Comments (31)

By kilax, January 23, 2010 6:36 am

I completely devoured Alicia’s Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop! And it’s a non-fiction cookbook! I think that says a lot about how much it spoke to me.

Today, I would like to give you my general review of Part I and II of the book. I am not going to review Part III, the recipe section, because I have not tried any recipes yet! I would also like to do a mini-series on topics that really spoke to me from the book and deserve a blog post all their own. So expect to see those in the upcoming weeks/months. And if you are a blogger reading this book as well (Anna, Gelareh and Paige) please leave your input or give me a link to your review post so I can share it!

The Kind Diet is organized into three parts: Kind versus Nasty, Living the Kind Life, and The Recipes. I will give a synopsis of the first two parts, and my review afterward.

Part I: Kind versus Nasty
Part I is split into six chapters: What’s So Kind About Dieting?, Nasty Food #1: Meat, Nasty Food #2: Dairy, More Nasty Food: White Sugar and Processed Foods, Kind Foods, and Nutritional FAQs

• What’s So Kind About Dieting? – Sliverstone immediately dispels any myth that this book is promoting what we currently think of as a “diet.” She asks us to go back to the 1600s definition of the word diet: a way of living, or thinking, a day’s journey. Now, how does that sound compared to what we think of when we hear the word “diet” today? She talks about how the “Kind Diet” is not just a way of looking your best, but feeling your best as well. She shares her interesting story about becoming vegetarian – how she was rescuing dogs, but still eating meat. Then it dawned on her – how was eating meat much different than eating her dog? I found this part interesting, because Steven made this realization when we rescued Data, then became vegetarian.
• Nasty Food #1: Meat – Silverstone talks about some of the damaging effects meat can have on the human body as well as the environment. She briefly touches on slaughter practices, maybe in two paragraphs, but is really focusing on how meat makes you feel. This is an interesting approach to encouraging veganism. She is all about animal welfare, but wants the reader to think about their welfare as well.
• Nasty Food #2: Milk – Again, Silverstone discusses milk’s effect on the human body and environment. She brought up some interesting facts that I did not know about milk, and of course, mentions how cruel the dairy industry is. (Notice she does not have a chapter on eggs? She includes some egg facts in the meat and milk chapters.)
• More Nasty Food: White Sugar and Processed Foods – I was afraid to read this chapter. I try to avoid processed foods and sugar, but of course, do not entirely. Silverstone mentioned some symptoms she feels after eating sugar: headaches, weight gain, rushes followed by crashes, slight depression, more sugar cravings… oh yes, I could relate. She recommends cutting out white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, organic evaporated cane juice, and honey, and replacing them with brown rice sugar, barely malt, agave syrup, molasses and FRUIT. Remember how I gave up sweets last year for Lent? Well, I lost a lot of weight and felt great. This IS something I need to work on! Step by step of course…
• Kind Foods – In this section, Silverstone reviews some of the “Kind  Foods” – foods that are kind to your body, animals, and the environment. These foods are whole grains, “new” proteins (new as in not meat, but beans), vegetables, and vegan desserts. Surprisingly, the five favorite vegetables she lists – kabocha squash, leeks, leafy greens (not including spinach), daikon and burdock – are things I have NEVER eaten. Oops. She also goes over amino acids and encourages eating organic produce.
• Nutritional FAQs – Here, Silverstone discusses how to get enough iron, calcium, Omega-3s, and B12 (she discussed protein in the previous chapter).

Part II: Living the Kind Life
Part II is split into seven chapters: Flirting, Going Vegan, Becoming a Superhero, The Kind Kitchen, Kind Away from Home, Getting Fit, Inside and Out, and We Are All Activists

• Flirting, Going Vegan and Becoming a Superhero – Silverstone presents the Kind Diet in 3 plans. Flirting is a low-pressure plan where you cut out meat and try some new foods. In the Vegan plan, you abstain from animal products entirely. And in the Superhero plan, you loosely follow a macrobiotic diet – eating fresh whole foods, grown locally, and in season, cutting out processed foods. Silverstone recommends starting with the Flirt diet for 30 days, then moving on to Vegan if you feel comfortable, then on to Superhero. Each chapter gives meal ideas and a guide on what kinds of food to buy. She recommends being kind to yourself throughout the journey – the Kind Diet is not about perfection.
• The Kind Kitchen – This chapter is about reconnecting with eating through cooking and planning ahead. Silverstone gives cooking tips, recommends tools for the kitchen, advises on how to engage other family members in the Kind Diet, and gives ideas for quick meals.
• Kind Away from Home – Here, Silverstone gives tips on eating out – finding a good place, checking out the menu, calling ahead, and ordering as complete of a meal as possible (grain, vegetable and protein). I was surprised she advised on “letting it go” if you eat homemade pastas with egg in them at an Italian restaurant – it’s easy to ask and avoid this (I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, since she goes on to say that once in a blue moon she has one piece of fish sushi – this just reiterates that she is mostly doing this for health reasons). She also advises on eating in airports, and entertaining at home.
• Getting Fit, Inside and Out – Silverstone advises against exercising “mechanically,” or just doing it because it’s part of your regimen. She advises on listening to your body and giving it the exercise it really wants. Yeah. That sounds easier than it is, Silverstone. Some of us have to force ourselves to exercise before we learn to like it! I feel like I have gotten better at this, but still have some work cut out for me. Silverstone also recommends inner exercises like journaling and meditation. Can I count this blog?
• We Are All Activists – This is a section of tips on how small lifestyle changes you make, like reusing things, buying secondhand and using natural materials, do make a difference in the long run. Remember, we vote with our actions! Every small change does make a difference.

Wow. That was a LONG overview. Can you imagine if I talked about EVERYTHING this book made me think about? WHOA!

My Review

So, I really enjoyed the first two parts of the book. The Kind Diet is written very casually, like you are talking to a friend. And I love how Silverstone uses words like “sexy” to describe certain foods. At one point, she even advises to buy “any beans that turn you on.” So cute.

Silverstone has done a lot of research and includes facts, but it doesn’t feel like you are reading a textbook. And I think it is a great idea to include nutritional information inside of a cookbook. I like how neat little tips are mentioned throughout the book (I will write about these later!).

Even though following the Vegan and Superhero diets would require significant alterations to most diets, Silverstone presents it in a way that makes it seem attainable (except for going down to one piece of fruit a day on the Superhero diet… that would be a struggle for me). Sometimes, when I am reading healthy lifestyle ideas, I feel so overwhelmed that I don’t know where to start. You know, you can’t change EVERYTHING all at once. That would be too stressful! If you start with the Flirt diet, then move on to Vegan, it is an easy and smooth transition. You slowly swap out foods, releasing your body of toxins as you do so. As you add in “kinder” foods you begin to notice how much healthier your body feels (or so Silverstone says).

And I really like the whole theory behind the Kind Diet – it is all about reconnecting with what your body wants, food-wise. It is about being kind to yourself, animals, and the environment. It’s about purposefully living your life in a manner that makes YOU feel your best, in mind, body and spirit. Wouldn’t that be great?

I think this is a great book for someone considering vegetarianism, or just looking for ideas on how to live healthier. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes!

Would you like to read The Kind Diet? Do you feel like you could follow this lifestyle?

Has a book ever spoken to you so much that your head was just filled with ideas?

Let me know if you would like to read more about the meat and dairy chapters (or any other chapters). I did not include many details, because I am not trying to preach veganism to you, and know a lot of you probably don’t want to read it.

Comments (35)

By kilax, January 22, 2010 4:45 am

Do you ever dine alone in restaurants? If yes, do you like it, or feel awkward? If no, why not?

I got used to dining alone when I lived by myself in Rome. I mostly ate at home, but every once in awhile, I would get a small meal for myself and sit and eat it in the restaurant. It is completely different there though! Sitting and eating in a restaurant in Rome means sitting outside in the sun, watching the Italians and tourists in their daily activities.

Now, I only eat alone in restaurants if I am traveling for work. I like it. It’s nice to sit down and relax for a bit, and not have to talk to anyone. The only problem is that I tend to eat even faster, since I am not talking to anyone.

I think a lot of people don’t like eating alone in restaurants, hence the article “How not to feel humiliated when dining alone.” The article gives 8 tips on how to make dining alone more pleasurable:

1. Be Bookish – come with reading material
2. Try the Bar – eat at the bar with other singletons
3. Exude Confidence – be proud of the fact you’re eating alone
4. Eavesdrop – tune in to other conversations for fun
5. Befriend Your Blackberry
6. Go, Team!– get involved by watching sports
7. Think Like a Food Critic – pretend you are reviewing the restaurant
8. Life is Short, Enjoy the Steak Tofu – relax and enjoy yourself

What tips would you add? Here is my tip – don’t force yourself to eat alone in a restaurant if you don’t want to!

Comments (27)

By kilax, January 21, 2010 5:09 am

I am a little late in writing about this topic, right? Well, Steven’s family visited over Christmas, but we didn’t celebrate the holiday with my family until last weekend. And boy, we packed in A LOT of activities:

• Friday: yoga with Steven, lunch with my dad’s mom and Steven, movie (Avatar in 3D) with mom, dad, sister, aunt and Steven in evening
• Saturday: 8 mile run, lunch/sledding/dinner with friends, games (Jenga and Apples to Apples) with mom, dad, sister, aunt and Steven in evening
• Sunday: brunch with entire family followed by opening gifts, snowshoeing, indoor rock climbing and racquetball, and a movie (The Hangover) afterward with mom, sister and bf, aunt and Steven (went to bed at 3:00 am)
• Monday: yoga with aunt and Steven, lunch with my mom’s mom (and mom, dad, sister and bf, + Steven), games (Cranium Triple Triumph) and dinner (with entire family) at my dad’s parents, more games (Apples to Apples) with sister and bf, aunt and Steven in evening
• Tuesday: visit with uncle, aunt and kids, lunch with mom and Steven then the long drive back…

So it’s no wonder I feel a bit letdown coming home. We were doing so much and having so much fun… then it’s back to the grind. Back to the “same old, same old.” There’s just some magic feeling to being on holiday that you can’t really capture after it’s over. You feel a bit down when it’s all done. You miss your loved ones. You miss being goofy. You miss completely relaxing and being yourself.

Do you ever feel this way after the holidays? How do you deal with it?

And did anyone else feel extremely spoiled this holiday season?

By the time Sunday rolled around, I had forgotten that we were there for a holiday celebration and that we had presents to open. My family completely spoiled me and Steven. I received a lot of things I asked for – a laundry sorter*, The Kind Diet, calendars, pyrex containers, a bird feeder, and more – and a lot of fun surprises, like an umbrella with kittens on it!

Oh yes. You will see me with this on the streets of Chicago. Grandma, I love you!

Our car was pretty packed driving home. I felt bad, receiving so many nice gifts. I don’t feel like I don’t deserve them, and I don’t feel like I won’t use them, and I don’t feel like they are “too much.” I just feel… guilty that I am so blessed? I guess? Jeez, who am I turning in to?!

*My older brother drew my name this Christmas, and he was the one who gave me the laundry sorter. I think he was apprehensive about getting me one, but it’s been on my wishlist since Steven and I got married over two years ago! I was super excited to receive it and put it together as soon as I got home.

Comments (46)

By kilax, January 20, 2010 4:56 am

So, rock climbing. Even though I only made it half-way up the wall each of the three times I tried, I thought I should still share the experience with you. I think it is important to try new things – even if you suck at them the first time!

We went rock climbing at the University of Northern Iowa (where my sister is a student) Wellness and Recreation Center. They have a 38.5′ wall that is double-sided. In the photo below, the “easier” side was on the right, and the harder side was on the left. I stuck to the right side, but my sister (who has done this before) climbed once on the left and made it to the top!

To indoor rock climb, you wear a helmet and a harness that straps around your hips and each leg. At the top of the rock climbing wall is a pulley with a rope going through it, and the spotter connects his harness and your harness to the opposite ends of the rope. Confusing, much? You can see the spotter (in the bottom right) in the first photo below, and the pulleys in the second photo.

Steven made it to the top!

Will and Kim climbing

We asked the spotters for tips on how to rock climb. The told us to push from our legs, rather than pull with our arms, to use the sides of our feet to grip, rather then the front/toes, and to keep our bodies (especially hips) close to the wall.

In this photo, I am using my right foot the way they told me to, and my left foot the way they told me not to.

So, what did I do? Apparently, I tried to pull with my arms. My forearms were killing me a day after we did this. They still hurt. I can barely open a car door. I opened a mint the other day and it hurt to tear the wrapper.

Like I said, I tried this three times and could only make it half way up. And it wasn’t really because my legs and arms were tired! I just got up there, and felt like I didn’t know where to go. The spotters were really helpful about suggesting each move (“Move your left leg to the brown hold by your hip”), but I would try and I kept slipping. My hands were EXTREMELY sweaty. I guess that is common, and the regulars use gymnastic chalk to keep their hands dry. I will have to keep that in mind next time.

You want me to put my leg where?!

I wasn’t scared of being up so high (even though I kept thinking about Tom Cruise in the beginning of Mission Impossible II). The spotters paid really good attention to us and kept adjusting the rope as we went up and down. If we wanted to take a break, we could tell them and they would let us hang there for a bit.

Hanging out a bit

Maybe next time I will make it higher! I do want to try it again! Have you ever tried indoor rock climbing? If you have, did you like it? If you haven’t, would you like to try?

Click “more” to see a few more photos!

Continue reading 'Trying something new – rock climbing'»

Comments (42)

By kilax, January 19, 2010 5:10 am

Do you ever worry that you are focusing on the wrong things in life? Like you’ll look back someday and say, “I wish I hadn’t wasted that year worrying about ‘fill-in-the-blank’ item.”

Sometimes I think I am. I wonder if instead of focusing on health and fitness, I should focus on fostering relationships and furthering my education. I wonder if I give things more importance than they deserve. I wonder if I am too uptight about my priorities. I wonder if I am missing out on the bigger picture.

I feel happy, at least!

Maybe, right now, all I can do is focus on what’s in front of me. Maybe that will change.

Comments (29)

By kilax, January 18, 2010 5:32 am

I have been away (kind of) from my computer for about three days, and won’t be back home until tomorrow – so please excuse my absence in the blogosphere! I will be back in full force soon!

Do you ever catch yourself comparing yourself to others?

I rarely do, because I think it is kind of pointless. Everyone is completely different, so we all have completely different capabilities and talents! When I read about someone who is faster, smarter, prettier, whatever, I think about what I can learn from them. I feel excited that they are so good at something, and think of it as an opportunity for me. Ha!

But last night, I found myself mentally comparing myself to these two (on the right):

Me, Nick and Christina

Yes, my older brother and younger sister. They are both good at rock climbing. They are both faster than me. Wah.

We had a BLAST last night at the college recreation center. Eight of us went – my mom and aunt, my sister and her boyfriend, my brother and his wife, and me and Steven. We went to rock climb, but ended up playing racquetball and screwing around a bit. It was fun to be active with family!

But rock climbing was HARD for me (maybe I will write a separate post on it, along with a separate one for the snowshoeing we did during the day!). And I was a teeny bit disappointed in myself. Come on, I run, I cross train, I lift weights and I can’t climb this stinking wall to the top?! My brother and sister can and they don’t work out AT ALL! And we come from the same damn gene pool! Shouldn’t I be able to do it as well?! The three of us wondered why I was so bad, and if my other brother, who was not there, would be as bad as me. Well, I ran into him later in the night and he told me he had done that wall before and climbed to the top and “why did I suck so much?”

Ugh. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, I raced a 1/9th mile lap with my older brother at the rec center and he smoked me. And my sister raced him afterward and kept up.

Guess who lost?

I was feeling a bit down on myself for a bit. But then I changed my thinking – I looked at my perceived “shortcomings” as a challenge, something for me to work toward. I often do this when I don’t meet a goal when planned, like a weight loss goal. I just look at it as, “Well, that just means I have that much more to work toward! I should be excited to have areas to improve on. I know I can do it!” I readjust my goals.

Now, I know this is cheesy… but, it IS how I think about things when I feel somewhat bad about myself. So, hey, I can get better at rock climbing if I want. I can become a faster runner if I want – but only if I want.

I don’t know, for some reason, I find it reassuring to tell myself I still have ways to challenge myself. It keeps life interesting. I don’t strive for perfection – the idea of perfection is so personal. I just strive to keep challenging myself.

What do you do when you catch yourself comparing yourself to others? What do you tend to compare about?

Thank you for all of your entries on the Such a Pretty Fat giveaway! I had a lot of fun reading all of your book suggestions and blog comments!

I had my Aunt Sue draw the winner. Drum roll please…

The winner is…

Anna from Newlywed, Newly Veg! Congrats, Anna! Please send me your address and I will send the book and bookmarks your way!

Thank you to everyone who entered! I have another fun (I think) idea coming up for a giveaway so stay tuned!

Comments (12)

By kilax, January 17, 2010 7:32 am

We’re actually training for something now – the Wisconsin Half Marathon on May 1st! I used some of my bonus money to sign us up this week. We ran the inaugural half marathon last year, and thought it would be cool to run it again.

Day 85 | January 11, 2010: 6 m run

Another 6 miler before work. While reading last week’s recap, Steven asked why I don’t run during lunch, since I told my coworker “I have nothing better to do.”

The answer is that I do not have enough time during lunch, and am not guaranteed a treadmill. If I get to work at 6:30, I have 10 minutes to get ready and warm-up, an hour to run, and 20 minutes to shower and get ready for work. There is no one there, so I get to use a treadmill for as long as I want.

If I go during lunch, I only have an hour – that’s 10 minutes to get ready and warm-up, 30 minutes to run, and 20 minutes to shower and get back to work. That just isn’t a fun run. It’s a stressful run. And I am not guaranteed to get a treadmill.

I told all of this to Steven, but thought some of you may be wondering why I am killing myself getting up at 4:00 am to run. This is why!

Distance: 6.0 | Time: 59:34 | 1: 10:21 | 2: 10:11 | 3: 10:00 | 4: 9:50 | 5: 9:41 | 6: 9:31

Day 86 | January 12, 2010: strength

Do you listen to music or podcasts while you are strength training, or do you find it too distracting? I usually don’t listen to anything, but I listened to a podcast for this workout and I felt like it helped me slow down.

Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 65 lb, 15 @ 65 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 50 lb, 15 @ 50 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 70 lb, 15 @ 90 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Woodchop: 10 each side at 30 lb
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x15 @ 30 lb

Day 87 | January 13, 2010: 3 m run + cross

I decided to give my body a bit of a break and run 3 miles before work instead of 6. The run felt so good, it was really hard to stop at 3! But I did. I know my body will thank me for it in the long run.

However, when my lunch time meeting was canceled, I was very happy to go down to the office gym and fit in 45 minutes on the bike! Muah ha ha.

Distance: 3.0 | Time: 30:32 | 1: 10:21 | 2: 10:11 | 3: 10:00
Bike Time: 45:00 | Distance: 8.22 (Set on “Ozark Trails”)

Day 88 | January 14, 2010: strength

I did a very abbreviated upper body strength workout during lunch. I had to struggle to get through it. I woke up with a headache on Thursday at 3:30 and never went back to sleep. I was POOPED!

Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 65 lb, 15 @ 65 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 50 lb, 15 @ 50 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
V Bar Pushdowns: 3 x15 @ 30 lb

Day 89 | January 15, 2010: yoga

I tried the YogaWorks Beginners DVD for the first time (they sent me 3 DVDs and I will be doing a full review in the next month – they are linked up with ExerciseTV). I think it was just what I needed for my tight body! The DVD went through the basic yoga moves at a pace I felt was right for me. I was definitely warmed up, and even felt a bit shaky (in a good way) at the end. I want to keep working at it until I get better. I think this would be perfect to incorporate with running.

I like this pose!

Day 90 | January 16, 2010: 8 m run

I thought I would have super fresh legs and an easy run after two days off… nope. Of course, it didn’t help that the sidewalks looked like this:

I ended up running a path that was half on sidewalks and half on streets. My legs felt like lead. I didn’t think it was too cold (about 20°F), but my tiny water bottle froze in my pocket.

The highlight of the run was seeing this boy riding his bike and pulling his sister on a sled. That made me laugh. I wanted to be his sister.

Even though this wasn’t an easy run, I am happy I got such a long run in while visiting family. That never happens. It requires me being very selfish and ditching Steven early in the morning to go run. Not so nice, am I?

We went sledding in the afternoon. Does that count as exercise?

Distance: 8.0 | Time: 1:21:23 | 1: 10:27 | 2: 10:23 | 3: 10:10 | 4: 10:17 | 5: 10:08 | 6: 9:47 | 7: 10:14 | 8: 9:51

Day 91 | January 17, 2010: snowshoeing + rock climbing…

More to come on this later!

Week Summary: 17.00 miles

I feel like I kind of skimped out on my strength workouts this week. I’ve actually met a nice trainer in our gym . Maybe I will ask him to help me develop a better routine, and spice things up a bit!

Head over to Katye’s blog and check out her Giveaway/Raffle to Benefit Ulman Cancer Fund! She has a ton of great prizes in the giveaway, and the donation goes towards a good cause.

Comments (17)

By kilax, January 16, 2010 6:15 am

Have you ever felt like exercise helps you be more creative? Do you finish a run or a good strength workout with a million ideas in your head?

Well, I sure do! I sometimes think I should run with a recorder so I can talk out my thoughts and ideas. And I actually take a notepad with me when cycling so I can write things down!

My scribbly notes taken while running!

The Jan/Feb issue of Health had an article on the topic – “How Exercise Makes You More Creative.”* The article explains why this happens:

When you work out, your body flushes out cortisol, the hormone that helps trigger the “fight or flight” response when you’re stressed, and which also shuts down brain functions for creativity and problem-solving, explains Pierce J. Howard, PhD, managing director of research and development at the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies in Charlotte, North Carolina, and author of The Owner’s Manual for The Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research.

Meanwhile, your pituitary gland releases endorphins, which can produce the feel-good “runner’s high.” Exercise also promotes the growth of new nerve cells and synapses through elevating levels of neurotrophins (a chemical that fosters the growth of new nerve endings) and by increasing oxygen in the blood, which helps provide mental energy.

Pretty cool, right? Not only are we away from distractions when we work out, but our body is releasing endorphins to encourage good feelings and flushing out the cortisol that makes us feel stressed.

The article gives five tips to jump start your creativity:

Pick a low-concentration exercise that allows your mind to wander, such as brisk walking, swimming laps, hiking, or running. Sports, such as golf or tennis, or team activities, like soccer or basketball require too much strategizing or in-the-moment focus.

Exercise for a decent duration—at least 30 minutes.

Unless you and a partner plan to brainstorm on a shared project, exercise alone.

Bring a notepad or tape recorder so you can jot down brilliant ideas.

Get to work right after you return, while your creative juices are flowing. The shower can wait!

I can’t wait to see what creative ideas you come up with!

*Damn. I love it when magazines put their articles online so I can share them with you!

Comments (31)

By kilax, January 15, 2010 6:17 am

Do you plan out your meals for the week? Or do you eat on the fly?

Here is what I am trying to figure out – how you all do it. So many bloggers I read say they plan out their meals for the week (that was a big tip on last week’s Friday Question) – it saves them time, money (they can stick to a shopping list), and helps them stay on a healthy diet. Maybe the question should be:

How the hell do you know what you will want to eat a week (or a few days) in advance?

Seriously! Steven and I have list of meals we rotate through (in no particular order), but some nights, we don’t know what we want to eat. We have to discuss it. We have certain staples we keep in the pantry that allow us to make dishes on the fly. And we do tend to cook more over the weekend so we can use the leftovers during the week, but we never sit down and plan out our (dinner) meals. It’s more like a phone call (or email) at 5:00 pm – “Thai sound good?” or “How about pizza tonight?!”

I do tend to eat the same thing for breakfast and a rotate through similar items for lunch. I guess I am assuming people are talking about planning their dinners?

Note: After writing this, I read Kara’s post on the same topic! She is setting a goal to start meal planning. Check out her post!

Comments (41)

By kilax, January 14, 2010 5:07 am

A coworker made this celery root soup recipe* over the weekend and wanted to share it with me and another coworker (who recently became vegan). Apparently, the recipe takes quite a bit of work, and she knew we would appreciate it.

The problem? She ran out of veggie broth and had to use some chicken broth.

She was kind enough to “disclose” this info to us. I felt awful turning her down when she told me. “You’re that strict?!” she asked? Yes, I am.

I try to follow a vegan diet as closely as I can – avoiding eggs, dairy and honey.** Of course, I know there are going to be slip-ups. We were using Fleischmann’s margarine for awhile until we realized the D3 listed as an ingredient was from FISH (yeah, it’s not even vegetarian – D2 is okay, D3 is not). I just realized the Morningstar crumbles are not vegan, so I have been using TVP instead (worked well on pizza this weekend!). I am learning as I go.

However, if I know a food item has eggs, dairy or honey in it, I will absolutely avoid it. Especially if it has something like chicken broth in it.

I feel like there is a difference between choosing to ignore something and ignorance.

I do cut myself some slack, but yes, I try to be 99.9% vegan (as Lacey wrote in a recent comment). I think I can call myself a vegan, even though I have made these “mistakes.” I cannot be perfect.

This incident got me thinking about the unpublished post I was referring to in this post. It was about being labeled as vegetarian or vegan, and what that label means, and if it is valid. Should you call yourself vegetarian if you occasionally eat meat? (In my opinion, no). Should we have labels at all? I fear that post will never get published. I am not eloquent with words, nor a good debater, and I just can’t get my thoughts together.

Anyway, so I feel kind of bad turning down this person’s offerings… but at the same time, I kind of don’t feel bad. I have made a decision for myself, and at this time, it is important that I stick to it.

Do you ever feel bad turning down food that someone is offering you? What makes YOU turn down food?

*Ironically, this is a recipe from Tal Ronnen. I really want to check out his book – The Conscious Cook. Has anyone been using it?
**And other animal products (like leather) and products tested on animals (like shampoo).