I think I'm turning "Veganese"

Namaste yogis!

If you recall, last month I participated in a 21 day Vegan Cleanse. Since then I have gone back to eating as a vegetarian again (about 10 days now). Today I will share with you my experiences during my three week transformation and the knowledge that I have gained whilst tuning inward...along with the observations I have made within the past 10 days of going back to my regular vegetarian diet.

My views of my personal nutrition have definitely adjusted a bit and I feel that I am now better able to know the difference between when/what my body needs and when/what my body wants. Which is why I say, "I think I'm turning 'Veganise'...I really think so." 

At the beginning of my cleanse it seemed as though I may be somewhat limited in my range of meal ideas; the embarrassing part is that it's not because I thought that a lot of vegan recipes did not exist but because I sometimes get nervous about making new food. Once I got over my weird fear of cooking vegan food, I realized that not only is it easy to make...its usually incredibly easy to make. When you are not cooking with animal products (I don't eat meat, so in my case I would be using dairy) time is cut down significantly. Each meal was delicious - and when I didn't feel like cooking there were plenty of reasonably priced Vegan (organic and local) restaurants available in my area.

Here are a few in KC: Cafe Gratitude, FUD, Eden Alley - for both vegans and vegetarians - and Mud Pie Cafe and Bakery; plus many health food stores provide pre-made/fresh-daily vegan meals. For instance, Nature's Own Market off of Main Street sells vegan sandwiches from FUD.

Moving past convience and laziness on my part; it took my body a few days to adjust to a diet consisting of NO animal product, NO alcohol, NO caffiene, NO processed foods and no gluten when possible. The first four days of my cleanse I was absolutely ravinous because I was digesting and burning off my food so quickly. By the fifth day I was feeling back to normal hunger wise but when it came to energy, digestion, bloating, and over all attitude I was feeling much better than usual!

I wanted to make sure that these feelings were true by going back to my old ways for at least two weeks as a vegetarian; so far 10 days in I think it's safe to say that I am bloated, sluggish and a bit cranky - although in all honesty some of this could be attributed to hormones. So I will finish the week out; but I think that there is no denying that I feel much healthier as a vegan.

My goal in the long run is to stay a vegetarian but to majorly eat a vegan diet. Lance Armstrong says that he eats at least two vegan meals a day and the thrid he plays by ear. Seeing as though I have such a strong love for Nutella and cheese, I think that practicing a similar lifestyle choice may be a good one for me. :)

What type of a diet/lifestyle does your body respond best to? Please feel free to share in the comment box below! Also, check out what I ate during my vegan cleanse and what I've been eating after the fact in my "food diary" twitter account. 

Take the time to tune inward, learn the difference between want and need and always listen to YOUR body and not what others tell you is best for your body! 

Namaste!
Grace 

P.S. There are still a few spaces open for the "Mindful Yoga" workshop! Sign up now to save your spot!!!