Hey guys and gals! Though I'm not always one that feels the need to celebrate every life event, some occasions are just fun to mark in some small way. I am coming up on blogging for two years next month, which is a feat in itself, but before that I wanted to take a quick minute to celebrate six years since going plant-based! I probably wouldn't have started blogging if not to share my yummy vegan food so it only makes sense to at least put out a short blog to chart the journey.
It is quite the experience looking back on that time. I had been a trainer for about four years when I started researching more about whole food, plant based nutrition. An acquaintance at the time knew that I enjoyed learning about nutrition, so she had suggested I read The China Study. Before that I had only a vague notion of vegetarian eating, and even less about full veganism (from a dietary perspective and total lifestyle). Though I am not always the best at explaining scientific research after I read it or absorb it in other manners, I still am very much swayed by solid evidence when it comes to matters of health and wellness. Of course we all put our own personal spin and experience on what we learn, but ultimately as someone who works in the wellness profession it would not bode well for my practice to not base my methods on hard science.
This was a few weeks before I did in fact totally cut out meat. 😜
Well, after starting to do my research, I couldn't deny the overwhelming evidence that adopting a largely (if not wholly) plant-based diet was best for overall health and wellness. It was a bit of a shock to me as much of my early experience in the fitness field so much of the focus was on protein and supplements, or worse--deprivation of calories to get the desired aesthetic response. I got into fitness and nutrition to help people be healthier, not to sacrifice that health at the cost of appearance, so learning more about how you could actually eat more abundantly in order to look good and have optimal health just made sense to me. One of the great things about plant-based eating is that if you are consuming a variety of mostly whole foods, you don't have to "diet" or restrict anything (within reason--pure vegan cane sugar is still sugar)! If anything, some days I have a problem eating enough to support my active lifestyle.
Everyone has different nutritional needs as far as how much and what types of foods work better for them, but I am personally convinced all of those needs can be met through plants. You can easily eat high or lower carb, get plenty of protein or consume more plant-based fats if that is what your body desires. Gluten-free is no problem when you realize how many other wonderful plants can take the place of those grains. Of course I am a big proponent of whole food carbs, but I totally understand that not everyone is going to adore potatoes as much as I do. 😉
About a month into the plant-based lifestyle!
Once I was set on the nutritional value of the lifestyle, I also couldn't help but come across the environmental and ethical side of things, as well. Personally I could never kill a living being to feed myself. Unrealistic desert island scenario be damned, I would most likely starve if the only other "food" around was an animal. I ate cheeseburgers for most of my life, so there is definitely no judgement from me how anyone else lives their life, but I am very grateful my eyes were opened to things that, though painful to watch at times, switched my perspective in a way that can never be flipped back. I will admit I am not always a perfect vegan, but I strive constantly to continue to reduce my negative impact on the world around me.
I feel like I have definitely grown a lot over these six years. My thirties have truly been a fantastic decade! I've become the nutty vegan auntie, which is a title I cherish. My nutritional choices even within the plant-based sphere continue to improve and grow. Thank goodness my food photography has gotten a whole lot better! I adore my farmers market visits each week and getting to know the local farmers more and more. That has definitely helped me to try to be much more seasonal in the way I cook, which has positive environmental impacts. I even have my own little cookbook and plans for a second!
From a fitness perspective, I'm pretty sure all of my racing personal best times have happened after switching my diet. Of course some of that could be experience and solid training, but if nothing else all the plants haven't harmed my performance as some people still believe. I also carry just as much or more muscle than I ever have, and tend to have much less inflammation in my body.
Oh to sit under a big beautiful tree and think about the wonders of life!
I also feel like I have become a much more mindful person in general. It is so easy to go through life not really thinking too much how certain decisions impact others, but I try to take the time much more than I ever used to so that I can really think about what I am putting out in the world. I am definitely not always (if ever) perfect and have my moments of pure selfish meltdowns. For the most part, though, I try to put positive energy out whenever I can. It just so happens that most of that comes out in the form of food, haha! Energy at its finest.
My goal in sharing this milestone this year is not to put myself up on a pedestal and make anyone feel less than for their own choices, just to give a little piece of my own personal growth and journey. That is what a blog is about, right? I could sit here and spout off all the sites and doctors that I follow that inform my decisions, but I'd rather get into the kitchen and make something delicious out of the fresh veggies I have sitting in there. If you want to learn more, feel free to reach out personally. I'm always happy to share for anyone truly interested in a healthy plant-based lifestyle! I do also have another local nutrition event coming up here in Atlanta that I've shared on Facebook and will share more about in a blog soon.
Thank you to those who have been a big part of my journey along the way! I truly enjoy sharing and motivating people to think just a little bit more about their own lifestyle--whatever form that may take. I continue to learn so much from others, so I can only hope to give one small part back. The vegan and healthy foodie communities on Steemit are some of my favorite people to interact with. This is actually my first post where I am finally utilizing Steempress to be able to cross-post on both my Wordpress blog and on Steem, so fingers crossed all goes well....
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://plantstoplanks.com/6-years-plant-based-my-veggiversary/