I am surrendering to bad produce & chia seeds

I love Colorado, but I have a huge issue and have for the past 8 years. I can not get over how produce here seems to be if anything but substandard. I am not talking about the cantaloupes and listeria :( It has been a almost constant battle for me, and I strongly dislike frozen. I have tried all different kinds and they all seem to taste processed and just all around bad. 

I have skated around this issue since we have moved here. I would go on a *kick* and only eat what was tasting good that week. This was annoying but not a big issue until I went vegan. Mostly because when you are a ova-lacto vegetarian is really not that hard to do. It can also be pretty unhealthy. I will throw ova-lacto vegs under the bus with this one. It is sad but many don't eat much actual real vegetables & fruits. Not to mention load up on processed foods :( I am not anti someone being one don't get me wrong! I was one for the better part of my life, and I know many. It is very easy to be unhealthy and even over weight some of the people I know who have battle most with their weights have been lacto-ova. It is hard to be unhealthy or over weight if not losing if you switch if you are a vegan. This of course if you do it the right way which I have found as I have transitioned is KEY. If you don't plan & prepare it is easy to fail. My meat and dairy lovin' husband cut down drastically on his milk intake had crazy results. It wasn't really his reason for it but lost a huge amount of weight. This was JUST from cutting down/out milk & other dairy products. I don't believe in to many conspiracy's......but I really think the government & diary industry not talking about the small farmers doesn't have the best for us in mind when mass producing the products for consumers.

When I 1st switched I struggled only with really 1 part which is getting fresh fruit/veggies. I did my normal cherry picking of stores that I knew had the best stuff. I of course upped my level of fresh produce and it was a lot more then before. I think no matter what dietary needs you have you should eat as much fresh none processed foods you can. SHOP THE OUTSIDE OF THE GROCERY STORE! The aisles are filled with junk and for the most part is stuff you & your family should not be putting in your body. I didn't want to transition to vegan and do it with a bunch of processed *fake* products. I like many have read Skinny Bitch which I did like but took it as very tongue and cheek. My biggest issue with that book was not their in your face borderline offensive delivery like many will think. It's that they say they are anti processed foods and then advocate vegan processed food options. Their meal plan was where they lost me. Now I know for someone who may go from eating meat to vegan it might appeal too. I have never eaten bologna so I am not planning no eating torfurkey cold cults ;-) I do eat some processed foods I just try to stay away from as much as I can. 

I wish I could say it was the taste of the produce that was the only issue which it is. If anything it was for some reason the produce was bad if not before leaving the store if not in a 1-2 days. Nothing is worse then grabbing for something and it being so soft if you grabbed it too hard you would crush it completely. I knew this was going to be a issue but I put it on the back burner till last week. It was then it became something I had to move up to front & center. 

I spent a couple weeks with very weak if not horrible produce all around. Last week I felt defeated and bought 50% what I needed on my list frozen. I knew I would be disappointed but really didn't have much of a choice. Most of the frozen stuff sat in the freezer. It was about day 3 that the effect of being a vegan and not eating as much as I should be started to come into play. I felt weak for the 1st time since I switched. My mood was roller coasting and I noticed that quickly. My workouts were suffering. All this also made me fall off the wagon a few times. I had some dairy products a couple of times & got really sick both times. My stomach bloated out like I was pregnant and I balled up in the fetal position. It was  accompanied with feeling like I was going to throw up & severe heart burn. This freaked me out!! I think going vegan is a process so I didn't mentally beat myself up but my body did that for me. 

So with this experience I decided right then and there I was going to have to deal with what I have. I am going to have to work my meal plans even if it is daily to what I can find good in the store fresh daily. I also might just have to go outside of my comfort zone and try different recipes. I could eat the same probably 10 meals over and over again. I have also found even though I don't like frozen stir fry mixes aren't too terrible so I will always have my tofu stir fry standby. 

Ch Ch Ch Chia!!!

Oatmeal with chia seeds & blueberries in my snazzy Christmas bowl

For awhile I have been hearing about Chia seeds and how amazing they were. I 1st  heard about them on several different running forums. People were calling them everything from a super food to saying they helped improve their running. I didn't really put to much thought into them. It wasn't till my friend Paula asked me about them again and if I had tried them. I did a little more research and thought they were worth a try. If you haven't ever heard of its health benefits they seem like some awesome little seeds!

I picked some up from GNC and put them in my oatmeal this morning. You are suppose to soak the seeds in water or a liquid for 15-30 mins. They expand into a kind of a gel substance around the seed. They don't have any taste to them but I did notice the texture. I have heard people just drinking them in water this is something I couldn't do. I did notice that I did feel fuller then I usually would. I also had to almost force myself to eat lunch. I am bad at forgetting to eat already and need to up my calories with the amount of exercise I am doing. That is probably my biggest negative thing with them that they do fill up, but for many people that would be a big + I am going to give the bag a try and think I am going to try them in a shake next.