Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Day 18 and a Great TED Talk

Hey pretty women of the world!

Another great day is coming to it's end, and I've got some cool things in the diet section today *tihihi*

I had a wonderful day in town with a good friend; just window-shopping and having a look at some fabrics and ideas for my working space re-vamp. (She also made an appointment at the hairdressers, to cut of her bum-length hair.....that's some courage :))

It's amazing how an entire day can pass, without anything being done, that I would consider productive. I guess this means that I need to learn more about personal management and time scheduling. What I did manage though, is to try out some vegan/gluten-free food options, which is something after all :)

The Diet

I am really excited about telling you what I ate today (feels as if all I've been doing is eating), because I found some great recipes, and one truth. 

As I mentioned above, I was out in town today, and I met up with a friend at around 1. We spent about three hours running around town, until we decided to sit down and have some tea and something to eat. Since we both love Asian food, we decided to go to a Japanese restaurant. 

I had lovely jasmine tea, and fried rice. I didn't even eat half of the rice on my plate (it wasn't really that great either) and the rest is currently in my fridge, awaiting its execution at lunch time tomorrow.

My friend had nine banana makis and a cup of ginger-tea. I've never seen banana makis before, but she says that they taste great...so there you have it :)

After this little meal (I feel so fancy talking about dinners out of house, small delicate portions, and saving bits for later...)

At home I went about trying THE hyped food in veggie-world: Baked Kale Chips.

The principle is relatively simple:

• Kale
• Rip kale into mouth-sized bits (I used scissors) 
• Spread on baking paper
• Drizzle with oil
• Sprinkle with salt (sea salt)
• Shove in oven at 350 F or 180° for 10-15 minutes 
• Take kale chips out and turn them over
• Bake until totally crispy 

After about 12 minutes I was all: OMG I BURNT THE KALE! No, wait a minute...that's how they are supposed to look.

Long story short, I ended up tossing the Kale into the bin. I don't know if I did something wrong (how talented do you have to be, to mess up such a simple recipe?), or if it's really just not my taste, but I couldn't eat it. I tried three chips and just cringed at the taste.

I still have the stink of kale in my apartment and the taste in my mouth :( 

As kale chips are such a wide spread favorite, it could really be that I just didn't do it right. Or that it's not for everyone....anyway: You just need to try it for yourself :) 

What I will do though, is try the kale instead of spinach in my green smoothie tomorrow. 

While shopping today I picked up some gluten-free cereal and almond milk (finally). As opposed to my kale fiasco, I was AMAZED by how great the cereal tasted with the almond milk. The cereal itself was really cheap (about 1,40 €, less then choco pops) and the almond milk was more than 2€. Yeah, this hurt, considering that normal milk can cost less than a euro here. Still, it was totally worth it. I had a small bowl of the cereal and just loved it so much. I definitely found a breakfast-option winner :) 

I also tried the almond milk in my black tea and loved it! I am so happy that I have finally found a milk substitute that doesn't change the feel of having a nice cup of black tea. ( I'm sorry...it's the Irish genes) 

Since I didn't like the kale and didn't want to eat my rice, I checked the Internet for ways to make vegan french toast. And guess what: It's possible :) It's amazing how there seems to be an answer to every question on the Internet. Thank you so much to all the people who actually go through the process of finding out how things work.

Here is how I made them: 

1) 1 banana

2) 1 cup of soy milk

3) 2 spoons of whole wheat flour

4) 1 pack of vanilla sugar 

5) Blend all ingredients

6) Dip whatever bread you want in the dough 

7) Fry :) 

8) Add fruit or syrup (I had prunes)

Although I was very skeptical, it actually does taste just as good as the egg and milk version. Not exactly the same, but different in a very good way. There are some amazing versions of this dish out there in the Internet, and I can't wait to try them all. :)

This is how it looks in the kitchen when I cook...P. and my Mam could probably sing you a song of my messy tendencies in the kitchen.... ;)

While I was eating my french toast's, I thought I'd just have a TED talk running, and chose one related to what I was doing: Eating and Food. Here is an amazing TED talk by Mark Bittman about what is wrong with what we eat. 

I like the way he portrays this whole (delicate) topic of eating meat, and how this affects our environment. What I really liked about his talk, was that he didn't make it an extreme, or something personal. He doesn't say STOP EATING MEAT! HOW CAN YOU BE DOING THIS!!! 

No, he supports my view on this subject that is: Focus on eating real food, find the truth to real healthy eating and treat yourself to whatever you want once in a while.

It's about rethinking our food choices and really thinking about what we eat, and how this affects our health. Some people might be able to switch their entire diets from one day to the other, for those of us who can't (like me) it is perfectly fine to just take it step by step. I find that learning about the subject, by taking the emotions and ingrained beliefs out of it, really has helped me figure out what is good food. Even if I don't always eat it. That's why I love the China Study from Campbell. It gives a very good  description of how food works in our body, and how the system (like Bittman says) is not always your friend when it comes to choices that are good for YOU!

Don't let yourself be tricked, or manipulated by people do something or not do something. I consider myself a hobby-vegan/vegetarian and I am happy with that for now. No rules, no "I have to do this", but just curiosity. Like finding out there was a way to make french toast without eggs and milk.

If anything, I would like you to take away from this talk, or from me, that it's just about how you feel good, and that doing proper research (in as unbiased as possible sources) can really help you figuring things out food-wise. 

One tip to figuring out who is trying to lie to you: If you need to buy something (except food) to make it work, it's not healthy. If you couldn't survive, or have strong side-effects, following their meal plan for a longer period, it's not healthy. 

Here is what good advice will include: Eat less meat and dairy products. Eat more greens. Eat nuts and seeds, eat real food. 

It's the truth. You can ignore it of course, it's your right. But please, please don't look for a quick fix and expect it to be healthy. It's just really the only and logical truth: Eating more fruit and vegetables instead of junk food and processed food, will keep you in better shape. Simple :) 

Rome wasn't built in a day, and I can tell you I am struggling at times to make the right decisions, or finding meals I really love. But, I try to make it fun. I enjoy finding new recipes or products (like my cereal with almond milk) and experimenting with the question: Would it be possible to make this vegan/ plant-based? And, how can I substitute expensive ingredients with cheaper ones?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject, and I know it might not be the right place to go into it in great detail, but I will follow up this little excursion with a proper post. Maybe you can help me with your comments to let me know what you would really like to know, or what issues you are struggling with. Give me questions, I'll do the research :)

Cardio

Today was my last cardio free day, as I think that my foot is really getting better. I walked around in town for at least 3 hours and then, instead of using the bus, walked the 4 km home. :) I really enjoyed the walk and I should get out more often!

Workout

I started the cardio just before 8 *phew* and it went without any bigger problems. I couldn't do the two movements in the middle of the legs part, because my soles were burning from my high heels. Yes I know, what a stupid reason, but they were really burning. I had to massage them and put a hot water bottle on them for at least an hour before I could walk properly again. :) Walking 4 km in heeled boots just isn't the smartest of all ideas, really. 

So, after an hour of stop and go, the post has finally come to it's end :) 

I had a lot of great experiences today, and am looking forward to a relaxing day at home and my CEREAL :D 

All my love, and may the power of almond milk be with you, 

Shauna