The last thing we need is another Covid post, right?!
But, I think it’s safe to say that the current global pandemic has meant we all have more time, more time to think, more time to spend with our immediate families and more time for self-care…… it’s one of the small positives to come out of this awful situation.
I haven’t written a blog for a while and truth be told it’s because I have let my self care go. Life has swallowed me up, working, being a mum and a wife, maintaining a home and now being a home school teacher too….. it’s all been intensely overwhelming recently and so the focus on nutrition has slipped. But my new found lockdown lifestyle has given me some much needed headspace back. There are no school runs, no football clubs or scouts. I don’t have to fit in trips to the gym and whilst I love visiting my extended family, being isolated from them means less time out socialising. I have started reading again, I feel more rested and I have started to re-focus on nutrition and exercise.
I have started to spend more time planning our family meals, ensuring that we are getting our 5 a day and that we are maintaining the vegan lifestyle that made us feel so great at the beginning of the year.
If I’m honest….. we’ve slipped, we slipped a long way but I don’t feel guilty about it because in these times we need to look at the positives and well, I’m only human. No ones perfect!!
With that in mind, here’s what has been good and what we have managed to maintain since we finished Veganuary:
1. Plant milk is still the best…… we have continued to use dairy alternatives to milk. Almond, oat, coconut and soya we use them all, we much prefer them to cows milk and don’t think we’ll ever go back. Our Veganuary journey has well and truly embedded dairy-free milk into our lives!
2. Dairy- free butter….. we only use this too. But, that’s an easy one because who can really tell the difference. It takes no adjustment to use a sunflower spread instead!
3. Lovely lentils….. before I started my vegan journey I had never cooked a lentil. I had eaten them in restaurants and love them but just never know what to do with them at home. Not any more!! Lentils are now a staple in our diets. Lentil bolognaise, lentil cottage pie, dhals and Buddha bowls. They are a great meat alternative and as an added bonus, the kids love them.
4. Much, much less meat…. we were full blown carnivores up until 1st January 2020, we ate meat in some form for lunch and dinner every day. For Veganuary we gave it up completely and really didn’t miss it but as our habits slipped a little, we found ourselves eating some meat and fish although no where near what we used to, probably 2-3 meals per week. I’m proud of the fact that we haven’t gone back completely and although I want to rein it in again now. It’s still quite an achievement from the meat eaters we were before.
So, on reflection there is lots to be positive about but still plenty of room for improvement. Over the next few weeks I really want to focus on a few specific things….. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?
1. Eat a rainbow….. making sure we beat the beige and get a full spectrum of colours in our diets. I love smoothies and they’re a great way to pack in the fruit and veg. As a working mum, it’s a really quick breakfast to have on the go, this is going to be my ‘go to’ breakfast. I’ll share some of my favourites in the coming weeks.
2. Beat the meat…. it’s got to go! I’ve found that eating meat brings me no joy whatsoever. It’s what I call a ‘filler’ food. It just bulks out your plate, there’s not much to it otherwise. I prefer the alternatives and their much tastier too!
3. Move that ass….. covid lockdown has made me so lazy and a knee injury meant I couldn’t run anymore. I’m committed now to doing the strength building I need to get my knee strong enough to get me running again. I’ll start small, using some apps at home to gets the heart rate going but I’m aiming to start Couch to 5km again in June!
So, there it is my commitment to myself and my family over the next few weeks and months. It feels good to write it down and ‘say’ it out loud to all of you.
I am the world’s worst for self-care, I rarely make the time to reflect on what would make me happier and/or healthier and do things for me. I’m always thinking about what the kids need or what how I can give more time and energy to my job.
But, this unique situation we find ourselves in is the perfect time for some self-reflection. If we have learnt anything it’s that life is fragile and we only get one shot at it. So, take some time to evaluate what makes/ would make you happy and then make a set a commitment to yourself to achieve it! It’s not selfish to practise some self-care!
I’d love you to share some of your own self-care goals below.
Take care, stay safe, stay home! x
Vegan(ish) 