Because People Have Asked :)

How did we go from being a fast food dependent family, to one who eats a grocery cart full of produce every week?  I've been thinking back and making a mental "timeline" of my weight loss journey, and how i've changed my diet slowly...Where I am now was not part of my original intentions, but I am so glad that my course was veered in this direction :)

2010
I know I should eat better, but do not care...I weigh nearly 200 lbs!  Kyle and the kids eat what I cook.  Usually meat at EVERY meal...red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp...yeah :/

January 1st-June 2011
Make the decision that I am tired of carrying my "baby weight", and begin changing my diet.  I cut back red meat to 1x a week, lean meats 3-5x a week, and limit my dairy (especially cheese).  I cut processed foods/fast foods to about 3x a week.  I go from weighing 180(size 14/16) to 138 (size 6/8).  Early June, Kyle was hospitalized with a "cardiac event", complete with lots of meds and a catheterization to check out his arteries (which were clean-yay!  Diagnosed with Prinzmetal's Angina)

July 2011-February 2012
Decide to cut out red meat, and eat less chicken.  Eat more seafood and begin juicing to get nitric oxide from veggies...Begin eating more plants, but still eating some processed and restaurant food.  Holding steady between 135-138 lbs, but weight does not budge. I am stuck at this weight for about 6 months!  Begin a "Biggest Loser Challenge" at the jr. high that I work at.  Kyle begins working out to strengthen his heart, and ups his intake of protein (because-don't you know, you NEED eggs and whey protein to bulk up!  and I need to eat low-fat yogurt and egg whites to lose weight...NOT!  So glad we learned our lesson :)

February 2012-April 2012
Watch the documentary "Forks Over Knives", and it is like a slap in the face!  (A good one! LOL)  Begin to read more about Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Campbell, Dr. McDougall and how a plant based diet and prevent major diseases)  Load the iPad with vegan cookbooks, and change our shopping habits yet again!
Consume no meat (red meat, turkey, chicken, nothing)  Kyle and I occasionally eat sushi.  Begin to phase out dairy.  Have not eaten cow's milk or cheese, butter, or yogurt.  (Miranda is still addicted to plain biscuits, chocolate and ice cream, but has cut WAAAAAY back :)  1-2x week or so)  Weight drops from 135 to 125, and is holding steady.  I eat constantly, too! :)

May 2012
Read "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" and the "Engine 2 Diet", and make the decision to cut oils from our diet.  Learning that olive oil, coconut oil, pecan oil is NOT what we need for healthy hearts!  It also made me realize that I need to quit kidding myself and thinking that "everything in moderation" is ok.  We use vegetable broth and lots of seasonings on our foods, and saute them in their own natural juices.  Phasing out ALL dairy (even the yummy caramel chocolate bars that are my favorite...oh-and chocolate ice cream from Dairy Queen...and the plain McDonalds biscuits that I love)

As Kyle and I were talking today, we asked ourselves "how are we doing?".  My response was that we aren't perfect, but we are doing better than we were yesterday.  And next week, we will be better than today :)  I am so thankful to be married to someone who thinks like me in so many ways.  I am thankful he supports me (in my diet, and so many other areas)  I am happy to try my hardest to provide plant based meals to my family, because after all the studies and research i've seen, I can't NOT do it!!!

John McDougall MD on the Perils of Dairy Products

Over the last few weeks, it has been so tempting to slide back into eating small portions of dairy and lean meat.  I came across this video today on the Engine 2 Diet Facebook Page.  Dr. McDougall is amazing!  I was glued to the presentation (it is about an hour long!)  He is such an excellent speaker.  He makes this research easy to understand and his visual aids are very helpful.

It was a great reminder of what I knew and what i've read over the last few months.  Dairy is NOT ok...it is just another reminder that we are responsible for our own health.  Our government health organizations and the medical community for the most part are not presenting us with accurate information.  It is infuriating to see the "3 a Day" dairy posters plastered all over my school (I am a teacher), and see that strawberry/chocolate/vanilla milk are the only *free* options available to our students.  (Water is $1 a bottle, and when we have about 50% receiving free or reduced lunch, well you get the picture)

Anyway-great video, great speaker, great information!!!

Grocery Trip!

Packaged Stuff:

Veggies/Fruits/Nuts

A Happy Fridge! LOL

Favorite Oil!

     As we made the switch to a non-dairy diet, one of the things that was hardest to give up was butter.  I LOVE butter.  Love it!  Unfortunately, butter doesn't love my waistline or my arteries. 


     When I browsed the Internet, I really couldn't find a clear answer for whether margarine would be a safe replacement. Yes, it is plant based, but it is also processed. On the other hand, butter is "natural", but ridiculously high in saturated fats. Luckily, I don't need to use either! We had been getting by with organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but I really didn't like the taste of it. While on a trip to Natchez, I was browsing downtown and came aross this:

     100% Virgin Pecan Oil!  I was a little nervous to try it, because pecans (in my opinion) are very strong flavored.  Surprisingly, there was NO strong pecan flavor!  It really doesn't even have a flavor! 

This nutritional information can be found on their website, as well as the pamphlet that came with my bottle of oil:  "Our Pecan Oil has only 9.5% saturated fat compared to Olive Oil with 13.5%, Peanut Oil with 17%, Corn Oil with 13.7% & Butter with a whopping 66% saturated fat."

     I will definitely purchase this again! You can visit their Facebook page for ordering/store information.http://www.facebook.com/#!/kinlochplantation

What Do We Eat?

       I wish I could sum it all up in a label:  vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian...that would be so much easier! :)

       Instead, I would say we are "vegan-leaning" with occasional fish/seafood meals.  We aren't opposed to eating meat or dairy once in a blue moon, but would rather stay far away because of the links to heart disease and cancers.  Our weekly mealplans are "plant based", with no dairy/meats.  (This includes turkey and chicken!  Not just red meat!)

        For people just getting started (like we were not THAT long ago!)  I suggest taking baby steps.  For nearly a year, we worked to cut out processed foods and fast food.  We cut red meat out of our diet, but still ate chicken, turkey, pork, fish, and dairy.  After Kyle was hospitalized, it was a real wake up call!

       In the last year, I (Miranda) saw my weight drop from nearly 200 lbs to 127 lbs.  I no longer have to take medication for high blood pressure, and a post-natal thyroid issue that I had is no longer an there.  The only issue that I am facing now is anemia, which is due to issues with my cycle, etc.  I am working with my PCP and OB-GYN to get my iron levels up to a normal range...I will definitely keep you updated!

       We also were glued to our Netflix and Internet over a long weekend, and watched nothing but health documentaries.  "Forks Over Knives" is a great one that focuses on the benefits of a plant based diet, mainly heart health.  "The Gerson Miracle" is another good one that discusses the growth and halting of cancers with a plant based diet.  

        Before we did the "big switch" to plant based, I was a firm believer in the quality of our foods.  We have bought organic since my oldest was a baby.  We did make steps to control the amount of preservatives, artificial colors/flavors, and pesticides that were in our food.  There are also some great documentaries that really make you think about what you put in  your body, even for meat/dairy eaters.  "King Corn", "Food, Inc.", "Killer at Large", and the famous "Supersize Me" were a few that I watched.  They really impacted the way we ate!  If you are a reader, anything by Michael Pollan is great :)

       I hope this is a good start to what this blog will be about!  I will DEFINITELY say that we are by no means perfect, and we will have slips and breaks along the way.  But-even a bad day for us now is a great day compared to where we used to be!

       

Who We Are!

     Where to start?  We are the Joneses!  A family of 5 living and loving life in Pineville, Louisiana.  

     We were a regular ol' meat/fast food/restaurant eating family until recently.  Because of some health issues, we were forced to rethink what we were eating and why we ate it.

     Kyle was hospitalized with chest and heart pains nearly one year ago.  In June of 2011, he was diagnosed with Prinzmetal's Angina.  This heart condition, which is hereditary, causes the body to lack the nitric oxide needed to dilate the coronary arteries in the heart.  Instead of a plaque build up or blockage, the heart has a "spasm" and clamps shut.  The same releases found during a heart attack are found during one of these "episodes".  After waking 2 nights in a row with chest pain, we headed to the ER where they PROMPTLY whisked us off for more testing and lots of bloodwork.  Not a fun weekend :)

     Shortly after his release from the hospital, we vowed to include more rich, leafy green veggies to naturally boost our intake of nitric oxide.  We began to juice during the week, and cut back on our consumption of red meat.  We have slowly cut out fast food and dining out, but it was still part of our meal-plans until recently.

     We are now on the journey to cut 99.9% of meat and dairy from our diet.  Will it be hard?  Maybe, but it is worth it!  We are lucky to have the support of family who are making the changes along with us, and giving us tips and suggestions as we go.  I look forward to blogging about our journey, and including our meals and foods that we discover along the way!