I love that the plant-based protein powder marketing is blowing up!

You can use yuve in smoothies, oatmeal, or on its own. But when I’m interested in testing out new protein powder, I test it out in two ways: with plain almond milk and in my 4 ingredient pancakes.

First, I tried it with plain, unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a blender bottle. On serving and about 1 1/2 cups of milk, shake it up! Tasted like a frothy, chocolate milkshake. It was unique and slightly tart but sweet.

I was looking forward to trying it in my Sunday pancakes but this would be the true test. Not every protein powder holds up to being made into pancakes so it’s a crucial test when I’m deciding if I should add a new protein powder to my pantry.

The pancakes mostly held their shape (I followed my 4 ingredient protein pancake recipe found here) but did kind of crumble when I cut into them. Still, they were surprisingly relatively firm and very tasty. I added some chocolate peanut butter fluff and coconut shreds as topping and dug in!

All in all, yuve is a success! Get a free sample here or save 20% off your first order! 

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I know a little about a lot of things but one of the few things where I’d really consider myself an expert would be plant-based proteins.  Vegan protein powders are part of one, sometimes two, of my mails every single day. It’s safe to say that I go through a lot of protein powder. When I had the opportunity to review Epic Protein, I jumped at the chance. Although I have my favorite brands and flavors, I’m always interested in trying new ones.

I opted to sample the Original flavor made from: sprouted brown rice, yellow pea, sacha inchi, cranberry seed, and jerusalem artichoke. They come in four unique flavors:  Original, Green Kingdom, Chocolate Maca, Vanilla Lucuma. One serving of the Original protein powder has 26 grams of protein! Low in carbs and fat, it’s one of the best ratios I’ve ever found in plant based protein. It’s also raw, vegan, non-gmo, organic, gluten free, nut free, and kosher! Each tub has 14 servings and costs $29.95, which is a pretty average price compared to other plant-based proteins.

While flavor is an important factor for me, I have to admit that I can probably stand some flavors/brand over others because they might be more affordable or are closer to the macronutrients I’m trying to hit.  I decided to test Epic Protein powder the three ways I’d normally consumer protein: pancakes, smoothie or just with water. 

First, I made a gorgeous smoothie of celery, kale, pineapple, green apple, ginger, dates, lemon, water and the protein. The worst thing about this smoothie is that I drank it all way too quickly because it was delicious! I wanted more, more, more, more. Granted, the ingredients themselves are tasty and refreshing but I think the protein added a subtle layer of thickness. Also, people tend to add protein to smoothies and are surprised by the way it changes the flavor which can be drastic if you don’t pick the right powder. Not all protein powders are created equal! Some just do not work in the blender, while others taste better in baking or alone.

Which is my the next way I tried Epic Protein was just with some chilled almond milk. I’ll admit that I would never, ever try the Original with just almond milk again. It was really bitter and just awful and, like I said, a lot of times I’ll sacrifice flavor for efficiency but I just couldn’t get past that awful taste. It might be better to try one of the other flavors with just water or almond milk but the Original flavor did not work.

Needless to say, I was a little bit nervous about my last packet of powder. So far, Original Epic Protein was tied 1-1 and the nutritional value and price were giving it a bit of an edge but I just couldn’t get that awful taste out of my mouth! I saved the best for last though: protein pancakes! A classic in my household and I’ve made enough of them to know which brands work and which don’t. I used my simple 4 ingredient protein pancake recipe.  The flavor was just okay but since I don’t sweeten my pancakes with anything, they do tend to be a little bland. Again, one of the other flavors might have worked better but I usually end up sweetening my pancakes with really amazing toppings or good old syrup. What I was really looking for though, was would they hold up? Sometimes certain protein powders just don’t cook up and can fall apart, leaving you with a big pile of raw mush, really a bummer. The pancakes held together well, were fast cooking and I loved knowing that I was indulging a little bit but still eating something that would keep me full and strong.

It was interesting the way the protein didn’t work when just mixed with almond milk because the other two ways I tried it (pancakes and a smoothie) turned out great. I’m not sure specifically what changed when incorporating other ingredients but I would absolutely use Epic Protein in baking or smoothies. In fact, I just ran out out of protein this morning so it’s time to place an order!

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I spent a significant period of time scouring the book for recipes that I would not only appeal to me taste-wise but that I could manage, being a new allergy-free cook. I was relatively familiar with many of the flour substituions gluten-free baking makes but was disappointed to see that almost every recipes included teff flour, sorghum flour and tapioca flour with xantham gum. They seemed to be the base for a majority of the recipes, and as you may know, these ingredients aren’t the cheapest alternatives. Laurie lists several “Essential Flours and Starches” in the beginning of the book which include sorghum, quinoa, teff, millet, cornmeal and two starches: arrowroot and tapioca flour. She notes other option flours and starches (amaranth, buckwheat, chickpea, coconut, cornstarch, garfava, nut flours, oat, potato starch, rice) but none of them are actually used in the book. I would have much preferred it if the recipes used a variety of flours and starches rather than just the same ones and I think by including some of the other flours mentioned would have given the book more unique recipes.

I had a hard time deciding which recipes to make because none really stood out to me. There are no pictures of the recipes, unfortunately, which hindered my decision making process. Laurie notes the serving size and nutritional information for each recipe, which I considered to be very helpful.

Finally, I decided on the Maple-Apple-Pecan Crisp and Chocolate-Pumpkin Custards, because I wanted to make some desserts that were autumn inspired and easy to follow. Both of the recipes were pretty tasty. Because I couldn’t find my ramekins, I made the custard into a pie (which my boyfriend devoured) and we added vanilla ice cream to the crisp.

I found the “Gluten Sensitivity and Food Allergies”, “Gluten-Free and Allergy-Free Ingredients”, and  “Additional Ingredients and Smart Substitutions” chapters to be the most helpful sections in the book, and I will most likely refer back to them again.

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It was almost too beautiful to open! Almost. It felt like a luxurious indulgence, unwrapping the box and removing each chocolate bar. The wrappers are printed on heavy, gorgeous card stock and each is handwritten with the edition. The sleek silver lining makes me feel like I’m unwrapping one of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket wrapped chocolate bars!

The box included: Classic Dark, Dark Milk, Sea Salt and Pink Peppercorn. The company uses “no soy lecithin, no xanthan gum, no emulsifiers or artificial flavorings. Just whole, organic and fair-trade ingredients.” The pink peppercorn was spicy and flavorful, while the sea salt could have used a bit more salt. The class dark 70% was creamy and rich but the winner, by far, was the dark chocolate 90% cocoa. I enjoy dark chocolate but find that anything above 75% is too bitter. I was shocked when, of all the bars, I went back for seconds of that one. It’s no surprise then, that this bar was selected as the 2014 Good Food Award in the category of chocolate. Made from organic Ecuadorian Camino Verde cocoa beans and a pinch of organic cane sugar, I’d never tasted anything quite like this bar!

All of their vegan bars (they have one milk chocolate bar that is not) are dairy free, gluten free, and nut free. You can find a retailer near you or order online, which will likely be what I end up doing. If I’m ever in Raleigh, NC, I have to visit – the factory looks stunning from the pictures. Three friends have really turned chocolate making into an art, one that we have the pleasure of enjoying!

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Ka’Chava protein powders use tribal superfoods which are “a special class of superfoods whose benefits have been tried and tested for centuries by ancient tribal cultures.” These foods include maca root, sacha inchi, camu camu, and many more highly nutritious plants, seeds and grains. If you’re familiar with any of these popular super foods, you know how expensive they can be. Ka’Chava takes all of those superfoods and conveniently combines them into one meal. Another appealing quality about Ka’Chava protein is that it’s both gluten free and soy free. I know many people are trying to limit their soy intake but it can be difficult when it comes to protein powders since so many are soy based.

In order to properly review them, I wanted to make sure that when I first tried them I wasn’t adding them into packed smoothies or a baking recipe. First up: Chocolate Ka’Chava protein powder in a smoothie. I added some cold almond milk, ice and shook it up. I wasn’t expecting it to taste like a milkshake! The chocolate was rich and robust; it almost felt like I was having dessert!

The first time I tried the vanilla flavor was after a workout so I just threw a quick scoop into my blender bottle with some water and shook. The vanilla was smooth and didn’t have that chalky after taste so many vegan protein powders have but I felt it did lack a little flavor. I’d probably consider the vanilla more of a “plain” or neutral flavor than a vanilla, which I know will still appeal to many people. Regardless, it was easy to drink and I’ve seen been incorporating it into my smoothies.

Ka’Chava protein comes in at 24g of protein per servingm 8g of fiber and 27g of carbs. Each scoop is the equivalent to one small meal, making it a perfect option before or after your workout, as a hearty snack or as a meal replacement. Each tub has 15 servings and costs $69.95, which is more expensive than most protein powders out there. However, if you think about the cost if you were to buy each of the individual superfoods, it’s probably cheaper. And, above all, it tastes great – which is generally one of the most important things we look for when purchasing a new protein powder.  Ka’Chava is a new favorite pantry staple!

You’re in luck, because we have a container of Ka’Chava for one Chic Vegan winner. Follow the instructions below to enter. US residents only please. Contest ends a midnight on October 1st. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Peach Mango and Green Elements were my two favorite juices – the hidden grains in each provide the sustenance while the fruits and vegetables provide the flavor, and together they provide lots of vitamins and minerals!

Although their juices do currently contain some partially made from concentrate ingredients, I love their vision and beliefs in sustainability and nutrition. A family owned company, Juiceology has been around since 2010 and aims to “enhance the quality of people’s lives by delivering nutritious, all natural beverages that promote a healthy lifestyle.” Their even have their own nursery where they grow their own non-gmo ingredients!

Visit their website to find where you can purchase your own bottles of Juiceology Juices!

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One of the functions of this smooth, glide on lip gloss is plumping. According to a product rep, in order for that to happen, they use “menthyl, spearmint oil, and wintergreen, along with peptides and sea algae” which does give your lips a cool tingly feeling. I was unprepared for this sensation so the first time I used the lip gloss, I was immediately turned off. After that, now knowing what to expect, I found that it wasn’t nearly as surprising at the first try. They also use “capsaicin to slightly heat up the lips for maximum plumpness.” While I didn’t notice a huge difference, I found that my lips looked fuller and more shapely but not in a ridiculous, overdone cartoon way. Still, be prepared for some tingling but once you get past that, it’s a beautiful lip gloss!

EnvyDerm’s Lip Volumizing and Conditioning Plumper is vegan and cruelty-free, and is available on EnvyDerm’s website.

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21 pressed juices and smoothies were waiting for me in my fridge when I started the cleanse on a Saturday! I had five juices and one smoothie per day – they outline in a card, which order to drink them in. This was a huge convenience, not having to think about my meals for three whole days! I was thankful that they were specific but wish I was given more information about why I was consuming the juices in that order. I was also curious about why certain spices and vegetables/fruits were juiced together; what did they do when consumed at the same time and how did they help my body?

Due to a pretty rigorous training schedule, I did supplement the cleanse with organic strawberries and some plain salad. Still, I was surprised that I wasn’t hungrier. Of course, I was never completely satisfied but I thought I’d be ravenous. I did find it difficult to work out at that time and I would advise against intense exercise. Saturday I went for a six mile run and Sunday I went to crossfit: both days I felt lightheaded and like I was going to pass out. Thankfully, I didn’t, but it was scary so I would opt to take these three days as rest or stick to yoga.

My favorite juice was Green Sunshine (chard, kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon) and my favorite smoothie was the Probiotic Smoothie (banana, flax seed, almond, lemon, dates, vegan probiotic, Himalayan sea salt, coconut oil) although all of the juices were refreshing and delicious.

At the end of the three days, I was noticeably a lot less bloated and felt great! Truth is though, if you don’t ingest the bad stuff, you won’t need to cleanse. If you stick to whole, unprocessed, organic foods, your body will already love you in return. I do like that Love Grace states on their website “juice cleansing is necessary from time to time”. I would suggest doing this after a vacation, the holidays, or when you just need a good kickstart to help get back on track. It’s nice because they’re tasty, convenient and stress free. It’s amazing the amount of time that was freed up to do anything else when I stopped worrying about what to eat, how much, what to cook, going to the store, etc. That surely aided in enjoying a relaxing three days of detoxing.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup oats
• 1 scoop protein powder
• nondairy milk
• baking powder

Directions

1. In a magic bullet or fancy blender, blend the oats to make a flour.
2. Transfer to a bowl. Add the protein powder and sprinkle some baking powder (this will make them fluffy) and slowly add milk until you get a pancake-like batter. You want to make sure you don’t add too much because then it will be runny and you’ll have to add more oats or flour.
3. Spray a pan with coconut oil spray and turn heat on. Let the pan warm up on medium heat, then pour batter to make 3-4 pancakes.
4. When the edges are turning brown, flip and cook the other side until it’s not soft in the middle. (I usually smush my finger in it to make sure)

The following are optional but I always add them for flavor:

• Splash of vanilla
• Cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg/allspice/pumpkin pie spice
• Nut butter
• 1 packet of stevia
• Fresh fruit is okay but frozen makes it too soggy

I use vanilla protein powder and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Depending on those choices, you could make other flavored pancakes and get more creative but this is the very basic recipe.

Serves one

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I’ve struggled with depression since I was 14 (I’m 29 now), that started with an overdose and was followed by years of therapy, medication, journaling, meditation, yoga, exercise, etc. You name it, I tried it! But I don’t think anything has singlehandedly had more of an impact on my happiness than going vegan.

Veganism isn’t just about what you eat; it’s a way of living and, for me, one that started with giving back. I first began to change my outlook on how I lived while volunteering at the local animal shelter a couple years ago. Shortly after, I stopped eating meat and I became more and more aware about not only what kind of food I ate but also where it came from, how, and where I purchased it. That was almost three years ago and can honestly say I’ve never been happier and more fulfilled.

I was wondering if this was just a coincidence when I was watching a documentary titled “Happy” and was sure that going vegan was directly correlated to my happiness. In the film (which I strongly recommend), they state that “gratitude, compassion, caring, love; spiritual emotions that make you think of things bigger than yourself” will allow you to transcend life and that once you “stop seeking only your own happiness and worry about the well being of the world, your life grows.”

They also identified three intrinsic goals that inherently happy people pursue and value, which include: “personal growth (trying to be who I really am), relationships (close connected relationships with friends and loved ones), and community feeling (having a sense of wanting to help the world be a better.” I watched as each value they described and thought, “Yes, yes, yes!!” It all began to make sense that this wasn’t just a coincidence but that I had altered my state of happiness through what I ate and how, and that through what I ate; I changed the very way I functioned.

Now, I’m not a doctor and I’m not saying this will cure all but I think it’s an amazing place to start. I firmly believe that once I stopped consuming the pain and agony of others, that I was able to rid myself of my own. Maybe it sounds all hippy-dippy, but ingesting that kind of torture and allowing it to enter my body, how could I not take on that suffering? If we are what we eat, then I was a body of hurt.

This new belief system has not only given me something to believe in, but it’s made me a stronger person by standing up for those beliefs. Any set of beliefs that is not the norm will often be judged, questioned, and attacked so if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you know how often you might have to defend yourself on a daily basis. These challenges have become opportunities that have allowed me to change the way I engage with others, how I articulate my thoughts and feelings, and, most importantly, weeded out those who do not support, encourage and respect me.

My life now is busy, rich, fulfilling and happy. I’m no longer dependent on medication and suffer from  fewer panic attacks, the nightmares are infrequent and you’ll see me smiling more often than not. If someone were to stop me on the street and ask if I’m happy, I can confidently and genuinely reply, “Yes.” I’ve read that depression is a “dangerous side to veganism” but the reality is that if you do your research and feed your body and mind with things like nutrient rich foods, engaging activities, and loving relationships – happiness suddenly seems accessible and sustainable.

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