Is my effort to help people, in particularly African Americans who want to make a switch to a plant-based diet. One of my main reasons to start this blog is to share information that could help people make more informed decisions about their health and to know that there are alternatives to living in the vicious cycle of unhealthy practices that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. I will voice my belief that the so-called 'Super-foods' that we pay so much for, have been eaten by indigenous peoples from all over the world since the beginnings of their existence. Both history and research has proven that Vegetarian diets reduce the risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer. African Americans & people of lesser means have the most to gain from a healthy plant-based diet. African Americans experience the highest rates of preventable, diet related chronic diseases in the country. According to the American Dietetic Association, "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."
Reasons to Change to a Plant-based Diet
People become vegetarians for many reasons, including health, religion, concerns about the welfare of animals, the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock and many other reasons.
I know that changing to a plant-based diet can seem very challenging, but don’t worry, we got this...along with the information shared in this blog, we'll be using our own natural-born will-power and determination. In fact, in my case, I never thought I’d become a vegetarian. I was a complete 'Meatatarian'. Growing up, I rarely ate healthy food without being forced to. I remember in the late 1970's & early 80's one of great-aunts (Alice) would always try to get us to eat the soy/veggie burgers and other healthier choices that she would bring to the family reunions, and we all thought she was crazy. I didn't want to eat that stuff, I wanted a real hamburger. So what changed for me? After being diagnosed with Hypertension and obesity along with the encouragement of my partner Nirah Johnson (Director of Program Implementation & Capacity Building for NYC Department of Health & Hygiene and a life-long vegetarian), and just wanting to be healthy enough to be here to enjoy my children and grandchildren, I decided to become a vegetarian. I wanted to improve my over-all health and also learn how I can help others make healthier life choices, which for me included no longer smoking cigarettes as well. After 6 years of being mostly vegetarian I'm still finding new and important information about my diet and 'how to eat to live'. Each week we'll learn more and will grow with each other on our journey to better, healthier lives. I'll share useful information; and we'll share our stories of growth and will keep ourselves motivated and continue on a path to a better way of taking care of ourselves.
Staying Healthy for Life
You're never too young or old to make a choice to live a healthier life. A well planned plant-based diet is safe for people of all ages, including babies, children, teenagers, pregnant mothers and adults. Many People believe that fresh, nutritious food is too expensive, when in reality, the opposite is true. The switch to a plant-based diet can be less expensive and easier than you might think. The keys are consistency, practice and tapping into the natural willpower that is born inside each one of us. Don’t be discouraged if you stop and start a few times. Most people do. Just know that every single plant-based meal you eat is making a difference for your over-all health.
Where to start? Here's a link to the Misfits Market a great place for a healthy and affordable choice. Each week receive a box of fresh, 'imperfect produce' for as little as $19 and up to 50% less than what you would pay in stores...delivered directly to your door. I LOve the story of this company. Thanks to my friend Lizzie Falkner for introducing me to Misfits Market. You can use this code to get 25% off of your 1st box MISFITSREF2019
What To Eat
The main types of plant-based food are fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. When you build your meals from these food groups, you get an unlimited variety of healthy, great-tasting dishes that meet all of your nutritional requirements. Because vegetarian food comes from plants, it’s high in disease-preventing fiber, free of artery-clogging cholesterol and low in disease promoting saturated fat. Plant-based food is also high in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help protect against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers.
Creating Well-Balanced Meals
Imagining a typical plate, you want to fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit, one quarter of the plate with a high protein plant-based food, and the other quarter with whole grains. And be sure your plate reflects the rainbow of colors in fruits, vegetables, beans and grains. (Check The Glossary for help)
A Typical Day
Try to eat 4-5 small meals throughout the day, rather than three large meals each day. It’ll help you maintain your energy levels throughout the day and can actually lead to eating less food because you won’t get too hungry and overindulge at any given meal.
Here’s a sample:
Morning: Smoothie with fruit, vegetables, nuts or seeds and liquid (like water or almond milk).
Mid-morning: Bowl of oatmeal with chopped apples or raisins, a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds sprinkled on top.
Lunch: Large salad with lots of dark leafy greens (like kale and spinach) and a black bean burger or a cup of creamy chickpea soup with a side of cornbread.
Mid-afternoon: Hummus and avocado slices with whole grain crackers or baby carrots with almond butter.
Dinner: Veggie stir-fry with broccoli, ginger, red peppers, cashews and mushrooms over wild rice, followed by a piece of fruit.
Learn More
Read and watch anything you can about eating vegetarian. Talk to vegetarians you know about how they made the switch, what challenges they had and how they overcame them, and what things they love most about their vegetarian lifestyle. Many people are inspired to go vegetarian after watching an educational video or movie; others are motivated by an article or a book; and still others are encouraged to become vegetarian by having a conversation with another person.
Glossary
Cruelty-Free: Indicates that a product is not tested on animals and in some cases indicates that it is also free from animal-de- rived ingredients.
Gluten-Free: A label that indicates that the product does not contain gluten, which is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale.
GMOs: Genetically Modified Organisms, which are organisms (plants, animals and microorganisms) whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.
Mock Meat and Dairy: Food products that have the look, texture and taste of animal meat and dairy products but are vegan or vegetarian.
Nori (nor-ee): Japanese name for an edible seaweed commonly used for vegan sushi rolls.
Nutritional Yeast: A yeast grown on molasses that is heated (to deactivate the yeast), harvested, washed and packaged as flakes or powder. Also known as nooch.
Organic: Refers to a set of practices used by growers that seek to promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity by not using pesticides, fertilizers, irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.
Processed Food: A term often used to describe food that’s packaged in boxes, cans or bags, and frequently contains additives, artificial flavorings and other chemical ingredients.
Raw: Uncooked and unprocessed food; mostly fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Soybean: A type of bean that’s high in protein and used to make foods such as edamame, miso, soy sauce, tempeh and tofu.
Seitan (say-tan; “tan” rhymes with “man”): Made from wheat flour or vital wheat gluten, seitan can be cooked to approximate the look, texture and taste of meat.
Tempeh (tem-pay): A food product made from fermented soybeans.
Tofu (toh-foo): A food product made from soybeans. Also known as bean curd.
Vegan (vee-gan, pronounced with a hard-G sound like “or- gan”): Two of the most common reasons that people become vegans are for health and/or ethics. A person who is vegan for health reasons does not eat animals or animal products (including chicken, fish, beef, pork, milk, eggs and cheese). A person who is vegan for ethical reasons does not eat or use animals or animal products (including for clothing, skincare products and furnishings) and does not support the use of animals for entertainment (including zoos, circuses, marine parks and aquariums) or research and testing.
Vegetarian: A person who does not eat the meat of animals, but does consume the milk and eggs of animals or products made with them, such as cheese.
Vitamin B12: Originates from bacteria (not plants or animals) and is made by tiny one-celled microbes that are in the air, earth and water.
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All information presented in this blog is provided for informational purposes only.
This information should not be used as a substitute or replacement for advice, diagnosis or treatment from your healthcare provider.
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