Bananarific Hair Mask - 2 Videos

I'm sure it's no shock to anyone that my next venture in my Shampoo-free challenge was to try a banana hair mask! I'm actually shocked that it took me this long to realize it! So happy with the results, here's how it went:

Banana Hair Mask

What did I do Friday night? You won't be surprised to hear that I had a date with a bowl of puréed bananas. My friend Pam sent me a message talking about different natural hair treatments and of course bananas was one of them. Bananas are good for everything! I should have known that they would take care of my dry scalp issues. 

This is a demo of me using the banana mask:

I pureed around 5 ripe bananas in the blender, which ended up being too much. I would do three next time. It went on easy and I was able to really massage it in. The I left it on for an hour before rinsing.

I loved the smell and the fact that I could eat it if I felt like a snack! 

This video is the Banana Mask Results: 

I rinsed it out an hour later to find that there was no way that I was getting a comb through it. It clicked that I should do an apple cider vinegar rinse...I didn't want to loose the sweet smell of bananas, but I knew the vinegar would work to detangle my hair.  I could also see that I hadn't rinsed all of the banana out anyways. It turns out that bananas are difficult to rinse out of your hair and I still have some tiny flakes. Besides the sugar flakes, this was a huge success! I absolutely love the way my hair feels. The banana worked better than the baking soda to cut the oils and my hair is so light and bouncy today!  

Bananas for the WIN, yet another reason to love them. 

(seriously, why didn't I think of this before??)

Lots of love and bananas, 

Naturally Ashley

xo

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Day 19 - No Shampoo Challenge

So it's day 19 already and I'm getting used to my hair being a little more shiny than normal. I've been wearing it half up or in ponytails lots but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My hair is still overproducing natural oils, just like your face does when you quit using cleansers. It's from all those years of stripping the natural oils with harsh shampoos. I'm not sure how long it's going to take to balance out but I'm willing to stick with it. My hairdresser Luc told me yesterday that our hair is shiny in its natural state, imagine a horses coat - not greasy, but shiny. This is my new goal - to have healthy, shiny hair. With no products! Thanks Luc for the new perspective! I think I'll be keeping this up for more than 30 days! 

Click here ---> to watch my YouTube video for the full update

Naturally Ashely

xoxo

Dairy-Free Creamy Mushroom Soup. Heated in my Vitamix!

I was inspired to make this Creamy Mushroom Soup recipe last week by my cousin Sheena and my Aunty Sandy. They have been busy using their new Vitamix blenders to make soups and smoothies, and posted a pin on facebook of a yummy mushroom soup recipe that they had just made. (To see the original recipe click on the link--> http://pinterest.com/pin/193162271490423482/)

The recipe looked great, but I wanted to try it 'uncooked' in my Vitamix blender.  I also made a few other substitutions to fit my diet and use up what I had in my fridge like:

~exchanging the walnuts and olive oil for a 1/2 of an avocado. The avocado made it sooo creamy!

~I made it lower sodium by using water instead of broth and adding celery to satisfy my craving for salt. If you really like your salt, try the celery salt instead of the stalks. I know I really have to watch my sodium intake or I swell like a balloon!

~You may notice that I didn't use thyme but that's only because it's the only herb I didn't have in my kitchen! So by all means, add it if you have it and think that it will add to the flavor of your homemade soup. 

Did I mention how easy this was to make? It only took me ten minutes, and I couldn't have been more satisfied with the results. I can't remember the last time that I had mushroom soup! So happy to have this recipe in my life. Thank you Sheena and Sandy! xo

Naturally Ashley's Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped mushrooms (cremini or white button are nice)
1 small zucchini peeled and chopped
1/2 ripe avocado
4 green onion tops (the chives)
2-3 garlic cloves
2 small stalks of celery or 1 large stalk (or 1 tsp celery salt)
1/2 cup water


Directions: 

1. Wash and dry your mushrooms. Chop them up and set aside 3/4 of a cup of mushrooms. 

2. Add the other 1 1/4 cup mushrooms ant the rest of the ingredients into your Vitamix or high-speed blender. Blend on high until very smooth and creamy. I blended mine for 3-4 minutes to heat the soup - you can see it start to steam inside the blender. 

3. Pour your creamy mushroom soup into a bowl or two bowls. Add remaining mushrooms and stir them in with a spoon.

4. Enjoy this raw/vegan cream of mushroom soup immediately, while it is still nice and warm from the blender!

Thanks Ladies, 
Lots of love, smiles and bananas,
Naturally Ashley

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Raw Vegan Red Pepper Chili Cheese Dip

This is the most delicious dip recipe! It's gluten-free, dairy-free, raw, vegan, and the healthiest, yummiest dip ever! Take this to supper tonight and wow your friends and family! They wont believe it's not full of fat and real cheese when they taste it! 

Red Pepper Chili Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 of a red pepper (de-seeded and sliced)
1/4 c of raw tahini
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes (soaked 1/2hour-1hour till soft) 
1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix blender or food processor until smooth. I blend until it's slightly heated for a warm dip. You can make it in a food processor as well and warm it in a mini slow cooker. 

Serve as a dip with the red pepper or zucchini 'chips' or as an appi and place a dollop on top of the red pepper squares and garnish with either green onion, cilantro or chili pepper. Makes a great appetizer or snack. May also be used as a dip for other veggies or bean chips, and it tastes great slightly heated and poured on top of steamed broccoli or cauliflower!

This dip is always a hit! Everyone loves the chili cheese flavor! Give it a try and enjoy! 

Stuck in a Funk?? Get out of it instantly by doing one simple thing.

Have you ever been stuck in a funk? Trapped in a 'bad' day, in a cyclone of negativity, where there seems like there's no way out and nothing you do is going to make it better, make you smile and you feel stuck, so you might as well stay there and wallow- Well that is you choosing to stay there. There is a way out. Once you realize that you chose to be in the current situation that you are in, you then have the power to choose to get out of it. Our thoughts shape our experiences, so if you are thinking - 'She's out to get me,' 'He's always picking on me, or 'I'm having a bad day' - then she will be out to get you, and he will pick on you, and you will have a bad day. It's your choice.  Those negative thoughts and negative energies generate negative experiences. And the same goes for positive thoughts. By thinking happy positive thoughts you generate positive life experience. You might hit every light on your way to the grocery store, find a great parking spot, and get the last bunch of bananas on the shelf! Just tell yourself that these things are going to happen for you. You literally create your day and life experiences through your thoughts. Now, knowing this, you can change your thoughts from negative to positive to get out of your funk.

It's best to start your day off with a positive thought and affirm  "I am going to have a great day!" But if you find yourself wanting to get out of a funk at two pm you can simply say something like, 'I leave my negative thoughts surrounding today's events behind me, they do not serve me and I wish to let them go. The rest of my day is going to be bright and sunny and my heart will be filled with love for myself and others.' 

You can also shake it out, or dance it out! Body movement helps boost your mood in ways that eating a pint of ice cream won't - unless it's banana ice cream! Then you can eat as much as you like! Banana ice cream makes me happy! Indulging in greasy, fatty comfort foods only comforts you in the moment. It's not a lasting solution. I wanted to eat onion rings so bad today, I could smell them at work and it's harder to control your cravings when you are in a negative mood (another reason to choose happy thoughts!) I fought off cravings for junk all day today and every healthy meal I ate made me stronger. Had I have caved and indulged in foods that make me feel sick, I would have not only felt sick and weighed down, but extremely guilty as well. And that's never good. Guilt only leads to more negative thoughts and experiences. I am happy I chose to just eat a salad with lots of onions on it today, and I mean LOTS, to satisfy my cravings for those darn onion rings - it made it easier to move towards the choice of thinking happy thoughts.

Thank you to Paula, Lisa, Charmaine and Richard for reminding me of these things and helping me get out of my funk today. Once I realized that I was choosing to be there, I was able to choose to get out. You can do this too. My challenge for you is to wake up tomorrow and tell your self what kind of day you want to have! It's really that simple.

Watch how your day shifts when you change your thoughts. If negative thoughts pop into your head, simply acknowledge them and let them go, continuing to focus on the positive. 

Wake up everyday and know that it's going to be great, especially you set your mind to it.

Naturally Ashley
xo

This is my BEST Squat! -Video

I was asked to demo a proper squat at work this afternoon so I jumped up and showed the ladies my best squat! I thought I'd share it with you all as today is day 5 of my 100 squats a day challenge. What do you think? Am I doing it well?

 I'm doing 100 squats a day for 100 days inspired by 100 Squats a Day on Facebook (link below). I'm loving all the people that are messaging and approaching me to tell me that they did their 100 squats! Keep it up! I did 100 squats in 3:54 time today. That's six seconds longer than yesterday so I will be working even harder to beat my time tomorrow! Don't let yourself get discouraged if you don't beat your time every day. Be happy that you accomplished them no matter what the clock says! 

You can follow 100 Squats a Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/100SquatsaDay?fref=ts

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Chocola-Cherry Banana Pudding

~Welcome to my blog Naturally Ashley. I just finished banana Island where I ate nothing but bananas for seven days! You might think I'm bananas... but I feel great! I am also still eating lots of bananas!

 I was craving chocolate covered cherries this afternoon and came up with this recipe for Chocola-Cherry Banana Pudding to satisfy my sweet tooth. I am still reintroducing foods and trying to keep it simple, that's why this recipe is so great - it's only three ingredients! Super easy and it takes just a minute or two to whip up. 

Doesn't it look great...?

I cannot describe how yummy this was! Such a lovely afternoon treat. Sure to be a hit with your kids and you don't have to worry because it's insanely healthy. 

Here's my three secret ingredients: 

~Banana, dried cherries and carob powder!~

Ok, not so secret, I'm sure you guessed them all from the title. Maybe not the carob powder though...I use it in place of cocoa or cacao when I make my chocolately recipes. When I started using carob in place of cocoa or cacao, I mixed it half and half, but love the taste of it by itself now. I actually prefer the earthy flavor of the carob over cacao, and you don't end up shocking your adrenals with all that caffeine! I learned this lesson the hard way on Valentine's Day: I treated myself to some raw chocolate truffles made with cacao and boy was jacked! - I was up until four in the morning buzzing and incredibly restless. Not my idea of a treat! 

So I happily stick to carob powder - and you can buy it at your local health food store. 

Here's the super easy, super yummy pudding recipe:

Chocola-Cherry Banana Pudding

In a blender or food processor or blender, pulse or blend together 

~2 Ripe Brown Spotted Bananas

~Half of a package of Dried Sour Cherries 50grams (or approximately two packed tablespoons) 

~2 tbsp Carob Powder (or cocoa/cacao if you don't have any carob yet....Get some!) 

Blend until smooth and creamy! Serve with sliced bananas and/or fresh cherries in the summer if you have them. Serves two lovely people. 

Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!!!! 

Lots of love and bananas, 

Naturally Ashley

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