Health

30 DAY “Mostly” Plants Based Challenge Review!

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“Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.” -Michael Pollan 

I finished my plants based challenge!! I can’t even believe it’s been 30 Days since I started my “vegan adventure”. If you’ve been following me on Instagram or even here on the blog, then you know I ate completely vegan until Day 20 and then I switched over to “mostly” plants based. So, how do I feel?

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The first 10 days were AMAZING! I was excited about my new eating experience and I had plenty of energy. I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone and trying to create satisfying substitutions for meat and eggs. But by Day 11 my energy levels dropped rather suddenly and I began to feel tired ALL the time. I found myself canceling evening social plans because I was just too exhausted to go out after work. I have some auto-immune issues and I started to realize that a diet high in grains, legumes, and sugary fruits (exactly what I was eating) can trigger a flair-up of certain symptoms.

SO, after much deliberation and discussion with my mum and others, I decided to listen to my body (isn’t that what it’s all about?) and on DAY 20 I ate a piece of salmon. Let.me.tell.you… it was a game changer! <3 

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I did the challenge for ethical reasons (I don’t like ‘factory farming’ or the way animals are treated before they become the food we eat) and I have definitely learned a lot. I’ve learned to cut down on my meat consumption. I believe that shopping for ethically sourced meat is so important. It can be expensive, but there are ways to do it. And sometimes it’s just worth it. But I also learned that going completely vegan is not for me… at least not at this time. 

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I don’t think Veganism is extreme. I don’t even think that plants based Veganism is extreme. But I do think that in my case, already being gluten free, dairy free, and soy free, and having a sensitive tummy which limits the amount of beans and legumes I can eat… Well, that is definitely EXTREME. And I believe that a healthy diet is a NOURISHING diet… one that’s sustainable, do-able, and (most importantly) enjoyable!
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All that being said, I still eat at least one fully vegan meal per day and I would recommend you do the same! Even if you don’t go fully vegan, we can still help save the environment, prevent animal cruelty (by shopping for sustainable products), and feel our best eating more plants! My advice? Listen to your body and find what works for YOU!!

xoxo Cailee!

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19 Comments

  • Reply Rachael Miner

    I loved following along on your vegan adventure! I went vegan for a month and then continued for a few months after, until I had problems with my stomach too (as a fellow auto-immune problem suffer I can 100% relate to stomach and exhaustion issues!). I definitely try to eat vegan as much as possible, but sometimes a girls just gotta have some salmon! Loved following along and so happy that you’ve learned so much from this experience 🙂

    June 15, 2016 at 12:19 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Awww! Thanks so much Rachael! I just adore you and I love following you too! SO glad that you agree! Sometimes a girl just NEEDS her salmon! <3

      June 19, 2016 at 9:27 pm
  • Reply rachel @ athleticavocado

    I’m the same way, I don’t think veganism is for me since I feel better when I eat meat!

    June 15, 2016 at 1:27 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Me too! It’s all about finding what works for YOU!

      June 19, 2016 at 9:28 pm
  • Reply Miss Polkadot

    It’s great you gave it a try but also listened to your intuition when you noticed feeling off. That is so important. Like you said veganism isn’t or doesn’t have to be extreme at all yet if you’re already limited in your choices by intolerances it’s best to find a compromise.

    June 15, 2016 at 7:07 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thanks so much love! I’m really glad that you agree! Veganism doesn’t have to be extreme at all, but for me it was… cheers to balance and finding what works!

      June 19, 2016 at 9:25 pm
  • Reply Kristy from Southern In Law

    I am so glad you listened to your body and did what was right for you! That is SO important!

    I don’t think I could ever follow a vegan diet as my body thrives on a more balanced approach!

    June 15, 2016 at 8:27 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      I’m right there with ya girl! Thanks so much for the support Kristy!

      June 19, 2016 at 9:24 pm
  • Reply Claire at My Pink & Green Life

    All of this is so so good. I’m glad you had fun with the challenge but also listened to your body. I am also gluten, soy, and lactose (but not dairy) free and every time in the past I’ve tried out entirely plant-based eating/veganism, it just hasn’t worked for me. But that’s okay! All of our bodies are different, so we all have different needs. 🙂

    June 15, 2016 at 10:16 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      I’m so glad that you agree!! And I’m glad that you have found what works for you girl! Sounds like we have a pretty similar diet!! <3

      June 19, 2016 at 9:24 pm
  • Reply Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    Congrats on finishing your challenge, girlie! I think listening to your body is important, so I’m glad you did that and ate a piece of fish! You are so right, eating should be about nourishing and fueling your body. And what works for one person doesn’t work for all. Thanks for sharing your challenge with us!! Cheers to a beautiful day, friend!

    June 16, 2016 at 2:53 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thank you so much Cheyanne! I’m so glad that you agree!! And I felt SO happy eating that piece of fish!!! <3 Cheers to that!

      June 19, 2016 at 9:20 pm
  • Reply masala girl

    love your takeaway! it’s not about perfecction, but learning from what you did. mostly plant based is the way to go 🙂

    June 16, 2016 at 4:49 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      I couldn’t agree more! Yay for mostly plants!!

      June 19, 2016 at 9:19 pm
  • Reply Liz @ I Heart Vegetables

    I think it’s awesome that you learned to listen to your body during this challenge! I went vegan for 6 months and I’m SO glad I did because it taught me so much about cooking and a bunch of ingredients that I never would have tried otherwise! But I find that my body does best with a little dairy 🙂 So that’s what works for me!

    June 17, 2016 at 5:54 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      You go girl! That’s awesome that you found what works best for YOU! I’m all about that, everyone is different and needs to find their own balance! Well done 🙂

      June 19, 2016 at 9:18 pm
  • Reply lucie

    Im so happy you took this challenge Cailee! I think there is so much pressure put on people right now to be vegan and I don’t think that is always the best way for EVERYBODY to eat, because after all, everybody body is different. It sounds like you are also listening closely to what your body wants and needs and that is amazing too!

    June 20, 2016 at 6:41 am
  • Reply Rach @ This Italian Family

    I just really love that you listened to your body so well with this challenge and changed things up when necessary! Sounds like this challenge was a really good idea for you. 🙂

    June 20, 2016 at 2:20 pm
  • Reply Beverley @ Born to Sweat

    holyyyy all that food looks so good!! some serious plate inspo right there haha. i think vegan would be pretty difficult for me – i love cheese and shrimp too much. becoming pescetarian was a lot easier cause i was only 13 when i did it. good for you on doing this challenge! it looked tough but also super rewarding and a great change from your normal routine!

    June 20, 2016 at 3:55 pm
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