Odds and Ends (but mostly odds...)
Today marks 2 weeks of clean vegan eating! A lot of friends have asked me if I've noticed a difference, and indeed I have! Clean eating = bountiful energy. Also, on Monday, we got some big news on my mom's recovery which is HUGE. We had snow Monday, but just two days later, I'm out in flip flops. (Got to love random March weather!) Last, but not least, could running be returning to my life in the near future?!
21-day vegan
I'll start with meal prep: For anyone who knows me, they would heartily agree with me when I announce that I am a fool in the kitchen. Much to the horror of my grandmother, my idea of a gourmet meal was a hard-boiled egg. My downfall on any diet was always lack of preparation. But vegan consumption requires planning. Homemade pita chips, guacamole, stir fried veggies, brown rice, a variety of protein-rich legumes...I think I can handle it because I'm not handling raw meat. I'm always afraid of pink centers, so the fact that I don't have to worry about that when cooking vegan has been a lifesaver.
Likes/Dislikes: I like a lot of whole foods, but there are a few items on the menu that I tried and quickly vetoed. Chief offender - soy yogurt. The taste. The consistency. The gray color. I can't handle it. I even tried mixing it into a shake. It ended up ruining the shake. The verdict is still out on hemp milk. I mixed it for a shake but it is a bit too sweet for me. And it too is gray. Maybe that's part of the turn-off. My most popular lunch these last two weeks has been a mix of veggies, grains, and legumes. Usually quinoa with sprouts, green pepper, spinach, chickpeas, black beans, sliced almonds, and occasionally blueberries is on the plate.
What I miss: Surprisingly, not much! I definitely miss stevia in my tea (I added "no sweeteners" to my fast--no sugar, stevia, agave, etc.) and when I added some sweet potato to this weekend's menu, I couldn't help but think a small pinch of brown sugar would have made an okay dish better. And I miss my grande nonfat lattes. But that's more ritualistic--my body doesn't miss the caffeine. I just miss the "run and grab a latte" ritual. Weird but true.
Thoughts: I am so grateful for my supportive friends! I would never have made it through the first 7 days without them! People who gave me weird looks when I announced I was going vegan for 21-days now ask me how it's going and what new recipes I'm finding. I also make sure I tell them how much energy I have. I still get tired but I don't feel like I need to take naps to make it through the afternoon. For me, the energy has been the biggest benefit of this 21-day cleanse.
14 days down.
7 to go.
Mama news!
Monday of this week marked 3 months since my mom's accident. For the first time in 3 months, she stood up. On both feet. This is huge. The doctor cleared her for full weight baring on the injury, a necessary step towards her walking again. This is great news. Soon, the wheelchair will be history, the walker will be gone, and she'll be running all over the place again.
Will I run again?
I finally got a CT scan scheduled for my calf. We ran two images--one with and one without contrast dye. It was a surprisingly quick process. I was in the room maybe 10 minutes. The worst part was the tech losing my vein, so I got stabbed twice for the IV. Should have the results and a game plan by week's end. I miss yoga. I miss lifting. I miss running.
So there you have it!
21-day vegan
I'll start with meal prep: For anyone who knows me, they would heartily agree with me when I announce that I am a fool in the kitchen. Much to the horror of my grandmother, my idea of a gourmet meal was a hard-boiled egg. My downfall on any diet was always lack of preparation. But vegan consumption requires planning. Homemade pita chips, guacamole, stir fried veggies, brown rice, a variety of protein-rich legumes...I think I can handle it because I'm not handling raw meat. I'm always afraid of pink centers, so the fact that I don't have to worry about that when cooking vegan has been a lifesaver.
Likes/Dislikes: I like a lot of whole foods, but there are a few items on the menu that I tried and quickly vetoed. Chief offender - soy yogurt. The taste. The consistency. The gray color. I can't handle it. I even tried mixing it into a shake. It ended up ruining the shake. The verdict is still out on hemp milk. I mixed it for a shake but it is a bit too sweet for me. And it too is gray. Maybe that's part of the turn-off. My most popular lunch these last two weeks has been a mix of veggies, grains, and legumes. Usually quinoa with sprouts, green pepper, spinach, chickpeas, black beans, sliced almonds, and occasionally blueberries is on the plate.
What I miss: Surprisingly, not much! I definitely miss stevia in my tea (I added "no sweeteners" to my fast--no sugar, stevia, agave, etc.) and when I added some sweet potato to this weekend's menu, I couldn't help but think a small pinch of brown sugar would have made an okay dish better. And I miss my grande nonfat lattes. But that's more ritualistic--my body doesn't miss the caffeine. I just miss the "run and grab a latte" ritual. Weird but true.
Thoughts: I am so grateful for my supportive friends! I would never have made it through the first 7 days without them! People who gave me weird looks when I announced I was going vegan for 21-days now ask me how it's going and what new recipes I'm finding. I also make sure I tell them how much energy I have. I still get tired but I don't feel like I need to take naps to make it through the afternoon. For me, the energy has been the biggest benefit of this 21-day cleanse.
14 days down.
7 to go.
Mama news!
Monday of this week marked 3 months since my mom's accident. For the first time in 3 months, she stood up. On both feet. This is huge. The doctor cleared her for full weight baring on the injury, a necessary step towards her walking again. This is great news. Soon, the wheelchair will be history, the walker will be gone, and she'll be running all over the place again.
Will I run again?
I finally got a CT scan scheduled for my calf. We ran two images--one with and one without contrast dye. It was a surprisingly quick process. I was in the room maybe 10 minutes. The worst part was the tech losing my vein, so I got stabbed twice for the IV. Should have the results and a game plan by week's end. I miss yoga. I miss lifting. I miss running.
So there you have it!
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