If you knew me, you’d know that I’ve never been vegetarian, that I make vegan jokes, and that I can cook one amazing, juicy burger. Add a bottle of red wine to share, and even the walls get jealous.
Unfortunately for me, I get bored easily. And when I get bored, I need a challenge. Last year, I spent over three days only drinking water. This year? I’ll be going on a plant-based, no processed food, no meat, no dairy, no gluten, no alcohol, no added sugar, and no artificial sweeteners diet for three whole months.
A few months ago, I met someone really inspiring. She is currently travelling the world and taking on her own set of challenges and adventures, but she also gave me the gift of recommending a book called Finding Ultra. As I read the real-life story of Rich Roll’s journey through difficult times and how he overcame them with great results—one of which involved switching to a plant-based diet focused on rejuvenating the body—I got hooked.
I love animals, and I hate animal cruelty, but not eating meat is not my personal aim here. It would be too hypocritical given that there’s a good chance I’ll go back to eating meat after this challenge. What I want to see is how my body reacts. Will there be a difference? Will I be more energetic? Will I crave meat as much as I usually do? Will I get enough protein, and will my B12 supplement be strong enough? Will I feel refreshed?
I’m going through a slow transition period this and next week, where I’ve already cut most of the foods mentioned, but the biggest difficulty is making all the homemade sauces and snacks in preparation. It sucks that even the healthy stuff in supermarkets is filled with sweeteners, preservatives, and all the other rubbish they put in, so I have to create my own hummus, almond butter, sauces, and so on. I’m also awaiting my plant-based mix of three protein sources (pea, hemp, and rice) so that I get all the amino acids the body needs.
What I’ve found, even in this transition period, is that the other big difficulty in this challenge isn’t just what you can or cannot eat, it’s the social aspect of going out to restaurants. Already, I’ve got some friends shaking their heads when I order another sparkling water in bars, and now I won’t even be able to eat out at all. The positive? I’ll save a load of money.
If this challenge goes well, my plan is to try to implement it for life, with the following caveat: follow it except for big events, trying new cultural foods, and respecting grandparents. (Slavs will know—there is no bigger shame than not finishing your grandmother’s meals.)
