Vegan or Plant-Based, either way it’s not easy!

Since becoming involved with Purium, I have learned so much about the importance of having greens in my daily diet, in excess even of the amount that I think I should have. As a result, I understand how important it is to also have variety. Not only for the sake of preventing boredom but also to get the full gambit of nutrients available.

There is so much going on with GMOs and hormones in foods that I really cannot keep up with it all. I decided the easiest thing for me to do is look for the labels that say the food is locally sourced and has as few ingredients as possible. I have found that I really do enjoy not eating meat but I lack the knowledge and palette to really make anything I am impressed with from scratch, so I found a couple cookbooks and started looking at the pictures and while I am still way out of my comfort zone, I am receiving compliments on my skin and weight loss as well as having less food allergy symptoms than before. For these reasons alone, I find myself learning more about whole food plant-based eating. I wonder how much very clean eating and avoiding animal flesh might do to help my cells regenerate and perhaps I can put to rest the ideas of surgery to help quickly tighten my skin. I mean, I am working so hard to build these muscles… Why should I be stuck with loose skin?!

I keep hearing that the key to a sound vegan diet that will meet all nutritional needs is to eat a variety of vegetables, seeds, legumes, nuts, leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains. Our bodies need calories for energy. Calories measure the amount of energy provided by food so when eating a vegan diet, one important thing to pay attention to is how many calories are being eaten. If enough calories are not being eaten, the body will break down both muscle protein and fat for energy. Remember the term garbage in, garbage out? Ok, well, it’s the same for calories. The more calories you intake, the more calories you want to spend so as not to get fat. Well, when you are eating a plant-based diet, the excess calories can be a little harder to store, but it is not impossible if you’re eating garbage calories.

Now, I think it’s time to mention the difference between eating a plant-based diet versus being vegan. Basically, the vegan person will not only not eat animal flesh but they will also abstain from wearing anything made from animals including silk or using honey. I guess the simplest distinction I can use is to say that veganism is activism while plant-based eating is just a healthier diet.

Anyway, I did consider veganism and with respect to clarity, I landed with a plant-based diet as my healthy place. I have managed to shed lots of fat pounds and improve my general health. I have been able to expand my physical activity and I learned how beneficial a regular practice of stretching and strength activities are for health and wellness as well as physical attractiveness.

The thing is… the transition period is not a 10-day thing, there is the palate to consider. The way food tastes is a major deciding factor in whether I will eat it again. That’s pretty much a no-brainer. I know that when the body is detoxing, the taste buds are going through things and to decide whether I like a food or not should not happen during detox. I think perhaps the first few months of a diet transition like meat-eating to plant-based are the same. It can take a minute to readjust to eating food that has no additives and extra sugars. Honestly, if you drank formula as an infant, you were more than likely introduced to both early and most days since. To assist in breaking THAT cycle, I quickly learned that eating whole food plant-based is the most helpful.

I keep saying whole food plant-based because it is important to make that distinction. Not every food in the plant-based world is healthy. Prepackaged foods are full of additives, preservatives, sugars, and often, glyphosate. There is junk food in the plant-based world just as there is junk food in the non-plant-based world. I remember being SUPER bummed discovering my favorite burger is FULL of fat. It may be plant-based and originally made from healthy ingredients, but when they start adding to it, the nutritional value starts to fall. I discovered this the hard way when Covid hit. I stocked up on all my favorite prepackaged foods so I wouldn’t have to go out. My freezer was loaded! Then slowly, my tummy felt bloated, my energy levels dropped and my clothes felt tight again. It became hard to want to work out and easy to sleep in.

So back to the beginning. Reading the labels looking for the short-list of ingredients, primarily locally sourced whenever possible and time in the cookbooks again. I mean, honestly, I’ve still got lots of time to practice cooking as we’re still “safer at home.” Meal planning and prepping is really another great tool for success, but that too is for a different post. What I will leave you with is this, changing your diet is no small feat. It takes a decision, effort, and willingness to learn. There will be days where you “fail” and days where everything falls in line.

If you are interested in learning more about plant-based eating here are some awesome cookbooks I have found for inspiration and education (all available on Kindle):

The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook by Emily von EUW

Vegan 100 by Gaz Oakley

Gluten-Free Vegan Natural Body Building and Fitness Nutrition by Steven Bainbridge

The Gluten-Free Vegan by Susan O’Brien

📗 About D Goosby of JDs Organic Productions

🌺My Story... The Journey Continues🌺

D Goosby of JD's Organic Productions is a wife and a mom to 8 beautiful kids including 2 sets of twins. At one point, she weighed close to 300 lbs and then lost half of it just to put most of it back on. D eventually got tired of the yo-yo. She learned some hidden truths about our food system and decided to get educated and make lasting changes. D studied to become a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and peristeam practitioner because she realized that she was not alone in wanting to make healthy lifestyle changes but lacking the knowledge to make anything permanent.

That is what D does today, she helps busy moms like herself, get back to where they feel good again, they look the way they want to look and they get to be a healthy role model for their families and friends.

#greenfoods #fruit #greendrink #weightloss #protein #healthy #food #eating