Happy Vegetarian Day With A Vegan Song
By admin
Last month was World Vegetarian Month… seriously, how did I not know about this! Oh well, better late than never I suppose. So let’s celebrate!
240 Days Of Veggies
It’s been 8 months since I made the decision to change from a crazy high protein diet to being vegan. When I first made the choice, it was suppose to be just a 3-month experiment brought on by watching Forks Over Knifes.
Dan and I decided about 5 minutes after the movie was over that we would get our blood work tested asap. I would go vegan for 3 months, he would stay on our typical, Mediterranean style diet and at the end we would repeat the blood tests to see if anything happened.
Only one thing… we never made it to the lab for blood work! Haha.
But I did stick with the diet.
My first vegan lunch date… salad at Verde. I thought I would be stuck to eating lettuce forever.
And after the first few weeks, I started to feel great. I won’t lie the first 2 weeks sucked. I felt like I had the flu. I was tired, cranky, my stomach was jumpy and I just wasn’t into eating anything. It was my body trying to adjust.
For years I had been eating protein like crazy and low carbs, just check out this meatloaf which was a pretty regular. Now I was eating barley, oats, quinoa and tons of other grains and much less protein.
One of our first vegan recipes…
It was pretty much a 180-degree change for my body.
So after 8 months, what do I think? Is it worth it to make going out to dinner a pain in the butt? To have to give up going to my parents’ house for Sunday dinners from time to time because they don’t have a single vegan item? To bring my own entrees to cookouts and tailgates?
You betcha!
For years, I have suffered from food guilt. I went through spells of unhealthy relationships with the foods I love. I can’t tell you how many times Dan has told me to eat more… but sometimes I just didn’t want to.
That’s probably the biggest difference I have gone through. When you’re eating plant based foods it’s kind of hard to feel guilty. When I am hungry, I eat. When I want a vegan cookie dough ball, I get one. It’s an amazing feeling.
- I’ve also leaned out. Losing the 8 pesty pounds I had gained last year and losing over 2-inches in my waist. I
- I feel better and more energized, and I feel at peace with my body. Something that has always been difficult.
But these aren’t the other reasons why I’ve stuck to being vegan.
It’s also so I can laugh and relate to songs like this:
And These Proven Benefits Of Eating Plants
Healthier on the inside. Research shows that eating a plant based diet can decrease risk of cancer, heart disease and bad cholesterol. All 3 of which run in my family. With a diet high in fiber, foods tend to move through the digestive track faster keeping everything a bit cleaner! Not to mention all the freaking antioxidants that are packed in every veggie I cook up!
Love the earth. To be honest, this wasn’t an initial thought or concern of mine. It wasn’t until I read Uptown Vegan that I really gave it any attention. But raising cattle and other meats is one of the most polluting processes on the planet. Methane gas, hormones, stool run-off, bacterial outbreaks, deforestation, and waste of food. Did you know that most grains harvested (corn) go to feed cows, not people?
Here are some fun facts I found from NRDC
Decrease risk of diabetes. Diabetes is on the rise. Millions are diagnosed already and millions are on their way. Eating vegan is shows to help people treat their diabetes. In fact, one study resulted in 43% of participants reducing their need for diabetes medication.
Stronger bones. Wait, what! If I am not drinking milk how the heck am I going to get calcium? Milk is not all it’s cut out to be, but you can read more on that here. I eat plenty of veggies that are high in calcium. Instead of having it zapped out of me on unable to be absorbed like some other diets the calcium I take in is welcomed into my body and used up!
- Vegan Foods High In Calcium:
- Okra (eat it weekly)
- Almonds (eat it daily)
- Collard Greens (eat it from time to time)
- Broccoli (at least 2x/week)
- Blackstrap molasses (bake with it)
- Celery (always in the fridge)
Here’s my challenge to you. While I don’t think that everyone should be vegan and I understand it’s a HUGE undertaking and commitment, I do want to give the a small challenge.
- Can you eat vegan for just one day this week?
- If not a day, how about for 2 dinners?
Do you accept my challenge?
To celebrate, I am offering 5 new orders of Almond Bites!
I’ve been so busy lately but these things are so freaking good, it’s time to get back into the kitchen. Each batch is made to order. So that means I’ll make them on Sunday and they’ll go out on Monday morning. But only 5 orders are available, so put your’s in! 
Get more info here.
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