True story: For much of my life I've been rail thin. This, despite a dangerous addiction to dairy. Then, about two years ago, my metabolism rebelled. And, as a payback for for my exercise-free lifestyle, I quickly became, shall we say, slightly rotund.
So when an email made the rounds of the Healthy Living quarters a few weeks ago asking for a poor soul to sacrifice all that is wonderful in their diet -- i.e. to go vegan -- for a series of blog posts, I volunteered. I would lay my body down for the sake of science -- and that roll of fat around my belly.
I've been a vegetarian for my entire life. But no cheese, milk and butter sounded fairly life-threatening.
Research, however, has repeatedly shown that vegans are healthier and likely to live longer than their meat-eating brethren. The landmark China-Cornell-Oxford study found that those consuming plant-based diets are less likely to develop cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease. Besides, there's the indisputable fact that veganism is better for the planet. A single pound of methane -- that gaseous product of cow flatulence -- has the same greenhouse effect as 50 pounds of carbon dioxide.
Vegan day was set for August 1. The eve before saw me nursing my apprehensions with beer, a barbecue grill and a container of Boursin cheese.
The next day was the start of the work week. I ate spicy organic tofu and veggies for lunch. This is almost fun, I thought.
Trouble finally came knocking when I got home later that night from a party. I needed a snack and all I could find in my refrigerator was mozzarella, pesto cheese and ravioli.
The night ended with tears slowly dripping into my bowl of instant ramen.
The next morning, though, I awoke with a refreshed resolve. I would commit myself more fully to the vegan lifestyle.
But my lunchtime, I had already grown cranky. I no longer looked forward to meal times. Nothing appealed to me and scouring Seamless Web for vegan lunch options was quickly losing its novelty value.
Besides, my body was craving that full, creamy tartness of yogurt and cheese.
By 4 pm, I was exhausted and depressed. Was this my body experiencing serious dairy and chocolate withdrawal? Co-workers told me about far-flung vegan chocolate and dessert options and the relative tasty-ness of soy cheese. But I only had time for a quick visit to the office vending machine. I gazed at the Reese's peanut butter cup longingly, ignored the trail mix packet and walked back to my desk sad and defeated.
I considered drinking some coke as a pick-me-up but if I was to be true to the spirit of veganism, all overly-processed foods had to stay out.
Finally, I decided to go to Whole Foods. I listlessly threaded my way through the crowded aisles and picked up some seitan, tofu and chicken-less burgers. Then I found the cheese aisle and stood in front of it for several minutes. I swear I could hear the chive-flavored goat cheese calling out to me.
By dinner time I was a ball of nerves. I wanted, nay needed, fat. Desperately rummaging through my fridge, I found an avocado and made myself an avocado hummus sandwich. Ah, creamy heaven.
Thirty minutes later, I felt better.
So what have I learned in my first 48 hours of being vegan?
-- I need to find good fat substitutes for bad fat.
-- Sometimes tofu tastes good.
-- Vegan cheese almost never tastes good.
-- Unless I want to have more "I-need-my-cheese-fix" behavior, my body can only to be slowly eased away from cholesterol.
-- There is a cheese-monger at the Union Square Whole Foods who thinks I'm a little odd.
Will veganism lead me to a healthier way of life? Will I lose the tummy fat? Will this end up dissolving my marriage as my husband tires of my grouchiness? I can't wait to find out. Stay tuned!
Candice Schreiber: Vegan Diet: Being a Healthy Herbivore
Veganism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vegan - What is a vegan? - What do vegans eat?
1. Dairy foods are healthy foods. Studies suggest that people who eat full fat dairy products weigh less, have better heart health and lower cancer rates.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054459
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110518105728.htm
http://www.ajcn.org/content/83/3/667.full
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/169756.php
2. The China Oxford Cornell Project (aka the China Study) is an observatioÂnal study. It is impossible to prove causality with such a study. The most one can do is look for correlatioÂns that may or may not warrant further research. And contrary to the claims made by T. Colin Campbell, this study found that plant proteins had more positive correlatioÂns with cancer and heart disease than did animal proteins.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-china-study-revisited/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cancer/the-china-study-vs-the-china-study/
3. There is no evidence that vegans are healthier than lacto-ovo vegetarians or people who eat meat. What studies have consistentÂly found is that more than half of all vegans are deficient in B12 as compared to 12% to 23% of lacto-ovo vegetarianÂs (depending on the study) and less than 1% of meat-eaterÂs. Vegans also have lower bone density than the the other two groups.
4. There were just as many ruminants 500 years ago as there are today. Only the type of ruminants have changed; i.e., more cattle, fewer bison; more sheep, fewer elk; more goats, fewer antelopes. In other words, livestock isn't a new source of methane. The same cannot be said for rice paddies. In fact rice paddies produce more methane than all livestock combined. Using land as pasture for livestock improves soil quality, encourages biological diversity and sequesters carbon. Tilling soil to plant monocrops releases carbon, as does the fossil fuel used to run the tractors, combines and so on.
I have no interest in evangelism, panaceas or one solution fits all purity. I do see quite clearly eating vegetables is healthy and keeps one young and full of energy. One no doubt need not be 100% to reap these benefits. And if I didn't have to kill an animal or fish to do so, I probably would eat fish at least. Balance of a whole life matters, how much one keeps active, etc.
Now obviously this is an anecdotal comment. But the one vegetarian in my family (many family members) is way healthier than mist of the meat eaters, the only exceptions being those who balance and eat plenty if vegetables, too.
So as with many things it is not the exclusion of something that is most important, but what we include most, what we do most day to day, what predominates.
As for my own family, we all eat lots of meat, eggs, cheese and butter as well a fair amount of vegetables. We also tend to be a pretty healthy bunch. The average lifespan for my maternal and paternal clans is probably somewhere around 89, with quite a few living well into their 90s. (Even the smokers usually live to see their 80th birthdays.) We usually don't need a lot of medical intervention as we age either. There is no heart disease. Can't remember one relative who had to have a hip replacement. (Strong bones run in my family.) The only ones who had cancer were the smokers.
More and more evidence is pointing to refined carbs and a lack of exercise as larger factors in poor health than saturated fats. In fact, saturated fats have all but been vindicated. You may also find my first link interesting, assuming you haven't read it yet. It involves a study of Swedish men that found daily consumption of vegetables were only associated with a lower risk of heart disease when large amounts of full-fat dairy foods were also included in the diet.
Life is about compromises.
However, I completely agree with you on this point: 'Prepare real foods authenticaÂlly as much as possible.'
Do not eat fauxfood.
If your objective is health, then that objective is probably better served by adhering to more traditional diets whose effects are relatively better known, just as if your objective is ethical, your goals are probably better served by adhering to more traditional diets whose effects are relatively better known.
http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes/soups-a-stews/vegan-chili
Can relate to your "cheese" addiction. Stopped eating dairy products over 12 years ago when I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer at the age of 38. Giving up cheese was hard and I too didn't like the taste of substitutes.
What I have discovered is far better tasting: portabella mushrooms grilled with garlic, olive oil and a sprinkle of Modena balsamic vinegar...no more "cheese"burgers Cheese-less pizza with sauteed onions, garlic, dates and a sweet terriyaki sauce and a host of other great meals and dishes.
Once in a while I enjoy soy ice cream sprinkled with semi sweet choc chips and almonds. (No dairy in semi sweet.) Also make my own chocolate candy in minutes. It's easy: slowly melt semi sweet chips in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Once melted add unsalted roasted almonds and raisins...drop on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (to prevent sticking) in the fridge for 1/2 an hour and you have chocolate drops! Yummy! And, our kids even make them.
Good luck!
Odd fact: Something about pumpkin seeds, when chewed unlocks a distinct flavor of beef jerky to my tastebuds. A distinct smoky salty taste.
Even if you don't stick with the vegan diet I'd still encourage you to try out all of these wonderful products. Someone told me once that people who stick to vegetarian/vegan diets usually have a much more diverse diet because they have to branch out and experiment with new foods. Since I became vegan 7 years ago I've learned more about food than ever before. Have fun and good luck!
i wonder if vegans feel that they should have eschewed the egg and tried to live on that potato alone.
Making the switch to vegan might be difficult initially, but with some effort, planning and cooking, it's best-thing-ever!! There are tons of resources on the web. You might want to consider nuts and peanut butter as additional fat sources to hummus and avocado.
Cravings will occur on any dietary change, but do the research to learn where to get all the necessary nutrients and your cravings will adapt to plant-based sources of those nutrients.
It sounds a little like your heart isn't in this - like you've decided already its too hard. Change your attitude and you might just not only enjoy it, but thrive on a vegan diet.