Whole Food Plant Based Diet Woke
I have triumphantly shifted from the Standard American Diet (referred to as SAD) that I’ve been indoctrinated into for 41 years and 8 months. The shift is to a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet lifestyle, which excludes all animal and dairy products and extremely minimizes highly processed foods. People rightly associate a lifestyle that excludes animal and dairy as vegan, but the distinction to be made is the extreme reduction of even highly processed foods. I consume vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds that are in their whole natural form or very close to it. So, how did I become Whole Food Plant Based Diet woke?
I can’t truly say it was directly related to the informative movies pertaining to the topic on SAD.
Seeking Truth
I definitely think movies give a good nudge and assist in making it poignantly clear once the light is turned on. My turning point was actually seeking truth in another area. I was seeking my African paternal lineage. The paternal is the male Y chromosome linkage. At times, I think we subconsciously have hold ups that prevent us seeing things bare. I submitted my DNA test to African Ancestry. What I discovered is not what I expected especially if you are looking at something as superficial as skin color. It is so easy for us to judge things on the surface, but when you do a little digging what you find may shake what you thought to be fundamental truth.
I was most certain my paternal links originated somewhere in Africa; however, my DNA test results stated it was not so. It was of European descent in Spain. What was also funny, we were scheduled to go to Spain on a cruise later in October after I’d received those results in July. I’m black, my father is black, his father is black, his father’s father was black, but they didn’t originate in Africa. This took my breath away. Not only did it take my breath away, but I believe it lifted a veil which allowed me to subconsciously examine other assumptions I might hold as true differently.
Food Started to Look Different!
This was July, but subconsciously I think I was still processing this, and fast forward to August. My wife and I go to Franklin’s BBQ in Austin and have the best brisket I’ve ever had. It was literally after that weekend, I’ve resolved not to have another morsel of animal flesh. I haven’t either. Some dairy has gotten in by choice from me being flexible while we were on a cruise. All what was said in those movies just became all the more compelling when you are focused on optimal health. Couple that with the fact of what you see happening in your own health and that of family and friends.
I think one thing about me is my willingness to see from another viewpoint with humility. I’m not one to think my view is above reproach or I know it all. I’m open to learning. Also, I believe I’m processing all the current information without bias as I come to the conclusion WFPB lifestyle is the way to go.
What Was Optimal Health?
I had already starting seeking optimal health and began a list of all the vitamins and minerals listed in Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and which foods provided the most. I was going to start incorporating those in my diet on daily basis to see how my body would respond. This was pre-July, but hadn’t gotten traction all the way into action. Well, its action now translated into a WFPB lifestyle. The only thing I supplement is B12 and DHA/EPA from blue/green algae. Not only is this diet optimal for nutrition and wellness, but also the most sustainable for the planet “we” live on. 
Compared to SAD, risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and just keep going down the list of top American chronic conditions are negligible. If WFPB lifestyle is adopted, there was actually a risk reduction of developing these conditions. Places which were once free of these conditions, when the SAD pops up, so do these conditions. So, there is a correlation that it’s the diet. So, with veil lifted from my eyes, how am I to deny scientific evidence and live with alternative facts? It may be more comfortable to do what’s normal, but what’s normal doesn’t make it right. Think slavery!
During the time since starting WFPB lifestyle, my metrics are as follows:
Blood Pressure ⇓
LDL Cholesterol ⇓
Total Cholesterol ⇓
A1C (in range)
Weight ⇓ 8 lbs.
Inflammation ⇓
Joint Pain ⇓
Energy ⇑
Strength ⇑
In Closing
So, where I’m at now is settling into this new lifestyle, getting more education, support because the haters and crabs are abundant. I’m just praying, God-willing, that the 41 years of SAD hasn’t done irreparable harm that each new passing day I cannot atone for by consuming a WFPB diet. I hope along with others that made this step before me to be a continual example and advocate on what the difference between healthy nutrition looks like as we age as opposed to the default SAD.
You can and should shift from SAD and you’ll increase your chances of continually having the fulfillment and vibrancy you expect to have in life. I guess the question is what is going to be that moment of truth that the veil is lifted for you and you see things bare?
