I realize it has been awhile. School started picking up quite a bit; I got a promotion and more responsibility at work; and I've just been busy. Our biggest news is that our diet is now about 99% non-animal. The 1% accounts for the fact that I still love my local, raw honey. There are a few reasons why we opted for the "non-animal diet." I use the term "non-animal" because we may never be truly 100% vegan, but when we aren't, we will only be eating meats that we have hunted or fished ourselves, and we'd eventually like to get dairy goats to make our own cheese. BY doing so, we will not be supporting factory farms, reducing the contribution to the carbon footprint made by factory farms, and we will be healthier altogether.
There wasn't really a defining moment as to why we started this. For example, we both knew about factory farms. We both know about the slaughter process, and we both know the atrocities that can occur due to cutting corners to cut costs. If you're a rancher, we still love you. If you're an omnivore, we still love you. We sure as heck aren't going to go on an animal rights rampage and admonishing all of our omnivore friends.
But what did happen was a kick in the ass that said, "you're not getting healthier. You're not feeling better. You're not losing weight. You're complaining." At the age of 34, I had "okay" blood panels and no (diagnosed) illnesses, but that didn't mean I was healthy. Overweight and realizing I didn't qualify to do some activities I'd like to try because I was over the weight limit is, well, disappointing and upsetting. Realizing that there are people my age who are dying of heart attacks was a bit more......... alarming and terrifying. Honestly, the health aspect of it all is what made me change. I even told my husband, "I can prep my food for us both, and then I can cook a piece of meat for you to add to yours."
I found Forks Over Knives or FOK. I discovered the book first and then the Netflix documentary. I immediately ordered the book, cookbook, and a meal guide: a four week "how to." I was the kid in college who randomly received a PETA DVD, and that moment, I swore off meat and dairy. It took about a week before I walked down the beef jerky aisle, bought some, bought a half gallon of Mayfield whole milk, and devoured both when I got home. Clearly, I did not approach that correctly.
FOK was different. It talked about health first and then animal welfare second. I realize many of my friends appreciate that in reverse, but for me, I knew about animal welfare; I was just attempting to justify it in ridiculous ways. FOK talked about people ranging from okay health to major health issues joining in on FOK and feeling better, getting better, and even reversing some health concerns. It was the health aspect, and it was the number of people who talked about following FOK and saying things like, "I have yet to have a salad since being on FOK." I will say FOK is a lifestyle change and not a fad diet. I had some setbacks the first and second week, but it's gotten much better.
With Week 1, you start with adjusting your breakfast only. Week 2, breakfast and lunch. Week 3, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Week 4, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, the whole nine yards. None of that - rush in and fail mentality.
For example, the start of week 4, my husband and I had the following day:
Breakfast
Coffee
Oatmeal with bananas, walnuts, maple syrup, and cinnamon
AND
Breakfast tacos with crumbled tofu, red peppers, onions, seasonings
Hiking / Snacks
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, seeds, dried cranberries
Lunch
Falafel
Salad
Hummus
Him:
Falafel pita
Tabbouleh
Hummus
Snacks
Nuts
Fruit
Vegan ice cream (yes, it is good!)
Dinner
Chipotle vegan burgers (nope - won't be getting that brand again) with homemade salsa and homemade jalapeno jelly
Mac n "cheese" (made with cashews)
Snacks
Small bit of protein shake
Were we hungry? The only time we were hungry was before stopping for a snack break while hiking. We were hiking, people, and we weren't hungry. AND the food was good!
Now, I have only been 99% non-animal for 24 hours and three weeks prior started FOK, but one thing I have noticed is better skin. Lots and lots of water to flush out my system, and I have better skin.
When you see little things improving, it helps to see the larger picture rather than making a change and having the patience to see it through.
I will create another post when I hear from my husband when he gets home tonight. He works a labor-intensive job so I want to see how his meals today have held up : protein shake, seeds, apple, cherry tomatoes, leftover mac n "cheese", chickenless chicken salad, protein bar.
