Office by Alex Penny
Two childhood staples interwoven with two of my favorite things: Eating and Veganism
New site being set up: http://sailorvegan.tumblr.com/
My initial plan? To go vegan for a month.
And while I miss milk chocolate & eggs, it seems that this little decision is going to be sticking around for much longer. In an effort to clean my body, lose a few pounds I’ve gained from being bed ridden after surgery and do something good for the environment/animals, I’ve gone vegan after being vegetarian on and off for years.
I can’t help but ask, why didn’t I do this sooner? While tonight I may miss the eggs, they rarely enter my mind and I know with time and proper searching I’ll find a milk chocolate alternative…but as long as I can’t be bothered to put in that extra effort, then it can’t be that important to my mind/body.
I keep daily track of my intake and work to keep my calorie consumption under 1200/1300 (and will until I my body adjusts and I reach my goal weight).
Part of my food tracking is to also watch my vitamin/mineral intake…to make sure I’m getting a full dose of everything my body needs. Surprisingly, I’ve been getting b12 like a pro through supplements but need to work on keeping my calcium, iron, zinc, omega and magnesium better balanced. (They are lower than I like to see)
(This is just a ramble of sorts)
With the exception of avocado/nuts/nut butters, I aim to keep my fat intake under 2.5 per 100 calories. Not that difficult…and it keeps me away from processed food which is my goal for the time being. I’d much rather snack on fresh fruit or veggies with salsa.
Even my hummus is rationed until I can figure out the best balance for me.
I’m also keeping track of my food combining…always fun…not really but my stomach does seem to appreciate it. I’ve definitely noticed a change in my digestion…and when I do over eat, I feel a lot cleaner about it.
As I’ve yet to get the all clean in terms of exercise from my surgeon…my exercise seems to be centered around going up and down my stairs, walks and puppy playtime. Once I get the bike all fixed up, I’ll be adding that in, along with some basic exercises. (lunges and sit ups kind of variety)
Once of my favorite things is cooking…especially vegan cooking. It’s always so exciting to create something new. So I’ll be putting recipes up with links to proper ownership…and my experiences with them. It’s just a fun way for me to keep track of what I’m eating.
I’ll also be starting my daily menus and whatnot…boring stuff for now.
Until I can figure out how to get the ball rolling further. I need to organize what information to be sharing. It’ll mostly be quotes from articles I find as they apply to me and my interests. Sorry. Should anyone ever read this, feel free to chime in.
It’s the summer solstice today and what’s more summery than Sloppy Joes?
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked green lentils
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns (optional – for serving)
Directions:
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.
About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more. Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait.
via: The Post Punk Kitchen (check out the comments for some good modifications!)
The purpose of this blog….To keep me on track with meeting my nutritional and informational needs as a vegan. To provide information to others (should anyone find their way here). To share my weight loss journey. To share/review vegan recipes and products out there.
Things to come:
-Personal FAQ
-Vegan FAQ
-Links section
-My diet plan
I had this all mapped out but now after putting it off for a few days, I’ve lost a few of my ideas. They will return though! Fear not.
It’s weird to start a blog from scratch like this…I have a separate personal blog which has been around forever…hmm…
And so it begins
