One day at a time...

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References

Blumberg, Perri O. Eat This, Not That: Vegan Protein. 2008. 23 October 2016.

Dummies. Living Vegan for Dummies. 2016. 23 October 2016.

Let's Move. About Let's Move. 11 October 2016. 23 October 2016.

The Vegan Society. Food Security. 2016. 23 October 2016.

The Wall Street Journal. Would We Be Healthier With a Vegan Diet? . 18 September 2012. 23 October 2016.

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The Environment:

Becoming vegan has an everlasting impact on our environment in several ways.  One major contribution to sustainable living is the use of fewer natural resources that are at a scarcity. If we want to make our planet last, we must make wiser choices.  Becoming vegan is most certainly one that you are in control of and can help the greater cause. Studies indicate that a varied vegan diet requires about a third of the land needed for conventional Western diets; 3.5 billion humans could live off the food currently fed to livestock.  (The Vegan Society) How insane is that? Sadly, the amount of land required to provide for humans on a animal-based diet is running out.  Therefore, by eating plant-based we are also allowing for the creation of more food for those who are foodless.

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The Healing Affects:

According to Dr. Campbell, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, the effects of consuming a plant-based diet are remarkable. In an article released by him in the Wall Street Journal, he states, "switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet with little or no added salt, sugar and fat, produces astounding health benefits.  This dietary lifestyle can prevent and even reverse 70% to 80% of existing, symptomatic disease."  (The Wall Street Journal)

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Vegan Protein Source vs. Meat Protein Source:  

In order to make sure that I did not malnourish myself, I had to find a comparable form of protein. This chart helped me put together a few meals so that I would not miss protein.  Instead of having eggs, I had some tofu, which is a non-animal derived protein.  (Blumberg)

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Masked ingredients:

Let me tell you how every time, I found myself at whole foods, I "googled" almost every other ingredient.  If I didn't know it, I looked it up to see if it was vegan friendly.  Surprisingly, most of the ingredients were NOT vegan! The ingredients are masked under an unrecognizable name that really has some sort of dairy or meat by-product.  For instance, casein (caseinate) which is found in some soy cheeses yet is a milk protein.  (Dummies) Another common one was whey, which is a liquid that separates from the solids in cheese making, which I saw in the ingredients of certain breads.  (Dummies) These masked ingredients are ones to watch out for when following a strict vegan diet, as they appear in the ingredients of many unthought-of of products.

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WHAT I LEARNED...

So is following a plant-based diet actually healthy?  Well based on the past four days, I can attest to feeling absolutely cleansed.  After the third day, I felt as if eating no meat or dairy actually helped me physically.  I felt more awake in the mornings and energized throughout the day. Learning how to structure my meals around the ingredients I could consume was challenging. This was especially true when it came to buying the ingredients.  Unlike the normal way I go to the supermarket, I just pick up the usual items and keep it moving. With this trial, I was forced to stop and look at every single ingredient to ensure myself that it was either "certified vegan" as some items are marked or did not contain any ingredient animal derived.  

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DAY FOUR

Here I am into my fourth day consuming plant based foods and I have to admit it has not been as bad as I imagined it to be.  Regularly, I don't consume a meat with every meal but I do consume dairy with every meal. Today for breakfast, I was back on the run, and picked up some oatmeal at whole foods.  For lunch, I packed myself a whole-wheat peanut butter sandwich and to pair I had some carrots with hummus.  Today, I wasn't hungry until I got home.  I munched on some almonds until dinner was done.  Today for dinner, I was having company over so I decide to make vegan lasagna! I used whole-wheat noodles, with "Daiya" a vegan mozzarella cheese. As the meat substitute, I used a "meatless" ground beef.  I put it all together as if it were any other lasagna, put it into bake and TA-DA!! My lasagna was ready to eat.  The cheese doesn't melt like normal cheese but it's a really good substitute.  I paired this deliciousness with a tossed garden salad.  

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DAY THREE

I am on day three already! I feel good! Since today was my off day for the gym, I made myself some whole-wheat toast spread with guacamole.  Along with this, I had a cup of grapes.  For lunch, I brought with me to work a veggie wrap that contained some of the same guacamole from breakfast, brown rice, and spinach.  It was delish! Along with this, I filled up a Ziploc with some vegan popcorn.  For my afternoon snack, I ate a few slices of watermelon.  For dinner, I whipped up some yummy three-bean chili! This had red kidney beans, black beans, and pink beans.  Stirred together with chopped onions, peppers, cilantro, and some tomato sauce to thicken the chili. I also made some brown rice paired so well with the chili.  

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DAY TWO

Today was pretty interesting. For my second day, I found myself picking up breakfast at whole foods again. It's just so convenient! Instead of eating oatmeal again, I take myself a small portion of a "tofu scramble" which is a tofu-based version of scrambled eggs.  At a glance, it looked just like scrambled eggs because of the color but the texture was a bit different.  The tofu had more of a gelatin texture.  Now based on the taste, it was obviously not the real thing but it was close.  I had this along with some home fries.  For lunch, I made myself a hummus and tomato whole-wheat sandwich. I accompanied this with a sliced apple and some vegan peanut butter.  For my afternoon snack, I had some nuts and a banana.  And for dinner, I made some delicious tacos that were entirely plant based! My tacos consisted of whole wheat tortillas, vegan refried beans (made from scratch by me), along with a fresh lemon based salad called "chimol." (This is what it is called in Salvadoran culture) It consists of diced tomatoes, diced onions, and fresh cilantro drizzled with fresh lime juice. On top of all this, I also added a slice of avocado.  Boy, those tacos were literally finger licking good!  Hard to believe there was absolutely no meat or dairy in them.  

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DAY ONE

So today was my first day eliminating all meats and dairy from my diet. My daily routine consists of my 6a.m. workouts and then off to work! I usually stop at the deli to pick up an egg-white omelet or turkey bacon and egg sandwich, however today I did not do so.  Instead, I stopped at Whole Foods, which is actually conveniently located in the same complex as my gym.  I knew if I picked up some breakfast from here, I would have somewhat of a variety. (I know this from previously being vegetarian for 6 months) As so, I had a few options.  The one that called my attention was the oatmeal. I pour myself a bowl of oatmeal that is easily labeled "vegan." To give it some flavor, I sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon over it. Knowing that my options are limited, I pre-packed my snacks and lunch for the rest of the day.  For my morning snack, I ate a banana along with a handful of almonds.  For lunch, I ate a peanut butter sandwich. But this was no ordinary, peanut butter sandwich. This was made with vegan and gluten free whole wheat bread along with a vegan peanut butter spread purchased from whole foods. Along with that, I also had a cup of grapes.  For that afternoon, pick me up, I ate a vegan dark chocolate pretzel "Nu-Go" protein bar.  As I get home, I start to get a little hungry so I munch on some more almonds while I prepare dinner.  For dinner, I made a vegetable stir-fry seasoned with salt, pepper, and a bit of soy sauce. (vegan soy sauce) As a side, I have some brown rice mixed in with corn. That was actually tasty! Last thing I eat while watching TV is some scrumptious vegan popcorn called "Smart Pop."  Not too bad for my first day as a vegan, right?  

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LETS MOVE!

I believe it is now more than ever that we are becoming much more aware of what types of ingredients are in the foods we consume. The way in which the foods we consume are being produced is also a big concern. A big movement that has opened the eyes of many Americans is the "Let's Move" campaign backed by the first lady, Michele Obama. This movement was created to encourage the up and coming generations to be more health-conscious. As she quotes on the Let's Move campaign website, "In the end, as First Lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition." (Let's Move) This movement has started a nation-wide change.  With the rising issue of child obesity, I think this is a step in the right direction to prevent the rise in number of child obesity cases. This is important because as they say, the youth of today is the future of tomorrow.  Therefore, with educating children about the importance of creating a healthy lifestyle today, they will be able to have a better future and positively influence the generations to come.

           As a part of the youth of this generation, I thought it would be interesting to look into a diet that is becoming more and more common.  That is, changing my eating habits to those of a vegan.  This entails on consuming strictly plant based foods. My diet will consist of nothing that comes from an animal, which means, no dairy, no meats, no fish, or any other animal derived product.  Therefore, for the next four days, I will do just that.  Stay tuned to my four-day vegan trial!