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