By now, I know that most of us have thought about going vegan at least once. The health benefits seem to outweigh any doubt and on paper, the diet sounds like it can work wellness wonders… But in real life, I love bacon… and cheese. Nevertheless, on my journey to a snatched waist and a healthy lifestyle, I persist. The biggest problem on my "almost-vegan" journey is knowing what (and what not) not to buy when I'm grocery shopping.
Apparently, this is a struggle that thousands of other women have, and Adrienne Houghton is here to save the day. In the past, The Real star has been transparent about her fluctuating weight and thyroid disease struggles. Now, more than ever women are taking the wheel when it comes to their physical wellness and one of the easiest ways to do that is sticking to a strict diet. Adrienne's solution? Almost veganism. She told her YouTube viewers:
"I am officially now vegan or attempting to be vegan! I've actually done it for a few weeks now and I love it."
The attempted vegan recently took to YouTube and opened up her fridge to show us what her grocery list looks like. Here's what we learned:
Substitute Your Favorites
All Things Adrienne/YouTube
When it comes to being a vegan, my biggest beef has to be with the fact that there's no dairy involved. I love cheese almost as much as I love bread, and putting them together sounds like magic. Unfortunately, true veganism ain't having none of that.
Adrienne, who has the same affinity for all things cheese, says that she manages by finding viable substitutes. For example, instead of regular milk, she and her husband, Israel opt for unsweetened almond milk. She explained:
"So the one thing that I wasn't sure I could give up when I became a vegan was cheese. I'm like guys, I'm just too French to give up cheese, you know? I had to check out every single fake cheese."
Adrienne shared that instead of regular bread, she buys Ezekiel brand, which is a vegan bread that's made from whole sprouted grains. She also uses applesauce as a sweet substitute for eggs in pancakes. Giving up your faves isn't so tough if you can find a tasty replacement.
Juice It Real Good
All Things Adrienne/YouTube
"So, this is now part of my whole diet as well, this is celery juice."
Celery… what? Okay, now I'm intrigued, sis. Please continue…
"Okay, so as you may have noticed when I opened both doors, I am celery juice obsessed. I actually followed this person on Instagram called The Medical Medium, he put me on to celery juice. So now, Israel and I are both on this major celery juice kick and we juice every single morning. We have 16 ounces."
Apparently, celery juice has some pretty great health benefits and can be a great alternative to sugary drinks. Just don't overdo it, as too much celery juice can also contribute a dangerous amount of sodium to your diet. Other juices in Adrienne's fridge included mango juice, orange juice, and grapefruit juice.
Rosewater… To Drink?
I'm sure all of us know the benefits of using rose water for your skin, but who knew that you could drink it? Rosewater, which can also be a facial toner, has nutrients and antioxidants that can prevent aging and wrinkles. According to Adrienne, her favorite brand is H2Rose.
"The other thing that I'm absolutely obsessed with is H2Rose. You guys know that you can use rose water on your face when you cleanse your face, but now you can actually drink it and it's just as good for your skin."
Vitality Shots
All Things Adrienne/YouTube
A shot of vitality? Yes, please! Who couldn't use that? The best part is that you can pick up a few of these at your local specialty food store (or click here for some DIY recipes) and say goodbye to the sniffles and get a boost of energy before starting your day. Vitality boosters have properties that can reduce fatigue and boost your immune system. Here's what Adrienne said about these power-packed concoctions:
"Yeah, moving right along, vitality shots. Let me know if any of you guys do these in the morning. I like to stock up on them and just shoot them first thing in the morning. This is turmeric, lemon, coconut water, and black pepper."
"I actually always have these in the morning at 'The Real,' and they're awesome."
What's For Dessert?
All Things Adrienne/YouTube
Of course, Adrienne couldn't leave out the most important meal of the day: dessert. Everyone knows that no diet is complete without a lil' something sweet! Although she doesn't share where she got it, I know that now, my mission in life is to get my hands on some vegan almond cheesecake.
"It's my joy right here: Vegan almond cheesecake, vegan almond chocolate cheesecake, raw vegan almond chocolate cheesecake."
"I feel like sometimes I just come to the fridge... I get my fix, then I leave. Love that."
Check out the full video below!
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
- Adrienne Houghton Just Went Vegan! Here's What's On Her Grocery ... ›
- Healthy Grocery List For Single Woman - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
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Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
valentinrussanov/Getty Images
How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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