Diaries Of A Vegan: How Whole Foods Helped Me Fight Belly Fat And Acne Breakouts
Since going vegan I have eaten a more colorful and fulfilling diet that I never thought was possible. I’ve been opened up to a healthier group of food, Whole foods, that has revitalized my life, my spirit, and my love for the environment and animals.
What Are Whole Foods?
Whole foods are foods that have not been compromised in much of anyway. They tend to be the best food for the body, mind, and soul's overall health and wellness.
These foods consist of fruit, vegetables, nightshades, peppers, whole grains, pseudo-grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and anything that is still in its true form. For example, an apple picked from a tree is a whole food, but turn the apple into a pie, and you've now processed the food.
What Are Processed Foods?
Processed foods are bread, cakes, crackers, chips, soft drinks, dairy in any form: milk, butter, cream, cheeses (both vegan and dairy-based), alternative meats, meats, cookies, chicken nuggets, French fries, and any food that has been transformed from its original form.
The body is a temple, yet not many people see it as such and rely only on the sensations and cravings that the mind and taste buds create through manic, depressive, or additive states.
For instance, sugar, dairy, oils, and some fats are highly addictive and should be eliminated or used in extreme moderation for the overall health of the body.
Your body consists of trillions of cells working around the clock to keep your body functioning at optimum levels. Should you cram sugars, fatty foods, processed foods, and dairy into the body, the body essentially works overtime to process these foods inviting in stress hormones, restlessness, and strain on the organs.
Think of your diet as a rainbow of light and begin to transform the kitchen into a safe haven for health and vitality. You do this by clearing out the processed food that doesn't serve you for your highest good and invite in Light foods.
Light foods provide you with the highest nutrient content and phytonutrients direct from the sun. These light foods are whole foods, as mentioned above. This doesn't mean you have to eat completely raw. For example, heating a tomato increases the bioavailability of the lycopene. You may very well eat crackers, pastries, and slices of bread but be conscious of the ingredients that make up this chosen product. Chemical additives, artificial flavors/colors, high fructose corn syrup, dairy (seen in ingredient lists as either "milk" or "whey," and preservatives do more harm to the body than you realize.
Become a mindful consumer. When possible, buy local and organic, especially when purchasing any fragile fruits, herbs, or vegetables like berries, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, etc., to avoid heavy levels of cancer-causing pesticide residue. (You can always bathe these items in a bath of cool, filtered water with apple cider vinegar to remove pesticides or bugs, followed by a fresh rinse).
Create a kitchen for crafting a long healthy relationship for your body, mind, and soul, bringing light and vitality into your life by eating foods in their whole form.
It is wise to stay away from meat and dairy as these animal products are composed of bacteria, antibiotics, growth hormones, pus, blood, and the animal's stress hormones found in muscle tissue (meat) from the dump of cortisol during their slaughter. Animal-based foods cause stress on the body. With extensive research at Harvard University, scientists discovered many links to osteoporosis, asthma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, tumors, obesity, heart disease, kidney failure, gallstones, liver failure, stroke risk, and more associated with eating animal products by-products such as eggs and dairy. Once I was able to entirely ditch dairy products (after a detox, since dairy is addictive), I had more restful nights, more energy, no belly fat, and fewer acne breakouts. I felt truly alive!
Cortney Palm is a vegan actress and an animal rights activist living in Los Angeles, California. Follow her wellness journey on her instagram account and her website Vegan Bitch.