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Who knew being healthy could be so cost efficient? How often do you hear people whine that health food costs too much, that they can’t afford to be healthy? Welp, IMO that’s just a bunch of crap.
When we last spoke (I know, it’s been a while, don’t hate me) I was just starting to cut meat out of my diet. I would not call myself a vegetarian because I have eaten small amounts of meat in the last few months, about once a month or so always at a family function, however my household has become almost completely meat free (Bret still eats it occasionally). In fact I went one step further and cut out 75% of the dairy from my diet. I no longer drink cows milk or eat yogurt, but occasionally I will have small amounts of cheese.
So how am I liking this new diet? Well for one thing, my wallet sure loves it! Replacing the meat and dairy in my grocery cart with more fresh produce and beans has cut our grocery bill significantly! Previously Bret and I were spending about $110 per week on grocery’s. The last few weeks we’ve managed to cut that back to around $75 per week, FOR BOTH OF US! That includes buying pricier almond milk and more organic produce!
You know what else likes my diet? My skin! Seriously! I have heard that dairy can have a negative effect on some women’s skin, but never took it seriously until about 3 weeks into my semi-vegan lifestyle I noticed my breakouts had done down significantly; so much so in fact that I stopped taking an antibiotic I have been taking for 2 years for my skin, and STILL no breakouts! it’s a friggin’ Christmas miracle I tell you! I feel good knowing I’m not pumping antibiotics into my body just for vanity’s sake anymore. If you have skin issues (isn’t that all of us?) I really recommend trying cutting down on dairy. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I think it’s worth a try, give it a month and if it doesn’t look better than incorporate dairy again, no harm no foul.
So my wallet and skin are happy, what about my tummy? Thumbs up there too! I think I have finally broken my mild salt addiction and have really began to appreciate the taste of vegetables, not just the taste of lemon and salt, or salad dressing I encase it in. I don’t use salad dressing anymore, I usually put a dollop of humus and occasionally a touch of balsamic vinegar if I’m feeling feisty, other than that it’s just me, a plate full of fresh veggies, and a fork, paradise.
And last but not least, my new diet has resulted in a completely unintentional 3 lb weight loss! I haven’t increased my workout at all, in fact I’ve decreased my mileage significantly since the half marathon training is over, so this weight loss is strictly diet related. I wasn’t trying to lose weight, nor did I think I needed to lose the 3 lb, but still.
Retraction
Let’s talk about this organic thing shall we? Some of you may remember my rant on unnecessary organic foods a few months ago. While I hold my position that buying organic sugar filled cookies aren’t as healthy as people like to tell themselves, I would like to retract my statements about organic produce. I have done some personal research in the last few months (more on this in another post) and have decided I feel better about buying pesticide free organic produce as much as I possibly can. Plus, I think certain foods, such as spinach and carrots, actually have a stronger flavor when grown organically.
HUMGWEE!
So without further ado I present to you an example of some of the delicious, fresh, mostly organic, meat free meals I have come to love:
Flat out wrap filled with romaine, humus, sprouts, red onion, and hot sauce, served along side my favorite fashion magazine and the new Dave Matthews CD, perfecto.
Side of one of my new obsessions, organic berries. These are worth the splurge, and another food I think tastes better organically grown.
And I was still hungry so I snacked on some organic baby carrots from my favorite brand Earthbound Farm.
Ok blog friendlies, it’s Sunday night and every college student knows what that means: last minute homework time! I’m LOVING my summer class, it’s only 5 weeks so it doesn’t ruin my whole summer and it’s really fascination. The class is science of food preparation and the lab is basically a cooking class with some mild chemistry and physics thrown in, not too shabby! I have to write a paper on whole grain pancake mix…easiest paper ever 
And now let’s play a little game of ketchup…err catchup!
But this has been such a major source of stress for me over the past month, I’m so glad it’s over and I can relax a bit now! 
