The Joys of Plant-Based Living

Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash

What’s the one thing that can improve your health, lessen your environmental footprint, and make a difference in the lives of countless animals? 

A plant-based diet.

A few facts: animal agriculture is the single biggest contributor to greenhouse gases, pollution, and subsequent climate change. Over 70 billion animals worldwide are killed each year for human consumption. Populations eating a plant-based diet on average live the longest with the lowest rates of chronic disease.

What is a plant-based or vegan diet? It’s a diet composed of minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

If you eat an omnivorous diet, you might be thinking to yourself, I could never do that. That sounds too hard. I would miss all my favorite foods. I shouldn’t even bother trying.

I totally get it. Most vegans, unless they were fortunate enough to have been raised vegan, had those same thoughts and doubts before they made the switch.

If you had told me twenty years ago that I would one day be a passionate vegan, I wouldn’t have believed you. And that’s why I want to share my experience with you.   

I was raised omnivorous and ate the standard American diet for the first 25 years of my life. After 10 years back and forth as a pescatarian (a vegetarian diet that also includes seafood and fish) and vegetarian (a largely plant-based diet but usually includes dairy and eggs), I began my vegan journey on June 1, 2016. 

My motivation was partially ethics. I love animals, so naturally I didn’t want to eat my friends or contribute to their suffering. Having completed my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2013 and learned about the concept of ahimsa (non-violence), I knew that my actions were not in alignment with my values. How could I eat a sentient being’s flesh or steal its milk or eggs without doing violence to them? I wanted to be vegan, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to live the life I wanted at the same time. How would I eat when I traveled? Would I still be able to enjoy nice restaurants? Would I have the same energy and strength to practice yoga, workout, and run?  

However hard it might be, it was clear to me that veganism was the only diet that would resonate with my mind, body, and soul. So I learned more about the health-related aspects of plant-based eating, reading books like T. Colin Campbell’s A China Study, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, and Scott Jurek’s Eat & Run. Documentaries like Forks Over Knives and What the Health were also illuminating. After educating myself on the nutritional benefits of veganism, I realized that making the switch would not only help the animals but my health as well.

I decided to commit to the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program hosted by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. It’s a free online program that educates and supports you in the transition to a plant-based diet. Each day you get a friendly email teaching you something about nutrition, plant-based cooking, and tips on how to handle the grocery shopping and navigate restaurant menus. 

The transition turned out to be much easier than I expected. After those 21 days on the kickstart program, I felt great and loved what I was doing, so I saw no reason to stop. The more time that passed, the more I realized there was no going back for me.

I learned how to cook plant-based versions of my favorite meals at home with the help of numerous vegan cooking blogs and books. I learned how to order vegan meals at restaurants so that I could stay the course even when eating out. And it turned out that traveling and staying vegan was easier than I thought; even when traveling internationally. It didn’t take long to settle into new habits and for my new way of eating and cooking to feel totally natural.

How about physical activity? I’m a long-distance runner as well as a vinyasa practitioner and teacher, so maintaining my energy and strength has always been critical. Not only was I able to keep up, I actually saw my athletic ability improve. After just a few months on a whole foods, plant-based diet, I had clearer skin, improved digestion, better sleep, and more energy. Today, I’m 40 years old and stronger than I’ve ever been. I ran my fastest marathon in February 2020.

Misunderstandings about the viability of a plant-based diet run rampant and often deter people from trying it. But the truth is, not only can you meet all the necessary requirements for protein, nutrients, and vitamins, but you’ll most likely find additional benefits from eating plant-based. 

There is literally nothing in animal foods that you can’t get from plant foods, including protein. The complete protein myth was debunked over 30 years ago, meaning that all essential amino acids can be found in plant foods and animals products are not necessary to meet protein requirements. Many vegans supplement for B-12 and vitamin D, but a good chunk of the population is deficient in those regardless of their dietary choice. 

I believe more people would go vegan if they knew how easy, healthy, and delicious plant-based food can be. I also believe that if more people knew the truth about the cruelty and violence inflicted on billions of farm animals each year, they wouldn’t want to support the industries who profit from it. The same goes for the environment and lessening our impact on mother Earth; we can mitigate climate change and pollution just by choosing what to put on our plates.

Even if you aren’t ready or willing to go 100% plant-based, don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. “Veggie-curious” is a great place to start! Try making one meal a day plant-based, then progress to an entire day per week. Trying crowding your plate with plants before other options and see how you feel. Tap into online resources like Forks Over Knives and read vegan cooking blogs. Small steps can create momentum that can lead to big changes.

Many people eat a standard American diet thinking they don’t have another choice, but the truth is, there is another choice—the compassionate choice for your body, animals, and the environment.

I share my experience with you only to highlight that I had so many doubts and fears before starting my plant-based journey, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Today my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

If you are interested in learning more about eating a vegan diet, consider PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Challenge or read more at Forks Over Knives. Both resources offer support in transitioning to a plant-based diet and a plethora of recipes for preparing delicious vegan food.