I found the lovely Kris Carr's books over the holidays and they have been such an amazing tool for me in helping me form ideas about what I want to eat and cook and how this can change me for the better. Please check out her website here. I think she is incredibly inspiring, whether you are trying to go vegan or just get healthy.
Chris and I tried her 21 day cleanse (in Crazy Sexy Diet) and we made it 10 days. I am proud to say we stuck to those 10 days really well and we experienced a few enlightening moments. I will say that I think 21 days is possible, but know that it takes a lot of meal planning and it just became a little impossible to maintain the full cleanse while also trying to stay on top of other important things in my life.
I am however still eating meat free, wholesome meals and using the things I learned with the cleanse to add to my every day life. I am not buying a lot of dairy, but I haven't completely cut it out. I am still putting my Greenling deliveries to work and am trying to play more with the seasonal local box.
Here are the 3 big lessons I learned from trying this cleanse
1. I was addicted to caffeine and sugar.
This is what I missed the most and I had some crazy head aches the first few days. I have a huge sweet tooth and it just forced me to acknowledge how much sugar I take in on a regular basis. I haven't cut out sugar completely, but when I get that itching for something sweet, I hope I can remember that I don't NEED it. Same goes for caffeine. Instead of pouring myself a cup every morning, I make myself a juice and drink water. Then if I still want some I make a cup. This makes it less a habit and I actually sit and enjoy it more when I make it. I had my first Dr. Pepper this week and I'm not going to lie, I loved every single sip of it, but it's going to stay a treat and I'm determined to not go back to the habit of having it on a regular basis. When I want a beverage I'm going to pull out my trusty juicer.
2. I love juice
Speaking of juice, this is my new favorite way to eat veggies. I have loved playing around with different fruits and veggies and drinking them throughout the day. I don't add any powders or supplements, though I guess you could, and I like knowing I'm getting a big kick of antioxidants in a yummy way.
3. I don't need meat
I really don't miss meat. The hardest part for me is that when we go out or are at someone's house, there are rarely meatless options. Yes some restaurants offer them, but just from this month I've been to a restaurant, a gala, and a party that didn't offer a truly meatless choice. I choose the lesser of the evils and try to not be annoying about it. Cooking at home though as proved no trouble and has actually given me some new inspiration to try things in the kitchen.
I wanted to share a few resources I've been using to eat meatless and I'd love to hear from you on any cookbooks, magazines, or websites you use to find vegetarian dishes! There are some books I have on hold at the library as well that I will share with you after I experiment with them a bit!
Books:
Kris Carr
Crazy Sexy Kitchen
This is more of a foodie book than an every day book. They aren't 'hard' recipes, but they are a bit more time consuming than most of us can swing on a weekday evening. That being said, the recipes I've tried have been amazing. So don't be intimidated, she makes it all worth it!
Deborah Madison
Vegetarian Soups and Vegetarian Suppers
This is the first author I used to try meatless dishes. She has many more cookbooks so be sure and check her out. I like that she focuses so much on flavor, everything I've made from these has been delicious. Sometimes I do think she overcomplicates her recipes. I always read through it a few times and then find I can combine steps and make it all faster.
Also look for Mediterranean style cookbooks. I have one I love that contains many vegetarian options and I think this style of cooking is highly adaptable to make a meat dish meat free. There will also be a lot of healthy vegetables and grains in this style of cooking.
Websites
I've been pursuing the internet looking for great vegetarian blogs/websites and I pin recipes I want to try on my board Meatless Goddess. Feel free to follow it if you want.
The blogs I've been frequenting are
Oh She Glows
More than just food, she shares her perspective as well on living a vegan lifestyle. More than anything, she makes it seem possible for every day living.
Namely Marly
Another blog concentrating on vegan meals that are all about being flavorful. I have a few of hers lined up to try at our Super Bowl party!
The Chubby Vegetarian
A great blog to have on hand to find just about any kind of recipe. Plus, I love the name.
I know there are countless others, but these are the ones that I've just added to my feed and find inspiring me to cook. Also check out Vegetarian Times for great recipes and a good magazine. I also still use Martha Stewart's EveryDay Food magazine and phone app a lot. You can search by ingredient and there are always a lot of meatless options that are quick and simple to make.
So while it's not a wrap up on my food revolution (I hope it never wraps up), it is a look at where I am right now and what resources I've been using. I hope you find this helpful, even if you are just looking for ways to simply add vegetables to your meal planning. Again, please tell me of any other helpful books or sites! I love finding yummy food online.
To end, two pins I've actually tried that were delicious and completely vegan. Enjoy and have a Meatless Monday!
I'm sure I can find this through Google, but what's the difference between a blender and a juicer?
ReplyDeleteJuicer will extract liquid from pulp. Blender will just blend it really fine. I used my blender before I got the juicer- just have to tweak some recipes so it's not grainy! Spinach works better than other greens in a blender.
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