Believe it or not, some folks still ask, "what in the world do you eat?"
And as I haul my large lunch box into work, and get questioning looks due to its size, I just say, "I'm a vegan, I eat a lot."
But alas, after losing 60 pounds, I am stuck -- dancing around this new weight with very little forward progress and wanting to lose 30 more pounds.
Soooo, I decided to blog A Day in the Life....of a vegan, for these reasons - for those few who are curious, and for me - to keep me honest. I will blog the good, the bad, and the ugly.
If you do not wish to receive these posts - email me and I will delete your address, or if you sometimes want to receive them - then just delete them when you are too busy to read it. Sound like a plan?
Also -- feel free to comment to give me your ideas: either sharing your goals and food choices, recipes, etc, or calling me on mine. Deal?
My basic plan begins with a vegan diet -- no animal products or by products - if it has a face, it is safe.
To this, my goal is to avoid as much processed food, sugar, oil and acidity as possible, knowing that I am truly NOT perfect and sometimes allowances have to be made to these goals -- but I do not make allowances to "if it has a face, don't eat it."
With my pinball brain, I honestly didn't get this idea until I was packing my supper to take to my shift at the hospital -- so this does not count as Day One.
Here is what I packed for supper tonight:
1. In one mid-size plastic container I tossed in:
Some romaine leaves,
Shredded white cabbage
a little broccoli slaw and carrot match sticks
1/2 a peeled and sliced cucumber
1/2 avocado
a large pinch of sprouts
a handful of grape tomatoes
And I dressed it with some Raspberry/Lemon Balsamic vinegar -- about a tbsp since I don't want too much acidity.
Surprisingly, lemons are not acidic (for a pH diet) when we eat them, and the juice of one lemon would have made a good dressing for this salad, but I was too lazy to deal with my seedy bunch of lemons today.
2. In a somewhat smaller container:
I diced a Yukon Gold unskinned (my preference with the belief, whether true or false, that the "good stuff is in the peel.")
I grated some Himalayan Sea Salt (my newest salt fave)
and added 1 tsp red pepper hummus smearing it on all the potato pieces
then, the remainder of the above used avocado, and
a product called "snack sprouts" -- they look like little dried peas and beans with tiny tails and add a healthy crunch
And I topped it off with a coating of chipolte salsa.
3. As a crunch snack -- I am taking 2 flax/sunflower/sun-dried tomato crackers that I made in my dehydrator. The seeds give me something to really chew on when I need that crunch factor, but because of the high density of seeds, I use them in moderation.
4. And for my sweet treat: one homemade vegan cookie with oats, coconut, flax seeds, carob chips, dried cherry, and god knows what else. I made them awhile back and keep them frozen.
That's it folks -- easy peezy once you get used to having chopped and shredded veggies on hand. And to drink -- lots of water. And more water.
Join me on this journey -- invite a friend if they are interested. Let's be our best and healthiest selves.
Monday, September 27, 2010
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The Story Behind the Garden of Eden Vegan Blog
For those of you who knew me prior to December 30, 2009, I was a veteran of the fast food culinary institute. My son, when he lived with me would ask if I had ordered the "Shabbat pizza" yet as the sun was setting Friday nights.
My idea of a good meal was a McFish sandwich, fries with extra salt, and a medium diet coke.
Everything was better covered in a rich creamy sauce and the idea of a naked baked potato was as foreign to me as walking naked in Manhattan.
In June of 2009 I decided to formally become a vegetarian. Although I had dabbled with this, it was not until I read Skinny Bitch that the gauntlet was thrown.
Now being a vegetarian does not sign you up for good health. I was proof of that. Chubby when I started, I indulged in pizza, french fries, cheese, cheese, butter, cheese, pizza......and became very over weight, tipping the Toledos at 200 pounds at 5'4". And taking an assortment of meds for cholesterol and GERD and who knows what else.
As the decade was waning, and with my 60th birthday approaching in the year 2010, there was a perfect storm that snapped my beak and got me in gear. The same friend who gave me Skinny Bitch, turned me on to the John McDougall website. At the same time, there was a Grand Round lecture at the hospital where I work on the book Eat to Live, and at the same time, I was tired of how I looked and felt and needed to make a change.
I regret that I did not start this blog when I changed my lifestyle, but it is better late than never.
My weight is down about 35 pounds, my size has gone from a tight 16 to a loose 12. And I am on no meds, although my vegetarian doctor and I will review my blood work within this month to see if I need anything (like b12) boosted.
I began as a Vegan Minus. Or what I call a Garden of Eden Vegan.
As you know, a Vegan eats no animals nor animal products - none. But then I subtracted oil, sugar, and processed foods.
That is a big subtraction -- but it is this subtraction that helped with weight loss, lack of cravings, increased energy, health, and vibrancy.
Now I am dabbling in raw foods and have signed up to learn with Russell James (google him).
I like the taste and health aspect of raw foods, but worry about the increased calories. So I will (hopefully) use the raw creations as a supplement to my Gan (Hebrew for Garden -- I am in a Hebrew mood today) Eden Vegan lifestyle.
My doctor said that I should write a book about this since most of her patients need it. I said, "Who, or how many, would want to do this?" We shall see. It has been easy (no cravings) and exciting as life and energy unfold before me, just as it was meant to be. (It didn't unfold over a fried fish sandwich, extra tarter sauce.)
Join me or not. Walk with me the whole journey, day trips, part of it, or not. This is my 60th year -- buckle up life, here I come.
My idea of a good meal was a McFish sandwich, fries with extra salt, and a medium diet coke.
Everything was better covered in a rich creamy sauce and the idea of a naked baked potato was as foreign to me as walking naked in Manhattan.
In June of 2009 I decided to formally become a vegetarian. Although I had dabbled with this, it was not until I read Skinny Bitch that the gauntlet was thrown.
Now being a vegetarian does not sign you up for good health. I was proof of that. Chubby when I started, I indulged in pizza, french fries, cheese, cheese, butter, cheese, pizza......and became very over weight, tipping the Toledos at 200 pounds at 5'4". And taking an assortment of meds for cholesterol and GERD and who knows what else.
As the decade was waning, and with my 60th birthday approaching in the year 2010, there was a perfect storm that snapped my beak and got me in gear. The same friend who gave me Skinny Bitch, turned me on to the John McDougall website. At the same time, there was a Grand Round lecture at the hospital where I work on the book Eat to Live, and at the same time, I was tired of how I looked and felt and needed to make a change.
I regret that I did not start this blog when I changed my lifestyle, but it is better late than never.
My weight is down about 35 pounds, my size has gone from a tight 16 to a loose 12. And I am on no meds, although my vegetarian doctor and I will review my blood work within this month to see if I need anything (like b12) boosted.
I began as a Vegan Minus. Or what I call a Garden of Eden Vegan.
As you know, a Vegan eats no animals nor animal products - none. But then I subtracted oil, sugar, and processed foods.
That is a big subtraction -- but it is this subtraction that helped with weight loss, lack of cravings, increased energy, health, and vibrancy.
Now I am dabbling in raw foods and have signed up to learn with Russell James (google him).
I like the taste and health aspect of raw foods, but worry about the increased calories. So I will (hopefully) use the raw creations as a supplement to my Gan (Hebrew for Garden -- I am in a Hebrew mood today) Eden Vegan lifestyle.
My doctor said that I should write a book about this since most of her patients need it. I said, "Who, or how many, would want to do this?" We shall see. It has been easy (no cravings) and exciting as life and energy unfold before me, just as it was meant to be. (It didn't unfold over a fried fish sandwich, extra tarter sauce.)
Join me or not. Walk with me the whole journey, day trips, part of it, or not. This is my 60th year -- buckle up life, here I come.
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The Yukon Golds in your second container were raw? I've never tried raw potato.
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