Staying the Course

I have several reasons behind blogging about a plant-based diet (for the lack of a better word).  First of all, it keeps me on track.  As previously mentioned, staying on track is not always easy.  Eating out can be an exhaustive adventure.  I recently went to Applebee's for dinner and there wasn't one thing on the menu that was not meat/cheese or deep fried. I asked my server if I could get the chicken salad without the chicken and she said of course but I'm going to charge you the same price! Excellent customer service. Guess where I stopped going?

Navigating the holidays around friends and family can be dicey as well.  Most mean well but since they don't fall over dead with the first cheeseburger many are convinced that I'm off my rocker and a bit too extreme.  Personally, I think extreme is getting my chest cavity cracked open by a bone saw in order to give a surgeon access to my arteries so he or she can create a by-pass for the blood flow - but that's just me.

Another reason I'm doing this it meet others doing the same thing as me.  It's always easier to do something when you have others cheering you on and sharing tips, tricks, and best practices.  I love to cook so I have many recipes to share.  I'd like to hear feed back.  My immediate family is about 70% plant based in their eating.  I've determined that if a plant-based meal is not world class it won't be served.  They let me know what's good, needs improvement, and what simply needs to go directly to the trash. 

Thirdly, I want to "reward" those that have gone before me on this journey.  There are many people that have inspired and encouraged me through their writing and other medium.  I know the battle can be taxing and I want to honor them by reaching people with the same message. 

Dr. Joel Furhman is my hero when it comes to this stuff.  I've read Eat to Live on several occasions and will be reading it again as soon as my copy is returned.  Rip Esselstyn, the creator of the Engine 2 Diet, is extremely inspirational and his father, Caldwell, is pioneer in this field.  I'd be remiss if I left our T. Colin Campbell of the China Study.  Isa Chandra Moskowitz, creator of the Post Punk Kitchen and author is always a fun read and has helped expand my palate on many occasions. 

Having a good resources makes this easier.  For true vegans eating a plant based diet comes naturally because they have a moral compass that keeps them on task.  Those that follow the Seventh Day Adventist doctrine have a religious compass that keeps them on course.  I depend on will power (which isn't always powerful), encouragement, and the fear of heart attacks, stents, and Lipitor. 

Let's do this together and live healthy lives!

In the Beginning

I love studying the genealogy of my family.  Obtaining passenger lists from the Father Land, old photos from Romanian immigrants, and death certificates from back in the day.  Unfortunately, a pattern quickly emerged from the deaths of most of my family - heart disease.

It really wasn't a surprise as the majority of the family funerals I attended were the result of heart disease. Heart disease still kills more Americans than all cancers combined and is, for the most part, preventable.  I realized I had issues with cholesterol several years ago and began making changes to my eating habits.  I saw some favorable results but the numbers see-sawed more than I wanted.  When my lipids became alarmingly high and the good doc wanted to prescribe medicine I realized I needed to be unreasonable.

I did some research and ordered three books: Engine 2 Diet, The China Study, and You Can Reverse Heart Disease and began to read.  It took some time but a picture began to form in my mind of how to eradicate the ugly, sticky mess from my blood stream.  I needed to go "plant strong" for an experiment.

My blood total cholesterol was 259 at the time and the goal was to get it less than 150.  I removed all animal based products from my eating for 60 days.  Would it work? I really didn't know but realized I didn't want to take a drug that would destroy one organ to save another.  Kind of like slowly burning down your bathroom in order to remodel your kitchen.

The long and short of it is that it worked well.  My total cholesterol dropped from 259 to 138 during the 60-day experiment and I was hooked.  Is it easy to maintain?  I don't think that it is.  I struggle daily and have a strong repertoire of plant-based recipes.  And that's why I'm blogging.

Consider this a supportive, encouraging place to learn and try new things.

Enjoy!