almost vegan- only chicken and fish now. also going off gluten, think I may have a wheat allergy that affects my breathing. 2 months ago

Im saving this one for Lent. 5 months ago

Secret Vegan Power

So yesterday I took the Golden level Vegan Pledge with the Vegan Society, in preparation for 40 days Lent, which starts in 4 days. I have chosen to keep this secret to the people who don’t read my blog, and if you do, please keep it for now! Part of the challenge is about diet and alternatives and society’s choices and accessibility; However a part of it is also about how much of a big deal it needs to be. Would you really have to be a Loud and Proud Vegan to get by? Or is it possible to make a choice and take responsibility for what we put in our own body, and leave others to choose too? Will anyone notice or ask and what can we do if we wished to keep something like that to ourselves? To what extent can we buffer, and damage limitate in a world set up for one life-style, if we are living another? Let’s find out. And let this be my little outlet!

V Minus 2 days
So after taking the pledge on the vegan society website, to my delight I’ve been given a Mentor who I will call my Guru. I hope I don’t have to bug him a lot he has already given me some amazing tips and advice. As if by coincidence I stumbled upon a Vegan Cafe in Bethnal Green called The Gallery Cafe. It will be a weekly haunt not that I am actively seeking out Vegan only places but I have been going to a mediocre cafe before Meditation class once a week in that area. Hopefully it will serve some (moo free chocolate covered) inspiration. I also went to The Whole Food Supermarket to buy some staples. Ever the caffeine junkie I will be experimenting with Moo-Juice alternatives so I’m starting with Rice Milk as I know and love Soya but am keen to branch out. I really should be phasing the diet in but instead I’m doing what psychologists call an extinction burst and eating lots of the soon to be off limit foods, unintentionally. So I have to watch out for whey products, casein, albumen, carmine/cochineal/e120, shellac/e904. I actually don’t know what these are! I’m sure to hell I will soon!

Day 1

I’ve just realised exactly how to express what today feels like. The day my Dad dropped me off to University away from home in the first term before I knew how to budget for, buy and make food. I didn’t even know what constituted as expensive basics or cheap basics. My first ever meal was dry pitta bread and microwave rice… (That’s it). My belvita biscuits have milk in and in the office there were unusual indian sweets but I have no idea of their ingredients. I am still unsure of ‘The Taboo List’ of no no food additives. So for lunch today at work I had Smoked Tofu and chunky salad. I am now at the Vegan Cafe as it happens to be Wednesday. I just had a Vegan Korma and Soy Macciato. It wasn’t phenomenal, both lacking creamy texture obviously. However my stomach is feeling very ‘present’. Maybe that is all in my head!

Day 3
Today has been a difficult one. I have family over and meal time has been really tricky. I really missed oysters at borough market! I had to cave and say I was not eating meat but didn’t say more. Luckily I had a great Quinoa burger and then a vegetarian Curry on the evening but had to swap when it came. Even though I checked about what was in it when it came it looked creamy. Which I can imagine would be so annoying for full time vegans.

Day 4
I fell asleep last night with stomach pains. Today I had pancakes without eggs or milk which was good. Using agave syrup instead of honey and brown sugar ground instead of white sugar, which may contain bone chard. Found a vegan fresh pasta recipe for when we all eat together. It is basically ‘hold the egg’ and use semolina. However, the mixture didn’t hold and I had to confess out of sheer morals (because it wasn’t me cooking, and they spent hours experimenting) that I had asked to have egg-less pasta. I felt really bad that everyone had to suffer for me. Lesson #1 – When in doubt, cook it yourself.

Day 5
I had family over this weekend as I said. Now they have gone I feel a bit more of a sense of food control returning. feeling more confident about ingredient checking and not had to consult my Vegu. I have had one or two instances of feeling faint and dizzy but less lulls in the day like sugar crashes. Read this amazing article by Nikki Lynette, I hate Todd the Vegan: Why “Scott Pilgrim” made me avoid telling people I am a Vegan … http://t.co/CvvEFQUR

“Can eat at this restaurant?” Yes, I can eat here.
“Will it gross you out if I order meat?” No, I don’t care.
“Do you get enough protein?” Most people eat too much protein. I’m fine.
“Is that healthy?” Yes, I’m not dying.
“Won’t you get high cholesterol without meat?” Fruit & vegetables have no cholesterol.
“So whats wrong with meat?” I don’t eat it.
“How long have you been vegan?” About ten years.
“You started young! Is your family vegan?” No, we’re not a tribe of vegans.
“What made you become vegan?” Stuff.
“Do you have powers like the vegan from Scott Pilgrim?” My middle finger does.

;

Day 7
So it has been one week. I can say that that utterly overwhelming feeling has gone now. My body has moaned to the change but I think it has caught up with the fact that it is not in charge – I am! Last night I made my infamous Power Balls for the gym with Soya protein powder, Agave and Cacoa nibs. They are not bad but something is really missing… and don’t say meat! Talking about the Gym I don’t feel like my weight or muscle tone has been affected so far.

So after being late for work today because of needing to google strange additives to see if they were Vegan (what the hell is xanthan gum?) I finally found a secret weapon. Sweet Chilli sauce. I ate an amazing asparagus and Bulgar Wheat Salad with Marmite crackers to snack on little while after. Its all about the little things!

Day 8I CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE, NO MORE BLOODY FALAFEL!

Day 9
Guess which pancake is vegan?

Day 11
So after getting a bit frustrated at having to order food so awkwardly I decided to put to-mattas into my own hands. So tonight I’m cooking. I have made camarge red rice with sunflower seeds; garlic large flat shrooms; spicy salsa; a lemon, red cabbage and asparagus salad and Indian Lime Dhal lentil soup with sweet potato chips AND BREATH IN. Ok so I may be over compensating for the Falafel overdose but I will take whatever’s left to work this week.

Strike One

Ohh no! I got my first strike! Pesto! Damn it! One of the things I just associate with health alternatives (like Quorn may I add which I stocked up on only to find out no it’s not Vegan! It contains dairy). I had a couple of spoonfuls of Pesto on some flat bread amongst some other dips. I was gutted mid mouthful when I remembered. My Vegu said not to beat myself up about mistakes as its a natural. But I also ate some Ambiveguous Ciabatta bread out of sheer hunger and dizziness at work before meetings. I’m going to rott in Vegan Hell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqqGZBRBLcM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mid Way
So I stopped blogging daily because it simply became much easier all of a sudden. Which is what I’d hoped! Some remarkable times have all involved other people or restaurants. There was a works meal at an Indian Restaurant, the second curry I’ve had during Lent, and when mine came it looked creamy. I inquired and they assured me it was the lentils, and it didn’t taste creamy.

A couple of people have noticed and I haven’t corrected them. But in general it has made me realise that it is a lot easier than I thought to pull things like this off and be non-Chalant about it, which is fantastic!

I have had a cold this week which I know is just down to working with children for a living. It made me check something I hadn’t considered: Medication! So no Honey and Lemon Lemsip but I added Agave. I know a couple of tablets have animal products too so it made me think it would be an area for pro-active preparation over convenience.

So many people have commented on my colourful work lunches. Although Vegan diet (and vegetarian) are eliminatory diets… I genuinely think they are more inclusive than the vast majority of western diets. Especially those which are not homemade. Infact my skin has been so robust, my energy more consistent, my sleep a lot better and no bloated feelings whatsoever. I put these down to the substitution of meat and diary and cheese with vegetables and seed and beans! I realise not all Vegans make that effort but it got me thinking, if Vegans take vitamin B12 because it is the main nutrient which is sparse, then just what is sparse in non-vegan diet when it is so easy to use societies cliché (dare I say “cheesy”) food options? Surely five fruit and veg isn’t being consumed when there are so many meat sandwiches in the meal-deal section and feta-salads or Tuna-melts?

So its clear what nutrients could be lacking from a Vegan diet (except I am a Marmite lover not a hater – viva B12!) but speaking now from this experience I am actually interested in what would be lacking for the cheese and moo juice murderers!

My foot is in the non leather shoe!
P.s. I keep craving Salmon! What does this mean?!

Marmite Haters
This song is dedicated to any under represented Vegan marmite haters out there. My heart goes out to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVKPrQv1H8I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

St.Patricks Day: OR Kiss Me I’m Vegan! I LOVE GUINNESS! Here is a quote from the Guinness Umpa Lumprechauns who add real shamrocks to the Guinness river and waterfalls St. Patricks Factory in Dublin:

“All Guinness brands are free from animal matter. However, isinglass, which is a by-product of the fishing industry, is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the vat. The isinglass is retained in the floor of the vat but it is possible that minute quantities might be carried over into the beer.”

So what is Isinglass? Dried fish bladder. AKA “I’ll have a rum and coke please”.14 months ago

Secret Vegan Power

So yesterday I took the Golden level Vegan Pledge with the Vegan Society, in preparation for 40 days Lent, which starts in 4 days. I have chosen to keep this secret to the people who don’t read my blog, and if you do, please keep it for now! Part of the challenge is about diet and alternatives and society’s choices and accessibility; However a part of it is also about how much of a big deal it needs to be. Would you really have to be a Loud and Proud Vegan to get by? Or is it possible to make a choice and take responsibility for what we put in our own body, and leave others to choose too? Will anyone notice or ask and what can we do if we wished to keep something like that to ourselves? To what extent can we buffer, and damage limitate in a world set up for one life-style, if we are living another? Let’s find out. And let this be my little outlet!

V Minus 2 days
So after taking the pledge on the vegan society website, to my delight I’ve been given a Mentor who I will call my Guru. I hope I don’t have to bug him a lot he has already given me some amazing tips and advice. As if by coincidence I stumbled upon a Vegan Cafe in Bethnal Green called The Gallery Cafe. It will be a weekly haunt not that I am actively seeking out Vegan only places but I have been going to a mediocre cafe before Meditation class once a week in that area. Hopefully it will serve some (moo free chocolate covered) inspiration. I also went to The Whole Food Supermarket to buy some staples. Ever the caffeine junkie I will be experimenting with Moo-Juice alternatives so I’m starting with Rice Milk as I know and love Soya but am keen to branch out. I really should be phasing the diet in but instead I’m doing what psychologists call an extinction burst and eating lots of the soon to be off limit foods, unintentionally. So I have to watch out for whey products, casein, albumen, carmine/cochineal/e120, shellac/e904. I actually don’t know what these are! I’m sure to hell I will soon!

Day 1

I’ve just realised exactly how to express what today feels like. The day my Dad dropped me off to University away from home in the first term before I knew how to budget for, buy and make food. I didn’t even know what constituted as expensive basics or cheap basics. My first ever meal was dry pitta bread and microwave rice… (That’s it). My belvita biscuits have milk in and in the office there were unusual indian sweets but I have no idea of their ingredients. I am still unsure of ‘The Taboo List’ of no no food additives. So for lunch today at work I had Smoked Tofu and chunky salad. I am now at the Vegan Cafe as it happens to be Wednesday. I just had a Vegan Korma and Soy Macciato. It wasn’t phenomenal, both lacking creamy texture obviously. However my stomach is feeling very ‘present’. Maybe that is all in my head!

Day 3
Today has been a difficult one. I have family over and meal time has been really tricky. I really missed oysters at borough market! I had to cave and say I was not eating meat but didn’t say more. Luckily I had a great Quinoa burger and then a vegetarian Curry on the evening but had to swap when it came. Even though I checked about what was in it when it came it looked creamy. Which I can imagine would be so annoying for full time vegans.

Day 4
I fell asleep last night with stomach pains. Today I had pancakes without eggs or milk which was good. Using agave syrup instead of honey and brown sugar ground instead of white sugar, which may contain bone chard. Found a vegan fresh pasta recipe for when we all eat together. It is basically ‘hold the egg’ and use semolina. However, the mixture didn’t hold and I had to confess out of sheer morals (because it wasn’t me cooking, and they spent hours experimenting) that I had asked to have egg-less pasta. I felt really bad that everyone had to suffer for me. Lesson #1 – When in doubt, cook it yourself.

Day 5
I had family over this weekend as I said. Now they have gone I feel a bit more of a sense of food control returning. feeling more confident about ingredient checking and not had to consult my Vegu. I have had one or two instances of feeling faint and dizzy but less lulls in the day like sugar crashes. Read this amazing article by Nikki Lynette, I hate Todd the Vegan: Why “Scott Pilgrim” made me avoid telling people I am a Vegan … http://t.co/CvvEFQUR

“Can eat at this restaurant?” Yes, I can eat here.
“Will it gross you out if I order meat?” No, I don’t care.
“Do you get enough protein?” Most people eat too much protein. I’m fine.
“Is that healthy?” Yes, I’m not dying.
“Won’t you get high cholesterol without meat?” Fruit & vegetables have no cholesterol.
“So whats wrong with meat?” I don’t eat it.
“How long have you been vegan?” About ten years.
“You started young! Is your family vegan?” No, we’re not a tribe of vegans.
“What made you become vegan?” Stuff.
“Do you have powers like the vegan from Scott Pilgrim?” My middle finger does.

;

Day 7
So it has been one week. I can say that that utterly overwhelming feeling has gone now. My body has moaned to the change but I think it has caught up with the fact that it is not in charge – I am! Last night I made my infamous Power Balls for the gym with Soya protein powder, Agave and Cacoa nibs. They are not bad but something is really missing… and don’t say meat! Talking about the Gym I don’t feel like my weight or muscle tone has been affected so far.

So after being late for work today because of needing to google strange additives to see if they were Vegan (what the hell is xanthan gum?) I finally found a secret weapon. Sweet Chilli sauce. I ate an amazing asparagus and Bulgar Wheat Salad with Marmite crackers to snack on little while after. Its all about the little things!

Day 8I CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE, NO MORE BLOODY FALAFEL!

Day 9
Guess which pancake is vegan?

Day 11
So after getting a bit frustrated at having to order food so awkwardly I decided to put to-mattas into my own hands. So tonight I’m cooking. I have made camarge red rice with sunflower seeds; garlic large flat shrooms; spicy salsa; a lemon, red cabbage and asparagus salad and Indian Lime Dhal lentil soup with sweet potato chips AND BREATH IN. Ok so I may be over compensating for the Falafel overdose but I will take whatever’s left to work this week.

Strike One

Ohh no! I got my first strike! Pesto! Damn it! One of the things I just associate with health alternatives (like Quorn may I add which I stocked up on only to find out no it’s not Vegan! It contains dairy). I had a couple of spoonfuls of Pesto on some flat bread amongst some other dips. I was gutted mid mouthful when I remembered. My Vegu said not to beat myself up about mistakes as its a natural. But I also ate some Ambiveguous Ciabatta bread out of sheer hunger and dizziness at work before meetings. I’m going to rott in Vegan Hell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqqGZBRBLcM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mid Way
So I stopped blogging daily because it simply became much easier all of a sudden. Which is what I’d hoped! Some remarkable times have all involved other people or restaurants. There was a works meal at an Indian Restaurant, the second curry I’ve had during Lent, and when mine came it looked creamy. I inquired and they assured me it was the lentils, and it didn’t taste creamy.

A couple of people have noticed and I haven’t corrected them. But in general it has made me realise that it is a lot easier than I thought to pull things like this off and be non-Chalant about it, which is fantastic!

I have had a cold this week which I know is just down to working with children for a living. It made me check something I hadn’t considered: Medication! So no Honey and Lemon Lemsip but I added Agave. I know a couple of tablets have animal products too so it made me think it would be an area for pro-active preparation over convenience.

So many people have commented on my colourful work lunches. Although Vegan diet (and vegetarian) are eliminatory diets… I genuinely think they are more inclusive than the vast majority of western diets. Especially those which are not homemade. Infact my skin has been so robust, my energy more consistent, my sleep a lot better and no bloated feelings whatsoever. I put these down to the substitution of meat and diary and cheese with vegetables and seed and beans! I realise not all Vegans make that effort but it got me thinking, if Vegans take vitamin B12 because it is the main nutrient which is sparse, then just what is sparse in non-vegan diet when it is so easy to use societies cliché (dare I say “cheesy”) food options? Surely five fruit and veg isn’t being consumed when there are so many meat sandwiches in the meal-deal section and feta-salads or Tuna-melts?

So its clear what nutrients could be lacking from a Vegan diet (except I am a Marmite lover not a hater – viva B12!) but speaking now from this experience I am actually interested in what would be lacking for the cheese and moo juice murderers!

My foot is in the non leather shoe!
P.s. I keep craving Salmon! What does this mean?!

Marmite Haters
This song is dedicated to any under represented Vegan marmite haters out there. My heart goes out to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVKPrQv1H8I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

St.Patricks Day: OR Kiss Me I’m Vegan! I LOVE GUINNESS! Here is a quote from the Guinness Umpa Lumprechauns who add real shamrocks to the Guinness river and waterfalls St. Patricks Factory in Dublin:

“All Guinness brands are free from animal matter. However, isinglass, which is a by-product of the fishing industry, is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the vat. The isinglass is retained in the floor of the vat but it is possible that minute quantities might be carried over into the beer.”

So what is Isinglass? Dried fish bladder. AKA “I’ll have a rum and coke please”.14 months ago

I have been able to keep a vegan diet for nearly a month, but I don’t think I will go on past March 1. My skin doesn’t look better to me, I don’t seem to have lost any weight, and I don’t feel any different. My goal for the next few months will just be to more conscious of how much dairy I eat, and to eat as many vegetables as I used to. 15 months ago

Day 1 has worked out fine. I have decided not to worry about products that don’t have non-vegan ingredients in them but were processed on facilities that may contain dairy. I will also not stress if I have any products that are labelled as having less than .01% milk because, for the most part, I don’t eat canned things anyway. 16 months ago

Planning on making it from Thanksgiving to Christmas! I can’t miss out on my favorite meals of the year!!! lol 20 months ago

I am a vegetarian by choice, but have been curious about eating as a vegan. I don’t think I can ever fully give up dairy and some other foods, but it’ll be interesting to try in February. 23 months ago