I apologize for letting such a long time go by since my last post — not a very good start to a new blog. However, I have been making a lot of changes in my diet lately so I have had a hard time deciding what exactly to write about. One might say that changes in my diet would be the perfect thing to talk about. Oh well. Here goes.
Currently I am working at Barnes and Noble and, of course, one of the perks of my job is always know what the new great reads are. One book that really caught me by surprise was Kathy Freston's Veganist on the bestseller list! As a vegetarian, I have been interested in the vegan diet for a while but have still remained skeptical. The skepticism did not cease with this book. But it was a bestseller, and that intrigued me so I decided to check it out. I was hooked from the first page. I am almost finished with the book, but from the first few chapters I couldn't help but think, "why wouldn't I be vegan?!" Seriously, the health benefits are amazing. The first chapter is on losing weight and the second chapter is on the health benefit regarding cancer and other diseases. I don't want to get into a book review here, but it should be said that this book is an excellent resource for information on improving your health.
So, after much discussion and a little more research, Drew and I decided to give this vegan thing a go. Kathy Freston suggests "leaning" into the diet, and that is exactly what we have been doing. In a short clip from when she was on Oprah, she says it took her three years to be completely vegan and if she would have done it any other way, she probably would have giving up. We have been been a little lenient with ourselves when going out to eat, especially with Indian food, but we have also been experimental in trying meat alternatives. We were both a little hesitant with these but they were surprisingly tasty. Two products we have tried and enjoyed are Amy's California Burger and MorningStar Buffalo Wings. The buffalo wings aren't completely vegan but a step in the right direction. I was especially surprised by the buffalo wings. I have had veggie burgers before so that was no big deal but I haven't really gotten into the "fake meat" thing. The buffalo wings weren't exactly wings, more like buffalo chicken nuggets, but the flavor was there. And the insides looked as questionable as regular chicken nugget ;). We also love bean burritos and have decided to try them without the cheese and sour cream. We noticed the sour cream being gone more than cheese but it was easy to substitute the flavors with more veggies so that hasn't been a problem. We have actually not really had a problem with substitution but have found it rather fun to experiment. And best of all, we have felt SO MUCH better. Drew has also been losing a noticeable amount of weight. I should add, at this same time we also decided to quit drinking coffee. That being said, we have still had a significant amount of more energy, which is a pretty awesome feeling. While being vegan obviously isn't for everyone, it's worth looking into. Do some research. I think Mario Batali says it the best:
"While we can't expect everyone to go vegetarian or vegan entirely, read Kathy Freston's new book, Veganist, and be surprised at how simply and amply you can benefit from just changing a few things in your daily intake. This is powerful stuff with long legs into our shared future."
I will end things here with a savory recipe from America's Test Kitchen, Southwestern Black Bean Salad.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobe sauce
1/2 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper
2 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped medium
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Note: Honey can be substituted for agave nectar. I also used frozen corn instead of taking it straight from the cob seeing as how it is still winter. I have made it before with fresh corn and while it is delicious as most fresh ingredients are, frozen corn is an equally tasty alternative.
1. Whisk the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, scallions chile, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the corn and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the corn to the bowl with the dressing and set aside.
3. Add the beans, avocado, tomato, and cilantro the the bowl with the corn and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
