Vegetarianism within the context of a carnivoric family unit

Well I've made it to the end of my 29 days of being flesh free, in my diet that is.  If you read through my other 2 blogs at first I found the juggle of being vegetarian within the context of a meat eating family not that much of a juggle.  But despite my best efforts I wasnt getting enough iron or protein and I was starting to feel weary.  I lacked sustained energy that quite frankly, I take for granted.  I started craving sugar.  I've never had that before.

Over the last week I made a few more changes to my diet, it'd be too easy just to give up.  I must confess 2 servings of fish over the 29 days, 1 as a takeaway purchase - it was either chips or fish and chips, and I'm not that into chips.  The other was when a friend came for tea, we were running late, kids were hungry, we wanted to talk . . . .

Changes I've made over the 29 days include:

• eating protein at each and every meal and snack (this was a big help)
• plenty of dairy
• a few quick and easy meals, like baked beans, eggs, cheese on toast
• finding protein high snacks like spicy broad beans and Mrs Mays Pumpkin Seed bites quickly added 10 grams of protein to the tally
• eating sprouts
• trying tofu - particularly the flavoured ones

I'm feeling much more stable energy wise and a week ago this wasnt the case, so I'm pleased I perseverered!

Vegetarianism - within a carnivoric family unit

Originally I blogged how easy I was finding it to eat flesh free, within the context of a meat eating family.  I've continued to find it easy to supplement meat with vegetarian meals, but I have not found it easy to be a vegetarian.  I'm out of balance, despite my knowledge of nutrition and respect of the bodies needs, I'm not getting enough protein or iron.  The only days I've got enough protein have been when I used protein powder.  I've been craving sugar, I've never experienced this before.  Although I have been completing workouts, I generally feel pretty tired before and after.  I've spoken with a few permanent vegearians and here are the tips they have given me:

• eat a source of protein at each and every meal and snack
• nuts, eggs, dairy, sprouts (particularly lentil sprouts) are examples
• legumes should be eaten daily
• qunioa is a great grain to try with heaps of protein
• dont just cut meat, you need an alternative protein source

I havent finished my flesh free Feb, and I'll see it through and hopefully get closer to my usual balance of energy in, energy out.  I've learnt heaps about what happens in the body and the mind when we make changes.  It must be awefully hard to change years of bad eating habits, like for someone who suddenly finds themself with diabetes, or wanting to lose weight.  I am very sorry I tried it while coming off caffeine too.  Although the addiction to caffeine is long gone, the need for a quick energy fix is very strong, and I've exchanged it for a lot more sugar than I'd usually consume. 

Interesting findings :)

NEXT 5 tips - how to save $3,000

OK, so its week 2 of trying to claw back $$ spent on the pet surgery.  I've genuinely reduced spending in these areas

tip #6 - handbag in airport shop - half price, down to $100 and I do need a new handbag, my current one is held together with electricians tape.  I am considering the plurchase, and my mother whispers in my ear "dont forget about your poor little cat".  I put it down and walk away.  $100 saved.  As my friend Anitra says, 'truely noble'.

tip #7 - needed after school care last Friday, put out a facebook plee, and children looked after by dear friend.  Not sure what I saved, maybe $30?

tip #8 - new batteries for toys - pulled out batteries from toys not currently being used, saved maybe $10

tip #9 - Mercury newspaper currently has $2 wildlife DVD's, 2 are free the rest you buy.  Something stirs in my memory . . . . I look in the back of the DVD cupboard and find not 1, but 2 sets of wildlife DVD's purchased for child 1 and 2.  Child 3 has not seen.  So I buy nothing and save $20 or so

tip #10 - need new shampoo and conditioner for the gym bag.  Found heaps of old half empty bottles at back of cupboard, also some bottles from various hotels/motels, soap too.  So now I dont need to buy any for a while.  Saved about $20

Tips 6-10 - saved around $180 + the $150 from tips 1-5 - so $330 saved at this point :)

Water based fitness info

Water based fitness

 

Water based exercise caters for a diverse range of people and can be tailored to meet the needs of each

Who might benefit from exercise in water?

People with remedial issues

people training with an injury

Athletes / triathletes

Swimmers

Weight loss clients

Seniors

Pre and post surgery

Low or no impact means that joints aren’t stressed – but this does not mean that the workout will be easy!

Why Water?

In water heart rate is lower than on land.

"Water based exercise isn’t easier, it just feels easier!"

Other reasons for opting for a water based workout

cross training

Rehabilitation

injury prevention

Training whilst injured

Supportive environment

Utilization of resistance, buoyancy and drag

Workout is multi-directional – and also in a range of planes, that is vertically, horizontally, and diagonally

No or reduced muscle soreness

Core stabilization

Water is fun!!

Other reasons for opting for a water based workout

Low Impact Environment

Workout with a lower heart rate but with all the benefits

Even without exercise deep water will:

Improve circulation and lymphatic drainage

reduce swelling

lower the heart rate

increase the amount of blood pumping through the heart at each beat

reduce the chance of overheating

"I’m extremely passionate about exercising in water. It can challenge the hardiest of athletes but can cater for the injured or frail participant.

A more diverse workout you will not find."

How to save $3,000, for unexpected things, like surgery for your pet

Ok, the cat got cancer, and following some investigative tests was given an excellent prognosis should we be in a position to afford major surgery - to remove her leg and shoulder blade.  Now plenty of people in equal numbers have responded to this - some with 'knock it on the head' others with 'well she is part of the family'.  Its ironic to hear that one of the 'knock it on the head' camp, have a 3 legged dog.  Emotion plays a huge part in these decisions. 

I am looking at my poor dear puss with its 3 legs, half its long hair body shaved, a collar around her neck to prevent her from chewing a medicated patch of her hind leg.  She is a sorry site.  I'm still not sure if I made the right decision.  But decide we did, and pay now we must.  So how to come up with the goods?  Well forunately we were about to upgrade the bathroom, so the vet has been paid.  However, I'd still like that bathroom upgrade, maybe even by xmas, so I'm going to get resourceful and look at the family budget and come up with as many ways as i can to save $$.  If you have some ideas, pleaase add.  We can all do with extra $$, so lets see what we can come up with:

1:  curb soft drink consuption
I buy a drink a day, lets say thats $3 a day - so over 1,000 days . . . . I'm not a saint I like to buy a drink (but I'll cut back to 2/7 days)

2:  caught a lift home from a party on the weekend, saved $30 on the taxi

3:  sell a few more of my chooks precious eggs - $4 / doz - can prob sell a doz a fortnight

4:  I have a free gym membership through work, I'm going to use that more than attending Bikrum, which costs (I'll drop 1 class a fortnight)

5:  One of my ante-natal clients just had a baby, I'm going to fill her spot immediately (good business sense really)  - may share is around  . . . .

Well there's a start.  So for the month of Feb I've saved roughly  $150??  something like that.  Its a start - I'll post more ideas each week and please feel free to add ways that would work for you

Open fire cooking

We've just returned from an awesome camping trip at Fortescue Bay, near Port Arthur.  Apart from being a beautiful bush spot, right by snow white sands and crystal clear water (not as freezing as previous), lovely walks, great people and a terrific family atmosphere, what set this camping spot apart was the open fire cooking.  Here's some things we tried:

• toasting marshmallow (nothing new here)
• toasting toast
• spuds in foil (with sour cream, parmeson cheese, onion and capsicum)
• corn in foil (still in the cob, add butter)
• hot cross buns (in foil, spread with butter)
• sausages on a stick (first, apologise to the sausage, then stick a stick from one end to the other)
• bananas - leave in their skins - slice from 1 end to other add chocolate - hazelnute choc was particularly YUM
• and the grand finalie - 2 shortbread biscuits choc on one side, toast a marshmallow and pop inside - eat
• and the grand, grand finale - 2 short bread biscuits, choc on one side, pop 3 marshmallows and 1 square of chocolate in between, roll on foil and put on the coals for a few minutes

Preparing the coals - this all cooks best on coals rather than flame.  Red coals cook pretty fast (great for marshmallows) while darker coals are better for spuds otherwise the outside cooks well ahead of the inside and can burn.  About 20 mins for spuds in darker coals.  Most other things, about 5 mins tops.

ENJOY

Vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism can co-exist!  Forward planning is essential though!  This weeks menu is:
Sunday - roast for the family, roast vegies for me with vegie burgers
Monday - sausages and vegies for the family, vegies and vegetarian lasange for me
Tuesday - stir fry chicken and vegies with rice for the family, stir fry vegies and baken beans for me
Wed - spag bol and sald for the family, left over veg lasagne and salad for me
Thurs - squid rings and fish fingers with cous cous and salad for the family, soy sausage, cous cous and salad for me
Fri - takeaway - souvlaki for the family, falafel wrap for me
Sat - salad and ravioli, veg ravioli for me
Sun - carbonara for the family with salad, omlette for me

Snacks - fruit, nuts, cake, biscuits
breakfast - 6 seed mix, bubbles and yoghurt and fruit
lunch - eggs, sandwhiches, baked beans

Enjoying flesh free Feb!

Ante natal aqua - picture rejected by facebook!

This beautiful picture of a healthy and pregnant mum was also rejected by FB for my ante natal aqua classes - what's your opinion?

NEWS FLASH

Vegetarianism and family diet can co-exist..  Look at this excellent example of roast lamb for every one except me, and vegie burgers for me with the same roast vegies!  I can also have the gravy, but I think I prefer the tzatziki dip!

SCOOPING OUT THE 'PROTEIN'

Skanky cauli and zucchini soup

Over a cuppa with a friend, and discussing a future soup i was making with zucchin and cauli, I mentioned I was using skanky cauli.  I grew it - heavens knows how, it appeared in the garden and I think some seeds were packaged wrongly and I ended up with cauli seeds instead of broccoli.  As has happened before the cauli was not great - lots of bugs growing in it but I hate throwing food out so I froze it so it could be included in stews and soups - not steamed where the kids investigate it and inevitably find it full of 'protein'.  So here is the soup I came up with

lightly fry and onion, chopped broccoli and skanky cauli.  Add about a litre of chicken stock (litre of water and 4 stock cubes)  boil for about 10 mins and then leave to cool.  Wiz.  reheat and add cream to the bowl, season if you think it needs it - I used ginseng salt which is just gorgeous.

Sorry I dont do quantities - but it makes just over a litre so I guess it serves 4.

Why dont I get capitals when I double space?

Oh yes, and the best bit, scoop up any floating 'protein' before serving.  And any black protein - well thats just pepper.

Its the beginning of Feb and I would usually call it quits in the garden in terms of growing summer stuff, but the seasons are a little crazy so heres what's in ATM:
mini broccoli and lettuce - planted a few weeks ago
lettuce seeds and radish seeds - also planted a few weeks ago and the radishes are almost ready!
cucumber seedlings in (brave I know)
also leeks (they should do well)
beets - seeds - with boron added, a tip from garden guru Peter Cundall!
The corn is yet to be harvested - I've never been good at growing corn and this year is no exception.  Tomatoes are starting to ripen and the zuchinis are doing very well.  Spuds - I'll be digging them up shortly.

Flesh free lifestyle - to date

I'm really enjoying this!  Last night I prepared burgers from 'nutmeat' which is something you can buy from the the supermarket for about $4in a can and makes 12 or so burgers.  You add brown rice, a few herbs, eggs, and little flour to the nutmeat (to hold it all together) and then crumb them.  They are really delicious and even my carnivorous husband had to admit they were pretty yum.  My advice is, when preparing them to take a hands on approach - mush all ingrediants together with your hands.  They cook in a few minutes which is great for a busy lifestyle.  Serve with a salad and a yoghurt, mint, garlic and cucumber dip.