Straight up, I’m a vegetarian (mostly vegan) and this isn’t about trying to convert you, so you can relax! 🙂. But I know some of you have wondered about making this change in your life, so after making the decision myself eight years ago, I decided to write about six lessons I’ve learned by becoming a vegetarian.
1) Making One Good Choice Leads to Other Good Choices
Hey, it takes discipline to make a change and stick to it – and this isn’t a small one. Like exercising and going on a diet, no one truly wants to sign up for sore muscles or less ___________ (fill in the blank with what you crave that you know isn’t good for you or eat more of than your body can use). However, feeling healthier and seeing a difference has a positive ripple-effect in other areas of life as well. It does for me!
2) Pure Food Flavors Are Delicious on Their Own
God created the natural foods we eat with amazing variety and creativity, each with their own unique taste, texture, and ingenious “packaging” – like a banana! As I began thinking more about what I ate and adding fresh fruit and vegetables back into my diet, I reconnected to the crunch of a green pepper or the juicy explosion of a perfectly ripe nectarine bite. I retrained my taste buds and they’re happier 🙂
3) Adding Ranch Dressing, Cheese, Sugar, Bacon, Extra Salt, etc. Isn’t Necessary
Neither is artificial flavoring, colors, or additives. We’ve gotten used to so much processed and fast food in today’s culture that what our ancestors would have been shocked to see is now mainstream – and fed to our kids! I don’t have to live on a farm in the 1800s to eat more fresh ingredients and neither do you. Start making a couple of healthy recipes on the weekend and freezing the leftovers for meals during the week. Get in the habit of making a big salad every few days. Do a meatless Monday every week. Get out of the drive-thru and back into the kitchen and try something different. It makes more sense to make your own choices about what goes into your food (and body!) not what commercial producers add to it. Bonus: eating plant-based is easier on the budget and environment too!
4) No One I Know is Getting Any Younger
The best day to start making healthier choices? Today. As we get older, non-healthy choices come home to roost. When we’re young, we feel “bulletproof” because we may not have experienced the consequences of our decisions – yet! For example, there are endless studies about how carrying extra weight can lead to many different health issues. It can also lead to hip and knee replacements and lots of pain and less mobility down the road. Who wants to sign up for that? We’ll all go through issues, but why not prevent all that we can and get healthier each year instead of old before our time? That’s my goal!
I have a friend in her 70s that made the decision last year to go Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB). Yesterday she told me she’s lost 40 lbs! If we do the math, a gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs. (3.78 kg). Her joints were carrying the additional pressure of 4.8 gallons of weight all day every day – but not any more! That’s a big deal!
5) Baby Steps vs. “Cold Turkey”
Only you know if you’re the kind of person that eats a bite of cake, followed by the rest of the cake. Or, you may be the kind of person that has a bite or two and says, “that was awesome!,” then gets right back on the horse and keeps going. I try to keep the principle of “diminishing returns” in mind. The first bite of something less-than-healthy that I crave can taste like the best thing I ever ate! But the more I eat of it, the less incredible it gets – that’s when I try to put down my fork and only eat a few bites. Try it!
Eating a plant-based diet is a lifestyle choice. It’s your life. As for me, I did go “cold turkey” with meat. Cheese took longer and so did butter. Today, if I want a bit of “real” cheese I eat a few bites and enjoy it, then get back to my lifestyle (I also eat vegan cheese). As for butter, I use 0% cholesterol oat milk butter now which is delicious and I truly don’t miss dairy butter at all anymore. It’s a personal process to find what works for you. Key word: process. Give it time and always keep going forward on your better health adventure.
6) Different Can Be Good Too
I’ve gotten a lot of reactions from people who learn I’m a vegetarian that’s mostly vegan. Here are a few classics, beyond “where do you get your protein?”:
- “Then we can’t be friends anymore.” (She was kidding)
- “Oh, I’m sorry!”
- My favorite of all time: “Isn’t it all just salads and sadness?” LOL!
Food preferences and boundaries can get real, real fast. If I could make one suggestion to anyone with a plant-based diet person in their life, it would be to give a little nod of respect. It’s a big decision – and they made it for a good reason.
The bottom line? A healthy life is a better life – in every area. I’m so thankful I decided to go plant-based eight years ago. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner! And the person who made the comment about “salads and sadness”? I heard recently she’s now a vegan!
RESET HIGHER: The Bible calls our body the “temple of the Holy Spirit” in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. If you’re a believer, caring about your health has another dimension to motivate you. The responsibility to care for the “temple” you’ve been given by God. We can all make healthier choices and improvements to our lives – whether vegetarian or not. What comes to mind for you? What lessons have your choices taught you? What healthier changes will you make and stick to them?
