Today marks 1 month and 5 days being plant based. The time kinda flew. I was excited to start, then grew a little nervous as the world started to turn on its head. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to focus on something so new amid what felt and feels quite scary and unstable times. It has however, thankfully, been manageable.
Freezer prepping has played a big roll, since food shopping whenever you want for the items you need, isn’t currently the casual and normal experience it once was. The extra time at home has also been valuable, more opportunity to experiment with the various food items that are a part of my new diet. These past 5 weeks I’ve been following an alkaline plant based diet – specifically Dr. Sebi’s model. If you didn’t get a chance to read my post about why I got started on this journey you can check it out here.
One of the things I worried about was cravings for the foods that I’d be cutting out. There have been a few moments, but they pass. I used to say all the time “I’ll cut out x y & z but I’m never giving up my bacon”. Welp I gave it up. Is it sustainable? I think so. Perhaps the real test will come when outside opens back up, and I’m out brunching and socializing with my girlfriends – stay tuned.
Until then – I am enjoying experimenting with my food list, researching meals, recipes, and nutritional information – all things wellness.
A few weeks ago I did a two week check-in and here we are now at week five. I wanted to follow up on some of the pros and challenges shared in that two-week mark post. I also want to share how the diet has affected me thus far and some of the changes that I’ve noticed.
So, first and most importantly, I am happy to share that I haven’t had any real stomach issues. They have subsided almost entirely. This was the main reason I decided to go plant based.
In addition to that awesome news, there are several other positive changes I’ve noticed, check out the list below. As I was reviewing the items on my list – I asked myself – is this forreal or am I making this up. I wanted a little reassurance that I wasn’t conjuring these things up out of nowhere, so I did some googling and came across articles and stories from others who share similar experiences. Some of the things might be a little TMI but what’s the point of sharing the journey if you’re not gonna share the entire truth.
CHANGES I’VE NOTICED
Curbed Appetite – the first couple of weeks I was hungry often. I think it’s because I was in transition and still figuring out what to eat. Today it’s actually the opposite. I find that I’m not hungry as often. The meals that I’m eating are satisfying without being overwhelming. I eat a couple or a few meals a day with a snack sometimes in between. No real rigid pattern or schedule, just going with the flow.
Weight loss – I have lost some weight. Not in a “fad diet” kind of way though, which I’ve experienced many times before with random, quick, and not well thought out diets. With this I didn’t drop a lot of weight at once, but a little subtly over time.
Whiter teeth – I think my teeth are whiter. Couldn’t find any others on the web who attested to this, I’ll keep searching for some back up here :).
Odor: I wasn’t sure about posting this one 
– like this is the most TMI on the list. So I include articles below of some plant based dieters who express what I want to say, way more comfortably than I could. The short of it though – various natural body odors are much milder to none at all.
Digestion – No acid reflux at all, and a significant reduction of mucus.
Brain fog – In the past, sometimes after eating I would feel kinda crappy. My mood would be off or I’d experience just an overall unsettling feeling. This didn’t happen all the time, but enough to recognize it. Maybe it was what I ate or a combination of various ingredients eaten throughout the day. Happy to report no brain fog or ill mood due to food consumption since I’ve been on the alkaline diet.
Energy and Overall Mood – For years I dealt with extreme fatigue, that lethargic feeling hasn’t been prominent this past month. Being home all day could play a factor here, we’ll have to reassess this when COVID has passed and we’re back out and about. Regarding my physical energy I can’t really say whether it’s improved, what has is my mental and spiritual energy. I attribute it to the excitement about having made a decision to make a change to better my health, the thought of it amps me up :).
I’m REALLY glad that I gave this a try. At the two week mark I said it was a little too early to assert how great this new diet has been. Even at a month I feel like it’s still new. I am however just as committed, if not more to hanging in there. I can’t see going back to a diet that has adverse effects to the positive ones noted above.
In the two-week check-in post I listed some of what I saw as challenges at that point. One of them was the need to go food shopping so often. This is specifically for produce. I’m eating more fruits and veggies than I was before, and oftentimes eating and enjoying them fresh vs frozen. I’ve chosen to change my perspective and not view this as a challenge but an opportunity. When we can casually enjoy the outside again, my weekly trip to the market will be something I look forward to and not take for granted.
Regarding non-produce items – pantry goods, I still think it’s a good idea to stock up on those. This way you’ll have them at your disposal and can use as needed when you’re trying new meals and recipes. That was key for me the first couple of weeks. I tested out various meals and recipes and thereafter knew which ingredients I wanted to stock up on, because I’d be using them often.
There is somewhat of an investment required with making this diet transition. I think testing the waters a bit can help manage that. Play around and experiment with the ingredients. Buy things little by little before buying bulk. Then take an assessment and determine what you’d need in order to sustain you on your new journey. That was valuable for me .
A transition from what you’re familiar with to something so new and seemingly restricting can be a little daunting. I thought that having to eat from a very specific list of items would be super hard and depressing. I can say that I actually appreciate the limitations. I know what my options are, I know the positive effects that they have on my body and I’m choosing to be creative with how I engage with the food and experience. I’m choosing to have fun with it. The dining experience matters to me, plating, taste, etc.
If this is going to be sustainable for me I have to have fun with it. That requires being open minded and seeing the possibility and not the limitations.
That’s all for now, in the next post I’ll share some more about the foods, recipes and meals I’ve been eating. Follow my instagram in the meantime for BTS on the journey @GBinStyle.
XoXo
GB
GBinStyle 