VEGAN

I'm surviving! I'm not starving!

Although it did take a rather long and extensive trip to the grocery store (preceded by some good research) I have been able to keep to my goals and not wither away in the process. I want to particularly thank Marina for taking the time to relay to me some of the specific nutritional challenges I would face and how I could overcome them. I also want to shout out a thanks to Marcy, Andie, and Zoe for their tips as well!

She stressed that I should be getting enough protein, and I "whey"ed in that I didn't want to overdose on soy because of the estrogen and the GMOs. So we figured that beans, nuts, and nut butter would suffice if taken in addition to a moderate amount of soy. Apparently B12 will be a difficult vitamin to come by since it's most common source is in fortified cereals (which is not what my organic cereal is). Marina also suggested that I eat certain foods in combination in order to get the most nutritional value from them: eating citrus with spinach helps unlock it's true potential!

I'm also relying on my chia seeds to help keep me energized during a run. On the whole I've had enough energy for doing things and haven't felt weak... but I have had a few occasions where I feel a little bit light headed when going from lying down to standing up. I would guess that this is due to low iron. What can I do to get iron aside from red meat or pills?

I learned that dried prunes should not be consumed in the quantity that my hunger recommended. Bad idea.