A 28 day challenge removing all animal products and processed foods from our diet may seem a bit daunting at first…okay, insanely daunting...but what’s really holding us back?
What’s our excuse? We’ve heard them all, some more legit than others, but none that can’t be overcome. It might be inconvenient at times, we may have people try to sabotage our efforts, it will require time and thoughtful preparation and we’re going to have to give up something we love, something we think we can’t go without.
For me it was pepperoni pizza. For my sister is was cookies & cream ice cream.
But, and this is a big BUT, our health is worth it. Maybe you’re still on the fence about this whole plant based thing or maybe you haven’t made it to the fence, but if there was even just a 10% chance that you’d see and/or feel some kind of improvement in your energy level, the quality of your sleep, your skin complexion, your weight, your athletic performance, your risk of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and/or your longevity, would it be worth trying something new for just 28 days?
YES!
Now, back to our excuses:
“I don’t have time” - Ahh, the number one excuse for most things in life; one that we’ve all used at some point. I know I’m guilty of it. What we really mean is “I don’t want to make time” or “It isn’t a priority right now” or “I don’t like change, it’s hard” or some version in between. Let’s take this excuse off the table. Everyone has time, it’s just a matter of if we’re willing to juggle a few things around and put in a little extra effort. If you’re really sticking to your guns on this one, check out a few of our time-saving tips.
“Meat (insert other food here) tastes good, I like meat, humans were meant to eat meat” - Hey, settle down over there. We’re asking for 28 days. Candy and ice cream and queso taste good too, but that doesn’t mean we should be eating them. We are lucky enough to have plenty of options from which to choose our food. For 28 days, we’re proposing we take full advantage of this and choose foods that will allow us the chance to live longer, healthier and ultimately happier lives.
“I won’t get enough protein…or calcium...or…” - To keep it short and sweet, if you get enough calories, then you will get enough protein. Think of some of the strongest animals in the world – the rhino, the elephant, the gorilla – all plant based. Check out our section on The Protein Myth for a more detailed explanation.
“It’s too hard, it’s too inconvenient, I can’t give up bacon” - Hmmm, this one is a little tougher. It’s hard to break bad habits, it’s hard to change up routines and it’s hard to sign up for something that you know will cause you to be inconvenienced. But, an investment in your future is worth quite a bit. We invest in houses, in 401K’s, in stocks, but we typically don’t consider investing in our health, more specifically our future health. We are living longer but we are living longer, sicker. What will I choose to eat (or not eat) today that will help me get to where I want to be in 20,30,40,50 years? It could be losing those extra 20 pounds, getting off blood pressure meds, walking up the stairs without getting out of breath, or getting on the floor to play with your grandkids. The savings can be real. Hippocrates said it best, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
“I have a family, I have kids, I have picky eaters” - Great! Sounds like you have an awesome support system already in place. Make it a fun challenge for the entire family to participate in. Set up a calendar with an awesome prize for the family if everyone is able to complete the trials. Get kids involved in the shopping and food preparation. Ornery teenagers holding you back? Might be time for a little tough love. If they don’t like what you’re cooking, they can make a PB&J.
“I can’t eat carbs, fruit has too much sugar” - Like the protein myth, there are many misconceptions around carbs and fruit. See here for a more detailed explanation. Simple carbs are the ones giving carbs the bad rap. Those are your cookies, chips, white breads and pastas to name a few. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, include starches and fiber and are the body’s main source of energy. The key is not to avoid carbs, but to choose the right kind.
“It costs too much, I can’t afford Whole Foods” - Now this one will really surprise you. Initially, it will be a bit of an investment to revamp your pantry. But, once complete, you’ll notice your grocery bill going down. Ours was almost cut in half. Meat comes to mind as being pricey so that wasn’t a surprise. The real shock came at how much we were spending on processed foods and how much more we could get for our money when spending it on fresh fruit and vegetables and grains and beans instead.
“I can’t cook” - Okay, how are you at following directions? We have some pretty straight forward recipes here, some that don’t really count as cooking (i.e. putting a baked potato in the oven). Try searching plant based restaurants near you and see what you find. Chipotle is one of our favorites. Did you know you get free guac if you get a veggie bowl? In general, any restaurant that isn’t your typical American food will have plant based options – think Mediterranean, Indian, Thai, Chinese, to name a few – and even most American restaurants will have an option or two.
“I don’t like vegetables.” - A few thoughts on this one: 1) You don’t have to go super exotic - start with the simple vegetables you already like – potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green beans. 2) Get creative and “hide” them in foods. For example, put a handful of spinach in a morning breakfast smoothie. See tips/tricks for more ideas. 3) Your taste buds will change. We know this sounds crazy, but we have first-hand knowledge. Get rid of all the extra salt, sugar and fat and it’s somehow a reset for your taste buds. It won’t happen right away, but if you are patient you will be amazed.
“I have a special event, I’m going on vacation, I can’t go out with my friends” - There isn’t ever going to be a perfect time to start. The key here is preparation. Check out menus in advance, take charge and suggest a restaurant to your friends that meets your requirements, get friends involved by letting them know about the challenge and inviting them over for a home cooked plant based meal. The good news is that we have been doing this for a few years now and we still have friends and we still go on vacation. At first, it did require some additional planning but now it hardly requires a second thought.
“People will think I’m crazy” - We can’t say it much better than Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr: “Some people think the plant-based, whole foods diet is extreme. Half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn onto their coronary artery. Some people would call that extreme.” Okay, we may have gotten a little too dramatic with that quote, but we couldn’t help it.
“I don’t believe in it, I don’t want to” - We saved the hardest excuse to address for last. You most likely had a great uncle who ate eggs and bacon and smoked every single day of his life and lived to be 99 years old. Lucky son of a biscuit. Or, you may agree with most of what we’ve said and you’re willing to deal with the potential consequences so you can eat as you please. Think of it as playing Russian roulette with your health. You may be perfectly fine or you may not be. In other words, do you want to leave your health up to chance or take charge of your health? If you were my dad, sister, son, aunt, grandpa, cousin, friend, or coworker - I’d selfishly want you to be around (and healthy for) as long as possible.
Whew. Now, what was it that we were saying about why we haven’t started The Plantsanity Trials?