TigreBella

Exactly! I never actually noticed until I became vegan how many restaurants, especially Asian and Indian, have modified their menus to insure that it is meat-centric. Bento boxes which should have rice or seeds as the center are now gummed up with heavy sauces and chicken for the American consumer. Tandoor recipients being steak and chicken filled! Anyway before I go off on a rant here, I guess it's a good thing since I haven't eaten out in a long time and THIS is probably what detours me from using these places as a convenient way of being lazy and not preparing my own meal. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you've made that psychological breakthrough and wish you all the best on your road to a positive and healthier lifestyle (inside and out). Thanks! Well, for me, it's not really the meat that gets to me. Nearly every restaurant's main meals, if they don't have meat, they at least have cheese (or some form of dairy) or wheat. It upsets me, because even though my husband and I don't eat out much (due to our tight budget and health concerns), we have to search for the foods we CAN have out of all the foods we CAN'T have. I come from a family that ate out very often. I remember my parents couldn't live without going eat out at least three times a week (that'd be hard for me to do now). Even though I avoid meat like the devil (ANY form or type of meat now s me and makes me so sick that I want to vomit just from looking at it), I still have a craving for dishes with cheese in it (though my husband constantly has to gross me out by reminding me that dairy causes me to cough up mucous and make me sick). We've tried to calm my craving by trying soy cheese a couple times, but nothing made from soy is as good as the original for me (except soy milk, which is better). My husband knows not to ever mention cheesecake, or even pass by it in the store, because that was my #1 favorite dessert and now I have to avoid it. lol. Though I know how my mind and body work, and I can't change my lifestyle by not trying hard, because my unhealthy desires will rule over me...I have to make an effort to help force it along (just like my exercise habits), until it all falls into place nicely. That's what happens when we come from lazy unhealthy families, I guess...I have to work hard to clean up the mess they made. lol. At least if I ever have children, they won't have to work as hard to clean up such a mess as I'm doing.

November 17, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

lol! Darn popular apples, oranges, and bananas! They put the lesser popular pears to shame. lol! lol. Well, I love my fruit! I doubt I could ever stick to a mostly raw Vegan diet if it was mostly veggies. I always couldn't stand having much veggies, but always loved my fruit! (Who ever knew, though, that I'd go from having meat as my main course to having a piece of fruit as my main course? lol! My mom's still not sure what to think!) It was hard at first, and still is (especially with the temptations of nearby restaurants and desserts in the stores), but I find that it only gets easier over time. Lately, I've been focusing hard on the positives and benefits, and hammering it into my head that I will refuse to go back to my old way of living (gorging on all the food I desire and being overweight)! I've had a major breakthrough, and am finally pushing for a more positive and healthier lifestyle (inside and out).

November 16, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 2 avocados Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

lol! Go have a pear, then! They're delicious! *blushes* Thanks!

November 14, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 2 avocados Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 4 mile walk November 15, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 2 avocados Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 6 mile walk

Well, we went to the library today. I picked up 6 more books (Alternative Medicine for Dummies; The Mayan Factor; Positive Energy; The Way of Qigong; Tai Chi For Health; Teach Yourself Pilates) and 4 DVDs (Bellydance Fitness For Beginners: Basic Moves & Fat Burning; Bellydancing Fitness For Beginners: Arms, Abs, Hips, Buns, & Thighs; Chi Kung For Health; Discover Tai Chi: AM & PM Workouts). Then, we went to the co-op and bought a couple avocados (the ones we just bought on sale from CostCutter are not ripe, so we bought some dark ripened ones at the co-op to last us until the others ripen). So, I guess I'll be up early tomorrow, getting busy with reading! lol. Anyway... November 12, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 bananas Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 8 mile walk November 13, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 2 avocados Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

Well, we didn't go to the library or co-op today, so we'll try tomorrow. I guess today was kind of a day off today (my husband figured I needed a day off, anyway). I was a little sick, so I didn't do much. We went for a little walk and picked up a few bananas from the store to snack on. Anyway... November 11, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 bananas Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

lol, yep! I've grown a love for Bartlett pears! They're just so sweet and delicious! We're most likely gonna buy 10 or 20 more pounds of pears tomorrow, along with some avocados. Hmmm...maybe some pineapple or tomatoes too. We'll see. I just know I gotta have my pears! I like apples, but I tend to not like the taste/texture of their peelings much, and if I slice and peel them they get brown too quickly. I love oranges, but just not craving them at the moment. As for bananas, I've been enjoying them, but lately they don't seem to have much of a taste anymore. Well, we didn't go to the co-op today, as I was feeling a little sick. So, we spent most of the day just spending time at home together and talking about things. At least it was a peaceful day. We'll try to get to the co-op tomorrow, though. I wish I could get to visit Canada! You're so lucky!

I'm still doing good. I need to get back into exercising again, though, since my time of the month is finally over. Tomorrow, we're most likely going back to the library, and then going to the Community Food Co-op, so I may have to wait until Wednesday to start exercising again like I'd like to. We'll probably do a lot of walking tomorrow, though. Anyway... November 10, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

November 9, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

November 8, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 2 avocados Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

Well, we went shopping today. We decided to get Bartlett pears and avocados (man, those avocados have been addicting! we crave them like crazy! lol). Anyway... November 7, 2008 Breakfast: 1 Bartlett pear Snack: 1 Bartlett pear Lunch: 1 avocado Snacks: 2 Bartlett pears Exercise: 2 mile walk

*blushes* Aww, thanks!

November 6, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Snack: 2 bananas Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 1 tomato Snack: 2 bananas Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: none

Pssshh! That's nothing! I'm not so active at the moment due to my time of the month...grrr...it always makes me not want to move around much. But once it's over, I'm giving it my all and pushing to get in better shape!

November 5, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Snack: 1 banana Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 1 tomato Snack: 2 bananas Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: 2 mile walk

November 4, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Snack: 1 banana Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 1 tomato Dinner: 1 orange Snack: 2 bananas Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: none (instead, I did some cleaning around the house)

I'm still not craving much. I've been listening to my body, and have not been feeling overly hungry. (Heck, I got over "needing" to eat just because my husband is eating and I crave what he eats. We can now eat different things and at different times, and I won't want something just because he's having it! lol) I've slowly been trying to drink more water, and it's been hard for me to want to drink more than 1 bottle of water a day (2 bottles on exercise days), so I drank 4 cups of tea tonight to try to help make up for it. Though, I don't really feel dehydrated or anything, so I think I should be ok. I've been feeling more energetic, I have to admit that! November 3, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Snack: 1 banana Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 1 tomato Dinner: 1 orange Snack: 2 bananas Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: none (time of the month well, at least it's getting better! less bleeding and less painful cramps! )

November 2, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 2 tomatoes Dinner: 1 avocado Snack: 2 bananas Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: 1 hour of exercise (30 minutes of it being weight exercises)

Wooh! I just checked my weight the other day, and I'm down to 210 pounds now! Anyway, I started the fruit cleanse. I'm basically consuming fruit juice, blended fruit, and whole fruits...whatever I feel like. I've recently reduced my food intake (not just due to the cleanse, but also I have not been feeling as hungry and am just trying to listen to what my body wants). As you can see, I'm apparently craving avocados and tomatoes now. I'm also trying to take in at LEAST 4 bottles of water a day (I'm not so used to drinking much water, so I also have tea when needed). November 1, 2008 Breakfast: 1 tomato Lunch: 1 avocado Snack: 2 tomatoes Dinner: 1 avocado Snack: 1 banana Snack: 1 tomato Exercise: 2 mile walk

Yeah, same here, because I buy the large tomatoes from the store most times. I'll sometimes buy the small roma tomatoes when they're cheaper (but I hate how they're waxed, ugh), and those could probably blend well whole, though I never tried it with the small roma tomatoes yet. Ooh, you make homemade tomato sauce? Great! I've been enjoying making my own, especially now that I'm eating more raw foods, as I can easily have a complete raw salad with tomato sauce instead of dressing. Oh, and raw salsa. And I even made a raw pie with blended tomatoes mixed into the filling (which was mostly fruit pulp leftover from juicing). Yep, my Magic Bullet really helps me get creative with foods! lol. (Funny, because before we switched to this type of lifestyle, I remember my husband and I complaining that it was a complete waste of money since we barely used it! )

Ah, ok. Well, see, I'm different there. lol. I usually wash my hands first, then grab the food and wash it, then cut the food as needed and just put it into the Magic Bullet with my hands (which were cleaned moments earlier). Many situations wouldn't be good for me to wash them after I cut them anyway, as like with something like tomatoes the pulp would be washed away ( ), and many things I blend (unless small like berries) end up getting cut before blending. Either way, I figure the skin of the fruit is the only thing that needs washing. *shrugs* And besides, my husband and I are usually good about cleanliness. Hey, we never got sick from preparing our foods yet, so I say we're doing good at it! (As a side note, though, I barely ever like going to restaurants anymore...even if I crave and enjoy the food, I constantly worry about if they cleaned up properly and such. After what you hear about reports about their uncleanliness, it makes you wonder! I don't have a cleaning phobia or such, but I do worry about my health!)

Ditto! I can't afford to even try a Vitamix. Though, the Magic Bullet holds pretty well for me! 1. I can see your point, but it can hold a fair amount, and if needed I just dump my mix into a glass and add more to blend if I need more than one load. 2. Ditto on the power of it! I never tried seeded fruits with it, though. I'd imagine such small seeds wouldn't be a problem to me, though. 3. Mines doesn't leak into the motor. It once did, but only because I hadn't closed it tight enough. Other than that once, it's always stayed tightly closed until I'd open it. 4. Huh? Umm...maybe just wash your hands before fixing it? Heck, if you get germs from touching your food (to add your food into it), then why does it matter? Unless you put the food into it while avoiding touching the food. I don't worry so much about germs as long as I do my best to clean up well (my hands and the kitchen). I don't think germs are much of a problem for us, because our immune system learns when we're young to start building up against bad germs (and there's some germs that are good). Above all, even though I can't compare it to a Vitamix, I can say I love it! It's cheaper, quicker (the name says all!), and easy to clean! I give it 2 thumbs up and 5 stars!

I don't hand out anything. My husband and I don't celebrate all these holidays...they're all just meant so we can spend more and more money, and it only helps the big businesses and candy companies. My husband and I find them pointless. Though if I did celebrate it, I'd just hand out fresh fruits and veggies, and if they'd complain, I'd explain how harmful their favorite candies are and how much healthier fruits and veggies are (and I'd get REALLY into the gross details)!