Today I am even closer to my weight loss goal. I weigh about 142 now. Not losing weight as fast but still steadily. I'm working out a bit when I find the time too. I'm trying new foods and working on even more new recipes that will be featured on the blog soon. I've been making changes in my personal life with whom I associate with. While some people are no longer involved in my life, I wish them well. I'm happy and continue to make improvements as I can. No matter how big or small, everything in my life now has meaning. I'm not just another person lost in the mindless society we live in now. I have a purpose. I only wish more people could share the same experience and embrace it as their own.
One of the things I've been working on since my last post was a vegan online store. This is just the beginning of bigger things to come. You can visit this store here. Items are being added regularly so be sure to check back often. We vegans need to bring awareness to others and help them live healthier live and make this world we live in a better place for all sentient beings.
New recipes and events will be added soon along with some major announcements so be sure to check back often so that you don't miss a thing!
A look into veganism through the eyes of jewelry business owner. Here you will find recipes, tips, product reviews, information on veganism and much more!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
What is Veganism and who am I?
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, as well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals. A follower of veganism is known as a vegan. Vegans are a stricter form of vegetarian. They do not consume, wear, or use any products derived from animal origins. More specifically, this includes meat, dairy, eggs and honey from a food perspective. It also does not include leather, suede, silk, wool, and fur in everyday products. Contrary to popular belief, a whole foods plant-based diet is actually healthier than consuming products of sentient beings. A question often asked is "Where do you get your protein from?" While I'll post in regards to this in a future post I will say that a "meat eater's" protein comes from animals that live on a plant-based diet, which actually contains higher levels of protein and other nutrients we need then the meat itself. Living a life of veganism can ultimately reduce and most of the time even stop the use of medications completely. Some examples of this are blood pressure medication, cancer medication, diabetic medication, etc. I'm not a doctor and I do not offer medical advice. I simply research all aspects of being a vegan for my own benefit as well as the benefit of my loved ones.
To answer who I am, My name is Jamie. I'm a single mother of a beautiful 2 year old little girl. I am a vegan. In the past I was a vegetarian for over 9 years. I had grown up on meat and one day just started getting sick, regardless of what kind of meat I'd consume. For health reasons I changed my dietary habits. Fast forward to this year, I had gone back to eating some meat. I wasn't healthy, I had gained lots of weight, on top of the pregnancy weight I had gained, I wasn't happy. I began seeing things online and just shrugged them off but eventually some of those things would cause me to do my own research. I not only researched the horrible health caused by a meat eater's diet but also all the chemicals being put in our food (GMOs). This was not something I wanted in my body or the bodies of anyone I cared about. I started limiting my consumption of animal products and moving more towards vegetarian again, then vegan.
Back track to April 5, 2011, The day I gave birth to my daughter. I weighed in at 235 pounds. A week later I was about 200. I stayed heavyset until just recently. I tried numerous diets. The new weight watchers caused me to gain weight personally. The old weight watchers enabled me to shed a very small amount of weight but I plateaued and became frustrated once again and put more weight back on. This was NOT how I wanted to live my life. I was extremely lethargic and stopped caring about most things. Then fast forward to less than 6 months ago, I decided I wanted to be vegan. I had watched Forks Over Knives, and that was it. I didn't care who was against me in my new endeavor, my lifestyle, I was doing this, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Today I'm still losing weight. I'm about 155 pounds now, I'm healthier than I've ever been, I'm happy. I have un-supportive family. I don't care. I took the time to research and educate myself. I personally made a decision that was right for me. If someone refuses to educate themselves or take my offered assistance in teaching them how to be healthier, then to hell with them. They can continue to poison their own bodies and die a slow death. It's sad but true. The old saying goes, you can only lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink. I truly hope, for the health of my loved ones, that they eventually come around once they finally realize how harmful they are being to themselves and others but only time will tell. It has to be their decision.
Now while I'm healthier, that doesn't mean I don't pay attention to what I eat. I make most things from scratch. I don't eat junk food. You might hear some people say oreos are vegan. While some agree, and some will debate that, it's not healthy, filled with gmos and would work against my lifestyle. Again, a personal choice to not consume such things. Being vegan means you have to make sure you still get all the nutrients you need. It's no different from eating anything else. You need adequate vitamin D and B12. Some people may need more of some other nutrients than others. A child will have different nutrient values than an adult. Blood work is good to get, to see where you are once you become vegan and then again 6 months to a year later. It's great to compare and see your improvements. With all that being said, I don't deprive myself of anything. I eat CONSTANTLY. I make healthy vegan versions of things like funnel cake and mozzarella sticks, candy, etc. I learn to cook with new ingredients. Food now is MUCH more flavorful. I hated cooking before becoming vegan. Now I get yelled out to get out of the kitchen and stop cooking so much.
I invite you all to join me on my journey. Learn about new and exciting things. Learn new healthy recipes. Find out when there's events being held. Sit back and just enjoy this together :-)
To answer who I am, My name is Jamie. I'm a single mother of a beautiful 2 year old little girl. I am a vegan. In the past I was a vegetarian for over 9 years. I had grown up on meat and one day just started getting sick, regardless of what kind of meat I'd consume. For health reasons I changed my dietary habits. Fast forward to this year, I had gone back to eating some meat. I wasn't healthy, I had gained lots of weight, on top of the pregnancy weight I had gained, I wasn't happy. I began seeing things online and just shrugged them off but eventually some of those things would cause me to do my own research. I not only researched the horrible health caused by a meat eater's diet but also all the chemicals being put in our food (GMOs). This was not something I wanted in my body or the bodies of anyone I cared about. I started limiting my consumption of animal products and moving more towards vegetarian again, then vegan.
Back track to April 5, 2011, The day I gave birth to my daughter. I weighed in at 235 pounds. A week later I was about 200. I stayed heavyset until just recently. I tried numerous diets. The new weight watchers caused me to gain weight personally. The old weight watchers enabled me to shed a very small amount of weight but I plateaued and became frustrated once again and put more weight back on. This was NOT how I wanted to live my life. I was extremely lethargic and stopped caring about most things. Then fast forward to less than 6 months ago, I decided I wanted to be vegan. I had watched Forks Over Knives, and that was it. I didn't care who was against me in my new endeavor, my lifestyle, I was doing this, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Today I'm still losing weight. I'm about 155 pounds now, I'm healthier than I've ever been, I'm happy. I have un-supportive family. I don't care. I took the time to research and educate myself. I personally made a decision that was right for me. If someone refuses to educate themselves or take my offered assistance in teaching them how to be healthier, then to hell with them. They can continue to poison their own bodies and die a slow death. It's sad but true. The old saying goes, you can only lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink. I truly hope, for the health of my loved ones, that they eventually come around once they finally realize how harmful they are being to themselves and others but only time will tell. It has to be their decision.
Now while I'm healthier, that doesn't mean I don't pay attention to what I eat. I make most things from scratch. I don't eat junk food. You might hear some people say oreos are vegan. While some agree, and some will debate that, it's not healthy, filled with gmos and would work against my lifestyle. Again, a personal choice to not consume such things. Being vegan means you have to make sure you still get all the nutrients you need. It's no different from eating anything else. You need adequate vitamin D and B12. Some people may need more of some other nutrients than others. A child will have different nutrient values than an adult. Blood work is good to get, to see where you are once you become vegan and then again 6 months to a year later. It's great to compare and see your improvements. With all that being said, I don't deprive myself of anything. I eat CONSTANTLY. I make healthy vegan versions of things like funnel cake and mozzarella sticks, candy, etc. I learn to cook with new ingredients. Food now is MUCH more flavorful. I hated cooking before becoming vegan. Now I get yelled out to get out of the kitchen and stop cooking so much.
I invite you all to join me on my journey. Learn about new and exciting things. Learn new healthy recipes. Find out when there's events being held. Sit back and just enjoy this together :-)
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