Challenge #13, July 2012: EAGER VEGAN

I will eat only vegan this month – no dairy, eggs, or other animal products.

“It is deeply moving that the same food choices that give us the best chance to eliminate world hunger are also those that take the least toll on the environment, contribute the most to our long-term health, are the safest, and are also, far and away, the most compassionate towards our fellow creatures."  

-John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution

A Little Background

Since I turned vegetarian about 30 years ago, I have always wanted to experiment and try this further step.  My original reason for going veg was an episode of the TV show  20/20, which showed me the slaughterhouses and harsh conditions cows, pigs, and chickens are raised in, and I instantly decided to stop eating meat. Eventually I gave up fish too, as I got more into scuba diving over the last 16 years – it’s way more fun to look at marine life than to eat it, for me at least…The more I have read and researched about the environmental impacts and personal health impacts of eating meat over the years, the further I am convinced that I had made the right choice for me and my values.  I certainly don’t expect or advocate that everyone go veg, but for me it makes sense and I simply think that that most people (and the planet) would be better off if everyone tried to eat a little less of it – okay, end of mild rant.  Taking the next step to veganism was definitely worthwhile, and I learned a few things along the way.

How it Went

As an ovo-lacto veg, I do eat eggs (about twice a week) and dairy - basically cheese, many days a week – one of my biggest weaknesses!   On cereal, in smoothies, or for baking I use either rice, almond, or coconut milk, my current favorite, so no change required there.  And I don’t eat sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt anyway.  I did miss eggs, less than I thought I would, and I definitely missed cheese –more on that later.  I enjoyed exploring and trying some new vegan recipes, like the amazing pizza in the photo.  It seems almost sacrilegious, a decent pizza without cheese?!  But this highly recommended flavorful fresh alternative really impressed me – I will definitely be making it again. 

A Few Hiccups

·      Label Reading – Do you have any idea how lengthy and surprising many of the popular energy bar ingredient lists are?  Sheesh!  I gobbled down a ZONE bar while driving the first day of the month, then when I parked, read the ingredients – corn syrup, milk solids (oops!), and other assorted not-so-natural items on the list – yuck!  So that experience made me start reading a lot more labels closely this month. 

·      Honey – It’s in sooooo many foods I like - granola, some energy bars, muffins, etc.  It is definitely an animal product, the excess of what bees are producing for their own consumption.  I actually ate a little of it as I enjoyed a KIND almond and coconut bar when I was at the office and starving with nothing else available – oops! Other times I needed a sweetener agave and stevia came to the rescue.

·      Cheese Cravings – yes I dearly missed it! I missed the flavor and texture, and I really thought this food would be my downfall.  But every time I got a hankering, I went for a few olives or a spoonful of peanut butter instead which helped.  Sorta.

Things I am Really Glad are Naturally Vegan

·      Most bread, crackers, potatoes and rice - yay carbs!

·      Earth Balance buttery spread – been using it for years and appreciated it even more this month

·      SOME dark chocolate – read labels carefully on this.

·      So many wonderful fruits and vegetables – really enjoyed all the extra helpings of delicious summer produce this month, thank you Farmer’s Markets.

Conclusion

Yes, as a matter of fact I did feel lighter (lost a few pounds without really trying) and actually more energetic – some of my longer and more strenuous workouts were not so tiring.  I now understand how and why some professional athletes like Brendan Brazier and others promote veganism, and can now easily answer that ubiquitous question, “So, how do you get your protein?”   For me, this month made me realize going vegan isn’t difficult.  I will likely be eating less cheese and fewer eggs than previously, cooking vegan more often, and feel healthier because of it.  How about you - curious to try going vegan?  Why or why not?

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

to bring you this recap of an awesome event I attended last weekend, which has fueled my imagination and inspired more positive action than anything else I have ever done.  

Oh, and I'm going vegan this month but that's not important right now - this is.

Top Ten things I heard at #WDS2012

1.     I heard Brene Brown talk about vulnerability and wholeheartedness.  And so early on in the weekend I was already getting emotional and tearing up, uh-oh...And at the end of her talk I heard 1000 people standing up and singing Don’t Stop Believin’, and I sang along too (I  NEVER sing), and it was sooooooo much fun because who cares - if the other 999 people carry the tune and I don’t, it doesn’t matter anyway!  #suckitfear

2.     I heard Scott Harrison’s story and was blown away by his radical determination to build a different model in the fundraising space, where I currently reside.  And I wish one of my favorite clients would try operating more like they do, with transparency and accountability and sincere appreciation for their donors. I am going to try and work on this with them!

3.     I heard how Joshua & Ryan and the other Joshua live lightly with a lot less as minimalists, and they reminded me that there is simply more joy in pursuing less than there is in pursuing more.  And I also thought about how I was especially thankful there wasn’t a lot of random useless crap in our gift bags at this conference, but rather just a few high-quality, non corporate-logoed (yay!) useful items.  #winningatswag

4.     I heard Chris Brogan talk about superheroes and super powers and how sexy confidence is, but I heard him the most when he said you will succeed the weirder you get.  I know I am not brave enough (yet) to let (much of) my inner weirdness out yet and I need to work on this! And I need work on remembering people’s names more. #practicemysuperpowersmore

5.     I heard Audrey and Dan say a few simple but powerfully wise statements including life is a team sport, embrace regret avoidance, and there is no greater generosity that the generosity of spirit.  And I realized they are a great example of what all travelers should aspire to be, and I was so glad to have met them at TBEX last month in Colorado, then connect again here. #smallworldbigworld

6.     I heard Jennifer Lee joyfully and creatively share her right brain business planning model, and I thought Ahaaaaaaa - finally something like this for someone like me!  And I actually heard myself say out loud to everyone in that room that I was going to somehow work on my project every single day for the next 365 days until the next WDS. #whoathatsatallorder

7.     I also heard a baby crying a few times, in a panel and during a keynote.  And both times it instantly started to annoy me (and maybe others) - but fortunately its father wisely, promptly removed it from the room, and the second time it happened I thought - what is this world going to be like when that baby is my age?  And no matter what it looks like, I know deep down that I want to, need to, have to work on improving it as much as I can for the rest of my life, in the ways I know how.  #reneweddetermination

8.     I heard JD Roth humbly, genuinely talk about personal transformation and I thought about my own continued journey in this regard, and that although I know how to say yes, focus and action need much more of my attention.  And focusing on one thing at a time each month worked for him, just like I am trying to do here.  #lovingthesimilarity

9.     And then I heard Chris Guillebeau share the ultimate uber-surprise:  giving back $100 to each of us attendees, to do something awesome with.  And I heard the hush of the crowd, then the thunder of applause, and I almost burst out in tears, yet again. Overwhelmed, yet again, with the spirit of this conference - like no other event I have ever attended.  #generosityonsteroids

10.  And finally I heard the ebullient Bollywood music and the joyful cheers and laughs of hundreds, including me – gyrating and stomping with every ounce of passion and energy we had left, and I felt the floor bounce and quake beneath our feet – pure joy captured in one room on a Sunday eve in July in Portland.  #tryingtodancelikethehipsterswearenot

And now I hear my heart beating faster, trying to catch up to my racing mind…so grateful for the inspiration and motivation and renewed sense of obligation.  Now back home in the quiet, with the echoes of this remarkable weekend still replaying in the background of my mind, it’s time for focus and action - and for community, and adventure, and service of course.  Thank you for everything, Chris and your magical team, see you next year. #newtotwitterandhavingfunwithhashtags   @HeatherGeorge3

Challenge #12, June 2012: STILL SITTING STILL

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I will meditate for 15 minutes every day (déjà vu, right!)

Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose.
-Eknath Easwaran

Background

Highly recommended reading:  Last month’s entry on this exact same subject, sigh.  I should actually rephrase the challenge:  I will catch up with my incomplete meditation month of May because I really want to get through it - and 30 days worth of meditation over 60 days should still count for something, right?

Here’s the Thing

It wasn’t any damn easier this month, it sadly just wasn’t.  Sitting still and quiet and trying to empty my head of all the extra-busy-lately swirling thoughts (pesky hamsters!) and focus on breath and just letting all kinds of brilliant revelations, epiphanies, and answers to all my worries and wonders appear in my brain DID NOT WORK.  Sooooo I made my peace and abandoned any hope of enlightenment, inner peace, salvation, blah blah blah. I instead used the time (alone, quiet, away from the computer and the smartphone) to do important stuff like:

·      Make a mental list to write down later of all the things I needed to get done that day,

·      Writing email responses in my head,

·      Picturing what the scale would read if I did lose that other 5 lbs. I’ve been meaning to,

·      Trying not to fall asleep,

·      And often, figuring out what I was going to eat for dinner.

Or, I often procrastinated/abandoned the meditating assignment by

·      Folding laundry,

·      Organizing my dresser drawers,

·      Checking Facebook,

·      Cleaning my desktop (either real or on the computer),

·      Or going for a walk (which often produced the same results).

How I (Barely) Got Through It

·      It was uncomfortable to sit in that cross-legged pose, I mean really now.  I just don’t have the stretchability to get there, so I stuck with my improvised pose – sitting on the floor against the couch, knees bent and arms wrapped around them - it was indeed relaxing after I settled into it.

·      I bargained with myself a lot, i.e.:  “if I don’t do 15 minutes today, I will do 30 tomorrow” – which was more than twice as hard to sit still twice as long.  But that is what I ended up doing more often than not, about every other day for 30 minutes straight.

·      Remember last month when I accidentally napped during a horizontal meditation attempt?  I actually closed out the month with my last session today with a nice 35 minute nap, and I am counting it, damn it - there was just no way I was fit in a real meditation session into my jam-packed day, and I needed the rest!

Conclusion:  Although there may be some value to it, I don’t see meditating becoming a long lasting regular habit for me - rather an occasional break.  I do, as I did last month, feel more relaxed and more energized a the same time after this month – less worried about stuff that generally bothers me, and more excited about my work and other projects.  But I don’t know if this is a side effect of the limited meditating I’ve been doing or not.   Does anyone meditate consistently every single day, for 15 minutes or more?

What’s Next

July is gonna be a piece of cake compared to this…well, a piece of cake made without eggs or butter, because I’m going vegan!  Vegetarian has been easy for the past 30 years, but now me and one of my favorite foods (dill havarti, smoked gouda, and bufala mozzarella to name a few) will try to live without each other.  I splurged on a “healthy” serving of gorgonzola tonight to hopefully tide me over until August 1^st.  Let’s see how it goes…