That word packs a powerful punch. For some, it rolls right off their back. For me it elicits a physical response. My heart begins to race and my mind kicks into high gear. How can I tackle this challenge and overcome it? My first response rarely is, do I want to take on the challenge or not? That decision comes later. My instinct is to jump right in.
Through much reflection I have come to realize my response is not the healthiest option. When I take on physical challenges without thinking them through, I usually (ok, always) get injured. When I take on other challenges, I often commit then realize I actually have no interest in the end goal. This makes the process of achieving the goal miserable and actually reaching the goal less than thrilling.
One thing is certain – I usually do overcome challenges and achieve goals I set for myself. I just have to work on thinking it through and choosing challenges and goals that I truly want to go after.
So, the other night at our Veggin Around dinner at Café Sunflower when I was asked to put together a 14-day challenge, I jumped at the opportunity. Fortunately, I have allowed myself to think about it a few days before truly jumping in. What is the end goal? There are tons of diets, detoxes, and challenges out there. The end goal always seems to be to lose weight. But something is wrong – we have more options out there to help our society lose weight – we are obsessed with being skinny, yet our society is more obese than ever before in history. Not only are we obese, we have record numbers of heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer. One in four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. Our health is declining in a time when we have more doctors, medicine, medical procedures and diets available to us than ever before.
What is going on?
Our diet.
I have been obsessed with being skinny, losing weight and that darn number on the scale. The more I tried to diet, count calories, and restrict my food, the worse I felt mentally, physically and the number on the scale did not correlate to how hard I was working (or obsessing).
So I changed my focus. Why not focus on giving my body what it needs? Eliminate food addictions and eat nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense food that gives me energy, taste good and has the power to lessen my risk of getting cancer, diabetes, and having a heart attack. I challenged myself to stay true to a whole food – plant based diet. I no longer count calories, I eat until I am satisfied and I feel good. I have a peace of mind that I am doing all that I can do to prevent cancer and other diseases. I seek out nutrient dense food that provides my body what it needs and eliminates all the cravings I used to have. And yes, a wonderful side effect is that my weight has stabilized. If you need to lose weight, you will lose weight on a plant based diet. It might not be as quickly as other diets, but it will happen. And once it happens, you never have to diet again. This is a lifestyle – to promote health and to prevent disease. I have to add that another side effect is that it is good for animals and our planet. (More on that another day.)
My challenge to those who want a challenge is to focus on your long-term health:
o Do your own research.
o Eat what your body needs – nutrient dense foods.
o Eliminate the junk.
Your body will thank you.
Need some rules?
EAT:
· All the veggies your heart desires – make sure to add in dark leafy greens, onions, and mushrooms. Eat at least one HUGE salad a day. Don’t forget broccoli, cauliflower, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts.
· Eat a variety of colorful food.
· Eat FRUIT. Try to eat at least 4 servings a day. Berries are awesome, packed with nutrients. Eat berries daily.
· Beans – (especially lentils) are nutrient dense powerhouses. Eat at least one cup of beans a day.
· Limited Nuts and Seeds – packed with photo-chemicals, they help with the absorption of other nutrients, and reduce inflammation. Limit these to 1 – 2 oz a day. This is the only food group I measure – as they are high in fat and I can easily over consume.
Read about the immunity boasting powers of greens, onions, mushrooms, beans, berries and nuts and seeds in Dr. Fuhrman’s newest book, Super Immunity.
· Starchy Vegetables and Whole grains – sweet potatoes, oats, quinoa, brown rice, millet, organic corn– whole grain breads (if you are not gluten intolerant). These are all healthy, and help fuel you. They help fill you up. I eat either these or beans at each meal. Do not be afraid of good carbs. Watch and read about Dr. McDougall’s latest book, The Starch Solution.
Challenge yourself to EAT veggies, fruit, beans, starchy vegetables and whole grains EVERY day. Eat a lot of them – then see if you have room for the unhealthy stuff…
So here is what to AVOID:
· Dairy
· All animal products (includes eggs, fish, chicken, meat, pork, etc)
· Added Salt, Oil, Sugar – remember SOS – READ all ingredients carefully – don’t buy processed foods that have a ton of ingredients, anything you cant pronounce, and added salt, oil, sugar. Stick with your WHOLE FOODS!
Why avoid these?
· PLEASE watch Forks over Knives
· Read what these people have to say:
This list will get you started, but ask me for more!
Other tips –
Try this out for yourself first. I do not recommend making a sweeping change for the entire family all at once. Try it, read the books and research, take note on how you are feeling. If you give it time, you feel better, and agree with the research, then start introducing these changes into your family meals. Its like they say on the airplane, put your oxygen mask on first before you put it on your child. If you believe in this lifestyle, it will be much easier to make the changes in your family’s lifestyle.
Mindful eating – sit down to eat, relax, enjoy. Don’t count calories. Think about how the food is nourishing your body. And your serving size will be bigger, eat LOTS of salad, veggies, fruits!
The first week, you might not feel great, as your system is getting used to this new healthy food. Give it a few days. Just remember do not go hungry. Eat the healthy foods.
Yes, it takes longer to be prepared. But I promise it gets easier with time.
Here are helpful meal planning guides:
(I love the recipes, but do not like the focus on the calorie count, 1200 calories is too low for any of us to function on!)
Look for my pantry list and other recipes!
And, lastly –
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