The Eco Dad

After a roughly three month hiatus, I'm back. I can't say too much has changed. My vegan challenge for the month of March has, well, solidified. Originally a thirty day challenge, it's become a way of life. I've managed to maintain my body mass while feeling lighter. It's hard to explain, but I attribute it to my calories coming from plants as opposed to meat and dairy. I've even managed to increase some of the weights I lift in the ol' garage gym. Not bad. No one cares about your protein intake until you become a vegan. I'm still fixin' and repairing things rather than buying new. I've bought the odd piece of new clothes - a bathing suit, a pair of shorts, but not much else. I haven't lost sight of what's important. I'd rather spend money on quality food, travel with the family and not spend it on those things that really don't matter. This old iPhone4 of mine DEFINITELY matters. 😂 Moving forward I'd li...

Well, it's EARTH DAY again ... but this time I'm actually blogging on the day of, unlike last year.  I've been terrible at this consistency thing. I think a portion of that is I don't like writing about going plant-based. Originally I was going to do it for a month, but I kinda like it, so just gonna keep on keepin' on. It's better for me, better for the environment and better for the animals. Win-win-win. I haven't really come up with a subsequent challenge. I thought about cutting weight. I've been trackin' calories and macros, but really only been maintaining or workin' on a recomposition of sorts. This is a daunting task because I really like food. Guess that means I have to up the fitness game.  I've been slacking as of late. I didn't touch a weight at all last week. It feels like a tear in my shoulder area. Taking a week off has really helped, so maybe a blessing in disguise? 2 months of cutting ... one week won't make a huge ...

As Dry February winds down I'm starting my transition to a plant-based diet. I've pretty much phased out meat and am minimizing dairy. I've noticed my protein intake has dropped while carbs and fats have gone up, but I'm not worried about that. We'll see how the month goes. In researching a plant-based diet I came across a recipe for protein donuts. I've tried my hand at baking before and these turned out quite amazing. They're vegan and they're delicious! I won't ramble on about them. Instead I'll provide the recipe below. "Donut ask me where I bought them. I made them!"  Okay, that was bad, even by my standards. This recipe is a two parter - donuts and glaze! Let's start with the donuts, shall we? 1 scoop Vega chocolate protein powder 1 cup gluten-free flour (I used organic millet flour) 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1.5 tbsp flaxseed meal 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1/8 cup Splenda 6 tbsp unsweeten...

Well, that didn't take long. I already near pooched up my Dry February with an afterwork celebratory pint. Luckily my efforts were salvaged by my friend Lindsay, who was also there for a celebratory pint. She generously anted up $25 for a golden ticket - a hall pass, of sorts, to allow me to drink for a day. Lindsay to the rescue! Way Better Than a Wonka Golden Ticket! My efforts continue for the month of February in order to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. If you'd like to donate or purchase a Golden Ticket, you can do so  here . I've managed to raise 25% of my $500 goal. For the month of March I've found some pretty interesting vegan recipes a la Pinterest. I may have to plan out the entire month of eating because I'm not very creative in the kitchen and even less so when generally unfamiliar with what I'd be cooking with - nothing but plants. 😕  Vegetarian I could probably do. A good 80% of my diet is meatless. On the flip side my diet...

Today is the first day of my Dry February Challenge to raise funds for cancer research. So far I've raised $100.  I'd like to have raised more by this point, but I haven't exactly been strong in my cyber panhandling. If you, the reader, are so inclined, feel free to visit  www.domoregood.ca  to lend a hand in helping the fight against cancer. Look at that previously cider filled mason jar - bone dry! Lookin' forward, I've been researching vegetarianism and veganism. Truth be told, I'm concerned with getting enough protein, but some of the vegetarian and vegan research suggests I only need half of what conventional wisdom suggests.  I guess I'll see come March. It's not like I don't have weight to lose. This ought to be interesting. Yay vegetables. 😕 Coco out.

Well, it was inevitable - new clothes. I haven't grown tired of thrifting. In fact I was at a thrift store just last weekend. I needed to get my kid some new (used) snow pants, but I also grabbed him an airplane to pack full of rescue vehicles and my other son got a pack of dinosaurs which he hasn't stopped playing with because he has a dinosaur obsession right now. We have plenty of toys to purge and we managed to get rid of some excess Christmas stuff by simply returning it. Thank Christ for returns! I digress.  I purchased new clothes, but did so from a local Canadian company that manufactures right here in Canada. Their name? Ungalli. How is that sustainable, besides cutting the carbon of transporting? I'm glad you asked. They recycle plastic bottles into clothing. Yes, 1 Ungalli t-shirt saves 10 plastic bottles from landfill. That same shirt takes 25 litres of water to make versus 2720 litres of water for a standard shirt. That's just for a t-shirt. I also hav...