My first visit with a nutritionist

I called my PCP a few weeks ago to obtain a referral for a visit with a nutritionist. Why, they asked. I have no health issues, do not even see my physician regularly. I told the voice on the other end, "because I am vegan." Yup, I pulled the vegan card. I have been a vegetarian for over a decade, and now that I am vegan, folks are always worried about whether or not I am getting enough protein. I was merely interested in becoming a healthier person, one who continues to go without a visit to the doctor. I believe that most health issues stem from what we put into our bodies, whether chemicals from processed food, pesticides, GMOs, hydrogenated oils, or all of the other deadly food products we have floating out there (68% of diseases are diet related). But I was not about to tell the doctor all of this, so I just pulled the vegan card.

My visit was this past week, and was it ever helpful. It actually turns out that I am not getting enough protein in my diet, but with just a few tweaks, I went from 15 to 20% of my calories from protein. I am still a bit shy of what I should be ingesting, but the more I learn about the preparation of beans and other valuable vegan sources, the easier time I will have. It has been a long process, becoming a healthier person. It took me 41 years to discover kale, who knows what the future will bring. All I know is that it is worth it to seek professional help. The visit with a nutritionist helped me to see where I have been doing great with my food choices, and what needs work. I continue to make small changes daily, the more manageable the change, the more likely that it will stick. For now I will head off to look up some recipes for seitan...ooh and lentils.