One of the biggest game changers for me when I first adapted to whole food plant based nutrition was the changes in the microbial colonization of my intestinal flora. By this I mean that the replacement of meat, dairy and processed foods with plant foods also replaced the bacterial colonies that reside in my gut. It isn't something that I had ever given any consideration to in the past. I suppose "out of sight/out of mind" applied to the situation. The thing I was able to pay attention to though was the fact that I felt amazing. My energy levels were through the roof, my mental process was extra sharp and everything just seemed to have a new and special clarity. On the physical end of things my endurance and training had increased dramatically. All feeling of bloating and achiness had left me. And my digestion had become flawless. It all seemed to good to be true but it was happening and there was no denying it.
There are 100 trillion cells in your body, but 90% of the genetic material is not yours. It is from the bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms, i.e. your microflora. (link here)
It really is true that we are exactly what we eat. When I was putting processed foods in my body I was unknowingly lining my GI tract with nutrient deficient and chemically treated junk. When I was putting meat and dairy in my body I was creating flora from animal flesh or byproduct that is dead and if not organic was also swimming in hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals. Even it were organic I could be sure that it had some degree of feces and other unfavorable bacteria throughout.
The thing with microbial colonies is that when they reside in your gut they create the cravings for more of the same foods in an effort to perpetuate their existence. It is no coincidence, for instance, that when you are on a roll eating fast food that you will crave more and more fast food. Or when you have a diet heavy in meat, you will have a drive to eat meals that include meat. The same can be said for sugary foods, junk food, processed foods etc.. It will seem that nothing else has the ability to satiate your hunger/craving. Likewise, when you have made the change to a plant based program you will be driven toward plant foods and those meals will perfectly satisfy you. Meat, dairy, junk, fast and processed foods will no longer have the same appeal. I must admit that when I first changed to plant based I thought to myself that it was going to be a daily sacrifice that required major discipline....and at the very start it was. But it was only after about a week or two that I found I was quickly losing the cravings for those other foods I had eaten my entire life. After only a couple weeks an entire lifetime of habitual eating was disappearing?!?! It was nothing short of remarkable. My wife will be the first to confirm that before making this change I was adamant that every meal needed to include meat and/or dairy. Rarely did I eat a meal that didn't include meat, dairy AND processed foods. This is all while I was very committed to a daily weight training program coupled with cardiovascular training. I say that to demonstrate that it wasn't a sedentary time in my life but a time when I was unable to achieve any of the personal goals I had set for myself. I would keep adding more time and more sets to my routine but the results always came back poor. The incredulous thing I remember about all of that now is that I truly thought that I needed to add more protein (i.e. more meat/dairy) and cut carbs. I believed that I needed to cut out carbs which are the very thing our body uses as fuel and add more protein. Protein is intended for growth....I will say that again...protein is intended for growth. Unless you are still growing, taking in copious amounts of protein is going to inhibit your goals. You will grow muscle (if that's your goal) but you will also grow fat. But even more serious is that animal protein eaten in excess (which is generally the case) can grow diseases like cancer, diabetes and contribute to overall mortality. (link here)
Protein is created within the body through the amino acids that are naturally found in a variety of plant foods. A full array of colorful plant foods will ensure your body is getting a full array of amino acids which will be used to create almost all of the protein YOUR body needs specifically for YOUR needs. Any protein not created by your body will be ingested as it naturally occurs in foods such as beans, legumes, nuts, grains and (of course) plant foods. I was amazed when I came to the realization that I didn't have to orchestrate every bite of food I took... I could just let go of the wheel and let this efficient machine do the driving. So long as I was doing my part by adding the proper fuel I could just trust "the machine" to do it's work seamlessly. The fact of the matter was that the very thing standing in my way of enjoying optimum physical health was my less than optimal thinking. It was a realization that I just needed to return to my roots. To eat the plants that I am intended to eat. I am from earth and so also my food should be.
Eating solely plant foods will introduce very beneficial live enzymes and greatly improve your GI microflora but it is important to avoid "conventionally grown" plant foods and always aim for organic. Unfortunately pesticides and GMOs exist and are just as serious to your well being as the aforementioned foods here. Farmers markets are a good source of Organic foods as well as stores like Trader Joes. Most quality supermarkets will have organics on hand to some degree as well. As far as food with labels... I always say avoid them. (eat only whole foods) But if you are eating a food that has labeling always always always READ THOSE LABELS.
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