If someone had told me a while ago I’d turn vegan, I’d have laughed. But, here I am, having made the big switch from meat-lover to plant-eater.
This journey wasn’t a walk in the park. Picture me whining, grumbling, and flailing about like a two-year-old. Yep, that was me in the early days of going vegan. But now, I’m proud to say, I’ve come out the other side stronger, healthier, and surprisingly happier.
Becoming a vegan wasn’t something I had planned. But when life gave me veggies, I made a salad! And now I’m here to share how I managed to go from a hardcore carnivore to a full-on vegan, alongside my big, bustling family of five kids.
This is important to me because as I’ve gone through the experience I truly understand how it feels to give up the foods we grew up eating and loved, and I want you to know that I’ve been there and I’ve also gone through drug-like withdrawals almost because the food we eat is that addictive. Trust me when I say, I’ve truly been there but if I, of all people, can do it – you totally can too.
Table of Contents
My personal experience and purpose
I am not a doctor, I am only here to share my experience on how I switched to a plant based diet. Take what I say as a testimonial rather than a strict guide, I intend to share what I learned, what I’ve experienced, some tips and tricks to get your started to motivate you and to share ways I would do better but I am certainly not here to tell you what to do. This journey is not easy for a lot of people, myself included but it is totally possible so let’s get you there!
My first 30 day cleanse before going plant based
When I started this journey, my husband suggested that I do a cleanse for 30 days. I did document this journey on Instagram to encourage others to do the same. Here’s a quick clip:
Going Cold Turkey
Sometimes going cold turkey is what you need.
What does it mean to go “Cold Turkey”?
To completely stop using/doing something abruptly or suddenly.
Yes, you heard right, I went cold turkey into this cleanse to give my body a complete reset. This cleanse consisted of only consuming fresh fruits and vegetables and water. At this time I was still cooking for the kids with animal products and also had to prep my cat’s food using raw meats and it was hard but here are some benefits on going cold turkey when switching to a plant based diet:
Benefits of going cold turkey
- Gives your body a well needed break from digesting tough meat products – meat and dairy products can be hard for your body to break down, like digesting a tough steak. By eating plant-based foods, your stomach and intestines don’t have to work as hard. It’s like switching from heavy lifting to a lighter workout.
- Quicker Results – You’ll notice more changes such as weight loss, improved digestion and even better sleep as you switch cold turkey. I personally experienced this myself losing up to 10-15lbs in the first 30 days.
Here’s what I thought about the first few days of this cleanse:
Detoxing Stage
Now you’ll notice, because of the toxins your body has gathered throughout probably your whole life, as you cleanse and as you start switching to a better diet you’ll start detoxing.
I went through some interesting detoxing stages along the way. I distinctly remember having really bad acne (this was not during my 30-day cleanse but a little bit further down the line) where I just suddenly broke out mostly on my t-zone. I also started getting rashes back on my body, which itched like crazy!
What is detoxing?
It simply means giving your body a deep “Spring Cleaning” but you’re getting rid of junk or “toxins” in your body. Toxins can be anything from the junk and processed foods you’ve been eating since you were a little kid, to alcohol and even pollution you’ve breathed and absorbed through your skin. Over time, this “junk” builds up in our systems and can park in certain areas of your body.
When you detox, your body is sort of like stirring up dust while your cleaning. It usually gets a bit messy before it gets nice and clean. Your body is working hard to get rid of all the junk in the house and you may feel tired, you may experience acne (junk coming out of your pores), headaches, excessive sweating, and even swollen glands.
Each person that goes through a detox phase will experience different symptoms, we recommend if you are thinking about switching to talk to your doctor and stay aware of how you’re feeling.
My improved meal plan
When I started my 30 day cleanse I had no clue what to eat and stuck to boring meals. This is an example of what I’d eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:
Breakfast: Nothing. I fasted most of the time or drank water. Thinking back I think I did this because I was just a brat and felt like I’m losing out on eating delicious foods and sulked. Sometimes I’d have a piece of fruit if I felt like it or had the time.
Lunch: Zoodles or a bowl of fruits like a huge bunch of grapes (enough to keep me full)
Dinner: A salad with cherry tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Sometimes a fruit salad of assorted fruits such as mangoes, bananas, strawberries.
I also limited the amount of oils, nuts and seeds I had so I used a little bit of olive oil here and there on my salads and focused my energy on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Now that I’ve gained more wisdom and knowledge and more ideas of what to eat, I’m here to help you out! When you first start you’ll want a sort of meal plan or some ideas of what to eat. The first 30 days will be the toughest, I recommend starting your journey eating all fresh fruits and vegetables, no cooked foods. Personally, this is what I’ve done – as mentioned before if you are thinking about doing this, talk to your doctor first.
I’ve compiled a list of meal ideas to get you started.
Breakfast Ideas
Powerhouse Smoothies
This is probably one of the easiest ways to fill you up in the morning. Time to load up your smoothie and make a huge shake to make it easy on yourself. Go for what’s in season – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangoes, pineapples, bananas, spinach, kale, hemp seeds for protein, flax seeds, chia seeds, and blend with water.
Fresh Fruits
The world of fruit is at your fingertips, you’d be surprised how filling a huge bowl of grapes or a watermelon can be and the best time of year is summer time because there’s so many delicious fruits you can eat! Fruits are simple and very accessible, and may I mention powerful in cleansing you!
Personally I love eating watermelons, grapes, stone fruits like plums, peaches, apples, pears, mangoes, the list can go on, there are so many I love!
Dates, nuts and seeds
Need a to go breakfast? Pack yourself some mother nature’s candy – Dates that are rich in fiber, helps give you a consistent energy form without spiking your blood sugar levels and add on your favorite selection of nuts and seeds such as cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds and you’ll have a delicious breakfast to keep you fueled and ready to conquer your day.
Lunch Ideas
Loaded Fruit Salad
You can absolutely meal plan this, however keep in mind some fruits can get a little mushy or brown so use a citrusy dressing or just make it as you are ready if you can. You’d be surprised how filling fruits can be and guess what? You can eat all you want! There’s no limit so be creative.
Avocado and Romaine Tacos
Romaine lettuce can be the perfect vessel for any toppings, I suggest using avocados, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, hemp seeds and make a zesty sauce with lime and cilantro.
Sprout Salad
Sprouts are high in fiber, loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes which can help you boost overall health! It’s a versatile little veggie, add avocado, bell pepper, shredded beets, carrots, sunflower seeds and toss with your favorite raw dressing.
Dinner Ideas
Zoodles
If you don’t know what zoodles are, it’s zucchini noodles! You can get yourself a vegetable spiralizer or a Zoodler is what we call at home and you can “Zoodle-ize” any vegetable.
Here’s a link to ours: https://amzn.to/3OpjRIA
Add your favorite toppings, I recommend cherry tomatoes, creamy avocadoes, sprouts, cilantro, lime, hemp seeds, sliced baby bell peppers, anything you can think of. You can even make a fresh tomato sauce by blending up some tomatoes, oregano, onions, a little water or olive oil and bam, there’s a marinara sauce! Pour your favorite homemade dressing on there and you have the ultimate comforting noodle dish that’s so good for you.
Loaded Salads
A salad can be so nutritious, filling and fun – be creative with it, add fruits if you’d like to, use different vegetables like fennel, beautiful red (or purple) beets, add zoodles to your salad, use different herbs and greens, you be the artist of your salads.
Collard Wraps
Did you know collard greens are one of the best vessels for a taco/wrap type dish? We love using collards for wraps as they hold so well and again, add your favorite toppings like grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce, zucchini, mangoes, avocados, etc.
Raw cauliflower rice
Did you know cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables to eat raw? (I tell my husband this every single time I chop up a head of cauliflower and end up snacking on half of it, he may be sick of me saying this.)
Throw some chunks in a food processor and shred it up into little pieces of “rice” and you can eat this as a base along with your favorite toppings! I like to keep it simple by adding cilantro and lime with a little salt and some mushed up cherry tomatoes for flavor and hemp seeds for amino acids (protein).
Feel free to jumble these up and there’s no rule that says you can’t have any of these meals at any hour. I mean, as long as you’re munching on whole foods, fruits, and veggies, you’re basically high-fiving your body with a kick start!
Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate
During a 30-day fruit and veggie cleanse, water becomes extra important. Why? Well, it’s like your body’s personal housekeeper. Water helps to flush out all the gunk and toxins that we want to get rid of during a cleanse. So, the more water we drink, the better our bodies can clean themselves out.
Plus, all the fiber you’re getting from those fruits and veggies needs water to do its job properly. Think of fiber as the sponge and water as the soap. Together, they work to scrub your insides clean. If you don’t drink enough water, that fiber can’t do its job as well, which can leave you feeling a bit… backed up. Not fun.
Oh, and let’s not forget that water is super important for almost every part of your body. It keeps your skin glowing, your joints moving smoothly, and helps your brain stay clear and work properly. So, when you’re chowing down on all those delicious raw fruits and veggies, don’t forget to guzzle plenty of H2O, too!
Benefits and Changes
At the end of my 30 day fruit and vegetable cleanse, it’s inevitable to lose weight and so that’s what I noticed first. I had always struggled with keeping weight off and often had anxiety of eating too much. Well during my 30 day cleanse I didn’t have an ounce of anxiety of overeating and I ate until I was stuffed and yet still lost about 10-15lbs. I was thrilled!
You may also experience your skin looking clearer and more radiant and maybe even better breathing because your body will literally start to purge all the toxins and keep your body functioning so much better.
I never went back
After my 30 day cleanse, I decided that I was not going to go back to eating meat, I was going to stick to it. I stuck with it because I wanted to see more positive changes in my body and I was going to just go all out.
Now this does not mean I was not thinking about meat and dairy products or really craving it at times, (heck, I even threw a tantrum with my husband and was crying over it). It’s actually really hard staying away from all the food content out there on the world of the internet I mean, most people are meat eaters in the world and very few of us are plant based. You’re surrounded by all the videos, pictures and your friends and family eating meat but it’s a mind set thing.
Surround yourself with plant based, buy only plant based and you will stay plant based.
Rosa – The Hai Path Blog
Some people convert to a plant based diet because it’s a health thing, they have to switch or their health will decline rapidly and they’re projected to literally die of some type of condition or disease. Others like myself, do it because it’s the right thing to do for the body and for the environment.
Find your why and know that it’s going to get easier the more you do it and the longer you stick to it. Food is an addiction. Get rid of this addiction!
Conclusion
And there you have it, folks! My one-month journey into the land of fruits and veggies. From the highs of newfound energy to the lows of food withdrawals, this cleanse took me on a ride I won’t soon forget. But boy, was it worth it!
As we journeyed together, we dove into the why’s and how’s, covered tips and tricks, and peeked into the pantry of a plant-powered kitchen. We wrestled with challenges, celebrated victories, and took a deep dive into the magic that is hydration. We also embraced the beauty of whole foods and reveled in the glow of positive change.
My hope is that my journey will inspire you, even if just a little, to think about your own food choices. Maybe a 30-day cleanse feels too much, and that’s okay! Even small changes can bring big benefits.
Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. Each fruit eaten, each vegetable crunched, each glass of water sipped is a win. Celebrate them! After all, we’re not just talking about food. We’re talking about fueling our lives, our dreams, and our futures.
Here’s to more fruits, more veggies, and a healthier, happier you. Let’s toast with a glass of water to that! Keep the conversation going in the comments below – I’d love to hear about your own journeys. Until next time, stay fresh and stay vibrant!
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