14 Jul 2020
Empowerment, Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Black Health Matters with Gigi The Vegan

We are so excited for our listeners to hear this episode!

We have a really fantastic guest today who has a fascinating story about how she healed her body with food as her medicine. She didn’t stop with her own health though… She started a health movement in Kansas City, focusing on the Black community in particular. Her name is Annette Jones, but she’s better known as Gigi The Vegan.

Gigi is leading the way for black women entrepreneurs and vegan businesses in the Kansas City Area. Stephanie came to know Gigi through her line of kale chips. (They are SO delicious!) 

This week is Gigi’s birthday, and she is opening Gigi’s Vegan Cafe where she will not only be cooking up delicious and health-promoting meals, but also growing her own produce and providing a sanctuary for healing through meditation and other types of practices. Gigi is a beautiful soul and she is not afraid to tell her own story which includes her journey to becoming a vegan and healing her body from cancer. 

In this episode, Gigi really opens up the conversation concerning systemic racism that has led to inadequate education and healthcare for the Black population in our country, in turn this has created a generational pattern that Gigi is fully committed to changing in her community.

In August of 2015, Gigi was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her doctor told her that she would need surgery but Gigi felt that she needed to find an alternative. At that time, she had a lot of stress in her life and wasn’t conscious of how she was eating, and wasn’t truly taking care of herself. That is when she decided to educate herself on cancer and how to make her body stronger for surgery. 

But what happened was remarkable! After educating herself, Gigi decided to go the holistic route with an all raw, vegan lifestyle. She learned to combine different herbs together to heal her body, and now, Gigi has been given a clean bill of health! 

It was more than just her diet Gigi changed. She also changed her mental health and stress levels. “It pretty much changed my entire life and my lifestyle. And since then, I decided to help others. I went to receive training through Parkinson’s Health Institute, as well as Dr. Campbell. And here I am. It wasn’t an easy journey for me, but it was the journey that I needed to take to make myself whole again. I’m getting another opportunity to do things over again with my children and grandchildren, inspiring them to change and live their best lives.”

At Vegan Life Coach Academy we place a high level of importance on mindset work. Mindset is important to Gigi as well, and meditation is now a vital part of her life. She had to reconnect with self and with God. 

In a world where we are so busy taking care of other people, we often forget about ourselves. Gigi said she always tells people when they first start on their journey toward a healthy lifestyle, that the first thing they need to do is, “spend time with yourself. Get quiet.” 

“Fill yourself up with so much love for yourself, and then we can distribute that to others.” And we couldn’t agree more. Gigi helps people become centered in quiet, and embody a state of peace.

Gigi attributes the success of her business to the mind, body, spirit connection. 

 “It doesn’t feel like a job. It just feels like something that I am supposed to do and I never get tired of doing it. I feel honored to be able to assist people, and their lifestyle goals and changes that they want to make in their life, and inspire others.”

Gigi’s desire to make a difference in her community is visible in everything she does . Gigi believes not only that black lives matter, but also that black health matters. She believes that African American health is in a state of emergency.  

African Americans are leading the numbers when it comes to COVID deaths, high blood pressure and diabetes. Forty percent of African American men are hypertensive, and forty four percent for African American women.  Thirty-seven percent of African American men, and fifty six percent of African American women struggle with obesity.

“So, for me, I think that there has to be a focus on black health care because black health care matters.” Gigi says. “I’m just here as a vessel to do the work, the information that I have, I just want to be able to give that to my community.”

And that is exactly what Gigi is doing with the opening of her cafe, Gigi’s Vegan & Wellness Cafe, where they grow much of their own food, as well as her line of Kale Chips, and her 21 Day Detox program. 

It was an honor and pleasure to have Gigi on our show. Her story is so very inspiring. We want to wish Gigi the Happiest of Birthdays and massive success for her restaurant!

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 Vegan Life Coach Academy | Gigi’s Wellness Cafe | Connect with Gigi on Instagram|Connect with Gigi Facebook | Gigi’s Website

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12 Aug 2017
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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Tropical Kale Salad: A Tantalizing Summer Dish

Tropical-Kale-Salad

This unique gourmet vegan recipe for Tropical Kale Salad is made with sweet kiwi, macadamia nuts, and mango, and is topped with a bright tangerine vinaigrette is super simple to make!

Full of brilliant colors and packed with a variety of nutrients, this tropical kale salad is a perfect vegan dish to serve in the sizzling months of summer.

Refreshing and satisfying, this salad is also gorgeous to look at. You’re sure to receive tons of compliments on the presentation alone. And then when you and your guests dive in, the flavors will tantalize taste buds!

In case you are wary of eating too much fruit, check out the post, Adopting a Healthy Vegan Diet Plan: The Fruit vs. Sugar Confusion. Ella gives you all the info you need to feel good about nourishing your body with fruit.

Tropical Lacinato Kale Salad with Sweet Kiwi, Macadamia Nuts, Mango, and a Bright Tangerine Vinaigrette

Ingredients for Salad
Serves 2

  • 2 Large handfuls Lacinato kale chopped
  • 1 small handful organic pea shoots chopped
  • 1/4 red onion thin sliced
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 Kiwi sliced
  • 1/2 mango thin sliced
  • 8 heirloom baby tomato sliced
  • 1/2 cup Rosemary croutons cubed
  • 6 assorted olives
  • chia seeds for garnish

Ingredients for Tangerine Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup juice of tangerines and zest of 1 Tangerine
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp chopped dill
  • 1 tsp agave nectar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground pepper

Directions for dressing

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl except olive oil. Whisk well. Slowly drizzle and whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Directions for Salad

In a large mixing bowl combine kale, pea shoots and onion. Serve in a chilled plate. Evenly distribute macadamia nuts, kiwi, tomato, croutons and olives evenly between both plates. Top with sliced mango and garnish with his seeds. Drizzle on tangerine vinaigrette and serve immediately

Tips: Baby Spinach can be substituted for Kale. Pecans can also be substituted for macadamia nuts. Be sure to serve chilled.

Enjoy🍴

*Like this recipe? Check out more of my creative, gourmet vegan recipes!

23 Feb 2017
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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Rainbow Potato Hash (Vegan of Course)!

This easy vegan dish goes along with my love for the combination of potatoes, kale, mushrooms, and onions. I mean, come on, is there any better savory combination?

I almost always have left over baked potatoes of all varieties in the fridge. This is a great way to make use of the left over potatoes. I especially love this dish in the cold winter, but it’s a hit any time of year!

Rainbow Potato Hash

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 small bag of mixed baby potatoes (purple, white, new)
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 bunch curly red kale
  • 4 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

  • Heat about a tbsp of virgin coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Dice red onion and add to the skillet, cooking until onions are translucent.
  • Dice all potatoes into 1/2” cubes (left over baked potatoes are a great time saver here).
  • Cook potatoes with onion until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir often.
  • Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms.
  • Cook another 10 minutes.
  • De-stem kale by using a kitchen knife to cut along side the stem.
  • Roll kale lengthwise (I know it’s awkward with curly kale) and slice across into thin ribbons.
  • Add to skillet. Cook until tender, another 5-10 minutes.
  • Season with a pinch of pink sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
  • Sprinkle nutritional yeast over the top prior to serving.
04 Jan 2017
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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Red Kale Salad with Sliced Fennel, Pecans, Dried Cherries with Grapefruit Poppy Vinaigrette

 

This fresh, light meal is a welcome change after a long season of holiday feasting!

Red Kale Salad with Sliced Fennel, Pecans, Dried Cherries with Grapefruit Poppy Vinaigrette

salad

Watch me make this fabulous dish with my daughter!

Ingredients ts for KALE Salad (serves 2-3)

  • 1 large handful of chopped kale
  • 1 small handful microgreens
  • 1/4 red onion thin sliced
  • 1/2 bulb of fennel…thin sliced
  • 1/4 orange pepper thin sliced
  • 1/4 cup dried sour cherries
  • 1/4 cup whole pecans
  • 1/2 lemon zested
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for GRAPEFRUIT POPPY VINAIGRETTE

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions for vinaigrette:

Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake well. Serve immediately.

Directions for Salad:

In a large mixing bowl fold together kale, micro-greens and fennel. Add onion and orange pepper and mix well. Slowly add remaining ingredients and finish with lemon zest and toasted sourdough. Serve immediately.

Tips:

Do not overdress salad. Gently coat. Champagne vinegar can be substituted for Rice Wine. Dates or figs can be substituted for dried cherries.

Enjoy!

-Ron

23 May 2016
Guest Blog Posts, Vegan Recipes
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Black Kale and Spinach Salad

Black-Kale-and-Spinach-Salad

Making Love Out of Nothing at All…

We used what was on hand to create an exotic salad of, “Hearty Black Kale, Tender Baby Spinach and Sweet Basil, along with Baby Black Lentils and a Dusting of Cashews, Sweet Raspberries and Mango topped with our fabulous Rosemary Croutons, finished with a bright Shallot Vinaigrette!

Black Kale and Spinach Salad with Baby Black Lentils and a Dusting of Cashews, Sweet Raspberries and Mango with Rosemary Croutons and a Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 2 large handfulls chopped Black Kale
  • 2 small handfulls baby spinach
  • 10-12 torn leaves of fresh Basil
  • 3/4 cup baby black lentils
  • 1 large mango diced
  • 1/2 red onion sliced
  • 4 tbsp cashew dust..(ground cashews)
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 handful of Rasberries to top
  • Rosemary croutons to garnish (see Kale Salad reicpe at CallicoonKitchen.com for rosemary croutons)

Dressing

  • 3/8 cup minced shallot
  • 3/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp agave nectar

Serves 4

Place all in a sealed jar and shake well..refrigerate unused portion.

Directions for salad…combine the 3 different greens in a large mixing bowl..add mango, onion and red pepper and drizzle with dressing to coat..season with salt and pepper..arrange on a plate and top with black lentils and Rasberries ..sprinkle with cashew dust and top with croutons.

Tips: Do not overdress salad. In place of raspberries you can substitute blackberries or blueberries.

Enjoy!

15 Apr 2016
Going Vegan Tips, Guest Blog Posts, Holistic Health, Traveling Vegan, Vegan Fitness, Vegan Nutrition, Vegan Recipes
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This kale salad is the perfect way to start the weekend off right and will give you the kick start you need to stay focused on your fitness goals… and it’s delicious too!

Weekend Glow Kale Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 large head of kale (about 4-6 cups)
  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrot (2 small carrots)
  • 1 English cucumber (2 cups chopped halves)
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 & 1/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes (or other variety)
  • 1/2 cup mixed raisins and Goji berries
  • 1/4 cup hemp seed
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

  • 1 batch of Lighten Up Tahini Dressing
  • Your desired fresh or dried herbs

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and mix in a large mixing bowl. Reserve hemp seed and walnuts for sprinkling on top.

2. Make your Lightened Up tahini-Lemon Dressing in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Tear the leaves off of the kale and rip into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry kale leaves.

4. Mix the vegetables, kale leaves, and full batch of dressing (3/4-1 cup) in large bowl until thoroughly combined.

5. Place in fridge to ‘marinate’ for 10-15 minutes. Serves 4. Keeps in fridge in a sealed container for 1 day.

FOR THE LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING:
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Prepare the Lemon-Tahini Dressing: Mince the garlic in a mini food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

3 tips for preparing raw kale:

1. Remove the stems when you plan on eating it raw (and some people remove the stems for cooking too-it’s personal preference). The stems are the bitter part of the plant. I used to always use the stems and wonder why my kale salads tasted ridiculously bitter. Now I just use the leaves and it always turns out wonderful to the palate.

2. Massage the dressing into the leaves and let it ‘marinate’ for at least 10-15 minutes. A kale salad tastes best when the dressing has had a chance to soak into the leaves. This also helps soften the leaves which is especially important if you are using the curly variety. You don’t want it scratching your throat!

3. If you really don’t like curly kale, try Dinosaur (Lacinato) kale as it is less

Enjoy!!!

-Danielle

For more amazingly glowing recipes check out https://ohsheglows.com/

photo credit ohsheglows.com