So What DO You Eat?

I've been getting that question a lot lately so I thought I'd take a moment to show you.

WARNING: When I said I ate a ton of food that was not hyperbole.

This is the same volume of food I typically pack for the office. I'll vary what I eat - some days may be brown rice with bean or lentil dish, other days a really hearty soup and whole grain bread, etc..

Depending on the day, I'll typically eat my major meal here at the office ... and I usually eat all my food within a 4-6 hour window (which I shift earlier or later depending on plans). My biggest challenge is getting enough food in me. Here we have:

• A large baby spinach and baby kale salad with alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley and raspberries - with Braggberry dressing (which has no oil or added sugar).

• A heap of mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with nutritional yeast (no butter and no milk).

• A sandwich with Ezekial bread and BBQ seitan.

• A bunch of cherry tomatoes and peppers - along with some mini cukes and a mound of mango.

1) This will leave me totally stuffed to the gills and yet incredibly energized ... no sluggishness or feeling like I need a nap.

2) In a few hours, I might grab an apple or a couple bananas and another salad and maybe some cacao nibs.

3) Even on my teaching days where I'll be at the office here from 5am to around 4pm, then go teach till 9pm, I've got plenty of gas to get me through the 18 hours from my time at the gym to the end of my class. (By 9pm it's usually my 18-20 something year old students who look like their running out of steam 😂).

4) Even with this massive and filling volume of food, I'll still lose another 1/3rd to 1/2 lb today like I have been. And, I'm getting all the protein, carbs, fats, fiber, vitamins and micro-nutrients I need without having to track and count stuff. I know what I want to get in my body and I'm just grabbing things every day that just look good to me.

So - when you tell me what a great job I'm doing, while I totally appreciate it, I have trouble fully embracing it. I've been on MANY legitimately tough diets that I showed super self-discipline with. Switching to this lifestyle - past the first month - has been super easy and I never have to worry about transitioning back to "regular eating" and whether or not I'll gain weight back. Regardless of family history and genetics, I've reduced my risk of heart disease and Alzheimers to ridiculously low levels - all by getting out of my own way and giving my body what it needed to heal itself - as God designed it.

I know myself - so I went 100% whole food, plant based all at once to make sure I gave my tastebuds a chance to change and fully crave the good stuff. Also, by focusing only on these great foods that are nutrient dense and calorie light, it eliminated the tons of little food decisions we all make every day.

IF you really feel you can't go fully in from the get-go, then the starting point is focusing on getting a lot more greens and veggies in every single day ... and start every meal with those so that you're filling up on the best stuff first. (The best non-industry research shows clearly and repeatedly that the foods with the highest correlation to good health and longevity are veggies - especially greens, and beans/legumes - so at least start there).

Hope this helps those who were wondering.