Jumping Islands ~ RT4 ~ Bikram Yoga

Hello everyone!!

I have been eating a whole lot of bananas for the past eight days. attempting to do a full out banana island. with all of the bloating (and I mean massive ugly bloating), I have decided to jump islands... banana island during the day and HCLFV island at night (cooked). since island jumping, I have noticed a lot less bloating. Don't know why that is? My dinners have been staying the same: rice noodles, 1/2 head of lettuce, mixed steamed veggies and occasionally beans. all mixed in one bowl. when I do this, I wake up less bloated than if I do banana island all day including dinner. funny.
So I have to say that a full out banana island travel is not where I want to be... I'm thankful that I had the experience with it and know what to expect with it.

My diet of choice is RT4. I feel my very best with this lifestyle. my energy levels have been through the roof which is not normal for me. I crave daily naps and have been diagnosed with hyper adrenals... I am curious to know if this amazing lifestyle has aided in correcting the hyper adrenals??? I wouldn't doubt it!!

I started a new challenge ~ Bikram ~ :D It's been three years since I have been in the torture chamber and since starting on the HCLFV diet, I have had a pull to get the yoga mat back out! yesterday was my first day back and OMG let me tell you!! I felt at home the moment I inhaled that hot humid air!! Lol... no joke!! I loved it!! I will say that I had some uncomfortable belly time during the class... while doing the floor poses, my tummy was super sensitive and I think it was because of the bloating I carry with me and the waste that decided to stay in for the day and a half. all in all though, this is home to me and I'm happy to be back!

Love and Light!!!
Cherish your body!!
She Fit Vegan

Datorade ~ sweet and delicious!

OOOOOOOOOH datorade!!  What a great treat! Today is my first day making a datorade, I decided to make this instead of banana milk for breakfast/lunch. It is so sweet and so refreshing! Just what I need !!

My Datorade includes:

20 medjool dates

vanilla drops

500 ml coconut water

1000 ml water

ashwaghanda drops

FABULOUS!!

Banana Island ~ Day Six

Hello Fruity One's!!!

today marks day six of my banana island. I've had some ups and downs this week... mainly just irritated with the consistent bloating.

I had a cooked dinner (rice noodles and lettuce) the past two nights and surprisingly, when I woke the next day, I wasn't near as bloated as to the other days when I woke from being strictly on the bananas. I'm curious to know why that is??

So!! I'm thinking about doing the banana island till 4. unless there are days when I want to do the bananas all day. I've been doing my best to ripen the bananas as much as possible before eating them... putting them in paper bags with a tomato, putting them in the oven, and buying plenty at a time to give enough time for the newest ones to ripen while I indulge on the already speckled ones. But yet, still have the bloating as a constant... blahhh!! that's the only word that came to mind when thinking of bloating! Lol

I have been having many BM's through out the day which is great and shows me that the digestive system is indeed doing its thing!! I probably GO 4-5 times per day.
The water in the morning before breakfast makes a big difference too!

I don't crave anything really... other fruits don't appeal to me, my families cooked meals don't appeal to me... so there is some great changes occurring and I feel grateful for that.

**Major plus** lots of daily energy and many BM's. ;)

Cheers to a wonderful Life!!
SFV

P.S. My chilled banana pudding I indulged in yesterday for lunch!

Banana Island ~ Day Four and missing RT4

Hello everyone!!!
It's so nice to be sharing another blog post with all of you! I'm new to this whole banana island thing... Decided to give it four weeks after having issues with my gallbladder and was told to remove fat from my diet. I was told I can eat bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. I ate bananas and within no time i had no pain in my sides and no fever! Check that out!!
So I did a few days on the RT4 plan and then decided to go ahead and do a banana island for the month of September :)

Today begins day four. Day two I didn't have near enough bananas and was tired. Yesterday (day three) I woke up bloated and that made me a little bummed, but after reading posts and comments, I understand the bloating... Ha! Just waiting for it to stop! ;)
Day three was my most challenging so far, day three on any plan always seems to be the weird day! Lol
I threw bananas in my purse so that I had snacks on me at all times, and it was perfect, I was running errands and was nonstop. The bananas were my go-to energy source. Then a late lunch rolled by and my sweet fam wanted to eat out. I made me half a gallon of banana milk, stuffed myself with as much as I could handle and then headed to the restaurant. French fries looked really good ;)) I even told my husband that I was gonna get a salad (I was feeling so hungry that I even thought about ordering a chili bowl) but once the waiter came to take our order, a peace of mind came over me and I thought, I'm on day three of banana island, I'm fine, I don't need anything from this restaurant. So with my glass of water I sat and laughed with the family while they ate and then we headed out for more errands. I felt so good not caving in. Even my husband said he wants to do the banana island because he hates feeling tired after meals... Mmm hmmm!
I had no more bananas in my purse and all the extra running around was taking my energy reserve. By the time I got home, I was a cranky mess. Not to mention I felt very tired. So I layed down and ended up sleeping for two hours! Woke up HUNGRY so I snacked on bananas and the rest of my banana milk. By this point I was missing the RT4 plan and was seriously contimplating ditching banana island and making me some rice noodles for dinner.
But I didn't want to quit. I allowed myself to enjoy making my family their dinner and I did it with love. I went about my night keeping myself busy and then hit the sack as early as I could... 10pm! Lol
Day three was my challenge but I got through it! And I'm proud to say that I'm on day four!!
This is a lifestyle correction, I'm doing my part to fix the damage I've caused years ago. I'm grateful that I get to buy as many bananas as I want and that I get to be part of banana island with full support from my husband and daughters. I get to do this. I'm thankful.

Cheers to bananas!!!!!
She Fit Vegan

Cholecystitis ~ and positive energy!

Another post share from my page on 30bananasaday.com:

So for the past four and a half days, I have been put on bed rest for gallbladder issues. On top of that, I have been firmly scolded "no fat diet!" ... As a matter of fact, my doctor labeled my diet as the BRAT diet, she says, "a BRAT diet for a brat." :D
Bananas
Rice
Applesauce
Toast (with jelly)
Let me also mention that I have known my doctor for over ten + years. She is a naturopath and offers a great deal of homeopathic remedies. My daughters have only seen her as their PCP/Pediatrician. Since their first week of age they have both gone to this amazing doctor for adjustments and all around care. Never have they had to go to a hospital or typical doctors office or real pediatrician! I have a lot of respect for my doctor and value her knowledge and care.
So! Yesterday morning I was feeling pretty sad knowing I had cholecystitis. I was being quite the Debbie downer, no joke. Then found myself when talking to a friend and realized, this entire situation is a blessing!!! I'm not pinned up in a hospital bed somewhere getting nutrients and hydration flooded into my veins via IV's. I don't have a tube going down my nose into my stomach to pump liquids out... AND!! I'm not scheduled to have my gallbladder taken out!! I'm in the comfort of my own home, amongst my amazing family resting and taking it easy!
I've dealt with lack of energy for quite some time now and THIS could be part of the reason... And now THIS is being addressed. :) I'm thankful. I'm happy. I'm healthy. I know this will pass, I'll keep my GB and I'll move on with knowledge on how to tweak my diet even further to prevent future attacks... And sure, pick up some energy along the way! This site and the 30BaD lifestyle calls to me and I am listening! I've gotta keep my diet low fat and what better way than this right here!! :)) thrilling!!
So yes, I'm dealing with cholecystitis but I have a very positive and uplifted attitude about it! I love myself and I love my body... My eyes have been opened and I will do my best to take care of myself for the long haul.
Today I feel better than yesterday :) and that's fantastic!!

Cheers!!
She Fit Vegan

Passionate vegan with digestive issues and now cholecystitis

I've started blogging over at 30bananasaday.com to get advice and learn more about the banana girl diet. so here is the first blog post:

I've been plant-strong for nearly seven years now! Raising two beautiful girls on the plant-strong diet as well. Our lifestyle of choice works for us! We love a colorful array of veggies, fruit salads, grains and all of the wonderful superfoods we come across.
I tend to dabble in raw adventures from time to time and even embark on juice feasts! Hey! Juice is part of this families lifestyle :) we love it! For quite some time, I have been following Freelee and her chosen lifestyle. I have always been so intrigued with how great she looks and the high amount of energy she has given to her by the diet she owns. I've tried in the past the 80-10-10 diet and couldn't seem to stick with it. Still kept following Freelee and understood that her diet was somewhat different than the 80-10-10 diet. I decided to stick to my plant-based raw and cooked ways since this is what I knew and since my passion for leading a cruelty free life ran deep into my veins, this was one lifestyle choice I knew I wouldn't be caught falling off the bandwagon on!
Digestive issues, yes. Gas and bloating, yes! Energy levels low, yes. Poor sleep patterns, mmhm. I was getting frustrated!! Why is it that I choose to put only good into my body, yet I'm tired all the time, I can't lose weight (I'm sitting at 15-20 pounds over), I have poor digestion.... And hey!! Don't get me started on the excess cellulite. I feel like I'm the only vegan in the world who doesn't "look" vegan hahahaha... It's true! And junk food vegan I am not!
So here I am now, 30 years old, and lying in bed with cholecystitis. Understanding that even the good fats can disturb the gallbladder. I'm going on my fourth day in bed. I feel that there was a reason for me to be following Freelee for so long. And recently I gained a great desire to truly understand her low fat high carb diet. I feel I have the tools to correct this cholecystitis via diet change. And this amazing site, 30BaD will be my book of knowledge from others who have possibly been where I am and have seen positive changes by jumping on the banana girl diet!! I'm determined to not lose my gallbladder! The body was made with love and energy... And organs!! ;) This is my organ along with all the others and I want to keep it. I'm always open to advice, so if you have it and you have the desire to share, then please do so. I appreciate all! Let love and light be all around and healing energy.
Ahimsa
She Fit Vegan

Pickled Garlic

Pickled Garlic anyone??
Sign me up!!
Garlic si the herb of choice for treating cold, flus, sore throats, and poor or sluggish digestion. it stimulates the production of white blood cells, boosting the body's immune function, and its sulfur compounds and essential oils make it a potent internal and external antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agent effective for treating many types of infections. it has even been found effective against several forms of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Garlic is also a well-known vermifuge and is used to treat intestinal worms in humans and animals. it is very effective for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol  levels and helps prevent blood platelet aggregation, making it the herb for choice for many circulatory issues. studies show that it also lowers blood sugar levels, making it a useful aid in treating type 2 diabetes. aside from all this, garlic is just plain tasty!

~ Rosemary Gladstar

my gorgeous start to my pickled garlic!

This will sit for 3-4 weeks, the liquid will then be strained. half the liquid will be used for dressing and the other half will be warmed in a saucepan with honey... then will be poured back over the garlic and will sit for another 3-4 weeks. after then, I will devour every single one of them!! he he...

Cheers!!

Fermenting Veggies ~ Dr. Mercola

I've been wanting to ferment veggies for quite some time now. I have done batches of sauerkraut in the past, but that's about it. So yesterday I spent some time on youtube and came across Dr. Mercola's video on Fermenting Veggies and went ahead and followed his protocol.

Watch Dr. Mercola's video here: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/05lVOmj1Pqg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

i'm super excited to try this!! and to share it with my beautiful family!

cheers!
She Fit Vegan ~ Malynda

Juice Feast... Day 5

Bonjour!!
Today is day 5 of my day to day juice feast. The week has been up and down... with moments of low energy and the feeling of hunger and then with moments of pure happiness, volts of high energy and appetite suppressed. It's quite the journey to juice feast. you learn to control your mind. I know without a doubt that my body is getting plenty of nutrients via the juice and herbs that I am consuming, so when the spells of "hunger" come along, i can confidently tell my mind that all is well and this moment will pass.
the first evening of the cleanse I was able to empty waste... and a lot of it! (sorry for the TMI). but as the week went on, I haven't had a bowel movement in days. which seems understandable since I am only consuming liquid, yet I feel there is more waste in my colon that needs to come out from before starting the juice feast. my plan is to add some home-enemas consisting of rejuvelac and herbs and possibly within the next 5-7 days, schedule a few colonics.
I feel that it is the herb, Black Walnut Hull that is the most effective when it comes to internal cleansing! I LOVE taking this herb!! (I get mine from Bulk Herb Store online).
Being on day 5, I will say that this morning I was exceptionally tired and felt as if I could sleep allllllll day! but eventually got out of bed and feel much better.
I'm starting another batch of rejuvelac and am at the stage where the wheat berries require sunlight to green up. it was quite the meditative moment this morning as I sang to my wheat berries and imagined myself sending positive loving energy to the little sprouts. my rejuvelac will be happy and in return will give me positive loving energy! Namaste.
I've been keeping myself occupied with reading, sitting at the library and making fermented veggies and pickled treats... I'll add another post to share these gorgeous goodies!!
as for now, here is my traveling juice that went with me as i ran errands on day 3.

(juice in recycled kombucha bottles for convenient cup holder size)

as my last note to share for the day, regarding this feast, I have worked out three times this week (kickboxing) and have had wonderful energy during each workout! Yay!!

Ahimsa.

She Fit Vegan ~ Malynda

Juice Feast... 30 Days?? Day one

Ok so after my Lake Powell trip, i have decided to do a juice feast! originally i wanted to do 3-5 days to jump start my cleaner version of my awesome plant~strong diet but after giving it some thought and after watching a few youtube videos, I'm seriously considering going 30 days!!
I know!! sounds extreme!! but i feel ready and i feel like right now is a good time to venture into this since my mind is right and i'm WANTING to do it.
also! this isn't the typical juice feast... I will be adding organic herbs and essential oils that are geared towards removing toxins and repairing tissues. I will be flooding my body with goodness from all angles!
I will take this journey one day at a time... one sip at a time. I love my body and I love myself, I only wish to come out of this cleansed and renewed... weight loss has nothing to do with it. although, I won't lie, if I shed a pound or two, you won't see me crying over it ;) it's just not my primary goal!

so! today started off as DAY ONE of my juice feast!! YAYYY!!!

today's intake and activity:

6am kickboxing class

1 tsp black walnut hull powder and 1 tsp kelp powder mixed in water

3/4 gallon fresh juice (collards, chard, kale, spinach, dandelion, parsley, apple and pear)

1/2 gallon water

mixed herbs

 a gallon and a half of fresh Norwalk juice. enough for two days.

my post workout mix: kelp powder and black walnut hull powder ~ Yum!

Cayenne pepper in water (watch out! this one has a KICK!)

cheers!!
SFV

Lake Powell Trip ~ Our Vegan Meal Plans!

This last week my husband and I took the girls up to Lake Powell for a week full of beach camping, boating and lake exploring! It was seriously a BLAST!! both girls learned how to knee board, and let me just say, they take after their dad when it comes to skill and looking damn cool on the water!

we rented a toy hauler to make camping on the beach more enjoyable and a little less... messy! ;)

(aren't they like sooo adorable!!!)

And let's not forget the boys!! their skills were quite impressive as well!!

 Sven

All~Love

Here is what we brought for our easy go-to snacks:

* blueberries

* baby carrots

* apples

* kiwi

* watermelon

* sunflower seeds, pistachios, crackers and organic chips

Here's what I cooked:

* gluten-free oatmeal with agave nectar

* french toast

* raw almond butter and jelly sandwiches (not cooked)

* pasta salad

* tlt's (tempeh, lettuce and tomato... but we add avocado!)

* corn on the cob

and I brought homemade organic rejuvelac... a gallon and a half!! it was perfect for hydrating and cleansing while on the road :)

These tlt's are AMAZING!! 

bread

soy free vegan mayo

lettuce

tomato

avocado

organic vegan tempeh bacon (pic below)

This is such a quick and easy AND super delicious meal!!

we kept the food options simple since we were on the lake alot and away from the trailer. 

Cheers to traveling Vegan!!

Rejuvelac ~ Update

Hello!!

The rejuvelac is complete and ready to be guzzled!! Surprisingly, I wasn't hesitant to dive right in and start chug'n... of course dear ol' hubby had to chug first! ;)

It tastes like old sock water... and if that's the worst of it with all the added health benefits, then I'm down!! This is great!! I continuously drank the rejuvelac all day and let me tell ya! I have had amazing energy all day long... which is very rare for me!! I'm on cloud nine and without a doubt, in major love with my new drink which is now a family staple! Oh hell yeah!!

Now I'm on to batch #2 and #3... yep! and possibly #4!!

Some health benefits of rejuvelac? Sure:

Friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus, acidophilus, bifidus and many more!!
Helps control the intestinal environment against invading microbes, yeast, fungi, parasites and also synthesize important B-vitamins.
Aid in digestion
Cleans out the colon
Promotes a healthy glow and rejuvenated skin
Increased energy

... What more could you ask for? The drink is so easy to make, inexpensive and yet extremely health beneficial.

Cheers!!

High energy Rejuvelac and Sprouts

Finally!! I'm making my very first batch of rejuvelac!! I've always wanted to make it and I've always told myself that I was going to make it! So here I am now... Making IT!!!

It started from a conversation I had had with a very special friend of mine early morning while hiking. We were discussing fermented foods, kombucha and all the likes. The conversation got me thinking of the fact "why aren't I already making these high probiotic foods/drinks for myself and for my precious family??

I spent some time online educating myself on how to make my first batch of rejuvelac... and let me tell you... It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!! No joke!!

Yesterday my shipment of wheat berries had arrived and I thought "ummm how perfect!!" and dove right in to my first batch of rejuvelac. I soaked my cute little wheat berries over night (making of course, a super special batch for my sweet friend... I mean, come on, that's what friends are for!).

Beside the jars are my precious crystals full of energy, love and light! (rainbow obsidian, rose quartz, aventurine, and tigers eye). After the wheat berries soaked overnight, I rinsed them and placed them back into the jar to await another two rinsings (two rinses are great per day, three is even better!).

And just so that I knew what I was doing... I wrote "rejuvelac" on the jars!! (yeah, I'm funny like that!). Beautiful loving crystals on top!!

So that's day two of the rejuvelac process! Simple so far, right!! Tomorrow I will rinse the wheat berries three more times, and by day four, the wheat berries will have exquisite green tails on them which will be ready to make REJUVELAC!! :)

My next adventure today was the process of starting my sprouts!!

This is day one of the sprouting process. Soaking the seeds. As you see here I have broccoli, green peas and alfalfa soaking in prep for sprouting! Again, crystal love all around!

Post updates to follow...

Love and Light!

Raw Vegan Collard Wraps

Eating raw keeps me feeling clean and energized... And let me tell ya! I've been needing some energy lately! So I've tweaked my diet for a time frame I'm not sure of yet and have decided to go all raw. I came to this decision after my husband and I signed up for the Spartan Sprint Race coming up this February. Training is more intense therefore I feel my diet needs to be more intense as well. More on all the training later... For now, I just want to share my Raw Vegan Collard Wrap with you and the steps it took me to complete this simple yet wholesome-delicious meal! 

I'm the type of cook that pulls anything out of the fridge and makes a dish out of it to save from wasting produce! So since I'm stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables and don't want any to go bad, I decided to chop up all that I could find and then wrap it in a collard green... Seems simple enough... And it was!! 

Here we go!!

First I chopped up some organic baby carrots: 

I know what you're thinking... "Cute pink chopper!" I KNOW!!!!! :)

Then I chopped up garlic, onion, red yellow and orange bell peppers:

Then I chopped up cucumber and zucchini:

Then for a more solid texture and to give this mix a "meatier" feel, I chopped up some walnuts:

After that I did a mix of mushrooms and tamari sauce and chopped that up:

All of these chopped ingredients was mixed together by hand in a bowl and set aside.

Then I prepped the collards by thinning out the spine to make the leaf more bendable. 

Once that was done, it was all about the assembly of the wrap!! First it was the chopped mix, then some avocado an tomatoes!! I like a little hot sauce too! 

Just like a burrito, fold the two longer sides into the center, take the third side up to the center as well and then roll it all into the fourth and final side of the collard... And VOILA! 

Drum roll pleas..... 

OOOHHHHHHHH YEAH!!!! Finger lick'n GOOD!!!!!!! 

... And yes! You will be lick'n your fingers, these tend to drip greatness all over!! 

Other random ingredients:

Garlic salt or sea salt

Ground pepper

Cayenne

Nutritional yeast flakes

Have fun with it!!! 

Eat to Live!!

Malynda "She Fit Vegan"