When we set out to become locavores last year, we had a lot of questions about the journey we were starting on. One of the most important had to do with our personal health. I’m not just talking about eliminating pesticides and chemical additives from our food, but also about how our physical health and fitness would be impacted by the sudden change in diet. For years we had been weight training and examining our foods from the perspective of protein/carbohydrate/fat ratios. We felt we knew what it took to fuel our bodies to achieve results in the gym.
Now, we were entering a lifestyle centered on the preparation and consumption of local, fresh, whole foods. For the first time in our lives we were leaving behind the Standard American Diet, and with it processed food, sweets and artificial sweeteners and restaurant meals. That wasn’t all – we were also turning our backs on protein shakes, bars, supplements and meal replacements. These had all been an integral part of our fitness and nutritional regimen before 100 Mile Harvest.
On May 27, 2008, I took my first fitness evaluation. My body fat percentage then was 16.2%. Through the next twelve months I saw that statistic change as a reflection of my eating habits throughout the seasons.
It wasn’t until January 2009, when my husband Adrian and I started to train for our first marathon, that we decided to examine our diet and refine it further for athletic performance. At that same time, we began to transition to a more plant-based diet out of a desire to reduce our carbon footprint even more.
I knew that by cutting down the consumption of animal products, I would be able to see a decrease in my body fat percentage, but I wasn’t sure by how much. I tweaked it even further by cutting out honey and reducing the amount of fruit I was consuming daily. This translated into meals that were rich in vegetables, salads, sprouts, leafy greens and beans. To my surprise, I started to see muscle definition even though the animal protein was minimal. This was a huge surprise for me. For more than 15 years I had been conditioned to believe that I had to consume large amounts of protein to achieve the same results. I was ecstatic!
By the time we finished the first year of our 100 Mile Harvest journey, I had not only dropped my body fat percentage to 13.3, but I was able to increase my cardiovascular fitness level to 47.3 (Max VO2 test). My lab work came in last week and the results were even more impressive. My total cholesterol came down from 214 to 158; my triglycerides went from 132 to 56 and my LDL cholesterol dropped from 127 to 94. I was able to surpass all my health and fitness goals on a plant based-diet, putting to rest any concerns I might have had along the way.
Join me during this second year, as I set my goals higher for better health, fitness and sustainability. I will work towards achieving a leaner body and building on my performance as a marathon runner.
Take a look at my complete fitness evaluation.
