The study for whether or not a strict Vegetarian diet would work has now come to a close. It’s been an interesting month seeing the changes in my body, attitude, and overall well being. The biggest change I have seen is the ridicule and outright hatred for choosing to eat a certain way. In the past month I have never been judged as much as I have been in my life. Most of this criticism has been from those who have no regard to their health in terms of the proper diet and nutrition. One great thing to note is how great the Vegetarian/Vegan community is and how they continue to encourage and
share new stories, recipes and examples of others who have made the switch
to a healthier diet.



This study was not meant to convince anyone that they should switch to vegetarian/vegan eating styles. In the end it’s a person’s choice whether or not they are going to begin their own research on what foods do to their body. For me the results can’t be argued in terms of my physical well being and the great benefits it has had on my attitude. After a month of not eating any animal products I can tell you that I have not once had a craving for any animal products. I haven’t wanted cake, steak, burgers or anything else made of or containing animal products. There has been such a great increase in vegan alternatives that it has been easy for me to do the switch.

What’s happened over the past month

In the past month I’ve gained muscle mass in my chest while losing half a percent of fat which hasn’t occurred for a couple of months into my diet. I’ve been told countless times while doing this study that I must be starving, but I’ve had more of an opportunity to have my palette expanded, not restricted. I now enjoy eating raw vegetables like cucumbers, celery, carrots and green peppers raw, without any condiment aids straight from the store. Never before could I enjoy such a light snack and actually get cravings for these foods.

Some say they would rather eat the sweets and die happy. I say I want to run and play with my children, have joints that work, I want to be able to avoid cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. I want to see my grandkids grow up and be able to play with them while I age. I want to age gracefully, not have my body tear me apart. I’m in control of my body, the food industry isn’t, I’ve learned that this past month. Eating only whole foods and plants has helped me see how much say the food industry has in our every day lives. If you think you aren’t addicted to sugar, meat, or fat, try doing this “diet” for a month and see how you do. Most aren’t willing to try it because they think it’s pointless, it’s not pointless in fact it could be the difference between you having early onset diabetes or not.

I’ve found the joy of natural foods. The food that is naturally here for us and doesn’t hurt the environment, doesn’t hurt or abuse animals, and above all doesn’t hurt my body. I’m not asking everyone to make a switch as drastic as mine, I’m asking you to watch what you eat. This can be started by simply watching your caloric intake, and making sure you only have good calories, not bad. Watch the videos below that I’ve posted, see what the professionals and critics are saying about what the food industry is doing to our country and more importantly, you. I ask that after you watch the videos posted, and do a little research yourself to seriously think about the consequences of what the food is doing to your body. I’m not telling you to be a Vegan or even a Vegetarian. I’m asking you to think about that big mac, or whopper you put into your mouth.

My conclusion / my choice

If you haven’t guessed it by now, yes I’ve chosen to stay a strict vegetarian for my life time. What does this mean? This means that I will not eat animal products, I will not eggs, milk, meat, whey or any other animal products put into food. I’m not only going to be a strict vegetarian, I choose to eat whole natural foods, this means that the foods need to be as natural as possible, cereals that I eat must be whole nuts, grains and natural sugars. Most meals I eat will have come straight from the ground. This includes my bans on sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. Keep in mind I will occasionally choose to eat home made sweets like dark chocolate covered strawberries and things like that. I choose not to eat any products that have chemically altered sugars or plain sugars in them. Too many people are dying from diabetes and other food related diseases. I can’t sit idly by and allow it to happen to me.

Starting this study a month ago I never thought that my choice to just do a study would change so much of what I believe about nutrition, about the ways I look at food and people. I believe our body is the most precious thing we have, it’s the only one we have, and we have to live with it for our entire life. We don’t get to trade it in for another, we’re stuck with what we’ve got. I would rather at the end of my days choose to be chemically killed in a matter of minutes than to live my life not being able to run with my children because I chose not to eat right.

Changing your eating habits is a change in priorities

I will be honest, it’s not cheap to live the way I live. It has cost me over double my normal food budget to switch to eating whole and natural foods. This is an investment in your future, more than your car, more than your cable, more than your internet. Switching to a healthy life takes effort and money. Instead of owning the premium channels on your cable, choose to buy more lettuce, apples, and bananas. An even better choice would be to go on a walk or bike ride with your kids the next time your favorite show on one of those channels comes on. Walking and running has been proven to help not only your heart, but also your mental health, which in turn helps create a healthier relationship in your family.

If you have been reading my posts I hope it has spurred an interest in at least trying to refute what I am saying. If you are angry with what I have said over the past month, or with this post, by all means get a hold of me and be willing to back up your beliefs. I’m willing to listen and talk to anyone about diet and nutrition, but be willing to hear my arguments from my side as well. As I said in the beginning of this article, in the end, it’s your choice. I’m here to ruffle your feathers and push you to try and prove me wrong or show me your results. I’ve gotten so much feedback from people who started reading my blog at the beginning who have noticed considerable weight loss just by watching their calories. This is such an encouragement to hear about them trying to change their eating habits and their lives. With that being said, here’s my results.

Body Stats

My stats from last week are:
Current Weight: 150lbs
Current Body Fat Percentage: 10%
Bicep Dimension: 14in
Chest Dimension: 38.25in
Waist Dimension: 31in
Daily Caloric Intake: (roughly) ~2,400 cal.
Daily Protein Intake: (roughly ~120 – 140 g.

My stats from this week are:
Current Weight: 151.6lbs
Current Body Fat Percentage: 10%
Bicep Dimension: 14in
Chest Dimension: 38.25in
Waist Dimension: 31in
Daily Caloric Intake: (roughly) ~2,400 cal.
Daily Protein Intake: (roughly ~120 – 140 g.

Download the final weeks food regiment.

[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”538” caption=”30 Days of Strict Vegetarian Living: Final Week Results - Relaxed”][/caption]

Videos

Here’s the videos I highly recommend viewing.











Below is a trailer for food inc. You can find the video through netflix or amazon.


If you have any questions, comments, criticism or concerns please feel free to post a comment, email me - Jordanddunn@gmail.com or @JordanDunn on twitter.