I often hear "I wish I could make food like you"or "I can't eat like you do" Guess what? You absolutely can!
Let me show you a picture of my food exactly one year ago:
I posted this on my FB to show my friends and family my progression with my health. I had just been getting into cooking my own healthy food, I bought a couple of vegan cook books and I had settled into a temporary apartment meaning that I had a kitchen to start teaching myself how to make the food I loved into food that loved my body.
Those brownies were delicious don't get me wrong but they certainly weren't the food photo shoot quality we are used to seeing around these here parts. I had no experience with photography, food blogging or even any idea that I would end up here! I was just snapping a picture of what I made to help inspire my friends to take the same/similar steps as I was for their health! It was kind of a "look, I am actually doing it!" post.
As you know if you've been following me, I have been traveling for the better part of the last 4 years with a brief intermission in the states last summer for 4 months which is when this photo was taken. Obviously when I am traveling I have limited resources for cooking and although I try to rent apartments with kitchens whenever I am staying somewhere (I always try to avoid hotels!) they do not always have all the supplies nor do I have all the ingredients I would want/need to make the recipes I am able to share with you now being temporarily settled again.
That being said, being on the road has lead me to be much more intuitive and creative when it comes to concocting recipes with what I have on hand. That can be really challenging in the moment but in hindsight it's basically strength training, propelling me into a more versatile future of creating.
For example, I lived in a van for 3 months and still ended up being able to make this vegan sweet potato burger with portobello bun :
Here are a few things that help when taking on a change in the way you eat/ learning how to cook for your new diet!
Willingness/Desire/Passion:
The driving force for me was an intimately spirited love of food!
I placed so much value in eating, enjoying each satisfactory bite (even though most of what I was used to eating was making me incredibly sick!) I wanted to be able to eat all of the foods I had grown up with, the ingredients I already loved but I had so many new restrictions challenging me which made eating out a nightmare, forcing me to learn if I wanted to have the same food porn experience!
I was looking for my comfort foods, traditional menu items in all of the wrong places. Most of the foods I was so in love with had:
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Processed sugars
- Fillers
- Artificial flavors and colors
- Toxic ingredients (I can't even pronounce!)
But I didn't want those things in my food! (Who does?) So I started learning, reading, researching everything I could so that I could become more informed about my food choices.
When I very first started my changes, I was eating boxes of whole wheat crackers, with melted cheese, salsa, sour cream and a huge glass of milk multiple times a day because I was lazy and I thought that I had found a snack that was good for me and easy to make!
No wonder why I was in so much pain!
I was visiting my doctor I kid you not once a week, complaining of an unrelenting problem that was taking over my life. My doctor suggested giving up all green veggies as she cautioned that they might be too hard to digest and causing intestinal problems for me!
I took that advice and ran with it! Which is where we got to my cracker snacks and so, obviously my problem only progressed!
With all of this going on, coming to this realization and months of these painful attacks, I eventually switched my diet. But nothing came quick. I eased my way into every step, "cheating" constantly as I tried to find a balance of giving up what didn't agree with me and fulfilling my dietary desires!
Have you had an experience like this that you can pull from to inspire you to take some steps?
Knowledge/Information/Mentorship/Inspiration:
Having the desire is one thing but knowing how/what to do is another ball game!
Most every nutritionist will have you monitor what you eat in a food diary. (This is important, don't be like me and refuse to put the effort into doing it because it can fast track your results if you just take notice of how certain foods are affecting you!)
Lucky for us all, the internet is here to save the day! I started off with some Google searches to figure out symptoms associated to what I was eating. I already told you what I was eating so all kinds of information about dairy and gluten intolerance showed up in my searches but that's not what I wanted to hear so I ignored it at first!
Once I was finally willing (part one) to accept that my diet might be the problem, reading information on how to transition my diet really helped me. At the time, I didn't think to look into all of the helpful platforms we have nowadays but today there are tons of people not only here, on Steemit but also Twitter, FB, IG, and countless blogs sharing advice as this becomes more and more common!
I try my best to share my health journey with you but I have also met @lenasveganliving and @amy-goodrich here who continually inspire me as I am sure they will, you too!
I have also found inspiration, encouragement and progression by joining in some of the really fun contests around here like Steemit Culinary Challenge organized by @woman-onthe-wing who I have talked to in lengths about our mutual desire to promote more conscious food choices!
@lenasveganliving hostsFruits and Veggies Monday calling attention to the fruits and veggies-
the powerhouses of nutrients and vitamins that are integral to our health!
Don't forget about my very own addition to the platform, Vegan Wednesday where I encourage community and engagement, promoting and helping each other on our own food journeys, discussing whatever that means to each participant!
These are just some inspirational challenges to explore new possibilities while learning from and getting to know each other!
Friends and Family- Mutual Benefit/Joint Collaboration:
So many of us make changes for a loved one and that is a great reason and way to begin!
I get many messages from people saying that someone close to them needs to change or remove something from their diet and so the household undergoes a change to their familiar menu. First of all, let me say that having a buddy system or other people making the same changes with you makes everything so much easier and those people are much more successful!
I would never have been able to make the changes I did on my own. I was living with two people who had committed to changing their diets and as I began cooking for them, we all held each other accountable and therefore were much more effective as none of us wanted to let the others down!
Especially in the case of children, if the whole family is on the same food plan, there is less questioning, confusion and overall anxiety about the meals being offered.
Those that eat consciously together, get healthier together! I have seen it!
I am just going to say it, I was brutal to be around when I was sick. I was miserable, cranky (bitchy) and irritable because I was always in pain but now that I have relieved that pain, I am a whole new me which is why I am so passionate to share my story and help others in any way I can!
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Kitchen Reno:
No, we don't need to knock down walls but cleaning out cupboards, fridges, freezers and pantries is going to make life seriously so much easier!
I am not a fan/advocate of waste so I always suggest donating and/or composting whatever possible!
Out of sight out of mind is my motto for transitioning! I used to cheat almost every time I was confronted with something I was trying not to eat because my cravings were too strong to battle and I have an addictive personality. Whenever I cleaned my kitchen out, I donated everything non perishable and began only stocking a little bit at a time and that was hugely effective for me!
Whenever I was visiting anyone, I would always eat what they were offering but overtime as I got more aggressive with my diet and what I knew I couldn't have, I started preparing for these events and bringing my own food or eating ahead of time when necessary!
Practice Makes Perfect:
If you've decided to give a little change to your every day menu, it's going to take some time to get used to substitutions and alternatives! The fun thing is that once you get familiar with the new way to make things, it all becomes just as second nature as the original ingredients were before!
For example, if I see "eggs" in a recipe, I never think of adding them. I always sub it in my mind with chia eggs. This is true for milk, butter, flour and anything else I have cut out of my diet.
At first, I had no idea how to make any of the things I make frequently now! I had never used coconut oil, I would have never even dreamed of making my own nut cheeses and I thought ordering pizza was necessary at least 3 times a week.
It's become fun for me to recreate recipes that I used to love, within my new dietary needs. I am still always wanting to get pizza perfect (I don't have an oven here in Bali!) However, I had one extremely successful experience at my parents' house last year with a cauliflower crust. The pizza took me over 3 hours to make but actually turned out to be the best pizza I have ever had, I swear!
My point is that if you have had it before, you can have it again with a twist. In my experience, every recipe I have recreated has been better than the original and I feel so much better after so it's a double win!
Here is some gluten free, dairy free, sweet potato poutine which is a Canadian dish, traditionally made with cheese curds and gravy (cheese/butter/milk/flour)! This was one of my favourite meals growing up but made me feel lethargic, bloated and generally like shit after I ate it. Not this recipe I made without all the fluff!
So my friends of Steemit! As you can see, it's been a stop and go journey for me getting here. I am sure as heck not perfect and I struggled a lot along the way but the way I see it is if I can do it, anyone can! I was the most unlikely person to change and yet here I am, full circle and still trying to constantly improve!
So go ahead and have your cake! We can make it exactly how to want it and you can feel amazing eating it too!
My blog is a playground of experimentation and passion for food that promotes healing.
You'll find that I love playing in the kitchen, including making my own chocolate with organic, superfoods and find myself sharing deliciously decadent desserts with you frequently.
If you're interested in knowing more or expanding your dietary horizons, I am always happy to help in any way I can or know how! I like to inspire through experience but always remember that just because it works for me doesn't make it universal.
Honor and trust your own body always!
Don't let yourself think you can't do this! You can! I'm here to help you! I went from the first photo of the brownies to these brownies (ps: they're raw!) ta-da:
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Sending you love through (plant-based/vegan) food, as always! If you are new here, it's great to have you here!
I am obsessed with food as you'll surely see, and I am a strong believer in the power it has within it, and the ability it has to heal us! I aim to inspire through my recipes and posts and hope to connect with you here, through your heart. Some say the way to the heart is through the stomach, I 100% agree with that theory ;)
I believe in sharing what makes the heart happy, if you'd like to see more, come on by @heart-to-heart!😘
PS: I am also running veganwednesday challenge every week! See here for more details on how to participate (and win by sharing some love!)
Until next time,
XO,
🍊🍉🍈🍇🍋🍌🍍🍎
Hi @heart-to-heart! @lenasveganliving is sending you 0.1 SBD tip and @tipU upvote
:)
@tipU - send tips by writing tip! in the comment, get share of the profit :)What a wonderful glance into your journey! Some great tips and inspiration to take control of your health. It really does get easier with time and experimentation with new foods. Thank you for sharing!
I totally agree! It seems too hard at first but can turn into such an amazing journey! <3 Plus we have wonderful people like you out there showing us all how it's done ;)
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Hi Friend!!! Great post today :) I am hoping you can share that vegan sweet potato recipe one day!!! That looks delicious. I am really eyeing those chocolate heart decadent wonders you have pictured at the beginning of the post .. are those something you made? I can sure go for a couple of those right now :) Love ya lots!!! SUNSHINE247
Hi @sunshine247! I can share similar recipes for sure but this one was off the top of my head with what we had at the time from the farmer's market! I tell you there wasn't as much counter space as I would have liked in making these lol but they sure were delicious!
The chocolate hearts are peanut butter filled chocolates that I made when I first joined Steemit but I don't think I did a post for them. I can make more though and do a step by step guide.... I made a pie out of essentially the same recipe last night because that picture made me hungry haha <3
This looks really good and I am glad that you are still working great recipes on that! Vegan style!
Unfortunately right now I am still on the non vegan diet lol but I will start with even cleaner food day by day and will slowly work my way through.
I just got to know from my friend a nigerian dish which I might try to understand a little better and attempt on it without the fish fillet; so if it works you will be the first to know!
upvoted
Oh @littlenewthings I would love that! I have never had Nigerian food before! Maybe you can share with me the original so I can veganize it? I LOVE making vegan dishes out of traditional recipes!
You know I am always here to lend a helping hand if you ever want a push... I know Malay food is hard to be veg but you have lots of options as I can vouch for ;)
I am landing there in January but only on a layover! It's going to be longer seeing you than I thought :( The volcano has been a weird interruption to plans! I'm really excited to get into your garden with you and I know one day will happen!
Wow, I can't believe that your doctor suggested to not eat greens. Wait. I take that back. I can believe it - but it is so sad. So glad you are feeling good and found a great way for you to eat well and stay healthy
Oh I know, it's just alarming isn't it? That's the advice coming from the university medical center... I just want to smack my head into a desk...
Luckily I turned away from that advice and interestingly enough- what she wanted to take out, is what's helping the most.
Oh, our medical system...
<3 Much better now though, thank you for your sweet words! I plan on only getting better and better (and sharing the journey) <3
Glad you are feeling better and that you are telling your story. People need to hear this!!
It drives me crazy when people are not doing things which could help them so much because a doctor who knows nothing about nutrition told them not to!!
Oh I know! I have completely changed my mission in life after finding health through my food... totally against what every doctor has ever told me btw ;) It drives me crazy too! We'll just have to Steem a better solution <3
sounds good! The truth is that people need to be ready to take their health into their own hands. The more they see that people are successful and still enjoying life, the more will give it a try! Thanks for sharing your solutions :)
Yes, that is my whole philosophy! When I started, I had no one to look to for inspiration until I got smarter and turned to the internet but it took me time since no one I knew was a leading example of this. I hope I can be a positive example of showing what we can do and how we can change for the better without compromising too much (cuz no one wants to do that!) ;)
exactly!! Being healthy is not about munching carrots all day - even though I do like munching on carrots :)
With this post, anyone should be able to transition their diet and live in a healthier way. You've got some amazing tips and lessons learned in here- seriously good stuff!! And your food looks so delicious! Yeahhhh!
Thanks @jaymorebeet! I am trying to spend more time inspiring on this subject with all of the interest people are expressing! I went through hell when it came to changing my diet so I hope by sharing my experience, more people will feel they can do it too! <3 Of course I am still learning and have no idea how to make a unicorn cake like you ;)
nice post @heart-to-hearth
health begins with what we eat. this is amazing.
Yes, I completely agree! I am on a mission to inspire healing through our food :) Thanks for coming along! Our food has such an amazing ability to help us heal- I have seen amazing transformations which I am happy to share =D
Have a great week!
I love it all my Dearest and I want it all, especially the strawberry cheesecake. And thank you so much for the shout out. I am honored to be one of your inspirations which is mutual, because you are my inspiration as well.
There is just one more thing regarding gluten. The latest research shows, that for people who do not suffer from gluten intolerance are at health risk, if they are avoiding gluten totally. Although it is healthier to consume less gluten or grains low in guten such spelt, kamut or rye instead of wheat, it is not advised to cut off gluten completely. This link is to one of videos about this topic by Dr. Greger who is an expert on plant based diet. I actually met him in person back in 2012. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/gluten-free-diets-separating-the-wheat-from-the-chat/ Resteemed, but my voting power is low and I have to recharge, so I am sending a tip! instead.
Aww you are too sweet! I love that we have come together here <3
As far as gluten goes, there really is evidence on both sides which is why I always tell people just to trust their bodies! For me, one piece of bread or an accidental sauce that has it in it, and I am in hell but I am super sensitive. I always bring this up though because I used to eat SO MUCH GLUTEN and I didn't even know it was contributing to how sick I was so when I am advising people I tell them to try to remove it and see if they notice a difference because not everyone does! <3
How cool that you got to meet him! I always love reading and learning more on everything nutrition based so thank you for sharing this with me <3
You are most welcome Sweetie, I appreciate to have you in my life very much. You are just that kind of person I wish to have near buy. But I strongly believe we will meet in near future 🌸💖🌸
And yes it was very cool meeting Dr. Greger and now he is even more famous lol. He has alway the latest updates on nutrition.
But, I had no idea you have gluten intolerance. I have no problem with it whatsoever and I don't know no one personally who deas. Although, I run into people online who do, quite often. This is why I try to make most of my recipes gluten free, so everybody can enjoy them. However, I also run into people with other food allergies occasionally. Oh well, what can we do. In some cases people are happy to find my recipes to be dairy free or even eggs free, but some have intolerance to coconut, tomatoes, or even beans.
<3 Awww I think we will meet soon too! My parents only live maybe 4 hours from Mississauga. I had a boyfriend in high school who lived there haha
I know gluten can be a misunderstood creature in our food world but unfortunately it does really negatively affect me so I just have to eliminate it completely!
I love that you make your recipes so delicious and nutritious, I would never complain and am always excited to see another one come out! If they have an allergy they can sub it out, I am sure if they can't have it, they have gotten used to working without it! You can't make everyone happy but you sure make me happy =D
Four hours? Which area? Make sure you let me know when you come for visit. Well I bet you are not coming for winter. Well maybe you should come for Christmas lol
And you are absolutely right about those allergies. I am here to help if they come to me ask for advice or suggestions. I guess I should make a note on my all recipes posts.
Thank you so much Sweetie, I am so happy you like my recipes, I love yours too 🌸💖🌸
Ottawa! My dad said he's going to come see me for Christmas since I have a very strictly enforced "i do not come home when it is winter" rule ;) My mom's too scared after her last attempt to come see me :P
I am 90% sure I will come home next summer, I missed this summer so I should check in with the family sooner than later... it's not nice to go too long! When I do, I will come visit you (if you promise me delicious treats) ;) <3
I don't put any allergy notices on my posts... I guess I should/could but I think most people know what they are not supposed to have... I guess it would extend to them cooking for others and forgetting to mention it. That's happened to me before. I made Pad Thai for someone who was allergic to peanuts so that wasn't so great.
Luckily it all turned out OK. I wish we could all be not allergic to foods, it would be so much easier ;)
I wish I could come to escape the horrible winter that is coming and come to see you, but unfortunately, I have some responsibility that will not allow me to do that. Although things can change. Nothing is set in the stone. I am always hopping for the best.
And yes, when you come next year, I make sure I have some raw gluten free goodies for you 🌸💖🌸
dam im so hungry :)
I've got lots of recipes to fill you up :)
Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them. Have a nice day :)
@heart-t-heart Hey! I am a huuuge food lover, and your post seems to be really from heart to heart! Good job!
Oh I am so happy to find another food lover ;) I do pour my heart into my posts (and my food) <3 Thanks for noticing! =D