“At the end of my 30-day experiment, I could never go back to eating the way I used to”

By: Rachel Echols

I grew up in a typical Latter-day Saint family in Orem, Utah. We ate the standard American diet. We always had a garden and fruit trees, but we ate a fair amount of meat, cheese, and other dairy products and our vegetables were always covered in butter or cream. When I got my patriarchal blessing as a teenager, I remember being surprised that it specifically mentioned the Word of Wisdom and that I should be careful about what I take into my body. I had never had a problem with the Word of Wisdom, which I considered to mean abstinence from drugs and alcohol, and I wondered why it was specifically mentioned. It did not occur to me at that time that it might not be referring to drugs and alcohol, but to food.

I was always thin until I got married, but soon after I started having problems keeping a healthy weight. After having my two children, I struggled to get the weight off, especially after the second one, and as the years passed, I become more and more overweight. I also experienced frequent migraines, sugar addiction, and food cravings.

I knew the Word of Wisdom counseled us to eat meat sparingly and that grains are the staff of life, but I often tried diets that did not go along with that counsel. I always excused it and thought it was a short-term thing just to help me get back down to a healthy weight. Some diets worked and some did not, but whenever I lost weight, I could never keep it off. I tried Weight Watchers, Sugar Busters, the hCG diet, and eating as little as possible while exercising excessively. Over the years I started using food as a crutch. I was addicted to sweets and other rich foods and was an emotional eater. If there was chocolate anywhere in the house, it never lasted long around me. Sometimes my husband would buy treats and hide them from me because I would finish them off while he was at work.

At one point I remember following the hCG diet and I absolutely knew I should not be doing it. I had read about several women following the diet that ended up having heart problems because of it. My mother and my maternal grandmother both had some heart problems, and I knew that it was not wise for me to be following that diet. Every day these thoughts plagued me, and I felt I was doing something Heavenly Father would not approve of. But I desperately wanted to lose weight and told myself that after I got some weight off, I would stop the diet. I thought I would be able to maintain my weight loss, but that was never the case.

I decided to start a new career after many years of being a stay-at-home mom and ended up starting pharmacy school at the age of 40. I found that my weight problem got worse in grad school. I sat all day in class, then came home and sat all night to read and study. I was staying up late to study for exams, and I was stressed out. I was also working a part-time job, and we ate out often. At school, they fed us unhealthy foods, like pizza, subs, cookies, and chips. By the time I graduated in April 2017, I had gained another 35 pounds. I was at my highest weight ever.

At some point in the few years before I started pharmacy school, I finally decided that I wasn’t going to try to lose weight again until I found a lifestyle or diet that I felt Heavenly Father would approve of and that went hand-in-hand with the Word of Wisdom. This was a result of my frustration with never being able to keep the weight off. I wanted to try again to lose the weight because I didn’t want to give up and be obese and unhealthy, but I just didn’t have the energy to even try because it seemed like it was all for nothing. I made a promise to Heavenly Father that until I had his approval, I would wait.

I had always known that the Word of Wisdom advises us to eat meat sparingly, but what is sparingly? I certainly did not know. And why were most Latter-day Saints eating meat every day and at almost every meal? And if grains are the staff of life, why does it seem that eating them causes weight gain and eating low carb or “keto” causes weight loss? I did not know what the answers were to these questions, and I did not learn anything meaningful about nutrition in pharmacy school either. As frustrated as I was about my health and my weight, I found myself often pondering these issues with a sincere prayer in my heart that Heavenly Father would eventually lead me to some answers. Little did I know that eight long years would pass before Heavenly Father would help me find the answer to my prayers.

About the time of my graduation from pharmacy school, a visit to my doctor revealed I was not only obese, with a BMI of 37, but that my cholesterol was very high, at 260. My doctor sent me home with some tips and advice for losing weight and reducing my cholesterol, and she said she would give me at least six months to work on this before considering starting me on a statin to reduce my cholesterol. I was busy looking for a full-time job in my field, and six months went by without me even looking at the papers she gave me. Once I got a job, I went through an adjustment period with the heavy learning curve and full-time hours, and again neglected to look at the information my doctor had given me. When I visited her again six months later she reiterated her advice and gave me the names of some books and documentaries to watch to help me make some positive lifestyle changes. What struck me about our conversation was that she advised me to eat less meat, dairy and eggs, and to strive to follow a whole food, plant-based diet. I do not remember a doctor ever telling me that before. I had no idea what a whole food, plant-based diet was, even though a sister in my ward was already eating that way. She often posted on Facebook about the science behind this lifestyle and shared how it had literally saved her life by reversing her severe heart disease.

In the past my doctors had always told me to eat lean meat, like chicken and fish, to count calories, practice portion control, and exercise to lose weight, so I was intrigued with this new advice from my doctor, who I had only been seeing for a short time. I did not make the connection right away that perhaps this was the answer to my desire to achieve an optimal weight and be healthy. That visit was in October 2018. After the holidays came and went, and I was ready to make some new year’s resolutions, I got out the papers she gave me and ended up watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. This is when the epiphany hit me. I felt like a spiritual light bulb had illuminated my mind! THIS DID FIT THE WORD OF WISDOM, and it made perfect sense!

As I continued to research the benefits of following a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, I reread the Word of Wisdom contained in Doctrine and Covenants 89 many times. The pieces all seemed to come together, and I knew I had to give this a try. I was especially inspired by D&C 89 verses 12-15.

12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;

15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

I honestly never recall reading those verses before! It was impressed upon my mind that Heavenly Father is pleased when we refrain from eating meat without an actual need, which he has defined as times of winter, cold, or famine. I decided to try the changes my doctor recommended for one month to see how I felt and what results I would get. That is when I jumped in 100%.

I transitioned from the standard American diet to about 95% whole food, plant-based in around three days, around mid-January 2019. The first few weeks, I ate lots of our normal side dishes and skipped the meat, but I continued to fix meat for my husband. I snacked a lot on raw vegetables, whole grain bread, and fresh fruit. I was doing a lot of research and reading and quickly found suggestions of how to replace meat and cheese in traditional dishes. Eliminating oil was the hardest for me and took some time. Once I found some salad dressings I liked and learned how to order at restaurants, I was able to eliminate it. Replacing milk was easy because there are so many delicious plant-based alternatives on the market.

In the first 30 days I lost 14 pounds and felt more energetic and better than I had in a long time. My migraines lessened, my sleep improved, and I was able to concentrate better. I also noticed a difference in my spiritual understanding and capacity, and my ability to easily feel the Spirit. At the end of my 30-day experiment, I knew I could never go back to eating the way I used to.

By September 2019 I had easily lost 50 pounds and was feeling like a whole new person! I still needed to lose more weight, but I plateaued for four months until January 2020 when I started on John McDougall’s Maximum Weight Loss Program. Essentially, I eliminated nuts and seeds, tofu, flour, and other calorically-dense foods. I began losing weight again.

I have now been living this amazing lifestyle for 21 months. I am down a total of 87 pounds from my highest weight, and my cholesterol has dropped 105 points, from 260 to 155. I exercise 5-6 days a week, with both strength training exercises and a four-mile walk. Remarkably, I do not battle food addictions and emotional eating any longer. This lifestyle has cured me of all the problems with food that I struggled with my entire life. My migraines are infrequent. My snoring has disappeared. I feel energized and healthy, and it gives me a lot of joy to know that eating this way is pleasing to Heavenly Father and that it allows me to be my best self, both physically and spiritually. Although some people may think that adopting this lifestyle is difficult, I do not feel any deprivation. I eat when hungry and stop when I’m full. I do not have to exercise excessively. My weight is stable, and it is easy to maintain.

I have learned that all carbs are not created equal. It is the refined and processed carbs, in addition to large amounts of fat found in animal products, not the whole and unprocessed carbs, that cause weight gain. The Standard American Diet (SAD) causes the standard American health problems: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and others. In areas of the world where they eat predominantly whole plant foods, these chronic diseases are rarely heard of. Diabetes runs strong in my family. Both of my parents have been afflicted with it, as well as most of my aunts and uncles, at least one grandparent, both of my siblings, and others. I have often been surprised, with my history of weight problems, that I do not have it. I have always felt that with genetics, getting older, and my weight out of control, that I was doomed to eventually get it. Now I know that beyond the genes which run in families, it is often the diet and lifestyle that runs in families, which causes chronic disease. This is truly the first time in my life where I have felt hope that I can avoid a future with diabetes.

During this journey there have been many struggles. Friends and family have not understood why I would choose to eat this way. I have felt moments of extreme loneliness as I navigate this healthy lifestyle with, at times, no support. But I have a complete conviction that Heavenly Father is pleased with my dietary choices. And I feel His presence in my life now more than ever. With all the struggles that the year 2020 has brought for many people because of world events, I have felt more peace than I thought possible. I know that God is at the helm, that He is there for us all, and that I can lean on him. Even when things seem bad, he can comfort us and help us on our difficult journey. I am grateful God has blessed me with a few angelic friends who helped me though the early days of this lifestyle change.

When given the opportunity, I enjoy sharing with others why I changed my lifestyle. I have helped several family members and friends reap the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet. It is amazing that eating whole plant foods can dramatically improve or even reverse high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and many inflammatory and auto immune conditions, as well as helping with weight loss without hunger and deprivation.

Currently my diet is simple. I eat a lot of whole grain pasta, potatoes, winter and summer squash, steamed vegetables, both white and sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, beans, large salads, and whole grains like oats, millet, quinoa, barley and wild and brown rice. I can say I genuinely love and enjoy my food!

I love that the Word of Wisdom contains both things to do and things not to do. Some of the admonitions are commandments that must be obeyed if we seek the higher blessings of the temple, and others are left for us to seek out if we choose to. Just as the covenants we make in the temple are part of God’s higher law, with additional blessings given for seeking them out and willingly following them, I believe that there are parts of the Word of Wisdom that are a higher law than what is the minimum required of us. When we go that extra mile to try and follow it in its fullest, we are blessed beyond measure.

I have often pondered on the words in the scriptures that say that the “earth is full.” If people stick to a diet that is predominantly plants, which is what the Word of Wisdom clearly outlines, the earth can produce enough food for everyone. During the Millennium, we will all be eating a plant-based diet. Eating this way is not only approved of by God, it is good for our bodies, good for the planet, and good for the animals that we share this earth with. The Word of Wisdom is for the weakest of saints, and I always felt like one. This lifestyle has shown me that it truly is adapted for my personal capacity. I feel so blessed to reap the promise of being able to “run and not be weary, to walk and not faint.”

NOTE: Watch Rachel’s excellent presentation and interview with Chef AJ here!!

Rachel Echols is 47 years old. She lives in Loveland, Ohio with her husband of 28 years, Kyle. They have two grown children. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy in 2017 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She currently works as a consultant pharmacist for a long-term care pharmacy. Rachel enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, and nature photography. She is a monarch butterfly conservationist and has a certified Monarch Waystation in her yard.