I want to post a quick update to this site with a special project I’ve just finished working on. I made a music video to promote diabetes awareness and encourage support for the JDRF. This is something very close to my heart and I wanted to share it with you all! My hope is to help the JDRF gain support in the weeks leading up to when I will be participating in the Walk to Cure Diabetes in St. Louis, MO. Please check out the video and spread it around if you like it. Thanks!
I know I said the last post would be the final one. Sorry, I lied. I’m writing one final time on Collegeveganista to say that I’ve started a new blog called The Juice Box Diaries. Please check out my first post here: http://thejuiceboxdiaries.com/2012/09/05/eatingenergyforbreakfast/. Thanks!
I sense that the winds are about to change in my life. I’ve let go of college Leanne and can’t wait to discover who real-world-working-adult Leanne is. My core is still the same, of course, but I feel like in order to fully embrace the new chapter in my life, it’s time to retire Collegeveganista. I mean come on, the word “college” is in the title.
I loved college and after graduating went through a period of denial and withdrawal. I just wanted to go back, living on the same campus as my friends, staying up late, going out on the weekdays, living off money that wasn’t mine, and existing in a bubble, separated from the outside world. But alas, I’ve graduated. My four years are over and I need to learn to appreciate that, not pretend I’m still a college student. 
Blogging on Collegeveganista has been amazing. I discovered new things about myself, like the passions for adapting recipes or sharing my type 1 diabetes story. I’d like to thank everyone who has visited the site. I still can’t believe anyone would ever care about what I have to say. So , thank you for listening, commenting, and coming back time and time again.
Now that I am crossing blogging off my list of hobbies, I’m looking forward to dedicating more time to other interests. I’ve been writing a novel since February and with a goal of finishing it by January, I need to get going on it. I’ve been thinking a lot about the fictional characters in my book. I love crafting their stories and shaping their identities. Most of all, I enjoy speculating on how other people will receive these characters. Will they root for them, hate them, identify with them?
I saw The Amazing Spider-Man a couple weeks ago (actually I’ve seen it twice) and kept thinking about Peter Parker and how many people get wrapped up in his story. Sure, Spider-Man is obviously a hero, but Peter Parker is the greater hero in my eyes. He’s the boy that was uprooted from his family, displaced into living with his aunt and uncle, and despite such hardship, grew into a kind, hard-working young man. He did well in school. He stood up for what was right. Most importantly, his heart was the size of the planet. Just like Bruce Wane sees The Batman as only a mask in The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-Man is the same way. Spider-Man is every justice-seeking, hard-working, brave individual.
These fictional heroes become real in a sense. Their legends live on in the real world. I look at Peter Parker and I feel inspired. He faced so much adversity in high school–being bullied, losing his uncle, discovering who he was as a person–and he persevered despite those obstacles. I admit that as I step into the next chapter of my life, I look to these fictional figures for inspiration, hope, and comfort. Their bravery transcends the movie screen or comic book. 
My point through all this talk of Spider-Man, is that as I writer I hope that my characters share some of those virtues. I’m not writing of superheroes, but I’m writing of everyday people that do tiny heroic acts. I strive to write stories that will captivate readers because they care about the characters on the page. It’s a lot to live up to and a lot of pressure, especially since I guess you could consider me an inexperienced, young writer.
But as I say goodbye to you now, I’m filled with hope and optimism. I feel that I’m on the cusp on something exciting. Thanks again for visiting Collegeveganista and thank you to Spider-Man for giving me the courage to follow my heart.
Image from Urbandecay.com
Cosmetic company Urban Decay had everything going for it: bold and flirty colors, reliable products, competitive prices, vegan options, and a cruelty-free status. Last month, the company announced their plans to begin selling in China where animal testing is a regular practice. With this decision, Urban Decay could no longer carry the Leaping Bunny Logo indicative of cruelty-free certification and received criticism for the choice.
Just one month after the initial announcement, Urban Decay has pulled the switch, changing their minds, and affirming their commitment to cruelty-free development. The company posted the news on their website: “After careful consideration of many issues, we have decided not to start selling Urban Decay products in China. While several factors were important in reaching this decision, ultimately we did not feel we could comply with current regulations in China and remain true to our core principles.”
Though Urban Decay faltered in their stance against cruelty-free cosmetics, other companies, such as Bee Naturals, would never consider abandoning the cruelty-free label. Confident in her beliefs, Barbara Chattuis, president and owner of Bee Naturals, declared, “Animals are not at our disposal and alternatives to animal testing exist, making animal testing completely unnecessary.”Chattuis explained that she only uses food-grade, safe ingredients in her beauty and skincare products and tests on volunteers rather than animals. “I use neutral and organic products like olive oil and stay away from possible allergens and synthetic fragrances whenever possible,” explained Chattuis.
Images from Beenaturals.com
After 20 years of selling cruelty-free products at Bee Naturals, Chattuis remains committed to the cause, saying that the company’s stance is an extension of her own personal beliefs. “I’m an animal lover,” said Chattuis. “I am proud to be Leaping Bunny certified.”Like Chattius, owner of Artisan Naturals Stephanie Barron also thinks the cruelty-free certification is important. “I can’t imagine mistreating animals for any reason. It’s just mean,” said Barron.
After opening Artisan Naturals in 2004, Barron has witnessed first-hand the positive impact a cruelty-free stance can have on business. She recognizes that natural products are earning more recognition. “There is a notoriety that comes with the label. It sets you apart,” she said. “Consumers are savvy and look for the Bunny or PETA logo.”
Barron admitted that part of the decision to carry cruelty-free products stemmed from the business side of selling beauty products, not just her morals. Artisan Naturals is sold in Europe too, where strict animal testing guidelines require cruelty-free practices. “My products are cruelty-free all the way down to the growers on farms,” said Barron.
The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), which runs the Leaping Bunny Program, clarifies on their website that companies must also meet high standards in order to receive the bunny logo on their products. In the press release responding to Urban Decays premature announcement to sell in China, the CCIC wrote, “Companies certified through the Leaping Bunny Program pledge to eliminate animal testing from all stages of product development. The company’s ingredient suppliers make the same pledge and the result is a product guaranteed to be 100 percent free of new animal testing.”
Image from leapingbunny.org
With Urban Decay’s decision not to sell in China, the company is eligible for Leaping Bunny recertification. The company may have faltered for a minute, but ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to cruelty-free cosmetics.
For more information on Artisan Naturals, please visit http://www.artisannaturals.com/servlet/StoreFront and per the owner’s recommendation, check out the great cleansers, serums, toners, and masks.
For more information on Bee Naturals, visit http://beenaturals.com/. Bestsellers include the baby bomb, nail and cuticle oil, ultimate foot cream, and the facial moisturizer.
Even the most self-controlled of us can’t resist a slice of cake or basket of fries every once and awhile, and I admit that my self-control isn’t even that great. So when my sister texted me this afternoon and suggested we pull out the deep fryer for a night of homemade corndogs and french fries, what do you think I said?
Are you kidding me? My reaction was more along the lines of agreeing with a smirk and heading straight to Trader Joe’s to pick up ingredients. I haven’t had a real corndog in so many years and couldn’t wait to bite into the crunchy, yet tender, coating as a bit of grease ran down the wooden skewer. In the words of my mother, “It was like going to the fair!” (To which my brother so sarcastically added, “in your brain.”)
My beautiful sister Laura making corndogs
Making homemade corndogs in my family is a bit more complicated than normal since two of us are vegan, some are normal meat eaters that don’t mind going vegetarian for a day, and others won’t even look at vegan food without cringing. We knew right away that we’d need to make two kinds of corndogs: one vegan and one non-vegan. And of course to avoid any contamination, we needed to make the vegan ones first in the fryer, along with the huge batch of fries, before polluting the oil with beef juice (I kid…or not).
The most surprising part of making two kinds of dogs was seeing the difference in batter texture. My vegan sister and I opted to use pure cornmeal (non-enriched without other added ingredients) and whole grain flour. We also substituted egg replacer and almond milk for the traditional egg and cow’s milk. Our batter came out gritty, but not in a bad way. The only way I can describe it is like the difference between eating sprouted whole grain bread and white bread. They both taste great but the textures and density are different. Honestly though, after a few years of eating nothing but whole grain, I prefer sprouted bread any day. 
You could even see the different textures after the corndogs had been fried. My sister and I loved ours and ate 2 each! Our family loved theirs too.
Now, I don’t want to belittle my family’s corndogs but let’s be real; when considering nutrition, the vegan corndogs were the better choice. Calorie wise, a soy hotdog is 45 calories whereas a regular hotdog can range anywhere from 150-250 calories each depending on size, brand, and meat type. I already mentioned the whole grain aspect of our batter too. And, don’t forget that the elimination of meat and eggs also cuts out a lot of cholesterol. I don’t want to give the impression that vegan corndogs are healthy. THEY AREN’T! But, I will say that if eating something as unhealthy as a corndog, the vegan version is less detrimental to the waistline than traditional ones.
Our unhealthy fare for the evening didn’t stop at corndogs. We also indulged in homemade french fries, vegetarian baked beans, and fresh pineapple. I like to think that the pineapple offered some redeeming nutrients for the meal! 
With a menu like that, it would be very easy to overindulge in fatty goodness, as though a theme park had a half-price day for all food. My secret to making it through a fried meal without having a heart attack is to rank the foods in the order of what I enjoy the most. Tonight I picked the corndogs as #1, the pineapple as #2, the fries as #3, and the beans as #4.
Since the beans were so low on the totem pole, I didn’t bother to eat any. I figured I’d rather skip on the calories from the sugar and eat more of what I really wanted. Also, since I didn’t feel as excited about the fries, I only ate a small handful, maybe 6 or so. Since the pineapple was the healthiest choice of the night, I made sure to take a generous serving so that I would fill my stomach up with a nutritious fruit before chowing down on the corndogs.
Since corndogs were #1 on the list and since I’d taken appropriate measures to make sure I could smartly consume them without overindulging throughout the course of the meal, I didn’t feel at all guilty about eating 2. 
In case you are wondering, here is the recipe that my sister and I used from Deep-Fried.Food.com. I highly recommend eating it with a generous squirt of mustard! I also recommend that if you are craving corndogs, don’t bother making a healthy baked version. Go for the deep fried baby! It’s worth it.
To some, waking up at 7:30 on a Saturday morning for the sake of working out sounds like torture. It even sounds terrible to me. But the recent St. Louis heat–and we’re talking 100-110 degrees–has forced me to take some drastic steps to ensure I get in some cardio.
Lately, I’ve relied on tennis and yoga for the bulk of my exercise. Obviously, yoga is an inside activity and hardly affected by the weather. But playing tennis on a scorching court in direct sunlight can feel like running wind-sprints inside of a sauna. In other words, you sweat so much that your face drips off and pools on the floor next to your sneakers that have melted into gooey rubber. 
Unwilling to give up my weekly tennis trips, I committed to playing super early in the morning when it was only 85 or 90 degrees and not 105. Lucky for me, both my mom and dad said they’d join me, taking turns on the other side of the court. And, since we were there so early, we had the place to ourselves!
Avoiding the heat was only one of the marked benefits of exercising in the morning. Another plus is that we got the workout over with and could enjoy the rest of the day without interruption. There’s nothing I hate more that working out in the afternoon, meaning you have to take a shower and get ready in the morning and then again halfway through the day. What a waste of water and time! And, we didn’t have to dread the workout for hours on end before sweating through it (not that I ever dread playing tennis but you get the point, I hope).
One of the biggest benefits came for me as a diabetic. I will take this opportunity to do a short D for Dummies segment since I haven’t done one in awhile:
cartoon credit: http://www.diabeteshealth.com/cartoons
Type 1 diabetes is a disease of mystery. For one, scientists can’t seem to figure out what causes it. Unlike type 2, type 1 is an autoimmune disease and has no links to poor diet or exercise. Secondly, the disease is unpredictable. A meal one day may require a certain dose of insulin and the same meal the next day might require a different amount of insulin. But one of the biggest puzzles of type 1 diabetes is called Dawn Phenomenon.
Basically, Dawn Phenomenon is a strange trend in which blood sugar tends to run higher in the morning. It may be caused by increased adrenaline from waking up, or maybe the universe just likes to mess with us. Who knows! Like many other diabetics, I suffer from this phenomenon and require a great deal more insulin in the A.M.
Thus, exercising in the morning is great for me! My muscles burn through the sugar in my blood quickly during exercise and so the higher blood glucose levels are beneficial during a workout. Playing tennis with my parents helped me avoid a post-breakfast blood sugar spike, and instead kept my sugar levels lower and in a more normal range. And, lucky for me, the dawn phenomenon helped me avoid going low during the game, which often happens if I play later in the day.
Win-win.
Hopefully the heat will subside a bit so we can push our tennis games a little later, but getting up early on a Saturday morning doesn’t seem so bad once you factor in all those benefits, right?
**I am not a medical professional and do not intend any information I write to serve as medical advice or absolute truth. My knowledge is based on a decade of life with diabetes but I have not studied any related sciences. In fact, I’m an English major. Also, please don’t take offence to the name “D for Dummies.” I’m sure you are very smart.
A couple months ago I won a poetry contest sponsored by the Diabetes Hands Foundation and run by Tudiabetes, a diabetes forum. I felt unbelievably honored by how well my poetry was received. Last week, the contest runners asked me to make a video reading the poems I submitted. Being a film, television, and media studies major in college, I definitely felt up to the challenge.
Super excited, I did my hair and makeup and printed out my poems. Then, of course, everything went wrong. I’d been so used to having any and all video-making materials at my fingertips while in college. Now that I’ve graduated, I don’t even have a camera, let alone editing software or audio recorders. I scrounged around, using my iPhone and laptop as a camera, a few books and my bed as a “tripod” for my iPhone, and signed up for a free 30-day trial for some random software.
I think given my limitations, I made the best video I could possibly make. Please check it out:
At this point I have no idea what the contest runners want to do with this video, but I have high hopes. If nothing else, I can feel proud of my poems as they are, and hope that just maybe I touched one other person out there.
Now, if you’re a regular Collegeveganista reader, you’ve probably noticed that I can’t get through a single post without mentioning food. This morning I had a great happenstance moment in the kitchen. Sitting on my counter were four super ripe bananas, meaning that banana bread making needed to commence.
Even though I love baking, sometimes finding the perfect recipe is the worst part. I often spend more time scouring the internet than I do preparing the food. As luck would have it, @VegNews did all the work for me and posted a recipe today on Twitter! I’m so glad I came across it before sitting down with my laptop for an hour. 
The recipe for marbled banana bread can be found here on Culinary Adventures in the Kitchen. My bread is still baking, but the batter sure tasted yummy, like a snippet of childhood on my tongue, and it smells like I’ve sprayed banana bread perfume all over the house. I’d argue that one of the best perks of being vegan is knowing that I can eat any kind of cake batter or cookie dough and I won’t get sick from raw eggs (of course that never stopped me as a kid).
I can’t wait to open the oven and witness the perfection inside 
My plan for lunch…banana bread peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Now that’s the lunch of champions!
Update: Banana bread just came out of the oven! I’d say it looks pretty delicious. 
This may sound strange, but sometimes I forget that I have a disease. No, I don’t forget that I’m diabetic, but it’s tough to say the word ‘disease’ aloud, as if uttering the two syllables will cause my body to become riddled with sickness or something. Some people have a problem with the word ‘moist’ and I have a problem with the word ‘disease.’ We all have our irrational linguistic pet peeves.
Today, however, was one of those days that the universe chose to pound the word ‘disease’ into my head, as though a little gnome were sitting on my shoulder with a rock, hitting my temple in 4/4 time. The gnome would whisper in my ear, “hey you, had enough yet?”
My morning started out like any other day. Even though I still don’t have a job, I rolled out of bed around 7:30 a.m, checked my blood sugar (108), and bolused for my yummy vegan breakfast, a banana, mango, spinach smoothie with a coconut/almond milk mixture. I washed down my smoothie with a rice cake and peanut butter and then hunkered down on my task list for the day.
Halfway through vacuuming the seats in the car, I felt that familiar fatigue start to spread into my arms. My head grew fuzzy and I began to sweat. My blood sugar was low. Not a huge deal, but surprising considering I more often than not spike in the morning rather than plummet after breakfast. Oh well. I sipped on some sparkling pomegranate juice (yum!) and grabbed the hose to rinse off my windshield.
Then the ‘disease’ gnome struck again. My pump site came out, which felt exponentially more annoying since I’d just put it in last night. I finished bathing my car and put in a new catheter in my leg.
While I was knee deep in diabetes supplies, I decided to put in a new continuous glucose monitor sensor. I hadn’t worn it in about a week and thought it was about time to be responsible again. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the sensor transmitter anywhere. Crap! I tried to think of the last time I’d had it. I couldn’t remember, which meant I’d most likely thrown it away without realizing it. I looked in my purse, under my bed, in the trash, in my car, and even in my covers, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Admitting defeat, I called the sensor distributors and ordered a new one. Yet another diabetes-related copay to dish out.
After three diabetes mishaps, I assumed I’d been beaten up enough by the ‘disease’ gnome for one day, but the gnome had other plans. Every Friday I play tennis with my sister. I find that exercising on a consistent basis is the way to go for keeping a healthy life. Unfortunately, my sister is out of town and so my dad said he’d play with me. 
Years of experience has taught me that I always go low during tennis and so I drank a preemptive juice. With 30 grams of extra carbs running through my blood, we started volleying the ball back and forth. Then the gnome smashed the rock into my skull again. Within 15 minutes, I started to feel dizzy and tired. I couldn’t track the trajectory of the ball right, which of course led to some embarrassing mishaps (like hitting the ball straight into the air and spinning around in circles looking for it). I needed juice, fast.
Sometimes I feel embarrassed to admit that my blood sugar is low, even when I’m with my dad. I don’t know why. I guess I hate to inconvenience anyone or draw attention to my “disease.” But, I felt low enough to warrant a break.
After the tennis incident, I figured I’d been tortured enough by my diabetes for one day. I don’t know why I would think that the rest of the night would be smooth sailing though. Within 20 minutes of returning home from the courts, my pump site somehow managed to get caught in the folds of my shorts and rip out…again.
So what did I do? I put in a new one because type 1 diabetes never stops. That’s how I know it’s a disease. I have good days and bad days, but either way, I’m fighting for my life each time the sun rises, sets, or moves an inch.
Today was my first post-cleanse day, meaning I welcomed sugar, gluten, and alcohol back into my list of acceptable foods. This morning I felt so glad that the timing had worked out for me to enjoy Father’s Day without the added dietary restrictions; but this evening, I’m regretting that I abandoned the cleanse so quickly. My poor stomach definitely wishes I’d laid off the sugar and refined flour.
Just like millions of other families celebrating Father’s Day, mine chose to start the day with a decadent breakfast. I made blueberry chocolate chip coffee cake, which my parents and siblings enjoyed alongside mounds of potatoes and caramelized onions, fruit, and non-vegan staples like eggs and sausage. We all sipped on orange-peach-mango mimosas while my dad opened his gifts.
Not only did I give up all three dietary restrictions in one day, but I did it in one meal, and then tripled the offense with two more pieces of coffee cake throughout the day, a bowl of vegan ice cream, and another mimosa. Right now, as I’m typing, my stomach feels like I’ve swallowed a bowling ball. I’ve spent three weeks feeling light, energetic, and proud of my commitment to such a crazy cleanse, but now I feel sluggish and sick. I’m ashamed that I couldn’t even carry on a single aspect of the cleanse for a single meal (at least I’m still a vegan though).
I’m pretty sure I gained about 10 pounds today too. I’ve heard people say that sugar is addictive and I get that, but I never really thought twice about it. Man, as soon as I ate that first piece of coffee cake, I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough. I never felt like that with any of the foods I ate during the cleanse. I had so much self control–more than I’d ever had. I want that control back!
The fact that I’m feeling so rotten and negative at the moment has spurred me to add the restrictions back on. Today was a cheat day, a day to eat terribly, but tomorrow is a fresh start. Hello gluten-free, sugar-free food–welcome back!
I’m looking forward to the morning (hopefully I will be feeling better) when I can start detoxing from today. Lucky for me, I’m also volunteering tomorrow at a golf tournament for the St. Louis chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The tournament will keep me busy all day and I’m betting that I will sweat out a lot of toxins in the 100 degree heat.
I’m excited to volunteer because I’m hoping to meet some new people in the St. Louis area. I was spoiled at Brandeis. I had friends spilling out of my ears. I saw multiple friends a day in classes, parties, coffee dates, meals, and even at my apartment. I miss them and even though it’s impossible to replace my friends (we’re tight for life), I’d like to meet some new ones that don’t live half a country away.
Of all the places to make new friends, I think a JDRF event would be the perfect venue. First of all, I’d know we support the same cause (shared values are always a plus). Secondly, I’ve always thought it would be cool to make a diabetic friend. I’ve had diabetic friends in the past at Camp Sweeney or people here and there I’d met in school, but I’ve never had a diabetic friend as an adult. I feel as though my experience as a diabetic has shifted in the past couple years. My blood sugar control has tightened and the way my body reacts to foods (and of course alcohol) has changed tremendously. I’d love to find someone I can chat with about it. Maybe I can find someone tomorrow, but if not, at least I know I spent the day volunteering to support a great cause. No matter what, the day will be a success.
Well, it’s getting late and I have to be at the golf course early. It’s time to say goodnight and nurse my body back to health. I might have to stoop to taking an antacid. Eeeeeeek!
Check out the deer hanging out in my neighbor’s yard across the street this evening. My sister, mom, and I thought it might be injured and called the local police for help. The deer got scared and ran away so I’m hoping it wasn’t actually hurt but rather taking a breather and enjoying the sunshine. 
I haven’t written in a few days, so this post will most likely be a strange conglomeration of a few topics. I’ve been busy with all sorts of random things lately. Tuesday I spent the day cooking (recipe at the end of this post) and yesterday I went to Six Flags, which is always interesting as both a vegan and type 1 diabetic. There aren’t many food choices in the park so the trick is to bring a picnic lunch and eat it in the parking lot (also way cheaper and healthier). And of course, don’t forget to drink water!!
Today I just got back from an endocrinologist appointment for a routine type 1 diabetes check up. I realized as I was getting in the car on the way to the appointment that I had that nervous, icky feeling in my stomach. Let me digress for just a moment and say that I’ve been interviewing for jobs lately and I never once felt as nervous for an interview as I did this morning for my appointment. I didn’t have butterflies roaming in there, I had a tornado chewing up my insides.
I can’t quite explain why I get so nervous whenever I see my doctor. She’s the sweetest person in the world and her priority is to help me. I suppose I worry about what my A1C might be. I’m a perfectionist, and a “bad” A1C feels like loosing a championship softball game. I feel like a failure, like I’ve disappointed my doctor, myself, and my family somehow. Irrational thinking, I know. Am I the only one that feels this way about their A1C level? Lucky for me, my A1C today was great, even better than last time.
I also worry about the slew of other problems that my doctor might find. The risk of other complications is high in diabetic patients and I’d rather not find out that my kidneys aren’t working properly or that the nerves in my feet are damaged. Also lucky for me, I haven’t experienced any such complications. I’m young, well controlled, and in-shape, so chances are better that I won’t be stricken with any other diabetes-caused conditions. I can breathe easy, at least for the next 3 months, knowing that I’m healthy.
Now, back to that recipe I promised earlier in the post. My mom and I are in the last few days of our cleanse and I wanted to prove that I could make a decadent, cleanse friendly dessert. I’ve previously made date/nut balls, or goo balls as my sister and I call them, and also roasted bananas and nuts with cinnamon, and banana soft serve for dessert. But I wanted to try something fancier. I was inspired by this recipe for a raw lavender tart on Vegan Culinary Crusade.
I changed it around a bit to fit our taste buds and also decided not to make it a raw dessert. This recipe cheats a teeny bit on the cleanse because I used a little agave, but it’s still vegan, gluten-free, and cane sugar-free.
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350. Blend nuts in a food processor into a fine crumble. Add dates and salt and process together until sticky and combined. Divide mixture into 4 parts and press into individual ramekins. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes and allow to cool.
For the filling:
Process all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until creamy. Spoon into crust and freeze while preparing topping.
For the blueberry sauce:
Wash blueberries and combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over med-low heat for approx 10-15 minutes until the blueberries have broken down and sauce has thickened. Allow to cool and spoon over filling. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
I loved these! They are super filling and healthy, but beware, they are not low calorie due to the nuts. Please don’t let that make you feel guilty though! They are, after all, vegan, gluten-free, full of healthful fats and antioxidants, and packed with protein! While I managed to make this recipe into 4 servings, I bet you could easily stretch it into 8. I will definitely make these again, even after the cleanse is over. I bet a non-vegan wouldn’t think twice about missing dairy or eggs.
Now I am going to go sit back with a fresh juice I just made. I’m trying a new combo: carrot, pear, and cherry. It’s delicious! 
