Daily Health Insight: Feature Interview with Sharon Palmer: Go Plant-Power! Challenge starts August 5

Feature Interview with Sharon Palmer: Go Plant-Power! Challenge starts August 5
Summer is a great time to go plant-based, and if you need a push in the right direction, look no further! Sharon Palmer, aka The Plant-Powered Dietitian, will launch her second 14-Day Go Plant Power! Challenge on Monday, August 5th. We had a chance to chat with Sharon recently about the challenge, how it is different from other vegan kickstarts, why people should do it, and lots of other details...so read on!

Summer is a great time to go plant-based, and if you need a push in the right direction, look no further! Sharon Palmer, aka The Plant-Powered Dietitian, will launch her second 14-Day Go Plant Power! Challenge on Monday, August 5th. We had a chance to chat with Sharon recently about the challenge, how it is different from other vegan kickstarts, why people should do it, and lots of other details…so read on!

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photo courtesy of Sharon Palmer

Vegan Mainstream (VM): Why did you decide to host this challenge?

Sharon Palmer (SP): I believe that people can gain remarkable health benefits by taking on a more plant-based diet, no matter where they are. If they’re eating meat three times a day, perhaps they could cut it back to once a day. Maybe they can try Meatless Monday. And if you’re a vegetarian, perhaps you’d like to try going vegan for 14 days, just to see how it feels. It gives you a unique opportunity to give something a try and see if it’s for you. When I did research for my book a couple of years ago, I had been a vegetarian for quite some time. But I decided to try a 30-day vegan challenge, because I wanted to know what it felt like to be a vegan–how difficult it would be, how my body would react. As a health expert, I felt that I needed to understand this first hand. The experience was so positive, that I decided to stick with it!

VM: How is this challenge different from some of the other vegan kickstarts or challenges out there?

SP: My challenge is more flexible. I believe that everyone can benefit from a plant-based diet and can do it! While many may not consider a vegan challenge right from the start, they should be able to start with cutting back on meat and eating more whole plant-based foods. After all, Americans eat meat at three times the global rate. They can feel so good about making a positive change, and it can become a new lifestyle for them. Can you imagine the impact on health–and the environment and animal welfare–if everyone in the US cut their meat intake by half? I have had readers of my book make tremendous, positive impacts on their health by taking on this lifestyle. I’ve had die-hard carnivores cut back on red meat to once a month and discontinue statins because their blood levels were so positive. After they have made these more gradual changes, they may consider further progressing their diet towards a vegan lifestyle.

VM: Does it cost anything for people to get involved?

SP: No, this is a free service I’m providing to people to help them kickstart their health.

VM: What does being involved in the challenge entail for participants?

SP: All they have to do is sign up on the Go Plant Power FB page to get the daily alerts and instructions for the challenge. We even have lots of prizes for those that get involved. We will provide education and daily tips and recipes.

VM: What benefits do you think people who are participating in and really sticking to the challenge will see?

SP: I have people tell me that they feel better within a couple of days. People can also lose a few pounds, which can help them get more enthusiastic about a healthy eating pattern for life. People also gain a new understanding for healthy, whole plant foods, such as ancient whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, vegetables, and fruits.

VM: Who is the ideal candidate to try this challenge?

SP: Anyone who would like to take their diet to the next plant-powered level. Whether you’d like to go vegetarian for two weeks, give up red meat for two weeks, or even eat two vegetarian meals per week, this challenge is for you. On the first day of the challenge, I ask you to consider your goals for health and sustainable living and then make your decision and set a goal. Then every day I will guide you to eating more whole plant-based foods.

VM: How many people are you hoping to reach?

SP: I would really like to reach a few thousand people on this challenge.

VM: Why did you choose a 2-week challenge instead of longer, or shorter?

SP: I believe that two weeks can really give you the chance to learn about a new lifestyle. It gives you time to see if it’s right for you, and whether you have gained benefits from it.

VM: Why should people try this?

SP: Hundreds of studies point to one thing: a plant-based diet–a diet that focuses on plants, not animals–is the healthiest diet on the planet. It’s not only rich in all of the good stuff–fiber, vitamins, minerals, phyochemicals; it’s low in all of the bad stuff: cholesterol, saturated fat, toxins. Most traditional, cultural diets are plant-based–whether you’re in Peru or Asia. We have strayed away from our healthy plant-based diets to the typical American diet, which we know is linked with poor health–death, obesity, disease.

VM: What are the best resources you can recommend or tips you can offer for people who are just starting on a vegan diet?

SP: I believe my book is a great resource, it tells you how to do it healthfully. There are also a number of brilliant books written on the subject by people like Neal Barnard, Virginia Messina and Reed Mangels. The most important thing is to develop a cooking style that can support this diet. You have to have healthy, plant-based foods that will meet your nutritional needs available. You can’t just wing it.

Interested? Check out the Go Plant-Power! Challenge Facebook Page and sign up today!