Mindfull

http://www.alisonpelz.com/

Today I feel like eating. I am not hungry, I just ate breakfast, and a snack. But I want to eat. I doubt that it is my body telling me I need more calories, I have already consumed almonds and granola, followed by tofu and kale and coffee of course. Pretty good for a girl who used to survive on Butterfingers and McDisgusting. But I am sitting here, quietly writing, and my brain is telling me that I am not doing doing doing enough. I have to fill up my time, and what better way than eating? I can multitask, shove a handful of popcorn in my mouth, type a sentence, and continue. That is productivity? Our society is so fast, we work a zillion hours a week and need to fill every waking moment with projects, work or cleaning or exercise. We fill corners of our house with stuff, we carry phones so we can always do something, surf the internet, talk or text. When we take the time to exercise at the gym, we watch tv while we are walking the treadmill, or listen to music while we are lifting weights. What I believe we need, I need, is to slow down, to be quiet and to pay attention. This practice of mindfulness includes eating. How often do I eat while watching tv or driving? Do I even taste that yummy kale, or feel the texture of pan-seared tofu?

The practice of eating mindfully is a foreign concept to me. To sit, to chew slowly, to pay attention to the taste and texture and smell of food, is akin to meditation. As a vegan my food is real, sweet fruits, crunchy vegetables, and savory grains. To enjoy every bite is to experience the food, to squeeze every last drop of pleasure out of the experience. As an experiment, try this exercise for mindful eating, it will change the way you look at food.

In New Hampshire, there is a Center for Mindful Eating. There are numerous resources on the website and there is access to free teleconferences for a 40$ yearly membership. One of the principles of mindful eating: Mindfulness is being aware of what is present for you mentally, emotionally and physically in each moment. What is present for me emotionally today? 

My first visit with a nutritionist

I called my PCP a few weeks ago to obtain a referral for a visit with a nutritionist. Why, they asked. I have no health issues, do not even see my physician regularly. I told the voice on the other end, "because I am vegan." Yup, I pulled the vegan card. I have been a vegetarian for over a decade, and now that I am vegan, folks are always worried about whether or not I am getting enough protein. I was merely interested in becoming a healthier person, one who continues to go without a visit to the doctor. I believe that most health issues stem from what we put into our bodies, whether chemicals from processed food, pesticides, GMOs, hydrogenated oils, or all of the other deadly food products we have floating out there (68% of diseases are diet related). But I was not about to tell the doctor all of this, so I just pulled the vegan card.

My visit was this past week, and was it ever helpful. It actually turns out that I am not getting enough protein in my diet, but with just a few tweaks, I went from 15 to 20% of my calories from protein. I am still a bit shy of what I should be ingesting, but the more I learn about the preparation of beans and other valuable vegan sources, the easier time I will have. It has been a long process, becoming a healthier person. It took me 41 years to discover kale, who knows what the future will bring. All I know is that it is worth it to seek professional help. The visit with a nutritionist helped me to see where I have been doing great with my food choices, and what needs work. I continue to make small changes daily, the more manageable the change, the more likely that it will stick. For now I will head off to look up some recipes for seitan...ooh and lentils.

Acclimation into a Healthier Lifestyle

Easing into healthy eating, it has been a long journey. I have been a vegetarian as long as I can remember, approximately 20 years. But I have only been vegan for a year and a half. I am so glad I made the leap, not only do I feel much better spiritually and ethically, but I  lost weight and feel amazing physically. However, about six months ago I hit a plateau, nothing was changing and I was feeling tired. Then I started reading Brendan Brazier's book, Thrive, a vegan nutrition guide for athletes. I began to slowly add a few healthier alternatives to my "junk food" vegan diet. I had been living off of vegan cheeses and chips among other things...and there are so many vegan desserts, including Oreos! Adding healthier choices, while eliminating an unhealthy food, one at a time, was the kick I needed. I also began to map my food choices via My Fitness Pal. Once I started recording my food intake I began to see where I hadn't been getting bang for my eating buck. The vegan butter was 100 calories per two tablespoon serving while I could eat 3 cups of blueberries for the same 100 calories. Not that I am an advocate of counting calories, but the application helped me to see that I haven't been eating enough protein and my iron intake is super low. Over the past four weeks I have lost an additional 9 pounds. Now I am usually not focused on numbers, but it feels good to finally get back to where I was pre-childbirth. I have had a long struggle with weight loss and gain over the past 22 years and I believe that I have found a balance and recipe for a healthier life. I run everyday and have increased my portions of fruits and vegetables, I have even made green smoothies! I have begun to cut back on my processed sugar intake. The next great hurdle? Caffeine. But I am no where near to being ready to give that up. See you at Starbucks!