Tag: vegan

Overcoming Challenges in Plant-Based Eating

 “Plants are infinite – this diet isn’t limiting and there’s so much more to explore! That’s what excites me about it most.” Denai Moore on the Simply Vegan Podcast

When I made the switch to plant-based eating, I jumped in with open eyes and hope for better health. I didn’t realize how many roadblocks I’d hit along the way. Essentially, I went from not eating any plants to eating nothing but plants. How could I go wrong you ask? While there was no doubt I was eating far healthier foods, there were many things I didn’t know anything about. This week, I’d like to share a few of the roadblocks I faced and what I learned along the way.

Benefits of Plant-Based Eating

A plant based diet can enhance cognitive function. Studies indicate that it also reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.  Both my mother and grandmother had Alzheimer’s, so this information motivated me to switch to a plant based lifestyle. Additionally, plant based diets are often lower in calories and saturated fats, making them beneficial for weight management. Further, plant-based diets offer numerous health benefits, including  reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. It can improve your gut health and potentially increase longevity.  

Plant-Based Challenges

Transitioning to a plant-based diet came with three key challenges. First, I had to figure out what to eat. Second, I needed to understand the importance of plant diversity. Finally, I had to ensure I was getting enough protein.

After building my knowledge and awareness, it was clear I needed to make some changes to my approach. Below are the changes I made and the impact they had on my journey.

1. Meal Planning

Eating a variety of plants is key when following a vegan diet—for more reasons than you might think. It can help support a healthy gut and also ensure you’re getting a broad range of nutrients, making the most of what plant-based foods have to offer. Mixing different fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and herbs gives your body the fiber and beneficial compounds it needs to thrive.

Protein also plays a big role in keeping our bodies running smoothly—it’s essential for things like maintaining muscle, supporting growth, and staying healthy overall. While plant-based proteins aren’t always “complete” like those from animal sources, it’s totally possible to get all the essential amino acids you need with a well-rounded vegan diet. The key is variety and balance.

All of my initial challenges could be addressed through meal planning. Initially, I purchased a prepared vegan meal plan to guide me. I used this meal plan for months and felt confident that I was eating more balanced meals. There are several vegan meal plans available. I chose one that provided me with a weekly plan of recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner. It also include a shopping list. I found it helpful in reducing my stress about meals and learning how to make delicious plant based meals. It opened me up to trying foods I may not have tried on my own.

Here is the plan I used – Forks Over Knives Meal Planner

Next Steps

If you are new to plant-based eating, I suggest you spend some time investing in yourself. This time is important to build your personal knowledge base. At first, I didn’t know how to create weekly meal plans that would address plant diversity and adequate protein intake. I was a creature of habit and found comfort in eating, on rotation, my favorite meals. I would select my groceries based on what I liked to eat. As I learned more about the importance of plant diversity, I knew I needed to make changes.

There are so many resources you can use, but I like to keep it simple. Here are a few to get you started :

Forks Over Knives (great information for your journey, as well as meal plans)

Food Revolution (courses, recipes and powerful docuseries)

The China Study: Reducing Health Risks with a Plant-Based Diet

Eat to Live

Looking back, shifting to a plant-based lifestyle was one of the most empowering decisions I’ve made for my health. It wasn’t without its challenges, but each obstacle taught me something valuable. By investing time into learning, planning, and experimenting, I’ve built habits that feel both sustainable and nourishing. If you’re considering your own plant-based journey, I’d love to hear from you! What questions do you have? What challenges have you faced—or are you anticipating?

Drop a comment or share your experience. Let’s learn and grow together!

The China Study: Reducing Health Risks with a Plant-Based Diet

In the next ten years, one of the things you’re bound to hear is that animal protein is one of the most toxic nutrients of all that can be considered. Quite simply, the more you substitute plant foods for animal foods, the healthier you are likely to be. – T. Colin Campbell

Recently, I overheard someone giving out health advice following a game of pickleball. It went something like this, “It’s easy to lose weight, if you want to. I’ll tell you what I did, I eat a lot of olive oil, eggs, meat and fruits and vegetables for snacks.” He then went on to talk about how he puts olive oil on his food because it’s so healthy, and eats meat because he needs a lot of protein and eggs for breakfast every morning. Basically, he was describing a low carbohydrate approach to losing weight, while consuming large amounts of protein and dairy foods. I believe some would call it a Paleo diet.

I happened to be standing there when the conversation occurred. I leaned in and suggested he do some research on the effects of consuming large amounts of dairy and animal protein. His response was, “You can’t get fat by eating meat.” Perhaps that statement has some truth to it, depending largely on the quality and quantity of meat products he is consuming. Sadly, though health is way more than just about being thin or fat. His habit of consuming meat products as a main source of protein, coupled with eggs daily, is setting him up for potential health risk of heart disease, diabetes or cancer. I did suggest he speak with his cardiologist, or a registered dietician, to help him craft a well balanced nutritional plan that meets his specific needs.

So many of us have bought into the food industries ideal of what and how to eat, or not eat, to become thin. Focusing on weight loss, to look a certain way, has certainly led me down many paths in my life. Keto, fasting, shakes and skipping meals, all focused toward reducing the number on my scale had no real impact on my overall health. I used to think thin people were inherently healthy, but I now know that our size doesn’t truly give the full picture of our actual health. Ever hear the term skinny fat?

China Study

When it comes to our health, the association between diet and other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease has been well documented. For example, the China Project is a survey of death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer for more than 2,400 counties and 880 million (96%) of China’s citizens, conducted jointly by Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine over the course of twenty years.

Dr. T. Colin Cambell, author of The China Study, examined the connection between eating an animal-based diet and developing illnesses such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, brain disease such as Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration. His study concluded that diets high in protein, particularly animal protein, are strongly linked to diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Further, he states, “the findings from the China Study indicate that the lower the percentage of animal-based foods that are consumed, the greater the health benefits—even when that percentage declines from 10% to 0% of calories. So it’s not unreasonable to assume that the optimum percentage of animal-based products is zero, at least for anyone with a predisposition for a degenerative disease.”

For me, the idea that stood out the most was Dr. Campbell’s suggestion that the over consumption of protein-rich, animal-based foods is the real culprit of disease. This was what pushed me to finally make the commitment to living a fully plant based life.

Next Steps in Response

The science and research are pretty clear, in both the China Study and the Blue Zone study. You can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes and increase your chances for longevity, just by changing your diet. Both of these studies advocated specific changes we can make to increase our health benefits. Personally, I have a predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease, as the women in my family have suffered from it. If making dietary changes gives me a better shot at avoiding, or delaying this fate, I am all in. Here are the next nutritional steps I would recommend to anyone wanting to take action based on these two studies.

  • Reduce, or eliminate animal products – I am fully eating whole food plant based for six (6) months now. That is what I felt I needed to do, based on my current health and familial health history. If you are not ready for that, consider at least drastically eliminating the amount of animal proteins you consume. You really don’t need to eat meat. Despite popular belief, you can get all the protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals you need from plants. Even if you are a serious athlete, you can perform at high levels while living a plant based lifestyle. Venus Williams, Cam Newton and many other athletes have shared their personal experiences with plant based diets.
  • Ensure variety and balance in food choice – I am committed to eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes each week. I east seasonal foods whenever possible and rotate through a variety of choices each week. I try to eat a minimum of 30 different types of plant foods each week, which is truly not hard to do at all. Eat the rainbow as they say. This variety helps keep our gut healthy and has a strong impact on our health. I shared more about this in a previous post Healthy Lifestyle: Food, Exercise, and Joy in My Daily Routine.
  • Increase fiber intake – I am very conscious of the body’s need for high fiber intakes and seek to eat a bare minimum of 30 grams a day. Ideally, I’d like to get closer to 50. Fiber is a critical component of any healthy diet plan and needed for optimal gut health. I share more about fiber in a past post Fiber Fueled. I get my fiber from my food choice, not in a bottle, though if needed there are supplements out there to at least get you started. Before taking anything, please speak to your health professional.
  • Eliminate intake of dairy products – I do not eat any dairy products at all. According to the China Study, there is a link between casein and cancer. I feel much less bloated without dairy products and believe my sleep has improved as well. Cheese is always the hardest to give up, but feeling well matters more to me than eating cheese. If you are not ready to give it up, perhaps you can cut back and make healthier choices when selecting cheeses to consume.

It wasn’t an easy shift to a whole food plant based eating, mainly because I didn’t know what to eat. My best advice is to focus on one meal at a time and give yourself grace as you go. I went cold turkey, but think it’s best to change one meal at a time. Take some time to eat a plant based breakfast each day for a week. Then change your lunch selections the next week. Lastly, rework your dinner. Another idea, if you just want to reduce your intake of animal products would be to implement meatless days into your week. Many people have meatless Monday on their dinner rotation. The China Study concluded that even a reduction of animal protein intake could improve health outcomes, so begin to rework some of your meals to get started. I shared some other ideas in these past posts you may want to read Change Our Thinking About Food, Eat to Live, Cooking to Nourish Your Mind, Body & Soul.

Conclusions

For me, this journey is truly a personal one, a promise I made to myself during the long goodbye said to my mother. As I watched her slip away, I vowed to try anything that would avoid having my children go through this painful existence. Losing a loved one is always hard, but losing them, while they are still here is even harder. Ronald Reagan called it, the long goodbye, in the letter he wrote when sharing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. That is surely was. You can read more about my mother in these posts I’ve shared The Notebook and The Long Goodbye.

If you wish to read more about my personal transformative journey, I shared information in this post IRAH: Individual Retirement Account for Health – A Personal Transformation Journey.

I hope you will consider starting a personal journey for yourself to reclaim, or improve your health. It all starts with nutrition and what we eat. I hope you will reflect on your food choices and see what impact they are having on your current health. If you have any questions about any of my posts, feel free to reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

*This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon associate, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. This helps me offset the cost of running this blog and I only recommend items I use and love. Thank you for your support.

Family Memories: Plant-Based Sunday Sauce Recipe

“Food for us comes from our relatives, whether they have wings or fins or roots. That is how we consider food. Food has a culture. It has a history. It has a story. It has relationships.” – Winona LaDuke

I often think of cherished moments shared in the kitchen with my family. The experience of cooking together, not only resulted in delightful meals, but has also forged enduring memories that hold special places in my heart. I can often feel the presence of my mother, grandmothers and aunts when I’m in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s the smells of a favorite recipe that takes me back, sometimes it’s the tastes, but it’s always so comforting to feel them with me. Food can evoke so much joy, both in the preparation of and gathering around the table to eat together.

These days, I’m eating differently and I’ve been challenged to feel that connection. My family recipes all include meat, dairy and eggs, so I’ve been trying to forge my own path in the plant based world without them. I know I am creating new family memories for my children and grandson, but also know my family misses some of our family staples. I’ve been trying hard to recreate those recipes, but it has not been an easy task. I know that it can be done and will continue on this journey and plan to collect the recipe for my children, along with the original family version.

Cooking has always been a big part of our family. When I was young, I used to wake up every Sunday morning and smell onions browning. That’s how I knew it was Sunday and a dinner of traditional German food was on the menu. Roast Pork with Spaetzle or Sauerbrauten with Potato Dumplings were staple Sunday dinners. My grandmother, Maria, would be joining us at the table and sometimes my cousins would join us a well. The table was always set with mom’s china and fancy glasses. To this day, whenever I smell onions browning, it takes me back to those childhood Sundays.

Growing up, my neighbor Rita was also a fabulous cook. Rita was an Italian immigrant, newly in the country and when sitting on the porch of our city row house, I could smell incredible smells coming from her front door. She took me in and taught me how she created her famous Sunday Sauce each week and boy was it fantastic. When I married, I began our own tradition of Sunday Sauce, something that continued up until this January, when I made the final shift to whole food plant based eating.

There have been so many great cooks in my family and life, whose memories are now seared into my heart, attached to the dishes and tables we shared. I wish they were all still physically here with me on this next part of my journey, but know they are always in my heart. I often do feel their presence in my kitchen, their gentle hands guiding and encouraging me forward.

The first family meal I worked on to upgrade, by popular request of my children and grandson, was Sunday Sauce. Gone are the days of cooking it over slow heat with short ribs, sausage and pork ribs. Gone are my famous meatballs, my grandsons favorite, though I would make them for him if he asked, but I prefer not too. I’ve been experimenting with Sunday Sauce for a bit now and think I’ve come up with something that works for us. I am sharing the recipe below and hope you enjoy it. If you change something to make it better, please do share back with me. I am still experimenting with a few things, but believe this recipe is ready to be our families next Sunday Sauce dinner.

I think Rita would be proud of this plant based version of pasta with meatballs. I am working on a different mixture using walnuts and mushrooms as well, but have been pleased with this version. The meatballs are delicious in the air fryer and I don’t use oil when cooking them. The lentils pack a protein punch and I use pasta that is fiber rich and also has protein. I have been experimenting with homemade noodles, but haven’t yet perfected anything there.

I hope you enjoy cooking and playing with ingredients. That is where the memories are made. I hope to create new recipes that embody the essence of our family originals to ensure my family that plant based eating can be delicious, nutritious and healthy.

If you wish to speak with me about this post, or recipes shared, please feel free to reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below. Remember, I am newly on this path, so encouragement is always welcome when it comes to recipes and cooking. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

For other cooking posts I’ve written recently, please see Cooking to Nourish Your Mind, Body & Soul and Cookbook Recommendations.

Healthy Lifestyle: Food, Exercise, and Joy in My Daily Routine

“Health isn’t about being “perfect” with food or exercise or herbs. Health is about balancing those things with your desires. It’s about nourishing your spirit as well as your body.”
― Golda Poretsky

Many have asked me about what I eat, how much I exercise, how many days I work out and other questions about my daily life. This week, I’d like to share what a typical day looks like for me. I am not a medical doctor, nor am I am I advocating you eat what I do. I am merely sharing my routine, in the hope you reflect on yours and consider ways to ensure you are setting yourself up to live a long and healthy life. As wellness is truly a personal journey, we all need to find what works for our lives and our bodies. This is what works for me, after many years of trying and failing.

Food

As you know, I eat whole food plant based, dairy and oil free. Many have asked me how this is different from vegan. The simple answer is that vegan is a lifestyle choice based on personal beliefs regarding animal cruelty, the environment, health and can include processed foods. Most vegans do not purchase any products, including clothing and shoes made from animals. Whole Food Plant Based is a lifestyle choice based on health and wellness and centers around food choices. It also includes wanting to protect animals and the environment, but does not include processed foods. I am sure there are other areas to include in the difference, but that’s my short answer.

I try to eat a minimum of 30 different plants across the week. It’s not hard to do at all as you’ll see in my sample day. The trick is to eat a variety of plants and fruits, or eat the rainbow of colors. Variety is key to a healthy gut, so don’t just eat the same foods day after day. For example, if you eat baby spinach, don’t use it in the smoothie, salad and at dinner. There are so many other greens that have great benefits for your wellness. Here’s a sample day for me:

  • Breakfast – I like to make a smoothie most mornings, as it’s easy and helps ensure I get extra plants in. Today I had, almond milk, kale, red beet, kiwi, date, blueberry, hemp seed, chia seed, flaxseed, cinnamon, avocado, organic pea protein (11 plants)
  • Snack – I don’t always have snacks as the shake keeps me full. Sample snack, 1/2 banana and walnuts, or hummus and vegetable sticks, any fruits with almond milk yogurt.
  • Lunch – I eat my dinner at lunchtime, whenever possible. Yesterday, we had leftovers – Basil Pesto over pasta with broccoli, roasted tomatoes and tofu. The pasta was whole wheat, high fiber fettuccine. (4 plants)
  • Dinner – I generally eat a light dinner. If I didn’t have a smoothie for breakfast, I will have it for dinner. Otherwise, I eat a big salad bowl full of plants, or a soup. Yesterday, I had a big salad bowl of arugula, baby spinach, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, mini peppers (red, yellow, orange) and cucumbers. (8 plants) (23 total plants for day)

Eating the main meal earlier in the day helps my digestion and improves my sleep patterns for the night. It also aligns with the rhythm of the day better as in the evening the body is preparing to slow down for rest. When I was working, this involved packing my main meal to eat at work, or ordering food in to eat. It can be done, but requires better planning. I included plant counts merely to show how easy it would be to eat 30 plants across your week. I’ve already had 23 in one day. For me, the key was ensuring I was getting a variety of plants. This led me to stop buying food in bulk. Buying everything in bulk may be more cost effective, but that sets me up to eat the same fruits and vegetables every day. Since, I am seeking variety, I buy the smaller packages now and vary what I eat daily. This also keeps the food more interesting.

If you want to read more about my eating, consider reading these posts I’ve shared – Change Our Thinking About Food, Fork Power, Cooking to Nourish Your Mind, Body & Soul, Cookbook Recommendations

Exercise

  • Walking – When I started this journey, I had difficulty walking around the block! Walking was my go to exercise and one I still incorporate into my day, every day. Walking doesn’t require a gym membership and can be done alone, or with a friend. I tend to prefer to walk alone, but do bring my dog with me on my daily walks. I walk every single day, regardless of the weather, for a minimum of 30 minutes. This, for me, is about 1.5 miles of distance. I walk outside in nature, as I want the added benefits that provides. Walking in nature is great for your mental wellness, so please if you can avoid the treadmill, you may find you enjoy walking more than you thought.
  • Pickleball -I play pickleball at least 4 days a week, sometimes more during the season. It’s a great form of aerobic exercise and I truly love the social connections I’ve made.
  • Yoga – I practice yoga 2-3 days a week both in studio and at home. This keeps me flexible and is also great for my mental wellness.
  • Weight Training – I try to lift weights, or use the machines at the gym at least 1-2 times a week.

I highly recommend finding a group sport you enjoy and adding it to your week. There are many elderly people out there on pickleball courts across our country. At my indoor facility, we have an 82 year old woman who plays to win daily. Yoga is also for every body and can be modified to meet you where you are. The benefits are many and I do believe you will come to love how you feel in a very short time. Lastly, I am an early riser, so much of the gym, sports and yoga occur before lunch daily. Walking happens after lunch, or dinner. Like food we eat, I believe we benefit from engaging in a variety of exercise. I have shared more about my exercise in prior posts found here Move to Live, Svadhyaya – Study of Self,

Finding Joy

For me, this journey is about finding myself, my health and above all joy. For far too long, I focused too heavily on counting calories and stressed myself out. Life is not meant to be lived that way and honestly, I was never successful with that approach. Counting plants, something I mentioned above, is something I did in the first week of eating whole food plant based. Once I realized how simple it was, I’ve not counted again. It is something you need to stress over if you eat whole food plant based meals, unless you have a specific health issue. Nothing to count, not calories, macros, micros or anything else. Just eat whole foods and ensure you eat a variety of plants and fruits. I feel healthier than I have in years, perhaps decades. I’ve shared so many posts about my journey, on my blog over the years. I hope you’ll take some time to revisit these most recent posts – Try Something New, IRAH: Individual Retirement Account for Health – A Personal Transformation Journey, Stress, Eat to Live, The Compound Effect, Hold On

I hope this helps to give you an idea of my daily life. If you take time to visit some of the links I’ve shared to prior posts, perhaps you’ll find information on areas that interest you. I am so excited to have made it out of the winter weighing less than I did going into it. Generally, in the past, I gained weight and lost motivation over the winter months, leaving me to have to start over. This year, I’m heading into the summer stronger than ever and looking forward to continued health improvements. I truly hope you will join me. I am available to discuss your current questions, ideas and needs. Feel free to reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below. Thanks for reading and have a great and healthy week.

Try Something New

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. Sometimes that’s a sign that something really good is about to happen. You’re about to grow and learn a lot about yourself” -Marissa Mayer

As we enter February, we may have lost some of our mojo when it comes to work out promises made at the New Year. The initial excitement about getting into shape may now be starting to wane. I know the crowds at the gym here have started to diminish greatly, as happens every year. It’s the same cycle every year and one that gets even the most well intentioned of us, myself included. This year however, I made a promise to myself that I would not give up on my journey during these cold winter days. This year, I made a promise to myself that I would not have to start over from scratch come spring.

Sometimes when motivation starts to dwindle, trying something new can be just the spark you need to keep going. Switching things up and adding some variety to your routines can be the ticket you to hold on. For me, I have added in very short runs to my week and started a WFPB (whole food, plant based) nutrition course. Both have served to peak my need to learn and grow and push through these moments of wanting to nest in my home under a blanket.

I was not planning to add a plant based certificate to my coursework, but have been struggling with some gut health issues recently. After researching and truly reflecting on it, I felt the time was right to explore my long standing difficulties with getting enough fiber in my diet without supplementation. I have a long history of not loving vegetables and irrational thinking about the sugar found in fruit. I decided it was time to dive deeply into the world of plant based nutrition and felt WFPB was the best place to start. I was definitely not sure I would be able to survive, much less thrive, if I only ate whole plant based foods.

This is my second week of eating WFPB and I must admit that I actually do feel better. I had some diverticulitis symptoms and was beginning to worry, but this week I haven’t felt the nagging pain on my left side following eating. It’s far too soon to tell the true impact, but I am most definitely motivated to keep going. I am excited to continue to learn and try new foods and track my growth in the process.

If you are feeling stuck and losing motivation to eat healthy, workout or do any of the things you loved, consider trying something new and see if it reignites your passion. Is there something you’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t? It can be anything, not just health related items. Have you always wanted to learn to crochet?, Wanted to learn about plant based cooking? Whatever it is, do it! It could be just what you need to climb out of the winter freeze and move into the spring thaw with stronger motivation. 

In my case, I knew my intake of vegetables and fruits was weak. I started thinking about it and researching it. I then took the following steps:

  • Learn – It’s important to engage in the process of learning new information. It is great for your brain and can build excitement around the process, as well as give you the tools you need to try it.
  • Add On – What are you already doing that this new learning will improve? I love to cook and was excited to add new recipes, ingredients and meals to my repertoire. As a health coach, I knew I would interact with clients who have different preferences for their foods and wanted to build a better knowledge around this topic.
  • Connect – Find others who share your passion. One of the blessings of social media is that you can find your tribe as you learn and grow. I found a group of WFPB people who have offered support and ideas as I learn. 
  • Push Through – Decide to do it and really try to stick to it. Focus on progress not perfection and do what you feel you can commit to right now. In my case, I went cold turkey, but that is because I am not working full time. If I was still working, I would have likely committed to add one WFPB meal to each day. 

Whatever you decide to do, give yourself grace. The goal is to spark motivation, not overwhelm yourself. Remember, it’s the small steps that add up to big change, but that won’t happen if we get overwhelmed. For example, if you want to learn to crochet, don’t set out to make an afghan right from the start. It’s likely best to start with making one chain of stitches. Once you have that down, move to making one full square block. Finally, over time you will move to making an afghan blanket. Using these small steps over time, you will hold on to your motivation as you celebrate those successful moments along the way.

I’m excited to hear about your new passions and how they helped motivate you to keep moving forward. Please do reach out to share them with me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog , on Instagram @reclaiminghealthblog , or in the comment section below.

Eat to Live

I don’t have a diet. Jenny Craig got a diet. Seriously. I eat to live, not to die.

Bernard Hopkins

There are so many quotes attributed to Ben Franklin that we hear still today.  “Eat to live, don’t live to eat’’ is one of those quotes. Franklin believed that eating in excess should not be one’s favorite activity, rather they should eat to stay healthy, not over indulge. Further, he feels that eating shouldn’t be your favorite activity, but rather what you do to be healthy. While you may not agree with Franklin’s philosophy, it’s important to note that he lived for 84 years, which is well above the average lifespan of his time.

There seem to be two schools of thought on this topic, eat to live vs live to eat. I have been in love with food for most of my life. I love to cook and get so much happiness out of preparing a delicious meal for my friends and family. I also have been an emotional eater most of my life, using food to eat my emotions and feelings. Food has been a great source of comfort during the difficult times of my life. These actions put me solidly in the live to eat category. I love to plan menus, shop for ingredients and create tasty meals. Food has been much more than fuel for me and many times my day revolves around what meals I will be eating. 

On this health journey, I am trying to shift my relationship with food to find a healthier balance. Knowledge is power, so I have been studying the role of nutrition on aging and longevity. There is so much to dive into and I am at the beginning of this learning, but my goal is to focus on what I need to eat to live. I can definitively say that I have not been eating foods that will help me live to see my 84th birthday like Ben Franklin did. I have long been a vegetable hater and most meals didn’t include vegetables or fruit on my plate, aside from the salad. 

Understanding what food makes me feel energized and what food makes me feel sick is an important first step. I have been exploring whole food plant based meal planning to improve my health. There’s excellent scientific evidence that many chronic diseases can be prevented, controlled, or even reversed by eating a whole food, plant based diet. 

A whole-food, plant-based diet is based on the following principles:

”Whole foods”: That means whole, unrefined, or minimally refined ingredients.

“Plant-based”: Food that comes from plants and is
free of animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey.

My readers know that I am about simplicity always and this shift feels huge for me. It is not realistic to expect that I will go cold turkey and eat only plant based meals from day one. To make this shift feel more doable, I have implemented the following shifts:

  • Progress not perfection – I am giving myself grace knowing that small changes will have a compound effect and not sweating the slip ups along the way.
  • Focus on one meal at a time – Reworking my whole menu at once causes major stress for me. I am focusing on one meal at a time. My breakfast was clean, so I am leaving that alone for now. I am focusing on my main meal of the day and trying to rework that to WFPB.
  • Reduce animal products – I am working to reduce animal and dairy products, but again it’s not all or nothing. Thinking about “never” eating a meatball, or mozzarella cheese again causes major FOMO for me. Right now I am hoping to introduce meatless days with the premise that they will increase in frequency over time.

An eating to live approach suggests that we need variety and essential nutrients. My living to eat mindset adds the emphasis on pleasure and enjoyment. I believe both mindsets are essential to my success, which is why I am taking it slow and hoping that the natural shift to craving more nutritious foods happens over time. Then I know I will feel the same sense of pleasure in planning, cooking and eating these healthier foods. I will let you know how it goes. 

For more information on WFPB eating, check out Eat to Live by Dr Joel Fuhrman and Forks Over Knives Plan:How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet. Also, check out the Blue Zone and You Are What you Eat A Twin Experiment, both on Netflix.

If you have any questions, or want to share your journey, please reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealthblog.com , on Instagram , or in the comment section below.