Getting your man to eat more plants

I got mine to eat plants and love birds. Miracles happen everyday!

​Recently, several of my friends asked me if I would talk to their husbands about switching their diets around to be more plant-based. One said her hubby had gained a lot of weight recently, another  had a health scare, and the other one has been diagnosed with cancer. All of them have said that they've tried to get their husbands to agree to try to eat more plant-based, but it's just not happening. They eat meat, dairy, and more meat and very little fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains or nuts and seeds.

Here's the deal. Men can be stubborn. No news flash. Just the facts. If you are a dude reading this, you’re probably like, yep, that’s me.  If your hubby is like mine, he needs stats, and the delivery must be brief to prevent early tune out. The stats I choose to put forth are "well researched and published by well known doctor stats", not "I read 'em in Men's Fitness stats."  These stats, combined with watching Forks over Knives, and the fact that he holds the "happy wife/happy life mantra dear to his heart worked on my husband, who is now almost fully plant based. I find my husband will eat whatever I make if it tastes good. Making the switch took a bit of trial and error, but I have become a very good oil free vegan cook. It takes more time out of my week but is so worth it. 

The "men are cavemen" argument, which my guys used when I first tried to get them to switch to more plant-based diets holds no water, so when used against me, we started with a full-on no more meat regime, but in retrospect baby steps might have been better. 2 days a week of meatless meals, then 3, then 4 etc. It is a huge adjustment if you are used to eating meat at all of your meals to go cold turkey (pun intended). Another way to go, is plant based breakfast, let them eat whatever (hopefully not too bad) for lunch and make a plant based dinner. Come up with yummy breakfasts that are meat free and make some delicious dinners. Feeling full and nourished can never go wrong. I think that is the way to go, unless you are both on board and ready to make it happen. If so, then lose the dead animals and GO for it!!! 

Here are some stats, facts, and tips to help get your guy on board, and some links to studies/info that  are hard to ignore….

1. Eating plant based can prevent and even reverse heart disease - Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. 1 out of every 4 deaths are due to heart disease. Here is the kicker. Heart disease is completely preventable and even reversible. The before and after pics of diseased arteries after following a very strict plant based oil free diet are ASTOUNDING.
2. We only need 8-10% of our calories from protein. The RDA has recommended this amount for over 50 years, but we have gotten so carried away with protein. Any more than the RDA, especially if it is animal protein, is detrimental. Almost all plant based foods have at least 8-10% of their macronutrients made up of protein. If you eat a well rounded plant based diet, you get all the protein you need. Plant based athletes are hot, and ripped. We women like that. 
3. Plant based diets prevent erectile dysfunction. Hello! Do you have their attention yet?  Mild and moderate erectile dysfunction affects approximately 10 percent of men per decade of life (i.e., 40% at 40, 50% of men in their 50s, 60% percentof men in their 60s). It's about blood flow my friends, and as arteries get clogged up by eating fatty foods and meat, guess what stops working? Less or no meat equals more of the good stuff. 
4. More than 1.6 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. At least one-third of annual cancer deaths in the United States are due to dietary factors. There are too many studies to list that show a strong correlation between animal protein (which includes red meat, processed meat, poultry, dairy etc) consumption and cancer. Most often these studies show that more of these foods are eaten in certain parts of the world, cancer rates rise. Some have gone so far to label red meat and dairy as carcinogens. Why we all haven't heard this is twofold: First, we don't want to hear it because America is obsessed with burgers and steak, and second, the meat, egg, and dairy industries are SO powerful!
5. Avoiding diabetes is actually easy on a plant based diet. Areas of the world, like Japan, that eat a plant-based diet see very little type II diabetes, despite the fact that they eat lots of rice and noodles. It is the meat in our diet that raises the fat circulating in our blood and changes how we respond to sugars. Lots of new studies are showing that meaty and fatty diets cause insulin resistance and that plant based diets aid in insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and more controlled blood sugar and cholesterol levels. 
6. As men get older, too many start to have prostate issues. It is something that a lot of men don't talk about to each other. Prostate issue are no joke, and can cause pain, erectile dysfunction, and if the problem ends up being prostate cancer, treatments can be brutal.  A plant based diet is the best diet to avoid prostate issues. Some prelim studies have shown that the diet can not only prevent, but can reverse prostate cancer.  Eating a plant based diet is the best way to avoid prostate problems in the first place.
7. Eating plants gives you tons of energy and makes you more attractive. Period. The hanging gut, low energy, bad breath, body odor and addiction to fat and meat are not sexy and can be remedied with some good ‘ol healthy plant eating! And for the boyfriends/hubbies without a gut who are staying slim on a low carb or Ketogenic diet, please let them know that you would like them around longer and that a low carb diet is a killer. 
8. Finally, a plant based diet is kind to animals and the environment. Many think women care more about this than men, but this is far from true. Except for maybe the man in the White house and his appointed  leaders of this country, many men care deeply about the environment and animals. 

** Here’s a bonus idea to get him eating plants... Get naked and cover yourself in kale. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to keep her guy healthy. In all seriousness, being healthy is sexy! Set a good example, and he'll come around.