VEGAN Transition

If you have been following my blogs you know that I am a Vegetarian who once was a Vegan who went back to being Vegetarian.  I loved being Vegan (no animal products- no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs) but it did not fit well with my hectic, stressful lifestyle at the time so I needed to add some animal products to my diet.  It has been a few years now and I decided to make the transistion back to Veganism again. I knew there were still some changes I needed to make, however, in order to accomplish this and reap the true benefits.

Over past six months I have been doing some major work on my inner temple.  By this I mean- my heart, my mind and my spirit.  I had an unexpected, personal tragedy occur this year that turned my life upside down. I was slipping back into some of my old habits again and I knew that wasn't good.  I recently began seeing a therapist to help me deal with all of it.  Stress comes and stress goes but it is something we all must deal with. Most of the time, I just try to drown it out by turning up the volume on everything in my life. I recognize this about myself now and I know how it nearly killed me a few years ago. Once again, I began reading books that nourished me.  Instead of turning on the TV for company when I came home from work, I began playing music that was uplifting and filled my house with peace and joy.  I stopped falling asleep on the couch in front of TVevery night and climbed into my nice cozy bed with a good book at a decent hour. I started a morning exercise routine. I lit candles, burned incense, and sipped sparkling water from a wine glass. I cut back on coffee and started drinking more herbal tea. I stopped drinking alcohol and reserved it for special occassions.  That was quite a challenge! Anyone who knows me, knows I love my vodka but every gathering, every occassion, and every weekend involved drinking and lots of it! I was eating more and more carbs, cheese and fish to absorb all the liquor and as result, I was putting on weight. NOT GOOD!  The positive changes I have been making over the past several months became habits, the habits became my lifestyle and finally......I was ready for the Vegan Transition. 

My diet now consists of tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, hummus, tahini, fresh fruit, lots of green vegetables, unsweetened almond milk,  homemade soups, a minimal amount of rice and soy cheeses, some vegan meat alternatives (burgers, veggie sausage), water,  and the occasional treat (emphasis on occasional). I have been eating this way for a week now and I FEEL FANTASTIC! I want share with you some of the changes I have noticed in this short period of time:

I have unlimited energy...........
I already am pretty energetic but now I have energy to spare.......... 

I have taken off weight already......
Yep! This is great side benefit.  I bought a great pair of jeans this summer but never wore them because they were too tight!. I could not even pull them up over my hips two weeks ago!  This morning, I slipped them on and zipped them right up without sucking in my gut! How exciting is that?

I have a few pimples on my face.......
Hold on! What? Aren't zits a bad thing? Not necessarily. I never break out so when I do, I know it is my body's way of eliminating toxins. That's a good thing!

I feel clean.......
Everything I am putting in my body is fresh, clean, whole, nutritious.  No artery clogging, mucous producing cheese or junk food slowing down my body now.

I am satisfied.......
I am not starving by any means.  I am full and content and have no desire or need to snack between meals.  This might sound like a boring way to eat but trust me.....it isn't!

Is a Vegan Diet for everyone? Not neccessarily.  It happens to be working very well for me but it might not work for you- at least not as a permanent way of eating. Can I do this permanently? I would like to but I will listen to what my body has to tell me concerning that.  So far...so good. 

If you are looking to cleanse your body you might want to consider eating this way for a few weeks or so.  It can't hurt, especially when you do it correctly. Eliminating meat and dairy is not going to benefit you at all if you do not make other changes to your diet and your life, as well.

If you would like to learn more or are interested in improving your diet for any reason: weight-loss, health issues, or just because you want to start eating well and don't know how to start, send me an email or contact me on Face Book. I am at your service...........

And this is my Daily Cyn...............