Changing the Way I Think
For those of you who don't know me, I am a vegan and have been for a few years now. That means that I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy. On the whole this dietary change has been very good for me. I may not be my ideal weight, but for the first time in my life, I have not gained back the weight I've lost. In addition, before I changed to a vegan diet, I was told that I was prehypertensive. Now my blood pressure is in the normal range. Being vegan has also helped me resist temptations that come along. For example, a cafe/bakery I often frequent has a delicious looking assortment of sweets on display. It was always difficult to resist the tasty treats when I came in for a cup of coffee. Now that I'm vegan, I can look at the sweets and immediately dismiss them as things I cannot eat. I don't even feel tempted by them anymore.
However, going to the grocery store can be another set of temptations all together. There are so many highly processed vegan products available now, I find myself sometimes falling into the trap of saying, "Well it is vegan, so it's legal." The problem is that so many vegan products in the grocery store are far from healthy (i.e. Oreos or just about any fake meat or cheese product). These products are convenient and despite their reputations many of them are delicious, but few are healthy.
The whole reason I started eating this way a few years ago was to improve my health. After watching the documentary Forks Over Knives and doing some research on my own, I became convinced that a Whole Food Plant Based Diet would be ideal for my health. If you are unaware, a Whole Food Plant Based Diet is a form of vegan diet that focuses on eating plant based food that is minimally processed. I need to stop looking at food at the grocery store and asking myself "Is it vegan?" Instead I need to look at food and asked myself, "Is it whole food and plant based?" I need to stop thinking about myself as a vegan and start thinking of myself as being on a Whole Food Plant Based Diet.
P.S. Small victory- I asked myself that question today when I stopped by the store, and managed to resist a sweet tea. (Yes, I'm from the South.)
However, going to the grocery store can be another set of temptations all together. There are so many highly processed vegan products available now, I find myself sometimes falling into the trap of saying, "Well it is vegan, so it's legal." The problem is that so many vegan products in the grocery store are far from healthy (i.e. Oreos or just about any fake meat or cheese product). These products are convenient and despite their reputations many of them are delicious, but few are healthy.
The whole reason I started eating this way a few years ago was to improve my health. After watching the documentary Forks Over Knives and doing some research on my own, I became convinced that a Whole Food Plant Based Diet would be ideal for my health. If you are unaware, a Whole Food Plant Based Diet is a form of vegan diet that focuses on eating plant based food that is minimally processed. I need to stop looking at food at the grocery store and asking myself "Is it vegan?" Instead I need to look at food and asked myself, "Is it whole food and plant based?" I need to stop thinking about myself as a vegan and start thinking of myself as being on a Whole Food Plant Based Diet.
P.S. Small victory- I asked myself that question today when I stopped by the store, and managed to resist a sweet tea. (Yes, I'm from the South.)
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