First off, YOU GUYS! Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes! I felt so loved and I’m in awe of how amazing you are šĀ
Second, I’m so excited to share this post with you today from one of my closest friends, Whitney over at Sometimes, Always, Never. Whit and I are actually real life friends who later onĀ realized we both write blogs. She writes to twenty something women and her wise words feed my soul. If you haven’t read her blog, you should. I hope it refreshesĀ your heart as much as it does mine. Whit is one of the most gracious, servant hearted, wise, witty, beautiful, and selfless women I know. I’m so glad she’s guest posting on this space today. Enjoy!Ā
Robyn and I share a lot of similarities. We’re both fastĀ paced and high energy. We love impromptu trips. We love to connect with people.Ā We love Jesus and talking about the way He is working in our lives.
When it comes to eating, we both love to eat a ton of fresh vegetables;Ā however, we share one major difference. I feel best when my days are protein heavy; she feels best when she has more carbs.
{pre-workout nut butter because I woke up STARVING}
To be clear, I am not Paleo or anti-carbs at all. I haveĀ just learned, though, that I feel more energized and alert when I start my dayĀ with eggs or a nut butter and she feels better with overnight oats.
{breakfast: Perfect Bar and Coffee}
Ā
I had a good season of being vegan Ā from about June toĀ October of 2012. I loved all the veggies, didn’t think twice about missing theĀ meat, but thought about eggs constantly. I learned to look at food differentlyĀ I used to think dinner wasn’t complete without chicken. Now? I am happy &Ā satiated with quinoa and sweet potatoes and avocado.
{AM snack: Green smoothie at work: Kale, Banana, Avocado,
Pinceapple, Coconut milk}
Pinceapple, Coconut milk}
Ā
I took more away from being Vegan than just recipes, though.Ā It was a season of trying to increase calories to restore my metabolism andĀ being Vegan was a very healthy way to go about it. I was constantly eating and can’t even tell you the joy I felt when IĀ started feeling hunger pains again (!) and had a regular period for two monthsĀ in a row. It was a season that taught me to eat intuitively again and I am soĀ grateful for it.
{Lunch bowl! Quinoa, Kale, tomatoes, green peppers, walnuts,
avocado + nutritional yeast & grape seed oil dressing}
avocado + nutritional yeast & grape seed oil dressing}
Ā
It was a season of learning that a half cup of Special K forĀ breakfast isn’t how you fuel your body and skipping dinner isn’t perfection. IĀ began to believe that you don’t have to earn your food with exercise; youĀ deserve plentiful, healthy food every day.
Just as Robyn and I feel best when we eat differently, variousĀ seasons of our lives call for different styles of eating, too. During thatĀ phase, I needed to really pay attention to what I was eating and was I gettingĀ enough calories? Was I remembering to eat when I felt hunger and stopping whenĀ I felt full?
{Afternoon snack: almonds and carrots}
Ā
These days, my eating looks different because my primaryĀ goal is eating intuitively and not cognitively. I know how to access my hungerĀ and fullness messages. I know when my body wants eggs and when it wants oats. IĀ don’t fear cheese, but I also don’t crave it much because I don’t deny myselfĀ of it. There are days when I’m totally vegan and days when I really want eggsĀ and bacon at breakfast. During this season, it’s important that I eat out of myĀ intuition and not out of a guidebook, because I am still refining this skill.
{Dinner: Kale salad with tomato, green peppers, chicken,
walnuts + nutritional yeast and olive oil dressing. With a side of a big old
sweet potato baked in grapeseed oil}
walnuts + nutritional yeast and olive oil dressing. With a side of a big old
sweet potato baked in grapeseed oil}
Ā
Down the line, I may be more focused on eating for triathlonĀ training, which will require me to add in more carbs even if I might not beĀ craving them. When I’m pregnant? I’ll be eating for a baby. Each season of lifeĀ is marked by different ways to fuel our body.
{Dessert: Almond butter and chocolate chippies}
Ā
Over the years, I have learned to eat for energy and findĀ balance. It hasĀ been one of banishing food guilt and noĀ longer denying my cravings. Do I eat perfectly? Definitely, definitely not. DoĀ I make as amazingly beautiful food as Robyn? I don’t do that either! š But IĀ no longer fear mealtime. I celebrate and embrace all foods. And I haveĀ learned to find joy in the process, instead of in perfection.
Veganism is not a diet š You don’t have days where you’re “totally vegan.” You have plant based days. Veganism is a lifestyle.
Your blog has piqued a lot of real interest. I can see why since you have done such a good job of making it interesting. I appreciate your efforts very much.
http://www.okbetsports.ph