some of the fast that I have done are the master cleanse (water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper) and a juice fast (fresh fruits and vegetables that I juice).  Both of these fasts taught me that I can go without food and still function. 

Watching Sogirlgems video made me think about my own obsession with weight.  When I was extremely overweight, people (in general) did not make eye contact with me.  In general, people (especially men) ignored me or looked at me with fear in their eyes.  I had one guy tell me that I was fat and ugly and that no one would go out with me, so I should date him.  Of course, I told him to fuck off.  But this sort of thing happened often, I walked into a restaurant one day and these men mooed at me like I was a cow.  I decided to be alone rather than deal with it.  So, I know how hard it is to carry extra weight and to be treated as less than because of it.  To this day, I feel like I have to be thin to be accepted--to be acknowledged.

I’ve watched Mowet100 struggle over the last year to be vegan, so that she can lose weight.  The vegan lifestyle is a practice; there is no perfection.  If you look at the transition as an all or nothing deal, then you set yourself up to fail.  Take the veganism in steps.  First, eliminate the red meat from your diet.  Next, prepare one meat free meal a day.  Build up to being vegan.  Once you have freed yourself from meat and the hormones & chemicals in the animal, you can work on the dairy.  I want to pause because dairy is some of the most addictive food items that humans can eat (other than meat).  Dairy creates mucous in the body and clogs the human lymphatic system.  When you free yourself from dairy, the vegan diet will become easier, almost effortless.     

A mini message to Sogirlgems:
I know that it can be hard to cut the meat out of your diet.  Girl, you can do it.  I see that you are making salad the main meal and adding veggie dishes to the meals of your family.  Keep up the great work!!!!!  

Love:
As we begin a new week, I send some love to all of you.  Remember to stay focused, but give yourselves a break on this journey.  As always, I enjoy hearing from you.  Message me!  Comment! Let me know how you are doing.