Before you gasp and exclaim, "OMG, she ate meat or dairy or eggs!" let me stop you right there. I have not eaten any meat, dairy, or eggs and I don't plan to for the rest of my life. This blog is about how I've been eating the past few months as a vegan. So I apologize if the title is misleading, but I do feel like I need to get something off my chest.
As some people may know I was vegetarian for about a month and a half before I went vegan late last spring. During the months of spring and summer I had access to a variety of fresh fruits. It was fantastic. But as summer turned into fall, and now winter, I haven't been consuming as much fruit and I've been consuming too many vegan sweets and meats. I love fruit and I'm a firm believer that the more you eat an abundance of fruit the less you will crave processed sweets and sugar. I've really missed eating a lot of fruit these last few months because fruits are so good! I look at all the different varieties there are and I'm in awe. I think to myself, "Wow. God created all these delicious and nutritious foods for us!"
Over the past few days I've started watching "what I eat in a day as a vegan" videos on YouTube. And as I've been watching these videos, I've realized that I am consuming vegan meats WAY too much. To be honest, I think I've know this for a little while now. But there's always that excuse that "they're plant-based," which is true, but that doesn't mean that they're healthier than whole plant foods.There is such a variety of plant foods, and endless combinations you can make with them, so there's really no need to consume vegan meats as much as I do. They should be more of a treat and less of a main course.
I think cutting out vegan sweets and treats will be fairly easy. The holidays are practically over and I can start fresh in the New Year, only consuming vegan sweets about once a month or so. Like I said before, if I'm eating an abundance of fruit there's no need to consume a lot of vegan sweets, especially ones that contain added sugars and oils. I love fruits, vegetables, and grains, and I've been missing out on them recently. I'm looking forward to indulging in more plant foods! I'm also excited to try new things this year, and healthier vegan recipes.
I'd be lying if I said I haven't been upset with myself for the way I've been eating the past few weeks. It isn't how I truly want to be eating. I know I can do better and I intend to. And I know that once I change the way I've been eating I'm going to feel so much better than I already do. I'm going to ditch the excess oils, limit my intake of vegan meats and sweets, and increase my intake of whole foods.
I encourage you all to join me. Jump on the vegan bandwagon in 2017! My mother and I will be posting healthy, weekly recipes for you all to try starting next week, January 6th, on our first ever #FeelingVeggieGoodFriday.
Wishing all of you better health in the new year,
Joy
P.S. If you're struggling to go vegan, but you really want to, don't be afraid to try all the different and delicious vegan meats and cheeses out there. The fact that you're vegan is what really matters. These products aren't unhealthy but they're not as healthy as pure plant foods. The first couple of months I was vegan these vegan meats were really nice. But now that I'm several months into this I do think I need to limit my consumption of them. It's just my personal choice and what I feel like will be best for me.
Copyright 2016 by Dee Dee Wike and Joy Wike. All rights reserved. www.feelingveggiegood.com
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