The Reluctant Vegan
ericcharleslindstrom
Posts: 25 Member
At Night I Dream About Chicken Wings
Or, “The Confessions of a Reluctant Vegan”
by Eric C Lindstrom
I think I am experiencing a midlife crisis. I know it’s midlife since I just turned 45 and don’t expect to live much past 90. 90 is a respectable age. As I look back over the first half of my life I bear witness to smoking, drinking, fast living and meat ... lots of meat. Probably if I kept up that lifestyle, my midlife mark would have been at 35. I always thought you spend the first half of your life trying to kill yourself and the second half trying to make up for it.
Lately I’ve been making up for it.
At the beginning of this year, I was challenged to go vegan. Actually, it was started by my wife and the book, “The 30-Day Vegan Challenge.” She was a gluten-free vegetarian in denial about being lactose intolerant and I was a known omnivore with definite leanings toward carnivore. On January 4, 2012 I was eating whatever I wanted and washing it down with whatever I could find and on January 5th, I woke up 100% vegan.
To make the challenge interesting, we decided to place a wager. First to break would have to do chores for two months. Seeing as how she was addicted to cheese, I was confident that I would both win the bet as well as go back to my meat-eating, milk-drinking, ways by February. Sitting back eating meatloaf and gravy while I watched her vacuum and dust.
Eight months later I’m still vegan -- a reluctant vegan.
My diet in the beginning consisted of beans and nuts and lettuce and rice. And beans and rice. Pretty much a list of all the foods I used to avoid. In the first few weeks it was difficult staying true to the vegan lifestyle. A business trip with four men to Minnesota who insisted on eating at every steakhouse was the first test.
“I’ll have your cob salad,” I told the waitress at a popular midwest eatery, “With no bacon or bleu cheese or dressing. I’m vegan.”
To which she replied, “Why?”
Fifteen minutes later my salad arrived, covered in so much bacon, bleu cheese and ranch dressing that I couldn’t see the salad. While they remade my meal, sans everything that tastes good, I thought I would at least eat the rolls that were piping hot in the middle of the table only to find out they were coated with garlic butter. Butter. What’s wrong with eating butter?
As each medium rare and rare steak passed under my nose, a tear slowly fell down my cheek, seeing my old favorites passing by, as I begrudgingly pierced the single ripe tomato on my salad. Although I was away from home and anyone who cared about the bet, I stayed true and remained 100% vegan for those four days in Minneapolis. Including, buying almond milk for my morning coffee to wash down the bananas and pineapple I ate as my travelling companions stood in the omelette station line each morning loading their plates with sausage.
Similar trips proved equally frustrating as I sped through airports and truck stops and rest stops hoping to find a quick snack and realizing that the world hasn’t been designed for vegans.
Two weeks later, while on yet another business trip in New York City with two guys who ordered the Lumberjack Special, at a boutique diner I ordered oatmeal with strawberries. That morning I took quite a few on the chin about my masculinity. Jibes I could barely hear over the crunch of their bacon.
It was actually after that breakfast that something amazing happened.
A full month into being vegan and something felt different. I ate an entire breakfast and felt … great. Full without feeling sick. As if I had just eaten a cloud of happiness while my traveling companions were experiencing stomach pains and frequent trips to the bathroom. Was I onto something? Could being vegan really make you feel better about yourself and your choices?
At this point, I was into a pretty good rhythm with my diet. Eating whole grains and mostly plant-based foods with the occasional soy burger or fake chicken patty thrown in. We were also experimenting with other “replacement” foods to satisfy my cravings: pizza with daiya, tofu wings, sweet potato fries and other delectable vegan treats. Dining remained a challenge but at this point I was starting to feel the positive effects of eating vegan. And then I had my annual physical.
I had already given blood to the lab so I would be able to discuss my results with my doctor at my appointment. That morning at the doctor’s office, I weighed in at 212 pounds (lost five pounds in the first 60 days) and proceeded to sit across from my doctor to discuss my numbers.
“Hm. Your cholesteral,” she said, reviewing the numbers with greater scrutiny, “has dramatically improved: HDL is 53 and LDL is 70. Pretty much cut in half from your last visit.” She looked at me as if I’d done something wrong. Checking my blood pressure, she said, “Perfect. 110 over 60. You seem to be doing something right.” My pulse rate was 70 and I passed the rest of my exam with flying colors.
“Whatever it is you’re doing ... keep doing it,” she remarked.
“I have to,” I replied. “There’s a lot at stake.”
Just saying that made me think of steak but the benefits of being vegan were starting to show in more ways than one, most noticeable when I fastened my belt the following month and had lost three inches in my waist.
Now, don’t get me wrong here. As much as I was enjoying the benefits of a meat-dairy-egg-free life, I was still dreaming of chicken wings. I was still the outcast at the company pizza party. I was still longingly looking at the glistening images of burgers that floated across my TV screen. I was still an omnivore at heart and was still hoping (against all hopes) that my wife would eat ONE SLICE OF CHEESE.
I am constantly reminded of a cartoon I once saw with two Tyrannosaurus Rexes standing over the grill watching the Brontosaurus show up to the cookout. The Brontosaurus announces, “I brought hummus!” to which the T-Rex replies: “Who invited the herbivore?”
Was this all worth it? Was being a restaurant’s worst nightmare the way I wanted to live? Would I ever stop dreaming about chicken wings?
And then I watched “Forks Over Knives.” Not since “Porky's” has a movie had such a long-lasting profound effect on me. Seeing the evidence and hearing the results plant-based living so prominently portrayed, helped make this short-term bet into a life-long decision. Add to this, meeting T. Colin Campbell in person at a local Macro-Vegan Dinner and hearing his assurances that over time, I will see even more advantages. I was sure that leading a plant-based life was for me. I am finally making SMART choices when it comes to food!
The only variable at this point is if my wife eats a slice of cheese … will I order a dozen wings? Hopefully, I won’t ever have to find out.
Eric C Lindstrom lives his reluctant vegan lifestyle in Ithaca, NY with his gluten-free vegan wife, omnivore daughter, semi-vegan dog, and pescatarian cat.
Or, “The Confessions of a Reluctant Vegan”
by Eric C Lindstrom
I think I am experiencing a midlife crisis. I know it’s midlife since I just turned 45 and don’t expect to live much past 90. 90 is a respectable age. As I look back over the first half of my life I bear witness to smoking, drinking, fast living and meat ... lots of meat. Probably if I kept up that lifestyle, my midlife mark would have been at 35. I always thought you spend the first half of your life trying to kill yourself and the second half trying to make up for it.
Lately I’ve been making up for it.
At the beginning of this year, I was challenged to go vegan. Actually, it was started by my wife and the book, “The 30-Day Vegan Challenge.” She was a gluten-free vegetarian in denial about being lactose intolerant and I was a known omnivore with definite leanings toward carnivore. On January 4, 2012 I was eating whatever I wanted and washing it down with whatever I could find and on January 5th, I woke up 100% vegan.
To make the challenge interesting, we decided to place a wager. First to break would have to do chores for two months. Seeing as how she was addicted to cheese, I was confident that I would both win the bet as well as go back to my meat-eating, milk-drinking, ways by February. Sitting back eating meatloaf and gravy while I watched her vacuum and dust.
Eight months later I’m still vegan -- a reluctant vegan.
My diet in the beginning consisted of beans and nuts and lettuce and rice. And beans and rice. Pretty much a list of all the foods I used to avoid. In the first few weeks it was difficult staying true to the vegan lifestyle. A business trip with four men to Minnesota who insisted on eating at every steakhouse was the first test.
“I’ll have your cob salad,” I told the waitress at a popular midwest eatery, “With no bacon or bleu cheese or dressing. I’m vegan.”
To which she replied, “Why?”
Fifteen minutes later my salad arrived, covered in so much bacon, bleu cheese and ranch dressing that I couldn’t see the salad. While they remade my meal, sans everything that tastes good, I thought I would at least eat the rolls that were piping hot in the middle of the table only to find out they were coated with garlic butter. Butter. What’s wrong with eating butter?
As each medium rare and rare steak passed under my nose, a tear slowly fell down my cheek, seeing my old favorites passing by, as I begrudgingly pierced the single ripe tomato on my salad. Although I was away from home and anyone who cared about the bet, I stayed true and remained 100% vegan for those four days in Minneapolis. Including, buying almond milk for my morning coffee to wash down the bananas and pineapple I ate as my travelling companions stood in the omelette station line each morning loading their plates with sausage.
Similar trips proved equally frustrating as I sped through airports and truck stops and rest stops hoping to find a quick snack and realizing that the world hasn’t been designed for vegans.
Two weeks later, while on yet another business trip in New York City with two guys who ordered the Lumberjack Special, at a boutique diner I ordered oatmeal with strawberries. That morning I took quite a few on the chin about my masculinity. Jibes I could barely hear over the crunch of their bacon.
It was actually after that breakfast that something amazing happened.
A full month into being vegan and something felt different. I ate an entire breakfast and felt … great. Full without feeling sick. As if I had just eaten a cloud of happiness while my traveling companions were experiencing stomach pains and frequent trips to the bathroom. Was I onto something? Could being vegan really make you feel better about yourself and your choices?
At this point, I was into a pretty good rhythm with my diet. Eating whole grains and mostly plant-based foods with the occasional soy burger or fake chicken patty thrown in. We were also experimenting with other “replacement” foods to satisfy my cravings: pizza with daiya, tofu wings, sweet potato fries and other delectable vegan treats. Dining remained a challenge but at this point I was starting to feel the positive effects of eating vegan. And then I had my annual physical.
I had already given blood to the lab so I would be able to discuss my results with my doctor at my appointment. That morning at the doctor’s office, I weighed in at 212 pounds (lost five pounds in the first 60 days) and proceeded to sit across from my doctor to discuss my numbers.
“Hm. Your cholesteral,” she said, reviewing the numbers with greater scrutiny, “has dramatically improved: HDL is 53 and LDL is 70. Pretty much cut in half from your last visit.” She looked at me as if I’d done something wrong. Checking my blood pressure, she said, “Perfect. 110 over 60. You seem to be doing something right.” My pulse rate was 70 and I passed the rest of my exam with flying colors.
“Whatever it is you’re doing ... keep doing it,” she remarked.
“I have to,” I replied. “There’s a lot at stake.”
Just saying that made me think of steak but the benefits of being vegan were starting to show in more ways than one, most noticeable when I fastened my belt the following month and had lost three inches in my waist.
Now, don’t get me wrong here. As much as I was enjoying the benefits of a meat-dairy-egg-free life, I was still dreaming of chicken wings. I was still the outcast at the company pizza party. I was still longingly looking at the glistening images of burgers that floated across my TV screen. I was still an omnivore at heart and was still hoping (against all hopes) that my wife would eat ONE SLICE OF CHEESE.
I am constantly reminded of a cartoon I once saw with two Tyrannosaurus Rexes standing over the grill watching the Brontosaurus show up to the cookout. The Brontosaurus announces, “I brought hummus!” to which the T-Rex replies: “Who invited the herbivore?”
Was this all worth it? Was being a restaurant’s worst nightmare the way I wanted to live? Would I ever stop dreaming about chicken wings?
And then I watched “Forks Over Knives.” Not since “Porky's” has a movie had such a long-lasting profound effect on me. Seeing the evidence and hearing the results plant-based living so prominently portrayed, helped make this short-term bet into a life-long decision. Add to this, meeting T. Colin Campbell in person at a local Macro-Vegan Dinner and hearing his assurances that over time, I will see even more advantages. I was sure that leading a plant-based life was for me. I am finally making SMART choices when it comes to food!
The only variable at this point is if my wife eats a slice of cheese … will I order a dozen wings? Hopefully, I won’t ever have to find out.
Eric C Lindstrom lives his reluctant vegan lifestyle in Ithaca, NY with his gluten-free vegan wife, omnivore daughter, semi-vegan dog, and pescatarian cat.
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Replies
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Love this! I have been vegan for 5 months and the rewards are so worth the occasional rough spots!!!0
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I read your post i have been a so call vegetarian for years but still do the fish with scales and ,cheese ,and Egglandas eggs ,after reading your post im encourage prayerfully to get off all dairy products . have to be real with myself praying to be that Vergan one day.Keep up the GOOD work.0
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Hang in there. Watch "Forks Over Knives" again and again.
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I stopped eating meat in my early 20's when I became emotionally attached to a cow (long story) who I thought of as a pet. I did not substitute anything healthy for protein and mostly lived on white flour based pasta. I began eating meat again when I became pregnant and was severely anemic. Now I am the mother of two "tweens" and I have my diet down to meat twice a week. I really want to go vegan but as I increase the healthy things in my diet, my single-mom grocery bill keeps going up and up. I am very moved by your story and I am going to go home and discuss with my children (who have never "craved" meat anyway) whether we can challenge each other in this way. (My daughter truely is lactose intolerant and my son thinks he is allergic to vegetables, lol) Perhaps our evening will start with Forks over Knives on Netflix. The Omnivores Dilemma, Food, INC and King Corn are also very moving documentaries that underline how the average American diet is poison.0
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I stopped eating meat in my early 20's when I became emotionally attached to a cow (long story) who I thought of as a pet. I did not substitute anything healthy for protein and mostly lived on white flour based pasta. I began eating meat again when I became pregnant and was severely anemic. Now I am the mother of two "tweens" and I have my diet down to meat twice a week. I really want to go vegan but as I increase the healthy things in my diet, my single-mom grocery bill keeps going up and up. I am very moved by your story and I am going to go home and discuss with my children (who have never "craved" meat anyway) whether we can challenge each other in this way. (My daughter truely is lactose intolerant and my son thinks he is allergic to vegetables, lol) Perhaps our evening will start with Forks over Knives on Netflix. The Omnivores Dilemma, Food, INC and King Corn are also very moving documentaries that underline how the average American diet is poison.
Add "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" to your Netflix cue and watch that with your family! Make some popcorn with melted earth balance or some delicious vanilla shakes with coconut ice cream and vanilla almond milk ... it's TOO easy to splurge on food even as a vegan!
Oh, I'm also gluten-free so I have that challenge as well! Glad you liked my story.0 -
Very well written and enjoyable story of your journey to a vegan lifestyle. So inspiring! Glad to see it had a happy ending :happy: I recently went vegan after being vegetarian for a long time and I can't see myself turning back either!0
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Great story!
I'm vegetarian ... I don't cut eggs, cheese, milk, etc. out of my diet. Although I haven't had many of these for a long time with the exception of cheese strings and pizza a couple times. I find cheese the hardest to eliminate. I have definitely decreased my cheese intake though so I'm happy about that. I have been trying the daiya cheese as well. Pretty good!
Love your story.
Haven't seen forks over knives but I definitely should!!0 -
Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.0
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Very well written and enjoyable story of your journey to a vegan lifestyle. So inspiring! Glad to see it had a happy ending :happy: I recently went vegan after being vegetarian for a long time and I can't see myself turning back either!
The say vegetarians are the bi-sexuals of the world of plant-based eating. ;-)
It's actually rather simple cutting out meat and fish (since eggs and dairy are still allowed). For me, it was all or nothing and I chose all. The evidence for a plant-based diet and it's advantages are too great to ignore. The trouble is, society has drilled in our heads forever about protien and meat and dairy and none of it's true.
Thanks for the support! Looking forward to my weigh in on Monday!0 -
Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!0 -
Great story!
I'm vegetarian ... I don't cut eggs, cheese, milk, etc. out of my diet. Although I haven't had many of these for a long time with the exception of cheese strings and pizza a couple times. I find cheese the hardest to eliminate. I have definitely decreased my cheese intake though so I'm happy about that. I have been trying the daiya cheese as well. Pretty good!
Love your story.
Haven't seen forks over knives but I definitely should!!
Daiya is delicious! And I found an excellent recipe to make a crispy gluten-free pizza crust! Vegan sauce, mushrooms, onions, hot peppers ... all the indulgance with ZERO negative health effects. Glad you liked the story!0 -
Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!
I will actually watch it with an open mind, and then share my views.
But please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. I believe it will save you from making mistakes and damaging your health. (Message me if you can't find it).0 -
Love the story. I am a vegetarian, I would say almost a vegan as I eat very little cheese or milk or eggs. I love the lifestyle although for me it was a rather ethical decision, than a health conscious one. Although my doctor is loving my blood work results for a while now. Good luck sticking to your diet.0
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Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!
I will actually watch it with an open mind, and then share my views.
But please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. I believe it will save you from making mistakes and damaging your health. (Message me if you can't find it).
Please do. There are some parts of the film where it clearly shows the advantages of a plant-based diet (comparing Japans 14 cases of prostate cancer to the U.S.'s 14,000!) ... plus there is the whole erectile dysfunction part that keeps me going! I am living 100% drug-free and plan to do so well into my 90s! ;-)
I will look for the book! Thanks for the recommendation.0 -
Love the story. I am a vegetarian, I would say almost a vegan as I eat very little cheese or milk or eggs. I love the lifestyle although for me it was a rather ethical decision, than a health conscious one. Although my doctor is loving my blood work results for a while now. Good luck sticking to your diet.
I've made it this far so there is no point in turning back now! Glad you loved it!0 -
Reading your post was very enjoyable! I am vegetarian, but eat all the milk, cheese, eggs, etc. I've let the idea of being vegan cross my mind a few times, but 1) it's seems soooooooooo hard (I don't know what doesn't have animal products except vegetables), and 2) because I'm gluten-free and diabetic, I'm slightly afraid of starving to death. Dairy products are "free" foods for me.
I will definitely find "Forks Over Knives" and give it a watch. Someone also recommended "Food, Inc." and "Supersize Me."
I'm the only vegetarian in the family. I don't mind it because I've never liked meat anyway (except bacon), but being gluten-free is hard. Bread is my favourite food. I'm lucky, though, because in my meat-chomping, carb stuffing, no-health-organic-whole-foods community, my co-worker is gluten-free and vegan. I thought I'd die of starvation, but she encouraged me and lent me some recipe books to start with. So, here I go!
PS. I would be forever grateful if you are willing to share your vegan pizza recipe!0 -
This was a great read. I watched the same movie. It changed my life along with my families. I have never had such good blood work and health checks as over the last year. I am a new person!0
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I loved this post. I am fairly recently a "pescatarian/lacto/ovo" vegetarian. I incorporate a lot of vegan meals, though (maybe 60%), and have severely cut down on dairy. I never ate a lot of eggs anyway, unless they were in something else. Fish is a rarity. I want to make the switch to fully vegan but haven't had the guts to do it cold turkey. Seeing your story is an inspiration. I think maybe I'll start a 30-day vegan challenge and see how it goes. Maybe I'll just keep going like you did! Thanks for sharing your story.0
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Exactly what i did at first to stick with it. You can also find great videos on Youtube from Doug Lisle, Caldwell Esselstyn, Colin Campbell, Joel Fuhrman, Doug Graham, and many other great vegan sources.Hang in there. Watch "Forks Over Knives" again and again.0 -
I've been vegetarian for over 2 years, so I know the struggles that come with that, I have nothing but respect for going a step further toward veganism. Eating out is the worst. Business lunches and dinners have always gotten me. People who aren't vegetarian/vegan just say "Oh, they have salads, you'll be fine". Not every vegetarian what's to eat freakin salads all the time!
Keep your chin up and think positive thoughts. You're saving the environment, you're standing up for ethical reasons, you're making your body healthy, your digestive system kicks *kitten*, and you probably have a higher sex drive (thanks PETA for the awesome commercial!)
Just don't smell bacon and you'll be okay0 -
I'm a newbie to the plant based diet, not doing it reluctantly though. I decided to try it out for a week to see if I liked it, with the exception of a couple of meals I've been eating vegetarian for about 6 weeks now. Your story was great! Keep it up!0
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Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!
I will actually watch it with an open mind, and then share my views.
But please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. I believe it will save you from making mistakes and damaging your health. (Message me if you can't find it).
Please do. There are some parts of the film where it clearly shows the advantages of a plant-based diet (comparing Japans 14 cases of prostate cancer to the U.S.'s 14,000!) ... plus there is the whole erectile dysfunction part that keeps me going! I am living 100% drug-free and plan to do so well into my 90s! ;-)
I will look for the book! Thanks for the recommendation.
While I agree that vegetables and fruits are a good basis for a diet, I don't see how comparing the Japanese with Americans proves that vegan is the way to go.0 -
Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!
I will actually watch it with an open mind, and then share my views.
But please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. I believe it will save you from making mistakes and damaging your health. (Message me if you can't find it).
Thanks for the recommendation. I am mostly vegan for ethical reasons and it sounds like her views may not be all that different from those of many vegans . I've been vegetarian so long that I can't imagine eating meat anymore, just not appealing. 0 -
Very enjoyable read! Thank you for posting. I will hope that your wife loses her taste for cheese completely!0
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Bump. I'd like to read this later when I have more time. Thanks!0
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Thank you for sharing this, I love it!! I think it's a remarkable change that you've made and you have certainly reaped the benefits thus far. I concur with my fellow responders in saying that I hope that your wife loses her taste for cheese as well 0
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I enjoyed reading this, thank you for sharing!
--Sometimes Reluctant Omnivore.0 -
Each to their own but it's laughable to suggest that from a health perspective a vegan/vegetarian diet is superior to a meat-eating one.
Evidence, my friend. They have actually turned cancer on and off by introducing and taking away meat protein. Plus there is the clogging of the arteries and the cholesteral levels and ... well ... watch "Forks Over Knives" and then draw your own conclusion.
Of course, I type all this wishing I could dive head first into a bowl of hot chicken wings!
I will actually watch it with an open mind, and then share my views.
But please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith. I believe it will save you from making mistakes and damaging your health. (Message me if you can't find it).
Edit: On further reflection, I am withdrawing my original comment about 'The Vegetarian Myth.' I want this thread to keep going in the lighthearted way it started. We can bring all sorts of information into this thread, either refuting or upholding the vegan diet, but I really want the OP to get credit for an interesting and inspiring essay on his experience. Thank you, Reluctant Vegan!0 -
Hello all,
I was a vegetarian for 3 years, but introduced beef in my diet two months ago. The reason being, I got really sick and was told that I would have to include red meat in my diet. I do not enjoy the taste and get extremely depressed and sad when eating it because I know of what the animal must have gone through. Would love to cut meat completely out of my diet, but I'm scared of getting sick again. Has this happened to anyone else?0 -
I loved the OP's story. It was well-written, funny and inspiring, and it's wonderful to hear success stories. Thank you!
I hope this thread doesn't devolve into a debate of vegan/vegetarian versus meat-eaters. This post was too great for that.
What I find interesting is that the OP DID NOT replace his meat/eggs/butter with candy, mountains of pasta, and processed soylent green. When in Minnesota, he could have had a big bowl of glutinous spaghetti at the steak house, but because he's gluten-free also, he didn't. He had a colorful (yet, bland) salad.
He could have snarfed down huge bowls of fruit loops while his buddies carb-loaded on that lumberjack special, but instead he had oatmeal. To me, regardless of whether he was vegetarian, vegan, or omnivorous... his healthy (albeit reluctant) choices were the key to success.
Was it the meat that was raising his LDL before? Well, maybe, but also maybe because it was eaten along with whatever else he wanted and as much as he wanted. Our OP did not just eliminate meat/eggs/dairy, he has also eliminated gluten, and is eating in a healthy way.
My sister eats a "plant-based diet". She has swooned over Forks Over Knives and the China Study, so I've heard it. I've engaged in crazy texting debates about it. I also eat a plant-based diet minus the grains and legumes, along with meat and healthy fats. I have watched the movie too. I also read the detailed critiques of the movie and the debunking of the China Study. http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/ Too bad the correlations espoused by the study/movie are tenuous, but I'm not surprised. It's so hard to study pesky humans! And really, does it matter? If the movie gets people to eat in a more healthful way and stop supporting CAFOs... that's great.
Eat meat or don't. Drink milk or don't. What matters is that we get healthier, and support great stories of success like this one.
Now all you paleo/primal/vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian/ketosis-loving people... go eat a salad! Top if with steak. And bleu cheese. Or not.0
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