Not to mention lots of other exciting goodies in the works (*cough cough* TBV Summer Cleanse program, *cough cough* my mom’s upcoming fashion blog, *cough cough* super fun collabs with WorldLifestyle, Nadya Andreeva,  Goodwater Farms and The Raw Food Sisters, *cough cough* half-marathon in Central Park this weekend, you know, the usual…)

Anyway, I wanted to check in with you all regarding “Fall in Love With Yourself April” a.k.a the self-love challenge I have been running on my blog and Instagram account this month. The emails, photos and comments that have been pouring in from those of you sharing your personal health journeys and self-love struggles have been humbling and absolutely incredible.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks to each and every one of you for warming my soul with your willingness to share, your openness to make changes and your overall positivity and love.

Having all of you on board for this self-love challenge has been particularly helpful for me in dealing with my own eating issues and how I view and treat myself… especially in the midst of all of these wacky changes happening in my life (mainly good changes, but changes rock the freakin’ boat of life no matter what).

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know that I have had my fair share of struggles with the restrict-binge-restrict-binge cycle, and that going plant-based changed my life and settled my lifelong tummy problems. But that doesn’t mean I have been able to totally divorce my mind from the self-destructive mentality that comes along with the “oh shit I just ate something that’s going to make me feel really sick,” or “oh god I just ate something off of my diet plan… I guess this means I’m going to skip dinner.”

Learning the relax the rules about food that I have made for myself throughout my lifetime and to accept that my body knows best and I need to trust it, love it and support it every waking moment of the day in order to have the best relationship with my self and with food has been the real game changer for me, and this month I have learned a whole lot about myself.

This month…

I have made it a point to not allow myself to have negative thoughts about what I eat, when I eat, how much I eat, how little I eat, or how I feel before/after I eat. Replacing those negative thoughts with positive thoughts, looking in the mirror and practicing self-love versus self-criticism, allowing myself to indulge when it feels right and refrain when I am not in the mood for something, and most of all relaxing versus trying to control my every step has been SO. HELPFUL.

It might sound ridiculous to you – how does she not know these things? Isn’t she human? Doesn’t she have common sense?!

Yes, I have common sense (too much of it I think sometimes), but when you’ve suffered from digestion issues your whole life and you have found something that works and are trying to get back to that state of balance without beating yourself up in the mean time, you might have issues and it’s OK to admit that.

Scratch that, it’s necessary to admit that.

Repeat after me: I have issues!!! And I am fine with it. I am working my issues out, because I love myself and I know that I am worth it. I am enough. I deserve to wake up every morning feeling light, amazing, energized, confident, proud of myself and ready to tackle my day.

I am enough.

And you know what helps? Finding others who inspire you. You know who inspires me? The winner of this week’s self-love challenge, Miss Natasha Kadimi of Organic and Happy. (Oh, and it’s also her birthday, so happy birthday Natasha!!! Love you, beautiful girl.)

Also linking up with Amanda from Running With Spoons since this post is largely a “Thinking Out Loud” post one of my favorite things to do…

All photos from Organic & Happy from here on out…!

The Winner of This Week’s Self-Love Challenge:

I found Natasha on Instagram when I was a new vegan and I had not even started my blog yet. She posted tons of beautiful photos of raw vegan yumminess, but more importantly she wrote inspiring, self-affirming captions that sparked my interest and made me develop an immediate respect for her.

Over the past few months I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Natasha on a more personal level, and I am so incredibly lucky that I have. Her story is beyond inspirational, and the moment I heard it I knew I had to share with you all.

To keep it short and sweet, Natasha suffered from disordered eating habits for 7 years of her life. When she was in high school, she ate nothing more than a handful of strawberries a day for two years straight (!!!!). Her self-worth revolved around people telling her how pretty she was because she was thin. Her grades slipped from A’s to B’s to C’s and then to D’s… and she was tired, miserable and knew she was battling a huge problem on the inside.

A few years later her eating disorder shifted, and she began binge eating (who wouldn’t after years of such tight restriction?!). She spent hours in her cupboard devouring everything in sight, mainly processed junk, and then she felt so terrible afterward she wouldn’t eat again for several days. The cycle continued, and her weight yo-yoed way back up.

One day, after several years had passed, Natasha decided she wasn’t going to do this to herself anymore. She was going to learn to love herself and ditch the self-hate and self-harm, no matter what that meant.

Her new decision lead her to the plant-based diet, and through the beauty of fruits and veggies she has been able to heal herself one day at a time. She now believes that she is beautiful and knows that she has so much love and knowledge to offer to the world, and she doesn’t know her weight nor does she care to.

I am here to attest to the fact that Natasha is a gorgeous woman on the inside and out. She is a huge inspiration, and she is incredibly wise beyond her years. I know that she is going to do big things and she is going to help so many people become comfortable in their own skin by sharing her story and sharing what she’s learned with us all. If nothing else, she has inspired the crap out of me, and for that I am forever grateful.

#fallinlovewithyourself #tbvchallenge

Comment on this post, email me, and/or enter on Instagram by hashtagging #fallinlovewithyourself and #tbvchallenge to share your stories and for a chance to be featured on the blog in the coming weeks. I want to share as many stories as I can! And if you don’t want your story to be shared, email me personally, I would still love to hear your story. 

Would that make you uncomfortable? Do you think you could rise to the challenge? Well, I’m challenging you to do it. Starting now. The month of April is going to be all about loving yourself, loving your decisions, making choices that scare you, taking care of your body and nourishing it with goodness, loving and accepting the exercise goals you choose for yourself, and doing the things you always dream of doing but put off until “next week” or “next month” or, you know, “SOMEDAY.”

Today = your someday. It’s goin’ down!!!

There are a few things that spurred this sudden desire to declare April the month of self-love on TBV. Let me tell you in list form, because you know I love a good list:

Why Self-Love Matters to Me:

A) I have been realizing lately (in reading the amazing book Happy Belly) that, although I am a pretty darn positive and confident person, I put myself down a lot more than I need to. It stems from my stomach and indigestion problems and the fact that I have to be so rigid about what I eat if I want to feel good. Instead of practicing self-love after a meal that upsets my stomach, I beat myself up over it and tell myself it’s all my fault and I didn’t have enough self control. In reality, it’s those moments where I need to be showing myself the most love and listening to what my body is telling me. And when you practice self-love versus all of the negative “OMG I can’t believe I just ate that what the eff was I thinking?!” you have way more of a chance to be in tune with your body and develop a happy, healthy relationship with food.

B) While training for my half marathon I pushed myself to the brink, every single day, loving the running high and the endorphins swimming through my bod. I was also swimming, doing yoga, walking several miles a day, and taking Equinox classes like a maniac. I hurt my ankle a few weeks ago and continued to push and push until I reached the point where I had to stop training. Huge bummer, right? If I had been practicing the utmost self-love, I would have listened to my throbbing ankle and forfeited my long runs until it started to heal. This month for me is going to be about listening to my body to get back to the healthiest state possible. I will not push myself on days that I am tired, and I will continue to practice yoga, run and swim in a healthy (and not obsessive!!!) manner.

C) You all know I place a huge emphasis on my health, and because of that I eat a super clean, oil-free, salt-free, wheat-free, refined sugar-free diet. And because of all of that restriction (even though I do it happily!) I sometimes get too hungry or too run down while I am out and about, so when I finally am able to sit down and eat a meal I have a tendency to overindulge. Even overindulging on vegetables, fruits, healthy granolas, dried fruits, raw chocolate etc. is just as damaging to the stomach, digestion, and the mind as overeating on something unhealthy. If I take care of myself, eat when I am hungry, listen to my body to know how much to eat, and maintain my clean diet, I should have no problems. Time to listen to my bod and not my overactive mind!

D) I have a lot of changes going on in my life right now. Huge things are happening, great things, but they are pulling me in all sorts of directions. I need to stay extra focused, breathe, and take it easy on myself while I figure out all of the life adjustments that need to take place to accommodate the changes. My go-to super-fast-paced kick-butt-in-the-gym and eat-the-cleanest-EVER is going to do me more harm than good… I need to take it easy on myself, and practice what I preach! This means journaling, relaxing bubble baths, massages, unwinding and more yin yoga (deep stretching) classes.

E) Holding myself accountable by engaging in a challenge like this with all of you is way more fun than doing it on my own. I also know that I am much more likely to succeed if I have a platform to come back to—we can all do this!

If you love yourself and your body every single day, you are more likely to feed it in the most healthy and nourishing way possible. It will foster a loving, trusting and sound relationship between the body and mind.

Do you normally exist in a restrict-binge-restrict-binge cycle? This is the month to work on that. Tell yourself that this is worth it. You are worth it.

Do you push yourself at the gym until you’re completely dead and your limbs are shaking like jello? Or do you slack off and tell yourself you can go to the gym tomorrow? Find a healthy medium – you are worth it.

Are you putting off making a big life decision because you’re afraid of change? This is the month to make your dreams your reality. You know what I’m going to say here, but… YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Challenge Rules:

Tag me in your photos, too! The photos can be anything from a healthy meal, a sweaty gym selfie, a relaxing bubble bath, a productive to-do list, a new pair of running shoes, your yoga mat, a photo of a food journal, the list goes on and on… it just has to be related to health, making positive changes, and loving yourself. Include a little story (or you can email me if you aren’t comfortable posting on social media!) about why this challenge is important to you, and I will choose a winner each week to feature. I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!

As act #1 of self-love I have decided to do a one-day juice cleanse this Sunday, which for me is huge because I would normally commit to a three or five day cleanse when it comes to detoxes. I know all I need is a little recharge to help me kick this cold in the butt, and on Monday I will be back to my regular ways. A one-day cleanse is what my body is calling for right now, so by all means I am going to listen to it.

And, as act #2 of self-love, I had this heavenly bowl of oatmeal this morning! I used to be afraid to eat oatmeal because I thought it would be too heavy and would bother my stomach more than a simple green smoothie for breakfast, but through listening to my body, being kind and patient with it, and trying out new recipes I have learned that gluten-free oats are a great meal option for me, as long as I stick to about 1 cup oats once fully cooked.

Gooey Flax Seed Oatmeal

Ingredients:

½ cup gluten-free steel cut oats

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal or flaxseeds

½ cup blueberries

¼ cup mulberries (I use the brand Navitas naturals)

½ sliced banana

1 tablespoon raw local honey (or agave, maple or liquid stevia)

Directions:

1. Boil the oats in water until the water is fully soaked through. While you wait, slice your bananas and get everything else ready.

2. Once the oats are boiled, stir in flaxseed and raw honey.

3. Top with toppings, and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

The only thing I’ve really missed since going vegan (other than occasionally missing certain types of fish) is eggs! I loved a good sunny side up egg. And even though scrambled eggs were not my egg preparation of choice, they were special to me because they reminded me of weekend mornings with my family eating my mom’s famous scrambled eggs.

In fact, after I went vegan my 10-year-old niece asked me in total bewilderment, “Wait. So you’re not going to be able to have Nana’s scrambled eggs? Not even on Christmas?!”

The choice to forego certain foods in order to commit to a different lifestyle absolutely scares the shit out of some people. I get that. It scared me at first, but I learned pretty quickly that anything I once loved can be made into a vegan, healthy version. A version that won’t rip my stomach to shreds and will leave me feeling clean, energized and ready to take on the day!

That’s not to say that eggs ever really bothered my tummy a ton… unless they were made with oil. Then I was done for.

Anyway, I had never dabbled in making tofu scramble because for the last year or so I have been very caught up with trying to limit my soy intake. Breakfast to me meant green smoothies, granola, the occasional bowl of oatmeal and absolutely nothing else!

Last weekend nutritionist explained to me that there is nothing wrong with eating plenty of tofu in its pure form. It is a great source of protein for us veggie-lovers, and now that I’m training for a half marathon I can use all the protein I can get!

Then he gave me a fabulous recipe for tofu scramble. The first time I made it I seriously felt like there were scrambled eggs on my plate – but an animal-friendly, cleaner, tummy-happy version! I made them again this morning and tweaked the recipe a bit, and holy crap they were too good not to share.

Delightful Tofu Scramble

Serves 2 (if you’re serving 1, just cut recipe in half!)

Ingredients:

12-oz extra-firm tofu (WestSoy’s plain tofu is a nice option, GMO-free!)

¼ cup vegetable broth (or distilled water)

½ cup sliced mushrooms

1.5 cups spinach (or greens of your choice)

1 chopped bell pepper (I used a combo of red, yellow and green)

1 Tablespoon cayenne

OPTIONAL: 1 sweet onion (I did not use, because I do not like onion), a few dashes of Paprika (I did not use, because I thought the cayenne did the trick!), and a few cubes of lightly toasted tempeh (I threw some in from last night’s dinner!)

Directions:

1. Pour vegetable broth or distilled water into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Let it simmer until it gets hot and starts to bubble.

2. Mash up your extra-firm tofu with a fork until it starts to look like a crumbly pile of scrambled eggs! This should only take a few mashes.

3. Pour in tofu, mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, cayenne and optional onion, Paprika and tempeh.

4. Stir every few minutes, and let it simmer until everything is warm and the flavors have combined. I usually leave it in there for about five minutes.

Top it with anything fun, like hot sauce, Dijon mustard, or (if you’re one of those people who likes ketchup on their eggs…) a healthy ketchup!

I enjoyed my tofu scramble with a bowl of fresh fruit on the side, but feel free to eat it with some yummy sprouted grain toast or even wrapped up in a breakfast burrito! I think my next go round I will wrap it in an Ezekial sprouted grain tortilla. YUM!

Enjoy!

I’ve decided that this year is all about turning my “what ifs” into realities. For the past several months a huge “what if” in my life has been: what if I was a raw vegan? I have found so much happiness in being a plant-based vegan, and I have always had an inkling that eating fully raw would make me feel amazing. Whenever I eat a mostly raw diet, my stomach problems lessen and I feel fantastic.

I just have yet to fully take the plunge. Why? Because it’s a huge lifestyle adjustment! I am accustomed to eating my roasted veggies for dinner and ordering whatever I feel like at the awesome vegan restaurants in my area. But the truth is, oftentimes cooked vegetables at restaurants leave me feeling crappy. Usually that’s because of the oil used in their preparation, but sometimes I think they are just hard for me to digest.

Raw food is the easiest way for me to avoid everything that still bothers my stomach on a vegan diet: oil, sauces, soy, certain legumes, an overabundance of starches (sweet potato is my downfall) and anything processed – including many almond milk brands that I usually use daily because making my own is a major time investment.

On top of that, I like to experiment with the way that I eat. Before I went vegan I was constantly switching up my diet and eliminating foods for concentrated periods of time before reintroducing them. The way that food affects our bodies, our energy level, our mental clarity and our wellbeing endlessly fascinates me.

Since going vegan I haven’t had much of an opportunity to experiment with my diet because I have found that so much of traditional plant-based veganism works for me. But after the recurring stomach problems I experienced in the fall (you can read more about that here), I think it is time to try something out that has worked for so many people I am inspired by. I am so excited about it, and if nothing else it’s going to be an awesome journey and a very interesting learning experience.

Oh AND, yes I am going alcohol-free this month. This is a pretty huge deal for me, considering the fact that I went from being an avid social drinker to drinking a lot less over the past year to slowly toying with eliminating alcohol completely. I am going out with friends tonight and already promised my friend who is in town I would have a few drinks with her, so tomorrow my A-free, fully raw diet begins!

One thing I do want to point out is that while I am going raw for my own personal health reasons, a standard plant-based vegan diet is an extremely healthy way to eat. Just because I am experimenting and switching things up for the month does not mean you should feel like you need to do something similar. It’s all about listening to your body and finding balance, and this is what my body is telling me to do right now so I am listening and going along for the ride! The Blonde Vegan Cleanse includes cooked vegetables, and that is a much more sustainable place to start for those transitioning into veganism and/or a healthier lifestyle.

Things to be excited about for Fully Raw February:

–       I will be leading an email thread for anyone who wants to participate in the raw challenge. Even if you don’t want to go 100% raw for the month but you just want to be part of a support system, send me an email at theblondevegan1@gmail[dot]com and I will get ya signed up.

–       An interview with Brooke Preston, owner and head chef at The Green Boheme in Sacramento, California. The Green Boheme is the only 100% raw restaurant in Northern California (seriously!?!? I know) and it is by far the best raw restaurant I have ever tried. After my extremely inspiring interview with Brooke last week I decided I absolutely had to give the raw diet a go. Thanks, Brooke for the immense inspiration.

–       A Q&A with one of my very favorite raw food bloggers Susan Powers of the blog Rawmazing.

–       An interview with Daniel Ceballos, Head Chef & Chief Innovation Officer at Juice Press NYC. Juice Press is my go-to for smoothies, juices and delicious raw meals. (Raw Portobello sushi? Oh heck yeah.)

–       Reviews of raw restaurants around NYC like Quintessence, Rockin’ Raw and Pure Food & Wine. I have been doing my research about where to go and what to try and I could not be more excited.

–       An abundance of raw recipes, of course! My smoothies and salads are already fully raw, but I want to create some yummy entrees for you all to enjoy, whether you are raw or not!

–       The Instagram hashtags #TBVgoesraw and #fullyrawfebruary that I will be putting on all of my raw food IG posts.

–       All sorts of raw goodness! You know me, I’m not the hugest planner of all time. I like for many of my posts on this blog to be completely spontaneous and inspired by the moment, so you will certainly see things popping up throughout February that I have not mentioned.

Feel free to check in, ask me questions about how it’s going, and of course send me any raw food recipes you know of/love! I would very, very much appreciate it.