Do you feel you’ve been on every diet under the sun, yet without any lasting results to show for it? Somehow, the weight loss never seems to stick and you end up gaining all of it back, and then some. That was my guest Lyana’s experience and it felt incredibly frustrating. Not only that, her health seemed to be headed in the wrong direction too, and it was a shock for her to receive new diagnoses like diabetes and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
But instead of doing keto, she decided to re-try a plant-based diet, and went full into a whole food, plant-based diet with no oil. Listen in to Part 2 of my interview with Lyana to hear more about her amazing health transformation, and the positive health benefits her husband has also enjoyed. Don’t miss too the important key takeaway piece of advice Lyana gives us about losing weight on a plant-based diet!
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Have a question about plant-based diets that you would like answered on the Plant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast? Send it by email (healthnow@plantnourished.com) or submit it by a voice message here: www.speakpipe.com/plantnourished [Plant-Based Diet, Plantbased Eating, Plant Based Diet, Whole Foods, NAFLD, Blood Sugars, Glucose Control, Weight Loss, Pain, Inflammation, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Pre-Diabetes]
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
So I've always struggled withblood pressure for many many years.
I've always taken bloodpressure medications.
But I'm happy to saytoday it was 128 over 78.
So to see the bottom number at78 I'm just ecstatic about that.
And eating this way for me, I feel clean.
I don't know how to really describe it,but I just don't feel heavy and saturated.
(00:27):
I actually feel clean andlighter, I guess you can say.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
(00:47):
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
(01:09):
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
Hello listeners, welcomeback to my interview with
(01:29):
special guest Lyana Salerno.
Lyana is a member of my free Beginnersfor Plant Based Diet Success Facebook
group and is also a listener to thisPlant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast.
In Part 1, we spoke about Lyana'sprevious diet and lifestyle prior
to moving to a plant-based diet.
She had been eating a mostly StandardAmerican Diet and was in a pretty
(01:52):
sedentary job for a few decades.
Since early adulthood, she's hadhigh blood pressure and had been
battling pre-diabetes for a few years.
But it all came to a head in Januarywhen she, after further blood work,
found out that she had NonalcoholicFatty Liver Disease and also had a
(02:13):
formal diagnosis of diabetes, inaddition to high cholesterol.
This was a wake-up call of sorts toher and really set her on the path to
start changing her diet and lifestyle,or to look into ways to change it.
So that led her into a path of cuttingout sugar and processed sugar and
processed foods almost immediately.
(02:35):
And then she started looking more intopotentially going to a keto diet but
she also started looking more intoplant-based eating more seriously.
And Lyana made that decisionto move into a full whole food
plant-based diet with no oil.
And that's what she's been on over thelast few months with quite some results.
(02:56):
So thank you again forjoining us today, Lyana.
I would love to ask you, duringthis last four months since you've
been on a whole food plant-baseddiet with no oil, did you make other
lifestyle changes during this time?
Actually, yes.
Once I started losing the weight, I feltso much better and I wanted to move.
(03:19):
When you're overweight and you'rejust tired and you have knee issues
and you're in pain all the time,you don't want to move, you know?
So yeah, once I lost the 22 pounds,still going, but once I lost that 22
pounds, I just felt so much better.
And yeah, so I'm moving my body alot more than I ever did before.
(03:41):
And not only that, I haveupped my water intake.
That's something that I hadalways struggled before.
I would drink coffee orI would drink diet soda.
And then that was it.
I've always been kind of a sipper.
I don't drink a lot of fluid.
So whatever I did drink, itwas like coffee, a diet soda.
And sometimes I wouldn't evenhave a drop of water in a day.
(04:04):
But now, yep.
I'm definitely drinking my water.
I'm moving more.
I just feel so much better.
That's great to hear.
Are you moving more just in terms of justbeing more active outside of your job,
going for walks or things, or is it likea more structured exercise that you're
doing more regularly, perhaps at the gym?
(04:26):
So I've never reallybeen like a gym person.
My husband has been very supportivethroughout my struggles for losing
weight and trying to get off meds.
So he's always suggested, let'sgo walking, let's go walking.
So we would go walking,but my back would hurt.
I have a bad left knee.
My knee would hurt.
I would cope for a little bit, justmy back was just hurting so bad.
(04:50):
So we would have to turnaround and come back.
Now when we go walking, it doesn't hurt!
But most of my activity really is: we've been redoing our backyard. (04:56):
undefined
So we've been doing a lot of gardening andthat entails a lot of digging and bending
and walking from one end to the other,planting and we're just constantly moving.
So yes, it's more of in gardening thatI'm getting a lot of my activity and over
(05:19):
here in Ohio, it's very humid, so I amjust constantly sweating all the time.
So I make sure to hydratemyself and I make sure to tell
my husband, hydrate, hydrate.
So we're definitely drinking more water.
So my activity is more so with thegardening that I'm doing right now.
That's great.
(05:40):
And I think gardening is actuallyquite an active pastime, because,
like you said, you are movingaround, working with the soil, with
the plants, walking here and there.
It can be a great way of getting in thatmovement, especially over the summer.
And the benefits is you get the reward ofenjoying all these fruits and vegetables
that you're planting, at the end of it.
(06:01):
So you said before you may sometimesgo a day without a drop of actual water
versus the diet sodas and the coffee.
So now, on average, how much waterwould you say you're drinking in a day?
I try to take in my 64 ounces.
If I can get to 64 ounces, great.
Sometimes I do better than 64ounces, but 64 ounces is my goal.
(06:25):
Right now I even have myYeti full of ice and water.
So I make sure that we have water.
We actually just bought a watercooler as a matter of fact, so
we drink a lot more filtered waterand it's always there at hand.
That's a big change then, Lyana, frombefore not even drinking a drop of water
(06:47):
in a day to having 64 ounces on average.
So that's fantastic.
Water is one of the best fluidswe can give our bodies to hydrate.
Have you experienced other positivechanges since eating plant-based
over the last four months, besidesthe changes in your cholesterol,
liver enzymes and for your weight?
Actually, yes.
(07:08):
So I've struggled with depressionand that is in my family as well.
But, it got really bad inJanuary or leading up to January.
I wasn't sleeping well, yeah,the depression was pretty bad.
A lot of stress.
It just seems like I'mjust so much happier now.
I really am.
(07:28):
I think just taking off some ofthis weight and being able to move
and seeing my reflection in themirror, I don't cringe anymore.
I actually feel like finally I'mgoing in the right direction.
Rather than going up, like Iwas for several years on the
scale, I'm actually coming down.
And that is a huge positive for someonethat struggles with their weight.
(07:52):
When they see their weight going up, andthere's nothing that is working and you
finally find something that's working andyou're going down on the scale, which
is always good, taking excess weightoff your body, it just makes you feel
so excited that you're on the right path.
So yes, I sleep better.
My energy level is up.
(08:14):
My depression, I can't reallysay I'm depressed anymore.
I'm actually very happy.
Those are wonderful changes to hear.
Sometimes it's more of the intangiblepositive changes that are perks of
eating plant-based, having the energyto do more things, sleeping better,
and having less depression, you know,feeling happier and healthier as well.
(08:38):
And I know there is that realconnection, the gut brain axis, with
feeding our gut microbes the rightway with nourishing high fiber, whole
plant-based foods, that can impact ourmental health as well substantially.
And I think there's the added assuranceof knowing when you're on a whole food
plant-based diet with no oil, thatas you see your weights coming down
(09:01):
over time, it's more of a plant-baseddiet consistent gradual trend.
It really is.
And eating this way for me, I feel clean.
I don't know how to really describe it,but I just don't feel heavy and saturated.
I actually feel clean andlighter, I guess you can say.
(09:22):
There was some time in the past whereI would wake up and I would have puffy
eyes all the time and my ankles wouldbe puffy, like I had edema or something.
They were swollen and I don'thave any of that anymore.
I wake up, I'm good.
No puffy eyes.
I check my ankles.
I check my feet just to make surethat I'm still doing good on the
(09:43):
sodium and I don't have any swelling.
That's great to hear.
And you said your blood pressure,is it now pretty much in
normal range or how is it now?
So I've always struggled withblood pressure for many many years.
But I'm happy to say today itwas 128 over 78, which normally
(10:03):
I would struggle between say130s- 140s, over high 80s, 90s.
So to see the bottom number at78 I'm just ecstatic about that.
So yeah, today was 128 over 78.
That's a great reading to have.
And I'm sure as you continue withplant-based eating, with the way
(10:25):
that you're eating and your lifestylechanges, that we'll continue to see
that improving over time as well.
Previously, you said you struggledwith blood pressure, were you
on blood pressure medications?
Yes, I've always takenblood pressure medications.
I actually tried to get off ofthem, but I don't know if it's
(10:45):
just because it runs in my family.
Even out of all seven of us kids, Ihave thin siblings, you know, siblings
that are not overweight, but they stillstruggle with high blood pressure.
Most of my siblings strugglewith high blood pressure.
So it has been a struggle andlike I said, I don't like to
(11:07):
take prescription medications.
I tried to get off of blood pressuremeds, but it just seems like
when I tried to do that, my bloodpressure would just go way up.
And I just didn't want any problems soI stuck with the blood pressure meds.
If anything, blood pressure medshas really been the only med
(11:27):
that I've taken consistently.
Okay, I understand that.
I think you're moving in the rightdirection with plant-based eating
and you've really only been on thiswhole food, plant-based, no-oil
diet lifestyle for four months.
So as you move forward and continueto monitor your blood pressure levels,
I think there's a real possibilitythat you'll be able to stay off
(11:50):
the cholesterol medications andeventually cut down on your blood
pressure medications in the future.
Thank you.
Yeah, my goal is toeventually stop all meds.
That would be wonderful.
If I can do that, lose moreweight, no longer be pre-diabetic,
stabilize my blood pressure, bringdown my cholesterol even more.
(12:12):
Yeah, those are my goals, ultimatelynot being on prescription meds.
I definitely support you inthat and I'm cheering you on.
And it's so exciting that all thesechanges are happening just within a
couple of months and without you havingto take more medications or be on
surgery, or doing other drastic measures.
(12:33):
For your husband, you know, he's beenon the sidelines watching you do this
whole food plant-based, no-oil lifestyle,have you noticed any impact of your way
of eating on him, his mindset, someinfluences in terms of foods in the
home, or what he's been willing to try?
I am so glad you asked me that.
My husband is the most supportive person.
(12:57):
He's just been my biggestcheerleader in all of this.
He says, just whatever makes you happy.
I just want you to be happy.
He says, but you're beautiful to me.
And he's just so supportive.
But yes, in changing how I cookand I never pushed this on him.
I just said, this is theway I'm going to eat.
(13:17):
You can continue to eathow you want to eat.
I'm not going to push it on you, butthis is what I need to do for myself.
But he says, whateveryou cook, I will eat.
And, I'm telling you, I havethe best mushroom stroganoff.
It is the best, it's plant-based, wholefood plant-based mushroom stroganoff.
(13:38):
He said, if I didn't tell him itwas whole food plant-based, he would
not have known, and he loved it.
He said, next time we have companyover, he wants me to make that.
So he is on board withanything that I make.
He's willing to try it and everythingthat I have made, he loves it.
So yes, it's kind of ripping off on him.
(14:01):
That's so exciting to hear.
I always love hearing about how theloved one or spouse or family gets
influenced when one person in thefamily moves towards plant-based eating.
How wonderful for your husband to besupportive of you and be willing to try.
I think that's a huge step, just beingwilling to try these foods, because
sometimes if you don't know what aplant-based meal tastes like, you
(14:24):
wouldn't know if you like it or not.
So, big props to him for beingwilling to try that and that he
enjoyed the mushroom stroganoff.
So, I guess at home, he's eatingthe same way you are because
you are cooking this way, right?
But I'm assuming outside thehome, he's still kind of eating
what he likes at restaurants.
Is that right?
(14:44):
That's correct.
He is still a meat and potatoeskind of guy, and yeah, I don't see
him right now stopping the meat.
He loves his meat.
But he has been eating healthierbecause I've been eating healthier.
So, he says, don't worry.
Don't worry about cookingme something separate.
(15:05):
I'll eat whatever you're going to eatSo, whatever you make, I'll eat it.
And so that has helped so muchbecause then I don't have to make
him something separate from me.
But again, when we go out to dinneror something, his choices are
still, you know, he likes his meat.
(15:26):
Okay, and that's fine.
I think the fact that he's eating mostlyplant-based at home, with the same
meals that you're having, it's stilla big positive change forward for him.
And this is a transition for himas much as it is for you as well.
So, give it more time.
And, the main thing is he's enjoying themeals you're making and he's getting
(15:46):
exposed to all these different plant-basedfoods and ways of making things.
So continue what you're doing.
That's wonderful.
So for him, did he have anyhealth issues or is he already
noticing some positive changes?
So actually, yeah, he was diagnosedpre-diabetic as well, which he said he
had never been diagnosed, and this wasprobably about a year and a half ago.
(16:09):
Also, high cholesterol.
So he actually did some blood workprobably about a week before I did.
So this was in July and I can'teven believe this guy, his
blood work came back excellent.
So I think, if I can remember correctly,he is still in the pre-diabetic zone,
but he's really cut out a lot of sugar. Because he used to drink a lot of Pepsi
(16:34):
throughout the day and eat candy, and weused to actually, both of us would get
a bowl of ice cream almost every night.
And yeah, he doesn't do that anymore.
And he's cut down his Pepsi.
And so I know his number went down.
His cholesterol is coming down.
Actually, he's in normal range now.
His total cholesterol numberis in the normal range.
(16:57):
So I think it's benefiting him.
That's fantastic to hear.
Just by eating at home in a waythat's similar to you, it's definitely
having an impact on him health-wise.
So as we are coming to a close here,I'd love to ask you, do you have a key
takeaway or tip you'd like to give ourlisteners that could help them in their
(17:18):
journey towards plant-based eating?
So there are so many key takeaways, butif you're asking me for one, I would say,
and this was something that worked for me.
And that was, you know, all these years,I just wanted the scale number to move
down, down, down, get on that scale,make sure it goes down and lose weight.
(17:40):
Well, in January, when I hit my worstnumbers and was diagnosed with things,
I switched my way of thinking and thatwas 'focus on your health, not on the
number.' Not on the number on the scale.
Okay.
The weight will come off when you go wholefood, plant-based or plant-based, no oil,
however you're going to do plant-based.
(18:01):
Which obviously means you'renot having these diseases, these
conditions when the numbers come downand they get into the normal range.
So just focus on your healthbecause the weight will come off.
That's such an important tip I thinkthat you're sharing with our listeners
and one I absolutely agree with.
Because I think it's so importantthat we're focusing on our health
(18:25):
because it is a lifestyle change.
This plant-based eating is not a fad diet.
It's not a quick ' lose weight' scheme.
Even though results can vary for eachperson, the way the scale changes
can vary for each person dependingon how their transition is going, but
the number one goal for a personon a plant-based diet is really
(18:46):
to, to improve their health, right?
To make those changes to the health.
And I just think of the changes onthe weight front as more perks,
as a side benefit to this, butit shouldn't be your focus.
Yeah, I just feel this isa sustainable lifestyle.
There's so much food to eat ona plant-based diet or lifestyle.
(19:09):
You can't go wrong.
There's just so much to eat onit and there's lots of recipes
out there, very tasty recipes.
So yeah, I, I just feel like, you know,if you eat the colors of the rainbow,
a variety of fruits and vegetables,you know, nuts, seed grains, all grains
and greens, greens, greens you'll,you'll definitely feel the difference.
(19:32):
I agree with you on that.
Definitely variety is important.
And you're right, the plant-basedworld is so vast, it's hard to
explore it all, even in a lifetime.
And there's so many different plants,different kinds of whole grains, different
beans, different types of mushrooms,that you wouldn't realize if you stay
to meats and animal-based products.
(19:55):
But it kind of frees up yourcapacity to try and to enjoy all
these plant-based foods when you moveinto a plant-centered way of eating.
Thank you for being here today, Lyana,and for sharing your story with us.
I'm definitely leaving this interviewfeeling inspired and motivated to
continue plant-based eating on myside, a whole food plant-based diet.
(20:17):
And it's just so uplifting to hearthe positive changes that can occur
to one's life and one's health, justfrom changing the way that we eat and
putting different foods on our plates,without needing more meds or surgery.
And you know, I want to thank you Anna forspreading the message on how a plant-based
lifestyle can truly change lives.
(20:39):
I joined your Facebook page orgroup in April and that's how I
found out about your podcast, whichI've been listening to ever since.
So, thank you for all your encouragement.
You're welcome, Lyana.
To me, it's a privilege to be ableto serve others through the podcast
and through my Beginners for PlantBased Diet Success Facebook group.
(21:01):
I think we all need that extrasupport and encouragement and
motivation to keep going, becauseit is a big lifestyle change.
That's why I appreciate guests like you,Lyana, for just being willing to share
your story, because just sharing aboutreal life experiences can really make a
difference and help others see that it'spossible and it's happening in real life,
(21:22):
that people are experiencing positivehealth changes, just from making a change
in their lifestyle and way of eating.
So thank you, Lyana, for being here today.
And listeners, thank you for tuningin today to listen to this interview.
Thank you so much for listening.
(21:44):
If this podcast has inspired,encouraged, or helped you in some
way to transform your health,I would love to hear about it.
Please take 30 seconds to rateand leave a written review on
Apple Podcasts to let me know.
It will encourage me so much tohear how this podcast has positively
impacted and made a differencein your journey towards wellness.
(22:05):
And share about this podcast witha friend or loved one so we can
all thrive in the best health.
Remember, plant-based eatingcan be easy and doable.
See you in the next episode, my Friend.
So I've always struggled withblood pressure for many many years.
I've always taken bloodpressure medications.
But I'm happy to saytoday it was 128 over 78.
So to see the bottom number at78 I'm just ecstatic about that.
And eating this way for me, I feel clean.
I don't know how to really describe it,but I just don't feel heavy and saturated.
(00:27):
I actually feel clean andlighter, I guess you can say.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
(00:47):
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
(01:09):
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
Hello listeners, welcomeback to my interview with
(01:29):
special guest Lyana Salerno.
Lyana is a member of my free Beginnersfor Plant Based Diet Success Facebook
group and is also a listener to thisPlant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast.
In Part 1, we spoke about Lyana'sprevious diet and lifestyle prior
to moving to a plant-based diet.
She had been eating a mostly StandardAmerican Diet and was in a pretty
(01:52):
sedentary job for a few decades.
Since early adulthood, she's hadhigh blood pressure and had been
battling pre-diabetes for a few years.
But it all came to a head in Januarywhen she, after further blood work,
found out that she had NonalcoholicFatty Liver Disease and also had a
(02:13):
formal diagnosis of diabetes, inaddition to high cholesterol.
This was a wake-up call of sorts toher and really set her on the path to
start changing her diet and lifestyle,or to look into ways to change it.
So that led her into a path of cuttingout sugar and processed sugar and
processed foods almost immediately.
(02:35):
And then she started looking more intopotentially going to a keto diet but
she also started looking more intoplant-based eating more seriously.
And Lyana made that decisionto move into a full whole food
plant-based diet with no oil.
And that's what she's been on over thelast few months with quite some results.
(02:56):
So thank you again forjoining us today, Lyana.
I would love to ask you, duringthis last four months since you've
been on a whole food plant-baseddiet with no oil, did you make other
lifestyle changes during this time?
Actually, yes.
Once I started losing the weight, I feltso much better and I wanted to move.
(03:19):
When you're overweight and you'rejust tired and you have knee issues
and you're in pain all the time,you don't want to move, you know?
So yeah, once I lost the 22 pounds,still going, but once I lost that 22
pounds, I just felt so much better.
And yeah, so I'm moving my body alot more than I ever did before.
(03:41):
And not only that, I haveupped my water intake.
That's something that I hadalways struggled before.
I would drink coffee orI would drink diet soda.
And then that was it.
I've always been kind of a sipper.
I don't drink a lot of fluid.
So whatever I did drink, itwas like coffee, a diet soda.
And sometimes I wouldn't evenhave a drop of water in a day.
(04:04):
But now, yep.
I'm definitely drinking my water.
I'm moving more.
I just feel so much better.
That's great to hear.
Are you moving more just in terms of justbeing more active outside of your job,
going for walks or things, or is it likea more structured exercise that you're
doing more regularly, perhaps at the gym?
(04:26):
So I've never reallybeen like a gym person.
My husband has been very supportivethroughout my struggles for losing
weight and trying to get off meds.
So he's always suggested, let'sgo walking, let's go walking.
So we would go walking,but my back would hurt.
I have a bad left knee.
My knee would hurt.
I would cope for a little bit, justmy back was just hurting so bad.
(04:50):
So we would have to turnaround and come back.
Now when we go walking, it doesn't hurt!
But most of my activity really is: we've been redoing our backyard. (04:56):
undefined
So we've been doing a lot of gardening andthat entails a lot of digging and bending
and walking from one end to the other,planting and we're just constantly moving.
So yes, it's more of in gardening thatI'm getting a lot of my activity and over
(05:19):
here in Ohio, it's very humid, so I amjust constantly sweating all the time.
So I make sure to hydratemyself and I make sure to tell
my husband, hydrate, hydrate.
So we're definitely drinking more water.
So my activity is more so with thegardening that I'm doing right now.
That's great.
(05:40):
And I think gardening is actuallyquite an active pastime, because,
like you said, you are movingaround, working with the soil, with
the plants, walking here and there.
It can be a great way of getting in thatmovement, especially over the summer.
And the benefits is you get the reward ofenjoying all these fruits and vegetables
that you're planting, at the end of it.
(06:01):
So you said before you may sometimesgo a day without a drop of actual water
versus the diet sodas and the coffee.
So now, on average, how much waterwould you say you're drinking in a day?
I try to take in my 64 ounces.
If I can get to 64 ounces, great.
Sometimes I do better than 64ounces, but 64 ounces is my goal.
(06:25):
Right now I even have myYeti full of ice and water.
So I make sure that we have water.
We actually just bought a watercooler as a matter of fact, so
we drink a lot more filtered waterand it's always there at hand.
That's a big change then, Lyana, frombefore not even drinking a drop of water
(06:47):
in a day to having 64 ounces on average.
So that's fantastic.
Water is one of the best fluidswe can give our bodies to hydrate.
Have you experienced other positivechanges since eating plant-based
over the last four months, besidesthe changes in your cholesterol,
liver enzymes and for your weight?
Actually, yes.
(07:08):
So I've struggled with depressionand that is in my family as well.
But, it got really bad inJanuary or leading up to January.
I wasn't sleeping well, yeah,the depression was pretty bad.
A lot of stress.
It just seems like I'mjust so much happier now.
I really am.
(07:28):
I think just taking off some ofthis weight and being able to move
and seeing my reflection in themirror, I don't cringe anymore.
I actually feel like finally I'mgoing in the right direction.
Rather than going up, like Iwas for several years on the
scale, I'm actually coming down.
And that is a huge positive for someonethat struggles with their weight.
(07:52):
When they see their weight going up, andthere's nothing that is working and you
finally find something that's working andyou're going down on the scale, which
is always good, taking excess weightoff your body, it just makes you feel
so excited that you're on the right path.
So yes, I sleep better.
My energy level is up.
(08:14):
My depression, I can't reallysay I'm depressed anymore.
I'm actually very happy.
Those are wonderful changes to hear.
Sometimes it's more of the intangiblepositive changes that are perks of
eating plant-based, having the energyto do more things, sleeping better,
and having less depression, you know,feeling happier and healthier as well.
(08:38):
And I know there is that realconnection, the gut brain axis, with
feeding our gut microbes the rightway with nourishing high fiber, whole
plant-based foods, that can impact ourmental health as well substantially.
And I think there's the added assuranceof knowing when you're on a whole food
plant-based diet with no oil, thatas you see your weights coming down
(09:01):
over time, it's more of a plant-baseddiet consistent gradual trend.
It really is.
And eating this way for me, I feel clean.
I don't know how to really describe it,but I just don't feel heavy and saturated.
I actually feel clean andlighter, I guess you can say.
(09:22):
There was some time in the past whereI would wake up and I would have puffy
eyes all the time and my ankles wouldbe puffy, like I had edema or something.
They were swollen and I don'thave any of that anymore.
I wake up, I'm good.
No puffy eyes.
I check my ankles.
I check my feet just to make surethat I'm still doing good on the
(09:43):
sodium and I don't have any swelling.
That's great to hear.
And you said your blood pressure,is it now pretty much in
normal range or how is it now?
So I've always struggled withblood pressure for many many years.
But I'm happy to say today itwas 128 over 78, which normally
(10:03):
I would struggle between say130s- 140s, over high 80s, 90s.
So to see the bottom number at78 I'm just ecstatic about that.
So yeah, today was 128 over 78.
That's a great reading to have.
And I'm sure as you continue withplant-based eating, with the way
(10:25):
that you're eating and your lifestylechanges, that we'll continue to see
that improving over time as well.
Previously, you said you struggledwith blood pressure, were you
on blood pressure medications?
Yes, I've always takenblood pressure medications.
I actually tried to get off ofthem, but I don't know if it's
(10:45):
just because it runs in my family.
Even out of all seven of us kids, Ihave thin siblings, you know, siblings
that are not overweight, but they stillstruggle with high blood pressure.
Most of my siblings strugglewith high blood pressure.
So it has been a struggle andlike I said, I don't like to
(11:07):
take prescription medications.
I tried to get off of blood pressuremeds, but it just seems like
when I tried to do that, my bloodpressure would just go way up.
And I just didn't want any problems soI stuck with the blood pressure meds.
If anything, blood pressure medshas really been the only med
(11:27):
that I've taken consistently.
Okay, I understand that.
I think you're moving in the rightdirection with plant-based eating
and you've really only been on thiswhole food, plant-based, no-oil
diet lifestyle for four months.
So as you move forward and continueto monitor your blood pressure levels,
I think there's a real possibilitythat you'll be able to stay off
(11:50):
the cholesterol medications andeventually cut down on your blood
pressure medications in the future.
Thank you.
Yeah, my goal is toeventually stop all meds.
That would be wonderful.
If I can do that, lose moreweight, no longer be pre-diabetic,
stabilize my blood pressure, bringdown my cholesterol even more.
(12:12):
Yeah, those are my goals, ultimatelynot being on prescription meds.
I definitely support you inthat and I'm cheering you on.
And it's so exciting that all thesechanges are happening just within a
couple of months and without you havingto take more medications or be on
surgery, or doing other drastic measures.
(12:33):
For your husband, you know, he's beenon the sidelines watching you do this
whole food plant-based, no-oil lifestyle,have you noticed any impact of your way
of eating on him, his mindset, someinfluences in terms of foods in the
home, or what he's been willing to try?
I am so glad you asked me that.
My husband is the most supportive person.
(12:57):
He's just been my biggestcheerleader in all of this.
He says, just whatever makes you happy.
I just want you to be happy.
He says, but you're beautiful to me.
And he's just so supportive.
But yes, in changing how I cookand I never pushed this on him.
I just said, this is theway I'm going to eat.
(13:17):
You can continue to eathow you want to eat.
I'm not going to push it on you, butthis is what I need to do for myself.
But he says, whateveryou cook, I will eat.
And, I'm telling you, I havethe best mushroom stroganoff.
It is the best, it's plant-based, wholefood plant-based mushroom stroganoff.
(13:38):
He said, if I didn't tell him itwas whole food plant-based, he would
not have known, and he loved it.
He said, next time we have companyover, he wants me to make that.
So he is on board withanything that I make.
He's willing to try it and everythingthat I have made, he loves it.
So yes, it's kind of ripping off on him.
(14:01):
That's so exciting to hear.
I always love hearing about how theloved one or spouse or family gets
influenced when one person in thefamily moves towards plant-based eating.
How wonderful for your husband to besupportive of you and be willing to try.
I think that's a huge step, just beingwilling to try these foods, because
sometimes if you don't know what aplant-based meal tastes like, you
(14:24):
wouldn't know if you like it or not.
So, big props to him for beingwilling to try that and that he
enjoyed the mushroom stroganoff.
So, I guess at home, he's eatingthe same way you are because
you are cooking this way, right?
But I'm assuming outside thehome, he's still kind of eating
what he likes at restaurants.
Is that right?
(14:44):
That's correct.
He is still a meat and potatoeskind of guy, and yeah, I don't see
him right now stopping the meat.
He loves his meat.
But he has been eating healthierbecause I've been eating healthier.
So, he says, don't worry.
Don't worry about cookingme something separate.
(15:05):
I'll eat whatever you're going to eatSo, whatever you make, I'll eat it.
And so that has helped so muchbecause then I don't have to make
him something separate from me.
But again, when we go out to dinneror something, his choices are
still, you know, he likes his meat.
(15:26):
Okay, and that's fine.
I think the fact that he's eating mostlyplant-based at home, with the same
meals that you're having, it's stilla big positive change forward for him.
And this is a transition for himas much as it is for you as well.
So, give it more time.
And, the main thing is he's enjoying themeals you're making and he's getting
(15:46):
exposed to all these different plant-basedfoods and ways of making things.
So continue what you're doing.
That's wonderful.
So for him, did he have anyhealth issues or is he already
noticing some positive changes?
So actually, yeah, he was diagnosedpre-diabetic as well, which he said he
had never been diagnosed, and this wasprobably about a year and a half ago.
(16:09):
Also, high cholesterol.
So he actually did some blood workprobably about a week before I did.
So this was in July and I can'teven believe this guy, his
blood work came back excellent.
So I think, if I can remember correctly,he is still in the pre-diabetic zone,
but he's really cut out a lot of sugar. Because he used to drink a lot of Pepsi
(16:34):
throughout the day and eat candy, and weused to actually, both of us would get
a bowl of ice cream almost every night.
And yeah, he doesn't do that anymore.
And he's cut down his Pepsi.
And so I know his number went down.
His cholesterol is coming down.
Actually, he's in normal range now.
His total cholesterol numberis in the normal range.
(16:57):
So I think it's benefiting him.
That's fantastic to hear.
Just by eating at home in a waythat's similar to you, it's definitely
having an impact on him health-wise.
So as we are coming to a close here,I'd love to ask you, do you have a key
takeaway or tip you'd like to give ourlisteners that could help them in their
(17:18):
journey towards plant-based eating?
So there are so many key takeaways, butif you're asking me for one, I would say,
and this was something that worked for me.
And that was, you know, all these years,I just wanted the scale number to move
down, down, down, get on that scale,make sure it goes down and lose weight.
(17:40):
Well, in January, when I hit my worstnumbers and was diagnosed with things,
I switched my way of thinking and thatwas 'focus on your health, not on the
number.' Not on the number on the scale.
Okay.
The weight will come off when you go wholefood, plant-based or plant-based, no oil,
however you're going to do plant-based.
(18:01):
Which obviously means you'renot having these diseases, these
conditions when the numbers come downand they get into the normal range.
So just focus on your healthbecause the weight will come off.
That's such an important tip I thinkthat you're sharing with our listeners
and one I absolutely agree with.
Because I think it's so importantthat we're focusing on our health
(18:25):
because it is a lifestyle change.
This plant-based eating is not a fad diet.
It's not a quick ' lose weight' scheme.
Even though results can vary for eachperson, the way the scale changes
can vary for each person dependingon how their transition is going, but
the number one goal for a personon a plant-based diet is really
(18:46):
to, to improve their health, right?
To make those changes to the health.
And I just think of the changes onthe weight front as more perks,
as a side benefit to this, butit shouldn't be your focus.
Yeah, I just feel this isa sustainable lifestyle.
There's so much food to eat ona plant-based diet or lifestyle.
(19:09):
You can't go wrong.
There's just so much to eat onit and there's lots of recipes
out there, very tasty recipes.
So yeah, I, I just feel like, you know,if you eat the colors of the rainbow,
a variety of fruits and vegetables,you know, nuts, seed grains, all grains
and greens, greens, greens you'll,you'll definitely feel the difference.
(19:32):
I agree with you on that.
Definitely variety is important.
And you're right, the plant-basedworld is so vast, it's hard to
explore it all, even in a lifetime.
And there's so many different plants,different kinds of whole grains, different
beans, different types of mushrooms,that you wouldn't realize if you stay
to meats and animal-based products.
(19:55):
But it kind of frees up yourcapacity to try and to enjoy all
these plant-based foods when you moveinto a plant-centered way of eating.
Thank you for being here today, Lyana,and for sharing your story with us.
I'm definitely leaving this interviewfeeling inspired and motivated to
continue plant-based eating on myside, a whole food plant-based diet.
(20:17):
And it's just so uplifting to hearthe positive changes that can occur
to one's life and one's health, justfrom changing the way that we eat and
putting different foods on our plates,without needing more meds or surgery.
And you know, I want to thank you Anna forspreading the message on how a plant-based
lifestyle can truly change lives.
(20:39):
I joined your Facebook page orgroup in April and that's how I
found out about your podcast, whichI've been listening to ever since.
So, thank you for all your encouragement.
You're welcome, Lyana.
To me, it's a privilege to be ableto serve others through the podcast
and through my Beginners for PlantBased Diet Success Facebook group.
(21:01):
I think we all need that extrasupport and encouragement and
motivation to keep going, becauseit is a big lifestyle change.
That's why I appreciate guests like you,Lyana, for just being willing to share
your story, because just sharing aboutreal life experiences can really make a
difference and help others see that it'spossible and it's happening in real life,
(21:22):
that people are experiencing positivehealth changes, just from making a change
in their lifestyle and way of eating.
So thank you, Lyana, for being here today.
And listeners, thank you for tuningin today to listen to this interview.
Thank you so much for listening.
(21:44):
If this podcast has inspired,encouraged, or helped you in some
way to transform your health,I would love to hear about it.
Please take 30 seconds to rateand leave a written review on
Apple Podcasts to let me know.
It will encourage me so much tohear how this podcast has positively
impacted and made a differencein your journey towards wellness.
(22:05):
And share about this podcast witha friend or loved one so we can
all thrive in the best health.
Remember, plant-based eatingcan be easy and doable.
See you in the next episode, my Friend.
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