A Milestone, Cheating & the Internal Glow

Last week and this week have been biggies! Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself... Over a year ago, I tried to do this, I tried to turn my life around and start juicing and eating strictly vegan. The results were that I completely broke down and gave up in three weeks. However, the truth (that I didn't even admit to myself at the time) was that I secretly wasn't completely sold that I could DO this. Could I really put my principles of eating before my love of cheese and eggs? So, as I had done so many times before, I deprioritized my health and gave it up. And, as with any personally meaningful goal, it came back to bite me in the butt... A year later, I had gained all my pre-wedding weight back (I had spent six months slimming down for my nuptials and then packed it all back on in the four months after my wedding - oh, yes, classic!) and I again was feeling ill constantly which again prompted me to start reading up again on health and a vegan diet.

So why do the last two weeks matter? I have officially been vegan for a month! I have also, to date, lost 7.8 lbs and counting... Woo hoo! Another awesome thing I discovered is how to bake vegan - I have been fighting with myself over what I'd do when I bake. I am a huge baker - it is one of my hobbies but is also a stress reliever, a creative venture and something that I could go onto explain is also part of my life philosophy (I know, but I won't get all weird baker-deep on you). Last Sunday I busted out my Veganomicon cookbook (seriously buy this if you don't have it - a novice vegan's best friend!). I decided to alter a couple of their recipes and make them my own and landed on two of them. OMG amazing!

(Left: Caramel apple mini-cupcakes with a caramel ganache frosting and a peanut in the center, Right: Chocolate bundt cake with powdered sugar on top; All organic, as unprocessed as I could find)

So now that we've celebrated a little bit, it is time for truth... Last night I took a bite of my husband's pizza... with cheese... In the moment I thought, just one bite is no biggie... I immediately regretted it, but it was also an extremely important lesson. While (if I'm super real) it was delicious pizza, it didn't have the usual effect... I didn't sit there saying "omg, this is amazing!" instead I couldn't enjoy that bite and an hour later, I could just feel the dairy in my system creating havoc. I had been starting to enjoy, what I like to call, an "internal glow" after I ate and kind of in general. My body has felt completely clean, like a well oiled machine. I've had more energy, my allergies have almost completely gone away, and, overall, I just had a more positive outlook and a bigger desire to get up and go out there! I can honestly say that next time my husband gets pizza, I will not even be tempted to take a bite because I'm chasing the glow...

Next week I will discuss being vegan while out-of-town (which includes my eating out guidelines) and my adventures around NYC with my sister and nephew!