Hey all! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! I was planning on writing a post last week on self-care but it seemed I needed to actually practice it more first before I could speak about it. I was a little too stressed out I guess, but now we’re here; better late than never I guess.
Also, I have some exciting news in the works! I am planning on working on some video content in the new year so please stay tuned in for that! I will keep updates on my IG account on my story @buhler.amber! J
So, I’m going to try to keep this pretty simple today because we’ve all heard probably too many long spiels about how we need to love ourselves and manage our time better and create “margin” for ourselves and we can’t give from an empty cup and as important as all of this is, I want to cut the BS and get straight to the point. We need to learn to manage stress and take care of ourselves on a daily basis.
Yes all of these things are great and so important to talk about but if you’re actually stressed and burnt out, that’s NOT going to fix anything and if your like myself, deep down, even if it’s just unconscious you’re going to feel pretty shitty and inadequate after listening to something like that. All it’s going to sound like is Charlie Browns teacher mixed the newest social media influencer you’ve been following – a bunch of nice words for nice people who have it all together and their lives are in perfect order.
If your anything like me, by the end of the day your eyes are glazed over, your coffees been reheated so many times you’ve probably almost given up on it and your just scrolling to numb out how exhausted and disappointed you actually are with your life that you don’t want to feel guilty and ungrateful about. And I know for some even the word “stress” will trigger you, but I promise to try not to talk in a way that makes you feel like you have a whole new list of things your not doing right or at all.
I just want to share my experience from this last week and again, hopefully by me cutting out some of my own crap it will at least make you laugh and feel like a normal human again.
So, the beginning of last week for whatever reason, we were all very heightened and stressed in our house or at least I was and I wasn’t handling it well. My sweet boy whose now been potty-trained during the day for around a month almost flawlessly, started to refuse wanting to go to the potty and had accident after accident. I was getting flustered and really was trying to have a calm approach to it but I was starting to lose it my edge.
Lot’s has been going on for me personally and I’ve been trying to sort through my emotions and handle more of my stress on my own and with Jesus but, because I’m a verbal processor, I sometimes slip up. My son is a little me personality wise: we both like control, having the last word, are emotionally driven and passionate people and yet very, very sensitive.
So it went a little something like this: (please, please try not to judge me. I’m only human, you can laugh though.)
Bennett: Potty (already the 2nd or 3rd time saying this.)
Me. You need to go potty?
Bennett: Nope.
Me: Okay, but you’ve already told me a couple times so I think we should go.
Bennett: NNOOO!!
Me: Bennett, do you need to poop?
Bennett shakes his head “yes” says, “no”
Me: Well, I think we should at least try-
Bennett: SCREAMS!!! No potty, no potty!
(Not giving excuses just context) Me exhausted (being up with a teething baby at night), sore (Fibromyalgia) and nauseous (pregnant), taking a deep breathe. Trying to remind him of the potty songs we’ve played at least 1,000 times by now and the treat he’d get if he went and somehow we miraculously make it to the bathroom but it wouldn’t go well. The yelling and “reasoning” continues and in the end we both feel trapped and don’t get what we want.
The point is despite my efforts, I was actually supressing how I felt by trying to control his behaviour and he obviously retaliated and I couldn’t handle it. I had to learn the hard way that my inability to handle my stress was actually stressing out my son and the fact that a new sibling was on the way was actually starting to affect him.
After I sorted through things and got my act together, I apologized in a non-manipulative, non-guilt tripping or threatening way. I owned my side and allowed him to be real with how he felt. I tried to listen and ask him questions and helped him understand he wasn’t going to be forgotten even with a new baby on the way.
And sense I owned my side, started taking better care of myself, I’ve had a lot more patience and my son has had less tantrums and accidents. We’re both learning to identify what’s really going on and have been all the better for it.
So, like I said I’m going to leave it there for now. If you want a follow up post on what I personally did to actually work through my stress and the actual “self-care” actions that worked for me, than please just leave a comment down below so I know you appreciate this sort of content. And like always, it wouldn’t be a “Kale Ko.” post if there wasn’t also a recipe attached, so here’s my favourite recipe for Gluten-free, Vegan and Refined sugar-free Gingerbread cookies and I’ll see you in the next one!
Hey all, I thought I’d just write today and see where the process takes me. Pregnancy has been a roller coaster of emotions and mood swings and so, it’s been hard to find the motivation to sit down and work out what’s going on into a decent post. Plus, my youngest has now required “white noise” for sleeping and so in the meantime, she’s been using my tablet for this, which has been inconvenient for me, but we’ve made due. However, whenever I’ve had the time or energy though, she’s been sleeping, hence… no device for me to write with. Thankfully, tonight I could use my husband’s laptop so, hopefully it pays off… here we go!
Pregnancy always DRASTICALLY changes what I can/can’t eat…A N D, what I want to and don’t want to eat too. I’m a “normal” pregnant person, just saying. But, its been a confusing whirlwind, nonetheless and though I’m not super good at it, I’ve been trying to be extra patient and gracious with myself… I mean I am growing a tiny human being after all. That’s gotta count for something!
However, I’m a perfectionist, probably OCD and the fact that this little bean inside me has so much say and control over how I feel and fuel my body sometimes really drives me insane! Thankfully, this isn’t my first rodeo!
All pregnancies are different, however this one is by far, the most like the one I had with my son: lot’s of nausea and exhaustion and breaking the borders of what I typically would eat; a very clean, low-carb, Paleo Vegan diet. Let’s just say, this bae likes carbs (ironic isn’t it?) and the ONLY thing that really keeps the nausea under control is eating and often.
Cooking for myself right now is a task and a half, despite how much I normally enjoy it. Honestly, most days I don’t want to do it, unless inspiration strikes, like today when I decided to make Chinese bread called “Bing.” As sad as it is, this very easy recipe wiped me for the rest of the day. But, sepite what you see here and on social media, I don’t want to cook or really even think about food right now.
I just what a child would want, French fries and fruit, chocolate and ice cream, bread, pizza and fizzy drinks. For whatever reason, every pregnancy, I always crave iced tea like some sort of madwoman. It’s always the same. To put it simply, I want what I shouldn’t have and baby it’s a real struggle.
And textures don’t just throw me off and weird illusive smells. If only it were that simple. I also get thrown off by loud, obnoxious sounds… like, my toddler screaming something as innocent as “Jingle Bells” as loudly as he can on repeat. Yes, I know how crazy it sounds but, I’ve been prone to headaches and light-headedness a lot this pregnancy.
*Caveat 1: for those that don’t know, I’m not saying carbs are bad. I don’t eat generally a large quantity of them (when I’m not pregnant) because my body doesn’t tolerate them well. To read more on this, read my post: “Why I went Vegan Keto.” (https://thekaleko.home.blog/2020/11/03/why-did-i-go-vegan-keto-and-what-is-it/)
Vegetable Potstickers and Bing Bread
*Caveat 2: Again, I’m NOT doing Keto while pregnant because that wouldn’t be suitable for growing a healthy baby. If you want to read the post where I explain more of this, check this post out!! (https://thekaleko.home.blog/2020/12/11/lighten-up/)
*Caveat 3: I’m sorry you can’t see the realness of me eating Mc Donalds or pizza. I was too scared to take pictures of it at the time, but I’ll get into the fear thing in a little bit.
Basically the mantra of my life is: Let it GO…but I can’t, so give it to Jesus!! Anyone else relate???
It’s so easy to let fear, worry and stress run our lives and in the process, we totally sabotage ourselves and others we care the most about. To be real, I have a fear of people finding out how much I enjoy the foods I’m not supposed to eat and that I’ll look like a hypocrite or some kind of joke.
I’m “scared” of peoples judgement and that I won’t seem “healthy enough” or “vegan enough” if I ever ate something and enjoyed foods that typically wouldn’t be considered “healthy” or “vegan” or “paleo.” I know it’s crazy!
I know nobody really is going to care and if they did I wouldn’t need to listen to their opinion of me, but I’m human just like the rest of you and I like looking a certain way and feeling in control of my life. But kids are the colourful part of life and so is food, ALL food and I do enjoy both thoroughly.
To put it in different terms, there’s times of fasting and feasting, there’s on seasons and off seasons for things like sports, the weather and travel destinations, etc. There are days for work and days for rest/play. There are times to push really hard and times to relax and take breaks. Seasons to yield our hopes and dreams to Jesus, slow down and enjoy the simple things and there are seasons to hit the throttle to the floor and go when HE says, “Go get em’!!”
I share this to say, I’m in a different season again and the content I create might sometimes look a little different, but that’s actually a good thing. I’m more than just a person with health conditions that effect the dietary decisions I make. I’m more than my depression and anxiety, but I promise you, I’m still working on it. I’m still a mom, Christ follower, yoga doer, a creative junkie, plant lover, coffee enthusiast and die-hard foodie.
I’m still a writer and I always will be. I still am on a journey of quote unquote “finding myself,” in the sense of who I am, what I like and what I aspire to be. I will always be a bit vintage and hippie in a minimalist and modern way. I for now will have to remain the person with millions of great tattoo ideas in their head without a single one actually on their body (due to being pregnant.) And I will still be someone who’s transparent and real and hopefully someone whom is encouraging to sit down and read.
I hope all of y’all will find something beautiful in this holiday season even though it’s very different this year. Look for the light in the darkness and know there’s still good things to come!
Hey all, Happy Friday and welcome back! The last few weeks have been filled with me baking Vegan and Gluten-free Christmas treats to sell to people in my local area and coming to terms with the fact that I, indeed, once again am preg-ner-ant!!(*I misspelled that on purpose. If you havn’t watched this ridiculous video on how people have actually spelled the word “pregnant,” you missing out.) Please, watch and comment below your favourite rendition.
It was shocking at first, sense this definitely wasn’t our plan, (having 2 babies basically 13 months apart) however that goes to show life doesn’t usually go according to plan. I needed sometime to figure out what I felt and how it would impact my health and mainly my diet but now I finally have come to a conclusion, which I will share with you in a little bit.
If you’re not following me yet please make sure to do so! It Really helps out and lets me know to keep making more content like this. Also, after this please go check out my Instagram account @buhler.amber. In this post I will share all the links for the recipes I used to make my Christmas baking this year! Let me know in the comments which one you’d love to see a full post on! I’m on “Team Macarons”… if there were such a thing!! ;P So let’s get started!
Vegan GF Salted Caramel Macarons
First of all, for those that don’t know or haven’t experienced it personally, being pregnant changes a lot of things. Now, you can try your hardest to fight that or you can just roll with it because deep down you know your just not yourself- literally and figuratively. Your growing a tiny human, which is amazing and surreal, a whole lot of crazy and so, so much more! It makes you moody and cranky, tired, sick, exhausted to the point of going to bed when your other kids do.
It makes you crave weird things, not be able to drink coffee.. (this is a personal problem I have every time. It’s ridiculous but I just can’t stand it in the first trimester.) My first pregnancy, I cried over spilling Skittles in the snow and I wrote the year 1995 on a cheque!!
One of the parcels that was ordered!
Being pregnant is a HUGE blessing that I don’t take for granted and my heart literally breaks everytime I find out that one of my friends, either struggle to conceive or has had a miscarriage(s), but it’s also a sacrifice especially when not planned and you we’re taking the precautions necessary to not conceive a child.
God has used this situation to humble me and show me just how much of a control freak I’ve become over the last while. I’ve honestly have taken a lot of life too seriously and personallylately and this sweet precious baby was a good gentle reminder to live a little and let go and to stop striving for perfectionism.
3 Ingredient Vegan Turtles
So the conclusion I’ve had to come to and am at peace with isI’m not going to be doing “Vegan Keto” while pregnant. Maybe that’s an obvious choice but it’s way too restrictive for growing a baby, plus being pregnant means it’s crucial to be gaining a healthy amount of weight while keto makes you lose weight and fast if your doing it right. Also, lot’s of major food groups, even fruits and veg and limited on a Ketongenic plan and so I’ve had to close that chapter for now to begin a new one. Also, the medication I was taking for my Fibromyalgia had to stop being taken because it wasn’t on the list of pregnancy safe drugs so, this door also had to be closed for now.
So, even though this has been hard and has had some draw backs, it’s been good to remember, like the wise olds nun said in The Sound of Music, “When God closes a door he opens a window!” When we’ve had a streak of “bad luck” for lack of better words, or stressful times (ie. A world-wide Pandemic), it’s hard to remain positive let alone believe there’s any good in it or that it could possibly benefit you, but even when things suck and feel like hell something good can still come out of it.. if your able to take your eyes off yourself.. for just.. one. sec.. please don’t hit me. I’m saying this from recent experience.
Easy Vegan Peppermint Fudge
So, moral of the story, it’s time to lighten up. Chill. Like really. Don’t take life or yourself too seriously. Find funny things to laugh at. Don’t be perfect all the time. Admit your flaws and allow yourself to be real once an awhile. Forgive people quickly when their stressed and say stupid things. Smile even at the person who tells you your going the wrong way when you forgot in a rush to follow the directional arrows of the floor at the grocery store. And hey. Maybe it’s time to give the News a break. We’re all stressed out, constantly listening in to that stuff won’t really help.
We used to say (not actually but whatever) the most relaxing thing to do was take your bra off when you get home (sorry guys or dad if your reading this) but now it’s definitely taking off your mask in the car and being able to breathe normally without feeling like your about to induce an asthma or panic attack! For the people that wear them in the car intentionally, I feel so bad for you and I mean that respectfully. So, to start off some fun, here’s the links to those delicious recipes I was talking about!
Hey Everyone! Welcome back! For those that don’t know, I took the last week off to potty-train my son. To stay informed on these things and/or when I have to take sometime off, please make sure to head over to my IG account @buhler.amber and give me a follow! And now onto todays lovely post!!
I mentioned a few posts ago that my dad and mom have been working together with me to adapt a plant-based diet for my dads heart health, due to the fact that he has high cholesterol and was given the prospect of having to take prescription drugs as the assumed only treatment option. They were not pleased with this concept and so, through working together and individually, we decided that he should do a plant-based diet and see if he could drop his LDL levels naturally.
I had my mom take photos of some of the foods they’ve eaten in the last while to show you what it realistically could look like for someone whose also interested in making the jump over and how it is totally doable to heal your body naturally through foodwith a little guidance.
I find we as people, generally speaking have a hard time with change but, especially ingrained thoughts and beliefs. For example, typically at least in Western society and America especially, your raised to believe meat is the life-blood of society, cows milk is idolized for all it’s supposed “health benefits”, vegetables are just a “supposed to” (be eaten) and everything is fried and made as quick as possible to be eaten even quicker. We’ve bought into a corrupted system that manipulates us to want more and more and stay stuck like a hamster spinning its own wheel. Even after tripping on it’s own feet time after time it keeps running and falling on loop.
Breakfasts:
Left: Gluten-free Banana Oatmeal Blender Pancakes with Strawbs and Coconut Whip cream. Right: Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins, Fried Farm Egg and fruit.
We eat like crap, we’re not exercising as we should or managingstress in healthy ways. We work ourselves to death and even though we have a million and one ways to stay connected to others, we’re the most lonely and depressed generation yet; regardless of Covid. At the same time, more and more people are dealing with serious health conditions, illnesses, and so forth. Here’s just one recent statistic I found on mental health in Canada: “In 2013, an estimated 3 million Canadians (11.6%) aged 18 years or older reported that they had a mood and/or anxiety disorder.Footnote1”
The reality is, we are a very sick nation and we are told to manage our symptoms through pharmaceutical drugs (which is a business that makes a killing by the way), instead of getting to the root causes and fixing those instead. According to Dr. Cheryl Barton, “… the worldwide pharmaceutical market was worth nearly $1.3 trillion in 20191 and the top 10 pharma companies accounted for around a third of sales ($392.5 billion).”(ThePharmaLeter.com)
Soups:
Top Left: Veggie Soup Top Right: Vegan Zappa Tuscan’s Bottom: White Bean chilli with Lentils.
Now, before I get too far ahead of myself, I do want to say I’m NOT entirely against taking medications or people who do, because I do take them for certain things. I just think it’s important to think about the WHY and how Urgent the need and if there are suitable and effective alternatives or if it can be accompanied with other things for a short term usage. Yes, medication does have a place, I just personally believe that meds are mainly there to help manage the symptoms of an underlying root cause and BOTH should be evaluated at least equally, if one truly has the hope to get better.
And this was the hope of my dad and mom, that they could get healthier, but particularly my dad in this situation. They were willing to be disciplined and put the hard work in to get the results only known to a few. They, poetically speaking, took the road less traveled and have found themselves with more energy, enjoying new foods they never expected could be as good as they are, and more to give each other and those around them. They’re also finding new ways to eat old favourites, like homemade pizza and lots of yummy soups and some baking!
Suppers:
Top Left: Roasted Broccoli w/ BBQ Chickpea wraps. Top Right: Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, dip and Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Middle Left: Vegan Burrito Bowl. Middle Right: Yummy Leftovers. Bit of everything! Bottom Picture: Veggie Pizza and Veggie Straws.
You’ll see the random egg or a tad of low-fat dairy cheese in some of the pictures, but we’re all at a different stage of the journey and we should love and embrace everyone no matter where they’re at! This is still a huge undertaking and I am quite proud of them and all the changes and improvements they’ve taken, their humility and openness to change! I wish you all a great and fabulous day and to be a ray of sunshine wherever you go!
Hey all and happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week and have found ways to stay focused and grounded in these uncertain times. With everything going on, it some days literally feels impossible to find something happy and beautiful, however there still always is!
Maybe that’s a smile from one of the few people you’re allowed to see, a text from a friend just to say hi. Maybe it’s the beauty of the change in seasons, the fact that you have breathe in your lungs or the ability to enjoy a warm meal or cozy up on the coach under a blanket to read a book or watch Netflix with your dog.
We all have favourite meals- those steady ones that keep us anchored! For my family, meaning even my extended family, one of our favourites has always been Greek Pitas. Main reason, besides how delicious it is, is how well it accommodates every style of eater in our family. The meat eaters and the vegetarians/vegans like myself, ALWAYS END UP HAPPY and so, this was not one I was going to let go of easily, even with switching to a low-carb high-fat form of veganism.
The idea of this meal has been with me sense the start of my journey! It’s been a faithful go to when my parents had no other ideas of what to cook for family suppers that would make us all happy!
My mom in the past typically would cook up some chicken and chickpeas separately in Slovacki seasoning and serve it with roasted red pepper hummus, tons of veg and wraps. It evolved many times, changing from gluten-free wraps to coconut flour ones for me, then gluten-free ones for my mom, to now no meat at all because a good majority of my close family on that side has adopted more vegetarian eating!
This vegan-keto falafel recipe has been a life saver and I hope you try it, even if you don’t eat this way on a regular basis. This would be a great, overall inexpensive option for a “Meat-free Monday” if your just starting your journey or trying to be more mindful of how you eat! It’s also filling and super flavourful!
Next time I meal prep, I want to make a larger amount to freeze so I have an easy lunch option to add to a salad.
Now onto the post! One of the most important things for me sense COVID has started is being mindful of my current state and knowing when to slow down when I’m tired, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious or feeling depressed. “Slowing down” can look completely different for each and every person, but the simplest way is just by closing ones eyes and taking deep breathes.
Becoming aware of ones breathe and how you feel is important in the heat of the moment and else where. It teaches us to become present and let go of everything that’s hindering us.Slowing down allows us to become aware of what’s going right in our lives instead of just what isn’t and it helps us become whom we actually want to be.
Let me rewind a bit and tell you how this has become one of the most crucial tools for me in this time. A few months ago, I had some blood work done to role out any abnormalities and inflammatory conditions. Doctors in the past flippantly told me my chronic pain and fatigue was Fibromyalgia (meaning they had no clue why I was hurting so bad and couldn’t do anything about it), where this doctor actually listened to me and also desired to role out any other options.
The outcome ended up that no markers were showing signs of a diagnosable condition (Lupis, Crohnes, etc.) and so we determined that Fibromyalgia was indeed correct. This means they can’t find a physical abnormality to match my symptoms.. it’s something much more deep and vulnerable than that – my overactive pain responses are because of traumatic events in my past.
This was hard to swallow but accurate (and that’s as much as I feel comfortable sharing at this time) but, my doctor said there was hope yet. There was indeed a medication I could take that would naturally level out the pain responses in my body but, there was something more!
Meditation. I was quite shocked to hear a medical doctor telling me to meditate but, he said for my conditions meditation alone would work better than ANYTHING else I could do!!
He explained a little bit of Quantum Physics to me and how there’s an energy field inside all of us and when we feel negative we attract negativity to ourselves; the opposite of being positive is also true. He could tell I was interested but a bit skeptical, so he had an amazing tool he shared with me, which was Dr. Joe Despenza. He encouraged me to try his morning meditations and give it a go.
You might wonder why I was skeptical maybe for different reasons, but I grew up quite conservatively with the understanding that this stuff is “New Age” and it wasn’t really talked about, especially positively, yet again, neither was mental health. Lot’s of things were taboo for lack of better words and so he told me this man’s meditations weren’t coming in that lense, that they were actually based on real proven science, so I gave it a chance. What did I really have to lose??
All I can say is don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. It honestly is one of the best things however, if you’re skeptical like I was then I would recommend listening to some of Dr. Joe’s talks. I’ll leave some resources down below for those who want further information to look into!
So that’s all for today! I hope ya’ll can find peace and real comfort in this trying time and know no matter what comes you’re not alone! Even though now you might physically be alone often, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to stay connected. We must utilize technology and keep connected to family, friends and our churches at all costs! If you don’t have these then I encourage you to find community here by giving me a follow and reaching out in the comments or over on my IG account @buhler.amber!
Here’s a verse to close it off:
Matthew 5:14-16 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Todays a special day because I’m going to be sharing two recipes with you instead of just one! With going vegan keto, I wanted to still have fun food that would make any day all that better! I’m talking about the at home date night kinda foods, considering where I live we’re back at a “Code Red” due to COVID and no restaurant is allowing you to eat in again! Or that perfect appetizer for with watching a football game. This my friends is it! If your looking for a replacement for chicken wings and traditional potato fries, then look no further! I promise you your going to love it!
Like always please make sure to follow and like this post so I know you are enjoying this kind of content! To check that out my IG account go to @buhler.amber! And now, let’s get to the post!
This has truly become a favourite, not just for myself, but also for my husband and parents. My dad recently found out that he has high cholesterol and was told he’d have to go on medication, however, this wasn’t the route he wanted to take if there were other options. He told me that he wanted a different way to improve his heart health and was discouraged by the prospect of having to taking prescription drugs. His doctor told him that once he was on the medication and it had stabilized a bit they completely stop looking at his cholesterol altogether but he’d still have to take the medication most likely indefinitely.
To me this was absolutely ridiculous because then, the meds were barely even supposed to relieve the symptoms let alone improve his new found condition where he’d be well again! I won’t go into too much detail here because, I plan on doing a whole other post on what my dad and mom and myself came up with, however, I will say I did a lot of research like I always dowhen these sorts of things come up and this was the general consensus: A plant-based diet is the only diet known to reverse heart disease. ( I do have my dads permission to share this by the way!!)
And so I encouraged and challenged them that if they were serious about trying to take a natural route, this would be the best way to do that and that’s what they decided to do! My dad has been eating a plant-based diet with the occasional egg or bit of low-fat cheese for over 6 WEEKS NOW! HE is feeling incredible and I am so proud of him and the steps he’s taken to better his health.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I, along with our kids had them over for supper and we served them this!! My dads not an avocado person, like at all, and he was actually pleasantly surprised by the fact that he actually enjoyed the baked fries. The Cauliflower wings, however are still one of his favourites sense starting his plant-based journey and he is ALWAYS asking my mom to make them.
I love these because they’re incredibly filling and satiating due to the higher fat concentration from being Keto however, they’re very easy to adapt for someone who isn’t eating that way! Change out the almond flour for regular or all-purpose gluten-free flour, put a different sauce on them! For my husband and my son, I always make theirs honey BBQ and I stick to the hot sauce version. I also love that the wings freeze incredibly well, I just put a piece of parchment paper in between the layers in a freezer safe container and I’m good to go! When I want too reheat them, I just place them back in the oven at 425F until they’re hot all the way through!
The Avocado fries are great because they’re so simple to make! To me the batter when baked on them remind me of Tempura and I LOVE Asian food!! So there you have it! Two AMAZINGLY delicious recipes to make for your next at home date, family supper or as an appetizer for with watching a football game! Let me know if you try them and I hope you have a great day!
XOXO, Amber
Recipe links here:
A few sources for extra reading and watching on the power of a plant-based diet:
Hey all! I hope your having a great weekend so far! I just wanted to quickly share with you a super delicious recipe that’s so filling and so satisfying! If your not yet following me yet on Instagram, then head over there once your done reading this! My social is @buhler.amber !
I think my love for Indian food now must precede me because no matter what style of eating I’ve taken up, curries and the sort could never leave me. When I was a girl my uncle once made Buttered Chicken for us when we were visiting them on vacation in British Columbia. He would tell these amazing stories from his work at the time, when he would install electronics into peoples houses, of the incredible smells of spices and the generous hearts that would always want to feed him as soon as he walked in the door. Sometimes he would humbly take them up on their offer and other times due to the time restraint he was under, he would have to pass, but my aunt said she always knew he’d had a good day of work if he came home smelling like Curry, Guram Masala and so on.
Okay, I might’ve exaggerated a little but that’s how I like to remember it, like an old afghan my grandma made, cozy, inviting and forever. We all no matter how unsentimental we say we are have memories tied to food, both good and bad. Yours might not be as melodramatic as mine, but when was the last time you intentionally thought about what you ate?
I’m not saying this in a shameful way, like you should go on a diet or to tell you what to do or not to do. No. Not at all! My friend, when was the last time you ate something slowly and thought about how it felt? When was the last time you stopped to appreciate even how dark and rich and decadent that chocolate cake really was?
My grandpa was a chef or at least he was until he got too sick to continue his career. Sadly, I never got to experience first hand how good of a cook he was but, I do know he’s the reason why I love to cook so much today. You see, my grandpa was a diabetic and on dialysis and they lived in Pennsylvania and my parents, brother and I lived in Northern California at the time. If you’re not very good at United States geography well, those two states are as far away from each other as they can be, so we only saw them maybe once a year.
Even though my grandpa was very sick, he loved taking us to his favourite restaurants and watching “The Food Network” with me at his side. Even though he was weak and didn’t have as much energy as I’m sure he wished he had, you could tell how much he loved food, sharing it and experiences with others and of course his family.
Certain foods will just always remind me of him, like Cinnamon flavoured ice cream. My other grandpa, it was pie and black coffee to the brim. He always had to have a BIG slice of both kinds my grandma had made. In general he was a sweets kinda guy, just like his soul. A ooey gooey cinnamon bun, full of love, life and laughter!
You see, food is like a mirror and it reveals things the soul is shy about. Some fear and avoid it, some abuse it, some love it and celebrate it and others are basically indifferent to it. However, that doesn’t change the fact that we need it to survive.. does that, however change the fact that life is about more than just surviving??
If life was only about survival, wouldn’t we get fed flakes like a goldfish or eat raw flesh like a tiger? I believe there’s a reason that food tastes good and that there’s so many varieties and ways to enjoy it! I believe God wants us to enjoy it and created it so we could and share it with others. What was the last thing Jesus did with his disciples? Eat a meal together – break bread and drink wine.
For me, my health has made it where I can’t just eat whatever suits my fancy, but as hard as that is, I think its a good thing. It keeps me from getting entitled and finding satisfaction from food more than God. It makes me deal with my problems instead of pushing them away. It pushes me and challenges me to find the good where previously I thought there was none.
Food can and is good even if you have reasons that challenge that! Even if your Celliac you can still enjoy bread or pasta that’s gluten-free. Even if your struggling with fear related to food that doesn’t mean you’ll always feel that way. Food is for the soul as much as it is for the body and you will find your way.. you will come to peace with it and yourself if that’s what you choose one day.
I hear people all the time say they don’t know what to make for supper for their family. That their tired, bored and that it’s too much work. Well, sure you could risk trying something entirely new, which can be scary or intimidating OR you could remember what your grandma always made for you growing up and serve that to your kids and/or partner. In doing so, your keeping her memory alive! Your giving yourself that feeling all over again and joy and gratitude will well up inside, especially if you share it with others! Let your comfort comfort others.
Hey all! I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did writing it! With everything that’s going on in the world it’s important that we find comfort and assurance from the right things and that includes food. Food fuels the body and affects the soul! Not to get too brainy on you, but they do say the gut is basically equivalent to a second brain, so you really will feel like you are what you eat. Ballance and moderation are crucialto any health goal! It’s important to allow yourself to have treats but the majority of the time eat fuel that fuels and healthy mind and body and soul.
Here’s the recipe for Vegan Keto “Buttered Cauliflower!”
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and myself did. For those who aren’t low-carb, serve it with Naan bread or a side of Chickpeas. For myself I had a keto bun with vegan butter and garlic salt for flavour.
*Just a note however, this recipe is quite large so I recommend halfing it. Enjoy!
Hi guys! I am so excited to share this post with you! I’ve been working on it sense my original two week experiment and now it is finally here! This post will be a bit lengthy and a bit of a science lesson so I recommend making sure you really take the time to sit down and read this one! This hopefully will answer all your main questions and if not, than I will do a follow up post; clarifying or expanding on anything that seems necessary.
I also recommend bookmarking this one on your computer and sharing it with anyone who you know is trying to improve their health at the root source and as naturally as possible. I believe the science and I am also living proof that a plant-based diet can manage chronic health conditions better than any medication can. Food is the best source of medicine and it can literally change the trajectory of your life, if your able to accept it. Let me know if your interested in what a plant-based diet could do for you!! And as always, please give this post a like and follow me here and on Instagram @buhler.amber
Here’s a basic run down of what we will be covering in this post:
-Brief review of my personal health journey over the last 6-8 months
-The science lesson (“Magic School Bus” here we come!)
-What is Ketosis? What is Veganism? Can you actually do both?
-“Meat Free Keto: 2 week meal Plan” (How it works.)
-Conclusion/summery: What am I doing now?
-Other sources.. real people who’ve tried it successfully!
** and FINALLY: the best Vegan Keto pancake recipe EVER!!!**
So, if you haven’t grabbed a cup of coffee yet, now’s your chance! Otherwise buckle up for the ride!!
Health Review:
So, on to todays post! If you are already following me on IG then you would know that I recently have switched things up again dietarily to a high fat low carb form of veganism. In other words I’ve decided to take a Ketogenic approach to my vegan lifestyle. If you’ve been following me for a while then you would know that for the last 4-6 months(?) prior to my switch, Icut out all grains and most refined sugars, including corn out of my diet due to the fact that I got severely bloated, had terrible indigestion and suffer(ed) from chronic pain and fatigue.
However, sense making this change, I started relying highly off of processed vegan meat substitutes and beans and many other non-grain bread alternatives, which eventually led to some issues.
First off, as good as it tasted and satisfied my “cravings,” mentally I wasn’t happy. I didn’t like relying so heavily off of the “fake versions” of some of my favourite foods, because I have a strong stance that whole foods IS best. Also, I was getting some strong and painful flare ups to just about anything and so, I was starting to feel desperate, helpless and stuck all over again. Sometimes for my emotional health, I’d cheat pretty severely because I couldn’t handle it the disappointment. Emotionally I was drowning and so, I’d basically play “Russian Roulette” with my body. I was losing hope and figured if I was getting sick no matter what I did, than maybe it didn’t matter at all. Deep down I didn’t like what I was doing but, I felt lost and I was trying to cope with my struggles the best that I could.
And then, we thought I was having gall bladder attacks so, I saw my doctor and he booked an appointment for in September for an ultrasound to check it out. However, this also led to a dead end and I was told it was just my IBS. I’ve been very stubborn about this diagnosis, but now I’ve started to come to terms with it and it makes sense. I had a lot of excess stress in my personal life and my body was responding. It was only doing what it learned to do to protect me under stressful circumstances but it was excruciating. Sense then, I’ve learned some incredible ways to manage stress but, that will have to be a whole other post on it’s own.
On top of that though, despite how much I was eating, I was NEVER full. I could eat a large supper and feel like I hadn’t eaten a thing. I’d try to wait it out or distract the irrational hunger, even with a healthy snack but it never go away.
I’d spend so, so much time making a meal and trying to get full that I just couldn’t keep up. Trying to take care of my kids and our house got incredibly more and more difficult. My physical pain levels made getting out of bed incredibly difficult and being sick all the time made me even more fatigued and prone to getting depressed. I knew something had to change but I couldn’t figure out what.
This is where prayer and science came into play. I was desperate and so I prayed constantly for an answer and a breakthrough. Inmy experience, God always likes to show up in the weirdest of ways and that’s exactly how this happened.. me mindlessly scrolling on Youtube and me just “happening” to have clicked on a video that would forever change my life.
V/K Pumpkin adapted version!!
“The Magic School bus” Science Lesson(s):
Let me introduce you to Christine Hronec, is a food scientist and nutrition expert and owner of “Gauge Girl Training.” No this is not sponsored! I am just sharing the research I did in hopes it will help one of you who is reading!
Hronec explained how there’s 3 main body types the Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph and that typically speaking, the leaner high-metabolism Ectomorphs have a high tolerance of carbs where larger built, slower metabolism Endomorphs usually have a lower carb tolerance. I would be in the middle category that should typically have a moderate tolerance, however she does explain that sometimes, you can have a “mesomorph” outward appearance but internally operate more like an Endomorph.
What is “carb tolerance?” In short, this just answers the question, does your body have any issues digesting carbs? (Watch this and take the “carb tolerance” quiz: https://youtu.be/Efo340QaJPw )
Do you get tired, bloated, lethargic, gain weight easily and have a constant craving for more etc.?? All of which I did. This is also known as “insulin resistance.” This means that when you eat carbs your basically, “starving at a cellular level,” Christine says because your body isn’t able to use the carbs as energy. For people with insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, pre-/diabetes, PCOS she recommends taking a Ketogenic approach (which again means, your diet is high in fat and low in carbs and moderate in protein.)
Now, before I go any further, I do want to say I am NOT recommending that you go out and make a self-diagnosis, however if you are always feeling tired and lethargic and bloated with a constant craving for more carbs, you “might” have a low carb tolerance in which, you should speak to a professional about what steps you should be taking. For myself, the only reason why I am able to come to such a conclusion is because, for years now I’ve been dealing with my digestive health issues and this wasn’t an overnight realization. It has been MONTHSand years, for that matter, of trying and failing and seeking medical and naturopathic advice, getting bloodwork and scopes done, taking supplements and so on with no to very littler improvement.
For me, I have tried so many different approaches to gut health, mental and general physical health that for me, with previously seeing a TON of improvement with Paleo (grain-free and refined-sugar free) and yet still having tons of issues, the idea of “carb intollerence” really clicked and made a lot of sense to me and my personal journey. No, I’m not saying that you should now take what works for me and apply it to your situation. I’m just saying that this “theory” seemed to be potentially at least one of the missing pieces to my puzzle and got me asking myself a LOT of questions!!
SO, What is a Ketogenic diet and what is a Vegan diet and can they be done together???
Now you know what insulin resistance and carb intollerence are, what is “Keto” and can/how can you do it and as a vegan???
Well, let’s start with the easy stuff first, shall we? What is Keto?
So, Keto is a diet where the majority of your nutrition is coming from fat; typically anywhere from 70-85%. Your protein allowance of a ketogenic protocal is 20-30% and carbs come in at 5-10%. So, typically on a NON-KETOGENIC approach you would be using carbohydrate’s as your main fuel or energy source, however when doing Keto, you switch your main source from carbs to fats which in the process turns on your bodies ability to use STORED FAT AS ENERGY.
Now the thing I find interesting, as a side note (because I’m nerdy like that), is this diet was originally designed to help children with Epilepsy in countries where medication wasn’t widely accessible OR where multiple medications have been tried with little success. It wasn’t till the 60s and 70s that it was used as a weight-loss protocol. When a child was put on a Ketogenic diet it has been found in many studies that, most have less seizures and the Ketone bodies work to calm the overactive nervous system.
With this information and that of other resources I found, even just everyday people who’ve shared their personal experiences on Keto (specifically also as a Vegan), there are many more health benefits besides the typical loss of excess weight and fat, that this diet is known for.
Many said they saw their mood and overall energy improve, their appetites become manageable and their cardiovascular activity levels improve. Some did say strength training on the other hand was a bit more difficult, so just something to keep in mind, if this is something that you’re interested in. However, again, do your own research, apply what seems applicable to you and seek professional help to make sure this is right for you; especially if you have a condition in which you’re doctor is managing.
And a quick reminder, this does not give you the allowance to stop taking all your medications!! I repeat, please PLEASE don’t drop your meds just because you think you don’t need them anymore! Most medications need to be “weaned off” ofand SLOWLY. Just a friendly reminder! 🙂
So, in a nut shell, a Ketogenic diet is typically a diet very high in animal fat , like butter, heavy cream, bacon etc., where a typical vegan diet is high in plant based carbs that also function as themajor protein source. Examples would be: Quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, beans and legumes, etc. SO, how is it even POSSIBLE to do both at the same time?? On the outside, they appear to be from completely different universes with never even the possibility of intercepting one another, however that’s not the case. It just take a lot of ingenuity.. and maybe a side of crazy!
Vegan keto: How it works? (“MeatfreeKeto – 2 week plan.”)
This was a question I wrestled with for a while, because I knew by now there was NO WAY a diet filled with animal products would EVER work for me!! My journey with veganism has been a long one and most of it has been driven by the desperate need to be a healthy and functioning member of society. However, the deeper I’ve gone into the realm of Veganism, the more I’ve realized how important the larger picture of this movement is. It’s not just about me, it’s about all of us. It’s about the fact that ALL living things have value and no form of abuse is okay. It’s about the fact that this is the only viable planet we have and taping her dry of her resources, fighting and killing over them, is not what I’d call “stewarding the Earth.”
There’s plenty of research out there for anyone whose willing to read/listen to it but the problem is MOST aren’t willing to listen to it because it’s uncomfortable and it threatens our comfort ability. They say “Knowledge is power,” but I’d say it’s just potential power unless acted upon. There’s also the side that people don’t even know they should care because no ones ever challenged them or talked about it! We need to educate and we need to get educated and then we need to act! (Tangent over lol ;p)
As I processed and theorized how to make it a reality, I was presented with another God-send: a whole blog with a two week meal plan for this specific way of eating. Every time I’ve tried something, it’s literally taken hours and days to come up with a working meal plan and for the first time, someone else had paved the road for me and I didn’t have to do the heavy lifting!!I was so astounded and amazed, I paid the ten dollars CND and was on my way!
This ended up being very foundational and led me to being able to finally be on the mend and start living my life again!
Summery/Conclusion: What I am doing now??
The initial “experimental stage” was challenging and awkward at first but, eventually I started to get the hang of it! I figured out what supplements would be the most beneficial, especially for the early stages and I discovered key recipes that made my life a whole lot easier. I struggled at first to know what to even tell people what I was eating and I was insecure in what I was doing . It made me come face to face with myself, what I wanted and who I wanted to be.
It made me confront my self-entitlement and pride; unconscious beliefs I still had about food, like: “I deserve ______.” It made me realize so many things about myself and I had to actually come to a resolve: either give up the whole eating “healthy” thing and stay sick, depressed and entitled OR humble myselfand accept the success of the experiment as the way to the life I really wanted. To be whole, healthy, fit, inspirational, a fighter and someone who doesn’t give up on themselves. Someone who makes their dreams and their kids dreams a reality!
Sadly, but also fortunately, it took me a solid month at least to decide what was right for me. It took lots of self-sabotage and low points for me to realize all of the benefits I had from the experimental phase were gone and I was low and desperate again. I had to make a choice to break the cycle and to get the results I wanted; to do what only 1% of the population is willing to do.. and that’s what I did!
I chose the road less travelled and I got what I wanted and more. I didn’t go into it to lose weight, I just wanted to feel better, not be bloated and have the energy to keep up with my kids. Sense starting my Vegan Keto journey plus the month-ish break, I’ve lost 12 POUNDS and all of these plus symptoms are being managed!
If you want to know what I eat in a day than stay tuned! I am also working on creating a minimalists list of my favourite staple foods on Vegan Keto!
Here’s a list of a lot of the resources I used to discover Vegan Keto! I hope this inspires you to take yourself and your health seriously! Stay tuned and God bless!!
**The reason why most to all of these people are Youtuber’s where I collected tons of my knowledge, is I wanted to see first hand from real people if it worked and if it was sustainable for them! Some of the above mentioned influencers also happen to be nutritionists or were studying nutrition at the time they filmed these videos. The bulk of the research I found studies and science to back what they said or I personally checked the links they put in the descriptions of their videos, from where they got their information. I needed to make a “virtual field study” of others, both men and women to know if it was something I could “risk” putting my own body through.
Plus, here’s my all time favourite pancake recipe!! Vegan Ketohealthy and delicious!! I plan on sharing an adapted Pumpkin pancake recipe to this one soon!!
Today I wanted to share with you a really fun healthy dessert recipe I know your absolutely going to love! Why do I know this?? Because any chance my son had to take one off of the counter when I wasn’t looking, he’d make a run for it! Even now that he and I have eaten them all he still says, “More brownies?”
Let me introduce you to the “Meat Free Keto” protein brownie! I promise, you’ll thank me later. If you like content like this please be sure to give me a follow and also check out my IG account @buhler.amber.
When I first decided to do a 2 week trial of Vegan Keto, I did a ton of research, trying to find out all of what I would need and how I would get a sufficient amount of protein. That’s where I ran across the fact that Pea protein is the best plant-based low carb protein supplement available. Secondly, I had paid for the 2 week “Meat Free Keto” meal plan and shakes were recommended as a good snack in between meals, so I decided to give it ago.
However, I wasn’t a really big fan and I struggled to get through them. Plus, I think I reasoned that due to the fact that keto is “moderate protein” I figured I didn’t need to bother... that didn’t resolve the fact thought that I had this big container of protein powder I didn’t really know what to do with. So it sat there for a while and then I came across this beauty and lol, my sons life was forever changed ;P!!
These brownies were so good and I loved being able to have a treat that worked for me. On it’s own, it’s quite basic (still delicious though) so I decided to make some coconut whip cream and put that on top. All I did was refrigerate a can of full fat coconut cream.
Once it was ready I took a bit out and put it into a bowl with a teaspoon ish (give or take on how sweet you want it) of Monkfruit sweetener and a splash of vanilla and whipped it up with an electric mixer. Once it tasted how I wanted it too, I put a doll-up on a brownie, ate and enjoyed it! Adding the whip made it feel like I was having ice cream on top!! Honestly, what’s really better than that!!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet post! I am looking forward to talking to ya’ll againhere real soon!! Cheers!
Hey all! It feels so good to be writing again! Vegan Keto has proven to have many tasty and delicious recipes, if you’re willing to have an open mind to new possibilities. Even in this short time of my first experiment or two to three weeks and the last couple weeks, I have found so many amazing new recipes and plenty of more to also try. I hope you continue on this journey with me to better your health and be inspired to eat well and enjoy doing so!
If you like content like this then please let me know by hitting the “like” button and consider reaching out through the comments or by following! You’re support is greatly appreciated. 😘
Today I want to share with you an easy Vegan Keto granola bar recipe that I’ve now tested twice and have absolutely loved. It’s sweet and kept in the freezer so it can work as a go to breakfast, snack or my favourite way, as a dessert with fresh black coffee. I can not take credit for the recipe though! I am just sharing my experience, which was pretty bomb.. just saying!
Also, I’m super pumped I’m not the only weirdo who tries out things like this haha 😂 so, know it’s okay it you are one too! The more the merrier I always say!!
Something I mentioned in my last post was eating this way for me is VERY filling and satisfying. The foods that I now eat everyday, consistently are REAL and wholesome and don’t cause me to get bloated whatsoever!!
My pain levels and chronic fatigue are being managed quite well now but most importantly, I am HOPEFUL and excited about my life. The weight of being sick has lifted and I can finally (don’t take me too literally, but in essence) actually start living life again!
I struggled to accept this at first but just because I’m not fully healed of my conditions, that doesn’t make being able to manage them invalidated! Maybe this is obvious but I really struggled to accept this. However, if someone broke their leg it would make sense to cast it and even potentially be of crutches for a good while. And it would be okay and totally normal if they couldn’t go about their same daily activities for a while as well, needed to do physiotherapy and never quite have the full mobility they had before they broke it!
Dig in!!
And again, maybe I’m just speaking to the choir, however being able to accept this has been crucial in sticking to my new way of eating and actually continuing to experience the benefits from it!
However, even though I now eat super healthy and clean like 24/7, that doesn’t mean I don’t still have cravings or a sweet tooth. I just have more capacity to actually figure out what I need and what would satisfy those desires best. Sometimes that’s spending sometime quieting and being mindful of what’s really going on on the inside that maybe I don’t want to deal with. Other times, it’s finding a replacement for those cravings, like salted nuts instead of popcorn or chips. And sometimes it takes taking a step deeper into the physical and asking what micro-nutrient am I missing? Or do I need more water or sleep? Am I stressed, etc?
By the way, if your ever curious what micro-nutrients you might be missing based on your cravings, there are many lists available of the internet with food alternatives that can fulfil these things to give you something to start with. However, if you believe you need more help for whatever reason, always contact a professional.
I don’t have a degree in anything so I won’t be able to give you tons of specific medical advice however, I do have a lot of experience and love researching health, fitness and nutrition (specifically veganism) for fun!
If anything, I hope you will consider keeping me in your back pocket as a resource and a friend on your own personal health journey. My DM box is always open! 😇
If you have a specific health condition and would love to know how you can change things like your nutrition, physical activity level or mental health/mindsets let me know! I hope you have a great day!!
