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Veganuary II. Because once is not enough

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Today is the first day of 2019–and the launch date of Veganuary, my month-long  commitment to abstain from all alcohol, meat and refined sugar.

It’s my second go-around with Veganuary. I didn’t plan to repeat the pledge after successfully staying the course in 2016. I got bored with a diet devoid of meat and fish of any kind. I missed wine. And although I don’t have a sweet tooth, I chaffed at denying myself an occasional chocolate.

clipping-piglets-teeth-and-cutting-off-their-save-ernie-tails-10248828So why am I doing Veganuary II? Because I need to cleanse and recalibrate after months of eating and drinking too much. I want to lose weight. I want to be more productive. And I believe it’s healthy to challenge ourselves to do better.

The first time around was a personal test.

This time, it’s something I need to do so that I can be my healthiest, most authentic self.

The concept of Veganuary was born in Britain, where animal rights activists encourage carnivores to go meatless for a month in hopes they will lay down their steak knives for good. I upped the ante by adding alcohol and sugar to the challenge. It’s not enough to forgo pork chops. Let’s go whole hog!

Fruit-Veggies-P4EI’m looking forward to Veganuary. Really, I am. The wine is in the rack and the gin is tucked away in the liquor cabinet, where they will stay until February. I stashed the bacon and a few Christmas cookies in the freezer and added faro and lentils to my shopping list. I will even give tofu another try.

On New Year’s Eve, I enjoyed a dinner party with shrimp, chicken, free-flowing wine and a lemon drop martini. Tonight’s repast: eggplant parm, with a tall glass of H2O.

One day down. Thirty to go. Happy Veganuary.

Veganuary: Week Three

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For the past three weeks, I’ve abstained from meat, refined sugar and alcohol. Call it going cold tofurky.

In winters past, the stove would be bubbling with braised lamb shanks, coq au vin or cod and leek chowder. And each blizzard was followed by a hike to Trolley Square to gather with friends at a neighborhood bar.

These days, it’s bean burritos, barley and veggie soup, and quinoa with a medley of yellow, red and orange tomatoes. A handful of dates for dessert. And water, water and more water.

So, has it been difficult maintaining my commitment? Yes, at times.

Have I stuck with the deal? Yes, absolutely.

But the question I hear the most is: How do you feel?

Other folks who have embraced a plant-based diet say they are bursting with energy. They sleep better. They are more focused. Their skin is smooth and dewy.

1222006Truth to tell, I already felt pretty darn good when I took the Veganuary pledge. I have noticed a slight increase in my energy level, especially in the evenings, when I traditionally wound down with a nice dinner–usually including poultry, beef or seafood–and a glass or two of wine.

It’s also easier to stay on track with other disciplined tasks. I’m exercising and practicing the piano every day.

With 22 days under my belt, I am heading into the home stretch with hopes that I soon will be sleeping like a log, completing tasks with laser accuracy and sporting a radiant complexion.

If I don’t realize those or any other benefits by the end of Veganuary, I am OK with it. I took on the challenge as an exercise in mindfulness, a time of eating and drinking thoughtfully. (Which brings me to another question. What will I eat and drink on Feb. 1?)

After three weeks, doing without meat, sweets and booze is a bit easier.

That said, I’m well aware that I need to keep my eyes on the prize, whatever that might be, as I enter the home stretch. I don’t want to be the figure skater who jumps and spins throughout 4 1/2 minutes of a 5-minute program, only to fall on my fanny on that last triple lutz.

Nine days to go.

 

Veganuary: Week Two

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veggies

I understand that giving up something we enjoy helps us to build character.

After 15 days without meat, refined sugar or alcohol, my character is well under construction.

Midway through Veganuary, I have yet to attain that higher plane where I actually prefer a menu devoid of crab cakes, creme brûlée and champagne. Still, I am managing to stay the course.

In the words of my friend Betsy: “It’s good to have a change in your diet and explore different possibilities. All three are worthy efforts…. You can do it.”

IMG_0735Audrey, a pal from Palmyra High School, suggests I try Hungarian Mushroom Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook. The next day, my friend Geri, who once cooked in a vegetarian restaurant, offers to loan me the very same book.
Soon, my kitchen is fragrant with the scent of sautéing onions and mushrooms, the base for this earthy soup, zipped up with smoked paprika and dill.
Audrey is right. The soup is delicious, a recipe I will make again when I return to the Land of Eating Whatever the Hell I Want after my month-long cleanse.
IMG_0726I also give tofu another try, pan-frying triangular wedges that I’ve marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar and garlic. I serve the tofu over steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds, accompanied with San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water. I eat it with chopsticks, hoping it will conjure fond memories of sushi and bento boxes.
It’s better than I thought it would be, although I don’t see tofu rising to the top of my shopping list. At least I’m getting a healthy dose of protein, a tall order on a meat-free diet.

Because I run with a witty crowd, I also am getting lots of razzing. Suddenly, I am inundated with invitations to go out for burgers and beer, often accompanied with the postscript: LOL.

My neighbor Wayne summarizes his sentiments in four words: “See you in February.”

Others are more subtle:

“You need to have your head examined.”

“No wine? What were you thinking?”

“I can’t look. Let me know when it’s over.”

Fifteen days down; 16 days to go.

Veganuary: Week One

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cow-faceAfter one week with no meat, no refined sugar and no alcohol, I don’t feel especially virtuous.

Still, it’s clear that animals like me better, really they do. As I stroll through this peaceable kingdom, cows amble up from the meadow, just to lick my hand. Pigs squeal with delight as I pass by. Roosters crow their greetings. Salmon leap from streams and give me a finny high-five.

I feel more productive, plowing through work, then tackling jobs around the house. I confess a slight sense of accomplishment. And I’m bored.

IMG_0719Specifically, I am bored with my food. Whole wheat penne with pesto; pizza with spinach and roasted red peppers; black beans with salsa; hummus and flax crackers; baked sweet potatoes sprinkled with granola; the seemingly endless vat of homemade navy bean soup with tomatoes, carrots and kale.

And I wonder: am I getting boring, too?

I must decline an invitation from an Italian restaurant to sample new dishes and wines they are adding to the menu. I take a raincheck when a neighbor asks if I would like to share the venison she is roasting for dinner. I join a friend who is having a few people over for wine and cheese. I’m OK with my club soda and crackers. But I would prefer a buttery Chardonnay with brie.

On Day Eight I realize that I need to summon enthusiasm for the fare I’ve committed to for 31 days. As an adventurous eater, I ask myself: why do I embrace sea urchin yet turn up my nose at tofu? Perhaps it’s because I have tasted both and sea urchin is wild, creamy and sensual and tofu reminds me of a plastic bag distilled into squishy cubes.

So tomorrow I will buy a small container of tofu and marinate it. I will do my best to create a dish that is healthy and delicious.

If I still don’t like it I never have to eat it again. So there.

Day Eight. Twenty-three days to go.