Vegan Diet Final Update

Tim and I completed our new year's 12 day vegan diet challenge this past Wednesday and I think while we were both extremely proud for going the full distance, the end was a bit of a relief. I'll admit that while it was easy to get into the routine of eating vegan - it wasn't always fun. Not that eating should always be fun, but all sorts of foods definitely play a key role in both of our lives.

Moving forward, I have found some amazing new food options to incorporate/substitute into my more regular food diet which I will gladly say at this point will still include some dairy, eggs, and meat. As more ethical and local options for these types of foods are gaining popularity, I'm feeling better and better about the decisions we make each week at the market and grocery store.

Lessons I learned while eating the vegan diet:

• The majority of processed foods contain some sort of animal product - it was almost funny how many things we thought might work out that in the end contained some sort of animal something. Definitely an eye opener about how the larger food system works. Whole foods are our best friends.
  
  
• Chips & salsa, peanut butter on fruit or rice cakes, and pita with hummus have become my best snacking go to's. I will definitely be incorporating these healthy snacks into my regular diet moving forward.
  
  
• As hoped, I tried foods that I'll now use as substitutes in my regular diet over some of the dairy I eat including soy milk and firm tofu. Both products I hadn't ventured into that seriously before but I was pleasantly surprised at how seamlessly they fit into my tastes.
  
  
• I'm definitely up for the idea on some variation of "Meatless Mondays." While not completely ready to give up all meats, I'm looking forward to lessening the amount over time and continuing to eat thoughtfully from ethical sources when possible.
  

• Friends and experts have great recommendations. When taking on a new venture like changing your diet, looking to those who have been there and done that is a huge help. We learned about so many different types of food options and great recipes from friends and recipe book recommendations.
  
  
• Creativity is key. I remember a couple nights starting off with a basic pasta or grain base and surprising myself with how many different ingredients I could incorporate that still fit within the vegan guidelines.
  
  
• While cooking and planning was fun for a while, it got tiring and stressful having to think so much about food at all times. This is where vegan prepared food, some processed options, and vegan specialty restaurants literally saved the day at key points. Shout outs to Ellwood Thompson's hot bar and Fresca on Addison for some amazing vegan pizzas.
  
  

All in all I'm so glad we took on this test. I have a new appreciation for those leading a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle more so now then ever before. This wasn't easy and taking on veganism as a true lifestyle change takes a strong person. We both struggled at times and felt over the moon at times. Most importantly, I learned so much over the 12 days and pushed myself to do something challenging through to the end. Thanks all for following during the journey and sharing your tips, advice, and knowledge. Find Tim's final thoughts here.

Vegan Brownie Recipe and Diet Updates

So the whole vegan diet has been going fairly well 4 days into the 12 - I'm definitely feeling like I will make it the whole way through since I got past the first 2 days. The first night got rough when I had a sweet attack but no plans for sweets (big mistake knowing how big a sweet tooth I have). I began frantically searching for vegan dessert recipes and came across this rather simple looking vegan brownie recipe that had lots of reviews and looked appealing. After reading the reviews, I decided to swap out the water for soy milk and the white sugar for raw cane sugar since I got a tip from Sherry that white sugar can actually contain animal bone in some cases.

Making the brownies was super simple and a lot of fun, I was really excited about them and proud that I had outsmarted any future sweet attacks - that was until I tasted them. I'm going to have to admit that while these brownies looked amazing and were made with natural ingredients, they tasted absolutely terrible. I even waited a couple hours, gave them a second chance and they were even worse; Tim completely agreed. It was like they had a weird aftertaste or something. I felt awful doing it, but had to throw away the entire batch. At least Tim and I got a good laugh out of it and we joke now that I haven't had one of my sweet attacks since (maybe they were a good solution after all).

I'm not sure if it was my swapping out the ingredients, the heavy oil, or my personal tastes but I'm going to have to NOT recommend this recipe!

All in all throughout the process I am coming around. The first two days were a little rough since I felt like I was definitely missing out on dairy and just didn't like the texture of some of things we've been trying. Other recipes have been amazing though and really broadened up my palette like this collard wrap and this tofu dish. I'm also finding it funny how Tim and I differ in liking certain foods over others during this diet; I'll love something that he hates and vice versa. Finally when the third day came around I actually had dropped a couple pounds which was unexpectedly motivating and food options seem to expand the more I think with an open mind. It's been somewhat draining to have to think this hard about every piece of food I put in my mouth - but a good lesson as well.

I ate out tonight with a good friend at Fresca, a restaurant specializing in vegetarian and vegan fare. Man, how I now appreciate that these types of places exist - making it so easy to go out and not have to think as much about what I can't have on a menu. In case you're wondering, I ordered the hummus appetizer and Kale pizza which consisted of kale, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, and fake vegan cheese - very delicious and a fun low key place to hang out for a quick bite.

Until next time, my friends.

2011 Resolution: Food Evolution and Making Time

Had this post ready to go last night and the doorbell rang just as I was checking over for final edits. Was a great night; find the post in original form below:

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Once again on New Year's Eve I find myself sitting here with Tim enjoying the start to a low key evening. We have invited over some of my very best friends for a mighty feast, all ethically sound - local organic beef, local shrimp, organic potatoes, and organic greens.

Upon reflection of my past 3 food related resolutions, I'm proud to look back at where I began and how each of the small steps I've taken over these years has helped me evolve to the mindset I live each day with.

In keeping with the idea of food evolution, I've decided to join in on a challenge Tim has set: eating a solely vegan diet for the first 12 days of the new year. This means no animal byproduct whatsoever including meat, dairy, or eggs.

While neither of us plan to become vegans for the long term, we are both really interested in the challenges, hurdles, and hopefully advantages of adapting a vegan diet over the next several days. Personally, giving up meat will not be as challenging for me as giving up eggs and specifically dairy will. I know Tim's biggest challenge will be the meat.

Throughout my personal journey during this challenge, I'm hoping to find a few new alternatives for the dairy products I can't get enough of in my daily routine that might just stick with me after the 12 days are over. Tending to have higher cholesterol, transitioning into whole grains, healthy fats (oils), and antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables has been a breeze over the past few years and has even been rewarded with little weight losses here and there. Then there's dairy...a complete weakness in every way.

Wish me luck on the challenge! I'll be documenting any mood, energy, and weight changes in a follow up post once it's all over. Take a peek at the mega vegan shopping trip we made at Ellwood Thompson's earlier today over on Tim's blog - be sure to keep up over there for documented updates and recipes we'll be trying.

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In addition to the vegan challenge, this year I'm finding it more important than ever to make time for my family and friends. This time last year, I made the transition from living in Brooklyn, New York back down to my home town of Richmond, Virginia. It's been an incredible journey getting to know my roots again in a new way while working remotely for the company of my dreams.

One thing I am not as proud of is while my life continues to be amazingly busy, I've sometimes let this become an excuse for not making time to spend with those most important to me. I joke that since I've made the move back to Virginia, I haven't really seen my family and close friends any more than I did while living in New York. Long story short, time to turn that into a joke of the past.

I hope each of you are keeping safe over this New Year's Eve and are looking forward to the possibilities the new year has in store just as much as I am. Would love to get any of your tips, pointers, favorite recipes, and words of advice on the vegan diet.