LIVING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE #84

By Rhonda Jones

Aww, it is that time of year again. We survived the holidays and are now dealing with the aftermath of too much eating, drinking, and lack of exercise due to scheduling, weather, etc.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is diet, then exercise, not necessarily hand-in-hand. It actually takes about a month to create new and lasting habits, so January is a good time to start this process. If you can stick with it for 30 days, you can master almost anything, even a plant-exclusive diet.

I know you are being bombarded on TV and social media right now about all the diets and drugs that can help you lose those holiday pounds. But do they ever tell you how to keep that weight off? And are these plans really that healthy? I have written about the weight loss injections and how they are derived from Gila Monster

venom (yeah, I did not believe that either), and they cause you to lose weight by making you sick. I have also talked about the beloved high-protein, low-carb diets and how they do produce short-term weight loss, but then you eat a cracker, and it all comes back, plus more.

There is only one diet that I know helps with weight loss, and it is easy to keep the weight off. You guessed it, a plant-exclusive diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. All are healthy and can induce quick weight loss along with exceptional health. The secret is to eat these foods and add very little or no salt, sugar, or oil. These are the three ingredients that impede weight loss and do not add any health benefits.

There are many ways to quick-start your journey on this eating plan. There is a lot of help and some very easy ways to get started. The internet has tons of recipes and tips on how to follow a plant-exclusive diet. You need to know that your taste will change as you follow this diet. Most of us are used to eating rich, salty foods, especially meat, dairy, and cheese. When those foods are replaced with vegetables, beans, and rice, that richness is no longer there, and that can create cravings. Adding spices can replace the salt. Your taste will adapt in about 30 days, and you will begin to get the real taste of the food. Here are some easy, fun ways to start.

Take 10 days and just eat potatoes and non-starchy vegetables. Cook the potatoes any way you like (no oil or salt) and add a big plate of non-starchy veggies. The potato fills you up. In 10 days, you can lose 10 pounds. Yes, you will eat potatoes for breakfast. I like broccoli and sweet potatoes for breakfast.

Have fruit for breakfast, a huge salad at lunch with lots of greens, non-starchy veggies, some potato or rice, a few nuts, and fat-free salad dressing. Have some steamed veggies and vegetable bean soup for dinner.

No time to cook? Check out Wellyourworld.com for soup mixes, spices, and mixes for pancakes, cheese sauce, and gravies. All great and done without sugar, salt, and oil.

Plantstrong.com has packaged soup, burgers, cornbread, pancake mixes, oat and almond milk, cereal, and much more. The flavor is exceptional, and it takes just a few minutes to throw a meal together. (Watch Rip Esselstyn on Facebook for cooking tips.)

Call me, and I will be happy to give you more tips to be successful in 2026!