Get Fit Friday - Vegan, Vegetarian, or just don't really like meat?

I've REALLY been paying attention to my body and how it reacts to different types of foods.

Disclaimer... I naturally gravitate toward vegetables and fruits when given the option. I just like them. I am that weird kid who will choose to eat an entire bowl of Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower,  or broccoli instead of a steak.

I do like seafood, but am not a fan of red meat. There HAVE been a few times in my life when I was on serious self imposed calorie restriction (unhealthy, i know) and, added to my normal low levels of iron...caused me to crave a steak...cooked medium... and I loved it.  Other experiences with red meat have ranged from neutral, to aversion, to absolutely agonizing sickness after consuming it. I've always been pretty neutral in my feelings about chicken...until I had my gallbladder removed... since then, it has made me sick about 1/2 the time I've eaten it.

Now then... let me talk about dairy. (vegetarians eat dairy) I love sour cream and cheese and really like eggs. Thing is... they don't really like me. I didn't notice this until I removed some other things from my diet. Once I cut back on other things that I realized were making me sick, I learned that cheese and other dairy products make me feel...yucky.

In contrast, there have been times when, for whatever reason, I have gone several days eating only veggies and fruit and have felt amazing after those few days.

So before I delve off into this, let me say that eating a veggie/fruit diet leaves me feeling lighter, less bloated, more energetic, and removes my brain fog. I think more clearly and have better follow through with ideas.

I am considering what would be considered a vegan diet. This has little or nothing to do with animal cruelty, my carbon footprint, or hugging trees. I do not plan to change political parties or religious affiliation. I have absolutely no plans to march on Washington. For now, i am not planning to grow all my own food. LOL... I can't keep my house clean...how am I gonna work a garden.

I will likely start a garden next year. I'll have time to research that between now and then.

I AM going to start a compost pile and make a rain barrel. I think that getting in a rhythm with these two things will help me in gardening.

I suppose I could do a fall garden. Not sure about that tho. I'm not sure I want to till up the yard again. Maybe do some raised beds? 

Okay, so that's kinda where I am with my diet. I'm gravitation toward a diet that looks most like a Vegan diet, but is not politically driven.

The other thing that I am watching is SUGAR. Oh goodness. Yes, I feel like absolute GARBAGE after ingesting a lot of sugar. This includes bread, donuts (which I love), cake, etc. I am most likely going to move toward removing all processed food from my meals as I move toward a veggie/fruit diet. I suspect that I will discover that processed foods (including sugar) make me feel awful once I remove dairy and meat from my diet.

I am a nerd at heart and am looking forward to learning more about how this will help me.

I wonder if I should go to the doctor to see what my cholesterol, sugar, etc are.

I do want to say... I have no intention of being an obnoxiously picky eater. I do not care what anyone else eats. Much like my stance on others' faith preference, what you eat really has nothing to do me. What I eat has nothing to do with you. I won't push my food preferences on you and don't expect you to push yours on me.

So, there we go...
Much love and big hugs!
K

Thursday Thoughts on... What determines your worth

A few thoughts were left hanging around last week. I can't get past them, so I might as well share.

We typically use a LOT of things to determine our worth and value. Do you know which ones you use?

Just stop and think about it for a moment.

I'll wait.

Ready? Here's my short list, just off the top of my head:

Wednesday's Weekly Recipe: Tomato and Cucumber Salad

I'm not clear on what makes a "salad" a "salad" but we've always called this a salad, so I'm going with it.  This is super easy to put together, lends itself to modifications and is great to make ahead.

It's June in Mississippi and the only thing I can think is "holy moly it is HOT!" The heat is oppressive. I love our very very mild winters... but the trade off is suffocating heat from the end of May til... at least September.  This oppressive heat does all sorts of things... like curb the appetite. 

So, I expect that the recipes I will gravitate toward for the next several months will be light and we can go back to the heavier Southern "Comfort" foods in the fall. (mmmmm Pumpkin bread and sweet potato casserole)

This little salad is a favorite of mine.  It is soooo easy to prepare. Here's how I make it. 

1 Pint Grape (or Cherry) Tomatoes

1 Large Cucumber 

1/4 Red Onion 

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Red wine vinegar

Halve the tomatoes

Cut up the cucumber (slice, cube, whatever makes you happy)

Chop up the onion ( big pieces, little tiny pieces, whatever makes you happy)

Add the oil and vinegar

Stir it all up

Put it in the refrigerator

Now, when I am feeling creative, I add the little yellow tomatoes too.
If you want to make it even easier, you can use Italian Dressing instead of Olive oil and Vinegar.
You can Add olives, Parmesan, and bow tie pasta.

OR  You can add spinach leaves if you need them to call a salad a salad

OR  You can  add feta or blue cheese crumbles if you like it.
Bottom line is, add what you like.

The main thing is that this is a super light side or salad... and light is good in June in the deep south.

Much love and big hugs!

K

Tuesday Tips and Tricks ... for the Working Mom... Week 6

2 more weeks. We should be all organized and ready for anything, huh? Why did I spend 10 minutes looking for my car keys this morning? Why did I have to search high and low for my black wedges? Maybe I need a refresher course! Oh well! This week we are getting tips on:

Managing the Home

No one wants to be up all night paying the bills or searching for the plumber's number when there's a leaky pipe. Check out these 10 tips for saving time on home management tasks.

• Set your bills up to pay automatically or schedule them through your bank so that you don't have to set aside time to pay them, per Divine Caroline.
• Stop wasting time looking for stuff. Instead, check out the organizational ideas on Creative Savings.
• Don't rely on your memory; make lists and prioritize the items so that you know what has to get done that day. More list tips can be found on Money Saving Mom.
• Create a 'launch pad' where you can place everything that needs to go out the door with you the next morning. Find tips on creating a 'launch pad' on Crunchy Parenting.
• Use time spent waiting to pick up the kids to do things like clean out your car, write cards or plan your menus, suggests Arranging it All.
• Shop online for gifts and essentials with Amazon's Subscribe and Save plan, where you can order diapers and wipes to be delivered on a schedule with free shipping.
• Figure out what your time wasters are by keeping track of every time you waste time for a week, according to the tip on iVillage.
• To save time running around getting school supplies for your kids' homework projects you should create a fully-stocked homework station, as shown on Sand & Sisal.
• Create routines for everything in your home so that everyone knows what is expected of them and you spend less time having to think about it, as explained by Andrea Dekker.
• Get involved in a carpool for school or after school activities and save time, as detailed by Famtivity.

Motivation Monday

Oh I needed this today!

What challenges are you facing?
Don't be afraid to face them head on.

Have a great week!
K