This question, or a version of it, is something I've been asked numerous times over the past five years. The short answer is, "It was my husband's idea". Please keep on reading if you're curious about the full story.
Let's travel back to the summer of 2017 when I was likely eating a steak burrito bowl from Chipotle or was belly up to a charcuterie board at a friend's picnic. I had never tried nor even considered eating vegetarian, let alone fully plant-based. I ate red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and more than my fair share of cheese. I knew "others" who were vegetarian and had heard of vegans (and if I'm being honest, had considerable judgment there). I had lived with the certainty that any version of vegetarian was NOT for me! It's interesting to take a look back.... in spite of a background in health and fitness and decades of struggles with diets, body image, the whole thing, shifting toward something more plant-based had not been a consideration.
Now back to this being my husband's idea. That is 100% true. After he watched a documentary about plant-based eating and its related health benefits, he asked me about it. Yes, I had seen this same info but had not been moved to overhaul my eating habits. The conversation stopped there (briefly) but was revived a week or so later. I arrived home one evening to find my spouse watching this same documentary AGAIN along with our two middle school-aged daughters. At that moment, both girls vowed to become vegetarians (more on that at a future date!). Oh boy....
 |
| Damn you, Netflix! |
When the husband then suggested, "Maybe we should give this plant-based thing a try", my outside voice hesitantly mumbled, "Sure. Sounds great" while my inside voice said, "Don't worry, this will never stick...I give it a week....maybe two!" Although the first few weeks proved difficult, we kept on. Subbing out meat for beans or tofu...and "veganizing" some of our typical meals, we were making it work. The hubby's cholesterol dropped significantly in six weeks, and he was feeling better, both mentally and physically. I had more energy and experienced less sluggishness after meals.
Fast forward to the present. I am doing pretty well with an (almost) fully plant-based or plant-forward diet. And to clarify, when I use the word diet, it refers to "the way a person typically eats" not a short-term deprivation scenario. The husband's current status is that he is on and off the plant-based wagon, and "on" more frequently when he eats at home.
I do not label myself vegan (no hating on those who do) or as 100% whole food plant-based (WFPB). Life is hard enough and considerable judgment already exists around what we should and should not eat - which is not helpful. I provide simple strategies and suggestions - packaged in a little humor and plenty of non-judgment- for anyone interested in making some changes. Check out Power Through Plants on FB or Instagram for more info!
Love this!
