Nearly 4 years ago, I had the opportunity to work very closely with a holistic chef. We would make food super early in the morning for 20-25 people and then I would deliver the food to them. As you can probably guess from the title of this posting, we were cooking without meat and dairy. I worked with her because she was an excellent cook and had a plethora of holistic nutritional knowledge that I loved to learn about. Plus, she was super nice and sweet and a really great friend. The whole package really.
Anyway, as you probably can imagine, we would cook up a storm! Seriously, it was a health food junky’s HEAVEN and we are both health food junkies. We had so much extra food that I would take home tons of delicious soups, salads, smoothies and plenty of great recipes to last a lifetime. In all honesty, I started eating vegan on accident. We just had so much food that it didn’t make sense for me to go buy more meat or cheese or anything…I didn’t need it.
A few months down the road (eating completely vegan besides the occasional omelette and grass-fed beef burger) I realized that I felt SO energized after I ate and no longer needed endless cups of coffee to function. It was seriously crazy. My hair got super healthy, thicker and longer, I was getting better sleep at night and did I mention all the ENERGY!!! Gosh, I thought I was energized before but it was nothing like the way I began to feel. I was the girl who would have 5-6 cups of coffee per day plus pre-workout! What the heck?
I always ate really healthy and included tons of fibrous vegetables, but I always ate meat, cheese, yogurt, etc. I would eat and feel tired. It was as if I needed to “rest and digest”…and I just thought that was normal. It wasn’t until I started eating plant based that I realized the power of food and how much energy it can (and should provide).
Another thing worth mentioning are cravings…they were gone! I didn’t crave anything after my meals and I wasn’t still hungry afterwards. I always felt (and still feel) satisfied after I eat a meal. It’s really an incredible feeling.
Now, my message of this blog posting isn’t to convince everyone to go vegan. The main message I want to convey to you is that you have to be the detective in your own life. From the type of training that you do (and enjoy doing) to the types of food that make you feel energized, strong and healthy…you have to take the time to figure out what works for you! And just because something works for someone else, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
Where am I at now? Well, I eat fish on occasion (maybe 1x per month) and I still do eat free-range organic eggs because they are delicious and I feel good when I eat them. So, technically I am not completely vegan and in all honesty I don’t need to put a title on it. As long as I am healthy, full and happy it’s all good 🙂 Some of my favorite vegan recipes are: protein smoothie bowl, banana chia vegan muffins and NOTHING tastes better than homemade almond milk.
I always try to be as transparent as possible with you guys. I want you to know all about me and my experiences. If you have anything you want to share or chat with me about connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat!