I have always considered myself fit and have worked out my whole life. I played scholarship softball in college and enjoy rigorous exercise. Two years ago, I joined a new gym that focused on cardio and the workouts were intense. Three days a week I woke up at 4 AM went to the gym to work out for an hour, then back home to get the kids off to school, and then get myself ready for work. This was my routine for over a year. Much like many other working moms, it can be hard to take care of ourselves. But I felt like I was doing a damn good job at life balance for a 44-year-old mom of three. My husband and I were happy, my kids were doing awesome, and we were about to build our forever home. Life was great!
In January 2019, I went for my yearly physical and my cholesterol level was 270! What? A healthy cholesterol level is below 200. How in the world did this happen? I questioned everything I was doing. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds, but my bottom was rock hard. I thought I was eating healthy. I worked out, could do a 2-minute plank, and could run on an incline for 3 minutes without stopping. I was confused and distraught. When I have a problem, I fix it. But I did not know how to fix this.
A few weeks later, I attended a conference for Advanced Practice Providers where Dr. Fain was scheduled to speak about Nutrition. As an Oncology Nurse Practitioner, I wasn’t extremely focused on the topic because, well, I understand healthy eating. But as I listened, I realized I didn’t eat “his way” at all. So, I started listening more closely to what he had to say. I wrote down the documentaries he suggested and the books he recommended. His presentation introduced a completely new concept to me: The Whole Food Plant Based Diet. I got goosebumps listening to him and his personal story about how a heart attack at a young age turned him to this way of eating. I was inspired and decided I had a lot of reading to do.
I ordered the book How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger on Amazon and watched two documentaries recommended by Dr. Fain, Forks Over Knives and What the Health. These three resources changed my life forever. I learned that a Whole Food Plant Based Diet consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. NO meat, NO cheese, NO dairy, NO oils and NO processed foods. I was excited and a little sick at the same time. I was excited because this all made complete sense to me. And sick because I am a southern girl from Texas. Do you know what that means? It means, I eat meat. A lot of meat. Barbequed meat, smoked meat, deer meat, steak (Oh, I love steak!), even chicken and fish. We have a meat freezer in our garage. We have deer heads mounted on our walls. One other big factor is I am NOT the cook in our family. I am fortunate to have a husband who is a wonderful cook. But he cooks meat. A lot of meat. How in the world was this going to work?
My husband left for a week in March to visit his dad in Kansas and I knew this would be my opportunity to begin my new journey. I needed him out of the house so that I could focus on change. I went to the grocery store and perused aisles I never knew existed. Three hours later, I had a ton of fruits, vegetables, and ingredients I had never heard of in my car. I felt like I was driving home with purpose and excited to get in the kitchen and do this thing! Remember, I am not a cook. The first dish I tried was vegan spinach lasagna from the Forks Over Knives cook book. I was probably overzealous by trying to cook lasagna as my first meal EVER. But it was fun and I felt adventurous. I am not going to lie, I used every pot in my kitchen. It looked like a tornado. When I took my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. It was AMAZING! I did it. I cooked. I cooked lasagna. Not any old lasagna. Whole Food Plant Based lasagna. I can totally do this!
My next hurdle was convincing my husband to join me on this new lifestyle change. When he got back from his trip, I said, “honey, I am no longer eating meat, cheese, or dairy.” The look on his face was priceless. He thought I had lost my mind. “What are going to do with our freezer full of meat?”, he asked. For two weeks, I ate my way and he and the kids ate his way. It was hard. I would scrounge up food that was compliant and they would eat their chicken and beef. I felt like an outsider. Don’t get me wrong, my husband is a very supportive and loving man, but he was not interested in giving up meat. I asked him to watch the documentaries with me. Afterwards, he sat there perplexed for a while and then told me he would be willing to try this way of eating. I was in shock!
That was almost one year ago, and we have both been eating a Whole Food Plant Based diet ever since. He and I cook together and have so much fun in the kitchen with meal prep and discovering new recipes. We both thoroughly enjoy eating this way and we feel 10 years younger. My husband has lost 25 pounds and I have lost 30 pounds. I am at my wedding day weight. I feel awesome! My cholesterol was rechecked two weeks ago, and it has dropped to 220. Fifty points down! And my good cholesterol has increased. I still have work to do and I am by no means perfect, but this is a lifestyle change, not a diet.
The more I learn the more it makes sense. The Western Diet is the main contributing factor to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. As an Oncology Nurse Practitioner, I can now help my patients with their nutritional needs. I have had great successes from sharing my knowledge with patients. Several women have been able to stay on their endocrine therapy by decreasing their joint pain and helping them lose weight with a Whole Foods Plant Based diet. I helped one woman lose weight so that she could have her breast reconstruction surgery. Another woman needed to lose 40 pounds to have her knee replacement surgery. She had been trying to lose weight for 3 years. I met with her in June of last year and we discussed her challenges. I introduced her to the diet and in December, she had her surgery because she was able to lose the weight with this way of eating. As a bonus, her partner was able to control her blood sugars and come off of her diabetic medications. I am so happy I have been able to combine my professional and personal experience into practice and see real results.