New Year, New Way to Live

I did something rather drastic for New Years. I took the plunge and did something that I’ve been circling around for about 4 months; I went vegan. If you want all the juicy details of how I started and how it’s going, you can check out my personal blog at http://shieldmaidenconfessions.blogspot.com.

I made the choice for a variety of reasons; my health, the animals, the planet. I just knew that this was the right choice for me to make, and five days in, I have no regrets. And, surprisingly, it hasn’t been all that challenging. Probably because, like I said, I’ve been circling this decision for about 4 months, trying to integrate different vegan substitutions into my diet and recipes.

This blog is all about getting healthier, not necessarily about losing weight. Well, I can tell you that, even though it’s been a little less than a week, I FEEL healthier. I can tell the difference in my body and in my mind. I feel more focused, and I have more energy. Which, is a little silly, because I’ve been cutting down on coffee and have completely eliminated all soda or sugary-drinks from my world. It’s juice, water, soy/almond milk, and tea for me. And yet, I’m not crashing in the middle of the day.

I’ve also noticed that I’m not getting hungry as often, and I’m definitely not ‘grazing’ at all. I don’t have the munchies. My thoughts on this are twofold – I think it’s because the meals that I eat are actually nutritious and fulfilling, and I also have to plan my snacking a bit more. I just can’t go to the cupboard and grab a bag of popcorn, I have to consciously decide what I’m eating and how much. I know myself and my sweet tooth, and I know that sometimes, a girl just needs something sweet. So, I found Newman-O cookies. They’re a vegan, wheat free version of an Oreo cookie, and I’ll tell you what, they’re TOTALLY delicious and could pass for the real thing. Anyway, they’re my sweet indulgence. Now, I’m ashamed to admit, before when I had Oreos, I could easily finish off half a row (or more) in one sitting. But last night, I made the conscious choice that I could have 5 Newman-Os. No more. So, I took the cookies, left the bag in the kitchen and went to write for awhile.

Funny thing, I had two, and my sugar craving was done. Finished. I had to take 3 cookies back to the kitchen, because I was satisfied.

I think my body’s making better use of what I put into it. There aren’t a lot of junk or filler ingredients, just the good, solid nutrition my body needs. And I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything; I have a craving, I fill it, like the cookies.

And I feel better. I don’t feel like I’m on a diet; if I’m hungry, I eat. And still, I’m losing weight. How awesome is that?

Okay, okay. So going vegan is a major life choice, and definitely not practical for everyone. I made the choice, because it works for me and what my goals are.

I would, however, say that the number one thing I’ve learned is something that EVERYONE can benefit from: READ THE LABEL.

No, seriously. You have no idea what’s lurking in your food until you read through every ingredient in that long list. I’ve spent half of this week staring at the backs of labels at the supermarket, then quickly googling (yes, it’s a verb, learn it, live it, love it) what the heck these long names are. If something is 18 letters long, and isn’t a known mineral, do I really want to be putting it in my body? If the saying is true, and you are what you eat…what the heck does that make me?  (And, from a vegan perspective,  did you know that animal products creep into the oddest places?) Why does it take an ingredient list 14 ingredients long to make ice cream? When I was a kid (okay, okay, 2 summers ago…), we made that from scratch with some milk, sugar, vanilla, and strawberries, coupled with some ice and rock salt. All of these preservatives and fillers can’t exactly be doing wonders for our health.

I think it’s just really about consciousness. I think back to how many times I sat with a book, or in front of the TV, eating, and before I knew it, my plate was empty, and I’d barely tasted whatever I’d had. I never actually paid attention to how much I was eating, or what it really was. Whether vegan, vegetarian, carnivore…whatever…I think it really just comes down to paying more attention. Both the amounts (everyone’s heard the fist-sized portion-size rule), and what’s actually IN the food you’re eating.