I began gaining a significant amount of weight, and I started to experience anxiety, depression, and debilitating panic attacks, which I’d never had before. All of this was coupled with a slew of inexplicable and disheartening health symptoms: numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, brain fog, overall weakness, and low energy. 

In search of answers, I turned to Google, which quickly became my best friend and worst enemy. I was convinced that I had multiple sclerosis or some other sort of scary autoimmune disease. I come from a family of doctors, so I was able to easily seek medical advice and was soon visiting specialists for MRIs, CT scans, and way too much blood work. I even participated in a nerve conduction study. I had high cholesterol, which we chalked up to my genes. Beyond that, physicians couldn’t give me any sort of diagnosis, nor could they prescribe a drug to fix my many problems. I was at a loss. Though I hadn’t been diagnosed with a disorder or disease, I was still very much in a state of dis-ease.

Stumbling in Search of Better Health

Toward the end of college, Dusty and I got together, and began getting healthier as a couple. Like me, Dusty had been an athlete in high school but had gotten off track in college. We began riding road bikes long distances, cooking together, and going out less. Unfortunately, in my attempts to lose the weight I had gained at college, I began counting calories; subsisting on low-calorie, highly processed foods like Lean Cuisines; and overexercising. I lost too much weight, and the foods I did eat were not giving me the nutrients and nourishment I needed. I began to look emaciated. Dusty, meanwhile, struggled with acid reflux and chronic gastrointestinal issues.

Eventually, my uncle (a cardiologist) invited Dusty and me to hear a doctor speak about nutrition at a local hospital. The doctor turned out to be Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. We were impressed by his data on the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet, and we tried some of the food he’d brought. We were so intrigued that we went home and watched the Forks Over Knives documentary film. We weren’t sure about taking the plunge into going completely plant-based, so we started out going vegetarian for 40 days for Lent.

Motivated by Early Results

We wondered if we’d be able to get enough nutrients (especially protein) without meat. Well, we made it to Easter, and to our surprise, we didn’t die from a “lack of protein.” In fact, we felt amazing! 

We continued on, slowly eliminating dairy and eventually eggs. We had blood work done after a few weeks, and my “hereditary” high cholesterol had dropped into what Michael Greger, MD, would call the “heart attack–proof” zone. Dusty’s cholesterol (which had also been high) had dropped to within the healthy range, too. Seeing our numbers change for the better was all the convincing we needed.

We turned to the Forks Over Knives Recipe App to find healthy plant-based recipes to replace our old standard American diet foods. It took some time to fully trust that we were getting what we needed without animal products. For guidance, we were constantly referring to the Forks Over Knives website and reading articles regarding B12, omega-3s, and more.

Dusty’s nagging acid reflux and digestive woes subsided over time as his gut healed. And the best part for me: My mental health improved drastically. Within just a couple months of this way of eating, I no longer had unmanageable anxiety. I felt less stressed. I had no feelings of depression whatsoever, and my panic attacks completely left me. I was again able to socialize normally and sleep through the night.

It took some time to trust that I could stay at a healthy weight while eating a lot of carbs and not restricting calories. However, I tried it, incorporating lots of delicious raw fruits and veggies as well as hearty cooked dishes. I’ve found that I’m now able to get more toned and muscular in the gym; I’ve put on some healthy weight and am feeling the most comfortable I’ve ever been in my body and in my heart! Some of our go-to meals now include stews with red lentils, sweet potatoes, and lots of chopped veggies seasoned with herbs and spices, as well as grain bowls with steamed greens, brown rice, chickpeas, potatoes, and avocado. 

We’ve been on this plant-powered path for about six years. We’ve got a healthy and happy vegan 2-year-old, with baby No. 2 on the way this July. Today we coach others on achieving healthy and sustainable lifestyles.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post Flourishing as a Family on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

While eating a SAD diet, I was never severely obese, but my Body Mass Index (BMI) showed that I was heading in that direction. I hit a BMI of 26 BMI at my heaviest. I was not feeling the energy I once had.

Embarking on a Plant-Based Journey

One weekend in 2014, my husband and I stumbled upon the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. The film was an eye-opener and definitely struck a chord with both of us. Afterward, we challenged each other to go on a juice fast for five days. We chose to start the fast on a Friday. This gave us the weekend to relax, chill, or whatever might come about while we were going through the detox.

When we woke up on Saturday, we didn’t feel so great. We hadn’t had coffee in 24 hours. My head was pounding! We decided to stay in and watch more documentaries. We chose Forks Over Knives because it was a “suggested” documentary based on the previous show we watched. Needless to say, the Forks Over Knives documentary changed our lives forever. After we completed our five-day juice detox, we started the journey of plant-based eating immediately.

Vegan vs. WFPB

Early on, we didn’t really understand the difference between going vegan and eating a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet. We assumed that as long as there was no meat or dairy in a food, we could eat it and it would be a “healthier” alternative. We started experimenting with a lot of the processed fake “meats” and “cheeses” to help us overcome cravings. We quickly realized that the taste of these foods wasn’t like what we were used to, so it was pretty easy for us to move past those items.

It wasn’t until we decided to take T. Colin Campbell’s online nutrition course through eCornell university that we really learned and understood the importance of a WFPB diet. The course helped us understand why processed foods, refined flours, sugars, and oils are so unhealthy for the body.

Sharing Our Nutrition Knowledge

After completing the nutrition course, we had so much more knowledge about WFPB eating. It really empowered us to share what we learned with whoever was willing to listen.

For some people, it went in one ear and out the other. Fortunately, many of my family members took an interest—my mother, especially. She had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She knew that changing her diet was essential to a successful recovery after her chemotherapy treatments. While visiting her in the hospital, we were absolutely amazed by the food options: hamburgers, french fries, baked potatoes loaded with butter and sour cream, and even milkshakes!

I cooked healthful plant-based meals to bring my mom in the hospital. The doctors and nurses saw what she was eating and were pleasantly surprised. The sad thing, though, is that they never outright acknowledged that this was a better diet for my mother’s health than the meals the hospital offered.

When my mother returned home from the hospital, she continued her plant-based way of life. She stressed its importance to my father, who has now also adopted this diet.

Discovering Forks Meal Planner

My husband and I own a small printing company in Colorado. Our time is spent mostly working on our business, so we have little time to spend in the kitchen. We’d used a couple of online meal planning services for convenience. Unfortunately, most of them included oils and refined ingredients. There were few WFPB diet options, so the choices are limited.

Then we discovered Forks Meal Planner, which has been a big help in sticking to a WFPB diet because it makes it easy to decide what to eat and how to shop. I enter the recipes that I want to make for the week ahead and it automatically creates a consolidated grocery list of what and how much I need to buy, organized by aisle. That is my favorite feature of the planner: I can get in and out of the grocery store quickly and without distractions.

Before discovering Forks Meal Planner, it was such a pain trying to come up with quick and easy healthy lunches. Now I make four servings for each meal, which allows us to each eat a healthy dinner at night and have another full serving for lunch the next day. Not only has it helped control my weight and keep my energy levels high but also it has also saved us more than $100 a week, since we’re not eating out every day for lunch. A few of my favorite recipes include Paella, One-Pot Chili Mac, Hopping John Grits, and Hearts of Palm Tapenade.

Eating to Beat IBS

Since I transitioned to WFPB, the most noticeable difference is that I no longer take any over-the-counter drugs. I haven’t taken an antacid or upset stomach medication since I began my WFPB journey over six years ago. I no longer need to make quick pit stops at public restrooms while I’m out and about. My IBS is gone!

At first, I thought I’d miss a lot of the old foods I used to eat and would have cravings or feel like I was deprived, but I don’t feel that way at all now. My palate has really changed. I am an advocate for WFPB eating, and I share my experience and how I eat with my friends and family.  Doing that has inspired several of my family members to adopt a WFPB diet, and although none of my friends have adopted a WFPB diet, they’re becoming aware of the potential benefits of this diet by witnessing my example.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post How I Beat IBS and Acid Reflux with a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

I talked to my daughter Sharon about my memory loss, and she told me she’d look into it. She’s a health coach and, at that time, attended classes at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). She asked PCRM’s President, Dr. Neal Barnard (who wrote Power Foods for the Brain), what I should do. He told her that many common medications can cause memory loss, and then he proceeded to list all the ones that I was taking! He told her to encourage me to change my diet.

That was easier said than done. I’m a little stubborn (in my daughter’s view, perhaps more stubborn than anyone else on the planet) and didn’t believe in her plant-based coaching and teachings. I felt the studies were too small and didn’t want to hear her dietary advice.

At my next doctor’s appointment, my doctor asked Sharon if she had any concerns about my health. Of course she did. She told him she thought I ate too much red meat. My doctor actually agreed and told me it could be affecting my health. As we walked out of the doctor’s office, I told my daughter I would make her a bet. I told her I would give up red meat for three weeks and then go back to the doctor. If the good doc didn’t see any changes, she’d drive me to Burger King, buy me a Whopper, and watch me eat it! Sharon was excited, confident that she’d win the bet. I was just as confident that I’d be the “winner.”

Three weeks later, I walked into the doctor’s office confident that I had won the bet. I didn’t feel any different. In the office, my doctor looked at my blood work and asked me what I had been doing differently. I didn’t want to admit it, so I replied, “Nothing.” He told me he didn’t believe me and kept asking me what changes I had made. Finally I asked him why. He told me my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol were all down significantly, and that I had also lost weight. I was floored.

We walked out of the waiting room where Sharon sat bursting with anticipation, and my doctor went over to her and gave her a high five. He said, “I don’t know what you’re doing with your dad, but whatever it is, keep doing it!” She was thrilled.

I wasn’t too happy at first, but I couldn’t deny how much my numbers had improved after just a few weeks. Even I had to admit it was pretty remarkable. Sharon eventually got me to give up poultry, dairy, and almost all seafood. That’s no small feat for a 70-plus-year-old Jewish man! I also kicked my soda and heavy salt habit—I used to salt everything liberally before tasting it.

I’m now off my statins (my cholesterol is now lower than when I was on it), blood pressure medication, and my antidepressant. I also no longer suffer with gout, chronic headaches and back pain, and GERD. I’m a kidney cancer survivor with one remaining kidney (I smoked for years), and at one of my recent appointments, my kidney doctor was amazed because the function in my remaining kidney had improved. That is very atypical; function in these cases usually gradually decreases over time.

I’m now a full convert to the belief that food is powerful and can be healing. I work six days a week as a hardware store manager, my memory is back, and I feel like I’m reverse-aging. It just goes to show that you are never too old to change.

The post At 78, I Ditched Multiple Meds and Health Problems With a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.