Dandelion Root Frappuccino...the Recipe!

What's up guys! It's been a while since I posted a vegan recipe, so I wanted to share this quick, tasty treat that I saw on Instagram (courtesy of  IG: vintage_vegan).  This recipe is how to make a dandelion root frappuccino! Yum!! Dandelion root is very healthy and highly recognized as a great liver detox. It's high in iron and zinc and is often used as a treatement for anemia. Dandelion root also aids in digestion, lowers cholesterol, and is filled with vitamins A, C, D and B complex. Click here to purchase dandelion root! You can also purchase dandelion root tea  bags here.

The Ingredients
Let's get to it! Here's what you will need:

1. 2 Burro Bananas
2. Agave Nectar
3. Coconut Milk
4. A dash of clove
5. Ice Cubes

The Recipe

1. Brew the dandelion root tea (you want it to be concentrated so add more herbs than water)
2. Let the tea cool and add to the blender
3. Add the burro bananas, clove, agave, coconut milk, and ice cubes in addition to the tea
4. Blend until frothy and enjoy!

And that's it! Quick and easy. If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Welp, I'm Audi 5000....(HA)! Stay healthy, my friends! I love us for real!

Signed,

The Vegan World Traveler

Himalayan Salt Lamps: My newfound secret for reducing symptoms for allergies, asthma, and other ailments!

About a year ago, I had $13,000 worth of water damage in my house. It was bad, y'all. I basically had to renovate the whole house over (and that was not a bad thing).  I ended up getting new carpet, new flooring downstairs, new furniture...the whole nine. So you know it was only right for me to put some new paint on those walls! LOL. You know how we do...lol (always wanting something new). Anywho....I ended up painting the entire downstairs in a matter of a day or so...It looked really nice, but in the process, I started to feel sick.

Let me back up for a second. I ran to Home Depot and I got the color of paint I wanted for the downstairs area. It was a green olive color (that color went perfect with brown laminate floors). Without hesitation, and without looking at the ingredients...that was the color I wanted! I did end up getting a facial mask to use while painting (because the smell was so overpowering), so I could have some kind of relief. Ok so, boom...we were in there painting. The scent was so strong, I had to walk outside a few times and even let all of the windows up. We finished and the downstairs area looked great. But I started to feel dizzy, my throat started hurting, and I had a very bad headache. At first I thought, "Am I coming down with something?" But then I thought, "Nah, these symptoms are ACUTE like a mug!!" hahaha....it had to be something related to the paint. I looked on the back of the paint, and it had VOCs (volatile organic compounds) as the ingredients. Silly me!

What the heck are VOCs anyway?
VOCs are solvents that get released into the air as the paint dries. VOCs are also in cleaning supplies (basically harmful chemicals)! And guess what? It causes acute symptoms, including headaches, and dizziness. According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, some VOCs are suspected carcinogens--in other words....causes the big C...cancer. That smell stayed in my house for days! I was like, "Oh haaaaayel nah!! I got to get some relief and at least try to detox!" My best friend Risa said, "You should try Himalayan salt lamps!" I had heard of them before, but didn't know much about them...I swear by them now! Check out the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps below!

1. Salt Lamps Remove Toxins From the Air.  Yep! Himalayan Salt lamps are made up of water molecules and salt. Salt lamps remove dust, contaminants, pollen, and cigarette smoke from the air. When you plug up the lamp, it heats the salt crystal. The water molecules then evaporate back in the air and the toxins (i.e., smoke, contaminants, dust, smoke) remain locked in the salt. It's like it traps harmful particles in your house!
2. Himalayan Salt Lamps Reduce Allergy and Asthma Symptoms. Yes!! So many of my friends and family have allergy and asthma problems. I definitely recommend having at least one of these in every room of the house. Because Himalayan Salt lamps remove dust, mold, and contaminants from the air in your house, it can significantly reduce allergy and asthma symptoms you're suffering from.  I used to always have a stuffy nose at night when I went to sleep...miserable! Aside from me going vegan and cutting dairy from my diet, I placed one of these things in my bedroom. After about a week, I could definitely tell the difference! I haven't had a stuffy nose (with the exception of a cold here and there) in about two years!
3. Reduces Coughing. When the Himalayan salt lamp is heated, it expels negative ions which helps to keep your lungs clear. By removing contaminants from the air, Himalayan salt lamps help your body filter air more efficiently so any foreign matter you do inhale won't make it into your lungs.
4. Himalayan Salt Lamps increase energy levels.  If you find yourself feeling sluggish or tired, try placing these salt lamps in the room of your house where you sleep or relax the most. The negative ions that the lamp produces increase energy levels. You should notice a big difference after about a week!

Back to my Painting Story....
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I was very sick the first few days after painting my downstairs area of my house. I went out and purchased 3 Himalayan salt lamps--one for my living room, one for the kitchen, and one for my bedroom. I kid you not...within about three days of having those lamps (I never turned the lamps off), I felt better! My headache, sore throat, and dizziness all went away. I think those Himalayan salt lamps helped me to detox what I inhaled from the paint. Learn from my mistake though-- if you decide to paint inside your house, purchase paints without VOCs or at least "with low VOCs"...and wear a facial/chemical mask please! I swear these companies be trying to kill us! lol.

There are some fake Himalayan Salt Lamps Out There...Choose Wisely!
Not all Himalayan Salt Lamps are created equal! Here are some tell-tale signs that show that some Himalayan salt lamps are not authentic:

• It's very bright.  The authentic Himalayan Salt lamps range in color from a medium pink to a dark orange. If it's more on the whitish side, or can illuminate an entire room? That shit ain't real! Next!! LOL
• The lamp is NOT Fragile.  It's not uncommon for the Himalayan salt lamps to be damaged during shipping due to improper handling or poor packaging. So if you accidentally drop or bump your Himalayan Salt lamp and it does not crack or break, that's a sure sign that it's faker than a $3 dollar bill. 😂😂😂
• The Himalayan Salt Lamp's country of origin does NOT say "Pakistan." Most (real) Himalayan pink salt originates from the mines of Khewra, Pakistan, located in the Himalayan Mountains. So if your lamp doesn't say "Made in Pakistan," take that fake shit back. You've been had! 😂😂

To learn of other ways that you can tell if Himalayan Salt Lamps are fake (or not), click here. I've purchased my Himalayan Salt lamps from Amazon. I can see a big difference in my allergies and how I sleep. Click here to purchase your Himalayan salt lamps!
Welp, that's it for me....Treena V. is signing off. If you happen to purchase one or more of these babies, keep me posted on what you think! Stay healthy, my friends! I love us for real!


Signed,
-The Vegan World Traveler

Four Heart-Healthy Cooking Oils That Are Great for Your Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, and Overall Health!

In 2016, I had a big birthday party, and all of my close family and friends came from near and far to be there--except my daddy! Although I wanted him to be there, I put my selfish ways aside because he just had a stent inserted in one of the major arteries leading to his heart. During the weeks leading up to his surgery, he kept complaining of constant heartburn and acid reflux. I suggested that he drink cayenne pepper water to relieve it. Although cayenne pepper is great for acid reflux and heartburn, it didn't work. It turned out that one of the major arteries leading to his heart was 90% clogged!! Ninety percent! My daddy was literally on his way to a potential heart attack or stroke. Something needed to change, and it was definitely the way he ate and what he cooked with.


After his surgery, I drove home to visit him. I looked in his cabinet, and I saw Crisco cooking oil! Crisco oil is a vegetable oil (but it's not made from vegetables, like many other vegetable oils...go figure)!  I was raised on Crisco oil and lard (yes, y'all...lard)! Crisco oil and many other vegetable oils such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, rice and soy contain a lot of pesticides and have been genetically modified. It has been shown that it also contains trans fats (which are not good for your heart). So, you end up eating a lot of toxins, which causes inflammation in your body.  And that's what my dad was using when cooking his food. I threw it out. He started fussing (LOL), but I assured him that I would replace those oils with healthier ones. And I did. I get it though...that's all he knew, and that's all I knew growing up. When you're set in your ways, you don't want to gravitate to the unfamiliar. However, in the next few paragraphs below, I'll discuss four heart-healthy cooking oils that you will want to start using!


Olive  Oil
Olive oil is really good for heart health. It's loaded with antioxidants (it contains vitamin E and phenolic compounds, which help reduce the formation of damaging free radicals and inflammation in your body). Studies have shown that olive oil also helps prevent high blood pressure and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.  Although olive oil is a very healthy oil to consume, don’t cook with olive oil at high temperatures because it changes its form once it’s heated beyond a certain temperature and becomes very toxic for the human body.  That's why I typically only use olive oil on salads. It's not meant to use for high heat cooking.  I typically don't cook with it, to be on the safe side. Check out this link on more information of why not to cook olive oils at high temperatures here. Grape seed and avocado oils are high heat cooking oils and are better for things such as frying. Click here to purchase a bottle of olive oil for your kitchen!

Grape seed Oil
Grape seed oil is actually my favorite cooking oil. I use it for cooking  sautéed vegetables and stir fry dishes. Grape seed oil is actually extracted from the seeds of grapes, typically wine grapes. Grapes are known to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Some benefits of cooking with grape seed oil is that it has powerful antioxidants, which include flavonoids and linoleic acid. These substances protect blood vessels, which can prevent high blood pressure. Grape seed oil also has high levels of vitamin E, which strengthens the immune system. Studies have also shown that grape seed oil can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease (which runs in my family). Click here to purchase grape seed oil!

Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is the most expensive of the four oils, but it is very good for your heart! It is high in monounsaturated fat (the good fat--the fat that promotes healthy cholesterol levels), and it decreases inflammation in the body (common results of chronic inflammation in the body are diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease). Avocado oil also contains "chlorophyll," which has cancer-fighting and detoxifying properties. The down side? The price of avocado oil (on average) is about $10-$12 a bottle, give or take...BUT-- I look at this way...it may be pricey, but you might be saving yourself from a lifetime of medication. Click here to purchase avocado oil!

Sesame Oil
Like the other plant-based oils mentioned above, sesame oil is also high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can greatly reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Sesame seeds also contain a whole lot of vitamins, magnesium, iron, calcium, copper, and zinc...all good for your health! Sesame oil lowers blood pressure, and lowers your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It can also reduce arthritis pain and swelling of joints. Click here to purchase sesame oil for the kitchen!

Let me just say, I went to the doctor about three weeks ago. My last blood pressure reading was 117/76. Not bad, considering I'm out of my 30's and I'm not on any medications! I think I might be on to something here! :-) Well, that's it for me....Treena V is signing off. If you have any questions or comments, leave me a comment below, or email me at theveganworldtraveler@gmail.com. Until next time...stay healthy my friends!


Signed,


The Vegan World Traveler

Kickin' it in the UAE...Dubai and Abu Dhabi--the Trip of a Lifetime!

What's up y'all!! Quite a few people have asked me questions regarding my trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi. By far, it was one of the most fascinating trips of my lifetime other than traveling to South Africa. It's always good to travel outside of the United States to get a different perspective of the world outside of what the media portrays to us.  Keep reading to get the "skinny" on airline ticket pricing, hotels, and the culture in the UAE!


How much  did you say my ticket was??
It was Christmas Day, 2014. My friend Sherra sent me a text at 8am in the morning...and it didn't say "Merry Christmas." The text read, "Treena, get your ass up....they have tickets to Abu Dhabi on Priceline for $241." Say what? You mean, $2041?" "Nope...$241. We got to hurry up and book our tickets! It's a glitch on their system and I'm not sure how long this price is going to be out there!" Now, y'all know I didn't trust this price AT ALL. Was this some kind of joke or scam?? Sherra told me not to ask any questions, just "book the shit now, and ask questions later!!" Bahahaha! So I did....best decision I've ever made!


What is a glitch?
Sometimes the airline companies have glitches in their system. Basically "flight mistake fares," or "error fares" which are hugely reduced flight tickets due to a mistake in pricing. The price typically never lasts long on their system (you'd be lucky if it's up there for 30 minutes), so you have to act fast! I'm not the type to sit around and monitor flight prices all day, but I'm lucky enough to have nomad friends that do! LOL. Literally, as soon as I hit "book ticket," I went back to the home page of the airline website, and the flight had changed to almost $2000. I was a lucky bitch THAT day! LOL. I will be writing a separate post in reference to glitch deals and other travel tips so stay tuned!


The Flight
The flight was VERY long. I flew out of D.C. on Etihad airways. The flight one-way was 16 hours. On gawd, that flight killed me! LOL. Some necessities you will definitely need are compression socks, headphones, lots and lots of snacks, an ipad or similar tablet, and Netflix! Click on the links to purchase these items for your next trip! Personally, I always shop with Amazon (I have Amazon Prime) because I know my items will be shipped in two days!


First Stop- Abu Dhabi!
We flew into Abu Dhabi and stayed for the first 3 days of our trip. We stayed at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche hotel. The hotel was very nice and very clean. Of course, we weren't in the hotel most of the time! We rested up the day we arrived due to jet lag, but the next day, we were off to have "traditional afternoon tea" at the Emirates Palace!


Emirates Palace
Little known fact--the Emirates Palace is where the "Fast and Furious 7" movie was shot. And it's beautiful onscreen and off! It is normal to go and have afternoon tea and pastries there. I felt like royalty up in there! LOL

We sat down and had tea, tasty pastries, and get this--cappucino with gold. That's right...24 karat gold flakes were sprinkled on top of the cappucino. It's a common treat in the Middle East. I actually drank gold, y'all!

Cappucino with 24k gold flakes in Emirates Palace

Speaking of gold, they also have gold bars that you can purchase...kinda like how ATMs are set up in the U.S.! You can get gold to-go! Now that's what you call rich!! Bahahaha. I've never seen anything like it in my life!

Gold "To-Go" "ATM"

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu-Dhabi
The next day, we decided to go to the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. I'm not Muslim, but I was very fascinated and intrigued to go there. For starters, women can't take pictures in front of the mosque unless their head is covered. You might be escorted away or even arrested if you don't comply! So--if you plan on going to Abu Dhabi, (women) might want to bring a few scarves to cover your hair with. When you go into the mosque, they actually have "gowns" that you can rent for free while you're inside. The mosque is breathtaking. It has marble floors throughout, and you will hear the "call to prayer" (sounds like singing). If you're nearby, you will hear this several times a day! If you decide to go to Abu Dhabi, you should definitely visit the mosque! We stayed at the Ritz Carlton directly across the street from the mosque. I was actually surprised that our nightly rate to stay at that hotel was like $225 a night (USD). That night, we decided to dress up like the locals and get fancy to have dinner. I purchased a kaftan dress and felt rich! LOL. What can I say, we were in the land of the rich. Ladies, click here to purchase a kaftan dress before your trip!

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

I'm mosque ready!

Me in my kaftan dress, Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi (right across the street from the Mosque)

Bye Abu Dhabi...hello Dubai
After three days in Abu Dhabi, we headed to Dubai. By taxi, it's roughly a 45-minute trip. Make sure you do a currency exchange with plenty of their cash. Most taxi drivers do not take credit cards! When we got there, we immediately hit the ground running. We went to the mall (I think it was called the Dubai Mall), and our travel group was hosting a yacht party around the city of Dubai at the Dubai Marina. We had a ball!! We had a DJ on the boat, a lot of food, and a lot of socializing. We even stopped the boat along the way so some folks could take a swim. Not me, though. LOL! One thing I will say, it was well over 100 degrees on the yacht. I was sweating something awful....and there was no shade. So bring your sunglasses and lots of sunscreen on your trip!

Yacht Party in Dubai

Overlooking downtown Dubai from our yacht

Champagne on the boat!

The Burj Al Arab Jameirah- 7-star hotel
The Burj Al Arab Jameirah is the third tallest building in the world. There are only a handful of 7-star hotels in the world, and this hotel is one of them. Nightly rates to stay at this hotel range from $1200 to $7000 a night....meh, let's just say, I didn't stay there! Sheesh!! LOL. Will and Jada Pinckett Smith were staying there while I was in Dubai though...at least I took a pic for y'all (that's all I can give ya)! LOL. We also visited the Burj Khalifa (one of the tallest buildings in the world), but we didn't get a chance to go inside. I tried to take a picture of it from the outside (too tall)...no bueno!!

The Burj Al Arab Jameirah, 7-star hotel, Dubai

Loungin' in the Desert
One of the last things we did was go to the desert. We went late in the evening (it was way too hot to go in the day). If you get motion sickness easily, I wouldn't advise you go! LOL. You will have tour guides who will drive you into the desert (which takes about 15-20 minutes to get to your tour's destination). There are hills in the desert that are extremely steep! And they don't care about driving fast over them! They will even disclose to you that there is a possibility that the vehicle you're riding in will tip over! I was screaming the whole damn time until we got to our destination! LOL. Tip- don't wear sneakers in the desert. Sand will get all in your shoes. Bring flip flops or something like that!

When we got to our destination, my people rode camels. Not me, though! LOL. I actually got on a white horse instead. The camels were stinky and they were howling like they were crying! Nah bruh, I'm good. HAHA! For our tour, we also had a young lady do a belly dancing performance for us. The UAE people were nice and very welcoming of their countries. I even got one of them to take a picture with me. His name was Khalil. He told me he listens to hip hop and Rick Ross was his favorite rapper. Okay, Khalil! LOL

Me and Khalil

A few other travel tips that may help you before you travel to the UAE...

1. One thing you DON'T want to take pictures of--are police cars. It is a crime in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they will lock you up! LOL...Just saying...
2. You don't have to be completely covered over there, contrary to belief. It is just a general respect to the locals that you are covered (but it's not a requirement). I saw folks that had their arms and legs out. However, when you go to the mosque, you have to be covered.
3. If possible, purchase one of those foreign outlet converters. Their electricity voltage is different from our voltage in the U.S. So if you bring your phone charger over there, it will not fit in their outlets. The hotels usually have extra ones, but they will only give you one. If you are rooming with someone, y'all will be fighting over charging your phones. LOL. Click here to purchase a foreign outlet converter for your upcoming trip!

Welp, that's it for me....that's all I can think of right now. My brain is fried. LOL. If you have any follow-up questions on Abu Dhabi and Dubai that are not in this post, send me an email at theveganworldtraveler@gmail.com. I will get an answer for you! Have a great one!


Signed,


The Vegan World Traveler