Seedling Magazine

Plant‐based food myths
debunked!
by SERENA SABALA, CO‐FOUNDER OF WHOLE SHIFT WELLNESS
Information is the one thing we aren't lacking these days. You
can turn on the TV or open up your laptop and be inundated
with information on all subjects ­ and, I must say, food and
nutrition is always a hot topic. This is probably due to the
never­ending struggle of people all over the world to lose
weight and get healthier. This issue is close to my heart, as I
was one of them for a very long time.
Finally, I found balance in my diet after years of struggling,
and became very happy with my habits and weight. That was
when I realized the clear message my body was sending me:
animal products are not good for us.
I had to take a huge leap of faith in accepting this truth and
shifting to a plant­based diet. I did it in the way I now
recommend that my clients NOT do (cold turkey, overnight
and without much foreknowledge or preparation). I therefore
wrestled in my own mind, not to mention in my daily
exchanges with friends and family, with all the food myths
that disfavor plant­based eating.
These challenges were essentially what motivated me to
become a plant­based nutrition consultant as, once I did my
homework, I realized the misconceptions were unfounded.
Here are the 4 food myths that create the most confusion in
the minds of many.
'Carbs make you fat'
This one was definitely the first that crept into my mind and
created havoc. I was SURE I was going to gain weight from
all the carbs I would have to eat on a plant­based diet. In fact,
I had made peace with the fact. So strong were the messages
my body was sending me against meat consumption that I had
accepted weight gain as a possible side effect of my shift.
Needless to say, not only did I NOT put on weight, I actually
lost weight more effortlessly than ever before in my life. The
truth is, not all carbs are created equal. For sure, if you eat a
lot of refined products such as white pasta, white bread and
cakes (although those often have way more fat in them than
carbs) you will hinder your weight loss efforts and run the risk
of not getting enough essential nutrients.
However, if you focus your efforts on eating plenty, and I
mean PLENTY, of whole foods and wholegrains, you will
simply be fuelling the body, especially your brain, with its
primary source of energy (glucose) and eating a naturally lowfat
diet. I have never eaten so much (my portion sizes have
more than doubled since going plant­based) and weighed so
little in my entire life. No joke.
If you want to read more on this subject, I highly recommend
a book called “The Low Carb Fraud” by Dr McDougall. But
the only way you will ever really be convinced that I’m not
lying is by trying this out for yourself: that’s the only way my
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