Dirty Girl Kendra Eades Gets Rid of PCOS Symptoms by Going Plant Based + Thousand Island Dressing (oil-free)
By Molly Patrick
Jun 29, 2019,
I recently chatted with Dirty Girl, Kendra Eades, about her plant based journey. Changing her dietary pattern to remove processed and animal foods wasn’t a journey she had ever considered.
We see the phrase “a seed was planted” so often in our community and, thanks to meeting someone who shared a similar medical burden and was on their own journey to see if their body would feel better by eating more plants, that is exactly what happened in Kendra’s case.
She was motivated to see if a change in her diet could help her get rid of PCOS symptoms, too. It hasn’t been a straight-line trajectory to all plants but a process of discovery.
Kendra shares how small goals have led her to major life change and tips on how she manages restaurant meals at regular business meetings that are a part of her career.
Her story is so inspiring!
Here’s a note from Kendra before you watch our chat:
Like many of us raised on a Southern, SAD (Standard American Diet) diet full of meat, dairy and fast food, I was a chunky kid who quickly became obese after getting to college.
I remember my first Weight Watchers meeting and the cabbage soup diet as an adolescent and tried many more diets as an adult including Atkins, paleo, etc. For most of my adult life (now 42) I hovered between 260 and 280 pounds at 5’8″, and several times managed to diet my way down to 200 lbs but never could stay at that weight very long.
I had a variety of health issues including PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome), eczema, and high cholesterol. My doctor urged cholesterol medicine on me for years and told me that my high cholesterol was genetic, and that I could never eat “perfect” enough to not need medication.
In 2016 I tried the Whole30 program for several months thinking I would prove him wrong, and though I did lose weight, my cholesterol got worse!
In January 2017 a coach who also has PCOS recommended that I read “Eat to Live” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I decided to try a whole-food plant-based diet with no oil, sugar or alcohol for 6 weeks during the coaching program. The weight started coming off, I felt fabulous, and I stuck to the plan, losing 60 lbs in 6 months.
After that I dabbled for over a year with allowing some meat, dairy & alcohol back into my life, which just proved to me how much better I feel without those things. In Nov. 2018 I decided to cut out the nonsense (almost completely), and am now down over 100 lbs total, and under 180 lbs – a weight I hadn’t seen since high school!
I’ve been a CFDG meal plan subscriber since March 2017, and I make the plans work for my busy schedule. Sometimes I’ll make the full plan, but more often I will pick and choose recipes plus include favorite past recipes.
After only 5 weeks of eating WFPB, my cholesterol dropped enough that I didn’t need medication, and by my next checkup it was in the normal range, where it has stayed. I no longer have eczema or ANY symptoms of PCOS!
The coolest thing is that after watching my journey for the last 2 years, my parents decided to give WFPB a try. In 10 weeks my dad (a hard-core life long meat & potatoes kind of guy) has lost 32 lbs and is a master smoothie maker! My mom has also lost weight and is feeling great!
June 2019: I’m now down 118 lbs, but the big news is about my dad! He hasn’t been “perfect,” but he’s still lost over 40 lbs, and last night comfortably fit into shorts that he hasn’t been able to wear since before my parents got married 44 years ago! (Yes, he’s a bit of a hoarder, LOL.)
He also had his blood work done last week and his doctor was ecstatic. His total cholesterol is down to 103, and his A1C reading dropped from 6.4 to 6.0, meaning he is moving away from being classified as pre-diabetic.
Just goes to show the power of eating more plants!
Kendra, you were a joy to chat with! I am so happy for you and your sweet mom and dad!
Have you seen amazing health results by eating a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes (100 g)
- 1 tablespoon pitted, chopped dried date, soaked in water for 10 minutes (can soak cashews and date together in same bowl)
- 1 cup water (235 ml)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- ⅔ cup diced dill pickle (100 g)
- ⅓ cup finely-diced red onion (45 g)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (about 10 turns)
Instructions
- Drain and discard the cashew and date soaking water and place the cashews and dates into your blender, along with the new water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Blend until super creamy and smooth.
- Pour the Dressing into a container with a lid. Add the pickle, onion and black pepper and stir until well combined. Store, covered, in your fridge.
Notes
Wishing you a happy week. May it be filled with powering up with plants.
Xo
Molly
13 Comments
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I have pancreatitis and emphysema and I made a change to my diet because of my pancreas which has he’ll tremendously and found it has also help in my breathing also! I am one that definitely believes IN the power of a plant based diet. Thank you so much for being here.
I have Lupus and Pulmonary Fibrosis and definitely have seen great improvement in my health esp my breathing
I’m so happy for you!
xo
Molly
Love the story! I need to share this with all of my friends with menstrual issues. They are so darn common. My own period was much heavier and I had more cramps and had anemia before I switched to a plant based diet. Switching to this way of eating (so long as I don’t let the sugar creep back in) has made all of the difference!
Cheers to easy periods!!
xo
Molly
How long will the dressing last…presuming I don’t eat it all!!
Thanks looks great!
Hi Katie, This is a delish dressing. Five days, refrigerated, is a good estimate. ~Karen
There are so many acronyms in this article I can’t keep up! First timer to this site and I struggled team. Glad I persevered, super stoked at her success and even a tasty recipe to walk away with too that I’m looking forward to trying. If only I knew what those acronyms meant.
Hi Mimi, Thanks for stopping by! Check out this link. Question #4 covers Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB). ~Karen
Is there a substitute for the cashews? We have a nut allergy in our family. Thanks.
Hi Porsche,
Many of our members have this same issue. They have success substituting white beans. You may want to use less liquid. Once it’s blended you can add more liquid to taste and preferred consistency. Some members also use sunflower seeds. It depends on the situation of your family and if they can tolerate the seeds or not, but the beans work really well! I hope this helps!
Jo
I have been eating a plant based diet no sugar for one month and lost 15 pounds I am doing it because I have been diagnosed with breast cancer I’ve heard amazing things about eating this way I know the power of eating raw food this gives a little more freedom and I am loving the recipes
Before I found out I have been in a big food rut cooking for two picky kids hasn’t always been easy
I am so thankful for you and this site literally changing my life making eating this way fun and bringing back some excitement in taking back control of my body and health
Hi Alycia, Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Way to go on overhauling your food for the last month! It’s tough to have to make drastic change while battling cancer but you can do it, as you’ve found. We have many resources that could be helpful to you in your journey to eat more plants.
There are many delicious (and free) plant based recipes that you can search through on our blog.
Molly has written two posts on nutrients that are important to be mindful of when eating a plant based diet that you might want to check out. Part 1 and Part 2.
Since you are new to whole food plant based eating, this post may be helpful.
Our main service is to provide a weekly meal plan that guides on how to prepare five nightly meals each week so you don’t have to plan recipes on top of shopping and cooking. We have a free Meal Plan Trial that you can request over here if you’d like to try one.
We do have subscribers with young children / picky eaters and the main suggestion seems to be serving foods separated into parts rather than as a complex meal that an adult would eat. Please join our private Facebook group if you are on social media and are not already a member of the group. It’s a great place for motivation and support that will help you navigate your new eating pattern.
Feel free to email us at [email protected] if we can help with anything.
~Karen