How to Take the Stress Out of Plant-Based Eating
If you're looking for information on healthy plant-based eating, the internet makes it both very easy and super confusing.
We can find more information than ever, which is a good thing...right?
The problem is that it's very challenging to determine what information is good and helpful and what is junkier than the food it's telling us to eat.
It blows my mind to see how many wild and crazy nutrition claims are being made on YouTube, social media, and even the comment sections of my videos!
Did you know that, according to some, carrots aren't food?
Or that eating oatmeal or rice will give you diabetes and destroy your metabolism?
Or that tofu is a secret killer that somehow only targets Americans (because they seem to be doing just fine over in Japan...)?
As a regular person trying to do your best, coming into contact with all of these claims can feel:
Overwhelming.
Frustrating.
Like getting hit the face with an avalanche of "facts".
And if that's the case, it makes it almost impossible to develop a healthy eating plan that works for your personal situation.
Because every time you turn on your phone or computer there's another rule to follow.
And if there are too many rules, what happens?
We start ignoring them.
They become useless, toothless, and we return to our old (often unhealthy habits).
But what if there was one rule that could take most of the stress out of healthy eating?
What if a simple idea could cut through all of this BS and give you peace of mind, so you can get back to eating well and living your best life?
Thankfully, that idea exists.
And I can't take credit for it. I actually came across it when reading an article by Michael Easter.
It's called the Oatmeal Principle.
And here's how it works:
If there is a food that has been sustaining human civilizations for thousands of years, it's probably fine to eat in moderation.
This could go for a whole host of foods.
Oatmeal. Rice. Potatoes. Grains. You name it.
All of those foods that get demonized in weird corners of YouTube, like spinach or broccoli, are perfectly fine because if they weren't - how did societies grow and thrive with those as staples in their diets?
Another good example of this is corn. I'm always hearing about how bad corn is.
And yet the Iroquois in the Northeast US relied in many ways on corn, beans, and squash, as well as wild game, to sustain their nutrition.
In fact, corn was seen as one of the "Three Sisters", which provided essential nutrients when combined.
It's so easy nowadays to get down a rabbit hole and lose the forest for the trees.
Which is why I'm encouraging you to pick your head up and look around every once in awhile. Look at populations, societies, and cultures that have been growing and thriving for generations. Then ask yourself, "If they've been eating oatmeal all of this time, are they really surviving in spite of it?"
Now, obviously, there is nuance here.
You shouldn't just eat oatmeal.
You need more than rice.
Fried potatoes are terrible for you.
But, in general, the Oatmeal Principle invites us to use our common sense in a nutrition world that is becoming increasingly devoid of it.
My hope is that this relieves some stress you may have been feeling about eating certain foods. And then, with a relaxed mind, you can go ahead and do your best to fill your plate with a variety of whole plants so you can live a vibrant, healthy life.
Here's more about how the Oatmeal Principle can be used in your daily eating decisions
And if you're looking for a complete system that teaches you how to become your own nutrition coach and develop a plan that works for your life, body, and tastes, check out The Plant-Based Success Academy. It's the most practical, empowering, and life-changing nutrition course online. Hands down.
So if you're ready to ditch these outrageous fads and create a plan that actually works, I'd love to have you as my student.
