Since making the decision to become a vegetarian I have made every effort not to refer to a meatless existence as a vegetarian "diet," but rather a lifestyle. Trust me, I have been on enough diets in my fifty-five years to know the difference -- and this is different, and better, than anything I have tried thus far. With this lifestyle there are no gimmicks, no quick tricks, no starving myself to accomplish the goal of better health and weight loss. On the contrary, I am eating sufficient quantities of delicious, nourishing food to keep me satisfied and boost my energy. For the first time in my life I have hope that I will finally lose my excess weight and keep it off because this isn't a diet, but a lifestyle choice I have made.
The decision to modify my intake of foods (still avoiding the "d---" word here) to whole food, plant-based nutrition, with no meat and very little dairy protein, has had a surprising impact on me, far beyond the weight loss that I have experienced thus far. It has heightened my awareness of environmental issues that warrant our attention and made me more conscious of those who could benefit from making similar changes to their diet. Most of all it has made me realize how thankful I am for the body God has given me and how important it is to be a good steward of my health, the environment, and the resources and family with which I have been blessed.
Every day is an adventure, filled with opportunities to learn more about this new lifestyle and to share that knowledge with others in hopes that they too will consider "living green and eating clean." Who doesn't desire or deserve better health and a sense of well-being? Certainly, you do! What are you waiting for?
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