Year for a Planet is a personal challenge to be a better human for the planet for a whole year. This year, 2017, is where I deal with my food choices.

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Alright, you guys, now it’s D-Day. This week I report on what Year for the Planet has done for my health. This post is short, because TLDR: my health rocks. But let’s break that down:

1. My blood tests look great.
Heart disease runs in my family thanks so some Spanish ancestor overeating on ham, and so does gout from my Chinese side, so I pay attention to my cholesterol levels. I already reported this back in June, but this week I had a final blood test just to check. Results were so great, it’s not even noteworthy. I rarely need medication anymore. Yipee!

2. I have lost about 30 pounds.
I’ve been overweight my whole life but now is the first time when I’m in my normal weight range. I don’t care so much about body image, but for every pound you are overweight, you add 3 pounds of pressure to your knees. There is also a current debate about whether overweight people who work out are fit at all, but in any case, I’m glad this is one less health risk I have.

3. My skin looks fantastic.
I’m one of those Asian chicks that people think look years younger (and hopefully this goes on for life), but I also had to beat a lot of adult acne and tired-looking days because of what I ate. I think a combination of healthy eating and not wanting to shop and acquire things has made my complexion look the best it has been, and I don’t even feel like putting on makeup.

4. I have way more energy.
This is a busy month as my brother is getting married, my dad is ill, and I have a bunch of deadlines to beat. In another life, I would be overwhelmed by all of these but I’m managing without feeling like these challenges are getting the best of me.

5. I am a lot stronger.
Mentally, well sure—if I can say no to sugar and pizza, what else can I say no to, ha! But because of my new energy levels, I began weightlifting earlier this year so I have a lot of muscle gains. Booty gains! Bicep gains! I can see my abs!

6. I have amazing mental clarity.
Life will throw you lots of curve balls, so it’s best to take control of the easiest yet most important aspect of my physical life: health. Because of these new values, systems, and recipes, I feel a lot more shock-proof and resilient. When you fix one thing, you end up fixing other things.

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If there’s one thing living with and eating for the planet has made me realize, it’s how complicated my life was before thinking like this. Modern capitalistic societies would have us run around aspiring to live in the image of whatever is marketed to us, and this had left me exhausted and always wailing about what the hell the meaning of life is. But now, I feel that my future looks a lot brighter, happier, and more hopeful. There is no freaking way I’ll go back to how I was before.