One Drink, One Drunk

Well all has been peachy keen up until last week: the meal plans were more on the starchy side (still on plan, but dinner had starch every night) and the produce was chemical laden.  My energy levels slowly went down.  Did I mention I've been skipping breakfast?

Saturday the man's kid came to visit for the weekend and really wanted banana bread.  I found a decent recipe online and whipped some up.  And I partook.  Not a huge deal but the recipe had a half cup of sugar and a cup and a half white flour.  After the first piece I didn't care how much more I ate and ended up eating three good size portions.

I came to my senses, I thought, the next day when I turned down fresh chocolate cake when visiting my niece. And I skipped lunch.

The next night I was logy and when the man left to take his kid back to her mother's, something came over me and I attacked the stash of chocolate in the closet I had bought for my nieces birthday party.  I felt possessed.  The same possession I was familiar with for many years... the same possession I get when I'm craving a cigarette.  And I can't just have one.

I ate about ten snack size chocolate bars, even after feeling full and sick halfway through this binge.  I was crazed.  I felt horrible, physically and mentally.  I felt like a failure because I expected to be more immune to this trap after five weeks on Eat To Live.

I have since forgiven myself, but fell into another old trap today - fasting after a binge to make up for it.  My intentions were good, in face they were the same intentions I've had most days lately when skipping breakfast - to let my body digest as much as it can before I shove more in there.  Give it a change to heal as much as possible. I still have no idea if that is a smart thing to do, but I have a feeling that if I hadn't been skipping breakfast so much, I would have been less vulnerable to temptation.

This experience has taught me at a.)food addiction is no different than addiction to drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes and if I have one, I have to be extra diligent because an addict can't just have one.  Once its in my system, I will go through withdrawal and want more.  I need to remember this and save my guilty pleasures for when they really count; b.)Even the littlest amount of starch/grains effects me - I tend to feel much better without it, so I need to try to spread dinners with starch in them farther apart; c.)skipping a meal on a regular basis might not be the best idea.  I haven't been eating enough and I have to remember that more of the ETL foods is better than less;  d.)keeping temptation in the home if it's not absolutely necessary, is just asking for trouble.  Don't do this anymore!

So I'm taking my lessons and continuing anew.  I'm on the last of week of the six week trial and want to finish it successfully.  I don't plan on stopping there, of course, as I can say without a doubt that just the change in my energy levels and sleep, this is worth sticking to.

Vegan Cabbage Rolls

I've been experimenting with Beet Meat so I guess this was the next logical step:


Vegan Cabbage Rolls

• 1 head of cabbage, leaves carefully peeled off, intact*
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 can of tomato sauce, tomato juice, or tomato paste - I used sauce*
• 1 cup rice, uncooked (I used brown)
• 1 batch of Beet Meat *
  

*If you have trouble taking the leaves off of the lettuce intact, put the head into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and it should be much easier.

You need enough tomato liquid to cover the bottom of the casserole dish, to add to the filling, and to cover the rolls - I used a can of tomato sauce but watered it down.

You can substitute this with lentils or store-bought ground "meat" if you like

1. Prepare your Beet Meat; boil the rice, and chop the onion.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the Beet Meat, cooked rice, the chopped onion, and about a half cup of the tomato liquid (more of less if you prefer).
3. Cover the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish (9x13?) with some tomato liquid.
4. Start filling the cabbage leaves, one at a time, by scooping some filling into the middle of a leaf, then wrapping it as you would a burrito.  Or scoop some filling onto the harder end of the leaf and wrap the length of the leaf around, tucking in the sides. 
5. Place each roll into the casserole dish, seam side down, until you have a layer.
6. Pour the remaining tomato liquid over the cabbage rolls, making sure to cover all the rolls (if there's not enough liquid they will dry out and you'll have no sauce left).
7. Tightly cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350' for about 2 hours.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie (with chili & butternut squash)

In this recipe I used leftover Chili with Beet Meat as the bottom layer.  I used peas for the second layer to save myself the extra starch, but you could use corn if you prefer.

As far as measurements go, I usually eye everything and use common sense: I used quite a bit of leftover chili (about half the dish was filled with chili, a thin layer of peas, and a decent layer of mash); I used an entire squash and only a few small potatoes; I only needed a little bit of the milk (no more than half a cup); I used a handful of nutritional yeast and just added garlic powder till it tasted right;  I used a whole bag of frozen peas, which only just covered the chili.  I hope that helps cause this was really tasty - a nice twist on the traditional - and perfect for a cold day.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie (with chili and butternut squash)

• Potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Butternut Squash
• Non-Dairy Milk (soy, coconut, almond, etc.)
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic Powder
• Frozen Peas (or corn)
• Leftover Chili

1. Cut the butternut squash in half; peel; cut into chunks; lay them on a pan lined with parchment paper and put them in the oven to roast at 425' making sure to stir them part way through.  
2. Boil the potatoes, start heating up the chili, and boil the peas.
3. When the squash is soft, put it into a mixing bowl along with the cooked potatoes and milk.  Using a hand mixer, mix until blended and add garlic powder and nutritional yeast to taste.  Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. When everything is prepared, pour the chili into a rectangular casserole dish in an even layer.  Then carefully pour the peas in an even layer on top of the chili.  Finally, dump the mash on top and carefully spread it evenly using a spatula, making sure all sides are covered.
5. Place dish in the oven on broil to make sure everything is nice and hot but be careful not to burn the top.  

Organic VS Inorganic

I've been eating 98% organic for the past few months, and especially since I started the six-week plan.

This weekend we had to shop at the cheapest possible location due to money shortages and everything fruit and vegetable we bought is inorganic.

The difference is night and day. 

When I first started eating organic, I noticed a difference but only slight, depending on what it was.  But the difference now is unbelievable and I don't know what I'd do if I ever had to eat this stuff again on a regular basis because it is nearly inedible.

Usually when I make my daily salad it is delicious.  I made salad with this inorganic stuff and had to cover it with spices, vinegar, and salsa just to tolerate it.

We have organic clementines and inorganic clementines.  The inorganic ones taste like chemical.  The organic ones taste like candy.  Everything tastes like chemical even after heavy washing.  I can't believe I put those things in my body for most of my life and I fear for everyone else doing the same thing.  They can't taste what I'm tasting because their taste buds are trained, they're used to what they've always gotten.  I wish everyone could go organic for a month or two and then see the difference.

I'm having some tummy troubles today... I suspect it has to do with the toxic produce.  I cannot wait till next week's shopping trip - I will never make this mistake again.