I’m a meat eater, a carnivore.
Like my mother and grandmothers before me, I plan and cook meals where meat is the main attraction. I enjoy a high-protein diet, and for the past four years have focused on eating mostly whole or minimally processed foods, organic fruits and veggies and pasture-raised meats. I even tried paleo for a little while, but eliminating whole food groups didn’t seem healthy.
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LIVEGREEN |
by Anne Rivas |
This spring, I found out I need to lower my cholesterol. I wasn’t surprised. To avoid medication several years ago, I gave up red meat and walked or biked 90 minutes a day. It worked. Three months later my cholesterol was down.
My doctor and I discussed shifting to a plant-based diet. I’ve watched Forks Over Knives, read The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselsten, Jr., M.D., and most of Michael Pollan’s books. The USDA has revamped dietary recommendations once again, this time including plant proteins. Maybe I don’t need three meat-based meals per day.
I decided I could do it. I would switch to a completely plant-based diet and exercise vigorously for 90 minutes every day. My doctor deserves a medal for keeping a straight face during this conversation.
White bean soup
1 lb. dried white beans (navy or cannellini), rinsed
10-11 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
1 large chopped onion
several cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
ΒΌ Cup of grated or shredded Parmesan Cheese
Bring the beans and water or stock to a boil on the stove, then dump into the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Blend as much as you want to with immersion blender. Saute the chopped onion and minced or pressed garlic cloves in the oil, then add to the soup. They should be a little crunchy. Stir in the cheese; add salt and black pepper to taste.
I confess that for years I have flirted with vegetarian eating. I have made smoothies and “ice cream” with frozen bananas and tofu. I’ve grown my own organic vegetables, made my own bread and yogurt. I have mad hippie skills, but they’re not necessary now that organic vegetables, good bread, and yogurt are easily available.
A lifetime of cooking meat and saving leftovers for sandwiches proved more difficult to change than expected. My all-or-nothing approach has already failed, but it did distract me from exercising. Switching from a diet of mostly meat to a diet of mostly plants takes trying new recipes and developing new tastes. I am moving toward more plant-based, but not totally vegetarian eating. Cutting out an entire food group still doesn’t seem healthy. I still eat fish, eggs, and yogurt. And sometimes hot dogs – the good ones without nitrates.
I’ve found a couple of recipes I like: Black Bean Patties from Moosewood, and White Bean Soup.
Pollan’s words are my new motto: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” And I’m looking for reasonable ways to incorporate more exercise.
My family history was high cholesterol and heart problems early in life. I didn't want the same path. A doctor had me read "The China Study." The Doctor also told me I could see about a diet change or do like everyone else and increase my medicines and struggle with the disease process. I talked to my wife and we decided to try a mostly vegetarian diet. We still eat cheeses and eggs. We started by purchasing some vegetarian cookbooks. It was slow going at first; old cooking and eating habits die hard. But I did lab work about nine months after the change in diet and my labs were better than when I'd been 25 years younger. No medicine increases needed. We have been on the diet for about eight years now. We have really good recipes that provide variety and taste differences as well as nutritional differences. Don't plan on ever changing. Plant diet will certainly make a healthy difference. Good luck on staying with it!!