"You know what I want more than anything for Christmas, Daddy?" I asked, following a list of objects I would like to receive under the Christmas tree. "
The gift of life! You could be vegan with me...vegan December. Peace on earth."
To my surprise, Dad didn't look at me as if I was being ridiculous. In fact, his response was, "I would be willing to be vegetarian - if you would start eating some cooked vegan foods again."
And that was how it started. My family is eating vegetarian meals, which I will share with them - in true family dinner fashion (which was done away with a while ago in my family, when I started taking interest in my health and the ingredients that would make up my sacred temple of a body, while my mother, father, and brother lacked this enthusiasm), throughout the month of December (maybe longer, if cravings for their meaty addictions don't get the best of them), as an experiment for themselves (and maybe a ploy to get me eating 'normal' food again, and to experience family dinners again).
I still won't eat wheat. I still won't eat salt. I still plan upon keeping it low fat high carb. My breakfast, lunch, and snacks will still be fruit. I don't think I'll eat legumes. I don't want to eat refined foods like flour and sugar. And as soon as January comes, I already can't wait to metaphorically throw myself back into fruit's perfect embrace and start repairing the damage that I know I'm furthering with each bite I take.
Both parties will obviously have to compromise this month to make this work. I know the idea that I would give up my fruit for a month sounds ludicrous to a lot of my friends who understand just what I'm giving up, and the damage that I will be putting myself through.
But for this month, because I love my family and because I know it will make them happy, I temporarily walk away from the beautiful, colorful, flavorful world that is low fat raw veganism, for the less enchanting reality of cooked veganism.
Anyhow, this month, I plan upon posting about things I'm experiencing differently from fruit, tribulations and triumphs, etcetera.
So, tonight was December 1st. I had my first cooked family meal, "Brown Rice & Lentil Soup". It was fat free, basically tomatoes, rice, lentils, corn, and some other vegetables, all mixed together into a soup. I noticed just a few things.
- The soup (though there was a lot of water in it from the tomato juice, I assume) felt quite dehydrating.
- I normally don't feel the need to drink much water throughout the day (and my pee is most always clear), but I've been drinking non-stop since dinner.
- I felt really super full.
- I was kind of hungry, and the soup was pretty good...but after about half a bowl, I felt so full I just couldn't eat anymore.
- It would seem it is way easier to eat lots of energy from fruit. I can't imagine I had more than 200cal over dinner...
- I felt emotionally off after dinner last nigh.
- I don't know whether it was real or in my mind, but I felt distracted, heavy, tired, and just not...lacking that emotional glow I feel from fruit, I guess. Interesting.
That's all I've got for today. But stay tuned, I guess. I plan on posting every few days, listing new experiences and noticings.
Peace!
Hehe.
