SoulVeggie

What to say? What to do?

He was leather-skinned, taunt, and yet energetic.  Agewise, a mid 60's Vietnam Vet I met in line at a grocery store who gruffly pointed out to the lady in front of me that this was a "15 or less" items checkout line and that she was way over the limit.  She moved.  We struck up a conversation of sorts.  He'd had a bad day.  Someone had broken into his home, where there were three people on disability (him, wife, son), and stolen $400 and all his medications.

He'd recently had a heart valve "installed" and back surgery.  A tough bird.  Optimistic that you only get one chance at life, and you do the best you can.  Loved his much younger wife.  He despised what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My purchase:  wheat gluten flour, broccoli, short grain rice, dijon mustard, bagels (no deli within 30 miles of here), raw cashews, fresh shittake mushrooms, ginseng tea, some seltzer.  I glanced at his purchase-to-be while he was talking about his health:  a gallon of whole milk, a six pack of some high fructose-based soda, and a large loaf of "white Wonder Bread."

Gawd... I so much wanted to say something.  I so much wanted to convey all that I know and believe about reversing heart disease from Ornish and Esselstyn's low fat vegan research, but I believed there was no opening.  I wanted to cite the numbers I now know from memory regarding fat, sugar, and salt, veganism, and cardiovascular disease.  I wanted to mention Rip.  I wanted to direct him to Susan's fat free vegan blog and website.

I'd been through this before.  It's not something you just bring up with people, they are often offended, and when I have been able to do so, there's only a tiny time window of opportunity, it was usually a verbal piggyback on my mentioning my diet & heart disease from someone's question that would draw another into the conversation, giving me my opportunity.

But I blew it.  I could have asked him to sit with me in the cafe, or talk a minute in the parking lot, and politely explain to him what I knew about a low-fat vegan diet and heart disease, given him some web addresses, and urged him to check it all out.  I COULD HAVE TRIED.  I could have risked offending him, to help him, but I didn't.  I didn't know what to say, what to do, and this haunts me in this morning's early hours.  A fine old soul, a fiery beacon of optimism in the face of so much tragedy.  I should have done something.

From the short time I interacted with this epitomy of grace under fire, I learned a lot.  I'm now resolved that I'll do better next time.  Maybe we have to make our opportunities and take that chance, and that we won't be seen as proselytizing, but instead as being compassionate.  People need to be made aware of the truth about their health, and then decide what's best for them.  It's not fiction, fantasy, nor theory:  vegan or not, added fat, sugar, and salt increases your odds of developing any number of biological disorders, particularly heart disease.  Moderation kills.

...and so does silence, so does silence.

Running the Dietary Race

Dad's going to become a cyborg today.  A battery-powered device will be merged with his body to keep his heart rate from dropping too low (he's been having fainting spells).  They refer to this surgery as a "procedure."  How Orwellian... It accompanies the satins for cholesterol, his being borderline diabetic, and having high blood pressure.  The "experts" believe diet is not a key factor.  Yet, a low-fat low-salt diet is recommended for those suffering from bradycardia.

This frustrates me to no end.  Because of the prevailing reductionistic mindset, believing everything can be broken up into bit'n'pieces and studied/treated individually instead of as a "whole system," the "experts" are doing nothing more then extending life a bit and treating symptoms --- totally ignoring the actual causes.  Yet, Esselstyn and Ornish have proven you can reverse heart disease through a low-fat vegan diet, without drugs and machines.  In denial, the aforementioned pros explain: people don't have the discipline and we don't make the same megabucks.

There's personal irony. This Mother's Day (to the day) is the anniversary of my Mom dying of breast cancer.  I was 14 years old.  It led directly to my quest to find out what might have caused her death and studying diet, health, nutrition, what's in our food, and eventually coming to the conclusion that going veg'n was one answer to avoiding these disorders.

The other answer was realizing that added fat, sugar, and salt, whether you are vegetarian or vegan, still contributes to developing many life-defying diseases.  Aghast, I read daily recipe posts from vegans using such nutritional abominations as "1 cup of Earth Balance (fat fat fat)," or "2 cups of Veganaise (soy and fat)," or "1 cup of sugar (btw: those "wonderful" vegan marshmellows are basically corn syrup and sugar), " or "1 cup <insert product name> of faux cheese (soy and fat)," or "1/4 cup of reduced sodium tamari (2,800 mg sodium, well over a day's worth... yet how many veg'ns liberally soak their food with it, whether in a marinade, a dressing, or a stir-fry?)"

In my younger years, I could eat a box of light bulbs, down a case of beer with 2 large pizzas, make love all night, then run a marathon the next day.  In my later years, that diet would make me ill and unable to run the marathon...  But, to actually run life's BIG marathon successfuly means that we can't dietarily "sprint full tilt bozo" the first third, then expect the last two-thirds to be illness-free and that our bodies haven't been damaged by earlier abuses.  That's a reality most won't accept.  Being vegan isn't enough to protect you.

As McDougall has noted:  "Moderation kills." ...and sustains your taste cravings.  As such, we MUST to learn to fuel life's race properly with our diet, eating whole foods (oil, sugar, syrup, and sodium, are NOT whole foods), and avoid feeding taste addictions that, in the final analysis, can lead to what's happened to Dad:  he didn't pace himself, and now he needs technology to do it for him.

"Planting Faith"

My earliest memory of encountering the mysterious way life originates from apparently lifeless seed was when I was 4 years old.  Having since worked on an Organic Farm after working for NASA on two satellite missions, I still find myself amazed at nature and the process of growing plants.  At that Farm we specialized in "micro-greens," sprouted greens and vegetables for the high-end chefs in the Washintgon DC/VA/MD area.  It was an incredible experience to watch them arise in the greenhouse.

But, even now, I can clearly remember the youthful fascination that gawking at four carrot seeds in a corked small vial of water sprouting long white tails spawned within me.  Years later, as an adult,with immense glee I once turned a wet bar into a "sprouting bar," taking great delight in sprouting beans, grains, vegetables, and grasses.  I was continually amazed at the sudden burst of life and micro-nutrient density that seeming spontaneously occur.  Also noted, with irony, was that there is NO scientific test that would enable one to determine in advance, which seed, which bean, which dry object would manifest life.  I just LOVE pointing that out to scientists.  Reduces the general hubris they tend to accumulate over time.

See, you just don't know.  You can't know.  You have no choice but to believe that given the right conditions, your efforts will facilitate the coaxing of life from the seemingly dead.  Life arises from the soil via the seeds, strives towards the sun (phototaxis), and with faith and care, will grow strong, nutritious, and be viable to then contribute to our own lives and physical enrichment/survival.  What a noble sacrifice!

In managing an extensive vegetable (and to lesser degree of management, flower) garden, I often find  reminders of these same philosophical concepts.  We can do it correctly and proper "by the book:"  the soil, the water, the species, the weeding.... and still, life may or may not emerge, and may or may not continue to "fruition."  The weather may not accommodate, invasive weeds prove their superiority, insects may decide to take their turn, and small mammals may think it's a buffet table set out for their enjoyment and feast.  I don't know how farmers stay sane with the inexactitude of what they do season after season after season.

Anyway, today, after carefully sprouting parsnip seeds between two paper towels for weeks (see photo above, click on to see larger version in another window), and they finally sprouted a few days ago (had read that germination was iffy with this vegetable), I spent hours preparing a bed for them to rest in and grow.  Will take over a 120+ days before they can be harvested.   I also put three types of carrot seed in a 75 foot plot (having done the digging yesterday, adding mushroom compost today).   The carrot seeds were not sprouted in advance, so there's no way to predict whether all that physical effort and time will produce a bounty of carrots to enjoy in a few months.  A roll of the dice.  A "crap shoot" of sorts.

Did I spend the afternoon planting seeds?  Well, maybe... from one level of awareness... but perhaps, in a more descriptive, all-inclusive and metaphysical way, what we really do when we choose to work with the plant kingdom is better described as engaging in and "planting faith."  "Faith" that the plants will come to life, and that perhaps we are putting a little hope energy into the ground at the same time.

Way cool.

"Suicide Watch" (or: "The Price of Being Vegan")

I called a wise and well-known vegan friend late last night, one whom I've learned a lot from over the years...  I was emotionally upset over hearing that my father had another "heart-related event" last night (shortly after finishing Rip Esselstyn's new book).  Two years ago January, Dad had his first, coincidentally enough while I was in the middle of reading Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" in preparation for an interview in mid-February.  Two years ago the next week, I began following Essy's "no added fat" vegan diet recommendations, lost some 15+ lbs., as well as my desire for added fat/oil in my diet.  Dad read the book and was influenced, but he's slipped somewhat from that time.  Since then I've written about Essy's/Ornish's research and related matters often on this blog (and, aside from the many positive e-mails, taken a lot of heat).

I whined to my friend that my father just wasn't paying enough attention, and as a former test pilot, one would think he had enough discipline to do so.  My friend noted that I've done all that I can:  setting an example, providing information about diet and health, and trying to encourage him to go low-fat vegan.  He also said essentially that I was on "Suicide Watch" of sorts.  I took this phrase as providing perspective and not being "ghoulish" or mean.  Simply that the best thing I could do was to pay attention, listen, provide support, and not lecture.  Just watch, wait, and hope...

This all got me thinking about what really is the hardest part of being a "low-fat" vegan.  It isn't the lack of meat or dairy.  It isn't the lack of fat or oil.  It's not the occasional ridicule.  It is the watching someone you love, with a potentially fatal biological condition that could most likely be reversed through proper diet, not follow that diet.  I am surprised by the depth of frustration within me over this situation.  I KNOW there's nothing more I can do, and it's like watching someone walking towards the edge of the Grand Canyon and he's not hearing you yell, "Hey!  Turn around and walk the other way!"  Some of my closest friends are very overweight, and it's clear that their chances of experiencing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-related disorders are increasing every month.  Still, they eat meat, cheese, and added oils.

And yet, Drs. Esselstyn and Ornish have clearly shown/proven that a no-added fat diet can reverse heart disease and prevent the formation of plaque which causes 90% of strokes that can kill without warning.  It's not theory, it's fact.  I've even put together a list of "15 reasons to avoid added vegetable oils" in your diet (which I sent to Dad).

...and still people don't change, adapt, evolve.  Yes, Dad and Mom are eating more fruit and vegetables, but they can't handle giving up the oil (a non-food), the cheese, and the meat.  It's just something I have to accept... and one of my brothers, I found out a few weeks ago, is being advised to use statins for high cholesterol... taking the first step on a slippery slope... another candidate for the "Suicide Watch."

How amazingly ironic that people often ask me the stupid "What about protein?" question, or the "Why give up milk?" query, or the "What do you eat?" curiosity, yet the real serious, insightful, and penultimate question would be: "How do you handle watching your friends and family suffer and possibly die from diseases that they needn't from if they just ate right?"

"Suicide Watch..." it's not fun.  You want to scream.  You want to yell.  You want to point out in no uncertain terms that what they are going through, the pain, and the introduction of modern medicine's "miracle drugs" with those often "pesky" fatal or complex side affects are NOT necessary or normal.  The solution has been identified and proven.  All ya gotta do is get with the program.

This is not a matter of "belief," but instead, the knowledge that the proof and the science are solid.  The physical measurements of what happens to your circulatory system from just ONE fatty meal (constriction of the endothelium and inflammation of your blood vessels) isn't subject to debate.  For me, arguing against added oil or fat in your diet is likened to insisting gravity doesn't exist or that the Sun revolves around the Earth.  There are facts, there are theories.  Fact:  added fat/oil, dairy, and meat in your diet will, regardless of exercise, increase your risks for a host of disease, predominant amongst them being heart disease and strokes.  Stop with the added fat (plus meat and dairy) and you will lower your cholesterol as well as your risk of heart disease/stroke.  No guesswork involved.

So, how unfortunate it is that those of us who understand this, and follow a diet incorporating this awareness, in decreasing our own odds of developing and succumbing to these diseases, are at the same time increasing the odds that in our later life, we will be on the same "Suicide Watch" for those we love who haven't understood or figured it out.  Watching, waiting, hoping, offering advice and help when solicited, and wishing it weren't so, knowing it doesn't have to be.

... tick tock tick tock tick tock...  praying they pay attention before it's too late, and that the next alarm bell isn't the final knell.

15 REASONS TO AVOID VEGETABLE OILS

Because of some of the comments and e-mail I receive about a no-added fat vegan diet, I decided to list and document, in no particular order, 15 reasons to avoid vegetable oils and go very low fat vegan.  I hope they are useful and I dedicate this List to Dr. Esselstyn who, two years ago in an interview with him, changed my life forever. The post is very long so I've just provided the List here and below you can read the expanded version with links, cites, etc.

1. THEY ARE NOT FOOD
2. PREMATURE AGING
3. CLOTTING FACTORS
4. ALTZHEIMER'S DISEASE
5. PLAQUE FORMATION RUSSIAN ROULETTE
6. BLOOD VESSEL ELASTICITY/PRESSURE
7. HEART ATTACK PROOF YOURSELF
8. THE MEDITERRANEAN STUDY MYTH
9. DIABETES
10. IMPOTENCY
11. BREAST CANCER
12. COLON & PROSTATE CANCER
13. OBESITY
14. CRAVINGS FOR FAT
15. DR. T. COLIN CAMPBELL

[Full expanded and cited list below; here's a PDF: Download 15_Reasons_To_Avoid_Oil.pdf (44.8K)]

Latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter Available

Here's the intro, table of contents, and a direct link to the 64th issue:

Howdy!  Welcome to the 64th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

Direct Link:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/85

We've a special treat in this edition:  a personal letter from the Big Guy himself:  Enjoy!

Reading further, there's the usual Mad Cow Info Round-Up, new studies tying the consumption of eggs to diabetes and meat to pancreatic cancer, a new analysis of the prevalence of corn in our food, and a fine essay by Dr. McDougall about answering the question:  "Why do you avoid adding additional oil/fat in your diet?

There's also a disturbing breakdown of what's really in Downey Fabric Softner (hint: it ain't vegan), the debate over elephant's health in zoos, and an range of interesting facts about animals.  Moving forward, you'll have access to links to some very interesting (and funny) video and audio, as well as read about a body spray with a rather unique odor.

We also have a very cool article about issues of "soil not oil," cutting greenhouse gases through less meat consumption globally, how Coca-Cola is stoking the 'water wars' with propaganda, and some thoughts about the new USDA Secretary Nomineee, Vilsack.  Plus:  don't miss the Vegan Recipe from a new fat-free vegan cookbook (Pudgy-Free Holidays) that's available as a PDF via the Internet.

As always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers:  y'all can browse past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

...and best wishes for a Happy Vegan Holidaze, keeping warm with family and friends, and a Great New Year!

Mark, MC editor/webmaster

***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) from Howard
01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
02: Vegan Recipe from Online Cookbook:  "Pudgy-Free Holidays"
03: Mad Cow Info Round-up
04: Eggs/Diabetes, Meat/Cancer, Corn in Fast Food, Avoid Fats?
05: Fabric Softener Fat, Elephant Debate, AR Spies, Animal Facts
06: Vegan Digital Theater Showcase
07: Soil Not Oil, Cut Meat/Emissions, Cola Scam, USDA Nominee Vilsack
08: Howard's Schedule
09: Quick Bytes
10: Closing Thoughts

Mama Kills Animals/Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

[The following Flash game (loud volume warning!) isn't as gross as it could be and was actually fun.  It does make some good points and has a fun "bonus" level as well as as useful links (one in particular. links to "Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes" where most can be made no-added fat with minimal effort or impact on taste.

I do wonder, though, how effective these kinds of efforts are.  A bit shocking to some viewers, but if even only a handful of people finally get the message on how absurd and cruel the "factory-raising, slaughtering, stuffing, and cooking" turkey process is, maybe PETA's accomplished something useful.]

Note: since the embedded animation loops audio automatically, I've replaced it with a graphic of the lead game frame.  You can play the full size version here:  PETA.org.

Re-Post: On "Pescavegetarianism" & Other "-vegetarianisms"

One of the more irritating aspects of being vegan for me is reading about or hearing people proudly proclaiming that they are "pescavegetarian." They eat fish. "Pescavegetarian" makes about as much sense as "bovovegetarian" (eats dead cows), "avianvegetarian" (loves bird corpses), or "swinovegetarian" (gotta have my bacon and pork chops).

I'm not of the camp that believes we should gently accept such perspectives with the caveat "as long as they are moving closer to being veg'n it's cool." IMHO, the rationale, be it emotional, spiritual, health-oriented, environmental, or animal rights directed, for NOT eating meat still applies to fish. I believe it's hypocritical or ignorant to eschew beef, pork, and fowl, and think it's different somehow or more acceptable to eat fish.

To wit:

- some fish have a higher intelligence and learning capability than guinea pigs or dogs

- fish feel pain

- fish generally contain pesticides (indeed, pregnant women are warned in some 49 US states to minimize intact of fresh water fish due to mercury poisoning)

- industrial fishing has devastating impacts on environmental diversity and the oceanic food chain

- "oily" fish (such as salmon) contain a lot of fat

Check this out: Fishing Hurts

There's also the "fear" that you can't get enough Omega 3 without consuming fish or fish oil. But, as vegans, we know there are more than adequate plant-based sources (such as walnuts, flax seed, etc.). Don't buy into the faux "nutritional benefit" argument. Don't drink the Kool-Aid... you don't need to eat fish, and if you do, you are NOT a vegetarian.

You are a carnivore.

Your Kitchen as a BioLab & Composting

I flashed back to two memories recently:  Dr. Greger noting that the CDC's recommendations for a safe kitchen resemble a "biohazard lab's" rules and regs, and the issue of a vegan composting.

Let me explain:  in the first place, I interviewed Dr. Greger last year and he noted that, if you are eating meat and dairy, there are many guidelines issued by the CDC (and also the FDA) to keep you from cross-contaminating, getting food-borne illnessess, and eating bad stuff.  I just LOVE the concept:  as a vegan, my kitchen isn't a "biohazard lab."  Sure, I clean my cutting boards, the counter, etc., but I don't have to worry about anything other than proper cleaning of my produce.  No meat juices; no moldy or disease-ridden dairy.  The 24 hr. flu (people, it ain't flu... it's food poisoning) won't happen here.

Furthermore, I remembered when power went out a few years ago for three days in Maryland, neighbors were freaking and couldn't understand why I wasn't worried about the food in the 'frig.  I had to point out, smiling:  no meat, no dairy, no big deal.

Recently, a carnivorous friend was commenting on my "compost bucket" outside the back door of the kitchen.  His wife has coached him on what he can and cannot put into the "passive compost pile" they have.  In mid-conversation he paused, and then said, obviously surprised, something to the effect of, "Hey!  everything you eat can go into the compost pile."

Yup... and none of it will ever be a serious biohazard, either.  A vegetarian couldn't say that.  Anyway, here are some fun links:

The FDA's "Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Safety Test?"
FDA Advice for "Mother's To Be."
FDA Advice on "Preggy Mom's Food Safety for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood"

Go Vegan!  The ultimate composting non-biohazardous environmentally sustainable, safe, healthy, and animal-friendly diet...

Give Your Mother a Hug/Call

Mother's Day is sometimes difficult for me.  My bio-mother, a marvelous woman who spoke five languages, taught school and classical piano, died on Mother's Day from breast cancer when I was around 14 years old.  Devastating on so many levels, this event led directly to my becoming vegetarian and, ultimately, vegan.  I spent years researching (no Internet then, kids) cancer and very quickly came to the conclusion that there was a direct connection between cancer and diet (thank you Gary Null for the first clues).  I got ridiculed by some family members and laughed at by so-called experts.

My research led me to experiment on myself:  let's go veg and see what happens to my mind, body, and soul (having read about so many great sages in history being veg).  My first two attempts failed, miserably.  Didn't know how to do it right.  My third, with some guidance from the veg wife of my karate tutor, was a tremendous success.  The increased energy, the lack of getting sick since then (well, two colds in two decades+), and general vitality told me what I needed to know.  It works; it's right.

How wonderful over the years to see now that so many people (and scientists, and nutritionists) have figured it out as well.  Meat is dangerous, unethical, unsustainable, unwise (and, I believe, much more so is dairy)....

GO VEGAN! 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom... I'm sure you'd understand and approve.