How to change your diet and eating habits when you don’t want to

written by Nina Shantel, RealDietHelp.com, published October 26, 2021

A lot of us have heard that the path to weight loss and disease reversal is by eliminating all animal products from the diet, but a good number of people don’t want to make that change. Read the sequence of what typically goes on inside someone’s head when they learn they must change their diet because it’s affecting their health in detrimental ways. Then, watch the video on how my mom pushed herself to change the diet she was accustomed to, her suggestions to help others, and how those changes benefited her.

How to make dietary changes:

When we are first told that we can no longer eat the foods we enjoy, the first reaction is usually anger.

I don’t want to give up ice cream!

Then you may be in denial.

A little bit of ice cream won’t hurt me (when in fact, it will).

Then may come depression and/or sadness.

I won’t be able to enjoy my favorite foods. My life is over. I’m going to have to eat boring, yucky, bland foods.

You will need to change your mindset first before you will make changes to your diet. Get rid of negative thinking and be willing to change. Try to be positive and open-minded about what these dietary changes will bring about.

Eating differently will help you lose the extra weight you’ve complained about and hated seeing in the mirror. Image how wonderful you’re going to look by eating this new way and the attractive clothes you’ll be able to wear.

Your new diet will mean no more pain, more energy, lowering or getting off medication. You’ll feel happier and be healthier. You’re going to move better and feel younger. You’ll be able to do the things you couldn’t do before.

You’ll be able to sleep fully and breathe better.

Your skin will look radiant and more youthful.

You’ll be able to eat larger portions and consume more carbohydrates (yes, you can eat more potatoes and rice and pasta).

How to make vegan tasty

Have you made recipes with chicken or beef, and it didn’t taste good? There are tasty and terrible tasting vegan recipes too. Don’t give up. Keep trying different recipes, but sometimes the simplest recipes are the most delicious.

Most people don’t realize that they have been eating vegan foods they love, but didn’t think of them as “vegan” like fruit, bread, nuts, pasta, smoothies, French fries, minestrone, and salads.

Stay away from negative people who push unhealthy habits and will cause you to eat toxic foods and drinks.

If you are a social person, you may want to be part of the crowd and do the same things and eat the same foods as everyone else, but you are harming yourself and are acting like a follower instead of a leader. If everyone is smoking crack, are you going to smoke it too? Crack is harmful and addictive. Dairy and animal products are harmful and additive too. Cheese contains casomorphins (caso, pronounced queso: cheese + morphines: additive like the drug morphine). The foods you love to eat are the foods you are addicted to and those are the foods that are harming you.

It’s time to be a leader and stop eating addictive foods. See if you can convert your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family into vegans. See if they will join you in your endeavor to improve health. Tell everyone what changes you are making and why. Bring a vegan dish to potlucks so you have something healthy you can eat and share with others. Vegan foods when prepared right are delicious, satisfying, and filling.

What to do, when you’re not ready to become vegan

While changing from an omnivore diet to a vegan diet is a drastic change, some people do better with incremental changes, but the more you adhere to a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet, the quicker you will improve your health.

Watch the video below of the interview with my mom to find out what she was eating, what changes she made to her diet, why she was reluctant to change her eating habits, why she finally agreed to change her diet, and how dietary changes affected her health. Then, keep reading (see below) to modify your favorite foods when you go out to make them vegan and still delicious.

You don’t have to give up your favorite foods, but you do have to modify them. Here’s some easy ways to veganize your favorite foods:

Pasta with marinara sauce topped with nutritional yeast (similar taste to parmesan). In place of meat, lentils are a good add in with certain herbs and spices with pasta.

Pizza. Just omit the meat and cheese and ask for more veggies. Pizza is all about the crust anyway and you’ll be surprised how good pizza is without the fat. I like to add pineapple to my pizza.

Bean burritos. Just omit the cheese and the sour cream. You can use coconut yogurt instead of the sour cream.

Tacos. You eat bean burritos; tacos are delicious with beans and lentils. I like to add sautéed zucchini slices to my tacos.

Chili already has beans it in, just omit the meat and sour cream. Then you can double the portion. Enjoy with a dollop of guacamole.

If you need help transitioning to a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet, order my book, the High-Five Diet, below

Are you a vegetarian, an omnivore, or a vegan? Are you trying to eat more plant foods? Are you trying to reverse a medical condition or get off medication by changing your diet? Did you find the information in this post helpful? Do you have any questions for me? Let me know by writing below.

Additional sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/12/cheese-has-morphine-like-qualities-can-be-addictive.html