My name is Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, aka Dr. Rak. I’m a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician practicing in San Francisco. Six years ago, I was experiencing burnout and depression. In an effort to address these things, I started meditating for 10 minutes a day, in my car of all places. That one habit spiraled into other lifestyle changes, leading to a transformation of my body and mind. I’m now on a mission to help others bring up their health and change their lives by changing their lifestyle habits.
Five years ago, I transitioned from a Standard American Diet (SAD) rooted in animal products and processed foods to a predominately whole-food plant-based diet. What follows are ten lessons I learned and how they've helped me successfully changed my diet.
Now I share my learnings with my patients and other people who want to make healthy changes to their lifestyle. Each lesson is paired with a self-reflection or mindfulness exercise to help you move forward on your plant-based journey.
1. Become mindful of your motivation to change
I’m convinced that if you want to make a significant change that has the power to transform your life, you need to understand why it’s important to you to make that change. What’s your motivation? What’s going to keep you going when you’re stressed or bored or tired?
For me, that clarity came from mindfulness meditation, which created a space for my thoughts and allowed me to observe them without judgment. After a few months, I began reflecting on my choices, particularly my diet, and why it was important for me to be healthy.
As a hospital physician, I regularly saw patients who had suffered the end result of the way I was eating and living, namely heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and complications of diabetes. Then I would then go home to my wife and three kids, who all served as powerful reminders of why it was important for me to get healthy. I realized that I couldn’t show up for them if I didn’t first show up for myself. That spring, I committed myself to change by signing up for our hospital’s “Plant-Powered Challenge,” which encourages all hospital staff to eat a whole-food (i.e., unprocessed) plant-based diet for three weeks.
Action: Write down your motivation for wanting to get healthier or stay healthy. What are some personal aspirations that would benefit from being in good health?
2. You have to understand your relationship if you want to change your relationship
Food plays so many roles in our lives. We don’t just eat for nourishment, but often when we’re bored or stressed or lonely. Food also gives us enjoyment and has immense emotional significance in our lives. Recognizing your current relationship and the meaning you derive from food is an important step in changing that relationship.
For example, I learned early in my transition how much we use food to show love. We show love by making a nice meal for someone or going out to a restaurant. We use meals as an opportunity to connect with the people we love. All of this makes changing what we eat so complicated—the thought of losing certain foods that give us that meaning doesn’t feel good.
My parents came to visit while I was participating in the plant-based challenge, and my mom made her famous chicken curry. She was devastated when I told her I wasn’t eating meat while she was visiting. For her, making her chicken curry was love, and we both mourned the loss of this connection we had.
Luckily we didn’t have to mourn for too long, as my mom also makes excellent plant-based Indian food like channa masala, aloo gobi, and fresh rotis from whole wheat flour. We’ve realized she can still show me love with food, but just with different food that’s tasty and good for me. Now that’s real love.
Action: Think about what roles food plays in your life.
3. My health would dramatically improve
At the start of the challenge, I went to see my doctor, and I learned I was now obese, and blood work showed I had high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. All of this was the result of years of neglecting my lifestyle habits. I had grown accustomed to eating highly palatable, ultra-processed food that permeates our food system. In med school and residency, I would often reach for fast food to deal with stress. Food manufacturers design this food to be addictive by adding high amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fat. And in doing this, they also remove the most beneficial parts of plants, namely fiber and nutrients.
Most Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber, and we know fiber deficiency is associated with increased risk for things like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. Fiber makes us feel full without extra calories, thereby helping us maintain a healthy weight. Fiber also feeds the “good” bacteria of our gut, causing them to produce compounds that reduce inflammation and regulate our blood sugar and mood.
Plants also contain phytonutrients—things you’ve probably heard of, like lycopene in tomatoes and curcumin in turmeric. Unlike vitamins, phytonutrients aren’t necessary for our survival, nor do they cause any diseases resulting from any deficiency. Their role in plants is to protect them from diseases, drought, excessive heat, and pollutants. Amazingly, when we eat plants, we benefit from their phytonutrients and their protective, disease-preventing properties.
These are two big reasons why increased plant consumption promotes longer life and freedom from most chronic diseases. Amazingly, a whole-food plant-based diet has the power to prevent many types of cancer and reverse both type 2 diabetes and heart disease, our number one killer in this country.
My experience echoes this. In just three weeks on a whole-food plant-based diet, my LDL cholesterol (what doctors refer to as “bad cholesterol” and a major cardiovascular risk factor) shot down 40%, and my pre-diabetes completely reversed. I’ve also lost over 60 pounds in the last five years, with most of that weight loss in the first year. Indeed, plant-predominant diets are associated with healthy body weight because plant food is naturally low in calories and high in fiber and water. In addition to weight loss, many people see improvement in inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and chronic pain due to arthritis, and the list keeps growing.
Action: Write down a few ways that your health might improve by eating more plants.
4. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Some people will benefit from going all-in to change their diet for a fixed amount of time because they can see and feel the benefits. We also encourage folks who participate in the plant-based challenge to pick a path that feels good for them. Not everyone is ready to go all-in, even for three weeks, and we encourage folks to find gradual ways to incorporate more plants into their diet. For example, some do this with meatless Mondays or by eating plant-based meals for breakfast and lunch.
Most people benefit from this approach of “progress over perfection” because it is easier and feels less restrictive, making it more sustainable. Aiming for perfection can make your diet feel like a punishment, and punishments are not sustainable.
Action: Jot down three things you can do to gradually increase your consumption of plants.
5. What you eat can be delicious and also good for your health.
After years of eating a diet heavy in meat and dairy, I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy plant-based food. I quickly realized how wrong I was! This should come as no surprise to Thistle customers. Plant-based food can be equally delicious, with the added health benefits. And when the food is delicious, it doesn’t feel like a trade-off. You can focus less on what you’re not eating because you’re so satisfied with the food you are eating.
I also realized that I wasn’t the first person who wanted to both eat healthily and enjoy my food. The internet is a great resource here. One of my favorite things is to do a web search for one of my favorite foods, like ice cream, and then “whole-food plant-based” after it. Spoiler alert: you’ll find many recipes for banana ice cream, and it’s amazing.
Action: Think of a dish that you’d like to make using plant-based ingredients. You can search the internet for a recipe later.
6. Fueling your body with plants feels so good
Over time, I’ve increasingly connected with how foods make me feel after eating them, not just while I’m eating them. Despite feeling good in the moment, ultra-processed foods leave us feeling worse after eating them, first spiking our energy levels only to crash soon after. After 3-weeks of eating only plants, I felt like a new person, with noticeable improvements in my sleep, energy levels, and mood.
An increasing number of athletes worldwide are discovering that fueling their bodies with plants leads to improved performance and recovery. After about a year of eating this way, I felt so good that I started working out regularly for the first time in over a decade. Strength training, running, and hiking have all become staples in my life, and I owe the development of these habits primarily to eating more plants.
Finally, as someone who has battled with food addictions and binge eating for much of my life, it also feels good to eat food that is both nourishing and filling at the same time and doesn’t leave me wanting more.
Action: Write down how the food you eat affects your energy levels and mood.
7. Vegan/plant-based ≠ whole-food plant-based
Many processed snacks (like chips and Oreos) are vegan, meaning they don’t contain animal products. That doesn’t make them healthy, far from it. They also tend to make use feel worse after eating them (see #6). Many of the newer plant-based meat options fit this description. While I’m glad they exist, as they are certainly better for the planet and animals, I worry that these products are often both marketed and perceived as healthy by consumers when the reality is they are not.
It’s not that you have to cut out this food completely. I haven’t (see #4). Just recognize that vegan or plant-based food can still be processed and not something you should aim to consume regularly.
Action: Write down 3-5 plant-based snacks or convenience foods you enjoy occasionally?
8. Having a plan and the right support is essential.
Like anything you do, having a plan and support is key to being successful. When I participated in the plant-based challenge, the organizers provided meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to support our transition.
Most of us benefit from knowing some basic cooking skills and learning how to put together simple and delicious plant-based meals. Meal planning and prepping, grocery shopping, and reading food labels can all be part of your plan. If you’re short on time to do that, you can still have a plan. A plant-based meal subscription, like Thistle, makes it easy to have healthy and delicious plant-based meals on hand.
If you want to eat more plant-based, it’s helpful to have others who can support you. So if you live with your family or roommates, let them know that this is something you plan on doing and that you’d appreciate their support. Some of them may even want to join you, and you can help each other with meal planning and cooking.
Finally, if you eat this way exclusively or most of the time, you should talk to your doctor about which supplements to take, particularly vitamin B12.
Action: Identify two to three barriers to eating healthy and delicious meals and what you could do to overcome those barriers.
9. You will impact many more people than you realize
When I first changed my diet, I didn’t set out to change other people’s diets. But over the last five years, many family members, friends, and colleagues have told me they eat less meat and dairy and more plants now because they’ve seen the profound impact it has had on me.
I’ve brought my excitement for eating plants into my home as well. My kids don’t eat an exclusively plant-based diet, but because it’s around so much and we prepare it in all sorts of delicious ways, that’s the food they want to eat most of the time.
It also turns out there is a professional society of medical providers, The American College of Lifestyle Medicine, who is actively working to change our health care system to focus on addressing the root cause of chronic diseases with lifestyle change. In 2018, I obtained board certification and now routinely counsel patients on changing their lifestyle to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases. Eating more plants is central to this.
Action: Jot down the names of people in your life you might inspire by eating more plants.
10. We all have the opportunity to take control of our health
Last year, we renamed the Plant-Powered Challenge the Plant-Powered Opportunity because “challenge” implies difficulty, and “opportunity” reminds us that eating more plants is an opportunity to improve our health and feel good.
The remarkable thing is we have the power to do this at every meal, every time we eat. It starts with figuring out why you want to get healthy then developing a personal strategy for change that feels right for you.
My biggest takeaway: just because you are one way today doesn’t mean that you have to be that person for the rest of your life. We’re all on a journey of self-discovery and improvement, and eating more plants is a powerful way to support this.
Action: Write down one or two ways you can start enjoying more plants in your life, starting with your next meal!
Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, aka Dr. Rak, is a board certified lifestyle medicine physician and internist practicing in San Francisco. Lifestyle Medicine is the therapeutic use of lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, stress management, sleep, social connection, and avoiding risky substances) to prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease. He has an avid interest in how we can effectively change our habits, and in addition to working with patients to support lifestyle change, he has given talks and workshops on this subject to other healthcare providers across the country. Dr. Rak completed residency in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco, with a specific focus in healthcare disparities. He serves on the American College of Lifestyle Medicine HEAL (Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle) member group. HEAL is working to support health equity by addressing the underlying social determinants of health necessary to support lifestyle change for all. You can connect with him on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or psychological disorder. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with your questions about your medical condition and before starting or using any diet, dietary supplement, herbal remedies, or other health programs.
My name is Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, aka Dr. Rak. I’m a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician practicing in San Francisco. Six years ago, I was experiencing burnout and depression. In an effort to address these things, I started meditating for 10 minutes a day, in my car of all places. That one habit spiraled into other lifestyle changes, leading to a transformation of my body and mind. I’m now on a mission to help others bring up their health and change their lives by changing their lifestyle habits.
Five years ago, I transitioned from a Standard American Diet (SAD) rooted in animal products and processed foods to a predominately whole-food plant-based diet. What follows are ten lessons I learned and how they've helped me successfully changed my diet.
Now I share my learnings with my patients and other people who want to make healthy changes to their lifestyle. Each lesson is paired with a self-reflection or mindfulness exercise to help you move forward on your plant-based journey.
1. Become mindful of your motivation to change
I’m convinced that if you want to make a significant change that has the power to transform your life, you need to understand why it’s important to you to make that change. What’s your motivation? What’s going to keep you going when you’re stressed or bored or tired?
For me, that clarity came from mindfulness meditation, which created a space for my thoughts and allowed me to observe them without judgment. After a few months, I began reflecting on my choices, particularly my diet, and why it was important for me to be healthy.
As a hospital physician, I regularly saw patients who had suffered the end result of the way I was eating and living, namely heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and complications of diabetes. Then I would then go home to my wife and three kids, who all served as powerful reminders of why it was important for me to get healthy. I realized that I couldn’t show up for them if I didn’t first show up for myself. That spring, I committed myself to change by signing up for our hospital’s “Plant-Powered Challenge,” which encourages all hospital staff to eat a whole-food (i.e., unprocessed) plant-based diet for three weeks.
Action: Write down your motivation for wanting to get healthier or stay healthy. What are some personal aspirations that would benefit from being in good health?
2. You have to understand your relationship if you want to change your relationship
Food plays so many roles in our lives. We don’t just eat for nourishment, but often when we’re bored or stressed or lonely. Food also gives us enjoyment and has immense emotional significance in our lives. Recognizing your current relationship and the meaning you derive from food is an important step in changing that relationship.
For example, I learned early in my transition how much we use food to show love. We show love by making a nice meal for someone or going out to a restaurant. We use meals as an opportunity to connect with the people we love. All of this makes changing what we eat so complicated—the thought of losing certain foods that give us that meaning doesn’t feel good.
My parents came to visit while I was participating in the plant-based challenge, and my mom made her famous chicken curry. She was devastated when I told her I wasn’t eating meat while she was visiting. For her, making her chicken curry was love, and we both mourned the loss of this connection we had.
Luckily we didn’t have to mourn for too long, as my mom also makes excellent plant-based Indian food like channa masala, aloo gobi, and fresh rotis from whole wheat flour. We’ve realized she can still show me love with food, but just with different food that’s tasty and good for me. Now that’s real love.
Action: Think about what roles food plays in your life.
3. My health would dramatically improve
At the start of the challenge, I went to see my doctor, and I learned I was now obese, and blood work showed I had high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. All of this was the result of years of neglecting my lifestyle habits. I had grown accustomed to eating highly palatable, ultra-processed food that permeates our food system. In med school and residency, I would often reach for fast food to deal with stress. Food manufacturers design this food to be addictive by adding high amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fat. And in doing this, they also remove the most beneficial parts of plants, namely fiber and nutrients.
Most Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber, and we know fiber deficiency is associated with increased risk for things like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. Fiber makes us feel full without extra calories, thereby helping us maintain a healthy weight. Fiber also feeds the “good” bacteria of our gut, causing them to produce compounds that reduce inflammation and regulate our blood sugar and mood.
Plants also contain phytonutrients—things you’ve probably heard of, like lycopene in tomatoes and curcumin in turmeric. Unlike vitamins, phytonutrients aren’t necessary for our survival, nor do they cause any diseases resulting from any deficiency. Their role in plants is to protect them from diseases, drought, excessive heat, and pollutants. Amazingly, when we eat plants, we benefit from their phytonutrients and their protective, disease-preventing properties.
These are two big reasons why increased plant consumption promotes longer life and freedom from most chronic diseases. Amazingly, a whole-food plant-based diet has the power to prevent many types of cancer and reverse both type 2 diabetes and heart disease, our number one killer in this country.
My experience echoes this. In just three weeks on a whole-food plant-based diet, my LDL cholesterol (what doctors refer to as “bad cholesterol” and a major cardiovascular risk factor) shot down 40%, and my pre-diabetes completely reversed. I’ve also lost over 60 pounds in the last five years, with most of that weight loss in the first year. Indeed, plant-predominant diets are associated with healthy body weight because plant food is naturally low in calories and high in fiber and water. In addition to weight loss, many people see improvement in inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and chronic pain due to arthritis, and the list keeps growing.
Action: Write down a few ways that your health might improve by eating more plants.
4. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Some people will benefit from going all-in to change their diet for a fixed amount of time because they can see and feel the benefits. We also encourage folks who participate in the plant-based challenge to pick a path that feels good for them. Not everyone is ready to go all-in, even for three weeks, and we encourage folks to find gradual ways to incorporate more plants into their diet. For example, some do this with meatless Mondays or by eating plant-based meals for breakfast and lunch.
Most people benefit from this approach of “progress over perfection” because it is easier and feels less restrictive, making it more sustainable. Aiming for perfection can make your diet feel like a punishment, and punishments are not sustainable.
Action: Jot down three things you can do to gradually increase your consumption of plants.
5. What you eat can be delicious and also good for your health.
After years of eating a diet heavy in meat and dairy, I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy plant-based food. I quickly realized how wrong I was! This should come as no surprise to Thistle customers. Plant-based food can be equally delicious, with the added health benefits. And when the food is delicious, it doesn’t feel like a trade-off. You can focus less on what you’re not eating because you’re so satisfied with the food you are eating.
I also realized that I wasn’t the first person who wanted to both eat healthily and enjoy my food. The internet is a great resource here. One of my favorite things is to do a web search for one of my favorite foods, like ice cream, and then “whole-food plant-based” after it. Spoiler alert: you’ll find many recipes for banana ice cream, and it’s amazing.
Action: Think of a dish that you’d like to make using plant-based ingredients. You can search the internet for a recipe later.
6. Fueling your body with plants feels so good
Over time, I’ve increasingly connected with how foods make me feel after eating them, not just while I’m eating them. Despite feeling good in the moment, ultra-processed foods leave us feeling worse after eating them, first spiking our energy levels only to crash soon after. After 3-weeks of eating only plants, I felt like a new person, with noticeable improvements in my sleep, energy levels, and mood.
An increasing number of athletes worldwide are discovering that fueling their bodies with plants leads to improved performance and recovery. After about a year of eating this way, I felt so good that I started working out regularly for the first time in over a decade. Strength training, running, and hiking have all become staples in my life, and I owe the development of these habits primarily to eating more plants.
Finally, as someone who has battled with food addictions and binge eating for much of my life, it also feels good to eat food that is both nourishing and filling at the same time and doesn’t leave me wanting more.
Action: Write down how the food you eat affects your energy levels and mood.
7. Vegan/plant-based ≠ whole-food plant-based
Many processed snacks (like chips and Oreos) are vegan, meaning they don’t contain animal products. That doesn’t make them healthy, far from it. They also tend to make use feel worse after eating them (see #6). Many of the newer plant-based meat options fit this description. While I’m glad they exist, as they are certainly better for the planet and animals, I worry that these products are often both marketed and perceived as healthy by consumers when the reality is they are not.
It’s not that you have to cut out this food completely. I haven’t (see #4). Just recognize that vegan or plant-based food can still be processed and not something you should aim to consume regularly.
Action: Write down 3-5 plant-based snacks or convenience foods you enjoy occasionally?
8. Having a plan and the right support is essential.
Like anything you do, having a plan and support is key to being successful. When I participated in the plant-based challenge, the organizers provided meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to support our transition.
Most of us benefit from knowing some basic cooking skills and learning how to put together simple and delicious plant-based meals. Meal planning and prepping, grocery shopping, and reading food labels can all be part of your plan. If you’re short on time to do that, you can still have a plan. A plant-based meal subscription, like Thistle, makes it easy to have healthy and delicious plant-based meals on hand.
If you want to eat more plant-based, it’s helpful to have others who can support you. So if you live with your family or roommates, let them know that this is something you plan on doing and that you’d appreciate their support. Some of them may even want to join you, and you can help each other with meal planning and cooking.
Finally, if you eat this way exclusively or most of the time, you should talk to your doctor about which supplements to take, particularly vitamin B12.
Action: Identify two to three barriers to eating healthy and delicious meals and what you could do to overcome those barriers.
9. You will impact many more people than you realize
When I first changed my diet, I didn’t set out to change other people’s diets. But over the last five years, many family members, friends, and colleagues have told me they eat less meat and dairy and more plants now because they’ve seen the profound impact it has had on me.
I’ve brought my excitement for eating plants into my home as well. My kids don’t eat an exclusively plant-based diet, but because it’s around so much and we prepare it in all sorts of delicious ways, that’s the food they want to eat most of the time.
It also turns out there is a professional society of medical providers, The American College of Lifestyle Medicine, who is actively working to change our health care system to focus on addressing the root cause of chronic diseases with lifestyle change. In 2018, I obtained board certification and now routinely counsel patients on changing their lifestyle to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases. Eating more plants is central to this.
Action: Jot down the names of people in your life you might inspire by eating more plants.
10. We all have the opportunity to take control of our health
Last year, we renamed the Plant-Powered Challenge the Plant-Powered Opportunity because “challenge” implies difficulty, and “opportunity” reminds us that eating more plants is an opportunity to improve our health and feel good.
The remarkable thing is we have the power to do this at every meal, every time we eat. It starts with figuring out why you want to get healthy then developing a personal strategy for change that feels right for you.
My biggest takeaway: just because you are one way today doesn’t mean that you have to be that person for the rest of your life. We’re all on a journey of self-discovery and improvement, and eating more plants is a powerful way to support this.
Action: Write down one or two ways you can start enjoying more plants in your life, starting with your next meal!
Dr. Rakesh Jotwani, aka Dr. Rak, is a board certified lifestyle medicine physician and internist practicing in San Francisco. Lifestyle Medicine is the therapeutic use of lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, stress management, sleep, social connection, and avoiding risky substances) to prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease. He has an avid interest in how we can effectively change our habits, and in addition to working with patients to support lifestyle change, he has given talks and workshops on this subject to other healthcare providers across the country. Dr. Rak completed residency in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco, with a specific focus in healthcare disparities. He serves on the American College of Lifestyle Medicine HEAL (Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle) member group. HEAL is working to support health equity by addressing the underlying social determinants of health necessary to support lifestyle change for all. You can connect with him on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or psychological disorder. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with your questions about your medical condition and before starting or using any diet, dietary supplement, herbal remedies, or other health programs.
