Remember my friend Valerie who had a baby at the end of 2011? I get to visit her and her son again this weekend! I am so excited. Too bad there is a winter storm warning across Southern California, but I am determined to get there, rain or shine.
Here’s a picture of us plus our other friend from high school from my first visit when Baby was only two weeks old:
I got to see him again at eight weeks old (I wrote about it here):
So far he seems to be a lot like his parents: laid-back, inquisitive and very sweet. It’s only been two weeks since I’ve last seen Baby, but I’m looking forward to seeing how he has changed.
I spent some time yesterday packing up some food in anticipation of this trip. I made a version of my Lentil & Brown Rice Salad (recipe is here), but I quickly realized I didn’t have any more lentils in my pantry. So, I substituted some leftover black and garbanzo beans instead:
I tried to use as many vegetables as possible including cucumber, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, mint and avocado:
All mixed up with the rice:
I’m bringing some of this with me and the rest is staying home with Alan. Something tells me that he might be eating a lot of this considering he doesn’t cook!
The weather has been so nice these past several days that it seems weird that rain is coming. I managed to get outside yesterday for about an hour to do a hike:
It felt so good to get some sun and fresh air!
I like this picture of me because I think it represents how I feel: strong, energetic and active. By the way, have you checked out my “before” and “after” pictures? You can see them in my “About Carrie” tab found here. I mentioned this on Twitter, but my outer transformation has been one thing since I became a healthy vegan, but the inside transformation has been profound. Not to mention the incredible improvement of some my health issues, but I credit my newfound balance, mental clarity and consciousness to this new way of eating and living my life. Have you experienced this connection between diet and how you feel on the inside?
I will attempt to blog from the road tomorrow, it worked pretty well the last time I tried it. Happy Friday!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Very cool stuff Carrie! I’m only a recent Dr. Fuhrman advocate, it being almost 8 months since adopting this lifestyle, but the changes in my health have been profound; 50+lb weight loss, normal BP, no allergies, no headaches, clear skin, full of energy. The list goes on and things continue to improve. I commend you on your commitment not just to this way of life, but immersing yourself in the education of it. I find that as I learn more, my appetite (sorry abou the pun) for knowledge increases greatly as well. A medical scare got me on the right track, but from experience I would suggest taking a proactive approach if you are able. Easier on the body and the pocketbook!
Thanks for the message, Charlie. Your health transformation sounds pretty incredible, congratulations! It’s nice to get positive reinforcement for our efforts to preserve our health and it’s so worth it to feel this good! Have a great weekend!
I can understand completely how you feel about having a stronger connection with yourself after making such a change in your diet. When I did this over a year ago now, I can say that my whole outlook on life changed significantly. I think when you start to reap the physical benefits from such a healthy diet, you will understandably feel better emotionally from seeing the great changes occurring on the outside of your body. Plus, the good food that we eat will not make us feel sluggish, ill and will give us more energy to accomplish more during the day. Accomplishments always make me feel better all around!
By the way, I’m not understanding this weather either! I’m in N California and we had a heat wave last week. I was wearing tank tops and flip flops. For the last few days, its been non-stop rain and cold weather. Yuck! Can the seasons just get it straight?
Have a fun trip!
Hi Shelby, thanks for the message! I love how you described how healthy food makes you feel, I agree completely. Have a great weekend, too!