ANYONE CAN LEARN TO COOK. EVEN ME!!!!
It has been 10 years since I decided to change my lifestyle from a couch potato, living on the Standard American Diet (SAD). There were a lot of choices, but I landed on the square labelled "Vegan". It turns out there are different kinds of vegans. There are ethical vegans who don't want to hurt animals, environmental vegans who don't want to be part of damaging our planet with factory farms, and people like me who are more focused on personal health.
I was at least 100 lbs. over weight, taking a handful of pills every day, sedentary and not looking to change. At age 58, I was pretty set in my ways even though I knew I was a disaster waiting to happen. But after the sudden loss of a few friends and a 1st cousin to heart disease, the decision was made to make a change. It took me 3 months to learn enough about food choices to feel safe, a few weeks to gather about 10 recipes that would keep boredom away and about 4 weeks to realize that the change should have been made a long time ago! The weight fell off with no exercise and I was eating more food more often so I never got hungry.
The foods were NOT labelled "Vegan". They really, for the most part, had no label. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper than meat and processed foods. They are easy to prepare, especially if you like cutting and chopping. If you don't, there are lots of shortcuts. We already had a decent blender and a food processor. There are quick veggie choppers for a reasonable price that also save a lot of time.
Honestly, I was doing fantastic before the Pandemic. After losing 100lbs, running became my hobby. My favorite distance was 5K (3.1 miles) and I would do it 3 times a week. Over about 2 years, I pushed myself up to 10K (6.2 miles) and felt great! My doctor took me off all the blood pressure and cholesterol medications because I no longer needed any. Cooking became a passion. Before I knew it, there were 180 recipes in my notes for everything from oatmeal to lasagna! They are all written out on this blog. All you have to do is scroll through it and try some of them.
During the Pandemic, I became less strict in my food choices and some of the weight crept back. I gained 35lbs and stopped running. The gyms were closed due to Covid and we don't have a treadmill. I wasn't even eating any animal products, but foods with oil in them were everywhere! All oils are 120 calories per tablespoon, even olive oil, and they suppress my metabolism.
Now I'm working hard to get back into the routine, following my own advice and we will see what happens! A food journal helps. After eating anything, I write it down and look at it before I eat again. When my eyes tell my brain what I've already eaten, the choices become healthier and healthier! It's funny how well that works.
If you want to learn more, I suggest you watch the movies FORKS OVER KNIVES and EATING YOU ALIVE, both on Amazon for a small fee with no commercials, or on YouTube. I just bought the Forks Over Knives 100 Best Plant Based Recipes Magazine, hoping for some new ideas! Ignore the many nutrition gurus that pop up and want to sell you magic supplements. There is no magic. Eat foods that have low caloric density, lots of fiber and stick with things that you can make in your own kitchen from natural foods. You don't need to count calories or worry about protein. Contrary to popular opinion, plants have plenty of amino acids in them and your body strings them together to make human protein. That's what DNA is for! If you eat enough to make yourself feel satisfied, you are getting more than enough protein. You can take B12 and D3 if you live in a place that isn't sunny all year, or if you wear sunscreen like you should, but that's really all you need.
A calorie density guide, like Chef AJ's, is very helpful:
If you don't already have one and want to save time, click the links to get a decent blender, a chopper, a pressure cooker and an air fryer. If space is an issue, you can get a combination air fryer/pressure cooker! Amazon has it all!
It's going to be the very best health choice you will every make!!!
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| You're never too old or too young to eat healthy!!! |
