Life and Times of a Newbie Vegetarian - Part 5

I have some fun conversations with people these days about my diet (noun) and I find it slightly amusing how curious they are but believe they could never "eat like that" and they have a lot of excuses as to why they can't. My challenge to this way of thinking is why not? If you really want to feel better, why not change what you eat? Why is the "fastest" solution always a radical diet (verb) or a pill? Neither of these approaches are sustainable over time. Just ask anyone who's ever tried to lose weight this way. Making a lifestyle change that includes a balanced approach to food and exercise is the only sustainable approach, in my opinion.

And something else to think about...We have become a society that is perpetually "in a hurry". Always looking for a speedier way to get what we want whether that is losing weight or simply grabbing a meal on the go because we have no time to stop and enjoy our food. Preparing good food at home takes longer if you are foregoing the convenience of the packaged food. I think this addiction we have to speed may be a large part of the problem. Processed foods that you can prepare by only adding water are typically not going to be good for you. They are high in sodium and various preservatives which our bodies don't need. The daily maximum allowance for sodium is 2300 mg according to the CDC, with 1500 mg being the recommendation. Most Americans consume on average 3436 mg of sodium. Our bodies only need a very small amount 180-500 mg to function properly. High intakes of sodium lead to high blood pressure which can be attributed to more than 40,000 deaths annually. (Source: CDC)

Eating a plant-based diet is one way to reduce sodium in our diets, as long as you don't feel the need to over-salt during the cooking process!  I believe we can reverse the effects of nearly every disease through a proper, balanced diet. We just need to be open to changing our eating habits.

Today's foods included: 
Breakfast - maple and brown sugar oatmeal
Snack - greek yogurt and frozen fruit
Lunch - leftover tofu and spinach enchiladas (maybe even better than last night!)
Snack -  almond joy candy bar, snack size; peanut butter toast w/banana, protein shake and spark before the gym
Dinner - Beet burger and watermelon
 (Just for the record, today I went over my sodium allowance by 754...must do better tomorrow!)