Whole Foods- Plant based diet
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Lin_marie11
Posts: 100 Member
Yesterday I watched a documentary called "Forks over Knives" on Netflix which inspired me to switch to a plant based diet. How do you go about switching to that lifestyle? Do you make gradual changes or just dive right in? I have some health problems and think this change could possibly cure them. Any advice?
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I have seen the doc but have not made that switch I'm not sure I could eat like that for the rest of my life but I do plan to eat MOSTLY that way. They have a great app with great recipes. I think Pinterest you could also search for the FOK food shopping list and get some meal ideas.1
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Go to you-tube - there are tons of videos on starting a plant based lifestyle-1
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I've seen that 'documentary,' as well as most of the others floating around, and just be careful to take them with a grain of salt. They're made with a definite agenda-to sell something. In the case of the Forks over Knives people-they sell books, online 'cooking' lessons ($350) and things like lectures that start at $300 for a one day event. So yeah, that raises all sorts of red flags.11
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I have seen the doc but have not made that switch I'm not sure I could eat like that for the rest of my life but I do plan to eat MOSTLY that way. They have a great app with great recipes. I think Pinterest you could also search for the FOK food shopping list and get some meal ideas.
Thank you. I have a Pinterest account and will check it out! I don't think I could switch 100% like you said either. But eating that way most of the time sounds doable.
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I am hesitant to even call it a documentary. It is a one sided, biased movie that cherry picks facts and even throws in some madenup facts to make their point. Honestly-id forget everything you thought you learned from the movie.5
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Whole foods, plant based eating can be great. I've seen the film, but it didn't do much for me. I eat a lot of plants. I eat whole foods. I eat legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables and some fruits. I also eat some fish, some lean proteins. I consider that a whole food, plant based diet, because plants are the basis of my diet. Meat is a side dish, or not there.
Michael Pollan said it best: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.5 -
After watching Vegucated I became a vegetarian immediately, no transitioning. And about a year later I watched it again and went vegan, this time transitioning. Mostly I'd suggest taking a few things out at a time.4
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Whole foods, plant based eating can be great. I've seen the film, but it didn't do much for me. I eat a lot of plants. I eat whole foods. I eat legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables and some fruits. I also eat some fish, some lean proteins. I consider that a whole food, plant based diet, because plants are the basis of my diet. Meat is a side dish, or not there.
Michael Pollan said it best: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.
I agree with this and eat similarly (also add in tubers, a good amount of eggs and dairy, some white pasta, variety of other occasional things that aren't the base of my diet). I don't call how I eat WFPB just because I think that does have a specific, recognized meaning these days, but I get what Sabine is saying here.
That said, OP, if you want to try going fully plant-based (which I've done for Lent before and for periods of times other than that just as an experiment), I'd recommend reading more about nutrition than this one movie and doing it somewhat gradually. In particular, I wouldn't focus on selected recipes but understanding how to construct a good, nutrition, and balanced diet overall.
One good general site is here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/
A good way to approach any dietary change is to take stock of how you eat now and make some gradual, sustainable changes. For example, I find eating wholly planted based reasonably easy since for me I already do for lots of meals and some days, and I know how to have a balanced, adequate-protein meal without meat, eggs, or dairy. I also eat lots of vegetables. You would probably do well looking at whether you are eating lots of plants in your diet currently -- are meals based around vegetables, whole-food starches (with a special place of honor for legumes and lentils), some fruit? If not, work on that.
Then start focusing on specific meals. Breakfast and lunch are often the easiest to change, since people have less variety there, on average. Do you have an idea of a balanced, plant-based breakfast? My usual breakfast involves eggs, but I can base it around oats or do a smoothie, both of which will include vegetables and some nuts instead of just fruit and grains -- the issue becomes how are you getting protein (and for your personal goals what does that mean for you -- what are you aiming for?). Lunch, same things.
Once those are down, maybe start working in some dinners. IMO, if it's too hard to stick to all plant-based and you have some meals around eggs, fish, even other lean proteins, you've still made progress and improved your diet, and maybe you can try going 100% plant-based to see if it changes how you feel or your particular medical conditions from a point where it feels much more like a sustainable change and you know you are doing a balanced, healthy overall diet.
I think it's going to be really hard to make a dramatic change from a standard American style diet (if you eat that) to whole foods plant based and make it healthy and sustainable, and there is a lot more to doing a good plant-based diet than just not eating animal products and the various extra processed things you may eat (and the switch to plant based is easier if you eat a number of foods I'd consider processed like tofu, seitan, tempeh -- which I also eat -- even some protein powders). So if you are going to cut these out too, it will be extra work and starting by making sure you are eating LOTS of whole foods and plant-based foods and are comfortable with them is probably the best start.
I don't personally think fully plant-based is necessary for health or superior to a good omnivore diet with lots of plants in it, but I respect it as an ethical choice and think it can be super healthy if you want to try it, so I support the attempt and this is my best advice.8 -
lindsay_1979 wrote: »Yesterday I watched a documentary called "Forks over Knives" on Netflix which inspired me to switch to a plant based diet. How do you go about switching to that lifestyle? Do you make gradual changes or just dive right in? I have some health problems and think this change could possibly cure them. Any advice?
My advice would be to base efforts to cure health problems on consultation with a doc(tor), not a doc(umentary).9 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »I've seen that 'documentary,' as well as most of the others floating around, and just be careful to take them with a grain of salt. They're made with a definite agenda-to sell something. In the case of the Forks over Knives people-they sell books, online 'cooking' lessons ($350) and things like lectures that start at $300 for a one day event. So yeah, that raises all sorts of red flags.
This.
Don't put too much stock in the "documentaries" you see that are pushing an agenda.
The data is skewed and presented in a way that attempts to persuade their audience to adopt their viewpoints, and yeah, they are trying to sell you all the things on their website that you "need" to live that way.
It's a propaganda piece, not a documentary.4 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »I've seen that 'documentary,' as well as most of the others floating around, and just be careful to take them with a grain of salt. They're made with a definite agenda-to sell something. In the case of the Forks over Knives people-they sell books, online 'cooking' lessons ($350) and things like lectures that start at $300 for a one day event. So yeah, that raises all sorts of red flags.
This.
Don't put too much stock in the "documentaries" you see that are pushing an agenda.
The data is skewed and presented in a way that attempts to persuade their audience to adopt their viewpoints, and yeah, they are trying to sell you all the things on their website that you "need" to live that way.
It's a propaganda piece, not a documentary.
I feel like "Forks Over Knives" is especially egregious in this regard -- they sell meal plans, a recipe app, books, DVDs, salad dressings, an online cooking course, and retreats.
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.6 -
Take a listen to this, entertaining and insightful, don't let the name fool you, it's about plant based diets: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2016/09/how-to-lose-131-pounds-by-eating-meat-the-rick-rubin-podcast/
I'm not medical professional and I haven't seen this particular documentary -- but I do believe that a more whole foods diet would help a LOT of people out with health issues they have. I personally eat local, whole raw foods as much as possible (90% of my diet) to avoid ending up like the rest of my family (full of health issues). Due to personal experiences I'm not one to put much trust at all into healthcare professionals.....but depending on your health issues, you may want to consult and have them help monitor you during the transition.
In a nut shell - do more research and learn how to have a balanced diet full of all the nutrients you need.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.
While I agree with your point, I am curious if the multi-billion dollar industry surrounding processed junk food also bothers you?3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.
While I agree with your point, I am curious if the multi-billion dollar industry surrounding processed junk food also bothers you?
I don't have a problem with people making money. My issue, as an animal advocate, is people making a diet without animal products seem more challenging so they can make money. All the information one needs to be happy and healthy on a plant-based diet is freely available so I'd hate to see someone not try it because they think they need to pay for weeklong retreats or special DVDs or a meal planning app.
Does the distinction make sense?7 -
Yup. For me tubers are plants. I also do dairy. Forgot about that one!lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Whole foods, plant based eating can be great. I've seen the film, but it didn't do much for me. I eat a lot of plants. I eat whole foods. I eat legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables and some fruits. I also eat some fish, some lean proteins. I consider that a whole food, plant based diet, because plants are the basis of my diet. Meat is a side dish, or not there.
Michael Pollan said it best: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.
I agree with this and eat similarly (also add in tubers, a good amount of eggs and dairy, some white pasta, variety of other occasional things that aren't the base of my diet). I don't call how I eat WFPB just because I think that does have a specific, recognized meaning these days, but I get what Sabine is saying here.
That said, OP, if you want to try going fully plant-based (which I've done for Lent before and for periods of times other than that just as an experiment), I'd recommend reading more about nutrition than this one movie and doing it somewhat gradually. In particular, I wouldn't focus on selected recipes but understanding how to construct a good, nutrition, and balanced diet overall.
One good general site is here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/
A good way to approach any dietary change is to take stock of how you eat now and make some gradual, sustainable changes. For example, I find eating wholly planted based reasonably easy since for me I already do for lots of meals and some days, and I know how to have a balanced, adequate-protein meal without meat, eggs, or dairy. I also eat lots of vegetables. You would probably do well looking at whether you are eating lots of plants in your diet currently -- are meals based around vegetables, whole-food starches (with a special place of honor for legumes and lentils), some fruit? If not, work on that.
Then start focusing on specific meals. Breakfast and lunch are often the easiest to change, since people have less variety there, on average. Do you have an idea of a balanced, plant-based breakfast? My usual breakfast involves eggs, but I can base it around oats or do a smoothie, both of which will include vegetables and some nuts instead of just fruit and grains -- the issue becomes how are you getting protein (and for your personal goals what does that mean for you -- what are you aiming for?). Lunch, same things.
Once those are down, maybe start working in some dinners. IMO, if it's too hard to stick to all plant-based and you have some meals around eggs, fish, even other lean proteins, you've still made progress and improved your diet, and maybe you can try going 100% plant-based to see if it changes how you feel or your particular medical conditions from a point where it feels much more like a sustainable change and you know you are doing a balanced, healthy overall diet.
I think it's going to be really hard to make a dramatic change from a standard American style diet (if you eat that) to whole foods plant based and make it healthy and sustainable, and there is a lot more to doing a good plant-based diet than just not eating animal products and the various extra processed things you may eat (and the switch to plant based is easier if you eat a number of foods I'd consider processed like tofu, seitan, tempeh -- which I also eat -- even some protein powders). So if you are going to cut these out too, it will be extra work and starting by making sure you are eating LOTS of whole foods and plant-based foods and are comfortable with them is probably the best start.
I don't personally think fully plant-based is necessary for health or superior to a good omnivore diet with lots of plants in it, but I respect it as an ethical choice and think it can be super healthy if you want to try it, so I support the attempt and this is my best advice.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »I've seen that 'documentary,' as well as most of the others floating around, and just be careful to take them with a grain of salt. They're made with a definite agenda-to sell something. In the case of the Forks over Knives people-they sell books, online 'cooking' lessons ($350) and things like lectures that start at $300 for a one day event. So yeah, that raises all sorts of red flags.
This.
Don't put too much stock in the "documentaries" you see that are pushing an agenda.
The data is skewed and presented in a way that attempts to persuade their audience to adopt their viewpoints, and yeah, they are trying to sell you all the things on their website that you "need" to live that way.
It's a propaganda piece, not a documentary.
I feel like "Forks Over Knives" is especially egregious in this regard -- they sell meal plans, a recipe app, books, DVDs, salad dressings, an online cooking course, and retreats.
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.
Agreed. I commend those who eat a plant-based diet for ethical reasons, and I fully understand why people would choose to exclude meat and other animal products from their diets. Other people pay attention to how their meat is sourced, etc. That is all good IMO.
But seeing a franchise like FoK fear monger and spread false information as persuasion for their argument is kind of infuriating, especially considering that they stand to make a lot of money off of the people who believe their hokum.janejellyroll wrote: »
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.
While I agree with your point, I am curious if the multi-billion dollar industry surrounding processed junk food also bothers you?
Marketing for products in and of itself is not a problem. Every business needs to make money to stay afloat, and that includes companies selling "processed junk". Advertising a product (whether it's a brand of food, or a brand of electronics, or a brand of clothing, or a brand of furniture, etc.) to try to get people to buy it is normal and fine. But a for-profit company making a legit-looking documentary, presenting their opinions as science-based facts, and fear-mongering to make people believe they need to eat/think/live a certain way is deceitful.6 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »
All of this is with the goal of helping people transition to a plant-based diet and all of which (except for salad dressings, of course), can be found for free online from other sources. I realize that this isn't about animal wellbeing for them, but by making the switch seem so difficult, I think they're doing a disservice to veganism overall. You don't need to pay for cooking lessons to give up animal products, you don't need to pay someone to plan your meals. You can meet with other people for free -- Meetup.com has vegan/plant-based groups in tons of cities.
It's frustrating to see the industry they're attempting to build around this.
While I agree with your point, I am curious if the multi-billion dollar industry surrounding processed junk food also bothers you?
I don't have a problem with people making money. My issue, as an animal advocate, is people making a diet without animal products seem more challenging so they can make money. All the information one needs to be happy and healthy on a plant-based diet is freely available so I'd hate to see someone not try it because they think they need to pay for weeklong retreats or special DVDs or a meal planning app.
Does the distinction make sense?
Yep! I feel like diets are a pitfall for this because people just want to be healthy, happy and skinny without really putting for effort and making a real change. So some people may find use in these services, but it can definitely make things seem more complicated than they need to be. And yes, unfortunately deter people from making positive changes in their life
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I'm in my second week. And I went from Low Carb/High Protein dieting. AND I'M LOVING IT. 2 things I think help - I cut out MEAT only the first week. Then DAIRY/bi-products the second. That way it didn't feel so traumatic. 2nd pointer, get a B12 supplement, take it daily. I learned the hard way {CRAZY MIGRAINE!}. I noticed benefits right away.0
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It's funny when people say it's propaganda. It's facts. The trillion dollar meat and dairy industry is the real propaganda. You can't turn on the TV or walk/drive down the street without being inundated with ads promoting it, and then the next commercial is pharmaceuticals. Why are people so sick? Hmmmm I wonder. Hint: it's not the plant foods.
I have a group on here - Happy herbivores. The only thing we sell is good vibes - for free
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores
Feel free to join for advice. We'd love to have you. 2
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