Dallas Dad loses 100 lbs on Vegan Diet & opens Plant-Based Restaurant

The Dallas News has reported the story of a man from DeSoto, Dallas, Texas whose life has been totally transformed by adopting a vegan diet. The article has gone viral and is an example of just how inspirational adopting a plant-based diet can often be.

James McGee has quite literally turned his life around. He is 100 lbs lighter than he was three years ago, and what is more, has come off twenty-two prescribed medications that he had been on for serious liver and kidney issues that have arisen as a result of too much heavy drinking. At one point his doctor told him that he had a year to live.

At the same time as this prognosis his daughter, Captain, who was 4 years old at the time was diagnosed with serious eczema, psoriasis and several food allergies. His wife Morgan and he decided to throw everything out, as here daughter could not transform her lifestyle on her own.

Spreading the Peace and Love of a Plant-based lifestyle

Now 27 and married with three young daughters he is a real advocate for the benefit of plant-based food. He has taken this to another level by establishing Peace, Love & Eatz, a plant-based smoothie and bar and restaurant in the Grow DeSoto Market Place, having realised that he had no options nearby for lunch. Close to home, the location also enabled McGee to “spread the peace and love of a plant-based lifestyle to our community”.

“The journey to a plant-based lifestyle did not happen overnight. It was a gradual release of everything we grew up eating and what we were taught was ‘healthy’ ” said McGee.

“Our way of eating is about learning what your body truly wants and needs. If you want peace in your life, love your body and eat more plants” he adds with passion.

He spends his time talking to people about their health issues who are trying to take that first step. The main questions he is asked are:

“What’s a vegan? How do we get our protein? How can we cook a full meal without meat? And lastly, how can we be black and vegan?” he says.

One issue McGee points to is that there is a lot of diabetes in the black community. Many in his community are starting to look at this, knowing that something needs to change. “It’s sad that we are more reactive than proactive, but that comes from a long time of learning the wrong things. I want to teach people about it at the same time.

Newcomers to his restaurant who know nothing of this type of eating and nutrition get recommended a jackfruit sandwich and a fruit smoothie.

There is a common theme with the recent experience of three barbers in New Orleans who are also reaching out with a message of veganism to the black community.