Reminder

The key to a long and healthy life comprises:

1. A whole food 100% plant based diet.

2. Daily aerobic exercise.

3. Self care.

4. A sense of purpose.

5. Avoidance of drugs and alcohol.

A good day to you!

The End.

A Little Over 2.5 Years WFPB Vegan and the Results Exceed Expectations

I've been vegan for 2.5+ years, with a good 1.5 of those years as a whole food, plant based vegan. I expected to see some minor health improvements when I switched to this way of eating. However, my modest expectations were significantly exceeded.

My osteoarthritis pain in my toe from a sports injury over 20 years ago has essentially disappeared and has not returned. I sleep great. I feel great. I am the lightest weight I have ever been in my adult life. My airways are clearer than ever before - I can breath through my nose at night. I don't need alcohol or caffeine to keep me happy and motivated, respectively (I've largely quit both and I don't miss it at all). I feel mentally content most of the time (some of which is attributed to supplementing with ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herbal supplement from Chinese Medicine). My blood test at each of my annual physical exams has provided empirical proof that the whole food, plant based diet is ideal for maximal, if not optimal, health.

The only physical issue I have is some pain in my left knee when I go on long bike rides. But this pain is mild and resides almost as soon as I am done with the exercise.

I can't speak highly enough of adopting a whole food, plant based diet for health and wellness. The experimental case study will continue for the foreseeable future and I will report back periodically. But, the evidence thus far is clear: A whole food, plant based diet can't hurt, and it might help.

Good day.

A Fortnight of Fitness: Day 10

Deborah and I are 10 days into the fortnight of fitness - to follow a plant-based, whole food (vegan) diet for two weeks. There is no caloric restriction on this diet, only that no artificial or animal-based foods may be (knowingly) eaten. We are objectively tracking weight and blood pressure, and subjectively tracking general well being and mood.

The dietary part is not that hard and we have been 100% compliant, to the best of our knowledge. Although there is no requirement to exercise during this challenge, I have gone to the gym every day (I think), and Deborah has gone most days.

I forgot to measure my blood pressure yesterday, but that was the only day I missed. Today I had a doctor's appointment where my blood pressure was 122/76. I measured it again before bed on our home blood pressure meter for consistency with prior measurements and got 117/65, definitely trending lower.

On the left is a graph showing my 10 day weight loss thus far on the diet. The trend is downward, as you can see.

KEYWORDS: health and wellness, best weight loss diet, lifestyle coaching, vegan diet, whole food diet

A Fortnight of Fitness: Day 8

After a week of this, I guess you know the drill by now.

Weight was down to 215 pounds today, from 216 on Day 7. Blood pressure was 120/77 at bedtime. Not bad.

I worked out at the gym for about an hour today. I was 100% compliant on the plant-based, whole food diet and did not over eat.

KEYWORDS: vegan diet, plant based diet, whole food diet, best weight loss diet, health and wellness

A Fortnight of Fitness: Days 3 and 4

Due to a number of other endeavors, I did not record an entry on Day 3 of this fitness challenge to follow a plant-based, whole food diet for a fortnight, along with my wife Deborah. So, I am combining both entries today, which is Day 4 of the challenge, officially.

My mood is elevated. This may be due to the fact that my Day 4 body weight (216 pounds) is down three pounds from my Day 3 body weight (219 pounds) and, additionally, that my culinary attempts proved more flavorful on Day 3. I made pinto beans, mildly spiced, and brown rice for dinner, using dried raw pinto beans instead of canned. I also baked potatoes for Deborah and me and they tasted fine without any seasoning. Once the potato cools, some subtle flavors come out in the starch and skin that you don't notice when you load the potato full of butter and salt.

This challenge does not require any caloric restriction, so we can eat as much food as we want, as long as it is plant-based whole food. However, I have noticed that I don't crave food and don't over eat on this diet. This could be due in part to the increased effort involved in the preparation and consumption of this type of food (what I refer to as "chewy" or "grainy" food), but that can't be the only explanation. Indeed, I prepared enough pinto beans and rice for several servings, but felt no compulsion to eat more than one. I have an initial hypothesis, which will need to be borne out, that the nutritional profile of this kind of food is satisfying all of my body's metabolic needs, thereby activating the satiation sensors of my digestive tract and brain.

My blood pressure was 126/72, down significantly from yesterday. I was somewhat stressed yesterday, due to the aforementioned endeavors I was pursuing, so that may explain some of the change. Today is a Saturday and I have nothing significant on my TO DO LIST, other than to get to the gym for a moderate workout and perhaps work on some music, in anticipation of a possible rock-n-roll set with my band GUPPY EFFECT on Sunday night.

This morning, I had my usual breakfast of oatmeal and unsweetened almond milk, adding banana (half), grapes (20), and raw cashews (10). Deborah also made smoothies in the food processor, using frozen fruit, cinnamon, unsweetened almond milk, and oats. They were not bad, albeit a little bit "grainy."

KEYWORDS: weight loss, whole food diet, healthy diet, weight loss, blood pressure