Title inspired by this amazing blog.
When I started this blog, I liked fruit, carrots, and spinach. I strived to eat whole grains and lean protein often (including but not limited to: eggs, turkey, chicken and fish), as well as low-fat yogurt, milk, and cheese. I even took part in Carne Asada day when my husband got a hankering for a piece o' red meat. I felt fine, I wasn't struggling with acne, low energy levels or weak performance in my exercise. But then again, I wasn't exercising to any super intense levels and I didn't long to anyhow.
Slowly, but surely, I was influenced by other bloggers to up the volume of my daily vegetable and fruit intake and decrease the amount of meat (mainly red) I ate. Words like "cholesterol" and "high in fat" took over my mind, I read books, I watched YouTube videos, I ate every bit of it.
When my fiber intake took a very extreme (and delicious) jump upwards, I began to experience symptoms of IBS and even Celiacs Disease. I also was slowly eating less and less chicken, pork, eggs and cheese. I still had yogurt almost daily and at least one serving of animal meat a week. My tummy was a grump from all the fruit binges (or so I was told, "too much fiber!!"), but I couldn't stop eating the rainbow every day, it was just too dang good. Once again, my running wasn't really getting any better or worse, but I did experience injuries that left me inable to run for months at a time. But that could have just been because of over-training. For my insides, I eventually made an appointment with my doctor after reading about lactose intolerance and Celiacs.
October 2010, I was in the middle of runner's rehab from a knee
injury I had been battling since August, so as I made friends with the
elliptical, I also went off dairy for a month and kept a log of my
symptoms. Guess what? Zero changes. At that time I was eating zero
animal products besides my once-a-week-salmon-fillet, and I was loving
the idea of making the switch to a 100% Vegan diet. The strangest part
of this journey of my mysterious tummy troubles was this: I went to
Mexico that January and ate yogurt, milk, red meat, chicken, Mexican
cheeses and a handful of fruits/veggies a day. 10 days of these foods
and zero stomach issues! Well, besides over-eating one day and a lack of
needing "to go" which I hadn't experienced in over a year or so. I also
began jogging with my papa-in-law at 8,000 feet elevation (felt like I
couldn't breathe!) And ran almost daily for the entire visit without any
knee pain!
Apparently, taking almost 4 full months away from running and
focusing on strengthening the leg muscles with cross training and
weights was a sure-fire way to fix runner's knee and get back to
pain-free movement. But my stomach symptoms? I was confused, I
documented all of it and went to my doctor. We had the choice of
spending thousands of dollars to bring the case to scientific
laboratories and have them do study after study (including gluten
intolerance), or, we could blame it on "too much fiber". But that didn't
give me peace, I wanted all the fiber I could get, and I didn't want to
eat one less piece of homemade wheat bread just for my gut's sake. So? I
continued my salmon-once-a-week way of eating, left all dairy and eggs
and other meat out, and kept the veggies, fruits, beans, legumes, soy
and whole grains close by.
Strange enough, as I write this I realize that almost all of the IBS
symptoms are gone. A few months ago I left salmon and have been on a
full vegan, zero processed food, way of consumin' ever since. I love it
like crazy, I feel amazing, and I don't crave animal products at all. I
am eating even more vegetables than I was before, and giant fruit
smoothies each morning. I have not left gluten, I actually add gluten to
my homemade bread which I eat a few times a week. I eat oats almost
daily as well, which some folks with gluten issues can't consume without
feeling it later. So the past was a silly mystery to me, but I am so
thankful it is over!
And my running (after fighting another injury back in April) has
been doing wonderfully! I brought the cardio training down to only three
days a week (2 track runs of 5 miles each and a long run @ the lake of
6+ miles on the weekend) and on my off days I do 30-40 minute High
Intensity Interval Training sessions (strength training movements,
sometimes with weights, at max intensity over and over and over) as well
as an hour of yoga, if I set aside a day for it. I feel stronger than I
ever have, I'm off my migraine medication that I was taking for 5+
years and I just can't get enough of this life!
Here's the thing: I stopped eating all animal products because I
feel better inside when fueled by all plants. Some people say they do it
to "live longer" but we are not in control of that, God knows our
expiration date and it doesn't change when we swap donuts for carrots.
It's about quality of life - how you feel every morning when you wake,
how you sleep, how you work, how you sweat. I might live 'till my 50's,
60's, 90's, only God knows, and I'm excited about that! I just want to
be running marathons in my 80's, I don't want to be sitting in a wheel
chair, taking 7 pills a day so my body can continue to function. Quality,
not quantity.
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
Thank You, Jesus!!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
When I started this blog, I liked fruit, carrots, and spinach. I strived to eat whole grains and lean protein often (including but not limited to: eggs, turkey, chicken and fish), as well as low-fat yogurt, milk, and cheese. I even took part in Carne Asada day when my husband got a hankering for a piece o' red meat. I felt fine, I wasn't struggling with acne, low energy levels or weak performance in my exercise. But then again, I wasn't exercising to any super intense levels and I didn't long to anyhow.
 |
| my take on chili: as many grilled veggies as possible, pinto beans, chili powder, serrano chilis, tomato, corn, avocado + lime. |
Slowly, but surely, I was influenced by other bloggers to up the volume of my daily vegetable and fruit intake and decrease the amount of meat (mainly red) I ate. Words like "cholesterol" and "high in fat" took over my mind, I read books, I watched YouTube videos, I ate every bit of it.
 |
| When Green Monsters came into my life, I fell in love: spinach/kale, rolled oats, rice milk/water (nowadays I just use coconut water) frozen fruit (banana, strawberries), wheat germ, ground flaxseed, etc. |
When my fiber intake took a very extreme (and delicious) jump upwards, I began to experience symptoms of IBS and even Celiacs Disease. I also was slowly eating less and less chicken, pork, eggs and cheese. I still had yogurt almost daily and at least one serving of animal meat a week. My tummy was a grump from all the fruit binges (or so I was told, "too much fiber!!"), but I couldn't stop eating the rainbow every day, it was just too dang good. Once again, my running wasn't really getting any better or worse, but I did experience injuries that left me inable to run for months at a time. But that could have just been because of over-training. For my insides, I eventually made an appointment with my doctor after reading about lactose intolerance and Celiacs.
 |
| When my first "veggie juice" went poorly (that's what happens when you use a food processor instead of a juicer 'cause you don't own a juicer) I made the veggie mush into delicious pancakes. Take: beets, celery, apple, carrots, a hint of ginger and process it. Then add some oats (to thicken it up) and vanilla. It was a miracle!! Served with green goo and walnuts with raisins, and topped with mashed banana and almonds. |
 |
| 1 frozen banana and 4 frozen strawberries, rice milk and vanilla. |
 |
| homemade Seitan in a jar :) |
 |
| vegan date brownies with walnuts |
 |
| veggie spring rolls with homemade almond butter sweet n' sour sauce inside |
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
Thank You, Jesus!!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
