Yesterday Lisa and I wrapped our last class of our latest Foundations of Food group coaching series. She asked the group what's your FOR WHAT? Why do you want to eat healthy? As soon as the words crossed my ears I knew my FOR WHAT at the moment. Cliff. My partner and my love is my FOR WHAT. For years I've been my own FOR WHAT nursing myself back to heath post years of sickness and so many surgeries via scar tissue in my trachea. When I was finally "fixed" it was all about learning how to feed myself and then using that knowledge to get well and whole. I'm happy to say that I am indeed well, whole and happily, completely healthy.
Back to Cliff, yesterday he had a wellness appointment at his work (I love his new workplace, they've got some great programs in place to encourage health). The result was high cholesterol/ high blood pressure. It's not a new diagnosis. It runs in his family so there's a genetic component in there. He's been on meds for it in the past. He went experimental vegetarian a few years ago (really flex-itarian eating meat sometimes) and was able to phase off of them. As he said "It might be time to talk about getting back on meds" I began to feel my nose tingle and my eyes well up. I couldn't help it, my entire body was responding to his news. I just kept thinking, I have all this information, people pay me to help them correct this very issue (among others) and the success stories are amazing. This shit works, it does and I love him like crazy and sickness of any kind is not an option. And so there I am with uncontrollable silent tears rolling down my face and I say, "will you consider giving me one month to feed you a vegan diet? ...promise I'll make it fun! and all you have to do is be willing to do it- give up cottage cheese (one of his very favorite things) and eat what I put in front of you! And of course I'll join you."
So yesterday was day 1!
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And the menu was:
Fruit smoothie for breakfast (mango/pineapple/coconut water/ coconut milk and chia seeds). SO fregging good, more like dessert than breakfast and more like a pudding then a smoothie.
Raw veggie soup (made in the vitamix) with kale chips for lunch
Red Beans and Rice (the picture above) with Zucchini, kale, onion and tons of spices for dinner.
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So far I'm winging it on the menu though I've pulled out my fave cookbooks for Cliff to flag things that sound good to him. I'm promising myself I'll actually write down what I'm making and share some recipes with you along the way! I'm so not a recipe follower. It's that essence thing again... I'm a little of this, little of that kind of cook. I see that we have an onion and a kiwi and some spinach and I figure out ways to make it work. I'm getting creative, I'm getting spicy and I'm completely inspired! I'm on a love mission to bring those numbers DOWN!
Huge props to Cliff! I'm so grateful that he's willing to let me share his health journey with you. It's not easy being given those numbers and then having your wife say OH HEY let me blog about your business and share the process. Cliff will be writing a Cliff Notes installment on his numbers, what they mean and how you can check yours!
To the power of love and food! Lacy
