I started eating a vegan diet on January 1st.

Okay meat-eaters, simmer down, I know this seems ludicrous to you. But keep reading…I know you’re slightly curious.

I’m not foreign to the outcries of the carnivores. My boys are major meat-mongers, so they were equally perplexed when Andrew and I told them we were cutting out all animal products this year. When I started to share with the boys all the animal products we were cutting out, my friend impatiently blurted out, “Anything that has a mother.”

Alrighty then.

Anyway, the boys have been willing participants in eating the vegan meals I’ve created. They loved the Portobello mushroom burgers, totally dug the tofu green curry, and devoured the Italian bean & rice casserole. Now, I also made them elk burgers one night to compliment my roasted sweet potatoes and kale salad, which was met with squeals of delight! Meat-eaters through and through.

So, why vegan?

I’ve been eating mostly vegetarian for a little over a year after re-learning the value of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans. I’d strayed a bit from a plant-based diet when I started having gastrointestinal problems in my late 20′s. At the time, I was told that if I cut out sugar and starches, my gut would heal. So I tried it….for five years.  I ate mostly animal protein, and cut out grains, fruit and starchy vegetables.  It was hard at first, but then I got used to it and made it a habit.

You know what happened?

I lost 20 pounds! Whoo hoo. Well, not really. That got me down to 107 pounds and on my 5’4” frame I looked and felt terrible. I was weak, depressed, fatigued, grumpy and eerily moving towards anorexia.

So, I stopped. I realized my overall health and mindset were suffering, and my stomach problems were getting worse.

Note to self: Trust your intuition.

I always knew eating animal protein was not for me. I think I liked it as a child, but then again, I didn’t have many filters around food when I was growing up. But as I grew older, I always felt better eating more produce and less on the flesh. I love salmon, eggs and ice cream, but the rest…well, I can really do without.

After spending time in the JuicePlus+ community, and also doing more due diligence on my own, I was intrigued by all the health reports claiming improved symptoms around chronic (and often deadly conditions) like cancer, heart disease and MS when eating a plant-based diet. In addition, my colleague and mentor Dr. Mitra Ray has been eating vegan for many years. If you look at her, you’ll know why I felt so compelled. Glowing skin, sparkling eyes, a gorgeous physique, and clarity and vitality beyond measure.

So I started to  look around at other people I admire who were living vegan lifestyles. People like ultrarunner Scott Jurek, speaker, author, and over-eaters-anonymous graduate Victoria Moran, and interestingly, actress Betty White (seriously, have you see her lately at 90 years old???).

Which is why Andrew and I decided to take the leap. Why not? If we have the potential to look and feel the way these people do, then I’m game.

With that, the journey begins. We’re having fun, and I just put together another weekly meal plan. I’ll have fun sharing ideas in future blogs! Don’t worry meat-eaters, I’ll still include some non-vegan recipes to keep us friendly.

Oh, BTW, if you want to learn how to make delicious vegan and plant-based dishes, then join me in this wonderful online cooking class taught by my inspiration Taryn Bellavance. I interviewed Taryn on my MomTV show last year, and was incredibly impressed by her talents and innovation around cooking tasty vegan and plant-based meals.

Here are the details. Taryn’s next online class series starts Wednesday evening, February 1st, and runs every consecutive Wednesday until February 29th (no class 2/22).  In addition to a large variety of recipes, Taryn will provide the tools you need to do it on your own with instructions on preparation.  Each of the four classes (which you can take from the comfort of your home) focus on a different food group and cover the health benefits and recipes for those foods. Awesome! I can’t wait. If you want to take the class with me, you’ll get to take advantage of my group discounts.

Normally the class is priced at $79. If you use the promo codes below, you can get it for the following discounted price:

Julie’s Friends & Clients Discount:  $68
Use Promo Code:  FOJH

JuicePlus+ Customers & Distributors:  $58
Use Promo Code:  JPJH

So just go to www.phytofoods.com for more information, or click HERE to register. Enter one of the promo codes above to receive your discount. Super simple. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me at juliehammerstein@gmail.com.

As you ponder this, try Taryn’s fabulous Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos with Mile High Green Chili Sauce – yowza. We’ve tried this and it’s delicious!

Possibly you’re not ready to take the big vegan-leap. It’s an alternative lifestyle for sure, so I appreciate you supporting me and my family in our exploration. However, I will ask that you consider eating more produce every day. You know why? Well, it’s just good for you.

You’ve heard me say that nuts, fruit smoothies, yogurt and certain protein bars are decent snack options for achieving a healthy weight.  This is true.  They are certainly better choices than candy, chips, fries and other sugary and fat-laden snacks.

What you may not realize is that wholesome choices can also be packed with calories.  This is fine if you’re paying attention to serving sizes and how you pair things like nuts with fruit, rather than other calorie-dense options like granola.   Generally, you want to keep snacks between 100-200 calories, whereas meals will fall between 300-500 calories (depending on weight, metabolism and health goals).

The important message is to watch serving sizes and to have a general sense of high-calorie foods and their lower-calorie counterparts.  Use this guide to switch out these eye-opening, calorie-dense options with my suggested alternatives for healthy-weight:

Saboteur: 1 cup of trail mix

Calories: 693

Solutions: Keep your serving size to about ¼ cup (174 cal) for a quick snack or try eating ¼ cup walnuts and ¼ cup raisins (280 cal).

Saboteur: 2 tablespoons olive oil

Calories: 239

Solutions: Olive oil is super healthy, so just watch your portions.  If making as salad dressing, use 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or lemon with a little bit of sea salt (133 cal). When cooking, use grapeseed oil instead. It has a higher flash point and disperses more readily in the pan so you don’t need to use as much.

Saboteur: 1 cup granola

Calories: 597 calories

Solutions: Keep your serving size to about ¼ cup (150 cal) and use it as a topping to Greek yogurt and fruit as opposed to eating it as a full bowl of cereal.

Saboteur: Most commercial smoothies

Calories: 600

Solutions: Make your own smoothies using almond milk and 1 cup of your favorite frozen fruit. For added protein use Greek yogurt or a suggested serving of protein powder – I use JuicePlus+ Complete vanilla or chocolate. (350 cal)

Saboteur: ¼ cup peanut butter

Calories: 400

Solutions: This is a great source of protein and generally liked by all, so it’s an easy snack.  Just be mindful of your serving size, and stick to no more than 2 tablespoons (200 cal) per serving.  It’s best to eat peanut butter with low-calorie fruit, like an apple, rather than adding extra calories with bread or crackers.  As an alternative to peanut butter you can use ¼ cup hummus (108 cal).

Saboteur: Jumbo whole grain muffins

Calories: at least 400

Solutions: Split a muffin with a friend or opt for a small slice of whole wheat banana bread. (200 cal)

Saboteur: Whole wheat bagel

Calories: 480

Solutions: Eat ½ a bagel, or skip it all together and eat one slice of whole wheat bread (120 cal)

Saboteur: 3 oz. yogurt covered raisins

Calories: 390

Solutions: Have 5 small squares of dark chocolate instead (170 cal)

Saboteur: 1 cup Ben and Jerry’s Fudge Brownie low-fat frozen yogurt

Calories: 380

Solutions: If having a treat, be mindful of portions.  Remember, most serving sizes on ice cream packages are for one cup.  You can often cut calories by eating an all natural fudgsicle or frozen fruit bar (100 cal).  You can also add plain cocoa powder and a 1/2 teaspoon honey to plain Greek yogurt for a treat that’s under 200 calories.

Saboteur: 6 oz bag of vegetable chips

Calories: 840

Solutions: Portion control! Put a small handful on a napkin, equaling a 3 oz. portion (420 cal). Better yet, I’m a huge fan of PopChips – with 1/3 less fat than fried or baked potato chips, you can enjoy a 17-chip serving of PopChips for only 100 calories! They come in fabulous flavors too, including BBQ, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Jalapeno (my favorite), Salt & Pepper, Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion and Original.

Saboteur: 1 medium avocado

Calories: 300

Solutions: Avocado is an amazing food and a super healthy source of fat that will keep you feeling full.   Keep your intake to no more than ½ an avocado per serving (150 cal). We enjoy it sprinkled with a little sea salt or Mrs. Dash.

Saboteur: 1 cup almonds

Calories: 817

Solutions: Almonds are a great pick-me-up snack, with lots of fiber and nutrition.  These are a perfect snack to keep in your purse, at your desk or in your car, as long as you don’t mindlessly graze.  Instead of loading up on a cup of this tasty treat, eat 10 almonds and ½ a banana (120 cal) instead.

Saboteur: 1 cup Grape Nuts

Calories: 408

Solutions: This was my favorite cereal as a teenager, and I used to eat huge, heaping bowls every morning.  No wonder I struggled with my weight! If you’re craving Grape Nuts, mix ¼ cup (102 cal) with ½ cup of a lower-calorie cereal such as whole wheat flakes (100 calories).

Saboteur:  6 oz. strawberry-flavored yogurt

Calories: 180, but 32 grams of sugar!

Solutions: I’m not so worried about the calories here, just the sugar content.  Stick to plain low-fat Greek yogurt and add your favorite fruit and a small drizzle of of honey (150 cal) to cut the sugar calories in half!

Saboteur: 2 cups orange juice

Calories: 224

Solutions: This is also high in sugar, so use this tip with your kiddos:  Pour 1/4 cup orange juice and dilute it with water or soda water (60 cal). Better yet, drink flavored seltzer water. I like Canada Dry and the Whole Foods brand seltzers.