Welcome to Plant Food Nation!
This blog is dedicated to my newfound passion for plant-based eating, nutrition, and health. My journey toward a plant-based diet began about 7 years ago, in late 2004, when I rented Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Supersize Me. That film was a huge eye-opener for me at the time (I was in my mid-20s then), and from that day forward I began taking more of an interest in the food that I ate and where it came from. Prior to watching Supersize Me, I had been eating the typical Standard American Diet (SAD) of meat, dairy, junk food, fast food, and a small amount of fruits, veggies, etc. That's just what I grew up eating, it was traditional to my family, and I didn't really know of (or think about) any other way. After seeing the film, though, I started making more conscious decisions about what I ate. I began eating a vegetarian diet (no meat or fish/seafood) for the next few years, and at one point I also stopped eating dairy products for a while. However, because I hadn't done much of my own research about vegetarianism yet, and sometimes it was just easier to eat what everyone else was eating, I eventually changed to a more "flexitarian" way of eating. Over the next year or two, though, I slowly worked my way back toward vegetarianism as I began to watch more documentaries (i.e. Fast Food Nation, King Corn, The Future of Food, Food Inc.) and read various books and articles.
In late 2009, I watched an online video of Alicia Silverstone giving a talk at a bookstore event, in which she discussed veganism, health, and her new book, The Kind Diet. Not long after, I bought her book and read it from cover to cover in a few hours. (Did I mention that I love to read?) In January of 2010, my husband and I went on a month-long vegan diet to "try it out". It was definitely challenging at first (it was especially hard for my cheese-and-bacon-loving husband....he was such a good sport!), because we were just learning about how to cook and bake without animal-based products. It was also a rather expensive experiment, because we were a bit too focused on buying and trying out different vegan-specific substitute foods (i.e. fake "cheese" and "meats" products) and snacks. For me personally, though, I really liked not eating animal-based foods, and I continued to eat a 95% vegan diet after the month was over. Thanks to my local library and the wonders of the internet, I continued to read and watch as many books, online articles/blogs, and films/videos about veganism that I could.
What started out as a new diet based on my being "grossed out by eating meat and fast food", etc., has now become about the importance of eating for my own health and the health of our planet (my previous blog was called The Green Space, and although it began as an outlet for my long-time interest in the environment and all things "green", my posts started to unintentionally take on a more food-based approach). Another eye-opening moment happened for me in 2010 when I was introduced to the term "plant-based diet" after reading The Engine 2 Diet and later watching the film, Forks Over Knives (2011). My focus on what I didn't/couldn't eat (any and all animal-based foods and ingredients) on a vegan diet has shifted toward one of what I can eat (any and all fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds) on a whole foods, plant-based diet. Although I consider myself to be a plant-based "newbie" (I continue to work on eating even more fresh veggies/fruits and less processed foods), I've learned a lot over the past couple of years, and I'm so excited to be able to share what I've discovered (and continue to discover) about the power of eating a "plant-strong" diet.
Thanks for visiting! :)
Emily
