Pay attention to the things you are naturally drawn to.
They are often drawn to your path, passion, and purpose in life. Have the courage to follow them.
-Ruben Chavez
I am at conflict. Like really feeling some kinda way.
Only two weeks into my journey, I promised myself that I would not to turn into a wacky extremest. Hmm… I am the only person in my household on this vegan trip.
No one is interested in a plant-based diet, so I have to cook two different meals, which isn’t new for me. Right before I started training for my first figure competition, I began to eat clean (avoiding processed foods), so I cooked “clean” meals for me and regular meals for my family.
If you are not vegan, please; keep reading! I am not trying to gross you out or offend you. I am sharing my private thoughts…that’s all. You might have initiated some kind of change in your life and are facing a struggle with its execution.
To shift our behavior to more positive behavior requires some level of self-awareness and self-regulation (factors of emotional intelligence). Efficiently being aware of and managing our emotions can guide our thinking and our actions through the muddle and eventually achieve our goals. That’s what this post is about… me sharing my private thoughts with you and while sorting through conflicting emotions. If this post helps one person, then it is worth my time and effort.
This blog is devoted to sharing insight on how to improve Health & Wellness (HW). The food and beverage we consume impacts our physical, mental and overall well-being.
Ugh!
Anyways, while seasoning a pan of drumsticks for my peeps, all I could see where thousands of ill-health chickens squashed together in coop.
Then there’s the realization of the sheer volume of antibiotics and other chemicals that were injected… the thoughts produced feelings of guilt. Yes. Guilt!
Why guilt? Because I do the grocery shopping and cooking for my family. If I prepare plant-based meals, they will be annoyed with me.
My 15-year-old son ain’t trying to eat plant-based…period. Hubby and mom. They enjoy meat too.
Knowing more about the effects of meat on the body, makes me feel bad. I feel like I’m feeding them chemicals and contributing to future health problems. I have to figure how out how to manage my unsettling emotions without passing judgment for their dietary choices. After all, other vegan family members have never judged me for sucking chicken off a bone or for eating a half dozen shrimp saturated in butter. I’m merely trying to keep things in perspective.
Sidebar. I realize that everyone will die from something. There is no guarantee, and I know that for a fact. My 84-year-old cigarette smoking and Hennessy drinking mother has outlived two vegan sisters and one vegan niece.
Every opportunity she gets, she reminds me of this fact. But I have to tell you, each of my vegan family members died from different health issues. One factor they shared is they rarely went to the doctor. They dedicated their lives to the doctrine of Seventh-Day Adventist, and they believed God would take care of everything.
One died from complications of breast cancer (late diagnosis), another had a tumor (refused to have it removed), and the other one had complications from a kidney transplant. While their diets were plant-based, other factors contributed to their decline in health.
I’m not naive. When our number is called, we’re done. Period. End of discussion. But, I believe that if I make smart choices about my diet, fitness, and mental state, I can increase the probability of quality of life. While I am here on earth, I want to live a healthy, colorful, joyful, productive, and happy life. Thus, I seek to know better and to do better.
I have always taken pride in preparing healthy meals for my family. Even when cooking traditional soul food like baked mac & cheese, collard greens, and yams. In the kitchen I’m sneaky, and creatively swap out healthier ingredients for high fat, high sodium, and high sugar ingredients. You see, I’m slick, and most often, they don’t know.
I love animals. However, my motive to go vegan was purely selfish. It was about me. Not about the slaughtered animals. I felt a little badly about the animals but… it just wasn’t that serious for me.
Today being the last day of week two of my vegan challenge, for the week, I give myself an 8 out of 10. Finding a non-dairy coffee creamer and plant-based protein is my final steps to transition.
I made a protein shake today, and it struck me that I must still replace my Gold Standard Whey Protein with a plant-based protein powder.
Depending on where you buy Gold Standard, it sells for around $59. About a half tub is left.
If I tossed the remaining, powder, I’d be trashing about $30. I’m not working right now, so the $30 mean more to me today than it did last year this time.
My thoughts: “I haven’t died yet, finishing the remaining powder isn’t going to kill me.” Note to self, “this is the last time you’ll buy this one.” Now you have no choice. Find a replacement ASAP. If you’re reading this and can recommend a good PB Protein powder, please tell me about it.
I decided to use the whey protein anyway and made a delicious and pretty smoothie.
You see, it’s always a mental game. To take my mind off the whey protein, I poured my smoothie into a lovely glass and garnished it with it with two strawberries. The attractiveness of the drink took my mind off the fact that it was made with whey protein.
To liven up my steel oats this morning, I swapped out my usual organic cinnamon with organic turmeric. Turmeric is said to have many medicinal benefits, so why not take a risk and add it to my oats. It was a risk, but I’m glad that it did. My oats had a nice punch of new flavor. I’m just experimenting with flavors and textures.
For week three, the plan is to add a new plant-based food to my list. If you are introducing any new habit to your lifestyle, a right approach is to subtract and add. Subtract the old pattern and add your new practice.
Health & Wellness by Lexa's Journal 
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