Paleo and Vegan are very different diets. But the truth of it is that there is a common space that very much so applies to vegans, and to people who eat paleo.
In fact, if you take the Paleo diet, subtract the animal products, including honey, then you have a Vegan diet. Paleo includes lean meats, red meats, bacon, seafood, and eggs. It otherwise includes fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and oils, and foods made from them.
A vegan diet includes anything and everything that isn’t derived from an animal. This includes soy. I don’t do soy.
So, this book is the perfect combination of animal, and plant and without “processed” ingredients and, of course, no soy.
My favorite part about Vegan is it includes all produce, because Paleo excludes some. And my favorite part about Paleo is that it also includes (some) animal products and honey, which are no-nos for the Vegan diet.
This book is full of fruit and vegetable sides, all of which are paleo AND vegan. Well, with one exception. I use honey. And I prefer honey to vegan alternatives.
If you are strict vegan, you can use coconut sugar in place of the honey, to make it a truly vegan AND paleo choice. (Otherwise vegans eat cane sugar, other sugars, sweeteners, and things like agave.)
Enjoy these recipe links below for a sneak peak into the book:
Whether you use lotion or essential oils, it’s important to remember your feet! They walk, run, jump, and move you around, everyday of your life and how much do you care for them?
Do you know any of the pressure points of the feet? Do you lotion and moisturize your feet? Here’s a snapchat video compilation to get you started:
Step One: Lotion or Oil Blend
Here’s an oil blend for you to try:
When I say “15” and “5,” I mean **drops**
Oil up time! First the left:
Feels so goooooooooood:
And up your leg a little, too:
And the other foot:
Sock time!
And that’s that! You will be so glad you took the time to do a quick, 5 minute foot massage and the oils you applied to your feet will benefit your whole body. In fact, applying oils to your feet are great because your foot skin is nice and thin and easily absorbs the oils. Happy Massaging!
If you liked this wellness article, check out my wellness book!
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Disclaimer: I use Young Living Essential Oils and based on my research, I believe these are the best, safest, and most pure oils on the market. PLEASE do your own research and determine which oils are best for you and your family.
Believe it or not, cooking and working on my books on the road is much easier than you may think. Without “my” kitchen, and “my” typical surroundings, I have to make new things, and create from whatever is available to me.
This sparks so many new ideas, and I love what I’ve come up with so far. One of my favorites from my most recent travels, read: when we fled FL to escape Irma, were these baked peaches. I had extra walnuts from dinner the night before, and I have a love for fresh peaches. Plus my MIL LOVES peaches and she’s amazing (in general, and to me as well,) so I’m always thinking of delicious, healthy recipes for her.
These are quick, easy, and so tasty! Plus, they feel, and taste like Fall, so all in all, they’re pretty much perfect. Oh and, they work for any meal including dessert, topping oatmeal, or even as a fresh, and yummy snack.
Baked Peaches with Walnuts and Raspberry Sauce
2 peaches, cut in half and cored
6 walnuts, broken up
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or vegan preference)
8 oz of raspberries
½ lemon, juiced
Place the peaches in an oven-safe dish, sprinkle the walnut pieces and the coconut sugar on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. While they’re in the oven, use a small stove top pan for the raspberries and lemon juice. Smash the berries and cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
When the peaches come out, spoon the raspberry sauce on top, and enjoy!
Like this recipe? Check out my other books, and watch for more to come!
Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!
After the disaster that was Harvey, when my husband told me they were gathering donations to send to Houston, I was all about it. I quickly grabbed shoes, socks, and clothes to give (as he didn’t have a full list of what could be donated..ugh, men!) When I talked to my BFF and she said, “Be careful, you might need those when Irma comes to you,” I just laughed it off. However, it was all too real.
You see, the first week of September 2017 was one of watching, and waiting. Irma’s track flip-flopped from coast to coast each morning that week and finally, on Thursday, we made plans to book an AirBnb in Georgia, and flee the state the following day.
This was no easy decision. And actually leaving the place you live, as if you may never return, is an extremely unsettling, and disturbing feeling. And I, myself, am no lover of FL. The heat for most of the year is torture, and driving there is worse. Even so, I didn’t want a hurricane to decimate the state, just as much as I didn’t want to have to pick just a few small items to stuff in the car. But, we decided it was what we had to do.
Here’s a timeline of that Thursday and Friday:
9:00AM THURSDAY MORNING As a remote freelancer, I did what I could to finish out Thursday (until mid afternoon anyhow) as a “normal” workday. Though mid morning we booked the AirBnb to “escape” the storm, so that was definitely not part of a normal day at work for me.
3:00PM I began to “ready” our place. I stripped the walls, took down any and all decorations and turned around all dressers, and desks, towards the wall.
7:00PM Nick installed all the hurricane shutters on the windows, and on our patio doors. I pray you’ve never had to do this, the feeling is beyond eerie, and even with a peaceful, calm outside, nothing is more unnerving than not being able to look outside. Or for that matter, glancing outside just to see the metal shutters. **shiver**
11:00PM I officially was finished with the house prep and Nick was fast asleep. With an alarm set for 3:30AM the next day, I laid down, far from “sleepy.” The last time I looked at the clock, it read 12:45AM.
3:30 AM FRIDAY MORNING We were up, “packed,” and driving by 4:20AM. With what we thought was a pretty good “head start,” we listened to Google and jumped on the closest freeway to our house, the turnpike.
ABOUT 6AM We drove for a solid couple hours or so, but then hit a literal wall of cars. We sat there, at a dead stop, for 20 minutes. I urged Nick to turn around and go back to 95N (altogether about a 20 minute “detour.” SO worth it, and saved us tons of time..though that may sound hard to believe.)
12:56PM “Still driving, slow going,” I had text a friend.
2:00PM We finally made it to the FL/GA border. This drive usually takes less than 6 hours.. this day it took almost 10.
2:25PM Average speed 15 MPH. According to “GPS and directions” we had less than hours to go.
7:07PM I was texting with my MIL and told her we were still driving but almost there. Yes, this was constant travel from 4:20AM until 7:30PM, about 15 hours when it was all said and done.
We finally got there! The weather was 65 and comfortable, and we were so glad to get out of the car. But that day was scary. The rest stops were overflowing and backed up. The oasis’ were controlled by police and many were out of gas. The traffic was horrendous and slow and you saw broken down cars littering the side of the road. It looked like scenes from the Walking Dead, a show I love but never want to experience.
Irma Stats:
Irma is considered the biggest storm to come out of the Atlantic, and the evacuation of FL, the largest American evacuation in history. I wouldn’t wish that feeling or a day of driving like that on anyone. It was a truly terrible.
Deciding What to Bring, Almost as Hard as What to Leave Behind
And what to bring? Ugh..this was sucky, too. Without kids or pets, Nick and I had only ourselves to think of. We each packed one suitcase, and each chose one “big thing.” His was his computers hard drive, mine was a tote of pictures. We brought a cooler with water, snacks, and other drinks. We had a bit more room so we both threw together a garbage bag, his had all clothes, mine was half clothes, half shoes.
Nick’s golf clubs came along for the ride and I brought my paperback books (the ones I’ve written and put into print,) as well as my essential, essential oils (of course!) That was pretty much it.
Could you (lightly) pack only a car, and leave your dwelling, possibly to return to rubble, without even a second thought? I thought and rethought about my choices many times.
So the storm hit hard in Miami and on the west coast, but certainly did damage to the east cost (where we’ve been living,) too. From our estimations, (and not knowing anyone in our complex,) our power was out for 5 or 6 whole days. We just got word last night, almost 7 days post evacuation, that our power was back on. With water restrictions, and a curfew, we have yet to go back.
Going Back
We will return Sunday, and getting our place put back together will be no small feat. The temperature will easily be 90-100 degrees in the apartment and we have a fridge/freezer combo, and a standing freezer that will all need to be gutted, cleaned, and replenished.
For the Love of it All
Easily the best part of all of this? People loving people. People helping people. Whether evacuated, “hunkered down,” or friends and family back home, love was in the air. And it was beautiful.
I love sweet potatoes and I like that there are so many things you can do with them. Roasted sweet potato fries are a staple in my weekly kitchen. Also, have you ever tried a sweet potato chunk raw? Because you should. They’re delicious.
Purple sweet potatoes are gorg! Have you had them? I made these “sweet,” with cinnamon and a sprinkle of coconut sugar, and they turned out so yummy! Plus, they’re super easy.
Sweet Purple Sweet Potatoes
1 large purple sweet potato
2 tablespoons oil
Sprinkle of cinnamon and coconut sugar (or vegan preference)
Wash and dice the purple sweet potato. Place in one layer on a baking sheet and drizzle on the oil. Sprinkle the cinnamon and coconut sugar and mix it all together. Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork through them. Enjoy!
Like this recipe? Check out my other books, and watch for more to come!
Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!
“As I’m sitting down Saturday early evening to write up a new recipe I created, I turned on a documentary to listen to. All the sudden a flash of “Yan Can Cook” is shown along with Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse. I think to myself, huh, I was just remembering old school cooking shows last night and thinking of Yan Can Cook on PBS or some network channel as a child.
As I continue to listen, the narrator starts talking about this man who is about to be introduced as a speaker and how he wrote several books, one of which is entitled “The Botany Of Desire.” At this point, I have a bit of a chill. With a slight turn on my chair, I glance at my bookshelf to see that book, a book I read in college English, a book my husband pulled out and placed on the bookshelf when we moved in, staring back at me. It’s almost eerie, almost chilling, when you seem to find yourself exactly in the place where you were meant to be. And in that moment, there is nothing to feel other than inspired.
My point is, sometimes in life you sit down or stand up to do something, and it just seems to click. It feels right. The stars align. The door opens. The universe points in that direction. Your past returns. You are reminded of a thought you just had the night before. Your doubts are hushed. Your time is rewarded. You feel like, “Yes, this is what I am meant to be doing right now.” And lastly, a sense of calm comes over you.
Whatever that thing is, whatever you started to do, DO IT! I believe in things happening for a reason, I believe in following your dreams and chasing after every last goal. If you love something, it will always be enjoyable.
When everything around you is pushing you towards something, do it. When your thoughts and actions fall into place, do it. When you have a want or wish, don’t wait, do it! Take your extra minutes, your day off, your ‘you time’ and work. Work hard. Work more. Work consistently. Don’t ever stop.
Just my thoughts for the day, now back to my show! XOXO”
I love that I found this and even more, what it says. I still agree with every word. Since, I’ve become a self-published cookbook author and write my own lifestyle blog. Along with the many other endeavors I spoke of recently.
So go and make your dreams come true. I’m telling you. You can! Happy Tuesday All=)
My books are proof of what can happen. Check them out!
Want a paperback copy? Reply in the comments and I’ll send you one!
After the disaster that was Harvey, when my husband told me they were gathering donations to send to Houston, I was all about it. I quickly grabbed shoes, socks, and clothes to give (as he didn’t have a full list of what could be donated..ugh, men!) When I talked to my BFF and she said, “Be careful, you might need those when Irma comes to you,” I just laughed it off. However, it was all too real.
And what to bring? Ugh..this was sucky, too. Without kids or pets, Nick and I had only ourselves to think of. We each packed one suitcase, and each chose one “big thing.” His was his computers hard drive, mine was a tote of pictures. We brought a cooler with water, snacks, and other drinks. We had a bit more room so we both threw together a garbage bag, his had all clothes, mine was half clothes, half shoes.
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