Ok, NAME, real talk: sometimes I feel a bit like a circus freak.
I’ll be at a party where someone is raving about the queso and offers me some.
I usually respond with something along the lines of, “Thank you but I am plant based.”
*Cue confused look from queso lover* “You’re…what?”
She is intrigued. Who is this unicorn in her midst? It’s almost as if she wants to reach out and touch me to see if I am real.
“I’m plant based. I was having some health issues and needed to lose weight so switching to a plant based lifestyle was how I was able to stay off meds and lose the weight.”
She is hooked. Time is suspended. It’s like we are the only two people in the room.
She puts the queso down.
“You know, “ she says conspiratorially “I have been gaining and losing the same forty pounds my entire life. And since I had my kids, it’s harder to lose.”
Suddenly, we have an audience. A few people at the adjacent charcuterie table are abandoning their prosciutto and provolone to join us.
This is legit the scene at pretty much every social gathering I attend.
Honestly, I’m used to it at this point and I LOVE talking about being plant based.
Which is good, because this is the part where people start asking questions.
Do you know what the best part is?
I’ve taken the top 3 questions and answered them here so that you don’t have to forage for the information!
Q1: Will I be hungry all the time?
Nope. I’m never hungry. By eating a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and beans you will never be hungry.
You see, it’s really hard to over eat these foods. Let me give you an example:
Yesterday for lunch I had a salad with mixed greens, peppers, cukes, tomatoes, chickpeas, hummus, olives, dolmas, olive oil/vinegar dressing, and a fresh pita from a local bakery.
I’m drooling telling you about this.
It was about 500 calories. I was full in a satisfied way after eating it, not in a Thanksgiving way. Ya feel me?
Q2: Do I have to take supplements?
Yes.
Does that mean a plant based diet isn’t healthy? No.
All diets require supplementation, even omnivores.
So what are some of the nutrients I should be taking?
Generally speaking, B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3’s get the most buzz when talking about a plant based lifestyle.
We’ll talk about what to take and where to get it.
Q3: What about protein?
This is actually a joke in the plant based community but it’s totally a fair question.
We live in a culture that worships grilled chicken. Protein is king!
And while it’s true that protein takes a little longer to digest than carbs or fats, it’s not the be all and end all of a healthy lifestyle.
In excessive amounts, it’s actually not healthy. High protein diets can lead to weight gain over time and have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.
Remember that delicious lunch I showed you earlier? It has 24g of protein in it. About half of the RDI for a woman 31-51 years old.
Wondering what the grilled chicken equivalent of an entire day’s worth of protein is? Five ounces, which is about the size of your hand.
I know.
Mind.
Blown.
Peace, Love, + Plants,
Stephanie