I used to “treat” myself with cigarettes, alcohol, soda, chips, candy, fast food, late nights out, ice cream, and so much milk chocolate. It was always fun in the moment, but soon I’d be hit with regret. I had totally fallen for all the advertisements and brainwashing that I’d unknowingly received all these years. Of course, I deserved to really treat myself after a long hard week with some candy… Right? I was worth it! Ha, ha!
Inspiring Reading
After reading “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking” by Allen Carr, I was thrilled to find that he had written a similar book about our relationship with food and nutrition. The title is a little misleading (“The Easy Way to Lose Weight”) because it’s about so much more than that. It was equally life-changing, helping me see past the brainwashing, my trusted friend, the cigarette, the candy, the ice cream… Not one of them was ever that good a friend now was it? A friend that would harm me? How had I been able to trick myself into thinking that I was doing my body and mind any sort of favors by treating it with one poison or another? Seeing alcohol, candy, soda – all that junk – for what it really was, was a breath of fresh air.
Am I hungry, thirsty, tired or just bored? What does my body really need?
In the book, Allen Carr talks about “pangs”, that empty feeling we all get multiple times a day. I would just absentmindedly fill that void with a cigarette, chocolate or soda – whatever junk I had at hand. Instead, he recommends just taking a deep breath or a drink of water and think about what it is that we’re really missing. Am I hungry, thirsty, tired or just bored? What does my body really need? It was eye-opening! My body was sending me these love notes that I had completely misread.
Some of our favorite Vegan Treats
Now we really feel good about our treats, we will splurge and make almond chocolate milkshakes and homemade pizza on Friday nights. We’ve had so much fun making banana cashew ice cream and we love our raw almond chocolate balls and black bean brownies. We love drinking smoothies and just plain water. We also make sure we have plenty of seasonal fruit, berries, veggies, and nuts in the house, and treat ourselves to more time outside and more sunshine.
I have taken up jogging, not because I have to, but because I want to and it’s an amazing way to start the day. We all love to go for walks along the lake and in the woods. This would have sounded way too boring and “granola” to me 10 years ago, but the benefits of this lifestyle are just so wonderful. Treating our bodies and minds with the love and respect they deserve feels absolutely fabulous and feeling good about literally every ingredient is just plain amazing.
Let Love Lead – Our life motto.
Here are some more Easy Tips for Going Vegan. Reach out if you have any questions. Always happy to help!
