Eating by Way of the Power Plate

A low-fat, plant-based lifestyle does not require adherence to a complicated set of rules and does not require counting calories, fat grams or anything else. It also does not require you to starve yourself which we all know only leads to an eventual binge as our survival mechanism kicks in. The most appealing aspect of this lifestyle for me is that I can eat a larger quantity of food than I would be able to on a traditional "diet." This is because the foods are calorie dilute, not calorie dense.  Their high fiber and low fat content fills me up much sooner for fewer calories so that I feel satisfied, not starved.

This truly is a lifestyle, not a short-term diet that returns short-term results. Traditional diets impose artificial eating conditions, whether it be calorie restriction or diet shakes or pills that replace meals. It's impossible to live like that forever, and eventually the yo-yo syndrome rears its ugly head and you gain all of your weight loss back and more. What is so amazing about this way of eating is that if you are currently at an ideal weight and your overall health status is good, then it will help you to effortlessly maintain this. However, if you are heavier than you'd like to be or are challenged with a health condition, living this way will help you to drop the extra weight and better fight or even resolve the health condition. The more I research, the more diseases, disorders, and conditions I come across that sound, scientific studies have found can improve, often dramatically, from this eating pattern. If you do have a health condition, I recommend that you let your doctor know about your plans to change your eating pattern as your health is likely to improve fairly quickly and he may need to reduce any medications you are on as a result.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a consortium of physicians that have been at the forefront of promoting the prevention of and fight against disease with nutrition, announced the Power Plate in the Spring of 2009. It exemplifies just how easy it is to follow this way of life. The plate is divided into four sections: whole grains, legumes, fruit, and vegetables. Minimize added vegetable oils and that's all there is to remember.

Eating by way of the Power Plate provides all of the essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and healthy fats that you need to thrive with the exception of one vitamin. Vitamin B12 is created by bacteria. In today's sterile environment where everything is thoroughly cleaned before it is eaten, these bacteria are washed away. It exists in animal products because animals don't eat in such a bacteria-free environment. Many foods are fortified with vitamin B12 such as non-dairy milks and cold cereals. If you have any concern that your B12 intake is insufficient, a non-animal supplement can be taken.

I am a Plant-Based Nutrition Counselor, a graduate of Cornell University's plant-based nutrition program, and am board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  I help people to achieve their wellness goals by providing them with the tools that they need to gain control over their health.  I hope you enjoy my blogs.  If you would prefer individualized assistance with your weight, with a chronic, degenerative disease, with other health and wellness aspirations, or if you would like me to speak to a group, please give me a call at 724.469.0693 or email me at traceyeakin@gmail.com to arrange a time.

I can personally attest to this lifestyle.  The results are nothing short of dramatic.  I had been a vegetarian for 20 years when 3 years ago I adopted an entirely plant-based lifestyle.  Since that time, I have lost over 50 pounds and have kept it off and resolved an autoimmune condition known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP.  My body was attacking and destroying my platelets.  I could have faced platelet transfusions or the removal of my spleen.  A low-fat, plant-based lifestyle changed everything for me.  My goal is to help as many people as possible to make similar positive changes in their lives.