No Fad Diets Here: Patience, New Habits and a Full Year of Progress

Before: Camp Arcadia 2012 (Aaron and I at Friday night dinner)

After: Camp Arcadia 2013 (Aaron and I with our niece)

                                            

One year ago I set out on a long journey determined to lead a healthier life.  It was an acknowledgement that I was now "over 40" and had hit a number on the scale I never thought I would see - but there it was staring at me.  Suddenly I felt like I was faced with a choice between continual weight gain - which would likely lead to doctor visits and pills for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and an entire host of other diseases that can occur with unhealthy eating habits OR I could change my lifestyle, make better choices and increase my chances of avoiding all of the above.  Given my fear of doctors, needles, hospitals, etc - the 2nd choice was the only option!

Since that time I've decided to jump into "plant-based eating" with both feet.  It has been a journey of trial and error, but I've never taken my eye off the goal.....which was a complete overhaul of my food habits (and even as I write this, I'm still adjusting and improving my diet) I've had several people ask how to get started on this journey, so I've come up with a list of things that were helpful for me in hopes that they might be helpful to others.

1. Connect with one other person who is eating plant-based:  It was discussions with a friend that initially encouraged me to explore plant-based eating.  I read several books, had several questions, along with several frustrations and she was there to listen and provide insight the entire time.  Also, if you have a friend who has some experience eating "plant-based", they are an invaluable resource for recipes and what vegan foods to embrace and what to avoid!  Lastly, we live in a world surrounded by processed foods, desserts, meat, dairy, etc - making it more difficult to make healthy choices.......so having a plant-based friend is a great support system.

2. Find cookbooks or on-line resources with delicious plant-based recipes:  I certainly made my share of recipe "flops", in fact the first week or two was rather miserable.  I checked out cookbooks from the library and made a few recipes before I decided to purchase for myself.  Here are some cookbooks that set me on a path of flavor and health!
     1. Chloe's Kitchen (DELICIOUS vegan comfort food!)
     2. Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook (hate the title, but recipes are wonderful)
     3.  Laurel's Kitchen (vegetarian, I just left out dairy/cheese when called for - still delicious!)
     4. Simply in Season (not exclusively non-meat and dairy, but contains several vegan and vegetarian       options and many recipes can easily be adjusted - again, delicious! )
     5.  Everyday Happy Herbivore and Happy Herbivore Abroad  (all plant-based, easy to make with easy to find ingredients and low-fat and FULL of flavor!)
     6.  www.happyherbivore.com (tons of free recipes, articles, inspiration and an affordable menu service)

3. Find easy "go to" foods that are healthy:  My husband and I lead very busy lives, as I'm sure most of you do and have little time to spend in the kitchen.  I had to replace my usual "go-to" foods or even "stress-eating" foods with something healthier.  Easy quick meals for me are
     1. Mashed up black beans in between two flour tortilla shells and baked in the oven
     2. Black beans cooked in some chili powder, mashed and then used for dip with blue corn chips
     3.  Cheeseless pizza - either homemade or a Papa Murphy's with the thin crust and lots of veggies
     4.  Tacos - again, mashed up black beans cooked in chili powder, with lettuce, tomato, and fresh guac and salsa (I buy the guac and salsa from Whole Foods, pricey, but worth it on a busy schedule)
     5. Vegetable Gyoza - this is the most "processed" item on the list, we get the Trader Joe's brand, but recently discovered some of the options at Asian grocery stores contain less sodium.  I think the TJ brand contains 400 mg - they are delicious fried (yes, fried!) in a little grapeseed oil and we serve with some gyoza sauce (also at Trader Joes) and a brown rice/quinoa mix.
     6.  Vegetables!  Honestly, sometimes I just steam some broccoli and have some brown/quinoa.  Vegetables are SO healthy and so filling - I can't imagine a world without vegetables!
     7.  Whole Wheat pasta with meatless sauce - we're in the habit of sauteing up some baby portabellas with garlic and onion and then tossing them in the sauce - YUM!!!
     8.  Baked potatoes cooking in the crockpot, topped with fresh salsa

4.  Give your tastebuds time to adjust: The first couple weeks were a bit miserable at times, I made a rice and veggie dish, it smelled delicious as it was cooking, but when I ate it, I immediately thought this plant-based eating was committing to a life of flavorless eating.  I remained determined and after a couple of weeks, my tastebuds changed and that rice dish eventually tasted very flavorful!!  I used to hate mushrooms, now I eat them regularly.  It's rewarding to taste the real flavors of vegetables without having them covered in cheese or cream sauces.  I should also add, after an entire year, it's habit for me to eat tacos, burritos, pizza, spaghetti, etc - all without cheese and just as satisfying and delicious - eliminating cheese was the the most painful adjustment, but that feeling of deprivation eventually goes away.  

5. Find dessert replacements: I have a HUGE sweet tooth, I won't mention how many Krispy Kreme donuts I can eat in one sitting!!  I knew if I was going to be successful I had to find a dessert that was better than several Krispy Kreme donuts or a bag of cookies!  They key?  For me it was Luna Bars, Lara Bars, a square of dark chocolate or just a simple piece of organic whole wheat toast topped with a little earth balance spread, cinnamon and turbinado sugar.  I know several people recommend eating fruit for dessert, I love fruit, but it doesn't fill the dessert craving for me......if it works for you, by all means eat fruit! Also, don't keep sweets in the house, except for your "approved replacements".  My cravings for sugary processed foods have decreased considerably, but if they're in the house, I usually can't keep my hand out of the cookie jar!

6.  Find snack replacements: My snacks now include any of the above, in limited quantities and items such as almonds, walnuts, tortilla chips with salsa or guac, sunflower seeds, fruit, peanut butter and celery.  I'm on the road teaching and often don't get dinner until 8 or 9 pm, so these snacks keep my blood sugar from plummeting, which leads to cravings for all things you're trying to avoid.     

7. "What I do everyday matters more than what I do once in a while"(from Manage Your Day-To-Day by Jocelyn K Glei): I read this quote in a book recently and it sums up my entire journey. I have good days and bad days, I would go a month without cheese and then have cheese, only to discover my body didn't appreciate it!  I've had more than one burger from Steak n Shake this past year, I've had dessert on several special occasions, we eat salmon a couple of times a month - so far, I've been able to do these things "once in a while" and still maintain a level of health I'm comfortable with - I'll reassess if that ever changes.  In reality, I'm probably 90% plant-based, but I'm completely comfortable with that - it allows me to have turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and still enjoy a piece of birthday cake - the key is to avoid the pumpkin pie, turkey and birthday cake on a daily basis!

In sum, I've spent the last year finding new habits to replace the old habits.  There were no quick fixes or fads, it was and continues to be a complete lifestyle overhaul.  I'm not done yet - I still want to add more vegetables, more fruit and eliminate some of my dessert "crutches" like Luna Bars.  I would like to explore more recipes with tempeh, seitan and tofu - so the journey will continue and some day perhaps that 90% plant-based with change to 95% or 100% plant-based - in the meantime I'm enjoying the process of exploring all the healthier options life has to offer!  

Magnetic Menu System: Ready, Set, Please Work This Time!!

Since we've switched to "primarily vegan" eating choices, menu planning has gained greater importance, for without planning, it's easy to fall back into meals of frozen pizza, meat in the crockpot or quick meals out, which are typically less healthy.  I've tried, without much success, to find a menu system that works for our household.  Despite the wonderful suggestions I received from friends or found on Pinterest, eventually they all failed miserably after a few weeks here at the Willis Residence.  I either forgot what we were making, planned too much food for the week or had to make too many trips to the grocery store.  All of this created frustration, which led to abandoning the system all together........leaving us again with that evening stress after a long day of "What's for dinner???"

I needed something simple, that would communicate well, so both Aaron and I knew the menu details, since we both cook.  I also needed something that allowed me to see all my recipe choices, because I often I forget all my options and have little time to sort through cookbooks and recipe boxes.  Lastly, I wanted a system that would be very efficient, with less food waste and fewer trips to the grocery store, which in turn would be healthy for the budget!  

Last week I came up with a creative idea that combined my love of laminating, magnets and manipulative devices to devise a menu system that meets all of the above criteria:  It's simple, it's fun, it's flexible, it's efficient, it's tactile and it's visual.  I often wonder why I didn't think of this sooner??

Here's how it works:  I have magnetic strips for each day of the week in bright yellow (i just used the paper I had on hand, you could color code to your liking) and red strips that list possible food choices for any given week.  I started by making a list and putting into a table on a Word document: I included all my favorite easy and reliable recipes, along with strips that say "leftovers", "eat out", "small group" (this is our church group, we always share a meal, so it takes the place of cooking that evening) and "new recipe".  If the "new recipe" is a success, I would add it to my running document of additional recipes.  I also made duplicate strips for simple sides like broccoli, potatoes, rice, beans, salad, etc, that we might use multiple times in the week.

 I printed and laminated the tables and then cut into strips and put magnetic strips on the back - viola, my  new menu system was born!  

Dare I say it's actually "fun" to create the menu, moving the little magnetic strips around, but it's flexibility can't be underestimated.  For example, I had scheduled spaghetti with salad for Wednesday, but realized we had quite a few leftovers from Monday and Tuesday, so I swapped out the spaghetti for the leftovers and moved spaghetti to Thursday (which was originally supposed to be leftover night).

The last perk of this system is it's quite easy to go to the refrigerator and write down the grocery list for the week based on the posted menu.  I was able to purchase all the groceries for the week in one trip.    

Granted, we've only adopted this system for a week, but it's been a huge success - even Aaron gives it a thumbs up.   I'm looking forward to week 2 - that has to be a positive sign for success, right?  

I Will Not Give Up Cheese!

As many of you have heard, I have recently "gone vegan" - I'm just as stunned as everyone else in my life.  How did this happen?  That last words out of my mouth after discussing this with a friend who had recently become were "I will never be able to give up cheese - I can give up meat, sour cream, milk, butter, sugar, white flour, but please DON'T TAKE MY CHEESE!!!"

I decided to start some reading on a "plant-based" diet.  I questioned whether it was really necessary to give up all of my favorite things, perhaps I could just eat them in moderation.  After all, I've never been able to completely end my cravings for sweets, cheese or junk food.  And my will power is not strong enough to overcome those strong cravings.......so perhaps moderation was the key......knowing I can have them, just "some of the time".  

The first book I read addressed food cravings - "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Neal Barnard, M.D. The book discusses the reason behind food cravings and their causes, but most importantly, how to end them!  It didn't take long for me to realize the foods that were causing the cravings, were exactly the foods I craved!  Then the lightbulb - if I'm going to get rid of cravings, I have to give it all up, cold turkey.  After all, what did I have to lose besides my cravings?

It only took 5-7 days for my cravings to stop.  During this time, I remained "full" by loading up on fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains.  My sweet tooth was the toughest to tame, so I used a variety of Luna Bars to get me through any rough patches.  I still love Luna Bars, but need them much less often and sometimes only eat 1/4 or a 1/2 bar.  Otherwise my "go-to" dessert is fresh fruit.  

I continued doing more reading throughout this time, including "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn and "The Starch Solution" by John A. McDougall, M.D.  I kept discovering the same information, not only were meat, sugar and dairy increasing my cravings, they were also significantly increasing my risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.  All along I thought I needed meat and dairy to "be healthy" and meet my daily needs for protein and calcium - not the case, I can get all my calcium and protein from a plant-based diet. I know, those words shocked me too, but it's really the case.  Soon to be 41, I have no desire to spend the next 40 years taking pills, paying even higher health insurance premiums/medical costs and going to the doctor and/or hospital repeatedly.  I don't want to fight these medical conditions, I want to prevent them - and plant-based nutrition is the key!    

Eating has completely changed for me, I eat now because I need to nourish my body, not because I'm filling a craving.  I'd rather fill my body with the correct foods, than take several pills so I can eat the wrong foods.  The food, even organic food, is cheaper than the pills and the medical costs!  This is my new health insurance plan!  

The best part about this life change are the dramatic effects on my daily life - I have more energy, I can tell my blood sugar levels are stable throughout the day, because I've given up Sudafed, I'm sleeping better at night and I'm assuming my blood pressure is probably a bit lower as well, I still drink coffee, but drink less, my skin is clearer and I've shed 6.5 pounds in just under 3 weeks.  All without feeling hungry, deprived or tired- so now instead of being addicted to sugar, meat and cheese, well, now I'm addicted to fruits, vegetables and whole grains!   

I hope to write more about this vegan journey - but wanted to first share how it all got started.  Until next time.........

Thoughts from a "Recovering Consumer"

Miko enjoying the fresh air on his new "dog bed".

It's been almost year since my last blog post - OOPS!!  There have been lots of little self-discoveries along the way, but today I felt inspired to take the time to sit down and write......Why?  I chose to spend the morning sitting in the backyard with the dogs, working at my computer, writing down teaching ideas in my studio planner, daydreaming and laughing at the dog antics.  Not a big deal, EXCEPT that I had a 40% coupon at one of my FAVORITE stores that was only good today.......I could have missed a bargain, but the relaxing morning was worth a great deal more than the one more "thing" that I really don't need, as they say.

Several months ago I read a book titled "Consumer Detox - Less Stuff, More Life" by Mark Powley.  I have spent much of my life right in the thick of consumerism - participating freely, enthusiastically and willingly.  In my 20's, I had a perfectly decorated apartment, until I saw another way to more "perfectly" decorate it - I had the perfect wardrobe to express my sense of style, until something better and "more perfect" came along.  There was so much to choose from and I wanted a life filled with as much as possible......I thought "stuff" would bring fulfillment.  Perhaps it did, temporarily......along with that pesky credit card debt - YUCKY!!!

Then came my 30's...I had to learn to spend less, with more financial responsibilities, such as home ownership, balancing a budget for two after getting married.  These were the years of thrift shopping, where you could find anything for a bargain.  Out went my obsession with having the newest and latest styles or home decor - I just bought things I liked found thrift shopping quite a fun adventure.  I found LOTS of stuff at bargain prices.  Of course I would have relapse moments and return home with a bunch of new unneeded "stuff" from my latest "non-thrift" shopping spree.

But by my late 30's, I began to question whether I really needed every bargain I found.  Did I really need to have the latest home decor to live a fulfilling life?  Even if I needed all that stuff, WHERE was I going to put it???  How would I pay for it all without running up a huge bill?  It only takes a few times of moving and a couple times of paying off debt to make you revaluate your need for "stuff".

By the time my husband and I settled in Indianapolis, I realized our great accumulation of "stuff" wasn't bringing more fulfillment, it was actually creating more stress.  We had to organize all that stuff, clean all that stuff and pay for all that stuff......and probably, in the future, move all that stuff again!  There had to be a change, but it would not be easy, because, sad to say, I do love a bargain, I do love stuff and I do love to shop - so that is how I became a "recovering consumer".  I had to reprogram my desire for things, I knew this would not be an easy task......so I created an arsenal of tools including the following....

1.  My handy book and journal "Consumer Detox" by Mark Powley.  I highly recommend it if you want to make this change in your life.  It makes you think.......

2.  A budget and a desire to stay in the budget, stay out of debt and save money.  I now get excited as I see our savings grow.  If that excitement can match the excitement of a bargain.  WOW!  Then I have arrived!

3. My church community:  I recently joined the Mennonite Church and I have no doubt that this has helped strengthen my views.  Being surrounded by an entire church community that places great value on living simply and frugally, as well as giving generously to those in need certainly provides an invaluable model, as well as encouragement to continue on this path.  In addition, as we live more frugally, we have more to give to the less fortunate.  I also find myself experiencing great joy when giving, more so than a great bargain for myself.  Again - WOW!  I love this change!  

4.  Friends, Family and Life Experiences:  It's essentially free to spend time with family, friends have what I call a "life experience".  I can chat on the phone or have coffee with a friend - that brings me great joy, other than the cost of the phone call, which I pay for anyhow, there's no debt or stuff piling up.  My choice this morning to relax in the yard was a great "life experience" - it inspired me to write this post and didn't cost a dime!  Some experiences cost money - I'm ok with that too, my husband and I have two yearly traditions:  Camp Arcadia in Michigan and Indy 500 tickets - but, it is money well spent, without debt AND we aren't left with more stuff at the end to clean, organize and pay for!

It has been a wonderful day, it will always be a challenge to resist the urge to buy something I don't really need, but today was a big accomplishment in my opinion......I hope there are more days like this ahead.  It will most certainly lead to a life full of joy and possibility!

  Gilbert taking in the fresh air - one of his favorite pastimes!

Confessions and Update of a Sweater Hoarder : I did it!

The snowy view from our living room window - good weather for sweaters!  

Well, just a quick entry today.  For those of who following my previous posts know that I publicly shamed myself and posted that I owned 63 sweaters!! My goal was to get rid of enough to take that number down to 50.  I am happy to report, that I now only own 49 sweaters. (yes, I know, this is still shocking, but I'm aiming for improvement here)  

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been able to part with 14 sweaters and donated them all to a local community center for those who actually NEED a sweater.  I'm also excited that all my sweaters comfortably fit in either my closet or the trunk at the foot of the bed and that I have kept only sweaters that I actually wear - what a novel concept!    

So I will see how life with 49 sweaters is for a while and then maybe I will try to part with a few more and see how life is with 45 sweaters!    

Sharing Beans

The Bean Trio, complete with stuffed squirrel to guard them :-)

So I don't know why the obsession with beans, it just seems to work well - after our church service this morning I was inspired to add another bean jar to my collection called "Sharing Beans".  The lesson was based on Luke 3:11 which states

"The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn't have any, and the person who has food must do the same."


So off I went to root through my mother-in-law's cupboard of spare glass jars and my new "Sharing Beans" jar was born.  It holds beans that are spent on gifts to friends and family for birthdays, Christmas or simply random acts of kindness, but most importantly, this jar also holds beans spent on gifts/donations for those in need.

So I am challenging myself and also any of you reading this - I have decided each time a make trip to buy groceries, I will purchase at least one item for our local food pantry.  No matter how strict our budget is at the moment, I know we can afford one additional canned good each week, at the very least.  Just think of the impact this could make if we all did this every time we went grocery shopping - after all, if we are grocery shopping, then we have at least some food on our tables, while others may have none.  So if you like this idea, I challenge all of you to do the same - then at the end of the month, donate the collected goods to your local food pantry.

Budget Beans Update

Our cats Emma and Scooter curled up under our tree

How nice that December 1st came on morning I didn't have anything scheduled - so I took some time to add up our expenditures for the month of November using my new budget file and bean method (see previous posts for explanations if you are just following now).

We almost ended the month with 66 beans left, but then discovered we needed to buy dog and cat food, since we love our pets, we decided feeding them was important enough to spend all but two of our remaining beans.  :-)

So on November 28, we were left with only 2 beans, but we managed not to spend beyond those two remaining beans on the two remaining days of November - it was tough, as we started to run out of some food essentials, but we managed, just for the exercise of it all!  We did not go hungry, we just had to eat what was already in the cupboards - I'm sure there are some in other parts of the world that would appreciate such a luxury, the thought of this kept me focused.

One of the big rewards received for following through with this entire process?  We spent $304 LESS than we did in October - YAY!!!  So my ideas of intentional spending, but writing everything down and a handy visual with the beans, seemed to have worked - we came in $2 under budget and I'm pretty pleased, because it was quite the shoe-string budget.  Now to duplicate this again for December.

There were actually more rewards and lessons learned during the process, but I will save that for my upcoming post - I will leave you all in suspense!