Eat Beautifully

Carolina Beach Boardwalk

Holy cow (literally). This weekend marks my third month of being a vegetarian! The time has flown by. My biggest adjustment was learning how to make veggie-centered meals instead of meat or sand which based meals. Honestly, now I don't feel myself missing meat much, although I know I will miss my requisite steak-fajitas on my birthday from Rio-Grande Cafe. Its ok - they have awesome portabello fajitas. 

White Eggplants, Green beans, and Onions in a Rosemary-Balsamic Marinade

You've gotta say - fresh vegetables are beautiful! They are so colorful and fragrant. The other thing is - you don't really have to worry about cooking your food all the way through, because you could just eat it raw. You just cook it until it is warm enough for your liking. 

Spinach, Green bean, and Pear Salad...can you tell I'm on a bean kick?

In the past three months I've noticed a few changes in my body. The first few weeks were the hardest because my inner "hunger" alert was way out of wack, I found myself getting hungry every 2 hours instead of every four hours. Once I learned to eat at least four smaller meals through the day, instead of three heavier ones, my energy level is much more consistent, and I don't get the 4pm sludge. My skin is starting to clear up - hallelujah!! - and like Alicia Silverstone mentions in her book, The Kind Diet - the whites of my eyes also started to get whiter. 

Perhaps the most exciting benefit of "going veg" has been the reduction of my migraines. I have been suffering from chronic, bi-weekly migraines for the last five years. I've been able to reduce my daily medication in half and haven't had an "emergency" situation (all the blinds drawn, cancel all plans, break out the hard migraine drugs) in...well...I can't remember when. Not to jinx myself here, but I think this is largely in part to my healthier lifestyle. You truly are what you eat!