Leaving Veganism Behind

It's been 8 weeks since I transitioned from a high-carb vegan diet to a low-carb pescatarian diet and there's definitely been some changes. The biggest differences have been in my skin and hair. The eczema is still present but it has calmed down, however a lot of people have said that I have more color in my face. Hub and Mom said that I looked like a pale vegetarian and since changing my diet my face looks much healthier. I'm thinking this was down to my iron levels. First I should say that I'm a carrier of this genetic disorder called thalassemia, which makes me mildly anemic. So cutting out all animal products probably didn't do wonders for my iron coupled with the fact that I was shit about eating dark leafy greens like spinach, which are rich vegan iron sources. Hence my former blanched complexion. Who knew, hey?

march on a vegan diet

today on pescatarin diet (same room, same light)

My hair has really changed since I started eating fish and eggs daily. When I transitioned into eating more of a vegan diet, I didn't notice any of the changes in my hair. It seemed healthy to me if anything maybe a little dry. I could get away with not shampooing for a like a week, which I thought was convenient. Since July my hair has become much thicker and shinier and feels so different. Also after two days it becomes oily and needs a wash. Before my hair used to grow so slow, but now it's going through a growth spurt. This article explains the importance of dietary protein in healthy hair and how animal proteins are more easily absorbed by the body. As a wannabe vegan I was fully aware of how little protein I ate. I wasn't keen on the vegan sources available here in Rio and beans are one of most important sources of protein in a vegan diet, but I can't love them as a staple food.

My weight hasn't really changed but I've become more lean, especially around my belly. I'm not sure if I've lost body fat, but I do think I've lost excess water weight. What I've discovered in my low-carb research is that you lose water weight when you cut out starches and sugars and it's kind of awesome. The only thing I need to work on is upping my water intake in lieu of this.

march on a vegan diet

july 13th two weeks in on low-carb

Has it been easy? No, especially when I'm at work and have easy access to french fries, fresh baked sourdough bread and butter chocolate cookies. So yes, there have been moments where I've strayed from my healthy eating plan and I hate it when that happens. I am, however, becoming more aware of just how insulin resistant I am. I'm working through those uncomfortable moments where I just have to keep telling myself "no, Lisa" and I'm checking my blood sugar after every meal, which is really helpful.

It's been interesting reading up on the literature that supports low-carb lifestyle for treating Type 2 diabetes and it's gotten me to question my brief dip into veganism. I've taken comfort in the fact that I'm not alone in the mistakes I've made with my health. And it's about the journey, not the destination right? I look forward to sharing my thoughts and confusion with you all.

Love,
L 

(Salad above is my current lunch favorite - 1/2 canned tuna in oil (dolphin-safe/friend of the sea), 2 cups lettuce, 1 cup celery leaves, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 cup of raw walnuts, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar. SEriously yum.)

Omni Hub's Quote of the Month

I thought I'd give Hub a new name...Omni Hub. He's omnivorous you see, he eats anything except red meat (hurrah!) these days. However, it was something particularly funny he said to me last night that made me think "ah yes this is Omni Hub talking."

After work I decided to tone shits up at a 7pm spin class and Hub was going to make red wine pumpkin risotto for us. I asked him if he could leave out the cheese in my portion to which he replied "yes, darling." Then I asked him if he could leave out the butter altogether and use olive oil instead to which he retorted "Stop trying to take the fun out of things!" He made it without the butter.

Just an example of the everyday clashings between me, the transitioning vegan, and the Omni Hub. 

L

P.S. I enjoyed my risotto but Hub was less impressed with his portion after topping it with handful of Parmesan and knob of butter. Winner. 

Gettin' Over the Hump: Veganism

Veganism...where do I begin? This is something that I'm becoming increasingly passionate about, which is pretty obvious if you follow me. Am I vegan? No. I'd say I probably eat vegan 80% of the time, but there are moments where I can't keep my paws off a dessert or am in a situation where it literally feels like feast or famine. I always choose feast, which usually means consuming a bit of cheese or seafood.

To be honestly frank I'm not sure I'll ever be truly vegan because I'm mostly motivated by the health benefits of the eating lifestyle and less in the overall lifestyle. However, I'm becoming increasingly aware and inspired by compassionate living and reducing my own carbon footprint. I wanted to share a few links that moved me to leap into veganism.

It all started with a prediabetes diagnosis and I remember finding Dr. Neal Barnard's program for reversing diabetes and thought shit! His books and his YouTube videos, including this one for TEDx Talks, pushed me to take a closer look at my diet when I was struggling to stabilize my blood sugars.

I discovered Kris Carr in my research and am completely moved by how she's managed living with terminal cancer for over 10 years through holistic and compassionate living. All her blogs and posts are interesting and insightful.

Early on in my journey my friend Pippa sent me this college lecture by Gary Yourofsky on veganism. If you have an hour it's really worth watching and his enthusiasm makes it a non-snoozer!

The biggest challenge for me about being vegan is seafood. I'm becoming less enamored by fish, but love shellfish especially shrimp. I recently discovered this film about the environmental and social impact shrimp farming has had in countries like Bangladesh. This has made me incredibly sad.

I know that my friends and family struggle to understand my transition into this lifestyle, but I hope this helps in understanding where my head is at. I'd love to hear thoughts, questions, or support from fellow transitioners!

Lots of love,

L

Gettin' Over the Hump

We're almost there but not quite and yet already there.

Lately I've been exploring veganism, but I find it hard to talk about my new found passion outside of Hub. Becoming vegan never crossed my mind until I came across vegetarian advocates like Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Dean Ornish who have shown that a low fat vegan diet can reverse and prevent diabetes. It really struck a cord with me and the nutritional science made sense.

But I love seafood. I feel conflicted about the whole thing. Is it hypocritical to not feel comfortable with eating mammals, but be totally down with lobster? If I did go vegan, what would my family and friends think? What if I tried it out like the Blonde Vegan and then changed my mind?

Here are some hump links on the subject that got me all fired up and confused. Hopefully they'll confuse you too and you can forget about work.

The rise of the non-veggie vegetarian

Do lobsters and other seafood feel pain?

An interesting post explaining why some "vegetarians" are okay with eating fish

If I do want to eat fish, which is better wild fish or farmed fish?

(Pictured above are Blue Crab & Rock Shrimp Fritters from Coastal Flats in Fairfax, VA)