Little things you do make a big difference

These past few months, I’ve found myself in a rut with my cooking and eating rituals. That made me think about how far I’ve come in my healthy eating journey. A few years back, my husband and I watched a documentary on Netflix called Game Changers. After we saw it, we made the decision to try a plant-based diet. My decision to make the change came from the research I’ve done on my Parkinson’s diagnosis. 

The research showed that people with Parkinson’s do better when they remove meat and dairy from their diets. That helped push me to try this new way of eating, even though at the time, it seemed like a big change. But it didn’t happen all at once, and I can look back now and see all the small changes I did to get where I am today. It’s still a process of learning every day but undertaking what might seem like monumental life change can be done, especially when we do it incrementally and don’t try to take it on all at once. 

Here are some of the small things I did along the way: 

One of the very first things we did was clean out our pantry and refrigerator. That was an eye opener. We had food and cans with expired dates I had completely forgotten about. We learned a lot by doing this one small step. After we cleaned out the pantry, we had a fresh starting point in our new healthy eating journey. 

I like to get inspired; it gives me a boost of energy.  So, I went online and found people who are chefs and plant-based nutritionists that I could learn from. The experts on YouTube, and the things you can learn from them, is phenomenal. One of my favorites is Jenne Claiborne, from Sweet Potato Soul. I just love her passion, and her food is yummy. My latest find is Derek Simnett—his Youtube channel is Simnett Nutrition. His videos are fun, and his recipes are easy.

Another small step we took was gradually removing meat from our diet instead of going right to tofu. We started with meat alternatives, like Beyond Beef and the Impossible Burger. Then, as we learned about other proteins like tofu, jackfruit, soy curls, and soy chorizo, we incorporated more of that into our meals. 

I’ve always been an organized girl; I don’t know where it came from, but of course I got a wonderful notebook and started filling it new recipes to try. My goal was to try a new recipe once a week. If it was good, I’d keep it, and if it was bad, I’d throw it out. So now when I open my cooking notebook, it’s full of yummy recipes and not only does that bring me joy, it makes knowing what to cook for dinner that night so simple.

I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power. We’ve learned so much from shows like Forks Over Knives and Plant Pure Nation. Then I started watching the fun cooking shows on the Cooking Channel. Some of my favorites: The Great British Bake Off and Chopped. If you’re a visual learner like I am, seeing people cook and work their magic is fun and inspiring.

As I continue this healthy eating journey, I’ve grown to believe that food is medicine. Since I started learning more about food, it has changed my relationship with cooking. Going to the grocery store and preparing healthier food has been a new learning experience. To honor this journey, I got a new apron to put on every time I start cooking. I feel more present and focused when I put on my apron and start creating. That’s a little thing that makes me feel good and also makes a big difference. So, when making plans, think big, but when making progress, think small. If we embrace the little changes, it can make a big difference. By focusing on the little things, you will get closer to your goal and have reason to celebrate all the small wins along the way.

Think about one little thing you can do today to start you on a new path!