Eat Like a Giraffe

I thought it was only 2 years since I started this blog. It’s been 3. But that’s maybe not all bad. It shows how long I’ve been thinking about doing this, and getting ready.

I finally know where the “90% plants” comes from. It’s the guideline Dr. Joel Fuhrman proposes in Eat to Live. The thing is, I can do better than that, as I’m now at 100% plants. In the past year, I went vegan. Now, I’m going to follow the strictest level of ETL, which is designed expressly for people who’ve tried every other way to lose weight and nothing worked.

 

The smoothies have too much fruit in them. It costs a mint. Except for the ripe bananas I get at the 99¢ store. I’m going to focus more on beans, salads, soups, steamed vegs and cheaper fruit, with some nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy. Also, no dates in the house. I eat them like candy.

Slightly boring, nutritious food is the answer. I have a jar of unsalted peanuts at work. When I get hungry I eat a handful. They’re fuel – nothing more, nothing less. My pants have been threatening to fall down lately. They’re probably just stretched out. 😛

Yum. Carrot chunks coated with olive oil and curry powder, roasted and lightly salted. 160 calories (without the oil) and ridiculous amounts of beta carotene and other vitamin A variants. They taste sweet and practically meaty. They have fewer carbs than Brussels sprouts, FYI.

I’m enjoying the smoothies.

I think I’m allergic to pineapple and need to watch the fruit.

That said, I’m loving fruit and not missing candy. Right now, anyway.

My plain old Hamilton Beach blender is just fine for the time being. Maybe once I start exercising again I’ll reward myself with a toy Vitamix.

I haven’t done a smoothie every day, but I’m more veggie-focused now. Made a couple batches of tabouli in the past week. I love that stuff. Parsley made immensely yummy. I feel like I’m eating health. And no, I don’t go overboard on the bulgur.

Smoothies are so much easier than any other way to eat produce. Even just plain out of hand.

I need thicker straws.

What I ate for dinner tonight. For 195 calories, I got 18g fiber, 14g protein, over 600% of daily vitamin C and 1000% vitamin K.

Waiting to order the Vitamix till after Christmas. Hopefully the price goes down.

I’m overwhelmed. I have access to thousands of green smoothie recipes, several books about living on plant foods, motivation up the wazoo, and I don’t know where to begin.

Should I eat up everything in my pantry and then start? Should I go cold turkey and throw or give away every inadvisable foodstuff I own? (Have to get the Vitamix first.) Maybe I should start with one smoothie a day for breakfast, then have a big salad for lunch and steamed veggies for dinner.

How much is 90% plants? Is that by volume, by calorie count, by weight? Where did I get that 90% figure anyway? I don’t know. Somewhere amidst all the head-swirling paragraphs of info I’ve been devouring over the past few days.

Whatever. I’ll get it sorted it out. All I know is I’m emotionally incapable of eating animals anymore. I’m more than 100 pounds over my ideal weight (would be thrilled to death to be only 30 or 40 over again, frankly). I’m through with my second Saturn return and the sand is still flowing steadily through the hourglass. I have big plans for the last third of my life. And I won’t be able to achieve them without health and energy.

So here goes. I think I’ll try the Simple Green Smoothies 30-Day Challenge.