Don't Forget to Dance

Okay, so I made a lot of really wonderful (some may say lofty) resolutions for not just 2011, but for the remainder of my life. Here's a recap.

This year I resolve to:
~Practice a vegan diet and eat more salads
~Buy organic when possible
~Drink more tea, less coffee
~Cook more with variety
~Research and Learn
     + Ask questions
     + Read
     + Converse
     + Explore
     + Listen
~Create
~Dance
~Build new relationships and strengthen old ones
~Focus on family
~Live actively, not idly

So, here's how I've been doing. The salads this isn't working out for me so far.. but I've also been doing some research on seasonal foods and how we crave certain foods that grow locally and seasonally for a reason. They interact with our bodies differently! No wonder I've been eating a TON of soup lately. Honestly, all I want is soup for the most part. 

I'm am doing much better about drinking tea instead of coffee. It is really hard not to go to Starbucks when I'm on campus because it has always been a relaxing fall-back for me. I also know that coffee is a huge comfort for me, physically and emotionally. When I'm stressed or I'm cramping, doesn't matter, coffee makes me feel better.

Being vegan is going well. I slip a little every now and then (I really, really miss cheese. Cream cheese is a weakness.) I don't crave meat at all anymore really and that took a while, so maybe I'll eventually flush my body of desire and addiction for dairy.
I have recently discovered that non dairy ice cream (made with almond milk) is just as delicious at regular ice cream. But, in my quest to find a replacement for ice cream that isn't just a dairy substitute, I have found sorbet. Oh my goodness.. delicious, delicious, and like 3g of fiber in a serving.

On my quest to explore new things, I came  across an opportunity to go to Uganda with Nourish International this summer for 6 weeks. While there, I will be helping to add another room to an orphanage, as well as plant crops and teach the children and the community how to cultivate their land so that they can provide more food and nutrition for their community!!! How stinking cool is that!!? Our first interest meeting is on Thursday and I really can't wait.

I'm still trying to nurture past relationships and build new ones. I've run across some old friends the past few days and I hope that I'll be able to rekindle those friendships. I'm also hoping to make new friends through Nourish International. I can't wait to meet people that really want to make a difference.

This week is nuts and extremely busy. I'm hoping to get back in touch with my family next week when things are a little more calm. (I still have to tell my parents about Uganda.) I've really missed going to Nick's parents' house this week for what is become our traditional Tuesday night vegan dinners. I feel like I've gained another family. : )

I've been trying to write and reflect more as it centers and calms me. I'll be back soon with more challenges and stories.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

Okay, so if you didn't watch Oprah yesterday (first of all, I don't blame you), she had a segment on veganism. She challenged Harpo Studios to go on a vegan diet for one week and some of the results were amazing. Most people said they felt better. Many lost weight (one guys lost 11 lbs in 1 week! just by changing his diet!) and some said they had much more energy.

One of her main guests was Michael Pollan who has written a few books: The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Food Rules. He is quite a smart guy. One of his motto's on the cover of In Defense of Food is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." I think this is a great mantra to live by whether you want to ease into being vegan or continue eating meat, but with more awareness. He is not vegan but eats many vegan meals and meat about 3 times a week.
The other was a lady who had written the book called The Veganist (thus they called her the Veganist on the show, I don't remember her name). I don't think she was very smart with her approach to veganism, though she is said to be an "expert." She went grocery shopping with one of the ladies taking the vegan challenge and instead of buying fresh produce and whole grains, she simply displayed how to by vegan replacements of already processed foods. Most of the grocery cart was filled with packaged food in the end. NOT the way to go about it. One won't reap all the wonderful physical and emotional benefits of being vegan with this approach.

Others who did the vegan challenge learned some disturbing things about themselves, such as addition to fast foods, junk foods, and other really alarming eating habits.

So, my advice is to go vegan, but do it intelligently. Buy cookbooks, find recipes online, or learn from someone who has some experience with vegan cooking. Do not go in blind because you will just end up buying vegan hot dogs which probably are no better than the normal ones.

And always keep learning. Continue to grow. Challenge yourself every day to be the healthier, happier person that you want to be. : ]

Wellness

I try very, VERY hard to be healthy. However, I am finding lately that I have been getting headaches and my back and neck hurt constantly. How is it that I can try so hard to be well, and yet, not be? I have often had the though that maybe other people have these feelings of sickliness also, but more constantly and they just are "used to it". I've thought that maybe, knowing, believing that wellness is the complete efficiency of the body in absorbing and processing energy in order to move and function to optimal capacity, has made me much more aware of my ailments and disfunctions than others. Perhaps the normal person experiences some degree of headache regularly, with joint pain and shortness of breath. But how is it, that doing all the extra work and research into nourishing my body that I still have these problems?

Is there such a thing as wellness? The complete absence of illness and even more?
I think that true wellness also produces more than a functioning body. I think wellness also induces happiness, creativity, joy and inspiration.

This is my journey to find that. I will some day reach that biological nirvana. I will do anything in my power and budget to allow me to get there.

Sincerely,
Health Nut

Piano Stairs

So, I went to see Black Swan the other night with my boyfriend and it turns out that it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. It really is a beautiful film about self conflict and touches on so many other dilemmas that one faces in trying to achieve happiness and self worth. I highly recommend it.

After almost a month, I finally have internet in my house again and I've really been trying to catch up on some screen time... and I have now been exposed to the wonders of StumbleUpon.com. It's really a wonderful website. I have seen so many artistic and ingenuous ideas that people have displayed on the web. It has given me a renewed hope for society to see all of these creative and passionate people out there, as well as the beauty of the earth and humanity in general.

On of the best things that I saw today was about making something fun in order to influence behavior, in this case choosing the stairs over the escalator...

Piano stairs - TheFunTheory.com - Rolighetsteorin.se

New Year!!!

I haven't posted in a long time and so here is how my December went... lots of vacation, stress from finals, back and forth with my boyfriend, more vacation, holiday food, conforming to family diet (no meat though), feeling like crap, more vacation, eating too much, gaining weight, feeling utterly shitty.

Now, let's see what January has in store for me! I'm so excited about this new year. I'm excited for my outlook and for the new experiences that I know I'm going to have.

I love the beginning of the year because people suddenly become so focused on health and fitness and that really sparks a fire in me. So, my roommates are now, all about cooking and eating healthfully as well as exercising, as is my boyfriend.

Reflections upon the previous year are crucial to beginning a new one with vigor. My reflections:
-Being vegetarian is really easy. Vegan is a little more difficult for social reasons.
-Loyalty is more important in one's actions, than words.
-Life is better when you are filling it up to the brim.
-Happiness is the ultimate goal.
-Family loves unconditionally.

This year I resolve to:
~Practice a vegan diet and eat more salads
~Buy organic when possible
~Drink more tea, less coffee
~Cook more with variety
~Research and Learn
     + Ask questions
     + Read
     + Converse
     + Explore
     + Listen
~Create
~Dance
~Build new relationships and strengthen old ones
~Focus on family
~Live actively, not idly

This year, I want to remember all of the things that make me happy, that motivate, strengthen, and inspire me. Then get involved in those things instead of planning and planning without doing.

I also want to revamp my view of others. I really believe that there is something special and unique to each person, whether I agree or not. I want to remember to appreciate others for their unique qualities and have a less elitist perspective.

Bring it on 2011!

Broken

I haven't blogged in quite a while. Thanksgiving being vegan went well at my parents' house. They didn't even know. I went to see my good friend Leah in Ohio a few weeks ago and had a lot of fun except I was worrying about my boyfriend the whole time and that kinda sucked a lot. Then I went to Chicago with my sweetheart and had a good time other than getting sick and Nick getting upset every other hour. Overall I had fun. Now one week later, I'm dumped. We weren't working and now we're both alone again for Christmas.There are so many things that I wanted to experience with him. I wanted to spend Christmas with the one I love. Another heartbroken holiday. But, I'm kind of relieved that I won't be fighting to make both of us happy anymore.. just me. I'm going to try to find myself again. Good luck.