Full disclosure: I’m usually the last person in the world to watch anything popular on TV. I get major ADD and can barely sit through a movie.
But this time was different. I kept hearing the hype all over Facebook and it totally piqued my interest.
The “it” I’m referring to is a recently launched Netflix documentary called What the Health.
I heard about it and knew that it was similar to Forks Over Knives (which I loved) and seemed to rack up a ton of comments on any shared posts that mentioned it.
It was at this point that I realized, there had to be something worth checking out if this many people were up in arms and reacting this way.
So I did. And just like those reactions, I left speechless.
As I suspected, the food industry in this country is literally making us sick and fat. #Merica right?
But this isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s been preached for years and long before this documentary was probably being developed.
So what was different?
The way this information was presented made it worth paying attention to. And while I’m not going to share too much here (seriously, go spend the hour and a half and watch it yourself…then come chat), I do want to mention that this movie pushed me over the plant-based edge.
So in today’s article, I’ll share why I decided to go plant-based and what you can learn from my decision.
Why go plant-based in the first place?
Going plant-based was not just a personal issue. After seeing that doc, it became a human rights issue.
For the unfortunate poor people surrounding these factory farms, life is hell.
They can’t leave their house without being doused in feces. They have life-threatening ailments such as asthma and cancer at alarming rates. They’re dying far faster than they should be.
And there’s nothing they can do about it. They were raised in these small farm towns and can’t afford to leave.
Even China is now taking advantage of this class — they’ve figured out it’s cheaper and healthier for their people if they outsource their meat production to us and then ship it back. Don’t believe me? Read this when you’re done with this article.
But that’s just the beginning…
Not only is the meat and dairy industry killing our environment, the people close to factory farms, and us, but supposedly big time advocates for our health (American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Susan G Koleman) are being paid by these same people.
While this may seem harmless, these advocates are recommending dietary choices that completely contradict what it takes to get healthy.
In turn, we’re only getting sicker, fatter, and more unhappy.
But this is good news for big pharma (pharmaceutical companies) — it keeps them in business and turns over A HUGE PROFIT.
That’s right…they make more the sicker and fatter we get.
Fear Mongering aside, this is old news, like I mentioned earlier.
What the Health also settles the whole organic/grass-fed debate…and it completely blew my mind.
Again, I won’t dive in too deep because they do a better job explaining this and backing it up with facts. But I wasted tons of money here too.
What I will say is this was the last straw for me.
My plant-based turning point
Okay, so let’s back up for a bit. I didn’t completely change my whole diet because of one movie.
I’ve tried plant based before and even bought (and read) 8 books on the topic about two or three years ago.
I found it difficult and hard to keep up with socially. I also felt like I was turning into a puffy marshmallow.
It didn’t help that every fitness guru (Bob Harper (former vegan), Jackie Warner, Jillian Michael’s) I was following and reading their books mentioned that we need meat and dairy in our diet.
It’s all about high-quality protein. And without protein, you won’t be able to shed the fat and build muscle.
So I resigned to this fact and believed it too. I followed their guidelines. Ate 2 eggs a day, included organic dairy and meats into my diet every single day. I focused on eating lean protein with a side of veggies. And I was on my way.
Little did I know, I was on my way to increasing my asthma and allergy flare-ups and just heading towards an overall feeling like shit storm.
And I started spending more money on inhalers, allergy remedies, and anything else I could find to get some relief.
Deep down, I felt like I was heading towards becoming another annuity for big pharma companies. The more flare-ups I had, the more prescriptions I had to take — inhalers, steroids, over the counter meds, you name it.
Yet, I wasn’t getting any better and I was spending a fortune (upwards of $600+/month). And this is from someone who works out 5-6 times a week!
I knew it had to be diet related. What I didn’t know was that it could have been meat and dairy related.
I had focused so much of my time on limiting carbs and sugar and eating lots of lean protein and veggies that I couldn’t see what was really doing the damage.
I even had a food tracking streak of 79 days…yet nothing seemed to change. If anything, I felt worse.
At this point, I spent my time diving into more research to try to uncover what else could be to blame. Surely it wasn’t everything these experts were recommending right?
Dead. Wrong.
What the Health showed me a side I knew existed but was brainwashed into believing otherwise.
I’m not saying that going plant-based is right for you, but for me, it became clear that I needed to give it another try. A better try if you will.
I’m not the plant-based expert
I’ve been told that going 100% plant-based is not the best idea. We need meat and we need protein. And without it, you’re doing your body a disservice.
I’ve been led to believe this for far too long. And I’m willing to take a chance that this is entirely false.
So I’ve decided to start my plant-based journey one more time — with the goal that this is the last time I transition from meat.
I’m giving it a better shot and doing it right this time.
It may be an uphill battle at first, but for my health, and the health of those people in rural North Carolina who I didn’t even realize I was killing with my food purchases, and for this beautiful environment of ours that won’t last much longer if we keep up with meat production like this — I’m giving this a better effort the second time around.
Because we all need to feel better and live longer, healthier lives. I truly believe that most of the ailments we have succumbed to are diet related — Alzheimer’s, Cancer, you name it.
The fact is, we have the power to change how we feel but we have to use food as thy medicine. If we don’t, we’ll end up becoming slaves to big pharma companies. And medicines will cost us $600/pop pretty soon.
I don’t want that life or wish it on anyone.
Again, I’m not saying you should go completely plant-based — that’s up to you. But I am saying it would help you tremendously if you doubled your plant-intake even if you kept your meat levels the same. Eventually, you’ll want to eliminate that too.
Please note: I’m no expert here. I sit here only 6 days into this new journey (10 by the time this publishes). But I’m here giving it a real shot and advocating for those who cannot.
For the families that live close to these factory farms. For the people stuck with 10-20 medications per day with no end in sight. I’m here to stand up for you. Because you deserve better. We all do.
I hope you’ll continue to join me on this journey as I’m sure you’ll still find some valuable tips on this site. And trust me, my articles won’t turn into a I hate meat bashing site. And I won’t plaster you with plant-based benefits every week. I’ll simply share what I find has been working for me.
And for those that “hate” veggies — you just haven’t find the right ones or the right way to cook them. I hope to solve that for you too. No more overcooked and overboiled veggies here… I got you!
To stay in the loop with when my next article goes live, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter. Each week, I’ll post two articles: the first one will teach you something new and the second one will show you the tools to help you put everything to good use.
*Special thanks to my former co-worker and Facebook friend Carlos for sharing his plant-based journey on social media. I do believe that you replanted the plant-based seed for me and it was watered by What the Health and me not feeling so great. So thank you for choosing to share your journey. You have re-inspired me as well!!**