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