Greens'n'grains girl

I got Alicia Silverstone's book this week, The Kind Life, in which she explains her macrobiotic-based vegan diet. I'm funny about two bits of the macrobiotic diet: nightshade veggie avoidance/limitation (maybe I don't know enough about them?) and minimal fruit consumption- I do love my fruit. Other than that, I think it's great, I'm a greens'n'grains girl. And a lot of the foods are japanese and I love japanese food, like soba, soy sauce, lotus root etc. I've been reading a lot about raw food and I like that too, but I just love whole grains, like brown rice and barley. I've realised that pasta, even the wholewheat, constipates me, but I'm ok with some noodles (like rice noodles or soba, which are buckwheat). I've also been trying to eat no bread, although I was thinking of starting sourdough again and making bread once a week. I think I'm going to try out a loose-based macro thing, greens'n'grains, miso for brekkie (tried this for the first time today with fresh ginger-yum), but keep eating as plenty of raw fruit, vegetables and nuts, and I am especially keen on the fruit-before-noon rule I have, with the odd exception for a porridge breakfast. But I just love a veggie ricey dinner. Here's some of the dinners I've had the last few days:

Stir-fried spring greens and leeks with lots of garlic and chilli, served with quinoa

Courgette gram flour pancake (recipe here) with stir fried leek and spring greens, a sprinkling of toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and some sweet chilli sauce. Instead of the spice recommended, I did 1/2 tsp each fennel, cumin and coriander seeds, roasted and ground, 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 1/4 tsp each mixed spice, ground ginger and turmeric.

Tofu in a garlic tomato oregano sauce, brown rice and roasted broccoli and pepper with sunflower and hemp seeds.

I made almond milk tonight too, following Gena's recipe, except I used half agave and half the quantity of dates. It was so creamy and all frothy from the blender. I think I have found my alternative to soy lattes, just heat up some almond milk and add to hot barley tea or coffee.

This is the pulp left from the almonds. I'm planning oatmeal almond cookies/flapjacks tomorrow evening with this:

These are the toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds I had on my pancake tonight:

I just filled the jar full, tipped into a sieve and rinsed and then roasted on a hot dry cast iron pan. When they were done I sprinkled some soy sauce on them and let them cool before putting back in the jar. I got the idea from Alicia Silverstone's book. I also took her tip of cooking extra grains or porridge, so this morning I made porridge and enough to do tomorrow as well, so all I have to do is warm it in a saucepan with some homemade almond milk:)

Oh, do check out Just Hungry- it's my favourite new recipe site, lots of japanese yumminess:)

Vegan for two weeks

It is going so well. The background is I'm food-mad, vegetarian, philosophy makes me think a lot (duh) and dairy was making me sick. No brainer really.

Cooking tasty food hasn't been an issue at all. We've had delicious salads, stew, hummus, oat milk smoothies, peanut butter toast, chocolate wacky cake and marmalade flapjack.

I still haven't worked out good alternative to wool that's dressy ( I don't mind wearing fleece at the weekends and around the house). I sit most of the day in work and my circulation isn't great so I like to dress in warm clothes but that look dressy. I think I'll email my Vegan Pledge mentor to see what she thinks.

My boyfriend has been veganising with me and also feels so much healthier and alert. It's great!

In tandem with going vegan I've given up the pill as I don't want to be on it forever and I've already been taking it on and off for 7 years. I'm hoping going vegan and taking chasteberry tincture and a B vitamin complex will help with the cramps.

Aside from the vegan thing, my weight had been creeping up a bit recently and I had been trying to eat less fat and smaller portions. Nothing really happened until I went vegan, I've lost 3.5kg in two weeks. I think it's more to do with eating food that kept me fuller longer, my chronic dairy-induced constipation clearing up and having more energy so doing more exercise. Another 2.5kg and I'll be at my ideal. Once that happens the plan is to make sure I don't lose any more but also do more exercise to keep my muscles busy.