We're in our 4th week now of eating plant-based and the changes have been amazing. To fill you in, 3.5 weeks ago we watched the movie Forks Over Knives by Fulkerson, Lee/ Aucoin, Joey/ Barnard, Neal, MD [ (Google Affiliate Ad). The research made sense to me and my husband and we agreed that our whole family would try a plant-based diet for two months. We've been tracking changes daily and have been amazed with the benefits. I really didn't think much beyond weight loss and cholesterol initially but these past weeks have shown many more results than I could have expected.
We'll find out about our cholesterol levels in 2-4 weeks when we each have routine blood work. I can only imagine they have dropped because so many other things have changed for the better. To start with, I was not looking to lose weight but my blood pressure and cholesterol were both higher than they should be. I even purchased a blood pressure cuff to monitor but unfortunately the cuff was too small. My weight has remained the same, my energy level is up, I no longer drag in the afternoon unless I have not gotten enough sleep the night before. It feels like my tiredness is 'real' now and not just a groggy feeling I live with daily. My mood is better. I am energized to exercise.
As for Jason, he has lost 11 pounds. His blood pressure went from 132/83 with a resting pulse in the 70 & 80's to 111/57 with a resting heart rate of 49. He is no longer bloated, feels energized after eating and his sinuses are clearing.
We are both exercising almost every day now.
As for the kids, I thought we were just bringing them along for the ride with us. I didn't realize until reading the book Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Fuhrman, Joel [Paperba (Google Affiliate Ad) how much we should have been doing this for THEM all along. Here are a few of the changes:
Our son has seen vast improvements in behavior, he loves all the 'treats' and that he can pretty much eat as much of whatever he wants whenever he wants. He is sensitive to processed sugars and we also think dairy (casein) is problematic but since he has not had either of these in weeks, he has not been craving them. He says he feels good with more energy and feels less angry.
Our middle daughter has always been a big fruit & veggie eater. I think she likes all the raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds best. Her allergies have been less pronounced since we started eating plant based. She is sniffling less.
Our youngest has had digestive problems for her entire life. But those issues are completely gone. Her constant tummy aches are gone. What a gift to give a child! She was addicted to cheese before this and would go to all lengths to get it but has only asked for cheese three times since we started and that was in the first two weeks.
Tomorrow (or soon) I will share my thoughts on what happens next. It is an interesting question that has come up in several conversations with friends who ate plant based/vegan/vegetarian for a while and then stopped. Until then, chews well! :-)
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