Ides of March
Oddly enough, an enduring memory from elementary school is the story of Caesar's demise on the Ides of March. We never discussed "Pi Day" (3/14) but we played up an assassination? Must be a private Christian school sort of thing...Anyway, March 15th of every year, I think of the warning to Caesar: "Beware the Ides of March," and of Caesar's dying words "Et tu, Brute?" Poetic license, of course, popularized by the Shakespearean play. While tragedy has never befallen me on the Ides of March, both times I was blindsided with a lay off, it occurred near the ides of the month. July 13th--a Friday, in fact. And Friday, April 15th. So I guess my lesson should be to beware the ides of any month.
However, I'm sure you're dying to know the results of the 21-day vegan experiment! (Okay, maybe not...) I made it through 21 days with no animal by-products (nothing with a mama or a daddy) and the added challenge of no sugar (or other sweeteners--stevia, agave, etc.) Not surprisingly, the toughest part was dining out, so I avoided that as much as possible! I think I am now a champion avocado picker, pretty good at making baked potato chips/fries, and the queen of creative salads. I've learned that when stir-frying, it's all about choosing the right brand of soy sauce, and that red bananas taste pretty good in shakes. Hemp milk still freaks me out and soy yogurt is gross.
On Day 1 post-vegan, I've followed mostly the same routine. Juice Plus+ shake for breakfast. By the time lunch rolled around, I wanted my usual salad mix. So I met my friend for lunch--we've had a stretch of amazing weather for this time of the year, and we sat outside under the sunshine. It was great. I'm taking a class at the local community college tonight, so I'm not sure what dinner might look like. Maybe a bottle of coconut water chilling in the fridge at the office as I don't have time for much else. I had a piece of chocolate and it wasn't that great. I really haven't missed it. I'll probably stick with the basics of the diet, but not go totally vegan. If someone asks me to join them for pizza, I won't say no. (I may live to regret it, but if I do, I'm not discussing it here!)
During my 21-day odyssey, I found some great resources for clean eating. Many offer vegan recipes, with options for substitution. Some are even gluten-free offerings. It is fun to mix it up, and as one of the benefits of my cleanse was a new-found interest in my kitchen, trying these recipes has been a lot of fun! It will be even more fun now that I can use sweeteners like stevia, agave nectar, maple, etc.
This is one of my favorites: http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/
This site has a ton of recipes and they're conveniently organized alphabetically, categorically, and even by buzzword. I highly recommend this site for its creative recipes and ease of navigation.
I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures soon! In the past week, I've wrapped up the vegan eating, my mom went up the stairs using a cane (!!!), and my ct scan returned a normal reading on my calf. Stay tuned for life post-vegan, mom's latest post-pelvic break expeditions, and the return of the runner!!
However, I'm sure you're dying to know the results of the 21-day vegan experiment! (Okay, maybe not...) I made it through 21 days with no animal by-products (nothing with a mama or a daddy) and the added challenge of no sugar (or other sweeteners--stevia, agave, etc.) Not surprisingly, the toughest part was dining out, so I avoided that as much as possible! I think I am now a champion avocado picker, pretty good at making baked potato chips/fries, and the queen of creative salads. I've learned that when stir-frying, it's all about choosing the right brand of soy sauce, and that red bananas taste pretty good in shakes. Hemp milk still freaks me out and soy yogurt is gross.
On Day 1 post-vegan, I've followed mostly the same routine. Juice Plus+ shake for breakfast. By the time lunch rolled around, I wanted my usual salad mix. So I met my friend for lunch--we've had a stretch of amazing weather for this time of the year, and we sat outside under the sunshine. It was great. I'm taking a class at the local community college tonight, so I'm not sure what dinner might look like. Maybe a bottle of coconut water chilling in the fridge at the office as I don't have time for much else. I had a piece of chocolate and it wasn't that great. I really haven't missed it. I'll probably stick with the basics of the diet, but not go totally vegan. If someone asks me to join them for pizza, I won't say no. (I may live to regret it, but if I do, I'm not discussing it here!)
During my 21-day odyssey, I found some great resources for clean eating. Many offer vegan recipes, with options for substitution. Some are even gluten-free offerings. It is fun to mix it up, and as one of the benefits of my cleanse was a new-found interest in my kitchen, trying these recipes has been a lot of fun! It will be even more fun now that I can use sweeteners like stevia, agave nectar, maple, etc.
This is one of my favorites: http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/
This site has a ton of recipes and they're conveniently organized alphabetically, categorically, and even by buzzword. I highly recommend this site for its creative recipes and ease of navigation.
I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures soon! In the past week, I've wrapped up the vegan eating, my mom went up the stairs using a cane (!!!), and my ct scan returned a normal reading on my calf. Stay tuned for life post-vegan, mom's latest post-pelvic break expeditions, and the return of the runner!!
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