What I Learned The First 30-Days Plant Based
Originally published May 2022
When I began this experiment my whys were because I care about the environment and I care about my health. Even in the years I tossed around the idea of trying this way of eating I told myself it is for my longevity and the longevity of the planet. Through this experience my original whys are stronger and new reasons to adapt and stick to this lifestyle have become clear. My 30-day journey is only going to continue as a very bright light has been shed on the benefits of fueling my body this way and taking the steps to do my part to protect our planet.
I have expanded on my research into the ways that we can help our environment and how we all can clean up our act and make better choices. It is safe to say that I am now completely overwhelmed by the information and all the ways in which we can do better. Limiting the amount of animal products that we consume is a big first step but there is so much more we can be doing and need to think about. I now very carefully consider the choices I make in regards to what I buy, where it is going, how can I recycle better, and so on because there is so much more we can be doing. The research, sources, living proof is out there just go look for someone who is living a conscious life and you will see where you can improve your care of the environment.
The amount of waste that we produce is disturbing. When you look at the numbers even from a government source (i.e. maybe with some dirty hands in regards to the truth of the numbers) it is shocking how much garbage we are leaving behind. I myself will fill up a garbage bag a week of trash and when I think that I am one pretty conscious person it is troubling to think about how much we toss back onto our planet with no plan for what to do with it. Do you ever ask yourself, where does my garbage go and how to we get rid of it? You should.
Now, recycling. Not just paper and glass but the things we do not think about. What happens to all the electronics we own? How many things to do throw out that can be recycled? Do you know the options for recycling in your area? For more on this idea I highly recommend listening to the TED Radio Hour podcast from May of this year. We are wasting an incredible amount of resources and we cannot get those back.
There is so much more we can and need to be doing for our environment. We need to start making new considerate choices, educating ourselves on how to make these changes, and being more conscious of the choices we are making. I am making the changes and address the facts of our situation because I want us and our kids to grow up in a healthy environmentally sound world, do you?
I want to live a long healthy life and want healthy years long into my life. When I look at the science and research surrounding adopting a plant based diet I feel like there is no choice. If I want to live long, healthy, and have a better chance of being disease-free, than this is how we should be eating. In just 30-days I experienced some incredible changes to my health and how I feel in my body. For years I had been experiencing very low levels of energy, I could not seem to make it through the day without being incredibly exhausted by 7 pm. I was ALWAYS tired. With the amount of training that I do this only seemed to make it worse and no matter what trick or drink I had I could not tackle this lack of energy. Within days of adapting a fully plant based diet I immediately felt the change in my energy. I now had the energy I was searching for. I could make it through my workouts strong and had energy to carry me throughout the day.
My digestion has been better than I can ever remember it being. My microbiome seems to have also made a serious adjustment. I now crave healthier more whole foods and most cravings I had for sweets are now completely gone. This plant based journey has reshaped how my body works and I am loving these changes.
There is an incredible amount more for me to learn and I plan on sharing many new ideas that I discover. Being plant-based does not necessarily have to mean being 100% animal free for everyone. The closer you can get to that point the better your health and our planet but I do understand that for some people that is not realistic. The key is to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, greens, and much less dairy, processed meat and seafood, junk food. For each meal the portion of grains, vegetables and greens should be much larger than a portion of meat if you are going to consume animal products. Adapting a 70% or 80% plant-based diet is a real solution for many people and will do your health a big favor. I choose for myself to go all in because I believe in the research, the science, and in the people living this life.
“The Proof is in the Plants” (Simon Hill) - Takeaways
“When something challenges our beliefs, we either work out a way to make it fit our pre-existing beliefs, demand more evidence or tune out entirely and pretend we didn’t see.” (Hill, p 55)
We have such a difficult time changing our beliefs no matter how strong the evidence is in favor of the other perspective. Why is this the case? When we do not like what we hear we too often turn the other way or create an other and an army against that other. The simpler, more rational, approach would be to accept the challenge and see where your current beliefs may be wrong. Be open to being wrong
“Half of what we are going to teach you is wrong, and half of it is right. Our problem is that we don't know which half is which.” - Charles Sidney Burwell
“Diet as a noun, not a verb” (Hill, p90)
Diet is defined as, “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.” It is simply how we eat and what we eat it is not restriction or fad or quick fix. This word has taken on a meaning that implies we are missing something in our life and we need to take back the word diet. To diet is to eat, it is what you eat as a culture, what you eat in your standard day.
