Hello World! Been a while . . . part II - PLANTS!

Whole food, plant based nutrition.

It pretty much means to eat like a real vegan. No eggs or dairy. With the added restriction of no oil, added salts or sugars or processed foods. Limit grains and starchy vegetables, nuts and avocados. I like the description of being an un-ethical vegan. I’m not doing this to sympathize with the animals slaughtered for our diet. I’m doing this for health reasons.

Saturday's will still be "cheat days". As Ray Cronise says, Rare and Appropriate.

What does that mean? Stick to the diet.

Except:

   - Ideally once a week, during a 4 hour window, the world is yours. Eat what you want.

   - Holidays aren't often. Eat, but be conscious of it.

   - Other special events, ie birthdays, weddings. Again, be smart about it.

I don't know how close I'll stick to that 4 hour window, but I probably will not. I'll take Saturday.

Why am I doing this? 

   #1 Kevin Smith. He's only three years older than I am. I don't know what his diet has been like, but I at least have been somewhat conscious of what I was taking in. It hasn't all been pretty. Like 60 percent of what I've been eating has been "okay".

   #2 Ever since I got hurt, I've been feeling my age. I'm getting aches and pains that didn't used to bug me before I got hurt. I think that all goes to diet.

   #3 I just need to change something.

Ray Cronise in one of the podcasts on The No Meat Athlete and/or Rich Roll says that when we’re younger, we can get away with eating almost anything. Evolution directed that we take in what fuel we can to make sure we’re strong enough to spread our seed. Once we get to about 40, evolution is done with us. We start breaking down. If we want to make sure we have a healthier lifestyle, we can’t get away with eating junk. We need to start taking in the right nutrients our body needs to run efficiently.

This is what I’m doing during the week for food:

  Breakfast: A cup of oatmeal with berries and/or bananas

  Lunch: 226 grams of greens (spinach, kale mix),

               226 grams of veggies (tomato, cucumber, celery, bell peppers)

               226 grams of steamed veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, squash, carrots).

  Dinner: Same as lunch.

In American numbers, that a pound and a half of food for one meal. 3 pounds a day!

And I’ll tell you, I am so friggin’ STUFFED!

AND IT TAKES SO LONG TO EAT!!!

Luckily I don’t mind bland. But I can see how this kind of diet could be difficult for someone. One of the things I do like is that fruit is encouraged. Actually, they are unlimited, but 4 pieces minimum recommended. But still need to eat the other stuff first. Damn, that’s gonna be hard.

There’s a bunch of other stuff I’m missing, but the gist of it is all here. I hope it goes well.

GD