How a vegan diet changed my life - living holistically for better health

Jennifer - before and after

Hello, I am Jennifer and I have been a Vegan for the last 3 years. 

Have you ever thought about how our diet affects more than just our physical health?  Diet consists of everything we do, the fun we have or don’t have, the spiritual connection we have or don’t have, and the social connections we have or don’t have…more so, the quality of those things, taking care of the whole self…Living Holistically 

I'm thrilled to share with you my journey to better health through living holistically. 

After struggling with various health issues, I discovered that the foods I was eating were contributing to my problems.  

Have you ever felt this way?  

By switching to a plant based diet and cutting out dairy, eggs, meat, and processed foods, I experienced significant improvements in my physical and mental health.  I understand how challenging lifestyle changes can be. 

I am now taking an Integrative Health Coaching course and am excited to help others learn how to make heart healthy choices for themselves.  I believe that taking care of our whole self is important for achieving optimal health and wellbeing.

I was born with Aortic Stenosis, a congenital heart condition.  I grew up in a home where we made our own food.  We even had a garden of our own.  We ate the Standard American Diet.  I had open heart surgery when I was 12 years old, my doctors said it may last 4-10 years, then I’d need a valve replacement. In my 40s, I couldn’t keep weight off. Like my mother and grandmother, cholesterol levels went up, I developed a chronic cough, asthma, and joint pain. I dealt with depression and anxiety.  I thought I was making better choices when going out to eat, doctors always say eat what you want, diet never seemed important unless it came to weight. 

In 2021, I watched “What the Health”, “Game Changers”, and “Forks over Knives” documentaries. A light bulb came on for me, maybe my issues are the foods I’m eating. It never occurred to me that foods would make me have a foggy brain, depression, anxiety, chronic cough, and migraines.  

As soon as I stopped dairy, eggs, meats, and processed foods, my depression and anxiety went away, my chronic cough became better.  My cholesterol levels and blood pressure went down. A specialist I was seeing asked if I was on medication, I said I had changed my diet, she said great for me and I never looked back.

My cardiologist is very happy with the results, he says it’s possible I won’t need a valve replacement as my heart has been steady…even with some improvement to mild/moderate, no palpitations on my last ekg. I am overjoyed with the results!  It has  been 39 years since my surgery, hoping not to need that valve replacement. 🤞🏼

I took some plant based cooking courses to learn how to cook healthy meals for myself.  It’s amazing the things we can make with a little creativity. For instance, Potatoes and carrots can become a cheesy sauce with a few added spices, simple healthy meals. 

I want to share my experience and let people know to pay attention to what they’re eating and show them how to make heart healthy choices for themselves. I'm excited to be taking an Integrative Health Coaching course, I graduate in January 2025. I have received a certificate which means I can take on clients as I finish the course. 

I hope you can see yourself from my journey and even if this resonates with one person, I would have made a difference.  Watch out for my post every 2 weeks, I will share some recipes and answer any questions. You can email me at vegancoach73@gmail.com, or ask your questions in the comments below.