The Secret to Satiety...

  Finally!  One month and four days into this... yesterday was the first day I felt full and not cranky with the hungries!  Woo Hoo!  

  Now, I'm all about plant strong and have actually not had a terrible time.  Hubby asked me yesterday, right after lunch - which consisted of a hummus wrap with lots of veggies - cabbage, peppers, snap peas - if I was hungry.  Trying to understand where he was coming from (something I don't recommend trying to do - pretty much anyone with a Y-chromosome is extremely confusing to me), I asked him "Why do you ask?"  He said - "You didn't eat much."   Granted, I couldn't finish all of the veggies, but it was because I was so full.  But his perception of what I'm doing is that I'm denying myself.  At the beginning, I might have agreed with the notion, but really, at this point, I've stopped looking at it in terms of the things I "can't have", because honestly, it's easier list the few things I can't have than to name all of the things I can eat!

  Because of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), it is quite a foreign concept to many to cut out the "backbone" of a typical diet.  Out with the animal products - no animal flesh, and yes, that includes the elimination of poultry and fish/seafood products, no dairy, no eggs. (Sorry, strict vegans, I still like honey with my morning tea.) And for me, personally, I've found that grains (including wheat and other gluten-containing grains) really are terrible to my system.  So I don't eat more than a couple servings of grain (not wheat) per week.  That's the stuff I can't eat.  I've had a few samples over the past month of a few animal foods - and my body reacted poorly.  So I know that, for me, this is the right decision.

  Over the last two days, the one thing that I've changed is adding just a couple of foods with a little bit of "heft" to them.  Smoothies are easy, quick, filling... but I'm getting bored with them.  Salads are my go-to, but, again... I'm getting bored.  I've had beans in different forms and enjoyed them, but even if you put beans in a salad... it's still a salad.  I picked up some hummus yesterday (I'd made hummus in the past month, but I put peppers in it and didn't love my creation, so I had mentally put hummus on the back burner) and between the hummus and my new love - coconut manna - I now think I can do this for the long haul.  A little bit of fat in the diet makes a world of difference in feeling full - instead of feeling cranky and hungry. All. The. Time.  
  I meant to take a couple pictures of meals today to show the variety of foods that I am able to eat.  I'm not missing anything!  I love that I'm not "limited" to traditional foods for breakfast/lunch/dinner times.  Admittedly, I have to get a bit creative if I don't want an easy (and boring) salad or smoothie - but having things outside of the "normal" breakfast foods for example, is kind of liberating.  This morning, I had a taste for mushrooms - not your traditional breakfast fare - so I roasted a portobello mushroom cap, cut up half of an avocado, some tomato and a little bit of hummus.  So Yummy.  I was so full from that that I didn't even need lunch, but had an early dinner of a hummus, avocado, tomato and onion wrap (hated the garbanzo flatbread with a burning passion... but I digress...) and some raspberries with coconut manna.  I am so full and un-cranky right now... I am a happy girl!  

  The upcoming week does see Mama doing some serious meal planning for our glamping trip.  Feeling mildly anxious about it still, but I'm sure it will be fine.  Now I know, at least, that taking a spoon and a jar of coconut manna and some hummus with me will at least make me not cranky!  :)  I think I'll be able to do better than that, and the anxiety is lessening because of a little bit of confidence in what I'm doing.  

  Looking back, I don't think I realized what I was getting into when I started this journey.  I still can't fathom not having a steak or chops on the grill  because that has been my food world for my whole life.  But I'm in this now.  I'm enjoying the variety, enjoying feeling better.   It's crazy to me that I didn't know how icky I was feeling most of the time.  I didn't realize it until the offending foods were eliminated and not there to make me sick any longer.

  A month in to my Journey to Well - Looking forward with anticipation - Thankful for where I'm going as well as where I've been.

  

Camping with Veggies...

  Day 4,277.  Not really.  It has been one month and one day since I begun a plant strong diet.  Today was the first day that I ate something that I just did not like at all.  (As opposed to something that did not like me)  I made a TVP sloppy joe concoction tonight (whilst my family enjoyed delicious, moist, tender carnitas made lovingly for them by yours truly).  It was atrocious.  Just bad.  Seriously bad.   The good news is that I am not hungry for anything (including the delicious pig dish) because I have a bad taste in my mouth.   And the tummy ache that I've had for a week due to a migraine (and subsequent migraine hangover), well... it's back, Jack.  I won't be eating that again.

  So far, things are going well.  I'm still not craving meat or dairy.  I am having a bit of a hang up on meal times these days.  Salads are getting a little bit boring.  I'm trying to get plenty of  raw into my diet and the easiest way to do that is, indeed, by having plenty of salads.  Adding cabbage and carrots to lettuce to make it crunchier... have I really been reduced to talking about adding cabbage (and it being "crunchier" or more exciting?) to a salad? 

  Obviously, I'm still hung up on the food aspect of all of it.  I've not felt cranky or hungry at all, though... so I think I'm on the right track.

  We are leaving on a glamping trip one week from tomorrow.  My newfound lifestyle has succeeded in freaking me out a little.  Camping with veggies?  This is new, uncharted territory for my family, not that they are participating in my veggie-ness.  I've got some recipes, I'm looking at the bright side of learning new campfire recipes to enjoy.  And yes, the family will be indulging in a few veggie-meals.  If I can't stand the thought of cooking additional meals at home with all of the conveniences afforded here, I can't tolerate the suggestion of doing so over a campfire or camp stove.  I'll go easy on them.

   So, that's that.  Everything is going well. A couple people have told me they notice a weight loss.  I've not stepped on a scale yet.  I still need to buy one.  I was out today and forgot again.  Oops.  One day at a time!

Day 2,479

  Day 2,479 - OK... not really.  But it feels like it sometimes.  :)  I think I've hit a wall.  We have been so busy this last week - Lyla's surgery, Sam's asthma attack (and a doozy of a medication schedule for both of them that abruptly ended today (what will I do with the extra 2 1/2 hours that I don't spend with Sam on the nebulizer (a.k.a. "The Motivator"), rolling up pills in fake cheese product for Lyla (Really - as smart as that dog is, you'd think she'd get it - she's trained to do all kinds of miraculous feats and she doesn't catch on to the fact that the nastiness that she spit out without the cheese is in the middle of the cheese? I find it odd.), tons of baseball games (including the longest double header in the history of Boys 14U baseball), preparing for some more baseball, preparing for a road trip (camping in the North Woods - with three boys, husband, father and 2 dogs... how could this NOT be enjoyable?  I'm considering just letting them go... LOL - staying home and getting a REAL vacation!)...

  Planning for outings has proven to be quite the challenge.  My family, as those of you who know them can attest, is comprised of cavemen.  They want their meat.  If there is a vegetable with it that's fine (except for the biggest caveman, who swore off green leafies 44 years ago), but the meat is very important.  Especially if it is chicken wings.  So, when we were on the road last weekend, we had to get lunch.  Of course, they wanted Buffalo Wild Wings - and honestly, I'd be fine with that, except all of their salads have lettuce (iceberg), meat, cheese, croutons... topped with a dairy-based dressing.  I was not about to get an iceberg lettuce salad with tomato - hold EVERYTHING else - pay $10 for it and have to try to pretend not to be a crab ass for the rest of the (very hot) tournament.  So, my wonderful family made another choice - a Chinese buffet.  Normally not my thing, but I figured my chances there were better than at the fried chicken mecca.  There were not a lot of plant based choices, and even fewer completely vegan AND grain free choices.  So, I compromised and had a few shrimp - still avoiding the fried, still avoiding the red meat and poultry.  I learned that it didn't agree with me any more than the red meat or poultry... so again... that was an important lesson. 

  Figuring out travel is going to be a big deal for me.  We have so many medications, supplies, service dog (and all of her stuff), people, etc to pack for when we go, that I have to find a way to streamline and pack for myself.  Another challenge is that I don't like cooking with a microwave - So, I'm sure I will figure it out, but in the meantime... I'd better get researching.  I don't want to be cranky on a 10 hour road trip and sleeping in a tent where there are bears is stressful enough.  Can you even imagine how sorry you'd feel for that bear that chose to try to get my lettuce?  Poor Dear... wouldn't know what hit him.  (And I say him because Mama Bear is watching her figure too and would never consider getting another Mama Bear's lettuce.)

  And so...on Day #19 of this Journey to Well, a journey of learning what is working for me, learning what is NOT working for me and finding my peaceful in the middle of the chaos, I move forward.  Figuring it all out is part of the journey.  I've figured stuff out before, I just have to do it again.  Peace.

Day # 11

  Doing well.  My smoothie this morning was something else.  LOL - I'm still getting used to the taste of green smoothies, on some mornings, they seem pretty tough to choke down, this morning's went down well and didn't taste too bad.  Strawberries, papaya (with seeds), kale, cucumber, carrot, cilantro and chia... made for a filling breakfast.  I didn't start getting hungry until about 12:30, and lunch was a salad with some hummus and baba ganoush.  I have to say, my very favorite dressing of all time is shitake vinaigrette - just so darned tasty!  Salad dressings are keeping things interesting - raspberry poppyseed, roasted tomato, greek - all vinaigrette style dressings - have changed things up a little bit and made salads tasty and prevent the mounds of greens and veggies from getting boring.

  Doing well on the cravings front.  I thought I was getting to the point of being very mindful about food and yesterday popped a piece of chicken into my mouth.  It is funny - I am not craving the chicken (steak, meat in general), but am still, merely by habit, having to check myself to not eat it.  I did have the thought, though, that if I am craving something (I grilled steaks the other day for the family, I was very good and didn't have any!), but if I am craving it, it is probably better for me to just take a bite of it, satisfy the craving and move on with life.  I've found, through the last year and a half (of being dairy and grain-free), that I'm really not craving things that my body rejects.  I react violently to dairy (non-cultured dairy, I seemed to do OK with yogurt and kefir) and grains and never (outside of the initial elimination of these foods, where I was desperately wanting cheese!) craved them.  Just talking around things, figuring it all out.  I don't miss cheese any longer (unless I think about it for too long... the stuff is like crack to me!), so don't crave it.  I stand on the fact that I do not miss being ill.  I'm looking forward to a weekend away with my family for a travel baseball tournament coming up this weekend.  I'm mentally preparing myself for being away from home and what foods I'll need to bring and thinking I need to get a mini-blender for the road so I can keep up my smoothie habit.

   So that's that.  I don't think I will miss not having meat at BBQ this Fourth of July... at least, I hope I won't.  If we grill, I might put a meatless "burger" on the grill for myself...who knows.  I don't foresee a problem... but being on top of it prevents a problem, right?

  Have a great 4th, Friends.  Be safe!

Normalizing?

  Can it be?  I'm on day #9 of a plant-based diet.  The symptoms for which I began this journey to begin with are completely unpleasant, sometimes painful, always uncomfortable.  These symptoms have altered my life - migraines would make me miss out on several days of life at a time - one or two days of migraine and another 2 or 3 days of  the notorious "migraine hangover" or post drome.  So, even though the pain would only be severe for a day or two, the brain fog, feeling disconnected, poor memory and inability to eat anything substantial (which led to fatigue, weakness and grogginess) made the post drome phase ridiculously uncomfortable.  Another thing that plagued me, even after eliminating dairy and grain from my diet, was G.I. upset.  Outdoor activities were difficult (hiking, camping, fishing) and shopping was complicated because I always had to be near a restroom.  We travel quite a bit and I found myself choosing to stay home instead of venturing out into the vast unknown.  Eating out was difficult because my triggers could be "hidden" in foods and I'd be none the wiser - until I got ill.  I know if I've eaten something I shouldn't within half an hour of eating.  And, if I'm lucky, it would be limited to G.I. symptoms... within a few hours, the migraine could start.  Not knowing, at any time, if I was going to get sick, it was the worst part. 

  Anyhow... I'm on Day #9 of plant-based and have had no G.I. unpleasantness or migraine issues in 7 days. None.  Even when I'd eliminated dairy and grains, I was having problematic G.I. symptoms at least 5 days a week.  The thought of being free of such debilitating symptoms is amazing.   Here's hoping that I can continue and keep the ickies away!

The Craving

  Ahhhh. On day #8.  Doing well.  I had some pretty serious cravings yesterday when we had a spontaneous road trip back home.  Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of dining at Portillo's knows exactly what I mean.  The grilled veggie sandwich (which I ordered happily, just *KNOWING* it would be every bit as wonderful as all of the rest of their food...) was awful.  Not awful in comparison to the chopped salad (which sounds like it would be fine, but is full of things I can't eat - chicken, bacon, pasta), or not awful in comparison to the only sausage I'll eat (Maxwell Street Polish... char grilled on french bread with extra grilled onions and extra mustard.  I love this thing SO MUCH that after I had the twins - after endless months of not being able to eat anything - THIS is what I ate...and I ate TWO, so me and Maxwell St. Polish have a history) No, this sandwich wasn't just awful in comparison to the other heavenly deliciousness - it was just awful.  All on its own.  The "whole grain focaccia" was horrendous - doughy and flavorless.  The veggies - all zucchini with two small slices of mushroom and a very thin slice of tomato - were not marinated, not seasoned at all.  It was so disappointing.   So...well... I'll live.  But this definitely marked my first cravings since I began my plant-based journey.  And, again, it wasn't so much that I wanted meat - it was that I wanted Portillo's.  Also got to go into Smuzi Juice Bar in Geneva, IL for the first time!  They're holding a fundraiser for our Non Profit in July and so I went in to drop off some brochures and get a juice.  Had a Yamtastic - sweet potato, celery, kale, apple juices with cinnamon.  It was very tasty!

   Last week's lentils and cauliflower worked out well.  I made a big batch and was able to throw some in salads, heat some up alone if I needed something quick... The convenience is a big thing because by the time I get meals made for everyone else, I just need something easy... I do NOT like cooking two meals, so having something easy to grab or add to a salad was fantastic.  Because that worked so well... for this week, I just made a big pot of ratatouille.  Eggplant, sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini and garlic... I'll make up a big bowl of quinoa to pair that with and I will have a go-to for the week.  It seems that this, as much as anything (having a simple pre-made item available) has made this easy. So far.

  That's about it.  Considering getting a juicer to lighten up & get the nutrition in.  Smoothies are delicious, they get the fiber on board, but with such a focus on nutrition, I feel like I might get some more nutrition with juicing.  I've bought and given away 2 juicers in the last 3 years...I don't like taking them apart, cleaning them is complicated... I don't know.  Gotta think about it.

  There. Now that's it.  Hope you had a great weekend!

Day Four and Almost All is Well!

Day Four from the front lines - I took a bite of meat.  One bite.  I'm having a lot of difficulty with cooking for my family and not being able to taste - not sure what it tastes like and unsure of seasoning.  So... I don't know that that's really "cheating".  I guess the good part was that I didn't want any more.  I've really not had any cravings thus far.  I've had a few rumbly tummy moments, but a few nuts, veggie smoothie, some berries, an apple... I'm managing.

  Monday night was a rough one here...I haven't heard officially what it's being called, I've heard tornado and I'm gonna go with it.  Our neighbors' garages blew down (two different garages at two different houses), the siding and a window were ripped off of one of our garages, trees uprooted everywhere.  It was the craziest thing... one minute I was getting ready to go pick up my older boys and my Dad - they were fishing in the next town over - the sky was a little overcast, but the sun was trying to shine... and the next minute the power went out and before we knew it, there were branches flying past the kitchen window.  

  So, of course, we had no power.  We have food here, but I did find a hole in our preparedness plan.  When it is 90* outside, you certainly don't want to start a fire in the fireplace to cook.  When it is raining, grilling is not ideal.  Gotta think about that.  So, I missed my morning smoothies but all in all, I did well.  I was glad that I made the lentil and cauliflower curry... came in handy.  Thankful to have power back and looking forward to my morning smoothie tomorrow. 

  Tonight's dinner was carnitas - but not for me (not counting the bite I took to make sure it didn't need any other seasonings.)  How do others get around this?  I will be cooking meat for this crew.  I'm not expecting anyone else to follow suit, but I love cooking and do need to figure out... maybe the tastes while cooking are just part of the deal.  I had another taco salad -  with a little bit of rice (with black beans and tomatoes, onions, chilis and cilantro). 

   So, the day wraps up.  On a good note.  Mama got a vehicle today.  I'm loving it so far and so very excited to not have to drive the pickup truck any more!

  And, on a fantastic note: We thought our litter of baby kittehs was blown away in the storm. We didn't see them for 2 days!  We found them today!!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited to report that Willie, Si and Miss Kay are alive and well.  So precious!  <3