I think one of the biggest concerns people often have about the Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle is thinking it’s going to be very expensive. As a young single guy, I certainly thought so. But it doesn't have to be that way!

I was always the fat kid in school. Aside from a few brief moments in my youth, I’ve pretty much always been the most obese person that I know. I didn’t have the happiest childhood, and I realized very early on that eating was something that made me feel good. 

Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, it’s highly unlikely that there will be a single day when the world will unanimously decide to ditch their animal consumption and shift to a completely plant-based lifestyle. These kind of radical shifts in thinking and perception take time.

Fresh produce is part of this healthy eating plan and lifestyle. Storing it properly is important. We go to the store and buy delicious-looking food. But then we get home and end up storing it improperly, or we get busy and forget about it. Then we find our refrigerator having the aroma of over-ripe or rotting fruits and veggies.

1. You eat what you grow

This is the most obvious reason why gardening is a brilliant idea. When you plant those tiny seeds, fertilize them and watch them grow into miraculous fruits and vegetables, there’s no way you’ll want to let them go to waste!

With this New Year I would like to offer you a new definition of the word ‘Diet’ which has become heavy laden with uncomfortable and often unspoken associations like starvation, deprivation, sacrifice, guilt, failure, weight loss, rules and short term pain. Perhaps you can even feel a knot in your stomach or develop sweaty palms as you read that list and think about your past diet experiences.

My story is a little bit different in that I am 24 years old, have always been able to eat whatever I want and still keep a slim physique and have never suffered from any chronic disease. So, I don’t have a gripping testimonial of healing or weight loss to inspire others, which automatically turns off a lot of ears, I know.

I grew up as a vegetarian because my parents viewed that as the healthier way to live, so I was lucky that way. We still ate plenty of eggs and cheese which I absolutely loved! Macaroni and cheese with some veggies or cream of potato soup with sweet corn bread were typical dinners for my family.