My husband and I have taken on a “healthier eating” challenge this month, thanks to the brainchild of Happy Herbivore. It’s called the 30 Whole Days Challenge, and the goal is to eat just whole foods for 30 days, avoiding the use of processed foods as much as possible. You can read about it here. I’ve never tried this particular strategy before, although I have followed the McDougall way of eating off and on over the years, which is pretty close. The focus there is on a diet of low fat vegan meals, based on starches and complex carbs.
I can tell you that I am not a stereotypically skinny vegan gal! I like to eat, and I like to eat delicious food. We eat most of our meals at home (or prepare them at home for meals at the office), and we both like to cook, bake and experiment with new recipes. It’s a treat for us to discover great foods at vegan restaurants, and we love having that option. It’s also hard to resist the latest and greatest vegan indulgence foods — cheeses, baked goods, faux meats, etc. They are awfully convenient and taste really good — and our waistlines are both showing it! And, I think there’s nothing wrong with that kind of indulgence when you think of it like that — as an indulgence, rather than as a primary way of eating. Knowing how much we enjoy food, it will be a challenge to rely just on the whole ingredients to come up with equally tempting meals. But, we hope the payoff in health benefits, environmental benefits and weight loss will be worth it.
My personal challenge is to retrain my taste buds and appetite away from craving high fat, high salt foods. We don’t use much sugar at home and try to buy products without much added sugar, so that’s not as much of a hurdle. We also try to use seasonal, organic, local produce, so that’s not too hard. Oh! And, we’ve finally — FINALLY — ordered that Vita-mix that we’ve been wanting for years. I think that will be a real asset in this challenge (and beyond). I’m actually looking forward to enjoying and appreciating more subtle flavors and textures; think of the comparison of a gentle herbal peach tea to a Mountain Dew. Sometimes less is more.
Can we do it? I don’t know, but we’re going to give it a committed try. I’m wondering if it will take a lot more time and planning. I suspect it will save us money at the grocery store. It’s kind of a tradeoff in resources, isn’t it? I’m excited to try new recipes and combinations of flavors. And it would be fabulous to shape up (with exercise, too, of course) and feel more energetic. I’m hoping to feel better on several levels.
This is a culinary adventure. It will raise our awareness of what we buy and how we nourish our bodies. And, I know we’ll find many healthy “kind indulgences” along the way!
So, here’s to good health and creativity and focus and fun! Wish us luck, and I’ll let you know how it went!
Vegan Food Pyramid illustration courtesy of veganfoodpyramid.com.
