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.