Gearing up for 2011.

I am in love with the January 2011 issue of Bon Appetit.  Admittedly, I have not been as happy to get my monthly BA as I was to get Gourmet.  I confess that I have read the January issue cover to cover 5 or 6 times already.  That’s how much I love it.

My favorite article is by Mark Bittman, who I have adored since I was first introduced to his book How To Cook Everything by my good friend about 8 years ago.  I just like the guy.

He wrote a book, which I haven’t read yet, called Food Matters.  It’s been on my to-read list and I’m hoping to check it off in the next few months.  Anyway, he totally changed his lifestyle and eating habits for health reasons.  This is something I researched and adopted for myself in the first half of 2010, so I love reading about the success stories of others.

You can read his article on the Bon Appetit website here.  He basically eats a vegan diet until dinner, when he does eat meat and fish, but in smaller portions.  It sounds more reasonable and less scary than a fully vegan diet.  Nonetheless, I’ve recommitted myself after the gluttony of the Holidays to eat a mostly vegan diet again.  I’m on Day 4 of no meat, dairy, or wheat and I’m already feeling better than I have in weeks.  (No wheat because I’m still not sure if I have an allergy to it or not.)

In addition to my love of Mr. Bittman, I love the recipes this month too.  I’ve bookmarked a few to try in the near future:

Potato and Kale Cakes with Rouille (slightly altered to be vegan)
Tomato, Fennel, and Crab Soup
Green Salad with Miso-Ginger Dressing (miso is so good for you!)
Saigon Chicken Salad (I’m going to sub tofu for the chicken)
Spiced Coconut Pancakes with Tropical Fruit
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Mizuna with Tofu

I’m not saying everyone needs to become vegan or enact such a drastic change in diet.  To each their own, I say.  But I like the way I feel when I’m not eating meat and dairy, so I think I’ll give it another try.  (Sure there will be exceptions.)  And eating more veggies and fruit never hurt anyone.

Besides eating healthier and eliminating foods that don’t agree with me (I’m looking at you dairy and wheat!), I a going to try to take up yoga.  There is a Hari Krishna temple not too far away from where I live that offers free yoga each night.  After talking to friends and doing some research, I’ve realized that yoga might be a good way to keep myself off antidepressants and keep me feeling good.  And, lucky you, you can look forward to more posts about health and wellness in the future.  It’s what I’ve got on my mind.  I’m turning 30 in March, and it’s time for me to be as healthy as I can be.  You are invited to join me.

What are your 2011 health goals?  Have you decided to make any changes towards better health?  I’d love to hear about your goals and plans for The New Year.


p.s.  I will still be posting non-vegan recipes for y’all to enjoy.  My husband and my kids are not giving up meat and dairy, and I still cook for them.  But you just might be surprised how yummy vegan dishes can be when you see what I’ve been coming up with in my kitchen.

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14 Comments

  1. Lindsay! I think that is fantastic. I would love to try and incorporate more vegan ideas into our diets and use meat a lot less. My husband is a voracious carnivore but I used to be a lot more vegetarian. I’m not nearly as healthy/slender as I used to be. I want to get back to my roots and would love to read your recipes and try and use them in my family.

    Looking forward to reading and making recipes from your blog in the new year!

    PS Yoga can work miracles!! Go for it…out in TX classes start at $10 a session. Free is such a bargain!

  2. Thanks for your comment, Sylvia! (Love, love, love your name, btw.) I think it’s funny how a lot of people think that if it doesn’t have meat in it, it’s not going to be delicious. I’m going to prove them all wrong! :) I’ll look forward to hearing what you think.

  3. How funny- I tore out a bunch of these recipes that you have highlighted too, as soon as I got my issue. I really wanted to try Mark Bittman’s recipes and read his new book. I can’t wait to see what you have to show us in 2011.
    I am hoping to exercise more and cut out refined sugars, butter, and white flour as much as possible.
    Happy New Year!

  4. This year I want to get in better shape. I’d like to lose weight, but that’s not really my goal right now. I want to focus on feeling more strong and flexible. We have an exercise bike that someone gave us so I’m going to get on a more regular sleep schedule and get up and ride it in the mornings.

    I’ve also been trying to get my family’s eating habits back on track. For several years we’ve been trying to transition to being mostly vegetarian, but during the last year we’ve started eating a lot more meat. I like meat, but I want to emphasize vegetables and fruits more. We’re generally good about eating non-processed foods, but instead we tend to eat a lot of stuff like fried eggs and homemade mac-n-cheese. Good ‘real food’, but not so good for us.

  5. I started doing yoga just over a year ago and of all the working out I do, yoga is the best.

    Free is good, but if you ever want to join me, it’s pretty cheap at Provo Rec Center. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 pm. I’m lovin’ it!

  6. yea! i love this post. i’m trying to use less meat and more veggies and whole grains in my cooking, so i can’t wait to see what kinds of stuff you come up with!
    and i wish i lived close enough to go to free yoga classes (and all the cool festivals they have at the hare krishna temple!) you can do it!

  7. love your plan. i’ve got cooking and baking vegan dishes on my list for 2011…i’m sure i’ll be getting tons of recipe ideas for you.

    happy new year!

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