Now, I don’t have a formal recipe, because I just threw in what I had left in the refrigerator together. But basically, I chopped up tomato, zucchini, squash, onion, and mushroom and roasted the veggies. While they roasted I cooked in quinoa in veggie broth. I just seasoned everything with salt and pepper. I think next time I’ll add some garlic and a few other veggies, but what I love about this concept is that it’s easily adaptable. If you like something spicy, you can add red pepper flakes, etc. Oh what fun! Anyone got any other ideas to make this tastier? Let me know please!

A Green Smoothie!
2 massive handfuls of spinach
1 tbsp of almond butter
1 tbsp of hemp protein (or whatever kind of protein powder you have)
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp of ground flax seed
1/2 cup of almond milk
3/4 cup of ice

I’ve been loving the concept of the smoothie! I’ve never ever been much of a smoothie person, but making my own really makes all the difference. What I love about these smoothies is that you can get tons of good nutrients all in one meal (I usually replace a meal with a smoothie, they’re super filling!). I know the whole idea of drinking spinach sounds gross and all kinds of awful, but I can understand why it’s made such a splash around the health blog parts…
You really can’t taste the spinach. Between the sweetness of the blueberries and bananas and the nuttiness of the almond butter and milk, it turns it in to a banana nut smoothie that just happens to have spinach in it. Totally fangirling over these. Completely recommended!

Anyway, off to bed I go. I have plans to kick my own ass at the gym tomorrow morning!

Thankfully, I think I’m in fairly good shape (*knock on wood*). I finished my Historical Geology project early (the evolution of whales… they use to have legs!), which was the massive paper I had this semester. Beyond that, I just have 2 exams, a mapping, and presentation, THEN I’M DONE. For the week. Until my Conceptual Physics class starts on the 17th.
Did I also mention that I’m moving out in August?! Cause I’m moving out in August. I’ll be moving up to Boone, NC (aka the Appalachian Mountains) to pursue a B.S. in geology. It quickly approaching and I’m starting to get excited/scared/nervous/etc.

Well, in vegan news, can I just say that my Historical Geology professor deserves a gold star? Vegan cookie? Something awesome. The final presentations are on Wednesday and she promised she would bring food (they’re from 11am-1:30pm). She decided on pizza and dessert. She asked about special dietary stuff, what we liked/didn’t like, etc. so she’d know what to get. After class ended I told her that she could discount my slices of pizza since I’m a vegan. She then told me she’d make something for me instead (how sweet is she?!). I told her, no worries, that I’d just bring something instead. But she insisted and asked if I liked mushrooms and balsamic vinegar (which, for the record, I do). Haha, I have no clue what she’s thinking but I’m curious and really grateful . She’s so great, I’ll miss her (and the entire geology department) when I leave!

So I have this bad habit. I take my computer to bed with me. I don’t have a TV in my room, but I’ll watch YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. at night instead. Unfortunately, I tend to lose track of time and end up going to bed waaaay to late! This really needs to stop because exhaustion really affects everything I do throughout the day. I can’t think as well, I get hungry, I don’t have the energy to an efficient workout, etc. Anyway, for this week, I’m challenging myself to NO computer at bedtime. Wham bam.

For dinner, I had this:

Bean burritos with rice and salsa! Not so aesthetically pleasing, but my taste buds approve haha.

Well, I’ve got to get to bed! (With no computer). G’night.

I have some vegan-related issues I’m still sorting through, such as….
Butter on bread. What do you do? Like, say, you’re at a restaurant and they put butter on your bread? Should I have been more proactive and asked before hand? Ignore it and pretend like its not there? Tell them to take it away? VEGAN PREDICAMENT! DAH.

And… what about my awesome leather boots? And handbag? I feel like a walking contradiction!

To be honest, I feel like I need to make a better effort to eliminate all animal by-products from my life. After everything I’ve learn about farming/animal rights/the environment/etc., I feel like this is the next step. Will see… it’s a gradual process and I’m trying to slow down and take it all in!

Oh! I had lunch at the best little restaurant today. It’s called Supper, a small, family owned restaurant with really yummy food! The owner was actually a vegetarian for years and was very knowledgeable about veganism, so I had no miscommunication happen between waitstaff and cooks! I got the Vegetarian Baguette with
onions, peppers, mushrooms, tofurkey, veganaise, balamic drizzle. I’ve never had tofurkey before (I’m not really into soy, to be honest), but it was good! I got a salad with my sandwich and I ate it all! Will definitely be going there again .
You wouldn’t believe how nice it was to get something other then a salad!

Anyway, I off to get a good night’s sleep. I have a final tomorrow morning!

I’m actually kind of astonished with the results so far. All I ever hear about being vegan is that, 1. you’re constantly sick, 2. you always feel terrible and sluggish, and 3. you are always hungry. But I have found none to this to be true thus far (although, this might still count as my “honeymoon phase”. Wait, do new vegans have honeymoon phases? Do I sound insane? My life is insane right now, FYI). But there are some of the things that I’ve noticed since cutting all meat, dairy, and eggs to the curb, such as:
1. My energy levels are much improved. Even though I’m still a little anemic, I’ve finally got a pep in my step again.
2. I’ve been able to push myself harder during workouts without feel completely burnt out afterwords.
3. (On the tails of #2) I’ve been rapidly increasing my stamina and strength. Also, my recovery time is quicker.
4. I haven’t been craving as much. Being vegan pushes you out to the dreaded processed foods convenience zone and, I, therefore, have been eating a lot more naturally as a result. This has really severed ties with refined sugars and whatnot.
5. I am more in tune with my body’s hunger signals. Case and point, I took a pack of raw almonds to class on Wednesday. I started to feel hungry mid-way through my second class, so I popped them open and started eating. About half way through, I had to stop. I no longer wanted the almonds because I reeeeally wanted veggies (a Dr. Praeger’s Cali Veggie Burger, to be exact). My body didn’t want protein or fat, it wanted carbs. Energy. NOW.
6. I haven’t been counting calories, or going crazy with workouts, yet I’m losing that stubborn bit of fat that I’ve been trying to get rid of for years.
7. My skin is starting to clear up. (There are still some places that I’m broken out, but as a whole, it’s looking better).
8. My temperament has changed a little bit. I’ll admit, I can be quite a feisty, aggressive thing towards the end of the day when I’m worn out. But lately I’ve been a little more mellow. Not quite so… provoked at the world.

There are also a few things about veganism that I’m still getting use to. Namely:
1. While I don’t find veganism itself to be hard, trying to find recipes (and ingredients!) have been a little tough.
2. I’m having issues coming up with snacks to take to keep me tided over until I can get my feet in a kitchen and my hands on pots and pans.

I’d also like to pimp out Brendan Brazier’s book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. It’s been SUCH a help in the conversion. Although I don’t think I’ve been eating as well as I would like to be, ideally, I sure as hell have made some massive progress!

I have no long term goals with this lifestyle. I don’t think I can just yet. I haven’t found my footing and I don’t want to set myself up for forever and then be crushed if I give in next week. I focus on the now. I wake up everyday and tell myself, “I’m going to be a vegan today”. Not tomorrow, not a week from now, just today. This mentality has really helped pushed me on more the one occasion and it’s definitely helping now .

Anyway, it’s getting late and I’ve got classes all day tomorrow. The last weeks of school are always the most insane. Do professors do that on purpose or something? You’d think they’re conspiring against us or something!

But I really would like to address this. I feel like it needs to be said.

We’ve been raised to believe (or, I have) that being a vegan will only propagate malnourishment. I won’t get enough protein, vital nutrients and minerals will not be present, and will therefore, be subject to low-energy, sickly side-effects. That there is no way that adopting this kind of lifestyle could ever fulfill or nourish our bodies to ever be able to live optimally. But, but, but…

Hold on! Turn around! Do not pass go! Do not collect $200!

Are there unhealthy vegans? Yes. Unhealthy vegetarians? You betcha. What about meat-eaters? Most definitely. The point I’m making here is that there are unhealthy, malnourished people in every lifestyle. Just because you choose to omit meat and/or dairy and eggs from your diet doesn’t mean that unpleasantness and overall illness will befall you.

In my eyes, the real unhealthy culprit in my eyes is ignorance. Yep. Straight up, good ole’ ignorance with a side of bliss. No matter what your diet does or does not omit, there one thing will always hold true: quality foods promote a quality life. No matter how you slice it, real foods ultimately hold the power to a good quality life or a poor quality life.

My mantra to this is: get informed, change your habits, change you life. I think with proper direction and priority recognition, veganism (or any healthy lifestyle) can be a very healthy practice. But on the flip side, can be very unhealthy if uneducated. All in all, I think it’s safe to say that no one diet or lifestyle is the be all, end all. I am completely in charge of what I put into my body. Just because the foods that I choose to eat fall under the label of “vegan” doesn’t mean we are all the same. As long as we are aware, we can in good conscious, create a healthy and nourishing life .

I’ve decided to try veganism for a month. There are several reasons for this, the main reason stems from my stance on the industrial food industry (factory farming)/government subsidies and how it impacts our environment, our ecosystems, our animals, and our bodies. I really just want to live the most honest life I can. I also know the honest me wouldn’t eat things that go against my beliefs. I’m not trying to be perfect at it, but I want to do my best.

My main concern is really making sure that I eat enough of the right foods (and take all my vitamins!) to make sure I’m hitting all my nutritional marks. To be honest, my eating hasn’t been all that well lately. Not badly just… I’ll eat toast for breakfast and then eat it again for lunch haha. I’m just not getting enough variety right now to call it healthy by my standards. Anyway, starting today, I’m putting effort into my meals and switching it up a bit .
Also, I bought THIS book to acquire some more information about going vegan and whatnot. I never thought I would ever even try this, but now I’m game for a trial basis. Interesting.

Cutting out diary and eggs will be tougher. And what about stuff like honey? Hmm, I need vegan guidance…
I’ve chosen to enlist Brendan Brazier via Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to
Optimal Performnace in Sports and Life to help. I’m awaiting his book as we speak…

We will see. If it’s any indication by my previous posts, I’m constantly changing and trying new things. Not a bad thing, at all.

Having now spent over 40 days without chicken, pork, beef, etc. I really feel better. Both mentally and physically. Mentally, I feel more honest with myself. I’ve been preaching my clean food mantras for years, but I feel like I was not honest with myself because I still ate meat and I didn’t always know where it had come from. To me, that is not ok. I don’t agree with industrial farming and what it does to both animals and the humans that eat them. I find it increasingly concerning that we’ve reached a point where we have decided to overtly control an ecological stable system in order to increase the bank accounts of a few.
With that being said, I feel better as a person for no longer participating in such radicalized methods.

My physical improvement was a bit of a lovely surprise, to be honest! I didn’t expect to have increased energy, but I certainly have! It’s so wonderful to know that my body is responding well to this change in diet .

Now, to address dairy. It will be my next hurdle, I think. I do not expect to cut it out entirely. At least, no time soon. That will actually be more difficult then cutting out meat. But I do want to start cutting it down as significantly as I can. I have no desire to become a vegan, but ideally, I’d only like to consume beans, nuts, grains, fish, eggs, fruits, and veggies. So hopefully I’ll get there.

I’ve been looking into vegetarian and vegan cookbooks because I’m forever looking for good ideas! My short list:
The Kind Diet by Alicia Sliverstone
The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Anyway, off to bed! Our air conditioning is broken so here’s hoping for some rest! (Even though the pollen is high and the house is hot!).

I’m so behind. School has been smothering me. But it’s been good. I’m a academic nerd, true fact.

Well, on the veggie front, things have been going well! Better then I would have ever expected. I have had very few meat cravings, but my self-restraint has been pretty solid so it’s been fairly easy . I’m super excited for this upcoming week and all need new food recipes I’ll try! I finally have my appetite back (and MAN is it back!) so I’m happy .

Eating however, needs to improve. I find myself relying on dinner to only get my veggies. I need to start incorporating some good stuff into my lunches and snacks!

Speaking of lunch, I need to address my lunches for school. I always forget to pack my lunch so 3 days out of the week I don’t eat from 7:30-2:30 (or 3pm, depending). NOT GOOD. By the end of the school day I’m starving and end up overeating.
This is a fairly common issue so this week, I’m going to try to do my best to make the effort (and remember!) to pack myself lunch so I don’t get to hungry.

What’s so exciting about going veg is that it forces me to try new things. I’ve gotten into SUCH a food rut and now I’m starting to branch out and push my limits in the name of good food!

Until later, gators .

Oh dear. I need variety. I need food options. I need my appetite! I think my appetite is sloooowly returning. But I’m anxious and I can’t wait to really seek my teeth into this lifestyle (oh hey pun!).

Until then, stay healthy!

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Ok, here goes:
114/2.2= 51.82kg
51.82 X 0.9= 41-46gm/day

So I thought, ok today I’ll see just how much protein I consume a day and then go from there.
Here’s the count:
Breakfast (12gm):
- 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and agave nectar
Lunch (7gm):
- A plain whole wheat bagel
- Frozen blueberries
Snack (13gm):
- Plain Greek yogurt with granola
Dinner (9gm):
- 1/4 of Trader Joes Spinach pizza
- Salad with pickles organic dressing
Total Protein Count: 41gm!

Well, look-a-there. And I must admit I’d probably get more protein if I could stand eating more (damn stomach virus!). How exciting to know that I am getting enough protein! Once I start my strength training again, I know I’ll increase it even further.

Which brings me to the content of my diet. It’s still not exactly where I want it to be (balanced-health-wise). But at this point I’m just eating what my body will accept since I’ve been sick. If the only thing I can stand is cereal and bread, then that’s what I’ll have. I think it’s important to get calories in when you’re sick. (Especially if you’ve dropped something like 9lbs in a week in a half).

Anyway, until tomorrow .