Day 20....
Wow, almost done the cleanse, can't believe it's been three weeks already.
I don't want to post any overall results just yet as I'm sure Angie and I will do that soon but I wanted to go over a question that has been following me from coworkers, friends, and family from the last three weeks.
"How can you be doing this without meat?! You must not be getting all your protein, we NEED protein to live!"
Okay, well to start off, yes it's true, the body does need protein to operate, and yes, one of those sources is meat. But really when it comes down to it it's that it's a giant myth that we need to eat copious amounts of it to make us big strong foodies. After doing the reading we've found that the 'recommended daily allowance' for what the body actually needs is only 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. Which really isn't a lot when you look at it. Using myself an an example I would need roughly 61 grams of protein a day (works out to about 170 pounds).
Just to make it more visual, a 4oz burger comes to 28 grams of protein and a 6oz steak has 42 grams. So even just right there if that is is two of your daily meals (and I admit, had been mine on occasion) I'd be looking at over my daily allowance, not even counting everything that went with it.
Okay, back to my point here, one of the greatest things I've learned about this cleanse (aside from fresh morning juice) has been that you can find protein elsewhere, and it really isn't hard to incorporate it into a daily routine and meal plan.There are a tonne of other sources out there to get what you need.
Some examples of our favorites so far:
1/4 cup Almonds - 8 grams
1 cup Cooked broccoli - 5 grams
1 cup Cooked brown rice - 9 grams
1/4 cup Cashews - 5 grams
1 cup Chickpeas - 15 grams
3 Tbps Hemp seeds - 15 grams
2 Tbps Flaxseeds - 4 grams
1 cup Lentils - 18 grams
1 cup Cooked Quinoa - 6 grams
1 cup Tempeh - 30 grams
1 oz Walnuts - 4 grams
So really there are other places to look then that massive medium rare steak or that burger from Wendy's to get your daily dose. All it really takes is a little planning and some fun recipes (which there are thousands out there that don't make the end product taste like cardboard). It really has changed my mind on the way I look at meat and what we put into our bodies.
Now I can't say that I'm giving up meat altogether after this cleanse. I still do enjoy a good lamb rack, medium rare bovine, or a chicken breast as much as the next person. But it will no longer be a 'need to have it on the plate' come dinner time. It will be treat for us, something we can enjoy every now and then. Next adventure for us will be to find a local butcher that has locally sourced product...
-Cody
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Make juice, not war...
Day 12. Day twelve!
For the few people who have been following this you've probably been wondering what the hell happened to us..... 'did they cave?' No, we are still here and we are more than half way through the cleanse! A typical day of food goes like this: warm/hot water with lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne to cleanse the liver and promote circulation (and holy crap it sure wakes you up in an instant!), followed by our green sludge juice elixir (approx 16 oz of juiced cucumber, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli stems, pears, gingerroot), followed by a herbal tea (caffeine free of course). Lunch usually consists of a large salad: kale, red pepper, sprouts, avocado, flaxseed oil, lemon juice, a dash of sea salt and cayenne. Snacks include almonds and fruit - berries, banana, etc. And lots of herbal tea throughout the day or water with a couple shots of aloe juice. Also A LOT of grocery shopping...the amount of vegetables we go through is pretty insane. Dinner is freshly made every night - the menu consists of things like: tunisian kale salad with olives and lemony raw tahini dressing, mediterranean quinoa with capers, nori rolls served with miso broth/zucchini somen and shiitake, roasted tomatoes stuffed with pine nut spinach pate and young dill.... shall I go on? Tonight I am making southwest black bean and roasted sweet potato burgers with a side of palak paneer (spinach with cream sauce). I have to say our meals have been pretty incredible. Fresh, bold flavors and an abundance of nutrients when served in their raw form.
It's been fun so far and surprisingly easy. I wake up in the morning feeling rested and excited (pre-cleanse this was rarely the case...a fire alarm could sound and I would rather stay in my comatose state of sleep than run for safety.) Overall I feel positively happy, more balanced with my mind and body, and I have a lot more energy throughout the day. I'm also not getting hunger pangs or bloating like I use to. I feel as light as a feather and it feels wonderful. Even my allergy symptoms have started to subside.... come to think of it, I haven't taken an allergy pill in about a week now (I usually take at least 2 pills per day). No more congestion or sneezing and the unusual death grip on my heart when I lay down to sleep at night (probably associated with allergies) no longer attacks me. Not to mention I've been sleeping better than I have in years. My skin is even starting to glow... I really couldn't ask for more.
Cravings for anything on the CANNOT HAVE list are fairly nonexistent. One thing I'm excited for again is a glass of wine or a nice cold beer.... I could probably go another month or so without meat or dairy. My taste buds are happy and they are loving vegetables and fruit like they never have before...
And bonus round! Cody has lost about 6 lbs since we started and I have lost 2 lbs! yay!
I think that's all for now...time to start dinner :)
-Angie
p.s) Save your pennies and buy a juicer people! Look at all the frigen vegetables in the grocery store...how many have you tried before? They need a home in your belly!
Our current addition to the family: le Hurom http://www.slowjuicer.com/
For the few people who have been following this you've probably been wondering what the hell happened to us..... 'did they cave?' No, we are still here and we are more than half way through the cleanse! A typical day of food goes like this: warm/hot water with lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne to cleanse the liver and promote circulation (and holy crap it sure wakes you up in an instant!), followed by our green sludge juice elixir (approx 16 oz of juiced cucumber, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli stems, pears, gingerroot), followed by a herbal tea (caffeine free of course). Lunch usually consists of a large salad: kale, red pepper, sprouts, avocado, flaxseed oil, lemon juice, a dash of sea salt and cayenne. Snacks include almonds and fruit - berries, banana, etc. And lots of herbal tea throughout the day or water with a couple shots of aloe juice. Also A LOT of grocery shopping...the amount of vegetables we go through is pretty insane. Dinner is freshly made every night - the menu consists of things like: tunisian kale salad with olives and lemony raw tahini dressing, mediterranean quinoa with capers, nori rolls served with miso broth/zucchini somen and shiitake, roasted tomatoes stuffed with pine nut spinach pate and young dill.... shall I go on? Tonight I am making southwest black bean and roasted sweet potato burgers with a side of palak paneer (spinach with cream sauce). I have to say our meals have been pretty incredible. Fresh, bold flavors and an abundance of nutrients when served in their raw form.
It's been fun so far and surprisingly easy. I wake up in the morning feeling rested and excited (pre-cleanse this was rarely the case...a fire alarm could sound and I would rather stay in my comatose state of sleep than run for safety.) Overall I feel positively happy, more balanced with my mind and body, and I have a lot more energy throughout the day. I'm also not getting hunger pangs or bloating like I use to. I feel as light as a feather and it feels wonderful. Even my allergy symptoms have started to subside.... come to think of it, I haven't taken an allergy pill in about a week now (I usually take at least 2 pills per day). No more congestion or sneezing and the unusual death grip on my heart when I lay down to sleep at night (probably associated with allergies) no longer attacks me. Not to mention I've been sleeping better than I have in years. My skin is even starting to glow... I really couldn't ask for more.
Cravings for anything on the CANNOT HAVE list are fairly nonexistent. One thing I'm excited for again is a glass of wine or a nice cold beer.... I could probably go another month or so without meat or dairy. My taste buds are happy and they are loving vegetables and fruit like they never have before...
And bonus round! Cody has lost about 6 lbs since we started and I have lost 2 lbs! yay!
I think that's all for now...time to start dinner :)
-Angie
p.s) Save your pennies and buy a juicer people! Look at all the frigen vegetables in the grocery store...how many have you tried before? They need a home in your belly!
Our current addition to the family: le Hurom http://www.slowjuicer.com/
Friday, May 27, 2011
of Diet and Detox
I woke up on Tuesday morning after our first full day of true veganism with both a splitting headache and a crazy sore back. Knowing I actually hadn't done anything physical the day before to merit this pain I knew what this was, and knew it was coming, I had read about it, the dreaded....
Detox!
( Cue Dramatic Prairie Dog )
The following few days had been quite the experience. From spiking pains in what I think was my liver (yes Mum, I'll admit this frequent-casual drinker may imbibe a little much), to the zombie-esque mind-clogged shuffle through the office, I was feeling it. I thought I had prepped for this experience but never really cutting anything off cold turkey before definitely sent a shock to the system, my body and mind were angry at me. If only I could tell them to calm down, this is for the best, and to trust me, I (sort of) knew what I was doing.
It's slowly been getting better and this morning I woke up fully clear minded and with a much lighter step. Drank my lemon/cayenne tea and our morning green drink and skipped out of the house. Sure, the fact that it's Friday may have a little to do with it as well, but it's also good to note that we're almost a week down from when we started, and we're still alive! :)
So lesson learned on this one, Angie played it smart and started weening herself off of the the 'bad' stuff the week before so she didn't get hit as hard as I did. But I guess it's also for the best as my experience can help anyone reading this realize that if they ever do want to give it a shot and turn to the green. Be prepared for some kickback...
-Cody
Detox!
( Cue Dramatic Prairie Dog )
The following few days had been quite the experience. From spiking pains in what I think was my liver (yes Mum, I'll admit this frequent-casual drinker may imbibe a little much), to the zombie-esque mind-clogged shuffle through the office, I was feeling it. I thought I had prepped for this experience but never really cutting anything off cold turkey before definitely sent a shock to the system, my body and mind were angry at me. If only I could tell them to calm down, this is for the best, and to trust me, I (sort of) knew what I was doing.
It's slowly been getting better and this morning I woke up fully clear minded and with a much lighter step. Drank my lemon/cayenne tea and our morning green drink and skipped out of the house. Sure, the fact that it's Friday may have a little to do with it as well, but it's also good to note that we're almost a week down from when we started, and we're still alive! :)
So lesson learned on this one, Angie played it smart and started weening herself off of the the 'bad' stuff the week before so she didn't get hit as hard as I did. But I guess it's also for the best as my experience can help anyone reading this realize that if they ever do want to give it a shot and turn to the green. Be prepared for some kickback...
-Cody
Monday, May 23, 2011
The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives
Alright folks, so here it is, the morning of day one.
Angie and I spent the good portion of yesterday getting the tools we needed to start us off today. And by 'tools' I mean walking into Whole Foods and grabbing everything green we could get our hands on. I have to say it's a little scary walking into a foreign environment and not knowing your way around. Not that we've NEVER purchased vegetables before, but purchasing on this scale was a little...overwhelming to say the least. Thankfully the staff are friendly and were just as excited as we were when we mentioned our new cleanse. We were set, bags overflowing with the green goodness and gluten free product. Tho our wallets a bit lighter then expected, we were happy in knowing this is for the best and very excited to start.
Yeah I know it's a bit early to start the posting of the first day's events but couldn't help it. We started this morning by un-boxing and reading up on our new juicer (Hurom Slow Juicer for those wondering at home). Once the instructional video has given us the OK to plug the bad boy in, we were set. The power of green was now in our hands...crap...now if only we knew what to put in it...Ang quickly grabbed Kris' book and flipped to the first green juice listed. Purple kale, celery, romaine lettuce, cucumber, pear, ginger, broccoli stems and sunflower sprouts were quickly broken down and fed through the little tube in top.
From below came a sludge of green and purple goop....wait...what?...did we do something wrong? did we miss a piece in the machine somewhere? was this the magic green elixir we had been reading up on (and granted never seen a picture, which now makes perfect sense)? We looked at each other in horror as the twisting maelstrom of what looked like the morning after a bad night out poured out of the chute.
Of course, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy, and knowing that things are no longer going to be the alchemy twisted, preservative added, pre packaged swill we were used to from the supermarket. We got the notion out of our noggin's that this wasn't going to be a bad thing, this was change, this was green, this is what we're here for, and we're doing this for us.
After our warm water with lemon and cayenne tea we poured our new juice into a couple glasses, popped in some straws, and never looked back. Although this concoction may not look palate pleasing, it tasted (not surprisingly)...green.
Hell, this isn't going to be so bad. Morning of day one down, twenty and three quarters to go!
-Cody
Angie and I spent the good portion of yesterday getting the tools we needed to start us off today. And by 'tools' I mean walking into Whole Foods and grabbing everything green we could get our hands on. I have to say it's a little scary walking into a foreign environment and not knowing your way around. Not that we've NEVER purchased vegetables before, but purchasing on this scale was a little...overwhelming to say the least. Thankfully the staff are friendly and were just as excited as we were when we mentioned our new cleanse. We were set, bags overflowing with the green goodness and gluten free product. Tho our wallets a bit lighter then expected, we were happy in knowing this is for the best and very excited to start.
Yeah I know it's a bit early to start the posting of the first day's events but couldn't help it. We started this morning by un-boxing and reading up on our new juicer (Hurom Slow Juicer for those wondering at home). Once the instructional video has given us the OK to plug the bad boy in, we were set. The power of green was now in our hands...crap...now if only we knew what to put in it...Ang quickly grabbed Kris' book and flipped to the first green juice listed. Purple kale, celery, romaine lettuce, cucumber, pear, ginger, broccoli stems and sunflower sprouts were quickly broken down and fed through the little tube in top.
From below came a sludge of green and purple goop....wait...what?...did we do something wrong? did we miss a piece in the machine somewhere? was this the magic green elixir we had been reading up on (and granted never seen a picture, which now makes perfect sense)? We looked at each other in horror as the twisting maelstrom of what looked like the morning after a bad night out poured out of the chute.
After our warm water with lemon and cayenne tea we poured our new juice into a couple glasses, popped in some straws, and never looked back. Although this concoction may not look palate pleasing, it tasted (not surprisingly)...green.
Hell, this isn't going to be so bad. Morning of day one down, twenty and three quarters to go!
-Cody
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sugar: The Legal Drug
So this is it...our last day of so-called freedom before the start of a long 21 day challenge in which we will be fueling our bodies with super-foods and ridding of all toxins. I imagine we will feel pretty great when this is all over and then we are just left with the decision to continue down this road or go back to everyday foods that are slowly making us all sick. I for one could never give up meat or cheese...but I know I will not allow myself to indulge in these pleasures on a daily basis after this. My goal is to become more aware and take control of what I am exposing myself to. And this isn't really about weight...it's about repair and renewal. I'm pretty sure the almost daily alcoholic beverages plus the feast of potato chips and chocolate on the weekends (and then some) weren't doing much more than creating havoc on our insides...poor liver...poor intestines. Where's the magic school bus when you need it? Not to mention everything else we consume on a daily basis without thinking twice about it. I think a lot of us get sucked into the calorie counting when really we should be focusing on the one-ingredient items that aren't loaded with processed crap, preservatives, and chemicals. It's quite simple when you get past the withdrawal symptoms of being a crazed addict. Oh delectable pastries...you were constantly on my mind...how could I go a day without you? Well, I couldn't go without sweets for awhile but after a couple weeks of self-control and motivation I was able to stay away and with ease. I felt proud and that I had conquered something large. F-you Starbucks and your glass case of treats taunting me when really all I wanted was a tea. Or the massive bowl of Easter chocolate on our very top shelf, how it somehow learned to fly and make its way down to us every night after dinner. No more...the sugar monster has left the building.
Honestly I didn't even know what the word 'Vegan' really meant til about a year ago and when I did, I didn't really understand it. What was the reason behind not eating meat or dairy...ever? It's beyond what you know or what you think you know. I have (almost) all the answers now and I feel amazing just with the knowledge I've obtained. After a chapter or two into 'Crazy Sexy Diet' I was hooked, inspired, I wanted more. I'd toss and turn at night thinking about this incredible information that could change my life in such a positive way. The way I choose to take care of myself has been forever changed. If we could all strive to become even just vegan-ish I think our bodies and our earth would thank us for it.
Our cupboards and fridge have willingly opened up space for a truckload of veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts, legumes, and healthy grains. It's a lot of preparation for our meals but it'll be worth it. We're also throwing our microwave out the window and replacing it with a...wait for it........ juicer! I've been incorporating some of these plant-based meals into our diet over the last couple weeks and I have to say everything has been amazing so far. I've ordered a few raw/vegan cookbooks as well to help us through. There's no need to give up bold fresh flavors and creativity!
And yes, Cody did look at me like I had been abducted when I first started conversing with him about this exciting new discovery... But I'm glad we're on the same page now and doing this together. :)
-Angie
Honestly I didn't even know what the word 'Vegan' really meant til about a year ago and when I did, I didn't really understand it. What was the reason behind not eating meat or dairy...ever? It's beyond what you know or what you think you know. I have (almost) all the answers now and I feel amazing just with the knowledge I've obtained. After a chapter or two into 'Crazy Sexy Diet' I was hooked, inspired, I wanted more. I'd toss and turn at night thinking about this incredible information that could change my life in such a positive way. The way I choose to take care of myself has been forever changed. If we could all strive to become even just vegan-ish I think our bodies and our earth would thank us for it.
Our cupboards and fridge have willingly opened up space for a truckload of veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts, legumes, and healthy grains. It's a lot of preparation for our meals but it'll be worth it. We're also throwing our microwave out the window and replacing it with a...wait for it........ juicer! I've been incorporating some of these plant-based meals into our diet over the last couple weeks and I have to say everything has been amazing so far. I've ordered a few raw/vegan cookbooks as well to help us through. There's no need to give up bold fresh flavors and creativity!
And yes, Cody did look at me like I had been abducted when I first started conversing with him about this exciting new discovery... But I'm glad we're on the same page now and doing this together. :)
-Angie
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A Little Back Story....
Vegan - just the word itself can strike fear into the heart of any red meat eating Alberta-born boy like myself. The very mention of the word elicits a state of dismay...why would someone put themselves through that? How on earth can they possibly stay standing by eating only vegetables for three meals a day? When will they learn that a well cooked medium rare steak, properly rested, is, in my opinion, one of the great gifts to the food world? These are all questions that run through my mind whenever the word is uttered.
Then to add to the fear is the much maligned appearance of the common adult North American vegan – you know what I’m talking about - crunchy, patchouli soaked, dreadlocked, pale as chalk, tofu munching, living on Commercial Drive in their communes with their 'organic gardens' and 'free-range whatchamacallits,' playing in drum circles and chanting to whomever it is they chant to. Typing that made my blood run cold. Give me my little slice of hipster nirvana on Main street any day.
Okay, so I might be exaggerating and sensationalizing, just a little. I watch a lot of Fox News, I can’t help it. The fact of the matter is Vegans do get a bum rap a lot of the time. You only ever remember the extremists; those that akin you to Satan when you tell them you like hamburgers. Us lowly carcass eaters have all been at the receiving end of a condescending sneer and an excerpt from some vegan manifesto. We’re so dumb, won’t the vegans save us from our troglodyte ways? I think these encounters turn a lot of people away from even investigating this healthy and kind alternative.
Well I for one am no longer afraid, I won’t be dissuaded by the odd holier than thou retort, I want to know why so many people swear by this way of eating, and living. I want to experience the purported health benefits. I want to test myself; can I live without my beloved bovine? So here begins my journey into the unknown, the world of vegan chocolate cake (the horror!) and eggless brunches, and hemp hearts (WTF?).
You may be asking yourself, ‘Cody, what spurred this decision to abstain from ever so tasty meat?’ That’s a good question blog reader. The short answer is love. But I’m going to give you the long answer! So make yourself comfortable.
While I have always had friends who were vegans, it was just never something that appealed to me. I consider myself to be a foodie. That’s right, I say things like, “big, bold flavours” and “good job on that brunoise.” And for a long time I was a single foodie looking for love....
Then I met my soul-mate, Angie.
Our first date was of course at a restaurant. There was a charcuterie platter with finely sliced melt-on-the-lips prosciutto, house made dried chorizo that lit the palate on fire like the sting of some tasty, tasty firecracker, salt cured venison so fresh you could swear you taste the grass, and finally a duck terrine that I'd give up my first born to have again. I think there were some veggies on the platter as well, but whoever remembers those? Main course was the best rack of lamb I've ever had (and still have yet to beat). Follow that up with some amazing wine and It was the best dinner I've ever had....be right back…must take cold shower…seriously Best. Meal. Ever. It was love at first bite. Yeah I went there.
This shared love of fine foods, along with the other essential ingredients like love and trust, bloomed into a beautiful romance, and one day after many meals together, on a out-of-the-norm Vancouver afternoon last September (and by that I mean not raining), we wed. As newlyweds food still plays a major role in our lives. We continue to try everything, new restaurants, new cuisines, new recipes, the list goes on. We love food. Meat always has a spot on our plates. However, we have started to notice that there seems to be more of us to love. Our ‘skinny’ jeans ain’t so skinny anymore. My 18 year old 'don't worry about that entire McCain's Fresh'n'Delicious, I got this' metabolism is no more sadly. You can stop hating me, I can no longer eat whatever I want. Le' sigh. This lead us to start exploring diets, researching 'super foods' and fiddling here and there to try to get better stuff into us but nothing has really stuck.
Ang, also being a lover of Oprah (sorry babe, I had to spill the beans) came across an episode one afternoon about a woman who after a devastating cancer diagnosis began to change the way she looked at food; her name is Kris Carr. For those that don't know who she is I'm sure I'll get more into this with future posts so I won't get into the whole story just yet, but I have to say when she first mentioned who she was and that she was a...wait for it...vegan...I cringed a little. First reaction (of course in my head): 'Oh crap, the veggie-heads have started brainwashing Ang!, what the hell am I going to do!'
This was a couple weeks ago and Ang and I have had some pretty long conversations about this. I've started reading Kris's book 'Crazy Sexy Diet.’ So far I'm only into the first chapter introducing who she is and how she got to where she is now so nothing really to report as of yet. However If you're a male reading this you'll need to get past the 'you go girl!' mantra that is peppered throughout (at least) the first chapter. But once you do, you realize what she is teaching. It does cross the gender boundary and you'll find yourself silently whispering 'I will go girl!'
Along with this I've also agreed to take her 21 day cleanse. All vegan and raw vegetables…all three meals…for three weeks...crap, what have I gotten myself into? I can hear my mom....keep an open mind, body, and spirit........keep an open mind, body, and spirit...sure, I can do this.
So here is our blog, and my first at that, basically a mind dump for the next few weeks while we partake on an adventure of sorts. I can tell you now that I myself have got my doubts that I'm not going to slip once or twice, but I know this isn't going to kill me. Hell, if anything I've read so far is true it's only going to make things better for the both of us.
But man, am I going to miss meat....and cheese...#$%# I forgot about cheese!
-Cody
Then to add to the fear is the much maligned appearance of the common adult North American vegan – you know what I’m talking about - crunchy, patchouli soaked, dreadlocked, pale as chalk, tofu munching, living on Commercial Drive in their communes with their 'organic gardens' and 'free-range whatchamacallits,' playing in drum circles and chanting to whomever it is they chant to. Typing that made my blood run cold. Give me my little slice of hipster nirvana on Main street any day.
Okay, so I might be exaggerating and sensationalizing, just a little. I watch a lot of Fox News, I can’t help it. The fact of the matter is Vegans do get a bum rap a lot of the time. You only ever remember the extremists; those that akin you to Satan when you tell them you like hamburgers. Us lowly carcass eaters have all been at the receiving end of a condescending sneer and an excerpt from some vegan manifesto. We’re so dumb, won’t the vegans save us from our troglodyte ways? I think these encounters turn a lot of people away from even investigating this healthy and kind alternative.
Well I for one am no longer afraid, I won’t be dissuaded by the odd holier than thou retort, I want to know why so many people swear by this way of eating, and living. I want to experience the purported health benefits. I want to test myself; can I live without my beloved bovine? So here begins my journey into the unknown, the world of vegan chocolate cake (the horror!) and eggless brunches, and hemp hearts (WTF?).
You may be asking yourself, ‘Cody, what spurred this decision to abstain from ever so tasty meat?’ That’s a good question blog reader. The short answer is love. But I’m going to give you the long answer! So make yourself comfortable.
While I have always had friends who were vegans, it was just never something that appealed to me. I consider myself to be a foodie. That’s right, I say things like, “big, bold flavours” and “good job on that brunoise.” And for a long time I was a single foodie looking for love....
Then I met my soul-mate, Angie.
Our first date was of course at a restaurant. There was a charcuterie platter with finely sliced melt-on-the-lips prosciutto, house made dried chorizo that lit the palate on fire like the sting of some tasty, tasty firecracker, salt cured venison so fresh you could swear you taste the grass, and finally a duck terrine that I'd give up my first born to have again. I think there were some veggies on the platter as well, but whoever remembers those? Main course was the best rack of lamb I've ever had (and still have yet to beat). Follow that up with some amazing wine and It was the best dinner I've ever had....be right back…must take cold shower…seriously Best. Meal. Ever. It was love at first bite. Yeah I went there.
This shared love of fine foods, along with the other essential ingredients like love and trust, bloomed into a beautiful romance, and one day after many meals together, on a out-of-the-norm Vancouver afternoon last September (and by that I mean not raining), we wed. As newlyweds food still plays a major role in our lives. We continue to try everything, new restaurants, new cuisines, new recipes, the list goes on. We love food. Meat always has a spot on our plates. However, we have started to notice that there seems to be more of us to love. Our ‘skinny’ jeans ain’t so skinny anymore. My 18 year old 'don't worry about that entire McCain's Fresh'n'Delicious, I got this' metabolism is no more sadly. You can stop hating me, I can no longer eat whatever I want. Le' sigh. This lead us to start exploring diets, researching 'super foods' and fiddling here and there to try to get better stuff into us but nothing has really stuck.
Ang, also being a lover of Oprah (sorry babe, I had to spill the beans) came across an episode one afternoon about a woman who after a devastating cancer diagnosis began to change the way she looked at food; her name is Kris Carr. For those that don't know who she is I'm sure I'll get more into this with future posts so I won't get into the whole story just yet, but I have to say when she first mentioned who she was and that she was a...wait for it...vegan...I cringed a little. First reaction (of course in my head): 'Oh crap, the veggie-heads have started brainwashing Ang!, what the hell am I going to do!'
This was a couple weeks ago and Ang and I have had some pretty long conversations about this. I've started reading Kris's book 'Crazy Sexy Diet.’ So far I'm only into the first chapter introducing who she is and how she got to where she is now so nothing really to report as of yet. However If you're a male reading this you'll need to get past the 'you go girl!' mantra that is peppered throughout (at least) the first chapter. But once you do, you realize what she is teaching. It does cross the gender boundary and you'll find yourself silently whispering 'I will go girl!'
Along with this I've also agreed to take her 21 day cleanse. All vegan and raw vegetables…all three meals…for three weeks...crap, what have I gotten myself into? I can hear my mom....keep an open mind, body, and spirit........keep an open mind, body, and spirit...sure, I can do this.
So here is our blog, and my first at that, basically a mind dump for the next few weeks while we partake on an adventure of sorts. I can tell you now that I myself have got my doubts that I'm not going to slip once or twice, but I know this isn't going to kill me. Hell, if anything I've read so far is true it's only going to make things better for the both of us.
But man, am I going to miss meat....and cheese...#$%# I forgot about cheese!
-Cody
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