Couple’s Yoga and Blogger Vegan 4 A Day

on November 16, 2009
in All Posts

Another day comes to a close… at least today was VERY PRODUCTIVE!

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When the Husband came home tonight, I asked if he wanted to do a yoga workout session, and he asked if I wanted to do meditation.  We compromised and did both.  🙂

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It’s funny because I am so much better at yoga, and he is SO much better at meditation.   We did a 30 minute Yoga Sculpt On Demand program, and then he popped in a 58 minute meditation CD based on Qi Gong principles. 

 

Try as I might, I cannot get through 58 minutes of meditation.  Halfway through, my mind started to wander, and I began to sing Bad Romance in my head.  🙂

 

Eats of the afternoon included granola and almond milk:

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Nuts and M&Ms:

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POM Wonderful arials:

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And dinner was Hearty Vegetable Soup from Wolfgang Puck and a slice of bread with Sabra hummus.  I was feeling lazy.  🙂

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Blogger Vegan 4 A Day

 

Last week, Katy and Michelle e-mailed me with a challenge: Would I be willing to go vegan for just ONE DAY? Blogger Vegan 4 A Day is on this Thursday, November 19 and is part of the larger Vegan 4 A Week Challenge.

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In case you aren’t sure:

 

  • Vegetarians:  No meat, including fish, poultry, or red meat.  Dairy and eggs are acceptable.
  • Vegans: No animal products at all, which includes flesh, dairy products, or eggs.

 

I hesitated at first (I really like cheese and yogurt!), but I decided it would be interesting to try out veganism for a day.  I am not a vegan for a variety of reasons (which I’ll discuss on Thursday), but I highly respect the lifestyle from an animal-rights perspective.  Also, I am curious to see how ‘hard’ it is.  I used to think it would be hard to be a vegetarian, and in general, I don’t think it’s really hard at all!  Maybe veganism will surprise me.  🙂 I hope so.

 

So, be sure to come back on Thursday for Blogger Vegan 4 A Day – I’m sure the experiment will produce a lot of interesting discussions!

 

Would you ever go vegan for a day?  Why or why not?

{ 105 comments }

 

  • jen trinque November 16, 2009, 8:57 pm

    I’ve gone vegan for many days! I’m a vegetarian anyways. I always dabble in it, but the other week Ellen had on the guy who wrote the book “Eating Animals” and since then I’ve not been eating much dairy or eggs…I feel so bad about the way they are treated! It’s SO easy to be vegan if you know what to eat and I’ve really been enjoying it.

  • Lindsay Perrone (goodiesgalore) November 16, 2009, 8:58 pm

    You are so lucky to have a hubby who does yoga with you, and vice versa for meditation. Too cute. I tried a short stint as a vegan but the pastries (of all things) lured me back in. I tried to stick to vegan goods from Whole Foods but that could only last so long….sigh. Good luck!

  • Nicci@NiftyEats November 16, 2009, 8:59 pm

    I went vegan on Thursdays for a month but felt I couldn’t resist the oooey gooey cheeses and yogurts. I’ll stick with my flexitarian lifestyle for now, but I do respect Vegans & close friend who is one.

  • Allie (Live Laugh Eat) November 16, 2009, 9:00 pm

    I love yogurt and eggs too much to go vegan! I could probably handle it for a couple of days though. Love your mini snack plate–where did you get it?

    • caitlin November 16, 2009, 9:02 pm

      marshalls, but like two years ago!

  • Janessa (epicuriousvegan.blogspot.com) November 16, 2009, 9:00 pm

    Yay for Vegan for a Week and Vegan for a Day! Can’t wait to see how it goes.

  • emily November 16, 2009, 9:00 pm

    I’m actually planning on doing a 2-week vegan run at somepoint this year. I tried it in college (while eating on a meal plan, with no fridge, bad idea!) and I ended up developing a hatefilled obsession with bees because I missed honey 🙂

  • Kara November 16, 2009, 9:01 pm

    I try to only eat animal products from animals treated well (free-range, grass-fed, no hormones, etc.), but I’ve definitely been toying with going fully vegetarian one day. I’d consider going vegan for a day/week/month even, but I don’t think I could live the rest of my life without cheese, milk and eggs!

  • Jenna November 16, 2009, 9:03 pm

    I only think I would be able to go VEGAN for only one day! it seems very hard!
    jenna

  • Kelly November 16, 2009, 9:04 pm

    I think I could easily do it (for a day, never forever), but my problem would be I probably would forget something was from animals and eat it. I’d have to post before so everyone could check my eating plan. I might try it on Thursday though just for fun. I definitely have fun vegetarian days fairly often without even trying. In fact…today was one of them 🙂

  • tra November 16, 2009, 9:06 pm

    i think i might have a go! i’ll have to let my mom know since she usually makes dinner. =D

  • Erin November 16, 2009, 9:07 pm

    I’d be interested to try veganism for a day. I always thought it would be SO hard to be vegetarian but the only times it’s hard is when I’m at a restaurant and the only non-meat options are fried or pasta.

  • Vicki November 16, 2009, 9:07 pm

    I am a new vegan (made the switch from carnivorous omnivore just about 3.5 months ago)and it was difficult but not nearly as hard as I expected. The book The China Study was what caused my change but the knowledge I’ve gained since about the treatment of animals is what will make it hard for me to ever go back.

  • Stacey November 16, 2009, 9:07 pm

    I think I’d try to go vegan for a day! I’m already a vegetarian so why not? 😀 It does seem kind of scary though, now that I’m adding up all of the cheese and eggs I eat lol..it would definitely be a challenge! Have a good night! PS. I love doing yoga with my guy 🙂

  • Allison November 16, 2009, 9:07 pm

    I go vegan for lots of days actually. I rarely eat cheese, butter or eggs. I eat dairy, but not everyday. I LOVE Fro-yo and yogurt. I have considered going vegan on multiple occasions, but I think I’d miss the yogurt. I know there’s vegan alternatives that are tasty but they are waayyy too expensive! Maybe some day, but on a college student budget it’s a no-go.

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite November 16, 2009, 9:08 pm

    I could totally go vegan for a day!

    I don’t know how much longer it would last after that… cheese and yogurt are staples to me 🙂

  • Evan Thomas November 16, 2009, 9:08 pm

    I went vegan for a day to feature a new Lightlife product on my blog. While it was hard at first figuring out what i could and couldn’t have, in the end it was a great experience and I discovered an unknown love for So Delicious Soy Yogurt!

  • bec November 16, 2009, 9:10 pm

    I have tried it for a few days at a time but it is hard as a college student and an athlete to get enough fuel in being vegan.

  • whitney November 16, 2009, 9:14 pm

    I could def. go vegan for 1 day but I love yogurt and cottage cheese WAY to much to not eat it again 🙂 Good luck!

  • Nicole November 16, 2009, 9:15 pm

    I go vegan everyday 🙂 I went from being a chicken nugget/hot dog/cheese pizza/french fry girl pretty much straight into veganism and it wasn’t hard! It’s so much easier than everyone thinks! When I found out about the dairy industry, there wasn’t any other choice for me and the knowledge is what kept the cravings for animal products away.

    Now that it’s been a few years, eating this way is just normal. I couldn’t imagine it any other way!

    • Lindsay November 16, 2009, 9:41 pm

      This is me too, though my change was more gradual (I was vegetarian for almost 4 years before going totally vegan almost a year ago). I do think it’s pretty easy now, I rarely get cravings for anything. When I do, I just look at my dog and it keeps me strong. I believe Foer talks about this in his book – how there can be no distinction between sentient beings (a dog’s life more valuable than a cow’s life, for example). I haven’t read the book yet but I really want to.

      • kilax November 17, 2009, 7:20 am

        Lindsay, I will be doing a giveaway of the book on my blog in a few weeks, you should check it out! It was a good read 🙂

  • Sam (Merit to the Carrot) November 16, 2009, 9:17 pm

    Wow, that’s a really interesting challenge! I want to be vegan so badly, but my mother (since I’m still little youngin living at home) won’t allow it… She thinks it’s a ‘diet’, but I truly admire the vegan movement and its stance on animal rights. Very dedicated people, those vegans!

  • Jessica @ How Sweet It Is November 16, 2009, 9:17 pm

    I’d love to try. In fact…I might!

  • Sarah @ See Sarah Eat November 16, 2009, 9:17 pm

    Yep, I decided to go vegan for a month and it stuck! It wasn’t hard for me at all and I’m enjoying even more foods now than I did when I was an omni. Good luck, can’t wait to hear about your experiences.

  • Kristie Lynn November 16, 2009, 9:22 pm

    I’ve been a vegan for a couple of months now so quite a few days 🙂

    I think something that a lot of people don’t realize is that it isn’t like (most) people become vegan because they “don’t like” cheese/dairy products. I seriously love cheese probably more than anyone I know (just ask my husband), but once I started to think about the environmental impact of dairy farming, I decided that it was something I needed to do even though it wouldn’t be easy. And trust me, it hasn’t been. I live in WI where fried cheese curds are an appetizer in every restaurant, for goodness sake! 😉

    • caitlin November 16, 2009, 9:23 pm

      One of my favorite quotes about vegetarianism is:

      “We defined not just by what we do; we are defined by what we are willing to do without. Vegetarianism requires the renunciation of real and irreplaceable pleasures.”

      I think this could be applied to veganism as well, and it definitely applies to your comment! i commend your decision.

    • pen November 16, 2009, 9:25 pm

      I second what Caitlin just wrote. I wish I had the guts to give up my cheese.

  • Abby's Vegan Eats November 16, 2009, 9:23 pm

    Of course!

    Im dairy free for health reasons and I have found its not hard in the least.

    Just this weekend I picked up 3 NEW vegan cookbooks at the public library..woo. Goodluck, I bet you’ll be making some yummy meals!

  • Anne P November 16, 2009, 9:23 pm

    I go vegan for a day all the time, but overall I am too obsessed with yogurt/milk/ice cream to ever go fully vegan 🙂

    p.s. I’m impressed you did 58 minutes of meditation!!! I can’t sit still for 5.8 minutes, let alone 58 🙂 Any tips from The Husband on meditation? That would be a fun post! Maybe he could do a guest post about it??

    • caitlin November 16, 2009, 9:24 pm

      i could ask him! he’s so busy though. maybe i’ll summarize the meditation for him in another post soon.

  • Brie (The Fit Bride) November 16, 2009, 9:23 pm

    I don’t know if I’m at a point where I could go vegan for a day and be healthy about it. I do usually wind up doing at least one vegetarian day a week unintentionally though!

  • pen November 16, 2009, 9:23 pm

    i could never be a vegan. i could never never give up cheese. i looove cheese. though, kristie lynn’s post above is quite inspiring and perhaps i should just get over myself and my addiction to cheese. 🙂

  • Shannon (The Daily Balance) November 16, 2009, 9:25 pm

    can’t wait to hear about your experience — I could NEVER do it! (maybe for a day, but never overall)

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) November 16, 2009, 9:29 pm

    I don’t think it will be hard to go vegan for a day – I would totally do it! I think some days I eat vegan without even noticing … I think.

  • Morgan @ Life After Bagels November 16, 2009, 9:31 pm

    Love your couples yoga . . . I think me and Brad might do some date night stretching (he’s more into yoga than me) I could do vegan for a day, but not much longer, you know just in case I get too many pizza cravings.

  • Julie @savvyeats November 16, 2009, 9:32 pm

    58 minutes of meditation? That’s a really long time!

    I’ve been thinking of going vegan for a day. Or a week. Maybe I will!

  • Marisa (Trim The Fat) November 16, 2009, 9:33 pm

    I’ll be Vegan for a Day on Thursday, too! Getting my recipes together, now! I think it’s a cool challenge!

  • Matt November 16, 2009, 9:37 pm

    LOL no way I could be vegan for a day. It is hard for me to be vegan for one meal 😉

  • Erin November 16, 2009, 9:38 pm

    I would definitely go vegan for a day. Sometimes I realize I’ve been eating mainly vegan before I consciously recognize it. But then I’ve been eating a lot of yogurt and cheese lately too, so I think it depends!

    I can’t image meditating for 58 minutes. Go Husband! He must have concentration of steel 😉

  • legalstyle November 16, 2009, 9:38 pm

    I want a yoga partner with a british accent, too!

  • Eating Journey November 16, 2009, 9:38 pm

    How cute of you to do couples yoga. I want a man like that. I totally feel you with meditation. 58 minutes might kill me. I can hardly do five.

  • Jennifer @ His N' Her Health November 16, 2009, 9:38 pm

    I’ve been vegan for about two weeks now and it is HARD! I used to go vegan for days with no intention but now all I think about is scarfing down and extra cheese pizza and I really don’t love pizza all that much. I think it is really just mental for me. I think telling myself I can’t have it is making me want it more!

    • Lindsay November 16, 2009, 9:45 pm

      See if you can find Teese mozzarella or Daiya. They are the best melting vegan cheeses for pizza.

      • Jennifer @ His N' Her Health November 16, 2009, 10:40 pm

        Thanks! I haven’t tried any vegan cheese yet but i was thinking about it soon to fulfill my craving!

  • Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) November 16, 2009, 9:39 pm

    I have been singing “Bad Romance” all day. “love, love, love, I want your love.”

    I would have been singing that during meditation too! That’s a long time!

  • Katie (Sweet Tater) November 16, 2009, 9:39 pm

    for some reason i decided yesterday that i’d be vegan this week. no idea why. then i saw today that katy and michelle were doing veganweek. who knew? destiny.

    anyway, i’m trying. i did eat a nondescript piece of chocolate out of my purse that may or may not have contained milk. i have no idea. BUT i also refrained while my boyfriend ate pumpkin pie ice cream. pumpkin.pie.ice.cream. uhyeah.

    i have found that applesauce with granola, nuts, etc. can serve as a yogurt standby. not nearly the same protein punch as, say, greek yogurt. but it works for that whole bowl of creamy/crunchy goodness thing.

    my biggest hangup: honey. off limits? yes? no? it’s in every cereal, granola, etc. that i own.

    if you don’t eat honey because of the bees… do you also not drive your car? because that is also not so nice to the bugs that slam into the windshield. i’m just sayin…

    • caitlin November 16, 2009, 9:42 pm

      ok, sayin no to pumpkin pie ice cream requires a lot of will power.

      must vegans will definitely argue that honey is off limits.

    • AM November 17, 2009, 7:29 am

      Katie, I am vegan for ethical reasons, so I do not eat honey. (Although I recognize some vegans — whether ethical or health vegans — do eat honey, and I don’t think that makes them any less vegan.)

      Anyway, for me, it’s not about completely 100% eradicating animal suffering and animal use. It’s more about reducing it and creating a lifestyle that avoids, to the extent possible and practical, animal products.

      No drug is vegan, period. But someone who needs a medically prescribed drug still “gets to” take the medicine without compromising her vegan principles, in my opinion. A vegan’s duty is to make the best choices that society and technology will allow — to seek out vegan alternatives. Where no vegan alternative exists and where the sacrifice would seriously compromise one’s health, then there’s simply no choice, and the best alternative may be something that would otherwise not be considered vegan (e.g., if you have Lupus, take your mediciation, regardless that it is tested on animals, but if you have a headache or a tummyache, no, don’t take tylenol). I honestly believe it’s still vegan to do what must be done for your health. And, i hate to sound judgmental, but that does not extend to eating meat or dairy for purported health reasons. It means until there’s a vegan MS shot, you get to take the shot made from hamster reproductive organs, and you do NOT have to feel guilty about it. What choice is there?

      Sorry for the tangent, but as for the bugs on the windshield — driving a car that may squish a bug is not the same as actively stomping on a bug. I choose not to eat honey, and while i could choose to never drive a car because of the chance it hits a bug, in today’s society it is not possible for me. Never mind that cars aren’t vegan because the paint is made from animal derivatives! Vegans still have to live in the real world and can only make their best choices. Not getting a flu shot because it contains animal is my choice — but if I had an autoimmune disease and my doctor insisted i get the shot? Well, there is no vegan alternative, so i bet i’d get it. Conversely, if i am dragged to a steakhouse and all there is that’s vegetarian is honey wheat bread and eggs? I am going hungry one night. (This begs the desert island question, i know!)

      Am i making any sense? I obviously don’t speak for all ethical vegans, but i do think a lot of us would agree that it’s about reducing animal pain, making the best, most “ethical” choices available. It is so easy to avoid honey, to not stomp on bugs, to not, i don’t know, kick squirrels. But that doesn’t mean i won’t some day accidentally run over a lady bug. That’s terrible, but is that a reason to eat honey? Or meat? No, of course not.

      I hope i don’t come off as judgmental and witchy; I am just trying to explain my position.

      • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:32 am

        i think you did a really good job at explaining the vegan position. i think it’s really all about making responsible and informed choices, and absolutely no one can fault a vegan like you for that! 🙂

      • Katie (Sweet Tater) November 17, 2009, 9:04 am

        no judgmental witchiness whatsoever! thank you for a very thorough explanation of a rational vegan point of view. i will say that my honey vs. driving a car analogy was intended as harmless sarcastic snarkiness on my part. but if you don’t know me, well… that probably wouldn’t come across.

        i’ve actually been a vegetarian for about 8 years now. i eat very little dairy or eggs and couldn’t choke down milk if you paid me. so i always think that going vegan would be easy for me. but once i get into the particulars of it (ie honey) i realize just what a commitment it is.

        so good for your for taking a stance and following through. it is to be admired.

  • Joelle (The Pancake Girl) November 16, 2009, 9:39 pm

    I would definitely give it a shot. In fact, many of my days ARE vegan inadvertently.. I’m not sure i could ever commit for the long term, as I love eggs and do eat meat…

  • Liz November 16, 2009, 9:40 pm

    58 in of mediation sounds HARD! I can barely handle the 10min at the end of my yoga class – I just can’t figure out how to clear my mind!

    Veganism or vegatarianism isn’t something that I’m interested in pursuing but it would be an interesting for a 1 day challenge

  • Lizzy November 16, 2009, 9:54 pm

    i think i could try. i wonder how hard it really would be. i’m interested to hear all about your day!

  • katherine November 16, 2009, 9:57 pm

    I would absolutely go vegan for a day, especially since I just finished watching Food, Inc with my husband!

  • Heather ODonnell November 16, 2009, 9:58 pm

    Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus….probably my favorite food in the world. Yum!

  • Samantha @ Mama Notes November 16, 2009, 10:13 pm

    for a day? Sure, a day isn’t long!

  • Marissa November 16, 2009, 10:15 pm

    I read arials and saw it as atrials. LOL! Can you tell I’ve been studying tonight? I am looking forward to your post on Thursday!!!

  • Marissa November 16, 2009, 10:15 pm

    **oops atrial plural atrium….better get back to studying 🙂

  • Angie (Losing It and Loving It) November 16, 2009, 10:20 pm

    I would definitely love the challenge of going vegan for a day but I think hubs would prefer vegetarian. We have to do it together (he cooks, I don’t LOL) so to start I think vegetarian would be cool. I have been thinking about this a lot lately (trying to eat more vegetarian ways). I guess if I had someone to really help me figure out what specifically I can and cannot eat that would be really cool.

    My reason would be for weight loss BUT also because of what I have been reading lately about the treatment of animals, etc.

  • Sammi November 16, 2009, 10:25 pm

    That would be an awesome experience actually. I think I’d have to plan out meals ahead of time though to make sure everything goes smoothly and I’m not standing around trying to figure out what to eat. Good luck with it! I can’t wait to see the post on that one!

    That’s not compromise that you did 30 minutes of what you want and 58 of what he wanted! lol. You’re a good wife 🙂

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:21 am

      LOL for real!

  • TorontoGirloutWest November 16, 2009, 10:45 pm

    Vegan for a day? Yes.

    Vegan for a lifetime? Unlikely.

  • BettyTheBalancer November 16, 2009, 10:45 pm

    Technically, you gotta put honey on the “no” list for veganism, too — and anything with cocoa in it. Often forgotten!

  • BettyTheBalancer November 16, 2009, 10:47 pm

    Er, CHOCOLATE, not cocoa.

    • Vicki November 17, 2009, 2:16 pm

      It just depends on the chocolate. Good quality chocolate is usually vegan. I’m vegan and eat lots of chocolate. 🙂

  • SweetiePotato November 16, 2009, 10:48 pm

    i’d so do the vegan for a day challenge! it doesn’t seem too bad… now a week, that might be more difficult 😆

  • Amber November 16, 2009, 10:52 pm

    I go vegan often. I mostly have a hard time eliminating “sneakY” animal products. But the thought of eating animal products makes me sick, especially mixing animal products with other animal products, makes me sick! like a cheeseburger or a lox bagel. And just like that part in Food Inc when they talk about how many cows are in one hamburger that is what I think about when I think of cheese, yogurt and milk, yuck! I would be okay eating cheese from quality small places, but mass produced dairy freaks me out!!

  • Tracey@tropicalhappiness November 16, 2009, 10:52 pm

    fiftyeightminutes??? Wow! I’m impressed! 🙂 My mind wanders too much.

    You’ve started a great discussion about veganism and vegetarianism. I am currently taking a look at my life and how my personal decisions and purchases (food and other products, such as makeup or cleaning products) affect animals. I am trying to switch everything over to animal friendly products and I am being much more conscious of what I purchase. I am actually reading the book EATING ANIMALS by Jonathan Safran Foer. It’s really interesting so far… I posted about it earlier tonight. According to the book, on average, Americans eat the equivalent of 21,000 entire animals in a lifetime… which is crazy!

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:21 am

      that fact make me gag a little on my (vegetarian) breakfast.

  • Lauren November 16, 2009, 11:30 pm

    I’ve been wanting to do couples yoga with my boyfriend too. And I can’t meditate for the life of me. I get so distracted!

  • Kailey (SnackFace) November 16, 2009, 11:41 pm

    As one who randomly decided to go vegan one day and then stuck with it for months, I can say that it’s not that hard, especially if you’re only doing it for one day. That being said, I’ve CAVED a couple times. This includes some Greek yogurt I had over the weekend. I’m currently debating what to do. I’ve always believed in the mantra “eat what you want, when you want,” and I’m not sure that for my own personal mental health that veganism truly fits that. However, I do not want to eat animals. I think of my fur babies and it pains me! All animals now remind me of my dogs, and I would never eat them.

    I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about this on Thursday! I always respect your no-BS opinions!

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:24 am

      well, for me, i think it’s important not to approach vegetarianism or veganism with an all-or-nothing attitude, if such an attitude doesn’t work for you. the important thing (to me) is that you are living this lifestyle 99.999% of the time. if you “cave” and have meat or dairy once every 6 months or something, i don’t think that makes you a “bad” vegetarian. i’m sure there will be a point where i eat fish again, likely on a vacation. does that mean i’m going to have completely off the wagon? no! it’s not booze and i’m not an alcoholic. i think vegetarian and veganism is just a series of choices, and every meal is another opportunity to choose a more humane style or eating.

  • Whole Body Love November 17, 2009, 12:04 am

    I was vegan when I met my fiance. During the first two years of our relationship I slowly began to eat animal products here and there. For the past year, I have slowly tilted back toward my vegetarianism. I don’t know that I will ever go back to a vegan diet but I do think can be a very good way to nourish one’s body

  • *Andrea* November 17, 2009, 12:20 am

    i am not good at meditation either, i had britney spears’ “3” in my head allllll day, even when i tried to relax 😉 i go vegan probably once or twice a week, unintentionally! great idea for your blog to try it out.

  • claire November 17, 2009, 1:08 am

    read Diet for a New America or Food Revolution, both by John Robbins… you will become a vegan! I am a marathoner and a vegan and glad I can do my part for the environment while taking care of my own health. It’s a great way to be 🙂

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:25 am

      yay for No Meat Athletes!!!

    • Kristie Lynn November 17, 2009, 9:54 am

      Hopefully that’ll be me soon (the marathoner and vegan)! I signed up for a marathon at the end of May 🙂

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) November 17, 2009, 1:10 am

    Couples yoga for me and Hunni always ends up with me laughing hysterically. Hunni is not flexible at all and makes jokes the entire time.

    I’m doing the vegan for a day challenge. I’m not full on vegetarian but don’t eat meat very often. However I don’t think I could give up animal products entirely. But I’m intrigued to try it for a day.

  • Megan November 17, 2009, 2:33 am

    I could just about anything- for a day!!

  • Allison November 17, 2009, 6:55 am

    I would try it – my sister is vegan and always complains that we don’t “understand” her and give her a hard time. I get it, but my parents really didn’t understand at first until she cooked them some vegan meals. Now my mom goes out of the way to buy vegan bread at the farmer’s market when my sister is home! 🙂

  • Julie November 17, 2009, 7:05 am

    I would definitely go vegan for a day. In fact, I do it quite frequently. I love my Veganomicon cookbook. I just made an Autumn Root salad with warm maple fig dressing from it yesterday! (Sweet potatoes, beets, and purple sweet potatoes, oh my!)

    Also when you mentioned Bad Romance I had to give you this link, which offers a hilarious breakdown of the video: http://jezebel.com/5401481/latex-sex–a-burning-sensation-an-analysis-of-lady-gagas-new-vid/gallery/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+jezebel%2Ffull+%28Jezebel%29

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:29 am

      HAHAHHAHA “The moral: Buy flame-retardant lingerie.” Awesome. Thanks!

  • Julie November 17, 2009, 7:08 am

    @claire (and everyone else) — I also highly recommend John Robbins’ books. The Food Revolution is what initially made me try a 3-month stint in veganism, and what keeps me mostly vegetarian and largely vegan today. (I do eat meat and dairy products occasionally, so I can’t call myself either, but I eat them infrequently. I’m more concerned with eating local and organic food rather than vegan or vegetarian.)

  • kilax November 17, 2009, 7:18 am

    I think you will find out veganism is surprisingly easy and satisfying! I have gone vegan for the past 5 months 🙂

    Funny, on Thursday, I am doing my review of the new book Eating Animals which is somewhat related to the topic! I think it’s really neat those two are doing this!

    • caitlin November 17, 2009, 7:29 am

      this is the hot new book, apparently! i need to get it.

      • kilax November 17, 2009, 8:57 am

        There’s definitely a lot of buzz about it! I didn’t find it too revolutionary, but I think it will be very eye-opening to people who are not educated on the conditions of factory famrming and the suffering animals endure. We are going to see the author speak tomorrow in Chicago!

  • Ashley November 17, 2009, 7:26 am

    im def gonna go vegan on Thursday! I’ve been leaning more towards vegetarianism lately, but not labeling myself. I just have so many thoughts in the back of my head when I think about eating meat and so right now i’m steering away. I do love cheese, yogurt and ice cream though however i should probably not eat it since i’m lactose intolerant.. i just LOVE it lol. oh my

    • Laura November 17, 2009, 5:20 pm

      You can get plenty of different types of Vegan cheezes, yogurts, cream cheezes, ‘ice’ cream, even milk chocolates- have you tried any of these? The ice creams can be made from coconut, almonds or cashews aswell as soy so they’re nice in their own right!

  • Monica November 17, 2009, 7:34 am

    I think I could do it for a day. 🙂 I’m sure you can too! My brother was the first in our family to go vegetarian, then he transitioned to veganism. I admit I don’t think I could ever go completely vegan, but we’ve recently switched from cow milk to almond milk, I’m only buying eggs from farms where I know how the chickens are treated, and cheese coming from a farm where the cows are treated humanely as well. My dad really wants me to read a book called The China Study, apparently it’s a real eye opener and freaked him out enough to cut almost all dairy out of his diet. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my list. I too am jealous your hubs does yoga with you, that’s awesome! 🙂

  • Kristy November 17, 2009, 7:42 am

    If my husband agreed to do yoga with me, I would think hell had frozen over!
    But don’t get me wrong.. he’s wonderful! 🙂
    I will definitely try going vegan for a day. I have only been a vegetarian from about one and a half months but I am interested in veganism.

  • Diana (Mymarblerye) November 17, 2009, 7:55 am

    Good luck on being a vegan for a day! I think the hardest part would be that your WHOLE day’s meals/treats would have be planned out since many food products have animal products in them! 😛 Good luck strong woman!

  • Gloria November 17, 2009, 8:17 am

    This is so great! I made the transition from pescetarian to vegan a year and a half ago and it was HARD at first. After a few months I got into the groove of things, but I learned about so many new and amazing foods during this time! Because I found it very hard to eat out, I cooked non-stop and fell IN LOVE with cooking and baking. Veganism truly led me to my passion.. not to mention AMAZING health!

    I know you like your yogurt as a snack… maybe try replacing it with hummus and veggies/crackers? That’s my go-to snack. Try making your own because I promise it’s tastier, healthier, will save you $$, and takes 2 seconds… I can’t stomach Sabra after making my own for so long. And get Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan because it’s the best cookbook ever and Dreena is a goddess. Ok I’m done… Veganism rocks, good luck with it 🙂

  • Paige (Running Around Normal) November 17, 2009, 8:20 am

    I’m doing my “vegan 4 a Day” today, then talking about it on Thursday. Today’s going to be much easier for me – as I’m going out for lunch on Thursday, and just have a crazy day in general that day. I can’t wait to see what I discover:)

    And that’s SO awesome your husband will do yoga with you.

  • Susan November 17, 2009, 8:28 am

    I went vegan for a month a few years back and it was um, okay. To be honest, I got really sick at the end of the month and couldn’t eat for three days. When my appetite came back all I wanted was a huge fried egg sandwich smothered in cheddar cheese. It was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.

    I was a hardcore vegan though, no white sugars or salts, honey, etc. It was pretty tough, and surprisingly expensive. I’m thankful I did it though because it at least opened my eyes to new ways of eating and new products (nutritional yeast!).

  • Tina November 17, 2009, 9:11 am

    I think it would be easy to go vegan for a day. The only dairy I really eat is yogurt and sometimes cheese. I’m never going to be a vegan, but for one day, no problem!

    And I agree with you–mediation is hard! I don’t know how to stop the flow of random thoughts from coming into my head haha.

  • Nicole November 17, 2009, 9:13 am

    My sister is on an ever-other-day vegan diet for health purposes–her cholesterol was 400 (yes, that is correct) and her doctor wanted her to take meds. She refused the meds (she was only 35 at the time and was breastfeeding) so this was her next best option. Her cholesterol has dropped below 200 (amazing) and she’s doing great.
    There are days where I go vegan and don’t even realize it. No eggs, no cheese, and I rarely drink milk. But I don’t think I could ever go full vegan simply because it involves too many fake foods in my opinion. I could be wrong…but fake cheese and fake butters don’t seem very healthy to me. (Unless I’m missing something)
    Can’t wait to see how it goes for you!

  • Kimberly Lee November 17, 2009, 9:35 am

    I am not sure that I could ever become a total vegan – I absolutely love the taste of meat too much. However, I respect the vegan’s animal-rights perspective. I think I could easily incorporate a few days out of each week to eat vegan. It will be interesting to read about yours and other bloggers experiences as Vegan for a Day.

  • Laura November 17, 2009, 12:05 pm

    I personally haven’t found being a vegan too too difficult, although I think (but don’t know!) that being vegan in the U.K.- especially outside of London- might be more difficult than being one in America? It either quite unknown, or stigmatisied (I am not a ‘hippy’! although I don’t see why that would be a bad thing anyway) or people feel that somehow I am criticising them and get quite defensive about it. The things that I find hardest are finding shoes, bags and clothes and eating out or on the go- it gets cold here and almost all the nice jumpers/dresses have wool or angora in them ;( and the shoes leather… If you do do the Vegan 4 a day Caitlin, don’t forget to check any beers you have- some are processed using isinglass (from fish- you don’t want to know), gelatin etc. Btw, I love your doggy page- it makes up for not having a pet of my own! x

  • Laura November 17, 2009, 12:06 pm

    ooooh forgot- and ANTIPERSPIRANT- none of the Vegan ones work- not good in the summer or when exercising!!!

  • Kathleen November 17, 2009, 12:42 pm

    For 6 years I was an “I could never live without cheese” vegetarian. And then randomly reading about Jamie Oliver (or some famous chef, not 100% sure who) suffocating baby male chicks because its something that egg farmers regularly do (he was trying to get the most real connection he could to the food/farming, which I really respect) spurred a bunch of research on my part. Now I’ve been vegan for almost 2 years.

    I’m really impressed to see that for some people that its wasn’t a hard switch – honestly, I found it much trickier and more difficult than being vegetarian. But it is totally possible of course, and can be amazing, it just takes more effort and planning for me. Anyway, just my experience! Love hearing and thinking about this stuff, can’t wait to hear your perspective on it.

  • Eliana >^..^ November 17, 2009, 5:07 pm

    Hi Caitlyn,

    I have been reading your blog for a week now (found it through OSG and OB) and I am really enjoying it.

    I really would like to start running, and have been reading you tips. ;o)

    I am a vegetarian at the moment and have been doing some research on veganism, so I am actually going vegan as of Thanksgiving Day. What better way to be thankful than to cherish those things that I’m very passionate about–animals.

    I hope your doggie is doing much better, I am a vet technician and my boyfriend is a veterinarian. If you have any questions or if there is anything I can help you with, let me know.

    Have a wonderful evening,

    Eliana
    >^..^<

  • Alicia November 17, 2009, 8:02 pm

    I’d love to join the “Vegan For A Day” festivities, but need to do some research to figure out what I can eat! I think I would make a mistake too easily!

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