After learning about a nutritarian diet, one of our followers and friends, Jennie, decided to embark on a challenge to try this style of healthy eating for 6 weeks. She’s two weeks into her challenge, and below are her thoughts on how it’s going!
From Jennie:
Two weeks ago I began a six week nutritarian journey. And, I have to say, my life has changed for the better.
Full disclosure: I was vegan already when I started, so I did not have to give up meat and dairy in addition to sugar, oil, and “white” carbs. So, I think I probably had an easier time on the diet than most people do at the beginning. That being said, I also probably did not lose as much weight as most people do at the beginning (although I still lost eight pounds in two weeks!).
Days one through three were probably the hardest. I was constantly hungry. Even though I ate what seemed like a ton of food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I was starving between each meal. By day four I wasn't dying of hunger between breakfast and lunch, but I was still hungry before dinner time. At the end of week one, I realized that I just wasn't eating enough at lunch to hold me over.
Packing more for lunch made this challenge a thousand times easier. I now eat a pound of raw veggies and a cup of beans for lunch alone! The first day I packed that much it seemed like an impossible amount of food to eat, but I managed and I felt full until 7 o'clock that night (our typical dinner time). I haven't looked back since. Plus, it's fun to hear all of the “wow, that's a huge salad!” comments at lunch.
Dinners have been interesting... a lot of the recipes I found online turned out to be really bland. Being part of a family that is used to using a lot of spices in our meals (including salt), we struggled with the taste of the food. So we started emptying our spice rack onto the kitchen table before every meal for easy access to better tastes. I've learned to look for recipes that have a lot of spices in the ingredients list (Healthy Food Now has a ton of them!). Also, no-salt seasoning helps a lot.
Oddly enough, I haven't been craving sweets too much (which is surprising, seeing as I was a very unhealthy vegan who often ate Oreos, soy ice cream, and vegan donuts). My taste seems to have shifted already, and a piece of fruit at the end of each meal is sweet enough for me.
At the end of the first two weeks, I am still excited about this challenge. I feel better physically, have more energy, don't feel bloated, and no longer get the “3 o'clock slump” at work. Plus, I've lost eight pounds and my clothes are fitting better already (all without doing any kind of exercise). I am already recommending this diet to everyone in my family. Honestly, I think everyone should try it!
Here’s what a typical day of meals looks like for me:
-
Breakfast: a smoothie with kale, banana, frozen fruit (about two servings), and a tablespoon of flax seed. Yes, I drink the entire blender for breakfast.
-
Lunch: a huge salad with greens, raw veggies (carrots, peppers, celery, etc), a cup of beans, and a little bit of balsamic vinegar for dressing. A piece of fruit for dessert.
-
Dinner: a huge bowl or two of crockpot chili (beans, tomatoes, squash, mushrooms, peppers) and fruit for dessert. If I didn't finish my pound of veggies for lunch, I'll finish it at dinner (that doesn't happen often).
Follow Jennie’s journey on our Instagram account!
