I chose #Vegan Yum Yum as my Vegan Cookbook of the Week!

Vegan Yum Yum, written by Lauren Ulm. What are MY thoughts on this book?

Hello my beautiful blog family! How is everyone doing? Chime in because I really want to know.  I am doing great myself. I’ve decided to “review” a vegan book a week. Congratulations.. you are now a part of this new weekly installment. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for liking, commenting, and sharing! You are awesome!

You might be thinking..ok.what is the criteria for her in choosing which book to review? Here it is…

1. It must be Vegan or Vegetarian ( preferably Vegan).

2.If it’s a cookbook, I MUST have enough pictures along with the recipe so that I can gauge whether or not what I prepare even remotely looks like it is correct!

3. The book must be good! Does it hold my attention? Is it interesting? Does it entice me to want to “try”?

4. The book or video does NOT have to be by someone known “worldwide”. I’ve seen some of the best things produced by the ” local” person or average Jane.

Now that you know what I look for, without further delay…Vegan Yum Yum!

#Vegan Yum Yum has ALL of the qualities that I look for in order to do a review. If any of you have been following me 3 or 4 years ago, or have read(in my archives here), then you remember that this book was used in my very first Vegan Thanksgiving. I made this side dish recipe…

The smudge on the bottom is proof that I have used this recipe for more than just Thanksgiving! Lmbo! 

The book in general has wonderful photography, clear instructions, and encourages me to at least ” try” something new before I place judgement. Kudos to Ms. Lauren! Well done!

My vote is a definite 5 stars.

Make sure you go check out this cookbook, ESPECIALLY if you’re like me and love to see pictures to help you out.(No offense, some people are just more visual).

If you get this book or already own this book, share your recipes and share YOUR thoughts. I’m sure we would love to hear other people’s point of view.

I hope you enjoyed not only my review, but this recipe I just shared above. Let me see how yours turns out. Tag me here, or on Twitter at Empress Legacy which is my business name.

Until next week. Be happy, be healthy! I am Naturalee Happee from Youtube. 

New phone, New business, New ideas.

Happy Wednesday to all of my beautiful blog family! I hope everyone is enjoying their day.
I have been M.I.A. for a while, but not in vain. I have been making moves, accomplishing some goals, and setting new goals. What about you? Chime in on some of your short-term goals that you made at the beginning of this year. Have you gotten closer to fullfilling your "self promises"?
Well, here is an example of what I've done. 1. I purchased more educational books. 2. I just got a new phone.(No, I am still not team iphone)but I love this styllus model I have. Hey,I can finally post directly from my phone. Lol. 3. I joined an online sewing club. I'm very excited to go beyond "sew newbie". 4. I took an online seminar on marketing and online stores. I hope to improve my current https://empresslegacy.storenvy.com. I also have a new one in the works.
So...let's go with YOUR adventures, I want to hear from YOU!
By the way, If you think you're in the "clear", think again! Why? Hmmm. I'm incorporating a few apps to my lifestyle and so far, so good. You might be saying to yourself.."what does that have to do with me?"
If you're content with your current level of activity, then it has nothing to do with you. But....
If you want to "get back in the fitness swing", then get ready!
I will focus on posting information on FREE and affordable diet and exercise routines. Not from me so don't worry, I'm not here to sell you products (unless you want me to) lol. No, I'm just going to share some things that I've done. Some things I've shared on my youtube channel, and some I am still "trying" to see if I like it. So...who will be ready for next month's challenge? Fitness is year round, not just a New Year Resolution. Together, I believe we can do this!

Have you seen the July issue of Entrepreneurs of Color Magazine?

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FREE PDF DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE ALL MONTH!

Why did I detox before my birthday?

Hello My beautiful blog family and Happy July! Cancer season is in full swing and I am excited to be celebrating another year in this realm.

If you have followed my youtube page, or my snapchat (nattyhappee), then you know that I not only started but posted results of my detox cleanses online. I know you have been hearing the "buzz" about how great it was to cleanse and flush your system out. I fell for the hype, and I too began to cleanse. 

I ordered my cleanses from the website HealThySelf360.com. I followed Ms. Melinated Beauty and her instructionsa nd began my journey to cleanse. My choice was the Trini Cleanse which consisted of the 13 Parasite Detox, the 360 Full Body Detox, and the Metal Detox. The results? Well, let me break it down for you.

When I first started I was very excited. I knew that I wanted to kick my "sweet tooth", and become a better Vegan. I knew that I had way too many processed foods and wanted better for myself. I was nervous about the 13 Parasite Cleanse because I saw Youtube videos of people who said they actually saw the Parasites in their stool. I for one did not want to see that, but I was curious to see if I had any in my body as well. The result? As shown in my youtube "results" video(naturaleehappee on youtube). I lost weight, was happy, and made it through the 10 days without seeing one parasite. It doesn't mean I didn't have any, it just means I never saw them. Then again, I was Vegetarian for 9 years, and then turned Vegan for 3 so I may not have been in the same category as the other people I saw on youtube.

Second detox cleanse..was the 360 full body! Well, the rules were that the cleanses were 10 days each and if you had more than one, you had to wait 1-2 weeks before starting the next one. My second cleanse did not go as smooth as the first cleanse. Why? I had gained back 5 pounds and was upset. I was still eating according to the given menu with the exception of going back to my breakfast. ( I love breakfast when I have time to actually eat it!) Breakfast was not on the menu at all and that was a pain to me. So, I was in a less enthusiastic mood to begin with, then I forgot to take a pill for 2 of the 10 days. I didn't forget the whole day mind you, I had just forgotten to take my pills to work.( The pills were 3 times a day for 10 days) Now I am not a "pill" person, so this also proved to put a damper on my spirit. The results? Not as much weight loss as the first time, but more energy and an interest in doing alternative activities besides cardio. I opted to buy the Wii game with about 5 dance games, along with Wii fit, Wii Zumba, and I had a new Gazelle machine from the first time.

So, all seemed to be going well right? Nope! Let me tell you why. I waited another 2 weeks to begin my third and last detox which was the Metal cleanse. My energy was/is still at 9, but I had no desire to follow the given menu as I couldn't understand  why some of my favorite things were restricted.(ex. no almond milk, no oats, no spinach, no brown rice) My annoyance was amplified as I did research online and found articles of the people from the "biggest loser" show who had lost weight and gained it back. They all had formed some sort of imbalance to their metabolism from doing the show with such a restricted amount of calories on them in order to lose. With me losing and gaining and also being on a "menu", I started to wonder if I too was "messing up my metabolism". I also did a self experiment during the second detox to see if it was the restriction that had caused me to lose weight, or the detox. It was the restriction!

Now that I am finished, (and the day before my birthday) I can tell you what I learned. A couple of months ago I did a podcast with my co-host on Blab.IM. The name of the show was called "Where is the Beef?" You can catch a replay of that show on my youtube channel as well. In that show we touched bases on how Americans eat, health, going Vegetarian, going Vegan, and just eating healthy. The key is to eat right, not to eat extemely less. I learned from detoxing, and the show, to monitor what I eat, how much I put on my plate, and to lay off the sweets! I also learned that if you want anything to be a Life change and not a diet, then you have to be ready to change the things that was making you unhappy in the first place. My experience went farther than just food. I let go of toxic people in my life, unhealthy food, and focused more on what was best for me! It wasn't all about weight loss, it was about being able to "upgrade" my choice of living, and improve my quality of life!

Am I going to claim I will never have sweets again? Hell no, didn't you hear me say that my birthday was tomorrow? Lmbo! I will however develop a system that limits my obsession with processed foods and incorporate a more active lifestyle. As of right now, my label is Vegan/Vegetarian. I toggle between the lines because I sometimes will have an egg, or cheese. Not often, but I do it. I hope you take the plunge to evaluate what YOU want in YOUR lifestyle. I encourage you to do one or all of the detox cleanses and share YOUR experience! I can't wait to hear from you!

Until next time..this is Naturalee Happee after 40 signing off!

Why should you "watch what you eat"?

*The opinions of this article reflect on the author(s) it was published by & not the "What's The News?" organization as a whole.
Hello my beautiful blog family! I hope you all are doing well. I am here just letting things run through my mind and decided to put my thoughts on virtual screen.
    So...the question is...why should you watch what you eat? This question can step on many toes because each and every one of us have what is called "freedom of choice". I myself am a firm believer of freedom of choice. Let's be completely honest here..you can read tons of blogs, articles, watch all of these great documentaries...

and STILL return to your old eating habits. That is your God given choice! There is just one question I want to ask you(if that's ok with you). When was the last time you went to the doctor? That question may be a little on the nosey side, but it is still a valid question. If you care about yourself, I am sure you have been to the doctor for at least a yearly check up. Second question...are you free from all medications? No high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, at your ideal weight, no kidney problems, no stomach problems, nothing...just a 100% clean bill of health! If you answered yes to all of that, you can stop reading this blog. If not....
     Did you know that almost 90% of all of the things I listed above can be solved with a proper diet and exercise plan? Of course you did! You hear it constantly on Twitter, FB, all social media, Dr. OZ, and whoever else that chimes in at the beginning of every year. Still, you choose to run to the nearest fast food restaraunt, skip the workout, and continue to do drugs and drink heavily, and why not, you work hard and deserve it right? But does your family deserve not having you around for the long run?
     Far too many people still have the "we all have to die sometime" mentality. That is when I say, but why are you making that time today? You see, even though you have every right to do whatever you what to YOUR body, whenever you want..you still have to answer to your higher spirit as to why you neglected the only vehicle that was given to you for you to "handle with care".
     If you take care of your body, it will take care of you, both mentally, spiritually, and physically. You only get ONE chance, and it shouldn't be wasted, ESPECIALLY if you are well aware of the cure and you choose to ignore it.
     These documentaries that I listed are not only people's testimonies, but also your "aha" moment. Even if you don't like to read a thousand books, or want to spend a million hours on the internet and library doing research, you can press play and have the luxury of getting the same information that someone ELSE took a thousand hours of reasearch just for YOU. Don't you feel special now?
     You are somebody's daughter, son, brother, sister, father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, student, co-worker, boss, friend, neighbor, customer, followee, and follower! You are somebody to someone, somewhere! If you have a chance to turn your life around and LIVE longer...why wouldn't you do it?
     I challenge you to at least watch 3 of the documentaries above and comment below. Why? The truth is...I love people. I love animals too, but humans should trump animals when it comes to us looking out for one another. I love you! I want you to live happy, and healthy to the best of your ability! If you don't care about life or death, let me care about it for you...I WANT YOU TO LIVE! The ONLY way you are going to do it..is to take better care of yourself! Self love can and will prevail over everything else. Choose better foods, drink more fresh water and leave that tap alone. Get more if not all vegetables in your meals. Pass the fast food restaraunt and pick up a great cookbook. Get moving DAILY! Last but not least...let go of those bad habits of drugs and alcohol. Your organs will thank you, and the pharmaceutical companies will hate you because you no longer need their medicines to live.
     Should EVERYONE become Vegan or Vegetarian? Nope. It takes willpower and patience to do what I do. Everyone won't be able to "get on the bandwagon".  Not everyone will be able to see that the meat you consume was not only a living being, but was also injected with harmful chemicals and then sent to you. You then eat and put those same harmful chemicals in YOUR body. Most people won't see that..but you CAN see that at least TRYING to keep yourself in tip top condition will increase your energy, and keep you around longer to create your own family, or stay with your family, or grow old with your family, and see other generations to come. YOU ARE SPECIAL! Isn't it time you started treating yourself special? Comment below on how you plan on making that change today!
   I hope to hear from you all soon. Until next time...stay Naturalee Happee! ;)