Veganuary 2020 - Returning to Plant Based Life!
Just a couple of months ago I had a bit of a health scare. I’d been dealing with high blood pressure, tons of work stress throughout the last couple of years and it finally all caught up with me. One weekend I started having chest pain like I’d never had. At first I thought it was radiating muscle tension from gripping but after 2 days it occurred to me it might be more serious and I went to the ER to check it out. Long story short doctors were concerned.
As a result I decided to return to a plant based diet since I knew it was proven to be heart healthy and better for people with high blood pressure. When January rolled around I decided to join the Veganuary challenge to help keep me accountable and wanted to share how it went!
I have been really happy with the changes I’ve made moving toward the plant based lifestyle in the way I look and feel since I started. I really do notice a difference in my skin, my digestion, energy levels and even my mood. While I’m not vegan I over the years I have adopted some other vegan philosophies like not buying anything made with leather, purchasing only cruelty free products and trying to lessen my impact on the planet as much as possible. At this time I’m not 100% plant based (I like to call myself Primarily Plant Based) but as the weeks have gone by I’ve found myself not being attracted to meat so I suspect it will be entirely removed from my diet in the future. Eggs I don’t eat on their own but I am currently continuing to use them in the occasional muffin or cookie recipe for the time being. (Baby steps are ok!) Dairy I’ve already mostly eliminated because I am intolerant but since I moved to a new region of the country I do eat local honey for the immunity benefits. There is a local farm and market that provides eggs and honey from responsible farmers that I have access to and feel good about supporting.
All in all a LOT about the way I eat has changed. Vegetables and legumes have become the staples in my diet and preparing them has become a regular routine that doesn’t require much effort or thought at all. A side benefit is how my grocery bill was nearly cut in half once I got the hang of things and that was a blessing especially the month after Christmas! Over the last couple of days I was away at a conference and brought food along for lunch and it was really nice not having to worry about spoilage without refrigeration and things like that. And the last fun facts are that I have lost 5 pounds in January without starvation and my skin is absolutely glowing!
This month I’m running a free Plant Based Clean Eating Challenge Group inside my VIP group on Facebook. If you’ve been curious about how to begin incorporating meat free recipes in your diet but aren’t sure how to do it in a way that’s healthy I’d love to have you join us! I’ll be giving you a 5 day meal plan, shopping list, and even a giveaway! Also, if you aren’t yet following me on Instagram come visit me over there - it’s my new favorite place to hang out!
I’m curious if you’ve ever considered eating plant based or done the Veganuary Challenge - let me know your thoughts in the comments!