Day 4 an introduction

On a recent visit my Mom brought me a present. Alicia Silverstones book "The Kind Diet". So the adventure begins.

A little back story:

I've made changes over the years gradually educating myself about food, where it comes from, how to eat right. You would think at 42, being a mother of 3 I would have a good grasp on nutrition by now. I've tried allot of 'diets', and got excited about lots of changes. Some of them have afforded me a few nice changes to my health. None of them though has helped me achieve my weight loss goals. I have a health condition that greatly limits my ability to work out in a vigorous way, the way you need to work out to loose weight, if your interested in the details click here IC. I have had it for 16 years, recently diagnosed in July 2009. It helps to understand why things are going wrong. No excuses though, I know the gaining has been my life choices. Now it's time to take my life back!

So back to today:

After reading her book, and then viewing the movie  Food Inc. I've found my path, and my motivation. Having my family watch the movie I found my support group! Alicia has great names for everyone making changes: Flirt, Vegan, Super Hero, and my family of five each have chosen their level of food changes. Me I dove right in! I'm full on Super Hero.

From pizza, burgers, and doughnuts, straight into whole grains, seaweed, beets, grains and beans! Not really I did make some changes several days before my big grocery shopping event. Miso Soup! I can not say enough good things about how adding these helpful enzymes to my plan before I jumped in must have helped. I started eating Miso about 5 days prior, and trying to drop anything I had in the house with processed sugar. I think it's helped so far to have at least made those two changes.

Monday was my adventures at the Whole foods market, I've not heard of 1/2 the things I was buying at least, and most everything I'd never eaten before. I didn't even know how to prepare these foods! I had made a shopping list for two weeks of meals. It was 3 pages long. I started in the store at 10AM. I left at 3PM. ha ha

I have to give the employees there huge commendation. They were amazing. By the time I left several knew my name and were cheering me on. I was the woman becoming a Super Hero via the Kind Diet! I was exhausted, inspired and terrified! lol Not to mention I had a MUSE concert to attend that same evening.

At any rate, Tuesday I began. I am following Alicia's layout first week as a Superhero sample menu. I am going by the book. OK how many of you can say you've eaten: kombu, onion, celery, butternut squash, millet, miso, scallons, kale, sesame seeds, cabbage, garlic, parsley, quinoa, basil, pine nuts, hijiki, tofu, carrots, burdock root, beets, shallots, parsnips, fennel bulb, winter squash, pecans, dried apricots, udon noodles... all in ONE day. (oh and didn't even have the energy and skills to make the plum soup so I missed out). I can say that! I did it! I got through my first day.

Yes, guess what when you eat all those things, you have to prep all those veggies! akkk I spent a mear 6 1/2 hours in my kitchen that day and still went to bed with a messy one. lol I was a little daunted, overwhelmed, and emotional at bed time. I recommend reading the recipes ahead of time and doing as much as you can in food prep before you step into the actually making the meal. ;-) Just a little tip from someone who's learned the hard way.

Good thing, was Day 2's meal plans were LOTS of left overs! WHEW! ha ha Good thing, I learned allot about myself, and foods I passed in the grocery store and thought WHY? do they even have that near the ice burg lettuce I mean WHO? knows how to cook that stuff? LOL I think I conquered my fear of strange things I've never eaten or cooked in just two days flat. ;-)

I feel as though I've been feasting. I kid you not. Everything has been so delicious. Yes, it seems pricey, but still has yet to be determined fully. As there are aspects that need to be considered and measured first. I'll let you know how it affects our food budget for real in a few months. Yes, it seems like a lot of time in the kitchen, but then I don't know what the heck I'm doing! I'm sure that will get better with time. Too how many times have we sat around till 6 PM then just give up and do a drive thru for dinner? How much time and money has that wasted?

At any rate, today's been great. Day 3 of eating Super Hero meals. I've not been craving so far,... pms around the corner? That should be the real test. ha ha I feel inspired, committed, and sure "I can do this!". Even though I know that nothing I'm doing is going to 'save the planet' and that is not my motivation for the most part. I think 'saving myself' is my goal. I love the quotes in the book, I'll share just one: "Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food."  -Hippocrates

Follow my blog adventure, now and then my teen aged daughter says she'll be making some of her own comments and posts as she is the most eager participant in my house for these changes. She's my friend, inspiration, and Vegan buddy. :-)

I'll be posting some photo's of meals we've already prepared. I hope we inspire you to get a copy of this book, and find your fit, are you a flirt, a vegan or a Super hero?