Now it's time to hear from you... "What dream health result do you want for yourself?" Do you want your knees to never hurt again and be able to run 15 miles? Do you want to wake up energized and know you won't lose a limb to diabetes like your father did? Do you dream of having a lean and toned body that you're happy in everyday?
Please share your insights and thoughts by clicking 'comment' below.
People claim eating a healthy, plant-based diet is more expensive and thus a reason you might shy away from it. Or maybe you use this as an excuse?
Well no longer can you use money as an excuse for not eating a healthy, whole foods, plant-based diet. Why not? Because here's 5 ways you'll actually save money on your groceries by not just eating healthier, but by losing 1-3 pounds a week AND reducing medications! (1,2,3). Permanent weight-loss and medication reduction are highly likely when you fully adhere to a whole foods, plant-based diet for the long-term.
Why? Because they're cheaper per pound, they're more filling so you eat less calories throughout the day AND they're healthier for you than animal and refined foods!
For example, Julieanna Hever, MS aka the Plant-Based Dietician, shared the below graphic with plant and animal food price differences on her blog describing additional ways to save money on a plant-based diet.
Graphic from www.plantbaseddietician.com
Don't get me wrong, I love organic foods. I work full-time on Spring Hill Organic vegetable farm in Albany, Oregon and I love eating our organic produce daily. I'm thankful I don't work with pesticides or insecticides and that my surrounding ecosystem on the farm isn't threatened either.
However, severe heart disease and type II diabetes have been reversed on a whole food, plant-based diet without the food being organic or GMO free. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also states "the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh risks of pesticide exposure" (4).
You can opt to buy the dirtiest produce as organic and the least sprayed produce as inorganic as a way to save money on fruits and veggies. Check out the cleanest and dirtiest fruits and veggies on the EWG's dirty dozen list here.
It's not just animal foods that are more expensive, refined junk food is too!
Take Kettle Potato chips for example. Around $2.72 per 5 oz. bag, these chips cost you about $8.16 per pound! That's more expensive than most organic veggies! Plus potato chips are dreadful for you. Don't eat them. Eat a baked potato with salsa instead!
Use my suggested staple foods in #1 (pasta, beans, rice, potatoes) as snacks instead of refined junk foods and not only will you save money, you'll save 100s of calories as well! My favorite snacks are baked sweet potatoes or yams which run about $1.49 per pound.
This includes extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Not only is oil weight-promoting (it's 120 calories per tablespoon, the most calorie dense food on the planet and 100% fat) but severe heart disease was reversed without oil in the diet (1,2).
Learn '5 Reasons Why Oil isn't a Health Food' and 'How to Sauté without Oil' on these episodes of Take Control Tuesdays.
When you adopt and adhere to a whole foods, plant-based diet, it's likely you'll prevent going on medication, eliminate the amount of meds you're on or, get off of them completely! What a huge money saver that is!
You're likely to relieve yourself from colds, acne, low energy, arthritis, cancer, type II diabetes, erectile dysfunction and the list goes on! (5). Now this, will save you money!
Answer in the comments section below.
References
Decreases in dietary glycemic index are related to weight loss among individuals following therapeutic diets for type 2 diabetes, J Nutr. 2011 Aug;141(8):1469-74.
Campbell, TC. 'Whole. Rethinking the Science of Nutrition' 2013. Ben Bella Books, Dallas, Texas.
The funniest things happen when I eat lunch in my university's cafeteria. My plate is normally filled with potatoes, rice or pasta with an abundance vegetables on-top. This can be quite intriguing for some people... I'm not eating hot dogs, meatballs, cheesy pasta and washing it down with a glass of milk. Naturally, people ask me questions about my diet.
The most common question I get... yes, you guessed it… “where do I get my protein?” If you're eating a plant-based diet, where do you get your protein from? Well, plants!
What I'm about to say is very important and I never want you to forget it so please really 'listen.' "You do not need animal foods to get enough protein in your diet." I'm going to 'say it' again because it is that important... "you do not need to eat animal foods to get enough protein in your diet."
Before I give your examples of plant protein, we have to answer one very important question and that is… how much protein do we actually need?
According to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, we fulfill our protein needs with 10% of our total calories coming from protein (1). Just 10%!
Now that we know how much protein we need in our diet, lets see how much protein is in some common plant foods.
Percentage of calories coming from protein (2) Source
Kale: 35% (3)
Broccoli: 33% (4)
Black beans: 27% (5)
Wild rice: 16% (6)
Quinoa: 15% (7)
Potato: 11% (8)
Sweet potato: 9% (9)
It's important to understand that all plant foods have protein. All of them! Some, not as much as others, but when we eat a variety of different plant foods, the total amount of protein we consume balances itself out in the body. You will get an adequate amount of protein as long as you're eating enough food (not starving) and varied types.
So again, I want you to say this to yourself... “I do not need animal food to get enough protein. Plant foods fulfill all my protein needs” and exhale. Aww. Much better.
Know that there can be harmful consequences from eating too much protein, especially animal protein. If you want to learn more about the risks from eating too much protein, here is a well-referenced PDF from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine titled 'The Protein Myth.'
And because Easter is coming up, here are two mouth-watering recipes for your holiday feast (if you're celebrating). Thank you Cathy Fisher for these great recipes!
Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup
I want to challenge you to think about this protein information more. To get you started, I want you to answer this Take Control Now question and post your answer in the comments section at the end of this article.
If you liked this article (and I hope that you did!) please email and share it with your friends and family. Send them www.TrishaMandes.com so they can get my Free Resource Guide for the best books, recipe websites etc. for disease reversal and permanent weight-loss.
Thanks for joining me. Get educated, get support and take control. You can get the healthy body of your dreams.
References
Kale (3), Broccoli (4) Black beans (5), Wild Rice (6), Quinoa (7), Potato (8), Sweet Potato (9).
* How I calculated the percentage of calories from protein from the USDA nutrient management system (2-9)... #protein g per serving x 4 kcal/g / #kcals per serving x 100 = % of calories from protein
Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN is a weight-loss and optimal eating expert.
How to achieve accelerated weight loss
How USC professor lost 18 lbs in 7 weeks without eating less. An inspirational interview.
What to eat, what to avoid -- whole foods, plant-based food guidelines
What I eat in a day on a plant-based diet
Plant-based diets and weight loss. Findings from my thesis
Three reasons why potatoes are amazing for your health
Why you don't need animal food for protein
Will dairy help you lose weight? A review of the evidence
Why eating less is NOT the answer to weight loss
Heads up! The material on TrishaMandes.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before changing your diet or discontinuing medications. TrishaMandes.com is not responsible or liable for any injuries due to any action or inaction taken from the material on this site.
