Vegan MOFO 2018! Introduction Post

Hi! :-)
I'm Sandy! Tea-addict, Christian, cat and craft lover..... and VEGAN! 

Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Welcome to all those newbies who have found my blog via the 2018 Vegan MOFO link!
My apologies to those who have been following a while for my lack of posts for quite some time now.
The truth is that I've totally lost my blogging mojo as we largely eat very plain, simple meals and I go with a "wing it" cooking style which doesn't make a great method for creating actual "recipes"!!! ;-) 
BUT I've discovered something...... a lot of people just want those easy to follow meal ideas!!!
So here's hoping that MOFO can help me rediscover my love of blogging and get motivated to keep posting more frequently!

You can read about my vegan story on this link. I'm still vegan (obviously!), however I am far more refined now with what I choose to eat and not eat. I avoid all oil and flour like the plague and at home I don't cook with salt or sugar either making my diet largely SOS free.
I do use tamari and other ingredients that contain sodium but don't ever salt my food.
I've always done my best to eliminate oil but for the last 14 months I have been avoiding all flours as well and I have found that it has had a wonderful effect on my mind-frame, energy, cravings and satiety levels. I don't only exclude gluten containing flours but all flours, including rice, besan, oat, and gluten free flours etc. I am also very rigid about avoiding all between meal snacks as I find it makes me enjoy my meals so much more! I have had times of completely avoiding all high fat items such as nuts, avocado, tahini and only having a spoonful of flax each morning, but now I am having nuts a few times a week, and other higher fat items occasionally too. All of this means I am again finding myself leaning more towards an "Eat to Live" style of eating as recommended by Dr. Fuhrman, but without the smoothies and still being mindful of the % of calories from fat and aim for between 15-20%, a little higher than some other plant based doctors would recommend but I'm ok with that. I found that keeping my rate at around the 10% mark actually made me have huge cravings and rarely did I feel satisfied with my meals. Despite never being overweight (I put this down to the TYPE of food I was eating!), I was definitely prone to overeating. I could eat copious servings of unrefined starches in the form of whole grains and potatoes yet still be looking for more food! Since I have no health conditions nor am I aiming to lose weight, this works for me. I would still recommend keeping it at 10% for those with reversible health conditions or those who are trying to reach an ideal body weight. I don't condemn the above items but I now limit my consumption of them as opposed to allowing myself an "all you can eat" attitude! With large quantities of Dr. Fuhrman's well known GBOMBS I find myself no longer having cravings and feeling far more satiated. I was very pleased to recently listen to a youtube clip where Dr. Goldhamer mentions that some people find a small serving of fat does provide more satiety for them. Another clip where he also mentions the negative affects of eating foods refined down to a flour was very encouraging for me to listen to. Also eating this way is more in line with recommendations made by Dr. Greger. That said, I am very mindful to keep the amount low and weigh out any nuts I do eat to be precisely 15g! Or else I know I could easily overeat them!!!


What does this mean for my meals?!?
I eat a basic meal plan that is based around the following each day:

Brekkie:  Oats or sweet potato, flax or chia, banana, berries, yogurt
                  (in every imaginable form!!!).
Lunch:     A huge salad with a variety of mainly raw veggies
                  (cooked ones added in the cooler months),
                  served with either legumes, tofu or a veggie burger
                  topped with hummus, seeds or avocado
                  and a piece of fresh fruit to finish.
Dinner:    A plate filled with lots of cooked veggies and a legume,
                  and a small amount of unrefined starch in the form of                            corn, pumpkin, potato, brown rice or other wholegrain.


Over the next month I'm hoping I can share with you some of my easy to follow, yet totally delicious meals and staples that are the mainstay of our diet!

Don't forget to jump across and follow my facebook page where I have continued to post pictures of my meals & quick ideas even when I haven't blogged proper recipes. I have also recently started to try and do more helpful videos with basic ideas & staples.

Feel free to share your journey below and if you follow a plant-based diet for ethical, environmental or health reasons (all of them for me!!!).
I'd also love to hear if you follow a 'free eating' method or have you made any refinements that have helped you in anyway!

HAPPY VEGAN MOFO!
(And I have to say, I'm pretty happy that we've 
finally said goodbye to winter too!!!)