I’ve been focused today on learning some new things, about health, about business, about developing gifts of mine. In the midst of all of that, I enjoyed lunch with grandson Jonathan at his school, and I created a fun visual to help bust up an assumption about what I eat on a plant based diet.
I actually enjoy busting up assumptions, which just means I like to challenge traditional beliefs around certain topics, and help people to see in a bigger way. The assumption I playfully challenged today was that eating plant based must mean I eat a lot of lettuce based salads…I don’t…and that eliminating meat, dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, canola oil, GMO foods and sugar must mean that my meals are boring…they aren’t!
I got the idea for today’s visual from a meme I saw, one of those along the lines of “What people think…” vs “What I actually do…”. As I prepared last night’s meal, I grabbed my cell phone and used the camera to snap pics so I could create my own version.
People ask me all the time what I eat, since I only eat fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds. I don’t mind sharing with others at all. I know people are curious. And, more importantly, many of them are feeling into the possibility of making changes in their health as well. They are testing the waters, so to speak, to see how doable eating plant based is.
So here is what I created.
This wasn’t my actual meal. However, this is what many people assume I eat…a little lettuce, with a few carrot and celery sticks. Nothing wrong with that food, it’s just not enough!
I added words with the WordSwag app. I use this free app every single day. The app is easy to use and allows me to create memes and title memes for my blog posts, incorporating my own photos.
Then I put together my actual meal, a veggie bowl made up primarily of raw veggies, with steamed sweet potatoes and cooked black beans.
Look at that gorgeous bowl of life sustaining, health supporting food! Included with the sweet potatoes and black beans are raw carrots, celery, tomatoes, red cabbage, green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli and mixed greens. Everything in the bowl was organic. The homemade sauce, created from a recipe by Chef Robin Jeep, contains oranges, organic peanut butter, ginger, garlic, basil and cilantro. It’s amazing. I topped my bowl with freshly cut herbs from my garden…thyme, chives and more basil.
I added words to this photo as well. This bowl of food…and it’s a large bowl…is a typical meal for me. This is what I prepare for myself and what I eat. That veggie bowl was very filling and so satisfying. And best of all, it’s clean eating. The food nourishes my body, at a cellular level. And boring? Bland or tasteless? Never. I crave this kind of food. My body craves it and I’m happy to feed this craving!
Last of all, I brought the photos together, using another app called Pic Collage. It’s free as well and with it I can do a variety of layouts.
The finished piece is pictured below. It’s a lighthearted attempt at teaching people that the plant based lifestyle isn’t about deprivation. It’s a choice. It’s about taking back responsibility for health and well being and being proactive. I love this lifestyle, and the beautiful food that I eat. And I love teaching others that they too can heal and transform their lives.
And if I get to bust an assumption or two, I’ll happily do so!
