Today marks my 4th consecutive 100% vegan day. I have been more or less at it for the better part of 2 weeks, but I had some chicken I was working my way through as I didn't want to waste it and throw it away.
I wanted to get some initial thoughts on paper now as I am curious to monitor how my body responds to this experiment, but also because (based on previous experience) it is easy to forget very quickly what life was like during a period of change. I want to "time capsule" these next couple weeks to document what the transition to veganism is like. So, without further adieu....
I have some health items I am curious to track to see if a plant-based diet can address. First is the tumor in my breast. It is benign (a hamartoma), but I'm curious to see if it might shrink. The second is a minor dry skin condition that kinda nags at me. I am suspicious that this might be connected to my third issue, which is that I have bouts of systemic candida. This is most evidenced when I drink alcohol, but I know its there regardless. And I've heard the dermatitis I have is often times associated with candida problems. Also related to candida -- and something I am most interested to track -- is my Hashimoto's Syndrome, a thyroid auto-immune disease. It is rumored that diet can reverse this syndrome, especially when caught early. And I am in the early indicators phase. So, I will be tracking those things along my journey.
Observations
Thus far, even after just a couple weeks of 95-100% veganism, I can say that my energy levels are off the charts. I literally am bouncing around like I'm over-caffeinated all day long; except I'm not. It's actually quite ridiculous, I feel sorry for anyone who has to be around me because I can't calm down ;)
I seem to be recovering from workouts better, too. I have stepped my training up a significant notch, but my muscles bounce back from failure after only about 36 hours now (sometimes it could take upwards of 3-4 days for me to recover). I am supplementing with a little left over glutamine I have here at the house, but otherwise, I rely solely on a diversity of plants to obtain my aminos.
I am also now 3 months completely off of birth control, and I do not intend to ever put my poor body on synthetic hormones ever again. They served their purpose when I was younger and had AWFUL cycles with PMS I could not handle (fatigue, pain, headaches, etc). But now I'm old enough to just deal with it. I'm allowing my body to do 100% naturally what it wants to do; I'm just supplying it with as many nutrients as possible.
Current Supplements
Daily, I take an odorless garlic supplement, a Whole Foods general "Immune Support" herbal blend, a B-12 supplement, probiotics, a glutamine tab (because I have a bottle in my house still that I need to work through), and an enzyme support blend to help in digesting and absorbing the plants I'm eating (particularly the raw ones). I've been reading up and have learned that over time, after switching to a plant-based diet, your body will slowly evolve to be able to handle a greater influx of cellulose-containing food stuffs. As of right now, I do need the assistance of an extra cellulase enzyme boost to assist in the dirty work ;)
Other changes include using plant-based soaps and shampoos (just for the fun of it), I drink about 80-100 fl oz of water a day, and I take my coffee black -- I am about 75% of the way there to actually enjoying it! And I shop exclusively at Whole Foods because the labels are easy for me to determine that the foods I am buying are organic, fair trade and non-GMO. If I am going to go all out with this diet/lifestyle experiment, I want to do it right, And I'm willing to pay for it, so long as the means last.Training
In terms of training, I have switched to HIIT cardio and a lot of circuit training with my PT dudes. This varies from the steady state cardio I have been doing (albeit at an intense level!), and a lifting schedule that included designating specific days for specific muscle groups.
Current Diet
The following is my current diet (for purposes of record keeping, of course :))
Breakfast
2 servings of [fortified] oatmeal
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup organic plain soymilk
1 cup black coffee
Lunch
Green Protein Smoothie! Currently this contains about 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of kale, 1 cup of green grapes, 1/4 avocado, 1 kiwi, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 green apple, 4-6 frozen broccoli florets, 1/2 cup peas, and a scoop of Plant Fusion protein powder.
Snacks
1/2 cup of black beans, 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, and a NuGo vegan non-GMO protein bar (currently in Mint Chocolate flavor).
Dinner
As of right now I am eating homemade baked falafel and toum sauce with a romaine lettuce and tomato side salad dressed with a mixture of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
One of these days I'll get around to calculating the totals of what I'm eating, but these certainly do keep me full! :)
Current Diet
The following is my current diet (for purposes of record keeping, of course :))
Breakfast
2 servings of [fortified] oatmeal
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup organic plain soymilk
1 cup black coffee
Lunch
Green Protein Smoothie! Currently this contains about 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of kale, 1 cup of green grapes, 1/4 avocado, 1 kiwi, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 green apple, 4-6 frozen broccoli florets, 1/2 cup peas, and a scoop of Plant Fusion protein powder.
Snacks
1/2 cup of black beans, 1/4 cup of mixed nuts, and a NuGo vegan non-GMO protein bar (currently in Mint Chocolate flavor).
Dinner
As of right now I am eating homemade baked falafel and toum sauce with a romaine lettuce and tomato side salad dressed with a mixture of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
One of these days I'll get around to calculating the totals of what I'm eating, but these certainly do keep me full! :)
