I’m so happy to share this personal journey with you of eating a plant-based diet that’s good for our health, the planet, and animals! Because I feel we’re kindred spirits, I decided to chat with you a bit about what’s going on inside my life outside of the kitchen. This is my first Coffee Klatch.
We’ve traveled back and forth from Encinitas, CA, to Boulder, CO, where our main home is now for the past seven years for my husband, Charles, work. We’re about ready for it to end because Charles is about to retire. Not only that, since Covid, working from home has become a thing. Charles is looking forward to pursuing his other passions more, nature photography and writing.
The Kids
We feel blessed to live near our two grown kids, CJ and Andy, both in their 30’s and see them often. We aren’t grandparents, yet, but perhaps someday….
Start of the Day
My day usually starts with a warm beverage unless I’m going to fast for the day. My current favorite drink is called Mud water. It’s a delicious combination of chai tea, chocolate, mushroom powder, and turmeric.
You can purchase Mud water (MUD/WTR) but I’ve decided to make it myself to save some money. I’ll be sharing a recipe for that soon. My other current warm beverage is dandelion-green tea which is chock-full of good-for-you ingredients.
Our breakfast is most often old-fashioned or steel-cut oats with fruit and a few nuts and seeds or a smoothie and pancakes on the weekend. My new favorite breakfast: lots of chopped fruit like bananas, melon, berries, apple, even pineapple, a couple of dollops of cashew or almond yogurt, homemade granola, flax, and chia seeds, a few walnuts, and a splash of plant milk.
If you’d like to see a whole day of what I ate, here’s my post, What I Ate for One Day on a Plant-Based Diet. I also have a post about what I ate for one week, here.
I take a few vitamins with breakfast. You probably know that vitamin B12 is super important when you’re eating a vegan diet so that’s a must. I also take calcium and vitamin D with K2 and a chaser of an algae omega 3 supplement.
I also like to take a brisk walk with Abby in the morning with our 11-year-old German Shephard, golden retriever mix. Exercise is a must but the air quality was so bad here in Colorado this September from the California fires that I held off for days. Fortunately, it’s back to normal and the daily walk is on the schedule.
Fall Colors
We’re excited about the fall colors starting here in Colorado. Our favorite drive is up to Nederland, about 40 minutes away, where we’ll have lunch (usually a falafel) and then head back the long way to catch a glimpse of those beautiful changing aspens. Having been married to a photographer for the past 40 years I know we’ll always spend time taking photos. It’s a perfect way to slow down and take in the beauty and serenity of nature.
Time to Meditate
Speaking of serenity, another favorite pastime is meditating on a regular basis. My favorite app is the CALM app and it’s come in handy for more than meditation. I also need it to help me sleep.
I’ve had difficulty getting a full night’s sleep over the past several years. In addition to trying Melatonin and chamomile tea, the CALM app has wonderful sleep meditations and stories. With a pair of headphones, I can quietly listen in the middle of the night and usually get back to sleep. The app costs $60/ year, but I totally think it’s worth it!!
Beer Has Melatonin
Did you know that beer actually has melatonin? Once in a while, we’ll split a beer or have a whole one and I think it helps me sleep. I really like IPA’s. I know they can be bitter, but our current favorite is Coriolis Effect and you won’t be disappointed. Wine has the effect of making you sleepy on the front end and then causing you to wake up in the middle of the night. Do you know what I mean?
Is having alcohol a bad thing when you’re eating a plant-based diet? It would depend on your health situation. The science on this topic keeps changing. Generally drinking wine with moderation SEEMS ok, but that needs to be defined. This article is quite good at spelling it out, What’s a Healthy Number of Drinks of Have Per Day, Per Week? Unfortunately, a serving is much smaller than you might guess, 12 ounces of regular beer, 1.5 ounces of liquor, or 5 ounces of wine.
Date Night
We’re back to having a date night which is a great break in the week and much safer than it was a year ago (at least here in Boulder). We always eat outside and like to try the vegan offerings around here in Boulder. Unfortunately, it’s not always low in fat (oil) or salt but we try to be picky in our choices and always ask if these ingredients can be reduced. Our recent foray out to dinner was with our son and his girlfriend, Dendy. We ate at a Middle Eastern restaurant on Pearl Street called Ash’Kara. The city of Boulder closed an extra stretch of the street to cars and set up lots of picnic-style tables for people to use for more outdoor dining.
Health Scare
I don’t know if you saw my post about getting a scary diagnosis, but last March I was in that possible situation. When a scary diagnosis is on the table it’s very difficult to think of anything else and our mind tends to go a dark place. Here’s my post which is meant to give you some tips to help you during this difficult time, How to Deal with a Health Scare: 11 Tips to Help You Cope.
Helping Our Friends Change
Otherwise, I’m working on a new program to help our friends and family start eating a plant-based diet. It’s frustrating when you know that this way of eating can improve our health, but people are resistant. I’ve heard from a number of people who feel the same.
Would you like to throw a plant-based dinner party for your friends or family so they can taste just how delicious this way of eating can be? I want to make it super easy for you so I’d offer a full dinner party meal plan, shopping list, prepping, and entertaining tips. Let me know if I’m on the right track.
If you like this new Coffee Klatch series, I’d love to hear from you, and thanks for sharing this journey with me. I hope you’re doing well. Sending hugs.
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It sounds like things are really “coming together” for you and your husband. Good to be in nature, good to be retired, good to be around functional, grown children! (That’s what MY mom would say, ha ha)… my husband and I enjoy the recipes we cook from your website — we hope you continue to follow your passion and enjoy great health for a long time. Yes, even those of us with long-term wfpb diets suffer with the emotional consequences of a sudden health scare. I had one, years ago, and sat down on a yoga mat to clear my head, to stop the spinning. It came to me after about five minutes — this is but a SNAP SHOT of my life, a slice, a moment in a much longer stretch of time… and I felt the calm return. Looking back now, it’s easy to see the “learning moment” and continue to work with it.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comments and the great insight about life! We are constantly moving through moments and it’s so important to keep perspective. Sometimes it’s easy to forget but I try to practice this and find gratitude in the little things. You said it perfectly… Take care, 💕