The Beat Goes On . . .

Hello, all! Long time, no blog post! A few of you have emailed me, expressing concern about my absence—which has touched me greatly!—so I wanted to quickly drop by and let everyone know that, yes, I’m okay. The last month and a half has been insane, to say the least. To make a long story short, I was super busy finishing my last semester as an undergrad, and on May 5^th, I finally graduated! After the commencement, I enjoyed a delicious vegan potluck with cherished family and friends: the perfect end to a long and arduous, yet very successful four years. Now, onward and upward toward the next adventure—graduate school! I will still be attending USD for my Master’s degree (in English, emphasizing creative writing) and have received a teaching assistantship for the 2012-2013 academic year. This summer, I will also be training to obtain my 200-hour Yoga certification so I can begin teaching in September. So, for the moment, the not-too-distant future is secure, which feels wonderfully relieving!

I’m really getting back into fashion, too, now that I’m not slaving away in the painting studio in splattered jeans and ripped tees.

Due to my hectic schedule through April and May, my cooking mojo altogether disappeared . . . and for the most part, has yet to return. Instead, I am content with simple bowls of oats, salads, green smoothies, and stir-fries; and I don’t want to spend my time in the kitchen at the moment—nor do I have the time, really. As many of you may recall, both my parents passed away last year, and now that summer’s here, I’m currently in the process of cleaning out my childhood home, packing up possessions to keep, organizing stuff to sell, and moving things out.

As for Vegan on the Go-Go, I’m not sure whether or not it has a future. In hindsight, blogging truly helped me overcome the final leg of recovery from disordered eating. I have returned to a more balanced way of living and eating by embracing my appetite, fueling my body properly, and banishing body dysmorphia and lingering fears of food, calories, etc. I feel “normal” for the first time in four years—what a relief! Blogging has been great fun; I’ve met wonderful new friends and created a handful of delicious recipes that I’ll continue to enjoy for years to come; and through it all, I’ve learned boatloads about myself, my values and beliefs, about the world around me, about veganism, and much, much more—an education and dedication that will last a lifetime!

I would like to thank all my readers for all your support and inspiration over the last year. It has truly been a privilege and a pleasure. I wish you all the best in all your endeavors, both in and outside of the kitchen! And if I can impart a single lesson as I go my merry way, it’s this: what you put on your plate is as powerful a statement as your politics. Here’s to a plant-based revolution!

[Source]

Much love and light,

Teniesha

Macrobiotic March

On Monday, I recapped February’s achievements and established some new goals for March. However, I didn’t discuss a somewhat larger project upon which I’m embarking for the next 31 (now 30 and counting) days. In short, I’m going to study macrobiotics more in-depth.

Why?

Well, it’s a long story. One year ago this month, I first discovered macrobiotics. Immediately, I was intrigued, and shortly after, I fell in love—grounded in Taoism, the diet/lifestyle offered ancient wisdom and insight that made so much sense to me at the time. I already owned a copy of The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, but I quickly bought Jessica Porter’s The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics—let’s just say I tore through it and absorbed the info in one sitting. I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve continued incorporating a lot of macrobiotic philosophy into my everyday life. Of course, there have been some difficulties:

• Some macrobiotic staples are very expensive or impossible to find in my area.
• I’m a crazy college student pressed for time, so chewing 100 times per mouthful must be sacrificed for punctuality.
• I’m a 3-servings-of-fruit-per-day sort of girl, but macrobiotics recommends limiting fruit intake to twice or thrice a week.
• I’m also a freak for nightshade veggies, especially eggplant, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, so eliminating them from my diet is a painful thought.

But for the most part, macrobiotics seem so natural to me, too:

• I’ve been enjoying Japanese cuisine since before I was born—literally! My mom ate it all the time when she was pregnant with me. So, I’m just as deft with chopsticks as I am with silverware.
• Seaweed rocks my world!
• Beans/legumes and whole grains are already the foundation of my vegan diet.
• I adore fermented foods, such as tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, and pickles.
• I love to cook and am willing to spend extra time in the kitchen preparing balanced meals.

[Check out this source for expert info]

One year after my discovery, I’m ready to further expand my knowledge of health and nutrition. After I graduate in May, I’m seriously considering pursuing a secondary degree at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition—I’ve collected so much conventional and alternative health-related information over the last few years (just out of pure personal interest), and I really enjoy helping others discover their own paths to holistic health, so I feel it would be an excellent “on-the-side” job for me.

That being said, I recently read Joshua Rosenthal’s (the director/founder of IIN) Integrative Nutrition, which is, I believe, one of program’s textbooks. It was a great read—I particularly enjoyed the section that described different diets, such as Atkins, South Beach, raw foodism, Ayurveda, and, of course, macrobiotics, to name but a few. Each little section included a sample menu for its given diet, and lordy lou, did the macrobiotic dishes sound AMAZING! That old spark was instantly reignited! Yin and yang were whispering delights to me again, and I decided, once I restocked my pantry (which I finally did last weekend), I would embark on an educational month learning more about macrobiotics and incorporating more macro meals, techniques, etc. into my daily life. I must clarify, however, that I won’t be following the philosophy to a T, despite my OCD “all or nothing” tendencies.

I’m just going to do the best I can with what I have.

No, I don’t have a suribachi and surikogi. I wish I did—perhaps someday I will—but in the meantime, I’ll just stick to basics, explore, and feast!

[Source]

So, I started March 1st with a very traditional Japanese breakfast. I’d previously assumed I couldn’t stomach greens in the morning, but boy, was I wrong! This was a nice (and long-needed) change from oatmeal—I swear, the monotony was starting to feel like an oatmeal overdose, not gonna lie.

Lesson #1: Veggies for breakfast aren’t so bad!

Brown rice + 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed as per usual, accompanied by a broccoli, daikon radish greens, white bean stir-fry using shoyu, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a little garlic, all topped with sunflower seeds. Whoa! What a delish change!

Then, for lunch, instead of the same (more or less) salad I’ve been eating nearly everyday for 2 months now, I threw together a delicious stir-fry inspired by staple macro foods.

Magnificent Macrobiotic Stir-Fry
Serves 1 hearty appetite

Ingredients

1 serving tempeh (about 76 g = 2.7 oz), cubed
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
½ cup thinly-sliced daikon coins
½ cup shiitake mushrooms
½ cup broccoli florets
1 green cabbage leaf, shredded
1 purple cabbage leaf, shredded
½ cup roasted kabocha squash, cut into bite-size chunks
1 scallion, chopped
1 Tbs. orange juice
2 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu*
1 tsp. brown rice vinegar
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Toasted sesame seeds or gomashio, to serve
Kelp granules, to serve
Sunflower or pumpkin seeds, to serve
Mung bean sprouts, to serve

*Shoyu is the preferred macrobiotic choice.

Directions

1. First, steam the tempeh for 1-2 minutes, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat sesame oil and sautéed garlic and ginger for 1 minute before adding daikon coins and mushrooms. Sauté those about 2-3 minutes, or until mushrooms are browning and daikon is tender. Add broccoli and shredded cabbage, and cook another couple of minutes until cabbage has begun to wilt before adding squash, scallion, tempeh.
3. In a small bowl, stir together orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and black pepper. Add to the skillet, stirring to coat everything evenly. Cook another minute or so. Serve hot alongside brown rice, garnished with sesame seeds/gomashio, kelp granules, seeds of choice, and sprouts.

Chopsticks are a MUST!

Lesson #2: I knew this already, but seriously, brown rice is an incredible grain.

February Recap

February is almost over, and just as I did in January, I’m here today to provide an analysis of the last month—what I did or didn’t accomplish and how I hope to improve in March. Here are my observations:

1) Achieved January goals!

My grandmother and I are going to make homemade vanilla extract late next week—the real deal, folks, with Madagascar vanilla beans and vodka, all organic! I made sprouted grain bread, for which I’ll write an entire post all to itself in the not-too-distant future. I cut back on soy almost entirely. I stocked up on tea. The only project I forewent was homemade chocolate, but I have my reasoning, upon which I’ll expound shortly . . .

2) Eat 3 square meals and avoid snacking.

I’ve more or less discovered how much food I need at each meal to keep my energy levels soaring for 4, 5, sometimes 6 hours, depending. I’m not altogether adverse to snacks, but I also recently read an article that further educated me about the subject (or at least one side of the argument). I’m not sure where I stand quite yet. Intuitive eating is optimal, of course, but my schedule is structured in such a way that requires me to eat at certain times, or else I’ll be forced to miss a meal, and that’s something that I refuse to do, not only because I’ll feel miserable, but I’ll also turn into a grumpy monster that’ll likely make my hubby and friends miserable, too. My one struggle is still late-night snacking. I find myself peckish around bedtime and feel an urge to eat—sometimes, I can ignore it, other times I can’t. Something to continue working on next month . . .

March Goal(s): Perhaps eat a slightly later dinner in order to get through the evening without the hunger pangs. Or eat more earlier in the day. The balance will come . . .

3) Manage stress more effectively in order to avoid binging.

Check! I was binge-free all month—not even the temptation to do so. I still encounter stress on a regular basis, but I have new diversions now, such as Pinterest. Serious. Addiction.

March Goal(s): Embark on a regular meditation practice—this has been somewhat difficult for me. I am a yogini through and through, but stilling my anxiety and my hustle-bustle mind is often very, very, very hard. The health benefits of meditation are indisputable, so it’s time for me to commit once and for all.

4) Buy a water filter.

Check! My new chiropractor highly recommended I purchase one, considering how much water I drink. After browsing Amazon, I opted for this one because it’s BPA-free, and it works like a charm. I can honestly taste the difference! It feels so good knowing that I’m consuming much purer water than before.

5) Research gluten-free diets and a vegan alternative to fish oil.

Concerning the former, I was briefly convinced I had a gluten sensitivity, and perhaps I do; but upon glancing through a list of common symptoms, I only identified with one or two. My main problems, I suppose, are gas and lower belly bloat toward the end of the day. My colon hydrotherapist also suggested gluten may be the problem—I’m still considering experimenting with a week of eating gluten-free and assessing how I feel after those 7 days. I’m hesitant, though, because my pantry is currently stocked with grains that do contain gluten.

As for the latter, I learned something new this month—that ground flaxseed is not the best, most “nutritionally complete” vegan substitute for fish oil (flaxseed does have its benefits, though, so I haven’t stopped including it in my daily breakfasts). Why? Fish oil contains DHA and EPA, two Omega-3 fatty acids that support human health in numerous ways (especially in the brain), and while flax certainly provides a wide range of good fats, it does not offer the above two. What is awesome for us vegans, though, is that it’s not fish, but algae from which DHA and EPA originate. So, after browsing through supplements, I selected this product, namely because it contained the highest levels of fatty acids per capsule.

6) Making everything—and I mean, everything—from scratch is great, but . . .

. . . it takes a whole lotta time! Too much time, in fact. Making sprouted grain bread was a fun and interesting experiment, but it pushed me to the limit, actually. I don’t have a lot of free time as it is, and when that time was sucked up by seemingly endless planning, cooking, and cleaning the kitchen, I began to realize that I was simply doing too much. I felt like a mid-19th century prairie housewife! That being said, lengthy processes such as sprouted grain bread won’t be happening again any time soon (if ever), and I also have no desire to continue making homemade almond milk. My local grocery now carries unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk, so I’m now purchasing that, to save time, energy, and my sanity.

Question: In hindsight, how do you perceive your February? What did you accomplish? What do want to achieve next month?

January Recap

Well, January is already almost finished, and February’s right around the corner—so today, I thought it’d be useful to reflect over the last month, analyzing how successful I was with certain goals, sharing any obstacles I encountered along the way, and projecting a plan forward into the new month. As I declared January 1^st, this year is my fresh start, and each day, I strive to achieve my best life possible. Some days are, of course, better than others, but I’m feeling more inspired than ever!

An important part of all metamorphoses is to analyze one’s successes and failures, not only to praise oneself for the former and to thus encourage continuing positive behaviours, but also to recall which strategies worked and which did not. So, without further ado . . .

1) Cut back on sugar & use natural sweeteners ONLY.

Check! And boy, am I glad I was able to escape the vicious sugar cycle of the holiday season! I cleaned out my pantry, too, keeping only the agave nectar, brown rice and maple syrups, liquid stevia, and organic evaporated cane juice. I haven’t baked any sweets lately, which also really helps eliminate temptation.

February Goal(s): Find a sugar-free vanilla extract. Begin making my own stevia-sweetened chocolate.

2) Eat more greens.

Check! Last year, for whatever reason, raw veggies and I weren’t getting along . . . then, suddenly, I rediscovered the joys of salad beasts and have been chowing down on one everyday for lunch. Wow! My energy levels have skyrocketed noticeably—I wake up at 7 AM and don’t feel tired until midnight or later (though I do force myself to go to bed around 11). I only wish I could regularly get my hands on some organic kale, which leads me to my next point . . .

3) Purchase only ORGANIC products.

I succeeded here, but it hasn’t been easy, let me tell you. There aren’t a lot of options where I live, just the basics, especially for produce—for veggies, onions, spinach, carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower; for fruits, apples, oranges, and bananas. Occasionally some mushrooms, grapefruit, and avocadoes. It’s very frustrating at times, and I yearn for more variety, but when I once questioned this goal a couple weeks ago, tempted by some non-organic red beets on sale, I reminded myself of the horrors of pesticides . . . enough said.

4) Drink tea daily.

Almost! There were only a couple of days when I didn’t, and that was more because I was so busy that I was out of the house from 8 AM until 8 PM, which happens occasionally.

February Goal(s): Stock up on tea (I’m running low), and seek out those which are considered highest in antioxidants. Purchase a BPA-free to-go container so I can take hot tea with me to class.

5) Each more whole grains rather than bread and/or crackers.

I learned an important lesson with this. There was a week period when I was soooooooo busy with class that I was basically eating 4 oz. of my homemade wholegrain bread everyday, and by the end of that week, well, I was pretty constipated, plain and simple. I’d noticed this in the past, too, when I consume more flours than grains, but I was never sure if another variable could be blamed; this experience merely confirmed my suspicions, so now, I’m limiting my bread intake and gettin’ it on with groovy grains again.

February Goal(s): Learn how to make sprouted grain bread.

6) Focus on intuitive eating.

I had my good and bad days with this. For 3 weeks, I did great—I discovered that I really prefer 3 square meals per day plus 1 small snack if necessary, rather than constant snacking. Then, early last week, the stress of everything finally got under my skin, and I broke down and binged. For several days after, I was soooooooo depressed and disappointed in myself. I felt I had failed in achieving the “fresh start” I had so desperately wanted and needed. After 4 days of moping around, my wonderful husband knocked some sense into me:

“You can’t just assume that last year’s problems would magically disappear with the beginning of a new year—your baggage will come with you if you don’t sort it out properly, and even so, you’re going to slip up every once in a while. You’re not perfect.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I'm a very lucky lady. <3

What I learned from this is that stress is my predominant trigger. As long as I remain calm and manage my stress effectively, I can sharply reduce the probability of binging.

February Goal(s): Continue working on intuitive eating. Release my old fears about feeling hungry/waking up in the middle of the night starving. Find methods that will reduce my stress levels, or when stress hits and I feel desperate, step away from the peanut butter and get outta the house!

Additional Experiences

1) Gosh, do I LOVE being vegan!

Why? Because my body, mind, and soul feel great eschewing animal products! I recently attended a party, where I chose to partake of a sweet potato casserole that, lo and behold, contained some butter . . . and boy, did I feel ill almost immediately after eating it! Stomach cramps, nausea, acidic tummy, the whole shebang. Next time, I’ll inquire more carefully about ingredients.

2) Due to a history of breast cancer in my family, I’ve decided to replace soymilk with almond milk . . . homemade almond milk, to be specific. It’s delicious and very cost effective since I can currently buy bulk organic almonds for $4.99/pound. For anyone interested, I used this tutorial.

February Goal(s): Consume soy less frequently, relying more on beans, grains, nuts, and seeds for plant-based proteins.

3) I’ve also successfully brewed my first batch of kombucha, a dream come true! I used chai tea for the flavour, and I named my starter scoby Toby and his first baby, Moby. So exciting and sooooooo much cheaper than store-bought kombucha. The carbonation was a little lacking, but I’m looking into that . . . oh, and again for anyone interested, here’s the tutorial. Gosh, Sayward is amazing, isn’t she?

Before.

After. And don't you just love how pretty GT's/Synergy's bottles are? One reason I saved them . . . but also perfect for my own brew now!

Question: How have you been doing with your resolutions? What did you achieve, and what do you hope to continue pursuing next month?

A Fresh Start

Firstly, thank you so much for all your beautiful comments on my last post. I cannot express enough how much I appreciate your kind, encouraging words and compliments.

Secondly, the new year is here at last! I feel blessed to be happy, healthy, and filled with imagination and inspiration. This year, I want to focus on health all-round, body, mind, and soul, beginning with a (more) positive/optimistic outlook, compared to corrosive negativity.

So, Sunday morning, I commenced my quest toward my best life by breakfasting on a green smoothie, which contained mango, banana, blueberries, spinach, lime juice, and ground flaxseed. And for the special occasion, of course I just had to use a martini glass:

A toast to optimum health!

A little too excited about that smoothie-in-a-martini-glass? Never! There is no such thing as too much excitement when it comes to vitamin-y goodness.

Then, on Monday, I had my yearly physical and will receive my bloodwork results in a few days—I’ll share my numbers as soon as I hear back from my physician. Tomorrow, I have an ortho-bionomy appointment, and Thursday, I’m being bold and, as per Kris Carr’s advice, I’ve arranged to have my first colonic, sort of a form of “spring cleaning,” I suppose, sorry if that’s TMI.

Finally, a big event will be occurring on Friday, but for the moment, that shall remain a surprise . . .

See you tomorrow for What I Ate Wednesday!

My First Guest Post!

Hello, all! I hope you’re still enjoying your holiday break . . . and of course, I’m sure all the recent indulgences have inspired a thought or two (or many) about the upcoming New Year and the resolutions you hope to incorporate into your metamorphosis.

[Source]

Today, I discuss resolutions over at Farmers Market Vegan, one of my favourite blogs written by a beautiful lady and my long-lost blogging sister, Ali. Thanks, dearest, for everything!

You can check out the post here.

Of Breakfast & Blessings

Last week, I mentioned how frustrated I am with breakfast at the moment. I am in such a horrid rut! I am a firm believer that food nourishes not only our bodies, but also our souls—and while I am certainly consuming optimum nutrition, by no means is my food as of late very soulful. Nothing tastes good, let alone exciting, and what is more, I’ve no idea why. Yeah, every once in a blue moon, I go through periods like this, but it’s disheartening nonetheless. I really dislike “going through the motions” when it comes to eating. I’m not a robot, after all. Yet, even if that green smoothie I’m drinking tastes downright blah, I’m still going to drink it, because a) I refuse to waste perfectly edible food, and b) I know that the smoothie is packed with nutrients and my stomach honestly won’t give a damn if it tastes like dirt or dulce de leche. It’s all digested either way.

Still, as a foodie, I cannot help but grumble over boring meals. Therefore, starting tomorrow, I’m dedicating November to replenishing my palate’s pizzazz—how perfect that this new quest coincides with another What I Ate Wednesday!

November is actually chockfull of relevant events. Crazy Sexy Life goddess Kris Carr has named November National Prevention Month. What’s my healthy goal? Well, I have two: firstly, drink more water! I used to empty my Klean Kanteen 3 or 4 (or more) times a day; recently, though, I tend to “forget” my bottle while I’m busy, so I don’t hydrate as often. My second goal is to rediscover my enthusiasm for Yoga. I’ve found it difficult to roll out my mat as of late. I’m busy, of course, but I’m no busier now than I was a year ago, when I practiced nearly every day. I’ve lost my “spark,” I suppose, as a result of a tumultuous year. But downward dog beckons, and I cannot resist any longer. Tomorrow shall mark my monthly Yoga challenge—I will try to complete 30 consecutive days of Yoga, whether I practice for only 15 minutes or for a whole hour. Though I can’t make any promises, considering my crazy schedule.

[Source]

Today is also World Vegan Day, which marks all of November as World Vegan Month! Hoorah!

[Source-->a great one, too!]

I’m so proud to be vegan—my plant-based diet and the various resources that allow me to eat ethically are truly blessings in my life. November is obviously a time for giving thanks, so in every post this month, I’m going to include a quotation from a wonderful little book, A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles. Here’s today’s:

Now may every living thing, young or old, weak or strong, living near or far, known or unknown, living or departed or yet unborn, may every living thing be full of bliss.

~The Buddha

Questions: How are you going to participate in National Prevention Month? What are you thankful for?

Honesty is the Best Policy

Last Saturday, I mentioned my life has been somewhat blah as of late. Well, blah is actually a bit too tame of an adjective—try difficult, demanding, altogether arduous! And not due to school, strangely enough. On the contrary, I more or less adore my classes this semester.

No, the reason for my struggles currently stems from food . . . and honestly, these struggles trace back 3 years, since my senior year in high school. I haven’t discussed my personal troubles with food much here, mainly because they don’t really pertain to the underlying purpose of Vegan on the Go-Go. However, I’ve decided to share a bit more with you, dear readers, not only because it’s an honest reflection of yours truly, but also because I know a number of food bloggers have experienced disordered eating, too, and if my story can help someone else, then I am all too happy to reveal my dark past.

I’m a big girl—as in tall. I’m also quite thin. Some would even say skinny. I used to be even skinnier. Too much so, in fact. More specifically, nearly 10 pounds underweight. Growing up, though, I was always a little on the chubby side, and as I progressed first through adolescence and then through high school, I had virtually no self-esteem when it came to my body. I was ever-so-slightly overweight for my height, and I wasn’t really that active, nor did I eat very heathily. I yearned for years and years to be thin, thinking it would make me more popular, believing it would snag me that elusive boyfriend for which I wished, but all attempts at weight loss failed . . . until, that is, the summer right before I started university.

Unfortunately, I didn’t lose weight the right way—to make a long story short, I starved myself and compulsively exercised, and I was miserable. The weight dropped off, and within 6 months, I’d lost 50 pounds, only to lose another 10 over the course of the next year. In hindsight, I honestly have no idea how I did it, except that I had one hell of a willpower, certainly.

I assumed being thin would make me happy, popular, loveable. On the contrary, I was just as miserable as I had been in high school. I lost my period; my teeth yellowed from malnutrition (I never purged); I was constantly cold; I had no cushioning, so sitting on hard chairs was quite painful. Then, in January of this year, I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia, and the reality struck me.

I panicked and immediately began raiding the fridge.

And I promptly gained 10 pounds, back to a healthy BMI (and in the process, I rediscovered the glory that is avocado!).

However, while ridding myself of old demons, I unfortunately developed a new problem, one that is just as bad as anorexia.

Binge eating.

I’ve read many former anorexics experience binge eating during their recovery. Well, apart from a little psychological residue, I consider myself recovered—I don’t restrict, I’ve reversed my hypoglycemia, and I sincerely enjoy food again (as I’ve obviously demonstrated here on my blog). So, why the binge eating? I’ve identified several potential factors:

1)   Stress

2)   Boredom

3)   Sugar addiction

4)   Not enough protein and/or veggies

5)   A simple desire to taste something or chew

6)   A desire to be secretive and/or disobedient

There are probably other, more subtles/subconscious reasons, too, but in my case, these are my main triggers. I’ve also identified my problem foods—nut butters, dried fruit, and bread. I can eat them without a problem most days, but when I begin to binge, those are the foods I crave . . . and overdose on.

So, I guess my point is this: I’m absolutely SICK and TIRED of this problem. I’ve tried multiple strategies to conquer it, but nothing has succeeded yet. I’ve searched and searched and searched for a solution . . . only to fail yet again. Last Saturday, I swore to make a change—and I did very well, until today. I know why, too: too much exercise, strangely enough. And because my hunger was, in turn, elevated, I began to stress and worry about weight gain, and in the end, I ate far, far more than my body actually needed. Now, my stomach feels like a landfill full of junk. It’s no wonder my digestive system struggles so much. As I write this, the acids are churning in complaint.

My body, mind, and soul have simply had enough. I love food, and I love to eat, but I’ve tipped the balance yet again—before, I ate too little, now I’m eating too much, and I definitely suffer the consequences, literally and figuratively.

I’ve discussed detox before, but now it’s time to call in the big guns. I’m turning to the three most important health books I own: The Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, and The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. Their guiding lights helped me finally overcome my anorexic tendencies earlier this year; hopefully, they can aid me again.

Experts say it takes at least 21 days to change a bad habit. Hence, I’m embarking on a 3-week detox—and not one of deprivation either. No, I intend to hone in my healthy lifestyle skills once and for all, and my blog is one of several resources that will hold me accountable. I will chronicle my eats and exercise routine, and of course, I will continue posting yummy recipes for the detoxing diva or dude. After all, my recipes are mostly all detox friendly; I just tend to eat more than the proper serving size. That is really my only flaw, and one that, with a little consciousness and compassion, can be fixed.

So, as the new day dawns and I’ve stayed up far later than my usual bedtime (thanks to caffeine, another bad habit that really needs to be eliminated), I now embark on a 21-day voyage to better health, happiness, and my best life possible!

Will you join me?

[Source]

A Toast to Good Health!

It’s more or less a given that vegetarians (and hence, vegans) are super healthy, often healthier than their carnivorous counterparts—and I am living proof! I had my yearly physical today, and a quick panel revealed the following:

Blood sugar = 82

Cholesterol = 148

HDL = 62

LDL = n/a

Triglycerides >45

What I was most pleased about was my cholesterol. Last year, it was 153, and that was when I still regularly consumed dairy and eggs—fully fledging into veganism lowered it another 5 points. My doctor was very impressed with my HDL (good cholesterol) and my LDL (bad cholesterol), the latter of which was SO low (perhaps even nonexistent) that the machine couldn’t even detect it. WOW! I feel like a superhero!

Well, sort of.

My numbers are great, that’s for sure, but as of late, I’ve been experiencing a lot of stress, anxiety, and . . . ahem, unhealthy habits, such as not enough sleep, virtually no exercise, dehydration, lacking leafy greens, and a bit too much sugar. I’ve been on the road nearly everyday, often relying on restaurants for lunch or dinner or both. My eating schedule is off-kilter, too, and I’ve found myself eating dinner at 9:00 PM or snacking right before bedtime . . . at 1:00 in the morning.

No wonder I feel . . . out of sorts, to say the least.

Handling stress is not my strong point, but at least I have the tools to ease the burden a bit. I mentioned I haven’t been exercising . . . and it feels horrible, not gonna lie. But I bought a pair of these, not only for motivation, but also because I genuinely needed a new pair:

Merrell's Women's Pace Glove in crystal--a perfect barefoot running shoe so I can feel light on my feet whilst jogging. And yes, they're also vegan!

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Today, I also jotted down some monthly goals, and I’m tracking my nutrition on LIVESTRONG, so I can better monitor what I put in my mouth and restore balance to my eating patterns. I’m avoiding restaurants like the plague until further notice. One sweet treat per week, and it will in all likelihood be raw. Lots of fresh fruit and green smoothies to ward off any sugar cravings, and of course, I’m still allowed my daily dark chocolate fix . . . but not, I repeat, NOT a whole bar! Tonight, I’ll eat a delicious dinner at home, shower, burn some incense, watch a happy film, and go to bed early so I can sleep well and then wake up tomorrow morning and head to the gym for my first disciplined run in far, farrrrrrrrrrrrrr too long. Yoga has also been sorely missed—and after a few sun salutations tomorrow afternoon, I’m bound to be sore, too. But it will be a “good” sort of sore.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I’m going to make the most of it.

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