Background, Reasons, Decisions, Commitments...

I am a tree hugger, animal lover, music freak, movie whore, worshipper of Ireland, design student, photography enthusiast. I am obsessed with coffee, snob beer and Indian food. I need the sun. I like to create virtually anything...been doing that since birth. I love to write, but find it challenging to read...I think I have bookmarks in 6 different books right now! Poor grammar and spelling errors grind on me more than anything...don't they teach diagramming in school anymore? Gosh, there is so much more to tell, but...I'll stop...oh wait...last but not least, and most importantly, I am a vegetarian.

I have been a vegetarian for almost 20 years (since I was 17) and have contemplated becoming vegan on several occasions. So when I received an email from PCRM about participating in the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, it was a no-brainer; I committed immediately. (http://www.21daykickstart.org/)

PCRM, which stands for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, is a nonprofit organization very close to my heart. "PCRM promotes preventive medicine through innovative programs" and "encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research." They "oppose unethical human experiments" and "promote alternatives to animal research." (www.pcrm.org)

After reviewing the meal plan and recipes for the first week of the program, I began to take inventory of all the food in my house and then made my grocery list. I must admit I had a lot of fun food shopping since I knew I would soon be creating some spectacular, healthy dishes. And I love to cook, so this is going to be a lot of fun for me. How amazing it will be to create such beautiful, colorful dishes, all while reaping the health benefits, including weight loss, energy gain and much more!

To view the tasty meal plan, please visit http://www.21daykickstart.org/mealplan/index.cfm. I will be following all of the recipes and posting pictures as I go. I may switch some meals around by day, but will be strictly adhering to the diet. No dairy, no eggs, no processed junk. I may write once per day, or I may write 5x per day...if I'm not online, you can find me in the kitchen or in my Multimedia Design 2 class.

I am excited to begin this journey and look forward to hearing what you all think! As you can imagine, any "diet" is a challenge, but this is more than just a diet...it is a lifestyle. Being a vegetarian for almost 20 years makes this 21-Day Vegan Kickstart very simple for me. It may take more time and thought, but it will be worth it if it means having a healthier body for 2010!

Happy New Year and Slainte!

~ Sheryl