Why I Think Keto is Bullshit

Hold onto your feathers, they might be getting ruffled.

I tend to shy away from polarizing statements, because I believe they oftentimes do more harm than good. Ever met an angry, self-righteous vegan? Remember how it worked out in high school when your parents told you you absolutely weren’t allowed to date that guy? Yeah…

Having said that, sometimes, I can’t keep my mouth shut. And I’ve been wanting to write this for a while.

Let me start by taking you down memory lane. Remember that roller coaster ride of “cut carbs,” “no just kidding, cut fat,” “fat is actually great for you!” that we the American Public have been taken on in the last decade or so? Carbs are bad, then great. Fat is the devil, now it’s the cure! Welcome to keto–the latest installment!

My Basic Vegan Grocery List

When I first went vegan, I was under the impression I’d need to clear out my pantry and start from scratch. To be honest, it doesn’t take that much work to stock a vegan kitchen though–it was more of a matter of just adding in a few key essentials–star players in most recipes I end up making, savory or sweet.

To save you the endless googling and cookbook-buying I went through, I’ve boiled all that research down into one list. Here are the top ingredients that I didn’t used to have in my non-vegan kitchen, but now find myself relying on.

Have a Happy (Vegan) Thanksgiving!

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year or attending as a guest, if you want to go fully plant based, or even just accommodate for a vegan guest or two, the following recipes will take ALL the guesswork out of it! Honestly out of all the major holidays, I find Thanksgiving to be the easiest to “veganize!” From the “turkey” to the pie, I got you covered–these are my tried and true favorites I turn to every year!

Read on, and happy cooking and eating next week!

Have a Diet. Don’t Be On One

I hope my tombstone someday reads, “She was a girl who ate her way through life.” I’m still working on the exact wording, but something in that vein.

Really though, food is my favorite. I was raised with an appreciation for good, homegrown food–spent far too many Middle-High School-College years depriving myself of it (for my full story, check out the About section of this blog)–and have in recent years come back around to having a good food relationship. Because of that, I’ve built a platform and a business based around helping people, like I first helped myself, to reacquaint themselves with common-sense eating.

Haven’t you heard? Diets are out.

SO it grind my gears, and makes me sad, when people assume that because I eat healthy, I must be “on a diet.” Like, no. Let’s stop right there and get some things straight.

My Two Favorite Things: Superfoods and Bargains

I posted about this briefly on my Facebook wall, but I felt like it’s such an important topic it deserved its own blog post, honestly!

But before I get into the Nerd Alert portion of this post: If I had to sum myself up in two defining terms, it’d easily be:

1. Foodie
2. Cheap ass

I usually prefer “frugalista,” but let’s just call it was it is!

Pretty right? Keep reading….I promise it all ties in 🙂

I’m that chick who will order a cocktail I don’t really want because it’s $7.99 instead of $8.99, the price of the one I actually want. I’ve walked around stores holding and internally debating purchases of $5 tank tops, many many times. Yeah…

I’ve always said the only thing I’m NOT cheap on though, is my food. It’s literally our life source. I’m not going to put shitty gas into a Lamborghini. And I’m damn sure not aiming to pay for crazy expensive health care of chemo down the road.

Having said that, toss me a legit deal on food (hello Trader Joes everything, hello Ibotta app) and I’m all over it.

That’s a HUGE reason I’m such a proponent of Shakeology, the raw vegan superfood powder I use in my smoothies every. single. day since April, 2015. I’ll use it the rest of my life! It’s saved me SO much moolah, and also has healed my gut, gotten me off meds, eliminated my hypothyroid symptoms, like 100%, and made my bleached, processed hair grow like a WEED.

Working Remote on the Road 101

Does the idea of doing your own thing and being your own boss seem:

A. Totally unrealistic?
B. Totally unattainable as an actual career option?

I held both of those opinions, before I actually did become my own boss and quit my 9-5.

2 + years later, I can tell you with 100% certainty that being your own boss and running a successful MLM business IS a thing, and isn’t only for the top .01%–it’s 100% doable.

It’s how I was able to pack up my few belongings I hadn’t sold into an old 1995 RV and hit the road, totally confident that I would in fact still be earning a paycheck, and wouldn’t end up broke and back home within 5 minutes. So yeah, I’m a pretty big advocate!

Working out and working on my business, from the campsite

1 Year

Most people attach some significance to January 1st. It’s a symbolic blank slate and a fresh start. A line in the sand. A chance to reinvent.

Maybe it’s because my last NYEs were spent in bed by 10pm with a bottle of champagne, but they’ve never felt that significant to me.

For me, the day that everything changed was actually a less assuming date–September 16, 2016. Looking back on that almost exactly a year later, that date was far more significant than any December 31st has ever been, since it was the day I left home in my huge old RV and rolled out of North Florida, to hit the open road.

At the risk of sounding totally dramatic, it really was the day everything changed.

World’s Most Versatile Hash

I didn’t mean to become one of those stereotypical vegans, yet here I am, eating shit like kale and squash for breakfast!! But hey, don’t knock it till you try it–this might not sound like your go-to Denny’s or Ihop scramble, but I promise it’s savory, filling, and delicious, not to mention packed with veggies, fiber, and plant based protein.

Aside from the kale, everything is cooked ahead of time so it literally comes together in a snap.

I typically use spaghetti squash to make this, BUT if you want to go a little more traditionally carby, regular old potatoes, either hand grated OR bought pre-shredded (I buy these little cartons of dehydrated ready to cook hashbrowns from Costco that are life) will totally do! I’ve done it both ways and both are delish.

Easiest Vegan Pancakes

This is my go-to vegan pancake recipe for when I’m feeling like I need a bit of a treat breakfast, which, let’s be real, is on a super regular basis.

They also happen to be gluten free, but if that’s not a concern to you, you can totally use regular flour too!

3/4 Cup all purpose gluten free flour

1/2 Cup Oat Flour (I literally just grind oats in the food processor until fine)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon oil (I use coconut)

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

1 1/4 cups water (I’m sure you could also sub some or all of this out for unsweetened soy or almond milk!)

1 small handful shredded carrots for some extra veggie and carrot-cake flavor (optional but I highly recommend!)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients until blended, and pour onto a medium high frying pan. Wait until bubbles appear, flip once and cook on other side. Serve with maple or agave syrup and sliced bananas or berries if you prefer!

 

My Favorite Personal Development

You know that cheesy self help section of the bookstore? The ones with the “Chicken Soup for (Every Type of) Soul” books? That’s exactly how I always thought of anything self-help-y. Super cheesy. Not for me.

I had a really negative attitude about it most of my life, and unsurprisingly maybe, a really negative attitude in general, most of my life. My approach to overcoming anything was less actually work on it, more suck it up and cope.