Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
I lived off of fast-food.
I was an emergency vet techliving off fast-food and I
did that for many many years.
So, it can happen, and you cantotally change the way you think
about food once you start tothink of your food as medicine.
Your food is your medicine.
(00:22):
It can heal you or it can hurt you.
And I hurt myself long enough with it,so now is the healing time with my food.
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
(00:42):
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
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
(01:03):
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
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!
(01:25):
Before we dive into today's episode, Iwant to share this testimonial about the
Plant-Powered Life Transformation Course.
Sheena says, "Thank youfor making this course.
I've been trying out the recipes inyour videos, and they are amazing.
Thank you for helping me andso many others be healthier.
(01:45):
I've tried out the falafel recipe,the hummus tomato basil sandwich,
and the crunchy chickpea recipes.
All so good.
I'm excited to try out more."
Thank you so much, Sheena, for thispositive feedback on the PPLT course.
I'm so happy to hear that youhave been enjoying the Course
recipes you have made so far.
(02:07):
There are definitely a lot of recipesand resources within the Course to help
you on your plant-based diet journey.
From video lessons and PDF guidesto tips, meal ideas, and key
lifestyle success strategies.
This way, your lifestyle transitiondoesn't have to be overwhelming, because
I have broken down the transition processinto smaller, more manageable chunks
(02:30):
that are easier to digest and absorb.
It's my passion to help you andothers enjoy a smoother, quicker
transition to a plant-powered life.
Friend, if you would like tolearn more about the Plant-Powered
Life Transformation Course, go toplantnourished.com/ppltcourse or
see the link in the show notes.
(02:52):
Let's listen now to part two of myfollow-up interview with guest Winnona Yi.
I am excited for you to listento this second half of the
interview because it's so good.
After one year, Winnona isstill plant strong and enjoying
a whole food plant-based diet.
Let's see how she's able to do this, whatsome of her meals are like, and learn
(03:16):
some low-oil cooking strategies as well.
Winnona also gives us a key pieceof advice to help us stay on track
in our plant-based diet journeys.
So let's jump in.
Hello, Winnona, I'm thrilled youcan be here with us again today.
So, Winnona grew up on a regulardiet with fast-food and at one point
(03:39):
tried a keto diet in adulthood.
However, she eventually developedhigh blood pressure, high
cholesterol, and then diabetes.
So one day on December 27th, 2023,Winnona decided to go 100 percent
whole food plant-based overnight.
Just to clarify, when you speakabout being on a whole food
(03:59):
plant-based diet, are you alsorestricting your intake of added oils?
I am.
I try to use water or brothif I'm sauteing something.
Sometimes I will occasionally useavocado oil and I'll use a spray
so that I can just spritz it onwithout putting a glob in the pan.
(04:20):
But yeah, for the most part, Idefinitely try and stay away from oils.
And just use water or brothif I'm cooking something.
That's great to hear.
I think that would be important forsomeone who's wanting to reach weight
goals, depending on how much addedoils they had in their original
diet from salad dressings or fromadding oils in the cooking process.
(04:46):
Are you also consuming nuts or avoidingthat as well in your eating plan?
I do eat some nuts.
Mostly I will make like a cashew creamor something that incorporates nuts.
I don't normally just have ahandful of nuts that I munch on.
But I will put it into mycooking, but not too many.
(05:10):
Okay.
So just adding a littlebit here and there.
So a year later, do you find it easier nowand more second nature to eat plant-based?
Oh, yes.
I don't even think abouteating any other way.
I crave it.
This was the best thing thatI have ever done for myself.
(05:31):
And so it's not even aneffort for me anymore.
It's just the way I eat.
That's just how I eat.
That's wonderful to hear.
how have things been in termsof binge-eating now a year
later eating plant-based?
I remember how much that wasan issue for you in the past.
I still don't binge eat.
(05:52):
I'm more satiated when I eat and Ialso think that I have healed a lot of
my gut biome and the flora in my gut.
And I really don't feellike I need to binge eat.
So I have my three meals.
Sometimes I will also have a snack.
But a lot of times, just as longas I'm getting my water and three
(06:14):
meals that keeps me satisfied.
As a matter of fact, sometimes Ionly do two meals because I'll get
so full and it just keeps me andI don't think about having lunch.
So, I don't binge eat at all anymore.
It's been a year since I've binge ate.
Is that how you'd say it?
I think so.
That's right.
(06:35):
What's a typical day like for youin terms of what you're eating, you
said, three meals, possibly a snack.
So in the mornings, what wouldyou usually have as a breakfast?
Normally in the morning, I liketo have oatmeal or I will have an
oatmeal smoothie in the morning.
Just because I can add a lot of veggies,a lot of fruit in there, and I can make
(06:59):
sure that I'm getting enough fiber.
So fiber is a big thing for me.
I have to make sure I'mgetting enough fiber.
So I'll do oatmeal withfruit or I'll do a smoothie.
And I always add in vegetablesand fruits to my smoothie.
So I'll put in carrots and spinach,maybe some blueberries, some
(07:20):
cherries or something like that.
And I always add flax orchia seed with it as well.
Flaxseed and chia seedreally can fill you up.
There, there is a noticeabledifference when I eat chia seeds
and flaxseeds in the morning.
It keeps me sustainedfor a very long time.
Then I may have a banana mid morning.
(07:43):
Just for a snack or I'll alsoconsider that part of my breakfast
like a smoothie and banana.
But I won't eat it until later.
And then around lunchtime, Iwill have maybe a bowl of soup.
I used to do a bowl of soup and asandwich, but I can't eat that anymore.
So it's half a sandwich and a bowl ofsoup, or an entire sandwich and no soup.
(08:06):
But I can't eat as much asI used to be able to before.
And then dinner time, gosh, there's allkinds of things I can make for dinner.
And sometimes I'll do likea pasta sauce with spinach.
Over a wheat pasta or I will do tofu.
I like to freeze my tofu and thenpress it because it kind of gives
(08:29):
it a spongy, harder texture.
And then I'll cut that up and I'll let itsit for a couple hours in some spices and
some sauce just to absorb that flavor.
And I can either bake it or addit in to my spaghetti sauce.
Another thing I like to do is thetofu with walnut crumble, and it's
(08:51):
like a ground beef, I guess you wouldcall it, a hamburger or something.
But it looks like that, and soI'll do a lot of tacos, or I'll
throw that in spaghetti sauce,or, there's a ton of things that I
could think of to make for dinner.
You're making my mouth water.
Such great meal ideas, especiallythe dinner ones, I'm thinking.
(09:13):
That's great.
For your oatmeal smoothie, is thatmade with cooked oatmeal or just
raw oats that you're throwing in?
I just take raw oats and Ilike oat milk or almond milk.
Oat milk, to me, is a little creamier.
But I'll soak my oats in there forabout 15 minutes along with the chia
(09:35):
and the flax and sometimes I may put afew pistachios or something in, in my
smoothie, and I let it soak for a good 15minutes or so maybe a little bit longer.
It depends if I'm busy or not.
And then I just put that on theblender with some fruit, some spinach,
vegetables type things, and thengrind it all up and it's wonderful.
(10:00):
That's a great smoothie ideafor our listeners to try.
And the idea with the tofu, that's agreat way to change the texture of the
tofu, to freeze it first and then youcan press it to get out the water to
then marinate it and then slice it up oruse it in other ways for your cooking.
Yes, that's right.
Thank you for sharing justwhat a day is like right now.
(10:23):
That's helpful for our listenersto hear and just to see that it can
still be delicious, and it can stillbe varied, and you can still be full
and satisfied on a plant-based diet.
So now before we end, I would liketo ask you, having now been on a
plant-based diet for over a year,what's one thing you've since learned
or one piece of advice you would liketo pass on to others who are continuing
(10:47):
in their plant-based diet journeys?
Give it time.
Don't give up and don'texpect overnight miracles.
I've learned that fad diets thatpromise you health and weight
loss really fast are lies.
Anything that you do with yourhealth, you have to take it slow.
(11:09):
You have to take itmethodically and think about it.
And it can't be something that youjust apply to yourself for a little
while thinking that it's somethingthat you're going to just drop off.
It really does need tobe a lifestyle change.
And I couldn't imagine changingmy lifestyle back any other way.
(11:31):
So, just give it time, and if youreally want to see the results.
You will if you just keep at itand keep at it and keep at it.
Over time, it will definitely happento you because it happened to me
and I was not the best in healthbefore and I also did not have very
good habits and discipline before.
(11:54):
I lived off of fast-food.
I was an emergency vet techliving off fast-food and I
did that for many many years.
So, it can happen, and you cantotally change the way you think
about food once you start tothink of your food as medicine.
Your food is your medicine.
(12:14):
It can heal you or it can hurt you.
And I hurt myself long enough with it,so now is the healing time with my food.
Such an important pieceof advice, Winnona.
Thank you for sharing that.
And I absolutely agree with you.
I think time is a key factor in this.
When you are moving into a wholefood, plant-based diet, you need to
(12:35):
give yourself and your body time.
Yourself, to build this new lifestyle,this new habit, this new way of eating,
and even learning how to cook and prepwith all these whole plant-based foods.
And for your body to adjust and adaptto these changes in the way that
you're eating, the foods that you'reeating, for your gut to be able
(12:55):
to learn how to process these newfiber-rich, nutrient-rich foods and for
the results to show through your bloodand through your body in other ways.
And for you, Winnona, youswitched overnight to a
whole food plant-based diet.
For some people, they maynot be able to do that.
So even if they're taking steps ata time, one step at a time, making
(13:17):
those positive changes, adding in thefruits, the vegetables, reducing the
meats, that is still progress andyou may need a bit more time to see
the results in your health and in yourblood tests, but I agree with you,
the important thing is to keep at it.
Like you said, to not give up.
To really focus on the lifestyle andnot on the results you want to get, but
(13:40):
focus on building in this plant-poweredlifestyle day in and day out.
So thank you for being heretoday, Winnona, and for
sharing your story with us.
It continues to be a source of inspirationto me, and I know it will encourage and
inspire those listening to this episode.
I appreciate your opennessand what you have shared.
(14:01):
Just hearing you and hearing yougive this update makes me so inspired
that your life and your healthcould have changed so drastically in
just a year with you sticking to alow-fat whole food plant-based diet.
Thank you for having me, Anna.
I would do anything for your show.
Thank you Winnona.
I appreciate it.
(14:22):
I hope this guest interview has trulyencouraged and empowered you on your own
health journey, showing you that change inyour own health circumstances is possible.
It does not need to stay where it is, andyou do not need to stay where you are.
You may just need the right support,guidance, and strategies to enable
you to make the lifestyle changes youneed in order to see positive health
(14:46):
transformation in your own life.
So if you're excited at the possibilitiesof eating plant-based and want clear
guidance and support on how to best moveforward in this, do reach out to me by
email at healthnow@plantnourished.com,or see the link in the show notes.
I would love to support you so youcan reach your health and weight
(15:06):
goals with ease while enjoying athriving plant-powered lifestyle.
Thank you so much for listening.
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
(15:27):
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.
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.
(15:48):
See you in the next episode, my Friend.