Last week was a learning lesson to say the least!
The task of not only learning how to be vegan, gluten free AND soy free all in one swoop was quite the undertaking and of course, I am an all-or-nothing kinda girl...you know I jumped in head first.
In all fairness, I have been soy-free for a few years now but I was perplexed at the idea of being vegan without the use of tempeh and various soy products such as my old favorite, Bragg's Aminos. I don't give in easily!
So throughout the week I spent hours on end each day experimenting with different recipes, testing flavors, gluten-free flours and finding countless ways to make beans taste good. Quite the journey, I'd say. Not for the faint of heart or those who are not serious about this level of commitment!
Being a trainer for almost 8 years now, I have seen the one major reason why any "diet" fails is a due to improper planning. Most people say "Oh, I think I want to lose 10 pounds so I just won't eat..." or "I'll switch everything from full sugar to artificial..." or even worse "I want to be a vegetarian so I will just live on cheese and pasta..." and so the yo-yo begins...
Vegan eating is not a light subject. For many people the need for a transition period is crucial! Fortunately for me, I can quite anything cold-turkey, no pun intended, when I make a commitment to do so. It's not about will power it's about self-honoring choices. I honor myself enough to make the change and am committed to give it a chance until I know for a fact it is working or not.
In this choice, I take time to research to make sure I am getting enough protein, ample amounts of iron to prevent my past history of anemia from leering its ugly head, and various other nutrients that Vegans are challenged to get in their daily diet. I mean, if you are not going to go balls to the walls and do it right, why half-ass it?!?!?!
Many years ago I committed to this way of life for about 8 months...well, 8 and a half to be exact. The one thing I struggled with was anemia. And it was bad too!
Every day I found myself taking a 2-3, even four hour nap and struggling to find the energy for my workouts. The major factor in this problem came in my whole grains called Phytic Acid. This acid binds to vitamins such as D and minerals such as Iron which were major contributors to my energetic downfall.
Now I soak brown rice and beans overnight and rinse before cooking them to prevent these toxins from stealing my thunder!
This past weekend was a long one as I was back in school for my three day monthly installment. As I usualy grab an assortment of pot roast, mac n cheese and a chocolate bar, all grounding foods to get me through the energetic curriculum of the day and not on my standard daily list of eats, this time I brought my food the first two days and had a minor slip up on day three.
On the night of day two some of my classmates and I had taken a late night adventure after class to head down to the beach and watch the SuperMoon. A couple of people grabbed a piece of pizza that smelled....soooooooooooooooo good........BUT I didn't eat one bite. I sat and contemplated how life must be for all of those dairy and gluten intolerant people who miss these food items. I felt for them. This eating path for me was a choice not because of any official allergy.
By day three of class all I could think about was a tasty, hot meal.
Due to the beach excursion being so late at night, I didn't make it home. I had crashed in my friend's hotel room and didn't get my clothes until Sunday morning with enough time to shower and race to school.
I rationalized that a bowl of soba noodles with sea veggies and green onions with a kombucha would be safe, until my first bite. Then it dawns on me: soy sauce in the broth and the soba noodles may not be ALL buckwheat. YUCK. Funny because I actually could feel the gluten and soy in my body. Learning to find safe Asian food flavors will be a journey in itself!
On Monday, I was pretty much cut off from the world by choice. It takes me about 1-2 days to recover mentally from a weekend at school and to process all of my learnings so I didn't have a chance to prepare any food for the day. Mom took the opportunity to go in to Whole Foods to purchase some things that appeared safe to bring home for me to experiment with.
On Tuesday morning she was complaining of knee pain so I turned to the foods she brought home to find salt in amounts more than double of what I would use on a regular basis. In addition she purchased a sprouted manna bread that she had a slice of thinking it was safe. Little did she know that three of the 5 grains listed were all containing gluten! The beauty of it is, she feels the gluten making her "puffy" so she know has a good reference to what is really happening in her body when she eats these foods and has a greater desire to avoid them.
I'd say overall, week one was a success. So much to learn and I am taking a crash course for my mom's health! I am looking forward to this week adding to the daily walking with some weights and yoga...my body is calling for it.
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day Two- I remembered my food!!
Well I can safely say that all those years of being in the body building industry have paid off in one way or another!! This time in food preparation...NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!!
Yesterday being day two I had yet another challenging day ahead of me. Mom and I left home very early- her to head to the doctor's to have her eye's checked for extreme dryness and for testing to find the cause of her anemia and me to spend the day with Gramma and take her in for her rapidly depleting eye sight.
I spent a good hour and a half preparing our food for the day as I am still getting used to the vegan regimen as well as to mom's tiny kitchen. Oh how I miss my big kitchen...but I digress. This summer I am committed to be here for mom and then move to the beach so it's only temporary :)
I packed our bags with fresh juice, as usual, containing everything from beets to grapefruit to collard greens, the lentil-brown rice mix from the day before packed in lettuce and kale cups for easy eating on the go, salad with many colors, banana slices with almond butter, grapes, almond-walnut-date mix, and sweet potato pudding.
Spending time with Gramma before leaving for the doctor I was thankful to have brought my food along! The home that she chose to move into does not feed her much in the way of produce so we have a fruit of the month sent to her year-round and bring food with us on each visit. I was happy she ate grapes, dates and banana with me.
As we sat in the waiting room I felt a bit hungry, not unusual as I feel like I can't stop eating now that I am vegan, so I drank some juice. Of course it got a bit of attention and an older gentleman came over to ask if I had brought lunch for the group? I told him I'd be happy to share my vegan treats but he seemed more inclined to speak to my gramma about why she was there and to ask her age...she said 39, he said 40. Eventually she confessed her real age of 94 and he responded with "pushing 80" and had she noticed, she may have had a date!
What I truly love about my gramma is that she is never afraid to be herself. She kept her composure when I told her about his attempts and said "honey, what in the world would I do with him anyway!?!" We had a good laugh.
Our day was filled with smiles as I spent time talking about her life, appreciating the adventures she has had and observing the world together. I am so grateful for her coming into my life when she did...we adopted her in 1984; the year my parents divorced and the same year she lost one of her last living relatives.
We compared our hands and I was taken back by the beauty in her fingers! With such slender, straight fingers and soft skin it's hard to believe those hands belong to a 94 year-young woman. It's no wonder the man came over to inquire about her!!
Now, it's been quite some time since I've stepped foot into an actual doctor's office. Looking around reminded me of how the concept of specializing in one thing has a tendency to overlook the big picture. I can say that I was pleased to hear her doctor recommend her continue on her eye vitamins and to increase her amounts of green leafy vegetables.
After the appointment we sat down for lunch at the cafe as we would not be back in time for dinner at the home; their term for lunch. She enjoyed her ham and cheese sandwich with side salad as I took out my vegan treats. Her eyes showed such joy as she watched me eat and kept saying "Honey, you're so healthy! I am so glad to have you on board now. Tell your mom I'm having a wonderful day."
I can't help but wonder just how many aging ailments and diseases are caused by poor diet. While I never would have thought after 8 years that I would return to a vegan diet but after only a couple of days, I can feel this time is life-changing.
By the end of the day I was exhausted! Every ounce of energy was spent in play with Gramma but we laughed and had such joy that I would not have traded it for the world. I ate all my food and then some...after mom and I took our daily walk, this time at 7pm, we sat down to a Rainbow Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
Day two was a great success in the vegan journey. While I have maintained my weight despite the high amount of carbs and nut fats I am consuming, my waistline has trimmed down quite rapidly. A big surprise to me having spent years in the low-carb, high protein mindset!!
Yesterday being day two I had yet another challenging day ahead of me. Mom and I left home very early- her to head to the doctor's to have her eye's checked for extreme dryness and for testing to find the cause of her anemia and me to spend the day with Gramma and take her in for her rapidly depleting eye sight.
I spent a good hour and a half preparing our food for the day as I am still getting used to the vegan regimen as well as to mom's tiny kitchen. Oh how I miss my big kitchen...but I digress. This summer I am committed to be here for mom and then move to the beach so it's only temporary :)
I packed our bags with fresh juice, as usual, containing everything from beets to grapefruit to collard greens, the lentil-brown rice mix from the day before packed in lettuce and kale cups for easy eating on the go, salad with many colors, banana slices with almond butter, grapes, almond-walnut-date mix, and sweet potato pudding.
Spending time with Gramma before leaving for the doctor I was thankful to have brought my food along! The home that she chose to move into does not feed her much in the way of produce so we have a fruit of the month sent to her year-round and bring food with us on each visit. I was happy she ate grapes, dates and banana with me.
As we sat in the waiting room I felt a bit hungry, not unusual as I feel like I can't stop eating now that I am vegan, so I drank some juice. Of course it got a bit of attention and an older gentleman came over to ask if I had brought lunch for the group? I told him I'd be happy to share my vegan treats but he seemed more inclined to speak to my gramma about why she was there and to ask her age...she said 39, he said 40. Eventually she confessed her real age of 94 and he responded with "pushing 80" and had she noticed, she may have had a date!
What I truly love about my gramma is that she is never afraid to be herself. She kept her composure when I told her about his attempts and said "honey, what in the world would I do with him anyway!?!" We had a good laugh.
Our day was filled with smiles as I spent time talking about her life, appreciating the adventures she has had and observing the world together. I am so grateful for her coming into my life when she did...we adopted her in 1984; the year my parents divorced and the same year she lost one of her last living relatives.
We compared our hands and I was taken back by the beauty in her fingers! With such slender, straight fingers and soft skin it's hard to believe those hands belong to a 94 year-young woman. It's no wonder the man came over to inquire about her!!
Now, it's been quite some time since I've stepped foot into an actual doctor's office. Looking around reminded me of how the concept of specializing in one thing has a tendency to overlook the big picture. I can say that I was pleased to hear her doctor recommend her continue on her eye vitamins and to increase her amounts of green leafy vegetables.
After the appointment we sat down for lunch at the cafe as we would not be back in time for dinner at the home; their term for lunch. She enjoyed her ham and cheese sandwich with side salad as I took out my vegan treats. Her eyes showed such joy as she watched me eat and kept saying "Honey, you're so healthy! I am so glad to have you on board now. Tell your mom I'm having a wonderful day."
I can't help but wonder just how many aging ailments and diseases are caused by poor diet. While I never would have thought after 8 years that I would return to a vegan diet but after only a couple of days, I can feel this time is life-changing.
By the end of the day I was exhausted! Every ounce of energy was spent in play with Gramma but we laughed and had such joy that I would not have traded it for the world. I ate all my food and then some...after mom and I took our daily walk, this time at 7pm, we sat down to a Rainbow Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
Day two was a great success in the vegan journey. While I have maintained my weight despite the high amount of carbs and nut fats I am consuming, my waistline has trimmed down quite rapidly. A big surprise to me having spent years in the low-carb, high protein mindset!!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
A New Chapter...
Starting over? Nah. Not really. It's more like weeding out the gunk of the last decade and doing a spiritual spring cleaning to live more efficiently and effectively!
In the last few weeks I have become one with my journey. Cliche...maybe. The truth is, until we are able to surrender to the path, we are not capable of seeing our true potential.
When I wrote my first book last month I conquered a challenge that had plagued me for over 8 years. Knowing full well that I was the only one standing in my way, I somehow took pride in the reality that I was simply "too busy" to sit down and complete it. I had started and stopped many times over but after three weeks of bombarding myself with webinars and teleseminars about how easy it really is I stopped making excuses and devoted four straight days to writing my book from start to finish.
Now, the crazy part of this story was when I trashed it. Literally. A rad business mentor of mine always said to me "write your first book for the trash" and so...I did. About a week later I sat down for two days straight and rewrote it! Amazing how things just flow when the mental gook is out of the way!!
The book writing and editing process was an excellent reminder of just how easy things can be when I set my mind to making them happen. Allowing the book to flow through me brought me back to the mindset of joy in taking giant leaps of faith. When I live my life by the seat of my pants, I always happily land on my feet.
This is why, in less than 24 hours, I was able to make a quick decision to move back to the LA area.
So now, after three weeks of crazy packing and driving back and forth between the desert and LA, I have settled for the summer in my old home town to take care of my family and build my business here.
Listening to the universal messages about my need to be here were a struggle for me as I kept trying to put it off until later this year. While I knew I wanted to be back near the ocean, I had no idea my my family would need me this much!!!
My life's journey has been filled with adventure, intrigue and a whole lot of love thus far. This new chapter in my life provides me with a renewed sense of my place in the family, my role as a daughter and best friend to my mom as well as a loving support system to my aging adopted-grandmother, who celebrated her 94th birthday last week. An overall experience that will afford me great opportunities for growth and spiritual expansion.
Surrendering to this journey has brought me to a very big decision- carnivore or vegan? The reason: my mom's cholesterol, having always been high, was just measured at 398!! As she has always been one for the natural remedy I have committed to be her personal nutrition coach and trainer. Knowing that there are other factors at play here the only solution is to go 100% Vegan in her diet.
Since I haven't done the vegan thing in over 8 years I'm not sure how my body will respond and have no clue how my training will be affected BUT because of her health I am committed to this journey with her for a minimum of three months until she returns to the doctor for her next test. We are doing NO soy and gluten-free as well so I will be challenged to create new works of art in the kitchen :) If all goes well, I will look at continuing this way of life for the rest of my life!
Let's watch what happens!!! Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting my food experiments on my food blog at Body Everlasting Goes Vegan and will keep this blog here to share stories of my new journey and training as a Vegan.
Namaste.
In the last few weeks I have become one with my journey. Cliche...maybe. The truth is, until we are able to surrender to the path, we are not capable of seeing our true potential.
When I wrote my first book last month I conquered a challenge that had plagued me for over 8 years. Knowing full well that I was the only one standing in my way, I somehow took pride in the reality that I was simply "too busy" to sit down and complete it. I had started and stopped many times over but after three weeks of bombarding myself with webinars and teleseminars about how easy it really is I stopped making excuses and devoted four straight days to writing my book from start to finish.
Now, the crazy part of this story was when I trashed it. Literally. A rad business mentor of mine always said to me "write your first book for the trash" and so...I did. About a week later I sat down for two days straight and rewrote it! Amazing how things just flow when the mental gook is out of the way!!
The book writing and editing process was an excellent reminder of just how easy things can be when I set my mind to making them happen. Allowing the book to flow through me brought me back to the mindset of joy in taking giant leaps of faith. When I live my life by the seat of my pants, I always happily land on my feet.
This is why, in less than 24 hours, I was able to make a quick decision to move back to the LA area.
So now, after three weeks of crazy packing and driving back and forth between the desert and LA, I have settled for the summer in my old home town to take care of my family and build my business here.
Listening to the universal messages about my need to be here were a struggle for me as I kept trying to put it off until later this year. While I knew I wanted to be back near the ocean, I had no idea my my family would need me this much!!!
My life's journey has been filled with adventure, intrigue and a whole lot of love thus far. This new chapter in my life provides me with a renewed sense of my place in the family, my role as a daughter and best friend to my mom as well as a loving support system to my aging adopted-grandmother, who celebrated her 94th birthday last week. An overall experience that will afford me great opportunities for growth and spiritual expansion.
Surrendering to this journey has brought me to a very big decision- carnivore or vegan? The reason: my mom's cholesterol, having always been high, was just measured at 398!! As she has always been one for the natural remedy I have committed to be her personal nutrition coach and trainer. Knowing that there are other factors at play here the only solution is to go 100% Vegan in her diet.
Since I haven't done the vegan thing in over 8 years I'm not sure how my body will respond and have no clue how my training will be affected BUT because of her health I am committed to this journey with her for a minimum of three months until she returns to the doctor for her next test. We are doing NO soy and gluten-free as well so I will be challenged to create new works of art in the kitchen :) If all goes well, I will look at continuing this way of life for the rest of my life!
Let's watch what happens!!! Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting my food experiments on my food blog at Body Everlasting Goes Vegan and will keep this blog here to share stories of my new journey and training as a Vegan.
Namaste.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
What Will I See When I Die?
I can imagine how jolting this subject line is to many of you. Seriously though, have you ever thought about what you will see in your life when you look back on it? Will you wish that you took better care of your health, spent more time with your loved ones or just honored your spirit more?
We can find many ways to make excuses on a daily basis to not get things done, to not be adventurous and to not be living the life we came here to live. Whatever your excuse, it is just a self-placed barrier to help us live small. Don't you wish you could be living BIG?
So what will it take?
-a shocking diagnosis from a doctor
-an intervention
-a child graduating high school
-a job loss
-a "come to Jesus" talk
In any case, you must find the life inside of you that is ready to be lived! Embrace it and know that you will not stand another day without playing this life with joy and abundance. Be present in the knowing that you are a being who has needs and wants and desires and that you can have the life that you crave if you would only set out to live it with intention and passion!
Get started today by taking one small step in the right direction. Plug into your heart for that one thing that can bring you closer to having a life that you can be proud of. Just one step can lead to a wide open space of the greatest adventure of your life, so why not start today?!
If this struggle is yours, then my new book is right up your alley- It's being released this week and you can pre-order your copy of this step by step Life Capturing book! Pre-order your copy of my ebook to receive an additional FREE report "5 Simple Strategies to Banish Cellulite for Life"
I'M IN! SEND ME MY FREE REPORT AND PRE-ORDER LIFE CAPTURING
We can find many ways to make excuses on a daily basis to not get things done, to not be adventurous and to not be living the life we came here to live. Whatever your excuse, it is just a self-placed barrier to help us live small. Don't you wish you could be living BIG?
So what will it take?
-a shocking diagnosis from a doctor
-an intervention
-a child graduating high school
-a job loss
-a "come to Jesus" talk
In any case, you must find the life inside of you that is ready to be lived! Embrace it and know that you will not stand another day without playing this life with joy and abundance. Be present in the knowing that you are a being who has needs and wants and desires and that you can have the life that you crave if you would only set out to live it with intention and passion!
Get started today by taking one small step in the right direction. Plug into your heart for that one thing that can bring you closer to having a life that you can be proud of. Just one step can lead to a wide open space of the greatest adventure of your life, so why not start today?!
If this struggle is yours, then my new book is right up your alley- It's being released this week and you can pre-order your copy of this step by step Life Capturing book! Pre-order your copy of my ebook to receive an additional FREE report "5 Simple Strategies to Banish Cellulite for Life"
I'M IN! SEND ME MY FREE REPORT AND PRE-ORDER LIFE CAPTURING
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