its MORE than a "diet", it's a LIFESTLYE CHANGE!

Hello my beautiful friends! Hope all is well with you all & I apologize for the lack of blogs for those who enjoy reading them. I have been super busy, but I am back now! Yay!

 

So, today's blog title is pretty much self explanatory. In this blog I will be talking about DIET < LIFESTYLE CHANGE. As many of you may or may not know(and what a great way for those who don't know to get informed via my blog) On January 5, 2013, I decided to make a HUGE change in my eating habit which included me eliminating all meats out of my diet except for fish. 
Does this mean I am a vegetarian? No, of course not because we all know that a vegetarian diet consist of  NO consumption of meat. In my case, because I do eat fish only, I would be considered a pescatarian. Now, what is a pescatarian diet? 

A Pescetarian diet typically includes some or all of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, & dairy. Pescatarianism is the practice of a diet that includes seafood, and excludes other animals. I do not consume any meat from any animal. I do understand and some people have question,

• How do you get your protein intake?
• Is it hard not eating burgers, steak, and chicken?
• Do you plan on doing this for the rest of your life?

To answer these questions: 1. Beans are rich sources of protein, and are often used as meat replacements in vegetarian and vegan diets. A cup of soybeans provides 28.62g of protein, or more then half of the daily recommended intake. 2. Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream all help boost protein levels in the diet. A 1-cup serving of 2 percent cow's milk contains about 8.13g of protein. 3. Eggs are commonly used in breakfast items, cakes, cookies and other foods. These foods provide a wealth of nutrients, such as B vitamins and amino acid. Eggs also help boost protein in the diet -- one medium egg contains about 6g of protein, or about 12 percent of the daily recommended intake. 4. Several other food can provide in a diet. grains such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat bread are abundant sources of protein. Nuts, such as peanuts and almonds, can also boost protein intake. People who choose not to eat meat products can also derive protein from meat-replacements such as tempeh, tofu, veggie burgers and seitan.

**It isn't hard for me to stay away from meat only because I never cared for it anyway. Ground beef was a favorite only because I LOVE mexican food, but I also have the choice to recreate my favorite mexican dish using no meat and still get the same great taste vegan style! Ha!

**I do plan on carrying this throughout the remainder of my life. I have gained so many great benefits from my new lifestyle such as weight loss, self discipline, I have not suffered a migraine since I have taken on this lifestyle. I also have discovered great, new and healthy food such a Kale and Quinoa. Kale is a hardy cabbage of a variety that produces erect stems with large leaves and no compact head. It also is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron. 

Quinoa is usually considered to be a while grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. It is also high in fiber and protein! 

**So this is what helps me to achieve and reach my goal in my "get fit" journey. I do encourage those who seek to get fit & get healthy, to do what works for you! In my case this works for me and with my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training along with 5 days a week workout plans I plan on being in the BEST shape of my life!