In the summer of 2014, on a night much like every other night, I carried one of my three children up the stairs for bed. It felt like the 100th time that day that I carried someone up or downstairs, and it very well might have been — just a few months earlier, our family of three grew to a family of five when I gave birth to identical twins.
Twin pregnancy is not for the faint of heart. It is a grueling, physically demanding task that left me nearly unable to walk by the end of those nine long months. Of course giving birth to two healthy and beautiful baby girls made it all worth it, but being able to finally reclaim my body as my own was the icing on the cake. What’s more, I gained a newfound appreciation for my body that no other experience could have given me. I was fiercely proud of what I had accomplished and realized that my body is indeed miraculous, incomparable, a divine gift, and capable of a herculean task given to few.
But despite this newfound respect, my body still was not quite able to do all the things I needed it to do as a mother of three young children. At least not comfortably. I realized this that summer night as I paused at the top of the stairs, ever so slightly out of breath, and had this sobering thought: My babies would keep getting bigger, and I’d still need to keep carrying them up and down the stairs.
I knew that if I wanted to be able to accomplish the physical tasks yet ahead, I needed to treat my body much better. Since my life already felt like a never-ending marathon of child wrangling and laundry basket hauling (among other countless household duties), I wasn’t about to turn to exercise to improve my health. Instead, I turned to diet.
Learning, Joy, and Discovery
I knew I didn’t want to “go on a diet” in the traditional sense; I wasn’t trying to lose weight or get a “hot bikini bod.” I wanted to learn how to give my body the best kind of fuel possible so that I could accomplish my duties and even enjoy my life as a mother of 3 littles — and actually have some strength and energy left for myself at the end of the day.
I was already doing all I knew to cook healthy meals, but I still had the last 5-10 lbs. of baby weight I couldn’t get rid of, and on top of that I was still a bit overweight for my height — to say nothing of the fact that I was terribly out of shape. So I knew my knowledge was incomplete, and I was missing a big piece of the puzzle. I’d heard good things about the new wave of plant-based documentaries, like “Hungry for Change” and “Forks Over Knives,” so I set out to watch and learn what I could.
And what I learned astounded me.
I learned that losing and maintaining weight isn’t about counting calories. I learned that much of what we consider to be “healthy” foods are anything but. I learned that disease, illness, and the deterioration of old age that we take to be inevitable are actually preventable. I learned that animal products are not only unnecessary for human health, they can actually be quite damaging. I learned about the miraculous ability of whole, plant-based foods to heal and rejuvenate bodies of any age or condition. I learned just how easy (and cheap!) it is to feed and nourish your family with these foods, and I was delighted to learn just how delicious they can be.
In the weeks and months that followed, I became obsessed. I learned the above truths and more as I read article after article, book after book, and watched any food and health documentary I could get my hands on. It was like I had fallen down the rabbit hole, but instead of trying to get back home, I charged boldly ahead into a beautiful new wonderland. Before, I was hesitant in the kitchen. Although I previously cooked homemade meals nearly every night of the week, I did it out of a sense of duty and never really enjoyed it (in fact I’m pretty sure I loathed it). But once I learned that I did not actually need to eat meat to be healthy, it was like giving myself permission to explore cuisines I had previously thought were too “out there” or “granola” for me. And something very unexpected happened.
See, I never wanted to become a vegan, as the word is highly charged with many negative and even repulsive stereotypes. So I decided that I’d just explore vegan cooking, no strings attached, and see if the recipes were any good. I was shocked. Not only were these new whole, plant-based foods incredibly tasty, I felt so good after eating them. And they were so easy to make that suddenly it just clicked: I finally understood how to cook — how to throw together seemingly random ingredients in artful, creative ways to create something surprising and utterly delicious. To further enhance my learning, I enrolled in culinary school and earned certifications in plant-based cooking. This way of preparing food was like alchemy to me, and I was quickly becoming a master alchemist.
Remarkable Transformations
When I started this journey I had no specific plan in place — just a goal to find an easy way to nourish and strengthen my body so that I could keep up with my three kids. I didn’t change my eating overnight, but as I studied and tried new ways of eating I gradually I transitioned to about a 90% whole foods, plant-based diet. I quit my daily soda habit and cut out sugar. I switched to whole grains and stopped buying processed food. I bought almond milk instead of cow’s milk, I eliminated almost all cheese, and I stopped cooking meat (though I did still eat it at family gatherings and such, not wanting to make my diet a burden on everyone else). My children were on the same diet as well, and although my husband didn’t jump on board as completely as I, he made his own progress toward health and would happily eat whatever I mad for our family.
I had been eating this way for about three months and was feeling fantastic: energetic, happy, alert, calm, and mentally clear. I was sleeping well for the first time in my life. My skin and eyes were glowing, I felt strong and flexible, and I could keep pace with my then-4-year-old son and 11-month-old daughters, literally, running and chasing and lifting and carrying with ease. And yes, by the end of the day, I had energy to spare. How many mothers of infant twins can say all that?
I wasn’t the only one to benefit from my food choices. I discovered that a whole foods, plant-based diet is a wonderful way to feed growing families. It’s also wonderfully cheap: Thanks to my local bulk foods store, I was able to feed my family of 5 for around $60 a week. And we eat deliciously well. My twins, who first started eating solid foods not long after I transitioned to this diet, were raised eating this way. Not only are they adventurous eaters, happily munching on herb-crusted eggplant, sweet coconut curry, and spiced hummus, they have steadily grown and maintained a healthy height and weight, despite being born one month early at less than 5 lbs. each.
Perhaps my biggest concern was feeding my son, who has always been a very selective eater. It was a huge source of contention in our home, but rather than adding to the stress, getting my son to eat more whole, plant-based foods actually relieved a great burden. I finally understood what it took to nourish my children and was able to come up with a game plan to introduce them to new, healthy foods that even my son would feel safe eating. One of the biggest keys was being able to talk to him about what food does to our bodies, for better or worse, and empower him to make better choices on his own. And we have made phenomenal progress with my son’s eating habits. Slowly but surely he has gone from only eating about 10-15 different foods and gagging on anything new (if we could even get him to touch it) to regularly eating a wider variety and trying every new food we give him. Now, he’s a healthy 8-year-old, and he’ll eat anything we put on his plate. It’s a bona fide miracle. Of course it hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been absolutely worth it.
The biggest change for me came unexpectedly, when one day a few months into my new diet my husband commented that I was looking more muscular. Truthfully, I hadn’t really noticed the outward changes. Despite being aware that my clothes were feeling saggy, I hadn’t once stepped on the scale. When I finally did, I was shocked to learn that I had lost nearly 20 pounds! Without even trying! I realized I should probably at least buy some new pants, and again I was shocked to discover that I had gone from a size 14 to a size 8! It was the first time in my entire life that I had actually lost weight, and I had done it all without counting a single calorie or setting foot in the gym. All I did was change my diet.
Spreading the Good Word
With this body transformation I felt I had stumbled onto the secret of weight loss and the proverbial fountain of youth. Even my husband lost nearly 25 lbs. without fully getting on board. And everyone around me quickly took notice. I continually received compliments on my appearance and women are always asking me what I did to lose weight, to have such a glow, and look so happy and rested. I knew it was time to help spread the word, so I started a blog.
I took my skills as a former health and wellness journalist and founded HealthyLittleChanges.com in late 2014, with the goal of encouraging people to make one little change at a time on the path toward health. Out of everything that I’ve learned about health and nutrition, perhaps the biggest lesson is that change doesn’t have to be sudden and monumental; every little mental shift, every small decision, every ingredient swap you make really does matter. These healthy little changes begin to gain momentum, healing your body and building your confidence and spurring you on to take better care of yourself and your families, until the next thing you know, you’re an entirely different person — a happy, healthy, joyful person who slowly gained control of life, one little change at a time.
The message is resonating with readers just as it resonated with me the first time I learned it. Over the years my website has had thousands of visitors from more than 30 different countries, and I’ve built a business teaching plant-based nutrition and speaking on whole foods, plant-based eating for beginners. And I am just getting started.
Will you join me on this journey toward health and happiness? I have so much to teach you, and you have so much to gain. Let me show you the way.
