Day 1

Hey, everyone!

I'm halfway through day 1!  I started drinking A LOT of Pepsi over the last few months.  I've become so addicted to the sugar and caffeine that I started drinking a Pepsi upon waking up.  I felt like I NEEDED it, which I'm ashamed to admit.  Certain studies indicate that sugar is more addictive than cocaine!  Breaking my addiction to sugar and caffeine may be a bigger challenge than eliminating animal products.  

I also have a habit of staying up too late.  As a single mom, I love having some time at night to myself.  Once my son is asleep, I'm able to enjoy the quiet, watch some television, or work on homework.  I really value this time but only a couple of hours would suffice.  Even when I try to get to sleep earlier in the night, I have a very difficult time falling asleep.  I believe my caffeine consumption is contributing to this change in my sleep patterns.  

Because I'm not a morning person, I decided to make our breakfast for today last night.  I have been considering my weak areas which may have made me fail at health goals in the past.  Ideally, I would wake up early and the smell of a delicious breakfast would waft through the house as I prepare it.  This hasn't been realistic for me in the past and it's silly to think it will be now.  While I was  up watching television last night, I whipped up some apple cinnamon oatmeal.  

It only takes about 20 minutes to make homemade oatmeal, but the insanity of my morning zombie mode makes getting in the car and driving to a drive through window seem easier.  It's crazy, I know!  

I used one:

1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

1 cup of old fashioned oats

2 cups of water

cinnamon

Simply boil the water, add the apple chunks and boil for 5-10 minutes, until soft.  Add the oats and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Mix in cinnamon to taste and store in the fridge until morning.  Serves 2. 

This recipe used to satisfy my taste-buds but, because of my sugar addiction, it was too bland.  The next morning, I reheated the oatmeal on the stove with some vanilla almond milk and a tablespoon of maple syrup.  I am trying to avoid adding sweeteners (like maple syrup) but decided I can wean myself off of sweetness over time.  

For me, planning ahead and preparing things at convenient times is the key to success.  Play to your strengths!

About Me

About Me

Hi, I’m Molly.  I am a 27 year old mother from Michigan.  Molly MacVegan will focus on my journey to becoming a vegan.  There is a crisis surrounding our food industry in the United States.  Many documentaries explain the dangers of the American diet and the cruelty to animals within the food industry. 

When my son was a year old he transitioned from breast milk to cow’s milk.  For the next year and a half he experienced frequent ear infections, colds, and allergies.  My mother suggested I consider removing milk from his diet.  Milk was the only thing he consumed every day so I thought I would give it a try.  After removing milk from his diet 3 years ago, he has not suffered from an ear infection since.

Over the last seven years, I have struggled with managing my weight and health.  Food has become an addiction in my life.  I have tried many methods to improve my health and reach my weight loss goals…Weight Watchers, counting calories, exercising excessively.  Although I may have had temporary success, I always ended up putting the weight back on. 

In the last year, I have been noticing significant problems with my health.  I am sick.  I am poisoning my body with food.  I am experiencing pain in my knees and become winded upon walking up a flight of stairs. I experience extreme fatigue and lack of energy.  I have frequent headaches and sinus infections.  I have started to experience acid reflux issues and have even been woken up in the night because of this.  I am snoring and snoring LOUDLY, which may be impacting my sleep cycles. 

The bottom line is, I am the mother of an active 5 year old boy who needs his mom to be healthy.  I became vegetarian last year but that meant I increased my consumption of dairy products significantly.  After discussion with others and research, I am a firm believer in the health benefits and healing components of a plant based diet. 

My blog will document my journey to becoming a vegan.  I will share recipes, ideas, struggles, and successes as I change my life.  I will also explore the importance of the anti-cruelty movement and protection of all animals.

Please read the following article which gives a little information about someone who already made this transition and turned their health around:

Making the switch to Vegan