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This article is part of a series on the Word of Wisdom. To view all the articles in this series, see Discovering the Word of Wisdom.

The New Year is around the corner. I love this time of fresh starts and re-commitments! If you have wanted to commit to a healthier diet and lifestyle, I invite you to join me (and others) in a 10-day whole food, plant-based (WFPB) jumpstart beginning January 1. If you don’t know how to cook this food or don’t have time to cook it, I have great news! PlantPure Nation is now offering complete frozen WFPB meals delivered straight to your home at a very reasonable price. (Note: I have no relationship to this organization and receive no money or any other benefit from any sales.)

Eating whole food, plant-based means:

(1) Eating primarily whole foods instead of processed foods (processed foods are typically based on white flour, sugar, oil and other refined foods).

(2) Choosing plant foods over animal foods (animal foods include meat, dairy, and eggs).

(3) Making starch foods (like rice, corn, and potatoes) the center of the meal (the foundation of the diet).

Because the emphasis is on (1) wholesome plants, (2) meat sparingly (only in times of need), and (3) grain as the staff of life, this diet is one that is in harmony with the Word of Wisdom and is a great way to test the principles found in D&C 89 in your life (review D&C 89:10–16).

Please consider joining me and many others in deciding to go completely whole food, plant-based for ten days beginning January 1. Find out for yourself what a difference a healthy diet can make. If you’d like to formally join (and get periodic emails), go to 2017 10-Day WFPB Jumpstart.

Here are some options for doing the WFPB Jumpstart. Choose one of these:

(1) Order the 10-meal or 20-meal PlantPure Jumpstart. This is the ultimate in easy. PlantPure will ship pre-prepared frozen meals directly to your home at a reasonable price. Simply warm them up in an oven or microwave (or in the portable oven if you order the 21 day jumpstart kit). This would also make an awesome Christmas gift for someone you care about! (You will receive your shipment up to 7 to 10 business days from the time you place your order on the website.)

(2) Order the PlantPure Kitchen Starters. These are flavor and sauce packets you can use to easily create your own whole food, plant-based meals. The starter line contains 10 starter packets and 2 dressings. It also contains directions for how to combine these with fresh produce and grains to make inexpensive WFPB meals.

(3) Download the FREE McDougall 10-day program. Dr. John McDougall and his wife Mary provide you all the recipes, grocery lists, and meal plans you need for ten days. You just need to buy and prepare the food. This is a great way to try the food and learn how to cook it at the same time.

(4) Join the FREE PCRM 21-day Jumpstart program. PCRM (the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine) will send you (1) the 21-Day meal plan recipes with step-by-step photos to guide you through the process; (2) Daily messages with advice from nutrition experts; and (3) Tips for success from experienced healthcare professionals and others.

(5) Design your own WFPB 10-day meal plan. Check here for a wide selection of WFPB Recipes. Choose the ones that look best to you. You can also check out WFPB Meal Planning. If you want to do this the easiest way, check out WFPB Made Easy.

What Results Can You Expect?

What can happen in ten days? As a matter of fact, quite a bit.

(1) Lose weight. If you need to lose weight, this is a healthy way to do it, and you won’t need to go hungry!

(2) Feel better. Depending on your current state health, you are likely to begin to feel better within the first ten days. This can include a feeling of lightness and joy and an increase in energy.

(3) Decrease dependence on certain foods. Many of us have a hard time changing our diets because we depend on certain foods out of habit or to help us deal with difficult emotions. The good news is that if you can tough it through ten days, you’ll have done 50-90% of the work it takes to overcome many food addictions (depending on their strength). Freedom is a great way to start the new year!

(4) Feel closer to the Spirit of the Lord. When we treat our bodies as temples of God and consume a diet in harmony with the Lord’s wisdom, we inevitably feel closer to God and more in tune with His Spirit.

To be fair, there may be a few downsides to this 10-day challenge. Most costly is that after losing weight, you may need to buy some new clothes! In addition, family and friends who don’t fully appreciate the importance of good health (and what it takes to embrace it) may make fun of you and question your sanity. Not to worry! If they criticize you or try to talk you out of it, just tell them they could very well be right, but you’d like to give this a go and you’d appreciate their support. Maybe they’ll even do it with you!

Take it the Extra Mile: Track Before and After Results

Changes in ten days can be so dramatic that they are worth tracking. You may want to gather some data about how you are doing both before and after. The following are some things you can track that are relatively easy:

(1) Weight. If you don’t have a scale, local gyms and fitness centers usually have them.

(2) Appearance. Try to get some full body photos. Take a selfie or ask a family member or friend to help.

(3) Blood pressure. This is easily done if you have a home kit, but many pharmacies and drug stores also have equipment to measure your blood pressure.

(4) Blood tests. Check your glucose, cholesterol and anything else you are concerned about. You can get your blood work done at your doctor’s office (or associated lab), or there are hundreds of independent labs (and even pharmacies and drug stores) where you can get blood work done. Google “blood testing” and the name of your city or county; see also: nationwide chains. You don’t need a doctor’s order for many basic wellness tests. Insurance will often cover the cost of lab work (check with your insurer); otherwise, some tests are affordable even if you pay out of pocket.

Warning If You are Taking Medications!

You should be aware that switching to a WFPB diet is so powerful that it can quickly reduce your need for medication. PlantPure Nation posts this warning to all who participate in a jumpstart program, and I urge everyone taking medications to carefully consider it.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If you are taking medication of any kind, you should consult with your physician before making any significant dietary change.

A whole-food, plant-based diet can cause rapid healing, which may reduce your medication requirements.

If you are on medication for diabetes, you and your physician will need to monitor your blood glucose levels closely. If your glucose levels are falling, your physician may need to reduce your medication. Failure to do so could cause serious harm and even hypoglycemic shock.

Sign Up for the Jumpstart!

Is it time for a healthy change in your life? It is much easier to do this with others and get a little support. Go here to join: 2017 10-Day WFPB Jumpstart. By signing up, you’ll get periodic email reminders and encouragement!

You can also join one or both of these Facebook groups to share your experience with others:

Word of Wisdom Health Challenge. This is an open group (which means people outside the group can see the posts). I share most of my posts and announcements in this group.

Discovering the Word of Wisdom Support Group. This is a private group (only members of the group can view the posts). There is more discussion and support in this group. People also share a lot of recipes.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I’m excited to support you in this jumpstart!

Getting Started

To learn more about whole food, plant-based nutrition and how to get started, see: “Getting Started.”

Jane Birch is the author of Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Surprising Insights from a Whole Food, Plant-based Perspective and many articles on the Word of Wisdom. She can be contacted on her website, Discovering the Word of Wisdom. Watch the video “Discovering the Word of Wisdom: A Short Film.”