Big news for this week: I've lost five more pounds. Yay, me! And that makes a total of 15 pounds for me and nearly 30 for my hubby. And my blood sugar ratings have went way down. Amazingly so! As I have said before, it would be great to lose weight, but my main goal is to get off of some the medications I take -- for instance the medication which is intended to help prevent me from getting diabetes, Mitformin. I don't want to take it. I want to manage my food and exercise so that I don't need that pill every day. One step closer!
Okay, with the personal stuff out of the way, I want to talk about some of the products I've adopted in the past few weeks. In trying to adopt the Forks Over Knives way of eating, my husband and I have explored a lot of websites, a lot of recipes, a lot of nutrition labels. We still have so much to learn, but we have found some things that, even if we totally failed at going vegan, we would still use those items.
Let me tell you about them:
Agave Nectar-- Agave nectar is a product of the same plant from which tequila is made. (Got your attention, didn't I?) The agave nectar has an appearance similar to honey, but it has a thinner consistency and a light taste. We use it a lot in smoothies and I even made a quick fruit salad and drizzled just a tad of agave nectar over it -- delicious! It contains some good minerals and vitamins and I found this explanation on a website: "The carbohydrate in agave nectar has a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant "sugar rush" and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars. Agave nectar is a delicious natural sweetener that can be used moderately - by dieters, some diabetics, and health conscious cooks - to replace high-glycemic and refined sugars." http://www.allaboutagave.com/health-benefits-of-agave-nectar.php
Soy Milk -- To tell the truth I've been drinking soy milk for a few years, but my husband only came on board when we started the Forks Over Knives plan. We both think soy milk tastes better on cereal with a hint of sweet that keeps you from missing all that nasty processed sugar. We also use it in smoothies, recipes, anywhere we would have used cow's milk before. We like Silk brand soy milk. http://silksoymilk.com/
Vegetable Stock -- You know about chicken broth and beef broth. They're yummy. They have that wonderful meaty flavor. I was pretty dubious about what a vegetable stock would taste like. Never should have worried! It has a full, healthy flavor and works in soups and other dishes that need a little more juice. Best thing is it comes in resealable containers, unlike the old cans of chicken broth I used to buy. This is the link to the brand we buy: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/178
Tamari -- Tamari is made from soy beans, as is soy sauce. However, Tamari has a lighter, less salty flavor. Right from the first taste, we both agreed it was much better than traditional soy sauce. It is used in recipes and as a condiment. We use Sang-J Organic Tamari, gluten free. Check out this website for a very complete explanation of Tamari: http://www.san-j.com/faq.asp
Earth Balance Spread -- This has been my very favorite "substitute" food yet. At first I was just doing without butter, because of the no-dairy restrictions of the Forks Over Knives plan. That got old fast! My husband found Earth Balance Spread at the store at about the same time as I was discovering it on the Internet. It comes in a tub like margarine, but the taste! It is very creamy, a tiny bit sweet, and completely NOT greasy. It is made from soy beans. We use it on toast and bread and just anywhere we would use butter. I have not baked with it or cooked extensively with it. I've seen recipes using Earth Balance, though. You really need to try this stuff. http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/
I hope our experiences help you out as you explore a whole food, plant-based diet. My advice, always, is that you research these suggested products on your own and not just take my word for it. I have researched them but, hey, we are all different, I don't know what your particular needs are. And I'm not a doctor or any kind of expert. I am simply sharing my journey, hoping to inspire and to encourage others to try a healthy diet.
No comments:
Post a Comment