Whole Food Plant-Based Diet

Whole food plant-based diet -Is it for you? when I decided to change to whole food plant-based living it was a mass of confusion because everywhere you shop (outside of a whole foods market) there are deceptive food products that claim to be “all-natural” or vegan when they can be worse for you than the Standard American Diet (SAD).

How To Begin A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet

1. Small steps turn into big strides

Don’t change everything in one day and expect to “stick with it”. By the way, if you look at this as a lifestyle and not a diet you will have the greatest success because it is a lifestyle change, not a diet. The first week I went fully plant-based I lost a whopping 7 lbs. The next week none. The third week my scale showed another 3 lbs lost.

2. Eliminate one thing at a time

I decided that sugar was the first thing to go and once my taste buds became accustomed to the natural sweetness of fruits, this is what I now prefer to eat instead of candy. I also discovered a wonderful recipe for dark chocolate hummus that is a guilt-free treat. Delicious! Keep reading and you will find that recipe below.

3. Drink more water

By drinking more water before a meal you will feel fuller. Drinking ice water is a metabolism booster. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger so drink water and you may find that “hunger” pang will disappear. Also, most of us are never getting enough water daily and it is recommended that we drink half of our body weight in ounces of pure water!

example: If you weigh 180 lbs you should drink 90 oz of pure water. This may seem difficult initially, but our bodies were created with up to 75% water which is important in many ways for continued good health.

How Important Is Drinking Enough Water

The human body needs water to function. Water is the most important nutrient in our bodies and here is why:

• Water regulates body temperature
• It lubricates and cushions our joints
• Protects the spinal cord and other vital sensitive tissues
• Removes waste through sweating, urination, and bowel

Did you know that the human brain contains 80-85% water? That is a good incentive to drink more pure water. Brain health! I make it a point to drink lots of water first thing in the morning and have a stainless steel jug with iced water and lemon to sip on all day. Another thing I do is distill my drinking water and add mineral drops.

Here is an interesting fact: muscle contains more water than body fat. This surprised me because it seemed logical that fat carried more water. I’m still learning something new every day!

Another interesting fact: We were not meant to eat meat. It’s true. When our heavenly Father created the first humans, Adam and Eve, here is what He said: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29 KJV)

My experience so far

It has been one month since making the final transition into a WFPB lifestyle and I can honestly say it has been the best decision. There are no meat or dairy products on my shopping list. I am dropping weight after being stuck at the same numbers on the scale for years. Losing 10 lbs in two weeks was a huge victory for me!

I have more energy and notice less joint pain, which is very important at my age. I had back surgery in March 2024.

All processed foods have been eliminated. This means any food product that comes in a box/bag having more than one or two ingredients stays on the shelf at the store, even if it claims to be all-natural or plant-based. As mentioned before, processed food of any kind is not healthy.

Food Prepping For Success

I dedicate a day to prepping my food for the week. This doesn’t mean that it takes a day to prepare my meals. I may spend a couple of hours on food prep. Being organized and not picky about variety is how I fly these days. If it tastes good- (and these recipes are so easy and delicious) I’m happy.

Speaking of recipes, I will close this post with that dark chocolate hummus recipe I promised. Here is a delicious recipe from Simply plant-based kitchen: 5-Minute Chocolate Hummus Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups canned chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup date syrup, date paste, or pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
2-4 tablespoons of water (as needed to thin out)
Add all ingredients to an electric food processor or blender and blend until smooth & creamy.

Both nutritious and guilt-free as a spread, or used to dip strawberries.Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

This is the first of many posts on this wonderful way to better health. I hope you will stay tuned and share with your friends! Stay healthy and stay blessed!