When I left Sacred Heart Church as the Pastoral Associate, I had extremely high blood pressure, I was 50 lbs. overweight and I felt sick and tired ALL THE TIME. I know I wrote a post early in the ski season about how horrible I felt and how out of shape I knew I was when I tried to just walk a few hundred feet to the ski lift...anyhow, I decided that I needed to take better care of myself.
So, I read a couple of books that made me really think.
Thinner This Year was REALLY good....
Younger Next Year was better...
How To Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease was life-changing...
BUT
Eat To Live: The End Of Diabetes made me decide that I had to do this for at least six weeks.
I am not diabetic, and it does not run in my family...but it does run in the family of my husband. I needed to get myself in shape, and inspire my husband so that we can ski when we are 80 for FREE!! That's my goal!
I also wanted to feel a lot better, lose some weight and get off ALL medication...which these books all make possible if I follow a nutritarian diet.
So I decided that the 6 weeks of Lent would be a good time to try this discipline. If I hated it, and couldn't do it, I would at least suck it up for 40 days....and if my bloodwork is amazing after these 40 days, well, then, I will stick with it!
So far, I have lost 11 lbs. and I can walk from the furthest part of the Heavenly Resort parking lot, uphill, without stopping and no heavy breathing. I am exercising every day and I walk at least 5 miles every day( according to my fitbit zip)
I am tracking my calories, and eating vegan; which means no dairy, no meat of any kind, no food at all with a face or a mother, no added salt or sugar, and no oil except a little spray oil for foods that I am making for both me and Kevin; the only processed foods I am eating are canned beans, canned tomatoes (mostly the tomatoes I canned in the fall from the tomatoes I grew in KFalls) or canned tomato paste, or a vegan burger or vegetable pot stickers. I've also had meals in a couple of restaurants and have asked for NO oil vegan meals- most places have been very helpful and cooperative!
Today, I had a delicious meal at a restaurant that features a vegan menu.
Here are some photos of some recent meals...
Vegan bean tacos with avocado and lettuce, steamed corn with red bell pepper, brown rice and homemade pinto beans...
Yellow and Zucchini Squash casserole with baked sweet potato...
Baked Panko Asparagus with a Cannelini Bean and Oats Burger topped with lettuce, tomato and avocado...
Roasted Broccoli with a baked sweet potato and onion mushroom sauce on a lentil loaf slice...
and Vegan Lasagna with Butternut Squash Puree, sauteed mushrooms and Sunflower seed/Panko crust with vegan bechamel and marinara sauce...
The food has been varied, delicious and easy to make!
I am not missing the fat, or dairy or meat. I am hoping my bloodwork will convince the doc to lower or eliminate my BP meds...and maybe, just maybe, this will work for my husband.
We will see!
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