Whole Food Plant Based Eating

[AZhiker 2,251]

The evidence is pretty compelling for adopting a whole food plant based (WFPB) lifestyle. Basically, there are 4 food groups: vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. You can throw in some nuts and seeds as well. Nothing processed, no sugar. I already eat a very clean diet - no processed food, nothing artificial, no sugar, lots of veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes. But I think I am going to try to gradually move away from animal based foods. I have inflammatory issues, and I am hoping this will help reduce those blood markers that continue to be high. I also have seen the evidence for improved athletic performance after making the switch. There is better arterial flow and muscle performance with a plant based diet. So wish me luck. This will not be a sudden change. But I have actually been feeling a bit of upset tummy lately after eating fish, meat and eggs. I used to eat a lot of eggs (from my own backyard hens), but since surgery, they just do not sit well. cheese and yogurt will be my challenges, I'll have to try some soy yogurt and see if it works for me. I already use pea Protein for about half of my protein supplements. I will definitely keep up with my protein requirements and will always be taking my Vitamins.

Tonight we had a stew of 3 kinds of lentils, white Beans, millet, sorghum, sweet potato, and garden snow peas on a bed of spiralized zucchini. Even my carnivore husband got a second helping. Yes, it seems like there are a lot of carbs, but I am at goal now and having a struggle not to lose more weight, so this seems like a good time to try this. Any thoughts?

[GreenTealael 24,850]

Congrats finding something that is helping your performance, I 💙 Lentils BTW

[FluffyChix 17,409]

I'll be interested to see how you do. I hope you'll share your journey!

[Serengirl 176]

18 hours ago, AZhiker said:

The evidence is pretty compelling for adopting a whole food plant based (WFPB) lifestyle. Basically, there are 4 food groups: vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. You can throw in some nuts and seeds as well. Nothing processed, no sugar. I already eat a very clean diet - no processed food, nothing artificial, no sugar, lots of veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes. But I think I am going to try to gradually move away from animal based foods. I have inflammatory issues, and I am hoping this will help reduce those blood markers that continue to be high. I also have seen the evidence for improved athletic performance after making the switch. There is better arterial flow and muscle performance with a plant based diet. So wish me luck. This will not be a sudden change. But I have actually been feeling a bit of upset tummy lately after eating fish, meat and eggs. I used to eat a lot of eggs (from my own backyard hens), but since surgery, they just do not sit well. cheese and yogurt will be my challenges, I'll have to try some soy yogurt and see if it works for me. I already use pea Protein for about half of my Protein supplements. I will definitely keep up with my protein requirements and will always be taking my Vitamins.

Tonight we had a stew of 3 kinds of lentils, white Beans, millet, sorghum, sweet potato, and garden snow peas on a bed of spiralized zucchini. Even my carnivore husband got a second helping. Yes, it seems like there are a lot of carbs, but I am at goal now and having a struggle not to lose more weight, so this seems like a good time to try this. Any thoughts?

do you find your weight loss is working well in a plant based diet and that you get in enough protein but not too many carbs?

[AZhiker 2,251]

1 hour ago, Serengirl said:

do you find your weight loss is working well in a plant based diet and that you get in enough Protein but not too many carbs?

I am just starting to ease into this. There is more than enough protein. My weight will tell me if there are too many carbs, Right now I am having a hard time keeping weight on, especially when I exercise a lot. I am riding in a distance bike race next month and another triathlon in a few months. Also starting some great hiking in this wonderful weather right now. My carbs are all whole foods - cooked grains (teff, amaranth, millet, sorghum, steel cut oats, buckwheat, quinoa), legumes (beans, peas, edamame, palo verde Beans, mesquite beans, lentils), and starchy veggies (Sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, beets). Fats come from avocado, olives, nuts/seeds

I cannot begin to eat the volume of fresh veggies/fruit that most people who follow this plan eat. My pouch just can't hold that much. So it is definitely an experiment for me. If I decide this is a good move, I will be consulting with a medical practitioner who specializes in whole food plant based eating, and who is also well versed in bariatrics. WLS throws a curve ball into any eating plan, whether it is Intermittant Fasting, Keto, or WFPB, My highest priorities are to get my protein in, take my Vitamins, and eat food that is as nutritionally dense as possible.

[AZhiker 2,251]

Update on Whole Foods Plant Based diet. I continue to lose weight - I think 3 pounds in the past couple of weeks. I am not yet 100% plant based (still using some Greek yogurt, whey Protein, and occasional egg in chaffles), but 90 % plant based. This means a lot more legumes, nuts, seeds and whole cooked grains. I am getting plenty of protein - no issues with that. A lot more carbs, which is so counter intuitive with weight loss, but it is still coming off. This morning before my bike ride I had a bowl of Old Fashioned oats, cooked with quinoa, teff, and amaranth. Added some hemp hearts, flaxseed meal, and barrel cactus seeds (like chia). Sweetened with raisins, and a little banana, with soy milk. Very yummy and filling. I ate this 2 hours before my ride.

For lunch I had split pea/lentil Soup with carrots, celery, onions. Also some fruit (cantalope and berries.) I added half a scoop of pea protein to the soup. Also had a spoon of Peanut Butter after my ride.

dinner will be a "Budda" bowl with shredded Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, romaine, spinach, cucumber, Tomato, avacado. Cashew nut/nutritional yeast "cheese" mixed with apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Topped with slivered almonds, hazel nuts, dried edamame, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, barrel cactus seeds, and hazel nuts. Cooked Beans, butternut squash, and cooked buckwheat on the side.

If I have room, I will steam some squash and beans from the garden, along with some broccoli. I may also have a couple mini corn tortillas with refried beans and salsa.

Evening snack is soy (or Greek) yogurt with mixed berries, mandarin orange, slivered almonds, and homemade granola. Sometimes I have a square of 80% cacao chocolate.

I eat about 2 pounds of vegetables/fruit per day (mostly veggies). Legumes every day, seeds/nuts every day, whole grains every day. I am completely full all the time - never hungry. With prepped veggies always in the fridge, there is always something to grab if I feel the need for a munchie. I feel good - mentally alert, physically strong, sleeping well (better, in fact). I don't feel as "heavy" inside as when I was eating more meat. However, I do have to be careful for bloating and smelly gas. I found this to be a problem with raw broccoli and beans that I cooked without draining the soaking Water. Even Beano did not help. Canned beans do not do this. It can be a problem with bypass patients, as our gut biome changes, and it is harder to digest and break down those particular foods. I just have to cook the broccoli and be careful with the home cooked beans.

So far, so good. My fear about inadequate protein is completely dismissed. I am getting so much good nutrition and I hope inflammatory markers will be way down with my next lab draw in Feb.

Edited November 2, 2019 by AZhiker

[GreenTealael 24,850]

Pretty interesting !

Logistics Questions:

Are you meal prepping weekly/nightly/daily?

How does the increase cooking routine fit in with work and exercise schedule?

Using an Insta/Crockpot or are you also raw? Is there food waste?

Cooking like this for just one or others?

Food expenses increased/decreased?

Thanks 💙

[AZhiker 2,251]

Ok, here it goes. I do major prepping for the week on Sunday. After church, I pop over to Spouts for the veggies and soy yogurt. Once home, I make a batch of granola for the week and store in jars.

I shred up the salad basics (finely shredded brussell sprouts, red cabbage, carrots, with Romaine, spinach, kale.) That is BAG ONE. (Avocado and Tomato added before eating.)

Then I make BAG TWO which is the veggie munchie bag. I can add these to the salad, as well. (Peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber.)

BAG THREE has veggies that I can steam or add raw to salad or use as munchies (cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash, summer squash, green Beans, etc.)

CONTAINER ONE is prepped fresh fruit (citrus, apple/pear, grapes, kiwi, melon, etc.). I use this in the evening as dessert, mixed with yogurt, Protein Powder, and granola.

In my freezer I have frozen berries, prickly pear juice, and banana chunks for my morning green smoothie. (Kale, soy milk, prickly pear juice, berries, Protein powder, piece of banana.)

I have seeds, nuts, and whole grains stored in jars in my pantry.

I usually make a batch of Soup on Sunday as well, for dinner. Last week it was chili. Week before it was lentil. Before that it was split pea. Today it was chicken with veggies and wild rice. I am conceding to some meat product one day a week at most - but only from my own home grown chickens, eggs, or from my neighbor who raises goats. I am trying to model the plant based eating after real world societies where 80-90% may be plant based, but with intermittent animal sources like fish, eggs, wild game. Animal Proteins are also used in these societies for celebrations like holidays or weddings. So I don't have a problem with a little meat on a holiday. From what I have read, an 80% plant based diet has the same effects on longevity, heart disease, and cancer as 100%. So this is what I am attempting. Hopefully my labs will reflect lower cholesterol and less inflammation.

SAMPLE MENU FOR A DAY: (I prefer to skip Breakfast, but have been adding the meal to increase daily calories.)

BREAKFAST: Green smoothie or multigrain (any combo of whole oat, teff, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum) cooked Cereal with flaxseed, hemp, berries, soy milk (I usually use the cooked cereal breakfast before a training ride).

lunch and afternoon: Legume/grain based soup (pea protein added), rice cake with Peanut Butter, black bean burger, 1/2 apple with almonds, Veggie munchies. Corn tortilla with refried beans/salsa.

DINNER: "Budda" bowl (salad, beans, nuts, whole grain, seeds, tomato, avocado, olives, edamame, cashew "cheese" dressing.) Steamed veggies.

DESSERT: Fruit/yogurt/granola bowl. Dark chocolate covered almonds. Occasionally some popcorn.

That is a LOT of food. My pouch cannot handle any more.

Edited November 4, 2019 by AZhiker

[lindajones 2]

Many eventually surrender the “diet” label, in favor of “lifestyle.” maybe that’s as a result of our standard notion of fasting has become therefore confusing. A WFPB way is different. It’s not a short-run penalization charged by guilt. It’s not a collection of difficult meal plans. It’s merely a come back to whole foods, made flavors, and natural health.

[AZhiker 2,251]

I am liking it so far. I am still using up some animal based Protein powders, and a few items in the freezer (like frozen salmon), but i am liking it so far. The only problem is that it really increases the VOLUME of food eaten, which is a bit hard for me at this point. I don't want to "stretch" my pouch, so I just eat real slowly, chew very well, and take my time. I use Soups and sauteed veggies with tofu at work, because I can eat them within the 20-30 minute lunch break, and I eat my big raw salad at home, because it takes more than an hour to eat. I spread out the grains and legumes so they aren't all packed into huge meals that I can't finish. I have had NO problem with weight gain by eating the extra carbs. I feel good, and have lots of energy. My goal is to go 80-90% plant based, and I am pretty much there now. Next week (1 week before my bike race) I will go 100% plant based, as there is pretty impressive evidence that athletic performance improves, even in a short time, with WFPB. Inflammation in the blood vessels and muscles is reduced, allowing for increased blood flow. Guys, even bedroom performance is enhanced with increased blood flow by eliminating all animal based foods for even just 24 hours before an "event." Food for thought.......

[🌱VeGan❤️HeArT🌱 97]

Hello! I am adapting an all plant based diet as well. I am only 4 weeks out, and working on using up the little bit of meat and meat based Protein powder left. I have slowly made the change, so not to shock the family. But my husband who has many health issues is very supportive. How has your life change been going? Are you still plant based? Do you find anything working better than other things?

[AZhiker 2,251]

I am completely plant based now, but I could not have done this at only 4 weeks out. There is too much volume in a WFPB diet, and too many concentrated calories, with whole grains, nuts, and seeds. I still cannot even start to eat the vegetable volume that many WFPB people eat. I would suggest that you start by moving to plant based Protein Drinks and powders. Use plant based "milk" and yogurt, but don't try to get all the veggies in right now. You really do need to focus on healing, getting your Protein, liquids, and advancing your food list. Move to well cooked legumes and very well cooked veggies when you are allowed. My doc did not allow any veggies at all until 8 weeks. Of course, you can make protein smoothies that are easy to get down - and when allowed, add greens and berries.

I am using a pea based "milk,", oat milk yogurt, soy tofu and tempeh. I stopped soy milk and soy yogurt, as it looked like I was getting an allergic reaction in my esophagus. I really do think it was all the whey protein I was using, so I made the total switch off whey protein and dairy products about a month ago, after my last endoscopy. I have much less bloating and gas now, so I think I had also developed a lactose intolerance. But I was relying too much on soy, so switched to alternate plant based milk and yogurt. I have a very strong gluten intolerance as well - have been gluten free for about 5 years. No big deal there, but taking away all dairy and animal products has been a big change. I am doing fine and feel good, but it has been a bit hard for the family. They want to cook, but don't know how. Going out to eat is very limited. I was at a wedding a couple of weeks ago and there was NOTHING I could eat except some limp salad. The GF items had dairy, and the vegetarian dish had wheat! I made the mistake of not being prepared with my own Protein Drink and snack.

I am convinced that WFPB is a very healthy way to eat and I believe it will be a long term change for me, but there are definitely challenges. There are so many great resources, however, especially some of the cooking ideas on YouTube. My two favorite videos are "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives." The evidence is pretty compelling. I found a magazine with a ton of really good recipes, but you are still way too early to use this stuff. Be patient. It will come. I did not add whole grains, nuts, or seeds until I was at goal weight, and then it was to help me maintain my weight while I was starting to exercise pretty hard. Keep in touch, I look forward to following your journey.

PS: I have an appt next month with a medical doctor who has switched himself personally to WFBP, to rid himself of his own medical problems. He now helps patients with the same. After I get my 1 year labs done, I have an appt to see him. Hopefully he can help me navigate the WFPB world in a healthy way that takes into account my WLS and also my exercise goals. I want to do it right, and I hope he will be able to supervise my progress.

Edited January 11, 2020 by AZhiker