Summer's Here!!!
Laurenzo Thomas • June 21, 2025
Why The Summertime is A Great Time To Start Your Plant Based Journey
June 20th!!! The official first day of summer. So you hoped to be in shape by summer but alas, you haven't reached your goal and you feel getting that swimsuit body is beyond your reach. The fact is, it is NOT too late to achieve notable and noticeable health and fitness goals for the summer. It all starts with nutrition and summer is the perfect opportunity to start on that whole food plant based journey. Why is that so? Though many equate summer with grilling, BBQ, picnics and vacations that can lend themselves to excess calories and poor choices, the reality is that a lot of people actually eat less just because of the hot weather. But besides that things like fresh fruit (i.e berries, watermelon, grapes, mangoes) and salads of all sorts are preferable because they are refreshing and light. Even grilling can be healthy and fun as asparagus, portobello mushrooms, onions, pineapples are popular healthy alternatives that can help you shed pounds. And if you skip the sodas, juices, and yes even the beer and focus on good ole water you will see some definite changes in your body composition sooner than you think!!! Yes, summer can still be fun and you can head to the beach with confidence! Why not start TODAY? Give yourself 2 weeks and see how you feel. Better yet, do a 21 day or 30 day challenge. The results will motivate you to keep going and you will still have over half the summer left to enjoy your new found energy and zest for life! PREAM Nutrition is here to help you!
Success The Right Way
Hello to all! It has been awhile since I posted to my blog but this post is special to me and I hope others will be inspired by it. Today, May 18th, 2024 marks the 5th anniversary since I started on my plant-based journey. Yes, that means FIVE YEARS of no meat, no dairy, no eggs and 5 years of none of my wife's red beans and rice and classic spaghetti, my mom's gumbo and sweet potato pie, and other staples of the first 49 years of my life. It also meant no fried chicken strips from Ezell's, no Jones's BBQ, no teriyaki, no burgers from Dick's. You get it! I mention all of this to just highlight that it has not been easy and there are times I may crave fried chicken, a nice steak, or a juicy burger. But I resolved in my heart to to forge ahead on this path because it literally SAVED MY LIFE! So yes, May 18th is a special day for me. There have been struggles and setbacks but I am proud to say I have never touched meat, dairy, or eggs from day one. In the process of exploring the world of veganism and particularly, whole food plant based eating, I have learned so much about myself and the lifestyle. I have lost 85 lbs but it has come with many challenges. Over the last two months I did a 60-day personal challenge as I looked forward to my anniversary. Over the next few weeks I will share details of what that entailed as well as other things I have gleaned over the last 5 years. Stay tuned!
There is absolutely no question that a plant-based diet and lifestyle has captured the minds and hearts of people everywhere. Whether it's for health reasons, for ethical reasons, or just a change from the ordinary, adopting a plant-based lifestyle is certainly a popular trend right now. But for those who truly see the amazing benefits it is definitely not just a trend. They recognize the tremendous impact it can have on one not just physically but mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Because of this many have made the decision to embark on the journey; they are in it for the long haul! Perhaps you also have made a conscientious decision to do the same. But are you ready? What does going plant-based really mean? In essence a plant-based diet involves centering your meal choices around plants, plant centric as it were. What do we mean by plants? That would include vegetables, fruits, legumes (i.e. lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas), tubers (i.e. potatoes, yams), root vegetables (i.e. carrots, beets), nuts, and seeds. Particularly, you should strive to have at least half your plate consist of vegetables especially green veggies like kale, collards. or broccoli. Now here at PREAM Nutrition, we emphasize a no meat, no eggs, no dairy diet. In other words, nothing with a mother as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn would say. Because of this some would label that veganism and it's true sometimes the terms could be interchangeable. We will address that in a later blog, but suffice to say a plant-based diet may allow for meat, processed foods, fried foods , etc... However, if your goal is optimal health as you travel on this journey, you will definitely want to consider avoiding meat altogether as well as processed foods, and what some would term vegan junk foods (do you hear me Doritos and Oreo cookies?) Other obvious factors in this journey are your goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Do you want to prevent or perhaps reverse certain health conditions? Is your aim to lower your carbon footprint? Whatever your goals are, they should be clearly stated so you can keep them in focus as you pursue this plant-based adventure. Having support along the way is paramount to success as well and PREAM Nutrition is here to travel with you, support you, and guide you along the way! So are you ready for this plant-based journey? Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, brace yourself for the inevitable challenges along the way, and you can be sure of reaching your destination and finding success!
