#marcoborges

Marco Borges is an exercise physiologist with a passion for helping people live their fullest, most authentic lives. When Marco guided his clients and friends Beyoncé and Jay-Z on a 22-day plant-based challenge, their enthusiasm inspired thousands of people around the world to give it a try.

So, Marco created 22 Days Nutrition meal delivery and food products to prove that food can be beautiful, delicious, and can transform our lives, bodies and habits. With the understanding that it takes 21 days to make (or break) a habit, 22 Days Nutrition is all about life on the 22nd day - when we start a new lifestyle with a solid foundation.

For Marco, his book, The 22-Day Revolution, was a passion project, and it quickly became a bestseller. His new book, The 22-Day Revolution Cookbook, is a delicious companion piece, giving readers even more tools (and dishes) to lead fulfilling, plant-powered lives.

I called up Marco to get his scoop on the new book, work-life balance, the power of kindness, and his vision for the future…

Tell me about your new book!

With the 22-Day Revolution, I wanted to do two things: (1) Allow people to realize that habits play a really big role in how healthy (or unhealthy) we are, and (2) Showcase the effects of a properly planned plant-based diet. It wasn’t a vegan books for vegans; it was a plant-based book for everyone.

22 Days Revolution Cookbook extends that further. I’m not a chef, but I love to cook, and my alter ego wants to be a chef. But you don’t have to have culinary experience to make these recipes. It’s 159 dishes that are really simple, super delicious, 100% plant-based, gluten-free and soy-free. I didn’t want to just create a cookbook; a lot of people get lost with just recipes. I wanted to give people guidance. I wanted to create a roadmap for the reader.

Marco’s Strawberry-Vanilla Chia Pudding. Click here for the recipe.

What’s your first piece of wisdom or advice for someone who seems curious about plant-based eating?

I think it starts with understanding that there is no right or wrong way. People think “vegan” means that there are things they can’t do. Thinking that way, they’re setting themselves up for failure. There’s no perfection; it’s all about progression. Once they understand that they’re not going to be judged, but rather they can empower themselves with their actions - then you can start to change the conversation.

My friends start off saying, “I can’t do it all the time.” So I say, “OK, try it one day a week.” And then, they feel their best that one day of the week, and and they start to become more conscious. It’s about elevating our consciousness so we can be aware of what we’re putting into our body.

It’s really not about giving things up. It’s about gaining: gaining health, energy, self-awareness, power over your body, the way that you age and your risk factors. You realize that the actions you’re taking every day can empower, rather than debilitate. You realize it’s not an obstacle; it’s an opportunity.

What are the most common resistances that you find?

People think it’s going to be boring, that the food is going to taste terrible, and that they’re going to eat lettuce all day. What I love about this cookbook is when people look at it, they’re like, “Wait, I could eat like this forever!” When you allow people to be who they are but show them how fun, delicious and exciting this way of eating can be, you eliminate the question marks and the resistance.  

Smoky White Beans with Quinoa & Arugula. Click here for the recipe.

Can you tell me about the changes you’ve seen in people in those first 22 days?

Oh my goodness. Every time I hear a story, I think I’ve read the best story. They’ll write and say they’ve lost 20-25 pounds in 22 days; they no longer have sleep apnea; they have stable mood throughout the day, improved sex drives or reduced blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and normalized blood pressure.

It’s so powerful and amazing; it’s a gift that keeps on giving. You’re doing something for the world and the environment, and you may not realize it at first, but you’re also doing something for the people around you. Maybe your friends and family are curious about what you’re doing and what you’re eating, and you may become the catalyst that your community has been looking for.

Your approach is very positive, kind and open. Has that always been your approach?

I’m an eternal optimist, and I think that kindness is the key to everything in the world. Friends and kindness will take you where money can’t. And I’m living breathing proof that anything is possible. I was born in Miami; my parents are Cuban, and I grew up on a meat-heavy diet. When I decided to move away from (that way of eating), I did it on my own. Through my example, I showed others the way, but I always allow them to be themselves. As a community of plant-based advocates, we win when we invite others to the path that we’ve taken.

You’ve got a lot going on! How do you maintain a work-life balance?

Two words: Time management. You have to know what you’re going to do, do what you need to do, and make time for yourself and your family. Today is an opportunity to live the life you want to live. People say “Tomorrow, I’ll do this,” or “When I can afford to I’ll do that.” No, the time is now.

Marco’s Moroccan Lentils with Sweet Potato. Click here for the recipe.

How would you sum up your life’s mission?

I’m 44 now, and technology has improved so much in my lifetime. We have the internet and cell phones, but the one thing that blows my mind is that heart diseases still exists. If there’s one thing I can do while I’m alive, it’s to change the course of that.

I know that if I focus on one thing, like heart disease, I will inevitably touch on other things. With a plant-based diet, we can do even more than eradicating heart disease. If we really focus on this one thing, we’ll also cure diabetes, most strokes, a great part of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and we’ll make people a lot happier. And if people are happier, they’ll make more conscious decisions that affect the lives around them, and that makes the world a better place.

So, when you think about it, if we just focus on heart disease, we can probably bring about peace.

To follow Marco’s nutrition recommendations - customized for you - visit his Lighter profile.

More from Marco:

The 22 Day Revolution Cookbook (NEW Book)

The 22 Day Revolution (Book)

Power Moves (Book)