Like-Minded From Down Under

A few days ago I received an email from Peter, who resides in Sydney, Australia. He writes: "I stumbled upon your blog and read over many past entries. I too have studied nutrition extensively over the past 15 years."

He adds, "On asking myself the simple question 'how does what you put in your mouth affect you?' I became a vegetarian in 1996. Up until then I was sceptical as to whether I could get all my nutritional requirements without eating animal products. After I moved away from home I still ate some animal products i.e. dairy and even fish on rare occasions.
I was for the most part glad to remove animal products from my diet and the suffering that is attributed with them.

As I gained greater knowledge about a plant based diet I became a vegan about two years after this. Being a vegan has opened my eyes to the huge variety of plant foods that are available to eat from the broad categories of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. As such I never miss any animal product and especially in countries like the U.S., Western Europe, Australia, etc. there is such a variety of plant foods to eat that it's pretty simple to adopt a vegan diet. I've lived in Central Europe and the Middle East and did not find it difficult at all to eat a healthy vegan diet there either.

My decision to become a vegan was based on the vast accumulation of studies indicating the efficacy of a plant based diet. It's not just one study but the huge range of them based on reputable science. Furthermore, doctors such as McDougall, Furhman, Esselstyn, PCRM (Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine www.pcrm.org/ ) amongst others have demonstrated the benefits of adopting a plant based diet.

Becoming vegan is one of the best decisions I ever made. I love the foods and have explored many plant foods that the average person probably isn't all that familiar with. I'm lucky that my father has a wonderful, extensive vegetable garden. Although my parents' live some 450 km away it's a great treat to visit with the variety of vegetables at their disposal. One really gets an appreciation and understanding of where our food comes from. I live in a townhouse and currently only grow a few chilly plants and mint. One day I would like to have a large garden at my disposal to grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, especially greens.

The last time I had a full blood test the doctor was very impressed. He said 'it must be hard work being a vegan' to which I responded by saying 'are you kidding, it's easy to do something that you like'. I should add that I do exercise every day i.e. walking and moderate weight lifting, do not smoke and drink alcohol very rarely.

I came across the short video below on you tube where Martina Navratilova credits in part her plant based diet to her longevity in tennis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCgh0sw4vU

It's such a simple wonderful message which encompasses my thoughts and philosphy about a plant based diet."

Popular posts from this blog

Please pass the antelope milk...

Image
From a fellow blogger: "Let's really think about it. Why does anyone feel compelled to drink cow's milk? Why would anyone find it necessary to nurse on a cow three times a day? Why not an antelope? Would you be appalled if someone served you a glass of antelope milk to drink? Yuck. But maybe you'd gladly take that cow's milk, containing hormones, pesticides, pus, and any assortment of antibiotics, dioxins, bovine cancer cells- all kinds of bad stuff. There have been countless studies that show milk can have debilitating effects on a wide assortment of people. Kids can have unknown allergies to it. It may even be related to autism when the milk proteins (which humans aren't great at digesting) cross over into the bloodstream and mess with the nervous system. And the whole calcium thing. How does every other animal have strong bones? Drinking cow's milk? No. From the foods they eat. A cow gets its calcium from the grass and grains it eats. But most cows
Read more

Doctor’s Orders: Eat Well to Be Well

OAKLAND, Calif. DR. PRESTON MARING was striding along a hospital corridor at double speed on a recent Friday morning, his tall frame, white hair and frequent gesticulations prompting waves of greetings from colleagues, who also took care to sidestep his forward momentum. His destination was the weekly farmers’ market he started in 2003, just outside the front door at the Kaiser Permanente medical center here. “Since it’s mine, I made the rules — all organic,” he said as he skimmed by a line of stalls where fresh fruits and vegetables are sold to hospital workers, passers-by and even, he said, those bringing patients to the emergency room. Dr. Maring, 64, a gynecologist and obstetrician with three decades as a surgeon, is well known as a former physician in chief at the hospital, the man who spearheaded the creation of its new pediatric neurosurgery unit. But increasingly, his reputation and perpetual motion revolve around his conviction that in the health professions, the kitchen must
Read more

It is hard to eat and drink healthy, but it can be done.

Healthy eating is certainly not for everyone. For most it is too difficult to rid unhealthy food addictions. Temporary taste satisfaction is more important than thinking of health for the long term. I grew up eating all kinds of animal foods, plus sugary, salty, oily junk foods as well. These unhealthy addictions are not easy to give up. Babies/children raised on healthy food and drink alone have a great chance for long term health. But that does not mean adults who've been raised on unhealthy food cannot make the switch. Some people like myself are forced to eat healthy because of illness. I have Crohns Disease (which by the way comes from drinking cow's milk/eating dairy products). I took the doctor's pills for 2 years after the initial diagnosis. Then I learned what is healthy and what is not, changed to a healthy diet, and was able to stop taking all pills. If I continue to eat healthy there is no need to take any pills whatsoever for Crohns. (The only "pill"
Read more