Don’t forget who you are.
That was important advice from a friend, Leigh, who with her family began a plant based
life style about 6 months ago. I was asking her – well, actually I was
conducting a friendly inquisition – about her diet, health implications and
anything else I could think of when she told me about her family’s decision to
change their entire lifestyle. They had seen the documentary Forks Over Knives together and
immediately decided that they could no longer eat animal-based products.
They jumped into veganism with great gusto. Regardless of
their enthusiasm, Leigh said it was hard…really, really hard until she realized
an important fact. They weren’t being themselves any longer, but were trying to
be who they were not. They were going without dessert, wine and beer and most
baked goods. Loving these foods and missing them made their lifestyle change
more difficult than it had to be. Hence her advice to me.
I raised my glass of Seghesio Zinfandel to Leigh yesterday
for her sage advice. Zinfandel is vegan. And it is red wine. I thoroughly enjoy
good red wine and I’m committed to my veganism for at least 3 more weeks. The
perfect intertwining of my defining characteristics.
I’ve recently read accounts of vegans who have eschewed all
comforts of their past, non-vegan lifestyle in an effort to lead a pure life.
Comforts like wine. Dessert. Eating out. Martyrdom is not something I am
interested in. At all.
Sundays are days that, pre-low
carb diet, I often would bake a treat for the week. Something simple like banana bread, that would provide
us with a quick breakfast but was healthy with whole grains and nuts but light
on fat and sweetener. I have decided to resurrect that sort-of tradition.
Yesterday, the choice was gingerbread.
I thought of doing this late in the day, after the Patriots
had finally decided to shine. It was about 7:45pm and the day was waning. I
opted, therefore, for a healthy, reliable gingerbread mix from Hodgson Mill and
altered it by using “flax eggs” and vegetable oil instead of butter. The
remainder of the mix was vegan and featured whole-wheat flour and all organic
ingredients. I added walnuts and raisins and popped it into the oven. If you havent tried mixes from Hodgson Mill, I encourage you to do so. They are healthy and delicious.
45
minutes later, we had a warm, fragrant, mouth-watering gingerbread with even better
texture than if made with eggs. The dessert was a welcome addition to our
evening menu of left overs and added delightfully to the Columbus Day freedom
of being able to watch football and then Masterpiece Theater (to be followed by
Homeland) and not worrying about setting an alarm for the morning.
As Week 1 draws to a close, I must say that I love this experiment.
I have energy all day. I wake up refreshed and go to bed tired but not groggy.
I feel lighter, even though my weight is only down about 1.5 pounds.
Admittedly, though, this takes more planning than I am used
to, even though I love to cook. A frittata, chicken breasts on the grill or a
quiche is no longer an alternative for a quick meal. I head off for a
conference the end of this week, which will be an interesting and perhaps challenging
experience. I’ve requested vegan meals and have been assured by the conference planners
at Dartmouth College that they have a full compliment of vegan choices. One
question remains.
Should I travel with my coconut milk creamer?
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