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Here's to Your Health:  Vegetarianism  |
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MrsTracy
True Blue Farmgirl
145 Posts
Tracy
Beaufort
South Carolina
USA
145 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 17 2013 : 6:54:35 PM
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Hi all!
With all the drama that's been going on in my life this year I realized that while there are many things I can't change, there are still a few that I can. I had been feeling just "UGH!" for a while and I just couldn't get the energy to do anything about it. One day last month, a few days before Thanksgiving, I made a decision to change my diet. I went vegetarian. I NEVER would have thought giving up flesh was in me, especially during the holidays!
Well, its been almost a month and I have not touched meat and I have lost weight and gained energy. I am even experimenting with veggies I never would have tried (even though I will NEVER eat cooked carrots! )
Am I the only veggie on here? Anyone got any tried and true recipes?
Aspiring Titus II and Proverbs 31 Lady. |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2013 : 8:04:39 PM
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I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. I stopped buying my lunch at work back in August and I've lost 11 pounds since then. I've been bringing my own (usually vegetarian) lunch. A simple sandwich is to cook some garbanzo beans (cooked always taste better than canned) and mash the beans with some chipotle sauce. I add a little red curry paste for added kick. I use this type of round, thin bread that i lightly toast. I slice an avocado and sometimes add sprouts. It's tasty and healthy. I've found a few recipes from India that are delicious. If I'm in a hurry, I buy frozen dinners from Amy's Kitchen. You can get them at Target for a lot less than the grocery stores sell. And they're organic. I also know a few tofu recipes. I've been eating more beans since they're cheap and a good source of protein and fiber, as well as potassium. Now i just need to get back into my habit of doing yoga. It's easier to do yoga when you're not so heavy. That's why I stopped. but I feel better about my body now and plan to lose about 20-30 more pounds. that should put me in a healthy range--maybe not model thin (ugh) but healthy. I look best at about a size 12. And as a thought--God's original plan was to hang out in a garden with naked vegetarians. ;)
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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QuiltyMom
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Jan
Falls Church
VA
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 07:58:01 AM
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Yes, and then some. Due to some recently discovered medical issues (Celiacs, lactose intolerance, silent heartburn and Eosinophilic Esophagitis) I have had to radically change my diet. It's not a short term thing, but a lifestyle change. I've learned that my body cannot tollerate gluten, soy, eggs, nuts, diary, meat (anything that walks or flies) and highly acidic fruits and vegetables. Eek! So, I'm basically a gluten-, nut- and soy-free vegan pescatarian: I only eat non-gluten grains, seeds, non-acidic fruits and vegetables, and fish.
To make a long story short, I feel fantastic! All of my horrible symptoms are gone, along with 30 pounds. Woot! But it is very difficult to eat out. I have found those go-to foods that I crave, so I eat them often. One is getting a vegan fajita burrito bowl at Chipoltle, or making a quinoa burrito bowl at home. I've also found a new respect for many veggies I've never eaten before, but Tracy, I won't eat cooked carrots either! Ick!
Here is my Pinterest board for the recipes I've found online. Some of them I've tried, others I haven't. What's nice about most of them is you can easily make subsitutions with ruining the recipe. But take a look to see if there's anything that tickles your fancy: http://www.pinterest.com/iamquiltymom/gluten-dairy-nut-soy-egg-acid-free-pescatarian-rec/
My faves have been the Tom Ka Soup: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600220921/
Moroccan lentil soup: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600220920/
Maple roasted brussel sprouts: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600191662/
Quinoa black bean burrito bowls: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600067494/
Red lentil coconut soup: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600000577/
Asian shrimp stew with steamed rice: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/255297872600145552/
We also do a lot of stir fry with whatever veggies are in the fridge, served with quinoa or steamed rice.
For snacks I have a lot of fruit smoothies made with rice or coconut milk (sometimes carrot juice), veggies and hummus, corn chips for something crunchy.
I hope this helps even a little bit. But know you aren't alone in this venture!
Ps. I keep for forgetting to add stuff! I've found a fantastic cookbook that you might want to check out: Clean Food by Terry Walters. I highly recommend it.
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Edited by - QuiltyMom on Dec 18 2013 08:01:24 AM |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3957 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3957 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 11:38:03 AM
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Congratulations on the change Tracy! It will become so natural in such a short time that you wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
I am not a vegetarian however I have reduced my meat intake to almost nothing. The meat I do eat is organic, free range and lean such as turkey. I have also limited soy and dairy. I believe the change which has helped me most is the switch to almond milk. It was recommended to me because I only use it on cereal. My stomach would feel bloated after drinking cow milk and now it doesn't.
I have also embraced the ideas of macrobiotics. This means I eat mostly whole grains, organic vegetables and fruits grown in my area. Brown rice is the best as well as cous-cous. A dish I like to make is as follows:
Place one cup of water and one tbsp. of water in a pan with one or two herbs or seasonings of your choice. When it boils, toss in 1/3 cup of cous-cous, cover and turn heat off. Prepare a bowl lined with lettuce. Place the cous-cous on the lettuce and sprinkle with a sauce of choice. I use tamari. This is a quick, hot meal and microwaves well.
I could go on but will stop here.
Marie, Sister #5142
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 10:52:14 AM
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Like Marie, I've seriously reduced my meat intake as well, and feel SO much better, as you do Tracy! KUDOS! And I'd love more good vegetarian and vegan recipes - trying to select a good cookbook is like trying to read Greek to me! LOL! The one problem I have noticed with our mostly vegetable and grain diet, though, is that there are just times when I start CRAVING beef! I am not kidding! I have never been a big beef-eater, to be truthful, and I do cook with cast iron most of the time, so I'm not really worried about iron deficiency... But every once in a while, I just have this overwhelming NEED for a good burger or a big steak... I actually start to feel weird, and then the craving takes over, and after one good meal of beef, I feel hale and whole again. It's so weird. Does anyone else have that happen? How do you deal with it? And I also do not do well with any type of soy product, so that is a hindrance for me - any substitution or alternative suggestions? Thanks - and again, KUDOS to you, Tracy! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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MrsTracy
True Blue Farmgirl
145 Posts
Tracy
Beaufort
South Carolina
USA
145 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2014 : 08:37:57 AM
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 Thanks for the advice, recipes and encouragement! I'm doing really well with not falling into temptation. I was put in charge of picking up wingettes from Piggly Wiggly, for our Christmas program. I KNEW I was in it to win it when I didn't open the box to eat not ONE piece!! My biggest problem will probably materialize during the summer when we break out the grill. I LOVE ribs! Ah well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it I have eaten fresh fish. I won't touch the frozen stuff and I won't eat it fried. I love that I can pick some up at the local fish markets or hubby gets them from a guy he works with (he owns a boat and deep sea fishes). Today I plan to do a bean soup and I'm eating lots of leafy greens.
I'm still searching for a really good cookbook. Guess I need to make a trip to the book store or order one from Amazon.
Aspiring Titus II and Proverbs 31 Lady. |
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Ladybek9756
True Blue Farmgirl
882 Posts
Rebecca
Linneus
Maine
USA
882 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2014 : 09:25:56 AM
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Tracy,
Carrots are good for you. What about them don't you like? Here is a nice recipe that you might like to try. I roasted my carrots with cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top with a little olive oil in the oven on 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. They are sweet almost like sweet potatoes. Maybe you will like them. I eat mostly vegetables even though I am not a true vegetarian. I just prefer them to meat. I have a low blood sugar problem and meat is the one item I eat sparingly just to keep it in check when it drops. I have tried other protein items but the little meat I do eat keeps my blood sugar at a normal range.
Becky
May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, and may hope forever wipe away your tears. |
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MrsTracy
True Blue Farmgirl
145 Posts
Tracy
Beaufort
South Carolina
USA
145 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2014 : 05:57:32 AM
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Its the texture and the taste. I have never been able to keep them down. Just like spinach. I can eat them if they are hidden DEEP in a dish but that's it. I can eat them raw all day but I can't tolerate heat.
Aspiring Titus II and Proverbs 31 Lady. |
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Ruby V
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Ruby
Chilliwack
BC
Canada
220 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2014 : 08:56:17 AM
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I haven't eaten beef in 10 years now. I very occasionally will have a piece of pork bacon and once a year I eat a roast lamb dinner (for our anniversary-lol). I do eat chicken and I love fish, but I've cut way back on eating it, what with all the horror stories of how poison fish is these days. I'd like to go total vegetarian, but my problem is I hate veggies {laughing} and I'm not too crazy about a lot of fruits either.
I was having a lot of stomach problems and decided to greatly reduce the amount of gluten I'm eating and it made a big difference! I've lost 40 lbs in 6 months. It's a daily struggle, but I'm determined to stick with it.
Ruby ~ Sister #3597 |
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Here's to Your Health: Vegetarianism |
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Vegetarianism
