Living a Plant Based Lifestyle
Our Path Led Us Here
So, now we find ourselves pursuing a full blown vegan diet. We use a macrobiotic/vegan approach. You just have to choose how strict you want to get. Even a little better with a macrobiotic approach is GOOD!
There are so many definitions of just what a vegan really is. I say to hell with definitions, it is the dietary lifestyle that is important. As you study and research, you will find conflicting opinions. EVERYONE has an opinion and will try to tell you what to do, how to do it and why you should do it.
Screw it! Find your own path Grasshopper!
You will go nuts if you try to follow all the advice; you have to pick a route or combination (like we have) that suites YOU. Something YOU can live with. Yes LIVE with for a very long time; like in the REST OF YOUR LIFE! This is a Life Sentence! A GOOD ONE too!
I just wish we had discovered the facts sooner. The fact is that current medical 'science' just doesn't know everything; not even close! If fact is that they seem to actually ignore, run away from and generally actively attempt to discredit any healing approach that is not strictly taught in medical school. I have seen and heard it from my own doctors!
Keep in mind that medical doctors (MD's) usually have one maybe two classes on healing and nutrition in all of their 8 or so years of medical training (that's after 16 years of regular school and college!). Ask your own doctor what diet and lifestyle plays in your overall health. They will say that 'diet' and exercise is a good thing. Eat less fat, lower your cholesterol,and get regular exercise. What the hell is the 'diet' they mention? Few have a clue and if you look at them and their staff (weight overall health etc.) you may find they don't appear all that healthy themselves.
Most doctors believe that they are 'curing' one disease with one treatment. They target the symptom, not the disease! One pill, one disease is the accepted approach. Lots of pills, lots of diseases. Wonder why they seem to want to treat the diseases by prescribing a medication that you have to take THE REST of YOUR LIFE? Isn't that a lifestyle change? An expensive one to boot!
What if you change your diet and don't need any more pills? Treat your 'disease' of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, and CANCER with a lifestyle change in diet! Charlotte Gerson says that "you can't cure just one disease in the body; you must cure them all" or words to that effect. That makes sense! If you have a healthy 'healing system' (not just the immune system), your own body will see to the 'cure' if you provide the proper nutrients and foods necessary.
There is just so much information that confirms this simple yet powerful approach. So many people who have been sent home to die by 'modern medicine' have been 'cured' or close to it; living long healthy lives but implementing the lifestyle and dietary changes suggested by a more holistic approach. One that addresses the whole body and its need for sustenance.
Yes we can survive with animal protein, but we can THRIVE with none!
One of the main problems with animal protein and derived products (besides fat, cholesterol, etc.) is that so much of the 'meat', dairy and other products found in grocery stores is so heavily processed. It is laced with drugs, genetically modified feed so that the animal becomes virtually a genetically modified animal (some actually are these days and getting to be more so!). These factory raised animals are fed high concentrations of GMO grains and other feeds that create a huge omega three to six imbalance in the end product that is is almost worse (maybe it IS worse) than the cholesterol contained in the product. The same goes for the related products like cheese, yogurt and MILK. It is all heavily contanimated by drugs, GMO feed and possibly tainted with other chemicals and imbalances caused by the unatural ways the animals are raised, fed and handled. Do your own research!
Where we are:
I will add a lot of information on the subject of our diet and what we eat, how we prepare our food and enjoy it!
But for this section, you probably are wondering, so what? What are they eating? Does it taste like crap? Are they skinny and anemic?
The answer is suprisingly that we feel great! I am loosing fat/pounds at about 2 pounds/week. I've lost my 'bloated look' according to my yoga classmates and my wife! (Yes, Yoga!.. more on that later).
We ate fish and eliminated all meat early on. Now we don't eat the fish either. Research, research and learn; you will see and make your own determination.
We also juice over 40 pounds of carrots each week (great deal on organic carrots at our local Costco). Lots of other greens, fruits and vegetables as well. We drink a combination of carrot juice, spirulina, chlorella, barely max each morning. This provides loads of vitamins and protein and provides a nutritious start each day. In the afternoon, we usually will concoct a fruit smoothie. We purchase lots of fruit, cut it up and freeze it; then just grab several handfuls of frozen fruit (blueberries, bananas, grapes, mellon, etc.), toss it into the VitaMix and voila, a delicious smoothie!
We walk each day, a moderate quick pace, just around the neighborhood (now up to two miles most mornings). I also started Yoga classes! Yea, can you believe it? ME doing yoga! I never thought I'd stick to it, but now I look forward to my twice a week class and fret if I have to miss one. I have been the only guy (not a bad thing!) but now and then there is another guy in the class.
My wife is a genius with the food preparation. Yes, we did spend a small fortune at the bookstore, but it has been worth it. She has found and prepared (with her own 'adjustments') a wide variety of mostly organic meals of raw and some cooked foods. The cooked foodstuffs are mostly grains and rice with some polenta and other veggie burgers and such. More in later sections as to the specifics!
There are loads of great recipes on the Net and we will publish our recipes here. Being a vegetarian/vegan/raw-foodist is not relegating yourself to eating cardboard or tasteless food. I couldn't do that! It is an experience; not all great, but all edible. We are working our way through several recipe books, finding what we like and what we don't.
For instance, I'm not keen on egg plant, but chopped up in a vegetable soup, chili or stew, you don't notice it! You can hide a lot of 'good foods that don't taste too good' in a combination recipes. Lots of spices (also very good for you) can hide even the taste of okra!
We are also have learned about Raw Foodists. Yes, they are folks who only consume 'raw'/uncooked organic fruits and vegetables. The approach to raw is best defined by UK's Karen Knowler (Raw Food Coach) on her site GoRawForaDay.com. While we are not totally Raw Foodists, we try to target a 60/40 basis (60% raw and 40% organic cooked). Everyone has a different balance, but since we love salads and have now have a wonderful 'sprouter' we add loads of sprouted seeds, nuts and veggies.