Alright, here I am, about 1/3 through my vegan-ism voyage. I mentioned before that meat/dairy isn't really a big part of my diet, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I am totally psyched to have gone without so much as a little 1/2 & 1/2 for the last 5 days. I could have easy given into a creamy latte tonight...not because I wanted it so badly, but because it was mistakenly made for me (I asked for a decaf espresso). The smooth, beautiful latte was set before me but I turned it down, no problem. I'm on a mission.
One thing that has been bothering me is that I am super bloated. This may be TMI, but its what's going on so I feel I need to report it. This isn't a new thing since going vegan 5 days ago, its an on going problem I have deal with forever. This bloat/improper digestion issue comes and goes and I have had a hard time tracking the source. I am starting to wonder if it has to do with too many whole grains in my diet....if you have been reading at all, you know how hard I have been hitting my beloved amaranth. I think a good idea would be to moderate the grains a little and see what happens (after all, everything in moderation, right?). I may want to experiment with that on another food journey.
Overall, it was a rad day. I worked a little, picked up a visiting friend from the bus station, and went out on the town: )
My friend and I went to the Reuben's Bistro, uh hum...a burger joint. I, of course, did not consume one of their delicious burgers sandwiched with a pretzel bun....I had a nice salad instead. Oh, and I may have enjoyed some sweet potato fries: ) No burger. No problem.
The next 2 days should be interesting, as I have company over the weekend. I always seem to eat out a lot more when friends are in town. At least I have a few yummy snacks like Kale chips, coconut caribbean oat bars and the amaranth crunch (of which I'm going to cut back on). Don't worry, I will stay my vegan course. I kind of hope that some enormous temptation comes along - I love a challenge!
Sayonara for now, I've blown my goal of getting to bed early tonight...oh well... there's always tomorrow: )
Food Log
Decaf coffee with coconut creamer (no agave for the 2nd day in a row: )
2 Vegan Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (cold and delish) http://www.yumuniverse.com/2010/02/06/vegan-pumpkin-protein-pancakes/
1 apple
Chopped Spinach leaves w/ red and orange bell pepers, quinoa and chopped pecans tossed with toasted sesame oil and coconut milk
2 squares of coconut caribbean oat bars http://www.yumuniverse.com/2010/01/14/carribean-coconut-oat-bars/
Popped amaranth cruch
Mixed green salad with almonds and mandarin oranges
sweet potato fries
Activity
2 hours massage
Energy
7 (Tomorrow, I am laying off the amaranth...I want to see if my stomach gets less bloated and I feel lighter)
Sleep
7 (I definitely felt ready to get the day started this morning! Right now, I am definitely ready to go to sleep, but I have the energy to bust this out at 1:20am, so that says something!
Alright, I'm setting a couple intentions for tomorrow:
Lay off the Amaranth
Get a long bike ride in
Drink a ton of water
Do 10 vinyasas in the AM pre-anything else!
Cool, goodnight: ) Thanks for reading!
Beth McVay, CMT
American Massage Therapy Association member
Hey Beth,
ReplyDeleteI know this doesn't work for the amaranth, but I have heard that you can soak brown rice and other whole grains before cooking to make them easier to digest.... Also, potassium is supposed to help with how your body regulates sodium (which can be a huge bloating factor, right?) so hit some coconut water & medjool dates maybe? I always figure if I am eating out then I am eating a ton of sodium. :(
One of my huge problems is that I can't smell very well. It makes eating... well, interesting. Or not interesting. I can't imagine trying to figure out the coffee conundrum you have. I can't taste that well, so getting my morning fix is easier. I love black tea (I know you don't!) but actually my boyfriend started working at a local coffee roaster. I used to always put stuff in my coffee (which was why I switched to tea) but since insanely fresh-roasted coffee is pouring into my kitchen.... well shit. I drink it BLACK now! Which is insane. I mean, I worked at coffee shops for YEARS and just now started drinking black coffee? I gotta tell you, I had no idea I would like it. It takes a good fresh morning roast (light) but I love it now! Have you tried giving up the sweet in your coffee completely and instead eating something sweet with your coffee? Thats' a good trick....
I am sooo sorry for not responding! I JUST saw this as I was browsing through the posts! Forgive me!
ReplyDeleteI love your thought about soaking grains. I do this for nuts, but for some reason had not thought of trying it with grains. I wonder how my adorable little amaranths will do if soaked...only one way to find out!
As for coffee...I have made a shift in my habit. I am starting to enjoy this stuff called PERO. Its a blend of chicory, barley rye and nothing else (that's their slogan: )...It is naturally decaffeinated and not acidic (i don't think) like coffee, which is what I am going trying to achieve. I am getting more and more into it, surprisingly. I tried something called Techino once and was not pleased. However, I didn't put anything in it and I have used my agave and coconut creamer in this....this probably makes a big difference.
thank you so much for taking a minute to write and I am really sorry for the delay - totally unintentional.
I am also on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/Why_KnotMassage
and have a massage therapy blog:
whyknotmassagetherapy.blogspot.com
Please, take a look!
Thanks again,
Beth