Wednesday's Weigh In: Week 6

I've lost another pound. There really isn't much to report as of now. Life is just really busy, so Veganstein is not my biggest priority at the moment. I've been drinking a lot of homemade smoothies lately and it just helped me remember how much I like them and how healthy they can be. I don't add sugar to them, just frozen fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, flax seed, and some almond milk- that's it. They're so good and my kids love them too! I'm feeling good too. I'm sure everyone is wondering this, so I'll finally give you the info you want, this diet has helped me become so much more regular, predictable even, this is a first for me. That is a definite benefit!

Monday's Menu

This is going by pretty quickly. Here's a list of my meals from last week:
Monday
Breakfast- Spinach, Fruit, Flax Seed, and Almond Milk Smoothie
Lunch- Lentil and Brown Rice Burrito
Dinner- Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Marinara
Tuesday
Breakfast-Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Lunch- Leftover Spaghetti, Dill Rye Toast
Dinner- NVM
Wednesday
Breakfast- 1/2 Banana
Lunch- Lentil Soup and Sauerkraut
Dinner- NVM
Thursday
Breakfast- Spinach, Fruit, and Almond Milk Smoothie
Lunch- Smoothie
Dinner- Lentil Soup and Tortilla Chips
Friday
Breakfast- Spinach, Fruit, and Almond Milk Smoothie
Lunch- Salad and Vegan Whole Wheat Bread
Dinner- Chickpea Noodle Soup
Saturday
Breakfast- a plum
Lunch- Potatoes, Rice, and Vegetables
Dinner- Pasta Salad and Green Salad
Sunday
Breakfast- Spinach, Fruit, Carrots, Almond Milk, and Flax Seed Smoothie
Lunch- Peanut Butter and Strawberry Preserves on Vegan Whole Wheat Bread, and Smoothie
Dinner- Chickpea Noodle Soup
I've been feeling great! My skin is breaking out a lot though and I have to wonder if it's at all related to this diet. I usually don't have acne or skin problems, but I have had some issues for the past month or so. Of course, it could also be due to the weather changes. The chickpea noodle soup I made this week was super yummy, I just followed a recipe for chicken noodle soup and substituted the chicken broth with vegetable stock and the chicken with chickpeas, delicious! Is it just more or are most vegan meals soups? I'm fine with that, except that 75% of the year where I live it is just not soup weather, thank goodness it's beginning to be cooler now.

Wednesday's Weigh-In, Week 5

I've lost 1 pound since last week and, although I'm not fully focused on my weight, I've got to say, I'm happy to see the scale tip in the right direction- even if it is only 1 pound down. This means that since I've begun, I've lost 4 pounds and am 24 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm pretty well on track this week so far as my menu plan goes and since I have a plan, I should be doing great by the end of the week. I'm trying to incorporate flax seed more into our diet here and I have done so successfully so far, adding it to smoothies and oatmeal and today I'm going to try adding a little to my vegan whole wheat bread. I'm exercising regularly, even after being sick last week and over the weekend, and I am seeing my body change a lot from that. I'm doing the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred and I love it! It's only a 20 minute workout every day, but it's great and after only a couple of weeks of doing it I'm seeing results. I have to return it to the library next week, so we'll see what I end up doing next.

My biggest concern right now is continuing this experiment while on vacation. I'm going to be taking two trips soon, one next weekend and another the following week. We're going to be traveling quite a long distance for one of those trips, which usually means we opt for less healthy food just for the convenience. We'll also be staying with family and I'm always concerned about being a bad house guest- making too many requests outside the hosts' normal routine/diet. I'm sure I'll be fine though, hopefully my husband will keep my in check a little while we're away. I'm planning to make some granola and other snack foods to have on hand while we travel, so that should help somewhat. I'll have to come up with some Veganstein travel tips and post them once I can get it figured out.

Monday Menu Week 4

Ugh! Last week was bad. I started off the week super busy- catching up with stuff after my husband was sick the previous week. Then, I got sick along with my 4 year-old. It was brutal on my experiment here. My husband took good care of me and our children while I was sick, but, since he was in charge of meals, there wasn't a whole lot of Veganstein going on. I was feeling a little better by Saturday, although even today I'm not 100% back, but by then my diet was already all out of whack. Luckily, I made a meal plan and did some grocery shopping that should get us through the next couple of weeks, so we'll just call last week a loss and start this week off much better. Okay? In addition to being busy and sick, I didn't get on the computer much because my hubby has been swamped at work and has been working from home during his regular hours as well as after hours, so I wasn't great at keeping record of my meals last week. Here's what I've got, forgive me for my laziness this past week in keeping track.
Monday
Breakfast- Plain Everything Bagel
Lunch- Black Bean and Corn Burrito
Dinner- NVM
Tuesday
Breakfast- Plain Everything Bagel
Lunch- Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
Dinner- Vegan Stir Fry and Rice
Wednesday
Breakfast- 1/2 banana and a handful of raspberries
Lunch- I stalk celery with peanut butter, 1 piece of vegan dill rye toast
Dinner- Couscous with Vegetables
Thursday
Breakfast- Nothing
Lunch-Peanut Butter and Strawberry Preserves on toast
Dinner-NVM
Friday
Breakfast- Strawberry Preserves on toast
Lunch- (can't remember, probably toast again)
Dinner-NVM
Saturday
Breakfast- Nothing
Lunch- Black Bean and Corn Burrito
Dinner- Vegetable and Chickpea Stir Fry with Brown Rice
Sunday
Breakfast- Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Lunch- Peanut Butter and Strawberry Preserves on toast
Dinner- NVM (Yes, I know I exceeded my goal, but it was a delicious meal with family, totally worth it)

I'm finding that I'm not sure what to do with myself when it comes to meals with family or friends. We're new to our community, so I don't want to be the weirdo "vegan", especially since my diet is not truly vegan and I don't categorize myself as a vegan. Plus, when I go to see family the food is always so delicious, I'd hate to miss out on something I love just because of this experiment. I do cut back a lot, though, and that is something I'm proud of. I think, too, I'm just more attracted to the fruits and vegetables made available wherever I eat rather than heading straight for the meatiest, cheesiest food available and eating that in excess- so that should count for something. I certainly feel better when I eat healthier and I'm beginning to feel when my dietary choices are not as good as they generally are and I think that's great. I think it means that this experiment is making me more aware of how different foods effect me, my health, my mood, and my overall opinion of myself and that is such a valuable tool that I can use to make better choices for myself and my family in the future.

Wednesday's Weigh-In Week 4

It's week 4 of Veganstein and I'm feeling really excellent about how things are going. I have been, however, a little lazy about cooking though, so I need to snap myself out of that. I have not lost any weight, but I can tell by the way my clothes fit that my body is changing. I'm feeling strong and energetic. My monthly grocery budget is not liking this experiment though, as it has nearly doubled our grocery bill, so I'm going to have to find out how to eat plant-based while being thrifty, and fast. It may be just because there aren't a lot of options where I live to shop around for deals because I'm in a small town, but I hope I can get back to my normal grocery budget. I'm really looking forward to the harvest of different fruits and vegetables coming up soon and seeing what we can do with that. My guess is that pumpkins, squash, and apples will accompany many a meal in the coming months- yum! Meanwhile, I find my 4 year-old talking to a lot to his friends about food and exercise. He and his friends, while I was teaching preschool, talked all during one snack time about what kind of milk they each drink- cow's milk, almond milk, coconut milk (Noah's favorite). It was cute. I've also overheard Noah talking to his friends about how we shouldn't eat a lot of meat, but we can eat lots of fruits and vegetables to be healthy and strong- he's learning! It's so nice to have these conversations as a family and to see that my son is thinking about his body and how to take care of it.

Week 3 Monday Menu

Here's what I ate last week. I have to say last week went much better than the previous week. I found it much easier to stick to my experiment. I started up again with my exercise routine Thursday morning and that always helps me make better dietary decisions. The Sweet Potato Minestrone was so delicious! The Vegan Korma was tasty and very filling. I don't yet have a concrete plan for this week's menu, but I'm going to experiment a little more with tofu.
Week 3
Monday
Breakfast- Vegan Bread, plain
Lunch- Vegan Bread with Peanut Butter and Raspberry Preserves
Dinner- Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
Tuesday
Breakfast- Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal
Lunch- Black Bean and Brown Rice Burrito
Dinner- NVM
Wednesday
Breakfast- Bowl of Fruit (Green Grapes, Pineapple chunks, Banana slices)
Lunch- Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
Dinner- Spaghetti
Snack- Dinner
Thursday
Breakfast- Plain Everything Bagel
Lunch- Miso Soup and Whole Wheat Crackers
Snack- Popcorn
Dinner- Vegan Korma
Friday
Breakfast- Cheerios with Almond Milk
Snack- a small glass of Almond milk
Lunch- Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup and crackers
Dinner- Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
Saturday
Breakfast- Plain Everything Bagel and Almond milk
Lunch-NVM
Dinner- Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
Sunday
Breakfast- Plain Everything Bagel
Lunch- Black Bean and Corn Burrito
Dinner- NVM

Wednesday's Weigh-In Week 3

Once again, I haven't lost or gained any weight, that's okay though. I haven't been feeling very healthy lately, though, and I know it is because I haven't been as consistent with my workouts this week- darn! Tomorrow I am starting back up with doing it in the mornings, regardless of how I feel. I've been feeling lethargic and I wonder if it's because of my diet. I have noticed that I don't sleep well the nights after my NVMs partially because my mind just won't shut off and also because my stomach is usually pretty upset. I wonder if there's a connection to my mind racing and eating meat and dairy- do they help with brain activity? I'm going to have to research that. The stomach aches, I think, are primarily caused by my eating cheese (especially if it's in a considerable amount)- darn again! I really like the taste of cheese, but I'm not liking what it does to my stomach after I eat it. I'm also beginning to see where/when I make bad decisions with my family's diet, it's when we're busy, which, lately, has been a lot. Even when I plan ahead, one little kink in the plan makes me wish I could just run to the nearest grocery store and pick up a frozen pizza, but I haven't because of this diet. Last night, however, I was thawing a vegan meal I had made a while back for my husband and I to eat after the kids went to bed so we could have a little dinner & movie at home date, but it didn't thaw enough and I really didn't have a back up plan, so he ran and picked us up some food which was tasty, but did not make me feel good afterward. Things like that just bother me, I don't like it when I plan to do something healthy, and end up really botching it. Today is a new day, right? Thank goodness for that! Needless to say, this past week hasn't been the easiest for me, and it's only 3 weeks in, but I'm still motivated to keep this up and see how it goes more long-term. Wish me luck.

Benefits of the Foods We Eat: Sweet Potatoes

I'm not doing as much research during this experiment as I hoped I would be. Most of my "free" time is spent finding recipes to try, but I've found myself wondering what makes the foods I eat healthy. So, I thought I could at least spend a few minutes every now and then reading about different foods and posting my findings here.

Maybe it's because I just had that delicious sweet potato minestrone last night and I have sweet potatoes on my mind, or maybe it's just because I love sweet potatoes, but that's what I'm going to start with. I've always heard sweet potatoes referred to as a super food, so I figured that meant it was good for me, but I now can say I know why. Here's what I've learned about sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes are abundant in vitamin A (with one medium sweet potato containing more than your daily requirement. Vitamin A helps to boost your immune system, brings health to your vision by "feeding" your retinas, helps with the reproduction that goes on within your body and in your skin (helping you have smooth skin), it also helps you to fight infection and can help protect against certain types of cancer and disease. A deficiency in vitamin a is believed to be an accomplice to smoking in causing Emphysema.

Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin c, which we all know helps to strengthen our immune system. Did you also know it's known to help improve skin health and may prevent some wrinkling?

Sweet potatoes have manganese which is also great for the immune system and can help improve energy. Manganese can strengthen your bones, collagen, and ligaments- so it's good for athletes, and aids in nerve function. It can also help nursing mothers with production of breast milk and (for adults' eyes only) is good for sexual health as well.

Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber which is great for regulating the digestive system. Here's where I came across the one and only warning about eating sweet potatoes. If you have health problems related to your gallbladder or kidneys, you should speak with your health care provider about how much or if sweet potatoes should be included in your diet because they contain a small amount of oxalates which can cause kidney damage if the body cannot process it efficiently.

Vitamin B also joins the list of vitamins contained in sweet potatoes. Vitamin b, I've learned, is a vitamin we need to continually replenish because our bodies cannot store it. It's good for so many things too, such as fetal development in pregnant women, metabolizing fats, and keeping your skin, hair, and eyes healthy.

Sweet potatoes also contain iron. I'll be honest, I didn't expect that. I guess I've always just associated iron with meat. Iron helps your body to transport oxygen and, once again, helps you to have healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Wow! I love sweet potatoes even more now knowing that they do so much for me while also being so delicious. Thank you sweet potatoes!

Recipe: Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is my favorite cool weather food. Yesterday it was rainy, windy, and cool all day, so I decided to make something tasty to compliment the weather. I had sweet potatoes on hand and searched on Allrecipes.com for recipes that have sweet potatoes in them and came across one for Sweet Potato Minestrone, yum! Of course I made a few changes, so here's the recipe I made that my family and I absolutely loved.

*I didn't this time around, but you can also add a 16 oz. package of cooked mini shells pasta to this soup

Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbs. oregano (or to taste)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes (use Italian-style for flavor, or plain if you prefer)- do not drain
1 (15 oz) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32 oz) box of vegetable broth, or 4-5 cups
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in a food processor
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 can of cut green beans
5 cloves garlic, minced

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, vinegar, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. If adding pasta, add cooked pasta 5 minutes before serving.

Monday Menu Week #2

Here's what I ate last week.

Week 2

Monday
Breakfast- Apples & Cinnamon Oatmeal
Lunch- Pasta Salad
Dinner- NVM
Tuesday
Breakfast- Raisin Bran with Almond Milk
Lunch- Toast with Raspberry Preserves
Dinner- Black Beans with Brown Rice and Veggies
Wednesday
Breakfast- Oatmeal and Pineapple slices
Lunch- Whole Wheat Crackers with Raspberry Preserves and Green Salad
Dinner- Couscous with Tomatoes and Green Onions
Thursday
Breakfast- Vegan Bread with Raspberry Preserves
Lunch- Black Beans with Brown Rice and Veggies
Dinner- Alphabet Soup with Lentils, Veggies, and Tofu
Friday
Breakfast-Vegan Bread with Raspberry Preserves
Lunch-NONE
Dinner- DATE NIGHT NVM
Saturday
Breakfast- Vegan Bread with Raspberry Preserves
Lunch- Black Beans with Brown Rice and Veggies
Dinner- NONE
Sunday
Breakfast- Vegan Bread with Raspberry Preserves
Lunch- Black Beans with Brown Rice and Veggies
Dinner-NVM

I wasn't feeling well for some of the week. We all loved the couscous, and the alphabet soup with the tofu was a fun little experiment that went really well.

Recipe: Whole Wheat Vegan Bread

This is the simplest whole wheat bread recipe I have ever made and, after making it a couple of times, I have to say it is the tastiest I've ever made too. The original recipe, which you can see here, called for 1/2 cup of molasses, but even with mild flavor molasses, it was too much for me, it also used too much white flour for my liking. Below, I have the recipe with my tweaks.

Whole Wheat Vegan Bread
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons active yeast
1 Tbs. mild flavor molasses
3 cups whole wheat flour
a little less than 1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 cups each unbleached white flour and whole wheat flour (this is in addition to the 3 cups listed above)

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and molasses, stir until well mixed. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and stir until it begins to form a dough. Cover mixture and let rise in a dry place for 20 minutes- up to 1 day.

Once it has had time to rise, add agave nectar, vegetable oil, milk, and salt, stir until combined.

Begin adding remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between whole wheat and white flour. After adding the first 2 cups of flour, it should be difficult to stir using a spoon, so place it on a lightly floured surface and kneed in the remaining dough- do not add in excess of 4 cups of flour. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.

Split dough as desired. This recipe can make 2 loaves or 48 dinner rolls. Place split dough in greased pans or on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

For loaves, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool in bread pans on a wire wrack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool another 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve or store.

For dinner rolls, bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool for about five minutes before serving so it has time to soften.

*I froze the dinner rolls and thawed them to serve at a later time and they were still soft and delicious, we just heated them up in the microwave.

Wednesday's Weigh-In

The second week of Veganstein started on Monday. I had a cheeseburger at our Labor Day BBQ and, although it was delicious, my stomach was not a fan. It's amazing how quickly a person's body can adapt to dietary changes. I'm finding it difficult this week to stick to my experiment, I don't know if it's because I crammed last weeks NVMs into two days and then started this week off with another NVM or if it's for some other reason. Toward the end of the week last week, I was having trouble sleeping. Then, over the weekend, my husband started feeling sick and has kept me up the last few nights, so I'm feeling a bit sluggish. I know that when I'm tired and lazy feeling, I often eat more than I would normally, so that could be why Veganstein is more of a challenge this week. Either way, I've been sticking with it and have kept up with my exercises each day. It feels good to exercise and stick to a goal especially when I really don't want to, it makes me feel like I have better control over every aspect in my life. Of course it doesn't really change how much control I have in everything, it just makes me feel stronger and more capable of handling things. I think good health can do that. Have you ever overheard people talk about a mutual friend who is struggling with various things in his/her life and one of them says, "Well, at least she has her health"? That was always such a weird thing to me, but I think I'm beginning to understand that expression. As my husband has been working toward leading a healthier life, I've observed him playing with our kids more, helping around the house more, and facing challenges at work with less frustration. For myself, I feel as though I've developed more patience and energy to handle day-to-day things as I've began focusing on my own health and trying to improve it. There are a lot of things we can't control; people around us will make foolish decisions that upset us, financial problems will come, etc., but one thing we can control is how we take care of our bodies. True, we may take excellent care of our bodies and still become ill or get injured, but if our bodies are strong, so is our will, and if our will is strong, we can push through any challenge before us with both strength and grace- even if the outcome is different than we would hope. If all we have is our health, we still have hope, and some times that's all we need to carry on. Now that I'm realizing this, that good health will benefit me in every aspect of my life, I don't think I can ever go back to how I was before, not super unhealthy, but not really doing anything to be healthy. I'm glad for that.

I haven't lost or gained any weight since last week. I'm seeing more definition in my muscles though, which I like. I now understand a little better why gyms have so many mirrors in them, I love seeing my leg muscles working when I exercise.

Recipe: Vegan Enough For Me Banana Bread

Here's a recipe I made for Vegan Banana Bread. If you want it to be truly vegan, use raw sugar instead of white sugar. I love banana bread and this is one of the best recipes I've made. You could add another banana to give it more banana flavor if you want.

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup Splenda

1/2 cup sugar (or omit Splenda and just do 1 cup of sugar)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 - 3/4 cup pecans diced, or crushed (use some in with mix and sprinkle remaining on top before baking)

Bread, bake 350 for 50 min, then 325 15 minutes longer

Muffins bake 350 for 20-30 min

Monday Menu Week 1

Last week was the first full week of Veganstein. I think it went well, although all of my Non Vegan Meals (NVMs) got clumped together at the end of the week because of a birthday party and other things. Today is Labor Day, so it looks like I'm starting off the week with a NVM since we're going to be having a BBQ later on in the day. That's okay though, because even when I had my NVMs last week, I found myself making healthier choices; a second helping of salad instead of another hot dog, brown rice with my grilled chicken instead of putting it on a bun, etc. I think my overall attitude is that I'm working hard to be healthier every day, why ruin it with bad choices while sitting down for one meal? Here's what I ate last week:

Week 1

Monday

Breakfast- Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal, with glass of vanilla almond milk

Lunch- Brown Rice with Marinara sauce

Snack- Vegan dinner roll with Peanut butter and a pear

Dinner- Lentil and Veggies (I added more spices to this, I love lentils, but with lots of seasoning) with a vegan dinner roll

Tuesday

Breakfast- Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Snack- a glass of vanilla almond milk, pretzels

Lunch- PB&J on vegan rolls, grapes

Dinner- Black Bean Burgers with Green Beans

Wednesday

Breakfast- 1/2 banana and Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Lunch- Brown Rice with Lentils and Veggies

Snack- Almond Milk, Pretzels

Dinner- Curried Tofu (I found this recipe to be a little too bland, I added onion salt to the tofu before the other ingredients. Next time I think I'll add diced red peppers and onion to it for more flavor. Also, we ate this with brown rice and we chopped our own carrots.)

Thursday

Breakfast- Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Toasters and a pear with a glass of vanilla almond milk

Lunch- Black Bean Burger with a banana

Dinner- Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Marinara sauce and green beans

Friday

Breakfast- Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Toasters

Lunch- Black Bean Burger with grapes

Dinner- NVM

Saturday

Breakfast- Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Toasters

Lunch- NVM (Birthday Party, but the cupcakes were vegan and delicious!)

Dinner- NVM

Sunday

No Breakfast or Lunch for Fasting

Dinner- Leftovers- Lentils with Brown Rice, Pasta Salad, Green Salad, and Sweet Potato French Fries

Family Night Snack- Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Bread

 

I came across some surprises with our meals last week. First, my baby loves tofu! He is generally a good eater, but he ate the curried tofu meal we had Wednesday up like it was candy. The second surprise I had was just how filling these meals were, especially the dinners, I could hardly eat what I had always thought to be a full serving, and I didn't wake up starving as I usually do. I made a big pot of brown rice for this week and tonight I'll be making some black beans, so those will be great to have on hand throughout the week. Week 2 starts today!

I Said Fridays, but I Meant Mondays

I know I said in the introduction that I'd be posting my weekly menu on Fridays, but after thinking about it, I believe it makes more sense to do it on Mondays, that way you'll get a full week's menu (Monday-Sunday) from the previous week. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday's Weigh-In

This is the first week of Veganstein and I'm feeling good. I've discovered that I need to do a little more cooking to keep up with the experiment- I can't just throw together a meat and cheese sandwich for lunch, I actually have to do a little more preparation. So, I'm thinking I'll be making lots of big pots of rice and beans over the next 87 days. My family has been busy this week, my husband has been going to work early and staying late, my 4 year-old has soccer practice two nights a week and preschool two days a week and, since we have only one car, I get to play taxi driver for them all, with my 16 month-old as my backseat companion. The busyness has just added to the challenge of this experiment, but so far it has been going well. I have been pushing myself a lot in my exercise routine and I've noticed that I'm feeling hungry a lot. Could it be I'm not getting enough of what my body needs? To satisfy my hunger I've been having snacks (or at least 1 a day, up to 2 if it's needed) and I find that by meal time I don't eat as much as I usually would, so I don't think my caloric intake is more than usual, it's just spread over more "meals" throughout the day. The meals we've had have been good, we tried a new recipe on Monday. I weighed myself this morning, the same time as last week, and I've lost 3 pounds. I now am 25 pounds away from my ideal weight, which is great. The healthiest I've felt in, I would guess, 6 years was just before I got pregnant with my second son and I'm 4 pounds away from that weight. Getting down to my ideal weight would get me back to the weight I was when I got married 10 years ago, the weight I was up until about a year before I got pregnant with our first son. I was thinner then, but I wouldn't say I was healthy. I didn't exercise much or watch what I ate, I was just young and had a good metabolism. I'm really finding that, although I'd love to smoke up the beach with my hot bod some day, I just want to be healthy. If I never reach my ideal weight, I think that will be okay, just as long as I am taking care of myself and feeling good about myself- if I do reach it, that will just be that much better. I haven't yet had a non-vegan meal (NVM) this week, and I haven't really figured out when I will, the food I've had so far has been good and satisfying, so that's a good thing. I know I have a long way to go with this experiment, but I am already feeling that this will be a positive experience for me and my family.

It's Alive!

Today is the official start of Veganstein. I hope you'll follow along with me throughout these 90 days because I'm super excited to see how I'm feeling along the way. As I've been preparing for this experiment, I've been thinking a lot about how I'll plan my meals, most importantly when those Non-Vegan Meals (or NVMs for short) will work into my weekly diet. This experiment is just for me, but it will naturally influence my family's diet because A- I do the grocery shopping,  B- I make most of our meals, and C- We eat together and we always eat the same thing for dinner (meaning I don't cook separate meals for my husband and I than I do for our children). I've also been wondering how special events will play into my meal plans, such as parties, date nights, and holidays (did you see that my experiment ends AFTER Thanksgiving?). Should I eat vegan meals all week just to make sure I can enjoy those events without any dietary restrictions? Or, should I challenge myself by choosing to eat only vegan for some of those events (the latter is out of the question for Thanksgiving, I want turkey!)? Another thing I've been considering a lot is, how true to a vegan diet am I going to be for my vegan meals? I made one batch of vegan bread which was pretty tasty, but I think the recipe could use a little tweak before I share it, but I will definitely be using vegan bread. I was reading somewhere that white sugar is not considered vegan because apparently bone char is used in the bleaching process. Okay? Yeah, I don't care. White sugar isn't something I use so often or in such large amounts that I think it'll significantly effect my experiment, so I'm using it. The same goes with white flour, although I am using a lot more whole wheat flour too because whole grains are a big part of this experiment. What about spread, that butter-ish stuff I put on dinner rolls and other things? I use the "vegetable spread" already, but it still has whey in it (not in the first few ingredients though). Regardless, I'm going to continue using the same kind I always have, again it's really not something I use frequently and when I do I use so little I don't think it's going to change the outcome of this experiment for me. Of course I will not be using butter or margarine in my cooking for the vegan meals. I'm sure I'll run into more food items like those that I'll have to consider more carefully. I feel this is a good place for me to remind you that the main focus of Veganstein is not the vegan part, it's the plant-based, whole foods part. I'm trying to incorporate more plants and whole grains into my diet and eliminate some of the excess meat and dairy, that's it. If you're looking for someone who has become vegan to fight social injustices or reverse global warming, you've come to the wrong place (and if you do your research you will find that becoming vegan isn't going to do that anyway). I'm also going to be using this experiment as an opportunity to introduce new things into my diet, such as tofu and flax seed, as well as cooking with vegetables I haven't tried before. It should be fun.

Everything In Balance

I feel impressed again to just talk a little here about this experiment. We are not vegan or vegetarian, and we do not plan on becoming so. There are definite health benefits and nutritional necessities in both meat and dairy products that cannot be replaced by grains, fruits, or vegetables. This experiment is just that, an experiment, if we change our diet, how will we feel? I will still be having 3 meals each week that include meat and/or dairy during the 90 days and I feel that should be sufficient. My primary purpose for doing this experiment, in addition to the goals I've set, is to find more recipes and incorporate more variety into my family's diet, and more especially more without meat or dairy. At present our top family meals and my quick go-to's include both meat and dairy, which is fine for some nights, just not every night. I've mentioned the Word of Wisdom in a few posts already, that's my guideline- it's so simple and balanced and that's what I want my diet to be. I love the word "prudence" in there, meaning wisdom and modesty. Wouldn't every one's diet improve if they considered all of their food choices with wisdom and modesty? So this change is my way of doing just that. I'm going to try and do more research as I continue with this blog and begin this experiment. I think there are positive things to say about meat and dairy that could also be said here and I will do that. No food is my enemy here. I'm fortunate that I and my family do not have any food allergies, so we can pretty much enjoy anything... with prudence of course. We just want to be enjoying them for as long as possible, and still be able to get up and leave the table to enjoy other things too.

Wednesday's Weigh-In #1

Even though the experiment doesn't begin officially until next week, I think it's good to start Wednesday's Weigh-In today. Since this whole experiment is being done to find out how and if my diet relates to my health and if eating a more plant-based, vegan diet will improve my health, I think it's important to keep track of all aspects of my health. Wednesday's Weigh-Ins are not just about how much weight I've lost or gained during the course of this experiment, they're also going to be about how I'm feeling and what changes I observe in myself and/or my family. The fact is that weight is related to health and, although my weight is not my focus, I do expect that making healthier decisions concerning my diet will result in some weigh loss because I am overweight. So, to start, I've weighed myself and using this online ideal weight calculator, I've determined how much weight I need to lose to match my ideal weight. That magic number is 28. Meaning, to be at my deal weight, I need to lose 28 pounds.

You should know that in addition to my diet, I also exercise regularly. I have always struggled with staying motivated and keeping up with a regular exercise program, but I've finally found something that works for me. I change it up every 3 weeks. Here's why... the DVDs are due back at the library every 3 weeks. That's right, I get my workouts from the library. It's a good system for me. I do a full 45-60 minute workout 6 days a week for 3 weeks, then switch to another workout program. It keeps me moving and engaged. Right now I'm doing the "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism" workout from Jillian Michaels. I love it! I don't get enough cardio into my workouts when I do my own thing and this DVD is all cardio. Part of what I'm interested to see with this experiment is how my physical health changes (I'm not talking weight here). I struggle with cardio because either my lungs or my heart (or both) just don't handle it well. I get winded easily. Could eating less meat and dairy help? We'll see.

Some other things I'm going to be observing for Wednesday's Weigh-Ins are: changes in my level of energy, how motivated I'm feeling, changes I observe in myself both physical and emotional, and just how I feel overall. Today I am feeling optimistic. I'm excited to begin this experiment and to see what I learn from it. My exercise routine has been consistent and I want to stay motivated to stick with it because I can already see how much stronger my body is becoming and I'm noticing that my posture is better and I just feel like my clothes fit me better. My energy is pretty good, but could use some improvement right around dinner time, that's when the day always seems to catch up with me.

Thanks for Your Concern, but...

The announcement that our family is experimenting with veganism has become an issue for some, mostly just friends who care about us and want to make sure we're being smart with our health. We are so happy to have friends and family who love and care for us so much. I see where their concern comes from. Who doesn't know someone who became vegetarian or vegan in an effort to improve their health only to end up less healthy? I certainly have known such people. The truth of the matter is, those people did not educate themselves or prepare properly for such a change. They didn't consider what nutrients they'd be giving up when switching to a plant-based diet, and they certainly didn't take sufficient efforts to replace those nutrients with other foods. While I'm not an expert and I don't yet know all there is to know about nutrition, I want to assure you all that I and my husband have put a lot of thought and research into this experiment. For our children, we are continuing to feed them foods that their pediatrician recommends for their good health and development, and we will continue to seek his advice as they grow. We are aware of many of the dietary "holes" we will need to fill by shifting our diet and plan to supplement our diet as best we can. This will be a learning experience for us, but we want it to be a positive one, so we're working hard to make sure it is.

As I've thought about the concern that has arisen, I've found a little humor in it. We're trying to lead a healthier life and people are concerned for us? Doesn't that seem odd? As I said earlier, I understand where the concern comes from and I too have thought similarly in the past about such a dietary change, but I now look at it differently. For every 1 person I know that has had health problems related to switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet, I know at least 10 people who have health problems related to overeating or unhealthy eating habits(such as a diet that relies too heavily on meat & dairy for nutrients, or just simply eating all the wrong stuff). Unfortunately, I think that those health problems and their causes are more common today and thus more widely accepted or are overlooked because they are so common. Isn't that sad? So that's why I say, 'Thank you for your concern, but...' we're going to do this. Please remember this is an experiment for us. After the 90 days are up we may decide we need to go back to our "normal" diet, or we may not. I'm using this blog as a way to track my thoughts, feelings, observations, and progress (or lack thereof) throughout the entire experiment so that I'll have a careful log of everything I experience along the way. Just please keep that in mind as you view this blog.

Tofu, or not Tofu?

I'm still in the preparation and planning phase of this experiment, and one thing I've been wondering about is tofu. Do I really need it? What is it exactly? Does it offer any health benefits? Or, is it just something people use to try and substitute for real meat (like they do so unsuccessfully with tofurkey- it's not the same in any way). I've had tofu before, not often, but it's in some of my favorite Asian food dishes and I have rather liked it. My thought has been, though, should I bother learning to cook with it and add it to my diet if I'm only a part-time vegan? I've done a little research (you can visit my resources here, here, and here) and I've concluded that, yes, I should start incorporating tofu into my family's diet. Here's what I've learned.

Tofu is made from soy beans. It is high in both calcium and protein and, although you'd have to eat a little more of it to equal the protein you'd get from a diet that primarily uses meat for protein, it is better for your cholesterol. Tofu also is believed to help lower a person's risk for certain types of cancer and heart disease, recent studies indicate that eating a regular diet of meat and dairy products may actually increase your risk for those same conditions. Tofu has been an efficient and satisfying source of protein in other cultural diets for centuries. While it is associated primarily with veganism and vegetarianism in western cultures, it offers benefits to any diet.

I think my family and I could benefit greatly from using tofu. I'm going to make it part of my experiment here to add tofu to our diet. I don't think I'll need it to replace the food we like (no tofu dogs or spaghetti and tofu balls- if those exist), but I will try some recipes with tofu. This is a new experience for me, so if you have some tasty tofu recipes, please send them my way.

Recipe: Vegan Korma (an Indian Dish)

I found this recipe on the Allrecipes.com iPhone app. If you haven't been to this website or used the app, I highly recommend both. I wasn't looking for a recipe for Indian food, I've never actually had Indian food before, but I put in some ingredients that I had on hand and this is one of the recipes that came up. The recipe I'm about to share is adapted from the one you can link to. The link is for Vegetarian Korma, I just made a few more changes to make it vegan and added some other spices and things. If you use the maximum amount of each spice for this recipe, it really won't be so spicy that it's overpowering or anything, but it will have a little kick to it. I used the maximum amount and found it was just fine for my husband and I, but too spicy for my kiddos, so we'll have to tone it down for us for the future- which we will definitely be having again because we all liked it so much (the kids just took big gulps of their drinks after each bite). I don't know how authentic this dish is, but it's yummy, so give it a try.

Vegan Korma (Spicy Indian Deliciousness)

I served this over brown rice. For a little something extra I cooked the 2 cups uncooked rice in 4 cups water with 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, it was very good.

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 red potatoes cubed
4 carrots, cubed
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Tbs. almond butter
1 (15 oz.) can unsalted, diced tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 - 3 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 - 2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. red cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 of each red and yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy milk or coconut milk)
1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, almond butter, and tomatoes. Season with salt, curry and other spices. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add peas, bell peppers, and non-dairy milk into the skillet. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Recipe: Black Bean Burger Patties

This is a really tasty recipe. Don't be afraid to use the amount of spices that are called for here, especially if you're used to beef burgers and are trying black bean patties for the first time because if you don't, these will taste bland. This recipe is tweaked a bit from the original (found here) and it's doubled because I like to freeze half of the patties before cooking so I can save them for a future meal- they keep for about a month. This recipe turned out to be the perfect consistency to form the patties, if you find yours come out too sticky or runny, add more bread crumbs, if they're too dry add a little ketchup to the mix. Once cooked you can fix these up with your favorite toppings; avocado slices, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. I hope you like them as much as we do.

Black Bean Burger Patties

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup quick oats
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
6-8 cloves garlic minced (depends how much you like garlic)
1 cup onion, chopped fine
1 cup green or red pepper, chopped fine
3 large ribs of celery, chopped fine
4 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped fine (or I use the kind you buy in a tube)
1/2 tsp. cayenne or chipotle pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2-1 cup dry bread crumbs of your choice

1. Mash and/or puree black beans, place in a large mixing bowl. Add oats.
2. In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Add bell pepper and celery, cook until soft. Add seasonings and ginger, stir over heat until well mixed.
3. Add onion mixture to the black beans and oats. Add soy sauce and bread crumbs a little at a time. Form burger patties. Cook in skillet or on griddle until browned on each side.

Recipe: 3 Bean Chili

I've added a link to this recipe on the sidebar, but here it is for a quick reference. I've made this recipe for years now and it's one of our favorites. It makes more than our little family can finish off in one sitting, so we usually freeze the leftovers and enjoy again another night when we need a quick meal. I served this once while on a family vacation and one of my nephews, who was a bit leery of the idea of meatless chili, came to me afterward and said he "actually liked it." That's the highest compliment you can get from a teenage boy!

3 Bean Chili
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, or 11/4 cups frozen chopped onion
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (141/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups no-salt, fat-free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add
the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in
the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato
into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly,
stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in
the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before
serving.

You can view the recipe here.

Why My Being Mormon Matters

I'm not going to dive into the doctrine of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in this entry or in other posts here, but I do want to explain the relationship between this experiment and my religion. Most people who know us Mormons know we abstain from using tobacco and alcohol containing products as well as drinks such as tea and coffee, but did you know we have a whole list of things we should be consuming too? It's called the Word of Wisdom and it is found in a book of scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants. The Word of Wisdom is, in a nutshell, the code of health we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have been given and are instructed to follow with a promise that by doing so we can increase our health and enjoyment throughout life. We believe these words to be commandments, just as we believe anything we are instructed to do or not do by our current prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, is a commandment. It is from the Word of Wisdom where we were first instructed not to consume or use the products I mentioned earlier and I think most Mormons have a good handle on that, but it's the things we should be doing that I fear many members of our church just don't have a full understanding of, me being among them. In particular we are instructed to "eat meat sparingly" and yet the truck my husband drove as a teenager and young adult had only one bumper sticker which read simply, "Eat Meat", and that seemed more than acceptable among other church members. I think I have misunderstood this and other guidelines in the Word of Wisdom. I remember once hearing a friend speak in church, he was 19, he said that he followed the commandment to eat meat sparingly by always making sure his hamburgers had lettuce and tomato on them too, not just meat and cheese. I'm not so sure that's what it means, but then again I think we all have to find out for ourselves what it means. So, this is my attempt to figure it out. What does the Word of Wisdom mean for me? I'm sure to find an answer. One other reason that my religion is playing such an important role in this experiment is because it is easiest for me to stick to something if I am 100% committed to it, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Every good thing I've done, any note-worthy accomplishments, were completed only because I was fully invested in them. I gather most people are the same way. I know that if I make this more than simply a way to lose weight, I'll have more success with it. Being Mormon is a large part of who I am because I allow it to be and this experiment wouldn't matter if I didn't let my religion play some role in it.

If you'd like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it's members, or the Word of Wisdom, please visit www.Mormon.org.

An Introduction

Although "carnivorous" might be an exaggerated description of my diet up to this point in my life, I would have to say that meat and/or dairy has played a significant role in my diet most every day. I'm changing that. Thanks to some eye-opening documentaries, such as Forks Over Knives, and some soul searching, I have decided to shift my diet emphasis to a more vegan-like mentality. No, I am not a vegan, I will still enjoy cheese and meat occasionally, much like traditional dieters seeking to drop a few pounds might treat themselves to a slice of pizza or a brownie every now and again. Thus, Veganstein, a dietary hybrid (85% vegan, 15% omnivore) is born.

Here's my plan:
1. I will post my daily meal log for 90 days (look for a weekly entry on Fridays, I'm not going to post every day)
2. All but 3 meals each week will be completely vegan
3. I'll post recipes and links to resources throughout my experiment
4. I'll also post my thoughts, feelings, and observations regarding my dietary changes as I go along

The real experiments begins Monday, August 27. Right now I'm in the research and preparation phase- getting recipes together, stocking my pantry, etc.

My goals for this experiment are:
1. To change my eating habits to become a healthier version of myself
2. To teach my children the true quality of their food and break the cycle of relying on meat and dairy for nutrition, thus giving them a healthier life
3. To gain a testimony (a better understanding and complete belief) of the Word of Wisdom, the code of health outlined in the Doctrine & Covenants, a book of scripture for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the members of which are often called Mormons; FYI, I am a Mormon)

Please enjoy this blog. I want it to be just as educational for you as it is sure to be for me. I look forward to sharing this experience with you.