30 days ago was August 21. Cliff came home from his wellness exam, leaned against the dresser and said "we might need to talk about me going back on medication." I listened intently, cried and then got into the kitchen! If you would have asked me a year ago if I liked cooking I would have told you NOPE- not even a little- can't be bothered. I liked taking care of myself and cooking was a necessary evil so I did it. These past 30 days I've fallen in love with cooking and the pure joy it can bring. Learning to cook is now definitely on my top 10 list of the best things I've ever done for happiness in my life. I am so proud of Cliff for being willing to try this experiment & once more here I am saying (respectfully) THIS SHIT WORKS! Organic, whole foods, living with intention and eating mindfully are mighty powerful___LIFE CHANGING EVEN!
-Lacy
p.s. I'll be back Monday with a post about what he ate/ what I ate/ our favorite meals from the 30 days and where we plan to go from here!
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The final tally after 30 days of vegan is quite impressive!
I lost just over 8 pounds; I went from 187 down to 179. My goal is to reach 175 and see how I look and feel, so this level of nutrition and energy is working super well.
Here is what I did…
Every Sunday Lacy and I prepared meals for the 5 day week ahead. Fortunately, I work MWF only so we could supplement in between days. I have to say, the whole thing is kind of labor intensive when you first start. Mostly because I just didn’t know what I would like and what I could actually eat (that is vegan). Once you start reading ingredients it’s a whole new world. Preparing and packaging for lunches at work is an added time consumer. Still, as time went on we got it down and by the third week we were little vegan food prepping machines! I have to say at this point that I really don’t know if I could have pulled this off without the support of my amazing wife. You really have to have your person not only on board but in full “you can do this” mode. Thank you Lacy for getting up each work morning at 7, prepping and packing every lunch with great thoughtfulness and creativity and all by the ‘hit the door’ time of 7:30. Whew! Salads with dressing, carrot and sweet potato soups, cold cereal in one jar and almond milk in the other, avocado dip with vegan chips, rice and beans, collard green wraps, faux chicken salad, meatless meatball spaghetti,…etc. I started each morning with either a fruit smoothie or a veggie juice. I could hear the whirrrr of the machines through my shower water.
My weight went down effortlessly and my blood pressure went down also from 140/85 to 130/78. My resting pulse rate went from 71 down to 51 beats per minute and I am sure my cholesterol is down but I am waiting for our company heath director to recheck it for me. I will let you know about that when I get it.
Overall, I am impressed with the vegan food lifestyle. I know there are people out there who will take to it like a duck to water but I struggled in the beginning. Looking back over my experience, I will happily embrace most aspects of the lifestyle. Adding back in my beloved eggs (although mostly whites), cottage cheese, some fish and a little red meat (maybe once a month from a local humane and organic ranch). I listened to an eye opening radio documentary on the sushi trade the other day and it broke my heart. I will not be going back to that table again unless and until some dramatic industry-wide changes are made.
In summary: Great news! I learned that you are not bound to your genetics and doomed to live with the disabilities you inherited. Your body will respond to even 30 days of change and reward you with health and happiness. Imagine living this way for the rest of your life. How healthy, slim and powerful will you be after 60 days? One year? Ten years?
Stay thirsty for life my friends,
Cliff
