The KInd Life Community Forum
Use this space to share stories, exchange ideas, ask questions, and contribute to our growing community!
I have FINALLY taken the plunge! After several years of saying to myself "I really wish I could do that...I couldn't possibly...what would my husband say...what would our family say"
Well I was selling myself short for far to long. Today is my first official day eating meat free and I couldn't be happier and more proud of myself...and furthermore I am currently at a place where I don't care what other people will say or think...and feeling blessed that my husband only acted slightly irritated but he didn't tell me I was completely crazy...so that is a good thing! I think eventually he will try it too.
I know VERY LITTLE about what I should be eating...but I've been reading the book and other sources and I went shopping over the weekend and was so pleasantly surprised at how much I found available to me (I live in Southwestern Ontario Canada) and bought a bunch of things to start my journey.
Last night I made the pumpkin bread from the book (which is completely yummy) and a Vegetarian chili (which is also completely yummy)
so far today I've had for Breakfast: Pumpkin bread and a plum and some almond milk (which I was so impressed with myself for making...lol) for a snack I had 2 clementines. For lunch I had the chili that I made last night and a salad with balsamic dressing. Banana for snack and tonight for dinner I'm having steamed veggies with Earth Naturals butter and sea salt and the Gardein Tuscan "chicken"
I know my day sounds boring...but I'm learning! Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
I'm so excited...this book has really pushed me in the right direction and given me some knowledge that helps me feel much more confident.
I am SO excited!
Nice to meet you all and I look forward to getting to know everyone!
Chrissy
that should say....and so it BEGINS...lol
Congratulations on starting your journey! I guarantee you'll soon feel very rewarded :)
It sounds like you have a pretty delicious and nutritious menu going! I'm no expert, but the only suggestion I would make would be to incorporate more whole grains in there. They're soooo easy to make and they go with everything! Try some brown rice or quinoa with your veggies next time, you'll love it.
you are totally right! I will be doing that shortly to...Never tried quinoa before...so i'm looking forward to that! :)
Thanks for your reply!
Congrats, Christina! I eliminated meat from my diet almost six weeks ago and feel great. I've been enjoying a lot of old favorite meals that are vegetarian--pasta puttanesca (sans anchovy paste, hehe), or primavera with tons of spring veggies, rice and beans and fresh salsa and guac--that way it doesn't feel like I'm eating this totally foreign diet while I introduce new foods. I found myself getting REALLY HUNGRY the first couple of weeks, so making stuff ahead is a good habit to get into. I like to make quinoa with squares of roasted sweet potatoes and edamame, tabouleh, couscous with nuts and herbs, etc., which can be easily paired with greens, soup, pita, etc. for a filling meal. Also, soups help with that craving for a "warm" full feeling. I love black bean and tomato basil with rice. I've found that my boyfriend will eat anything I put in front of him, so if you make big batches of a tasty veggie side or grain salad, I bet your husband is likely to dig in! I just joined a CSA for the summer/fall to motivate myself to try new recipes with the local, seasonal stuff I'm "forced" to consume. :) I'm currently eating about 1/3 Kind Diet recipes, 1/3 stuff from Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian," and 1/3 stuff I make up, throw together, or get as take-out from Japanese, Thai, or Indian places. Your taste buds will totally awaken! Stock up on miso paste, pearl couscous, the prettiest barley you can find, and tons of legumes and go to town. Good luck!
I've heard firsthand from friends and from many books (halfway through Alicia's now and LOVING it) that going vegetarian/vegan almost instantly made them feel better... I have never experienced that in all my "flirting" attempts! Am I doing something wrong? I am going to add more whole grains and beans instead of just veggies, fruit, and processed vegan foods and proteins. Maybe I am not giving it enough time? Should it take longer than a couple of months to see any of these positive effects (energy, weight, skin, etc.)? I want to help the animals and be humane and green, but I haven't kept it up when I felt like it was hurting my health (feeling ravenous and tired) or my bank account. If anyone has experienced this and can offer advice, please share! Meanwhile, I'll keep plowing through The Kind Diet.
I started on Monday and last night (Wednesday) I woke up at 3:30 WIDE awake and hungry. EEK. I'm assuimg this is normal as my body is transitioning. I will say after I eat I'm less gassy than I was eating meat and chicken, which is funny considering beans are supposed to make you more gassy. Any suggestions about what vitamins I should take? I'm assuming I should take iron. I will definitely be eating more greens (which I know are chock full of iron), but I'm getting a handle on brown rice, broccoli, beans, sweet potatoes before I take the plunge into greens.
Amy -- Are you still flirting? I found that I felt pretty awful for about 4 weeks of full vegan. All the garbage in my system --coffee, alcohol, medications, meat, cheese, sugar, etc. had been stirred up from wherever it had been lingering quietly and I felt the full effects of it like it was all poison. Now, a couple of weeks later I can finally feel the benefits of this diet and I can tell you I will never purposely go back. FYI: I am very aware of how each thing I consume affects me now. I still have one cup of coffee in the morning, but CANNOT have any more than that, so I don't (causes me to stay awake all night). I still drink on weekends, but my body tells me after a couple to stop, so I do. No more hangovers! Give it time, and try to get rid of some of the "poisons" and see if it happens faster. Good luck -- it's worth it!
I'm also new to this. I've been "researching" the Kind Diet/Life for a while now. I'm just recovering from surgery and hope to jump into it full time, soon.
Chrissy, I'm also from Canada - SWO.
Looking forward to sharing tips and support.
Good luck Christina. I'm new too. Almost 3 weeks in. I've lost some weight and my skin is changing. I feel more balanced in my emotions and less edgy and bitchy :) I have a long way to go but reading this blog daily helps keep me very motivated. Congrats on starting your journey!
13 Comments