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Plant-Based Eating: A Holistic Approach to Veganuary

As January starts, many people embark on the journey of Veganuary—a month-long commitment to exploring plant-based eating. Beyond being a dietary choice, embracing a plant-based lifestyle extends far beyond the plate, offering holistic benefits for your well-being and the planet. Let’s delve into the multifaceted advantages of plant-based eating and provide guidance for those stepping into Veganuary.

Holistic Benefits of Plant-Based Eating:

Nourishing the Body: Plant-based diets are rich in an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. These nutrients support overall health, contributing to vibrant skin, strong bones, and optimal organ function.
Gut Health and Digestion: Plant-based diets are typically high in fiber, fostering a healthy gut microbiome. A well-balanced gut contributes to improved digestion, nutrient absorption, and supports a robust immune system.
Reducing Inflammation: Plant-based foods are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. By minimizing the consumption of inflammatory foods commonly found in animal products, individuals often experience a reduction in inflammation, leading to improved joint health and overall well-being.
Heart Health: Plant-based eating has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. The absence of saturated fats found in animal products, coupled with the presence of heart-healthy fats in plant-based sources, contributes to lower cholesterol levels and improved cardiovascular health.
Weight Management: Plant-based diets tend to be naturally lower in calorie density while providing essential nutrients. This, combined with an increased intake of fiber, supports weight management and a healthy body mass index.
Mental Well-being: The connection between plant-based eating and mental health is gaining attention. Nutrient-rich foods may positively impact mood and cognitive function, promoting mental clarity and overall well-being.
Ethical and Environmental Impact: Adopting a plant-based lifestyle aligns with ethical considerations, as it reduces the demand for animal agriculture. Additionally, plant-based diets have a lower environmental footprint, contributing to sustainability and reducing the impact on the planet.

Guidance for Veganuary:

Diverse Plant-Based Foods: Explore the richness of plant-based foods by incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds into your meals. This diversity ensures a broad spectrum of nutrients.
Balanced Nutrient Intake: Pay attention to essential nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. While many plant-based foods provide these nutrients, it’s important to ensure a balanced intake through supplementation or fortified foods when necessary.
Cooking Creativity: Embrace the creativity of plant-based cooking. Experiment with new recipes, flavors, and textures to discover a world of culinary delights that go beyond traditional meat-based dishes.
Community Support: Join online communities or local groups participating in Veganuary. Sharing experiences, tips, and recipes with like-minded individuals can provide invaluable support and motivation.
Educational Resources: Arm yourself with knowledge about plant-based nutrition. Explore reputable sources, documentaries, and books to deepen your understanding of the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

Veganuary is not just a dietary challenge; it’s an opportunity to explore the holistic benefits of plant-based living. By embracing the richness of plant-based foods, you’re not only nourishing your body but also contributing to a more compassionate, sustainable, and holistic approach to well-being—one plate at a time.

-Vanessa J

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November 14, 2022Leave a comment

Hello Everyone!

I just want to say first and foremost thank you to everyone that has followed my blog for the past four years! I can’t believe I have been writing blog posts for the past four years, it’s something that I never thought I would do but I am glad I made the decision too. It has become one of my most favorite things to and to be able to talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, nutrition. As I am getting back in the swing of content creation and writing blog post I invite all of you to join me on YouTube as well!

I am getting back into the grove of filming again and I hope that I can bring you some great topics and discussions! If there is any particular topic you would like me to talk about when it comes to nutrition please comment down below! Be well, Be healthy, Be safe

The Real Reason Why You Are Gaining Weight

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So we all know the saying that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and guess what it’s true. The number one reason why I would say in my opinion we gain weight is an over consumption of calories or to simply put it, overeating. Now of course there are other factors that can tie into gaining weight that may not have to do with overeating such as certain medications, hormones, conditions and disorders.

But overeating is a big part of our problem, our portion sizes are way too big! When we make a home cooked meal most of the time we are not measuring out how much we should really be consuming. When we go out to eat, which most of us love to do, they throw these big portion sizes at us. We feel like we have to eat it all by the time we are ready to leave the restaurant we can barely move. Same thing with fast foods such as McDonald, Burger King, Wendy’s, Popeye’s, they all give us these big portion sizes but why is that? Are we being set up to gain weight?

It is up to us to be aware of how much we are, but I know sometimes the food is so good we just can’t help it but this is very important. When we are not aware of it all we are doing is putting so many calories into our body and most of the time those calories don’t come from healthy foods which just adds more fuel to the fire. So there is another point, one we have an over consumption of calories and two we are eating unhealthy foods.

What I am learning as I am on my own journey to weight loss is that weight loss takes a lot of discipline and at first it is going to be very challenging. I am learning that in the past I would overeat, I would eat late at night, I would eat sweets, and that I pretty much did not have a lot of self control when it came to eating. Now I am paying attention to what I eat and how much I eat. Now I won’t get into all the details now but something that I found very tedious and still is , is calorie counting. But it is so important and it has helped me out so much that I have been successful in losing my first 5 pounds on this new weight loss journey. I have now gone from 190 pounds to 185 pounds within the past two and a half weeks.

The journey is not going to be perfect but it is possible. I would love to hear your stories! Leave your comments down below!

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Let’s Get Real About Inflammation In The Body

October 3, 2022January 27, 2023Leave a comment

To simply put it, inflammation is a mechanism in immunity. Inflammation is something that always takes place in response to any kind of damage to our cells or tissue. It also occurs if we get injured or from organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The inflammatory process must occur in order for our bodies to heal. For example when we have a high grade fever, that fever is an indication that the body’s inflammatory process has kicked in and is sending everything it needs ( certain fighter cells) to tackle the problem taking place. When this happens the blood vessels will dilate (open up) to allow more blood to go to the problem area. The area of inflammation may also become swollen, hot, red, and painful.

What I just described is acute inflammation, after it occurs the body and problem area should return back to normal. Now, when acute inflammation is not able to be resolved our body’s in return enter a chronic inflammatory state. When our body’s remain in a chronic inflammatory state this is return can lead to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, asthma, depression, and so much more.

Now when we think of nutrition we also want to keep in mind that there are foods that can enhance and trigger inflammation and there are foods that can heal the process of inflammation and help the body return back to a normal state.For foods to be able to do such a task goes to show you how important good nutrition is and how foods heal the body.

Foods that reduce inflammation are foods such as dark green leafy vegetables ( spinach, kale), flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, potassium broth, and foods high in omega 3’s.

Foods that will keep the cycle of inflammation in the body include animal fats (meat), dairy (milk), sugar, salt, refined grains ( white rice, white bread), and fried foods.

Animal fats can help us to initially to promote the inflammatory process because they make pro inflammatory “eicosaniods” but the problem is that the western diet promotes more “building blocks” to keep these pro inflammatory eicosanoids in our body so the inflammation never goes away and becomes chronic.

Remember we all have a choice to make when it comes to the way we eat and good nutrition. Choose the foods that will heal your body.

Reference:

Deeply Holistic By : Pip Waller

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The real reason why you are not losing weight

October 3, 2022January 27, 2023Leave a comment

This blog post is one that I have been wanting to write for a long time. The reason why it took me so long is because I wanted to find the right things to say as I wrote this. This blog post was not only a reality check for myself but it may be for many others as well. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts after giving birth to my son I went from 145 pounds up to 180 pounds over the course of my postpartum period and everything that was happening in the world. While this was all happening and I was well aware that I was gaining weight I tried my hardest to work out constantly which is something that I was never used to doing before and I also worked on changing my eating habits.

Over the course of these past two years I worked out the hardest I’ve ever worked out before and I changed my diet. I thought I was doing everything right, at least that is what my mind was telling me but the truth is sometimes we are not completely honest with ourselves. I kept telling myself I’m eating good and I’m working out why am I not losing weight? Well, the truth is even though I was eating “right” I also was eating “wrong”. My husband and I still indulge in things we should have had in moderation. I was still eating the foods that were hurting my new lifestyle sugary foods. I have a sweet tooth and so does my husband, so we were both still ordering cakes, desserts, ice creams, and shakes. So even though we cleaned up our eating habits, eating the sweets just caused us to gain more and more weight. It is as if we had worked hard for nothing.

Even though in reality it was not for nothing because we still adapted a new lifestyle from this , when it came to controlling our urges for sweets we were weak. Now I’m not saying that one person can never have sweets ever again, but one should not have it almost everyday like my husband and I did. So this blog post is more of a reality check to really examine the reasons why we are not losing weight. Sometimes we think we are doing things totally right but that is not always the case.

But do give up on your journey to weight loss, I know I won’t. As a nutrition professional it is important for me to be an examples to others and I admit I am not perfect, because there is no such thing, but we all can accomplish our health goals no matter how long it takes.

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