Going Vegetarian?????

I'm not sure! But I have been following a vegetarian diet now for 2 weeks 100%, and a vegan diet probably about 75%.
I decided I should start recording my experience.  My blog is really the only journal I maintain these days so this is where I will be writing about it.  No need to read if you find my new health goals unentertaining.

- My motivation came from reading The Skinny Bitch two weeks ago.  However, I have been interested in health and nutrition for about 10 years now.  Several months ago I watched a documentary "forks over knives" and several years ago I read In defense of food both have also been very motivational in this conversion.  I hope to watch Food Inc and Fast food nation soon.

FIRST SIMPLE STEPS FOR ME
- switch from Dairy milk to Soy milk.  I thought this would be hard because I love cereal but I am still eating cereal and enjoying every bite .  I've tried almond, coconut, and rice milk and like all of them and use all of them depending on what I am eating.  I prefer the soy because of the Protein.
- added nuts to my diet.  I scoop out a 1/4 a cup of nuts every morning.  I have never counted calories, and often wondered how people do.  It seems very overwhelming and almost impossible.  I am now however counting protein which is much easier.  I aim for 50-80 grams a day. Depending on whether I am working out or not.
-Whole wheat pasta so delicious especially when you have a super yummy sauce to put on top.
- Smoothies adding Spinach and Silken tofu
-drinking a lot more water (mineral and flavored seltzer)


The first week I suffered from headaches almost everyday.  I suppose this was some type of withdrawal my body was having from all the dairy and sweets.
I noticed that I never felt full.  Satisfied but not full.  My stomach growls a lot.
(the only time I felt full was when I ate a veggie burger at the mall)

 The second week my headaches had subsided but I caught a little bug and was nauseous for a few days and didn't have much of an appetite so it's hard to count that week as real legit.

- I am very aware of everything I put in my mouth and what it is doing for my body

- I have experienced with a lot of new food
     Many soy products that I will post about later, also Quinoa, Ezequiel bread and cereal, etc.

- added vitamin B12  ( I already take MSM, IRON, HairSkinandNail all which were prescribed for my hair loss problem) I also take Vitamin D3. Since I left Florida 6 years ago I don't think my body is getting the sunlight it is used to getting)  I up the does during the winter months.

- I am more conscious now of other more holistic approaches to health
  ex: tea tree oil - for acne and cankor sores
        L-Lysine- cankor sores

- I regret giving my kids the Flu shot.