Adieu, Cheese, Until We Meet Again…
December 31, 2010 § 2 Comments
Aaaahh. So. Hello there! I guess my hiatus is over. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I will say that I took a break from writing because I felt like a big bag of crap for a very long time. I’m still not 100% healthy, but I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think. I don’t want to jinx myself. And, yes, I eventually gave in and took a few puffs from the inhaler. Not as many as the doctor prescribed, but I think what I did take might have helped a little.
Anyway, in an effort to completely rid myself of this relentless respiratory illness (I picture this little germ on horseback in my lungs trying to lasso my alveoli. Seriously, this little eff-er is trying to bring me down), I have decided to embark on PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart beginning on Monday, 1/3.
I’ve kind of started already. For the past two days I’ve used almond milk in my coffee in place of my usual 1% organic milk. And I passed up an egg and cheese sandwich this morning for a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter, golden raisins and cinnamon.
(You may be asking why a certified Holistic Heath Counselor needs to join a group to start a vegan challenge. And the answer to that is: pure, unadulterated laziness. Sure, I could create my own vegan eating plan, but why should I when someone else has already created one? And even professionals need a helping hand sometimes.)
As you probably know, dairy products are mucus forming. And since I have mucus to spare (are you turned on yet?) I have made the logical (and belated) decision to remove dairy from my diet. Since I already don’t eat meat or fish, the only thing keeping me from being vegan is dairy. I actually once wrote a post here saying that I could never be vegan because I love cheese so much. Well, here I am being all contradictory. I will be vegan. For 21 days, at least.
I’m feeling kind of excited about it. I think I’ll feel cleaner, lighter, and healthier by mid-January. I’m praying that’s the outcome, anyhow.
I can’t say that I’ll become vegan after the 21 days since I can’t see myself using dairy substitutes like Earth Balance for butter and Daiya for cheese for an extended period of time. I bought some cheddar-style Daiya yesterday and I don’t know who they think they’re fooling, but it doesn’t taste like cheddar cheese.
Now, before I get yelled at, I’m not knocking these products (even though it sounds like I am) or saying that they are “bad.” They’re just not for me. I prefer to eat good quality, whole, organic food rather than processed food-stuff. But, for those people who are vegan for ethical reasons, those products are suitable substitutions for the real thing. And who knows? Maybe I’ll become a convert.
Anyway, I’ll be blogging about my vegan experience over the next few weeks and sharing recipes. If you care to join me on this adventure (I don’t think it’s too late to sign up), I’d love to hear how it’s going for you.
In the meantime, have a super fun and safe NYE!
Amy! Welcome to the club! Although I tend to hover around 90% vegan now, when I first became vegan I did 100%. And I’m with you – cheese was and is still the hardest thing to pass on. I have found that hummus makes a great cheese substitute on many things and that has been my saving grace. I won’t eat pretend cheese. I drink my coffee black with a little honey but a friend raves about how delicious her coffee with coconut milk is. You may like that.
Congratulations on taking another step on the path to ideal health!
Thanks for your support, Patti! I think it will be an interesting experiment! And, yes, I think hummus and I will become even closer than we already are! Wishing you and Corey a wonderful, healthy, and successful 2011!