So I completed my Vegan August Challenge and liked it so much I have decided to keep it going through September. For this month I am adding Intermittent Fasting. /Intermittent Fasting (I.F.) is where you voluntarily abstain from eating o/ drinking anything with calories during a specific time frame each day. There are several ways of doing this. My particular route will be approximately an 8hr eating window where I can consume up to 1600 calories and a 16hr period where I no longer can have any calories. (I still drink tea and water).
Day 16 What the Kale?
I guess this post is more vegan oriented that I.F. but since i “went” vegan last month one of my “go-to” foods is Kale. I admit it isn’t super tasty. It isn’t a bag of Cheetos or anything, but it is filling and I tend to go for bitter over sweet on the taste scale. So it is appealing to me because it is super healthy (200% of your Vitamin K which admittedly most people have never heard of, but the Vitamin is really good at breaking up blood clots and eliminating inflammation.) Kale is also a good source of protein. So imagine my shock when I read that eating too much can be bad for you.I read that the roots of Kale can absorb lead and Thallium from the soil. These heavy metals can hurt your kidneys and liver, Also, Kale can damage your thyroid and lead to either Hyper or hypothyroid conditions. (depending on the text I read. PS at the end of the post, I will include some links if you would like to read up more on this topic) The other thing was specific to eating Kale raw but the articles seemed to imply that due to kales fibrous stems, Kale is extremely hard for your body to digest, leading to bowel irritation and other G.I. issues.
I’m going to take this Kale talk with a grain of salt. I like my Kale, but maybe alternate it and not eat it almost every day. Also maybe cook it instead of raw. But it doesn’t seem to be an issue for me. I have had some G.I. issues lately but that has come and gone long before last month. I would love any thoughts on the topic.
Day 17 Even vegans can have “trigger foods”
One of the reasons I love best about adopting a vegan diet has been the elimination of cheese. Because I love cheese. I mean really love Cheese. I have a “Wallace’ of “Wallace and Gromit” level cheese obsession. So I was glad to eliminate it from my diet because it was for me what a Scotch and Soda is for an alcoholic. I can’t stop until I’m sick. So it’s gone now. The sad thing is the behavior didn’t really have as much to do with cheese as it did food addiction, and what is fueling the addiction. And food addiction is no respecter of food groups. For example, we got a box of Triscuits in the cabinet or should I say we had a box. I emptied that out in two nights. Same story with nuts. The crunchier, the saltier, the better. My nesting partner Jane hides the nuts when she buys them because she knows I will finish them in one sitting. I am glad that I am eating vegan. I am eating healthier, and generally fewer calories, but I need to become more mindful of my triggers and know that I can close down every food group.
Day 18 A salt and Battery
Since I usually don’t have a sweet tooth, I can get by without sweet foods. But salt, well, that’s a different story. I thankfully don’t have any BP issues, but I think I consume too much salt. This can really mess up your body’s water regulation and can lead to water weight. This is another issue I am just now becoming more mindful. I am looking for some options for substitution such as lemon juice and maybe some other herbs like garlic or maybe cumin. Something that will add flavor, but I would venture to say this is one salty monkey and may be a more serious addiction than I even know.
Day 19 A change is gonna come (finally)
After six years of begging, pleading and cajoling, I am finally getting on day shift. I originally had a shift where I got off work at 2AM got that narrowed down to midnight about three years ago and then nothing. The hours are just not conducive to me anymore. So as of mid-October, I will be 5AM to 330PM four days a week. I think this will work wonders for my I/F. I will be able to go from Noon to 8pm and shouldn’t have to worry about late night cravings since I will be in bed by 9pm each night. I am looking forward to seeing if this improves my resolve.
Day 20 “It’s my birthday too, yeah”
This Saturday will be my birthday I will be mumble mumble years old, I had said I thought I would go Vegan until my birthday and then have a free day. I am now rescinding that idea. I will be visiting my cousin in St. Louis (and scouting some new posts for this blog) and since my cousin is vegetarian I figured, it shouldn’t be much temptation to stay vegan. I also think I will continue the I.F. in October because I really want to see how it and my new work schedule will gel together
Some links about Kale
https://www.thedailymeal.com/healthy-eating/eating-raw-kale-actually-really-bad-you
http://www.high50.com/health/three-reasons-not-to-eat-kale
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13685/is-raw-kale-good-for-you.html
