28-Day Green Eating Challenge
In the new Vegetarian Times magazine, they had an "eat green" 28-day challenge schedule. Basically it's one week's worth of vegetarian meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. Each day totals 1,400 calories, and you mix and match whichever recipes you want for 3 weeks. So basically you repeat each recipe 3 times over the next 28 days. As I was looking at it yesterday, I told my mom, who got all excited and said we should do it together. Read: she wants me to make all the meals and she'll eat them. I told her I would, because she made every meal I ever ate for 18 years, so I'm sure I can do that for her for a month. She's all excited about someone else packing her lunches for her. She said no one's ever done that for her. Awwww! Anyway, this diet isn't really anything new for me, as I am a vegetarian and have been for 2 years. But mom is not, and she has this book on a 21-day vegan diet to lose weight that she's been wanting to try for a while now, so we decided this would help ease into the vegan diet.
I looked over the recipes that they have in the magazine for the 28-day challenge, and it seems like there's very little dairy involved over the next few weeks for us, so that's good. I'm the first to admit that cheese is supremely difficult to resist, but I've read in numerous places that dairy is actually really not good for you, and that it causes skin issues. And if there's anything that I have issues with, it's my skin. Lately I've been breaking out all over my body. Ugh. So I'm excited to start cutting dairy out of my diet a bit more. Not that I sit down to a big glass of milk and bowlful of yogurt every day, but I pretty much never turn down cheese, and I have a bit of half and half in my tea in the mornings. So I've decided that since this 28-day challenge isn't going to be a challenge at all for me, that I would cut caffeine out of my diet too. That means no more black tea in the mornings, which will help me cut the half and half out too, and ease into the vegan bit. So lots of chamomile and herbal tea for me! And I know that vegans don't eat honey (it's still considered an "animal" product), but that seems a little ridiculous to me, so I probably won't ever follow that rule. Though agave nectar is pretty great, and that's usually what they use instead.
I also randomly happened upon a link for recipes to help with different diseases today. There were several to help with skin problems, so I will keep them in mind over the next few months too. Here is the one I stumbled upon, and here is another that I looked up, in case you were curious.
As another part of this challenge, I've decided, there are a few different, non-diet related things that I would like to change about my life. One of them is exercise. I found a yoga studio in Lancaster that has a new student special of unlimited yoga classes for one month for $40. Now if any of you have ever taken a yoga class you understand what kind of amazing deal that is. A yoga class is usually between $15 and $18 per session, depending on where you live and what kind of yoga is it. This studio teaches Vinyasa style yoga, which is commonly referred to as "yoga flow" or "power yoga" in the vernacular. This is awesome for me, because I absolutely despise Hatha yoga, where you're required to get into a pose and hold it for several seconds or minutes before moving on to the next. In Vinyasa, you're always moving. I plan on making the most of this offer. If I can get 35-45 classes in this month (less than $1 a class would be soooooo wonderful), I'm going to feel really good about myself.
The very last thing I want to do is lay out in the sun some more. This goes back, in part, to the skin issues bit, but it also has to do with emotional health. We've all read studies saying that you should get a certain amount of sunlight every day to fight depression and for overall mental and physical health. Last year at the beach, Nina was horrified that I didn't tan. Can't help genetics, Ginny. However, if I lie out every day for a few weeks, I will gain some color and so I'm planning on spending an hour each day soaking up the sunshine. Tough life, I know.
So now that I've written this post, you're all responsible for keeping me honest over the next month. I am very excited to start these new life practices. I love discipline, really, because it makes me feel better. I get so lazy, and I hate that about myself. But a new start and a little structure is all we really need. Am I right?? I guess we're about to find out. Bring it on, June!
I looked over the recipes that they have in the magazine for the 28-day challenge, and it seems like there's very little dairy involved over the next few weeks for us, so that's good. I'm the first to admit that cheese is supremely difficult to resist, but I've read in numerous places that dairy is actually really not good for you, and that it causes skin issues. And if there's anything that I have issues with, it's my skin. Lately I've been breaking out all over my body. Ugh. So I'm excited to start cutting dairy out of my diet a bit more. Not that I sit down to a big glass of milk and bowlful of yogurt every day, but I pretty much never turn down cheese, and I have a bit of half and half in my tea in the mornings. So I've decided that since this 28-day challenge isn't going to be a challenge at all for me, that I would cut caffeine out of my diet too. That means no more black tea in the mornings, which will help me cut the half and half out too, and ease into the vegan bit. So lots of chamomile and herbal tea for me! And I know that vegans don't eat honey (it's still considered an "animal" product), but that seems a little ridiculous to me, so I probably won't ever follow that rule. Though agave nectar is pretty great, and that's usually what they use instead.
I also randomly happened upon a link for recipes to help with different diseases today. There were several to help with skin problems, so I will keep them in mind over the next few months too. Here is the one I stumbled upon, and here is another that I looked up, in case you were curious.
As another part of this challenge, I've decided, there are a few different, non-diet related things that I would like to change about my life. One of them is exercise. I found a yoga studio in Lancaster that has a new student special of unlimited yoga classes for one month for $40. Now if any of you have ever taken a yoga class you understand what kind of amazing deal that is. A yoga class is usually between $15 and $18 per session, depending on where you live and what kind of yoga is it. This studio teaches Vinyasa style yoga, which is commonly referred to as "yoga flow" or "power yoga" in the vernacular. This is awesome for me, because I absolutely despise Hatha yoga, where you're required to get into a pose and hold it for several seconds or minutes before moving on to the next. In Vinyasa, you're always moving. I plan on making the most of this offer. If I can get 35-45 classes in this month (less than $1 a class would be soooooo wonderful), I'm going to feel really good about myself.
The very last thing I want to do is lay out in the sun some more. This goes back, in part, to the skin issues bit, but it also has to do with emotional health. We've all read studies saying that you should get a certain amount of sunlight every day to fight depression and for overall mental and physical health. Last year at the beach, Nina was horrified that I didn't tan. Can't help genetics, Ginny. However, if I lie out every day for a few weeks, I will gain some color and so I'm planning on spending an hour each day soaking up the sunshine. Tough life, I know.
So now that I've written this post, you're all responsible for keeping me honest over the next month. I am very excited to start these new life practices. I love discipline, really, because it makes me feel better. I get so lazy, and I hate that about myself. But a new start and a little structure is all we really need. Am I right?? I guess we're about to find out. Bring it on, June!
Go you! Don't get sunburned soaking up the sun. I got slightly red on Monday and am not enjoying it. That is a great deal on yoga classes. I thought all yoga was holding positions somewhat. I have a lot to learn I guess! :-)
ReplyDeleteDiscipline is good. My personal soap box is that too much self-indulgence (pretty much lack of discipline) is to blame for almost all social ills. Not that I really want to start by disciplining myself too much... :-)
I am still horrified you don't tan. It could be b/c you slather on copious amounts of sunblock. Which is not that bad, I guess. And you do tan, it just takes a long time and it's not as pronounced as my tan and I'm just racist against non-dark-tanners. Yo, I like this idea! I'll join you when I come up for the 4th of July! You have fun doing tons of yoga and eating tons of veggies!
ReplyDeleteHey dude, I tan just as well as Mary, and waaay better than Liz. I do wear sunblock, but not copious amounts, and only when I feel my skin burning.
ReplyDelete