Monday 4 April 2011

Life without technology...

Well I'm pleased to report that I've accomplished mission numero uno, and that it was easier than I thought. I managed to go 24 hours tech free over the weekend - and I genuinely enjoyed it.

So what did I do instead? Well I was lucky that a large amount of that time was taken up babysitting my tiny wee new born niece which was quite a distraction. I also finished the book I was reading, and spent some time trawling through a new recipe book which was extremely relaxing. I also had a great catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while - so it was win win win.

I did have one hiccup though, a case of karma perhaps, or divine intervention. I needed to find out some information from a friend so went to turn my phone on before my 24 hours was up... And my phone died, the buttons just wouldn't work. So I've learnt my lesson, never to try and cheat in a challenge!

Because I enjoyed the challenge so much I'm going to commit to a monthly 24 hour technology 'detox'.

Now this week's challenge is going to be a tough one for me - I've decided to go vegetarian.

I've read a huge amount about how bad beef production is for the environment. In fact according to UN figures meat production might create more greenhouse gases than transport!

The reason this is going to be a tough one for me is that I was extremely anaemic last year, so I started putting lots of red meat back into my diet. I also try to stick to a reasonable high protein diet, so I'm a bit scared about how I'm going to get the balance right. But there are plenty of perfectly healthy vegetarians out there so it must be possible right?

The recipe book I've been trawling through is a fantastic vegetarian cookbook that I picked up the other day, with lots of easy healthy recipes to get me started. In fact the first one is in the oven right now and smells fab - stuffed capsicum (or bell peppers if you're not from my part of the world), filled with yummy goodies like tomato rice and pine nuts. Can't wait to try it!

Call to any vegetarians out there: I'd love to here any great tips or recipes if you have them.

5 comments:

  1. Congrats on taking these bold new steps towards sustainability! I've been a vegetarian for about four years now without experiencing iron or protein deficiency. I have to confess that I don't really plan my daily diet, but if you're new to the meatless diet, you may be better off planning at least two significant sources of protein a day. Beans and pulses are a good source (chili, hummus, beans on toast, lentils, bean stews), and I find that I feel better if my diet includes a couple of eggs a week. I am not a huge tofu fan, but that's another option.

    Apparently it's hard to be protein-deficient in this culture even for vegetarians and vegans, so I would just focus on making enjoyable food from a wide variety of plant sources -- the more, the merrier!

    I also had a tech free weekend up at a friend's cabin. No cell phone reception, no internet. It was wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I found you through Jennifer's blog - It's Not Easy to be Green. I was you 4 months ago! I read a book (Now or Never, by Tim Flannery) and realized that I had to act, someway, somehow. I did not know what to do or what impact my actions would have, but knew I had to try. I have learned a lot in 4 months and have changed a lot of my routines. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you so much for your support and tips!

    Might have to add Now or Never to my reading list too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Blogs are great resources for vegan/vegetarian recipes. Since you also don't take gluten, there's a website dedicated just to gluten-free vegan recipes: www.xgfx.org. Another favorite is http://cupcakekitteh.blogspot.com. If you have any questions, just ask!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, some of those foods look amazing!! I'll have to have a good look around those blogs. I love baking, so will be sure to give the recipes a try :)

    ReplyDelete