Tips and Tricks to Making the Shift To a More Plant Based Lifestyle in 2017

With winter just around the corner, we need to be loading our diet with vitamins and minerals for an added immune boost. Considering these health benefits as well as the opportunity to save money and help the environment, a plant-based lifestyle shift is just what we need to thrive in 2017.

Here are some tips and tricks to make the shift from our plant-based chef and wellness expert Julie Piatt:

• Be prepared
  It’s easy to avoid meat if you already have substitutes in the fridge. Designate one day a week for stocking and rotating your refrigerated food, and treat this as a consistent ritual. Make sure to include as many green foods as possible!
  
• Order your favourites
  When eating out, request your favourite meals using meatless substitutes. Exchange a burger patty for a veggie patty, try pasta with mushrooms instead of mince, add chickpeas to your salad instead of chicken/fish. You might find that you feel just as full after substituting other protein sources while saving a few dollars on the bill!
  
• Experiment with tasty new substitutes
  Don’t tell your brain that you are “giving up meat forever” as this can have a negative backlash in your prefrontal cortex. Instead, experiment with substituting meat for beans/tofu/eggplant for one meal a day. Perhaps eventually you will shift to two meat-free and packaged-free meals per day.
  
• Load up on veggies
  With a little planning, you can double your veggie intake by switching a few critical food items. Try switching taco shells for lettuce leaves or pasta for zucchini noodles.
  
• Experiment with new recipes that have similar tastes and textures to your favourite foods.
  For example, our new book The Plantpower Way contains several recipes for delicious plant-based meals like lasagna, stews, enchiladas, curries, macro biotic bowls, chilli, beet soup, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, tempeh loaf, etc.
  
• Surround yourself with like-minded people.
  Any expert will confirm this is critical for sticking with a new habit. There is an upcoming opportunity to connect with other plant-based foodies at the event, Living the Plant Powered Way (more info below).

Julie believes that a plant-based lifestyle is central to avoiding disease and healing existing ailments. Through embracing a plant-based diet complemented by a deep meditation practice, Julie Piatt healed herself of a large cyst in her neck, which doctors diagnosed as an incurable ailment. This experience gave her an intimate connection to food, and proved to her the miraculous ability of the body to heal itself when supported with pure whole living foods and a connection to the soul.

The benefits of this lifestyle extend far beyond the health benefits. The greatest gift awaiting you after embracing a plant-based lifestyle is a clear head and a deeper connection to your heart’s truest desires. This lifestyle of eating non-processed whole foods closer to their natural state will reconnect you with your authentic self.

ABOUT JULIE

Julie Piatt, is an international author, podcast host, plant based chef, motivational speaker, meditation guide, yoga teacher & singer. She and her husband Rich Roll (rated as one of the fittest men of all time) will be hosting upcoming events in Sydney and Melbourne where they will be discussing this topic in more depth.