Latest / Age Like a Badass Mother / Ep. 95: Reinventing Life at 50: Plant-Based Health, Confidence & Dating with Brandi Doming

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Ep. 95: Reinventing Life at 50: Plant-Based Health, Confidence & Dating with Brandi Doming · Age Like a Badass Mother

0:00
Hi, friend.
0:00
I want to thank you for listening.
0:02
Because of you, age like a badass mother is in the top 5% of all podcasts.
0:09
I can't tell you what it means to me, and I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart.
0:14
This week my guest is Brandy Domingue from The Vegan eight.
0:18
She shares her dating experiences.
0:20
She does not believe in dating apps.
0:22
You're not going to believe where she meets people, and she tells us how to naturally glow with her strawberry mask and stay till the end because she shares the best food to eat for hair growth.
0:34
Get ready to fall for Brandy Domingue.
0:37
This episode is presented by Grand Teton.
0:40
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That'll be in the show notes.
1:34
And now here's Brandy Domingue.
1:37
Hello, I'm Lauren Bernick, helping you make the rest of your life the best of your life.
1:43
Welcome to age like a badass mother.
1:48
My guest today is Brandy Domingue.
1:49
You might know her better as the vegan eight, where she teaches people how to eat healthy, plant based meals without sacrificing flavor.
1:57
She is a proud mother, cookbook author, and photographer living in Houston, Texas.
2:03
Her cookbooks are the vegan eight 100 simple, delicious Recipes Made with eight Ingredients or Less.
2:09
And her latest book, Vegan Wholesome High Protein Meals and Snacks to Energize and Nourish.
2:15
Please welcome Brandi Domingue.
2:18
Hello. Hello. Hi.
2:20
So glad to finally meet you.
2:22
I've known of you for a long time, and I've made your recipes for a while, so I'm thrilled.
2:28
Yeah.
2:30
So you're you're just down the road for me in Houston.
2:32
Is that where you grew up?
2:33
Yes. Yeah. I've lived in Houston my whole life.
2:36
I lived in Austin for about a year as well.
2:38
So tell me how you started The vegan eight.
2:42
What was the idea behind it?
2:44
Well.
2:45
My husband ex-husband, suffered from gout.
2:50
You know, very debilitating.
2:52
What is that, exactly?
2:54
It's a very well.
2:56
Right.
2:56
It's, it's arthritis, and but it's a very painful one where it migrates to the joints like the feet, mainly, and the knees and elbows, and it's basically uric acid in the body that builds up and it doesn't leave the body enough.
3:10
It creates such a strong buildup of uric acid that it has nowhere to go.
3:16
So it goes to the joints and that it forms into like needle shaped crystals.
3:21
And they jab at the joints.
3:24
And it.
3:25
Makes your feet swell up red, your knees, your elbows.
3:29
And he had it very bad.
3:30
He was on crutches a lot.
3:32
So, you know, we had tried many, many diets over the years.
3:35
He had it pretty much almost the whole time I knew him.
3:39
And, it just became a very difficult way of life because, you know, every time we would make plans to go somewhere, he would have a flare up and he'd be in bed for two, three weeks.
3:48
And so I tried many diets over the years of eliminating things based on what the doctors would tell us to do, and nothing ever worked.
3:57
It just nothing ever worked with the doctors to tell us.
4:00
And of course, he was on multiple medications and so I just started researching online.
4:05
I mean, I did that for a long time, trying to find any answers I could to reduce inflammation in his body.
4:11
And I finally came across plant based eating and how it reduces inflammation.
4:17
So I thought, okay, well, let's try going vegan and see if that works.
4:20
And it worked.
4:21
And that. Was.
4:22
Gosh, did you like watch Forks Over Knives or like what what what did you find?
4:29
No, I never watched the doc documentaries.
4:31
I just, I just I don't even remember the day or that article.
4:35
I just remember I came across something on line one night at two, three in the morning, cause I was always looking in the middle of the night, you know, because I was up late at night, always worrying about his health.
4:45
And I just came across something where, you know, reduce or removing animal products reduces inflammation.
4:53
And I thought, okay, well, he's always inflamed, his joints are always inflamed, and everything he eats is inflamed.
4:58
And learning that animal products cause inflammation, I thought, okay, well, let's remove it completely because we had tried vegetarian and he was still having flare ups.
5:08
You know, I was still giving him dairy and yogurt, and yogurt was a really big, culprit of, flare ups.
5:14
So, just went vegan and then his, his, symptoms started to go away.
5:20
He was able to get off the medications, and and that's where it started.
5:26
And then I just changed the way I cooked and that was.
5:30
How long was it before he started seeing results?
5:34
Oh, like three weeks.
5:35
Are you kidding?
5:36
No, not at all.
5:37
How old was he at the time?
5:40
That was in.
5:41
2012, I think.
5:44
Yeah. 2012.
5:46
So he's 57 now.
5:49
So what was that?
5:51
I don't know, I don't that I'm 57.
5:54
I don't know how. Old I was in 2012.
5:56
But he was probably.
5:58
God, I'm so bad.
5:59
What is that.
6:00
How long. Ago?
6:00
Like 30 years ago. Right. 13 years ago.
6:03
So yeah. So 13. -15. Bears.
6:07
So he was like 44.
6:07
Wow. I did it to my son.
6:10
I can't believe it.
6:11
Oh my God.
6:12
This is.
6:13
Very sad to how many people does it take.
6:16
Okay.
6:17
So he was about 44.
6:19
You know I was about 46.
6:21
Now that makes sense because I in 2015 I was 46.
6:26
Yeah.
6:27
And that's when I, you know, did the same kind of thing.
6:30
Okay.
6:31
So it only took about three weeks till he started seeing.
6:34
Yeah. Results.
6:36
Basically every time somebody who is prone to gout, his father has it too.
6:41
And any time you eat the food or the alcohol, because alcohol is a big trigger for gout, especially beer.
6:47
He wasn't a big drinker anyways.
6:49
I mean, I met him and he hardly ever drank, but if he would have something.
6:53
Oh, it was horrible.
6:55
But like wine, beer.
6:57
Just alcohol in general.
6:59
So any time you eat something within 24 hours, the flare up would happen.
7:04
So once you stop eating those things, then it clears right up.
7:08
And it was just learning what not to feed him.
7:10
But even plant based eating, there's still several things he couldn't eat that are that are like what?
7:17
Like high purine foods cauliflower, spinach, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, asparagus those are all high curing foods.
7:26
So if he eats those, he's going to have just a bad just as bad of a flare up as meat.
7:32
Oh, really?
7:32
Yeah. That was it.
7:33
Took me it took me a long time to learn all this because I would cook something and then within 24 hours, he'd be in horrible pain.
7:42
And I'd feel like a horrible wife because I'm trying to, you know, cook something healthy for him. And.
7:49
But that was how I learned, you know, like the traditional yeast, I would make things with the nutritional yeast because we became vegan.
7:55
I'm like, oh, wow.
7:56
Nutritionally, I'm.
7:56
Putting you nutritional yeast balancing, of course.
7:59
And then that was like I noticed I started noticing a pattern of certain ingredients.
8:03
I would literally, you know, do all this analyzing of each thing I would make of each ingredient.
8:10
And so I finally learned every single ingredient.
8:13
So I've been able to help a lot of my followers that came to me finding out about the gout, like, avoid this, avoid this, don't eat this.
8:21
Or if you do like eat this.
8:23
Limit it to three times a week.
8:25
You know, because every everybody's different and how much it's going to cause a flare up.
8:30
And you said cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli.
8:35
Broccoli.
8:37
Gravy.
8:37
Like a wine gravy.
8:39
I have like a whole list.
8:42
Interesting.
8:43
Okay, so if anybody's suffering with gout, just visit the vegan Edgecomb.
8:49
I also had. To, being overweight is a huge contributor, because, of course, if you're overweight, then that's inflammation in the body.
8:58
And that also will make somebody way more prone to gout.
9:02
So yeah, we did, way back then.
9:06
Did he lose weight once he started eating this one.
9:09
You know, like 40 pounds.
9:11
Wow. Yeah. He wow. What a way.
9:12
And what about you?
9:14
What did you think about this way of eating?
9:17
Well, When I first started doing it, I wasn't thrilled because, of course, you know, when you first go vegan, you don't realize.
9:25
You think, you know you can't have dairy anymore.
9:28
That means you're not going to be off cheese.
9:29
You're not going be all the ice cream.
9:29
You're not going to know anything creamy.
9:32
So that's just, again, that's a whole learning process.
9:35
And then I learned about cashews and I learned how I could make the creamy sauces.
9:39
I learned how I could make homemade ice cream.
9:42
And once I figured out how to make everything vegan and still taste just as delicious, I was fine.
9:47
But at first I was not happy because I was.
9:51
But I didn't.
9:51
I didn't want him make him do it by himself.
9:54
Yeah, that's why I was like, look, I'll go vegan with you.
9:56
I'll do it completely with you because I wasn't I didn't want to, like, torture him by eating something delicious in front of him because he was way more reluctant than I was because he's Cajun, he's from Louisiana, so he is a seafood person.
10:10
And seafood is horrible for gout.
10:13
So he he was more unhappy about it than I was, but also suffering from so much pain for so many years.
10:22
He was by that point willing.
10:25
To do it.
10:25
Yeah.
10:26
So and that's that's pretty incredible.
10:29
And then so how, soon after you started figuring this out, did you, like, start your website and, and say, oh, I'm going to try to help other people, Within the year.
10:40
Really? Yeah.
10:41
Because, I had always I had already been sharing my, my recipes, like on my Facebook page because I've always cooked and baked since I was a kid.
10:50
That's always been something that I've loved to do.
10:51
But I would share, like fajitas and I would share, soups and things like that that had meat and dairy in them.
10:57
So once I was changing the way I was cooking, I was like becoming really, really creative.
11:02
So I thought, man, I'll start sharing these healthy recipes and see if anybody's interested.
11:07
And so I kind of tested it on Facebook, said, hey, you know, by the way, no more meat, no more dairy.
11:14
But if you're interested, but, you know, people are always interested in healthy food.
11:18
Usually.
11:19
If they're trying to improve their health or, you know, get in better shape or whatever.
11:23
So people are interested in, if they taste good, then then people will latch onto that.
11:29
And so I started a blog, and then people started making my recipes that I didn't even know.
11:33
And that's I was like, wow.
11:35
So that's how it all started.
11:37
And that was that's crazy.
11:39
That's crazy.
11:41
Like, okay.
11:41
And and did any of his, Cajun family start eating this way. Or.
11:46
At least making your recipes?
11:48
Yeah. His mother. His mother. Wow.
11:50
Yeah.
11:50
His mother's favorite recipe of mine is, my Mexican chili.
11:54
She always made that, she always kept it in her freezer.
11:58
Yeah, she loved a lot of my soups and my dips.
12:00
She even like my ice cream.
12:00
Like it's great.
12:03
She was like.
12:04
And she was not.
12:05
She's not vegan at all. Like, at all.
12:07
She used to love cheese more than anything, but she was blown away when she would taste my stuff and be like, wow, is there no milk in this?
12:14
How is or no.
12:16
So if it tastes good, you don't care.
12:18
You know what I mean?
12:20
Yeah. You're absolutely right about that.
12:21
I. Yeah.
12:23
And so I know that, you're divorced now.
12:27
Do, does he still eat this way?
12:30
No. Oh, no.
12:33
Yeah.
12:35
Which is funny.
12:36
But that's why I mentioned the weight.
12:39
We got divorced.
12:43
2000, 21 is when I file divorce.
12:47
So it's been over four years now, but after we got divorced, he went on a very strong fitness regimen, like path.
12:58
And to where?
12:59
And he never really exercised. Why?
13:01
We were married.
13:02
We were married for nine.
13:04
We were together 19 years, and he never really exercised, like, ever.
13:09
And so once we got divorced, he started exercising and lifting weights and has gotten into incredible shape, like, he's all muscle now.
13:18
And so by removing all that excess weight and fat, he's he's so healthy now he can now eat meat.
13:26
Are you kidding. Me?
13:27
I'm no, I'm dead serious.
13:29
Wow. It's it's shocking, but that's that's why I say being overweight is a huge contributor.
13:36
Like, I was shocked because, I mean, I don't know what he's doing because I don't live with him, of course, but I don't know if he's still taking medications to curb, you know. The.
13:48
Yeah. Effects.
13:49
I don't know, it's none of my business.
13:52
But I do know that he is not vegan anymore.
13:54
That's. No I've seen him eat steak.
13:57
Oh my God, that's so ironic because here you are still vegan, still making cookbooks.
14:03
I know, that's crazy. Look, I.
14:05
Mean, that was all meant to be talked about.
14:06
Meant to be?
14:07
Yeah.
14:07
So, you know, one thing that I find interesting is that you said you really are on good terms with him.
14:15
You guys do a great job of co-parenting.
14:18
And I just want to ask you about that, because I feel like a lot of people at this life stage.
14:24
And, by the way, you just turn.
14:27
Did you just turn 50?
14:28
Did I read. That? Yes. I'm where am I making that?
14:30
I mean, because you look incredible. Thank you.
14:33
But we'll come back to that.
14:34
But a lot of people at this life stage, like I are, you know, this is the time.
14:40
If you're going to get divorced, it's usually either like when your kids are really little or you make it through that and then you get divorced. Now.
14:47
So I want to ask you, like, how do you think that what did you guys do to be able to have a good divorce?
14:57
Well, we did not have a good divorce.
15:00
I. Thought you did.
15:01
I'm sorry. I thought you did.
15:03
No, no, you don't know if.
15:03
You can have a good divorce.
15:05
It's not a pleasant thing, right?
15:06
Yeah. No, it. Was not, a good divorce.
15:09
We are on good terms now, but we did not speak for, like, three years.
15:15
Like, do you have any advice? What?
15:16
What enabled you after?
15:19
I mean, I know the anger subsided, but were you like, hey, you know, let's talk or what?
15:24
What precipitated the getting along better?
15:29
Well, I always tried to from the very beginning, tried to talk to him, but he didn't want to talk to me.
15:36
I'm the one who initiated the divorce, so I.
15:40
Figured, yeah.
15:42
If he didn't want to talk to you, I think I did. Yeah.
15:45
It. And, you know, that's fine.
15:48
I'm not going to discuss why.
15:49
Because that's that's personal reasons, but.
15:53
He didn't want to talk.
15:54
He was very angry for a long time.
15:56
And, I eventually was kept trying.
16:02
I just kept trying.
16:03
And eventually it was after, It was after my mother died.
16:08
That's what it was.
16:08
It was after my mother died.
16:10
I tried even harder to connect with him.
16:14
And, for the first time in a long, like, a long time after my mother passed, he messaged me to say I'm really sorry because he knew how special my mother was to me.
16:25
And then after that, Olivia had a birthday party, and, I invited him to the birthday party, and he came and, and we just started talking, and I just said, you know, I just I feel like we need to move past this anger and forget, you know, forgive each other.
16:44
And and that's basically it.
16:47
And so we just slowly built up a co-parenting situation that works really well.
16:52
Okay, good.
16:53
I mean, look, I think it takes a long time sometimes.
16:57
You're right.
16:57
Yeah.
16:57
I think that, you know, there is a lot of anger when people get divorced.
17:01
Yeah. It hurt.
17:02
I mean, of course, because, you know, we were together for 19 years.
17:05
It's not like.
17:06
We. Gave it a year and thought, oh, forget this.
17:09
No. Right.
17:10
It wasn't like that at all. I mean, yeah.
17:12
I care about him.
17:13
He's a wonderful father.
17:15
And, so.
17:17
But we're better not married.
17:20
Yeah, that.
17:21
Listen, that is a lot of people are like that.
17:23
Yeah.
17:24
You you brought up your mother and also, I know your father passed recently, so my condolences.
17:30
But I want to talk about your parents, if that's okay with you, because I know that they were just so precious to you.
17:39
And that I want to know what you learned from from watching them.
17:45
They. They were married till the end, right? Right.
17:47
Till your mother died. Okay.
17:48
What did you learn from them? Any lessons?
17:52
Probably forgiveness and, commitment and kindness. There are two.
18:00
There are two.
18:02
They had, of course, their ups and downs, like any marriage.
18:04
I mean, they were together for a long time.
18:06
But one thing that that they always had, they had immense love for each other.
18:11
That was one thing that they had.
18:13
My mom was the only woman that my dad ever loved.
18:17
He had never been in love with any other woman other than her.
18:20
He was the only woman he ever even I think he told me.
18:23
He's told me so many things about her growing up.
18:25
Like I don't think he ever even had another girlfriend he just dated.
18:28
Of course, he was like a ladies man back then, but he met my mom and just knew she was the one for him and thought she was like an angel.
18:38
And, so she was the only woman he ever loved.
18:42
And my, my mom was married before him for a short while.
18:48
But they just they had such a devotion to each other and a respect for each other and a commitment and compassion for just people in general.
18:59
And so I feel like that I learned that from both of them, but especially my mom.
19:05
My mom was always try to see the good in people, and always she was just almost to almost.
19:12
I won't say gullible because that sounds like an insult, but she just she wanted to believe the best in people so much.
19:18
And that's the part which I which I call one of my best characteristics, but also one of my biggest flaws, because I want to believe the best in people.
19:27
So much that has gotten me hurt so much in my eyes.
19:32
Yeah, I'm the same way. I know on how to choose myself now.
19:36
Because yeah.
19:38
The amount of times that I had excused behaviors from people because I saw the good in them.
19:44
I mean, it's a good thing to see the good in people, but it also you got to know when to look at the reality of the situation, too.
19:52
Yeah.
19:52
You know what I, I, I like that and I don't I always try to not get hardened from that because I too always, you know, try to I see the best.
20:04
Like I start by seeing the best in people.
20:06
I always give everybody the benefit of the doubt.
20:08
But one of my favorite sayings is Maya Angelou's like when somebody shows you who they are, believe. Yes.
20:16
That.
20:16
And so as you get older, I think your best detector becomes a little sharper. Yes.
20:23
And you can figure this out sooner rather than later.
20:28
And, you know, that's part of the good thing about being older is but I think that's just one of my favorite sayings of all time.
20:34
So I agree, it took me a long time to get to that point, though, because then you eventually like, it took me a long time to go, okay, it's it's this situation.
20:43
Or is this person bringing peace to your life and are they making your life better?
20:48
Are they adding to your life or are they taking from it?
20:51
And once I started looking at relationships like that, I'm able to go, okay, well, no, you're not adding to my life.
21:00
You're you're you're taking away my peace or you're causing pain or whatever, and by it.
21:05
But yeah, took me a long time to get to that for good.
21:07
I love myself more than I will love somebody else.
21:11
You have to love yourself first, because otherwise you're going to be a doormat.
21:15
I agree with that.
21:16
And I also think that, you know, like I said, I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, until they, you know, show me otherwise.
21:26
Oh, my God, I just lost my thought.
21:26
What was I saying?
21:28
Oh, you.
21:29
I didn't do any time.
21:32
I didn't.
21:32
I was just totally lost my thought.
21:34
Oh, well, we'll come back to it if I think of it.
21:35
So the doubt when.
21:35
You first meet somebody.
21:38
Yeah, but I mean, you want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but you know.
21:42
Well, we already covered that.
21:43
I don't know what I was going to say, but girl that's part of.
21:46
That's part of our age.
21:50
But, okay.
21:52
Well so let's go there then. Let's.
21:53
So you just turned 50.
21:53
You look incredible.
21:56
What do you love about being 50?
21:59
Well, along the lines of what?
22:00
We're just saying, loving yourself and knowing what you want, but more importantly, what you don't want.
22:06
I would say that's one of the greatest things that the greatest places that I am now in my life, and especially after this past year, this past year was completely transformative for me.
22:18
Losing both of my parents woke me up like nothing has ever woken me up in my life.
22:23
I mean, of course, being becoming a mother and just getting older and and dealing with life in general, but realizing how short life is and losing them like ripped my heart so tragically that I just don't want to waste my time on things that I don't feel are benefiting me, or my future, or my daughter's future.
22:43
My main goals in life are making sure that I'm being grateful, living my life to my fullest potential, and being a good mother.
22:53
And and honestly, there's not much more than that for me at this point because I, I, I truly live now with the mindset of I could be here one more week or I could be five more.
23:07
I you have no idea.
23:09
I never would have thought my mother would be gone in three weeks.
23:11
When she went into the hospital.
23:13
She went to the hospital in three weeks later, I my whole world shattered so that that's what happens.
23:19
And so I just don't waste time anymore on frivolous things that are pointless.
23:26
You know what I mean? I just.
23:28
Yes, I do, I do, I you know, I do.
23:32
I get that, I also, I just want to like, I think that you're not, Well, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but what I'm hearing is that, like, you don't want to waste time.
23:46
You don't want to be with people that aren't worth your time, and you don't want to do things that aren't worth your time.
23:51
But are you, Are you?
23:53
This is really, like, a hard turn.
23:56
But are you.
23:56
Have you been dating, like, since you've been divorced?
24:00
Oh, yeah.
24:01
You have been dating?
24:03
Yeah.
24:05
Yeah, I have, but.
24:08
And so you. Have.
24:10
It's very different dating when you're older and after.
24:14
Yeah, it's it's wildly different because the world now versus when I met him.
24:21
First of all, that was before, like crazy cell phones, social media.
24:26
There there was none of that back then.
24:29
Right. And, I mean, people have always there's always been, you know, dishonest people in the world.
24:35
Of course, I just feel like social media has brought out how much there is.
24:40
But I.
24:43
I don't know.
24:46
You don't have to say anything you don't want to say.
24:47
Let me step out there.
24:48
Oh, yes. Mr..
24:50
Totally different world.
24:52
Yeah.
24:53
People used to meet in person, first of all, where you could kind of suss them out a little better, I think.
24:59
Well, everybody I've dated, I've met in person. I am not an.
25:01
Oh you have.
25:02
So you haven't done any apps?
25:03
I did, I did a dating app once like two, maybe three years ago.
25:08
My best friend put me on there.
25:10
She kept saying.
25:10
Oh, you get on a dating app, you need it.
25:12
And I was like, I was no way, because I am very I'm old school.
25:15
I'm very organic.
25:15
I like to meet people in person.
25:18
And like you just said, I want to feel them out.
25:20
And she just kept saying, no, no, no, no, no, you just need to give it a shot.
25:23
I give you. I'm like, so she set up a profile for me.
25:26
I went on one date and it was one of the worst dates of my entire life.
25:30
And I met two guys on there.
25:33
One of them, we had set a date, and once we set a date, he became obsessive to where he was constantly calling and texting me and telling me he thinks I'm the one.
25:43
I'm like, dude, we haven't even gone on a date yet. But.
25:46
And so I cancel the date.
25:49
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I doubt when.
25:50
I cancel and I'm like, okay, well, I made the right decision.
25:53
And so yes, Guy went on a date with and it was horrible.
25:56
And I was like, okay, that's it.
25:57
That's that's my only dating app experience.
26:00
I will never, ever get on a dating app again because I don't have any want to meet people.
26:06
I mean, I'm very I'm. Sure you don't. You're outgoing.
26:08
Yeah.
26:09
And people approach me and and so that's that's not an issue.
26:14
Do you you where do you go.
26:16
Where do you meet people. Do you like, drinks with friends?
26:21
Okay. Yeah.
26:23
I've met people at the bank.
26:25
I've met people at Fedex.
26:28
Do they just. You just.
26:30
They just. Start talking.
26:32
So running errands, basically.
26:34
What is what you're saying?
26:35
Look good when you go out and you're running errands.
26:38
Yeah. Make sure you put on an outfit.
26:41
Well, I mean, I always try to look presentable.
26:43
I mean, that again prior to my appearance.
26:45
So I don't ever, you know, go out and like my PJs or anything.
26:50
You know what I mean?
26:50
I always write. Presentable.
26:51
But, I mean, I don't go out very much like I don't, especially now.
26:57
I don't really hit the bars or anything.
27:00
I mean, I very rarely why I do that now.
27:02
I mean, I go out to dinner with my girlfriends and stuff, but, I have met people, you know, in bars.
27:09
Yeah. Of course.
27:11
Those don't ever pan out.
27:15
Well, seems like you never.
27:16
Know what's going to happen.
27:18
You never know what's going to happen down the road.
27:19
I'm not telling you to. Go to bars.
27:19
No no, no.
27:21
Yeah, you never know. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
27:24
You never know.
27:24
I mean, I've had a I've had a, you know, a couple boyfriends in the past four years or whatever.
27:29
Yeah.
27:31
Okay, a couple.
27:32
Well, I mean, thanks for talking about that because like I said, I feel like, this is such a topic, you know, at this age to start dating again.
27:41
It's so crazy, you know, just from what my girlfriends have told me, you know, all the stories I hear that I know it's got to be really difficult.
27:51
So I appreciate you sharing that with me.
27:51
Yeah. Of course.
27:53
Not only are your recipes healthy, but I feel like you take good care of yourself in other ways, too.
28:01
I know you have good workouts and, like, what kind of workouts do you do?
28:06
I do weight lifting.
28:08
Like 5 to 6 days a week.
28:10
I dance, I do ballroom dancing.
28:13
I've seen that.
28:14
You do tango, don't you?
28:15
Oh, I do, I do. Like 12 different dances.
28:18
I do tango, the Viennese waltz, the regular waltz.
28:22
I do, foxtrot, I do salsa, bachata, rumba.
28:29
There's.
28:29
I do tons of them. It's my favorite.
28:32
You learn that.
28:33
Fred Astaire Dance Studios.
28:36
Oh, my gosh, they're all over the world.
28:38
Yeah, I've seen those.
28:40
When did you start doing that?
28:41
I started that while I was going through the divorce.
28:46
It was.
28:46
Is it the thing that got me out of my depression?
28:48
It was dance.
28:49
Oh, my gosh.
28:50
Did you dance when you were younger?
28:53
Now take ballet or nothing? No.
28:56
But did you. Know you could dance?
28:56
Oh, yeah.
28:59
Yeah. I could, I could throw down.
29:01
Like, at a wedding.
29:02
So what you were like on the wedding dance floor or like, you know, at.
29:06
The club or what?
29:07
I mean, like, like, all growing up, I danced in my bedroom, and I choreographed.
29:12
I would do Elvis, I would do Michael Jackson.
29:14
I was literally, as a kid, I loved to dance.
29:18
I just never took lessons.
29:19
But when I was in high school, I, you know, took dance.
29:22
That's, you know, you could pick an elective.
29:23
I took dance in high school, but that wasn't like lessons.
29:26
I was just dance class.
29:28
But I could choreograph my, you know, we'd get, like, projects at dances, and I would choreograph my dances, and then my friends dances because I was really, really good at choreography.
29:37
And so but it was my dream always to ballroom dance and do like real lessons and compete.
29:43
That was a dream of mine.
29:44
So once I was going through the divorce, I thought, wow, I can finally do this.
29:48
I can finally go after my dream.
29:50
And and it changed my life completely.
29:54
Oh my. Gosh.
29:55
I mean, you are really good.
29:57
I, I have seen some of the videos that you've posted and you are really, really good. Yeah.
30:02
You're beautiful, a beautiful dancer.
30:04
Is that is that is that like something that, you think you, you'll continue the rest of your life?
30:13
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
30:15
There's.
30:16
I'm not kidding when I say nothing makes me happier than dancing.
30:20
You know, as far as, like, a hobby or something that I can do some time.
30:23
I dance probably daily in my apartment, that I always just have music on and dancing because it just it makes me feel alive.
30:32
It makes it just makes me happy to just move my body and feel the music.
30:36
And both my parents were dancers.
30:38
I mean, they didn't take like, lessons, but they were both really good at dancing.
30:41
Like they would go out dancing a lot when they were younger.
30:43
And so I guess I just inherited the love of dance from them.
30:47
But it's something that I want to do the rest of my life, for sure.
30:51
So good. That's really, really good.
30:54
I mean, I love that, you know, it's giving you some.
30:58
Do you, like, make your own costumes or.
31:01
Oh, no, no, I buy them and they're crazy expensive. So.
31:05
They look.
31:05
Expensive. Are so expensive.
31:07
Yeah. The first gown I bought.
31:09
Well, I'm not going to say how much it was, but it.
31:12
Was a lot.
31:13
Deeper.
31:14
You're like a special place, like dance clothes or.
31:17
Or these.
31:17
Just like regular ballroom gowns. Well, there's.
31:20
I know nothing. About. Oh, yeah?
31:22
Yeah, there's.
31:23
Shops and stuff, but usually if you're, I mean, I don't know about other dance schools, but with Fred Astaire, they have.
31:29
They always have, like a selection of gowns in the studio, and they're custom made.
31:33
They're they're all custom made.
31:35
So that's why they're so expensive.
31:36
Like, each bead is individually sewn on each sequins.
31:39
But they come from a lot of them come from Europe.
31:43
But I have one that's a hot pink one that is from Bulgaria, and it was custom made as the only one, and I was they brought it in from Bulgaria and they were like, this was made for you.
31:55
And I was like.
31:56
Gosh, I. Put it on.
31:57
It is like being a pink Barbie doll. It was.
32:00
Oh my God, I need you think like that I.
32:03
Do when they when you say it was made for you, like they take your measurements and then they make it for. You.
32:09
No, they were no, they brought it in for Bulgari and they immediately thought of me.
32:13
As oh, I see, so I wasn't oh, they.
32:15
Actually made for you.
32:17
But just the saying when you put it on it.
32:19
Right, right.
32:20
Well, they brought it and they were like, brandy, you have to see this new dress that just showed up the studio.
32:22
We think it's perfect for you.
32:25
And of course, I stole it.
32:26
Hot pink.
32:27
I love hot pink.
32:28
And I put it on, and it's just I just twirl around like this, and and so I, I competed in that one.
32:34
If you see like my, my dance page, you'll see me dancing in that one, that bright pink one. It's just stunning.
32:41
And it did do with like.
32:43
Where do we find your dance page?
32:44
Is it a separate like Instagram.
32:46
Or, brandy shine domain, like Brandy brandy shine shiny.
32:52
And then my last name domain just fall.
32:54
Oh all three words.
32:55
No that's. Or anything. So that's awesome.
32:58
Okay I'm going to. Go because I've definitely seen some of your videos, but I want to watch some more.
33:03
Because of it there.
33:05
Oh my gosh.
33:06
So getting getting back to your recipes.
33:11
Like what what do you want.
33:13
Well okay.
33:14
Let me tell you, I love your, I love all your cookies.
33:18
Oh, yeah. I let you're a great baker.
33:20
Thank you.
33:20
I love all your, like, pasta dishes.
33:23
You make some great pasta dishes, and, What is it, like, a sweet potato?
33:29
Caramel. Is that right?
33:30
Yes. Yeah, that's my new.
33:31
Oh my gosh, that's.
33:31
That is so good. Right.
33:35
That stuff is really good.
33:36
And, you know, the thing is, well, some of your recipes, like I try to be low fat.
33:42
I don't always want to eat, like, lots of cashews, but yeah, if you want to do, like, you could sub out.
33:48
I like to sub chickpeas instead of, like sometimes, like if it's a half a cup of of cashews, I'll do maybe a quarter cup and then a quarter cup of chickpeas or white beans.
33:58
I like chickpeas better than white beans.
34:01
Yeah.
34:02
And then the other thing I do to make your recipes a little low, more low fat is that like if you have in a lot of your cookie recipes, you do like almond butter or something like that.
34:13
I'll do like naked peanut butter powder and just put water in that, make that because it just brings down the fat.
34:19
It's probably I'm sure it's not as good as the original.
34:22
But you know, I had heart disease, so I just try to keep everything a little more low fat.
34:27
I totally, That's actually what I tell my readers that are.
34:30
Looking.
34:30
For a fat that do half the fat, because I find that it doesn't work to suck all the fat, because then you're gonna write the price on the texture.
34:38
But I'll say do up to half, half of the amount for white beans.
34:44
It totally works.
34:45
Yeah. Totally works.
34:46
It's so good.
34:47
What are you what are some of your favorite recipes?
34:51
I would say, my Mexican, casserole.
34:55
My cheesy Mexican casserole.
34:57
That one. Is that, like, King Ranch or.
34:59
No, it's it's got, like, layers of black beans and tortillas and, salsa and corn, and it's got my homemade queso mixed all in.
35:09
It is.
35:09
Oh, yeah.
35:10
It's so good. That's really good.
35:11
I you homemade peso.
35:13
Yeah. Okay.
35:14
That sounds good.
35:14
I haven't had that recipe. I'll have to.
35:16
That's to my first cookbook The vegan okay.
35:18
But it's also on my website. But okay.
35:21
My soup is my favorite thing to say.
35:25
Any of my soups are my chili.
35:27
I love chili because I'm from Texas.
35:29
A chili chili chili chili and the more.
35:32
Into.
35:33
Anything Mexican.
35:34
Of course. Yes. Barbecue?
35:37
Yes. I'm sorry. That's okay.
35:37
We're the same.
35:40
Yeah, well, that's not Texas influence.
35:42
Exactly, exactly.
35:44
Mexican.
35:45
I put a pinos on everything.
35:47
Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah.
35:48
Yeah, I know I've had some of my readers, kind of pick on me a bit because I have so many recipes that have, like, smoked or smokey in them in the title and they're like, oh yeah, that's another smoky recipe I like.
35:59
You can't help it.
36:00
I grew up eating smoked sausage and smoked it.
36:03
My dad was always, you know, smoking things on the barbecue pit.
36:06
So oh my gosh.
36:10
But I just.
36:11
Like, smoke the, like liquid smoke.
36:13
Do you like. Like what's cooking?
36:13
Some people are kind of iffy. I do.
36:16
I love that. Yeah.
36:17
As a matter of fact, I it's in my kitchen right this very minute.
36:21
I was trying to I did not convince my husband, but I was trying to make like a better bacon type thing for him because he eats that just Morning Star.
36:32
Whatever, a. Horrible oh. Trash that is.
36:35
Which is.
36:36
Oh, sorry, Morning Star, but better than, eating a pig, but.
36:41
Right. Not good for you.
36:43
But I was trying to just make him something healthier.
36:49
So I got some tempeh, and I mixed up some liquid smoke and a little maple sirup and some coconut aminos and some smoked paprika.
36:58
And I marinated it, and I was like, what about this?
37:01
Isn't this taste good?
37:02
And I thought I was like, this is delicious.
37:04
And he was like, it's not the same.
37:06
I was like, I fucked.
37:09
Is he vegan or.
37:10
No, no.
37:11
Oh, he's he's mostly vegetarian, I say once in a while he'll eat some fish, but he, he doesn't need any meat really anymore.
37:20
He barely ever eats an egg.
37:22
But he still eats dairy.
37:23
But he. I'm just trying to get him off the junk food now.
37:29
The vegan junk food.
37:30
And he's done a lot better.
37:32
He's really trying, but I don't know.
37:35
Do you have what?
37:35
How do you make bacon type food?
37:38
Do you have a recipe?
37:39
Actually, I don't have any mock video recipes and I don't, I don't know, I wasn't really a big bacon person, so I don't.
37:48
Really I wasn't one.
37:49
Things I mean, I like I make a smoky tofu that is so good and I eat that a lot, and I make a taco meat from tofu.
37:59
Yeah.
37:59
And those things, those things satisfy me.
38:03
I mean, I don't yeah. Me too.
38:05
Bacon, I don't care.
38:06
I just, and I don't, I don't, I.
38:09
Never a bacon either. Really. Coconut.
38:12
I've had that before.
38:12
That's okay. Yeah, that's pretty good.
38:14
I like the flavor and the texture, but of course it does have a coconut flavor to it. So I wonder about maybe carrot.
38:22
Maybe I'll try to make him a carrot.
38:23
Bacon, but I think that's not going to go any better.
38:25
Yeah, but he likes a BLT.
38:27
That's what he's saying.
38:29
He wants a BLT. So, I don't know.
38:31
I'll try to.
38:32
I'll try to keep figuring that one out, but.
38:34
Yeah. No, your recipes are so good.
38:36
And I love that the first book of yours and the premise was that you were trying to do everything with eight, eight ingredients or less, right?
38:45
I know you've maybe moved away from that a tiny bit, but, you know.
38:50
It makes. It simple for people.
38:51
I think they appreciate that.
38:53
Yeah, I stopped I did that for about eight years and about 4 to 5 years ago.
39:00
I guess it's been now. Time flies by so fast.
39:02
But I know.
39:04
I stopped doing that just because I was.
39:07
I feel like I was limiting my creative.
39:09
Yeah, limits. I was just just tired of limiting myself and.
39:13
Yeah. And, you know, absolutely.
39:15
My readers did not care that I changed it because a lot of them, I found out when I made the announcement that I wasn't going to do eight ingredient only anymore.
39:23
They were like, oh, I never even realized that the eight, that's what the eight meant.
39:28
So like a good amount.
39:30
Didn't even know, didn't care what they.
39:32
Think you had eight. Kids, I don't know.
39:34
I mean, I think some of them thought it was a take on like the vegan eight, like you ate some.
39:40
Oh, like you ate some. Yeah.
39:41
Then some of them thought it was that and some of them just never cared or paid attention. They just so.
39:49
Well anyway, those recipes are still there.
39:51
Or in your first cookbook, if anybody really needs some simple recipes because they are good and they're simple.
39:56
So tell me about your new cookbook.
39:58
What was the impetus for that?
40:00
Oh my God, I'm sorry.
40:03
That's okay.
40:03
Sorry. Goes my Tumblr about.
40:06
Don't worry.
40:07
So yeah.
40:08
So my new cookbook is, since when I, after I got divorced, I started getting more into posting, like, my workouts online and cheering, just like my dance journey and just sharing more of myself in my life.
40:22
And so when I started doing that and I started eating more, some more protein focused.
40:28
So because I was trying to build muscle, people started asking for more protein recipes and, because I started buying my workout plans.
40:35
So that kind of led to my book that has, it's a healthier than my first book.
40:41
There's not as many indulgent desserts, and I'd say they're lower fat, and less sodium, but also a lot more recipes that have maybe a higher protein.
40:51
Or I give the option to increase the protein because not everybody cares.
40:55
Which is fine.
40:57
Because some people, you know, they're not into weightlifting.
40:59
So I made sure I'm tailor made the book to allow you to increase your protein or, you just, you know, eat it regular.
41:07
But I have a lot of notes where if you want to make the higher protein, add this or something.
41:12
So I tried to make it in general across the board to work for anybody and just make it more wholesome and healthy.
41:21
And that sounds good.
41:22
I don't eat desserts as much as I used to in the past.
41:27
I used to eat what are you a maniac.
41:29
And I don't, I don't I now I still make them that I can stop at two cookies now or three points of ice cream.
41:35
Whereas before I know I couldn't, I'd eat a whole tray of cookies in a day.
41:40
I'm bad. I was bad.
41:42
Oh my God, I was real bad. So funny.
41:44
So what do you eat for sweet? Now?
41:46
Do you have more of a sweet tooth? Or so.
41:46
I had.
41:49
I'm totally changed.
41:49
I'm like the opposite.
41:51
I used to be that way.
41:51
You have a really bad sweet tooth.
41:53
I will, like, have a piece of dark chocolate.
41:57
Or if I make cookies, I'll literally have one cookie, maybe two, and I freeze the rest.
42:01
I just don't crave it as I.
42:02
Yeah, but that's also because I'm focused on being fit and feeling good.
42:07
Of course, you eat a whole bunch of cookies. You know you're not going to.
42:10
Yeah, feel as good or look as good.
42:12
And that's just more important to me to feel healthy and to look healthy.
42:16
And yeah.
42:19
I do.
42:19
You know what?
42:20
I, I do that too.
42:21
When I make cookies, I freeze them.
42:23
Yeah.
42:24
That way at least you have to take a little pause and you just take one out.
42:28
And, I mean, you could still eat them frozen.
42:30
I'm not going to lie.
42:31
Yeah, that's happened, but, does at least make you stop and pause.
42:36
So, can we talk about you mentioned that you're going through menopause.
42:42
Is that. You know, this is age like a badass mother.
42:44
And there's a lot of badass mothers that are going through menopause.
42:48
Can you kind of talk about what that experience has been like and what you've been doing, if anything, to alleviate any symptoms you've been having?
42:58
Yeah. Well, I'm not in menopause yet.
42:59
I'm like in the what do they call it? Perimenopause.
43:02
Perimenopause.
43:03
I so you haven't missed a period or anything like.
43:07
No I have I have you have it. Okay.
43:09
What's annoying is where sometimes I won't have one for three months and then I'll have one where it lasts for three weeks, and then I'll stop.
43:19
Yes, and then it starts.
43:21
That is so annoying.
43:22
Like I'm going through that too.
43:22
Yeah. It's awful.
43:25
I mean, and.
43:25
I don't know, I'm way. Old for that.
43:27
I know.
43:29
But like I was saying earlier, I, before when we were talking, I just recently I'm starting to get, like, hot flashes and, like, I'll just be sitting here like, I'll, I'll go out with my girlfriends and I'll just be sitting there all of a sudden, I just start sweating.
43:45
And it's just like.
43:46
And I'm just, like, faint on myself or you get another hot laughs.
43:50
It's so annoying.
43:51
Because I don't do anything. And like, I have to sleep.
43:54
Like I can't even sleep with a blanket on me half the time now I literally, oh my god, they're half naked, you know, just sweating.
44:02
And I'm sorry I give you all that.
44:03
Visual, but.
44:04
That's great, I'm. Sure.
44:06
I mean. I'm, I'm just outspoken, but. It's.
44:08
I think that people can relate.
44:10
Yeah. I just get so hot now and it's in.
44:12
I'm already hot blooded.
44:12
I have never been.
44:14
Just a hot. Person. Yes, I get hot very easily.
44:17
I've always been that way.
44:18
So half of it's like, am I coming near menopause or am I just getting older and hotter?
44:23
I mean, I don't know, wish no.
44:24
Oh well, you are older.
44:26
And hotter, but in a different way.
44:28
But yeah, but yeah.
44:29
No, I mean, have you tried so have you tried anything for it?
44:33
Like. I know it's so funny to say.
44:35
Like Doctor Barnard says, eat a half a cup of soy beans, but then also, Doctor Barnard's never gone through menopause, even though.
44:41
I to listen to, what to do.
44:42
But when it comes to menopause.
44:45
No kidding.
44:46
No. Bad.
44:47
But no, I agree, but, I mean, I was just wondering if you tried any.
44:51
No. I eat so much tofu.
44:53
That I know and soy.
44:55
He says it's.
44:56
He says it has to be the whole soybean, not edamame, not me.
45:01
So not tofu.
45:03
It has to be like real live soybeans.
45:06
And so. Okay, well, I've never tried that.
45:06
I don't know.
45:09
I mean, my only symptom is I get hot and then the inconsistent periods.
45:14
That's it. Yeah.
45:14
So I mean that to me, I'm.
45:18
I'm real, big.
45:21
And this is just my personal choice.
45:22
I don't like to take thing medicines. Right?
45:25
I don't take I don't even take a Tylenol.
45:28
I have it in Ireland or even an Advil in probably 15, 16.
45:33
I just I don't like to take anything. I'm very.
45:36
I understand.
45:37
I don't like the side effects of things.
45:39
And I've taken one antibiotic in like 15, 16 years.
45:43
And that's because I had a severe bladder infection.
45:46
That's the only time I've ever into that. Right?
45:49
It wasn't getting better, but I tried.
45:50
I went through.
45:51
Weeks of suffering before I finally got a girl.
45:54
But, No, no, I'm the same, I get it.
45:56
Yeah, yeah.
45:56
So I haven't had some soybeans.
45:59
Let me know.
45:59
Yeah, yeah, I'll try to try half.
46:02
I'll probably have to, like, be like, dripping sweat everywhere all day before I take anything because I've had people.
46:09
Know, oh. You should try HRT.
46:10
Like, because one of my best friends, she's on it, but she has.
46:14
And we're the same exact age.
46:14
But her symptoms.
46:17
Cheryl, her hair has fallen out practically.
46:20
She's. Yeah. A significant amount of hair.
46:22
She couldn't sleep, has insomnia, hot flashes.
46:26
She got, frozen shoulder.
46:26
I don't know if you're familiar.
46:28
Yeah, she got that.
46:30
Yes. Yes.
46:30
Are both and had f.
46:31
Oh my. Gosh. Surgery on both.
46:34
So her body is just wrecked from it where I'm just like I'm just smooth sailing with just some wet.
46:40
Yeah. You know, just just some sweat.
46:42
I'm a little slick, but.
46:42
I'm a little sweaty. Yeah.
46:45
I'm a little sweaty, but, you know.
46:47
Well, it's funny because I said I'm always cold.
46:50
And you said you're always hot, because when we showed up, we both live, you know, it's the same temperature outside.
46:55
And I'm in a turtleneck and you're in.
46:57
Sleeveless. Right?
46:58
You know, sweating right now.
46:59
I'm still free.
46:59
I have a blanket over me.
47:04
Yes, I think that's all I want to say.
47:05
I think it's partly just who I am, but I mean. Yes.
47:07
I just I have a. Lot of. Hair.
47:07
Maybe that's it, I don't know.
47:10
Yeah. Hot. I'm just always. I know.
47:13
And it's annoying.
47:15
I know, I get it. Okay. Well, you know what?
47:17
I have also had other people on here.
47:19
Experts who say eating a whole food plant based diet really does make your journey through menopause a lot easier.
47:27
Yes. So I'm in a bed that you and I are having an easier time just because you know you don't have all that oxidative stress in your body and, you know, just not things.
47:39
So I was get another.
47:40
Reason I was going to add that same thing.
47:42
But I really think that's a big part of it because like I said, my best friend and I were the same exact age and she she's not vegan.
47:49
I'm not saying her diets are her fault or anything like that, but I'm saying I believe that the plant based diet makes a difference in so many things as far as aging, as far as how you feel.
48:01
I mean, you know, the amount of people that say you lose your hair, you. You.
48:08
There's so many things that people say that I'm not experiencing.
48:12
And I've been vegan for a long time.
48:15
Like my hair is thicker, my skin, I really believe it.
48:20
There's some miracle stuff going on in those plants, I really do.
48:23
I, I really do.
48:25
Feel faint, honestly.
48:26
I feel I don't feel any different than my 20s.
48:28
I feel better and yeah, I think I'm lying.
48:30
But I'm not. I'm really not.
48:33
I know, I know, you're not because I feel that too.
48:35
I mean, I do, I feel better now than I have in my whole life.
48:39
I mean, so is that your best piece of advice for aging?
48:42
Well, is it plants or is it something else?
48:44
Yeah.
48:45
Yeah. Well, there's a few things I firmly believe, of course, in the plant based diet.
48:50
But also good skin care.
48:52
Not frying yourself in the sun.
48:55
Yeah, the sun is. But what do you do?
48:57
What kind of skincare do you do?
48:59
I have a sunscreen that I wear every single day.
49:01
I've been wearing sunscreen since high school.
49:04
Like, say, every day.
49:05
Not high school, but yeah, it.
49:07
80% of wrinkles come from the sun.
49:09
Sun damage 80%.
49:11
That's a lot.
49:12
And do you put it on your hands too?
49:14
Yeah, I put it on my arms.
49:15
I put on my neck. My face. Yeah. And it it's, it makes a big difference.
49:22
It really, really does.
49:23
So that, and then I also I exfoliate a lot.
49:28
I exfoliate my skin several times a week.
49:30
So you're constantly, you know, having new cell turnover and new skin growth.
49:35
So I mean.
49:37
How do you do that.
49:38
Are you doing it with like a cream or a bun?
49:42
You can do brown rice flour or you can do it.
49:45
Yeah.
49:46
Strawberries mixed with, brown rice flour.
49:48
You can mix it up in a paste.
49:51
What do you have this on your website? Yes.
49:55
Where is it on your website?
49:56
You could just. I have a search box on my.
49:59
Okay. You just type strawberry mask.
50:01
I think it's what it's under.
50:03
But I do that several times a week, and my my skin is, is very youthful.
50:09
I feel like. Beautiful.
50:10
And I. Yeah.
50:11
And I my skin has hardly changed since.
50:14
Yeah. 20 I'm not I'm not bragging.
50:16
I'm just I'm. Just.
50:17
No, it's a fair skin. Is you a. Great.
50:20
Thank you. And I've.
50:21
But I've taken very good care of it too.
50:23
I mean, I feel like we end up with in a lot of cases.
50:26
How are we taking care?
50:27
And, you know, if you fry yourself in the sun and bake yourself and your sun all the time, well, you're going to have a lot of sun damage.
50:32
You're going to have a lot of sun spots.
50:33
And not that we don't need the sun, but I don't fry myself in the sun.
50:37
I've had some sunburns in my life, of course, but for the most part, I'm protecting my my skin.
50:44
And then, yeah, I would say those are the main things.
50:48
And lots of water.
50:49
Lots of water.
50:50
Yeah. Course, lots of hydrating.
50:54
Fruits and vegetables and sweet potatoes.
50:56
I'm a big believer in sweet potatoes.
50:58
Sweet potatoes produce more, vitamin A in your body, which, of course, builds collagen in your body.
51:05
So I eat sweet potatoes every single day.
51:07
Sweet potatoes are very good for hair growth.
51:10
Blueberries are very good for for healthy hair.
51:13
So, I mean, I have a lot of these things on my Instagram page that I talk about because I get those questions a lot about hair and, skin.
51:21
So and you got to have healthy fats so that like, yes, these things like, those are all things that I do consistently that I feel have contributed to that anti-aging part.
51:34
That's great.
51:34
Okay. That's really good advice.
51:37
I love that when I asked you about your exfoliation, it was strawberries and almond flour.
51:43
I'm like that. Okay.
51:44
I can get on board with that brown rice.
51:46
What is it?
51:47
Brown rice. Flour. Rice flour.
51:49
Because it's. It's gritty.
51:50
Gritty gritty. So it's it's good at it.
51:53
So like if you do it you will notice how much softer your skin is.
51:56
And I do it on my arms too.
51:57
And my legs. Ooh.
51:59
And the strawberries.
52:00
I guess those little tiny seeds are like.
52:03
Yeah, well it.
52:04
It's what your it's acidic too, you know, it's got back in it but it's mainly the brown rice flour.
52:09
You know, you're, you're buffing off those dry skin cells that we constantly have.
52:14
So the more you exfoliate, the more youthful your skin will be and the more softer it's going to be.
52:20
It's going to have more of a glow to it.
52:22
So you just, you know, you know, you don't have to do strawberries.
52:26
You can just mix them rice flour with your face wash too.
52:28
I mean, sometimes I just I do that a lot too.
52:31
Yeah. Oh, that's so good.
52:33
Brandi, I like that.
52:36
Do you.
52:37
Do you have a favorite concert?
52:39
You've ever been to? A concert?
52:41
Yeah. What's your favorite concert?
52:43
Oh, Probably, I would say staying.
52:49
Oh. When did you see her?
52:51
It. Was back when I was married.
52:53
My ex-husband's favorite artist.
52:56
In the whole world of sting.
52:57
He's met him many times.
52:59
He's been to, like, oh, wow.
53:00
40 or 50 concerts.
53:01
Yeah, he's obsessed with them.
53:03
But anyways, we went to one.
53:05
We went to.
53:07
This was a long time ago, but we went to one here in Houston.
53:10
And then the next day we drove to Dallas five hours to see the one in Dallas.
53:15
Well, the next day, like in my ex-husband, would always get like the front row or within the first five rows because he loves them so much.
53:24
So sting.
53:25
When we went to the one in Houston, he saw us in the crowd.
53:29
And then.
53:30
We got, what song was it?
53:33
That song, Ray says, I resolved to call you up a thousand times.
53:36
Okay. Oh, yeah. Every little thing.
53:39
Yeah. Okay.
53:39
Okay.
53:40
So he was singing that one, and he.
53:42
Sting looked down at the crowd at me when he was singing, and I knew all the words.
53:47
So I started making the gesture with the phone with my hand.
53:50
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
53:51
And he was singing it to me and we were mouthing it to each other, and it was like.
53:56
And J. That was my ex husband that he was telling me.
53:58
He's like, oh, he's like, oh my God, he sees you.
54:01
We sing.
54:01
And it was so cool.
54:02
And so that happened in Houston.
54:04
So we went to Dallas the next day.
54:07
He looked down at us again.
54:08
And he recognized us.
54:09
Anyway, he made this face like y'all again.
54:12
Oh my gosh.
54:14
And so that was that was like probably the best one.
54:17
Just because, you know.
54:19
That's a good one.
54:20
And you were like yes sting.
54:21
That's because I use strawberry mask with brown rice.
54:24
That's why you're looking at me.
54:27
Yeah.
54:28
That was an amazing experience.
54:29
I'll never oh my gosh, you know what?
54:31
He is really good. I've I saw him way back in the 80s with the police and I've seen him recently.
54:38
We saw him last year in Australia with our daughter and, well our daughter lives in Australia and we went to see her and we went to see sting a couple years ago, maybe a year ago.
54:49
And I was like, damn, I don't know, 74 year old or whatever.
54:52
He could be so hot.
54:53
I yes. Exactly. He looks incredible.
54:56
And you know what you've always done? Yoga, I believe, is what it is.
54:58
He's always been in shape.
55:00
I don't know what he eats, but he definitely he does not, like.
55:02
Think he might.
55:04
I think he might be vegan, but we're going to see him again.
55:07
He's coming. He's kind of.
55:09
He's coming to Austin.
55:09
I want to say in May.
55:10
So I bet he's coming him.
55:12
But you'll. Be there.
55:13
Day will be there. But he had a private, session with him like a year ago where he he was in, like, a jam out session.
55:21
He was invited to that to watch it.
55:22
I mean, he's just like he sang with him on super.
55:26
Well, like one year ago.
55:28
Yeah, he's got a recording of that.
55:29
He called him up on stage and he sang with them like.
55:33
Yeah, wow, he's a bit of a stalker.
55:37
He's a super fan.
55:38
Yeah. Oh my gosh.
55:40
Oh, man.
55:41
Well, I just can't thank you enough for sharing so openly.
55:44
And you're just a doll.
55:45
Thank you so much for everything, Brandi.
55:47
I'm so glad I finally got to meet you after admiring your recipes and enjoying them for so long, so thank you.
55:54
Absolutely. It's my honor.
55:56
Take care. You too.
55:58
All right. Bye bye.
56:00
Thanks for listening, friend.
56:01
From my heart to yours.
56:03
Be well until we meet again.