I’ve been an athlete all my life; from baseball as a youngster, to track and cross country in high school, weight lifting through college, and eventually falling in love with Jiu-Jitsu. The one thing I have always struggled with was energy.
I never felt as if I had enough energy to accomplish all that I wish to be successful in my life. Sure, I had enough energy for a workout, or completing a project at work, or playing with my daughter. But all three in the same day?
I was not cut out to be pushed to my max effort every single day as a single father, working two jobs, and trying to stay in shape. I was dependent on caffeine, supplements, and having a “balanced” diet to look and feel my best while grinding through my busy work weeks.
In early 2021, my partner and I were watching the Game Changer documentary on Netflix. I could completely relate to the narrator, pro MMA fighter, James Wilks, because I have also suffered from many injuries over the years and have always felt like it was a long road back to recovery.
Halfway through the show, my partner turns to me and asks if I’d like to try a plant based diet. Up until watching that documentary, I was convinced that I needed to have chicken, eggs, fish, and other proteins in my diet to refuel, recover, and rebuild muscles as an athlete. Wilks had given me a new perspective and I accepted the challenge from my partner to change our lifestyle.
We were already health conscious when cooking together two nights per week by mostly searching healthy recipes online. Yet, I was still overly sluggish in the energy department and relying on caffeine and sheer willpower to make it through busy work days and try to have enough energy to spend quality time with family and friends.
I felt as if I needed a change for my business to evolve and for my own personal benefit.
Some changes I’ve already made that have made a huge difference are…
- Considering meat a treat! Decreasing the number of times I eat red meat over the past two years has improved my digestion, mood, and energy!
- Switching from dairy to a plant based alternative! When I switched to oat or almond milk products, I noticed an immediate improvement in digestion and body composition!
- Adding in colorful vegetables! Thinking of variety as the spice in life, I found that adding in red, green, yellow, purple, and gold veggies kept my meals interesting and flavorful!
Starting in April 2021, I commit to documenting my own transition from a meat based diet to an entirely plant based diet. It won’t be easy and if you’d like to join me and follow along on my journey with me, sign up for updates absolutely free below!
I’ll share my recipes, progress pictures, and my discoveries along the way. If you’re looking for support in your own journey toward a plant based diet, reply back to any of the emails you receive and I’ll be happy to share what I find with you!