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Hanging Out With The Oldie Goldies…

Happy Sunday Morning to ya!  I have a day planned of R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N… Lately I feel like I’ve been going a million miles per hour and its totally catching up with me.  I started to self diagnose the symptoms of my exhaustion on the Google last night… SCARY. SCARY. SCARY.  So I am listening to my body today and going to take it EASY. EASY. EASY.

I had a very fulfilling day yesterday…both physically and mentally.

I followed my usual habits – Lemon water with cayenne and a big glass of Vitamineral Green Powder. Also, I had a big bowl of blueberries and banana.

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I left the house – ran over to the gym to take a spinning class to find it closed because of a power outage.  I was super bummed.  I really wanted to take a class instead of figuring out what exercise to do on my own….

I went back home and made a hot version of Parfait Porridge with more blueberries and cashews.

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Working out later in the morning, meant that I had time to catch a Turbo Kick class at the Dowd Y.  My favorite!   Turbo Kick was especially fun yesterday because Meredith and team were doing a teacher training, so the whole gym was packed!

After class I headed to Berrybrook Farms to grab lunch to go for me and my husband – Drank their “just greens” fresh juice on the way back home.  Got him one too, plus his favorite black bean burrito.

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I got the burrito salad sans cheese + avocado.  I added some extra veggies to the salad for extra fuel for the long afternoon ahead. I love raw cabbage – I could eat it everyday!

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I spent the afternoon at Shad’s Landing – A senior independent retirement community in North Charlotte with the lovely Elle Palmer from “Three Weeks to Wellness” … We were invited to talk about how a plant based diet can work miracles in the body. This community is going to have the opportunity to participate in a vegetarian for 21 days challenge coming up soon. Elle and I provided the motivation and tricks to get started.  I came loaded with recipes, Food Babe’s Pantry Staples, and information on why it’s so crucial to eat live food. Elle brought a lot of take home goodies, information packets, hummus and raw cacao cookies for our new friends to try.

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The funnest part of the afternoon was hearing directly from the crowd.  The most eye opening thoughts came around how they don’t get served dark leafy greens that often and when they do get served vegetables they are completely overcooked!  One sweet lady said the meal planners think they are providing heart healthy food but that was just “Bull!..” Just judging by the crackers the kitchen had provided to us and some of the boxes I saw in the kitchen – their food is heavily supplied by some BIG FOOD companies that specialize in highly processed food.  This really upset me on so many levels.

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We immediately came up with some ideas on how to change this – Elle and I are brainstorming and will be taking the senior living communities by storm.  Just wait.  We now have a copy of their weekly meal plan….As you can see below the vegetarian choices for main dishes are extremely limited.   Right off the bat – I thought adding green smoothies for breakfast could be pretty seamless – don’t you think? Starting bottom up like this is such a daunting task – We really need start at the root cause of the issue – BIG FOOD corporations.

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One of the gentlemen I met at the event was 96 years old.  When he told me this, I didn’t believe him.  He looked and sound great – walking around without help and full of energy!  Come to find out – he grew up in California and has eaten lots of vegetables his entire life (Mmmm… that explains it!)  I asked him if he had any family near by, and he said that he had outlived his entire family.  This really took me off guard.  And it reminded me of what some of the people say around me who don’t live by my health and wellness ideals.  “Vani – you are going to outlive everyone…. why would you want to be the last one standing?… what’s going to be left in life when you are 100?…etc.”   I joked with Elle back in the car ride home, that we better be friends for life, cause we might be the only two left around!

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Thank you to everyone at Shad’s Landing for letting me and Elle spend the afternoon with you.  It was definitely the highlight of my week and can’t wait to come back!

When I got home – My husband was on the couch watching the UNC game… This made me a little munchie… I grabbed a bag of my favorite pretzels and joined him on the couch.

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For dinner, I cooked up some curried farro and warmed up the last of the Spicy Tomato Kale Soup (adding in some extra kale I found in the fridge)

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For dessert, I made the most decadent vegan flour free brownies.  I ate at least two of these guys – the rest are in the freezer now to keep them out of sight and out of my mind!

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Hope everyone has a great week ahead – READER QUESTION: What’s on your menu this week!!? Is it better than what the Oldie Goldies are getting? Got any suggestions on how to change their menu options? Share with me! I want to know.

XOXO,

Food Babe

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17 responses to “Hanging Out With The Oldie Goldies…

  1. First of all, how great of you and Elle to spend your time educating the elderly! That menu could definitely be improved…sticky buns/muffins/coffecake for breakfast?! How hard is it to provide good ‘ol fashioned oatmeal and some fruit? Hope the experience brings some change to their kitchen. Also, the vegetarian challenge sounds like a great idea! Lastly- um, where is the recipe to those yummy brownies???

    1. Thank you Dimple! I will post the recipe soon! I’ve already gone into the freezer for another bite! Ahhhh!

  2. Tonight we made a wrap with grilled portabellos, roasted red peppers, sautéed onions roasted asparagus and roasted tomatoes. Also made a balsamic glaze. Yum. My hubby wants the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow.

    1. Oh how I wish I wasn’t allergic to mushrooms! That wrap sounds delicious! What kind of wrap did you use?

  3. So glad you’re brainstorming on getting some better food! I always wish I could cater for my grandparents 24/7. My grandfather doesn’t always have the best diet, but if I make a green smoothie he’ll drink it!

  4. Ick, the food they serve to kids in school and people in homes who don’t have any choice is awful! Those breakfast items are completely horrible. I have no idea how to make it better, because so many people seem to enjoy eating that way, or don’t know anything different.

    I so feel you on the Googling your symptoms and seeing a list of horrible, scary things that could be wrong with you! I think I do this about every other week 🙂

    Keep up the good work!

    1. Can’t agree more. My kid is going to go to the daycare since this Thursday. That daycare is supposed to be good because of the highest tuition in Charlotte uptown area. But after I read the lunch and snack menu. I totally freak out! Non organic milk, GMO products, package juice and even has chicken nuggets once a month!!! I really feel sad but what can I do… I talked to the prime teacher and was told that’s the only menu and I may not be encouraged to bring our own food to daycare.

      1. I must help you! This is horrible! I feel so bad you can’t send food with your daughter! Maybe I can help you write a letter to the school?

    2. Thanks Jen! I appreciate the encouragement! I don’t know what will happen when I have kids… it’s going be crazy!

  5. It is so nice of you to spend time to educate the old people!!! They are closest to metabolic diseases and farest to nutrition education oppotunity:)
    BTW, the brownies make me feel hungry….

  6. Please go to Mars Hill Retirement Community in Mars Hill, NC (20 minutes north of Asheville) and get them to do a 21 day vegetarian challenge. My mother lives there and this would be wonderful!

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