Like most others in Quarantine, our Netflix time initially went up and we ended watching Game Changers. We had heard so much hype about it but never had the chance to watch it. After watching it, we started questioning some of our diet choices and health benefits versus risks. There are so many conflicting ideas about diet and which one is the best for you. We decided to try the vegan diet for one month because why not?
A LITTLE BACKGROUND PRIOR TO STARTING VEGAN
Prior to starting the vegan diet, we were eating a strict GFCF (gluten free casein free) diet for a couple of months. Mr. S had major surgery in January for his hip and was experiencing back and nerve pain. It improved after surgery but the nerve pain started coming back. Little M had a new diagnosis. Baby M had bad eczema on the inside of her elbows and back of the knees. I decided that we could all benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet and switched from mostly Paleo to GFCF.
Prior to changing GFCF, we were eating Paleo about 80% of the time for 7+ years, and I did the majority of the cooking with meat and simple veggies. The 20% that wasn’t Paleo was usually eating out (like pizza – YUM). Before the kids, we were pretty strict and could stick to it 95% of the time, but the introduction of “snacks” and then milk in our house was too much for Mr. S and I to resist! LOL!
THE HEALTH Rx: It may take some trial and error to find the lifestyle diet that is right for you and your family! All the effort will be worth it! PS. Veggies are always a good idea!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN?
Vegetarians are plant-based and do not eat any animals – beef, pork, fish, etc. Vegans take it a step further and do not eat any animal OR animal products – no eggs, dairy, cheese, honey, etc.
VEGAN RESOURCES
- Plant Strong (website & accompanying books listed below – Engine 2)
- The Engine 2 Diet
- The Engine 2 Cookbook
- Forks Over Knives
- No Meat Athlete
- Thug Kitchen – *Beware* They use curse words (which I thought was hilarious)!
QUICK NOTES ON EACH WEEK
Week 1
Meal prep was so crazy because I didn’t fully prepare for all the things that I needed. I thought that it would be easy to whip up vegan dishes in no time, and that couldn’t be further from the truth!! Since we were also in quarantine, I couldn’t find some of the ingredients needed – like chickpea flour for an egg substitute.
Both Mr. S and I noticed that we could breathe better which was interesting. We weren’t sure if it was coincidental or had anything to do with the changing weather. Toward the end of the first week, both of our eczema patches came back. His is on the leg, and mine is on the forehead.
I gained 3 pounds even though everything I read said that you would lose weight. I think it was because I was eating a lot more processed foods than I normally do like pastas and breads since I was following some new recipes. I decided to nip that in the bud for the next week!
Week 2
I simplified things and thought of some additional easy breakfast options instead of just oatmeal or cereal like JUST EGGS vegan egg substitute, cauliflower oatmeal, and a green smoothie. NOTE: I had to stay VERY CLOSE to a bathroom the days that I did a plant-based protein green smoothie for breakfast. I think it was too much fiber!!!
Week 3
I tried to branch out on recipes because the same things were on rotation for time and ease. I started making more bowls which consisted of a grain mixture (brown rice, quinoa, wild rice), sweet potato, mushroom, cooked ground Beyond Meat, yellow/orange peppers, and avocado.
Week 4
At the end of week 3 leading into week 4, we were celebrating my youngest one’s birthday and our 17th wedding anniversary. Suffice it to say, we MAY have overindulged that weekend! On top of that, my cycle started that week. We stuck to the vegan but added in quite a few desserts! LOL!
I was still up the 3 pounds from the beginning, and I felt like my face looked bloated and it shows on some of my blog photos (not yet published). Again, I contribute it to the overindulgence!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
PROS // Based on the Engine 2 books that I read, I DID feel like I had more energy and less fatigue eating vegan. I loved the meals that I did make, and most were delicious. I think that meal prep would become faster as I got used to some of the recipes. I love that we were eating a variety of colors, and the kids ate a lot more vegetables too! For them, I did let them eat some meat like GF chicken nuggets and fish just so they would actually eat something.
CONS // The biggest con was all the gas!! LOL! I’m not even joking… I was farting ALL THE TIME! One night, my youngest said to me, “I still love you even if you make stinky toot toots all the time!” LOL!!! Supposedly, your stomach biome will get used to all of the fiber, and the gas will subside. I’m not sure how long it takes, but that did not happen within the one month time. Since I was so gassy, my belly was always bloated too! Additionally, my weight did stay up the 3 pounds. I’m not sure if it’s because I was doing the diet incorrectly or just that I ate so many more carbs than I usually do – like brown rice and some pastas/breads.
// I had a little helper when I was shooting this at home! //
FUTURE PLANS + LIFE AFTER VEGAN
After trying the vegan diet for one month, will we continue? In short, no. We both agreed that we liked it but will just go back to GFCS/Paleo and eat less meat and be heavier on the veggie side. On Paleo, grains and legumes are usually not permitted which is what’s MOSTLY on the vegan diet. So in essence, we are adopting the Pegan diet (combo of Paleo + vegan), coined by Dr. Mark Hyman. (I’ve also read his book and own his cookbook!)
Since we finished the month trial, we both realized that we didn’t miss meat that much which is surprising for two (considered) meatarians. I’ve been limiting my meat intake to 1-2x/week and eating mostly vegan bowls. I love the “Beyond Meat” brand and have been using it instead of ground beef/bison for taco meat, in spaghetti, and vegan bowls. We tried quinoa tacos, but the kids wouldn’t eat it. We are all a little more tooty, but I feel like the trade off has been worth it in regards to energy, our skin conditions, and over mood. Plus, I’ve discovered some amazing replacements that I never looked for previously like cashew nut “parmesan cheese”!
I’ve tried to be really observant and notice the way my body feels after eating certain foods. It seems as though my allergies get worse (nasal drainage, eczema) after I eat gluten, processed sugar like cookies/ice cream, and/or meat multiple meals in a row. It’s been really helpful for me to be more conscientious of what I’m putting into my body instead of stress eating like crazy. Of course, I have messed up because I’m human but always striving for a better tomorrow for myself and my family.
HAVE YOU TRIED THE VEGAN DIET?! WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF EATING?
dress {past season} SHERIDAN FRENCH
neckmess CHOKER, MARLA AARON, VINTAGE
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