WOOP! I lost exactly 1 kg. If I loose this every week I should have dropped back to 57 kg by the end of the month. What a nice benefit of this challenge. But the main reason for me going vegan is something nothing to do with my weight - but more the weight on the world. It's fun to share what I eat and that I started running - but beneath all that there's a bigger reason for doing this. A non selfish one.
I think anyone would agree with the statement 'I would prefer animals that I eat to be treated well'. Problem is, every year 10 billion animals are slaughtered. That's 3 billion more animals than people living on this planet. If they would get the space and treatment we have in mind for them (grazing grass in the sun etc.) - I think we would need another planet for them. There is simply no room to raise so many animals with enough space on this planet.
I hope that one day we will look back on this decade as the ongoing 'animal-massacre'. And in that time we will have realised that we eat about 10 times the meat we need. To get all your B12 and proteins from meat, you need about 1 steak a week. However, many people manage to fit in meat 3 times a day. Which forces to meat industry to be in the terrible state that it is.
Funny thing is, the main thing people say is 'Don't you need protein?'. Well yes, I do, and I get plenty of it! Plant based foods, if you mix them well enough, will together provide you with all the protein you need. And you don't need much at all.
What's wrong with wool
There were one things about being a vegan I didn't completely understand. Why wouldn't they wear wool? A sheep needs to be shaved, right? So today I did a little investigation. And I think P!nk (yep, the singer) did very well in explaining why wearing wool is cruel. Watch it here.
For the sceptics out there, thinking vegans are extremists. Don't you think it's extreme to have animals go through all the pain they do so you can have your burgers, milk and eggs? Especially when you don't need them in your diet. Little room for thought.
Not just 30 days
I have just had a look at the PETA Facebook page. I think anyone should watch a few videos on this site and maybe reconsider some of their actions. First thing I did was make a donation to the group, second thing was deciding I'm not going to have a cheese fondue once these 30 days are over. I'm staying vegan. No more meat, fish, cheese, dairy, leather, wool and honey for me.
So, back to my diet.
Breakfast
My boyfriend was so sweet to make me his favourite juice - green apples, carrot, peppers, celery and ginger. Here a picture of him going at it with the juicer! How sweet.He's been juicing for a week now (do you see how flat his stomach is? ;-) )
You can really put pretty much anything in a juicer. Try adding more vegetables than fruits because of the high sugar levels. Mix it up! We get many of our recipes from the documentary that inspired my boyfriend: click here!
What you should know is that fruits and vegetables with low juice levels will do better in a blender (think bananas, avocados).
Lunch
Thank god for the microwave in the office! I got some real jealous looks at work bringing out my quinoa chilli, especially as heating it up made the whole canteen smell like my lunch. Even a few people asked if they could have a try. I said no, just kidding.
Dinner
I had dinner at my friend Margit's house. She loves cooking and kindly refused my offer to bring my own dinner with the response 'I like a challenge!'. I was happy to see the tons of vegetables in her kitchen when I arrived and we've made a lovely couscous tagine together - with carrots, chickpeas, pumpkin, potatoes, chickpeas and courgette creme. It took us about an hour to chop the pumpkin - but the results were delicious. I also had a sneaky white wine.
I don't have the recipe but this should pretty much get the same results (recipe for 4):
1 onion, chopped finely
2 toes of garlic, chopped finely
2.5 cm of ginger, grated
1 courgette, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium sized pumpkin chopped (leave the skin on)
2 potatoes, chopped
a big handful of green beans, chopped
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
400ml chickpeas, drained
350 ml vegan stock
Handful of parsley, chopped
dash of olive oil
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of cumin
pinch of paprika
250 g couscous
Salt and pepper
Fry the onion for 5-7 minutes. Then add the garlic and ginger with all the dry spices.
In the mean while cook the courgette for 10 min, then use a hand blender for the courgette and mix it up to a mousse - put it on the side.
Now add the pumpkin, potatoes, green beans and carrots and cook and stir for 10 min. Now add the vegetable stock. Let it simmer for 20 min.
Add the tomato paste, the chickpeas, courgette mousse and parsley and salt and pepper to taste. While these ingredients heat up, make the couscous according to packaging.
Enjoy!
Optional on the side: Mix 120ml lemon juice, 180ml olive oil, 2 crushed toes of garlic, a bunch of coriander and parsley with a hand blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I think anyone would agree with the statement 'I would prefer animals that I eat to be treated well'. Problem is, every year 10 billion animals are slaughtered. That's 3 billion more animals than people living on this planet. If they would get the space and treatment we have in mind for them (grazing grass in the sun etc.) - I think we would need another planet for them. There is simply no room to raise so many animals with enough space on this planet.
I hope that one day we will look back on this decade as the ongoing 'animal-massacre'. And in that time we will have realised that we eat about 10 times the meat we need. To get all your B12 and proteins from meat, you need about 1 steak a week. However, many people manage to fit in meat 3 times a day. Which forces to meat industry to be in the terrible state that it is.
Funny thing is, the main thing people say is 'Don't you need protein?'. Well yes, I do, and I get plenty of it! Plant based foods, if you mix them well enough, will together provide you with all the protein you need. And you don't need much at all.
What's wrong with wool
There were one things about being a vegan I didn't completely understand. Why wouldn't they wear wool? A sheep needs to be shaved, right? So today I did a little investigation. And I think P!nk (yep, the singer) did very well in explaining why wearing wool is cruel. Watch it here.
For the sceptics out there, thinking vegans are extremists. Don't you think it's extreme to have animals go through all the pain they do so you can have your burgers, milk and eggs? Especially when you don't need them in your diet. Little room for thought.
Not just 30 days
I have just had a look at the PETA Facebook page. I think anyone should watch a few videos on this site and maybe reconsider some of their actions. First thing I did was make a donation to the group, second thing was deciding I'm not going to have a cheese fondue once these 30 days are over. I'm staying vegan. No more meat, fish, cheese, dairy, leather, wool and honey for me.
So, back to my diet.
Breakfast
My boyfriend was so sweet to make me his favourite juice - green apples, carrot, peppers, celery and ginger. Here a picture of him going at it with the juicer! How sweet.He's been juicing for a week now (do you see how flat his stomach is? ;-) )You can really put pretty much anything in a juicer. Try adding more vegetables than fruits because of the high sugar levels. Mix it up! We get many of our recipes from the documentary that inspired my boyfriend: click here!
What you should know is that fruits and vegetables with low juice levels will do better in a blender (think bananas, avocados).
Lunch
Thank god for the microwave in the office! I got some real jealous looks at work bringing out my quinoa chilli, especially as heating it up made the whole canteen smell like my lunch. Even a few people asked if they could have a try. I said no, just kidding.Dinner
I don't have the recipe but this should pretty much get the same results (recipe for 4):
1 onion, chopped finely
2 toes of garlic, chopped finely
2.5 cm of ginger, grated
1 courgette, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium sized pumpkin chopped (leave the skin on)
2 potatoes, chopped
a big handful of green beans, chopped
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
400ml chickpeas, drained
350 ml vegan stock
Handful of parsley, chopped
dash of olive oil
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of cumin
pinch of paprika
250 g couscous
Salt and pepper
Fry the onion for 5-7 minutes. Then add the garlic and ginger with all the dry spices.
In the mean while cook the courgette for 10 min, then use a hand blender for the courgette and mix it up to a mousse - put it on the side.
Now add the pumpkin, potatoes, green beans and carrots and cook and stir for 10 min. Now add the vegetable stock. Let it simmer for 20 min.
Add the tomato paste, the chickpeas, courgette mousse and parsley and salt and pepper to taste. While these ingredients heat up, make the couscous according to packaging.
Enjoy!
Optional on the side: Mix 120ml lemon juice, 180ml olive oil, 2 crushed toes of garlic, a bunch of coriander and parsley with a hand blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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