To Cheese or Not to Cheese?!!!!
But I have all of this baby swiss, mozzarella and parmesan in the fridge!
It's a new year and I always evaluate my diet and all of the damage that I did over the holidays. I have been a vegetarian for the last nine years with a vegan diet sprinkled in for about a total of three of those years. No meat, minimal cheese, lots of veggies and fruit, regular juicing and a lot of home cooking. The damage to my otherwise great diet started while M-TRI and I were on tour this past October. Beer, beer and more beer while we were in Czech Republic and Germany. Candy almost every day. I went wild over the Milka chocolates, but I really overdid it with the cheese! Cheese for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Not every meal every day, but most of the time it was in what I ate. I took full advantage of the hotel's breakfast buffet but there was a lot of meat. Sometimes potatoes and sometimes a few vegetables but always cheese. I knew every morning I would be having at least cheese and coffee. I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't have any bread with butter, jam or nutella-not my thing. I felt crappy. My face broke out bad and I gained a few pounds. Then the holidays came with rice balls, Mom's sweet potato pie, cheese and olives, chocolates, etc. and that didn't help! I felt like I should just ride out the holidays and figure it out in the new year.
Now it's a new year! I have been thinking about going back to a vegan diet since the summer. Over the last week I made the decision to go vegan and commit. I have to start somewhere right?
When I became a vegetarian I felt better. I did it because I wanted a break from meat. I never went back. Another world of food revealed itself to me. I didn't know about vegetables like kohlrabi and sunchokes until I became a vegetarian. I figured I'd go all the way and I tried the vegan diet. I found myself constantly reading labels and I liked it. I did miss my parmesan cheese sprinkled over pasta so after a year and a half of being vegan I went back to the cheese!
I have been in and out of the world of cheese these last nine years. I have leftover cheese in the fridge right now that I intend to finish up because I don't want to waste food. My Mom made more sweet potato pies and there's no way I'm throwing those out! This week I begin my transition back to being vegan. If you want to come with me feel free! I'll be revealing the ups, downs and everything in between. Maybe I'll stay, maybe I won't but I'm going to try because I feel this is going to be a good thing for my body right now. I will definitely be posting every Monday and Thursday so stay tuned!
If you're wondering-yes I've had cheese today. And pie. Taking it one day at a time!
Peace & Love,
LT
