This is a 28-day program, so today is day 21 of 28. Things have gone amazingly well with one exception: this week was supposed to be a raw foods or liquid fast, and I made it two of the recommended minimum three days on raw foods. More on that later.
Here are some more things that I have observed or whatever regarding this whole adventure:
- Vegetarian is OK! (I know, go figure...) But vegan is difficult. Not at home; when you go out. It is difficult to find even one item on most restaurants' menus that is completely devoid of animal products. Dana and I enjoyed a rare weekday luncheon at the New Holland Brewing Co. a couple weeks ago. We had the day off for conferences, and before we had to report to school we decided to have lunch and go for a walk at Riley Trails. We were both pretty sure that NHBC had been on a list of vegan-friendly restaurants that we had seen somewhere, but alas, reality proved otherwise. We both decided on the Stuffed Portabello Mushroom Cap, a wonderful concoction of wild rice, mushroom pieces, and calamata olives scooped into the top of a large mushroom. Did I mention the feta cheese in the stuffing? Yep. Also sprinkled on top, which you can skip, but there was indeed a small amount of cheese IN the stuffing mixture as well. We figured we could replicate this recipe easily, so that's cool. The issue, though, is the lack of food available that is 100% vegan. And as much as I know veggies are good for me, there's only so much salad and fresh, crunchy carrots and celery you can eat at restaurants. So it would be cool if more mainstream places put some vegan stuff on their menus. (Don't even get me started on BWW... Went there with a big group after our concert last week; not a single meat-free item on the menu, let alone zero animal products. I know, I know, what did I expect? For $3.79 you can get a side salad, but the water was free... Otherwise, nothing.)
- I am trying hard to not be one of those "zealots" - you know the type: "I quit (smoking/drinking/eating poorly/whatever vice) that I was really good/bad at for decades, and now that I've seen the light I feel free to judge others." It's most difficult with the kids I work with. The "lunches" they eat are quite sad. One kid brings three chocolate chip cookies and a Gatorade to my office every day. The same one who will consume three double cheeseburgers and a strawberry shake at McDonald's several times a week. He's tall, thin, and healthy at this point... But I really think that if people would give it a shot they could easily change their bad habits. It's all about the convenience for most people, though, and as you all know, that is what makes Yours Truly tick :) There is one student with whom I have shared several stories and recipes, though. She's been vegan for over a year and hasn't looked back. We've talked about where to find good food (Vitale's pizza has a decent gluten-free crust which can go under a veggie pizza, but there's parmesan in the sauce...), and she even sampled some of the raw "taco meat" Dana made last week. "I definitely want that recipe!" She's pretty aware for a 16-year-old about what her long-term health is all about; she is even considering joining us for our next detox!
- Let's revisit the "fasting" idea. The goal for the week was to, for a minimum of three days, consume either raw foods only (fresh fruits/veggies, smoothies, dried foods, or foods cooked to no higher than 115 degrees), or do a liquid fast of fresh juices, smoothies, etc. I made it a little more than two days. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty good; on Thursday I was inches away from ordering Hungry Howie's with a triple order of Howie Bread because I needed something warm and chewy in my belly. I settled on something far, far better for me, though what it was escapes me at the moment. I told someone that "I like to chew the warm food and drink the cold, but so far this has been kind of the opposite." It DID, however, prove to be beneficial, at least as far as my digestive tract was concerned, which was the goal. The philosophy is that your body needs rest even from eating, and keeping foods raw retains almost all of the essential nutrients that cooking can strip away. Dana made it all week with virtually all liquids, but we both decided it would be easier to do this in the summer months.
- I managed to lose a couple more pounds, which is no surprise. I am now down 19 for the year!
- I would be remiss if I didn't mention Margaux Drake here. Not just her program or her job, but her person(ality) in general. Margaux is indeed a true believer. I have enjoyed listening to her stories the last few weeks; many are painful to hear as she relates the physical health problems that eventually cost her brother his life. She is truly on a mission to save others from themselves before it's too late. She isn't one of those folks who is simply selling a product or service; she actually came up with this on her own and happened to (over a year later) find a product line that fit her program. I am glad to have made her acquaintance!
