The Evolution Revolution - Plant Based McPeak, Week One

So I decided to try and set my self up for success and get started with a day-by-day transition to being this Plant Based person.  Keep in mind - I'm not going to call myself vegan because that could turn people off.  I'm going to be plant-based and that's how I will refer to myself.  The game plan with this is to go slowly and phase out things a little at a time.

If you've been following my blog journey this year at all, you know that this was ALWAYS the plan for 2015.  And I just didn't have the wherewithal to stick to it.  But since now I'm living in alignment with my values, sticking to things should be about me walking the walk and talking the talk.  

I joined a 30 Day Vegan Challenge from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau as part of the COWSPIRACY launch on Netflix.  She's sending a new email every day about how you can make the transition to being a plant-based person.  Day One, she says, is about "Saying Yes".  We say yes to our value of compassion, kindness, wellness, and awareness.  "What's the point in having values if they don't mainfest themselves in our behavior."  So as long as I can keep this in the FRONT of my mind, all the time, I'm going to be able to do it.  

Day One is also about not saying "NO" to anything.  Because that sounds like I'm restricting what I eat.  And that's NOT what I'm doing.  I'm just living in alignment with my values.

So, McPeak, why aren't you just starting straight up, no more animal products?  Well, because, I need this to be a journey about values and learning, so that every time I let something go, I have a valid and reasonable replacement.  That means learning more about what I should eat and finding recipes and meal planning.  

Enter Colleen's email on Day Two - and that's Stocking the Fridge.  This is going to begin taking place this weekend when Charles and I do our weekly grocery shopping.  The cart will be full of produce, fresh fruit, beans, rice, and nut-based milks.  And THAT gets us to the email for Day Three - which is about reading labels.  You can avoid having to do this as much when you buy WHOLE foods and make things like nut milks, nut cheese, and jams/sauces from scratch, but this journey of mine is a full-out Ultra Marathon, not a 100 yard dash.  There WILL be training and a game plan in making it happen.  

Colleen's Days Four and Five are all about shopping - getting to know the grocery store and shopping affordably.  I loved what she said about shopping AFFORDABLY vs. CHEAPLY.  Cheap food is that nasty processed stuff that's almost always 3 for $5 or something like that.  Reading labels is going to be important - but I also think it has to do with staying out of the aisles of the grocery store as much as possible.  Unless I'm in a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.  The outer "rim" of the grocery store is usually where the produce, deli, and breads are located - although it's also where some of the bad frozen food is as well as the bakery.  So at my local Von's I gotta navigate carefully and make sure the aisles I visit include grains and beans.  

Closing out this weekend, I think that my mindset is gearing up for what this transition is going to be like.  I spent part of this weekend talking to two friends about the plans I am making for change - and I also spent time with Charles doing the grocery shopping for the week.  When I head back to work tomorrow, it's going to be with a plan to eat no meat of any kind during this week.  I'm officially done eating meat.  While we still have cheese and sour cream in the fridge, I won't turn it down, but I won't be adding those types of meals to my menu planning (although, Charles WILL - he's not going plant-based with me just yet).  Until payday, my life will be about smoothies for breakfast, salads for lunch, and grain/green/bean bowls for dinner.  Fruit and Peanut Butter will serve as snacks.  

So - I'm ready to do the launch!  Week One, the beginning transition, is over!!  Bring on Week Two!!