Transformation Story: Marcy Dailey
Have you found it to be true that when you discover something that works well for you, you just can’t wait to share it with others? This premise is why I now take joy in helping folks learn about plant-based nutrition and encouraging them to make positive changes that not only benefit their own health, but also the health and well-being of animals and, ultimately, the health of the source that sustains us all- Mother Earth.
My own plant-based journey began in the summer of 2017. My daughter and I were scrolling through Netflix movie options when we chanced upon the documentary, What the Health. The timing was serendipitous, as my doctor had recently allowed me 6 weeks to try to lower my cholesterol numbers through diet before she would recommend my taking a statin drug. My thoughts at the time were, “What have I got to lose?” I began reading everything I could about using food as medicine and soon discovered a core group of doctors who were, basically, expressing the same message: “Eat plants, not something produced inside a plant!” YouTube became my companion- I perused whole food, plant-based cooking shows (Jill Dalton, Jane and Ann Esselstyn), listened to pod casts (Rich Roll and Chef AJ), and even videos that helped me brush up on knife skills since cooking from scratch necessitates lots of chopping and dicing.
By now you’ve guessed what my 6-weeks labs results conveyed- I’d achieved a 50 point reduction in total cholesterol and could say, “No, thank you!” to pharmaceuticals. As I continued in my new lifestyle, I realized I was no longer suffering from migraine headaches that had been a years-long affliction. Although I was never deemed overweight, I considered it an added bonus when I needed to move up a notch to tighten my belts!
Now, when friends ask me if it isn’t a lot of work to cook from scratch I tell them, “I’d rather be at home and cooking in my own kitchen than having to sit in a doctor’s office or the hospital!” Volunteering on the VegFest board offers me another opportunity to help introduce others to a PLAN(E)T- BASED lifestyle and I am grateful. Peace and plants~ Marcy