Thoughts On Food

Our veg box is delivered on Wednesdays.

 So by Tuesday - we always end up with a bit of a concoction...

Last night we made Carrot, Hazelnut & Millet Burgers...

Served with the last of the salad, some leftover pasta, sprouted alfalfa, baked mushroom & a bread roll...

When we first gave up oil & butter - we really were hungry & eating several meals a day.

We decided to include nuts again, especially during the cold weather & we are definitely more satisfied. We're also eating olives occasionally, though not many & aim to stop eventually. 

I don't snack at all any more & don't even crave anything sweet or stodgy - I can look at chocolate & am happy not to eat it, so it must be because of the foods we no longer eat. Sime does still fancy something sweet after meals & continues to eat muesli with nuts & fruit to help with that. Interestingly, I gave up drinking shop bought juices a while ago, but Sime drinks a small glass of either pressed apple or grape juice with breakfast & I wonder whether the early morning sugar hit makes him crave sugar for the rest of the day... Think I'll stick to nettle or fennel tea first thing!  

I am loving feeling well & we're enjoying such good, simple food & have read enough to know that cutting out oil, dairy, spreads & processed foods will have a positive impact on our health. We have seen documented evidence of reversal of heart conditions, auto-immune system disorders, dementia & diabetes in people eating a similar diet, so although compassion for animals is our main motivator - it's great to know that people are recovering from all sorts of illnesses & diseases too.

 I am due to have another blood test to check my thyroid levels in April & I know that the results will come back normal. Even though I wasn't diagnosed with Graves Disease until 2005, it has been suggested that I probably became under active while pregnant with Hugo. My weight ballooned out of the blue (I just thought it was because I became pregnant after quite a gap) & although I was vegan for 8 years, I never really lost the weight I'd put on. That was over 15 years ago & I didn't lose any weight until my thyroid became over active, then once I started the anti thyroid drugs - the weight just piled on again... The biggest issue though since Hugo was born, has been the fatigue - but I just lived with it & hadn't really realised how bad it was until now.

Before Hugo, we were big walkers - the girls were too from very young ages & we would think nothing of going off for the day with our backpacks & walking about 10 to 15 miles on sometimes quite strenuous terrain. After Hugo came along - I became big, clumsy & weak. I sprained my ankle several times & just couldn't do it all any more...

But it seems that all of a sudden, I'm getting fitter & it's really strange. I have spent so long feeling weak, tired & uncomfortable -  I just thought that was it, that's the way life is for me... 

Well, thank goodness - it's not!

I never thought I'd enjoy walking again, or even have the ability to do so.

I feel alive & am so grateful to have found a way to recover at long last. 

Sime is finding it weird that I'm doing things & he's struggling to let me - we've been so used to working the same way for a while that it throws him now that I'm whizzing around & able to do so much more.

How could I have aged 15 years, but feel younger than I can remember?

And before I get off to bed - I just want to say thank you for all the great comments & lovely emails we've been getting lately. It really has surprised me how many people are feeling inspired by what we write about & I'm thrilled to be told that the food posts are encouraging others to think about their diet...

So for those of you who I've promised to share more about the hows & whys of what we're doing... Here is a 40 minute film (made in 2003 - but I think is still very relevant) you may find interesting & it covers some of the reasons of why we become addicted to certain foods...

                                            

Hope those of you who are looking to change your eating habits find it inspiring!

Kay :)