Healthy and Chic Life

"Adopting a new healthier lifestyle can involve changing diet to include more fresh fruit and vegetables as well as increasing levels of exercise." ~ Linford Christie

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! Namaste. 🧘🏾‍♀️ Well, I had received some news from my primary care physician, Dr. Awwal, she was saying that my sugar level had gone up and she was saying that if I don't take Metformin, diabetes medication that I'd [eventually] take insulin. I remember my grandmother (my mother's mother) had to maintain her diabetes by using insulin and she outlived diabetes. I believe my mother is a diabetic and I'm not too sure what health issues were on my grandfathers side (my mother's father) but I know cataracts runs in the family since I'm of Asian (specifically Chinese) descent. My sister, Gwen and I may develop a case of getting cataracts later in life. This is going to suck when I have my random sweet tooth (yikes 😬) and if need be, I need to overall change my diet to reverse my diabetes. Okay, there's a lot swirling around in my mind between my own health issues with diabetes and news regarding Roe Vs. Wade being overturned. For the last several years, I've been doing my research regarding the vegan lifestyle and according to what I've watched on Netflix on reversing diabetes. I'm going to slowly ease myself into a vegan diet and will put my vegan cookbooks to good use! Be sure to check out my past blogs: Ethical Choices; A Foolproof Guide to Vegan or Not to Vegan; and this is my third blog on the vegan lifestyle. I suppose I'll list the documentaries regarding vegan. I've never been a huge fan of bacon (I can't stand the smell of bacon!), pork, and red meats. Nonetheless, from now until next blood work in mid October, I intend on going or rather steadily go on a vegan diet and I'm doing this for me because it's my personal choice of going vegan. I think the first video on Netflix people should watch is 'What the Health' and there are documentaries I should revisit since I've watched them once in the last several years. Health wise, I do want to make better food choices and even if I allowed myself at least one cheat day per week or twice a month. As I'm watching Neal Banard, MD | A Nutritional Approach for Reversing Diabetes on YouTube and it's a pretty interesting watch if you're looking a way around this, I mean reversing diabetes. If I have to, I'll begin with the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith and it's been a hot minute since I've made any smoothies from the book. At some point I'd have to invest in a blender and a water bottle or two so I can make two days worth of smoothies. At some point, I'll head to Target in Flushing at the SkyView Shopping Center since I'm more familiar with the layout of the store verses going to the Target in Washington Heights. Maybe I'm being picky but I feel more comfortable shopping there than any other Target location since I'm able to travel there by bus (the Q27 to Sanford Avenue, second to last stop in Flushing by the 7 train). I had gone to an orthopedic appointment earlier this month regarding my right knee and the orthopedic felt around my knee; he said it's Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and referred me to physical therapy. It's very uncomfortable to walk, even up and down stairs. I had asked my primary care doctor to refer me to get some X-rays done and I plan on going on Monday after work. Hopefully I'll be able to do some yoga and whenever I do yoga, I feel more confident afterwards.

-Smoothie Cleanse-

"There are six components of wellness; proper weight and diet, proper exercise, breaking the smoking habit, control of alcohol, stress management and periodic exams." ~ Kenneth H. Cooper

Last time I did the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, I recall not craving as much sweets (once in a while I'll have a sweet tooth but not everyday like that) and perhaps if I could pull this off at least two weeks before my next blood work in October, I believe I should be okay. Maybe my other option is to make smoothies for an entire month before going for blood work in October and there had been times I've asked my doctor about smoothies, what I've been told "it wasn't necessary to make smoothies," what she was saying people in the European culture like in France, they're into making smoothies. Not exactly providing encouraging news and no wonder why many Americans are so unhealthy. I remember growing up in the 90's and people back then seemed like they took better care of themselves compared to the people these days in contrast to the lifestyles of people from the 70's and earlier where people prepared more home cooked meals more so at home than going out, I don't remember hearing people going to McDonald's but I could imagine people having home made meals more so than going out way before I was born. You'd often hear people who suffered from eating disorders, celebrities such as Paula Abdul; Princess Diana; Mary-Kate Olsen; Portia de Rossi; Karen Carpenter (I recently watched a documentary of her on YouTube recently); Calista Flockhart; Victoria [Posh Spice] Beckham; and just to name a few. I still have some frozen fruits in the freezer for roughly a year or more and I'm sure it's had enough of being frost bitten by now. Once when I invest in a new blender, I'll begin making my smoothies once when I visit places like Whole Foods for produce. I'm hoping that a vegan diet would ease my patellofemoral pain syndrome since the orthopedic diagnosed me with it earlier this month and will be going for physical therapy twice a week. For now, I need to take care of myself because my health comes first before anyone [and anything else] and if you don't like it, suck my dick [if I had one] and tell me what flavor. My health comes first before any man, woman and child; work and whomever and whatever. If you don't like it, oh well, too bad and you can go kick rocks, meaning go take a hike because I don't need you controlling me like you own me (I am not your property)! I'd have to do some research on how to relieve my knee and I'm always on my feet all the time. I'm so used to having somewhere to go.

-My Weight Loss Experience-

"Each of us should take personal responsibility for our diet, and our children's diet, and the government's role should be to make certain it provides the best information possible to help people stay healthy." ~ Jim Talent

I'm not going to lie but I've always struggled with my weight and during my junior year of high school, I was 165 pounds. The summer of 2000 when I worked at my first job at YWCA (a job I got through Summer Youth Employment Program for the summers of 2000 and 2001) when I worked at my first job, I lost weight. I cut down on soda; juice; and sweets. I only allowed myself one glass of juice in the morning and a bottle of soda per day. At lunch, I would have a Slim Fast and weight went down to 148 pounds and when school began back up in September of 2000, I recall my weight going back up to 155 pounds. When I was attending TCI: College of Technology for Graphic Design, I was roughly 140 pounds and there were times when I didn't always eat when I should have. I would somewhat starved myself and would eat every other day which was how I had lost weight more quickly. Only time I ate was when a few of my friends would order food and whatever they didn't want, they'd ask if I wanted their leftover food, I was given the rest of their food. Just before I was raped and got pregnant in 2009, I was 133 pounds early 2009 and at the time of my son's birth in November, I was 177 pounds and ever since 2009, my weight always hovered around 200 pounds. I've tried gym memberships but it wasn't for me because I knew I had to spend more money on top of my gym membership for a personal trainer and I need to try a different approach in a healthy way of losing weight and tone up my body. The last fitness spot I did was Better Body Bootcamp towards the end of 2019 because I was so looking forward to going to my cousin David's wedding in August of 2020 but the "pandemic" happened and I was so heartbroken and disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for my cousin but I wanted to be apart of something awesome (and amazing) and maybe it's not too late. I'll try my best to remain optimistic and hopeful. I lack the much needed confidence ever since my pregnancy and I don't feel as good as I should about myself. I've been very hard on myself about my weight and I don't feel as confident or sexy about myself. My next method is finding a yoga studio as a method of feeling good about myself because I've noticed whenever I do yoga, I feel amazing; sexy and confident after doing yoga at home. I'd have to learn to put myself first before anyone else (man, woman and child) and if you're one of those people that makes a big stink over people putting themselves first before you then there's something wrong with your way of thinking because from my perspective, if one doesn't take care of themselves first by keeping their health in check then how can anyone take care of you if your expectations are much too high for people to take care of you like a child? I need to take care of myself first and if people don't like it then I honestly don't know what to tell you. Anyone in their right mind would take it or leave it, simple as that. I have to learn to take it easy so I can focus more on my health than any other adult and it doesn't mean I'm heartless or selfish, it simply means that I'm taking the time out of my own schedule to make sure my health is in check so I can go to bed happy. It's going to be a process in itself but it's not going to be an easy journey on my end and a self-care blog may be somewhere in the near future because self-care is important as your own health; happiness; sanity; and mental health. I'm not looking to be that person who advocates for self-care but it is greatly encouraged and should be enjoyed to its fullest each day because tomorrow is never promised. There's a lot I need to learn because I want to live long enough to know that I've made things happen with positive encouragement from others. I'm still trying to figure things out and it's not easy but it's through trial and error, no need to rub certain things in my face because I am aware of the mistakes I've made in my own life (that I can promise you).

-Further Reading-

Several books I have on vegan lifestyle for those who are interested in changing their diet/eating habits. I'm not trying to convert people's eating habits but for those who are opened minded and open to trying something different or looking to leave their comfort zone.

• 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith
• 7 Day Vegan Challenge: Featuring Over 70 Tasty Recipes and Menu Plans by Bettina Campolucci Bordi
• The 22-Day Revolution: The Plant-Based Program That Will Transform Your Body, Reset Your Habits, and Change Your Life by Marco Borges
• 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson
• Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson
• Flexitarian: Plant-Based Recipes With & Without the Meat
• Frugal Vegan: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Vegan Cooking by Kate Koteen & Kate Kasbee of Well Vegan

I should speak to one of my friends from my TCI days who is a fellow photographer and see if he can photograph me once when I'm able to either have my trusty sidekick Minolta X-370 repaired or purchase another Minolta camera for a mini photo shoot.

I need to put myself first and prioritize my health first before I pay attention to anyone else. Why should I put my health at risk for other peoples selfish reasons? Even if I need a day or two to myself, away from phone calls and spend time in solitude, it's something I'm going to eventually need at some point so I don't find myself crying. I am not afraid to spend time in solitude because I enjoy my own company before going home. Truth be told, I haven't given myself permission to cry and I'm sure people expect me to be happy 100% of the time. It's a freaking facade I'm putting on! I don't expect people to understand but I'm not going to explain why or the how, etc. How I'm feeling is something you can't fix and I personally feel it's something that has to come from within, nothing external can help other than speaking to a therapist regularly. Again, I don't expect people to understand and especially if you're the type who are so quick to blame others instead of holding yourself accountable. Sadly there are people who refuse to hold themselves accountable for their own health and always blame others for their own misfortune when it comes down to either health and/or wealth. One thing I sure need to work on is speaking up for myself and even if it angers or offends people, if you don't like it, you know where the door is and go kick rocks because I don't need you but don't come crawling back into my life saying you miss me, I hope by that time I'll have learned to love myself unconditionally (flaws and all 🥰).

Blessed be,

Jennifer

A Foolproof Guide to Vegan or Not to Vegan

“I think that veganism is totally great choice with incredible benefits, but I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect other people to be vegan. You can proselytize all you want, but being vegan is a pretty intense choice for a lot of people.” ~ Adam Conover

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! Vegan or not to vegan, that is the question! In the last three years or so since I've made several dishes from 'Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker' by Robin Robertson and '125 Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes' by Judith Finlayson. Yet, my favorite recipe(s) to date are Spicy Black Beans and Rice with Mangoes from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker and Rigatoni and Cheese from '125 Vegetarian Slow Cooker' At the end of the day, going vegetarian or vegan doesn't sound very appetizing to most people because people have this general idea that you're going to still feel hungry once when you've eaten a vegan/vegetarian meal and I'm certain that it's not true but don't be fooled because never judge a book by its cover (or knock the idea of vegan/vegetarian food) by assuming that you'd still "feel" hungry. However, go around asking friends or family if they're a vegan or vegetarian and ask them on several different occasions to prepare you some vegan meals. Yes, I realize there are people who are skeptical when it comes to eating vegan and the idea of going vegan sounds much healthier than eating meats. If I ever go vegan, I am going to miss eating ice cream or unless if vegan ice cream exist and if no vegan ice-cream exists then I'm sure I could survive life without any dairy based product such as ice cream or yogurt or being able to eat cereal or anything with dairy for that matter! I want to eat junk food without much guilt on what type of junk food I put into my body and come to think of it, I should try the vegan cheesecake. But however, my personal reason on why I would go vegan are for health reasons and no, I do not have diabetes or heart disease or anything of that nature (thank you very much for asking) but I want to feel healthier than I already am! That's my personal decision on why I would go vegan.

If you're planning on checking out vegetarian restaurants in the New York City area, check out Maoz Vegetarian (I've been to Maoz on 7th Avenue and another location on Union Square East) and their Vegan Rice Pudding is awesome (if you're a Rice Pudding fan)! Their orange juice is totally fresh and their soups aren't bad either. I've had Maoz's Hummus, Egg & Eggplant (sandwich) on whole wheat pita and it's pretty filling! I have also tried their Split Pea soup and carrot soup, not bad. My next vegan dish I plan on trying is Vegan Shawarma from Maoz Vegetarian and I'm going to search for vegan/vegetarian restaurants here in New York. It's going to be a challenge to search for any vegan/vegetarian restaurants here in the New York City area and I know of a vegetarian restaurant in the Jamaica section of Queens on 164th Street right off Hillside Avenue. I plan on trying Annam Brahma Restaurant when time permits. There is always Google search and I'm sure there'll be plenty of vegan restaurants here in Queens and Manhattan. I'm a semi-vegetarian, meaning, I still eat meat but not all meats (I'll still eat chicken and some fish if it's in a form of sushi) and I'll still have ice cream, milk or yogurt. The only exception that I'll make when it comes to pork are Roast Pork buns from TaiPan Bakery and Chinese styled spare ribs! I consider myself more of a Pollotarian, meaning that I'm a "semi-vegetarian" but I'll eat certain meats and more information is on Vegetarian Nation on the different types of vegetarian diets out there.

“I’ve never followed a vegan or vegetarian diet in the past, but I think I could do it. It would not be easy. I have worked with nutritionists who have said a vegan diet is not necessarily all positive for your health, because you need nutrients you only find in meats. I believe in a balanced diet.” ~ Joel Robuchon

I was scrolling down on my Facebook page and came across a post from z100 on 24 Junk Foods That Are Accidentally Vegan, many of them I was very surprised because I've never thought of any of them being "Vegan" friendly. One item that got me very surprised was Red Bull because I drink Red Bull and I'm a Red Bull fiend but I honestly do need to lay off on energy drinks in general or I would end up with diabetes if I am not careful. I'm not sure if this is relatable to the topic/subject of Vegan or Not to Vegan! In some weird way, I suppose this is somewhat relatable to the subject mater of vegan or being in your own bubble of where you're a semi vegetarian or vegan but then still consume [certain] meats and dairy products. Anyway, some of the items listed in the "vegan" list I'm a fan of, such as the Oreos and once in the blue, the Swedish Fish and the Sour Patch [candies]. Yet, I would have never second guessed that these 2 junk foods are accidentally vegan and nor would it have crossed my mind at all! Yet, who knew that your favorite guilty pleasure for these junk foods are vegan friendly!

“It takes a little work to be a vegan, but now it’s really possible to have tasty stuff and it’s better for you. I say the best test is to go as far as you can and see how you feel. Personally, I feel great.” ~ Grace Slick

I have been hearing about raw vegan meals and I honestly don't know much about raw vegan but I would be willing to try The Fully Challenge and The 21 Day Vegan Cleanse Challenge. In contrast, I haven't read many articles on the risks of doing the whole raw vegan diet and I've found one article on Reality Check: 5 Risks of Raw Vegan Diet. I haven't found many vegan cookbooks or even cookbooks on raw vegan at the public libraries. One of the few vegan cookbooks I've seen at the library was '1,000 Vegan Recipes' by Robin Robertson and it's one of the few books I plan on borrowing from the library in the near future. Another book I've seen at Barnes and Noble was 'PETA's Vegan College Cookbook' by PETA. I've seen cookbooks on raw vegan and as of now, I wish I could "swear" by raw vegan but I can't because I honestly haven't tried raw vegan meals. Once when I've read up on raw vegan and have more of an understanding what raw vegan is then I'll give it a try for about a month or so. I'm not afraid to try raw vegan (meaning, would I be able to find raw vegan friendly restaurants when I'm not home, for example, vacation, out on a date, out with friends, etc.)? I'm concerned that if I were to go on dates and there aren't many vegan friendly restaurants out there but I suppose you'd have to know where to go. Where can I go for more information on raw vegan other than Google?

Warm blessings,

Jennifer