There are many reasons to move to a whole food plant-based lifestyle – your health, ethics, the planet, athletic performance!
Whatever your motivation, you are in good company as more and more people choose to stay right away from animal-based foods and live a plant-based lifestyle.
A great place to start – and the inspiration for many of is the documentary Forks Over Knives (2011).
It tell the story of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. On separate paths, their discoveries and groundbreaking research led them to the same startling conclusion: Chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes can almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet.
The documentary grew into Forks Over Knives the global movement which continues now with resources and constant new educational information being released. It is a reliable, scientific-based resource.
What happens when you go plant-based
As you explore the world of vegetables, fruits, seeds and starchy grains, and you overhaul your diet you will see the benefits within weeks, if not days.
Evidence-based nutrition shows the many health advantages of a wholefood plant-based diet, particularly if you are fighting chronic diseases, or “lifestyle” diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity. (You can review scientific sources in my free download pdf HERE).
When you are a plant-based cook, you omit all animal products including fish, seafood and dairy products. You also leave out processed foods as much as possible, and ideally no added oils either.
But you will be enjoying a huge range of plant foods, no missing out on flavour! Being plant-based is about eating whole grains, potatoes, oats and starches to fill you up, not living on a plate of kale.
You will benefit from less focus on calorie-counting and singling out individual nutrients, as you will be eating a “symphony” of plant foods to make you healthy.
TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED
- Clean out your fridge and commit to a 14-day trial at least so you give your taste buds time to change and feel the detoxing benefits of a 100% plant powered lifestyle.
- Go shopping for produce! It’s really not hard to fill your shopping cart with vegetables, frozen and fresh fruit, a range of dry goods like tinned chick peas, beans, packets of grains like brown rice and quinoa for starters.
- Spend some time researching meal ideas and think about your favourite flavour profiles – are you a fan of Indian, Mexican, Italian? Every cuisine can showcase vegetables and grains.
- Consider your appliances – do you have a decent food processor, or a nutri-bullet type blender?
- Forget calorie counting, this diet is high in nutrient density. There are many great cookbooks you can check out for inspiration.
Be adventurous and be positive. You can adopt a whole food plant-based diet progressively as you learn more and make more enlightened food choices- it doesn’t have to happen overnight. Every step will protect your health!