Week 4 - Update and what I ate

Can't believe it is week four already. 

Week 4 update.

I guess I am still a little bit confused and actually trying to identify who I am, but kind of failing. This state of mind isn't good for my kind of temperament, because I thrive on the balance and clarity. I believe I am a little bit depressed this week due to after illness recovery and my eating confusion. I am sure eventually I will find my way out and will start enjoying myself again. Meantime let I update you with the rest.

My body: I have a feeling it is lucking something. I wonder, if the detox process is still in motion, because my hair and skin are not in the perfect shape. My hair a little bit dry and less shiny, this could be due to winter too, so I am not that worried. My skin gives me a bit of concern, because my Urticaria seems flared again. I am keeping an eye on it and trying to keep the skin stress to the minimum. 

I guess after few months all these should to go, but I will try to find a bit more time to balanced my meals better to give enough nutrients for healthy hair and skin.

My kitchen: got few more yummy Vegan substitutes to make the transition easier. Check my small vegan food haul I posted earlier.

My boys: they are fine. I think due to my low spirits, that is me who feels a little bit unsure. Mind you being a mother, it is hard to give something what you don't eat to your child. It is much easier with my husband, because I know he knows what is the best for him. Another milestone to go over.

What I ate this week.

I wanted to add a disclaimer for my photos. It isn't everything I eat and I don't want you to think so! I post these photos to inspire you, not to use as ultimate meal guide. Sometimes I don't have time to take photos of what I eat and sometimes I don't want to. Most of my snacks and work lunches are missing here. I take photos before I start my meal. I do take seconds if I am still hungry and sometimes I have a cup of tea after my meal. Please beware and use your common sense like with everything else. I don't hide anything, but I don't photograph everything either. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned with yourself. 

Breakfast:

Oat porridge with butter (Vegetarian)

Oat porridge with hummus sandwiches and ginger tea (Vegan)

Semolina with black cherry jam (Vegetarian)

Potato pancakes, jam toast and green tea (Vegan)

Crunchy oats with fresh raspberries, kiwi and vanilla Alpro yogurt (Vegan)

Oat porridge with fresh raspberries and agave syrup (Vegan)

I am glad that is wasn't only the oat porridge for breakfast this week. I love it, but being a girl who loves variety on my plate, I am delighted to try few more breakfast ideas. I am still debating dairy in my mind, so there are few vegetarian entries along with vegan options.

Lunch:

Spicy tomato soup with toasts and soya based spread (Vegan)

Home made hummus, rice cakes, fresh salad and green tea (Vegan)



Split lentils soup with freshly baked baguette (Vegan)

,

Leek and potato soup with freshly baked baguette (Vegan)

Leek and potato soup with a toast (Vegan)

My work lunches are missing here, but still lovely lunch options this week. I do enjoy myself to see these photos. Nice to know what I ate. 

Dinner:

Aubergine pasta with cherry tomatoes (Vegan)

Potatoes, rice and avocado salad (Vegan)

Potato pancakes, home made hummus, fresh salad and green tea (Vegan)

Split lentils soup, rice and fresh salad (Vegan)

Spicy tomato soup with avocado salad and baguette (Vegan)

My vegetarian food this week was milk, butter, garlic baguette and few muffins. I know how to substitute first two and am looking for ideas to replace the last two. I have noticed that my taste palate is changing slowly and taste of soya yogurt, for example isn't that plain and boring any more. Maybe within few weeks I will be able to leave creamy dairy behind me.

Chocolate chip muffin and ginger, lemon tea (Vegetarian)

Snacks:

Lots of plain salted rice cakes this week along with fresh fruits and dark chocolate. Cup of tea with toast was popular too, when I had time at home. 

Drinks:

As usual plenty of water, juice and green tea. My favourite tea this week is ginger and lemon. It is great when you try to recover immune system after a cold. I added as tea spoon of honey or agave syrup to sweeten it up. It is great as a cold drink too, I think will be perfect for summer time.

Ginger and lemon tea (Vegan)

Next step:

It seems I miss sweet treats more than meat, so I need to find some yummy option to keep me motivated to carry on.

How was this week for you?
Green Spoonful

Vegan food haul

I did a bit of shopping today and thought to share it with you. There are few items I wanted to try for few weeks and I am glad to have them in my kitchen.

I won't say much about fruits and veg, apart they are certainly yummy. My all excitement goes to The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar. It is an organic sweetener from the blue Webber Agave plant. It is a natural substitute to honey and I can't wait to try it out. I got my in light amber with mild taste. There is a darker version of this syrup, I might try later.

Another new food for me is Alpro yogurt. I got one tub with vanilla and four small with blueberry and cherry flavour. They are dairy free, based on Soya with yogurt cultures.

And something sweet on a go - Nakd bar with cocoa and orange. It is gluten, wheat and dairy free. It has only four ingredients dates, cashews, raisins and cocoa. Looking forward to snack on it later.

I am looking forward to enjoy all these goodies and I am sure they will be made and added in something deliciously yummy.

Green Spoonful

Week 3 - Update

This week I felt like I did it all wrong. 

My cold didn't go away as I expected and as a result - a boring week with not much exciting to tell you about. I haven't taken my food photos either, promise to catch up in the week 4 update.

Meantime my new lifestyle taking a certain shape and so far it looks more like vegetarian than vegan. Majority of food I eat is vegan, but I resumed intake of some dairy products and honey. That why I like to record what I eat, to get the general idea where I am getting to.

My body: needs superfoods to fight cold and I guess more balanced diet.

My kitchen: return of dairy on to my plate. I cooked meat for my boys and didn't feel any craving towards it. I still think it is strange to eat something dead. I guess there is no way back on that scope.

My boys: felt sorry for me this week a lot. I don't blame them. I am sure next week will be much better.

Next step:

I would like to look into nutrients a bit more and see what foods I should be eating to have enough of everything in my body. I would like to have a diet without vitamin supplements. At the moment I wonder, if it is possible when you are a vegetarian or a vegan. I am not sure it is a healthy lifestyle if you actually need a supplement. I am looking for my way.


Hope you had much better week!
Green Spoonful

Week 2 - Update and what I ate this week

An interesting week to remember, not without a challenge through.

Week 2 update.

I received PETA Vegan Starter Kit magazine this week. It contains a lot of useful information for a beginner like me, plus some yummy recipes to try out.  

Another exciting event is I baked a vegan cake. I am so happy to discover an easy recipe, thanks to the vegan corner.

My body: overall very well. This week I didn't feel hunger like the first week shortly after my meals. My tummy is calmer this week too. 

Sadly Thursday evening me and my little man got cold. We are on a road to recovery now, but you will see a bit less photos of my meals this week. I usually eat very simple and light when I get unwell. Plus looking after myself and the little buba kept me busy. 

My kitchen: Not much happened, but definitely more vegetables in the fridge and fruits in the basket. I prefer almond milk to soya at the moment. 

My boys: eat as usual. My husband voiced a concern, what will I eat when we will go out. Will be interesting to find out.

What I ate this week.

Breakfast:

Oat porridge with fresh apples

Oat porridge with berries

Oat porridge with fresh raspberries

Oat porridge with raspberries and bananas

Almond milk with crunchy oats, dry and fresh fruits

Bagel with cherry jam and green tea

Lunch:

Potatoes with fenugreek leaves, toasted flat breads and red onions

Courgettes pancakes with green tea 

Red split lentils and garden vegetables soup with wholemeal crackers

Spicy tomato soup with wholemeal crackers

Red kidney beans and potatoes stew with toasted flat bread 

Dinner:

Beans, rice and fresh salad

Aubergine pasta and potatoes salad

Courgettes and green peas fried rice

Courgette vermicelli and fresh salad

Red kidney beans stew, flat bread and gherkins

Snacks:

I had fresh and dry fruits, nuts and crackers for snacks. If at home tea and toast with jam or crunchy peanut butter. But my favourite this week was cup of green tea with a cake.  

Drinks:

I bought new green tea with flower petals. It tastes delicious without any sweetener.

Next step.

I think next step is a smoothie. Do you have a recipe of a simple, full of nutrients and delicious smoothie, leave a comment below.


How was this week for you?
Green Spoonful

Soya facts

Today I tried my first soya milk and I am not sure what to make of it. The taste itself is a bit foreign and strange to me. So I thought to research: what actually soy is, what nutrients it contains, where it came from and of course - is soy good for the health or not?!

According to WWFGlobal soy beans were first cultivated in China 6000 years ago, making them one of the first domesticated food crops. Soy beans are used to feed life stock and in the food production. Most of us don't realise that soy is everywhere in the hidden form. Click on the link above to read more from the WWF Global website.

I looked on the SELFnutritionData website for the soy beans nutrients and now I see why is so popular these days. I cup of soybeans, mature cooked, boiled and without salt (172g) contain 28.6g of Proteing that is 57% of DV (Daily Value). It is rich in vitamin K, B6, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Manganese and Copper. There are vitamin C, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc and Selenium in soya as well.

I actually like what I see on the nutrients chart, but why there is such a controversy regarding the soya benefits to our health in general?!

According to SOYAtech soy beans are truly a nutritional superpower. Here are few soya benefits from the SOYAtech website:
1. Soya contains Isoflavones and of them - Genistein is believed to have the most potential to prevent or treat certain cancers.

2. They refer to Dr. Anderson's study which found that soy protein intake was associated with a 9.3% reduction in serum cholesterol, a 12.9% reduction in LDL cholesterol and 10.5% reduction in serum Triglycerides. For HDL, the "good" cholesterol, concentrations increased by 2.4%. According to his (Dr. Anderson) study, it is estimated that this serum cholesterol modification has the potential to reduce risk for coronary heart disease by 18-28%

3. Consumption of soy foods may help to maintain and even rebuild bone density and strength, and act as an effective treatment for osteoporosis.


After reading about benefits of soya, I came across few more sources with a complete negative view on the bean. According to Mercola.com there is a dark side of soy. According to the website soya is a risky food because:
1. 91% of soy grown in the US and it is genetically modified. I actually could't find any information on my Soya milk to GM, so how to find out that my milk isn't made from genetically modified soya. I do have a concern here.

2. Soy contains natural toxins known as anti-nutriens. It is fine, if you are eating a small amount of Soy. I did check a lot of food labels this week and I saw a reference to soy in majority of processed food.

3. Along with other negative nutrients soy, according to the source,  has toxic level of aluminium and manganese. I could't see a reference to aluminium in the nutrition chart on the SELFnutritionData, but soya does contain a high amount of manganese. Again, according to the nutrition website it is less than daily value.

According to Mercola.com only fermented soy products such as natto, tempeh and soy sauce are good for our body. Unfermented soy on other hand wreak havoc on the bodies.


What do you have to say about soya?

I will need to read a bit more on soya. A pity I am not a scientist, I would conduct my own research to find out the truth.

On a personal level, I found some information regarding soya bean worrying. The crop takes a lot of land to grow and this affect ecosystems in a bad way. I guess to eat or not to eat soya it is a personal choice, like with everything else you do. But I think it is much harder to say "no" to the soya than to say "no" to the meat.

As well I would like to check my local stores for no GMO soya products. If you know any brands with the reference, please leave a comment below.



Never thought that one ingredient research will leave me that puzzled. Will keep you up to date with my progress as I go.
Green Spoonful

Week 1 - Update and what I ate this week

An amazing first week!

Week 1 update.

My body: is in detox mode since day one. I feel better now, but I don't think that the process is over just yet. It is amazing how much useless stuff our bodies carry. I am glad that my face didn't break out in the process. Puff!

I have noticed that I have more energy to use up during a day and I am getting more aware of my body. I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full.

I had some salt cravings too. I think this is because I ate much less processed foods this week. All my meals where or freshly cooked or reheated. Only snacks were processed, but I didn't have any biscuits or chocolates this week. I guess my body just adjusting to the changes.   

My kitchen: got many new foods to substitute some items I don't eat any more. Had a busy and fun time researching new things.

My boys: carry on and eat as usual. My husband isn't sure yet what I eat, but he was getting me some yummy things with V sign on them. I am getting a fine share of teasing too, apparently I talk more about food now. I am glad I have this place to pour my thoughts to, don't want to become a food fix person.

What I don't eat: meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy.

What I ate this week:

Breakfast:

Oat porridge with fruits and berries (Vegan)

Oat porridge with blueberries (Vegan)

Majority of my breakfasts were oat porridge with fruits and berries. I prefer my oat porridge with a bit of Soya milk to fill me up and a bit of salt. I don't add a sweetener to it, just berries are fine for me. 
My first few days I had it made with water only and just porridge for breakfast wasn't enough for me. I had two toasts with dairy free spread and cup of green tea on top of it. And that is time consuming for mornings before the nursery and work.

Lunch:

Spicy carrot and tomato soup with rice and toasts (Vegan)

Sandwiches made with home made hummus, Cavolo Nero greens, tomatoes and olives (Vegan)

Sandwich with hand made hummus and veggies (Vegan)

Toasts with black cherry jam (Vegan)

I didn't take photos of my work and some of repeat lunches.

Dinner:

Flat breads with spicy vegetables, hummus and red onions (Vegan)

Mung bean sprouts salad with veggies and Cavalo Nero greens (Vegan)

Potatoes in tomato sauce with rice and fresh salad (Vegan)

Pasta with beans and veggies accompanied by fresh salad (Vegan)

Red split lentils soup with veggies with Dhokla (savoury cake made of pulses flour and soy milk), rice and fresh salad.

Fried veggie rice with avocado salad seasoned with Tahini paste, olive oil and lemon juice (Vegan)

Tomato soup with sweet potato cakes and fresh salad with tamarind sauce (Vegan)

My portions size changed a lot this week. I eat much more than I used to. But I am glad that my new way of eating is varied and not boring.

Snacks:

I snacked on fruits, nuts, dry fruits and rice cakes this week. 

Dhokla and Indian chai with soya milk (Vegan)

Fruit salad (Vegan)

Toasts with crunchy peanut butter and green tea (Vegan)

Drinks:

Lot's of green tea, juices and of course water. I didn't like soya milk in my black tea, but it tasted good with the spicy tea.

You might be wondering: I am a Caucasian girl who is married to an Indian boy, so you will find a fusion of both on my plate. I am enjoying my new adventure and looking forward to my week 2.

Next step:

I love baking and would like to make Vegan biscuits or muffins next week. 

How was this week for you?

Green Spoonful