Vegan Challenge

Today I finally got around to watching a documentary that I've been meaning to watch for the past few months, Forks Over Knives. The documentary talks about many of the diseases caused by the current diet of many people in the Western Hemisphere and the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. I wanted to watch this documentary because I am very interested in the food industry. The impact that food has on our lives in general is astonishing and I have been educating myself more and more on the correct nutrition for our bodies. 

Last April was when I started my diet with my trainer but for me, it's more than just a diet. I have realized how much my lifestyle has changed when it comes to food in the months that have followed and now I feel that I can take it to the next level. I have a true love for the environment and minimizing the impact that I leave behind on this earth. I feel that by following a more plant-based diet, I can not only live a healthier life but also reduce my impact on the environment.

Over the next week, I plan on doing more research on veganism and develop a diet that I should be following. My current diet already consists of many plants but relies heavily on animal proteins and dairy products. I have already begun doing research on slowly ridding dairy from my diet. I only drink almond milk, or soy when almond is not available, and have recently transitioned to dairy free cheese but I know a lot more improvements can be made. I think the hardest part will be the veer away from eggs and greek yogurt. I rely on these two items for easy meals and snacks frequently!

Since I've already done my grocery shopping for this week with meat and fish in mind, I will officially begin my four week challenge next week when I do my grocery shopping. I wouldn't even consider the items on this weeks "menu" for me to be terrible, being organic turkey on 9 grain chia seed wraps with hummus, or portobello mushroom caps with bruschetta with lots of organic kale and organic romaine, that's why this week will be my research/transition week. In the little bit of spare time that I have, I will continue to look up recipes and dietary information and still stick to my trainers diet plan, just substituting animal protein with plant-based proteins. 

My 4 Week Challenge will begin on Saturday February 8th until Saturday March 8th. From there, I will reflect on the past four weeks, see where the struggles were and determine if this is a lifestyle that I will be able to actively continue. Along with this challenge, I will be continuing another challenge of not drinking any alcohol. This has been EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for me but I can happily say that I have gone 18 days without an alcoholic beverage. This makes it sound like I used to be a chronic drinker, which I wasn't, but I definitely used to go out a lot and have 4-5 drinks, if not more, or hang out with the girls and have a few glasses of wine. 

I am super excited for the next few weeks and to see where this journey takes me! I'm always looking for feedback, comments & motivation so help me along the way!

The Forks Over Knives documentary is available on Netflix.