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Hey plant friends,

Welcome to Plant Positive where my intention is to share with you how simple, sustainable and of course DELICIOUS a #plantstrong lifestyle can be.

Todays show has a heavy food and exercise focus PLUS some extra fabulous good news stories and of course the obligatory self care segment.

First up I want to weigh in on why ANYONE, irrespective of genetics, age, shape and fitness level can increase a sluggish metabolism. As I get older I’m getting better at focusing my energy towards those things that are within my ability to change. Sadly I still encounter many people – many smart, successful people – holding tight to the mistaken belief that your metabolism is something you’re born with and stuck with!

This could not be further from the truth! Your metabolism is 100% within your ability to control. There are proven levers to pull and powerful mindset strategies to deploy.

So, let’s cover in 5 steps:

How To Reset Your Metabolism.

I’m going structure each step in terms of the facts and also the MINDSET that will allow you to stick to the steps.

How To Reset Your Metabolism 

Step One. Lift heavy weights.

The facts: this is the most vital component in increasing your metabolism. Lift weights to add metabolically active lean muscle to your body. Muscle that sits there looking sexy and burning fat 24/7. If you find the thought of stepping onto the weights floor a little intimidating I have you covered in a segment later in this episode!

The mindset: think of weights and the #plantstrong protein you consume at each meal to fuel your lean muscle as the non-negotiable-absolutely-essential-foundation to your best body.

Two. Eat right.

The facts: natural one ingredient foods require more energy for your body to metabolise. Protein is number one in this regard as metabolising it will utilise up to 30% of its own calories. Next comes fibrous veg. Last comes processed sugars and fats. Hopefully you know me well enough to know I’m certainly NOT recommending protein from the flesh of animals here. I’m recommending plant protein that is also chocka full of fibre! 

Like lentils and beans. I genuinely see this as the new, the best, the evolved protein of the future. It’s not just protein, it’s also full of fibre and abundant other micronutrients AND it’s missing the saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, hormones… and cruelty. 

The mindset: think of those fake and refined carbie fatty foods as clogging up your body… slowing you down… sucking your energy and bit by wobbly bit getting stored as stubborn fat.

Three. Change something, frequently.

The facts: your body is smart – it gets progressively more efficient at doing the same things over time. Yes, even to the point where it is burning less calories.

The mindset: think of providing your body with the challenge that nudges it out of it’s safe and boring comfort zone. Not every session – I get that sometimes you just don’t have that extra in you – however if you’re looking to progress your results then that will require progressing or just mixing up your eating and exercising.

Four. Train efficiently – at a higher intensity.

The facts: it’s not about how long you exercise for or how much you do. It’s about how hard you work. After an intense session like a metabolic resistance training circuit or high intensity interval training your metabolism will stay elevated for longer AFTER you finish exercising.

The mindset: when you’re tempted to go the mindless slow and steady option on the cross-trainer or indulge in big breaks between your weights sets think of all the fat burning potential you’re saying no to if you do. The harder you work in the session the more fat you get to burn after the session.

Five. Move more.

The facts: your body was built to move. Not purely in your structured exercise sessions it was actually built to carry you from place to place and to escape predators. It was also built to do this while eating natural one ingredient foods and likely while looking fit and functional rather than trying to attain the photo-shopped standards presented to us by teenage girls on magazine covers.

The mindset: see any opportunity to move more as your chance to treat your body how it was built to be treated. Visualise your body powering through the awesome fuel you feed it and letting go of it’s excess fat stores for good. Notice how active the people with the body you don’t want are – not very right? – and also notice how the people who are in great shape prioritise moving more.

Finally, the most important shift here if you have previously believed you’re stuck with a slow metabolism is to trade in that old, unhelpful and UNTRUE belief.

Your metabolism is absolutely within your ability to change.

Let’s further explore the plant based deliciousness by continuing with my 10 Tips To Make Adopting A Vegan Lifestyle Easy (we covered tips 1-7 in previous shows and the complete 10 are available as a free PDF below). Today let’s dig in with tip eight.

free PDF

Eight: When Eating Out Scan The Menu For Easy Additions To Your Meal. It’s helpful to know what’s on offer and see if a side of for example: avocado or roast pumpkin or pecans can be added to your potentially light weight meal. Additionally, you can ask for double the “tofu” “lentils” “roast veg” or whatever it might be in your meal rather than resorting to filling up on fries (unless you want to fill up on fires!). Overall, know that the more often you politely ask for vegan options the more swiftly decent, delicious, satisfying plant based options will become a part of the regular menu.

It’s a simply matter of supply and demand and I see it as our duty to politely demand more vegan options. The non-vegan-friendly restaurant you choose not to dine at will only know why you choose not to dine there if you let them know.

Action step: Get into the habit of scanning a menu online wherever possible before dining out or calling ahead to check for / request vegan options.

Let’s chat exercise and as hinted at earlier I have: 6 Reasons To Not Be Scared Of The Weights Floor.

I’ll also share a couple of my many embarrassing gym moments because – everyone starts somewhere – however please know my intention is to leave you with zero reasons to avoid the weights floor as it really is the part of the gym that will give you the best body transforming results.

Reason One: There’s no need to feel awkward or out of place.   

Most of the people on the weights floor fall in to one of two categories. Either they are so busy checking out themselves they won’t even notice you struggling to adjust your bench. Or they are so intent on adjusting their own bench they won’t notice you either. Unless of course you encounter the gyms’ self proclaimed casanova…and in that scenario I recommend head phones and no eye contact. He’ll go focus on the other ladies quicker then you can say plenty-of-fish-in-the-cardio-land-sea.

Reason Two: Not knowing what to do is not valid.

If this was a valid excuse you’d never learn anything new. In fact I think one of the most valuable skills to build is not knowing what to do in every situation but rather knowing who to ask. Knowing how to choose the professional that will fast-track your progress by sharing what works and what to avoid. As my first boss used to say, personal training is very visual. He was right, and I’ve never forgotten that a trainer is always on show: you can see who’s focused on their clients and who isn’t… who looks the part and who doesn’t… who is always on time, who designs an effective yet fun looking program and also who genuinely cares when the paid session is over or before it begins.

Reason Three: Embarrassing moments pass.

Yes, the weights floor is the perfect arena for any number of fairly embarrassing scenarios. Such as loading the barbell rack up with a twenty kilo plate each side instead of a ten kilo plate each side and getting stuck at the bottom end of your first squat. That was me, and the other trainer who swiftly sprung to my rescue to help get me unstuck was also super efficient at spreading the story. Importantly I lived to squat again and you’re going to get through your embarrassing moments too.

Reason Four: Dangerous moments are at least as easy to encounter in cardio land.

While we’re talking silly things I do in a gym, my two most scary have both been in cardio land. The first one, when I came off the treadmill in my very first week as a trainer… and again the news the “new girl” had “come a gutser” spread like wild fire.

My biggest near miss was actually a faulty machine. Once again I was on the treadie, doing intervals on a massive incline which involve sprinting up the treadmill hill for 20 seconds and then jumping my feet off to either side for 10 seconds rest. In one 10 sec rest interval the speed jumped from the 12 at a 12% incline (which was quite challenging enough thank you very much!) to 24 at a 12% incline. I noticed only when I’d already jumped back on and felt like I was flying. Luckily not right off the back this time – I made the quick jump back to the sides of the treadie and didn’t venture near it again for quite a while this time. The message? Weights may be heavy however they won’t literally double in weight part way through a set like my treadie doubled in speed.

Reason Five: Getting too bulky is a myth.

Males with 10 – 20 times more testosterone than us ladies can spend hours a day lifting weights AND eat painstakingly planned meals every couple of hours to get “bulky: and these are the natural dudes. I’m yet to see a chick gain excessive muscle bulk who is not working her butt off to very intentionally put on muscle. If I ever feel bulky, it’s because I’ve got some excess fat hanging out on top of my lean muscle. I’m absolutely certain this will be true for you too.

Reason Six: Getting out of your comfort zone is a valuable life skill. 

In the same way that it means so much more when you earn the respect of that particular client who’s a tough cookie to crack… there’s something hugely satisfying in getting awesome at – or even simply competent and comfortable with – something that was initially scary or uncomfortable. Growth and success happen outside your comfort zone. The more you practice stepping outside your limiting and smothering safe old comfort zone the better you’ll get at stepping out… and stepping UP.

Ok, how to make this actionable?

What is any area in your life in which hiding within your comfort zone is keeping you stuck. Perhaps it’s doing the same old ineffective 40 minutes moderate intensity exercise on the X-Trainer followed by some sit-ups rather than stepping out onto the weights floor.

So much Goodness with the News Stories this week!

First up, this from Plant Based News: Starbucks Store Featuring 100% Plant-Based Food Menu Used To Trial Vegan Offerings.

The Seattle Starbucks store is being used as a “test site” to trial the latest vegan offerings. It comes as the coffee giant claimed the plant-based lifestyle is the “most dominant” shift in consumer behaviour.

Everywhere I look, more and more stores are offering vegan options that are super competitive in price and taste. Convenience, taste and price – surely there is nothing else the average consumer needs to make the switch right? Fingers crossed.

And from VegNews: All Vietnam Airlines Passengers Must Now Watch A Video About Rhino Horn.

This month, Vietnam Airlines, in partnership with animal-rights group Humane Society International (HSI), launched a campaign to reduce the consumption of rhino horn in Vietnam with the goal of ending rhino poaching in Africa. I just love that an airline is taking such a forceful and proactive approach to educating its customers on an animal rights issue.

Vietnam Airlines will play a short film, When I Grow Up, on all passenger flights as well as in premium airline lounges in an effort to target more affluent travellers. The video features children describing their goals for the future with one boy making an emotional plea to older generations about ending the rhino horn trade. Award-winning British-American filmmaker Toby Wosskow (who) served as the creative director on the campaign, describes how the film sends a universal message: “it’s never too early or too late to stand up for what is right.”

And one more! Also from VegNews: Start Up Creates Worlds First Slaughter Free Chicken Protein For Dogs and Cats.

Biotech startup Bond Pet Foods has created an animal-free, cultured chicken protein for use in pet food. It is the company’s first step in scaling up commercial production of meatless pet food. The development of the slaughter-free chicken protein started by collecting a one-time blood sample from Inga, a heritage hen to determine the genetic code for chicken protein, which was then combined with food-grade yeast and fermented to produce meat proteins that are identical to animal meat. Once fully developed, the product will have the primary nutrients of conventional chicken meat, including essential amino acids.

Last year, Bond Pet Foods received $1.2 million in seed funding to support research and development of its animal-free meat products. Bond Pet Foods is aiming to debut its first chicken-based products in 2023.

Let’s finish todays show with Self Care. HUGE shout out to previous Healthification podcast guest Jasmin Singer who published a post on KinderBeauty.com for her 41st birthday on 41 Ways I Prioritize Self Care:

This post is a wealth of implementable information however I’m going to focus on and expand Jasmin’s 5th tip.

#5. I let my dogs be my mentors. “They’re old, they’re rescued, and they’re cute as hell. They have learned how to trust again, they know how to be planted firmly in the moment, and they truly fill me with joy and gratitude. I want to be like them, seriously.”

Perhaps you’re more a cat person?

I love both and the learnings from our cat mentors are equally important. Point in case, “Pop-up-pather-Pango” my mum and dad’s gorgeous new fur baby who I got to meet a month or so ago.

• Although Pango had a tough start to life – he’s a 4 year old rescue cat who came from a house with 40 cats – and had to have multiple rotten teeth removed, he’s still, remarkably a gorgeous little love bug! Sure, he’s slow to trust, however once “you’re in” he’s incredibly generous with his love and WOW does he get a lot of love reflected back at him too!
• Second powerful take away from Pango, like all cats this little boy takes his sleep seriously! Oh to sleep like a cat! If mum or dad dare to turn a light on in the middle of the night Pango covers his eyes with a paw. No wonder the humans are utterly wrapped around that cute little paw!
• My final learning from Yes Pango though even more-so to a degree of absolute mastery Pango’s predecessor my little bro Sir Thomas: cats expect you to love them on sight and know it’s your loss if you don’t! If that’s not extreme self care, I don’t know what is.

That’s it for today in Plant Positive. As always, I’d love to hear from you. Is there anything you’d like more or less of? I’m here to support you and I’m super open to any constructive criticism as to how I can get better at doing that. You can reach me via kate@strongbodygreenplanet.com or @strongbodygreenplanet across the socials.

If you found even a little broccoli sprout of value in this episode then please share the love with a friend or family member that needs to hear it. It’s quick to share and it’ll mean a lot to your loved one and so much to me. In fact if you want Plant Positive to continue, please do take the time to share the love as right now I’m reassessing if it’s worth the sizeable investment of time, energy and money. I love creating podcasts however the audience for this show needs to be bigger to warrant the time it takes away from everything and everyone else I love.

Finally, please stay tuned for a quick snippet from a super inspiring episode of the Healthification podcast – that’s my interview style show where I have conversations with amazing athletes, activists, authors and generally passionate and compassionate individuals! Today my chat in E669 with the amazing Dr Neal Barnard where we discuss Optimizing Hormonal Health with Simple Diet Changes.

Dr Barnard shares with us exactly how we can control our hormones and the problems they cause with the food choices we make every day. The heartening and hopeful news is it’s easier than you might imagine.

E669: Dr Neal Barnard and Optimising Hormonal Health with Simple Diet Changes.

Plant Positive was proudly bought to you by: BiOptimizers, a nutritional supplement company with the mission to help humans shift from a sick unhealthy condition into a peak biologically optimized state. You’ll get a 10% discount for all BiOptimizers products by using the “Healthification10” code.

My personal fav is their Magnesium Breakthrough to help reduce your stress levels, feel relaxed and at peace PLUS sleep faster and deeper. Who doesn’t need more peace and great sleep right now?

Check out: www.strongbodygreenplanet/deals to find all the sponsors of this show listed on one page. Again, that’s www.strongbodygreenplanet/deals.

With love and compassion plant friends.

If you liked “How To Reset Your Metabolism with Whole Plant Foods” you’ll also like E664: Dr Michael Greger and How Not To Diet, The Ultimate Weight Loss Guide.

If you liked “How To Reset Your Metabolism with Whole Plant Foods” you’ll also like Dr. Will Bulsiewicz and How To Become Gut Healthy Through A Plant Based, Fiber Rich Diet.

If you liked “How To Reset Your Metabolism with Whole Plant Foods” you’ll also like 6 Primal Movements: fat blasting moves and how they relate to your best fat loss mindset.