Should I Try a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet? 

Written By June Link

Hi Mamas!

I am so excited to tell you that I figured out something amazing! I found out how to alleviate a bunch of nagging little health frustrations. Things that I talk with friends and clients about all the time. PMS is practically non-existent for me anymore, I maintain my body weight without hunger or struggle, my heartburn went away, and my emotional roller coaster is so much smoother now.

How could I overcome all these battles?

How, you ask? Well, I didn’t start out looking for a new diet, that’s for sure - I was in a loop of doctors, diagnoses, and medicines that were enough to make my head spin. 

Do you know the conversations I’m talking about? When you try to give a two-minute snapshot of all your issues in an annual doctor's check-up while wearing a gown “open in the front” and your toes are chilly because they’ve been elevated the awkward foot-holder-uppers? 

Over the course of about a year, my PMS symptoms became severe enough that they were significantly impacting my life and I talked with my doctors about it. They diagnosed me with things like generalized anxiety disorder, GERD, vertigo, insomnia, arthritis, perimenopause, and others.

Because it was only causing life-impacting trouble for about two weeks a month, we settled on Pre-Menstral Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, as the primary concern. 

PMDD is defined by Mayo Clinic as “Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)... at least one of these emotional and behavioral symptoms stands out: Sadness or hopelessness; Anxiety or tension; Extreme moodiness; Marked irritability or anger.” It then goes on to list all the things to try to fix it like antidepressants, birth control, and vague lifestyle advice. 

Whole Foods Plant Based Eating can relieve the majority of PMS symptoms.

I tried the pharmaceutical route first, as my doctors recommended. Birth control and antidepressants were awful. Every side effect on the label and not on the label hit me like a freight truck. Headaches, weight gain, anxiety, and so much more like restless leg syndrome which will need its own future blog, and the skin on my face even changed colors!

I couldn’t take the medicine’s side effects anymore.  

Because I am intensely curious, stubborn, and great at studying and researching, I love to research the bajeebees out of everything I get curious about, especially when my or my family’s health and well-being are involved. 

I found a website created by a gynecologist that recommended eating differently for the last two weeks of my cycle to alleviate PMS symptoms. It included no cow or pig meat, no dairy, no alcohol, light caffeine, and only natural sugar like fruit. Ok, cool! No side effects and she promised. 

IT WORKED! My cramps, headaches, vertigo, nausea, and irritability were ALL so much better! In the first month, improvements were massive, and then by the second month, they were more than 50% improved. If eating like this helps for just the second two weeks of my cycle, and I felt way better anyway, why not eat like that all the time?

How Not to Die by Michael Greger. Whole Foods Plant Based Research.

Life Changer Alert!

At this same time, another gift came my way; a student’s family gave me books for Christmas including Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease.

LIFE CHANGING! God loves to send us help when we are in the middle of an obstacle. 

Thanks to an abundance of reading from Dr. Greger, Dr. Ornish, and so much more, I discovered that lots of typical Standard American Diet (aka SAD) ingredients like chemicals in my food, most medications, alcohol, meat, butter, oils, artificial or natural zero calorie sweeteners, and food dye do not agree with me. Side note:  I wish sugar was my friend. We just had breakfast, lunch, and dessert together yesterday 😉! Ha!

Whole Foods Plant based eating is low-calorie, delicious, and nutritious 
When I focused more on what I wanted to include in my daily life, I discovered delicious recipes that my whole family loves such as a variety of smoothies and incredible nachos.

In the beginning, I had trouble focusing on what to eat because I was too focused on what not to eat. There are tons of recipe websites and books that helped me lean into foods that made me feel great like beans, greens, veggies, fruits, spices, and more. For example, did you know that ginger and turmeric can alleviate PMS cramps more than ibuprofen??

How is it possible that eating changes how we feel?

How, you ask, is that even possible? That my PMS almost went away with simple food changes?

God made us perfectly to work with the food He created in nature. Gardens and wilderness that were filled with fruits, grains, vegetables, berries, beans, and more is how we were designed to thrive - long before fire, cooking meat, and especially before hog dog meat manufacturing 🤢.

Every time I get closer to how God, nature, and thousands of years of evolution created our bodies to thrive, I feel better and better. 

Hold on! 

I never said animal products are all bad! I love love our local wood-fired pizza food truck. Chicken salad sandwiches with cranberries and fancy bread are the bee’s knees.

My husband is a fisherman and a hunter. Whole Foods plant based eating can have some exceptions. 
Don't get me wrong! I am married to a hunter and a fisherman. I'm not saying that every single not-plant food is evil.

Nor did I give you the bombastic side-eye for your breakfast sandwich. I am, however, saying that maybe if I get closer and closer to a plant-based diet, I’ll feel better.

My intention is to simply and honestly tell you what I’ve learned. Maybe, if I share my thoughts and research with you, it will help us both achieve our goals together. 

Alright, I’m going to say it out loud: I want to adopt a mostly whole foods plant based diet. 

Whatcha think? Want to try it too? 

This blog explores the research, pros, give, and personal concerns I have as I give whole foods plant based eating a real go.

So, what exactly are plant-based whole foods?

Plantbased means our meals are centered around foods that grow from the ground and that the bulk of what you're eating comes from plants. Think of all the delicious fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes you see at the farmer's market or the fresh produce section of your grocery store. 

Dr. Greger says that whole-foods means the food is minimally processed where nothing bad is added and nothing good is taken away. So, a fresh apple instead of applesauce, or intact grains granola instead of a processed snack bar. Forks Over Knives has a fantastic beginner’s guide!

For shopping and prep purposes, experts I’ve read from say it's best to buy your own fresh ingredients or opt for frozen or canned original ingredients so you can avoid chemicals, additives, or manufacturing-level processing that pulverizes and separates the food into strange things like deep-fried dinosaurs. 

What are the key benefits of a plant-based whole foods diet?

Whole Foods Plant based eat helps with weight loss, signs of again, physical ailments, emotional regulation, pms, blood sugar, inflammation, and more! 
There's more than what meets the eye with plant-based eating. Let's look beneath the surface to learn what we can gain from more plants!

According to meta-analyses of hundreds of studies (see my reference section below), researchers have discovered that WFPB eating…

  • Gives you complete sustainable nutrition 

  • Is the #1 most effective way to lose body fat without feeling hungry

  • Reduces the signs of aging

  • Can help with many emotional regulation difficulties like PMS and anxiety

  • Helps with many physical ailments like PMS, arthritis, inflammation, and more

  • Balances blood sugar in both type I and II diabetes better than medications

  • Reduces and prevents inflammation, cholesterol, and, high blood pressure, heart disease 

  • Stabilizes digestive health to avoid IBS, heartburn, number two issues, gas, and more

  • Creates the best sleep

  • Tastes fabulous due to the variety of ingredients and spices not commonly found in the SAD (Standard American Diet)

Why don’t we hear about this more often? 

Plants do not have nearly the money and advertising power that animal agriculture, pharmaceutical companies, supplement manufacturers, or people who are trying to sell anything in a package have. Additionally, doctors have very little formal training in nutrition in medical school which leads many people to believe that medicine is the only way out of their difficulties. 

To add to the problem, medical journal studies are expensive: those with money tend to get the most headliners; money also buys results, albeit skewed and biased results. Money can also help add, remove, skew, or falsify extremely relevant details like whether or not the study findings could work on people or just on pet mice as that’s all that was tested!

For example, there was a fantastic study on the benefits of a WFPB diet for PMS that never made it to publication: A group of women ate a WFPB diet to try to help alleviate their PMS/PMDD symptoms then, after following the diet for a time, they were supposed to go back to a normal Standard American Diet (SAD) for study purposes. They said no! Ha! It worked so well they refused to go back to feeling icky. 

 
Even though the researches don't have as much money as big pharma, trust me when I tell you that the majority of peer-reviewed, meta-analysis research undeniably points to a WFPB lifestyle as the most beneficial way to eat. The studies are quietly waiting for our discovery. 

The PMS study wasn’t formally published because its “faulty data” and couldn’t be published. In my world, the fact that the study participants felt so good speaks volumes to the effectiveness of the diet. 

Trust me when I tell you that the majority of peer-reviewed, meta-analysis research undeniably points to a WFPB lifestyle as the most beneficial way to eat. The studies are quietly waiting for our discovery. 

What are the problems associated with Whole Foods Plant Based eating?

The big protein question: Does Whole Foods Plant Based eating provide enough protein? Short answer: Yes. 100% yes. 

Various points in history aided in studies to promote more protein. Examples included a desire to enhance the performance and/or health of soldiers, elite athletes, bodybuilders, the elderly, low-income youth, and third-world country health problems. 

Those instances are all fine - the problems really got rolling because of money. Companies skewed, disregarded, or straight-up lied about research to create product-pushin headlines. Supplements, taglines, and advertisements, even though they were false, became “common knowledge.”

 
Headlines that say chocolate is good for you completely disregard the details. Look it up. For reals. Similarly to how researchers can skew their results sections, journalists grab and run with information to sell copies.

As for WFPB diets, In all the studies, researchers discovered that “Despite concern for protein deficiency, adequate amounts of protein, which means 0.8 g/kg body weight, which is about 50 grams a day, can be consumed in a solely plant-based diet, as seen among the other billion plus people around the world who don’t eat meat. Vitamin B12 deficiency, on the other hand, is a very real concern without a regular reliable source” within vegan diets. (nutritionfacts.org)

So, eat a wide variety of plants and grains (oats, potatoes, beans, peas, tofu, spinach, broccoli) to get your 40-60 grams of protein a day and take a B vitamin. Check.

For an active working mom, is it possible to follow a whole foods plant based diet? 

In my world, when I have tried to be more plant-based, my biggest struggles have been:

  • The time to prep ingredients and the cook/bake times (vs. frozen entress or pre-packaged foods)

  • Having the ingredients on hand 

  • Taking time to find recipes and plan the week out

  • Making sure that the food is enticing for my kids, too (otherwise, my son gets too hungry if he doesn’t like it and eats his weight in pizza on his way home from work)

Looking at my list of troubles though, it is totally possible to overcome each and every one of those. Once I solve the conundrums, I’ll let you know. If you have solutions, please share! discoversuperiorjoy@gmail.com

Conclusion

I’m going to try it. What about you? Would you like to try plant-based eating too? 

In my coaching, I love working with other growth-minded women who set goals and want more than anything to achieve them whether it’s a daily workout, an outdoor lifestyle, better work-life balance, or happier relationships. In each and every client, body composition modification finds its way into the plan. Every time. Personally, I know that for me to feel honest and deep joy, my health needs to be a priority. 

And whole foods plant based eating looks like the ticket. 

If my goal is to feel like my healthiest self, then I will set my eyes on the prize and keep taking micro-steps to get to my 90% WFPB goal. 

Why 90% and not 100%? Well… I like dessert so that’s 5%. I like our local food trucks too, so that’s another 5% for cheese on my veggie tacos and flour crust on my wood-fired pizza. 

How can eating whole foods plant based improve my health 
I love having a giant bowl of plants with a flavorful dip, dressing, or salsa. It's super filling and I feel not only physically but also emotionally because I am meeting my goals.

The results of these changes so far have been nothing short of transformative. My arthritis symptoms have improved, my periods have less negative symptoms, and I sleep soundly through the night. I've lost some of the body fat that was masking my athletic physique, and I feel more confident in my swimsuit. 

I've also found that eating for nourishment, rather than using food as an emotional crutch, has allowed me to meet my goals (like writing this blog for you!) without sabotaging them. It's a form of self-love and respect that brings me closer to God and helps me live a life free from anxiety and full of purpose.

Most importantly, I feel energized, clear-minded, and ready to take on the challenges of each day with a renewed sense of purpose and joy.

Prayer

Throughout this journey, I've been constantly reminded of our call from God to treat our bodies with care, respect, and love. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are reminded that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we are called to honor God with our bodies. 

By nourishing myself with wholesome, plant-based foods and eliminating substances that harm my health, I am better able to worship Him and fulfill the purposes He has for my life. 

I encourage you, my beautiful friend, to consider making these changes in your own life. Embrace a whole foods plant-based diet, reduce alcohol, and reduce your sugar intake. 

Not only will you see physical improvements, but you will also experience a deeper spiritual connection and a greater sense of fulfillment. 

How to use prayer to eat a better diet 
Spending time with my journal and in prayer enhanced my desire to cherish my health. When I feel healthy, I take care of my blessings better. Self-care IS selfless.

Remember, treating our bodies with care is a way to honor God and live out His call for us to lead healthy, purposeful lives.

I am here to support you on this journey. Let's take these steps together and discover the incredible potential within us to live vibrant, fulfilling lives. 

Sincerely,

June

Resources 

June Link https://www.discoversuperiorjoy.com
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