Why I've Gone Plant Based & 3 Major Impacts It's Had

"Everything in moderation” my mom said after I told her I was now eating a plant-based diet. Sarah doesn’t do moderation, I’m either on one end of the spectrum or the other, resulting in zero balance. (Not trying to convert anyone to go plant-based here, just sharing my story on why I chose to go plant based :D )

On May 1st Bobo and I had come home from a trip from the Sunshine Coast. We took Jack to several beaches before getting on the ferry and he was a muddy mess, so when we got back to New Westminster we took him to Royal City Paws Centre self-wash dog station. In the reception area, there was a scale there and out of curiosity Bobo and I weighed ourselves since we’re never around scales. I was the heaviest I had ever been. I usually don’t focus much on the number on the scale but combine that with how tight all my clothes were, my low energy and the lack of self-confidence I felt the need for a change. I’m usually a pretty healthy eater but had been on a bit of a binger since my trip to Vegas in April, so it wasn’t too surprising. I’m telling you, it’s a slippery slope for Sarah.

That Sunday night after getting unpacked I decided to watch the documentaries “Forks Over Knives” and “Cowspiracy” on Netflix back to back. While “Forks Over Knives” focuses on the health impacts of humans eating meat & dairy, “Cowspiracy” focuses on the environmental impact of animal agriculture. The two were very eye opening. The clip below was (was delete the extra way)the “final straw” for me if you will:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOP_cMcaIYU[/embedyt]

I can’t say that these documentaries would have had the same impact had I watched them on different days and I hadn’t felt like I was at absolute low with my health/weight that day. Since that day I have been mostly plant-based. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had a few Doritos chips here and there but 95% of the time I’m eating grains, veggies, fruit & nuts!  I’m pretty proud and to be honest surprised this has lasted 2 months. I have no idea if this will last another week let alone a lifetime, I’m just taking it day by day trying to be creative with recipes and hopefully not shoving my views down other people’s throats too much, haha. Though….may I recommend watching those documentaries? (trailers at the bottom of this article) lol.

So far I've noticed THREE MAJOR CHANGES:

• My sleeps have been IMPECCABLE. I wake up feeling ready to start the day. I've never been one to jump out of bed in the mornings....maybe I'm exaggerating a little here... but it has definitely been easier to get up in the mornings and I don't feel groggy.
• My skin is the clearest it's ever been. I've always noticed vegans have GLOWING skin and although mine isn't at a "glowing" point just yet, I get blemishes significantly less now.
• MORE ENERGY!!! No explanation needed.

Biggest Challenge so far:

Eating out is a bitch, unless you're going to some East Van vegetarian hipster joint. So far my most memorable eating out experience was at the Keg for a friends birthday. I actually love the Keg and usually go any time I'm home with the family and on my birthday. MMMM....Steak. I know it was my choice to go plant based and going to a steak house in retrospect wouldn't provide a plethora of dish options for plant-based eaters. My dinner consisted of a pathetic side dish of unseasoned steamed veggies (mostly green beans) with a side of fries. BLAHHH. My food was SO boring compared to the delicious steaks everybody else was eating (boo-hoo, right Sarah?). The struggle is real folks.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZb-35oV_7E[/embedyt] [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV04zyfLyN4[/embedyt]