First Meatless Week 2014

Going back in time... June 2014, my first week meatless!

Good things - I felt lighter or less weighed down, and I had more energy and felt less lethargic than I usually felt in the hours after eating a meal with meat. I felt better physically, which made sense as fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties and less saturated fats, so why I felt so much better, almost energized.

Bodily Functions Warning! A TMI side effect was that I was more regular and also oddly to me, had less poo. Looking at the science of it, it makes sense since the foods I was eating more of, have more fiber than the meat I had been eating.

Changes - Two things I noticed for myself that I had to adapt my diet to were feeling hungry sooner, which I had expected, and figuring out how to add protein and iron to my diet that I normally got through meat. I knew I would need to eat more times a day, not just 3 meals as plant based food goes through the body faster than meat. My quick nibble was a stash of cashews and vegetarian protein bars that I kept in my desk drawer at work if I felt myself feeling out of energy or empty. I found eating something 5-6 times a day helped keep my body stable. I found myself eating more fresh food, salads with nuts, and even learned to make things with tofu (I had no idea it was so versatile), so I was eating more fruits and vegetables which made me feel full, but with healthy calories.

Finding proteins - Plant proteins were always there, as a staple part of many daily dishes served around the world and are readily available, but I really had not consciously made an effort to add them into my diet because I had grown up with a meat and potatoes kind of mentality to meals.

There are many charts that show how much protein is in various foods, but I like this simple one https://guidetovegan.com/vegan-protein-sources because the things on the chart I could easily find in Southern Minnesota and they are easy to cook with. The https://guidetovegan.com website is a friendly starting place for someone who wants to try the vegan lifestyle.