Day 23 - Dude..Where's my belt?

First off, I don't have a scale in the house. I like it when I step on the scale in my doctors office best; it's a bit like being on a game show. Big bucks no Whammies!! Big bucks no Whammies!!! Ohhhh thanks for playing, here is your parting gift; high blood pressure & 5 more pounds.
So I think I will be the big winner on my next visit, I left 2012 wearing size 36 jeans, tight 36 jeans and now 23 days later I fit into a pair of 34 that are loose on me. I joked with  Elias today that if I keep shrinking I am going to steal his jeans, he wears a 32. I just look forward to him saying HEY! those are my jeans! Yeah I know it's weird. I feel so much healthier & very motivated that I need to make a new notch in my belt, going the other direction for a change.
NO WHAMMIES!!!

I dream of cheeseburgers

So, it has finally happened. I wanted meat. I have had dreams the past couple of nights about eating meat. Why? I don't feel hungry. Am I missing vital nutrients?

I think I found the answer with the boys... We had errands to run, so I opted for a stop at a healthy stir fry place. When the boys chose it, they immediately asked if they could eat "anything they can wanted". I immediately said, "hold on, I'm not the one imposing these dietary standards, this is something we all decided to do together." They started pleading with me, as kids might beg for sugar while in line at the grocery store. So we had a good conversation about not turning me into the enforcer on the whole experiment. That this was all intended to be a learning experience, not punishment. Dylan had some insightful, comments about how it makes me the bad guy, and how that wasn't fair. Elias wasn't really grasping the concept but shrugged it off.

We ended up having some good conversation about how, as kids, they are at the mercy of adults to feed them, and how that resulted in them not really taking agency in their food choices. (yes, "agency" is my word, I'm summarizing here.) Which basically trains them to the become sneaky about angling for treats, and then over-indulging whenever given the opportunity. Couple that with the fact that sugar and fat is now super-injected into everything from peanut butter and pickles to ketchup and soup, it's no wonder we grow up to be food addicts...

The scariest part is that unlike cigarettes or heroin, you will actually die if you stop eating food all together. You have to learn how to eat in a way that won't trigger the addiction tendencies. My body feels better on this diet, the kids tell us that their bodies feel better on this site diet, but even that good feeling is not enough for them to voluntarily give up the adrenaline rush that comes with sugar/fat binges. Will my rational thinking be able to win over the ancient, and biologically reinforced drive to consume sugar/fat?

Day Fourteen - Breaking wind & the BBQ of dreams.

Well, I think my body is coming to terms with the adjustment. Throughout the weekend I didn't feel that sense of endless hunger, which was good as I had my first shift back to work since starting all this. So I was a little concerned about fading out while I was at work, but all was well. I have to say I am enjoying the experience the food we eat has been great some vegi-lasagna my wife made was amazing! I haven't had any strange meat obsession craving driving me to linger at the butchers counter longingly eyeing a rack of ribs. Tho coincidentally I did have a dream that we were having a summer BBQ & I opened the grill and there on the grill was rib bones and bbq sauce, NO MEAT. So all you experts in dream analysis can make what you want out of that lol. Dining out can add up so fast for 4 and a baby; that even buying organic we are ahead in our budget. Oh I didn't mention that we switched to blue agave to sweeten our coffee and all is happy in coffee land again, I was very used to splenda.
So I will end my rambling today with a brief rant in the key of beans...I am just going to say that never in my life have I so much gas, at times it feels like a scene out of blazing saddles. Granted you can't have something called 13 bean soup without some reaction on the back end of things, that's just how it is, but having fresh vegetables almost every meal has pushed all of that to an almost comical level. We all just sort of let fly & shake our heads & giggle.
end rant...

Positive Pickle Perspective

So in search of bread n butter style pickles I came to discover the huge prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in all of the brands on the shelf. Classic dill style was fine. I eventually found some bread n butter ones at whole foods that did not have the corn syrup. I was there anyhow so it wasn't a special trip for elusive pickles, so it worked out well. But it did open my eyes a bit wider to the corn syrup connection & how it can snow ball into one massive syrup tidal wave in a diet that includes it.
If you stop to look at all the parts of a meal & count how many parts of it could contain high fructose corn syrup; it is really staggering.

When I look at label after label of products & see it. I can't help feeling like the major food producers have little to no concern for public health & well being. Sigh...
I am just one very little squeaky wheel.
*SQUEAK*

The Cost of Healthy Food

I realize that by some standards we are very picky about our food, we will pay more for subtle difference in taste. However, we are still a family of 5 on one income, so we can only indulge those preferences to a degree. There is a notable reduction in spending on meat and cheese. Milk is a draw since we were buying organic before, and Josh really likes the brand name almond milk.

We have always opted for the organic produce when price was anywhere near close, but but some items are just always more expensive when organic. And, there is no telling what mix of organic produce will be available. This limits our ability to plan ahead with a list.

Bottom line, we are spending the same on groceries, but when you factor in the savings in school lunches, and the inconvenience of eating out, we might end up ahead.

Cha-cha-cha-Chia

I am now a big fan of Chia seeds. They have no taste and can either add crunch or soft volume to the texture of the food. But the benefits... Here are a few from the following website: http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/chia-seeds/premium.html

7 Good Reasons To Start Eating Chia Seeds

1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect againstinflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

On the Go

Learned quite a bit about being a healthy traveler.  I knew that I should plan ahead, so I stopped at Whole Foods in a fury and grabbed veggies, hummus and a couple of vegan salads off the food bar.  But on Saturday, at a lovely pot-luck, I made some big mistakes... I was so careful not to grab any meat/dairy, that I forgot to evaluate the ratio of carbs to proteins on my plate.  BIG mistake.  I ended up eating an entire plate full of fruit, veggies, sweet wine and grains... very little protein.  I started getting a headache and then felt kind of sick and faint.  I ate some almonds, drank some water and started to feel better, but it was scary, and a poignant reminder that "non-meat" does not simply equal healthy.

Our mantra should really be "high-protein, plant-based whole foods."

Then came my first trip to an Italian restaurant.  I went in the doors prepared for a losing battle with white flour.  But I was shocked to see that EVERY salad on the menu had dairy.  I could probably have asked them to hold the cheese, but that would still leave me short on protein.  The only pasta dish without meat was spaghetti  and that seemed even worse than salad.  So, with a stronger eye on the protein balance, I ended up eating salmon for dinner (also because i forgot my vitamin d supplement at home).  So, I think overall, it was a judicious choice of meat eating, but I didn't want to resort to that.  Lesson learned: TRADE OFFS ARE INEVITABLE.

On the plus side, I am starting to feel really good! ...energetic and rosy

Day Seven - A week in reflection

I noticed that my earlier posts were almost entirely about the food we were going to eat. As I feel hunger more frequently than before I will chalk it up to that. It has been a interesting shift adopting more of a grazing lifestyle with more frequent snacks/meals through the day. I can't just power down a double whopper & be good the whole day. When it has been too long between meals I drop off quick into mentally dramatic "must eat..need food..." sorts of feelings; so I have almonds & other quick pick me ups in the van & around the house. just a small snack & all is right in the world again.
     Overall I think my energy is up I am sleeping better & waking better, and oddly enough my skin feels better. Perhaps purging the high fructose, dairy & burger grease from my body is making a difference. Part of it feels like a no brainer; but it really takes a lot longer at the grocery store at this point. At least until we figure out what works & what doesn't. D- was regretting tagging along to the store the other day by about the 10th label reading stop. With that said if anyone knows a good Gluten free pancake mix I am all ears. The one we had the other day was much more like English muffins than pancakes, and while I do enjoy a good English muffins, when your anticipating pancakes it's a bit of a let down.

Hmmm so what I know so far.
I like Silk pure almond milk the best, and a little tofu goes a long way.

Day Four - The weekend is here!

A welcomed weekend, getting back into the school flow after a holiday is always a bit rough. Adding vegan lunch prep to that a bit more. Though today went well. I switched up the PB&J with a cucumber sandwich with a sprinkle of cumin & salt to very mixed results lol; D- said "It was somewhere between bad & OK" While Mom was pleased. So you take victories where you can.

Dinner tonight is vegi burgers from whole foods; this has already been established as "acceptable" by our food critics. With tomato, lettuce & spicy mayo substitute.
A spinach salad with cherry tomato almond slices & papaya poppy seed dressing.

So I better get to it.

Day Three - Progress in steps

So a good Corn chowder can be made if with almond milk, good to know. Also one must plan ahead if you wish to make a 13 bean (because 12 bean was not enough) soup; they have to soak for overnight. While I have not cared for Greek style yogurt in the past, the almond version I had with my lunch yesterday was quite good. Oh and while on the note of lunch, today was much smoother, packed 3 bags in less time.
Lunch
PB&J ---Organic peanut butter & Strawberry fragole made with agave (no sugar added) on whole grain bread
Some baby dill pickles
Popcorn
Banana
Wild sweet orange tea (decaf) sweetened with organic honey

For Anni (leaning more to through the day healthy snack)
Organic Bean & Rice burrito
Popcorn
Almonds
Banana
Coffee - not decaf :)

For Jaxen & I we are having a Vegi soup for lunch in a few minutes.

Going to have to switch out the PB&J tomorrow so they don't get bored...

Cheers






 

Day Two - Lunch bag shuffle

So clearly I need to either pack before bed or get up earlier (leaving the house 10 minutes late just wont do).  Or moreover I just need to get into the packing a lunch for both of the boys groove. Or perhaps having the boys pack their lunch at night will give them a greater sense of control over the lunch options. Hmm...
I am sure after a few days we will find our footing.
Today's lunch
PB&J on whole grain bread
Baby carrots
Pink lady organic apple
A few mini pretzels that we didn't use for Christmas candy
and peach tea

On a side note the Almond milk in my coffee this morning was excellent.

Day One - Planning, purchasing and learning

For about a month and a half Mom has been reading up on the whole plant-based cooking concept. A plethora of vegan and whole foods resources exist on the Internet. She discussed what she learned with the rest of us at the dinner table and pointed out plant-based food options at restaurants. We even started cutting down on meat and dairy just to get the hang of it.

Then there was Christmas...
We knew that making such a radical shift in diet right before a major holiday would only doom our efforts, so we enjoyed the huge Prime Rib, and Christmas candies, and set our sights on New Years.

Day One - How did we do?
Shopping was a different experience. We skipped entire sections of the grocery store and floundered around the produce section when our planned ingredients weren't ripe enough to eat tonight. But we persisted, read labels, and bought only enough to get through the next few days.


Practicality Uber Alles
We had bacon and eggs left in the fridge, so we ate them for breakfast. We're making a lifestyle transition, not adopting a new religion. We will use up the butter and chicken broth left in the pantry, and half way through pulling out the ingredients for tempura batter, we realized not only did it require wheat flour, it called for an egg. Clearly we have more to learn. Nonetheless, we remain determined to get it right, and not beat ourselves up over lessons learned.