Success stories are so inspirational. Seeing normal people that have completely turned around their health and altered the trajectory of their entire lives really motivates me. It helps me understand that anyone can be healthier. We are not victims of our genes. We can be healthy even if we have obesity and disease in our families. As Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn says, “Your genes load the gun, but your diet pulls the trigger.” My journey is not nearly as dramatic as many stories that I’ve seen, but I certainly experienced a significant improvement in my quality of life when I switched to a plant-based diet.
Plant-based Diet Journey
In 2013, the paleo diet had become incredibly popular and I jumped on the wagon. My symptoms came on slowly, so I didn’t immediately recognize that my diet shift was causing issues. I had never had an easy menstrual cycle, but it was becoming even worse. I started experiencing increased cramping and pain associated with pre-menstrual syndrome. Painful, fatiguing PMS would last for nearly two weeks. When my cycle arrived, the bleeding was incredibly heavy. I even became anemic.
My doctor was concerned that the symptoms could be tied to cancer. So, she subjected me to a uterine biopsy, a trauma from which I have still not recovered. Fortunately, the biopsy was negative for cancer, but I still had horrible symptoms. My doctor didn’t really have any other ideas and advised me to keep taking iron supplements and to continue monitoring with blood work.
Menstrual Cycle and Plant-based Diet
I wish I could say that the light bulb came on immediately, but it didn’t.
After watching Forks Over Knives in 2015, I was motivated to change my diet primarily due to the cardiovascular health promises and weight loss. To my surprise, I also got the added benefit of having the symptoms associated with my menstrual cycle, relieved. And when I say that my symptoms were “relieved”, I mean they reduced dramatically, well below what they had been prior to my paleo experiment. To this day, I experience minimal cramping, my iron levels are back to normal (without supplementation), and my use of feminine products has reduced significantly.
Why are Vegetables Good for You
For some of you this may be TMI, but I think it’s important to talk about these symptoms that are suffered needlessly, so that it may help someone else. On the other side of the coin, cases abound of men who suffered from erectile dysfunction that was corrected with a plant-based diet. A plant-based diet offers a multitude of benefits from losing weight to controlling ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Vegan Success Stories
There are so many inspiring stories that include healing of:
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Obesity
- Kidney Disease
I encourage you to read through a few. You’ll even see stories of doctors who have used a plant-based diet to alter their own health journeys.
If you’re ready to get started on your own journey to plant-based eating, Nutrition Studies has a great introductory resource. We always recommend discussing major diet changes with your health care provider.
Give it a try, replacing meat with more veggies, grains and fiber for a month, can’t hurt. Let your vitality, health and energy be the judge!
