Pickled Vegetables and Hi I am back!

Hello bloggie buddies,
Have you missed me as much as I have missed you? I hope not! I have missed everyone alot!
I am so glad to be able to come back and show you what I have been up to!

So for the past few months I have been making modifications to my diet, working out what works with my system and what doesn't. I was having irregular blood tests when I left and I was fearful that I was going to have a complete breakdown in my body's defenses. It has happened twice before and I was hospitalized for a week when my body flared.
I figured it was best to just stop going forward and possibly just sit this one out and wait.
Here is what I have discovered.
While I enjoyed eating on ETL, having a lowered immune system and a frail body is not a good combo when you also have psoriatic arthritis with mutilans and spondilitis. My body had started feeding on my reserve fat stores and was weakening me to the point of exhaustion. My poor body could not build any energy because I was not consumming enough fats, my doctor was becoming increadingly alarmed at my blood work. At first I just bumped up my nuts and avocado consumption, it seemed to help, but then I had a body meltdown. I was put on three different mdications to try and help calm my body so I would not have a flare and also to try and help boost my vitamin D and proteins. My SED rate was of the charts.
To be honest with you, I was scared out of my mind that I would die. Two of my close friends with my disease have been hospitalized in the past year and almost died, I did not want to be in that position.
So with my doctors watching my every move, insisting that I stop being a vegan, I started reincorporating foods I used to eat. I had to build up my strength fast or face the inevitable, hospitalization. These are the foods I started with.

Cold pressed olive oil
Raw Butter
Organic Eggs
Organic Lean chicken
Seafood ie. shrimp

I did this for about a month and then started backing off of the meat and dairy once again and started all over on my healthful vegan ways. I gained 5 lbs back and I also started getting some color back in my complexion.
In my quest for health, I was unknowingly breaking down my system.
I now feel confident and healthy.
I have since adopted a more flexitarian diet.
I feel better than I have in a long time.
I want toshow you how I eat and explain flexitarianism so that you will understand what being a flexitarian means.

What is a Flexitarian?
Flexitarians maintain a diet that consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and lugumes. The flexitarian (flexible diet) diet is actually very similar to a vegetarian diet except that meat, fish, and poultry are eaten minimally as a protein supplement. Whereas a carnivore plans his meals around a main course of meat the flexitarian considers meat to be an occasional add-on to his meals.
Flexitarians tend to be nutritionally-savvy individuals who are serious about their health as well as their personal ecological footprint. Animal products are generally considered to require more of the earth’s resources for production than plant foods. Therefore, flexitarians enjoy increased health benefits from eating a more eco-friendly, plant-based diet while reaping the satisfaction of treading more lightly on the earth by consuming less meat!

My daily lifeisn't much different than it was when I left, what is different is I am combining acombo of different diets into one to make it fit my illness and my lifestyle.
Here is what a day looks like for me.

Breakfast
20 oz. banana, flax seed, walnut and strawberry smoothie
1/2 cup raw oatmeal with raisins
2 cups coffee with a non dairy creamer

Snack
2 oranges
Organic hard cheese
Flax seed crackers

Lunch
Huge wedge salad with 2 roma tomatoes, vegan ranch or "blue cheese" dressing with cucumbers, radish, onions and bell peppers
Some type of soup
Avocado veggie club sandwich on rye bread

Snack
Air popped popcorn with a sprinkle of olive oil, spike, dill and sea salt

Dinner
Pasta or rice
Veggie stirfry, or baked veggie casserole (I have been on a tomato kick lately)
Possibly some tofu or a gluten made meat, or even some organic meats. (I still struggle with meat consuption)
Pickled veggies for digestion

Pretty simple stuff huh! I will occasionally use some cheese if I feel myself getting weak or irritable, I also try to use only organic when I do consume anything outside of the vegan "norm" ie. cheese, eggs etc.

I thought I would throw in a recipe too to get back on track. I have been making alot of pickled things lately, but this is one of my favorites


Quick and Easy Pickled Vegetables
Ingredients:
•1/2 pound green string beans, ends trimmed
•1/2 pound yellow wax beans, ends trimmed
•2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 4-inch long by 1/2-inch thick sticks
•2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
•1 head cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
•6 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
•3 1/2 cups cider vinegar
•1 cup sugar
•1 tablespoon kosher salt
•4 cups water
•1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
•2 bay leaves
•1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
•pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
•4 cups water
Preparation:
Add all the trimmed vegetables, except the garlic, into a large, stainless steel mixing bowl or stockpot (must be made from a non-reactive metal). Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan (non-reactive), and bring to a rolling boil over med-high heat.

Carefully pour the boiling liquid over the vegetables, and make sure all the ingredients are submerged in the brine by using some large plates or glass platters to hold them under the liquid.

When the vegetables have cooled completely to room temperature, wrap tightly plastic wrap (leave the plates on the container, so the vegetables remain under the pickling liquid. After refrigerating for at least 2 days, the pickled vegetables can be taken out of the liquid and served. They will keep for about 5 days submerged.
Totally YUM~