Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m always watching my weight or attempting some sort of diet. Whether it’s the latest fad diet, like South Beach or the Master Cleanse, or eliminating certain foods, mainly sweets and candy, eating – or trying not to – is always a focus.
Soooo, it should come as no surprise that I’m trying a new diet. This one stems from watching Forks Over Knives, one of the many food-focused documentaries out there. I’ve seen a handful of them, and they can all be summed up pretty easily because they all focus on one similar theme: don’t eat . . .
- fast food – Supersize Me
- mass-produced foods from the industry giants – Food Inc.
- meat or animal byproducts – Forks Over Knives
So, as you probably guessed, I’ve been inspired to follow the herbivore lifestyle Forks supports. With stats galore and numerous case studies, the film promotes the idea that people are not made to consume other animals or their byproducts, meaning: no meat, no eggs, no milk. It promotes a whole-foods, plant-based diet, meaning: natural, plant-based foods that are free of processing, preservatives, additives and genetically modified ingredients.
For someone who grew up with meat-and-potato Midwestern grandparents and a sweet tooth for all sorts of processed desserts and candy, this is going to be a significant undertaking. I’m not a big fan of veggies and only recently warmed up to some. But I’m really inspired by some of the results and findings the film shared. The whole-foods, plant-based diet significantly reduced one patient’s cholesterol and body fat levels. And it allowed him to ditch every single one of the meds he was taking daily – a number that was in the teens! Another plant-based convert was an avid runner and competitor who beat what one doctor deemed “terminal” breast cancer without meds, chemo or radiation by changing her eating habits for good.
Today marks the first day of my new diet . . . or lifestyle, rather. I’d like to see how it goes for at least two weeks, and then ideally extend it from there. So, like my journey into the Master Cleanse, I’ll be documenting my progress, sharing my struggles, exploring recipes and hopefully celebrating some positive results along the way. Wish me luck!
lindsayholloway 