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My “Why” for Eating Whole Food Plant Based

Faith Ralphs
I aim to be an intentional person. I want to have a reason for why I do what I do, and an end result in mind. Here, I want to share why I eat very differently than most of our society. It’s often inconvenient and socially awkward….so why do I do it?
 
Most people in the plant-based community are in the older half of their life. They’ve eaten the standard American diet for 40, 50, or 60 years, started to have health issues, done the research and decided they need to eat more whole, plant foods. There are relatively few “younger” people in this whole food plant-based demographic.
 
You need a strong why to eat this way, and a health scare is the most typical why. Those health scares often come later in life. However, that’s not my story. 
 
Ever since I was young, I was fascinated with nutrition and health. I remember putting myself on a no-sugar-for-a-week challenge when I was about 9. Weight was never the focus, just nutrition. When my mom checked out some library books by Joel Fuhrman when I was 16, we both decided to stop eating meat, reduce added sugar, and aim for more whole foods. We started drinking green smoothies and I literally plugged my nose, they were SO hard for me to choke down. We gave up shredded beef tacos, which were my favorite meal. We started making date brownie bites instead of boxed brownie mixes.
 
I wasn’t trying to heal anything per se, it just felt like the right thing to do.
 
The more I’ve grappled with how to eat and feed my family, the more I need a stronger WHY. It is SO much easier to order pizza, take my kids to fast food places, pop chicken nuggets in the oven and rely on boxed mac ‘n cheese for lunches. I would fit in more with my peers, spend less time cooking, my kids would complain less, there would be fewer dishes to wash. Boy, it’s getting more and more tempting as I type this! Haha!

These are my WHYS

 
👉I am convinced by the research. A predominantly whole food plant-based diet is overwhelmingly effective at preventing disease and promoting longevity.
👉I feel light and energetic when I eat whole food plant based. I need all the energy I can get!
👉I want to live a high-quality life until my late 90’s or 100 if possible! I don’t want mental decline. I’m willing to pay the price for the highest chance of that, even if it isn’t guaranteed.
👉 Eating whole food plant based instills good habits in my family of eating nutrient-dense food. The health of my children is incredibly important to me. So far, I think my efforts are helping them even though they don’t eat as nutritiously as I would like (because we’re a social family and they get a lot of junk food from well-intentioned friends and family).
👉My menstrual cycle was pretty off for years until I consistently ate whole food plant-based. Since then, my cycles have been regular and painless, whereas before they were very sporadic and far between and debilitating. My skin has been clearer and maintaining my ideal weight has been easy. It feels clear that my body thrives eating this way.

You can see my face alone is less puffy and inflamed when eating whole food plant based. This is 2013 vs 2023. In 2013 I had been vegetarian at home, but was serving as a missionary in Paraguay at the time and was eating more meat, white flour, and sugar during that 18 month period than any other time in my life. 
My Spiritual WHY
On top of those reasons, I have a more spiritual one. I believe that God knows our bodies better than any research or doctor, and the word of God points to not eating meat in excess (the story of Daniel in the Bible is one example or Genesis 1:29). I also believe in the Word of Wisdom which is latter day revelation that says it is pleasing to God that we don’t eat meat unless it’s needed, like cold or famine. In both those verses, and earlier verses, God seems to remain consistent as in the Bible that animals are ordained for our use if needed, but that we don’t waste their flesh if there is no true need. In summary:

“Behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.” D&C 49:19, 21

Simply put, I have not had a need for meat. There is plenty of nutrition available in plants, especially in modern day with supplements and protein options galore. I believe God cares for the souls of animals and prefers they not be wasted, but if we do need them, they can serve that purpose. I respect and honor people’s experiences when they say they need to eat meat or other animal products.

I also consider it a duty to think of how my actions effect others, not just think of what I want or how it effects me. By not eating meat for more than half my life, and very little dairy or eggs for 8 years and counting, I alone have saved thousands of animals lives and acres of forest. (You can use this vegan calculatorto see your imact, too!) I think this effect on animals that are dear to God is in the intent for the command to not waste flesh.

As another spiritual benefit, I often feel joy and the Spirit of God when I look at my plate full of plants. It feels like the nourishment of Mother Nature herself, straight from the Earth. That’s why I can’t resist snapping a picture and sharing it a lot of the time!

So, Am I Vegan?

At times I have considered myself vegan because I essentially eat that way. I might even eat more vegan than proclaimed vegans do, since many vegans lose steam and give up. However, I currently don’t identify as vegan because I do believe there is a time and place to use animals food if needed. There are people in poverty who rely on their chickens to lay eggs, or their goat to give milk, and I’m so grateful they have that steady stream of calories, despite what point in the growing season it is. When I can choose between eating an egg my neighbor’s chickens grew that requried no gas or transportation and no animal cruelty, versus an avocado that was flown half away across the world, it seems more environmentally friendly to me to eat the egg. There is no black and white answer here, but in general I lean plant-based and not full vegan. (Another reason being that vegan doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, and health is a big part of it for me).

The world doesn’t need 1000 perfect vegans. We need 10 million imperfect vegans (or those who eat mostly plants). That would move the needle.

And…What’s Your Why?

These are some of the whys I have gathered from my followers.

“I feel the best–happiest and healthiest–eating this way.”

“I had high cholesterol and wanted off my meds. Went from overall level of 232 to 131 in 30 days.”

“Because I’ve seen too much. I’m a nurse. I know what it looks like when disease wracks your body.”

“For me, it’s purely a desire to please the Lord. The more I eat this way, the more I’m grateful I had the faith to try.”

“One reason is my love of all of God’s creations. It feels good to know I’m not contributing to cruel treatment.”

“I feel prompted to after praying about family members and their poor health.”

“To keep my cystic acne away and hormonal issues..but mostly to set an example and motivate my husband.”

“I firmly believe, and have indisputable scientific proof, that this is the healthiest way to eat.”

“Because I want my body to be a garden, not a graveyard.”

I have my WHY but don’t know the HOW!

If you want help changing your lifestyle, this blog is the place to stick around! 😉 Be sure to join my email list. But also, I work for an amazing coaching business called PlantWhys. We have the community, resources, and hand-holding you need to stay motivated and empowered eating more plants! You can even request me to be your one-on-one coach if you choose to add personal coaching. This is the main way I coach people currently, is through PlantWhys.

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