One month...oy

I am just about to come to my one-month mark of being on the this diet. I have not been "100%" strict, but I think I run a good 95% overall. I am trying for 100%, but some days I just come undone, as the song goes.

The days that I come undone are when I haven't pre-prepared enough food. Or it turns into a super busy day and I just finished all my prepared stuff the night before. I haven't come up with a lot of stuff you can eat "on the fly" on this diet, which goes to show you how easy it is to become reliant on commercially prepared foods. Well, sort of. I think it's really just when I am are trying to eat very healthy foods (whether or not on this VPAPP diet), I have to rely on things that take more than 5 seconds to prepare...or grab out of the fridge or box. Or made by someone else in a factory. But I'm learning, and this is a journey. It's a whole new way to think and even though I do new things all the time, especially around food, it's still hard.

I love fruit, and am happy to eat that...but both these diets caution against eating TOO much fruit.

I love olives, and bought a giant jar of Kalamata olives from Costco. It became my fast food last week. Either by themselves or with come avocado or on top of a nice bed of mixed greens. But they are high in fat/salt and offer no protein.

I haven't seen a large loss in weight. I have come down bout 4 pounds overall from day one, but believe me when I say that loss can disappear OVERNIGHT, and I see 170 in the morning once again. Maybe this means I need another whole month. I dunno. Pain issues are at about a 5 out of 10, which isn't bad since I haven't gotten back to any exercise program or any swimming in the whole month. (That's bad, I know. But I did have that tooth extracted...and had to lay low for a week....yes, that week is over...)

I got desperate for "real" food the other day and had a vegan soy taquito that had been in the freezer for awhile. The biggest ingredient was corn (and soy, but I am doing soy), so I thought, well, let's just see what happens, and make corn my first food to add back in. I then had some Fritos corn chips, too. Yes, it would have been much smarter and healthier to add in, oh, let's say, some REAL unprocessed corn, frozen or maybe even fresh? No, desperate moments call for stupid decisions and I ate crap corn! Not sure if it was related, but later I had some extra "reflux" that I hadn't had in awhile. So. I've stopped corn. I might pick it up again later to see, because I'd really like to be able to eat corn tortillas again. Those Paleo Wraps are wonderful, but I'd like to send my daughter to college one day.

I also had some potato chips one day and I immediately swelled and my fingers were boated. Ok, that's a sign.

I have a super busy week coming up since I offered to host a day camp for my daughter and some of her friends. Yes, a real day-camp every day from 9-3 including a field trip! Including feeding them lunch and snacks! Luckily I will only feed them very healthy things and I can eat most of it myself.

I haven't made the final decision to go another month or not. I'll attempt to stay on it this week, and make the decision at the end of the week. My main focus was weight loss and pain remission and neither has happened, so I believe I should go one more month before I add anything more back into my diet. The first time I tried the AIP, I went two weeks. This time it has been almost four. Maybe I'll aim for six and re-evaluate.

I'd love feedback from any other vegetarians or vegans who have tried this or something similar...let's support each other on this journey, OK?

Margaret
The Coastal Vegan Cave Girl

That's a Wrap! No-Peppa Hot Sauce!

I'm finally able to chew some soft things after my dental work last week. "Paleo Wraps" are these wonderful coconut wraps that are soft and not too chewy for me. Here's a "Tofu- Egg Scramble" I threw together. The recipe today is not the the scramble, but the "hot sauce" I came up with. I had just gotten used to using Sriracha sauce on so many things...vegan "mac 'n cheese" and tofu egg scrambles, but it's made with chili peppers and they are nightshades and nightshades are a no-no on the AIP plan. So I experimented the other day and came up with this...not bad if I say so myself.

No-Chili-Peppa Hot Sauce

Base recipe
1/2 cup chopped beets
1 cup chopped carrot
1 tsp ginger juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (or any hot peppercorn)
1/2 cup water

More water as needed

Add for heat:
Ginger juice
Natural horseradish

Blend base recipe ingredients well in a blender, food processor or Vitamix. Heat in saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer until veggies are cooked, about 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Here is where you need to experiment to find your own degree of heat and flavor...

Per 1/4 cup of the base recipe, I added another 1/2 tsp of ginger juice and/or 1/2 tsp horseradish, and stir. You can add more as you like. I found the ginger to make it a "sweet-hot" and the horseradish, a hot-hot. Add water as needed for the consistency you like. I had simmered mine down a little thicker than I wanted, and just added some water to get it more like a hot-sauce consistency. I'm not a "nose-running" hot spicy girl, so I probably went easy on the hot part...

I'm keeping the rest of the base recipe in the fridge and I'll add the hot stuff as I need it. Of course, with different herbs, you can make this a tomato sauce or ketchup. More on that later as I experiment.

I'll post my Tofu Egg Scramble recipe in the next few days, but I'd like to experiment with subbing cauliflower for the Tofu to make it more Paleo.

Plum-Pretty Smoothie

My plum tree is overflowing with plum-tastic-ness this week and you'll see her bounty showing up in many a recipe. I usually take the skin off these plums since it is so bitter (and yet the fruit so sweet!), but I kept it on and I'm glad I did since it makes the smoothie so pretty, like the peppermint chip ice cream of my youth. Maybe my sugar taste buds have reawakened, because this tasted fine without any added sweetener, not even any vanilla.

Plum-Pretty Smoothie
Serves 1-2
~ 9.3g protein per recipe (with nuts)

1/4 cup almonds*
(nut-free version: add 1/4 cup coconut cream or 1/2 avocado)
1 cup water
3-4 plums
1 banana
2-3 ice cubes

Whir in blender. Drink!

*I am on a modified Paleo/AIP diet since I am vegan. In order to increase my protein content, I am using organic non-GMO almonds, white rice and soy (soy-only tempeh, edamame, extra firm tofu) in some of my recipes and in moderation over the course of a week. I will provide strict AIP/Paleo alternatives when I can. The protein content listed is for my modified version.

Bean there, fried that!

This is what I threw together after a day of not planning any meals–but I had stocked my kitchen with these fresh foods. I ate a little over half of this for dinner and the rest for breakfast the next day. Traditionally I would have served this with rice or another grain and my whole family would have eaten it. Since I plan on having rice now and then myself, I can see eating it that way, and reducing my portion with the addition of rice.

Bean There, fried that!
(Green bean/Kale/Carrot Stir-fry)
Serves 1-3
Protein per recipe: ~  9.2g

2-3 Tbs olive oil
1/3 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 1/4 cup green beans, cut 3-4 inches
2 tsp ginger juice* (or about 1 inch chopped/minced ginger)
2 tsp sesame oil
2 handfuls chopped kale

Medium to high heat. Heat oil in pan. Add onions until glistening. Add carrots, stir. Cook until tender, 3-6 minutes.  I added about a 1/4 cup water to the carrots and then let them steam with the lid on. Add green beans, cook about a minute. Add oil and ginger, stir. Add kale to the top and put lid on, let steam for a few more minutes. Total cooking time about 10-15 minutes.

Like with all stir-frys, try to keep your veggies bright and little crunchy. Right now I like things a little softer since I have a bad tooth.

I used sesame oil for flavor even though it is a seed oil. The Hartwigs in "It Starts with Food"* feel such small amounts are OK. You can always omit this without a huge loss in flavor.

* See resources tab.

Red, White and "Blew" It: AKA Beet Mustache Smoothie

For many reasons, this was a photo-shoot gone wrong! I was in a hurry to leave the house (and drink this since it was my breakfast). Most of the shots have a reflection of my tabletop which look like a white mustache. I'll re-shoot the next time I make this. But anyway...here's my "Red Smoothie"or as I might name it..the Red, White and Blew It.

Red, White and Blew It: AKA Beet Mustache Smoothie
1-2 Servings
Protein Content per recipe: approx 3.3g

1 cup water
1/4 cup beet
1 celery stick
1 green onion
3 baby carrots
1-2 cups mixed greens

Optional
ice cubes to make it colder
salt
pepper
natural horseradish for kick (hmm..maybe that's why they call it horse radish!)

Whir in blender til smooth. You can always strain smoothies like this if you just want juice, but then you lose some nutrition and fiber. Or add the strained items to a soup later.

Coo-coo for Coconut Zucchini

Inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie's post of the day Crispy Healthy Baked Zucchini Fries, I decided to make them even "more" healthy and try a Paleo/AIP version. I knew coconut flakes would make a good bread crumb substitute and I had some coconut flour on hand, too. This was just a small test batch. They are a very delicate and I don't really have much patience for dipping and coating stick after stick. Tasted good, though. I had some "NoMato" marina sauce in the freezer from a few weeks ago when I first experimented with the AIP diet, so I used that for my dipping sauce. (No tomatoes...made with beets and carrots...recipe to follow.)

Coo-coo for Coconut Zucchini
1-2 servings
Protein content for recipe: approx 6g

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt
pepper

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 medium zucchinis, cut in strips, patted with towels to reduce moisture

Coconut oil spray (olive oil works too)

400 oven, 20 minutes, turn once

Mix first five ingredients, place in a shallow container for dipping. Place the milk in another container and the flakes in a third.

Dip your sticks into the flour, then milk, then flakes. Carefully place on a baking tray. Spray strips with oil spray lightly and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning once, spraying again.

Avocado Smooth 'n Tangy

I know I should vary the colors of my morning drink, but I've got 5 avocados that need to be eaten NOW and I love avocado smoothies! Before this Project, I would have added some agave to sweeten the deal, but I am being good. It felt liked it lacked a little sumptin', so I added the squeeze of lemon. Yes! That was the boost of flavor I needed. My tongue is used to the sweet, and the brain went there first. Good lesson to learn when trying to wean off sugar...give your buds (taste buds, that is) a different point of view... in this case tart did the trick to add the kick.

Avocado Smooth 'n Tangy
Makes 1-2 servings
Protein content per recipe: approx 8 g

1/3 cup raw almonds (soaked is good)
1 avocado
1 plum
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
salt optional
squeeze of lemon

Whir in blender. Drink! (I blend the almonds and water first to get them as smooth as possible.)

Nut-free alternative: use coconut milk instead of almonds and water.

Plum-dilly-ish-ous Cooler

Don't you get bored with water really quickly? I do, even though I know how good it is for me. It's plum week at my house (a big tree, 100-degree weather and tons of plums plopping on the ground), so you may see quite a few recipes that include a plum or two. Fruit is supposed to be somewhat limited on this diet, but hey, when something is in season, (and in your backyard) I say go for it.

Plum-dilly-ish-ous Cooler

2 plums
Fizzy water (your choice)

Mix plums in blender or mash well with a fork. Fill two glasses almost full with fizzy water and ice, add in mashed plum and stir.

My plums have a really tart skin and I should have peeled them first. I'm only on Day 1 of my Project, and I was really wanting to add sugar or agave. I resisted! I'm sure my taste buds will re-adjust and taste the sweetness of plums soon.

Another idea...
Mash up a bunch of plums and freeze in ice cube trays, then just add these "Plum Cubes" to your water. That will help me enjoy these plums far past the week they all fall off my tree!

Ooooh...
Serve with frozen blueberries and a swirl of coconut cream for a 4th of July "Red, White and Blue Cooler!"

Like White on Rice

In researching the Paleo diet, I came across the idea of using grated cauliflower* and daikon radish as a substitute for rice. It's actually pretty tasty and I enjoyed coming up with this version.

Like White on Rice

2-3 servings
Protein per recipe: Approx. 8g

1-2 Tbs coconut oil

1/3 onion, sliced or chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 daikon radish, grated
1/3 small cauliflower head, grated
1 med zucchini, grated
salt/pepper to taste
coconut aminos to taste (1-2 Tbs)
1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Heat pan with oil, cook onions until glistening. Add garlic and cook a minute.

Mix grated items in a large bowl. (I grated these easily and quickly in my 30 year-old food processor.) Mix in spices and aminos. Place grated mixture in pan, mix with onions. Set on medium heat and watch carefully. You can get these to brown a little like hash browns, but they can burn easily, too. Stir and flip until browned and cooked to your liking, about 10 minutes. Serve like rice by itself or top with your favorite protein. Garnish with chopped green onion.

*Cauliflower has been known to give me terrible gas. I will be interested to see if this goes away after continuing to eat it or if I can find a happy limit. I love the versatility of this food as a rice and potato substitute, and would hate to think this is one of my "no-no" foods. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions?

The Beginning

This blog is about my journey to lose weight, reduce pain in my joints and muscles and find out if something in my diet is causing these problems, or at least contributing to them.

I have been a vegetarian or vegan for the past 20 years. I have a true allergy to dairy and I believe an intolerance to wheat/gluten. I've been eating wheat-free for about 3 years, with "cheating" now and then, knowing some of the consequences. I plan to stay vegan.

My plan for diet in the next two months (beginning July 1, 2013), is to do a modified "paleo" diet. Certain groups have advocated a paleo-like "Autoimmune Protocol Diet" (AIP) to cleanse the system and heal a "leaky gut." I have no idea if this is my problem, but trying a change in diet doesn't cost me anything except a test of my own will-power. (I write this as a Lays potato chip commercial is playing in the background!)

So, what the heck am I going to do?

A "Paleo" diet is one that consists of little to no processed food. These folks eat things like grass-fed beef, wild fish, etc. No grains (wheat, rice, etc.), no legumes (beans, peanuts, soy). No sugar, no alcohol. Sometimes, no dairy, except for clarified butter and ghee. (There are many versions of Paleo. I'm following the "It's Starts with Food" book by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.)

In addition, the AIP diet says no nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, paprika, peppers, bell peppers), no nuts/seeds, no dairy. Some of these things are added back in slowly after a month or two to see if there is a negative reaction. The AIP folks believe a "leaky gut" lets stuff into the blood stream and caused inflammation and therefore, pain...and other stuff.

How will this vegan get her protein? (I KNEW you were going to ask me that!)
Well, I'm not so sure. I will need to decide what modifications I will make to both of these diets, hoping I'm not adding in exactly what's giving me problems. I am used to getting plenty of protein from nuts/seeds, legumes and some grains. I may try organic non-GMO tofu and plain soy tempeh to start and see how I do. I may also keep white rice in my diet, at least once a week.

You, the reader, can look forward to recipes I find or create along with photographs of the meals I make, along with a running commentary about how the project is going, my problems and successes, what might be feeling better and if I am losing weight. I will include exercise and strengthening movements to this plan. I also have an incredible massage therapist (Ed Lark) who supports this achy body on a monthly basis. I've started on a journey with a new chiropractor just last week. He's Paleo (not vegan), so this will be interesting! He seems to be a good listener and we'll see if he does his homework around some of my issues.

So, here's to Day 1 of my Vegan Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Project, henceforth to be known as the VPAPP!