Healthy Glow: Healthy Eating, La Mode & Ramblings

Picture courtesy

Picture courtesy

H street. It is the new sexy, hipster, happening part of DC. People who visit this part of town are usually tired of the same old DC spots and want to go somewhere new. If you are that person, I have a spot for you, Toki Underground (TU)! TU is located at the heart of the H Street district right above the Pug at 1234 H St, NE.

I went there recently night with a group of friends beating the dinner crowd. We were seated quickly, which I hear is very rare because of the TU’s popularity and limited seating. I was grateful because I came hungry!

I wanted to get the full TU experience so I ordered steamed chicken dumplings (6 for $5.00) and a bowl of steaming hot Masumi Vegetarian Ramen ($10.00) with two freshly cracked eggs. 

I am a connoisseur of dumplings so I came to eat and critique! I didn’t believe the hype, but I finished my delicious dumplings in 5 minutes flat! The dumplings were bursting with flavor, weren’t dry, and were perfectly steamed!

Next I had a bowl of steaming hot Masumi Vegetarian Ramen.

This ramen was out of this world! I have had ramen in a lot of countries, but this ramen tops the list. The flavors were complex, each ingredient had a distinct flavor that came together so perfectly. Then when the waitress cracked the two eggs in the flavorful soup it really sent the flavor over the edge.

You can see their menus and website here.

My verdict: If I had to wait the typical wait (45 minutes to an hour) I don’t know if I would have waited. While the food was great, the space is very small and not good to take large groups of people who want to talk or sit together. If you are looking for a non-typical DC experience I suggest you head out to Toki!

1234 H Street, NE (above The Pug)
Washington, DC 20002 
Click for Google Map

T (202) 388-3086 
F (202) 388-3085

S,M,T,W: Food 5p-10p / Bar: 5p-2a
TH,F,S: Food 5p-12a / Bar: 5p-3a

Catering available
info@tokiunderground.com

This past weekend I attended the National Black Accountants Annual Holiday party with my boyfriend. Weird, we kind of look alike in this picture. I guess 3 years and the same haircut will do that to you. The party was amazing because it was on a yacht. I’ve never been on a winter yacht ride so I enjoyed my experience.

This picture was taken a year ago. Because I have increased my weight lifting routine I’ve trimmed inches from my frame but maintained my same weight!

What I Wore:

Earrings: Aunt’s Shop in Ghana

Dress: Vintage. Gifted to me from my mom

Shoes: Not Shown. BCBG

Black Cobain goes so hard on Drake’s “Dreams Money Can Buy” instrumental. People you are sleeping on Black Cobain!  

Listen and download here.

I found the perfect music to bump on my trip to Cali tomorrow.

Am I the only one who finds this picture to be absolutely hilarious?! Oh well, enjoy the track.

Wale – I’m On One (Click Here to Download)

Ever since I attended my first Raheem DeVaughn concert a couple of years ago, I was hooked. His music represents one of my favorite cities in America, Washington, DC. On top of that his voice is sensual without being overbearing. He is like The Roots, still maintaining that underground feeling while still cranking out popular music. I would have blogged about his most recent complation, “Heemy Taught Me”, however he released it during Lent.

Click here for a free and legal download!

The tracks I have on repeat: Believe, B.O.B., Desire… I mean I love the whole mixtape but those songs always lull me into a good mood. Happy Friday.

Bishme Cromartie, is a 17-year old self-taught designer from Baltimore, Maryland. His newest women wear line is dedicated to spring. The line is entitled, The Color War Collection. In his line he boldly uses and pushes the boundaries of textures, shapes, dimension and color. Keep an eye on this budding designer!

by Leta Shy

Luckily, there are ways to keep your social time relatively healthy, whether it’s alternating alcoholic drinks with water, choosing a lower calorie drink, or eating smart off the happy hour menu. Here are some suggestions of common appetizers that aren’t loaded with calories.

• Choose hummus instead of butter. Nothing satiates hunger quite like a plate of warm bread, so if you are craving the carbs, go for a hummus spread instead of butter. Not only will you save calories and fat (36 calories and 4.1 g of fat in a pat of butter vs. 26 calories and 1.3 g of fat in a tablespoon of hummus), but you’ll also be getting the nutrition from the healthy beans.
• Pick the right seafood. Jonesing for something from the ocean? Stay away from fried baskets of calamari (350 calories per serving) and order a shrimp cocktail (120 calories) or raw oysters (about 10 calories each) with lemon juice or a dash of mignonette sauce instead.

• Snack attack. If you want something to nibble on, don’t be tempted by the fries. Instead, choose finger foods like edamame, which gives you that hit of salt without the calories and fat (about 100 calories and 3 g of fat in a 1/2 cup of edamame vs. 427 calories and 22.8 g of fat in a medium serving of fries).
• Manage your meat. If you must have a burger, try ordering sliders instead; they are offered on many happy hour menus and you can easily portion control (by splitting the order with your friends or only ordering one slider). If appetizers like chicken satay are on the menu, order the sauce on the side; you could save up to 131 calories, for example, by ordering the satay peanut sauce as a dip instead of already smothering those grilled chicken skewers.
• Supplement with a salad. Many happy hour menus have a salad option, but if not the salad offerings in the normal appetizer menu will probably be a comparable price. Ordering a small salad means you can still snack on the foods you want while keeping yourself from overindulging.

What’s your happy hour food plan?