MY PLANT BASED......

My Plant Based Journey……..

Greetings my friends! I hope you are all doing really well despite existing Covid-19 restrictions which may still exist around the world. Oh what a year 2020 is shaping up to be! Who would have ever imagined as a population we would be self-isolating for obvious health reasons to protect those most vulnerable to complications?  One thing, I am absolutely sure of is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever more. As such, nothing has ever taken our God by surprise and there will be blessings for you and your family in the midst of the epidemic and on the other side of it too. On another note: Many people have asked me over the past couple of years for insight into my plant based lifestyle. Today, I am sharing from my heart helpful tips and details into my “Journey as a Vegetarian” over the past 4 years. Let me first start by saying, I initially never really set out to become a vegetarian or a plant based diet person.  At the time, I was honestly exploring ways to detox prior to upcoming race events. For example: part of my routine would be to detox from all meat products (chicken in my case) for at least 1 – 10 days prior to each race. While I was eating mainly fresh prepared salmon with vegetables for lunch and or dinner, I noticed significant improvement in my finish times for the races. Additionally, I started feeling really good though I must say, I also drank lots of water daily which helped to curb my desire for unhealthy cravings. Impressed with my finish race times and overall health, I decided to transition to plant based only eating prior to an upcoming holiday and right before our Daniel Fast as a church. Ah maybe you are asking yourself: what about the body adjustment from meat to plant based? What about my protein intake and iron levels? Not to worry, I feel you and I’ve got you covered with ways you can transition well, if it’s a lifestyle you have been considering for yourself and or your family members.

For starters, if you are already consuming meat, chicken and or fish products – the initial shift will require modification of how much you consume each week. For example: instead of consuming meat 3 times a day, consider moving to twice a day for 2 weeks, followed by once a day for 3 weeks then followed by once a week for 3 weeks. While making the shift in the number of times you consume meat, fish or chicken, consider only consuming fish or chicken for the final 3 weeks during your transition process. The goal here being the closer you get to consuming one animal product either fish or chicken, the easier it will be for you to completely eliminate that one meat product when the time comes. ***I have to stress here the importance of not going cold turkey through this process because I have seen several people do this only to be right back to consuming meat products after a short period of time.  You must allow your body the necessary time it takes to detox. Another helpful tip is to transition during a fasting period which can be helpful. Let’s say you have decided to go on a Daniel Fast which requires eating plant based meals including healthy nuts and eliminating sugar based and processed foods for a period of 3-21 days. Your body will go through detox as well as your mind during the fast which will be helpful in transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle. Personally, since I eliminated processed sugars a couple of years prior to embracing a plant based lifestyle, I did not go through the sugar withdrawals which some mention can be tough during their transition process. So I would recommend slowly backing away from processed sugars. There are many natural organic sweeteners on the market that are equally healthy if you need to satisfy your sweet cravings.

Other essential tips are the need for exercise which helps to increase overall body circulation and meal planning to avoid binge eating when hunger comes to your mind. For exercise, I would suggest setting specific times of the day to do activities which are good for blood circulation and heart health such as walking, jogging, jumping jacks, planks, running, high-knee jumps, HIIT training, rollerblading and bicycling etc. Remember calories in + calories out and if you are consuming 1500 calories daily and you never exercise, the calories will turn into weight gain.  Now for meal planning, you will need to consider planning ahead for breakfast, lunch, and dinner options as well as healthy snack options.  It is really important to consider your snack options as this is where many people end up picking up anything just to satisfy hunger cravings while out and about.  Some healthy snack options include:- a handful of natural almonds, nuts, blueberries, raspberries, fruit, avocado spread over a rice cake, and green smoothies. If you are going to be away from home for a period of time, you will need to carry healthy snacks with you, place them in your purse, vehicle or air-sealed container to preserve its freshness. In addition, do not forget about your water intake as you will need to stay hydrated which helps to promotes healthy, radiant skin.  I recall during my transition phase noticing a significant glow to my skin especially my face and people started commenting and asking what my skin routine consisted of. The glow is still present today and I just love how awesome my skin feels.  (Bonus skin care tips for ladies: Always remove all makeup prior to going to bed, cleanse your face and apply a moisturizer, consider a deep facial cleanse at least once a week.)

Some of my go to meal options include the following: Breakfast = a bowl of oatmeal paired with chai seeds, and blueberries. Other breakfast items include sliced ripe plantains paired with scrambled eggs whites, spinach and shredded Pepper Jack or Parmesan cheese. Green smoothies with vegan protein powder + frozen fruit is also an excellent choice after a morning workout. Lunch = a bowl of homemade soup, paired with salad, and healthy nuts. Sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions mixed together with zesty Italian dressing is delightful in the hot summer months. Don’t forget to garnish with crumbled feta cheese. In terms of fruit options, I would suggest leaning towards green fruits which carry lower natural sugars present as opposed to the red ones. So go ahead and grab some green apples and green grapes while at your local grocery store. Just because something is green does not mean you forget about portion control. Grapes have natural sugar which does add up, so portion size is important. One handful of grapes is good, for more precise measurements, it may be a good idea to invest in a food scale. (Amazon has a ton of them)  For Dinner = homemade red stew paired with African Ghana yam or potatoes. You can also grab some kale, spinach, mixed greens and slice them up. Also slice some red or white onions, green peppers and green onions. Pour some extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add your already sliced onions, black pepper, a dash of curry and let them cook a bit, then you add in your sliced mixture of kale, spinach and mixed greens including natural sea salt to taste. You can pair this with roasted potatoes which go really well together.  Other plant based meals I have come to enjoy include egg white omelets, traditional African soups rich in green leaves and cleansing ingredients, vegetable based casseroles, black bean salsa soup topped with low fat sour cream + black organic chips, Aloo Gobi, lemon + ginger + garlic + honey cleansing drink. Your plant based journey should be fun and I encourage you to look for new recipes you can introduce your palette to. I am always on a hunt for new recipes which I share with my two daughters. While they are not vegetarian and I would never impose this lifestyle upon them, they really do enjoy eating the foods.  If you need access to recipes or just want support, feel free to reach out to me via email at amadileaks@gmail.com or via my social media links. I should add that I do recommend cooking with extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil or a light version oil of your choice. Check the ingredients before purchasing.  I am cheering you on to a healthy lifestyle and know you will overcome where change is deeply welcomed. Remember - you too are fearfully and wonderfully made for such a time as this!