To Be or Not to Be Vegan

To Be or Not to Be Vegan

I have never been a vegan pusher, but when the chance came to veganize my husband for 30 days, I was overjoyed that he accepted the challenge. I wanted to see how he felt, how his overall health changed and how it changed our relationship?

My husband decided to go vegan for 30 days in honor of a local festival called Vegfest, and, maybe in honor of me too. I have been vegetarian ever since he has known me (almost 20 years) and turned vegan almost 10 years ago. He nobly walked quite a few miles in my shoes and feels great as a result!

So, what were the outcomes of this 30-day adventure? Would he stay vegan? How does he feel? What were the healthy side effects of his veggie-filled lifestyle?  What did he crave? Did he feel lethargic? I know many of you consider going vegan so here is the lowdown on how he feels, what it has changed in his and our lives and why you should fill your day with more veggies!

My husband was under the careful watch of Dr. Kristen Bentson who made sure he stuck to a healthy and nutritious 1800 calorie diet that included enough protein, carbs and fat to help him get through his long work days and crazy commutes into NYC! He never felt tired and often felt more full after eating his fiber-filled plant-based meals.

As a vegan, you tend to simplify your food intake since many foods have hidden dairy and other animal by-products. You end up needing to inspect each food label before eating. During these inspections, you begin to notice the many other hidden ingredients that plague our food: all the preservatives, chemicals and hidden sugars. My husband began to notice this as well. Going vegan didn’t just change his perspective on meat; it changed his perspective on food.

Overall, he feels great and better than ever, but unfortunately does not plan to stay vegan. However, he has eaten very little meat since he has had the option. He has chosen fish rather than meat and eats vegan the majority of the time except when dining out. This is a big change for us considering I always made him a meat and/or cheese filled entrée for dinner. He now realizes that vegan is a meal option not just an appetizer.

He is loving veggies and also now realizes how many calories are in many of his favorite non-vegan foods. He lost 17 pounds in 30 days! After he ate his first meal with meat, he said he felt like he was in a “food coma.” Not sure when he will subject himself to that again, but it was awesome that he realized the impact that food has on the body.

How often are we impacted by what we eat and what we put into our bodies, but blame it on other things? As fall approaches, take advantage of all the produce that will be available to you. If you are here with me on the East Coast, try a variety of apples, squashes, pumpkins, pears, carrots, beets, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, concord grapes, figs, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower… Have fun with it and try to go vegan for a meal, a day or maybe longer.

Laurel Attanasio is a 500-hour certified yoga/Pilates teacher and health and wellness enthusiast who wants to help people become happy, healthy and whole. She is also certified by Jessica Bellofatto and Gina Bradley to teach Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) Yoga. Laurel has also had the pleasure to study one on one with Sadie Nardini and travel with her as an assistant. She teaches classes locally in Bethlehem, PA, workshops nationally and retreats globally. She loves assisting her students in becoming stronger, relieving stress, preventing injury, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Join Laurel for her New Year, New You Yoga Retreat in Tulum. For more info visit:   Website: www.laurelattanasio.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelAttanasioYoga



10 Health-Conscious Documentaries to Watch

10 Health-Conscious Documentaries to Watch

Being quarantined at home you’ve got a lot of time on your hands. While many tend to binge-watch vapid dramas and mindless reality television, you know you could be spending your time more productively, which is why we’ve put together this list of top-rated, health-conscious documentaries that are both entertaining and informative.

We’re excited to say that Gaia’s recent merge with FMTV has added hundreds of more titles to our catalog, specifically on topics related to food and wellness, and we’ve included a number of those titles in this list.

In a time when illness and disease are running rampant, maintaining our health is paramount. So why not make use of that extra time and educate yourself on the myriad ways you can improve your wellbeing. Enjoy!

1. Stressed

A new exploration into emotional stress and its undeniable impact on humanity, STRESSED explores exciting science surrounding Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.).

The film delves into our history with stress, how we got to where we are today, and where we go from here. Featuring experts and neuroscientists, we get a fresh perspective on the effects of stress. This documentary showcases compelling evidence that this breakthrough intervention can help people to alleviate their emotional stress, as well as deeper insight into this exciting topic.

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