Drink to Your Health With Vitamin Chick! A Review

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Fall is a season full of breathtaking beauty, wonderful experiences (apple picking, anyone?), and delicious flavors - pumpkin everything, especially Starbucks!

Like any other season, it's a great opportunity to start anew with healthy, happy habits that allow you to make the most of every moment of every day. I am a firm believer that wellness begins from the inside! Giving your body solid nutrition can do so much to improve your overall sense of well being.

If you've been going heavier on the apple cider donuts than the apples, pre-gaming Halloween with grab bag candy, visiting more Oktoberfest parties than you would care to admit, and/or feeling a little sluggish, I recommend Vitamin Chick juices for a quick and easy reset!



Enjoy a variety of delicious, 100% organic juices that will flood you with the vitamins you need after less than ideal eating. I was honestly surprised by how great the juices tasted, especially the Power Up!



A blend of raw coconut water, sweet carrots, and maca root powder, it's sweet and satisfying and perfect! If carrots aren't your thing, the green juices are delicious, too.

Not a fan of sweet juice? Don't worry, they even have some all-vegetable green juices (check out the Green Vaccine and Vita Green juices) to satisfy those who are watching sugar content.

If you order a pre-arranged cleanse, the juices even come numbered for you (5 juices, a booster, and a creamy nut milk to end the day) so there's no guesswork.



If prearranged cleanses aren't your thing (though they do have a variety of options, which are carefully selected to satisfy the particular need that they're designed for), you can also order their juices, milks, and boosters individually to get exactly what you want.

Either enjoy the juices as a cleanse (starting with just a one day cleanse for those of us who don't want to give up chewing for 3+ days and/or who have busy schedules) or as part of a healthy balanced diet with your usual (healthier) food choices.



Either way, you're doing something good for your body!

They regularly run great specials, such as buy six juices and get the seventh free, so be sure to check out their website for up-to-date details!

What is your favorite way to do a healthy reset?

What is your favorite kind of juice?

What are you enjoying most about autumn so far?

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7 Reasons to Eat More Avocado!

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When I was younger, I hated avocado. The taste, the texture, everything. But avocado is delicious! 

My days of loathing the egg-shaped fruit are long gone! It does still feel odd to consider it a fruit, however - nutritionally it seems like more of a nut or something like that to me.

Either way, delicious! Here are seven reasons why you should give avocado a second chance. It's amazing how good for you these tasty little powerhouses are!

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Healthy Hacks in NYC

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The Big Apple is a must-see on any European traveler's US travel list and most American travelers' travel lists, too.

I've been lucky enough to live in this amazing city since last June, as well as for various month to three month chunks over the past few years, and the longer I live here, the more I fall in love!

This can actually happen in NYC and it does, regularly. How could you not love this city?

As a New Yorker (I'm not going to lie, that's still fun to say) I've picked up a lot of tricks about how to make the most of the city.

Since none of us like to feel bloated and sluggish after travel, here are some of my city local tricks and tips for having a healthy trip to NYC!

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Recipe: My Favorite Green Smoothie

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For those of you who follow me on Instagram (@danaikadzere please do!) you know that I'm pretty obsessed with green smoothies.

They're yummy, refreshing, great for your skin, and put that pep in your step. They're also awesome for digestion and loaded with nutrients! Whether you have a green smoothie to start the day or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack, you can't go wrong.

Even my mom, my big sister, and my ten-year-old little sister love them! They're a healthy universal crowd-pleaser.

Here's a basic recipe for a winning green smoothie!

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Review: Greenlite Vegan Meal Delivery Service!

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I recently got to try a new-to-me vegan frozen meal delivery service called Greenlite Meals!

The meals arrive in an insulated box inside a cardboard shipping box, with cooler packets inside and the meals all packaged in space-conserving freeze-wrap packages.

As you can see, the sides and the entrees are packaged separately. I'm actually quite a fan of that style of packaging, because you can mix and match the sides and entrees to create the meals that you're in the mood for! 

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Healthy Hacks in Hawaii

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Are you lucky enough to have a trip to Hawaii on the horizon? YAY!

Hawaii is stunning.

But as much as we all love a beautiful vacation, vacations have a common bad reputation for wrecking healthy habits. Yes, you're not adhering to your normal routine. Yes, you're probably not hitting the gym and getting your usual lunch salad. You're on vacation, things should be different than in your day-to-day life!

True as that is, that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice health for fun!

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Healthier Fall Treats

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Pecan pie is, hands down, the best fall dessert in existence.

Served a la mode, it might just be the best dessert (period) in existence!

But if you're avoiding eggs for whatever reason, or looking for something that fits into a primarily plant-based diet, it isn't that easy to find a good pecan pie.

Just want some pie!

Sure, increasingly health conscious consumers and increasing understand of the health risks of a diet high in trans fat mean that it isn't too hard to find a pie without lard. But a pie without eggs and butter? Keep looking.

Finding Carrot Top Bakery was awesome, because this artisan bakery is making life sweeter for everyone! Whether paleo, vegan, diabetic, or just trying to be a little healthier, their made-to-order treats fit the description. Best of all, they ship from Ohio to everywhere in the USA!

That's actually the second best thing (or maybe third best, if you count that the ingredients are natural and nutritious). The first best thing is the taste!

I fell in love with this pecan pie. This will definitely be a repeat order for Thanksgiving and all subsequent Thanksgivings, especially when hosting vegan friends or those with egg allergies.

But honestly? I'd order this pie even if none of those dietary restrictions apply. It's a really good pecan pie, not just a really good vegan pecan pie!

The filling is perfectly indulgently sweet with big, buttery pecans and a rich crust. It's very flavorful, so perfectly intensely pecan-y.

Ohmygosh warmed up and served with coconut ice cream, this pie is just heavenly. But it's also delicious all by itself!

In case pecan pie isn't your thing (how can it not be?? Seriously) Katie of Carrot Top Bakery has a lot of other healthy treats to over! The list includes Carrot Cake Energy Bites, Apple Pie Babies, and a variety of muffins and breads to fit different dietary needs.

In addition to the pie, I tried the Chocolate Cashew Almond Raw Energy Bars.

They're raw, vegan, individually wrapped for convenience, and absolutely delicious!

They're very chocolatey and nutty with a little date-y-ness and the perfect combination of sweet, rich, and nutritious. They're like a yummier, artisan version of a Larabar!



Since they're fresh and preservative-free, store them in the fridge and eat within a month of purchasing.

But they'll hold up just fine in a backpack or handbag (uncooled) for a day!

What is your favorite fall dessert?

How far in advance do you start planning Thanksgiving festivities? 

Do you generally have big Thanksgiving dinners with lots of family and friends, or small dinners with just immediate family?

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Green Pancake Recipe

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Hi guys! I'm just stopping in shortly to ask you to check out my guest post over at Neil's Healthy Meals.

I made some delicious Blueberry Banana Monster Pancakes and I know you want to try them!

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Back to School Recipes: Homemade Healthy Granola Bars

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I love, and have always loved, granola bars. They're also a perfect snack for back-to-school and in general beloved by kids and adults alike. They can also be quite healthy and pack great convenient energy!

For those interested in snacking with less waste (no individual wrappers necessary - you can use reusable tupperware for transport!) and saving some money, here's a great recipe for healthy homemade granola bars!

My 9-year-old sister (yes, we have a 12 year age gap) says taste better than Kashi!

Healthy Granola Bars

Makes 10-12 granola bars

* 2 c. quick cooking oats

* 2/3 c. sugar

* 1/2 c. Uncle Sam's Original High Fiber Cereal

* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

* 1 c. all-purpose flour

* 1/2 c. raisins

* 1/2 c. craisins

* 1 tsp. salt

* 1/2 c. honey (generous)

* 1 egg, beaten

* 1/2 c. natural peanut butter, melted

* 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8" x 8" baking pan.

2) Mix first eight ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

3) Mix the honey, egg, melted peanut butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. 

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix with your hands (dough will be dry and crumbly).

5) Press dough into the greased baking pan. Really pack it in, this is hands on and granola bar-making isn't for sissies!

6) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden with lightly browned edges. 

7) Cool for five minutes, then slice - don't cool completely before slicing or the bars will be too hard to cut without crumbling. 

Love saving money? Tweet it!

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Raw Generation Juice Review

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Can you believe we're wrapping up summer?

I didn't have a summer vacation this year, since I moved to NYC and started working just days after graduation. I've had a lot of fun this summer, however, and have an awesome vacation planned for September, though, so don't feel bad for me.

I also got an awesome package in the mail - so, you know, win.



I'm going to Hawaii!! I'm so excited, I've never been that far west (not to mention to Hawaii, which seems like a world wonder from the photos in the guidebooks I've been obsessively going through).

I have a ton of plans for Hawaii, including trying Stand Up Paddle-boarding, taking another surfing lesson, lots of chilling on the beach, and hopefully some nice hikes and/or bike rides around the island.

The last thing I want for such a sure-to-be-fantastic trip is to go feeling any less than my best. Feeling good happens from the inside out and that brings me to my awesome package.

I received some Raw Generation juice in the mail! The timing was great, as it's a delicious way to nourish my body and make my sensitive stomach a little less on edge in preparation for my trip.

But let's be honest - when isn't a good time for delicious fruit and vegetable blend juices?

They're shipped frozen and packed on ice, which I love, because it means that I can keep them in the freezer and drink them as I want. There's no rush to drink them all up before a certain expiration date, so it's up to the individual whether they want to do a full juice cleanse with six juices a day, a partial juice cleanse with four juices and a meal or two, or supplement their normal diet with the juices.

However you do it, including adding the juices to your regular diet, they're really easy to drink (so sweet and delicious) and really great for you - it's 100% juice with loads of vitamins, no added sugars, and nothing but fruit and vegetables!

I also have fabulous news, since I'm in a super happy going-on-vacation-soon mood (and, mostly, because Jessica at Raw Generation is really nice): all Living, Learning, Eating readers get 40% off with the coupon code LIVELEARNEAT!

Yum :)

Where are you going on vacation next (or hoping to)?

Where did you last go on vacation?

What's your favorite type of juice?

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Green Yums Review: Bringing The Farm To The City

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I've been living in NYC for almost two months now and all-in-all, I love it.

I love big cities and small towns. I love convenience and constant access. I love writing, fashion,   crunchy-granola vegetarian food, and acting. Guess where the most auditions are outside of LA (and the only audition-heavy place with a great public transit system)?

It's not a surprise that I chose NYC for my first post-grad home!

There are just a few things I don't love: mobs when I'm trying to walk around, slow walkers, the high costs of EVERYTHING, aaaaaaand - crappy produce options.

Honestly, if I'm paying $3 for a frickin' apple, I expect it to be crisp, sweet, manna-like perfection. That's not asking too much, is it?

And if I'm paying $5.99 for a bag of spinach (with a whopping two servings in it) I expect it to be crisp and green and, well, not wilted and 90% of the way to decomposed.

Zeytuna, Gristedes, Jubilee Market, and all the other grocery stores around here seem to disagree, however. High price, low quality - UM what? There has to be a better option.

^The better option

I decided to give a produce delivery service a spin, because:

(a) it's convenient
(b) it's not actually more expensive than getting groceries from the store, given exorbitant city prices
(c) the quality can really only go up, right?



Spoiler: I'm glad that I did. I ordered from Green Yums and would definitely recommend them to all city-dwellers facing similar produce deserts, because they're not only as convenient as can be, but the value is also so much better than shopping for produce at the grocery store.

Delivery is easy. They packed the produce in a cooler box that held them fresh from their delivery at around 10am until I got home from work (and then my weekly five hour on camera acting class) at around 11:30pm. Impressive!



It's a great way to try new things. Like dandelion greens!



I would never have chosen a bunch of these weed-looking greens for myself (they seem like something I would have fed my pet guinea pig, Diddle, back in the day) but I'm glad that I got the chance to!



They made for a really different, but delicious, green smoothie. Just add extra honey/fruit/sugar/agave nectar, because dandelion greens are more bitter than spinach or even kale!



I also got to try this funky looking leaves:



I'm still not sure what they are, but they're great sauteed in walnut oil with a little grated parmesan or vegan parmesan on top.



Limes, cantaloupe, pears, zucchini, corn on the cob, and nectarines rounded out the list of things I don't normally buy. But my staples, apples, bananas, and cucumbers were also represented!



It was a really great haul that had me inspired to get back into the kitchen - quite a feat after how uninspired I'd been feeling later. It's hard to get excited about wilted spinach from Zeytuna!



The value is far superior to city-priced produce. You don't actually pay more, but every piece of produce was totally crisp, high quality, and even organic! Everything tasted great and nourishing and was visually appealing.



It was a much needed change!

Where do you live - in a city, a suburb, a town...?

Where do you buy your produce most often?

Have you tried a produce delivery service?

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End of Term Energy With Veggie Vibes

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I honestly can't believe that it's already May and I'M GRADUATING THIS MONTH!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

As excited as I am about FINISHING SCHOOL (ie: a lot) the end of the semester also means - cue ominous Jaws theme song - final exams.

Ew.

It takes a lot of energy to make it though the stress of finals and pre-finals prep, especially since it starts a few weeks out. To keep my energy up from the inside, I ordered Veggie Vibes (okay, okay, I take every possible excuse to do so).

I'm starting with the best part, dessert, because it's finals period. And because this dessert is actually healthy.

The Arroz con Leche is healthy enough to eat for breakfast and delicious enough to eat for every meal always. 

Though that wouldn't be too balanced, so I had to resist. I also only ordered two, so...

I was a little wary of jicama in a dessert, but the coconut cream is so rich and Chef Perkunas prepared it so amazingly that it works just like long grain rice and is absolutely amazing and delicious! The pineapple was also super sweet and fresh and amazing.

There are dried fruits in there and they take it over the top from extremely delicious to unbelievably amazingly delicious.

The Green Smoothie was also great and, as advertised, filling enough for a meal. It's super fruity and doesn't taste like a green smoothie at all - all that you can taste is the banana, orange juice, strawberries, and persimmons in it. It's really thick and creamy!

I prefer to make my own smoothies, because I have an awesome Ninja blender and making smoothies is super quick and easy, but if you're either new to green smoothies or don't have a great blender, this is a great option!

On to things that (like the amazing Arroz con Leche) I can't make myself...

The sprouted walnut neat/veggie topping was amazing!

This came with a side of basil sauce, but I barely needed it because of how flavorful the walnut neat mixture was.

This came with a piece of Naan made of sweet potatoes and nuts and seeds and spices (it was amazing) but I'm not sure where my photo of that went. Sorry guys!

This was a build-it-yourself dish and was delicious with super fresh veggies and a flavorful sauce, as always with Veggie Vibes.

Voracious was a more salad-style dish, but also really filling and flavorful with all the wonderful toppings, ample fresh veggies, pineapple salsa, and date-walnut cream to pour over it. The caramelized onions were definitely my favorite part of this dish, they were so. Good.

Veggie Vibes's raw vegan meal deliveries never fail to blow my (tastebuds') socks off and fill me with great energy!

Try it yourself and don't forget to mention Living, Learning Eating to get a free extra entree with your order. Place your delivery by Friday or Saturday for Tuesday morning delivery (nationwide shipping)!

Have you tried Veggie Vibes?

What are your survival tips for stressful/busy times?

What's your favorite meal of the day (dessert can count)?

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