So far, so good! I haven't worked out in a few days, but that's alright. School is keeping me so busy and when I'm not doing school, I'm looking up vegan recipes and nutrition information. I'm such a food nerd. Yesterday was the first full day of all the new changes. Dinner turned out to be delicious, although I forgot to put the black beans on our tortillas after heating them up. Oh, well. The tofu gave us protein anyway. 

extra firm tofu, brown rice medley, bell peppers, onions, avocados, salsa, and  ground cumin on whole wheat tortilla 

Did you know that you can eat hummus and tortilla chips (check each brand's ingredients first) and still be vegan? Did you know that you can eat some cookies and desserts (again, no eggs/dairy products in them) and still be vegan? Some people think being a vegan means we will become super thin and frail. You can become super thin and frail by eating the SAD (standard american diet) but having too little of calories. It's the same for being a vegan. As always, weight loss is all about burning more calories than you eat. I'm sure my body will change, but that's not the goal here.

Some family members are uneasy about this whole vegan + a toddler thing. "Toddlers NEED dairy!" No, toddlers need the calcium, protein, and fat found in dairy products, but also found in other non-dairy options as well. Adults need these things as well. To read more, click here. Little E takes a daily vitamin that also has B12 in it (a supplement necessary if you don't eat meat). I have always been someone that researches the crap out of something before believing it and then following it. "In every meal, you need a grain, a bean, and a green." So please know, that as a mother, the need and desire to research this lifestyle was overwhelming. 

When I am confronted by someone opposing my new choices, I think about this:

Back in the day, people smoked cigarettes like crazy and thought nothing of it. Eventually, it was found that cigarettes weren't healthy and were actually quite deadly. Some people believed the research and quit cold turkey, while some continued to smoke anyways. And still do. I can't be the only person who has seen an  old person smoking and think, "you now know those are so unhealthy, why not stop?" Old habits die hard, I get that, but really? There are even young people who know what these cancer sticks do to their bodies yet still smoke. I'll never understand that one. All that to say, some people can be hit in the face with evidence proving something isn't good, but because they've "always done it," they feel invincible or that the research isn't true. One you watch a documentary like Forks over Knives, you either accept the need for change, or you run from it and claim the research has no grounds. I think it's obvious what I've chosen, but I challenge you to watch the documentary and make your choice. Educate yourself and take care of your one and only body. If not for yourself, for your family.