To fu or not to fu…..

Hello!!!

Can you believe it’s 2020? 

I really can’t……but I’m looking forward to what adventures the new decade may bring. Our kids are settled in their chosen careers, our baby is heading into Year 12 and it’s the start of a new year!! Bring it on!

Our new year has brought with it a new challenge, although it’s not really a challenge at all!

It started with dinner with my gorgeous little sister and her family. She is an adventurous cook who happens to be a food photographer (among other talents) and so she loves experimenting with cooking. That includes stints with eliminating animal products from their diet due to some health issues last year. So while eating dinner, they mentioned the Netflix documentary called Gamechangers. After they watched it, they decided to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets.

 That was on the Friday night after Christmas. On the Saturday night, Scott and I decided to watch it. And BOOM. There and then, we decided to ditch all animal products from our diet. Just like that. Crazy? Maybe. Optimistic. Yes! Game Changer! The show had some flaws, but for the most part, it made sense to us. What did we have to lose? Some kilograms and some bad habits!

Now, the word Vegan was a little daunting. I have already thrown a spanner in our social life with my Coeliacs disease diagnosis. Eating out, and in, has changed for us. It’s no longer as easy to go out for dinner, grab a quick lunch out, or whip up a spag Bol for the family without making changes or doing a whole lot of researching menus. And I already feel like I’m inconveniencing people we socialise with. So vegan was a bigger spanner. I now had double whammy dietary requirements! Not only am I looking for the GF next to a meal, but adding in a V for good measure! What a way to get zero invitations to dinner!! 

But we don’t care. The positive impacts on our health are too promising to resist. 

The fact that no animals are being harmed for our eating pleasure is a bonus, but eating for our health is the biggest incentive for us. 

So first thing I did was look up recipes. They looked easy and delicious. And we both love vegetables! BONUS!

Second thing I did was join some Facebook groups. WHOA!!!! Some of these people are brutal! Despite the group being described as Plant-based eating for BEGINNERS there are a lot of opinions! And these people are not afraid to voice them. But I read the posts, take what I need from them and ignore the crap. I’m also a classic “reader but not a contributor” kind of member, and there are some great ideas and recipes in these groups. 

Our kids thought we were crazy. But it was like a switched being turned on. It seemed like it was meant to be. First dinner made was a vegetable curry! YUM. 

Roasted vegetable salads have been one of our main meals. Lots of veggies, a bit of brown rice, some pumpkin seeds for added protein, spinach and a nice vegan salad dressing.  I’m even roasting beetroot! Beetroot!

No complaints!

We even had a mussaman curry and vegan pad Thai at a beautiful restaurant with TOFU! Yes….TOFU! We wren’t real sure of what we were getting into when we ordered it but we threw caution to the wind and ditched the cow for some bean curd. AND WE BOTH LOVED IT! So tofu is on our list of “try more”. 

Now…..it was a pretty smooth transition for me. I had already eliminated a lot from my diet after my diagnosis. I was a little worried about my sugar cravings and my bad habit of having ginger beer with my dinner but the Soda Stream is being used for it’s original purpose of sparkling mineral water only, and I’m not missing or craving sugar AT ALL!

Unbelievable!

I still have the occasional bowl of dairy-free vegan ice-cream which hits the spot when needed but I don’t pour a shot of Tia Maria on it like I used to! 

Scott has had a different experience. He embraced it from the start, and was just as keen as I was to become healthier and give this lifestyle a go. So far he has enjoyed all aspects of it…..apart from the first 2 weeks of going to the toilet. A lot. No, I mean….a lot. He went from the guy who stopped at the local servo to eat dim sims for morning tea, and the guy who cut up slabs of cheese every night to put on savoy biscuits to the guy who eats tofu. Overnight. Let’s just say it was a bit of a shock to his digestive system! 

I should also point out that his digestive clean out has meant he has lost weight. Like around 10 kilos since the 29th December. Yes…10 kilos.  I tell him his body is just shitting out the shit. Sorry for the language, but it’s true. Crapping out the crap. You get it…right!!

So we aren’t necessarily calling ourselves vegans. We are not about to join protest marches down Swanston St, but we have embraced the plant-based diet. And we both feel pretty damn good, despite people rolling their eyes at us if we mention it. I’m ok with people doing that. I get it. But I’m not asking anyone to cook for us. I’m not preaching to anyone about it. We are just doing it. Yes, we slip up every now and again. Yes, I’m still cooking meat for those members of the family who don’t with to join us. Yes, I’m researching what foods we need to eat to get enough iron, protein, B12. And yes, we have both lost a little weight (Scott more than me, damn it!)

I’ve known for ages I needed to do something about my diet. I needed to lose some weight, but more than that, I needed more energy and to just feel better. And this is working for us.

So tonight the kids are having chicken snitties with green salad, while Scott and I are having veggie burgers with green salad. Never did I think I would be making black beans into a paste or frying chopped walnuts to make burgers, but here I am!

The birthday list may have to feature a Vitamix!!!

It’s a new year, and with it comes new challenges, new adventures and some new recipes and lifestyle. So far 2020 is good!

Hope yours is starting off just as adventurous! 

Love,

Cherie with a C.

P.S: the photo credit goes to that amazingly talented sister of mine. Just a little something she whipped up at some stage! Check out her Instagram page @willowcreative and follow! Seeing her shots makes me hungry every time! Love you possum! Xxx