This is my personal story and reasons for eating plant-based are my own, although well supported by science and research. The experiences are my own, and should not be considered absolute truth for you. Each of us is unique and have different background and ecologies. We hope to inspire you, though, to consider a more plant-based diet.
What is Plant-Based?
Here’s a quick look at what encompasses Plant-Based.
source: Heart Foundation, New Zealand
The New Zealand Heart Foundation defines it as:
“A plant-based diet is a way of eating where the focus is on filling up your plate with plant foods” Plant-based eating isn’t about being restrictive. “People who eat a mainly plant-based diet may still choose to eat small amounts of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and dairy (also known as semi-vegetarian, flexitarian, or pescatarian). The beauty is that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach.”
My Story
I began my journey towards eating more plant-based January 2020. After arriving from a Christmas Holiday, I was feeling heavy and laden with too much meat and dessert over the holidays. Like all Januaries before, this 2020 would just be the same as any other, but I was so wrong. I became a Dengue patient.
So how does this lead to Why Plant-Based? I’m not saying you need to experience illness to make you realize that your health is really the best thing you can control in your life. You don’t need to wait for illness to take over before assessing the way you live and the way you nourish yourself. And so that’s what I did, the same day I was discharged from the hospital.
Questions I asked
I asked myself these, and hope these help inspire you to ask your own questions regarding your wellness.
- Have I truly taken my sleep hours seriously? Do I get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night?
- Have I been over-exercising and over-working myself and not taking enough self-care/ me-time/ recovery days? (Frankly speaking, that overnight at the hospital truly felt like a much needed ‘recovery’ period for me)
- Am I drinking enough water in a day, especially on days when I have exercise?
- Have I been eating too many sugary foods? Even if I bake or make them at home, am I making it using less sugar or low glycemic ingredients?
- Have I been consuming too much alcohol, just to join my husband in his cocktail hour?
- Have I truly been eating well enough to keep my gut healthy? (because here in FYFG, we believe the gut is our first line of defense for immune health)
In short: “What better way can I nourish myself?” 
My Plant-Based: My 5 Reasons
Why Plant-Based? Having deep motivation for health and wellness (vs. ethical and environmental reasons), I decided to start eating more Plant-Based on these 5 personal reasons:
- I wanted better gut health. This type of eating is fiber-full. Fiber means pre-biotics for my gut bacteria. The better the pre-biotic content, the good bacteria in our gut get fed, and they populate and create a good microbiome where bad gut bacteria get eased out. A much healthier gut is key to keeping our immune system healthy.
- Being Semi-vegetarian is a good start. This type of Plant-based diet opts to consume small amounts of animal meat, dairy, and eggs. I still believe in the benefits of lean animal protein (iron, protein), eggs, and omega3-rich fish, and I do have greek yogurt when coconut or almond yogurt isn’t available. My hair loss has significantly diminished with having a palm-sized portion of red meat once a week into my meal.
- I aim to have as many natural vitamins and minerals. Since I turned Plant-Based, I have been eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. While cooking a plant-based meal, you can reach up to 9 different plants/vegetables in one dish. “Eating the rainbow” brings in more micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
- Constipation isn’t a good thing. Because it’s fiber-rich, and good microbiome becomes healthy, constipation is never a problem. My stool is always “a sinker”, and I get to go more than 1x a day! Constipation is known to affect one’s moods and disposition.
- I wanted to cut-off cravings in-between meals. Because of the fiber-rich plant-based meals (not to be confused with a high-carb meal) take much longer to digest by the gut, it helps with regulating our ‘hunger hormones’, Ghrelin. I feel fuller for longer periods and can last 4-6 hours without craving a snack.
The 21-Day Challenge
Sometime in late May to early June this year, my husband and I took on the 21-Day Plant-Based Challenge, by Forks Over Knives, to really see if we could live a full plant-based life. It was a simple transition model wherein the first week, you have 1 plant-based meal (among 3). Each week adding on another whole food plant-based meal into your day until the final week of 3 meals of all plant-based. My husband and I experienced positive changes in our sleep, in our energy level, and in our weight loss. By the end of the challenge, we were eating 30+ different types of plants, fruits, and vegetables in a week! I don’t ever recall having that wide a variety before.
With the positive effects of the challenge, we both agreed on why eating a more plant-based diet is worth it. We decided to have 1 week every month that is completely plant-based (complete vegetarian during this time). That’ll be breakfast-lunch-dinner for 7 days. We personally feel this is our form of ‘detox’ and our ‘reset’.
It’s in the bag!
I’d like to share with you what I normally purchase in the grocery, that have helped why plant-based is simple to maintain.\
Imagine if
Knowing now what it takes to start eating more Plant-Based, and reading why plant-based was my choice, imagine if you were to answer “How can I nourish myself better?” What do you think would be best for you? Imagine having renewed energy, better sleep, regular bowel movement, balanced hormones, by simply adding in more fruits/fibrous vegetables/plants in your meals, and transitioning to leaner protein sources Wouldn’t that be a simple, yet FIERCE transition to better health?