Vegan – Veggie Curls

Naturals Transitioning to Vegan

September 29, 2015September 26, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Natural Hair, Vegan Life

I just watched the video below from one of my favorite natural hair vloggers. She has been making a slow transition to vegan for over 3 years and decided to share her story on YouTube. It’s very similar to mine and it had me thinking – could going natural (with your hair) be the start of a vegan journey? I’ve always seen the correlation between learning to care for my hair to learning to care for my body. I had no idea it would lead me to becoming vegan but it has. The more I learn about the things I’m putting on and in my body, the better it inspires me to do the right thing for myself.

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Smoked Paprika Hash Browns

July 23, 2015October 22, 2019 by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

I’m starting to cook through a great vegan book called “Vegan Vitality – Your Complete Guide to an Active, Healthy, Plant-Based Lifestyle” by Karina Inkster. This is the first recipe I tried from the book. It was quick, simply, and delicious.

Give it a try and let me see your creations on social media by using the hashtag #veggiecurls Continue reading “Smoked Paprika Hash Browns” →

Truth About… Gelatin

March 19, 2015April 6, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Truth About..., Vegan Life

Truth about… Warning: It’s never my intention to ruin someone’s experience with food. If “we are what we eat” we should be aware of who we are and what we’re eating. This portion of the blog will focus on non-vegan food items that you may think twice about consuming. So if you want to be conscious about what you’re consuming, this is the portion of the blog you want to read. If you want to continue to eat for taste without an understanding of what you’re consuming…stop reading now!

I sat hanging out with my cousin, telling her about a delicious looking recipe I saw on TV that I wanted to try. It involved Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies (Vegan friendly!!!) and marshmallows! Sounds delicious, right? Well, my cousin kindly informed me that marshmallows were not vegan because they are made with gelatin. Someone told her gelatin was made from the collagen in pigs.

Well it turns out, she’s right! Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs. Gelatin is not vegan. However, there is a product called “agar agar” that is sometimes marketed as “gelatin,” but it is vegan. It is derived from a type of seaweed.

It’s typically used as a stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in many foods and cosmetics. Gelatin can also be used for the clarification of juices and vinegar. Here are some foods that contain gelatin:

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Easy Vegan Lunch: Lentils and Crackers

March 12, 2015March 27, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Recipes, Vegan Life

This is one of my favorite dishes. Compared to other types of dried beans, lentils are relatively quick and easy to prepare. They come in a variety of colors which are all high in nutritional value and available throughout the year.

One great thing about lentils is that they easily absorb a variety of wonderful flavors, so you can season this any way you like. I found an excuse to use my Old Bay seasoning again and that makes this dish taste amazing. I love to combine it with Ritz Roasted Vegetable crackers. The blend of those flavor are like a rich and salty dance.

The recipe itself is very simple but feel free to use the flavors you love to spice up this dish for your liking

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3 Steps to a Healthy Eating Lifestyle

February 19, 2015March 17, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Vegan Life

I’ve never been one to do things for a short amount of time. If I do something new it’s for the better and it rarely makes sense to revert back to the thing I changed in the first place. When you know better do better. This should be the motto for all things including your eating habits.

I never quite understood the concept of dieting. If you know you need to change your diet for any reason, why then does it make sense to do it for a short amount of time and then revert back to old habits that put you in a negative position. It’s better to ditch the diet and make a habit of healthy eating. If you’re looking for a little direction, here are a few tips that helped me along the way.

Start Slow

Start with one meal a day and make it the healthiest you can. You don’t have to learn to eat all new foods, just make the things you love as healthy as possible. For example, you can change out your white flour pancakes for a buckwheat waffle with chia seeds. You can still have a sandwich for lunch, just change the bread to sprouted grain and add low fat condiments. For dinner be sure to switch to meat free of hormones, preservatives, pesticides, and more. Also, be sure you have some green vegetables on your plate.

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Building a Healthy Hair Diet – Vegan Edition

January 27, 2015January 25, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Natural Hair

As I perused the natural hair blogs when I first went natural, I found a common theme. A healthy life equates to healthy hair. Becoming conscious of the food I was consuming was definitely an important part of my story of growing long and healthy hair.

Healthy hair is dependent on good blood circulation, which depends on good nutrition. God knew what he was doing when he made us. He made sure that all nutrients we consume go to all our essential tissues first, like organs and muscles before it gets to vanity items like our hair and nails. Our hair is the last to get nutrients, so any lack of nutrients can cause hair loss.

At any given time, about 90% of our hair is in the growing phase, which lasts approximately 2 to 3 years. At the end of that time, hairs enter a resting phase that lasts about 3 months before they are shed and replaced by new hair. If you don’t get enough vitamins and nutrients in your diet, a disproportionate number of hairs may go into the resting phase.

Like any other part of the body or component of health, hair needs a variety of nutrients to grow and be healthy, like protein, iron, B vitamins, biotin, vitamin c, beta carotene, zinc, and magnesium.

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Vegan Side Dish: Pasta Salad

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Recipes

I like to show off common dishes that carnivores eat all the time, when I can. Whenever I’m invited to a BBQ, chances are I’m bringing this dish. I admittedly stole this recipe from my mother and it’s a common dish that always shows up at large home functions and gatherings. This is a quick and easy dish that will show your friends and family that we as vegans eat more than just “rabbit food”!

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Sweet & Sour Eggplant over Brown Rice

January 15, 2015January 14, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Recipes

This is one of my favorite recipes since turning veganish. I even got a few hard core carnivores to eat this during Christmas dinner. It’s an awesome combination of flavor including sweet, sour, salty with a touch of spicy. The eggplant gives a great meaty texture for those looking to substitute vegetables as a main dish.

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