Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Starting Out Right

 So my family and I have started our healthy diet awhile back, first nixing junk food, then stocking up on organics, cutting out red meat, and followed shortly by peacing out meat all together.  It was early December of last year when I wanted to take the next step and adopt a vegan diet.  It started out with my weariness of milk, whether it be from cows or goats -I was just not digging it.  I couldn't understand why doctors recommended weening my daughter off of breastmilk at the age of 1 to instead replace it with cow's milk.  I sat there and questioned, "how is cow's milk more nutritional for anyone -let alone my baby daughter- more so than my breastmilk?"  I'm not saying I am going to pump myself and my fiance a bottle everyday, but we did switch to almond milk -and feel great about it.  The next part was the hardest -saying goodbye to cheese.  Even though cheese was my favorite food and I was notorious for loading it on everything, I couldn't justify eating it.  It all came from the same place! But -with the comforting fact that there was some sort of substitute cheese out there- I finished what was left in the fridge (along with my yogurt, ranch dressing, and other various dairy products), and that was that.  

It was hard maintaining this diet though because my daughter, Naomi, my fiance, Nick, and I were living with his sister and mom.  While they practiced a vegetarian diet, they were no vegans.  We had to keep all of our food separate, and the temptations were ridiculous.  Jess, his sister, would come home with a homemade red velvet cheese cake, or order a pizza with extra extra cheese.  And then if they made us dinner, they would make it using milk and/or eggs without considering our new dietary restrictions.  It was taking all of my strength to not cave in at some moments.  Nick had it easy because he didn't even like cheese to begin with.  And while my mouth would water at the sight of cheese pizza, I would just turn around and make a veggie dairy free version for ourselves, and was gratified instantly at the taste.  Mind over matter, I keep reminding myself.  While I am saying goodbye to some foods I love, I am welcoming in new delicious ones as well.  (EX.  I always hated mustard -opting for mayo on my sandwiches- but I randomly tried it one day and I LOVE the stuff.  I know crave veggie wraps for the mustard alone!!)

 We are now in Colorado though.  Nick got a wonderful job, and we landed a sweet cottage for rent on the top of a mountain right outside of Boulder.  It's amazing. We finally have our own space, and our own fridge.  No more temptations.  We can stock up our fridge and pantry with only the foods we want to eat.  It really is a lot better as far as that goes.  I cook more religiously to my diet instead of weighing the pros and cons of cheating.  I am really driven to make this new lifestyle the healthiest one it can be.  

 My name is Chelsea, and this blog is all about my family and I exploring new foods and activities, and sharing what we believe to be true.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride!!!



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5 comments:

  1. Lynn U.January 10, 2013 at 12:48 PM

    This is so exciting! I didn't even know that you had moved to Colorado. I don't drink cow's milk either and it totally bugs me that the kids are pressured to switch. Breast milk is so much better for them and easier to digest. It's tough for some women though because they don't produce enough. I love my almond milk!! I've gotten good at staying away from the cheddar - the most fattening cheese, and I've only been eating mozz. Fresh Mozz is my favorite. What are some vegan cheeses not made out of soy? Yogurt is another problem for me, but I eat greek, plain yogurt now and just add flavor myself. Thanks for doing this Chelsea! Can't wait for the recipes!

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    1. ChelseaJanuary 10, 2013 at 7:52 PM

      We just moved, like 5 days ago. lol. So far I love it. I mean the air is just so much more cleaner for starters. I love Almond Milk, especially Almond Breeze's Chocolate flavor. We don't get it all the time, just often enough for it to be a nice decadent treat. =) I'm new at the vegan thing so I'm not too educated in what has soy and what doesn't. I know there are a lot of recipes that copy cat the cheese sauce more than slices. I haven't found one that I am too pleased with yet. I use the Daiya (but it has soy). I think it's all about the mindset though -like it makes me feel better that I can't eat actual cheese, ya know? I'll keep you updated with what I find though... I need to do a bit experimenting.

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    2. Lynn U.January 12, 2013 at 4:51 PM

      The other thing I wanted to comment on is how crazy it is that doctors are telling parents to take their kids off of breast milk. It is so much better for babies and to keep pumping and giving it to your child or children will help them to grow stronger and healthier in so many ways. I'm going to breast feed or at least pump until I run dry! Which probably won't be for quite a few years after I start having kids because I want so many back to back to back. Heehee

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    3. ChelseaJanuary 13, 2013 at 9:39 AM

      Yeah, I know!!! And these moms who are under the impression that formula is just as good or better than breastmilk!! I can understand if you have a problem and are unable to breastfeed, or even supplementing with formula if you are busy with a job, but if you are a stay at home mom with a good milk supply then there shouldn't be anything stopping you from giving your baby whats best!! At first I though I'd stop after a year, but after reading a lot of the subject, Naomi is definitely going to be a breastfed toddler. As long as there is a demand for your milk their is a supply. Those babies won't dry up until you stop using them. =)

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  2. ChelseaJanuary 10, 2013 at 7:52 PM

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