Journey into the center of the earth

Well... it’s not quite the center of the earth - but our journey into veganism has been quite interesting.




Like any other thing in life - when starting veganism you have to "get your feet wet." The first few days were filled with finding things that tasted good, things we hated and just trying to keep up with cooking and making all of the things we had to in order to stay on our 28-day Engine 2 journey. We did find a few great recipes and things we really enjoyed as well as many things we just hated. Most of all we were so enthused and excited about a new challenge. And let me just explain that we were already eating about 80% vegan before we even started this diet. We still had milk or cheese occasionally, and I sometimes had sushi or shrimp... but, very rarely! Oh and we ate Greek yogurt too. So, this didn't seem like it would be that crazy of a transition.



After 3 days of being a vegan, JT started crossfit and although it was exhausting, he had plenty of energy to get through the workout. We also felt great health wise and our bathroom routines increased a lot (sorry if TMI) that applied to day 4 as well. On day 5, however, JT came home a little early from school not feeling well and when I got home I realized he was BURNING up! His temp ended up being 102. Friday I worked all day and when I came home his temp was still 102 and we headed to Urgent care - pneumonia. That made things a little rough. JT thought food tasted awful for several days and my days were filled with taking care of him, cleaning and sanitizing our home. Yuck. The only thing that JT could even consider eating was curry - so I got it, had some (cheated on my vegan diet!!! ahh!!!) and he ended up not even wanting to eat! haha. Oh well.



JT is on the mend, but through all of the craziness and misery, we've come to the realization that veganism is way too restrictive. We both understand the principle behind it. We both also understand that it gives your body the nutrition and fuel it needs to be as healthy as possible - but, we are also both practical and feel like being so restrictive is ridiculous. It was interesting, and I am going to finish out this week as a vegan (I already went shopping dammit!) but JT is done and as of next week I think we're going to stop being completely vegetarian (well... for me pescatarian... but for JT vegetarian) as well. We both still plan to eat a vegetarian/vegan diet 80% of the time, but we don't want to feel so restricted. I think one of the reasons we were able to sustain vegetarianism so long is because it was not quite so restrictive, we made decisions about what we wanted to eat and didn't feel boxed in. Things didn't taste like "replacements." And, we are NOT processed foods people so all of the vegan substitutes were pretty much out! So, we'll avoid processed foods completely still, and we'll eat lots and lots of vegetarian foods, but we're back to being omnivores. :)



I discussed with my friend Carolyn that I think the reason I tend to want to go so extreme with my eating is because I feel in control when I do that. I think that control is something I crave because I struggled so much with binging in my past. I have gained a MUCH healthier relationship with food in the last couple of years (thanks to lots of help and encouragement from JT!) but, it’s still a daily struggle. I used to literally count every single calorie I put in my body but all of those calories were empty, bullshit calories that I would eat so I didn't feel "Cheated." Some examples are: 100 calorie snack packs, goldfish, lean cuisine meals that were low calorie so I could eat more sweets later... etc... It’s always been such a struggle to strike a balance in food and I honestly think going vegetarian and vegan has really helped me find that happy medium of being satisfied, but still able to enjoy food. I mean, who knows? I might eat meat and HATE it and decide I am still actually going to be pescatarian... but anyways - the journey has been an interesting one!



On a different note - I am losing weight still and feel great. My workouts have been ok - but, I got a part in a local play and our rehearsal schedule is intense leading up to our opening, I am going to have to get my lazy ass out of bed to fit in workouts in the mornings!!! :) I can do it though.



Here is to striking a balance and living a very very healthy life. :)



Thanks for reading.

Healthy Options

Good Morning and happy Friday! Does anyone have any big plans for the weekend? We sure do here! JT's TOUGH MUDDER! It is down in Austin and it is going to be a BLAST! After I get done with this blog I am going to pull everything together so we can leave as soon as he gets home from school.

Overall, things here are going pretty well. I missed blogging yesterday (mostly due to time constraints and not enough to talk about). The only issue I am currently having is a severe migraine. It started during my 2nd softball game last night (very lightly) and got progressively worse throughout the night. I couldn't sleep because it kept waking me up, so, I'm just trying to relax a little to get it to at least calm down to a manageable level. I haven't had one like this in a long time - I get migraines often, but this one is something I only really ever experienced at A School when I first joined the Navy, it is like a throbbing every time my heart beats. I can feel my heart beating in my head and when it does it is painful and a throbbing pain. It SUCKS. lol. I am definitely ok though - I get headaches so often I can actually work with them if need be. :)

Ok, enough with the negative crap. I have some GREAT pictures to share today. The first thing I want to share is my DELICIOUS salad recipe - I master arts like salad making because there is no cooking involved! lol! Then,  I want to talk about "health options" when cooking at home, or juicing at home isn't possible. There are a TON of options!

My Salad -

The ingredients include: spinach, kale, arugula, green leaf lettuce, onion, half of a granny smith apple, sesame seeds, avocado, dehydrated organic cherries, organic garlic sticks, feta and balsamic vinegar for the dressing. :) Easy to make, affordable and 90% raw and whole foods. (the feta and garlic sticks aren't whole foods or raw.)

If you don't have time to make a gourmet salad at home, there are plenty of healthy restaurants as well as grab-and-go options at the grocery store. JT found a list the other day that I will try to dig up, but there are several restaurants that have a goal of health, sustainability and working with local farmers. Some of you who live in bigger cities might have actual "vegetarian" or "vegan" restaurant options, but for those of you who don't, there are still lots of options. One of those places is Chipotle. They offer a vegetarian option and it is not only delicious, but it is also affordable. I enjoyed it so much I didn't even snap a picture of it! So I got one on google images to give a representation of it.

This is pretty close to what I get, although I usually ask for half of a scoop of guac (they have a TON on theirs!) :) I usually get lettuce, black beans, corn salsa, peppers and onions, guac and usually another form of salsa. :) I sometimes also opt for cheese, but not always. This is a particularly good option if you have family that is not vegetarian because the meat is farm-raised in the local area (all of the ingredients are actually).

The next place I'd like to recommend is Jason's Deli. They are also committed to working with local farmers and providing healthy food options with no additives. Their soda's are all made with cane sugar as is their tea. They designate specific vegetarian options on their menu and they have a kick-ass salad bar! :) I have particularly been enjoying Jason's "Freshca" sandwich! :) SO yummy!!

It is focaccia bread with basil pesto (so obviously it has olive oil, which I generally try to avoid.) tomatoes, spinach and artichoke hearts. The olive oil makes it a little high in fat  and calories FYI, but it is really yummy and I feel like it is a good option. If it is not for you though, they also have several other vegetarian options including  a variety of vegetarian soups. The fruit is fresh too!

Now, if you're on the run and don't have time to juice, or need an afternoon pick-me-up between errands, a simple stop at the grocery store can do the trick! For juice, I usually pick one of these bad boys up at walmart for 4 dollars. It is a FULL meal replacement if you drink it all at once - so although 4 dollars sounds steep, it is definitely not.

The only downside to the odwalla is that it is flash pasteurized which takes away some of the nutrients. In terms of choices though, I think this is a practical one for most and a much better option than a drive-thru salad (with high-fructose corn syrup dressing on the side!) Naked is also an option - they are a bit more expensive and they also flash pasteurize.

The other on-the-go option I LOVE is raw food bars! I LOVE THEM! I eat them as snacks and meals. In fact, due to my headache I have felt pretty nauseous, and the raw food bar stayed down. :) There are several brands such as Raw Revolution, Lara, GOOD foodbar and a couple of others. They vary in price from 88cents (Lara on sale) to 3 dollars.

The bars are also great options for people with a sweet tooth! Some of them are like eating a candy bar!

Those are only a few of the many many options available when eating on the go. People always have excuses like "I don't have time to eat healthy" or "I don't have time to find a healthy option on my lunch break." Total bullshit. Those are excuses, there is ALWAYS time for health!

Thanks for reading! We'll have a great blog update come Monday with JT's results and a recap of our eating. We're going to find a vegan restaurant in Austin to enjoy! <3 Everyone have a great weekend!