I grew up drinking a gallon of milk a day. That is not a joke. My brother and I each had our own gallon for the day and we would bottoms up that thing straight out the jug. Literally. I ate meat, reluctantly, but I ate it. Meat was never really my bag, but I was told it was what my body needed. Dairy was my bag, dairy was my life. Our parents were smart about nutrition and the fridge was always stocked with lots of fruits and veggies. Mom regularly made lovely homemade meals with roast chicken or lean cuts of pork and beef. We had lots of salads, lots of protein, lots of calcium and we were growing. We were in fact following diets that were recommended for growing children and no one even thought twice about it. We knew vegetarians and we even knew vegans. They all wore hemp clothing and smelled like garlic, B.O. and incense. Not only that, but most of them were overweight and generally unfit. I’m not certain how many of them were actually eating as many vegetables as I was eating as a 10 year old (alongside my tall glass(es) of milk and endless servings of chicken breast) but my guess is not many. For decades the longstanding staples of a vegetarians and vegans alike was fruit loops and apple fritters.
I don’t believe that ONE diet is “right” for everyone. Though I DO believe that certain foods ARE “right”, and they are “right” for everyone. Plants. Plants are right. Plants are right for EVERYONE. I’m not advocating for the world to adopt hemp clothing and B.O. I’m not proposing that becoming vegan will bring about world peace or eliminate cancer, but I am 100% certain that eliminating the bulk of animal products from your diet will not only change your life, your health and your body, but it will in fact annihilate much disease and change the environmental state of the planet.
For the bulk of my life the condition of the planet’s natural resources was the furthest thing from my mind. For the bulk of my life I have not lived in fear that I would not have clean and readily available drinking water. For the bulk of my life I have not concerned myself with whether or not what I was putting into and onto my body was actually effecting the health of our planet. As long as it was low fat, low sugar, and not out of a box, I assumed I was making right choices.
Then there was this one day. I was running along a dirt road next to a field of cows who were happily grazing on thick, dark green grass. The grass was being heavily watered and at that point in time, I didn’t even consider the amount of water that was being BLOWN out of the ground to be alarming. But what did get my attention was the smell that permeated the air. It was a hot day and why not run on the side of the road that would allow me to get wet. As I ran under the light spray that reached the road a few drops fell into my mouth and skin. I knew instantly by the taste in my mouth (and the smell in the air) that I was not being sprayed with just water, but with a heavy pesticide. It tasted and smelled like mosquito repellent. Yes, unfortunately I know what mosquito repellent tastes like. Not only was the taste and smell alarming, but within a short span of time, prior to finishing my run, I broke into a rash on the part of my skin that had been sprayed. Hmmm. Then it occurred to me that if those cows were spending their entire day eating the grass coated in these chemicals (and they EAT A LOT), and just a light skiff of that water made my skin break out into a rash, what the crap was I putting into my children’s bodies in their meat and dairy?
This is not a novel thought, a lot of people want to ensure that what they put into their bodies has been raised in the purest form possible. Buying organic may be a little better, but the bulk of people can’t afford it, especially when it comes to organic animal products. Even still, research shows that organic farming standards and the produce they are growing is still carrying contaminants. The argument that organic is not that much better than conventional is well researched, documented and legitimate. Needless to say, my internal alarm system about what we were actually putting into our bodies was on high alert and I started doing my homework. One of the most compelling facts I learned was the reality that meat and dairy products are just plain and simple carrying a higher amount of industry toxins and contaminates than even conventional produce. They consume high quantities of it in their diet, many of them are pumped full of it (regardless of the industry standards and warnings against it), and it all lodges firmly and permanently in the fatty tissue of their flesh. No amount of cooking will destroy the residues that reside in animal flesh and in some cases the process of heating these contaminants can actually break them down and create more harmful chemical reactions.
I read a lot, and everything I read kept preaching higher amounts of plants and lower amounts of animal. For a solid year I debated with my husband about just trying to eliminate dairy milk to start with. He was very skeptical of my findings, and as a scientist himself (who had been through the rigors of medical school) felt his very traditional, medical school perspective on nutrition standards and recommendation was valid and…. (enough said, right!?) Who was I to argue with the system? Is this a good time to mention that they have approximately one week of nutrition eduction and training in 4 years of medical school? So I did what I always do when I’m losing arguments with my husband. I pray. Sometimes I pray for years.
Low and behold, over a year after I acquired a rash from my frolic through the pesticide sprinkler, my lumber-jack, rugby playing, carnivorous doctor-husband approached me with interest in transitioning our diets to being more plant-based. I nearly crapped myself. Coming from him, this was so deep, deep out of left field. But the facts are the facts and the research had just gotten too hard to ignore. He had seen the studies coming across his desk and recently received a copy of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live. He was taken with the success that Dr. Fuhrman was having in his family medical practice putting patients on a plant-based diet. He was finding that autoimmune, diabetes, and even cancer patients were being put into remission and heart disease was being reversed-by changing only their diets. We both read the book and decided to start the 6-week introductory “plants only” diet. Nathan lost 20 pounds and I started having some relief from physical ailments like constipation and migraines that had plagued me for years.
It’s easy to point to diet as the culprit for so much of what ails us, and for most of us the idea of giving up the food that we have been conditioned to love and believe is good and wholesome, whether in small or large quantities, can be next to impossible. But the truth still remains, regardless of how hard it may be, the health of our bodies is quickly teaching us that we are off track and significantly out of balance with what constitutes our daily diet. Additionally, science is now showing us the hard evidence. Cancer and heart disease are at an all time high. Autoimmune diseases, allergies and childhood obesity continue to rise and research points to food over and over and over again. It’s true that I am making some fairly bold statements about the relationship between food and health. But they are backed up by what science is now suggesting to us through hard evidence. Next time you’re looking for an excuse to stare at a screen, check out my resources page.
We are all on our own journey with what we find to be the kindest approach to our bodies. For me, giving up animal based foods not only changed the way my body looked, functioned and healed, but it also changed the way I think. I know there’s a lot of sixes and sevens when it comes to “vegan culture.” There are also a lot of vegans who eat plant-based for health and not for the moral or ethical reasons. I find myself somewhere in between. The longer I have gone without animal food, the deeper I recognize my peace and health to run, but I also recognize and respect that what works for me doesn’t necessarily work for anyone besides me. That said, I have deeply enjoyed the ease that I have found in maintaining a balanced weight, a balanced immune system, and a balanced mind through focusing on a whole foods plant-based diet. I have eliminated some life long physical struggles and I have found a kinder way of thinking about food than ever before. I see many of these same things happening in the lives of my family as well. Raising children to be educated and aware about their bodies and their health looks different for all of us. As for my husband and I though, there is nothing more beautiful than watching our children learn to weigh and reason for themselves what would be best for their body.
I’ll be fo’ reelz with you, it has been a HUGE learning curve. It has been incredibly up and down, sometimes half-in and half-out, sometimes incredibly rewarding and often times NOT. Nonetheless, we have transitioned our entire family to eating plant-based for the last three years (our kids eat plant-based at home and at school, but we are casual about the choices they make at birthday parties or other social gatherings so as long as they are checking in and listening to their bodies). Our success has come not in forcing a certain way of life, but in gently teaching our children the benefits of choosing this life for themselves. I admit, at the beginning there was a “little” forcing. They literally ate a rotation of mac ‘n cheese, butter toast, cheese pizza, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and cheese quesadillas. My daughter showed interest in meat from early on, but our son was more interested in eating cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had to do something. We eased them in slowly, but that’s not to say we didn’t have a bazillion shuckdiddles! I can’t wait to share with you all that we have learned in this process. Hopefully by sharing our experience, you will dodge some of the “punch yourself in the face” moments we have had.
Beyond giving our children the education and empowerment around their health and bodies, as well as helping them into a safe and fun relationship with food, there’s a handful of things I want my children to learn by example, whether it’s through their parents and the discoveries we have been blessed to happen upon in our life, or from someone else. One of those things is that when you find something that makes you feel alive, whether it be a thought, a dream, a conviction, or reality, it’s a gift and it’s valid. No matter who disagrees or how crazy or “hemp-ish” it may seem, so as long as it is aligned with the Holy Spirit’s prompting in your life…Go. For. Broke!
A few interesting articles/ studies/ blogs on this topic:
Rich Roll 10 reasons to consider a plant based diet
Plant Based Diets for Improved Mood and Productivity
How Not to Die from the Top 15 Killers (this is a time investment, but WORTH IT!)
Soulja Life 
So excited to see you sharing your heart and your knowledge! Your passion for health is inspiring. Very well written and researched! You go momma! Can’t wait to keep reading!
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