Reflecting on Veganism in the Military

Well Good Morning! (If you're in Germany, like me.) I just finished the last written test for WLC, and I'm excited! All that I have left to do is some map reading tests (that aren't actually graded) and not "die" too many times in the field exercise. Wish me luck!

I didn't post yesturday because the internet went down in all of the classrooms. As I said, Sunday's will be my reflection days, and I did do some reflecting which I'll try to post about now.

The first one, I want a dog. I want an animal in my life so bad, it's not even funny. I'm the person voulunteering to watch other people's pets when they have to go somewhere, and I always offer to walk/hold/feed/pet/LOVE every animal I get the chance to, it's almost a little creepy. So, I've been looking at dog pound in the Maryland area, to get a feel for requirements, fees, and what dogs they tend to have. It will be interesting to see them all in real life, and I haven't decided on which pound/shelter to go to yet. It's really sad that there are so many animals without homes. My guy wants to get a certain breed of dog, and they are gorgeous dogs, but I still feel like adopting a dog, not buying one. I'm having a hard time convincing him because he's adopted a few dogs (and I have too) in his life that were rotten dogs. No, not the "pet me at all times I'm spoiled" kind of rotten; the "i'm going to destroy everything I can get my hands on until i die" kind of rotten. He doesn't want to go through that, and I understand. Are there any suggestions on picking out the right kind of dog?

I also reflected on how UN-Vegan friendly the army is. It's amazing. I had a decent breakfast this morning, but I had a crappy dinner last night, and I went out to eat for lunch so it doesn't matter. (The only reason I had a good breakfast was because I ate like 2 bananas, and a few Tbsps of Peanut Butter.) But, one of the Sergeants that helped get the vegetarian meals, (thank you) decided to eat one. Even this non-vegetarian noticed how fatenning the vegetarian meals are... I thought it was funny, because that's what I've been saying. But, even with the cadre noticing, and myself constantly reminding the cooks, I went to dinner last night to find cheesey-creamy-vegetble-less-protein-deficient pasta. Enjoy.

After all this reflecting, I think I'm going to start educating more people in the military about vegetarian/veganism and the health benefits, hoping that it will help future military vegans, and any other person out there.

PS The Airforce is much more vegan friendly. My AIT (Advanced Individual Training) was on an Airfroce Base, so I got that privelege for 9 months.

Peace out Veg-heads!!

Goals and other great things...

Hello everybody!! So, here's another *exciting* post while at WLC!! This blog entry's topic is going to be on my plans for this blog. My goals, what routines I'd like to start, and so forth.

Let's first talk about my goals. I'd like to start becoming more avid of a blogger. This is an obvious one for anybody who reads back into my blog further. I want to become more consistant, keeping up with my travels (there aren't a lot, but there are some amazing ones.) and include the different aspects that the Army puts into play for me.

Now, my routine goals. I'd like to post every Sunday with a sort of "Goals and Plans for the Week" / "What I've learned this week." Sundays are my days for reflection, and I'm becoming more all around Vegan, so I think that reflecting on how it's effecting myself, and people around me is a neat idea. Also, if I have any fun plans coming up, and so forth.
On Tuesday's, I think I'll start posting about Army related things; this could mean anything from the ridicule I get, to the food I was offered (vegan sausage at the brunch?? Awesome!) These may not be the most consistant, but I really think that some of it should be shared. It shows that not everybody in the army is a meat head that eats bacon, bacon, and more bacon.
Thursdays can be my Random blogging day. Gym Rants (see previous posts), fun new clothes, and who knows. It's the day to just write if I have the time.
Saturdays I'm planning to take pictures of everything I eat, just to show that there IS vegan food in Heidelberg. Maybe not a lot, but there is.

If this becomes too much, I'll scale back, but I'm going to give it my best shot, so wish me luck!!

As for today, I had my new version of a sunny-side up egg. Instead of a chicken's ovulation on my plate, i had a little bowl with applesauce, then two peach halves (cut side down) in the apple sauce. I sprinkled some raisins, some cinnimon, and some walnut chunks on top. I only call them my "Vegan Sunny-Side Up Eggs" because of the way the peaches happened to land when I plopped them in the apple sauce. It's really delicious (I cut up the peaches) and it's got the walnuts for some healthy fats and protein. I'd prefer some pumpkins seeds next time, but only because I put pumpkin seeds in just about everything. I also ate a banana with some peanut butter. YUM!!!

For lunch, they had a vegan pasta with a tomato sauce (it wasn't that bad for once) with a TON of brocolli, bell peppers, onion, and squash pieces. I was quite the happy camper. Well, between that, and the fresh green beans, not canned, I couldn't have gotten much of a better lunch from an Army DFAC.

I haven't had dinner yet, but I hope that it ends just as well as my day had began. I know that I had mentioned last time that I was eating eggs. After I wrote that, I realized that if there is still food being offered to me that I can eat, there's no reason to eat the eggs. So, I am back to full time vegan! (Hence the fake eggs for breakfast.) I hope the vegan community will forgive me (and if they don't, whatever.)

Peace out Veg-heads

Vegan at WLC

So, I've been MIA recently due to an army thing. Is anybody suprised? Not me. And if you are, I would suggest getting over it as soon as possible. I'm currently at WLC --Warrior Leadership Course. It's an 18 day course teaching me how to be a better leader. It's got obstacle courses, weapons training, loads of tests, and hundreds of people at once. However, my class is generally fun, with mostly amazing class mates.

On the vegan front, I'm also happy to say that I've made strides for those who follow in my footsteps. For breakfast, it's a normal breakfast for me: some fruit, a coffee (we get like 4 hours of sleep at night... oh well), and some toast with peanut butter and some banana slices. At the DFAC (Dining Facility for those non-military folks.) they were only serving a vegetarian meal at lunch, not for dinner. And, much to my dissmay, 3/4 of the time, it was some white pasta with some vegetables, potato, and covered in a cream sauce of sorts. I can't eat that, even if i'm just plain ol vegetarian because the cream will mess up with my stomach. THEN, for dinner, there wasn't even an option. So for the first few nights, I'd be eating potato, boiled vegetables, and an iceberg lettuce salad. Awesome, right? No.

We had a "how is it going so far? any input?" session (also known as an AAR, after action review.) I had nothing bad to say.... oh, wait, except for the food. First thing they said: "You're a vegetarian?" My answer was, "Actually, I'm a vegan, but i'll eat some eggs in the field (due to the physical exertion, and we weren't allowed to bring protein powder.) Two days later, they started serving vegetrian meals for both lunch and dinner. I was thinking: WIN! Then, i get to dinner, and it's a pasta (bowties are the only noodles the army seems to buy) covered in a cream sauce. Not even any vegetables. So, i *politley* bring up that every single time there's a vegetarian meal, it's in the red. **The army's DFACs categorize their food by Green, Yellow, and Red; obviously, you want mostly greens.** So, now, after it's been only about 3 more days, I go to dinner, and i'm happy to see a noodle dish (i'll get over it.) with a ton of veggies, black beans mixed in, and a tomato sauce. AND they didn't pre-sprinkle any cheese on there for me!!!!

Other than that, my routine has been like this: At breakfast, i always grab a banana and throw it in my pocket. I eat this for a snack before lunch. At lunch, grab another banana (my potassium is most likely low, so i'm doubling up!) or an apple, and i make sure to get a peanut butter serving as well (approx. 2 Tbsp, so perfect!!!) Then, at dinner, I grap another banana, or an apple, depending on what they have. Why for after dinner? Well, we eat at 5. Every day. I normally eat dinner at like 9, so that's a huge difference. Somewhere around 8 or 9, i start to get hungry, and start munching on a ton of candy. Kristin+Candy+extremely tired=walking zombie...now with a gun! So, i eat the fruit with some peanut butter and some cashews I have hidden in my backpack in my room.

Eating a vegan diet might seem like a huge project, especially in the army. And, you know what, it is. But, i love projects, and I love the idea of a challenge. I don't want any of my readers to think that a project/challenge is a bad thing. Why do people like going to the gym? They are challenging themselves. College is a challenge, along with a lot of fun. I'll try to keep some of this updated a little better, but we'll see if that happens.

What I've learned this last week: (Vegan wise) Peanut butter stores amazing // Bananas are less obvious in my cargo pockets than apples // Cashews taste great with anything sweet in the same bite (bananas, chocolate) // and finally: if you ask for something while remaining calm and rational, you might be suprised what people will do. I had somebody grab me a to-go container full of fresh grapes.

Peace out fellow Veg-heads

Gym Etiquette

Now, I know this isn’t a Vegan related blog entry, but I think that it’s high time I let out my feelings towards the gym. Actually, the gym itself I love. People can go there to get healthier, stronger, and more confident. You can relieve stress, make friends, and learn more about yourself. But, what I have a problem with is the different types of people that like to attend the gym.

The lurker/I’m-forced-to-be-here:
This lovely person is usually here because somebody else is there, like their ride, or because they were told that they need to be here. This person takes more time drinking water from the fountain, than some people do to run a marathon. They aren’t there to work out; they are there to constantly stand in the way of people who ARE working out. They can also be found on the stretching mats, either to stretch (after walking for 5 minutes) doing 1 sit up a minute, or just plain sitting there. My message to you: Learn to love it (for those that are forced) are get a better hiding spot. Hiding in the children’s area is not only a terrible hiding spot, but you also might get mistaken for a pedophile.

New Years Revolutionists:
Ah, it’s late February and some of these still exist. The person you see running on the elliptical at a 0% elevation level for 60 minutes (when the signs all clearly state that the machines are to only be used for 30 minutes during peak hours), who also decided doing any sort of research on productive weight loss would be a waste, so they have no idea what they’re doing is this person. I think it’s great when people make goals for themselves; except for when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions. These are the goals made by people who realize that they haven’t accomplished much this last year, and that this year will be the year…until about this time. The gyms are clearing of most of these people as they pack up their brand new Pink running pants in their Nike bag with their UnderArmor sweater (that never was used because they’ve only gone to a gym.) Those that are dedicated will stay, and I applaud them. They no longer are classified in this category; they are trying, keep trying, and are no longer taking up the elliptical for that stupid 0% incline. They are the few that made it past the first 8 weeks, and they say it takes 8 weeks to form a habit. My message to you: Keep trying! Form the habit!! You will almost never regret going to the gym (except for those that experience the pain pinching your fingers in-between two weights… that’s worth the regret.) But, if you’re going to try, accept the advice and assistance people try to give you, we all want everybody to succeed.

The Inexperienced-but-still-won’t-accept-help:
I’m two sided on this, mainly because everybody has to start somewhere. I’ve been going for almost a year now, and I still become a flaccid spaghetti noodle when I go to deadlift. My issue isn’t the inexperienced, it’s the ones who are offered help, especially on their form, and decline it because they, for some unknown reason, think that they know what they’re talking about. Usually this comes from reading a caption in a magazine, or seeing somebody else do it. What a lot of newer people don’t realize is that if you do anything right, it’s your form. If you don’t have proper form, you can get seriously injured, which later turns into an extreme hatred for the gym and all of its occupants. If you are one of the inexperienced, and somebody tells you to keep your back straight the entire time you are doing rows, I’d listen to them. Especially if they have muscles; it usually means they’ve been doing something right. The other reason these headstrong figures of noodles (I’m forever calling people who have little muscle tone noodles, which includes myself.) irritate me is the same as the 60-minute-elliptical-users. They take a lot of time to figure out one exercise, from a print out, or a magazine, they aren’t actually getting much of a workout. If you are offered a chance to workout with a group, why aren’t you taking it? You might not like their complete routine, but it gives you a base to start off with. My message to you: Take any advice about form; I’m not saying take all advice because I was advised to bench 3 times a week and all it did was make me irritated, not stronger. Also, if you’re doing something, and there’s a pinching feeling in your joints, bones, or tendons, ask for some help. You might be using the wrong weight, performing with bad form, or simply doing it wrong altogether. This can help you avoid injury, and that is a very important goal.

Old Yeller:
You know who you are. You are the person who can’t lift a weight from the rack without crying out in pure muscular excitement. The idea of your muscles all working in unison excites you so much that every single rep gets its own shout of exhilaration. I bet you think that it makes you look stronger, more intense; it doesn’t. Not only does this annoy the crap out of 90% of the people at the gym (we’ll talk about the other 10% next), but I’m pretty sure it makes some of the newer people act as if there’s about to be a bear attack. We get it, you’re hardcore, you drink protein shakes every hour because if you don’t your muscles will just drip away, and you spend more time at the gym than with a girlfriend (or boyfriend, I’ve seen a couple girls who do this.) However, every time you do this, I am the person who is lifting next to you laughing my head off. That’s right, I (and others) laugh at you. Every time. My message to you: Try to contain it to only every once in a while if you absolutely must yell, or try to just not do it at all. If you need a pair of socks to go into your mouth to make you stop, just ask, and I’ll give you a pair.

Mr. iPod:
I don’t care about your music, you shouldn’t care about mine. That’s why you most likely have a pair of headphones on. But, in case you didn’t notice, that means I shouldn’t be able to hear your music from across the gym (yes, even with the yellers in the background.) But then there’s the special 10% of the gym that should probably get their own area with padded walls and plushy weights. Why? Because you are so entranced in the latest song that came out that you become a danger to yourself and, much more importantly, to everybody else around you. I had somebody walk into me the other day. Straight up, walk into me. My Message to You: Turn it down. I really think that’s the biggest issue. If you turn it down, you can hear a lot of the noises around you, making you more attentive. If a fire broke out, we’d lose 10% of our gym members because they wouldn’t even notice, and that’s just sad.

“MINE MINE MINE!!!” Man:
This one I’m partially guilty for, and I’ll admit it. But, I’ve realized it and I’ve changed my ways as much as possible. The mine-mine-mine-man or woman knows what they’re doing, does it well, and can even educate a lot of us mere mortals on a lot of the different ways to work different muscles. But, where they fault is their location; it’s everywhere. This person uses 8 different machines in rotation, trying to do a circuit or superset or something. I understand where they are coming from, and a lot of the time, it’s brilliant. However, our gyms are becoming more packed (due to one closing and all around crappy weather.) and there isn’t any new equipment coming in. But, the cherry on the protein-filled cake in this one is when the 3M-man decides that, even though he isn’t actually on a bench, you can’t touch it. He’ll get back there, and you had better not be there when he does. My message to you: Once again, I understand where you are coming from. Try to plan your workout around the idea of only using 2 different things at once, a bench and maybe the Smith Machine. And don’t get so possessive, that’s just plain rude sometimes.

Overall, the gym is a fun place to be at and I’m sure other people out there could find something to complain about that I do (12 bathroom breaks an hour anybody???) but these are the things that all around are usually agreed on.

Have an awesome Vegan Day!! I’m going to the gym now!

Cost of being a Vegan

Sometimes when I am discussing vegetarian/vegan and so on, and a common arguement that people have is that eating a vegetarian diet would cost them too much. So, in honor of being a vegan, and having a blog (that's about it) I am going to lay out what I ate, or what I'm going to eat, and the cost, per serving, and total (if i use half an onion, i still have to buy a full onion). Then, for a cost comparison, whenever Kenny makes something with meat I'll compare the cost with my meal.

I'll start that as soon as I make a meal plan for the week, and go to the store.

On a caveat, one of my issues with the "it costs too much" argument is that a lot of times people who don't eat vegetarian only see the fake meats and cheeses and, honestly, they do cost more than the non-vegetarian types. I don't eat a lot of those... actually hardly eat them at all. Why? Well, they're not very healthy, and they taste aweful. The only time I eat any of that is soy milk, but just for my cereal, or a cream sauce. I'd love to try and make a nut milk, but I just haven't done it yet.

Tofu is one of those things that I do use, but not a lot. I have a block maybe a week for both Kenny and I. Not a block a day, but it's still a semi-staple in my diet.

That's it for now, enjoy being Vegan,
Krisitn

Vegan Challenge--Day 1

So, it is officially Day 1! I'm more excited than ever! Sounds silly, right? Well, you'd be excited too if you've got what I do to eat! I'm focusing more on planning and preparing meals so I'm not stuck in too many sticky situations. So, here's what I have done so far:

Last night, I made a (delicious) vegetable curry, with leeks, onion, garlic, bell pepper, brocolli, and tofu. I love all of those things individually, and to throw them in the same pot with delicious, creamy curry sauce just makes me smile! Then, after dinner, I made breakfast (tofu scramble) for the next few days because I'm going to have limited time to make a nutritious breakfast. Then, I packed up kenny and myself a lunch of curry with rice for today.

Ok, so yesturday's focus was on cleaning out any non-vegan food you might (and probably) have. Today, I'm going to focus on something different than what's in the book I'm reading: What to do in a rut--last minute vegan meal ideas for hungry, busy people.

First off, some things you may not know are vegan should be stated: bread (most breads, but not all) hummus, tortilla and corn chips (but if you get flavored ones, look on the ingrediants list for milk), a lot of cereals (like fruit loops, life, and reese's peanut butter puffs---all taste good with soy milk), CRACKER JACKS!, (my all time favorite sweet for road trips), ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet**look for a recipe on my other page**), and so much more.
These foods are good for one of those moments where you're starving, but just need a little of food to get you to the store... i love putting hummus on bell pepper slices!

Once you realise what else is vegan than you knew (nutter butters. nutter butters are vegan.) you can more easily find something to tie you over until you can get some real food.

I hope this helps!

The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

Hey there! So, I have an amazing book called “The 30-Day Vegan Challenge,” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. This book is pretty good, and I’ve been eating non-vegan for a while, so I thought I’d give this book another chance. It helped me last time when I was vegan for almost 2 months, and I thought I’d share some of the pointers that I love with you.

I'm not actually starting the challenge until tomorrow (due to some left over that need to be eaten) but I'm all in tomorrow!

So, for day one, the focus is stocking up a healthy, animal-free kitchen. The main point that she brings up is that once you go through your fridge and get rid of all meat, dairy, and egg products, and other products containing them, the average American has hardly anything less. Now, if you, the reader, differs, and have a bunch of fruits, veggies, and what not, then I’m impressed. Even as a Vegetarian attempting to be Vegan, I had to get rid of some things.
Another point that’s made, is if you are doing this challenge, you don’t necessarily have to get rid of everything. You can eat through it, donate it, bring some into work (if you have enough eggs for all of those ravenous coworkers.) But, make sure that there are some healthy replacements; nobody wants to open a fridge with a lone apple from that time your neighbor was trying to be nice.
Foods like canned beans, dried beans (ones that you like, of course), fruits and vegetables, and grains are good to have. I always make sure that I have apples, rice, quinoa, a block of tofu, a bag of lentils, and a can of beans left on hand, because that’s what I know that I like.
If you do decide to go on this challenge with me, feel free to jump in at any time! The first few days are stuff that you usually have to do all at once (tomorrow being about the cost benefit of eating vegan), so missing the first few days is totally fine.

Also, tomorrow, I'll be touching on the healthy benefits of eating a Vegan diet.

Can't wait for tomorrow!
Kristin