What is a Plant-Based Diet? Why and How I decided to change my diet!
What is a Plant Based Diet?
It is a diet focused mainly on eating fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, legumes and grains are welcome. It does not mean being vegetarian or vegan or that you never eat meat or dairy. It is simply being geared towards eating fresh and seasonal foods that grow from the Earth.
I personally don't eat any meat, I don't buy dairy products at home, but I do eat regular cheese pizza every now and then, especially if it's “Jet's pizza, Detroit style”.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME: CLARISSA URIANA
I was born and raised in Venezuela until I was 23 years old, during all this time I consumed a carnivorous diet, a Latin diet, high in fat, animal protein, fruits and vegetables, I do not suffer from health conditions and I have always had a stable weight.
Although I did have a problem..I was incredibly addicted to sugar. I don't know anyone who ate as many sweets as I do, at home we used to eat dessert after lunch! But when I grew up and could choose I was always eating sugar. I don't remember ever thinking that the amount of sugars (processed and natural) was alarming.
As I grew older (between 16-23 years old) I began to be more aware of my diet and started to exercise regularly, but sugar was still a constant, every day.
In 2015 I moved to the USA, I followed a healthy and organic diet which was very simple for me because I am used to eating vegetables, I like them all! After that I wasn’t dying to eat junk or fried foods because at home we always avoided it, my problem was not eating a jar of nutella in 2 days!
When I arrived, my first job was as a nanny taking care of 3 children under three years old, the work was very physical and required a lot of energy. I still went to the gym 5 times a week and although I ate 60% of the time healthy and organic, the another 10% were the children's snacks like goldfish, cheerios, etc and the rest sugar, sugar and sugar, my constant.
Why did I decide to change my diet?
Growing up in Venezuela I always came on vacation to the USA, and I ate everything that crossed my mind (and plate) and although I gained weight when I returned to my “healthy” life in Venezuela, I returned to my normal weight without problem. However, living here in the states was different…
Here I found a new world : cage-free, grass fed, hormone-free, non-GMO no-additives, no-corn syrup, no-sucralose, no-alcohol, no-cholorants, was too much too soon... I was saturated, because despite being addicted to sugar, I accepted my condition, I had no intention of changing and my balance was to eat the rest healthily, so I began to learn about the food industry in the USA
One day I saw a documentary "What the Health" and I began to question that despite choosing and paying a little more for "natural and organic" food I was not sure that I was eating healthy. For the first time in my life I thought about my health before ending up with the common American diseases such as: diabetes, obesity, depression, asthma, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
In addition to not being sure that I was eating quality food, this industry was generating a great impact on the environment that is not reversible and is advancing rapidly, more than myself, I thought about future generations, my nephews, my children ... Because of how everything was going, even I would eventually live with the consequences. It is not that I disagree with people who eat animal protein, what really worries me is how everything has been distorted and how they produce food today for only purpose of profit.. it is no longer about the nutrients and to use every last part of an animal after sacrificing it. The empathy and respect for those who cannot comment have been totally lost, we are immersed in a world that only thinks about profit and many of us are unaware of it. We've become accustomed to the immediacy where everything is available, natural cycles are not respected, you can get any type of cut of meat or fish throughout the year in the supermarket.
I felt the need to stop being part of this and on December 31, 2017 Jack (my husband) and I ate the last “Hallaca “ of Pork, until today.
How was the process?
January 1, 2018 (first 6 months 100% Vegan)
The truth is, it was a “simple” process, We went "cold turkey" and as of today there are many options available to be vegan and not miss anything, or almost anything!
For Him: It was easier because he hadn't eaten dairy for a long time (because he’s never liked it) and generally only eats one heavy meal a day, during that beginning period his favorite foods were:
French Fries
Rice n’ beans
Homemade “Sofritas” with tofu
He missed:
Fried chicken
Regular pizza
For Me: It was also simple, I ate a lot of complex carbohydrates to feel full, a lot of baked vegetables and grains, during that time my favorite foods were:
PBJ
Tacos, tacos and tacos
Black beans
I missed:
All the sweets that I stopped eating because they had milk.
Regular Pizza
* We made a lot of “Minimalist Baker” recipes that I highly recommend, because they are simple recipes with few ingredients and quick, just the way I like! *
How long did it take?
After the first six months being 100% vegan, we had a lot of energy, and our digestion improved considerably and personally I noticed that during this time I did not feel heavy after eating large meals and also my levels of energy were more stable throughout the day.
During that time we were strictly vegan and discovered a lot of unhealthy food that we could eat like oreos, non-dairy ben & jerry's, vegan cheeses, tofurky and other processed vegan food. So we thought it was best if we allowed ourselves to eat regular pizza and the occasional dessert every now and then that contained dairy instead of eating regularly processed vegan food, since the health issue lost its meaning and that is what we do to this day.
* Flexible meals we only do outside the home, at home where we eat 85% are vegan meals.
Results
Changing our lifestyle in 2018 was one of the best decisions we have made, We do not miss the meat (Jack does miss the fried chicken...a lot) we do not feel disgusted to share a table with carnivores at all and our eating style has expanded more! In every aspect of our life, We are more aware of what we buy, we use sustainable and ethically made products, we value brands that make quality products without destroying the environment and its population, and whenever we can, we support local commerce. Although we know that we are not going to change the world tomorrow we are contributing to a better future for all and that makes us very happy.
I always think of this phrase that I learned when I was a Girl Scout and I share it with you:
"Try to leave this world in better condition than you found it" Robert Baden-Powell
C.
