3 pounds down in 2 weeks. Not bad for doing nothing other
than not eating animal products.
I see nutritionist Kim ever 2 weeks, to check on my weight,
but mostly for solutions to challenges, ideas for food experiments and especially
for knowledgeable conversation about diet, blood sugar and health, such as her
recommendation to take a B-12 supplement. Yesterday’s visit confirmed my
suspicions that my weight had effortlessly decreased as a result of my
veganventure.
Kim also gave me a suggestion for a cookbook that I ran out
to purchase and I’m so glad I did. The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
is filled with gorgeous pictures and recipes that sound as good as the pictures
look. Especially of interest to me is a chapter on Holiday Foods that already
has me thinking about new dishes to introduce to the Thanksgiving table, along
with (in case my son Bennett is reading this) the turkey, gravy and
cheese-filled spinach pie.
Since Tuesday October 16th was a presidential debate
night, Peter decided we needed a treat and took off for the frozen food section
of the grocery store as I bought bread and coconut creamer. He came back with
coconut treats from SO Delicious: mini dark chocolate-covered coconut almond
bars and coconut ice cream sandwiches, both vegan. Feeling the need to conduct
a quality test, I had a mini coconut almond bar. Oh my. Rich dark chocolate,
crunchy almonds sprinkled on the chocolate coating and creamy coconut milk ice
cream. Magnificent. And that spoon full of sugar definitely helped the debate
go down a bit more effortlessly.
Speaking of sugar, that’s been an important tip from Kim and
something I’ve started paying attention to. When alternatives to dairy are
used, sugar ends up in just about everything. Even my blessed coconut creamer
has sugar added. Just a bit, but its there. Sugar remains a concern of mine,
even though I am feeling terrific and my blood sugar levels are in line. So the
So Delicious treats will be just that…a once in a while treat.
Another find has been Little Lad’s Bakery here in Portland.
It is entirely vegan and produces, for instance, gourmet popcorns with herbed,
BBQ and caramel coatings. Kim suggested I try the herb, as one of the
flavorings used is nutritional yeast. It is savory and satisfying, which says
something coming from me, as I am not a popcorn lover. I also used a bit of it
yesterday to coax my chickens in from the front lawn, where they DO NOT belong.
Someone left the gate to the back yard open. I do believe that someone was me.
But it could have been Rudy the dog. He is a very clever canine.
The caramel coated only comes in small bags…THANK GOD…but is
a rich version of Cracker Jacks, minus the prize. The sugar is there, but it is
not sickeningly sweet and boasts more molasses flavor than strait cane sugar. It
makes for an ideal “I need something to crunch on and that is both sweet and
salty to help me deal with the crisis of the moment” antidote.
However, since weight loss is a goal of this experiment as
well as overall health and medication reduction, such treats will remain just
that. These discoveries did, however, lead me to a realization.
Even vegans need comfort foods sometimes.
Nutritional yeast is awesome in vegan sauces, by the way. Try mixing it with olive oil, water, tahini, garlic,and lemon to top cooked veggies and grains. It's addictive!
ReplyDeleteThanks Shelly! You are SO correct about nutritional yeast. I gagged the first time I smelled it. But have found, as you said, that it adds a depth and savory-ness to just about everything.
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