I didn't know if I should break this into several posts or slam it into one. I figure I will cover several things to detail the experience of the holidays thus far and then post again before I return to work from the break. Here we go...
As I'd mentioned before, revealing my new choice of veganism to the elders in the family was an interesting situation, and I've thought about it a bit. First, these older guys thought of only one thing when I told them - that I'm some kind of wuss that was forced into this lifestyle by the Lady. Nothing could be further from the truth. And, frankly, I deserve some human points for even letting them know because they don't let up when a guy supposedly admits he's weak. I made this decision based on my experience and thorough research. I can eat all of the meat and dairy I want at my house. That's not against the rules. But everyone in my house, including our children, are aware of the impact on health and the impact on the environment resulting from animal consumption. (Not to mention the torture of millions of animals to fill our plates.) The evidence is too intense to ignore.
However, I know that some of our grandparents grew up without electricity. They grew up through the depression. I understand their frustration when they see me avoid the plethora of meats and cheeses as though winning the lottery were the Christmas meal. They worked hard during their lives to provide the yummy wealth of this day. But that's not a discussion I want to have with them, so I left my statement as it was...and I took a little heat - no big deal.
To get to the nitty gritty though, I don't think we prepared all that well for this 2-3 day trip. The lack of protein really started to take a toll on my energy as I went without for about 36 hours. We didn't bring anything with us that provided for protein and I couldn't eat what was offered at the meals. Coincidentally, Grandma makes beans for every Holiday. When I finally got my hands on some it was a gluttonous experience. They tasted fantastic and it finally satiated my hunger for the first time in 1.5 days. I could tell the difference in my energy level.
Christmas dinner the day before was interesting as my plate was piled high, as expected, but filled with mashed potatoes, Vegan Stuffing, Green bean casserole and some salad. I was thoroughly full and feeling much like I would on any other large dinner occasion. There was one difference though. My fullness and sedation subsided much quicker than normal. This is something that I truly hated when I was eating meat. The over-stuffed feeling that I used to experience was depressing to me. Those feelings have all but vanished with going vegan. The sugars burn quickly and the fullness goes away in a short time.
But the main thing I would like to stress is that I have realized that I need to have vegan options available to me at all times. During several episodes throughout the trip, I was not just starving my butt off, but my mood was bad. Very bad. Emotionally I was unstable. You can't keep eating bread and expect that to last. You need foods that will cover the balance of proper diet when you need it.
We are going on the first Grocery trip tomorrow, so I'm hoping these problems will not persist.
On another note, I've lost about 4-6 pounds. This could be a water issue, a starving issue or several other factors at work, so I'll not sit in glee about that. In addition, I've been drinking a lot of beer over the break so I know that my caloric intake is still quite high.
Do I notice any improvement in mental clarity? Not really. Do I notice a lighter feel in general? Not really. But like I said, I've been drinking a lot, so we might find out more later.
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