Saturday, February 5, 2011

Challenge 2 - Day 36

Wow ~ here I am doing something I literally thought I could never do – eating a vegan diet and honestly enjoying it! This is one of those ‘never say never’ moments for me. I’ve always said, “I could never stop eating meat.” I guess I just never had the mindset to do it before now.  I don’t think about the foods I can’t have but I focus more on the foods I can have. I’m even becoming brave in trying foods I’m not familiar with. I have a new pasta recipe that calls for leeks. I’m not even sure I know what a leek is let alone what it tastes like! But I’m going to give it a try and see how it turns out. What’s the worst that can happen? I don’t like it. If that’s the case, I just won’t make it again. But what if I DO like it? Then I’ll have another option! I’ll let you know the results. J
I haven’t felt any life changing alterations in my body other than I’m more ‘regular’ than I’ve ever been in my life! (Sorry, that might be too much information.) But mentally, I know I’m doing what I feel to be the best thing for my body and that within itself makes it a great experience.
When I get asked the question, “So, what do you eat? I have to smile. There really is a lot of food in the world that isn’t tied to meat or animal products. We just aren’t used to eating it all the time.
Things I eat:
BEANS: kidney, northern, black, pinto, garbanzo.   I eat them in soups and stews and also with brown rice. Also with baked corn tortillas. Lots of variations.
NUTS/SEEDS:  almonds, cashews, sunflower   I have to be careful here. Nuts are nutritious but they pack the calories so this is definitely my weakness. I’m not good at eating a ‘few’ almonds. I want a few handfuls.
VEGGIES: carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cucumbers, there’s a ton of choices. I eat these raw or cooked-either way.  Cut up some peppers and onions with garlic and put on top of whole wheat pasta for a quick lunch. It’s fast and tastes great. I thought I’d eat a lot of salads but I really haven’t. Just haven’t been in the mood for salad lately.
FRUIT: oranges, bananas, grapefruit, apples, strawberries, blueberries, raisins.  Throw a banana and some frozen fruits in the blender with a splash of orange juice and you have a smoothie! I can eat those any time of the day. I also have fruit a lot for a snack.
WHOLE GRAINS: brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta. I’m out of bread again and haven’t gotten around to making more so I haven’t had bread in way too long! I eat brown rice and whole wheat pasta often.
DRINKS:  water and green tea. That’s about it. Occasionally I drink some orange juice or add it to my smoothie but really it’s just water. I’ve even gotten to the point where I don’t add sugar in my tea which is a really big deal for me. I don’t love it without sugar, but I drink it. J
*Thought for the day*
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why it’s recommended daily. Zig Ziglar

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