Meat and Bread are Dead!

New Rule: All good blog posts will be written with a generously poured glass of wine.  I tried to do so without one on a cold Wednesday night after work and it was a fail.  I also have Bo Burnham playing in the background...HILARIOUS! So I think funny things need to be in the background as well...that is in order for me to 'perform' properly.  Actually I just spent the last 15 minutes watching it and not typing...HA! anyways...

So, as I said in my previous post: 2014 is my bitch.  This week I decided I was going to start experimenting with healthy eating habits, that will make me feel fabulous!   After listening to avid ultra runner and vegan, Scott Jurek's audiobook Eat and Run and another ultrarunner and vegan, Rich Roll's podcasts recently, while unable to go completely vegan, I  decided to 86 meat for six weeks.    My reasoning is simple: I just want to see how I feel.  The book and podcast emphasize the health benefits of a plant based diet.  I have also watched Forks Over Knives and Vegucated  (both available on Netflix and both recommended by my friend G and his little fiance too, recently titled the 'health fairies', who won't stop recommending healthy shit to my husband and I! They literally made my husband an ultra marathon runner in the course of four months...you need them in your life! ) So revealed in case studies within these documentaries, books, and podcasts is the fact that a plant based diet can reverse and prevent heart disease, cancer, lethargy, inflammation, insert other health ailments here ____.  They also reveal that a plant based diet can improve your athletic skills, clear your mind, and free you of the medicine cabinet (and morning eye boogers!! no joke!) .  I can't just ignore these facts, now that I have the knowledge. In addition to this change, I chose to 86 gluten for these same six weeks, because in the past it has made me feel great.

So in light of this knowledge, I chose to get rid of meat.  If I feel wonderful, cheese and eggs could see a 6 week hiatus from life, but one step at a time.  I choose not to give myself titles, such as vegetarian or gluten free sex kitten, because I am just experimenting right now.  Until I find what works for me, labels are for the birds.

So as this week is ending it is safe to say I feel really good.  Not magical,  I am not bench pressing children during class, but I feel good.  Good enough to continue.  So here is how this week went down:

Saturday and Sunday I said farewell to meat and bread:

I made my husband take me to the Wine Shop in Foxcroft, for my favorite, and the BEST, burger in Charlotte (oh so tasty...)on our Saturday night date. Here is my final meaty encounter before the drop. Nom nom!

 

And on Sunday, I did this....

Walmart had them just sitting there on a shelf, and I said YES! My gluten farewell was spent with the Red Lobster cheddar biscuits, the restaurant's finest dish, fo sho!  Nathan was ecstatic when I served them for breakfast. 

Now comes Monday... this week worked because everything I ate was bangin! 

Green smoothie for breakfast...delicious!  (8 oz almond milk, banana, handful kale, handful spinach, 1/2 green apple, 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp chia seed...blender...drank!) 

  

And then pre- made lunches of peppers, cucumbers, and carrots with hummus or dressing, pack of mixed nuts, and a string cheese.   I was full after every meal and enjoyed it.  Despite sitting next to my 90lb friend/coworker who was eating a BBQ sandwich every day this week, I was still satisfied (and still only maniacally imagined her choking on her sandwich once).

And meatless, gluten free dinners are super easy when I have my guardian chef dog watching me!!

"You go girl!" -Jasper the dog

On the menu this week: Red lentil and Sweet Potato Curry, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili, and Stir fry(not pictured due to it's butter face).  Recipes can be found below because they are DDDDDD-licious! And I could feed hungry husband and myself for three meals, all week. SCORE!

And finally how does one snack with such grueling stipulations?  Scrumptiously, of course! New favorites include: Sliced cucumbers with a dollop of hummus and a sprinkle of curry powder, cayenne pepper, and a splash of salt and pepper AND Greens and an Egg Slam (awesome seussy name I know) sautéed kale with a hint of olive oil and sea salt, with a sunny side egg on top! Oh and sometimes, frequently,  Cape Cod Chips are in my life.

 

 So there it is.  My first week of making 2014 my bitch and I feel good, and am quite impressed with my lack of desire to eat meat and gluten.  Of course I would like to inspire more to look into this way of eating..so I have included some links to inspire, and the recipes to the dinners above. Try one of these and you won't be disappointed!

Now for week two.... 


 Links: 
http://www.forksoverknives.com/
http://www.getvegucated.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rich-roll-podcast/id582272991?mt=2
http://scottjurek.com/eatandrun/

Recipes:

Sweet potato and Red Lentil Curry 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp curry powder
1 chopped large onion
4 minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 diced sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups rinsed red lentils

1/2 can of coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook oil, curry powder and bay leaf for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion with salt, until tender.  Add garlic and ginger and sweet potatoes.  Continue cooking.
   
2. Add lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   Serve with naan, in corn tortillas, or over rice 
   

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups of veg broth
2 sweet potatoes cubed
1 chopped onion
4 tsp of minced garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans black beans
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 lime squeezed of  juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add sweet potato, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth  and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat until the sweet potatoes are cooked.

Add  beans, tomatoes and lime juice and put heat on high for 5 minutes, then return to a simmer, stirring often.  Cook an additional 10 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Cheers to a tasty week!