Vegan Athletes -- No Meat Necessary

To be strong, as well as healthy, a proper diet is important. Today's athletes should know this more than anyone. They want their bodies to perform at their highest potential; they want to be their ultimate best. The best diet possible for a professional athlete in any sport, professional firefighter, amateur athlete, or even us regular every day dabbling athletes, is a conscious vegan diet.

Carl Lewis, world class Olympic athlete, became a vegan in 1990. My favorite quote from him is, "I ate no dairy products. And I had my best year as an athlete ever!" Of course, there is more to his success than merely cutting out dairy. He also cut out meats and eggs (and continued his training). Mr. Lewis had met Dr. McDougall and McDougall convinced him to change his diet to a lowfat vegan diet.

Check out these sites for more information on how you can become faster, leaner, stronger, more agile, and more fit just by changing your diet:

• Dr. McDougall's "Building Your Own High-Performance Athletic Body"
• PCRM's "How Will a Vegetarian Diet Affect My Athletic Performance?"
  
• Vegan Athlete
• Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness
  
• Brendan Brazier's (vegan triathlete), "Ask the Vegan Athlete"
  
• Toronto Vegetarian Association's articles on vegetarian athletes
• Team Vegan (vegan cycling team)
  

Preparing for a Vegan Thanksgiving

With only two weeks until Thanksgiving, it isn't too early to start planning what you and your family are going to eat.

Yes, it is possible to have a filling, delicious, and fabulous Thanksgiving dinner that is vegan. My friends and family have been having one for years. We eat many traditional Thanksgiving foods, we just veganize the recipes. To me, Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without green bean casserole, stuffing, and a pecan pie. My husband and oldest daughter expect a pumpkin pie. We've learned (quite easily) how to make these foods healthier, tastier, and vegan.

veganize (Do Life Right's definition): To change a nonvegan recipe into a vegan recipe by substituting and/or replacing animal products with vegan items. Examples include using soy or rice milks instead of cow milks, using tofu instead of eggs, and using tempeh bacon instead of pig bacon.

Out of curiosity, I plugged "vegan Thanksgiving" into google.com and found hundred of recipes and how-tos on how to hold a vegan Thanksgiving meal. It isn't hard and it is humane. Consider checking your local vegetarian restaurants to see if any are serving a special meal. Lovin' Spoonfuls, in Tucson, is having their yearly "by reservation only" Thanksgiving dinner. Friendly Feast is also offering a class on how to cook a vegan Thanksgiving that satisfies everyone, including the meat eaters in your family. If you really want to have an easy meal, try buying a Tofurky kit.

Why do we not eat turkey? The better question is: Why would we?

For more information check out these great sites:

• GentleThanksgiving.org (they have their own top 10 list)
• GoVeg.com's Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Turkeys
  

Vegan Recipe Websites

I've been asked for my favorite sites with great vegan recipes. Here they are:

• Fatfree Vegan Site
• McDougall Recipes (you have to use their search to find specific recipes in their archives)
• Fatfree.com Site (both vegetarian and vegan recipes)
• Vegweb.com site (both vegetarian and vegan recipes)
  

However, when I really want to make a particular meal (and don't already know how), one of the first things I do is go to Google and type in "Vegan" and whatever the meal is (I also often add "lowfat" or "fat free" to my search). I've read a variety of awesome advice this way, including finding tips and suggestions on how to prepare various foods (like tofu, which I originally hated and now love since I know how to use it correctly).

Most vegans I know still use all of their regular cookbooks. They just veganize the recipes.

I also often use premade ingredients, such as jarred pasta sauce and Boca products. Here is an example of a super easy "Vegan Chicken Parmesan" I made last week (we cut out a piece so the layers could be seen):


2 packages Boca "Chicken" Patties
1 jar of your favorite fatfree vegan pasta sauce
2-3 chopped tomatoes (optional)
1/2 chopped onion (optional)
misc. chopped up veggies (optional)
1 package of WHOLE WHEAT pasta (I used spaghetti here)
1 package vegan Mozzarella cheese (shred for best results)
few sprinkles of vegan Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of your favorite spice (we used oregano)

Cook pasta as directed, heat patties in oven (not necessary, but I like them very crisp). Assemble in this order: pasta, sauce, veggies, patties, vegan Mozzarella, vegan Parmesan, spices. Bake at 400F or so for about 30 minutes. Actual preparing time is very minimal (less than 5 minutes, not counting boiling time). Makes 8 servings, tastes delicious, and is only 5 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving.

Kitt Peak and Tohono O'odham Diet

My family and I spent yesterday afternoon exploring Kitt Peak and the Tohono O'odham reservation area (just west of Tucson, Arizona). It is GORGEOUS there! This is not to be underrated. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect (although it usually is with its 300+ sunny days per year), of course, but the photographs of the area in inclement weather proved that it is spectacular then, too.

My children are incredibly interested in space. They were delighted to see the telescopes at Kitt Peak. With 26 huge telescopes in work, we were only able to see a couple up close and personal. I was the most fascinated to find out that there are currently 895 potentially dangerous meteors hurling themselves toward/near the Earth right now. It is amazing what all we can discover about space today. We loved hearing about the process in place for getting time on the telescopes for research. We can't wait to attend one of their overnight sessions that are open to the public (all attendants must now be 9 or older).

As a completely random and happy surprise, we saw a shocking and wonderful billboard in this Indian Nation. It read:
"Diabetes is Preventable"
with subtext stating that a change in diet is all that is necessary to rid people of the disease (I sadly did not get a photograph). I was VERY impressed with the message and the gorgeous vegetables on the sign! The Tohono O'odham people are taking back their health. They've discovered that the people in their nation that have changed from a native diet to a SAD (Standard American Diet) are falling prey to the wide variety of diseases that the rest of America is riddled with. Changing back to a diet high in vegetables, whole grains, and fruit completely reverses the diseases. Diabetes in particular has been proven to be completely preventable amongst the Tohono O'odham people, which is an amazing thing since eating a poor diet causes four times as many Native American people to develop diabetes as in the U.S. population at large. Before this study, between 50 and 75% of the Tohono O'odham people had diabetes. I look forward to hearing the new statistics as dietary changes are sweeping the area.

What is the most surprising to me in all of this information is not that it is true -- it definitely is; what surprises me is that this hasn't become common knowledge. This dietary information should be on the news and in the newspapers. This is the stuff that will change the world! Can you imagine a disease free world, or even just a world free of diabetes? It's a glorious thought.

Think you have to change your diet to a Tohono O'odham native diet of prickly pear pads, chia seeds, tepary bean, and other Sonoran Desert plants? You don't. I live here and I have no idea how to prepare any of these plants (although I'd like to learn). Any lowfat whole foods vegan diet will work in the prevention and reversal of diabetes. Native people around the entire globe have been showing us their healthy diets -- all will work at keeping all people disease free. It isn't until a group of people change their diet to include huge amounts of meat and/or dairy that they develop the killing diseases of today (like heart disease and diabetes). Try one style of food and stick to it only, or mix it up from day to day. You don't have to have a boring, uninteresting, tasteless or difficult diet in order to eat healthy.

Here are a couple of of the many sites that talk more about this tremendous information, with specific information regarding diet and the Tohono O'odham people:
TOCA: Tohono O'odham Community Action
CBS News: 60 Minutes: "Why is America So Fat?"
W.K. Kellogg Foundation: "Fighting Diabetes with Native Foods"

I left the Tohono O'odham Nation with a sense of peace. It is a beautiful nation with amazingly beautiful people that are talented, artistic (their baskets are amazing!), and intelligent. Their culture is strong with a rich and and fascinating history. I can't wait to learn more.

Healthy and Hearty School Lunch Choices Needed

When I was a child, I was taught the four basic food groups (the Meat Group, the Dairy Group, the Fruit and Vegetable Group, and the Cereals and Grains Group). Seems as though the Federal Health Guidelines haven't changed very much. Public and private school children are still being fed an unhealthy diet that causes diseases, although it is now officially called "The Food Pyramid". The USDA still calls what should be called the Calcium category, the "Milk" group. Even more shocking is that even their mediocre recommendations aren't being met by a huge percentage of schools. Their details on their "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" should be researched better and should be replaced with PCRM's "The New Four Food Groups" (Fruit, Legumes, Whole Grains, Vegetables); PCRM's easy to read illustrated handout can be found here. Our schools should be required to live up to PCRM's standards, with severe penalties for noncompliance. The present and future health of our nation is dependent on them.

The Hawkeye (a Burlington, Iowa, newspaper) had an article last week about a vegetarian high school senior that is not being offered proper vegan options for her daily school lunch (plain iceberg lettuce is NOT a good option). This reminded me, again, of the changes that need to be made in the quality of foods that are served to the youth of America. Dietary guidelines should be based on actual researched and proven facts, not on old wives' tales from decades ago.

Diet directly affects learning. We should be giving our children the very best foods, not the second rate foods that the schools are cooking. While as an Unschooler I don't believe in testing children as an accurate indicator of their true knowledge, I still find the results of diet on actual learning to be astounding.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has this recent news release on the school lunch program. The "report card" made for various schools regarding the actual healthiness of the foods that they offer to their students is very enlightening!

What can you do? Demand that your children are being offered healthy food choices. Stand up for their health. Write to your state representatives. Don't support the school lunch program until it is changed. Pack your children's lunches every day. Be aware of your own diet and talk to your children about your own food choices. You could even ultimately make the same decision as my family made and keep your children home.

My Food Gave Me Headaches

Dr. McDougall is famous for saying, "Sick people take medicine. Healthy people don't take medicine."

I LOVE THIS! It was an epiphany for me the first time I read it. Astounding! Did this mean that I shouldn't be taking regular over the counter headache medicines, as well as vitamins and prescription drugs? Yes. Any and all pills and liquid medicines are drugs. I didn't want to be a sick person any longer. I didn't want to be a person that needed drugs to get by any longer. I wanted to be a healthy person -- then and forever.

The biggest step for becoming a healthy person was changing my diet. I did it as a trial; I was a skeptic. I'd read that minimal results could be seen in a mere three days, and major results could be seen in two to three weeks. I didn't think it would work, but I was desperate to feel good and willing to try just about anything. (I'd already tried dozens of other lifestyle and diet changes over the years. They either minimally improved my health temporarily, or had no visible effect on my health.) After only three days of being dairy-free, I was headache free, acne free, and free from the severe stomach and intestinal woes that had previously plagued me daily since I was very young. I had never, ever before felt so healthy before in my entire life -- ever. It was a shocking surprise!

No doctor in real life (of the dozens that I had went to) had ever told me that my health was directly related to the foods that I consumed. I'd asked, too. I was told time and time again that there was no correlation whatsoever. It wasn't until I was learning how to take back my own health (by doing my own research) that I found out that medical doctors receive less than three hours of nutrition education in their entire schooling (many receive less than one hour). Three hours! I'd already studied for probably a thousand hours or more on nutrition, yet my doctor had less than three behind her? How was this possible?

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is working on changing this shocking fact. They have created an absolutely amazing book, the "Nutrition Guide for Clinicians" that they are giving out FOR FREE to all medical students in the United States. Contact PCRM for more details on how to support this huge undertaking.

Oh, and my headaches (migraines, actually): they're gone. Dairy was the cause of my migraines! Be forewarned that even the tiniest slightest bit of animal products in your diet can cause severe body reactions such as migraines. Check your foods (even the soy products and cereals); there might be hidden animal ingredients in them. Read here for specific details on how to eliminate migraines from your life. I dream of the day when all people can live the pain free, healthy life, that I believe all people are meant to live.

Cholesterol Free Diet

I keep hearing (and reading) about cholesterol lowering drugs. Random strangers at parks, checkout lines, and luncheon meetings tell me their woes about having high cholesterol. It makes me feel like climbing on a rooftop and screaming at the top of my lungs, "A VEGAN DIET IS A CHOLESTEROL FREE DIET."

As my friend Peggy from Lovin' Spoonfuls says, "Heart Disease is a Meat Disease." This is a proven fact.

If you don't eat cholesterol, you don't have high cholesterol. It just isn't physically possible.

Would you rather be burdened with drugs and constant worry over your diet and the quantity you consume, or would you rather be drug-free and eat a virtually unlimited McDougall style lowfat vegan diet that is full of all the flavor you are used to and MORE? It's a non-question to me. It doesn't surprise me that the people with the most bodily health complaints are the ones with their plates full of the most meat and dairy.

I hear it all the time: "But, I love flavor. I could never eat a bland vegan diet." This is another silly myth about vegan diets!

I love food. I love a wide variety of flavors and textures and I demand to eat only food that is high quality and tastes fantastic. No mediocre foods for me and my family, yet we always have more delicious food in our house than we could possibly eat in one sitting. We seldom have problems eating out, either. We've just learned HOW to order and HOW to prepare food. It really isn't that hard once you are used to it. We've actually found that all of our previous foods' flavors actually came from the toppings and sauces anyway. We still eat those toppings and sauces (some needed to be "veganized"), we just now put them on vegetables, grains, seitan, and tempeh instead of cholesterol laden meats.

Try it for a month. Get your cholesterol tested today, then eat according to PCRM's guidelines for a month, then get your cholesterol tested again. You just might be shocked with delight at how a simple change in diet can improve your health so drastically!

Breast Cancer Prevention -- It is possible!

With October being "Breast Cancer Awareness" month, I've been asked at just about every check-out counter I've been to whether I'd like to donate to breast cancer research or not. I've always said no and I've been made to feel like an ogre for this. I'm not. With Do Life Right, I am promoting a true healthy diet (low fat pure vegetarian -- vegan) that prevents diseases from occurring. This is a much better use of my time, energy, and money than donating to these organizations or participating in a walk for the cure. If you check out the various awareness sites, you'll find no mention of how a vegan diet can cure diseases and little information on food at all. You'll mostly find information on drugs and other "therapies" with a little information thrown in about moderate exercise and getting more fiber. This is not enough!

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has this to say: "Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries where diets are typically plant-based. When people from those countries adopt a Western, meat-based diet, their rates of breast cancer soar. "

This isn't new information, although it isn't well publicized. Doctors such as Dr. John McDougall have been telling their patients and the world about this information for over thirty years, check out his information on breast cancer (there are a bunch of wonderful articles listed on this page!). While you are reading, check out The Cancer Project's information on Cancer Prevention and Survival for Breast Cancer, too.

McDougall also dispels the myth of mammograms. Have you been lead to believe that these are a necessary part of a woman's health care? They shouldn't be! The unpopular truth is that mammography fails. (Be sure to read the mammography links on the McDougall website.)

For in-depth information on diet and how it affects our health, check out The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. I strongly believe that in another thirty years this information will be well known. People will be saying, "I wish someone would have told me the benefits of a vegan diet all those years ago. It would have saved me so much suffering." I'm here, telling you now in 2007. Please do the research yourself! The information and proof exists. Take back your health today! It is never too late to become a healthier you.

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I will give credit where credit is due. The American Breast Cancer Foundation, the A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research, the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, and the United Cancer Research Society have all passed PCRM's "Humane Charity Seal of Approval". None do testing on animals (which is a very good thing!). I still strongly believe that if you are wanting to donate money to a worthy organization, your best bet is PCRM. Dollar for dollar, they are doing the best to actually help and prevent diseases.

What about protein?

This is probably the most frequent question I receive when I tell people that I am vegan.

"Don't you just feel weak all the time?" the questions continue... [They are usually asked by an extremely unhealthy looking person, too. One that has just spent the previous 30 minutes talking about his/her ailments and plans to continue to talk about their ailments for the duration of our conversation.]

I'm not trying to preach to the choir here, and clearly this question is considered a real question by many, so I will answer it here:

Emphatically, NO. I really don't know how to say it more plainly. I, and countless other vegans, have never felt stronger and healthier in our lives. The idea that people need to consume animal protein in order to be strong is a sad myth. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a lot to say about the Protein Myth. I had the opportunity to meet Neal D. Barnard, M.D. last year. He, and the other PCRM people definitely practice what they preach. They glow with health.

Think you can't be a good athlete without eating meat? Think again! There are many successful and extremely healthy topnotch vegan athletes around the world that prove their strength and agility every day.

Dr. McDougall has a lot of information on his site regarding the protein myth, also.

And, of course, I can't forget to mention The China Study again. This book by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. is the book to read if you are interested in reading real studies regarding protein in diets. His conclusions are irrefutable.

Gokshuradi Guggulu Disolves Kidney Stones

Goat-sha-who-ga-lulu-huh? Say what? I don't know how to correctly pronounce it, but I do know this Ayurvedic Herb is a gift from the gods for anyone suffering from kidney stones.

If you've ever been in the middle of a bout of kidney stones or even a single kidney stone, then you know the pain and suffering that can ensue as one passes.

I had my first kidney stone attack slightly over 7 years ago while I was about 5 months pregnant. I thought I was in labor since there are many similar symptoms and I knew it was much too early, so I called my (homebirth) midwife and we met at the emergency room. As soon as it was evident that I was not in labor, I was quickly diagnosed with kidney stones (several nurses told me later that they knew just by the way I was holding my body that I had kidney stones). Since I was pregnant, conventional treatment was not possible. I am very thankful for this, since I've since been able to deal with my kidney issues without needing to see a doctor. I was forced to find the cause, rather than just putting a band-aid on the problem.

As research proves, the majority of kidney stones are caused by eating too much protein (specifically dairy). There are two kinds of kidney stones and the calcium ones make up between 80-95% of them. The proteins in dairy wreak havoc on kidneys (and other organs in the body, too). Some great information on kidney stones can be found on the PCRM site. Don't confuse the encouragement of calcium with the encouragement of dairy. The two are not related (this is a common misconception). Sufficient calcium for good health is found in a vegan diet.

The cure I was given:

• Stop eating dairy!
• Drink LOTS of water.
• Drink some more water.
• Add lemon to your drinking water.
• Drink some more of that lemon water, even if you don't like it.
  
• Take Gokshuradi Guggulu (see your own local Ayurvedic Herb specialist for your specific requirements on dosage) -- this Indian herbal compound can be found online fairly easily for around $20 + shipping. Banyan Botanicals makes a good one.
• Don't start eating dairy again once the stone passes.

Fortunately for me, the above prescription broke down my kidney stones and left me feeling wonderful quite quickly. Unfortunately for me, I'd spent my entire life previously eating dairy and accumulating many more stones. I also, at that time, continued to form new ones due to the fact that I didn't listen to that last recommendation for a couple of years. New and already formed stones continued to regularly plague my life, bringing me to a halt for a day or two every few months for the next several years. It was only when I completely stopped eating dairy that I found a long term solution.

Over four years later, I've had two bouts of kidney stones after rigorous activities and not enough hydration (I've been told that certain sitting positions can make stones break free, too). These have been old stones that were formed during my dairy eating years. I feel good knowing that I am not creating any new ones with my lowfat vegan diet. Good ol' Gokshuradi Guggulu comes to my rescue when an old one is dislodged and causing me pain. After they're gone, I'm glad to have them out of me. I look forward to the day that they are all gone from my system and I am thankful that I am helping my children never create any.

Read The China Study and Dr. McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up for more information on how people naturally eat around the world to maintain good health. It is possible to never need remedies for maladies! Our bodies remain perfect if we treat them right.

Just say NO to added oils

I think I've read just about every vegan cookbook out there. One thing in common with most of them is that their recipes contain an abundance of oil. Should oil be a regular part of a healthy diet?

No! It should not. This is why I primarily promote only low fat vegan recipes (most raw vegan recipes have olive oil in them). All the McDougall books and other books that I recommend qualify. I'm frequently adding more recommendations to my aStore, so please check it frequently. My most recent finds are Skinny Bitch and The Vegan Diet As Chronic Disease Prevention: Evidence Supporting the New Four Food Groups and Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right.

Check out www.fatfree.com for an online listing of great lowfat vegetarian recipes (I only recommend the vegan ones).

Dr. McDougall's research and knowledge have changed my life. His information is a testament to how a healthy person should eat. If you aren't the healthiest person that you can be, try the McDougall diet for a few days (ideally for the rest of your life) and you will be shocked at the results. I certainly was; I was a completely different person after a mere three days. While I had tried a variety of other "diets" before, I'd still been plagued with migraines, ulcers, colitis, and so many other maladies that I'd bore you with the full list. I've now been pain free and symptom free of all diseases I had even been diagnosed with for four and a half years. Rather than spending money on medications and doctor bills, I use it on organic fruits, vegetables and grains. Yum!

Dr. McDougall writes an excellent monthly newsletter, complete with amazing recipes. I particularly love his most recent article on oil added to food. I highly recommend that everyone scour his website. There is even a section where you can put in your ailment and read about its cure. Yes, cure. Between the McDougall site and the PCRM site, I am excited about the future of medical care in the United States.

While my family and I eat a very strict vegan diet, I can tell a huge difference in my attitude, energy, and health when I am eating "McDougall style" instead of a typical high fat one. My personal balance comes from allowing higher fat foods into the house only for special events. When my kids crave brownies (I can't actually remember the last time this happened), we eat brownies from a mix (such as Dr. Oetker's Brownie mix) with either a can of pureed pumpkin or two cans of squished black beans with a little water instead of the eggs and oil the mixes recommend (if you want the best tasting brownie recipe, try the McDougall site or the fatfree site). We do not have any liquid oils in the house. You can't add them to your food if you don't have them in your house! It is very easy to cook without oil. Add extra water instead.

No, my children do not feel deprived. Anything they desire, we make. We just make it tastier and healthier. They haven't come up with a food desire yet that they couldn't have. For ready made snacks, check out veganessentials.com.