Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday Dinner
So I was bad tonight. After going to the farmers market with hubby, we went out to eat at a local Italian restaurant. The closest that I could get to vegan was spaghetti and cheese ravioli and meat sauce. So, I had very little sauce (just enough to turn the pasta a light pink, and as little of the ravioli as possible. Not as bad as it could have been! I'm wondering how much of this I'll feel later.
This Week's Dinners
The hubby and I have agreed that dinners can be vegan. He will eat what he wants for snacks and lunches.
So for my first vegan dinner (Tuesday night), I made a leek and mushroom risotto. It actually came out pretty good! I used organic vegetable stock in place of water to cook the risotto. Even the hubby liked it! Of course, he would have loved it if it had been a side dish rather than the main course...
Wednesday's dinner: A recipe I found years ago. Basically, it's grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, and capers over in olive oil served over spaghetti. Normally, I would put this over regular spaghetti, but I used Barilla's whole wheat spaghetti this time. It was very good! I topped it with mozzarella cheese (VeggieSlices - a vegan cheese for me). I ended up with a lot of leftover spaghetti though!
Thursday's dinner: A modification of a Rachel Ray recipe. It was a stir fry, using portabella mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, red and yellow bells peppers, bean sprouts, snow peas, and scallions. I used the leftover spaghetti from the night before instead of rice, and warmed it up in the pan with a bit of olive oil. It came out really good!
So for my first vegan dinner (Tuesday night), I made a leek and mushroom risotto. It actually came out pretty good! I used organic vegetable stock in place of water to cook the risotto. Even the hubby liked it! Of course, he would have loved it if it had been a side dish rather than the main course...
Wednesday's dinner: A recipe I found years ago. Basically, it's grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, and capers over in olive oil served over spaghetti. Normally, I would put this over regular spaghetti, but I used Barilla's whole wheat spaghetti this time. It was very good! I topped it with mozzarella cheese (VeggieSlices - a vegan cheese for me). I ended up with a lot of leftover spaghetti though!
Thursday's dinner: A modification of a Rachel Ray recipe. It was a stir fry, using portabella mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, red and yellow bells peppers, bean sprouts, snow peas, and scallions. I used the leftover spaghetti from the night before instead of rice, and warmed it up in the pan with a bit of olive oil. It came out really good!
Here I go again on my own...
So I'm not the blogging kind of person, but I need a place to describe what I'm doing and how it's making me feel. Since anyone can start a blog these days, I thought "Why not?" So here I am. I'm not sure that anyone will read this, but it will be therapeutic for me.
My story: I am an early 30-something woman who lives in southern California, home of the stereotypical blonde beach bunny. I am NOT blonde, uber-thin, or a tanned goddess. Actually, I am very fair, and burn faster than anyone I know (other than my family - they're all in the same boat!). I am of average height, and above-average weight (meaning: I'm 5'6" and weigh 170 pounds at my heaviest). I don't surf, skateboard, rollerblade or do any of those other "normal" California things. I do ride my bike (yes, it is a beach cruiser) a couple of times a week, and play with my dogs every day. I am in a long-term relationship with a wonderful man who is very supportive and brutally honest, and we can thank him for this experiment.
Recently, I have decided that doctors are idiots who get paid way too much money to tell you that you know nothing, and write a prescription for a pill or cream. What brought on this opinion? Two doctors! I haven't been feeling super well for the past year. Not that I could say "I have a fever" or "I have this very particular symptom." I just felt off. My focus and motivation were gone, my skin was a mess, my emotions were all over the place, and my weight was not stable. I've always been a bit overweight, and even at my skinniest I carried a lot of fat. But I've always hovered around the same weight. In the last year or two, I've picked up 20 pounds. Very frustrating!
So I went to my doctor about my skin first. His answer - you have hormonal acne. Here's some stronger benzoyl peroxide - have a nice day! Oh, and don't forget to pay the receptionist on your way out. When I asked if making changes to my diet would help, he told me "not really." After five or six months of this (and ZERO improvement in my skin), I opted to go see a dermatologist. Her answer - you have hormonal acne. Here's a cream and an antibiotic - have a nice day! I posed the same question - what if I make changes to my diet. Guess what answer I received: it won't make a difference.
I also went to my doctor about my out of control emotions and spaciness. His answer: you're depressed - here's a pill. See you in a month. Now, I'm not saying that his diagnosis was wrong. I just think that after complaining of the same symptoms for a very long time, this is a quick fix response. Pill, another appointment, pay the receptionist. Not amusing! Again, I asked about diet to which I received the same answer. Still not amused! But I love how he needs to see me every 30 days to "evaluate" how the new pill is working. I call that lining your pockets!
Armed with this opinion, I opted to make some radical changes in my diet and lifestyle. I did a lot of research on the web (thank you Google). I looked at removing red meat from my diet, vegetarian diets, vegan diets, macrobiotic diets, and every combination in between. I read lots of articles, and found out that a lot of people are vegetarian or vegan. I had no clue! Then I stumbled on Alicia Silverstone's new book The Kind Life while shopping at Target on Friday. I skimmed through it, but walked away. I went online and did more research. I was back at Target the next day for the book, and had finished reading it by Sunday morning. After serious discussions with my dear hubby, I was decided to try a vegan diet for a while.
As of this week (Wednesday), I have removed all meat, dairy, and shellfish from my diet. Monday and Tuesday I was still eating leftovers from the weekend. As Alicia Silverstone would say, I'm flirting with veganism. Personally, I feel more like an imposter, but not in a bad way. I am also pulling as much refined flour and sugar from my diet as well (including no soda). Please bear in mind, I've grown up and lived on meat, dairy, eggs, and fast food my entire life. The no soda part may kill me - we'll see, because I love my Diet Coke!
My goals: First and foremost, I want to see if this can help free me from my doctors. I hate the idea of having to take pills to feel somewhat normal and to maintain normal looking skin. I also want to see what this will do to my weight. I am by no means starving myself or going on some extreme exercise program! I will continue to live my life as normal, at my normal activity level. So, I have three goals:
My story: I am an early 30-something woman who lives in southern California, home of the stereotypical blonde beach bunny. I am NOT blonde, uber-thin, or a tanned goddess. Actually, I am very fair, and burn faster than anyone I know (other than my family - they're all in the same boat!). I am of average height, and above-average weight (meaning: I'm 5'6" and weigh 170 pounds at my heaviest). I don't surf, skateboard, rollerblade or do any of those other "normal" California things. I do ride my bike (yes, it is a beach cruiser) a couple of times a week, and play with my dogs every day. I am in a long-term relationship with a wonderful man who is very supportive and brutally honest, and we can thank him for this experiment.
Recently, I have decided that doctors are idiots who get paid way too much money to tell you that you know nothing, and write a prescription for a pill or cream. What brought on this opinion? Two doctors! I haven't been feeling super well for the past year. Not that I could say "I have a fever" or "I have this very particular symptom." I just felt off. My focus and motivation were gone, my skin was a mess, my emotions were all over the place, and my weight was not stable. I've always been a bit overweight, and even at my skinniest I carried a lot of fat. But I've always hovered around the same weight. In the last year or two, I've picked up 20 pounds. Very frustrating!
So I went to my doctor about my skin first. His answer - you have hormonal acne. Here's some stronger benzoyl peroxide - have a nice day! Oh, and don't forget to pay the receptionist on your way out. When I asked if making changes to my diet would help, he told me "not really." After five or six months of this (and ZERO improvement in my skin), I opted to go see a dermatologist. Her answer - you have hormonal acne. Here's a cream and an antibiotic - have a nice day! I posed the same question - what if I make changes to my diet. Guess what answer I received: it won't make a difference.
I also went to my doctor about my out of control emotions and spaciness. His answer: you're depressed - here's a pill. See you in a month. Now, I'm not saying that his diagnosis was wrong. I just think that after complaining of the same symptoms for a very long time, this is a quick fix response. Pill, another appointment, pay the receptionist. Not amusing! Again, I asked about diet to which I received the same answer. Still not amused! But I love how he needs to see me every 30 days to "evaluate" how the new pill is working. I call that lining your pockets!
Armed with this opinion, I opted to make some radical changes in my diet and lifestyle. I did a lot of research on the web (thank you Google). I looked at removing red meat from my diet, vegetarian diets, vegan diets, macrobiotic diets, and every combination in between. I read lots of articles, and found out that a lot of people are vegetarian or vegan. I had no clue! Then I stumbled on Alicia Silverstone's new book The Kind Life while shopping at Target on Friday. I skimmed through it, but walked away. I went online and did more research. I was back at Target the next day for the book, and had finished reading it by Sunday morning. After serious discussions with my dear hubby, I was decided to try a vegan diet for a while.
As of this week (Wednesday), I have removed all meat, dairy, and shellfish from my diet. Monday and Tuesday I was still eating leftovers from the weekend. As Alicia Silverstone would say, I'm flirting with veganism. Personally, I feel more like an imposter, but not in a bad way. I am also pulling as much refined flour and sugar from my diet as well (including no soda). Please bear in mind, I've grown up and lived on meat, dairy, eggs, and fast food my entire life. The no soda part may kill me - we'll see, because I love my Diet Coke!
My goals: First and foremost, I want to see if this can help free me from my doctors. I hate the idea of having to take pills to feel somewhat normal and to maintain normal looking skin. I also want to see what this will do to my weight. I am by no means starving myself or going on some extreme exercise program! I will continue to live my life as normal, at my normal activity level. So, I have three goals:
- To improve my mental acuity
- To improve my skin
- To lose weight
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