by Stephanie Bucklin, Originally posted 7/1/2017
Why I decided to go organic in 2012
It all started when I attended a Label GMO talk at Ventura College in the Spring of 2012, and learned all about the dangers of Genetically Modified Organisms. Prior to that talk, I had no idea the food industry was modifying my food’s DNA. I knew pesticides were bad, but that talk opened up my student-mind to dive into more information. I read the book, The Gerson Therapy: The Proven Nutritional Method for Cancer and Other Illnesses. This book opened my eyes about the power of plant-based foods to heal Cancer. That semester at VC, we also had several speakers on GMO’s, Veganism, and Organic Foods, including Catie Wyman (Energy Essentials & Catie’s Kitchen), Gary Yourofsky (adaptt.org & The Best Speech You Will Ever See on YouTube), and Bianca Martinez (Compassionate Eating – Vegan Catering & Cooking Classes). From each of these folks, I learned that plant-based super food nutrition could be a powerful link to optimal health. By May of 2012, I was convinced that going organic and becoming vegan would be a path to my health…but I had no idea it would lead to so much weight loss! Here’s what I’ve learned in the process.
My Perspective on Organic Foods
Fresh fruit salads, smoothies, and snacking on whole summer fruits like apricots, peaches, cherries and pears are my absolute favorite experiences of summer. I look forward to these sweet fruits every year! What I love about organic food is the flavor explosion you get when you eat it. If you haven’t already tried it, do a taste test. Try tasting the difference between organic and nonorganic bananas – you’ll be amazed at how much more flavorful the organic banana is! Organic food is said to be of a higher quality and nutritional content is better. Nutrient density became one of my focuses when I discovered Super Foods – I learned that I could get amazing nutrition by choosing super foods in my recipes.
Non-GMO is as Important as Organic
Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s are everywhere. You must know where to look in order to avoid them. Non-organic produce is likely to be covered with pesticides, waxes, and other chemical toxins. Some genetically modified produce has pesticides inside the plant – those types, you can’t wash off! In the produce section at your grocery store, you can identify organic produce by their code on the sticker – organic produce starts with a 9. If you’re at a Farmers Market, you might have to ask the farmer if they use organic methods to grow their fruits or veggies. Many organic processed foods in the stores now have a “Non-GMO” label, making it easier to identify them.
Vegan, Organic, At Least 50% Raw, and Other “Rules” So, when I went organic, I also went vegan. In the process of becoming plant-based, I learned so much about plant-based nutrition that I wanted to share it with everyone. I still share this knowledge today! I believe in the power of whole plant-based organic nutrition.
Because I started my journey with knowledge, I decided to make certain rules for myself to make my choices easier:
1) All Organic – No Excuses
If it’s not organic, it’s not for me. I avoided anything not labeled organic and didn’t buy non-organic produce at all. If I couldn’t find it in organic, I didn’t buy it. Yes, this meant spending a few more dollars on the organic choices. What I found in the long run was that shopping for a vegan diet was much cheaper than a non-vegan diet.
2) At Least 50% Raw Foods
This meant adding raw fruit or veggies to every meal. Basically, half my plate was raw, and the other half was cooked. For example, I’ll cut up an avocado or tomato. I’ll serve the meal with raw carrot slices or celery. Now, this didn’t mean I couldn’t do 100% raw – one of my favorite meals is salad! My favorite salads have up to 15 different vegetables in them. Adding raw nuts, seeds, legumes and dried fruit make a delicious salad that much more enjoyable.
3) No More Animal Products – Totally Vegan
I began learning all the secret names for animal products in ingredient lists. Here’s a short list of those sneaky ingredients: Albumen, Allantoin, Caprylic Acid, Casein, Collagen, Cystine, Elastin, FD&C Food Colors, Gelatin, Guanine, Keratin, Lactose, Lanolin, Lard, Lecithin (unless stated plant-based), Musk (oil), Oleic Acid, Panthenol, Rennet, Retinol, Sodium Caseinate, Stearic Acid, Tallow, Carbamide, and Whey. Here’s a Complete List – includes the animal sources & suggested alternatives.
4) Avoid Toxins at All Costs
Removing processed foods made this easier to do. Once I started removing food toxins from my diet, I could see a difference in the way my body was processing the whole foods I was consuming. The top ten food ingredients and additives I avoided included: Palm Oil, White Flour/Sugar/Bread/Pasta, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Sweeteners (especially Aspartame – Nutrasweet, Equal; Saccharin – Sweet N Low, Sugar Twin; and Sucralose – Splenda), Food Colorings (such as Blue #1 and 2; Green #3; Red #3 and #40; Yellow #5 and 6), Preservatives (like Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Benzoate, BHA and BHT), Sodium Nitrates / Nitrites, and Monosodium Glutamate.
5) Take It Easy – Focus on Abundance
Instead of thinking I was removing all these foods that I loved (back then, Filet Mignon was one of my favorite meals), I allowed my focus to be on ADDING new foods and recipes on a regular basis. I did web searches for meat-based foods with “vegan” in the search bar, such as Vegan Chili, Vegan Spaghetti, Vegan Tacos, Vegan Cheese, and Vegan Pancakes. What I learned in this process is that some recipe sources are great, while others leave a little to be desired. It helped a lot to experiment with recipes and not be hard on myself when something didn’t come out right.
A Plant-Based Diet Can Help with Weight Loss
“New research from the Physicians Committee shows a plant-based vegetarian diet is an easy way to help you lose weight without counting calories.” (PCRM.org)
You may have noted my hint of surprise when I started to realize a plant-based diet could lead to weight loss. I was truly astounded at how easily weight was dropping off my body, just by making vegan choices. I have deduced that my body had been lacking good nutrition for so long, that when I finally brought in all those organic whole, plant-based, and superfood nutrients, my body was finally achieving homeostasis. I was no longer putting my body into a “feast or famine” cycle, and my body systems finally relaxed, allowing the fat to dissolve. I’ve since learned that there’s a lot more science behind it. One of my favorite resources in the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM.org) – Check out PCRM’s Blog here
What happened to my body? When I started my journey, I weighed over 265 lbs. Over a two-year span, I lost over 115 pounds. This is weight that I had gained in my teens and twenties, through high school and into my 9-year work history in Corporate America. I am fully aware that sitting on my ass too much, rarely exercising, and eating what I call “shit food” (i.e. fast food and junk food) is what lead to my weight gain. I was a chubby kid and started with a self-image of shame as a teenager. I ate my pain over the years. So as I lost this weight, I found myself releasing my pain. I remember a yoga session where during savasana (final relaxation), I distinctly felt SHAME leave my body. This was a beautiful, cathartic experience.
The other thing that happened along this journey was a (surprising) removal of stress. What I’ve since learned is that high levels of magnesium, calcium and vitamin C allow the muscle systems to relax, thereby relieving physical stress on the body. By improving my nutritional intake, I improved my body’s ability to handle stress. This was a pleasant surprise!
As I became thinner, I found myself looking for new ways to exercise. I tried hiking, crossfit training, Pilates, dance, and cycling. I bought a bike and started riding more often. I learned how to have an active lifestyle. I enjoy living in places with stairs (like townhouses), and I find myself going up and down the stairs 20 to 30 times in a day. In jobs that were mostly sedentary, I enjoyed going for walks on my lunch hour or taking a yoga class after work.
Here’s a Great “How to Become Vegan” Introductory Video
I love using YouTube for resources. There are so many people sharing their vegan journey there!
Resources for Becoming Plant-Based
What I absolutely loved about becoming vegan was the abundance of resources on the subject. There are thousands of cookbooks, recipe blogs, and websites dedicated to this journey!
Here are a few of my favorite veggie cookbooks:
Vegan Vittles
Forks Over Knives – The Cookbook
Vegetarian Times Cookbook
Here are some of my favorite recipe blogs:
The Minimalist Vegan
OhSheGlows
I Love Vegan
Raw Food Recipes
Here are my favorite Vegan or Plant-Based websites:
PCRM.org – The Power of Food for Health
Dr. Michael Gregor – NutritionFacts.org
Reboot With Joe
Finally, here is one of my favorite Plant-based Superfood Products:
BOKU Super Food – Vegan Super Foods, Matcha Green Tea, Shakes & Supplements (located in Ojai, CA)
~S
UPDATE 2020
I started a Plant-Based Weight Loss Challenge on August, 5 2020.
I created a Facebook Group, which you can join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/586829508670352
And I started creating a weekly video blog on YouTube, called Wellness Wednesdays with Stephanie. Here’s my first episode, discussing the plant-based weight loss challenge and my intention to share my progress each month:
