Lima Bean Seeds

Aspirational Lifestyle Guide

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Since Valentine’s Day is 4 days away I guess it’s appropriate to talk about: Rose Hips Oil & Tea

I have a new slight obsession with rose hips. It all started with this Mario Badescu rose hips nourishing oil. I read the benefits online and knew this was something I needed to try. The first day I used it I noticed a change immediately. My skin was brighter and it seemed as though certain dark marks weren’t as prominent. One thing about the oil is it isn’t greasy. It literally absorbs right into my skin and gives a nice glow. So I’ve been trying to use it every night before I use my night cream. I have a nightly regimen in my head, I usually end up falling asleep with my contacts on so yea that’s how my nightly beauty routine is going. But the mornings after when I DO use the oil I wake up with happy skin.

Fast forward maybe 2 weeks later. I was on the search for a new tea. I ran out of black seed oil which I was mixing with hot water, cinnamon, and honey. I was in ELM Health on 7th and 14th (love that health food store) when I saw rose hips tea. I had never had it before and since the oil was working well on the surface why not add those same benefits to my insides! I drink tea at work EVERYDAY so why the fuck not?! I’ve been drinking it for about a week now and I can’t really say the benefits have shown on the surface but I’m sure somehow my system is reaping the benefits. There is also rosehips powder that I’d love to add to my pantry. I can imagine making some type of mask and also throwing it into smoothies or some shit.

Benefits of Rose Hips Vitamin A content: This acts as an astringent by binding and tightening the skin and washing away dirt. Given that vitamin A has small molecules, it can go deep into the skin and help the skin’s moisture. Eventually this will help reduce wrinkles which probably won’t ever be a problem for me #blackdontcrack

Vitamin C content: This stimulates collagen production. helps fight free radicals, brightens skin, and restore skin’s tone and protects from the sun. Essential fatty acids: Rosehip oil has polyunsaturated fatty acids also known as an essential fatty acid (EFA). These fatty acids convert to prostaglandins (PGE), which are involved in cellular membrane and tissue regeneration. EFA’s can help get rid of scars and reduce the effects of eczema by promoting skin regeneration. EFA’s are emollients which means they improve the skin’s elasticity and penetrability and help the skin repair itself.

Benefits of the tea: Rose hips contain 50% more vitamin C than oranges and therefore an excellent immune system booster. I’ll use this next time I have a cold or some shit. They have a variety of antioxidants; carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, leucoanthocyanins and catechins, rose hips are considered to be good at preventing cancer.

There are a lot more benefits but I’m going to take a nap.

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Vegan Mac and “Cheese” with Mushroom “Bacon” Bits

So I’ve made vegan mac and cheese for some time now and have pretty much mastered the sauce to my taste. But it wasn’t until recently that I started adding the mushroom “bacon”. I was completely inspired by Chef Chloe. She opened up shop right across the street from my job and the first day I waited in line for an hour to see what the hype was about. And ok I get it. Her vegan mac is bomb. There have been a couple days where I legit crave it. Hers is super creamy and the sauce has sweet potato in it. 

 Here’s how I made mine… 

 1. Whole grain elbow macaroni

 2. Sauce (whisked all these ingredients in a pot) 
Olive oil 
Unsweetened cashew milk 
S&P 
Garlic powder 
Dijon mustard Nutritional yeast 
Turmeric 

 3. “Bacon” bits
 Mushrooms diced
 S&P 
Lots of paprika 
Brown sugar (I didn’t even end up tasting that shit) 
Toss everything in a SMALL amount of olive oil because you want them CRISPY and bake until you achieve this! 

 Turned out pretty damn good. I was pleasantly surprised how the “bacon” came out. Made this for lunch for my mother one day and she was shocked how good is was too.

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Cashew Cheese I don't wanna do dairy as much as possible. I'll never give up pizza but I'm tryna do cheese alternatives. Now I know they have almond based cheeses in a much bigger variety but I'm allergic to almonds. Cashew cheese is on the market but I bought a small block for $9 and it was really good but not $9 good! I feel like there isn't as much variety in the cashew cheeses. Other vegan cheeses are soy based and anything with too much soy makes my throat feel funny. So after learning that cashew cheese is the winner I tried to make my own. This was actually the second attempt the first was just fine and had a similar result I just didn't get a chance to document it. Soaked cashews in water (overnight) Unsweeteneted cashew milk (enough to make the consistency a lil creamy) Salt Pepper Garlic Nutritional yeast Throw it all in the food processor and done. This is a spreadable "cheese" I'm not bold enough to try and make block cheese yet. Here it is put to use on toast with avocado, sliced tomato, chopped orange pepper, and my seed mix. I also used it on a salmon burger which was leftover chimichurri salmon made into a patty, wasabi mayo, tomato, cashew cheese, and that stupid fuckin bun from Trader Joe's. Why do they make those buns so fuckin SMALL?!

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***New Toner Alert***

I’ve mentioned before that I use ACV and water as a toner for my skin. I really like it and I been using it for almost a year after ditching witch hazel.  Now I’ve started reading Heinermans’ Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs and Spices. I only read all the “A” entries so far. I told myself I’ll read a letter a day and be done in a month. Wishful thinking! So the “A” I started using immediately was asparagus. It said that asparagus water will help with pimples, blackheads, and general facial sores. All you have to do is boil some asparagus and save the water for cleansing your face. Ha! Who knew?! Well apparently everyone else because I saw plenty articles once I googled these facts. 

So being the impulsive person that I am I ran out and bought some asparagus and did just that. I didn’t necessarily want to use it to wash my face. That just seemed like a lot, I’m not tryna boil asparagus all the fucking time. So I thought I’ll use this water as the base for my toner with the ACV. So this has been my new toner for about 2 weeks and I’ve noticed my skin has more moisture…very pleased. I keep it in the fridge cuz I read the water only keeps for about 3 days and like I said I’m not boiling this shit all the time. But having a cold toner feels so refreshing anyway!

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I been wasting a lot of food lately and I'm not proud of it. I think I've said it before, I go through phases where I buy a lot of stuff because I expect to use it all in recipes quickly but I don't. I need to do what the fuck I planned out to do or just buy shit as I need it. I know we are all victim of food waste but I'm really tryna do better. Now this drink started when I decided I should buy 5 cucumbers! I never buy 5 I always buy 2...maybe 3 maximum. As much as I love them as snacks and in salads I normally just buy 2. Eventually I ended up with 2 god damn soggy cucumbers that I forgot about in the back of my fridge...FIGURES! I was gonna throw those bitches out but I told myself NO. So I made this drink instead.

Cucumber Water Lime Honey Ginger Seamoss

I tasted it straight out the blender and it was refreshing. Even more delicious once it was chilled in the morning. Now I was introduced to seamoss (aka Irish moss) years ago when a friend of mine (Mahdiyyah) told me it helps with allergies. So here’s some of the benefits: High potassium - helps with mental functions (I think we all need this) High iodine and selenium - this pair of elements helps with thyroid function Algin - heavy metal detoxifying agent Can be used topically to aid with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis Aphrodisiac since it increases libido

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Vacation Affected My Period.

First of all let me say I hate my stupid period calendar app. I need it for reference but I hate it. According to that damn thing my period was supposed to come during my “baecation” in Miami which I was praying it didn't. My gut told me I’d be smooth sailing and even if Aunt Flo decided to show up it would be on the last day or as soon as we got back. If she came at the beginning or during vacation I literally would have shed tears! Yea I was excited about the beach, sun, blah blah blah but I was even MORE excited about how much sex we were gonna be having!

Miami was perfect. We got back to NYC, the week went by, and still this bitch Aunt Flo was avoiding me. Now here comes the app saying I’m 6 days late. It was a Saturday and at brunch I ordered a Bloody Mary. I DONT EVEN LIKE BLOODY MARYS BUT I DRANK THE SHIT. I JUST WANTED MY VAGINA TO SUBCONSCIOUSLY GET THE MESSAGE! I started thinking Kim and Kanye named their baby North West well me and my boyfriend gonna have to name this baby South Beach.

That night I wasn't nervous (I really wasn’t) but I did start googling shit. The first article I read was entitled “7 Reasons Your Period Might be Late” and it asked, “Did you start a new job? Change your wake-up time? Go on vacation?” YES…YES I DID!!! It explained that your circadian rhythms are thrown off which regulates the release of your hormones. Basically your body is on a different pace and mode when you’re on vacation. Omg I never knew this, I’m not a fuckin jet-setter. Makes sense tho. Instead of my 9-5 I was eating slightly different, drinking on the beach mid day, smoking more than I usually do, relaxing/sleeping in, dancing, swimming, I mean y’all know what the fuck goes down on a vacation. So of course after learning this new info the next morning I got my period.

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Beet Tea!

So I’m boiling beets to make a beet hummus which will probably be a post eventually. You may already know that when we boil vegetables (or fruits) the water soluble vitamins (vitamin C and all the B vitamins) leak into the water. Of course some still remain in the vegetable but when we just dump that water we are losing a good amount of nutrients.

The color of the water REALLY reminded me of the facts above so I knew I had to keep it. At first I thought about just saving the water to add to a smoothie but then I thought what about a tea! So I googled beet tea and made my own.

- boiled beet water - honey - lemon - lime

That’s all folks! Dumb easy and tasty. I took a sip while it was hot but I’m sure it’s gonna be even more delicious in the morning once it’s chilled.

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Why Bowel Health is More Important Than You Think

1. Unhealthy bowels can reduce levels of good bacteria and increase levels of bad/harmful bacteria causing:

-       Gas & Bloating:  Now our digestive systems have two exits, the mouth and ass. When toxins have nowhere else to go they make their way out of one or the other. So we can experience nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation or burping. Excessive gas occurs when bacteria (gut flora) in the digestive system starts to break down undigested food and excrete toxic gases. A build up in the gut of these gases can cause pain, cramps and discomfort. No bueno.

 2. The toxins that are carried to the liver from the colon can overload the liver and can affect your BEAUTY causing:

-       Acne & Dull Skin: When toxins reach the skin, the skin reacts by trying to rid the body of the bullshit. So acne or allergic type reactions like rashes, blemishes, and hives can occur. If skin is full of toxins and can’t get rid of them, the skin and lymph glands underneath become clogged and then here come those gosh darn pimples. Ugh!

-       Weak Fingernails: Unhealthy cuticles may be full of toxins causing thin, weak, cracking, or peeling fingernails.

-       Lifeless Hair: Hair cells can’t thrive in a toxic environment. So hair may end up being brittle, breaking off, or falling out.

 3. Villi in your intestines are supposed to absorb nutrients and bring them to the rest of your body. When they are clogged this leads to poor nutrient absorption and can cause:

-       Lack of Energy: Essentially your body gets bogged down trying to get rid of the shit we are exposed to AND the shit you put into it. This causes the body to slow down and become sluggish.

-        Poor Immune Function: Same concept here. Your body is more worried about/working on other shit therefore your immune system is compromised.

 Clearly unhealthy bowels affect many different body systems. You can maintain healthy bowels by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking LOTS of water, and exercising regularly. However, there are products to get a jump start on detoxing your intestines and colon to get all that old crap out that’s harboring these toxins and reintroducing them back into your system. I use one from my old job and it works very well but they fired me in 2014 and I’m not about to be out here promoting their products bruh. I’ll tell y’all the herbs used in the detox thooooo:

Plantago Psyllium Seed, Bentonite, Cascara Sagrada, Capsicum, Garlic, Rosehips, Aloe, Rhubard Root, Black Walnut, Senna Leaves, Flax Seed Meal, Slippery Elm, Licorice, Marshamallow, and Peppermint.

“In the 50 years I’ve spent helping people to overcome illness, disability and disease, it has become crystal clear that poor bowel management lies at the root of most people’s health problems.” – Dr. Bernard Jensen

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Shouts to my motherfuckin boo Vic. He gave me this drink recipe book that he got from work. I ripped out some pages and made 2 small collages for my kitchen. Don’t worry the book was free and I have 3 copies. Yes, these are all alcoholic drinks but it’s a gentle reminder to TRY and be more classy *rolls eyes* and make pretty drinks with fruit instead of drinking Henny and Peach Paul Masson straight. Thanks baby! 😘

I hope we last because I’m the type of bitch who will delete this post and take down my kitchen decor if we break up soooo…prayers up 😩😂🙏🏽

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What type of healthy lifestyle blogger bitch would I be without showing you my versions of some of avocado toast!?

Avocado Sweet Potato Toast

Make sure the bread is toasty on the HARDER side. Depending how much sweet potatoes you put, it can get heavy. Without a hard surface they will fall all over the place. l prefer hard toast in my mouth rather than soft limp toast anyway. These are just left-over boiled sweet potatoes and I topped it with the seed mixture I spoke about a while ago (I still have about half the jar left).

Egg and Avocado Toast

Equilvalent of a “basic bitch” healthy breakfast. One with a cooked egg the other version is hard boiled and cut up. Don’t need to go into much detail…just get into the habit of making this simple breakfast please!

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The Realest Plug is the Food Industry

I was originally introduced to this term “pleasure trap” while listening to Veganpalooza maybe a year ago. It’s a term coined by Dr. Alan Golhamer and Dr. Douglas J. Lisle and this trap fucks with our health. When we engage in pleasurable activities such as eating and fucking, we secrete a chemical in the brain, dopamine. The slick ass food industry has created chemicals in food that stimulate the same response however this is an artificial stimulation of dopamine. Dopamine is the same neurotransmitter involved in alcohol, drug, and now food addiction. We are neuro-adapted to the bullshit there trying to feed us/kill us with (high-fat, high-sugar, high salt “food”). These chemicals induce pleasure but avoid pain creating a cycle that keeps us eating more and most importantly enjoying it. The same way tobacco companies add addictive nicotine to cigarettes is the same way food companies add sugar, oil, and salt to our food.

SUGAR OIL SALT

SOS = the international sign of DANGER

Think of French fries from any fast food restaurant. They are feeding these 3 addictions. The potatoes have sugar, they are fried in oil, and salt is poured on. Think also about baby formula which has sugar, so from birth we are trained to recognize this sweetness as normal. Of course my donut follows suit, salt in the batter, slathered with sugar, and cooked in oil.

Try to avoid the trap! -Use oil as a condiment rather than cooking in it -Eat natural sugars from fruits -Avoid salt as much as possible -No junk foods in the house -Adopt a plant based diet

Also note that it takes about 30-90 days to “re-calibrate” your taste buds to get used to less stimulating foods and it ain’t easy. When I go on spurts of eating extremely healthy I def feel the effects of sugar withdrawal. I’ll have fantasies of licking straight cake batter out the bowl and eating frosting directly from the container.

*Disclaimer: I gave the donut to the homeless man who thinks it’s his job to open the door at Dunkin Donuts. That was a joke, I ate that joint.

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Having a lot of fruit allergies and trying to be a healthy bitch at the same damn time have their drawbacks. I never had dragon fruit before though and wanted to try it. So I took a spoonful waited to see if I would have a reaction and didn’t so I was good to go. The inside reminded me of a kiwi which I can’t really eat without having an itchy throat so I was kinda nervous that I wasted 6 bucks. YEA SIX! I can get 18 lemons at Mr. Kiwi for $6. I get it though, it’s exotic. I’m happy that I can eat a different kind of fruit but it will not be on my grocery list every week that’s for damn sure.

Dragon fruit aka pitaya benefits: - lycopene - omega 3 & 6 fatty acids (in the seeds) - vitamin C - B vitamins - phosphorus - calcium - antioxidants - captin (a phytochemical used in meds to treat heart problems)

I made a smoothie with dragon fruit, banana, pineapple, and shit I can’t remember what else I put in at this point. This was actually a long time ago I just haven’t been updating this shit (sorry Ciara, Jannora, and Quito).

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I’ve been ragged on a few times for liking hot cereal like cream of wheat and oatmeal but if any of the other “grandma’s” out there want to add a different hot cereal in the rotation then I would try Kasha. For me it’s kind of nostalgic because I only had it a few times growing up. These kids in my building had Russian babysitters and they made bomb Kasha. I wish I knew exactly how they used to make it. I’d tell my mother I wanted her to make some too but thinking back where was she supposed to buy Kasha in East Orange, NJ in the mid 90’s!

So what the fuck is Kasha?

It’s slowly roasted/toasted buckwheat groats. Now you’re asking me what the fuck are groats? They are the seeds from the buckwheat plant. Roasting the seeds brings out a very earthy, nutty flavor of the buckwheat. I don’t know what “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” smell like but if could take a guess it would equate to boiling Kasha. It literally translates into “porridge” in Russian hence it’s a very popular breakfast in Eastern Europe.

Most grains are lacking lysine, an amino acid, but not buckwheat making it more nutritionally complete. Because it contains all 8 essential amino acids, it makes for a much better source of protein than other grains. It’s also high in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels making nutrient delivery smooth and keeping blood pressure low. Kasha’s key benefit is the high supply of rutin, a flavanoid. Essentially this helps prevent blood clotting and strengthens capillaries. Truly a heart healthy breakfast.

Bring Kasha to a boil then let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes until it’s a bit tender. I simply sweetened it with honey and added ground cinnamon (the cinnamon sticks are decoration y'all). You can sweeten it with whatever you damn please, add some fruit, make it your own.

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My eggplant “dinner" even though it looks more like a snack! I have no food and it's too fuckin cold to get food from outside. I also try not to order in too much because it adds up so quick and I'm POOR. I don't even keep grubhub and seamless on my phone anymore. (good tip to save $) So I sliced up the eggplant and just drizzled olive oil on em. I didn't have eggs so I couldn't dip em so the bread crumbs would stick. So of course when I ended up eating there was bread crumbs everywhere. I also didn't have enough bread crumbs to coat both sides smh. But I just seasoned them with the usual salt, pepper, garlic, paprika. I left them in the oven on 350 till I almost forgot about them. Hey at least I baked instead of frying. That's just Dijon mustard in the lil saucer thing. But it's the extra spicy hot one that I bought by mistake and when I eat it my nose runs bruh. Sheesh...the struggle, and I'm still hungry! I won't even vent about the earlier part of the day/last nite. This ain't the blog for that, i'll keep the sexual shenanigans stories to me nd my bitches group chat.

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Snacking at Work: Curry Pumpkin Seeds I work in a hospital diet office which is right next to the kitchen. So anytime I want something to eat I can walk right in which can be a very bad thing! There aren't many healthy options so I have to bring my own shit. Pumpkin seeds contain L-tryptophan which is naturally effective against depression. I'm sure we can all use a dose of that at work every so often! However when tryptophan is absorbed it becomes serotonin which promotes sleep so don't OD on pumpkin seeds and pass out at work! 😂😂

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If you're concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it's not really food, and food is what you want to eat.

Michael Pollan

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Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothies (2 Ways)

The one on the left in the Nutribullet: Chocolate rice milk Bananas Mint leaves 

The one on the right in the mason jar: Oat milk Part of a 72% cacao chocolate bar Bananas Mint leaves

Not exactly like drinking melted Haagen Dazs ice cream but they are still good! I prefer the one with the cacao, it has a more authentic taste. This was my first time trying this and I was too light with the mint leaves. Next time I'll have to use double the mint or use mint extract too for a more bold flavor.