My perseverance is being tested. Week one was surprisingly easy. Not only did I not have any issues sticking to my diet, but my head pain was the lowest it had been in months. I only had to take a major abortive one day out of the seven. Life was great rolling into week two. Then...my migraines decided to return home from their mini-vacation. Day after day, I was experiencing major head pain, and I had to take a major abortive almost every day. This, of course, made following a strict vegan diet slightly more difficult, but I was still managing surprisingly well.
Life wasn't so great rolling into week three. The daily onslaught of migraines continued day after day. I seemed to finally get a break yesterday (Although, I'm now fighting a cold instead.). I'm not sure what caused the week and a half long continuous migraine. I imagine it's probably my body's response to being taken off of a couple of medications. With that in mind, I do believe the diet is still helping, significantly, actually, even though it may not seem that way.
Although, I'll admit, it has gotten more difficult to stick to since week three began. There have even been a couple of times during this past week where I imagined myself doing a face dive into an extra-large cheese pizza. These cravings have been even more difficult to control because my pain levels have been so high, but so far, I haven't ate any animal products (purposefully) since January 31st. I say, purposefully, because I ordered Chinese the other weekend, and I ate the fortune cookie at the end of my meal without even thinking about it, and as it turns out, fortune cookies are made with eggs...whoops! But I promise you, it was completely innocent.
Even most of my eating-out-experiences have been easily navigated. On Friday night, my boyfriend, Aaron, and I went to a local Mexican chain with some friends for drinks and dinner. I ordered the mushroom fajitas, hold the cheese and sour cream, and substituted black beans for the refried, and everything was absolutely delicious. I didn't feel deprived at all. However, the next day at brunch, I wasn't quite so lucky. For those of you who don't know, brunch with bottomless mimosas or Bloody Mary's is big in DC. My girlfriend had been trying to get me and Aaron to go out to brunch with her and her husband for a few weeks now so I finally agreed. She picked the spot with a three-course brunch that she had been wanting to try for awhile and even called the restaurant to make sure that they could accommodate my dietary needs. After reviewing the shortened brunch menu, it was apparent they didn't offer any vegan dishes so I ordered a salad without cheese for my appetizer and a fruit plate for dessert, and as for my main meal, I told them to just make me something vegan. My salad was delicious, and I was hungry and excited to see what my main course was going to be. That is, until it was brought out and I was given a plate of stemmed vegetables. Really, stemmed vegetables?! That's the best you could do?! Everyone else had chicken and waffles or eggs and bacon, and here I am with stemmed carrots, broccoli, asparagus and a couple of cherry tomatoes. Everyone at the table felt terrible for me, and I was immediately embarrassed so I asked our waiter to at least bring me some potatoes too. If I hadn't been slightly drunk from my bottomless mimosa, I probably would have been more upset, but at least I wasn't thirsty. This was the first time I felt like an outcast for being vegan, and unfortunately, I'm sure it won't be my last, but overall, it's mostly been good experiences. Next time, I'll just have to be much more specific when I order, which I certainly will be.
You live and you learn...
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
what i've been eating
So...what have I been eating? All sorts of deliciousness! This week I made several recipes from the vegan cookbook, Veganomicon, thanks to my amazing baby sister who gave this book to me as a gift over the holidays. I whipped up vegan sloppy joes made with lentils and chili powder, sauteed seitan with mushrooms and spinach, and grilled pineapples and portabellas. The sloppy joes weren't my favorite, but I loved the seitan dish. Although it looks kind of disgusting, seitan is actually a great substitute for meat, not to mention, so much healthier for you. My favorite recipe this week though was by far, the vegan blueberry brownies. These babies were to die for - better than any other brownies I've ever had!
Even eating out hasn't been an issue. My boyfriend, Aaron, and I had lunch at a local Ethiopian restaurant last Saturday. I ordered the vegetarian tibs served on Ethiopian bread. This was our first time eating Ethiopian food, and we both enjoyed our dishes. Aaron actually liked my vegetarian tibs over his lamb. I'm still undecided on the Ethiopian bread, but I would certainly try it again. I mean, the place even serves vegan pastries!
Let's see, what else...One night Aaron and I ordered Thai from our favorite Thai place. My normal go-to is chicken Pad Thai, and I knew I would have to hold the chicken and eggs, but I didn't realize the entire dish was tossed in fish sauce. However, I was able to have them hold the fish sauce in addition to the eggs (and chicken). It was still really delicious, but I definitely missed the fish sauce. The noodles just get stuck together, and it's much drier without it, but I like my Pad Thai spicy, which I think helped.
As you can tell, I've been eating well! I can't wait to continue cooking new meals and experiencing my favorite restaurants and cuisines in a whole new "vegan" light.
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| Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies |
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| Vegetarian tibs served on Ethiopian bread |
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| Pad Thai |
I also had Chipotle, which is always amazing. I ordered a burrito bowl with rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and salsa. I really wanted guacamole, but I'm not allowed to have avocados as I have to keep my fat intake low. However, it was still beyond delicious.
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| Chipotle burrito bowl with chips and salsa |
one week down
I've officially been a vegan for one week now, and it's going great! I wanted to post sooner, but I've just been so busy. Leading up to this diet change, I was nervous and anxious, yet excited all at the same time.
I was nervous because I didn't know if I would be able to do it. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest - I was raised on meat and potatoes. Can I really give up meat and dairy? I was also nervous because I wasn't sure I'd be able to follow the diet. I've never been much of a dieter because....well, probably because I never thought I'd be able to follow it or I guess I just never wanted to. I've always been the type to just eat what I want when I want it.
I was anxious because going vegan was going to be such a big lifestyle change. I felt that I had so much to do. I had to clean out the pantry and the fridge; I had to go through all the food we already had and label what I could and what I couldn't eat. Then I had to make several trips to the local grocery store, then Whole Foods, then back to the local grocery store. On top of that I had to read each and every label of each and every food I bought...talk about exhausting (and time consuming)! Now, how to store all of this stuff and cook it? That led to several trips to and from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and The Container Store, and back again. Aaaah! In the end though, it was all worth, and once everything was organized my anxiety subsided.
Now, the excitement took over. Everything was organized, my fridge and pantry were stocked, and I was ready to go! Day 1 came and went, then Day 2, and I couldn't believe how easy it was. I haven't had any cravings for meat or cheese, I haven't been tempted as people ate restricted items right in front of me, I haven't been hungry or felt deprived in any way. I'm just shocked by how great I'm doing and how easy it's been! I don't think I've ever followed a diet for this long :p As if that weren't enough, I feel great! I'm not "cured" of my migraines by any means, but my pain level has decreased dramatically since Day 1. I still have some head pain everyday, but it's nothing compared to what it has been, and I've been functional almost everyday this week. Of course, I still experience a multitude of side effects from all of the medication that I'm on, but if the side effects are my biggest complaint rather than the pain, I know I'm on to something. On top of that, my doctors are changing a few of my medications around right now. The last time they did that I was practically bedridden for a month. I just can't believe not only how great I feel, but how great I feel while undergoing all of these medication changes. I'm flabbergasted! I haven't felt this great in years. I thought this diet change would help, but I didn't think it would help this much, and I certainly didn't think it would work so quickly. I hope things only continue to improve from here.
I was nervous because I didn't know if I would be able to do it. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest - I was raised on meat and potatoes. Can I really give up meat and dairy? I was also nervous because I wasn't sure I'd be able to follow the diet. I've never been much of a dieter because....well, probably because I never thought I'd be able to follow it or I guess I just never wanted to. I've always been the type to just eat what I want when I want it.
I was anxious because going vegan was going to be such a big lifestyle change. I felt that I had so much to do. I had to clean out the pantry and the fridge; I had to go through all the food we already had and label what I could and what I couldn't eat. Then I had to make several trips to the local grocery store, then Whole Foods, then back to the local grocery store. On top of that I had to read each and every label of each and every food I bought...talk about exhausting (and time consuming)! Now, how to store all of this stuff and cook it? That led to several trips to and from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and The Container Store, and back again. Aaaah! In the end though, it was all worth, and once everything was organized my anxiety subsided.
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| A glimpse into my pantry |
Monday, January 28, 2013
the down low
Here's the deal: I have migraines, lots and lots of migraines, and they suck. For as long as I can remember, I've been suffering from this terrible neurological disease. I can't even begin to relay how many important events I've missed in my life because of these horrific headaches. For example, I can recall spending one of my first dates with my boyfriend of almost nine years in the bathroom of the restaurant vomiting my brains out because of a migraine. However, about three years ago, things really took a turn for the worst, and before I knew what was happening to me, I was experiencing head pain everyday. Now, here I am today, three years later, and I'm still experiencing a migraine day in and day out.
Before I move on, I need to explain what exactly a migraine is in case you're one of the lucky few who have never experienced one. A migraine is not just a headache, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Your typical headache involves the constriction of the blood vessels on the outside the your head. This vasoconstriction is what causes that tightening and pain one refers to as a plain old headache Now, don't get me wrong, headaches of any sort suck, but with your typical headache you can pop a couple of aspirin and go on with your day. A migraine on the other hand is an entirely different story. It involves the dilation of the blood vessels within your brain itself. This dilation typically occurs on just one of the brain, but that doesn't mean the pain is only half as bad - it's horrific. The vasodilation increases blood flow to the brain causing it to swell and because of those wonderful skulls we all have to protect our most precious organ, the brain tissue has nowhere to go causing the intense throbbing pain associated with a migraine. The pain radiates deep within your head behind your eye. It literally feels like your brain is going to explode. All you can think about is shoving an ice pick through your eye or chopping half of your head off with an ax and I'm not kidding. If you experience migraines, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Not only is the pain unbearable and debilitating, but a migraine affects your entire body as well. There is increased sensitivity to light and sound in addition to nausea and vomiting, and if you're like me and experience migraines chronically, there are a host of other symptoms that I experience. So anyone out there that says migraine patients just need to take a few aspirins and suck it up, simply has no idea what he or she is talking about!
Experiencing one migraine in a lifetime is enough for anyone to have to endure, now imagine enduring that everyday for years. For patients like me, that's the reality. I've had to quit my job and school, hell, I'm barely even able to leave my apartment on most days. But don't misunderstand. I am not a hypochondriac, I'm not lazy nor do I feel sorry for myself. In fact, I'm the strongest person I know. I've had migraines for more than 20 years, and I have never gone to the ER in order to get drugs to find relief. Even as a child, I just sucked it up by going into a dark room and burying my head into a pillow. I never even went to a neurologist until my migraines became chronic, and for these past three years, I have been nothing less than proactive in getting rid of these damn migraines. I see a neurologist over 400 miles away because she's the best one I've found so far, I now have a specialist for every 10 inches of my body because I experience so many different symptoms from the migraines or side effects from medication, I have had at least one doctor's appointment a week for the past year. I've tried everything. I've been on medication, after medication, after medication. One of the medications I'm on now is so dangerous that I have to stop taking it every six months and have a CT scan, echo-cardiogram and X-ray done just to make sure it hasn't damaged any of my internal organs. I've seen naturalists to chiropractors. I've had surgery on my head and neck more than six times. I've tried biofeedback therapy and meditation and acupuncture I was hospitalized for over two weeks in a hospital with a specialized head pain unit. I get Botox injections every three months. You name it, I've tried it, and nothing has worked. It's outrageous, and I'm at my wits end!
The one and only thing I haven't tried yet is a radical diet change, and it's something I've been thinking about for a long time, I just didn't even know where to start. Then one night a few months ago, I Googled "vegan diet for migraine." I was surprised with the abundance of positive results many a people had with a strict vegan diet in terms of reducing their migraines and it got me thinking, maybe this would work? Then the very next morning, I was on my way to a doctor's appointment when I spotted a huge banner in the metro that read, "Want to join one of our research studies testing whether changes to your diet can improve or reduce pain? Learn more about our migraine headache studies at..." I couldn't believe it! After that experience, I'm not sure I believe in coincidence anymore. That very same day, I gave the study a call and was scheduled for an in-person interview. After the interview, I was immediately invited to participate in the study, which includes two parts. One part of the study looks at the effects of a strict low-fat vegan migraine elimination diet (That's a mouthful!) on head pain, whereas the other part of the study includes taking a pill of essential fatty acids or a placebo. Both parts each last 16 weeks with a four week break in between each part. During my first evaluation earlier this month, I was randomly selected to participate in the vegan diet first. I was thrilled as I did not want to wait another 20 weeks to start this diet! After talking to the lead physician of the study and doing my own research, I truly believe this diet is going to be the treatment I've been searching so desperately for. Food is going to be my new medicine, and I cannot wait to begin this journey. Goodbye migraines, hello chickpeas!
Before I move on, I need to explain what exactly a migraine is in case you're one of the lucky few who have never experienced one. A migraine is not just a headache, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Your typical headache involves the constriction of the blood vessels on the outside the your head. This vasoconstriction is what causes that tightening and pain one refers to as a plain old headache Now, don't get me wrong, headaches of any sort suck, but with your typical headache you can pop a couple of aspirin and go on with your day. A migraine on the other hand is an entirely different story. It involves the dilation of the blood vessels within your brain itself. This dilation typically occurs on just one of the brain, but that doesn't mean the pain is only half as bad - it's horrific. The vasodilation increases blood flow to the brain causing it to swell and because of those wonderful skulls we all have to protect our most precious organ, the brain tissue has nowhere to go causing the intense throbbing pain associated with a migraine. The pain radiates deep within your head behind your eye. It literally feels like your brain is going to explode. All you can think about is shoving an ice pick through your eye or chopping half of your head off with an ax and I'm not kidding. If you experience migraines, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Not only is the pain unbearable and debilitating, but a migraine affects your entire body as well. There is increased sensitivity to light and sound in addition to nausea and vomiting, and if you're like me and experience migraines chronically, there are a host of other symptoms that I experience. So anyone out there that says migraine patients just need to take a few aspirins and suck it up, simply has no idea what he or she is talking about!
Experiencing one migraine in a lifetime is enough for anyone to have to endure, now imagine enduring that everyday for years. For patients like me, that's the reality. I've had to quit my job and school, hell, I'm barely even able to leave my apartment on most days. But don't misunderstand. I am not a hypochondriac, I'm not lazy nor do I feel sorry for myself. In fact, I'm the strongest person I know. I've had migraines for more than 20 years, and I have never gone to the ER in order to get drugs to find relief. Even as a child, I just sucked it up by going into a dark room and burying my head into a pillow. I never even went to a neurologist until my migraines became chronic, and for these past three years, I have been nothing less than proactive in getting rid of these damn migraines. I see a neurologist over 400 miles away because she's the best one I've found so far, I now have a specialist for every 10 inches of my body because I experience so many different symptoms from the migraines or side effects from medication, I have had at least one doctor's appointment a week for the past year. I've tried everything. I've been on medication, after medication, after medication. One of the medications I'm on now is so dangerous that I have to stop taking it every six months and have a CT scan, echo-cardiogram and X-ray done just to make sure it hasn't damaged any of my internal organs. I've seen naturalists to chiropractors. I've had surgery on my head and neck more than six times. I've tried biofeedback therapy and meditation and acupuncture I was hospitalized for over two weeks in a hospital with a specialized head pain unit. I get Botox injections every three months. You name it, I've tried it, and nothing has worked. It's outrageous, and I'm at my wits end!
The one and only thing I haven't tried yet is a radical diet change, and it's something I've been thinking about for a long time, I just didn't even know where to start. Then one night a few months ago, I Googled "vegan diet for migraine." I was surprised with the abundance of positive results many a people had with a strict vegan diet in terms of reducing their migraines and it got me thinking, maybe this would work? Then the very next morning, I was on my way to a doctor's appointment when I spotted a huge banner in the metro that read, "Want to join one of our research studies testing whether changes to your diet can improve or reduce pain? Learn more about our migraine headache studies at..." I couldn't believe it! After that experience, I'm not sure I believe in coincidence anymore. That very same day, I gave the study a call and was scheduled for an in-person interview. After the interview, I was immediately invited to participate in the study, which includes two parts. One part of the study looks at the effects of a strict low-fat vegan migraine elimination diet (That's a mouthful!) on head pain, whereas the other part of the study includes taking a pill of essential fatty acids or a placebo. Both parts each last 16 weeks with a four week break in between each part. During my first evaluation earlier this month, I was randomly selected to participate in the vegan diet first. I was thrilled as I did not want to wait another 20 weeks to start this diet! After talking to the lead physician of the study and doing my own research, I truly believe this diet is going to be the treatment I've been searching so desperately for. Food is going to be my new medicine, and I cannot wait to begin this journey. Goodbye migraines, hello chickpeas!
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