Why I Went Plant-Based

It was around December 31^st, 2016, I was minding my own business moving through life.  At this point in my journey I was very much into self-improvement and was big on exploring things that would improve my life in some kind of way.

I was rolling through Facebook and I saw the words “poor Jalen” the son of Shontaé Hewlett, a friend of mine from college.  I thought the worse. I remember saying to myself I hope nothing happened to her son.

I started reading the post and as I read on I had a hard time processing the words. I couldn’t find any information about her son, but kept seeing condolences for Shontaé.

I was so confused about the situation that I started searching her friends list to see who I still talked to.

Taking a step back……Shontaé was not a close friend.  She was a girl who I knew in college.  We had hung out a few times and we were friends on the floor together.  I thought she was cute but never got up enough courage to ask her out.  As a matter of fact, on Facebook, the only thing I ever said to her was Happy Birthday Girl on June 13^th, 2016.

But, like most of us, when she posted something, I read it to keep track of what was going on in her life.  Forgetting that this is not the same as picking up a phone and actually talking to her.  This would end up being the last year of her life and instead of simply checking in to see how she was doing, I passively saw her stories on social media.

On the night I found out she passed away I was going crazy.

I couldn’t figure it out. How could this happen?  She hopped on a flight to Bali, Indonesia for business and she would never return.  A blood clot had gone to her heart and killed her that night.  It didn’t make any sense to me at all.

I had to check out her page from over the years. She looked good!  There was a picture of her flexing after running.  She is skinny.  This makes no freaking sense at all.  So again, I started searching though my friends list to see who I could call and came across yet another friend who I didn’t keep as close of contact with, Lisseth.  I called and she immediately picked up and said, “you are calling me about Shontaé aren’t you?”  I simply replied, with “Yes, what happened?”

She explained it all to me, in my utter disbelief, and then hung up the phone.  I realized two things: I just called that woman at midnight because she lived on the East coast, so that makes me an asshole. And then I realized me and Lisseth didn’t go to school together.  How the hell did she know Shontaé?  I met Lisseth in the Navy in San Diego……Another story for another day.

It still didn’t make any sense to me.

By this time, I have two little girls and one on the way.  I can’t go out like that.  I just can’t.  I can’t get on a plane and die.  Why did this happen? How could this happen?

Please don’t tell me God works in mysterious ways.  Don’t tell me everything happens for a reason.  I don’t buy it.

A plane going down makes more sense than this.  I needed answers.  In my YouTube feed, I had saved a clip called How Not to Die.  It was a 16-minute brief by Dr. Michael Greger on his book How Not to Die.  Dr. Greger explains what we can do about the #1 cause of death and disability: our diet.

I immediately pulled it up on my computer and watched it.  It made a little sense but I wasn’t fully convinced. I decided to watch his hour and 30 minute YouTube Seminar the next day.  After watching this one I was a believer because he used facts and studies. He introduced me to this whole world I knew nothing about.  It was enough for me.

I went from a steak and potatoes guy to a plant-based guy all because I want to be at the other end of the phone for as long as my girls need me.  Today, I feel healthy and full of energy to keep up with the demands of the day.  Do I miss meat sometimes? Yes, but not as much as you think.  I believe because I eat healthy it helps me in so many different ways.  I work with a clearer mind.  I am more confident that my children will maintain a healthier diet because of these changes.  Honestly, it allows me to be at my best in my work, with my family and during my recreational time.

If you’re considering making a shift to plant-based, check out Dr. Greger’s book How Not to Die and look him up on YouTube. You’ll be glad you did.