Monday, January 24, 2011

Day 20, 21 and beyond

Vegan is tough-I suppose being hard core rigid ANYTHING is tough.  It wasn't tough from the standpoint of not having things to eat-it was tough having the appropriate stuff available.

I really do see a difference in aches and pains from less dairy and NO Splenda.  I will be taking artifical sweeteners off the menu permanently.

I watched Food Inc. and have downloaded Earthlings.  Control of our food supplies is scary, and something we'd all be better off thinking about.  The solution is simple-vote with your dollars.  I will pay more attention to my own garden this year-try to produce more things I will eat vs. things I just like to watch grow (aka-SAGE).

I will purchase more vegan product and rely less on dairy.  I joined a food coop and will be eating free range eggs and focus on locally grown produce.  I think that will make me a healthier person and make the economy healthier as well-again-voting with dollars for the kind of world I would like to have.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Day 16, 17, 18 and 19 of 21

I've made some tasty stuff this week.  Caramelized cabbage and soy crumble tacos, a butternut squash soup.

Vegan is easy at home and harder than hell at a sit down restaurant.  I'm trying to decide what I want to incorporate on an ongoing basis.  I have no interest in always being the deciding vote about where we go eat.  I read an article that said vegans and vegetarians often influence the choices for groups.  Pfffft.  I don't want to be the pain in the ass EVERY TIME.

I am sure I will rely less on dairy and more on soy cheese, almond cheese etc.  I'm going to give up my butter habit-that was freaking TOUGH but I see benefit from doing so.

Someone asked me what the point was if I was going to do 21 days and not make LASTING change.  I think people are far too rigid-which is why they never ever try anything new.  They walk out and declare "I AM A VEGAN" or "I AM A  whatever" and then don't talk about it if they change their mind.

I've been cautioned against being thought of as a person who tries too many things-I find that laughable.  The key word here is TRY.  I hate labels.  LOATHE them. I am not any of the things I do.  I am not any of the things I try.  I continue to do what I enjoy-until I don't enjoy it any  longer.

There was once upon a time when I actually loved accounting.  Then I loved compliance work-yes it fascinated me.  Now I pretty much love hanging out with my dogs and OTP and the cats.  It doesn't pay as well, and that is somewhat of a problem but there are trade offs in most things.

Someone this week told me they were "afraid" to try a food.  Really=afraid?  Cause if you are truly fearful of having a taste you don't like in your mouth for a few seconds then I think you might have bigger problems.  It just goes to show how emotional we all are about food.  Because honestly-why should I care if so and so is afraid to try a food-yet I did care.  See-I can turn those laser eyes on myself too.

I guess the over riding answer for all of this is I don't know any answers-I'm just trying things to see what works and keeping what does and tossing away the rest.  If I were planning to have a tombstone-it wouldn't read "She ate meat" or "She ate no living thing".

I won't have a tomb stone-so I took a great deal of thought in preparing Uncle John's.  His reads "I Y'am what I Y'am".  I don't think he'd mind sharing it with me since I won't have one of my own.

However, after day 21 I might put a little cheese or butter (just a drop)on my yams.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Day11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of 21

Day 14 was vegetarian not vegan-I had some cheese.  There might have been something vegan on the menu, but it was late, I was tired, cold and hungry-so damn me, I ate cheese......and I LIKED IT.

But then I just went mad and had a frapucino with whipped cream-and I loved it.....dear cows forgive me-I loved the whipped cream.

Today I just went back to vegan I am going to finish this out, probably eat less dairy because I do feel better and then just take the rest of it as it comes.  I don't like labels of any sort and I really find the different types of vegetarians (oh I'm ovo-lacto, I am a ovo-pescetairain-no dairy for me) a little off putting.  I honestly don't give a shit what anyone else eats, unless I am preparing a menu-then I care for one meal-that meal.

That probably makes me the cranky gluten free vegetarian type if you want to put a label on it.

One thing I have to think about some more is my Splenda habit.  I ditched splenda and went to plain old sugar during this time-and well, I don't eat through a quarter cup of Sugar a day-I easly went through that much Splenda just in my coffee.  And, I drink less coffee too.

My thought is that the energy provided by the sugar some how satiates me-so I get by on less coffee.  Less coffee means less soy creamer-so the calories might just even out. Or not.  I don't know and I'm too lazy to think about it further right now.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Day 9 and 10 of 21

I don't feel right about complaining about the weather when we are just cold and I know people buried in snow-but DANG-it's cold.

I brought home 3 project dogs-2 young male pups and an older female-chihuahuas-and potty training in 14 degrees is not fun.  Pancho, Lefty and Dixie are handling it better than I think.  It does make them appreciate a cuddle when I go to bring them in-bonding assistance.  Silver lining I suppose.

Marilu Henner called and left a recorded message for me as part of the vegan kickstart.  Yeah, I know it was a recordng and I know it was more to plug her book-but you know what-I LIKED it.  I was at staples and I got to turn to a stranger and say "Wow, Marilu Henner just called."

I know some pretty accomplished peopled-but they are usually people known within a small circle of people-not folks that the lady in the Staples aisle would know.  So, I was chuffed.  I even remembered to post it on Facebook.

Today I am making fuzzy melon soup and will contemplate cooking next week as opposed to my current strategy of buying healthy vegan fast food.  It's still cheaper than a trip through the drive through, and much healthier-but how hard can it be to cook a pot of rice?  EGADS-does this mean I am contemplating giving up my precooked rice too?

Yeah-I know I'm lazy in the kitchen-the best strategy for me has been to make easy to heat healthy food available-and that's been a good start.  But I think I could do better.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Day 7 and 8 of 21

Day 7 involved the flu that came on the latter part of day 6.  I first thought it was the cold front making me achy-but then the sore throat started and even my eyes began to hurt.  Oh yeah houston, we have a flu.

I took the shots but something always slips by them it seems. In spite of all my caterwalling it was most likely Flu Light-I was really achy and cranky and then I slept for most of Sunday.  Today I feel like I have HAD the flu vs I HAVE the flu-so that's a good sign too.

The Tofu/Eggplant I got from Dot Wo's was my snack project for the weekend-that stuff is better cold than it is hot-and it gets better each day that passes.

My stomach still feels "odd" which I think is from the lack of dairy.  I really do eat more dairy than a person ought to-and I will try to be more mindful of using substitutes.  Tofu cream cheese really is just as tasty as cream cheese.

I wonder if some of my vitamin absorption problems don't stem from having a colon covered with -OH_KJ_STOP RIGHT NOW PLEASE.........Never mind.  I am not going to finish that thought-just restate that I eat too much dairy and need to work on that.

Oliver the parrot does NOT like tofu-it looks like cheese cheese cheese but is not-and he isn't fooled and he has spoken.  NO tofu for OTP.  He does like hummus chips and pappadums (lentil chips)-but does not like soy chips-he's just not a soy fan I guess.

He's started his January molt so I'm giving him more nuts and of course his favorite remains CASHEWS...you wanna CASHEW?  HUH?  YES?  CASHEW CASHEW CASHEW.  He pretty much approves of the 7 day vegan thing-except, of course, for the soy.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Day 5 and 6 of 21

Not sure where yesterday went-I was busy and meant to post and never did.  Ah well.  My favorite Chinese place, Dot Wo, worked up a tofu dish for me that was awesome and I've been eating on it for two days now.

I seem to be a little more acid sensitive since I am not pounding down the dairy.  I can't say that I am cranky because I haven't cut out sugar or carbs (that always makes me really cranky) but I do not feel like accepting a bunch of foolishness either.

It's a bizarre feeling-I can't say that I get mad easily-but I do speak up more easily about things.  I have no idea what, if anything that has to do with meat or animal products.  Maybe it has more to do with turning 50.

I also seem less likely to try to explain my point of view.  If I need to, I can and well, but if it's something that ultimately I have to decide I'm ok with just deciding  and saying "ok I hear you" if someone disagrees. People seem to spend an awful lot of time espousing their points of view and very little time acting on them.

I'm trying to talk less/do more which is great because it turn that gives me something to write about.  I write better about what I just DID than what I'd like to do.

Today I went with Bandit (a chihuahua pup) to pick up our raw meat order.  At the meat truck I bartered some chicken hearts for some ground chicken (a lady needed the hearts and I had the only bag, which I did not need).  I felt like a modern day cave woman-and it was a weird thing to do during my 21 vegan days.

I don't mind being a little odd.  My dots will connect eventually.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Day 4 of 21

I ate a banana today.  I stood at the market and looked at fruit and decided it was a texture issue with me.  Blech.  Don't like it.

Tonight I heard from my daughter on Facebook-I haven't seen her in over 5 years-since before HER daughter was born.  Estranged family is odd.  I AM glad to hear from her and trying just to take it one step at a time and see what we have in common.  I don't do the movie reunion crap well-neither dramatic or falsely coy.  There is no time for coyness, and I don't need the drama and neither does she.  We'll just see.

Oddly enough, I'm planning on being in her town (she's in Texas) in a couple of weeks-and I hope she wants to meet.  I mean, I really do.  I'd like to see her, especially if she's doing ok.

I will be sad if she's NOT doing ok-because I do care about her, but I'm not going to let potential sadness get in the way of maybe potential happiness.  I'm so damn pragmatic I annoy even myself.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Day 3 of 21

Today has not started well-my prozac got stuck.  I don't know what is in that formulation-but it is the nastiest taste on the planet and when it sticks and comes open I foam and puke and wretch loudly for about an hour.  If anyone has ever seen a dog or a cat bite into a droncit tablet (Lolo) it's the same concept.

Yesterday I bought some interesting vegan food to help keep my interest up.  The health food store has some prepackaged, microwavable indian dishes which I enjoy.  They are a little pricey-but cheaper than a restaurant and if I like them I might make bigger batches.  I hate making big batches of things that I don't care for-I then feel obligated to eat it.    I readily admit I treat myself like dirt sometimes-often without even thinking.  I would never ask anyone else to eat several meals of something they didn't care for.

I also got some gluten free stuff-I'm sure my aches are in part due to slipping up a bit on that.  I'm not terribly allergic-just sensitive-but I need to watch it anyway.

We are down to one rescued parakeet now-the second to the last passed a day or so ago.  Parakeets are odd-they look fine and then are just dead-no real warning.  Mice are the same way.  I decided to leave this guy in his flight cage even though he's alone-it's the safest place he's known.  He calls a little to Oliver the parrot now-who still hates him but will call to him just to be nice.  Oliver never liked the parakeets-he only likes other African Greys, dogs and cats.  You'd have to ask him why that is-I have no idea.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Day 2 of 21

I really suck at topical stuff-I'm going to post 21 days but I can't think of 21 minutes of things to say about vegan kickstarts, let alone 21 days.

I feel better today because I didn't gorge on high fat salty food.  Well, DUH.  Not much to talk about there.  Oliver the Parrot likes brown rice which is odd because he will not touch white rice.  Ok...done talking about that.

Some people got upset when I mentioned the vegan thing-not my folks who would not be surprised if I said I had taken up eating road kill for environmental reasons-I'm a food freak and always have been.  It just amazes me that anyone cares one way or the other what I eat or don't eat.

 In Texas I had a guy get really rude because I asked if there was meat in a certain burrito at Taco bell.  He was in line behind me and he made some kind of snarky comment to me.  I turned around and said "HOW RUDE" because that's really all I could think of to say and he's wife yelled at him and I laughed and said it was OK.

I suppose it really wasn't OK-but I really didn't care what he thought I was going to eat my burrito the way I wanted it-and people tend to talk to me in lines.  Some day I am going to make a list of embarrassing and TMI shit people have revealed to me in lines.  I have one of those plain faces that people just want to talk to and tell things to.  Lucky me.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Day 1 of 21

I am doing the 21 day vegan kickstart.  I thought I'd write about it here.  There is no real political social drive to doing this-I just became aware of it, thought it sounded reasonable (21 days is not forever) and I've been looking for something to spark some interest in health.  Ok, I was looking for a catalyst-I'm interested in being healthy-just not interested enough to do much about it lately.

In preparation for health I gorged for the past week or so on any high fat, high cholestral meat based food that crossed my path, with additional points of sodium content.  So, today I woke up feeling pretty fat and bloated and ready for a change.

I already had things like beans, peanut butter and boca burgers-but I did buy some soy milk for my coffee and soy cheese for my beans-so I'm all set.  I read some recipes, but didn't go all out and prepare menu plans for the week because I don't roll that way.  I made a nice blackeyed pea/corn salad for lunch with enough leftover for one other meal-that's how I prefer to plan ahead.  An 8 serving something just depresses the hell out of me unless it's chili or cole slaw-which I can pretty much just eat on till they are gone.  I didn't make either of those on purpose because I felt like it would almost be cheating-I'll do that next week when I don't want to think so hard about things.

I did get the fixings for some baba ganoush-but I'll make it tomorrow.  I love that stuff, but they would kick me out of dog class tonight-so it's best eaten in solitude...I'm thoughtful that way.