Another FYR Testimony: Suzie

Hello beautiful people, I hope you all have been sailing through life's tricks. Anyway, been away for a little while sorting things out but I always remember that I have my readers who are waiting to see what else I have up my sleeve. One of my favorite things is receiving testimonials and before and after photos from people who have taken the FYR detox challenge, that fulfills me more than anything else, that my little dream that started almost 5 years ago is affecting the lives of others. I am humbled and happy. They inspire me much more than I inspire them. Thanks for your submissions. Here is Suzie in her own words, she is a mother of two beautiful girls.

“Before you enter my house, wipe your feet on your excuses and leave them at the door.”--Bernice Angoh

One thing I decided to do was wipe my feet on my excuses and leaves them at the door before I get into my own house. I wanted to get down to business with the weight I acquired during pregnancy and after child birth.

The most difficult phase of my 90 detox program by author & creator Bernice Angoh was to decide on when to start as in her E-books she has already taken the pains to explain, set goals and break down the stages of what amount of weight loss one can achieve.

I took another initiative to look for a mentor, someone who believes I have the determination and will power to achieve my weight loss, to encourage me through my challenge and so on.

Suzie's first daughter Ezrahrose

Suzie's second daughter, Ava-Lisa

I had checked and made sure I had no health issues as described in the program. Wrote a few words of encouragement I had gathered from the program literature to act as a reminder of why I chose to do the 90 days detox program. Words such as "I love me more than anyone can ever do!", "I need to be healthy inside out and stay young forever."

A week into the program I felt as though I had to quit but I believe because I planned and had things in place such my little reminders it felt much easier. After seeing myself through the 30days, I felt alive like never before and all I can say is I sailed through the next 60 days without a thought of quitting.

I was a UK size 16 when I embarked on the detox program and I am a beautiful size 12 and now a dream come true for me. I lost an amazing two stones. I am glad I took charge of my destiny."--Suzie

CHECK OUT WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE WITH THE FYR LIFE STYLE PROGRAM BY BERNICE ANGOH. I BOUGHT THE E-BOOKS AND NOW I AIN'T 
TRIPPING! 11 MONTHS AFTER GIVING BIRTH, SO 
GLAD I GAVE IT A GO.

VEGAN CONDENSED MILK

Ingredients:

3 cups of soy milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup of water
6 Tbsp Vegan earth balance butter

Method:

• On medium heat, melt vegan vegetable spread and then add sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved
• In a separate put bring soy milk and water to boil and then slowly pour into mixture of butter and sugar
• Keep stirring and medium heat until mixture starts to brown and thicken or reduces to half the volume
• Cool and enjoy

This is a long process but I wanted my vegan condensed milk at all cost. I then used it to make the dessert below. Basically just ground my choice of nuts, seeds and dried fruits and layered it with the condensed milk in a glass. It was so rich I had just 3 tablespoons the first day. Saved the rest and ate it throughout the course of several days. YUMMY!!!! I read somewhere that you could also replace the soy milk with coconut milk and yes I tried that too, it was good but I prefer the condensed milk with the soy milk.

Nina pouring the yummy vegan condensed milk

Look at that thickness :-)

Sinful...it was

Want some?

Here, open your mouth, here it comes

Taste good

YUMMY

ALWAYS  STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

REMEMBER TO EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER

SPICY PEANUT TOFU

SPICY PEANUT TOFU

It was YUMMYYYYYYY

Tofu getting marinated

My delicious plate

Persian brown rice

Spinach

Ingredients:

1 pack firm tofu, cut in cubes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp spicy curry powder
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup of bottled Thai peanut sauce

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes to an hour. Place in a baking pan and put into 350 degree oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until tofu is golden brown. I ate mine with a side of spinach and some Persian brown rice (In the rice was cashews, cloves orange zest and raisins)

Mama 53 years old, mother of 5

Me, 33 years old, mother of 2.  Not wearing makeup has really been good for my skin

You may be wondering why I put these two pictures side by side, I am telling you, my mom inspires me, I only hope I look half as good as her when I'm that age. So I have been away eating and enjoying all of mom's delicious foods and I swear I have gained at least 10 pounds (kinda' not complaining though, the food was out of this world) but it is time for some DETOX, I can feel my body grumbling and I know I need a break from stuffing my face with mama's cooking. So here's the deal I am doing a 40-Day 'Green Stuff' Detox thingy and want to invite you to join me. I will be doing just green smoothies, juicing, salads etc but you don't have to go crazy like me, my challenge is for you to do one or more or all of the 10 things listed below:

1) Add a green smoothie to your diet everyday
2) If you have to drink juice make it fresh with your juicer
3) A fresh salad as one of your meals or part of one of your meals
4) Avoid any type of dairy, absolutely no dairy unless you do soy or almond milk
5) Drink lots of water throughout the day starting with a 16 ounce glass of water first thing in the morning
6) No sugar or 'white' foods (flour, rice, spaghetti etc)
7) Drink a warm cup of tea before bed (I do green tea)
8) No eating after 7 pm (hmm, kinda hard if you're nocturnal but worth trying)
9) Laugh more, do things that make you happy
10) Sleep more ( 7-8 hours rest at night is ideal)

Not too bad huh? Well, did anyone notice I didn't say no meat? okay here's the deal, if you want to go crazy like me stay away from any type of animal flesh. But if you must eat some type of animal flesh try some fish once or twice a week or some lean chicken breast (grilled, steamed, baked etc) and if you must eat animal flesh eat it with a side of veggies or a salad.

ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

ARE YOU READY????

REMEMBER TO EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

STUFFED NAAN POCKETS

This is one of Nina's favorite things to eat for lunch.

Still in the process of slicing

Guacamole...yummy

Ingredients:

1 Naan bread, lightly warmed in oven for about 2 minutes at 350 degrees

Guacamole:

1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2 Haas avocados, chopped  *In Cameroon we call them 'pears' instead of 'avocados'*
1/2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of black pepper
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp Olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stuff into warm naan bread.

Ninashka, my little assistant

This is the black and white version of her year book picture I took. BTW, she makes all her earrings including the one in this photo :)

Remember to EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

The Dirty Dozen

No, we are not talking about a movie here, we are talking about food. Did you know there is a list of foods that are considered 'The dirty dozen'? These are the 12 foods with the most pesticide residue on them, here is the list:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens

The only way you can save yourself from all these harmful chemicals is to buy them organic. Whole foods stores can be a bit pricey but if you look for farmer's markets around your area you will be amazed at what great deals you can find. Sometimes the difference between buying inorganic and organic at a local farmer's market is just a few cents. I know times are hard and money is tight, believe me I know but I try to buy Organic whenever I can. Shopping at my local farmer's market allows me to support the local farmers who keep bringing us good organic/clean produce.


RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE

Baby Ricky loves his breakfast smoothies

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup soy milk (vanilla flavored)
2 Tbsp flax meal
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and enjoy.



CUCUMBER SLIDERS

Ingredients:

1 - 2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

Pesto:

1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves
Pinch of salt or salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients into a food processor with an 'S' blade and blend till smooth.

ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

In everything ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY and remember to EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

Vegan Veggie Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

My friend Maureen Lermer and her three children have been on a gluten-free diet for years and I love to feast my eyes on her beautiful food photography. I have been toying with the idea of eating gluten-free myself. When I'm doing all raw of course I am totally gluten-free but when I am making some vegan foods I still incorporate some gluten in my diet. Today I decided to make a vegan veggie pizza with a chickpea crust and the result was DELIGHTFUL!

WHO WANTS PIZZA?

SO FILLING AND NUTRITIOUS I WAS FULL AFTER TWO SLICES

THIN, FLUFFY, GLUTEN-FREE CHICKPEA CRUST

 PIZZA TOPPING

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small Indian egg plant , chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and and let marinade for about 15-20 minutes.

CHICKPEA CRUST:

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour
Dash of salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil

First, add yeast to cup of warm water and mix. Pour mixture into bowl with chickpea flour and salt, mix until smooth and then cover and let stand on kitchen counter for 30 minutes. Uncover and  add olive oil and mix well. Pour into baking pan and place in 450 degree oven. Let bake for 10 minutes. Take out and set aside.

I  decided to use left over mango pesto I had in the fridge for my 'cheese'. Here's the recipe from an old blog entry:

CHEESE: MANGO PESTO

Ingredients

1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cups basil leaves (I used 1 bunch)
2cm ginger root
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup + 2Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt or salt to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp almond butter (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups ripe mango chunks
3 cups of mung beans, rinsed and patted dry

Put all ingredients except the mung beans in a food processor with an 'S' blade and blend until smooth.


ASSEMBLY:


Generously spread mango pesto over crust. Add pizza topping over the pesto and place pizza into the oven for another 5-10 minutes to warm. Serve and enjoy!

Eating healthy is a labor of love just like every worthy thing we have or strive for in our lives. Taking time to prepare your foods makes it very much easy to be grateful and appreciate life and ourselves. If you do try this out I would like to know how you liked it. Next, I will be working on making some vegan condensed milk, yup, you heard right, yummy stuff isn't it? Till then, be safe and ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY.

MY SISTER TOOK THIS PHOTO, I think she did a good job, thanks Gege

Remember TO EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

3 + 3 Reasons to be Happy

I just came back from a much needed vacation and I must say it was also my best birthday yet; no big birthday bash, cake or anything like that but it was peaceful. I had peace in my heart, resolved issues, decisions made, bigger dreams and goals to be achieved and oh, I became an auntie (my nephew was born on March 5th, four days after my birthday) and my mother arrived from Cameroon on my birthday itself.

Picking up Mom from the airport

What more could I ask for? Added bonus: I left the kids at home, yup, mommies need time away every now and then, Daddy did a good job filling in for me.

My Happy 33rd Birthday ...

Lounging

What about you all? what have you been doing in my absence? been eating good? exercising enough, sleeping well? breaking old habits? making new friends? what? I hope all good though. I started reading more again, great books always get me going...my anchor has always been God, Great circle of people and Great reads, what about you? What is your anchor? what gets you revamped? My Mother says her secret is staying JOYFUL but then she goes on to explain to me the difference between Joy and Happiness....well, I am so proud of her and impressed with her keeping up with FYR even in Cameroon. She actually fits in jeans my sister and I wear...trust me I almost fell to the ground when she zipped and buttoned this pair of size 8 Jeans.

53 year old mother of 5 adults

Mama

"Staying JOYful is my rejuvenator."

I enjoyed some Cameroonian dishes while I was on vacation, boy oh boy! my mother brought some cooked eru from Cameroon! Impossible? yes! but did she do it? YES! hahahahahahaha she is a NINJA. Eru is our traditional meal, consists mainly of a green leafy vegetable called 'eru', some palm oil, crayfish, maggi and any meat of choice. It is eaten with fufu or gari or in my case some rice or plantain.

My traditional meal: Eru (with gari)

Anyway, that's what I've been up to just in case anyone missed me :) I have been dreaming of some pesto and some cheesecake (raw-vegan) and some...oh well, I'm back to my juicing and RAW feast, care to join? Come back soon, you never know what I'll be un-COOKING next time. Have a swell day everyone and ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY xoxo

"I'm living my life like it's GOLDEN."

Remember to  EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

A VERY FISHY AFFAIR

Click on each picture to get an 'EYE-FULL' yummmmmy...

The only reason why I will not be considered 100% vegan is because every now and then I love to eat my fish, I guess you can call me the TWISTED VEGAN :) It seems like it is the only food out of the Vegan food list that 'sits well' in my stomach after I eat it. I love Tilapia, Salmon and Cod fish. My portion is literally like a deck of cards and I always eat it with a side of veggies. I'd say I eat fish at least once a month or once every other month and it is more than enough for me. As for meats and cheese (and all other forms of dairy), they really are my enemies, even though sometimes I 'tease' around with them. My body reacts negatively to these foods and I guess that's why I stay away...Meats and dairy (yes including fish too) are acid-forming foods and live foods (organic fruits, veggies, etc) are alkaline-forming. We ALWAYS want our bodies to be slightly more alkaline. An acidic body is a breeding ground for Dis-ease. If you'll like to know more read  THE CHINA STUDY.

A Very FLAKY-FISHY Affair:

I usually use Salmon for this recipe but I didn't have any at home. Works well with either.

Ingredients for Fish:

4 cod fillets
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Lightly rub olive oil on both sides of each cod fillet. Next, coat each side of the fillets with Italian bread crumbs. Place each piece of fish in a baking dish. Set oven to 350 degrees and bake fish for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients for 'CHEEZY' Veggies

1 cup mixed carrots and peas
13 oz can garbanzo beans (cheakpeas)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt (Optional)
2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions:

First, lightly steam carrots and peas mix and chick peas, set aside. Next, in a separate pan saute onions until translucent. Add garlic powder, black pepper and mix. Then  add carrots and peas and stir. Lastly add  nutritional yeast mix and let cook uncovered for about 2 minutes. Serve with fish and enjoy.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it. My favorite part of this meal is the Cheezy veggies, the nutritional yeast gives it that creamy-cheezy flavor and it is also very nutritious for you. Here are some great benefits of nutritional yeas, which you  can buy at your local farmer's market or whole foods store.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST FACTS:

-Great source of  B-complex vitamins especially B-12
-It is a complete protein
-It is low in sodium, fat and is gluten-free and dairy-free
-It is NOT YEAST(because it has been deactivated)

ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

Another blurry picture gone ARTSY! 

Remember to  EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!