Tough Sleep (Day43)

Yesterday afternoon I was bopping around work like some sort of freak. I felt like someone had slipped some adrenaline into my water because I couldn't stop making noise, couldn't stop talking and I couldn't stop moving.  Granted, I got a lot done, but I was a little in awe of my energy level.  I hadn't had any coffee since 8 am.

Last night was a bit difficult.  Normally, I would be tired around 6-7 pm, and getting to bed around 9 or 10 would work out just fine.  I fell asleep without a problem, but staying asleep was the issue.  In fact, I woke up once at 1:30am and damn near jumped up to get ready for work until I looked at my watch.
I consider this a good thing and a bad thing.  I need to get enough sleep, there is no doubt about that - especially because I'm using this newfound energy and focus to study more and catch up on the knowledge I need to advance my career.  But if I have so much energy that I can't stay asleep, the problem has to be one of 2 things:
Either I need to reduce my caffeine intake, or I need to excerpt more energy during the day.
Since I only drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day (between 6 and 9am) I'm guessing that caffeine is not the problem.  Clearly I need to start jogging/walking and working out everyday.  I've been wanting to, especially now that I've lost ten pounds, I just haven't gotten around to it.  I suppose my body telling me that it's time to get into gear.

Inflammation (Day42)

I mentioned in a previous post, or in the "What's up with this Vegan Blog?" page, that I dealt with Bursitis in my hip.  It's important to mention this because it's a problem that began in approximately October or November 2010.  That's fairly recent and, thus, I can recognize subtle changes in how bad or good my hip may feel on any particular day.

Since the problem began, and for the life of me I have no idea how I developed the condition, there have been days when I could hardly walk it hurt so bad.  I recall taking a day off work about a year ago because I couldn't stand.  So the pain and inflammation would flare up and then go away and I never really knew when it would be tolerable or not.  I can tell you that if I tweaked it in any way, I was looking forward to a bad week.

However, since going Vegan, not only has it improved, I honestly can't remember a day when it was in any way "bad."  In fact, this became extremely apparent yesterday when I went walking for about 2 hours.  I could feel that my hip was tight, but it wasn't painful.  It felt like it just needed stretching.  Bursitis can take a long time to heal depending on the severity or reason for the inflammation.  Stretching is of utmost importance.
But I seem to recall in the film "Forks over Knives" and/or reading somewhere that inflammation was connected with Dairy consumption.

So with a simple google search using "inflammation" and "Dairy," the first hit brings us over to another BlogSpotter where you will find the connection and a few other good points.  I can attest to what Jenni is saying in that post.  I used to have joint pain all of the time.  It didn't feel like Arthritis.  It felt like aching, but it was daily.  For the most part, all of that B.S. has gone packing and I can relax.

Steak and Breast Milk (Day38)

I never claimed that I didn't like the taste of a juicy steak.  In fact, years ago, it was a weekly meal for me. I looked forward to it.  But after learning about the beef industry, I decided I needed to stop eating beef all together.  That was 2002.  I still say, to this day, that if I were to eat beef right now, I would head down to Sonic and grab myself a SuperSonic Cheeseburger and go to town.  


But that's not gonna happen.  I've made my decision and I'm going to stick with it.  Eliminating beef was the beginning.  Dairy was one of the last items I removed from the grocery list when going Vegan.  Goodbye Cheese.  Here is the conversation I often have with people when they ask me about deciding to go Vegan:


"If your wife was nursing a child, would you consume her breast milk?"  
100% of the time, there answer is "No."  So I ask them, "Well, how about your neighbor's breast milk?"  Obviously, "No."  Just the thought of it disgusts most people.  It's not just an odd idea.  Most people find it repulsive.  So then why on earth would you drink a Cow's Milk?  There is no logic behind this.  But the dairy industry has been telling us for years: "Milk, It does a body good."  Does it?  Does it really?


Cows don't even drink cow's milk beyond the first few months of life.  So why would a human?  The claim that Dairy is the source of calcium that we need is just preposterous.  In fact, Soy milk has as much calcium, if not more, than cow's milk (Probably supplemented).  I never said I didn't like the taste of Cow's milk.  But I wonder what else I could be eating right now if I ate only the foods that corporate industry claimed were healthy.

Brown Rice/White rice (Day36)

I'm not a huge fan of brown rice, I'll admit.  But I was under the impression that it was much healthier than white rice.  To find out for sure, I hit up google.  I've been doing research on a lot of individual vegetables and other foods lately to find out which of them would provide me with the proper nutrients I need (Esp. protein) since going Vegan.  The site I have found most valuable is http://nutritiondata.self.com/

The site has a comprehensive review of each food item and what it provides your diet.  It even covers the food's potential for losing or gaining weight.  If I recall correctly, it even has fast food items.
Most importantly, though, it's been a great learning tool.  While reading about brown and white rice, I learned that white rice is actually quite good for you - the main difference being the amount of Fiber. 

Even more interesting, in the same article, was the nutrient content found in a medium baked potato with the skin.  Wow!  A baked potato is really good for you if you eat the skin - and I have no problem with that.  I was just making fun of an Idaho potatoes commercial the other day.  I still have a lot to learn.

Notches on my Belt (Day32)

As I've stated earlier in this blog, my main reason for going Vegan was not to lose weight, though I keep talking about it.  I suppose the reason it keeps coming up is because it is easily measured and noticeably present(or absent).  It's Day 32 and I can see based on the scale that I've lost a total of 7 pounds.  But what was even more shocking was that just a day or 2 after mentioning that my belt needed to be tightened, I actually had to tighten it even further the next day!

The belt I'm wearing is old.  The original notch that I used on the belt is clearly marked by the wear on the leather. (A Leather belt, I know.  That animal gave it's life long ago so I might as well make use of it now.)  That notch is from 6 years ago and I had to use it again.  That is more than 2 inches off of my waist.
Incredible.  In 32 days - 7 pounds and 2" lost.

I guess it time to actually begin exercising and working out.  Duh.

Flat Stomach (Day30)

I eat a lot of salad.  I have at least one per day.  This is reducing my caloric intake significantly.  Although I don't see the pounds coming off of the scale, I definitely see it coming off of my stomach.  My belly is losing a lot of its "pooch," if you will.  My belt is getting looser, and I never feel bloated anymore.
And here is an interesting kicker:  The cold air of Oklahoma this Winter really isn't bothering me all that much.  Normally I will walk outside and start shivering almost immediately.  But lately, I don't feel all that uncomfortable.  I'd theorize that this might be due to getting better sleep and my body's overall increase in efficiency and ability to keep or feel warm.


So here I am - one month into Veganism.  So far it's been a great experience and I feel very good.  I don't get so tired at work anymore as if I'll keel over and fall asleep at any moment.  I can focus for longer periods of time.  I have the ability now, to leave a complicated situation and revisit it a few minutes later with a fresh perspective so that I can get things done in a timely manner.  Already looking forward to Month 2!

Injury and Recovery (Day21)

Saturday afternoon I was moving some furniture back into the living room after having put the Christmas tree away.  During the struggle to get a large chair through a bedroom doorway, I rolled my ankle and let out yelp.  I was thoroughly pissed that this happened, but I walked it off. 

In my mid-thirties, hurting myself has became a common event.  In fact, I've dealt with Bursitis in my hip for the last year.  The condition gets inflamed enough sometimes to prevent me from walking.  Lately it has been under control, however, when I hurt my ankle over the weekend, I thought for sure I was about to deal with another problem that may haunt me for a long time.


I woke up early Sunday morning around 2 or 3AM to my throbbing ankle.  It was aching badly.  I had no Ibuprofen so I took Tylenol and went back to bed.  Again, 4 hours later, I woke to horrible pain and took more medicine.  When I finally got out of bed I could barely walk.  Throughout the day, it became looser and finally workable.  I was able to get through the day without a lot of pain but I assumed that Monday morning would be more of the same.


I was pleasantly surprised.  I woke up and my ankle felt ok.  I had even put Ibuprofen at my bed-side table in case I woke in the night from pain.  2 hours into the day and it still feels ok.  I have medication on hand in case my expectations are too high.  But I wonder...


Does it feel better due to luck or does it feel better due to my new vegan diet?  I couldn't say for sure, but inflammation is clearly down today compared to yesterday and this is simply something I am not used to.  And on that note I'd like to point out that I've read about some MMA athletes that are strictly vegan (or vegetarian) and swear that their workouts and recovery time have drastically improved since making the dietary change.
Here is a site that discusses a few fighters and their reasons/experience with veganism or vegetarianism.

Weight Loss? (Day17)

I fell asleep last night no later than 10pm.  That is outrageously early for me, so I'm a little excited about that.  Though I could have slept longer this morning, I am now at work and I feel great.  I usually feel pretty good on Fridays no matter the circumstance, but today is different.  It's 7:59 am and I am teeming with energy.....
__________________
Weight loss?


If you do any research on the web about Veganism, you'll likely come across many people inquiring about whether going vegan will help them lose weight.  In my opinion, weight loss is not a primary reason for going vegan. But if a vegan diet is done wisely, weight loss is almost a given (assuming the person is overweight).  However, One can easily devour a package of Oreos and Club crackers and remain vegan - they'll also be eating a ton of processed and artificial foods.  This isn't healthy and it won't help you lose weight. I'll admit that I indulge in some of these items, but for the most part I try include fresh vegetables and whole foods where possible.  And that approach will be key in shedding the extra weight while improving overall health. 


I would say that after 17 days, I've probably lost 5 or 6 pounds.  This is difficult to measure because I'm quite sure that water weight is shifting due to going vegan.  I imagine I'll shed more pounds over the next few weeks and probably find a balance after I've lost a total of 10-15 pounds or so.


So last night, my lady made Whole wheat pasta with a vegan pesto sauce mixed with spinach and artichoke along with some homemade wheat bread with garlic and vegan butter.  


Delicious.

Vegenaise (Day16)

The Holidays are over and I'm back to work.
It's hard to believe that I'm barely over two weeks into Veganism.  As I said before, the Holidays were a real struggle.  But over the last few days, since balancing out my meals and cutting out the beer intake, things are becoming more stable.

Here are a few things I've noticed over the last few days:

Pros-
1. Sleeping better
2. Mental fog throughout the day is clearing up
3. Better mental focus for longer periods of time
4. Back pain and other aches have reduced (at least the awareness of)
Cons-
1. Constipation (not painful but noticeable)
2. Difficulty controlling mood


Otherwise, I have no complaints.  Over the Holidays, I was eating a lot of stuffing, Potatoes, and other various starchy/sugary foods that probably didn't aid in digestion.  I imagine that my recent changes since going back to work will show an improvement in that area.  Here is what I've been eating over the last few days:

Breakfast: Raisin Bran with Vanilla soy Milk
Lunch: Spring Mix/Romaine salad with some raw vegetables and Vegan Ranch( more on that in a sec), Split Pea soup with Curry, and some crackers and Almond butter for a snack
Dinner: Salad or Black Bean soup with tortilla chips, Guacamole and Salsa
Dessert: Coconut Milk based Ice cream

The whole vegetbales, Split peas, and black beans are really helping to get things moving.
On the subject of Vegan Ranch, I have to say that having creamy sauces, dressings, or even cheese is something that I have a hard time giving up.  Thankfully, vegan foods over the last 20 years have come a LONG way.

Mayo is one of my favorite condiments.  I've tried 3 or 4 vegan brands and nothing Compares to Vegenaise, period.  We use it to make homemade ranch and various other creamy sauces and I thank God for its existence.  The same goes for Daiya Cheese.  It tastes great and actually melts!  You couldn't say that about vegan cheese a few years ago.