Going Vegan

I thought I would be the last person on the planet to go "vegan".  Not that I am 100% vegan.  I have been doing a lot of reading and research on animal products and their side effects, such as higher cholesterol, higher chances of heart disease, higher chances of being overweight, etc.  Now, I'm a farm girl.  I grew up on a farm.  I'm all about "where's the beef", but for the last three weeks I thought I'd give "going vegan" a try and see how I felt.  Would I be more tired, would I lose weight, gain weight, would I have more energy?  The works I have read namely, "The China Study" and "The Green Smoothie Girl", both profess that you will feel more energetic if you increase your veggie intake (namely greens) and whole grains while decreasing your dairy and meat intake.  So I gave it a try.

Here is what I found.  Going vegan wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I replaced eggs with chia seeds, I replaced milk with a variety of grain or soy milk that I made at home with the original grain or bean, and I flat out gave up cheese (they say cheese is addicting... who knew?).  I made sure to drink a quart of green smoothie every day and decreased my meat intake to very little.  I have only had meat (chicken, hamburger, and fish) about 3 times over the course of three weeks.  And.... drum roll please.... I feel fantastic, my stomach is flatter (one of my favorite parts of "going vegan), and I NEVER feel hungry.  My scale is broken so I don't know if I've gained or lost, but I think I've stayed about the same since my clothes fit about the same although they are a bit loser in the mid-section... yippee!

I did not stay completely egg free... for example if something was made with an egg in it like bread, muffins, etc, I still ate it.  And I still continued to eat Yogurt since the study's show that yogurt is "pre-digested" and therefore the body can break it down and use the components for the body's use. I increased my veggie intake a hundred fold.  I found a really easy and delicious way to roast a bunch of veggies that I can eat all week long.  I've made some yummy bean and rice dishes, and yes I've eaten things like chicken fajitas, but I made the majority of what I filled my tortilla with veggies.

What's the moral of the story... doing without animal products is doable, it takes some planning, some thought, but I personally love the way I feel.  Will I continue?  Most likely.  I'm not sure that I will be a complete vegan, but I will continue to limit the amount of dairy, eggs, and meat I eat.

For some exercise try this new 100, 100, 100 challenge :  100 Jump squats, 100 seconds of plank, 100 lunges going back instead of forward (it's easier on the knees)... warm-up for 5 minutes first, then test your strength and endurance!

Roasted Veggies:
Obtain a variety of your favorite veggies, cut them in similar sizes so they will cook evenly.
ie
Carrots
Potatoes
Parsnips
Onions
Garlic
Butternut squash
Celery
Put in large roasting pan, add water about an inch from the bottom, roast in slow oven about 300 degrees for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  Serve with your favorite whole grains dish and some Salmon.