Why I Choose to Eat Plant Based

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Plant based. It’s an intense label that usually comes with negative connotations, stars as the punch line of jokes and is looked at as "extreme". But it can mean an assortment of things. You can have plant based paleo which focuses on heavily plants and is accecented with organic, grass fed animal proteins. There are plant based vegans who eat raw foods only or vegans who also eat soy products for protein. All those options are a-okay, it's about what works best for your body. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. A diet is restrictive and my eating habits are anything but. Personally, an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts/seeds work for my body the best. My body doesn't tolerate processed foods or fried foods very well. I find that I feel my best when I cook at home so I know exactly what is in my food. I get very bloated, have a stomach ache, feel lathargic when I eat out, even when I chose healthy options. You don't always know exactly what is in the food you are being served or how fresh it is. Cooking at home gives you this control. I eat foods 95% of the time that come from da aina (earth in Hawaiian). I am human so that 5% is for when I need a treat.

It's not about whether you eat animal products or not. It's about the quality. Everyone is different biolocally diet wise. Do what feels right for you, not what society markets you towards. If you are going to consume animal products I urge you to make sure they are sustainble caught or grass fed and always organic. What I will do is arm you with facts so you can make the decision for yourseldf.

I developed IBS during the time I was sick and suffered from uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, constipation. Once I made the switch to plant based, they all went away. Occasionally I eat something that would cause a flare up but my IBS became not an issue anymore. But with feeling better than I ever did came an obsession. I became obsessed with eating raw and 100% plant based. I counted calories and would restrict myself. I wouldn’t do anything with friends because I didn’t want to be temped with food. Weighing myself daily, excersing until I couldn’t breathe, became a scary daily routine. It got so bad that I viewed tortilla chips or granola as a “cheat meal”. It was brought to my attention how obsessive I was being by my boyfriend at the time. He helped me realize that it’s okay to have a balance. I ate what I usually ate but then I would allow myself to have something more risky. This transended into my unhealthy vegan phase. I ate french fries, stopped working out. I gained 15 pounds. I hated myself. I lived in Hawaii but I would never wear shorts. This went on for awhile, too long. Then one morning I woke up with more motivation than I’ve ever had in my life. I changed my diet to plant based vegan and started a steady workout routine. I made sure to not be obsessive and reward myself when I deserved it. I lost that 15 pounds and then another 5 more. I eat what I want and when I want it. I don’t constrict just use whole ingredients and feel no shame. I maintain my weight with no calorie restriction. I still treat myself now and again with coconut milk ice cream or vegan pizza but it’s not longer looked at as a bad thing. I am human not a robot so I don’t have to be perfect. Progress not perfection.