This is Vegan Again – my Final Post of the Decade. Hard to believe I’ve been doing this blog for over a decade …. but I really enjoy digging in and doing investigative reporting, just as I did in my 20’s and 30’s on many different radio stations, in many different newsrooms.
I really like presenting different opinions to you and then having you figure out what is credible and what isn’t.
This year has brought with it a country of sadness and anger. Unlike the Vietnam War Days, or the Nixon Impeachment Days, where there was a right and a wrong that ‘nobody can deny’….. this past year was more of sadness and disappointment. But for me, it has given me a chance to see democracy in action. Want a change? You can make it happen! That’s not to say I don’t have friends that have clearly settled into their depression.
But I think that much like what’s happening in the government, many of us are depressed about our weight. So I thought I might give you some first hand experience and feedback, in case you want to take back control of your body.
I was plant based for 4 1/2 years. In that time, people told me my skin was radiant, my eyes were clear and everybody could clearly see, especially me, that I fit into my clothes better and even needed to throw out some and buy new that fit better. Then, because life was not kind and I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place with no solutions in sight, I stopped what little exercise I was doing, started eating the foods I was craving and now weigh more than I ever have weighed in my life. But I wouldn’t end the New Year with a sad story. That’s just not me.
Here’s the good news! As we went into the holidays, I continued and bumped up the number of Pilates I do weekly, and instead of adding holiday weight (people traditionally gain 10 or more pounds), I decided to go back to a plant based lifestyle. I always said “Take a bite of up to 3 items at a party and eat a salad before you go”.
I have lost weight. My clothes are fitting better. My skin and eyes are radiant again. And this time around, I am craving plants with solid flavor profiles that are sincerely satisfying (not just beans and rice) instead of shrimp and ribs. (I think I got my fill of bad choices during my 2 or 3 month hiatus, followed by a complete boost in my bad cholesterol numbers)!
I am back to creating new recipes with bangin’ good flavor and will probably put out my 4th Cookbook called Vegan Profiles. If you need motivation, if you want to learn good recipes even for just your meatless Mondays … please contact me at mm@chefmarian.com.
I always say if you want to keep your protein and just add it to increased vegetable intake, that also does a body good. I mean, you have to start somewhere, right?
Happy Healthy New Year,
