I use the word ‘Diet’ in the title of this post but the truth is, I am not on a diet. At least not the stressful kind of diet we all dread. Unfortunately, the word diet has many negative associations. Following a plant based diet is a lifestyle choice I make every day.
I do not count calories. I do not obsess about my carb intake. I do not feel bad when I eat dessert. It is VERY important to note that I used to do all three things on a daily basis!
I have been following a plant based diet for the past year and eight months. By default, I am also a vegan. I choose the plant based terminology because it is very possible to be an unhealthy vegan. My food intake focuses on fresh whole foods, preferably local foods and minimal amounts of packaged food.
I have encountered much support and curiosity from others while on this journey but the most common misconception is that eating this way is incredibly limiting. I am here to shout from the rooftops that infact, following this lifestyle has been anything but limiting for me. Just the opposite! I feel liberated.
Let me explain why this is:
1- Eating this way has opened me up to discover new foods and tastes I never knew existed.
2- The benefits of eating whole grains and plants has given me insight into how we as humans used to eat. We were more simple, our taste buds were simple and our bodies were nourished and healthy.
3- Choosing to think about what I am putting into my body has brought extreme self-awareness into my life. This awareness helps me make healthy choices and better decisions.
4- I eat what nourishes and fuels my body as opposed to simply eating whatever is around because I am hungry.
5- There is now an extra step involved before I eat that has changed my life in a profound way. That step is thought.
6- Having said that, I do not have to think about calories. And I don’t.
7- I do not have to think about carbs. And I don’t.
8- I do think about what my body needs at a specific time of day in order to feel my best and perform at my best.
9- When I became good friends with my body, took the time to get to know what it was really asking of me, it became harder to make bad choices. I would compare it to the feeling you get when letting a good friend down! So I step up and show up for my body, my friend.
10- Eating this way has improved my health and well being significantly.
11- I de-cluttered my food options. I got rid of all the extra stuff that was not benefiting my body. Just like getting rid of my extra physical stuff provided me with a lighter sense of being, I now feel lighter in my body as well.
I initially stumbled across minimalism by following a plant based diet. What minimalism and plant based living has taught me is that simplifying is a very different word than limiting. I have simplified my life and it has liberated me. Simplifying various areas of my life came about very organically and just felt right. A heavy weight has been lifted. A weight I did not know existed until it had been removed from my life, allowing me to exist happily, peacefully and simply.
I often provide links from the website Daily Om. I enjoy most of the messages they provide in the form of short bursts of inspiration. Here are two posts that relate to the feelings I have discovered from living a more simple life. Enjoy them!
I would love to read about your experience with food, diet and any plant based journey you have experienced! Post in the comments section below if you would like to share.
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Hey Tali,
This was a very interesting post for me. I’ve always struggled with my weight and just recently decided to stop doing “diets.” My plan now is to just focus on eating healthy and hitting the gym at least 3x a week. 2011 I went crazy on diets– I did lose a weight but I gained most of it back (soo frustrating argh) but I KNOW that if I want to keep the chubs off, I have to change my habits and my lifestyle (which means less beer and less happy hours for me).
Good job on sticking to the plant base diet for almost 2 years–I don’t think I would have lasted as long as you:)
All the best,
Mika
Hi Mika,
Glad you enjoyed the post.
A great way to get your feet wet is to have fun with plant based eating! Buy some new ingredients so that you are more inclined to cook fresh food.
I suggest Brown rice, quinoa and Farro. Brown rice pasta is a great alternative to wheat pasta as well. As for veggies, oh my there are so many to choose from! Create a rainbow on your plate and experiment with how you enjoy your veggies…steamed, stir fried, raw, blanched. Play with flavor combos!
I am also currently loving red lentils and mung beans.
As for beer, try some organic ones. They are processed with far less chemicals which will free your body up to focus on digestion and calorie burn.
Good luck with everything and I hope your workouts bring much energy to your life.
Thank you for reading. I am looking forward to the next post on your site!
-Tali
Hi Tali,
Awesome and inspiring!
I have a request for you. I have been studying for a test that I am going to be taking sometime over the next two months. I have noticed that the foods I eat have an impact on my ability to focus. Can you write a piece on what foods and/or supplements you recommend to help boost short and long term memory, and when they should be eaten? How soon after I eat these foods would I study, and for how long should my study sessions be?
Thanks for your help!
Jason
Hi jason,
Great question and thank you for bringing this topic to Treehouse Chatter!
This a great idea for a post and I already have some ideas on how to maximize your study sessions by eating the right foods at the right time.
I will hopefully post on this topic within the week. Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading,
-Tali
Interesting. Certainly, does not hurt to try. But how? Do you recommend a gradual transition or an abrupt one?
Julie,
I recommend a gradual transition. I dived in and went from being an omnivore to full on plant based living overnight. However, I had researched this lifestyle for some time and was very mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for the transition. I love the baby step approach and find that the more open one is, the more one takes the opportunity to make better decisions as they present themselves, the more likely they will be to commit and enjoy their new lifestyle choice.
Thanks for the comment
-Tali
I just found your blog, and I think it is so wonderful that you are edaicdted to inspiring, encouraging, and informing others. Thank you for what you are doing!I live in Oklahoma, and I’ve been a vegan for 10 months now. So, I am familiar with many of the tired questions you have been asked (I now have a whole speech prepared on on the environmental, ethical, and health reasons for being vegan whenever I am asked). I don’t think many people took my lifestyle choice as serious at first, since I am only 21. However, more people have seen my dedication over the past year, and I hope to continue to be a positive influence in this area. People like you are an inspiration. So, thank you!
Hi Harish,
Thank you for your kind words! I am glad this post found you well and I hope you continue to feel inspired by living a plant based lifestyle. It sounds like you are genuinely enjoying the plant based journey! Good for you for educating those around you as to the source of your decisions. Please keep the treehousechatter community posted on your journey. Would love to follow up and see how you are doing!
-Tali
I just cooked with barley tonight and thought of you! I only ever use it in the barley, kale & white bean soup that I crave every January. I suppose I could look for other ways to use it! While digging into the upper reaches of my cabinets for it I also found an unopened bag of quinoa. Would love your favorite quinoa combinations/preparations.
Dallas,
Yum! Love barley in the winter months as well.
I love a good quinoa stir fry. Try onions, peppers and mushrooms and shoyu (soy sauce)and toss the cooked quinoa right in there.
And for something a little different, cook some plain quinoa and give it a breakfast twist. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, and a small amount of milk/milk substitute of your choice. It is so delicious and and a nice break from the rolled oats route.
yay!
-Tali
going veggie was definitely more of an environmental thing for me than a animal rights thing. what first started me on the journey was living in a monastery for 4 months on a retreat, and learning about the ’causes and conditions’ of every living thing.. buddhist concepts. basically, that desk is not just a desk.. it is a tree, it has a history, it took a carpenter to build, a lumberman to cut, etc. etc. you have to be more mindful and aware of what’s beyond. the meal on your plate.. did i want it to come from a place of fear and factory in this economic system i don’t exactly support? yeah. no thanks. i never even liked the taste of meat anyway (hated pork and steak..)
Hi Janet,
Thank you for sharing the roots of your plant based journey. Love the thought process of the concepts you mention. Taking the time to understand the source of every inanimate object and every life form is a real eye and heart opener.
A 4 month retreat sounds incredible!
Thank you for reading and for the comment
-Tali
Thank you for your blog~ and your shining exlpmae of the merits of a plant-based lifestyle!There’s a small but mighty group of fellow vegans here in Dayton, Ohio. For the first time ever, I’m going to request that my mom not serve a turkey at Thanksgiving!I work as a holistic life and wellness coach, so now the plant-based lifestyle will be a huge direction I go with my clients (I’m calling it AHIMSA Coaching)!Peace to you, Natala.
Espiritualidad,
Thank you for your comment!
Working as a holistic life and wellness coach must be so rewarding. Incredible!
I definitely attend a mixed Thanksgiving. I am lucky to have an open minded family, many are meat eaters, many are vegetarians and some are vegan so I never feel left out!
-Tali