Have you ever wondered if you could eat a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet?
Have you ever wondered if people that eat a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet get enough nutrition?
How can athletes and even body builders get proper nutrition from a diet like this?
Have you ever been curious about trying a few vegan recipes?
Getting Over The Old Ways
Prior to becoming a mostly plant based eater, food was one of my least favorite topics of conversation. I have had anxiety about food in the past, so it was not something I really wanted to discuss. However, now I enjoy openly discussing food choices. Talking about Whole-Food, Plant Based meals and recipes is fun and definitely interesting! In addition to allowing myself to talk comfortably about a vegan diet, I can honestly say, it has changed the way I look and feel.
John, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He loved talking about all the unhealthy food he ate! He was proud to eat gas station roller dogs, extra large pizzas with all the meats, buckets of deep fried cheese curds, and a sandwich from a chicken chain that actually replaced the bun with two deep-fried chicken patties.
Before I get into posting recipes and traveling as a plant based eater, I want to give you a peek into what has led John and I to eat a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet.
Fear of Commitment
My sister in law and her husband had started to eat a plant based diet 8 years ago. They showed us a little about becoming vegan and we talked about it quite a bit. From summer weekends at the cabin and just spending time with them, we ate a lot vegan and plant based foods.
Even though I really liked the meals and foods, we were not ready to make this type of commitment. I love to eat cheese and couldn’t possibly just STOP eating it forever! What the heck?!
I will say that we started to incorporate some vegetarian and plant based meals at home. I wanted to find a balance with food. I didn’t want to be stuck with some diet plan that was going to be too costly or make me join a cult. John and I started shedding weight and feeling better from these small changes in the beginning. Even though we felt and saw positive changes, we weren’t ready to go 100% and FOREVER.
My biggest fears of going 100% to a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet were:
- Not having food available when we were away from home.
- Not being able to enjoy some of the non vegan foods I loved (I am a CHEESEHEAD!)
- Not being able to cook in my Instant Pot. (which is completely irrational since I use my Instant Pot just as much, if not MORE now)
- Is this freaking diet going to mean shopping exclusively at Whole Foods and breaking the bank?!
Life Changing Decision
A little over a year ago, John decided that he wanted to reduce the health risks of his diet: cancer, heart disease, cognitive decline, and stroke as much as possible. Published Clinical Evidence conducted at the Cleveland Clinic even suggests this diet can not only prevent but treat coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women!
Between health scares, genetic predispositions to heart/cardiovascular disease, and wanting to feel better every day, he has gone to eating 100% vegan and plant based in order to spend MORE quality time with me and our family.
How could I say, “no” to that?!
(And let’s be honest, who wants to argue with JOHN?!?!!?)
This decision could save his life (and mine too!). I was curious about how eating vegan might help me with running. I was also kind of looking forward to trying some new recipes, a new way of eating, and not having to worry about the meat being taken out of the freezer for dinner each night. (even though the Instant Pot was really helpful for this!)
Soooo….we dove into eating plant based and here we are, 1 year later.
Some things have been tricky along the way and my transition has been slower than John’s, but overall I firmly believe this is one of the best decisions John has ever made for himself (and for me).
Exercise and Results
We have combined a lot of exercise with a plant based diet too. We feel more energized than we have in our entire life. That is not to say that we don’t feel the aches and pains like other people do, and have the occasional “overuse injury” from the constant training. 20 years ago, we didn’t look like this. We didn’t eat like this. We certainly could not train and compete in races and hockey games like we are doing now. Most importantly,
WE DIDN’T FEEL THIS YOUNG 20 YEARS AGO!!!
Time to Eat More Plants
Another great aspect is, this is not a lifestyle that requires extra money and is easily doable with ANY budget! I can still mostly shop at Aldi and Costco and follow a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet!
I am not here to sell anything, convince anyone to do anything, or sign up for any subscriptions- Just sharing what we have done and why.
There are many other good reasons to eat more plants, but this is just a very small peek inside of our world that led us to make this life changing decision to eat more plants.
People choose to be vegan for the animals. Others choose to restrict eating animal products for environmental reasons. We chose to eat a Whole Food, Plant Based diet for a more selfish reason:
We view it as an investment in our future health, prolonged life, and more time with our loved ones on this earth.
Whatever reason appeals to you, we hope you will consider our experience as a testament to the personal benefits you get from not consuming animal products and limiting how much processed food you eat.
As further proof of the life-changing positive health effects, my husband’s pinched nerve in his neck (that he struggled with for over a year) went away within a week of starting 100% whole food plant based eating.
For more resources:
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com
Proof
(No, I was not pregnant here and this was 2 years AFTER having 2 kids)
I loved this dress but am now several dress sizes smaller!
Here is me 1 week ago after 5 years of eating more plants, and about 1 year of eating LOTS more plants, and about 5 years of running. I train year-round by running and doing HIIT training classes.
John is so happy playing the sport he LOVES! He plays in 2 different hockey leagues!
