February 22, 2010

warning...I could be a bit cranky this week

are you a vegan
or
a vegetarian
?
~~
i'm not
not even close
but
i might be someday
~~
have you seen the movie
food, inc.
~where you will never look at a cow or a chicken the way do now~
?
or
have you picked up the book
~the kind diet~
by
alicia silverstone
?
well together
those two things are going to change my life
well
maybe not my life
but
they're at least going to change what i put in my body
~~
i'm on day two of no processed sugar
~all that stuff that ends in "ose"
which will possibly make me cranky and jittery and forgetful and headachey
and
so far
I am not the raging lunatic i thought i might be
~~
new groceries in my pantry are foreign to me
brown rice syrup
~surprisingly good in my hot tea~
brown rice vinegar
brown rice
~a great substitute for the pasta in my dinner last night~
lots of organic
everything
including peanut butter which was pretty tasty this morning on my whole grain bread
~~
i have
vanilla flavored rice milk
~who knew there was even such a thing~
in my fridge
which was delicious on my organic cinnamon cereal
and
now i can't wait to try the pure almond milk calling my name
~~
and
lunch today
will be miso soup
~whatever that is~
with some edamame and rice crackers
~~
so in a few days from now i might be pulling my hair out and stomping my feet
while my body screams for a kit kat bar
and
a handful of m&m's and a golden oreo cookie
~part of my old diet~
or
i might just be feeling so great
that
i'll be dancing around the house wondering what took me so long
to be good to myself
~~
i'll be sure to let you know
*


45 comments:

  1. Food, Inc. was a huge eye-opener and a lifestyle changer for me. Hooray to you for taking the first steps!

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  2. I'm anxious to hear how it goes for you! I haven't seen the movie yet...sounds like I'd better take a look.

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  3. And I forgot to say.... I love your photo today. Amazing!

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  4. I am neither either, but I have heard about food, inc. and how it has changed friends eating habits. Keep us updated!

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  5. Good luck, Beth! It seems to be the season for eating healthily - keep us posted as to whether you feel better/different.

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  6. I have heard of that book and movie. I am scared to read/watch for fear of what I might learn.

    Sad, isn't it?

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  7. Beth I am looking forward to hearing how you make out...I have told myself many times that I need to change the way I eat and yet I still haven't done anything about it.....Good Luck sweetie...:-) Hugs

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  8. I suggest you also read Sugar Blues. You are on a wonderful road to wholesomeness. Good for you.

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  9. Sounds worse than Weight Watchers!

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  10. Good for you Beth, I had not heard about the movie, will have to watch it, maybe it will shake me up enough to get my act together. Theres always hoping, love the photo, love, love the header I think I said that the other day, sommethings need to be said more often. Hugs to you my friend.

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  11. Apples - instead of processed sugar - eat an apple. That's what I do. It seems to work!

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  12. You're my hero...I wish I was disciplined enough to do that- I know it would be the better way to go. Be sure and keep up posted!

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  13. My friend is vegan, has been for a year. She looks wonderful, says she feels great. I think I could do it, except for the cheese. I don't think I could live in a world where there was cheese but not for me.

    Good luck!

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  14. YAY! I'm so glad you're trying this out. I've been meat free for 5 years now and I'll never turn back. I'd like to recommend my two fav veg cook books to you. The recipes in them will help ease the transition. They've been tested on my very meat friendly Texan brother-in-law. He LOVES some of the stuff in there and he hardly ever eats vegetables. Check out Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook and the Chicago Diner Cookbook. Enjoy!

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  15. oh most definitely..keep us posted. I've never went vegan or vegetarian but I have slowly but surely started keeping the carbs out of my diet (due to being diabetic) and I have to admit...I.AM.A.RAVING.LUNATIC...

    good luck!!

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  16. I was just talking about Food Inc. with my sister in law in NYC. She is super fanatical about that movie. Everything she buys is organic from whole foods. I have not seen the movie but know the premise. I did just stop buying Equal and am now flavoring my coffee with organic raw blue agave syrup from Trader Joe's(which is so amazing I can't believe it!!). I know Monsanto makes equal and is quite controversial in the movie. So what the heck, I'll compromise a few more calories (and it's healthier anyway, right?). I do eat pretty good and am mindful about buying more locally grown fruits/veggies and organics. But, I can't give up meat...I just can't. But I always try to say a prayer to the animals that have given up their lives for us.

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  17. My first reaction is....woa!!!
    Baby steps please. Vegetarian here for the most part, but my wife, Vegetarian for the last 35 years, vegan now. She's a nationally certified nutritionist and a personal trainer, what Im trying to say is, she knows her stuff. If you have any questions, you know where to reach me.
    Easy girl!

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  18. first of all LOVE the photo! and your new header...

    take it slow...you can do it!

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  19. miso happy for you! :)
    i was vegan for 6 years.... vegetarian since i was 18... in many ways i wish i could go back to being vegan again, but it wasn't easy....esp when socializing. i would miss milk choc and honey and 6 yr gouda....
    i love rice milk..have been drinking it for years, what do you think of it?
    i have been using agave, too...it's perfect! i love that there are products like this available...sure makes it SO much easier.
    wish you the best! oxoxox

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  20. Ooh, now that's healthy. Can I ask, have you noticed a major difference in the price?

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  21. My local farmers market is screening Food, Inc at our library this Wed...will be seeing it for sure...but my motto has always been "all things in moderation"...

    Have also heard that "The Omnivore's Dilemna" by Michael Pollan and Jonathan Safran Foer's book "Eating Animals" are excellent and will turn anyone vegan...

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  22. This sugar-free path is one I am considering strongly too. Not quite there yet but I will be anxious to hear your feedback !
    You are sweet enoughas it is anyway ! ;)
    You go girl !

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  23. i was vegan. now just vegetarian. going back to vegan next week (macrobiotic)!

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  24. Good for you! Sounds like you're off to a great start... I've been meat free (chicken/beef) since before Thanksgiving and feel great. I still eat fish... also cut out a few other things about a month ago which has been tough, but baby steps is what works for me.

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  25. congratulations Beth, this will change your life if you stick with it. I've been a vegetarian for 12 years...the sugar is the hardest for me to give up...I still eat it sometimes...but when I don't, I feel much better.

    good luck to you.

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  26. im definitely interested to read how this plays out!!

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  27. Good luck with the wonderful changes you're making in your diet! The China Study by T. Colin Campbell had a huge influence on my eating habits...as well as Michael Pollan's books.

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  28. I wanted to hug every single cow & chicken I saw after watching Food, Inc...and, did you know that Alicia has a website thekindlife.com I joined up, and have gotten lots of sa-weet tips from her there!

    Try out happyfoody.com too, Sara has some great green smoothie recipes. By the way, a green smoothie probably isn't what you think...haha!

    I've always done soy milk, but am wondering about rice...& a friend of mine swears by almond milk, so we'll have to just line 'em up, shoot 'em down, and see which we like best...

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  29. I grew up on a farm so Food Inc was a little strange for me...my relationship with my pets was always tempered with the knowledge they would be someone's meal someday...Good for you for cutting down on sugar...I myself try not to eat packaged food...just the basics...shopping the outside aisles of the grocey...dairy, meat, produce, bread..and falling in loive with the treadmill. I'm no marathner, but the 40 minutes I do a day is working...slowly.

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  30. Oh I wish I had your will power, I quit drinking soda, that was super tough but has been so wonderful!Now if I could just stick to eating healthy! Way to go You! Keep us posted and hope you don't get too growly!

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  31. WOW... Best of luck to you.. I can't even stop drinking coke... I can only imagine how hard all the rest of it is..
    Staci

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  32. Oh Beth it's too funny. We seem te be on the same page of life with a lot of things. I've made myself a promise to live it to the fullest this last week (my super duper holidayweek) and start a new life (sort of) next week when I start my new job with new food and less or non at all sugar.
    So lets be cranky together. Or not at all. Good luck.
    Dagmar

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  33. I don't know whether to say "Good for you" or "Sorry to hear that"!! I will be interested to see how it goes for you. I have switched to vanilla flavored soy milk and I love that!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  34. Oh Lord I watched something about this on Oprah.. I have to ask though is all this good stuff a lot more expensive??? I am honestly thinking I'm making myself and my family terribly sick with all the crap that goes into our bodies.
    You can't put a price on health but there is a budget to consider.
    ho hum. Good luck!!!

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  35. Ok I haven't heard of the movie or book but I'm afraid to. I'm such a sap for animals I'm afraid to watch. But I've noticed lately that meat is making me feel really bloated and yucky. Perhaps I'll take a peek. Hugs dearest Beth and wahoo for taking this powerful step. Amazing photo by the way!

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  36. impressive beth! i was a vegetarian for 15 years - and i am sure i will want go back to it once i see this film. i feel fortunate in the fact our diets greatly improved (although they weren't terrible before) since living overseas. of this i am thankful but i am always trying to tweak for more healthy. xx s

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  37. I hope it is going well. Good luck! I know I should be there, but just not quite ready. I do try to buy locally and more organic, but haven't gone all the way yet.

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  38. I cut out lots of pork and red meat when I found out that my cholesterol was sky high. It's been almost 3 months now and I will admit I do feel better!

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  39. Beth ... I am so impressed and yes, jealous. I saw Food, Inc. with my daughter and we were both so moved. She has given up meat and eats healthier than I do most days. I know sugar is my downfall. Everything you stated that you'll be missing I eat almost daily. I now am warned that I'd be in for a killer headache too if I were as brave as you. I hope you feel your very best when you get to the "new" you. One day, I hope to get the motivation to join you.

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  40. Beth,
    best of luck with the food changes.
    any little bit helps.
    I am mostly vegetarian, mostly gluten free, low on the processed, low on the sugar.
    Balance.

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  41. Good job. I have made lots of changes too, although that ole sugar situation still plagues me. Does this mean you have to give up the Rt. 1 popcorn?

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  42. i'm sort of scared to see the movie but i know i should.
    way to go for you - not sure i could get by without my m&ms

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  43. I'm so happy for you! I've been a vegetarian for over five years now. I tried being Vegan for a while, but it just wasn't good for my body. Being vegetarian takes a lot of work to stay healthy, but it also makes me feel healthy. I might add meat into my diet once in a while...I've been contemplating this for some time now. It seems like it would be good to eat organic meat a few times a year. Giving up the sugar is hard. I struggle with that myself...my vice is dark chocolate...fair trade, organic. I love the Endangered Species brand. Yum!

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  44. I saw that movie at the video store, Food Inc...and while I feel just like you about the veggie thing (I hate hate hate what we humans do to animals...and am struggling with the vegetarian issue) I don't know if I could handle the images that they might offer up in that film. Is it really disturbing? I can't stand to see an animal in distress. I'm afraid to watch. But I too will be a vegitarian one day. Not too sure about sugar free though. Hmmph.

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  45. I've been pescetarian (vegetarian who eats seafood) for six years. I probably only eat seafood (salmon usually) once every two weeks. I went vegan for 11 months two years back and I did feel good, however, it was a drawback socially. I found people would panic over what to feed me and if I ate only vegetables, they felt they were doing me wrong for some strange reason. I went back to being pescetarian in 2008 and all the dairy quickly started packing the weight on so now I'm trying to lose weight again. :( I may go back to being mostly vegan, I think. I found once I set my mind to being vegan, I didn't even crave the foods I would normally have loved...my main dilemma was social as mentioned above.

    Good luck with your new healthy way of life.

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**I love reading the comments you leave, as they make me feel like we're sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, discussing life and wondering where all the time has gone ...beth