Day 31 - Don't Put Turmeric In The Rice Cooker . . . and other things I've learned

I've tried very hard over the last month to be a perfect vegan.  And for the most part, I have managed to adhere to the "no meat, no dairy" rule.  There was the one little slip with Worcestershire sauce (it has anchovies in it), but I'd forgotten to get the vegan version and was in the middle of cooking.   The "no fat" rule has also been pretty easy to follow.  But the sugar rule, which is of my own making, is another story.   I think, when you can't have fat, you crave sweet even more.  In my previous life as an omnivore, I really wasn't much of a sweets person.  Snack and junk food was almost always savory, not sweet.

I've also learned a few new rules concerning vegan cooking and shopping that try to repeat to myself on a regular basis.

1) Don't put turmeric in the rice cooker.  I recently tried cooking lentils, spiced with turmeric, in my trusty rice cooker.  It boiled over, spilling yellow water all over the counter and the yellow water stained the countertop, the rice cooker, my dish rag and dish towel, and the coffeemaker sitting nearby.

2) Don't put greens in your morning smoothie unless you want to drink a green smoothie.  Try as I might, I can't bring myself to drink something that's a muddy green color, no matter how good it tastes or how many times I try it.  I've found that frozen dark red cherries make a deep red smoothie -- for about 10 minutes.  After that, it turns green.  So I drink very fast and get my greens.

3)  Do rely on favorite recipes while you search for something new.  I have a favorite chili recipe that is almost always in my fridge.  As I try new recipes, it's nice to know that I have something I really love at hand.  I've found two or three new recipes that I'll be making every week or so.  I think variety is the key and over the course of the next year, I hope to find a lot more.

4) Don't write off any product as unappealing until you've tried it.  I always felt this way about soy milk.  Yuk!  I couldn't understand how anyone could drink it and enjoy it.  And now I do.  I barely remember what cow's milk tastes like.  I'm going to try soy yogurt next.

5)  Do focus on the positives of a vegan diet.  Like how good you feel and how easy it is too cook.  How simple clean-up is without greasy dishes.  How inexpensive it is to grocery shop.  Don't let the negatives creep into your mind.  Don't long for the things you can't eat but realize that your body is becoming healthier every day by not eating them.  I remind myself of this daily.

I do think that for someone like me, someone at risk of heart disease and diabetes, a fat-free vegan diet is the fastest and safest way to get healthy.  I feel it already.  No more acid reflux or stomach problems.  No more  sleepless nights.  No more fuzzy brain.  No more ups and downs from sugar highs and lows.  I feel . . . clean.  That's the only way I can describe it.  Though it's hard not to focus on the weight I've lost, that has also become a motivator.  After just a month, I've lost nearly 20 pounds -- without ever feeling hungry or deprived.