VEGAN: One Year Later...

This time last year I embarked upon a 30-day health challenge for the month of February with my wife Jamie. We decided to try a vegan lifestyle for 30 days to see how it affected our health, sleep, and all other aspects of our lives. To help set us up for success, I did some research and tried to find as many meal-alternative options as possible before starting. I mean, who really knows how to cook seitan or tofu? What do you season it with? Can you grill it? On January 31st of last year we ate all the cheese and bacon we could and on February 1st we went cold turkey (pun intended) vegan.

The first couple days were pretty hysterical. We were lost. Trying to switch everything out that we knew about cooking or snacking for meat-free alternatives were proving to be hard. We lived on juice, salads, and frozen veggie burgers. We had no idea what we were doing, but I knew we were not going to survive living on salads and shitty frozen veggie burgers. Besides that we were hungry, better yet, "hangry" and we were getting on each others nerves. I needed help quick.

Luckily, the internet exists and there are plenty of resources available to anyone looking for help trying vegan. There were tons of questions that Jamie and I both had about potentially losing weight, not getting the right amount of protein or vitamins, or what else we could eat...or better yet would want to eat. You can only live on salads for so long before your body wants some new flavor. Within a few seconds of researching I found a ton of books, apps, and blogs packed with helpful information, stats, and RECIPES!

We made it through the month and completed the challenge, but instead of going back to meat I just decided to stay the course. I guess I'm vegan now? I had some great recipes under my belt, we adventured into new and uncharted territory in the kitchen and it was fun to learn about how food can have a bigger impact than we think. The more I read and researched, the more I found about what we eat and it’s bigger global impact. The days of getting fresh food that helps your body are over. We are living in a state of dead foods, empty calories, and health problems. Just look around. But, that's not even that bad, it's the bigger global impact that a meat-based diet has on the globe through transport and factory farming. Go start researching for yourself. We no longer live in an era where you go to your local, farm raised, butcher for organic, whole foods. We purchase foods that are designed to take us out.

I am not here to preach, or push an agenda, and I will leave my last comments there, but if you have any questions about potentially trying a vegan challenge...or if you want to debate...please feel free to email me. I can tell you that the last year for me has been eye-opening and the impacts on my personal health have been incredible, and I have the data that proves it. I am not saying extreme dieting is the end all be all, but I do believe we need to take a look at not just what we are shoveling in our faces, but the bigger impact on how those foods got to us in the first place. Plant-based for me is tree-fold: the impact on the globe, the impact on animals, and the impact on my health.

If you want to keep the conversation going, want info about the apps and such we use, or want to call me a Hippie please email me at Matt@YourFriendMatt.com.

-YourFriendMatt

Less screen time...

“What the hell are you scrolling for?” - Us.

This year Jamie and I have committed to less screen time and more us time. This means putting down our phones, turning off the TV when we got get home, and enjoy each others presence for a while. 2018 was a busy year for us. We got married and planned our wedding in Philadelphia from Los Angeles; to say it was a hard task is an understatement. One of us was always on the phone, replying to an email, or just blatantly ignoring the other while mindlessly scrolling through memes on Insty for a bit of relief from all the decision-making we were doing. At the turn of the new year we decided that was enough, we set a goal to put down the tech and enjoy our time together.

We made a couple of easy changes that would give us some of our time back. We looked into an at-home food delivery service. I had no idea what to look for, and really don't know anyone who has used one before, but we figured we at least check it out. After some research we decided that Plated would fit our dietary needs. It seems they have more vegan and vegetarian options than their competitors. By switching to Plated we got back a ton of time we would have been spending in the grocery store or thinking up meals to cook throughout the week. We have all gotten stuck in the spaghetti and taco night weekly dinner loop. Our schedules, like I am sure many of yours, never line up. Between work, time with friends, fitness classes among other activities, it is incredible that we see each other at all.

We made another simple change and try to stick to it. We decided to keep the TV off until we spend at least an hour with each. This gives us time to vent, share funny happenings throughout our work day, and focus on what is important. We throw on some easy-listening and cook together. We even might eat that same meal at the table instead of in front of the TV, what a crazy idea. Leaving the TV off is tough because who doesn't want to watch two different documentaries about Fyre Festival to see if they are just a little different. Side-note: the Netflix one is better than the Hulu one. Between cook time together and no TV, we have gained hours of our lives back, which is what marriage is about right? Loving the person you are with and spending time with them?

I have been told that communication is the key to any relationship. I can tell you from first hand experience that spending a little more time together and putting down the tech for a bit has done us good. Even when there is a new Ted Bundy special, we are learning that it will be there after dinner and we can enjoy it together after we chat for a while. Sidenote: The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix is out of control, I highly recommend watching it with lights on in the afternoon.

-YourFriendMatt

Vegan February...

“My colon has never felt better.” - Me.

My birthday falls on January 31st. Having a birthday on the last day of January lines me up perfectly for a reset in February. I like the idea of leaving one age with a bang, and starting a new year, and a new era, with a sense of purpose. Last year, I challenged myself to an alcohol-free February. Cutting back on beer had its challenges, especially on weekends when Jamie and I would explore Nashville finding new restaurants we wanted to try, and their drink menu. I read a meme that I related to throughout the month that went something along the lines of “you don’t need alcohol to have fun,” and someone replied to it stating, “you also don’t need a car to get places, but it helps.” 

Last years alcohol-free February was not as bad as I thought, so I decided to keep the February challenge going in 2018, and now Jamie is joining in. This February we have we have cut back on alcohol during the week, so we can still enjoy an adult beverage with each other on the weekends. This years main challenge is to go completely vegan. Gasp. This February we have cut out all meats, dairy, eggs, and CHEESE! You get the picture, not animal products.

I thought the process would be way harder than expected but as it turns out with a little prep and research, it really isn’t that hard. There are a ton of books, blogs, and apps that help you find your way through making simple changes to a plant-based diet. We are trying all kind of foods that we would have never checked out before and feeling incredible. We are on a culinary adventure. I didn’t even know what a jackfruit was, but now it’s one of my new favorite foundations for meat replacements. 

We are getting married this year, and both kinds of wanted to tighten up our bodies. Doing this meat-free-vegan February has shown us that we can lose extra weight, get more energy and feel less bloated. I am sure cutting back on unnecessary alcohol after work on a weekday helps too. With this plant-based diet, I have lost over 7 pounds since starting at the beginning of the month and feel, for lack of better words, clean. (See title quote). Who knew? We have both also committed to making simple changes in our weekly work out routines like riding bikes to work, taking the stairs or an extra walk after meals, etc. I have been running consistently a few times a week since October, and since switching to a plant-based diet, I have been crushing my old run times and going further and faster than I used to.

Who knows if switching to a plant-based diet will be something we commit entirely to as a lifestyle change, but I would not be opposed. We feel great, are fueling our bodies with whole foods and seeing results, both physically in mentally. I will get off my pedestal for a minute and completely align and recognize that anyone pushing an agenda or lifestyle change is completely annoying. Nobody want’s to hang out with that guy, but if you were at all interested in trying a plant-based diet, even for a short time, I would recommend it. I am from Philadelphia, and there we live on cheese steaks and hoagies. And they are delicious. It’s in my blood to want to hang with my friends with a beer and sandwich. That will never change. I was just ready to try something new and trying a plant-based-vegan diet has been great to me. Check out some additional resources I have been using below.

Give it a try and if you feel the same after, awesome!

And if not, that’s cool too. 

-YourFriendMatt

Name say's it all...

Hardcore music plays a huge part of my life. When I heard Cro-Mags front man published a new books about a vegan lifestyle I had to pick it up from the library! It's pretty funny and straight to the point, which I love. Check it out!

Easy app to help the transition!

You can filter this to vegan recipes and even find most that are under 30 minutes! Check it out!

Been using for a while...

I was a vegetarian a few years back and always loved this app. They also have a great book and documentary. The app is super simple and has some of my favorite plant based recipes! Check it out

My personal Instagram...

Been posting a bunch of food we have been making if you want to see how easy it is...