food hippie

Five days without meat. This evening I was making chicken sandwiches for my family, and I thought about eating one. But I didn't. The desire was a bit overwhelming but passed very quickly, even before I was finished assembling the sandwiches. Looking back, I am so glad I decided not to eat one. I knew I wouldn't feel good afterward. And, truly, I wasn't hungry yet anyway.

I am undecided on the dairy front, which I suppose is a decision to continue consuming dairy for now...at least in limited amounts. Like today, I know there was dairy in Kaiser's potato soup she shared for lunch. Yummy! I have been eating yogurt (Fage!) daily because I'm on antibiotics and you can't be too careful with that. But I'm using soy milk and rice milk for things that require "liquid milk."

For supper last night I fed the kids vegan whole wheat pancakes with real maple syrup, blueberries and bananas. And they each had a glass of milk...one child chose soy; the other two chose "cow."

Erik is signed up on a soccer team. How cute is that! I'm glad for him. It'll help balance out all the hours spent sitting in front of the Xbox.

Okay, back to food (because that is obviously what is on the brain right now)...
I've drastically cut back on sugar.
I've drastically cut back on coffee.
I drastically had a headeache for two days, and nothing would make it stop. So the next morning I drank a small cup of coffee. And this morning I drank two small cups of coffee (before my exam) but then I opted for green tea when my friend and I made a coffeehouse run . Go me! I've been brewing 1 or 2 cups of green tea each day. It's low in caffeine and full of beneficial antioxidants, and semi-meets my need to have a comforting hot drink in hand throughout the day. Needless to say, I miss my coffee wayyyyy more than I miss meat (if I miss meat at all.)

This afternoon all I could think about was a Reese's Sonic Blast (with extra Reese's, of course!) Unlike the chicken sandwich temptation, this one lasted a good 45 minutes. I don't really know what made the craving pass. I was so close to asking Andy to make a Sonic stop on his way home. But then all I could think about was how I would feel after eating the ice cream...and I would eat the whole thing.

I'm trying to respect my body. If you pay attention, you'll find that your body tells you what it likes and doesn't like. You might pay attention to your body and think "Yum! My body loves this pizza, Coke, burger and cheesecake!" But I encourage you to tune in after consumption takes place. You might feel icky, bloated, heavy, stuffed, uncomfortable, tired or unfulfilled. I have had the privilege of eating several meals that left me feeling energized, light-on-my-feet, satiated, alert, strong, and motivated to tackle the next item on my agenda. Maybe I will share some snack and meal ideas for you to try sometime. FYI: I don't expect any of my family or friends to "convert" to vegetarianism. I don't judge you for eating sugar (heck, I eat my share.) And, of course, I'd love for you to take me out to coffee! ;) Just please don't mind my rambling about food stuff for awhile. It could be a passing fascination, and that would be dandy. Or I could turn into a total food hippie. That would be fine, too.