Healthy Transformation

*** WARNING: Long post :) ***

The other day, I was asked to write something about my own transformation, from being a chubby, junk food addicted, highschooler/college student to a well informed, active and healthy young adult. I'm not going to lie- I used to drink Pepsi and eat snack packs like it was my job. My regular breakfast consisted of a large Chocolate Chip and sugar encrusted Muffin from Dunkin Donuts, along with a Large, Iced Caramal Latte, Extra Sweet, with whipped cream on top. This lasted throughout most of College as well, because even though I became a Vegetarian in the fall of my Sophomore year, I still had little restricting me from large quantities of sugar, dairy, cheese and fast food. I was the typical College student- Loved Pizza, chinese food, Ramen Noodles, Pop Tarts, Sugary Cereals and survived off LOTS Of coffee and sugary energy drinks. Every year I gained more weight, but I also gained more knowledge from my frustration. I would research healthy recipes and vegetarianism and collect recipe books... but I would make excuses that I just didnt have enough time to exercise.

Throughout college I took 5 to 6 classes each semester and worked 2 to 3 jobs at the same time. I was an active sorority sister and philanthropist--- I was extremely busy. I didn't stay up all night partying, and honestly didn't drink that much, but the combination of my food choices, and excuses for not exercising were catching up to me, and before I knew it, I was graduating college at 155 pounds. I went from my highschool weight of 120 to gaining an extra 35 pounds in 5 years.

I decided enough was enough. I had all the tools to live a healthy and happy lifestyle, and I wasn't going to make any excuses anymore.

I started reading, researching, and watching youtube videos on health, diet, and exercise. I collaborated ideas with friends, asking about diets that worked and exercises they knew were effective...and then in January of this past year, I took the plunge- I became Vegan. I knew about all the fats and sugars and extra calories that were in my favorite milk, cheese and egg dishes, and I had enough information to know how to supplement and replace those items with dishes that were healthier and just as delicious. I cut out all animal products and animal bi-products from my diet. That was step one. I dropped 5 pounds in a month!

Step two was really getting serious about exercise. I never enjoyed exercise and always made excuses why I couldnt do it: The gym was expensive. It was too far away to drive. I don't have enough time to do a "full" workout. I'm too tired. I'll do it tonight. I'll do it tomorrow. I walked to class, so that counts. I didn't eat -that- bad today.

I had to tell myself... SHUT UPPPP!!!! I was straight up lying to myself and I knew it. My complexion sucked, i was fat, unhappy and unhealthy.

After college, I was fortunate to be working full time at a job that had a small gym downstairs with a few treadmills, an eliptical, a bike, some weight lifting machines, yoga balls, and resistance bands. I decided I would set my alarm to 6am, go to work in my gym clothes, work out and change there to be upstairs and at work by 8am. I joined a work Healthy Team Challenge for a 3 month period, and when that was about to end, I joined a Biggest Loser Competition at work as well. I went to the gym for an hour every morning, at first, speed walking on the treadmill, then jogging, learning how to do intervals, and long uphill speedwalking. I changed it up a little every day, and then started incorporating weight lifting. I looked up simple exercises I could do with resistance bands for my arms, back, chest, and legs- and incorporated those exercises into my routine.

I knew that in order to keep myself excited about exercising, I would have to have consistancy, but I would also need to switch things up enough to keep it fun! I joined some Zumba and Pilates classes at the local YMCA and started doing that a couple times a week.

I thought of things I always wanted to do that were healthy for me: Learn how to hoola hoop and learn Yoga. I got myself a cheap hoola hoop to pracitce at home and joined Yoga at Love&Healing, in Trumbull. It was enlightening, and in the first class I could already tell that my posture was inproving and that the stretches and exercises were toning my muscles. Plus it was SUPER relaxing!

Nobody likes to run. If you do, you're lying or you're a freak, sorry! haha... no, but seriously, nobody says "Man, I just can't wait to run today! I love that feeling that my heart is about to give up and I'm so hot and sweaty that I just want to die!" Noone. says. that. But, it's just a great way to get in shape! If you love the outdoors, go to your favorite hiking trails and incorporate that. If you live by the beach, run along it! If you have a school by your house, run the track! It's free, and its great for you. If you have a bike, do that too! Like to rollerskate/rollerblade? Get on it! Skateboard? Sure! There is so much you can be doing to better yourself for little to no money at all. Just be active. Once I learned that, and got into the routine, it became natural. I wasnt making excuses anymore- I was just waking up and going.

and you know what? I had enough hours in the day. And my energy was improving! I wasn't falling asleep at my desk anymore, becasue my body was up and moving. The key is to find things you enjoy, get into a routine (we are extreme creature of habit) and stick with it! If you tell yourself you're not going to be able to do it, you wont, and if you tell yourself you can, you WILL! Don't stress. You're blessed :) Think about all that you have, how lucky you are, and how much your health and yourself matter!

Smooooothies! Getcha detox on!

Lately, I have been SUPER into smoothies. They are a great, quick, easy, and cheap way to start out the day, get in that extra boost of energy, and get your daily dose of fruits and veggies! The coolest part about smoothies, is you can tailor them to do what you want done for your body, mind and soul. This article explains the benefits of smoothies and difference recipes to combat your worst enemies. Think of it as a magic potion... eye of newt... hair of a wareworf, you know- that sort of thing. ENJOY!

Meatless Mondays

It's 2012 people and it's time we get our acts together and change the world, before the Mayan's wipe us out! Ever wonder how you can change the world? Better your Health? Lose some weight? Actually make a difference? Well, here's a baby step for you, if you're interested: Meatless Mondays. That's right, for one day a week, ( Yep, just one!) you can eliminate meat from your diet, and start making a difference! This video explains a lot more as to how it can make a difference, who it affects, how it can be done, and why to do it! It's easy. It's not like we're cavemen, hunting down antelope and trying to decipher between poisonous berries- let's be honest, there is at least a "Quickie Mart" a few blocks away that has some veggie or noodle options that are meat-free, but lets be even more honest- the Stop and Shop, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods provides a CORNACOPIA of options that are healthy, delicious and affordable :) Remember, I am talking whole-foods here, friends. When you start getting packaged, preserved, quick-and-easy meals, your prices go up due to convienience. Start buying your fruits and veggies, chopping them up and getting some recipes together! Stir fry? Veggie/bean burritos? Fajitas? Veggie fried rice or Lomein? Some veggie indian cuisine? Rice and beans? pasta and veggies? Veggie pizza? Can I make it easier?! Let's do this! One day a week can make a HUGE difference! Let me know how your first Meatless Monday goes! What are you eating? How do you feel about it?

Are Animals Emotional??

I saw this video and it was highly interesting to me. It talks a lot about the emotional aspects of animals and how humans relate. at. It also talks about animal capabilities vs. Humans. Really Interesting stuff!

Skinny Bitch ---Book Review

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I finally picked up my own copy of Skinny Bitch and gave it a read. First of all, I couldn't put it down. It was sassy and honest and just what I had needed to refuel my motivation as a vegan who wants to be as healthy and look as good as possible. I really love how the authors go through each and every Vice we have ( Coffee, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Dairy, Meats etc.) and breaks down why they are bad for you, what they are doing to your body, and why you should kick them out of your life! Some of the stuff is very scientific and it really breaks down to how these things directly affect your life, body, and the way you feel. They also do a great job of talking about how the food industry really works. The politics behind it, and all the cruel behind-the-scenes action we all try to ignore in order to live in Pleasantville and continue to eat our porkchops. She actually presents quotes from Factory Farm workers who have seen it all first hand. Lastly, they are able to present great healthy tips for your new Vegan lifestyle. Shopping lists and meal plans, and extra motivation to get healthy and SEXY! It's not hard when they break it down for you like that. Basically, we all grow up in this world of denial. we dont want to look our food in the face. we dont know our limits. and we need someone to slap us in the face and bring us back to reality. That's what Skinny Bitch does, and I highly recommend it as a good intro read to the Vegan lifestyle.

Veggie Protein!

When I first became Vegetarian, almost 5 years ago, I started by weaning out red meats, then white meats, and finally fish/seafood. I did it little by little because its good to let your body adjust and also not to just eliminate proteins without replacing them. There are SO many options for vegetable based proteins, which are so much healthier because they contain far less fat, zero cholesterol and less calories. Here are a few options that I use as protein in my meals: Tofu: Tofu is just a mashed up bean (edamame). (just like mashed potatos, but instead of a potato, it’s a bean!) You can buy it in firm form, or silken form. The firm form is in a block that you can easy cube, or cut into strips. It ‘s great for stir fry recipes. You can grill it, marinade it, and spice it up- just like chicken. If you freeze it overnight and thaw it out, it makes it even more firm and chewy too! It contains about 10 grams of protein, zero fat and zero cholesterol. Tempeh: Tempeh is fermented grains. It’s very nutty and has a great texture to it. You can bake it, grill it, marinade it, sauté it- really anything you want. There are ways to give it that smoky bacon like flavor so you can replace that in your favorite breakfast meals, or even on a BLT like sandwich! About 16 grams protein! TVP: Textured Vegetable Protein is a dried grain in small pellets. When you pour hot water and mix it, it soaks up the water and becomes much like a ground meat ( more like ground chicken than ground beef). I love using this as taco meat- all you have to do is add the seasoning like you would normally do and it has the exact same flavor, 13 grams of protein, but NO fat or cholesterol! Seitan: Seitan is made from Wheat Gluten, a flour mixture. It is kneaded into a dough ( like pizza dough) and boiled until it becomes firm. It can then be soaked in a vegetable broth and baked or you can use it just like chicken in any other way. It has a wonderful chewy texture and can take on any flavor. This one is my favorite  Oh, and lets not forget about Beans! Black beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Pinto, Green Beans, White beans, Navy beans, Lima Beans, Chick Peas, Mung beans... Quinoa, Cous-Cous, Nuts, Seeds, Oatmeal, and Peanut butter are all great Protein options :) There are also tons of Vegetarian and Vegan manufacturers that make Veggie Burgers, Veggie Hot Dogs, Veggie Corn Dogs, Veggie Chicken Patties, Grilled Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Turkey burgers, Italian sausages, breakfast sausage links or patties, veggie bacon, veggie turkey, veggie beef chucks (great for beef stew)….really, just about anything! And they are all Low to No Fat and No Cholesterol! Some of my favorite brands are: Gardein Quorn Morningstar Farms Boca Amy’s SmartLite Tofurkey **If you're going Vegan, double check your ingredients, because some Morningstar and Quorn products contain milk or egg products.

Master Cleanse

*some of this can be alittle TMI, but for those of you trying to learn what the cleanse is really like, I’m trying to be as honest as possible here. Sorry.

I am officially on Day 2 of my journey with The Master Cleanse. I began easing in over the weekend with soups and fruit/veggie smoothies and yesterday began drinking my "Lemonade" mixture all day long. I weighed in on Friday, April 20th and was 155 pounds.

Yesterday I felt like I was Starving all morning, but once 2 o'clock hit, things evened out. I got home around 5:30 as usual and didn't know what to do with myself. At that time, I usually started planning out and making what I was going to eat for dinner, but instead, I filled up another water bottle with water, lemon juice, grade A maple syrup and a few dashes of cayenne pepper, and drank away.

When that was finished I still didn't know what to do so I cleaned: did laundry, washed dishes, organized the bookshelves. Then I turned on the TV and watched a little Undercover Boss—that show always chokes me up at the end!

Around 7:30 I decided I was going to try the Salt Water Flush ( SWF) which is basically mixing 2 Teaspoons of seasalt in warm water and chugging it. I’m not going to lie, it was super hard to get down. I gagged a few times. It tastes really gross. Then I walked around a little bit, breathing slowly and finally sat down to finish the episode. I knew, from reading about the Cleanse that it would take about 30 minutes to an hour. Within 15 minutes I felt my stomach grumbling and moving around. Something was happening. But I didn’t end up going into the bathroom until about 8:30 and probably stayed there for a good 30 minutes. So… needless to say, I’m glad I didn’t do this in the morning. I don’t have all that time!

The flush itself, once it happened was not as bad as I thought. I thought it might hurt or be extremely uncomfortable, but it “went smoothly.” And was not painful or irritating at all. Once that was done, I brewed a cup of “Smooth Move Tea” (It is Chocolate flavored!) and steeped it for 10 minutes and got in bed to read, drink my tea, and fell asleep calmly.

I slept well except for the fact that I was paranoid I might wake up in the middle of the night and need to run to the bathroom. But I didn’t! All was well.

This morning I’m not too hungry. Definitely an improvement from yesterday! I had a very small BM this morning, but nothing frightening. Someone tried to scare me yesterday and said to “wear a diaper,” which did not make me feel very confident, but now I know this is not the case.

I feel like, once I get through today and tomorrow I’ll be more than good to go for the ten days. Who knows? Maybe I’ll push it even further!