When did your wellness journey begin and what motivated you to start?
My wellness journey began January 19, 2013, two weeks before my 40th birthday. I was close to 300 pounds. I was a diabetic, had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, a fatty liver, and sleep apnea. But, the biggest motivation was the thought of making my wife a widow and leaving our 5 kids fatherless.
What specific lifestyle changes did you make and what were the results?
I eliminated all animal products, oils and processed foods. My meals were centered around starches (potatoes, rice, corn and beans), fruits and veggies of every color, and I started drinking a ton of water. As far as physical activity, I went from being a couch potato to running and lifting light weights. I did CrossFit for a while and really enjoyed it, but I just find more joy in running.
How did you get your family of 7 to adopt a whole food plant-based diet?
At first, I didn’t. We looked at it like a diet. There was “daddy’s food” and everyone else’s. My wife and I began to realize this was just ridiculous and expensive. Also, it just made sense that we would want the healthy kids as well. 🙂 At the time, my kids ranged in age from 11 down to 9 months. It was a little harder for my older kids, but my youngest has known nothing but a plant-based diet. She’s never set foot inside of a fast food restaurant…EVER! That being said, we never forced our kids to be “vegan” or “plant-based”, we simply said that in our home this is how we would eat. No discussion. If they didn’t like it, too bad… eventually, they would get hungry and eat. Trust me, they never went hungry. 🙂 But, we quickly saw them making wise choices outside the home, which is what we were wanting to accomplish. We also included them in our grocery shopping trips. Once a month, we turned the kitchen over to our oldest two kids and let them choose a meal and cook dinner for the whole family.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to go plant-based, but doesn’t have family buy-in to make the change?
I get this question all the time and it can be tough, but it’s also very doable. My first piece of advice would be to find community. Whether it’s Facebook Groups, local meet-ups and potlucks, etc. Chances are you can find a community of like-minded people. I can’t say it enough: COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY! It’s so much easier to succeed. And, if you can’t find a community, host your own potluck. You might be surprised how many people are dealing with the same things and just waiting for someone to reach out.
Check out Shane’s website for tasty, easy-to-make plant-based recipes: Shane & Simple