So I braved Reading Festival last weekend, and am pleased to report that I survived!
I was a little nervous about going, not least because of the alarming thought of drinking for 4 days with very little food. However, it was a great weekend, and I didn't struggle on the food front at all - here's how I survived....
1) Holland and Barrat Strawberry Jam Flapjacks - these little beauties were perfect! One of these in the morning was just what I needed. High in calories and sugar, and it doesn't matter if (like me) you packed them at the bottom of your rucksack, as they taste just the same squashed!
2) Chips - Buying hot food at a festival is daylight robbery (don't even get me started on the price of a 500ml bottle of water - £2.20?!?). However, by saturday, I bit the bullet and indulged in chunky chips. £3 for a fairly large portion, and they certainly hit the spot.
3) Pringles - these genius inventions are mostly vegan (all but cheese and onion, for obvious reasons). Brilliant because the can doesn't get squashed, and, once you've eaten the whole can in one go, at 4am, after throwing some shapes at the silent disco for the last 3 hours, use the can as a music speaker...
4) Berroca - for recovering from said silent disco
5) Water bottles - don't do what some of our friends did, and buy £8 worth of water from tescos, and realise you can't carry said water for the approximately 32 mile trek (I jest, but nothing prepares you for the walk)... and have to ditch the water, thus arriving at your camp site without any water, or more importantly, any water containers. Don't try and carry water there! Just take empty water bottles, so you can fill them up at the numerous water points at the festival.
6) Alcohol - no explanation needed
7) Tinned Spaghetti - not my suggestion, but my friend brought tins of food to eat cold. Personally, I could never stomach cold spaghetti hoops/beans, but if you can a) well done and b) do it. Obviously, make sure the cans have ring-pulls and take some cutlery (or even better, plastic forks)
8) Pot Noodle - Some of them are vegan (the sweet and sour one is my favourite), and you can buy boiling water there (I believe its 30p)
That's how I survived Reading festival - have you been to a festival? I'd love to know how you survived!
Friday 29 August 2014
Thursday 14 August 2014
The Elimination Diet
After struggling with crippling migraines 2-3 times a week for 2 years, and visiting the doctors numerous times after each new prescribed pill stopped working for me, I decided to start looking for the cause of my migraines, instead of treating them. I sort of knew they were food related, as I only ever got migraines after eating certain foods - for a long while I thought it was chocolate (I was kind of right!)
My doctor mentioned to me the elimination diet (also known as the exclusion diet), really not believing that I would complete it. However, by Christmas 2013-2014, I was desperate.
The elimination diet is, untimely, what it says on the tin. You live on a incredibly restricted diet for 3 weeks (honestly the longest and most miserable 21 days of your life), avoiding all manner of food commonly thought to cause food allergies/intolerances/sensitivities. The basic idea is that, when your body is constantly subjected to a food, it learns how to deal with it, even if it does not like it - and gives us very subtle but manageable symptoms to tell us it does not like the food, that we ignore (migraine, stomach ache, bloating, feeling sluggish...)However, when this food is removed for a considerable length of time, the reaction your body will have when it is re-introduced will be more noticeable and severe. Furthermore, it is a amazing way to discover how your body responds to different food groups (for example, dairy gives me migraines and wheat breaks me out).
This wipes out pretty much every food you've ever eaten! As a vegetarian at the time, I obviously could not eat the meat, further limiting my food options.
For 3 weeks, I ate fresh fruit and vegetables, and the odd tea spoon of rice. and that was it. I cried every day for a week because I was so hungry, and laid awake at night with hunger pangs (so now when I hear Tinie Tempah rap "have you ever been so hungry it keeps you awake?" "Yes I bloody have".
I made the also slightly idiotic decision of undertaking the elimination diet over christmas - my christmas dinner was fruit 'salad' (banana, apples and grapes).
After your 3 weeks of fasting, you are then meant to reintroduce one food at a time back into your diet, leaving a gap of 3 days. Allow me to explain. On the monday, you could introduce brown bread, then go back to your elimination diet for tuesday and wednesday. If no abnormal reaction occurred, you could then re-introduce another food on thursday ect... However, you must be extremely careful about which foods you introduce, as they must be only be 1 food group/type re-introduced at a time. For example, you could not suddenly eat a pizza, because if an abnormal reaction occurred, you would not know whether it was the wheat in the dough, the tomatoes (yeah, these were banned too!) or the cheese...
I was very lucky to discover very quickly afterwards that dairy products were the culprit for me, causing severe migraines I re-introduced bread first (and ate an entire mini loaf in one day), then cheese 3 days afterwards (I just wanted a cheese toastie, to be honest with you!)
The elimination diet is undoubtedly one of the most challenging things i've ever done, and it took me 4 months to have a normal relationship with food again. I tried at first only eating small amounts of dairy, and pre-empting migraines with prescribed tablets, but after 6 months, it was easier to cut it out all together and become fully vegan.
If you're considering doing the elimination diet, I cannot recommend it enough, as you will learn so much about your body, and learn how you really can survive on such a small amount of food (2000 calories a day is far too much, in my opinion!). You will completely change your attitude towards food, and probably for the first time in your life appreciate real hunger, which is an eye-opening experience.
Here are some tips to consider before you start:
My doctor mentioned to me the elimination diet (also known as the exclusion diet), really not believing that I would complete it. However, by Christmas 2013-2014, I was desperate.
The elimination diet is, untimely, what it says on the tin. You live on a incredibly restricted diet for 3 weeks (honestly the longest and most miserable 21 days of your life), avoiding all manner of food commonly thought to cause food allergies/intolerances/sensitivities. The basic idea is that, when your body is constantly subjected to a food, it learns how to deal with it, even if it does not like it - and gives us very subtle but manageable symptoms to tell us it does not like the food, that we ignore (migraine, stomach ache, bloating, feeling sluggish...)However, when this food is removed for a considerable length of time, the reaction your body will have when it is re-introduced will be more noticeable and severe. Furthermore, it is a amazing way to discover how your body responds to different food groups (for example, dairy gives me migraines and wheat breaks me out).
This wipes out pretty much every food you've ever eaten! As a vegetarian at the time, I obviously could not eat the meat, further limiting my food options.
For 3 weeks, I ate fresh fruit and vegetables, and the odd tea spoon of rice. and that was it. I cried every day for a week because I was so hungry, and laid awake at night with hunger pangs (so now when I hear Tinie Tempah rap "have you ever been so hungry it keeps you awake?" "Yes I bloody have".
I made the also slightly idiotic decision of undertaking the elimination diet over christmas - my christmas dinner was fruit 'salad' (banana, apples and grapes).
After your 3 weeks of fasting, you are then meant to reintroduce one food at a time back into your diet, leaving a gap of 3 days. Allow me to explain. On the monday, you could introduce brown bread, then go back to your elimination diet for tuesday and wednesday. If no abnormal reaction occurred, you could then re-introduce another food on thursday ect... However, you must be extremely careful about which foods you introduce, as they must be only be 1 food group/type re-introduced at a time. For example, you could not suddenly eat a pizza, because if an abnormal reaction occurred, you would not know whether it was the wheat in the dough, the tomatoes (yeah, these were banned too!) or the cheese...
I was very lucky to discover very quickly afterwards that dairy products were the culprit for me, causing severe migraines I re-introduced bread first (and ate an entire mini loaf in one day), then cheese 3 days afterwards (I just wanted a cheese toastie, to be honest with you!)
The elimination diet is undoubtedly one of the most challenging things i've ever done, and it took me 4 months to have a normal relationship with food again. I tried at first only eating small amounts of dairy, and pre-empting migraines with prescribed tablets, but after 6 months, it was easier to cut it out all together and become fully vegan.
If you're considering doing the elimination diet, I cannot recommend it enough, as you will learn so much about your body, and learn how you really can survive on such a small amount of food (2000 calories a day is far too much, in my opinion!). You will completely change your attitude towards food, and probably for the first time in your life appreciate real hunger, which is an eye-opening experience.
Here are some tips to consider before you start:
- PLAN! Find a plan you want to follow and stick to it religiously. . Find some recipes that are compatible (I never bothered and regretted it), and make them up in big batches, so you always have food to hand. I don't think there is a need to be as hungry as I was for the 3 weeks.
- Keep busy - try not to sit around the house all day, or be with people that are eating normal food. When people ask why you're not eating and you explain this to them, they will literally try and force feed you. You don't need this sort of temptation!
- Have something to chew - it may sound gross, but the chewing sensation makes you less hungry. I used to sterilise bobby pins and carry them round in my pockets to chew when i was at school. It really does work!
- Know your limits - You have to be sensible and most importantly safe if you do this short diet plan. 3 weeks is a maximum, any more than that is completely unhealthy. It is not, nor is it meant to be a sustainable, permanent diet, and should not be treated like one. If, after 2 weeks you can't go on, eat something! You may just have to be more vigilant of your bodies reactions. The amount of time you spend fasting is also dependant on your age and body weight. Children under 10 should fast for about 10 days, whereas healthy adults can do it up to 3 weeks. It is your body and your choice, only you will know!
Good luck!
Have you done the elimination diet? What was your experience with it?
Wednesday 13 August 2014
Accidentally Vegan Food
There is actually a surprising amount of food that is "accidentally vegan" - i.e. foods made without the vegan market in mind, but, by happy mistake, we can eat (horray!).
Of course, there is the dairy free chocolate (I'm yet to find one that convinces me), and dairy free fudge (again, not particularly delicious), but once in a while, usually whilst strolling through the supermarket, lazily scanning the frankly alarmingly long list of ingredients on the backs of packets, you stumble across a real gem - here are the first few I've discovered!
1. Jammy Dodgers - I was AMAZED to discover these were vegan, and promptly threw three packets into mum's trolley. They just taste so good! They don't contain any milk, butter or eggs (which, on closer consideration may be slightly alarming - these 3 crucial ingredients make biscuits after all?!) But who the hell cares? Every so often I throw caution to the wind and treat myself to a biccy or 5
2. Co-Op Bourbon biscuits - A slightly controversial find, as these may contain milk, but I often find this is just companies covering their arses in the unlikely event of someone keeling over from eating something they may be allergic to (much like every single product you find saying "may contain nuts"). Anyway, perfect dipped in coffee (decaff with soya milk, of course), and a chocolate fix for my inner fatty!
3. Coco Powder - Slightly odd and random, but a surprise none the less. This especially handy when it comes to baking.
4. Peanut Butter - Probably obviously vegan to the vast majority of people, I was shocked to find out this was vegan (I idiotically assumed it contained butter!). It brightens up dry, boring toast, and gives me energy and those extra calories! Ironically enough, I've spent years trying to reign in my calorie intake, but these past few months I've been trying get a few more calories into myself. The thing about most vegan food, is that it is boring to eat, therefore, you don't eat a lot of it, so naturally, you loose a few pounds. But sometimes you notice that you're running out of energy. Peanut butter is high in calories and the "good" kind of fat (if such a thing exists - I am truly skeptical).
5. Starbucks - most of the starbucks menu can be made suitable for vegans. Typically, I ask for soya milk and no cream. As long as you avoid a handful of drinks that contain milk powder (for example, Pumpkin Spice Latte) and the caramel sauce, you're good to go!
What accidentally vega food have you come across? I'd love to know!
5. Starbucks - most of the starbucks menu can be made suitable for vegans. Typically, I ask for soya milk and no cream. As long as you avoid a handful of drinks that contain milk powder (for example, Pumpkin Spice Latte) and the caramel sauce, you're good to go!
What accidentally vega food have you come across? I'd love to know!
Thursday 7 August 2014
Welcome to The Reluctant Vegan
Hi!
Welcome to my little corner of the internet - I do hope you enjoy your stay.
As the title suggests, I'm a vegan, but an incredibly reluctant one. Vegetarian for around 3 years, vegan for only a few months, it's safe to say i'm finding the jump a challenging one to say the least.
I'm not sure about you, but personally, my biggest problem is finding tasty food, that is good for me and fills me up. I'm a natural foodie and ex-fatty, after all!
For the last few months since making the jump (triggered by my discovery of a dairy intolerance), I've existed of a diet of shredded wheat and almond milk for breakfast, and either dry toast, baked potatoes (or chips) or vegan sausages for dinner. Snacks are now fruit, veg and nuts (as well as the occasional jammy dodger - what? They are vegan, promise you!)
The simple truth is - I'm bored with food, and I want to make it exciting again for myself. I miss being able to treat myself to normal food (and eat out with people without becoming "that" friend that no one wants to go out with because they are the notoriously fussy eater).
So, I wanted to share my experiences, ups, downs, recipes, things that are surprisingly vegan (so far I've discovered jammy dodgers and some brands of bourbons) and gain some support from other people in the same boat as me.
I'd love to know what you eat, what recipes you use, and how you indulge yourself.
Welcome to my little corner of the internet - I do hope you enjoy your stay.
As the title suggests, I'm a vegan, but an incredibly reluctant one. Vegetarian for around 3 years, vegan for only a few months, it's safe to say i'm finding the jump a challenging one to say the least.
I'm not sure about you, but personally, my biggest problem is finding tasty food, that is good for me and fills me up. I'm a natural foodie and ex-fatty, after all!
For the last few months since making the jump (triggered by my discovery of a dairy intolerance), I've existed of a diet of shredded wheat and almond milk for breakfast, and either dry toast, baked potatoes (or chips) or vegan sausages for dinner. Snacks are now fruit, veg and nuts (as well as the occasional jammy dodger - what? They are vegan, promise you!)
The simple truth is - I'm bored with food, and I want to make it exciting again for myself. I miss being able to treat myself to normal food (and eat out with people without becoming "that" friend that no one wants to go out with because they are the notoriously fussy eater).
So, I wanted to share my experiences, ups, downs, recipes, things that are surprisingly vegan (so far I've discovered jammy dodgers and some brands of bourbons) and gain some support from other people in the same boat as me.
I'd love to know what you eat, what recipes you use, and how you indulge yourself.
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