New diet

So, have you heard of the Whole Foods, Plant Based diet? I started reading some about after watching Forks Over Knives a month or so ago. This is what I know so far:

-Obviously eat your food as close to its natural state as possible. Cut out all refined food.
-Like vegan diets, all animal products are out. Meat is not a challenge for me.
-It's really low in fat. Absurdly low. No cooking with oil.
-There's a correlation between this diet and generally really good health.

I don't enjoy eating meat. I remember being a kid, sitting at the dinner table, not enjoying the meat portion of the meal. I remember choking it down and really not liking the taste of meat. What I do have a hard time giving up is the dairy component of my diet. I love greek yogurt. I also enjoy pizza. I don't eat a lot of cheese, but I would have a hard time giving it up.

So far, I've practiced a gradual shift to the diet. I no longer use cow's milk in coffee or cereal. I really like unsweetened vanilla almond milk. And as a bonus, so does Jack. I'm eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, and I've cut out a lot of packaged food. I feel like my body is really enjoying the nutrient rich food. A lot of cravings have gone, and I believe it's because I'm finally giving my body what it's really craving.

After Cy was born, I started watching a lot of documentaries on Netflix about food and the quality of food that we as Americans tend to ingest. What we're eating isn't really food. It's no wonder we're craving food all the time because we're never really giving our bodies food. I've watched Food, Inc., Food Matters, Dying to Have Known, Forks Over Knives, and bits and pieces of other food documentaries. What I've learned is that I can get by with less food, so long as I eat higher quality food. This seems like a no brainer, but for someone who's had an intimate relationship with food as a provider of comfort for 30 years, this is a never ending battle. Imagine always having hugs when you've had a bad day, only to learn after 30 years that hugs cause cancer, heart disease, sexual disfunction, diabetes, etc. You know you need to quit, but that hug is so familiar and comfortable and soothing. Can you see my difficulty?

I've found a couple of websites that I have found recipes on that are helping me learn my way. I love Oh, she glows! , Happy Herbivore, and Engine 2 Diet.

As for my goal this week, I feel like I'm on the right track. If my kids will ever feel better, I may even start walking and exercising again.