Yes, you read it correctly, I'm breaking my veginity. What's a veginity you ask? Well, it's me giving up being a vegetarian. I'm not going to say that this is a permanent situation because I'll probably flop again next month, who know's. What I've learned
I've learned so much about myself during this four month process of eating NO meat. I have learned that I don't have to eat meat everyday. I have also learned so many wonderful ways of eating, cooking, and loving my body more. Who knew that vegetables could be so wonderful! The reason that I am deciding to eat meat is simply because I miss it. I could probably go longer without meat, but I miss a juicy turkey burger, no lie. I still won't eat beef, though. I haven't had it in seven years or so, and I never look back. I figure that i'll continue the healthy lifestyle that I have learned while being a veg. I will continue to juice every once in a while, I will continue to have meatless Mondays, and I will continue to eat more vegetables, and limit the amount of dairy I eat. Also, I will continue to substitute things such as: mayo, milk, etc. Tonight, I'm going to eat some yummy asparagus and possibly baked chicken (hormone free). The benefits of being a Veg I seriously have the clearest skin because of my improved diet. I have the best bowl movements (yep, it's true), and I lost five pounds during my process. I'm actually the size that I'm supposed to be 124 about 5'4, however, I'm not going to lie I enjoy being a little bit thicker. So, that's my other reason for going back to meat. I don't eat a lot of sweats, so I can't gain weight that way. lol.
Are you a veg, or have you thought about it? I want to hear.
You may remember, I recently gave up meat... well, all except fish. I've definitely noticed several benefits to being a vegetarian, but I'm seriously running out of dinner ideas. Usually, I am adventurous and go all out but tonight was a different story. I made asparagus, brown rice w basil, and broccoli. Doesn't it sound boring? A part of me wants to break down and go back to eating chicken, turkey... oh, and my favorite lamb. I use to be obsessed with lamb. So, all you vegetarians out there--I'm trying to stay strong but I need help. What are some good recipes?
I always hear that Asparagus makes peoples pee smell like rotten eggs, but I swear I've never experienced this. Several people have told me that they avoid eating it all together because of the funky smell. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I don't have this problem, because I LOVE Asparagus.
According to MSNBC online,
Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan. The same compound is found in onions, garlic, rotten eggs, and in the secretions of Skunks (now, that's some stank shit, wowzers!). The report also stated that, not all people experience the foul odor but that close to half do.
Found this funny comic strip online and couldn't resist posting.
[Comic Strip Image via waxturds.com]
I said that it would take me two weeks before I converted to vegetarianism; however, I have started the process a little earlier. No meat and No dairy. Goodness, so far so good, but I'm nervous for the upcoming months. I'm nervous because I have a couple trips planned. I think that will be the real tester. How will I do under pressure? Especially if alcohol is involved. When I drink I have the urge to eat chicken wings. Haha.
I'm not going to say that I won't slip up, because there is a chance that I will. What I can say is that I am loving the transformation with my body and skin, thus far. Having clearer skin is definitely my main motivation. Also, I have not had stomach pains (something I suffered because of food allergies). Today, I went to Wholefoods and went crazy trying to find a meat-free and soy-free brand that I could enjoy. Well, I found the perfect brand. The brand is called Quron. O my God. I swear to you, I could not tell that there was NO meat in it. I give the person who created this brand props. I heart the chick'n patties. I also made scalloped red potatoes with fresh basil and carrots. Have you tried this brand before? Simply, the best!
For the first time ever, I will be running in a race. Not just any race, The Great Aloha Run. I'm not a trained runner or anything, but I decided to do it all in the name of charity. I'm racing on February 15, 2010 to raise money for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). It's a great organization that I support. Having been diagnosed with food allergies a while ago, this charity is close to my heart. 100 percent of money raised will go directly to the organization. You can read more about my story and donate at www.firstgiving.com/salathahelton. I hope my story inspires you.
A typical Saturday night for me is staying inside my apartment, indulging in cheese and crackers although I really shouldn't, and drinking my favorite Risata Moscato d' Asti wine. However, this past week, I did something out of the norm. I hung out with a few friends and went to a football game. The football game was, well, I never pay attention to the game, I obviously go for the mens. HAHA.
Let me tell you what happened before the game. So, we all decided to go eat. Nothing fancy, just Mickey D's. Well, we were laughing, eating and gossiping... when this guy walks in and catches my attention. I'm not one to stare, but I thought he was attractive, so hell. Besides, he should have been flattered to have a beautiful woman staring at him.
My friends and I all finished and decided to leave, but "the guy" sat down and ate by himself. I decided to bust out one of my golden rules... business cards! Yep, once again, I always have one available. I went back into Mickey D's, sat at his table, simply introduced myself, handed him my card and told him to call me.
His name was M.
1 day later, he did. Typically, I have preliminary questions that I ask a man. We all should ask questions. I asked him, "do you have a girlfriend, wife... , do you have children?" It may sound a little forward, but I don't like to waste my time. His first reply was, "we'll talk about that later, just not right now." What was the big freakin mystery? And, why did he have to be so secretive? After he said that, he said, "no I don't have a girlfriend." Um, ok.
We set plans to hang out around 3pm. He wanted to come over to my house which is off. Um, get a grip dude. Bottom line, 3pm came and went. He never called. Was I stood up?
A while back me and one of my friends decided to grill food and drink wine. Well, I came across this Spanish wine... (CONFESSION) I love anything Spanish and anything Italian. The wine is called Tapeña Tempranillo and it's great red wine. Here's a picture below of our food before we grilled.
What's your favorite thing to grill??? And, your favorite wine???
There are definitely certain foods that I love. One of my addictions without a doubt is ranch dressing. I used to be so obsessed that I got most of my friends addicted to it. I put ranch on everything... no, I'm really serious. Fries, chicken, spaghetti, pizza, there is no limit to my crazy addiction. The only problem with eating ranch so much besides the fact that it's high in calories is that, it contains MSG and a dairy. Well, these are two things that bother my bowels, MSG and milk products. I started visiting health food stores to find replacements for all of my guilty pleasures and I found the Peerrrrfect solution to my ranch obsession. It's made by Organic Ville and it gets better. Non dairy, organic dressing and gluten free. Say what!!! No more bloating and no more headaches. Love it! do you have a guilty pleasure...and I'm talking about food. LOL. :)
For the past few weeks I have been having persistent headaches that last for about an hour, go away, and return. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why I was getting these headaches. I don't eat spicy foods so I ruled that out, I haven't had a migraine in years, so I ruled that out, and nothing in my daily lifestyle has changed.
One thing was consistent.
I work crazy hours and instead of cooking dinner when I get off of work, I have found myself conveniently running to the sandwich place or Greek restaurant up the street. Every time I eat from the restaurants I get a splitting headache... I didn't put two and two together until now.
I finally had an Ah ha moment! I have been a victim of too much MSG. Once I realized this I started paying more attention to the restaurant signs... I was right! I didn't see any sign saying that MSG wasn't used and generally restaurants display a sign to ease the minds of customers. MSG is so addictive, because the "food enhancer" is filled with delicious flavors that makes the brain believe it needs more.
I haven't done extensive research on MSG, but I will. My symptoms have been: severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, etc. so many more, but too many to list. Has anyone else experienced this???? I want to hear from you.
Sushi, Sushi, Sushi. Where have all the good sushi chefs gone? I am sitting here craving sushi right now. I found this great sushi chef at a place called Captain Jack. I like to think the best in Sacramento, but of course he relocated. How did I miss his departure? I love sushi so much that sometimes I wish I could eat it everyday--but, sushi is a bit fattening (too many calories to eat everyday). Right now, I wish that I had some sort of crunchy roll... shrimp, salmon, avocado, plenty of white sauce and tobiko. Yummy!
Do you crave sushi? Where's your favorite sushi restaurant located?
