September 2024

As a vegetarian for the last 33 years, I don’t need to watch those gory and heartbreaking movies about factory farming or anything that tries to encourage me away from meat. I get it. 

Of course, I’m in the minority. An estimated 22% of the world is vegetarian, with Hindus and women being the highest percentage of the population not eating animals. 

I’m not Hindu, but I do practice yoga every day. But that’s not why I’m a vegetarian. I never liked meat. I remember being in kindergarten and refusing disgusting beef stew and these “chicken croquets.” I mean, was that food?

Not to me. But that’s not the story for most people I know. I usually hear the old “but bacon is so goooooodd” in this way that the speaker looks at me like I couldn’t help but agree. But I don’t. I think bacon is death. Really. I don’t mean to be so stark about it, but that’s how I’ve always felt.

Recently, I did read a great book called “Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition,” by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. It got fairly technical, but one takeaway was the importance of a holistic diet not focused on individual supplements. The other, bigger lesson from the book was the author’s clear scientific support for eating only a whole-foods, plant-based diet. 

I’m not here to preach or make you do something you don’t want to do — that’s the last thing I’d like to experience, too. You can read the book to learn the solid reasoning behind whole, vegetarian foods. That means no animal products. 

Full disclosure, I’m a lacto-ovo vegetarian and not a vegan. This means I consume dairy, eggs, and honey. For ethical reasons, I avoid most cow products after I passed a factory farm during my cross-country tour of the United States. I don’t live there anymore, and Europe and the rest of the world doesn’t work like that. But now I don’t digest cow dairy very well, in part because of exactly what Dr. Campbell explains in the book.

If you are interested in transforming your diet, there are a lot of good places to start. In this case, looking for low-hanging fruit isn’t even a metaphor!

1. Just say no to chemical junk

Look around your kitchen and pantry to take stock of what you’re currently buying. My biggest wins come from the decisions I make at the grocery store or market. If I buy the junk, I eat the junk. It’s as simple as that. 

Of course, it’s totally not simple. You can only imagine the fights I’ve had with myself in front of foods that I knew weren’t really good for me but were so tasty.  Aw, come on, I think as I see a bag of chocolate-flavored granola mixed with salted nuts and maybe some dried fruit. It’s not that bad! Sure, it’s sugary, salty, and I’ll probably eat the entire thing way faster than I want to admit. But look! It’s in the health food aisle so it must be good for me! 

I’m like a spoiled little kid and a loving-yet-firm mother, all in one, all playing out in my head.

But here’s a secret parents know: Eventually, if you operate consistently from a place of logic and love, the child recognizes that the parent is right and shows respect. That’s what healing the inner child looks like, too. 

The sticky wicket, then, is knowing how to define “junk.” That’s what the fights were about in front of the granola. I recommend using the concentric circle method. Start with the obvious junk and start cutting that out. You know what I mean already: tubs of ice cream, bags of corn chips, bottles of soda. Junk! 

With time, your body will adapt with fewer cravings. Your mind will be less interested in buying that stuff. You’ll start to notice that it actually feels better when you eat less-processed foods. 

For example, I’ve pretty much tamed the voice inside my head crying out for chocolate. It took discipline at first, and now I don’t even visit that section of the grocery store. I don’t even think about it.

2. Be honest about your food addictions

If you haven’t noticed, the world is filled with addictive things for you to buy and consume. Tobacco, alcohol, and drugs aren’t the only things that hijack the dopamine pathways and get you buying. Food is big business — and those businesses are built on getting you craving more.

It’s weird to think about me having a dark chocolate or granola addiction, but I can’t lie. On the rare occasion I allow myself a bag (usually the most artisan and a favorite flavor that I just can’t resist), it doesn’t make it long out of the shopping bag on my kitchen counter before I dive in. Can you relate?

Make a list of your go-to craveable foods. You’ll probably notice that these aren’t whole foods or plant-based. If they are, like granola, it’s likely because there’s an SOS component. This is a concept from the True North Health Center, where Dr. Alan Goldhamer has done lots of important work. SOS stands for salt, oil, and sugar. He recommends avoiding SOS completely.

3. Start cooking

So, what can you eat!? I used to wear a shirt that read, “There’s plenty to eat without choosing meat.” I used to get this question all the time, and it still pops up. There’s a misconception that there isn’t a cornucopia of abundance in terms of whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains that are wonderfully satisfying and delicious. 

Food deserts notwithstanding, you can probably find the produce section in the grocery store. Yes, chopping and cooking is less convenient. But you’ll live a healthier and, thus, happier life if you take the time to eat those foods. Food preparation isn’t something that everyone is taught, but it’s another example of self-parenting for yourself to do what’s best for you. 

I use cooking to embrace the digestion process. One reason that processed foods are so bad for you is that you are skipping ahead. The sugars rush straight to the bloodstream while the low-fiber solids sluggishly process through the intestines. No wonder you feel like crap! 

Soak raw nuts and dried beans. Cook rice and refrigerate it overnight before eating. Steam veggies in big batches. Cooking food can be simple.

For something more creative, buy a cookbook. My favorite whole foods, plant-based cookbook is by Mollie Katzen called “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.” You may need to get a few extra ingredients, like soy sauce, yeast, or cinnamon, but it doesn’t take much to cook vegetarian whole foods. 

Do you fear that you’ll be so ravenous that you MUST eat something right now? Have pieces of fresh fruit handy. Fresh fruit is a treat, who disagrees?

4. Find a supportive community

Finally, a great way to support an increase in more plant-based, whole foods in your diet is to be around people who eat the same. For some, finding this kind of community in itself could be a major challenge.

You may be surprised. I travel all the time, and I often discover vegetarian groups that organize dinners out or potlucks in parks. Look for local Facebook or WhatsApp groups. Search the Meet Up site or look on bulletin boards of your local health food store, if you’re lucky enough to have one nearby. 

Some towns even host local farmer’s markets weekly during the growing season or maybe all year long. No, in general, farmer’s markets are not more expensive than grocery stores — when you buy in-season produce straight from the source. You have to be smart about what’s on offer, of course. 

Your dopamine hit no longer comes from the endless variety of manufactured food flavors but instead from whatever is freshest and sweetest at the moment. 

Personally, I love finding novel fruits to try as I travel. I have an especially wonderful memory of waiting for a mechanic to fix a popped tire on my scooter in Ho Chi Minh City; across the street was a massive pile of pink dragonfruit. I filled up my backpack with as many as could fit. 

Look for other people who get excited about that kind of thing. Believe it or not, we’re out there!