Day Two - First Test

I had a rough start this morning - I really could have done with a cup of hot coffee ... but I opted for a cup of hot green tea instead. It took me a while to get into the groove, but I got there. I think it's safe to say that my craving had more to do with the fact I'd taken some kava kava to help me sleep last night than it did with caffeine withdrawal. I only recently started taking kava again, and last night I stupidly took it about midnight, which contributed to my grogginess. Taken at a more appropriate time, you feel no grogginess in the morning. It's a great, natural sleep aid.

For those not familiar with kava, here's some info from www.kava.com:

Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol, kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol. Alcohol literally kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, and Kava, when properly harvested, has never actually hurt anyone. Kava has even been known to help reduce alcohol consumption!

Many people find other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help “take the edge off” and focus concentration. Widely prescribed throughout Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.

It's available in different strengths from health food stores.

For breakfast, we had oatmeal. For lunch, I had more of last night's Caesar salad with a side of grapes. David opted to take peanut butter and jelly on whole grain sprouted bread ... only to attend a lunch-time meeting ... with pizza. Piping hot, freshly delivered, good smelling pizza ... heaping with oozy, melty cheese. And ... he ate his PB&J ... good man!

I was tested this evening when I met some girlfriends after work. Yummy cheese and crackers and good looking wine on a hot Summer's night ... and I had an Odwalla green juice. I thought I'd be jonesin' for what they were having but surprisingly I wasn't tempted at all. I felt very satisfied. And now I feel well pleased with myself!

For dinner, David made veggie burgers on a whole wheat bun with a bit of Caesar dressing, avocado, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes and vegan cheddar cheese. He said it was mighty tasty.

A note about vegan cheese. Not all "dairy free" cheeses are vegan; most contain casein which comprises 80-85% of the protein in cow’s milk. (So obviously watch out for casein in the ingredient list if you're lactose intolerant!) The remaining 15-20% is whey. There is conflicting information available on casein. From what I've seen online, it seems to be popular among body builders primarily because:

An attractive property of the casein micelle is its ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained slow release of amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several hours. This provides better nitrogen retention and utilization by the body. (This is from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casein)

It is also controversial because has been linked (most frequently) to the autism spectrum. In fact, a lot of autistic children are encouraged to adhere to a wheat- and milk-free diet. Cancer and elevated cholesterol levels are also mentioned in some articles. Unfortunately, I haven't found an article that explains all of the potential risks of casein ... I'll see what I can find. If you know of a good source of more information, please share it. In the meantime, if you're interested, just google casein, casein-free diet, casein intolerance etc. and you'll find some info. Here's a decent site too: http://www.glutensolutions.com/autism.htm

Onward to day three ...

Day One

Day One was great.

We started the morning by weighing ourselves. We didn't have a tape measure on hand, but we'll measure ourselves tomorrow. We've decided that we'll weigh in and measure up every Monday before breakfast - hopefully we'll see some good results.

For breakfast we had multi grain oatmeal with blueberries, bananas and maple syrup. (Shout out to Carolyn A for the breakfast suggestion!) With OJ on the side and our daily vitamins and flax seed oil, we felt great. My breakfast kept me full until 2pm! Although I need not make a habit of waiting that long as I'm hypoglycemic.

For lunch, I had a facon (Smart Bacon's vegan; Morningstar isn't), lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich on sprouted grain bread - YUM! I brought grapes and an apple to get me through the afternoon, but I only needed the grapes.

At about 3pm, I got a headache and began to crash - that'd be the caffeine withdrawal starting. At 3:30 I made myself a cup of green tea, took a pair of advil and felt markedly better by 4pm.

David was off of work today so he ate some different things. He had the same lunch as I did, but he also had a handful of blackened pumpkin seeds and some veggie chips, as well as some grapes.

When I got home, we made the salad dressing for our vegan Caesar Salad (recipe below) and then headed to the gym - where we saw Liza B and her cute new haircut! We did 30 minutes of cardio and hit the road - not trying to conquer a mountain on day one. We figured if we made it too hard core, we'd have a hard time motivating. So today, we made a good, strong, babystep :)

Seeing as David and I both ate grapes today, I thought I'd share some of the health benefits I read about them in The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray:

Nutritional Highlights: Grapes provide nutritional benefits similar to those of other berries. Their nutritional quality can be enhanced by eating the seeds, which are edible in all varieties. More specifically, grapes are very good sources of manganese and good sources of vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, potassium, and vitamin C. In addition, grapes contain flavonoids and the compound resveratol.

Health Benefits: Grapes are an excellent source of health-promoting flavonoids. Typically, the stronger the color of the grape, the higher the concentration of flavonoids. These flavonoids are extremely powerful antioxidants. They have been shown to reverse atherosclerosis, protect against vascular damage, and prevent blood platelets from clumping together to form potentially serious blood clots.

Resveratol belongs to a group of compounds called phytoalexins that plants produce in self-defense against environmental stressors, such as adverse weather or attack by insects. Resveratol acts as an antioxidant and has also been shown to reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries. In addition to possibly reducing the risk for atherosclerosis, animal studies demonstrate some anticancer effects and anti-inflammatory action.

OK, now the Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Crouton Recipe from Veganomicon:

Caesar Dressing (makes lots):
1/3 c. slivered or sliced blanched almonds
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 lb. silken tofu
1/4 c. olive oil
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tbs. capers
4 tsp. caper brine
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
salt

Croutons:
1/4 c. olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic (recipe under this one)
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 baguette cut/torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 tsp. salt

Salad:
1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped
pepper

To prepare the dressing: pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Empty the ground almonds into a large jar (this is where you'll add all of the rest of the blended ingredients later, so make sure it's big enough to store your dressing). Blend the tofu, garlic and oil until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, brine, sugar, mustard powder and pulse. Adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. Add to the container with the almonds; stir to combine. Cover and allow to chill for 1/2 hour +.

To prepare the croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine olive oil, roasted garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl; mash together until creamy. Add the bread and toss to coat. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake for 10-14 minutes - toss a time or two so that they don't get too brown on one side.

Toss greens with dressing. Add croutons, toss again. Sprinkle with pepper. YUM!!

This salad is DELICIOUS. I'm eating it as I type. It has more oil in it than I'd like to use right now, but not if you consider that we'll get several servings from the dressing and croutons we made. I wasn't super keen on making my own croutons tonight ... but it was totally worth it!

How to Roast Garlic: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take one or more whole bulbs of garlic; cut off about 1/2 an inch off the top, exposing the top of each clove. Drizzle with olive oil, about a tablespoon. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. For slightly caramelized cloves, unwrap the top and let roast for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe is not for the garlic averse. It's pretty strong. But we love garlic, so we'll definitely make it again.

Abbreviated info from The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods:

Nutritional Highlights: Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of manganese, selenium, and vitamin C. In addition, garlic is a good source of other minerals, including phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron and copper.

Health Benefits: It is beyond the scope of this book to detail all of the wonderful properties of this truly remarkable medicinal plant. Garlic appears to provide protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease. Garlic has also demonstrated blood pressure-lowering action in many studies. Garlic also has a long history of use as an infection fighter. It's effective not only against common infections, such as colds, flu, stomach viruses, and Candida yeast, but also against powerful pathogenic microbes, including tuberculosis and botulism. Garlic also appears to offer protection against some cancers, including colon cancer. The beneficial effects of garlic are clearly quite extensive. Its use as a food should be encouraged, despite its odor, especially by individuals with elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, Candida infections, asthma, infections (particularly respiratory tract), and gastrointestinal complaints.

With that, I'm off to bed!

Two Things ...

Forgot to mention two things last night:

1. Every box of breadcrumbs I looked at in Harris Teeter had milk as an ingredient, and some even had eggs!! I find that weird. I shall be making my own.
2. Trader Joe's has beautiful, grape-sized heirloom tomatoes at the moment - purple, red, yellow, green. They're gorgeous. Did I walk straight into a marketing trap? Are they GMO (genetically modified organisms)? Or are they legit and we're just lucky?

The countdown is on!

The alcohol we joyfully consumed with friends last night necessitated that we eat a suitable breakfast ... and we chose a Bojangles biscuit with egg and cheese, and coffee from Starbucks!!! This meal represents the antithesis of what we'll eat over the course of the next 30. Subconsciously, I think our bodies were calling out for a last hurrah ... and we answered the call.

For the rest of the day, I was curled up on the couch with my nose in books. I read through the first half of Veganomicon and one of the best resources in our kitchen - The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray. I wrote down titles of recipes that caught my eye, talked them through with David, cross referenced our schedule this week and came up with a plan and a shopping list.

My first stop was the Healthy Home Market on Independence, formerly known as The Home Economist (same owners, new name ... I don't know why). For those who don't know, this store is a great resource - all of their staff, especially in the HBA section, are super knowledgeable. They have a fantastic, well-stocked bulk section too - I bought smoked paprika for $0.45, tarragon leaf for $0.18 and cumin for $0.52 - it makes for an economical way to try recipes that call for spices you don't anticipate needing much of, or haven't tried before.

Their bulk section has a great selection of rices, grains, flours, sugars, salts, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, teas etc. I bought some six-grain "oatmeal" that has red wheat, white wheat, barley, rye, rolled oats and sunflower seed flakes. I also got some yummy veggie chips, like potato chips but with sweet potato, taro, squash, carrot and green beans. Although, there weren't many green beans in today's mix; I think someone must have fished them out of the bin ... which I don't blame them for, they're the best.

I also picked up some nutritional yeast, which is delicious and essential for vegetarians and vegans. The Veganomicon authors describe it this way: "Not to be confused with brewer's yeast or any other kind of yeast, 'nooch' (as we call it) is great to add an umami (savory) taste to sauces or sprinkle on rice and beans. Most commonly, this mustard-colored yeast comes in flake form ... but sometimes you'll find it in powdered form, which is just ground up flakes."

We also bought a 30-day supply of Vitamin Code - which we've had before and love. They're metabolically active, extreme nutrient synergy, and raw food created. Of the raw food options, they're the most affordable ... but still costly. We wanted to make sure we stayed balanced and supported throughout our experiment, so it was a necessary expense.

Also, because won't be eating seafood, we bought an Omega-3 (6 & 9) supplement - Health From the Sun Organic Flax Oil, which is one of the few pill-form products available in Charlotte that are vegetarian. (FYI, most caplets are made from gelatin, which is usually made from cow bones, or sometimes fish bones.) Omega-3, 6 & 9 fatty acids are essential for brain function, which is why vegatarians and vegans must take a supplement. The best source of Omegas is fish oil, but flax and hemp are also great.

One caveat about Home Economist ... given that it's an independent store, items you can ordinarily get in another store are more expensive there. Smart Bacon, for example, is $4.29 at Home Economist but is like $3.59 at Harris Teeter. The same is true for EarthFare, which is a beautiful store with endless choices. We used to shop there exclusively, but in this economy it's not an option. BTW, there's a second Home Economist location on South Blvd too, near Southend.

My next stop was Trader Joe's, which we love and live by. It was interesting to study the labels of items we frequently buy to find out which were out of bounds this month. One product we love to dip in hummus is their Masala Naan ... which has eggs in it, so ... . Also not an option is their Sesame Honey-Covered Cashews (that's not the exact name) that have butter in them! Y'all, they're SO good ... you have to get some next time you're there. They should give a free bag to people who are on the fence about "switching" ... they're that good.

I got most of what was on my list but, unfortunately, TJ's latest shipment drove up as I was leaving, so I missed out on a number of items on my shopping list ... which meant that I then headed on to Harris Teeter. They too lacked some ingredients, but I was able to fulfill almost my whole list. Will have to pop by another store later in the week to get the rest. I'm OK with that, but I hope this isn't a weekly occurence!!

So, to rid ourselves of the last stick of butter in our fridge, we made a recipe from a cookbook from one of our favorite restaurants called The Grit in Athens, GA. Our dear friends Rebecca and Mark used to live there and whenever they visit America (they live in France now) we always return to The Grit. Rebecca gave me the cookbook a few years ago as a gift - I love it and think of her everytime I use it. Thanks Becs! Here's the recipe for The Golden Bowl, with minor changes based on our experience of making it a hundred times:

INGREDIENTS

Brown rice
Veggies for steaming, like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc.
1 15oz block of firm/extra firm tofu
3/4 c. + 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 sticks butter/vegan margarine
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. soy milk
1/2 c. soy sauce +
1 3/4 c. hot water
2 tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Oil

Rice first:

• Throw a pot of water on to boil and get some brown rice going ... we like brown basmati, so aromatic!

To make the tofu:

• Cut firm or extra-firm tofu into cubes just smaller than playing dice. If you haven't made tofu before, our suggestion is to cut it into rectangular "slabs" and then blot both sides of each slab with paper towel to remove the excess water ... and then cut the slabs into cubes.
• Lightly oil a skillet (we like toasted sesame oil best) and heat over medium-high heat; add tofu. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then turn each piece over; it should be golden brown on the side that had been face down ... if it isn't, let it sit a few minutes more.
• Once two or three sides are brown, sprinkle lightly with soy sauce, saute briefly.
• Remove from skillet, draining and discarding excess fluid if necessary. Wipe skillet dry and lightly oil again. (This step isn't necessarily necessary if you have a super-good nonstick pan.)
• Once very hot, reintroduce tofu into the pan; saute.
• Sprinkle with more soy sauce to taste.
• Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to coat tofu cubes; toss vigorously and remove from heat.

Next, throw the veggies in to steam ...

To make the yeast gravy (this makes A LOT of gravy, you probably want to half it for 2-4 people)

• In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of soy sauce, hot water and Worcestershire sauce and set to the side. (Note: Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies; vegan Worcestershire sauce is available at health food stores.)
• Melt butter or vegan margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Mix together wheat flour and nutritional yeast.
• Whisk into melted butter, whisk constantly for about four minutes, which is the amount of time that's needed to cook the roux to smoothness.
• While continuing rapid whisking, gradually add soy milk (rice milk works too). The mixture will quickly become thick and custard-like.
• Add the soy sauce/water/Worcestershire sauce gradually. Blend well after every addition.
• If the gravy is too thin, cook a little longer and then let cool. It'll thicken up.
• If it's too thick, add a little more water.

Pile rice in the bottom of a bowl, top with tofu and steamed vegetables and top with gravy. Cheese is good on top of the gravy too.

Preparing for our launch into the gastronomosphere!

In T minus two days, we'll be vegan. We'll also be caffeine and alcohol free. For 30 days.

Six years ago, David chose to become vegetarian; five and a half years ago I followed suit. A year and a half ago, we minimally reintroduced fish into our diets for the simple reason that we missed it. In two days time, we'll adopt a new set of gastronomic rules ... we feel like we have to.

Both of us are predisposed to experiencing a number of health problems later (or sooner?) in life. We both have diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a number of other serious and life threatening diseases in both of our family trees. Sadly, this is the story of the typical Western -world family. We're going to try and encourage our branches to grow in a different direction. We're going to try and put some prevention in the mix. We believe that most every ailment out there is linked to choices we make - what we eat, our level of activity, our stress level etc. We're going to try making different choices. We're starting with a 30-day experiment. After 30 days we'll reassess.

Here are our rules:

1) No animal products. No seafood. No eggs. No cheese. No dairy, period.

2) No alcohol.

3) No caffeine. Well, no coffee. Given its benefits, we're allowing green tea.

4) Limited oils.

5) Lots of water.

6) At least two work out sessions per week.

We've both been making a concerted effort to drink a lot of water for a while now - for a spell, I was drinking a gallon every day, now I drink about three quarts. The other rules are going to take some adjusting - we love cheese, wine, coffee and olive oil. But, we have the rest of our lives to eat these things if we choose to, we can handle 30 days.

As far as two work outs a week ... we try to incorporate trips to the gym into our weekly routine, but it rarely happens - we have a million excuses, and most are well valid - but we HAVE to exercise more. Generally, we eat very well but we are so sedentary. We sit at our desks glued to our computer screens for 8-9 hours a day; at the end of the day, we're mentally exhausted ... not a healthy situation. So, two sessions a week - we don't have to go to the gym, we can walk in the park, do videos at home etc. But we have to be in "work out" mode - running to catch the train, or hustling to the bank and taking all of the stairs on the way doesn't count.

Our number one health concern right now is diabetes, so the vegan aspect of our 30-day experiment is based on a book we've started reading called "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes". I'm no expert, so forgive my simple definition but my understanding is that with Type 2 or adult-onset diabetes, glucose is overly prevalent in the body; it isn't processed by the red blood cells as it should be. Our pancreas produces insulin for the sole purpose of "escorting" glucose into our red blood cells, which then convert the glucose into energy.

According to Dr. Barnard, insulin serves as the "key" that fits into the "lock" in the blood cell; when you have type 2 there's "gum" in the lock, so the glucose can't get in - so it hangs out elsewhere, causing trouble. Having conducted extensive research over the course of his career, Dr. Barnard's theory is that the "gum" is animal fat. Yikes! Thus, he concludes that a vegan diet is ideal for diabetics. If you read the dust jacket, or even the first few chapters, you won't see the word vegan anywhere - he demonstrates the benefits of this lifestyle by describing one experiment at a time. His "subjects" have lost tons of weight, are no longer dependent on medication or are using far fewer medications, and have way more energy. As we read more, we'll share more. What we've read so far, though, is enough to drive us vegan!

So ... to prepare, we've been eating every-non-vegan thing in the house! No temptations or accidents-waiting-to-happen in our fridge! We've asked vegan friends to share their favorite recipes and have ordered tons of vegan cookbooks from the library - I've reached my limit on book requests, so I'll order more as they come in. So far, we've requested:

Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Have you ever heard of a cooler name for a cookbook? It came in yesterday and I've started reading it - looks like I might have to buy it! Thanks for the recommendation Amy W!)

How it All Vegan! Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet by Tanya Barnard
(wonder if she's related to Neal Barnard??!)

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen: Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Dishes from the Healthiest Place Under the Sun by Donna Klein

Vegan a Go Go: A Cookbook and Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road by Sarah Kramer

Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For - From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (I'm very excited about this one - we live for weekend brunch! See us buying this one too!)

Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World by Robin Robertson (Shout out to Liza B, formerly of Harvard Common Press!)

The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Vegan With A Vengeance: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Vegan World-Fusion Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom From Our Hearts to Yours by Mark Reinfeld

Big ups to the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County for having all of these titles and more!! we heart the library.