Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Diet Update 26 October, 2014

Ever since i did my diet experiment in the beginning of last year, I have been getting more conscious about what i eat. Conscious about how it affects my body, my mind, the environment, what causes more ease and grace in life, what kinds of food causes the body strength and flexibility, etc. With so many people around the world experimenting on food and diet, i have found that the VROWN diet is the best thing and also i have written about it in my earlier blog, almost a year back. Here is the link.

However, there is lots of challenges to switch to that diet. Things like taste, attachment to old food habits, lack of motivation and time to learn the new way, inability to make the maid to cook food with less oil :( and cost (eating high protein vegan diet is like 4 or 5 times expensive), almost zero support from social group (not complaining, but comparing with the people i hang out with, i seem nutty ;) ). 

So, my new found inspiration to want to cook and my long time to desire to eat healthy food consistently have made me to start cooking by myself. I am going to be sharing my journey of learning and progress. And i am going to take whatever help i can get from field experts. Anyways, i am open for help.

You can educate/ help/ interact with me with any of the following ways:
  • With new recipies (Don't give me a recipe book, I can find millions online. But i want recipies consistent with my situation).
  • I am looking at hitting 150 grams of protein a day through vegan sources. I am tracking my protein consumption as best i can. Currently i am consuming about 70 grams a day. I still consume milk, butter milk, paneer and some other milk products but going forward i would like to reduce them
  • Cost effective sources to get the raw materials (fruits, vegetables, etc). kale and broccoli are super expensive
  • Cheer me up
  • Correct my mistakes
  • Challenge me with questions about my method.
--

As 26 octv 2014, on its been 1 week of successfully cooking healthy VROWN diet everyday. 
I pretty much made same type: Dal, Mix veg curry (Sabji). Considering the fact that i had to get the vegetables, wash them, learn to cook them and make them, i am really happy even though it lacked variety. Although, i threw in the some variety definitely.

This is the general pattern of cooking i followed.

Steam cook in pressure cooker: Dal, dalia and Vegetables
Base Tadka: Fry with little oil: 4 onions, 4 tomatos, herbs, spices and masala.

Dish 1: Add 1/2 base tadka to the steam cooked dal.
Dish 2: Add 1/2 base tadka to the steam cooked vegetables
Dish 3: Dalia or Roti or oats

Dish 4: Spinach, Broccoli, kale, tomato and Pudina blended juice: Steam cook (in pressure cooker) spinach, kale and brocolli for a single whistle (10 mins approx) and juice it with 4 tomatos, pudina and salt.

( I was also having a little bit of coffee and tea with milk, cookies, noodle (just once), green tea)

Approx protein consumption/ day: 70g
Targeted: 150g/ day.

--

My Ideas for next week:
  • Peanuts (poha)
  • Include 8-hour-soaked almonds
  • Going from 2 meals/ day to 4 smaller meals/ day
  • Kabuli channa (Garbanzo beans)