I hesitated for about ten minutes when I chose to put “vegan” in the title of this post. I like “whole foods plant-based diet” better, but it seemed a little long!
I decided a while back that I wanted to shake things up a bit with my diet. I don’t think I ate poorly, but there was definitely room for improvement in the dietary department. I knew that I probably wasn’t eating enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
One of my favorite meals now- an open faced bean quesadilla with home made guacamole!
Enter the 30 Day Vegan (or whole foods plant-based diet) Challenge, and I am certain that I am eating enough fruits and veggies on a daily basis! I think a lot of people cringe when they hear the word “vegan.” They immediately start thinking of all of the things that they will have to give up. In reality, there are so many MORE things you start eating!
I have given up meat a number of times in my life, so I knew that meat wasn’t going to be that hard for me to pass up. Dairy, on the other hand, was something that I ate all the time. I drank a ton of milk and ate a pretty decent amount of cheese.
Surprisingly, giving up dairy didn’t prove to be too much of a problem. I think that the 30 day challenge is a great option if you are curious about transitioning to a whole foods plant-based diet. I was fairly confident that thirty days was doable for me. I am not saying that I will never eat meat or dairy again, I just like the way I feel now more than the desire to eat these foods,
So, how DO I feel, now that I am over thirty days into the challenge? First off, I feel like I have a lot more energy! Prior to the challenge, I was drinking two cups of coffee in the morning and often one in the afternoon. Post challenge, I am down to one cup of coffee in the morning. Occasionally, I will have a cup of tea in the afternoon.
I sleep much better. I will admit that I used to have to take Benadryl most nights to sleep through the night. I am happy to report that this is no longer the case. I guess the bottom line is I just feel much better! If you are interested in exploring a whole foods plant-based diet, I would definitely recommend checking out Forks Over Knives. It’s a great overview of a plant-based diet and the reasons for choosing to eat this way (there are many!).
Nice job, Jessica! I enjoyed it too, and was surprised to find it easier than I expected. Now with family here this weekend, we’ve had quite a bit of meat and dairy around and it’s been impossible to avoid. But I’m ready to move back to something closer to vegan when they head home!
Laura recently posted..Lazy staycation
Hmm, this is very intriguing to me. I can do anything for 30 days, right?
Jan recently posted..I’m a Woman Out Walking (and Running)
Wow! Look at you go! That’s awesome! I honestly think I’d miss the dairy MOST of all, not even the meat, but the dairy. I’m glad that hasn’t been the case for you though or the past 30 days would’ve been not such a fun experience for you, huh? PS any new recipes you’ve discovered through this challenge that you’ll be sharing with us??
Jess recently posted..“Seeing” 26.2
I am definitely going to be sharing some recipes! I have cooked some really yummy dishes and am experimenting a lot on my own.
Is drinking less coffee part of this challenge? Or do you just need to drink less now that your diet has changed? I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning. I think giving up meat would surely be a challenge for me!
No, drinking less coffee wasn’t part of the challenge. I just found that eating better gave me more energy, and I didn’t need the extra caffeine boost.
I agree with so much of what you’ve said! I cut red meat and pork 99% out of my diet (there are exceptions, like hawaiian pizza, and vacations that have awesome meat choices) and the same with dairy now that I found it fouls up my belly.
I try to eat meat (chicken, turkey) no more than once a day, if at all. I have found it has made an amazing impact on how I feel! I can’t wait to see your recipes!
Samantha recently posted..Weird, Wild, Wacky Wednesday
I will be sharing pizza recipes tomorrow- yum!
I am so excited to start this challenge! Thanks for the motivation.