Meet our Herbie of the Week: Mindy!
Tired of constantly being in pain, Mindy started to research the benefits of going plant-based. After reading how many people got better with a low-fat, plant-based diet, she decided to give it a try.
In less than 2 weeks her pain went away and over the course of 4 months see lost 50lbs! Mindy also no longer needs to take medication for her high blood pressure and even got her hubby to make the switch too!
Read on for Mindy's inspiring story!
I was suffering from excruciating pain in my lower back 5 long years after I was injured in May 2008. I had to go rest my back a lot throughout the day. I suffered from 2 ruptured discs and spinal stenosis. There was also a piece of bone in the nerve bundle of my spinal column. On top of all that I had arthritis, high blood pressure (which I was taking medications for), and chronic constipation. I couldn't do much of anything and I just couldn't take it anymore!
In 2013 I started doing some research. At first I saw where people just ate raw fruits and veg. They said it helped, so I tried it. You can only do that for a short time and it can get expensive. Then I found "Forks Over Knives" and read stories online about people getting better on a low-fat, plant-based diet. I listened to Dr McDougall, Dr Esselstyn, Dr Greger, Jeff Novick and many others. I decided to give it a try and in just 11 days all of the pain was gone!
Before going plant-based my weight ranged between 204-208lbs. I didn't experience any weight-loss when I first made the transition, but about two weeks later the weight just started to come off -- and quick! By the end of 4 months I lost 50lbs!!!
Before this I was eating coconut oils and olive oils thinking you needed them. Boy was I wrong! I was also eating your typical meat & potatoes diet and I had a huge appetite! At first I ate some cheese on my salad and I thought you needed yogurt so I did that. But once I read the stories from people just like me pain free on a low-fat, plant-based diet I had to try and never looked back. That's the best way to do it. The results are amazingly fast -- that way it just keeps you going.
I was so excited I called everyone I knew. When I was out and I heard people talking about their diet and health I would tell them my story. They did it and it works for them as well. It wasn't hard for me because I could finally move around pain-free and I could go biking for 20 miles at a time.
Some of my favorite plant-based recipes are the HH Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Lentil Joes, Chickpea Tenders (from Light & Lean), Skinny Pad Thai (from Light & Lean), and Spice Cake Surprise (from Light & Lean). I mean you just can't go wrong with any of HH recipies. They're so delicious!!!!
My husband, John, saw all this goodness going on so he gave it a try. He didn't give up certain things like chips and chocolate, so he had a harder time, but even he saw results. We both gave up meat and cheese very easily, especially when you find out how there treated. We don't need to harm another being for food. It feels good not to participate in that anymore.
John eventually lost about 40 lbs, no longer has heart palpitations, healed his digestive system, no longer has aches and pains, and his breathing got better. He also has more energy and doest have heart burn anymore. When he has something with oil in it he really notices the difference -- and so do I! You get achy, congested and you put on weight.
We love our happy herbie lifestyle and we know this is the way humans are meant to eat. We will never look back! We have our lives back and instead of worrying about ending up in wheelchair I am looking for a kayak and a new bike. Life is so amazing now -- and we are in our fifties!!!
Thank you Mindy for sharing you and your husband's plant-based journey with us!
