Fitness| Square One

If you guys have been following this blog, you know that I had my bout with veganism for 3 months last year. It was in response to my body attacking itself with eczema. I thought becoming vegan would rid me of eczema and the darkness that has plagued me for the last few years.

Becoming vegan did not rid me of eczema, although, now that I'm not vegan; I do see and feel the difference in my skin. Anywho, I work at MAC at Macys Downtown Brooklyn (full disclosure here...whoa) and anyone that knows retail knows that the holiday season is the most stressful time of year. That is when shit gets real. My hours were all over the place. It was fast-paced and the last thing I wanted to do was not eat meat. Or eat healthy. Or find time in my schedule to go to the gym.

SO, I fell back into my unhealthy ways. Hard.

My collarbones that I worked so hard to reintroduce myself to are now fading in the distance. I know that I have to get back on the horse. I went to the gym once last week and I tried to run like I'd been running this whole time and umm...yea...I was out of breath before I half a mile when a little over a month prior, I was easily running a mile...not so easily but making two.

I have a goal - 5k in June. Not only do I want to run the 5k; I want to have a decent time. I think my goal is somewhere around 26 minutes. Running is a thinking man's sport. Your body kicks and screams and tells you to stop and you have to say "NO, I go this."

As for my diet, my mom saw my success with the vegan diet and she wants to do it with me. So, I guess that's where that is...my only habit that I'm trying to kick is SODA.

SODA IS THE DEBIL.

I'm not used to being so open in such a public forum but life is all about sharing your experiences. So, here we go! Who is with me?

Food| Crossroads

To be vegan or not to be vegan; that is the question that I'm asking  myself at this particular junction in my life.

To say that the decision to become vegan for a 3-month trial basis was flippant and not-well-thought-out is an understatement. But when I commit to something, the deal is done and set in stone. To say that I thought I would fall on my face is also an understatement. I had plastic surgeons saved in my favorites. (I kid)

Food is such a personal thing. What we eat - what nourishes us - what we choose to put into our bodies should never be something that is judged by others. It should wholly be judged by ourselves before we decide to chow down. This is the main thing that I've learned throughout this process.

I've stalked more labels, googled more 5 syllable ingredients and have opened Pandora's Box on many of my past favorite foods than I care to mention. Think: do you really know what's in McDonald's French fries? A good piece of advice that I learned from another blogger was that the best way to look at your food is to make sure that there are as few ingredients as possible. Also, be sure that you can pronounce each ingredient listed. With that piece of advice, I felt that I was adequately armed to go out and eat responsibly.

Once you start to realize that food in America is gross and that half the food we eat is banned in other countries, you begin to see the world in a new light. Also, once you realize that the same company that produces the same cereal (for example) in the US uses GMO ingredients but doesn't use them in let's say Europe, you start to get angry. (Looking at you, Honey Nut Cheerios) Why does my government think it is okay for me to eat GMO cereal while the European government says that it is not okay.

I live in an urban (read: black) neighborhood in Brooklyn. In order to get fresh food, vegan food or something that wasn't fried, slathered in oil or remotely healthy, I had to venture out at least 30 minutes away from home. Is that fair? No. Why is it that people in Crown Heights don't get access to affordable healthy food but the people in Park Slope do? When I go to Park Slope, I see my people (read: black) there eating well. Also, have you noticed the amount of Kennedy Fried Chicken (fake chicken mongers) in urban neighborhoods but never are they found outside. Why is that?

I also learned how to dial back the crazy because really? What can I do? I'm only one person. Before 3 months ago, I loved me a beef patty with cheese and pepperoni from the fake chicken mongers. I had to want better for myself. In this day and age, the information we seek on any topic is literally right at our fingertips. It took a serious medical condition (ugly eczema) for me to be at the end of my rope for my eyes to be opened and to really examine what I eat and where it comes from and what I eat eats and where that come from.

So, I'm doing what I can...sharing my story with whomever will read it. I urge anyone reading this to really examine what you're eating and why? Does what you eat really give you nutrition? Is it helping your body run better? Why do you eat what you eat? What the next chapter of it holds, I'm still unsure. I know that it won't include McDonald's French fries.

Stay tuned for more...

Eats|M.O.B. Brooklyn

As many of you guys know, I'm vegan...or at least I am for the next 90 days to 6 months.
My version of veganism means - no meat, dairy, wheat, gluten, corn or artificial flavors.

I stumbled on to M.O.B. Brooklyn after getting off of work, hungry and tired. They are in walking distance from my job and so, I and a coworker (meat-eater) stopped in for some fare.

pics above courtesy of their website.
The french fries are fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt which leave them light and soft.

 sorry...crappy phone pics.

This is a mushroom burger topped with caramelized onions, cashew cheese and of course...avocado. I liked the burger a lot. The consistency was of a normal meat burger. I did not like the cashew cheese. I know it's weird to want a non-dairy cheese to taste like regular cheese but...meh. The burger alone didn't fill me. I had to eat all of the fries to satisfy my hunger. My coworker said the same thing. Don't look to gorge yourself.

Overall:

Ambiance: 5 stars. Super cool and trendy.
Service: 5 Stars. Friendly staff, patient and knowledgeable.
Food: 3 stars. I wanted more
Price 2 stars: Pricey joint but most vegan restaurants are super pricey. Our meal together was around $40 which is a lot for burger, fries and 2 small drinks.

I do want to go back and sample their pancakes but a stack of 3 pancakes for $11 ....I don't know.

Check them out here.

Eats| No-Mayo Tuna Recipe

I don't know if tuna is apart of a typical vegan diet but I needed to eat some type of meat-like substance and I had this in the house. A lot of what I cook is basically what I have lying around. Being a bachelorette, it's not much usually.

Ingredients:
1 can of white albacore in water
Olive oil.
1 Tomato (diced)
1 bunch of spinach
1/2 avocado
1/2 red onion (diced)
1/2 cucumber (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of romaine lettuce

A lot of the no-mayo recipes wanted me to use the avocado as the congealing factor aka as the mayo. Instead, I drained the tuna and used a cap full of oil in a bowl with all the diced ingredients mixed.
I layed the romaine lettuce down first and the bunch of spinach. I placed the tuna in the middle of the plate and placed sliced avocado around it.  I sprinkled a dash of pepper and a dash of salt on top and ate as a salad.

Life| Eczema Diaries V.1. C.1

Itching, scratching, being uncomfortable and more....I've felt it everyday for the past three years.
My arms are black. My face is brown and I've tried my best to fix it. Just fix it. I want my old skin back. The smooth chocolate that used to spread itself over shoulders and arms.

I have eczema and it's a pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms.

Gone are those velvety smooth days. Instead, I'm left with black scales that are rough to the touch and skin that flakes if you try to caress it.

I've tried quick fixes: creams, serums and pills. Nothing works...so, I'm going STRICT VEGETARIAN/PSEUDO-VEGAN which sounds crazy because of all that it means....

NO MILK/DAIRY PRODUCTS
NO CHEESE (mmm)     NO CHOCOLATE  NO EGGS
NO CHICKEN BEEF PORK (I am eating fish - just in moderation)
NO GLUTEN/WHEAT/CORN PRODUCTS (Soy in moderation)
NO OVERLY ACIDIC FRUITS

There's a lot of reasons why which I won't list here. The best site which details the main reasons is here.

If you have any tips/trick/words of encouragement, feel free to comment.