There's four starting points for getting into Full of Life. We call it "Choose Your Own Adventure".

 

Option 1: All In! – totally whole food, plant based

 

This is the option promoted in the WFPB community (largely based in the US). The All In! means going totally plant based and using minimal oil and utterly no processed foods. The purists don't even like to eat tofu and such things (though they do allow broths flavoured with meat).

 

There's no doubt that the research indicates that this lifestyle is the very best for a long and healthy life. It will probably (as much as medical science can) guarantee that you won't get heart disease, diabetes, liver or kidney disease. You will absolutely decrease your likelihood of getting a range of cancers and dementia. It's very definitely the best option as far as we can see.

 

But there's a 'but'. The All In! option is hard core and takes preparation and the willingness to take the time to get your body adjusted, your family and friends adjusted and your cooking style adjusted.

 

Option 2: Flexitarian (WFPB with OPF*)

 

The next best option. This is the option that Jackie and Summer and the rest of the early Full Of Life family adhere to. It's the Whole Food Predominantly Plant Based Lifestyle that incorporates OPF (Other People's Food).

 

At home and with other like-minded friends we eat totally plant based. We do use some oil (though very little) and use some processed soy products. We also use a lot of "store bought" condiments - as long as they don't contain nasties such as emulsifiers or stabilisers.

 

If we go out to a restaurant, we attempt to stick to predominantly plant based (which is quite easy) but we're not overly concerned if we can't. If we're invited to a friend's house for dinner, we eat whatever they're serving up (we'll never train Grandma out of cooking a roast - and we really don't want to - but she does serve more vegies these days).

 

The basic rule here is to eat predominantly plant based wherever possible. If you can't - don't worry. Life is too short to be an evangelist-pain-in-the butt about food. Not surprisingly, when you start serving up your amazing feasts, your friends will probably start covertly asking for the recipes. *OFP = Other People Food

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Option 3: Minimum Daily Intake (MDI)

 

Science is at work in this option. It's based on the research of Dr Michael Gregor, the doyen of the whole food plant based movement (and who's writing changed our lives). We when say adapted - he is a purist (so this is using just a part of his research).

 

There's a list of foods you should incorporate into your every day life. You will probably end up cutting down your "normal" food to make sure you can fit in the stuff you "have" to eat. But, who doesn't mind being told they must each half a cup of blackberries or some hummus?

 

Yep, the MDI is not hard but it will have a beneficial, cumulative effect on your health.

 

Note: We started our Full of Life journey with the books of Dr Gregor "How Not to Die" and "How Not to Diet" and since then have read pretty much everything available (including stacks of journal articles and science books which are pretty hard going). Our research has changed our lives and we believe it can change the lives of others. So if you do nothing else for the time being - just add the Minimum Daily Intake to your everyday food intake and there will be benefits.

 

Option 4: A toe in the water - Healthy Changes

 

On the premise that any change is better than none, if the change is in the direction of health, then we offer the "add and substitute" option.

 

For some people, change will come in little steps. In the WFPB world we call this "progress, not perfection" because for some of us it's about doing something, anything, that will start us on a path to health. This option is pretty much what is says - we add some foods that we really should be eating, and we replace others that are less beneficial. It's all about cranking up the nutritional value of your daily intake.

 

This option won't deliver the drastic weight loss that the options may, but you will slowly over time improve your health. It's also possible - actually probable - that as you add and substitute your tastes will change and you will start looking for more whole food plant based options.

 

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that abandoning processed foods is going to be the key to this option. What may be a surprised is how many other foods there are that are just as satisfying!

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Whatever approach you choose, there will be health benefits for you and your family