Foodlog#001 on my new eating plan
Starting weight is 79.9 kg or 176 lb or 12 st 8 lb (not sure which system you use, so I’ve put them all)
New eating plan - Eat for life (modified)
After my two weeks juice detox in October, I felt amazing, but as soon I had some junk food, I got addicted again and I’ve gained back some of the weight that I lost.
I’m still 8 kg (17.6 lb) lighter than I was before I started the detox, but I don’t feel very good because I’ve gained a little under 3 kg (5.7 lb) and it shows a lot.
I went back home to Italy for Christmas and I stuffed myself with all sort of delicious Italian food, plus I’ve been very naughty at work, eating lots of leftovers that weren’t vegan (saying to myself that they would end up in the bin if I didn’t as a justification) and I felt pretty sick and bloated.
I kept smoking big times and drinking alcohol when out and my body is pretty upset.
Finally, I’ve decided to read Dr. Fuhrman’s book ‘Eat for life’ that really opened my eyes on the damages that I’m causing to my body and it gave a good kick to start eating healthily again and cut down on cigarettes and alcohol.
A friend of mine who is struggling with the Dukan diet (a gross diet, but she’s sure it’s good for her and I really don’t want to argue about it) had this genius idea of doing our diets together to keep ourselves motivated and we agreed in a set of rules to follow.
10 consecutive days of good days = one star and £10 into treat fund.
4 stars = a pampering treat (i.e massage or nails or new item of clothing, or anything wonderful worth £40)
3 x cigarettes
You do not do 10 minutes of cardio exercise per day (UNLESS you had a very strenuous day at work).
Soup soup soup
Today, when I was cycling back home, I was feeling pretty cold and I couldn’t stop thinking about steaming bowls of boiling hot soup, so the first thing I did when I got in was to have a good look at the fridge to choose my “victims” (read soup ingredients).
I had half a cauliflower, a bag of kale and a bag of spinach and I’ve decided that somehow I had to mix these healthy (read boring) ingredients to make a decadent and comforting soup without adding too much fat.
My pressure cooker saved the day and the soup was so delicious that I had two massive bowls of it!
To make it, I chucked the veggies, two chopped onions, some soy sauce and two cloves of garlic in the pressure cooker, I brought it up to pressure on high heat until it whistled and I let it cook on low heat for ten minutes. Once the soup was cooked, I added tons of chopped coriander, the juice of a lime, two teaspoons of creamed coconut and I blended it.
It was so lovely!
Juice experiments
Since I received my beloved juicer a couple of days ago, I’ve contracted the “mad scientist juicer syndrome” that made me juice whatever fruit/veg I could put my hands on in this short period of time.
So far I my favourites have been:
Apple + Pears = a classic, sweet, soothing juice for the times that you need a cuddle :)
Carrot + Orange + Lemon = super refreshing, it’s my all time favourite
Celery + Beetroot + Pear + Red Bell Pepper = I thought that I was going to hate it because of the unlikely combination of ingredients, but it tastes fantastic!
Green Grapes + Cucumber + Lime + Plums + Melon = the ultimate thirst quencer, it tastes like commercial lemonade, but it’s way better for you.
Juice Fast
I haven’t been posting any food log in a while, because I’ve just past a period of extreme naughtiness when I would eat lots of junk food (including things with cheese or other dairy ingredients, shame on me) because I wasn’t feeling really happy.
If I eat too much junk food (especially with dairy) I get addicted to it, so I’ve decided to reset my healthy eating habits with a fast.
It started as a water fast, but I have to work and it’s no recommended to fast with only water and do too much exercise (I’ve got quite a physical job), so after two days I’ve switched to juice fasting.
I’m now on my 8th day (of fasting in total, 6th of juice fast) and it’s going really well.
I was obviously very hungry on the first couple of days, but since I’ve started drinking juices, it’s been a real treat.
I don’t feel hungry anymore and I feel lighter and happier.
After buying few freshly made veggie and fruit juices, I’ve decided to buy a juicer and I’m having lots of fun experimenting with different juice recipes.
My aim is to keep juice fasting until my tongue will get back to pink, a sign that the detox has totally worked (at the moment it’s horribly white/green, bleah)
Foodlog#004
Breakfast
A pot of fruity vegan yoghurt
Lunch
Brown rice with mushrooms, courgettes and spring onions
Dinner
Half a portion of vegan lasagne with a side dish of chickpeas, mixed beans and quinoa
Half a slice of raw chocolate cake
Two raw chocolate truffles
Naughty Drinks
A little bottle of unknown beer
A pint of Kronenbourg
Notes
I should really stop drinking all this beer, but it’s so hard to avoid booze if you want to have a social life here in England!
Dinner was quite big, but it was totally worth it. I split all my food (except the little truffles) with my boyfriend, who actually already had dinner, but he’s a bit of pig eheh (and doesn’t put weight on, damn his fast metabolism, I envy him so much!).
We went to this amazing vegan raw/healthy restaurant/bar in camden town, called the inspiral lounge. If you happen to be in London, you should go, it’s so good!
It may seem a bit dear but they’re portions are huge and very filling, so you can share one between two people.
Tomorrow I plan to have just fruit for breakfast, some rice and beans for lunch an a salad for dinner, so I should be fine :)
Healty veg* cookbooks to have if you’re on a diet
I’m a big sucker for cookbooks (especially vegan, vegetarian and ethnic ones) and I’ve just got paid, so I have gone on a massive shopping spree on amazon and I can’t wait to get the books home!
My kitchen shelf is already quite loaded, but most of my cookbooks are full of indulgent and “sinful” recipes that I simply can’t have while I’m on a diet (unless it’s a special occasion), so I researched a bit and I’ve found the following ones that look quite promising:
A collection of three hundred meatless, dairyless, and fat-free recipes, offering balanced blends of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains, uses the latest research of the McDougalls to prove that healthy food does not have to be boring.
From New Year’s to Kwanzaa, celebrate the holidays that make up our cultural fabric, without losing your waistline in the process. Includes a special chapter on holiday baking
Fibre can aid your digestive system and help protect against heart disease and cancer. In this cookbook, vegan author Bryanna Clark Grogan demonstrates how to use high-fibre foods to make recipes that are designed to be as tasty as they are good for you. All the recipes are vegan.
This is a vegan cook book that gets you in and out of the kitchen with the minimum of fuss and a big plate of meat, egg and dairy-free food. The book helps you to put together a well-balanced meal on one of those nights when there’s barely time to slice the loaf, or when you have unexpected guests, or when you need to rustle up a quick snack, appetizer, or breakfast before rushing off to work or school. Includes ideas for Thai-style noodles, burgers, pizzas, rice and pasta dishes, tofu recipes with non-soy alternatives suggested in most cases.
“The Happy Herbivore Cookbook” is written by a vegan chef blogger, showing that a vegan diet is both healthy and delicious. Vegan Chef Lindsey S. Nixon combines some of her tastiest recipes in “The Happy Herbivore Cookbook”, each made with no added fats, using only whole, plant-based foods. It’s easy to make great food at home using the fewest number of ingredients and ones that can easily be found at any store, on any budget. “The Happy Herbivore Cookbook” includes: a variety of recipes from quick and simple to decadent and advanced; helpful hints and cooking tips, from basic advice such as how to steam potatoes to more specific information about which bread, tofu or egg replacer works best in a recipe; an easy-to-use glossary demystifying any ingredients that may be new to the reader; healthy insight: details on the health benefits and properties of key ingredients; pairing suggestions with each recipe to help make menu planning easy and painless; and allergen-free recipes, including gluten-free, soy-free, com-free and sugar-free. With a conventionally organised format; easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions; nutritional analyses, colourful photographs; funny blurbs at the beginning of each recipe; helpful tips throughout; and chef’s notes suggesting variations for each dish, even the most novice cook will find healthy cooking easy - and delicious!
This is the first physician-authored vegan cookbook, featuring 125 recipes for reversing diabetes, improving cholesterol and blood pressure, and permanent weight loss. In Dr. Neal Barnard’s Get Healthy, “Go Vegan Cookbook”, the country’s leading diabetes team weighs in on America’s most popular dietary trend: veganism. The cookbook is based on a two-year study conducted by Dr. Barnard, which showed that a vegan diet more effectively controls type-2 diabetes. In fact, it’s also beneficial for weight loss, reversing heart disease, and many other conditions. Now, Dr. Barnard and nutritionist Robyn Webb offer easy, delicious vegan meals to improve your health. With the new dietary programme, not only does diabetes come under better control than ever-sometimes even disappearing altogether-weight falls, too. Cholesterol plummets, and long lost energy returns. All this with a culinary approach that is quick, easy, and delicious. Featuring 125 flavourful recipes, readers will find all-occasion dishes that use ordinary ingredients and take little effort. There’s plenty of familiar dishes emphasising vegetables, fruits, pasta, beans, and whole grains. Mediterranean influences will be strongly in evidence, while meats, dairy products, and oils will be noticeably absent. All recipes are free of animal products, are low fat, and have a low-to-moderate glycemic index. There are recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, and entertaining. Recipes include: On-the-Go Breakfast Sandwiches, Cinnamon Swirl Oatmeal, Hummus Pizzas, Pretty Stuffed Peppers, Creamy White Bean and Artichoke Dip, Sweet Potato Fries and Black Bean Cakes with Mango Salsa.
Rose Elliot is an internationally-renowned vegetarian cookery writer - her creative and delicious recipes have inspired many to become vegetarian. The Bean Book is a vegetarian classic giving the lowdown on beans and pulses of every flavour, colour and variety. The Bean Book includes bakes, rissoles and soups to tempt the tastebuds as well as essential information on the preparation of all pulses. With recipes such as West Indian Red Beans and Lentil Pie you will find the versatile bean is healthy, economical and delicious.
Foodlog#003
Today was bank holiday here in the UK and it’s really hard to stick to a diet or keep track of what you eat when you’re partying for three days in a row, so here it’s what I’ve eaten for the past two days (saturday and sunday).
——Saturday——
Breakfast
Vegan wonton soup
A banana
Lunch
Brown rice with chickpeas, mushrooms and courgettes
Dinner
A large portion of chips and curry sauce (shock horror, but I was tipsy and I couldn’t resist)
Naughty drinks in the park (and pub)
A bottle of honey dew beer
Two half pints of Staropramen
Night snacks
A couple of lollypops
—-Sunday—-
Breakfast
nothing as I was coming down and I didn’t feel like eating
Lunch
nothing, I was sleeping
Dinner
Tomatoes, chickpeas and rocket salad with spring onion and balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing
Snacks
Orange and mango juice
Foodlog#002
Breakfast
Scrambled tofu with mushrooms on a slice of 100% rye bread
A mandarin
Lunch
Vegan wonton soup with a cup of boiled brown rice
Half a can of jackfruit
Dinner
A big bowl of mixed salad with rocket salad, lettuce, sweet corn, spring onions, tomatoes and mushrooms
Night out snack
A slice of my friend’s pizza
A small portion of fresh chopped tomatoes and olives (that’s what happens when you ask for a salad in a take away pizza place in London, bleurgh)
Naughty drinks
Half a bottle of white wine and some disgusting shots
Notes
Breakfast was awesome (tasty and very filling but low in calories, plus it was quick to cook in a rush) , I should make it more often.
To make it, I stirfried some garlic in a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, then I’ve added some mushrooms, spring onions, a pack of silken tofu, half a teaspoon of veggie stock powder, a dash of chipotle tabasco, a generous sprinkle of yeast flakes and a teaspoon of turmeric to give the mix a good eggy colour.
Out of a standard packet of siken tofu, you can make two good portions of scrambled tofu that looks scarily similar to the egg dish and tastes super yummy.
The vegan won ton soup is a special favourite of mine when I’m feeling lazy as it comes straight out of a can and I can buy in any major supermarket, as it’s not specifically made for vegan people, it just happens to be vegan (I actually believe that most people think it has meat inside and I found out that it was vegan only because I have a habit of checking food ingredients at the supermarket :))
It delicious and it has very little calories, so it’s perfect when I’m on a diet, but I had to add a cup of brown rice to it, otherwise I would have felt really hungry after a couple of hours.
The jackfruit was an experiment and I didn’t think much of it.
I had a very light dinner because I knew that I was going to drink during the night.
I prefer to enjoy myself at parties and to eat less before to try to compensate the extra alcohol calories.
I was very tempted to have a take away pizza with my friend and I’m really proud of myself for choosing the healthy option :)
