Why Are You Here?
I’m not sure how you stumbled upon this website, but I’m happy you’re here. I’m happy that you’re interested in learning about what it means to be plant-based and that maybe after stopping by you might consider adding more beans to your diet (watch: increase your lifespan with beans AND beans for diabetes)! There are plenty of reasons why someone decides to go plant-based. Maybe you just watched a documentary (make sure to check out What The Health on Netflix) or perhaps you aren’t interested in becoming plant-based but are remotely interested in becoming just a bit healthier. Maybe you’re tired and want more energy. Maybe you’ve been slapped with a scary diagnosis or a desire to fit into your high school jeans. I don’t know how you’ve come here but I’ll do my best to make this transition from wherever you are to wherever you want to go as easy and as smooth as possible. You don’t have to be a vegan, but we can all benefit by being a little MORE vegan each day.
80% Time
Remember the 80% rule. Some of us NEED to be 100% healthy 100% of the time. An alcoholic in remission HAS to be 100% off of alcohol, no exceptions. A recovering addict or an ex-smoker has to be 100% free from their addiction to remain… addiction free. Processed foods, salt, sugar, oil, meat, cheese, and eggs are addictive and some of us have to be 100% off of these foods to change our taste buds and restore our palate to enjoy the good foods in life that make us healthy and thriving. Sometimes you need to be 100% just for a period of time to restart your system. Sometimes your going to be 100% perfect all the time because you’re in it for more than just health.
Do the best you can. Some of us will be 100% all of the time. Some of us won’t. Some of us shouldn’t be 100% all of the time because that could lead to eating disorders or familial issues. Each person is different. Each story is different. Remember that life happens and life is meant to be lived. When mom places fresh brownies in front of you, maybe it’s ok to eat one. This is what I’ve learned from the Blue Zone study (below). The oldest living people in the world enjoy life! These people enjoy their families, their faith, and occasional treats. Enjoy life, eat as healthy as can be at least 80% of the time, enjoy treats, and forgive yourself when you aren’t what you want to be. Fill up on whole plant foods to buffer the damage that the treats may cause. Live as healthy as you can be, enjoy treats, and enjoy your life.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”- Michael Pollen
Blue Zone Study
Have you heard about the Blue Zone study? From what I understand the 3 Buettner brothers were able to travel a lot when they were young. As they grew older the desire to travel continued to grow and they started to notice a few different cultures where people lived to be older than a hundred! Not only were these people old, but they were thriving! If you’ve spent anytime in a nursing home or hospital you might have noticed that for the most part Americans don’t thrive as they age. Well, these brothers started comparing the different cultures to see how they lived. There are currently 5 official blue zones (as they started to call these locations).
The Buettner’s complied a list of healthy lifestyle practices that these centenarians were doing accross Nicoya, Sardinia, Ikaria, Okinawa, and Loma Linda, California. They’ve called that list The Power 9 (picture below). In my opinion the single most important tip from their website is that “Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of a deck of cards.” Fiber is shown to be the most important factor in your diet from disease prevention, disease reversal, longevity, health, vitality, and life. The people in the Blue Zones do this without thinking about it. Living a healthy life is attainable!
All you need to do is one simple thing: change your lifestyle! It’s no joke, and won’t be easy, but it’s well worth it! And if you need one more push, watch the videos on How Not To Die. Eat more plants, crap like a champ.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”– Michael Pollen
I have really thrived from eating more plant-based and it’s always great to read the story of others. The title of your blog made me laugh out loud so I had to check it out. Look forward to reading more.
Awe thanks! 🤣☺️ It still makes me laugh. Plants for the win!!!
Amen to that lol
FYI I notice the time on my comment. Just wanted to say I am not an insomniac… just British 🙂
It’s actually 9pm in my part of the world. Still, maybe that’s worse. Admitting I am in on a Saturday night reading blog posts. The insomnia thing was probably far less embarrassing
That potato looks soooo good!!! Great article 🙂
Loved this read!😊💪🏽
Wow, that is so great Laura! Good luck with your journey! It truly is the healthiest way to live! 🙂
I took away animal product from my diet a few months back and I have been heaping in so many benefits from focusing on a plant-based diet. I did actually watch what the health and it really inspired me to change.