Because I am Homebased

With a cup of latte and 2 pieces of bread lightly slathered with crunchy peanut butter and red raspberry preserves for breakfast, 3 hours later my blood sugar level was 87 mg/dl.

Yey!

This wasn't the case before my lifestyle changed. It was alarmingly high.

Then, I got a private message from a friend in the early afternoon---maybe after I had lunch. She said, her blood sugar level when she woke up earlier was 247 mg/dl. Then, she retested it again while we were still chatting. It was 287 mg/dl. According to her, it used to be 300 mg/dl. Sometimes even higher.

I told her my results were high before too (but honestly, not as super high as hers), but after I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives, I changed my eating habits and lifestyle. Then she added, "Maayo man ka kay home based ra man imong work." (Good for you because you work from home.)

Yup, what she said was true. But just because I work from home doesn't mean I do not work as much as people who go to work.

The moment the mister leaves the house to work, I change clothes and go to work too. Pajamas and slippers is not allowed at work.

This is sometimes a daily routine.
- answer inquiries
- clean fabrics with lint remover or with fabric shaver
- pack and ship items
- wash and clean stains (sometimes soak them if it is needed)
- alter clothes that have missing buttons, a tear, or missing beads
- iron clothes
- take photos
- edit photos
- research about the items to be listed and other informations
- list items; goal is 20 items in both stores (This takes long also because you have to measure and describe each item)
- drop packages at the post office
- go sourcing (this is not a daily routine, but maybe once to twice a week)

There is no time for lounging while at work because I set listing goals daily, and sale goals monthly. It's a one-woman show so I make use of my time as much as possible.

Yes, I do not have a boss because I am the one. But that doesn't mean I relax and do not work as hard and as much as people who have a boss and those who goes to work.

While driving to pick up the boy in school yesterday afternoon, I suddenly remembered Bobby Anderson aka The Plant-Fueled Trucker . I read about his story at the Forks Over Knives web site when I started my plant based diet. He cooks from his truck, and sometimes while on transit.

So, my point is, going to work, and having an erratic work school schedule is not a reason for being unhealthy, not physically fit or having an uncontrolled diabetes. Not having a typical kitchen is not another excuse too.  If you really want to change your lifestyle, you will find all the reasons to be able to start, do, and achieve it.

Today, I fixed a late dinner. Because I had so much work today, (and not from an office outside the house, DUH!) does not mean I can't fix a healthy dinner.

For dinner, I had a super food! Miso Soup is a no-oil and a plant based soup. It's Wakame, tofu, miso in kelp broth. I ate it with half a cup of steamed Jasmine rice topped with onion adobo. The onion is sauteed in a little water, added with Tamari, vinegar, a little coconut sugar, and pepper.



P.S. A plant based food does not take a lot of time to prepare and cook. There are even plants that are best served fresh. You don't tenderize, marinate, boil, roast, smoke, bake, broil and grill vegetables for 45 minutes to 2 hours or even more.  Gets?

All The Food From My Kitchen

Late last year, the mister decided to join me in my plant-based journey. Fortunately, the boy came with us too. He said, he had no choice. Hehehe. He is the only one at home who occasionally still eats a hotdog or ham. But still I am really proud of these two. They are probably about 80% plant based while I am at 95%.

I am always asked what we eat at home. They really thought we only eat salad, and we don't eat rice. We eat brown and white rice, and quinoa. We also love brown rice pasta, potatoes and sweet potatoes. It's only me who loves a bowl of oatmeal with fruits, nuts. and chia seeds.

They thought that the plant-based diet is not filling, and that traditional Filipino dishes couldn't be delicious without the meat. By the way, we don't deprive ourselves from having healthy in-between meals a.k.a. snacks. Aren't that great?

I was at a gathering last year, and an older lady said that there are vegetarian dishes on the table but all have meat either pork and chicken in it for flavor.

When I heard that, I chuckled. A dish can never be called vegetarian if there is meat in it. And what flavor?

These are the food that I prepare for my boys and I, and what is really best with preparing vegetables is it is so quick and easy to cook. I have not used our slow cooker and pressure cooker for years.

Remember the Beri Gud blog post? This was what I cooked with the bok choy we bought at the Asian grocery store. No oil, seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and Unagi Sushi sauce plus a little cornstarch diluted in water. The mister loved this so much. In fact, we are having this again tomorrow.


This is my no oil, no pork,  no shrimp, and no fish sauce version of Pinakbet. Bitter melon, eggplant, calabaza, tomato, onion, garlic, okra seasoned with a little Tamari, pepper and salt.


Not-ginisang (not sauteed in oil) monggo. Bok choy, boiled mung beans, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and onion seasoned with a little Tamari, salt, and pepper.


This has cheese and olive oil, and considered a vegetarian dish.  Pesto Pasta with sun dried tomatoes.


Vegetable red curry. Broccoli, calabaza, bell pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic in red curry and coconut milk seasoned with coconut sugar, salt and pepper.


No oil, and all vegetable paksiw. Bitter melon, eggplant, ginger, onion, bay leaf, garlic in vinegar and water seasoned with salt and pepper.


No-oil eggplant in Unagi sushi sauce.


I loved a beef chili bowl before. In fact, the boys love it too topped with spring onion, fresh tomatoes, and freshly grated Cheddar cheese. Now, this is my no meat, no beans version. Baked sweet potato on the side seasoned with salt and pepper.


On days that I feel heavy or I'm just too busy, this is what I prepare. Potatoes, bok choy or any greens of choice, onion and ginger on clear broth seasoned with salt and pepper. If I do not have potatoes in my kitchen, I just cook it with all green leaves. The boy would tease me, and would call it a Salad Soup.


This isn't Filipino but Korean's Japchae. Sweet Potato noodles, all the vegetables in my kitchen like broccoli, carrots, Bok choy (only the leaves), onion, sesame seeds, and tofu seasoned with pepper, salt, brown sugar, and a little Tamari. This has sesame oil but considered vegetarian too. And another thing, I realized that this dish is just perfect sans the tofu.


Pansit Bihon with bok choy leaves, carrots (hidden), cabbage (I only have the purple kind), garlic and onion. Served with banana and orange slices.


As I said, the boys aren't close to a hundred percent plant based, and their choice of meat are wild caught salmon and chicken breast. This is my Adobong Seared Salmon. I really wish you can smell this from your computer screen. It really smells good, and according to everyone who've tasted it that it tastes so good too.


Giniling na baboy (ground or minced pork) with potatoes, carrots, and green peas was a bi-monthly menu back in the day. This is the kind I prepare for everyone now. By the way, these are the only vegetables left in my kitchen. I really need to go grocery shopping again.


Eating healthy and the plant-based diet isn't expensive at all. In fact, getting sick and maintaining a cocktail of prescription drugs are a hundredfold more expensive. I have realized that I have one life and one body, and loving me is taking care of me. I didn't love the guilt I felt in every bite in an unhealthy diet. I also thought that my family and I are undeserving of the endless anguish every time I visit my doctor, go through lab works, countless X-rays and breast exam screenings, wait for results, and even go under the knife due to complications of my diseases.

I chose edible plants as my medicine. I am getting better, and I am really close to the achievable goals I've set when I started this journey. My doctor has lowered the dosages of my medicines, and some are discontinued already. On top of the new lifestyle, I lost weight.

Weight loss was not a goal at all. I just wanted to stop my doctor to prescribing me with more medicine. How wonderful was the bonus of my plant-based journey!

I am not pushing our lifestyle down your throat. This post is particularly to those readers and followers who are planning to jump into the pond with me, or those who have started it already like my little sister down under.

Eat like there's no tomorrow, or eat like there is tomorrow. Always choose the latter. 

Vegetable Thai Red Curry

Every time I share a photo of my plant based meal to my little sister in Australia via Viber or Instagram direct message, she would always ask for recipes. She would also tell me that some of her friends would want to know too.

Actually, I adjust classic recipes into plant based and no-oil recipes, like this Thai red curry. This is my vegetable red curry.

You'll need:
2 to 3 tbs water (This is used instead of the oil for sauteing.)
1 tbs Thai red curry paste

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, pressed and minced

ginger (about a thumb size), peeled and cut into strips
1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
2 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste (about half of a teaspoon)

1 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal about 1/4" thickness

Butternut squash, cut into bite sizes (about 2 to 3 cups) 

broccoli (1 large head, cut into individual florets)

red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 tbs light soy sauce (I used Organic Tamari Gluten Free soy sauce)

2 tsp vinegar


What to do:
1) Add about 1 tbs water or a little more to pan on medium heat. Add red curry in pan. Add onion. Stir often. Add a little more water if pan dried out. Add garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2) Add 3/4 of a can of coconut milk. Stir. Season with salt and add 2 tsp. brown sugar. Stir.

3) Add carrots. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add Butternut squash, and simmer for another 3 minutes or until fork tender.

4) Add broccoli and bell pepper. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

5) Turn off heat. Then add soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 of coconut milk from the can to pot, then stir. Adjust seasoning if needed---a little more salt.

6) Served with hot piping steamed rice.



That plate (on above photo) isn't mine. It's the mister's. He plates his food at dinner time like he's the chef. The black spots on the white rice are Harmony blend quinoa.

Let me know if you've tried this recipe.

To my little sister, stop "harassing" me for all my plant based recipes. Hehehe. I'll share more next time. I promise.

Here's to all herbivores!

Avocado

I was deciding on what to eat for dinner today. I made chili for the boys, and I planned on cooking vegetable soup (potato, kale, tomato, onion, ginger, and okra) for me. My veggie soup would be so perfect for today's mid 20s °F temperature, but feels like it's 14°F. Brrr to the bones. As I have shared before, I have been eating strictly plant-based food on weekdays.

Today, all I was sure of was I wanted to eat bananas and avocado. So I scrapped the soup, and made a small amount of oatmeal and added my fruits in it.

Don't judge. This change of lifestyle has totally made me, and my body very happy, and healthy! My last visit to the doctor was fantastic. She said, "I don't know what changes you made, but just keep doing it! You're doing great!"

P.S. Before I introduced my body to all plant based food, I was extremely allergic to avocado, and some fruits. After a few months of the diet, my mouth and my throat doesn't get super itchy anymore if I have bites of it.