Veggie Wrap

Today, I had a genius idea. Granted, this is an idea that many people have already had, but I had never tried this before. So genius to me. =) Since I only eat one meal a day, I decided to plan two meals that share ingredients. This way, I could buy a few groceries and make multiple meals out of the same things. A few things are specific to one dish, but in general, these meals share.

Also, since my ankle is still hurting from my latest sprain, I wanted meals that were easy to make so I didn't have to stand for too long.

The meals I figured I would make were wraps and a salad. Ooooh, fancy, huh? Haha, kidding. Easy peasy. Here is a list of what I bought:

-Multigrain tortillas
-Baby spinach
-Shredded carrots
-One avocado
-Cilantro
-One can of corn
-One can of black beans
-Limes

I also used some Veganaise I already had at home. And bought some pickles and soy-based chocolate ice cream...

This is what I made tonight:

1. Spread a bit of Veganaise on a tortilla. Add some washed baby spinach.

2. Add shredded carrots, cilantro, and diced avocado. Squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice on top.

3. Roll it tightly. Slice if you wish. (I wished)

4. Enjoy!

I made two wraps and had them with some brown rice and quinoa I found in an instant packet. This was so easy, fresh, and filling.

For dinner tomorrow, I'm going to use the same veggies, avocado, and rice and mix them with some corn and black beans for a fun salad. Really, there are no recipes needed for these meals. Just wanted to share how easy and healthy this can be. =)




I want to try to use this blog to update on my weight loss in addition to the vegan and shake information. I'm not really comfortable with posting pictures to show my progress or give you numbers... yet. I will get there, but not now. I WILL say that I've lost 6 pounds since I've started this adventure, and most of that was when I wasn't 100% committed. Now that I'm kicking butt at this, I'm sure I'll be losing more quicker. My current goal is to lose 40 pounds. I have a lot more than that to lose, but the first 40 is what I'm concentrating now.

When you're trying to lose weight, figure out what works for YOU. For instance, I do best if I weigh myself every single day. Why? If I see a loss, I'm motivated to keep doing things right. If I see a gain or plateau, I'm motivated to kick it up a notch and do better. However, I know someone that doesn't do well that way. If she sees a loss, she loses motivation because it's so small. If she sees a gain or plateau, she gets frustrated and wants to give up. So she weighs in once a week or even less often.

Also, set some goals. But, most importantly, make them reasonable. And again, figure out what works for you. Do you need to measure in pounds, pant sizes, BMI, energy level, or something else? Do you need to set a time limit? Personally, I am giving myself four months to lose those 40 pounds. What if I don't get there? Oh well. I'll look at what I did right and keep doing it. Then I'll look at what I did wrong and figure out what I can do to change it. Learn from your mistakes, but also, forgive yourself for them. Just because you didn't do it last time doesn't mean you can't do it this time. Everyone slips up. When you do (not if, but when), move past it and get back on track. Not next month. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Now! No need to wait. Let's do this!

Happy adventuring!

Product Review: Single-Serve Blender

This is the blender I use for my shakes every day. It is a Hamilton Beach single-serve blender with travel lid.

What I Like:
-It is small. Less to clean, less counter space.
-It's designed to fit in cup holders in cars, so it's easy to drink shakes on the way to work.
-It has a travel lid. You can keep the lid on so it doesn't spill, but still be able to drink it that way.
-The stainless steel blades go through all of my frozen fruit well AND don't rust.
-The cup part is plastic, so it's lighter than glass and won't break if you drop it.
-It stores well. There is a little crevice at the bottom that the cord wraps around, and the cup can be stored on it upside-down to save room.
-It comes in PINK!

What I Don't Like:
-There is only one setting, so it won't liquefy. I tried putting cacao nibs in a shake, but they all stayed whole.
-The sliding part on the lid that covers the hole you sip through doesn't come off. I'm a bit OCD and I wish it came off so I could clean underneath it.

Would I Recommend This?
Yes!! It is so convenient and has made my morning routine easy to get through. I make my breakfast shake in it first, pour that into a glass, rinse it out, make my afternoon shake, and put it in the fridge at work until lunch time. If I'm not at work, I don't need to dirty extra glasses.

Where?
I got mine at Target for $15.49.

Product Website

I am not endorsed or sponsored by any company. This is my own personal opinion based on my own personal experience.

A Typical Day

What does a girl on a two-shakes-a-day vegan diet eat? I've had quite a few people express their concerns that I'm not eating enough, getting enough calories, or getting enough nutrients. Especially protein. So I thought I'd share what a day's worth of meals might look like for me.

Usually, I save my meal for dinner. It's the one mealtime that I often get to share with my husband, so I'd rather use it for socializing, bonding, all that good mushy stuff. =)

Also, I just switched to rice milk instead of coconut milk. So much less saturated fat!

Breakfast: I make a shake with 8 ounces of rice milk, two scoops of my protein meal replacement powder mix, 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (I used mangoes this day), and some ground flax seeds. I put it all in my single-serving blender, mix it up, and add a little water if it's too thick.

Snack: This depends on if I'm at work or not. I'm a preschool teacher, so we eat with the children three times a day. It's generally pretty healthy, but I stick to the fresh fruits and veggies if there are any served. I'll also have a tiny bite or two of whatever else there is if the kids need some encouraging from me. Sometimes they just scarf it all down on their own, but sometimes they need to see that someone likes it (even if I'm just pretending it's delicious!).

If I'm not at work, I usually have some protein-rich veggies. Maybe a small salad or black beans in a tortilla.

Lunch: My second shake! Same as breakfast, only I leave out the flax. This day, I used frozen mixed berries. I experimented with soy yogurt, also. It really helped the texture (so smooth!) and made it such a bright purple! Buuuut, it tasted like tofu and tofu is not my thing. Glad I tried it, but I won't be doing it again. If you like the taste of soy yogurt, I'd suggest putting a little in a shake for added benefits.

Snack: Yes, two snacks a day. You need to eat something! I usually have hummus at least once a day, and it's usually for my afternoon snack. Sometimes I dip veggies in it, sometimes tortillas.

Dinner: This day, I went to a Greek restaurant. After studying the menu, I discovered they offered a vegetarian plate with TONS of goodies on it! I substituted something non-vegan for roasted veggies, though. Don't ask me what's on the plate because I'm not sure what it's all called... or how to spell it. I know there is pita, hummus, and tabbouleh. And something wrapped in grape leaves. And something... fried. Which I later found out wasn't vegan. Now I know for next time.

Other easy vegan meal ideas: Stir fry, tacos, burritos, pasta, fancy sandwiches, soup... just a few general ideas that you can spice up how you want. I plan on including recipes in this blog when I can, but there are a ton of ideas online already. Go explore!

A vegan diet can be very well-rounded and completely nutritious. Just be sure to eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. And take a multivitamin! If you do it properly, you will get plenty of protein, calcium, and any other essential nutrient found in meat and dairy.

Happy adventuring!

Why Go Vegan?

What are some reasons for eating a vegan diet? going vegan is good for your body, animals, and the planet. I'm doing it mostly for the first reason, but the other two are big convincers, too.

Your Body

A vegan diet is associated with lower cholesterol, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chance of heart disease, and chance of developing cancer. Some even claim that a raw vegan diet has reversed their cancer!

Many people worry about not getting enough protein if they cut out all meat and dairy products. You are in luck! Many veggies and grains have protein. Also, not all proteins are created equal. The ones found in veggies and grains are digested with less damage to the body and leave behind less toxins.

Animals

Cows bred for milk are constantly kept pregnant so they are always lactating. Their calves are either killed or raised away from their mothers. They are fed corn. Cows are supposed to eat grass! This abnormal diet makes them sick. To counteract this, they are fed antibiotics that we ingest.

The corn grown to feed cows are often genetically modified. This means created by science and not nature. They are created to fatten up cows, not just to be corn.

Chickens bred for eating are fed hormones that make them grow so muscular so quickly that they cannot even stand. Their legs are too weak to support their body weight. And then we eat those hormones. Chickens that are bred for laying eggs are immediately killed if they are born male. The overcrowding in chicken coops leaves fecal waste and illness widespread.

Fishing is not much better. The overfishing we have done has declined the population of many large sea animals by 90% in the last 50-100 years. And it's just getting worse.

The Planet

The meat industry pollutes. In fact, it has a 40% larger carbon footprint (damage done to our planet) than transportation. 70% of the grain grown in the United States goes to feeding animals. Much of that grain is genetically modified.




Don't get me started on the politics of it all. How huge companies are allowed to take advantage of honest, independent farmers. Or how the people that "monitor" our food in Washington D.C. are the same people that are high up in these huge companies.

Now, I know there are farmers that raise their animals ethically. And if you're lucky enough to have one near you, you can reduce the carbon footprint by a lot. But those are not the main reasons why I am choosing to go vegan. If you chose not to do this, eating lean proteins such as turkey, chicken, and some fish and cutting down on (or out completely) red meat or fatty meat will also benefit your health greatly.

...just not as much. =)

Happy adventuring!













Sources

Why Ellen is Vegan
Food Inc. (Documentary)
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Crazy Sexy Diet (Book)

What Adventure Now?

I plan on writing a bunch of posts before I tell anyone about this blog, so hello strangers/creepers of the present and friends of the future!

So the adventure is all about getting healthier. One look at me and it's easy to see that I'm not as healthy as I can be. I've tried a lot. Not everything, but definitely a lot. I lost the most ever on Weight Watchers. About 40 pounds in just a few months! But that proved to not be what is right for me. I need something that is not complicated (no counting points or calories!) and allows me freedom in choices (no pre-packaged meals for each day). And after a lot of trial and error, I have found something that has been working for me!

I have been watching a lot of documentaries on Netflix about food. What it does to us, how the government affects the food industry, different ideas, whatnot. Then I started doing internet and book research and have come to one conclusion:

With the way I've always been eating, it's no wonder I'm fat!

One book in particular that educated me a lot was Crazy Sexy Diet. Now, I don't plan on doing all of what it suggests (a lot about balancing your pH and meditation and enemas and other such stuff I'm not too big on), but it definitely did convince me that a vegan diet is the best for our bodies.

So this is part one of this adventure: vegan!

But there is one more part.

A few weeks ago, my friend told me she was having a "shake party." I asked her for some more info and she told me she started selling nutritional products from Herbalife. So I did some investigating into it (I'm a stubborn, hard-headed lady and don't fall for gimmicks) and really like what I saw. And when I tried the shakes at the party, I REALLY liked it!

And there is part two of this adventure: protein shakes!

I'm using the allergen-free shake mix, which contains no animal products, save for honey powder. I mix the shake powder with 8 ounces of coconut milk and frozen fruit and blend it for deliciousness. That is usually my breakfast and lunch. The I have a veggie-heavy vegan dinner and two protein-heavy vegan snacks.

I will admit though... I have not been very faithful to this adventure thus far. =\ <--- That is my sheepish ashamed face. I totally kicked butt the first week I got the shake mix, but I had nothing keeping me accountable. That's what this blog is for.

Okay, now you know what the adventure is. Read about it more or leave or call me a fool or whatever you want. I'M DOING THIS!!

Happy adventuring!