“You’ll Never Get Sick. You Will Never Grow Old. And You Will Never Die.” – Cocoon (1985)

            I’m sorry for the extended delay in posts.  Both my wife and I have had new work schedules and getting on a regular home/work schedule has taken some time.  Onto the posting!

            Ever since I went vegan, I have fallen into a belief that I should be superhuman healthy.  After all, I partly went vegan to get into, and stay in, optimal health.  I thought that all that really required was to eat right and – BAM! – I’d be fine.  It might not come as a surprise that I’ve always been worried that if I catch even a small cold, it would reflect poorly upon veganism as a healthy lifestyle.  I spent so much time discussing the healthy side effects that I have had and that my wife has had going vegan with people, that I thought people would call me a hypocrite even if I sneezed.  Whenever I would go into work with a head cold, I imagined somebody saying something like, “Uh oh!  The vegan is sick!  So much for the invincibility of you vegans!  Eat pigs, everyone!”  Then I would either slink into a corner or cough all over them.  Either way, it was a poor situation to find oneself.

            I thought all of this even though I can string sentences together and form complex thought.  I want to be the shining example of peak human health to give veganism a good name so it can’t be helped.  I think this without realizing changing and improving your health has multiple facets.  I do exercise but I’m still as skinny as a stick.  If somebody gives me anything heavier than a brick to carry, I’m sore the next morning.  (That’s hyperbole, by the way.  I’m still worried my humor doesn’t translate.)  I just half-expect a change in eating habits is enough to get me to peak performance, as if I could fall asleep like Tobey Maguire and wake up with Spider-Man powers.

            Tobey Maguire, by the way, is a vegan.  I didn’t even mean to use him as an example because of that fact either.  I just love all things Spider-Man.

            Not only that but I still have seasonal allergies and acne – as I’ve stated previously.  Veganism hasn’t been able to eradicate those two things completely but that doesn’t discredit veganism.  So why should I worry about getting a cold when veganism can’t be a cure-all for everything else about me?

            I recently listened to a podcast by the great Colleen Patrick-Goudreau where she was discussing healthy vegans in response to an e-mail somebody had sent her.  The e-mail was from somebody who felt like she shouldn’t tell people she’s vegan just because she is over-weight.  Colleen quite logically stated that there is no one example of a healthy vegan.  One shouldn’t be discouraged to proclaim him or herself a vegan if he or she happens to be overweight.  Your body image does not reflect on veganism.  Just as getting sick doesn’t reflect on the virtues of veganism.

            I do not know why it took hearing that coming from somebody else for it to finally click but it did.  And again I’m indebted to CPG’s podcast.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. You'd know this if you had clicked on her link already. D'uh.

            However, that doesn’t mean that the lesson always sticks.

            Recently, I fainted for no (at the time) apparent reason.  This was the day that my wife and I had gone to The Chicago Diner for breakfast.  After we did our running around we collapsed for a nice evening nap (I told you our life/work schedules had changed).  Upon waking, I quickly got out of bed, took about two steps to my desk, and that’s it.  The next thing I know, I’m coming to on my bedroom floor with my wife and mom surrounding me.  My wife had been calling my name and since I had no idea what the hell was going on, I kept telling her I was fine.

            They told me that contrary to what I believed, I was not fine because I had fainted and hadn’t responded for several seconds.  I thought that was ludicrous because I’ve never fainted before and I had always imagined – thanks to Hollywood – that when one faints, they swoon a bit, mumble something silly, their eyes roll up, and then gracefully fall to the ground.  The only thing I could recall was turning the TV on and then “waking up” with everyone surrounding me.  What I had been was sweaty, weak, and nauseous.  The meal that my mom was making for everyone other than my wife and I was overpowering to my nose (everyone else said they could hardly smell it).  But to faint?  I had thought at the time that that was crazy.

            As the night wore on, I was equally intrigued by this fainting business and also worried.  My veganism had cured me of every illness and woe, right?  So what was wrong?  It had to be something bad because in the age of Web, M.D., a hangnail means cancer.

            With much reluctance, I scheduled my first doctor’s appointment in several years at the insistence of everyone in my family.  I had never had a physical before so I figured now would be as good of a time to get one as any.  However, since it had been ages since I had visited my doctor, I had to get a preliminary appointment first before I could get a physical.  Joy!  Two doctor’s visits for the price of one!

            I went in on the following Monday, retold what had happened to the nurse and the doctor, and then discussed possible outcomes.  Now, doctor visits for most vegans is a whole new blog entry, but for now let me just say I was a bit worried the topic of veganism and its viability as a healthy lifestyle would rear its head.  I was prepared for a discussion but when I mentioned it, my doctor didn’t even flinch.  He simply nodded and gave a, “Mmhmm.”  I was quite surprised but I should’ve known it wouldn’t be a big deal because my doctor had always been cool and seemed more evolved than the average doctor.  Or perhaps I’m full of shit.

My doctor, Dr. Doogie Howser.

            He did state that I probably just fainted from getting out of bed too quickly, and since I hadn’t had much water to drink that day, I was also dehydrated.  It was a perfect storm.  That eased my mind a lot.  He did want to draw some blood to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong.  I also had never had my blood drawn, as far as I knew, so this was just turning out to be all kinds of fun!  Since I also hadn’t had much water that day, drawing blood was a big process.  So what’s the real takeaway from every step of this situation?  DRINK WATER!

            I waited until my results came in and I am happy to report that I am the most amazing human being ever to walk the earth.  Okay, not quite.  I am, however, healthy.  So I have that going for me, which is nice.  No anemia, no thyroid issues, no liver or kidney problems, and no nutritional issue.  My glucose level was within normal range, which that alone is a miracle since I’ve grown up mainlining sugar into my bloodstream.  Take THAT Type-2 diabetes!

            I think the lesson is that there is no vegan completely immune to every illness and it is a lesson that I’ll have to try harder to remember.  I can still be a healthy vegan and have bad things happen.  Shit indeed does happen.  I can’t let veganism alone be my shield against bad things.  Oh, right, and drinking water also helps (repetition helps reinforce the takeaways).

            How about you all?  Any interesting doctor stories or health-related issues you’ve had to deal with as a vegan/vegetarian?  I want to see how other doctors have treated vegans.

            Until next time, keep calm and vegan on!

You can find Colleen Patrick-Goudreau on a number of social media sites including Facebook and Twitter.  DEFINITELY check out her podcast!  You can find her on Twitter at @JoyfulVegan.

The cartoon of the doctor was found using Google's image search.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes, Turn And Face The Strange, Changes!

            My apologies to David Bowie because I am singing that out loud and horribly off-key.  But most importantly, my apologies to you all for the weeklong hiatus.  I’ve been a tad busy but I’m back!  I must admit that I’m impressed with even the modicum of traffic I’ve received so far.  Thanks for stopping by!

            I thought the subject title would fit well with this entry.  You see, many vegans become vegans in hopes that a change in diet would cure them of what ails them.  There are plenty of well-intentioned vegans who see friends or family suffering from one health issue or another and they tell them that becoming vegan is the end-all, be-all cure.  Now, don’t get me wrong, the benefits of dropping animals from your diet are vast and well known (it’s kind of why I went vegetarian in the first place).

Just look at vegans such as KrisCarr who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2003.  She changed her diet and lifestyle and, thankfully, she’s still kicking ass and taking names (I’m sure I’ll talk more about her story in future entries, but please feel free to click on her link now!  She’s awesome and my entry can wait).  However, I know people try to use the miracle drug that is veganism as the sales pitch to ‘convert’ omnivores into becoming herbivores without applying conditions to those promises.  Many people make it seem like everyone’s health ailments will disappear from giant health issues down to the littlest of ailments.

            “If you stop eating meat, your glaucoma will be cured!”

            “If you stop eating meat, those bunions will disappear!”

            “If you stop eating meat, you’ll never sneeze AGAIN!”

            “If you stop eating meat, you will have thicker hair and grow muscles and be the envy of everyone who isn’t you!”

            Um.  Just to clarify, the first two aren’t problems I have to deal with.  Totally hypothetical, people!  I promise.  I have the pictures to prove it!  Anyway…

            Just like everything, however, whatever changes may or may not take place starts with you.  Are you a junk food vegan consuming crackers, chips, cookies, and an insane amount of hummus, guacamole, and frozen vegetables; meanwhile, making sure the only exercise you receive is the walk to the fridge?  Or are you a healthy vegan who eats “all the colors of the rainbow” (as is the popular phrase everyone should be living by) and exercises outside of the home 3-5 times a week?  If you think you’re going to drop a hundred pounds by being the former vegan rather than the latter vegan, you’re sadly mistaken.

            Even before I went vegetarian, as I’ve mentioned in my first entry, I was noticing the changes that my wife was going through by first transitioning to vegetarianism and then veganism.  It was impressive and started to happen in only a few months.  Not only that, she would tell me stories about others whose lives had changed thanks to a vegan diet (like Carr and many other bloggers, authors, and speakers).  She would tell me of health benefits of going vegan from people such as Dr. Michael Greger (a person who also deserves more focus in later entries) and Ginny Kisch Messina (a.k.a., the Vegan R.D.).  Each new medical revelation that veganism presented over conventional medicine made it hard not to think that I wouldn’t become some sort of Superman by going vegan.  This wasn’t the fault of my wife, who was just simply presenting information – I mean, I wasn’t suffering from anything so she had no real cause to persuade me and she had no intention of converting me in the first place.  As any normal human, I let my imagination run away with me and thought, “Man, veganism is amazing!  Why am I not getting in on this?”

            At the very least, I was hoping that my skin would clear up.  I mean, it kind of sucked being an adult with acne.  So, really, there wasn’t much work to be done to get to where I wanted to be.  I was fortunate in that respect.  However, as the months rolled into the years, I must report that I still have acne, but the good news is that it’s not as bad as it was when I was consuming animal products.  Again, am I a junk food vegan or a healthy vegan?  A bit of both it would seem.  I’m sure if I cut out all the crap I eat or drink I would notice a bigger change in my skin but…

            Even though I didn’t notice a huge change in my acne, I did notice a change in less superficial ways.  I felt better whenever I ate food.  I used to have a weak stomach that couldn’t handle anything.  It was terrible.  When I went vegan, and not including the times when I just overstuffed myself on food, I never once had an issue due to my stomach.  The foods that once caused me problems after eating them no longer did so.  Not only that, but it sure is nice to eat a Thanksgiving meal and not feel like death afterwards.  Not eating heavy foods that are just going to rot in your stomach does have its perks.

            I also noticed that I generally slept better and woke up easier in the mornings.  I’m not saying I suddenly became a morning person, but I wouldn’t be as groggy as I had been before going vegan.  My stamina is better, too.  I’m not as lethargic as I once was.  Am I still lazy?  If you ask my wife, she may tell you that I am.  She’s right, too, but at least it’s not as bad as it once was.  My disposition wasn’t as bad, in general, either.  Again, I’m not saying I suddenly became Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky but I wasn’t going to rip somebody’s head off at the slightest thing, either.  I’m not sure if veganism is the reason for that last anecdote but I wouldn’t doubt it.

            Just for lessening my acne and curing me of my irritable stomach, going vegan was totally worth it.  While I make no promises about what cures veganism may or may not hold for you if you still haven’t gone vegan, it’d be hard to imagine nothing changing at all.  At the least, you won’t be contributing to the abuse, torture, and murder of innocent animals, which should make your conscience feel a ton better.  That I can promise.  The rest just depends on what you want to put into the experience and get out of the experience.  Just remember to set reasonable expectations!  It'll avoid disappointment.

            I think I’ve rambled enough.  What about you?  Are you one of those vegans who went vegan for health issues you were suffering from?  Did going vegan help or are you still suffering from whatever it is you are dealing with?  What did you do or eat to help with your health issues when you went vegan/vegetarian?

            Any deeper questions on the changes I went through that I didn’t cover?  If it’s something I forgot, perhaps I’ll discuss it in another entry at some point.  So don’t hesitate to ask!  It might help generate discussion.

            Until next time, keep calm and vegan on!

You can follow Ginny Kisch Messina on Twitter at @TheVeganRD
You can follow Dr. Michael Greger on Twitter at @nutrition_facts
You can follow Kris Carr on Twitter at @Kris_Carr

NOTE:  The meme was found using Google.

My Pre-Vegan Days

            I thought I’d start things out by describing my pre-vegan days before we jump into anything crazy or involved.  I think this might be particularly useful since a lot of people think there’s just one path to going vegan or one reason for going vegan, but that’s not the case, obviously.  When ever somebody says they recently went vegan, if you’re an omnivore and if you’re being honest, probably thought they went vegan because they didn’t want to hurt cute, little, baby animals.  You probably pictured that person cuddling a baby calf.

            And what’s wrong with that?  I mean, have you SEEN baby calves?  I think the real question is, why wouldn’t you want to cuddle a baby calf?

            But in reality there are many reasons why people go vegan.  My original reason was for health.  I wasn’t suffering from anything – I wasn’t at a doctor’s office listening to grim news about how I’d be dead in a year if I didn’t change my ways – but if there was a way to help prevent developing any chronic or debilitating illnesses and all I had to do was eat better, why not make the smart and easy choice?  

            But how was I even exposed to vegetarianism and veganism in the first place?
            I have my wife to thank for getting me initially on the vegetarian bandwagon.  She was the one who was suffering from a few health ailments and she was sick of it.  Sick of even going to the E.R. just once let alone numerous times to be treated.  She went vegetarian first and within just a few short months – on Thanksgiving, no less – she was vegan.  She had turned her lifestyle around 180 degrees in just months.  Her health problems had gone away in that time period and within the first year of going vegan, she was looking a hundred times better, too.  The best argument for a cause is to see the changes that are taking place right in front of your eyes.
            Yet, in those first few months, I was still in my pre-vegan “glory”.  For years prior to going vegetarian I had largely lost the interest in eating cow flesh.  I still ate hamburgers but I was sick to death of eating steaks and the like.  I think that has to do with the fact that I ate a lot of red meat as a kid/teenager.  I did eat a lot of meat and potatoes but there were still a good amount of veggies and fruits (compared to the average person, I suppose).  Granted, a lot of those veggies were of the frozen variety.  I did eat chicken and pig (bacon and pork chops) on a regular basis with sushi thrown in whenever I could.
            But my pre-vegan palette was pretty limited.  I hated avocadoes, beans, cauliflower, artichokes, and a whole host of things I could never see myself eating in a million years.  Sushi was as adventurous as I got.  If it wasn’t for my fast metabolism, my wife keeps telling me that I should really be a hundred pounds heavier than I am since all I ate were fast foods, pizzas, pastas, potatoes, and other ‘heavy’ foods.
            Even when I worked at a grocery store as a teenager and into my early twenties, and even though I saw tofu, Morning Glory products, and other vegan products, I always thought, “Ew, who eats this crap?”  I also had no idea what one would do with things such as kale or dandelion greens or collard greens or ginger root.  I look back on those days with a smile because I had NO idea what was in store and no idea how well acquainted I’d become with all of those products.  If it wasn’t an apple, an orange, a grape, or a banana, I basically didn’t have any interest in the fruit or veggie.
            So fast-forward several years later when my wife went vegetarian.  She plainly stated at the time that I didn’t have to go vegetarian but that she would not be making any meat-based meals.  If I wanted to eat what she made – cool.  I could also eat whatever I wanted outside of the home but I was on my own, otherwise.  Because I have no cooking skills whatsoever beyond making pasta dishes, I was all for trying vegetarian dishes.  To my idiotic surprise, I loved nearly every single dish she made.  The foods were so delicious and varied!  I had never tasted anything so good in my life.  When she went vegan, I kept eating whatever she was putting in front of me.  It seems silly to think that I was surprised with how full of flavor the dishes were since they were generally using more ingredients and more spices than just plain meat and potato dishes.
            Outside of the home was a bit different.  I didn’t eat any red meat any more but I still ate chicken, pig, and fish (sushi).  I also kept drinking cow’s milk and eating pizza with cheese on it.  However, I noticed that I slowly began to lose the interest in eating animals.  As those first few months of being vegan came to a close for my wife, I had nearly phased out chicken and pig from my diet.

Perhaps it was because of all the information my wife was bombarding me with about animals, factory farming, health benefits of going vegan, and anything else she could soak up on her vegan journey.  Let me point out that when I say ‘bombard’, I truly mean that in the nicest way possible. (ha)  She was so excited about everything she was learning and I was seeing the physical changes she was going through since changing her eating habits, that it was hard NOT to take it all in and get just as excited and amazed.

Finally, my heart and brain just couldn’t take it any more.  I had taken in too much knowledge to ignore that veganism was the way to go.  Nobody told me to stop eating animals.  I didn’t do it because my wife ‘made’ me (a ridiculous notion best suited for a 1950s sitcom than the new millennium).  So, almost two months after my wife went vegan I decided to go vegetarian in January of 2011 and I haven’t looked back.  I didn’t go fully vegan until 2013 but even before 2013, I was mostly vegan with the exception of eating cookies or cupcakes that were made with animal products.

I’ll talk about the transition and the changes I noticed in another entry.  For now, I think this is a good start.  Sorry for the length of writing!

What’s YOUR story of going vegetarian or vegan?  Were any of you big meat-eaters before going vegetarian/vegan?  If you’re still an omnivore that’s curious about going vegetarian, what are the things you see as roadblocks (mental or real) to making the transition?  I want to hear from you all!
           With that, I bid you all adieu for now.  (Still thinking of a catchy closing phrase.  Hmmm)

P.S. - The photo (I'm 99% sure) is from Farm Sanctuary, which is an AMAZING charity and should be supported.