Column: Live Longer, Live Stronger — "A Short Guide to Getting Started on Your Health Journey"

I love speaking to groups, and at the end of a presentation, there are often individuals who ask me, “How do I get started?” I always hand out the Plantrician Project’s “Plant-based Nutrition Quick Start Guide;” it’s filled with so much good information! But it is 42 pages long, and some people are looking for a really quick start guide. So, I’ve developed this shorter version on how to transition to a plant-based diet to live longer and live stronger:

__1. Put your “why” on a note__ where you will see it every day, such as on your bathroom mirror or computer screen. Why do you want to feel better, function best, reduce pain, have more clarity, improve mental health, live longer, contribute more? How bad do you want it? How bad do you want to feel good and look good?

__2. Search the internet for whole-food, plant-based recipes.__ Great resources are “Forks Over Knives,” “The Simple Veganista” and www.Nutritionfacts.org. Let’s face it: Most of us fix five or six things over and over again, so a cookbook with 200 recipes is overwhelming. Look for a few you know you’ll love to start with, then build more.

__3. Plan your start date,__ and map out the coming four months — or four weeks if you’re planning to complete the plan quickly. Get an old-fashioned calendar or go to www.print-a-calendar.com so it’s visual as you cross the days off. This journey is easy for some, harder for others, and having a record of your success every day will help.

__4. Find a buddy__ who has already been on the journey or is willing to go on it with you. Support is key, especially from your family. Remember: You influence everyone around you. When you’re eating out and friends comment on what you’re eating or not drinking and you tell them how much better you feel since making the changes, you’ll make a difference in their lives.

__5. Look at your typical week:__ When is a good time you can shop and prep for the week? Practice “preventative scheduling,” where you plan ahead and schedule these high priorities of your health! We all do better when we can act rather than react and be purposeful, not responsive. Again, “How bad do you want to feel good?”

__6. Learn to love beans!__ Add sugar-snap peas, peas, every color of beans and lentils to dishes and salads, put hummus in your wraps and add beans to your smoothies to make them really smooth!

__7. Add one new vegetable and fruit__ into your grocery cart every week, something you’ve never eaten or rarely do. Fresh is ideal, frozen is good and canned is least desirable, due to additives. Think about the plant foods you already love or at least like. Which grains, vegetables, seeds, nuts and beans do you already eat? Lean into them more, and add them to other dishes.

__8. Less salt, oil and sugar (SOS)__ is best! If you purchase items with added salt, the milligrams of sodium should not exceed the number of calories. And rather than using a sweetener such as sugar or sugar substitutes, use dates, date sugar, all-fruit jam or pure maple syrup. Don’t cook with oil; maybe drizzle it on veggies or salads … a little.

For more nutrition advice, go to www.NutritionFacts.org, then “Resources” and select “Guides and Handouts.” Scroll down to the link “Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen.” There’s a great app also, if that is helpful to you. Keep the list in front of you every day to add the healthiest choices.

Stay tuned for next month, when we’ll map out a plan for how you can transition away from unhealthy foods to eating foods that will help you feel your best!

Cheryl Mothes is a natural health nutrition counselor who loves helping others realize the impact nutrition can have on living their best, as well as preventing and reversing disease. She and her husband Rick Hetzel own Fresh Healthy Café to offer healthy food choices to the community.