I only ate plant-based whole foods for an entire month, this is how it impacted my health
I ate only plant-based whole foods for an entire month, and how I felt didn’t surprise me at all.
I challenged myself to commit to eating only plant-based whole foods at every meal, every day, for an entire month.
When I set out to do this, it was with the intention to give my digestive system a boost. According to Ayurveda, our body has an inverse relationship with outside temperatures, and as the heat intensifies this time of year the body protects itself by turning down it’s internal temperature, which makes our digestive systems much slower and weaker. As a result, our bodies tend to feel more sluggish and bloated, while bowel movements are also less regular than what we might be used to.
I know when this happens, adhering to good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle is a must.
I’ve been eating a plant-based diet for over 10 years, and it’s always been the case that I look and feel my best (and my digestion is at its best) when consuming whole foods. AKA nothing processed.
So that’s exactly what I did - for 30 days I consumed nothing but fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and avoided all things processed like faux meats, added refined sugars, white flours, processed oils, etc.
As always, I paid close attention to food quality too - eating seasonally, locally grown and organic as long as it was possible.
I also chose to include tofu and tempeh in my diet, as these are minimally processed and contain no added or artificial ingredients.
Like any elimination-style diet, it was very cool to observe the effects these changes had on my physical and mental health.
Here’s what I noticed…
My bloat disappeared almost instantly.
Before starting this challenge, I felt bloated most days - even first thing in the morning upon waking.
After just two days of committing to eat only plant-based whole foods, my bloat pretty much instantly disappeared.
Even foods that typically bothered my tummy didn’t seem to affect me (at least in moderation) - lentils, beans, garlic and onions are foods I’d written off but I ate them happily during this challenge without any issue.
This was fascinating to me, if only because I learned that what I labeled as “problem foods” for me for years, when eaten in moderation, didn’t seem to be an issue at all anymore. Instead, it was likely the processed foods that I’d cut out, which are typically loaded with sodium and gums, that were the culprit - either making things worse or not helping my digestive system at all.
My bowels were (finally) healthy and consistent.
One of the greatest benefits of a plant based whole foods diet is the abundance of fiber found in fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, which improves digestion by promoting the movement and elimination of material waste from our bodies.
With the right diet our bowels should flow right through us, with ease, on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, once summer rolled around, this stopped being the case for me. Not being able to go to the bathroom on a regular and consistent basis meant I was constantly feeling bloated and sluggish, which is not ideal to say the least.
That is, until I started this challenge.
Unless I was ovulating or menstruating, both of which affect our hormones and cause constipation (quite common), I started going to the bathroom daily again, usually within an hour or two of waking up.
While I’m certain the plant-based whole food approach contributed to this, it’s worth mentioning other good habits that help move bowels regularly - staying hydrated (like, really really hydrated - especially in the summer) and leaving a 12-16 hour window between dinner and breakfast each day, which allows the digestive system to rest and continue to function optimally.
I had way more energy.
We know that what we eat affects the way we feel.
Processed foods, even if they’re plant-based, are typically loaded with unhealthy levels of sodium, fat and added sugar.
Even though I don’t eat a lot of processed foods, when I do eat them, they hit differently than whole foods in that I don’t get anything beneficial from them, really.
Whole foods, on the other hand, are loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals and are generally nutrient dense. So eating just whole foods for 30 days, you can imagine, made me feel insanely good.
Between all of the nutrients I was getting in and the crap that I was avoiding putting in my body, I had way more energy than I’m used to in the summer - and I loved it.
Whether it was the extra nutrients, being able to go to the bathroom more regularly, or the fact that this challenge began to turn things around for me instantly, but I had way more energy and generally felt much better and less confused about my health (which, for me, is a total energy drainer).
My skin appeared brighter and more vibrant
I eat a clean enough diet most of the time to know just how important it is for healthy looking skin.
At the moment, my greatest skin concerns have to do with aging - fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage etc. The best thing for maintaining youthful skin, in my opinion, is sun protection (SPF always, a hat when I remember, and staying out of the sun when I can), hydrating serums and creams that target these concerns, and maintaining a good clean diet.
Committing to a plant-based whole foods diet for 30 days did WONDERS for my skin.
The surplus of vitamins and minerals in the foods I ate, many of which are important to skin health, gave my tired and dull looking skin a healthy, youthful glow. Leafy greens are a great dietary source of vitamin A, which encourages healthy skin cell production that can make the skin appear more firm, youthful and radiant. And all of the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables in general help neutralize and eliminate free radicals from the bloodstream to lessen the effects of environmental damage on the skin.
This challenge was a great reminder that eating plant-based whole foods can help aid just about any skin care concern. At the same time, it’s always a good idea to be mindful about other habits that affect skin health, too, like sun tanning or picking your skin. You can eat the healthiest diet in the world, but it won’t do a lick of good if you’ve got bad skincare habits.
Final Thoughts
When I decided to do to this little challenge, I didn’t have any wild expectations. My only objective was to improve my digestive health during the summer months, because I can’t stand the way a slow and weak digestive system makes me feel and impacts how I got about my day.
And it worked; my bloat disappeared almost immediately, I was going to the bathroom regularly again, my energy levels were at an all time high, and as a bonus, my skin looked a lot more vibrant and healthy.
All this is to say that this was a great reminder to consume plant-based whole foods for meals and snacks as much as possible, because when I do, I feel and look my best, and that little boost of confidence and energy helps me do better in every area of my life - not just digestion!
Before I sign off, if you feel inspired to give this a try (and I highly recommend you do!) to boost your digestion or clean up your diet in general, here are some more details and a few pointers from my journey that you might find helpful:
-Breakfast was always plain fruit, with my first real meal at 11AM or 12PM. Most nutritional experts agree that consuming fruit alone on an empty stomach is critical for proper digestion, since fruit breaks down faster than any other food group. When combined with other foods, fruits sticks in the digestive system along with the other slower digesting foods and begins to ferment. This leads to discomfort, gas, bloating and more. If you really struggle with digestion or gut issues, look into food combining - it’s hugely helpful for digestion woes.
-For lunch and dinner I mostly stuck with hearty soups and stews with a side of roasted vegetables, all of which are warm and more easily digested than raw vegetables and salads (though I had these in small amounts throughout the week as well).
-At times when I craved something sweet, a date or two stuffed with a tbsp of peanut butter and a pinch of salt always hit the spot.
-Plan to eat most meals at home. If you do decide to eat out and want to stay on track with your plan, choose a restaurant that you know can facilitate your needs. At the same time, if you want to eat out and screw the challenge for one meal - go for it. Life is all about being able to pivot, remain flexible, and learning how to motivate yourself to get back on track with good habits that make you feel your best.
If you want to try a challenge like this, but 30 days sounds like a lot, start small - try it for a day or two, or a week and see how you feel. The benefits are not limited to any amount of days - eating this way for just a single meal is incredibly nourishing and beneficial. If you need meal inspiration before you start, there are plenty of recipe to choose from on the site; most meals I share are made with just whole foods or can be modified to include only whole foods.
And don’t forget to bookmark this post to refer to it as often as you need.
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