A Plant-Based Mum: Check In

Nearly a year has passed since my family embarked on our plant-based journey, so it was definitely time for a medical check-in. Has the changes we made to our diet made a noticeable and quantifiable difference to my health?

Once again, I visited our family GP and requested a full blood work up. The results came back a few days later and I met with the doctor to discuss them. During the past year, I have also been actively monitoring my blood pressure, weight and body measurements. I am super happy with the results, it’s all moving in the right direction.

Firstly, my weight, I have dropped 3kg with very little effort on my part. Based on the current BMI chart, I’m now in the healthy weight range. To be totally honest, I should be exercising more often but I haven’t made that my highest priority, but that will be my main goal for the next twelve months. My glucose levels have also remained stable over the last eleven months. With my family history of diabetes, I was relieved to see that my glucose levels are under control.

Over the last few months, a number of my friends have expressed concern in regards to my iron and B12 levels - expecting them to drop as we removed meat from our diet. Based on my recent blood test results, this has not been the case. My iron results are well within the normal range with only a slight drop - 17.8 umol/L (normal range is between 10-30 umol/L). This result is reassuring - we are obviously able to source our nutritional needs via our plant-based diet.

The only area of concern highlighted from my recent blood test was my vitamin D levels. I have struggled with this for a number of years. It’s a catch 22 for me, I’m extremely light sensitive, too much sun exposure trigger my migraines. On top of that, I’ve never ever been a fan of the sun either. So I think my only option will to start taking vitamin D supplements. I am slightly disappointed with this outcome, as I have been actively going outside for walks with friends and family over the last 12 months, I had expected this to improve. However, this was not the case.

Upon reflection on our journey thus far, I believe that the changes we made as a family has been beneficial for all of us. It has definitely challenged us to be more inventive with our cooking, expanding our taste buds and a greater awareness of our bodies. I look forward to see how our health will continue to improve as we continue on this journey.

• Journal
  • 20 July 2021 A Plant-Based Mum: Lockdown Fatigue
  • 12 July 2021 A Plant-Based Mum: Check In
  • 22 May 2021 A Plant-Based Mum: Adjusting to COVID normal
  • 13 Dec 2020 Plant-Based Protein Source: Soybean
  • 22 Oct 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Lockdown Eased (Ever so Slightly)
  • 5 Oct 2020 Plant-Based Protein Source: Chickpea
  • 17 Sept 2020 Plant-based vs. Vegan Diet: What’s the difference?
  • 9 Sept 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Lockdown Extension
  • 1 Sept 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Virtual Grading
  • 10 Aug 2020 A Plant Based Mum: Lockdown 2.0
  • 30 July 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Plant-based butter chicken alternatives
  • 21 July 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: First Steps
  • 19 July 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Starting Point
  • 17 July 2020 A Plant-Based Mum: Introduction
• Recipes
  • 3 Sept 2020 Healthy Banana Oat Waffles (Gluten Free)
  • 26 July 2020 Homemade Vegetable Stock