Week three begins tomorrow - I can't believe how quickly the time has passed and how easy this journey has been so far.
I've definitely started to notice weight loss, especially around the face and waist. My skin is glowing and has color whereas it is usually white and pasty. I hardly ever feel bloated and/or yucky. I'm in the middle of PMSing and I have little to no cravings even though temptation is all around me.
The old me would not be able to keep chocolate in the apartment. I would go buy chocolate for Christmas presents and end up eating it all and having to go out and get more. I bought a bunch of chocolate and treats for my nieces birthday party and it's not even tempting me in the least.
My partner is eating junk in front of me... I'm surviving. My friend dropped by with a box of vegan cupcakes, no problem letting her know I couldn't eat them.
I'm doing so amazing with the plan, I feel so in control of what I eat and don't eat, and I DO NOT SUFFER THE ADDICTION TO FOOD as long as I keep doing what I'm doing.
And I'm having a blast in the kitchen experimenting recipes that fit into the healthy plan. I even made up my own recipe for Vegan Mayonnaise!
Week four is going to be a mainly raw week because my partner wants to detox for a week so I thought I'd join him. I will be eating raw fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, as well as beans and legumes. He will be eating just raw fruits and vegetables. I don't want to stray from the ETL plan so I'm still doing the nuts and beans.
I've also begun to be quite interested in juicing (green) and can't wait to get a juicer. From what I've read and watched it is amazing stuff and really cleans you out. I plan to one day do a juice fast to clean more of the gunk out of me that's been accumulating for the last twenty-something years.
The only downside to things right now is that my mother has decided she doesn't want to try the plan out. She is a very unhealthy woman and needs this more than anyone I know, myself included, but she feels it is too much work and too extreme. I told her that Gastric Bypass is extreme, this is just plain smart. But I can't force her so I just hopes she comes around. She does have an interest in juicing, so it's not all bad.
The only time I've "strayed" from the plan was my anniversary lunch (pizza) and I don't plan on doing so again for as long as I can help it. I'm loving this. I have so much more energy and I'm sleeping so well! My only complaint is that my body is too sore to accomplish very much - it doesn't match my energy level. I know that when I start an exercise program that will get better, so I'm not too worried.
So there's my three week update, so far so good!
Sep 30, 2012
Vegan Mayo
Part of the fun of being a Vegan Nutritarian is experimenting. The kitchen really does become a science lab.
I tried this recipe out making Chickpea “Tuna” Salad and it was amazing.
Fat-Free Sugar-Free Vegan Mayo
I tried this recipe out making Chickpea “Tuna” Salad and it was amazing.
Fat-Free Sugar-Free Vegan Mayo
- non-dairy milk (soy, coconut - just for colour)
- water
- cornstarch
- lemon juice
- mustard (optional)
- pepper (optional)
- garlic powder (optional)
Depending on how much of this you want to prepare, start with a half cup of water, a tablespoon of non-dairy milk, and a half tablespoon of cornstarch.
If it does not thicken, add in more cornstarch and keep stirring. Adjust till you get the consistency you want.
Finally, use the rest of the ingredients or any selection you like, to adjust the taste to your liking.
- Pour the milk, water, and cornstarch into a small pot and heat on medium, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick - but take it off the heat before it becomes too thick: it should be thinner in consistency than mayonnaise because it gets thicker when it cools.
- Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Add the remaining ingredients, blending them in well. Adjust flavours to your liking.
- Use it immediately, or if you want to put it in the fridge, make sure you whisk it really well to make it smooth again before using.
Sep 23, 2012
TVP Nightmare
Yesterday I went with my partner to a friend's house-warming party (Lord Of The Rings Marathon). All was well until it was time to eat. Since we would be there all day and most of the night, we had to eat there. That's okay, this guy is a Vegan and apparently a good cook! So we sat down to lunch.
He placed a bowl of homemade chili in front of me and I asked what was in it, because I could see what looked like a meat-type substance in abundance in this chili. He listed all the usual chili ingredients and TVP. I guess he saw the look on my face and assumed I had a problem with soy. I have no problem with soy as long as it is a.)organic (because if it's not organic it's most likely genetically modified) and b.)in its natural form or as close as possible to that.
I politely said that it's okay, that I'm just a bit weary of TVP. He laughed condescendingly, as if I was missing some secret knowledge about this product.
I don't claim to know much about TVP, but I do know how it is made and that alone is enough information for me to not want to put it into my body.
I'm gonna try to explain the process in as simple a way as possible, since I'm not any kind of scientist:
They take the soy beans, grind them into mill/flour, and remove the hull and fat. They change the structure of that using acid or base (usually hexane, which is a type of gasoline) which kills the cells of it. They compress it, which changes the structure of the protein. It becomes a form of plastic that can change structure when heat or liquid is applied. Mmmmm. Denatured soy, yum. I think I prefer food that is actually food and not something that has been heavily processed to the point of changing it into something completely different and unrecognizable from its original structure, something that hasn't had its cells killed. If you take that and add the fact that the majority of TVP made uses GMO soy, you're looking at quite an alien substance. I believe it would be far healthier to eat meat than eat this garbage.
I knew TVP was bad news for my body but I didn't actually learn how it was made until today, after the damage was done.
I ate my chili - I was starving, but it was a very small bowl.
Then came dinner.
Vegan wraps made with (you guessed it) TVP.
After that there was no going back: my stomach felt horrible, I got a headache, I felt sick, and gassy! And I felt stupid for not having made the decision to just not eat anything rather than eat that shit. That would have come across as rude, but I think my health is more important.
We left before the third movie started, both of us feeling like hell. I want nothing more than to get the stuff out of my system as soon as possible. And I have learned my lesson - better to fast than to poison myself.
I haven't eaten yet today, just water with lemon, and I don't plan on eating anything more than raw veggies, maybe a bit of fruit. Yesterday made me feel like the progress I've made for the last week and a half has all be ruined by one day. I hope that's not true.
He placed a bowl of homemade chili in front of me and I asked what was in it, because I could see what looked like a meat-type substance in abundance in this chili. He listed all the usual chili ingredients and TVP. I guess he saw the look on my face and assumed I had a problem with soy. I have no problem with soy as long as it is a.)organic (because if it's not organic it's most likely genetically modified) and b.)in its natural form or as close as possible to that.
I politely said that it's okay, that I'm just a bit weary of TVP. He laughed condescendingly, as if I was missing some secret knowledge about this product.
I don't claim to know much about TVP, but I do know how it is made and that alone is enough information for me to not want to put it into my body.
I'm gonna try to explain the process in as simple a way as possible, since I'm not any kind of scientist:
They take the soy beans, grind them into mill/flour, and remove the hull and fat. They change the structure of that using acid or base (usually hexane, which is a type of gasoline) which kills the cells of it. They compress it, which changes the structure of the protein. It becomes a form of plastic that can change structure when heat or liquid is applied. Mmmmm. Denatured soy, yum. I think I prefer food that is actually food and not something that has been heavily processed to the point of changing it into something completely different and unrecognizable from its original structure, something that hasn't had its cells killed. If you take that and add the fact that the majority of TVP made uses GMO soy, you're looking at quite an alien substance. I believe it would be far healthier to eat meat than eat this garbage.
I knew TVP was bad news for my body but I didn't actually learn how it was made until today, after the damage was done.
I ate my chili - I was starving, but it was a very small bowl.
Then came dinner.
Vegan wraps made with (you guessed it) TVP.
After that there was no going back: my stomach felt horrible, I got a headache, I felt sick, and gassy! And I felt stupid for not having made the decision to just not eat anything rather than eat that shit. That would have come across as rude, but I think my health is more important.
We left before the third movie started, both of us feeling like hell. I want nothing more than to get the stuff out of my system as soon as possible. And I have learned my lesson - better to fast than to poison myself.
I haven't eaten yet today, just water with lemon, and I don't plan on eating anything more than raw veggies, maybe a bit of fruit. Yesterday made me feel like the progress I've made for the last week and a half has all be ruined by one day. I hope that's not true.
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