HELLO and happy first month of the New Year! I am especially jazzed up…do you want to know why?…Okay, I can tell you are on the edge of your seat so I’ll just tell you already…This year, according to smarty-pant scientists, doctors, dieticians and every news outlet all over the world, they have agreed that based on:

The health benefits associated with…

AND

How family friendly, budget friendly and planet friendly eating this way is…

Drum roll please….

Eating PLANT-BASED took home second place as THE most beneficial way to eat! Now you might be wondering why I am excited about a second place standing. I’ll explain: This is a major win because this means plant-based is being recognized WORLDWIDE as prettttty much the BEST way to eat for your health/ the planet! 

Okay but I have to be honest, even though I am very excited to see plant-based being so highly recommended, I am pouting a little bit because plant-based came in second place to the dang Mediterranean diet. But I would argue that Plant-Based should have taken home the gold. And here’s why:

Both of these ways of eating promote:

1. Eating a wide variety of foods
2. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, healthy oils, herbs and spices daily.
3. Reducing the consumption of animals products like red meat and dairy
4. Reducing the amount of sweets and processed foods

The major difference between these two ways of eating is the Mediterranean suggests eating seafood or fish at least twice a week and eating leaner cuts of meat like chicken…which you could also do eating plant-based! Soooo…I’m going to go ahead and name both of these the winners (but really Plant-Based is number ONE in my book). 

I think that partially the reason why the Mediterranean won first place is that there are so many misunderstandings with eating plant-based. Eating plant-based simply means reducing the amount of animal products you eat like meat, butter, dairy milk, etc. and filling your day with a variety of planty whole foods such as: grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit, and herbs. That’s it! No eliminating food groups, you can literally have your cake/bacon and eat it too (the goal would be to just eat those things much less frequently). 

Admittedly, there are so many diets and definitions with more emerging every week, that in my opinion, it has completely muddied the water of what it means to eat “healthy.”  I totally understand why everyone looks like they just got called on in class but they were far away in day dream world and now they need to come back to reality with some kind of an answer…you know what face I’m talking about. A mix of bewilderment, confusion and panic. That is the state of health right now in America. 

The other reason I think why the Mediterranean diet won first place is because there is more familiarity with the term since the Mediterranean diet has been recommended year after year for what feels like decades. Whereas plant-based eating might sound like a new and slightly misunderstood concept (even though eating plant-based has been around for many, many moons).  

Well, I think eating should be very enjoyable and less stressful. So to start off the New Year, I’m giving you the gift of an extremely simplistic explanation of how to eat healthier so you can nourish your body for longevity and sustainable health (and happiness)! 

1. Eat plant…lots of them…as many varieties as you can. This includes, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, herbs and grains
2. Reduce your intake of sweets and processed foods
3. Reduce your intake of animal products like: meats, dairy milk and cheese
4. Eat until you are content, not stuffed to the gills 
5. Oh and MOVE YOUR BODY DAILY!

THAT’S IT! You might be thinking, cool list Caitlin, but what should I do to start? I have worked with clients for over a decade so I know it can actually be very challenging to change our behaviors around food, so start simple. Small changes make the biggest impacts…and its way less overwhelming. A few things you could try to start eating more plant-based is:

1. Find a few recipes to try that could replace some of your most frequently made dishes as home, for instance, if you eat a lot of tacos that have ground beef in them, try using pinto or black beans instead of beef (season the beans like you would season the meat!) 
2. Start reducing your portion size of things like cheese, sour cream, and cow’s milk until you feel comfortable eating less and less of those items 
3. Go through your kitchen and see if there is any room for improvement, less processed and more whole foods! 
4. There are endless ways to eat healthier that work for YOU! 

While you’re here, I have to share with you some of the reasons why eating plant-based is ranked so high when it comes to our health! 

• No off-limit foods or eliminating food groups which means zero feelings of deprivation 
• High fiber
• Family friendly
• Meant for all ages 
• Incudes all food groups
• No monthly subscription fees
• Certainly can help you lose weight
• Sustainable and planet-friendly 
• Diverse foods and flavors
• No counting carbs, points or calories 
• Has proven health benefits such as:
  • Weight loss and/or weight maintenance
  • Improvement with gut health (A study published in 2022 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating a diet rich in plant foods was associated with the highest gut microbiome diversity in participants when comparing several other standard American diets).
  • Lowers risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers
  • Decrease inflammation, by eating more plants you increase your consumption of antioxidants which fight off cancers and chronic diseases
  • Reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels
  • Management or prevention of type 2 diabetes
  • Improve skin and joint health
  • Supports brain Health—whole food, non-meat proteins (like tofu, quinoa and nuts) have brain-boosting health benefits that help with memory and cognitive function!
  • May protect against strokes
  • Can significantly improve quality of life 

There are quite a few health benefits but how much could going plant-based save you? We know time is money but money is money and it doesn’t grow on trees (said by every parent to their children and the saying doesn’t even make sense until you are an actual grown up realizing…money most definitely does not grow on trees). Here is a very short list of how plant-based eating can save you money in the long-haul, but let me tell you this list could go on for miles. 

Average cost of paying for type 2 diabetes per year? Between doctor visits, insulin and other medications…Around $10,000

Blood pressure medications per month (without insurance)…on average? Nearly $400

Colon cancer, the second most diagnosed cancer in America…can be upwards of $50,000 or more, depending on the patient’s needs, chemotherapy, medications, and doctor visits

Suffering from forms of acne can cost nearly $100 a month depending on the treatments 

And finally, I’ll end on this, heart disease, the number ONE cause of death in America. Individuals can spend thousands and thousands per year on treating heart diseases including: heart attacks and strokes. 

Convinced yet?…Okay if you are teeter tottering on whether or not eating plant-based would be beneficial to you/ your loved ones/ friends/ everyone, then this is me nudging you in the plant-based direction. I’m opening my online plant-based program “THE PLANT-POWERED APPROACH” for $79 for the entire month of January. Download the program and see for yourself how following along with my approach to behavior change and holistic wellness is not only totally doable for ANYONE but how extremely beneficial it will be for your overall health and quality of life. Click here to learn more about the Approach and use CODE: JAN2023 at checkout! 

Eating plant-based is not some diet trend promising a 50 pound weight loss in seven days or some gimmicky quick fix diet pill. It is a nourishing way of eating that has the ability to positively impact your entire body, your entire life and our entire planet. This is why I do not refer to plant-based as simply a diet. It is a lifestyle that supports you both mentally and physically and provides you the nutrition you need to function at your best. 

This is your year to go plant-based and I want to be with you every step of the way! To get you started I have a very tasty, easy and inexpensive Veggie Hummus Wrap recipe!