Paul sat next to me in the fading fall grass and asked “What are you doing daddy?” I said “I am picking the remaining peppers from my plant.” He replied, “Are those the ones that burn your face and Scottie’s belly?” I said “Yes”. He went on, “Are those the ones that mommy said ‘you don’t touch’?” I replied again, “Yes”. He said as he normally does about things he is not allowed to do, “Okay well when I get older, I will pick the hot peppers and eat them like you do because those hot peppers are only for mommies and daddies.”

Earlier this year before we decided on the drastic vegan diet, I was pretty bent on growing my own garden. I had been a homeowner for 3 years now and had yet to plant a single vegetable. So, in May I went out to Lowe’s and picked up 2 tiny tomato plants, a bunch of herbs, and some hot peppers. The only reason why I picked up the peppers was because the little “spice-o-meter” reading on the side of the planter had the peppers 7 out of 10. I could not find the pepper name on the planter anywhere. I figured that I had been to the ends of the earth and have had a good hot pepper, so these were definitely okay.

I planted my tomatoes and hot peppers. Fast forward 60 days. The two pepper plants had quadrupled in size and were budding dozens of hot peppers. My tomato plants had quadrupled in size and had managed to grow 2 tomatoes. Since I only had two, I was careful to stake the vines and make sure the two little fruits of my labor, good for 1 salad, would actually ripen on the vine. That salad hope was blown to bits a couple weeks later when I found one of the tomatoes half ripe smashed on the ground and the other one in Scottie’s hand with little boy bites in it and tomato juice on his cheeks.

One Saturday, I finally decided to pick some peppers. I was now a vegan and almost every vegan grows their own vegetables. Tthis was my first harvest where I actually toiled the land (all 5 feet of it) to produce something. I was a proud farmer, following in the footsteps of my dad who grew everything when I was growing up. If there will be another dark age after December 21^st, 2012, I will at least be able to grow my own food (except tomatoes).

The boys were outside with me and watched as I picked the peppers. I grabbed about 1/2 dozen and brought them inside. Having never handled hot peppers before (only a 7 out of 10), I innocently took out my chopping board and started to clean them. I stuck my fingers inside and gutted the seeds and cut out the ribs like I would with any pepper. I figured I would fry of these up with some potatoes and onions for a little snack.

Aleta came in the kitchen and was excited. She said, “Wow, our first garden vegetables. I want to try one.” Not knowing if they were too hot, I cut her a sliver and it touched her lip before she put it in her mouth. I threw the sliced hot peppers in the hot sauté pan not more than 30 seconds later.

And then all hell broke loose…

Aleta’s lip started to turn red and her mouth caught on fire. She said some gray area cuss words and ran for the fridge, gulping down soy milk straight from the container. My hands started burning hot and heavy and so did an area around my eye. At the same time, we all started coughing hard from the smoke from the sauté pan. The boys started coughing harder and crying. Aleta was chugging milk. My eye really started to burn. I went to the sink without washing my hands and splashed water in my eye. Immediately, the eyeball stung with an intensity I have never felt before, open or shut. I became disoriented and started running blindly to the bathroom looking for saline. Aleta, coughing up a lung, ran for the stove (mouth red) and shut off the heat. As I was stumbling down the hallway, Aleta ran for the door as if she was in a burning building and gallantly flung the front door open. She then ran past me again, coughing sneezing, burning, and disoriented and flung open the back door. I stumbled into the bathroom, ripped open the cabinets, knocking everything over clumsily looking for saline. Both eyes were now almost burned shut. Aleta still hacking harder, came running by me with both crying boys, put them in their rooms, turned on their fans, and shut their doors. I started screaming, “WHERE IS THE SALINE?” Aleta finally got to me, still coughing up a lung, shoved by me to the sink and grabbed the bottle under it. She took my head and pushed it down sideways on the counter and squeezed the bottle as hard as she could. The saline came blasting into my eyes and burned even harder. I probably said some things I needed to repent for. She blasted again and again and again. Finally, the burn started to ease off from my eye.

After 5 minutes I could open both eyes. I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had gotten into a smacking match with a monkey. The whole house felt like it had been bombed with mustard gas and all of us could not breath in deeply without having an uncontrollable burst of coughing and hacking. I quarantined the pile of half cooked peppers in two plastic bags and with radiation style handling, extended the bag out as far as I could and threw it in the outside trash. The boys eventually calmed down and we tried to make dinner again.

As it turns out, I saw the same looking peppers at the local market a week later with a sign above them “Habanero Peppers” and then underneath “Prepare with Caution – Use Gloves”. Thanks. So, you can see why Paul was curious about why I would want to pick peppers on a fall day. Aleta made sure from that day on, the boys would stay as clear from them as they would a stranger. I eventually learned how to prepare and cook those “evil little bastards” (Aleta’s endearing term). Thus was my first experience as a vegan gardener.

PS – To prepare habaneros properly and reduce the heat intensity by 60%:

1. Put on gloves
2. Go outside and away from any enclosed spaces
3. Do not rub eyes with gloves, hands, forearms
4. Use only metal utensils and bowls
5. Cut them in half (peppers, not the utensils and bowls)
6. Remove all the ribs and seeds
7. Rinse them with your garden hose (peppers, not the ribs and seeds)
8. Rinse again
9. And again
10. And again
11. Leave the peppers outside while you go in and get a glass jar or container
12. Fill the jar halfway with water and a couple pinches of salt
13. Add the peppers
14. Seal the lid
15. Stick in fridge for 5 days
16. Grill or roast with Mexican dishes (peppers, not the fridge)

As a single guy, I ate the same thing for two years straight (ask my wife). Every week I made a pot of rice, beans, onions, and chicken. This was a recipe I learned from the Latino dishwashers at the restaurant I worked at for years. In addition to teaching me practical Spanish (including cuss words), they taught me this simple and sustaining recipe. I ate this for lunch and dinner (along with some steamed veggies). At the time, I did not care about the repetition of the food because: A. it was cheap B. it kept me lean (I was on the market). From the age of 21 to 28, I weighed between 180 and 185 lbs. I was able to tuck in my shirts and make a straight line and also had to wear a belt with all my pants.

Enter bacon, butter, and companionship (AKA marriage). Being from the South, Aleta introduced me to butter and bacon. I was aware of this food, but did not realize how many different ways it could be applied to the pallette. Couple that with our newlywed DINK (dual income no kids) status which essentially gave us the ability to eat out anywhere and as frequently as we wanted. During this time we developed a taste for prime steak (like $40 steaks), Brazillian steakhouses, and eggs and chorizo breakfasts at Mexican dives in LA.

By the time I hit 30, I weighed 200 lbs and my generally high cholesterol broke through the 300 barrier. This is not something to be excited about. We had a trail of great memories together in Sonoma, Maui, Big Bear, the Grand Canyon, the Texas Hill country,  Joshua Tree, and road trips through the great Southwest. During this whole time, I was exercising at least 5 times a week by running along the south runway at LAX (it is LOUD at 5 AM) or lifting weights with all the gangsters at the Inglewood Bally’s gym (I was the only white guy most of the time in the free weight section).

From 30 to 35, I hovered between 195 lbs and 215 lbs with my cholesterol between 200 and 315 (a personal “heart attack waiting to happen” record). In order to lose weight, it required me to give up all sugars, curb my portions to where I was always hungry, and cut my craving for meat/dairy in half. It would also take weeks to see results, having to stay on top of it all the time. This put quite a dent in the “butter and bacon” fun Aleta (and now our 2 kids) and I experienced together.

Enter the vegan switch this last July…

If you don’t know the reason for our switch, click here. A well balanced vegan diet (minus the political angst and hemp shoes) will bring about weight loss without any starving or sacrifice in taste. Being the computer geek that I am, I conducted a ton of research to ensure we were eating balanced diets and have wrote many posts like the “Super Foods for Vegetable Haters” series.

The short of it is that a well balanced vegan diet from my experience has the following 3 weight loss benefits:

1. 50% – 70% reduction in saturated fats. This fat is the BAD fat that makes you fat.I don’t have any “clinical reports” on this. I have been simply looking at the packages of the food I now eat and comparing them to traditional alternatives. Here is an example of a vegan cheeseburger vs. a fast food one.
2. Reduction in processed sweets – Almost all cakes, cookies, and candy have eggs and milk in them. That basically knocks out this whole category from a vegan diet. I do have a sweet tooth and found myself eating cereal, trail mix, or making Born Again Vegan Chocolate Chip cookies.
3. Massive intake of whole grains – Substituting whole grain versions of bread, cereal, tortillas, and pasta makes a huge difference in how much you eat. These are much more dense than the bleached flour alternative. They make you more full and pack much more fiber/nutrients than the white alternative. More full means less intake.

The end result (after 90 days) is that I now weigh 185 lbs again like I did when I was 25 and my cholesterol is at 160. I lost 7 lbs the first week and did not starve. For the first time since I was 25, I have the proper body mass index (BMI). The BMI is a generally accepted gauge for ideal weight for age and height.

I do not know if I will eat a vegan diet forever. The health benefits of it are irrefutable . I am enjoying fitting into size 34 jeans again comfortably and wearing medium fitted crew T-shirts from the Banana Republic. I also have a peace of mind about the fact that I am no longer a heart attack waiting to happen or enslaved to some drug.

I hope that this serves as an encouragement to you that a normal suburban father of 2 can eat a vegan diet and live the average American life. It feels good to weigh 185 at 35 like I am 25. Too bad I can’t have my 25 year old body back. It would be great if the vegan diet would re-grow my hair, fix my cranky back, and heal the weird clicks in my shoulders. Maybe I can eat some rice and beans again (minus the chicken) and hope for the best.

All of you have been asking how things have progressed since we started this homeopathic vegan diet 60 days ago. I am pleased to report that Aleta has made a couple breakthroughs. Interestingly enough, we are finding that meat is not the causing Aleta’s pain. It is actually vegetables. Yes, that is right. Specifically nightshade vegetables.

These vegetables contain glycoalkaloids which are essentially poison. Most people can obviously digest these vegetables without issue. For those with rheumatic diseases, these substances can cause inflamation in the joints. This has yet to be proven medically, but there are many people on the Internet who have posted successful results of this homeopathic approach.

After 60 days of avoiding all meat and dairy, Aleta and I both have more energy, lost 15+ lbs a piece, have little to no heartburn or bloat, and simply feel better. However, Aleta’s pain did not fully subside. About 1 week ago, she did a hard cut on nightshade vegetables. Within days, her wrists and joints felt better. For the first time, she actually was able to be a couple days late on her weekly shot of Enbrel. Normally, she starts to get sore by day 6 of her weekly treatment.

The nightshade discovery has been the biggest breakthrough in Aleta’s treatment since she started taking Enbrel. Enbrel is not a cure, however, nor are all the treatments she has had to date. They have all been about pain reduction and not healing. Our vegan diet is turning out to be the best homeopathic healing choice so far. We are not throwing our hands up in victory nor are we returning to a diet of copious cheesburgers anytime soon. We are staying the vegan course.

Stay tuned…

What is the vegan obsession with alfalfa or bean sprouts or whatever that stringy stuff is. Have you ever noticed that they only put that grassy stuff on vegan sandwiches? You will never see a juicy smoked chicken sandwich with alfalfa. It is almost like a restaurant menu planner is like “Well, they tend to be weird people anyway. Let’s make the sandwich really weird.” When I bite into that stuff, I almost feel like I am chewing dental floss.

Here is a much better vegan sandwich that saves the grass or sprouts or whatever that stuff is.

Green Zucchini
Big fat onion (almost softball size)
Red Pepper
Avocado
Loaf of fresh Panera Sourdough (or supermarket fresh)
Grapeseed oil (Olive is “okay”)
salt and pepper
Dijon Mustard

Cut the zucchinilengthwise about a quarter inch. You should get 3 – 4 slabs. If the zucc is long, cut it in half. You want a good sturdy slab. Cut the onion in the middle and make the slabs a little thicker. Cut the pepper in in half, clean out the ribs and seeds. Then cut the halves in half again. You want to make sure the pepper is nice and flat. To the side, cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, and slice it into sandwich sized pieces. Place all the veggies except the avacado in a flat pan and coat them with the grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil does much better in high heat (flash point) and does not smoke anywhere like olive oil. It is a great grilling and saute oil. It has some of the characteristics of olive oil in the sense you can use it for dipping (have you ever tried to dip your bread in soybean oil?) and it is great for grilling. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over the veggies. Most people are afraid here and under season.

Start your grill and get it to about 450 degrees. You have to get it this hot. Don’t do anything until it is this hot. The biggest grilling mistake people make is that they cook at temperatures way too low and flip stuff too often. Once the grill is at 450, place the onions, peppers (inside portion down), and zuccs on the grill and close the cover. You should be cooking these for 3 – 4 minutes. Flip the veggies after this time and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. The peppers will have some black spots on the outer skin, the onions should lose the outside layer and be clearer towards the outside, the zuccs should simply be soft to the touch (with your flipper, not your hand) and can be cut with the edge of your flipper.

Remove the veggies from the heat. Cut your bread into nice 1/2 inch slices and coat (with a brush or a paper towel) both sides with grapeseed oil. Throw those on for about a minute on each side.

Spread some Dijon mustard on both slices of bread. Layer the sandwich with avocado on the bottom, followed by zuccs, peppers, and the onions. Make it as fat or skinny as you’d like. Cut in half and serve immediately.

And if you are weird, you can throw on some grassy alfalfa stuff (whatever).

Winding roads. Sun-drenched hillsides. Orchard after orchard of plump purple grapes separated by green trees and blue skies. This was my last Saturday as my father, Jeff (my best friend), and I cruised the less known wine country of Amador County, CA in search of a decent barbera. We stopped at a tuscan style winery full with fresh gardens of flowers, yellow stucco buildings, and patio views overlooking the fields of central California. Having already tasted some nice wines and a bit light headed, we stopped at this winery as it was the only one that served food.

The winery had a small cafe with personal pizzas, hot/cold sandwiches and salads. Everything had meat, cheese, and mayonnaise in it. As I have said before, I am not a salad guy and refuse to eat one for a meal. My only option was to do what I used to make fun of a co-worker for doing: order a pizza with no cheese. Up until now, I had figured out how to order vegan food without making a scene. This was all about to be tested. I walked up to the counter and asked the kid behing the register for a pizza…with no cheese.

“So you want mozzarella?”, he said.
“No, tomatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, and basil with no cheese”, I replied.
“Uhhh, we can’t do that”
“You can’t make the #3 pizza on your menu without any cheese?”
“Well, I have to ask the guy making it.”

He disappeared into the back. Two minutes later, a twentysomething blonde haired petit girl came out and said “You want a pizza with no cheese?” I said “Yes.” She hesitated, smirked, and turned to the mystery chef in the back who was out of sight. At this point, there were some other guests in line getting their orders. She said in a loud and drawn out voice suitable for my 4 year old “He wants to-ma-toes, mushhh-rooms, pepperssss, and baaaasil with no cheeeeese.” She turned back around, looked at me and said “It will be 20 minutes.” I must say that the whole time Jeff and my father were somewhat tickled, but not enough to rub it in my face as they walked out with their beef brisket and bbq ciabatta sandwiches.

The three of us walked through a beautiful flower garden and found a nice green table under some shade. Jeff and dad opened their sandwiches that were soaked with meat and bbq sauce on the edges. The bbq had a savory scent that filled the air. It got everyones taste buds going, including some local bees (yes, the furry yellow winged insects). As they dug into these wine country culinary delights, swarms of bees encircled them. Like they had no shame and started landing on their fingers, swarmering around their heads, and diving right in between the two slices of bread. I have never seen a bee that agressive or that into meat. They literally dive bombed into my father’s beef and stuck their heads in the meat.

Waving hands did absolutely nothing. They swarmed his hands, sandwich, and the plate with the other half. Jeff faired no better. The onslaught was so awkward that they did not know what to do. We decided to move to another table. It offered all of 5 seconds of relief. My dad had his sandwich one inch from his open mouth before I yelled “Stop”. He was about to chomp a bee who had it’s butt 1 inch from my dad’s face.

There was a covered pavilion 20 feet away. We made a third attempt for shelter from the meat eating bees. Dad and Jeff got about 3 bites in before a smaller attack force (just as fierce) swarmed their warm bbq. Jeff, fed up, grabbed his sandwich and started walking in zig zag patterns, taking bites and maneuvering. Not wanting to budge, my dad held out for a minute more and then he got up and started the zig zag method. The two of them walked from location to location eating their sandwiches, all the time concentrating on the bees and not the beef.

The snarky twentysomething emerged from the building with my no cheese pizza. She handed it to me with a smile and said “No cheese.” I said “You are correct. BTW, what’s up with the bees?” She replied, “I don’t know. It’s wierd. Fresh mint will drive them away.” She returned a couple minutes later and plopped down fresh sprigs of mint around my plate. She handed some to dad and Jeff who at this point where just trying to consume animal protein.

I opened my pizza with fresh mushrooms and basil picked from the garden. It was delicious and full of tuscan flavor to match the surroundings. The bees were not down with my cheese. I did not have a single been swarm, bug, sniff, or stick it’s butt in my face. I sat and savored the pizza, the wine, the hillside, and the ambiance of wine country (trying to ignore Jeff and dad running in front of me every couple minutes).

Sometimes vegan justice comes in the form of carnivorous bees.

“Vegan latte, please.”, said the skinny dude with horn rimmed glasses at the Starbucks at John Wayne airport.

“Uhhh, what?”, said the big dude with piercings all up in his face, wiping his hands on his out of character green Starbucks apron.

“Soy latte!”, fired back skinny dude.

I was watching this all waiting for my soy mocha on my first business trip eating vegan. As many of you do or don’t know, I travel 2 – 3 times per month all over the country. I was on a layover this time around, on my way home, and completely satisfied with a successful vegan business trip. I am coming to the conclusion that there is such a thing as “eating vegan” and “being a vegan”. The former is about health, the latter is about lifestyle. The dude with the horn rimmed glasses definitely fit that lifestyle stereotype.

It was  amazing to see how my whole attitude towards food was on the road. Eating vegan on the road means that there are no choices. The challenge is simply to find food I can eat. What I have found interesting is that I have a sense of gratitude and excitement when I actually found food. For example, before eating vegan I would always grab some muffins or cookies in the airline club at the airport, walking right past the fruit bowl. This time around, I had no problem heading for the apples and gladly crunching one down.

So, here is how it all played out. I started my mornings in the hotel room with some flax seed and a multi-vitamin. I actually took our small coffee grinder with me and ground the seed each morning. From there, I headed to Starbucks for a soy decaf latte (no horn rimmed glasses required). I opportunistically quit caffeine in March after catching a stomach bug 2 times in row thanks to my kids. Soy milk is vitamin fortified with the same vitamin levels as regular milk. It has more protein and 12 times the omega-3 per cup. I rounded my latte with a cup of fruit and a couple handfuls of granola I had packed. One or two mornings, I picked up oatmeal along with the fruit.

For a mid-morning snack, I had a couple bottles of smoothies I picked up from Trader Joes (please come to Tulsa Joe, I beg you). I was fortunate enough to be speaking at an international technical conference that always has vegan options for lunch as it is a multi-cultural audience. For the days I was not at the conference, I found a deli close by that had avocado sandwiches.

Afternoon snack consists of green tea available in our corporate breakroom (I was at our corporate HQ in the silicon valley) and a handful of sesame honey nuts from Trader Joes. Dinner was the easiest meal as there are plenty of choices in the San Francisco bay area. I started at a Lebanese place Monday (falafel, hummous, tabouli, stuffed grape leaves), vegan on Tuesday (lentil “meatloaf” with mashed potatoes and butternut squash gravy), and finished on Wednesday with Thai (vegan pad thai using coconut milk for sauce and tofu for “meat”).  All were very good choices and completely satisfying.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the interesting things I see from the other side is how my mind has completely shifted. I did not crave any meat or dairy at all during this business trip. I found myself much more open to fruit and salad, without a sour face or a grimace. Something has happened in my head where I just seem to be okay with all of this and don’t seem to or want to fight it. I honestly can’t believe it sometimes. It is also hard to see on the other side looking in. I know because I used to be such a critic. Just 3 months ago, I used to come home after a biz trip weighing 5 more pounds from all the wings, cheeseburgers, fried anythings, and “death by chocolate” cake I ate. I can honestly say (and still can’t believe it) that I don’t miss any of this food and was completely satisfied.

But, you won’t catch me dead ordering a “vegan latte” or wearing horn rimmed glasses.

Aleta and I have a running joke in our marriage that started our honeymoon week. We both love to hit restaraunts with rich meats and sauces. We love prime and Brazillian steakhouses along with greasy spoon meat and 3 and BBQ joints. On many of our weekly date nights and 2 day road trips, we will have many heavy meals. Especially on our weekend getaways to Dallas that include a night at Fogo De Chao, lunch at Sonny Bryan’s, and the greasy hotel breakfast buffet.

The phrase “Don’t touch me” rose out of these experiences when one of us would want to initiate some romance. We’d be so full, bloated, gassy, and happy that both of us just want to go to bed. It would culminate in some heartburn before we turned out the lights and a general “stomach hangover” the following morning.

I can safely say that before either of us went vegan, we had to take antacids or something stronger like “Pepcid AC” 2 – 3 nights a week. We’d make each other “cocktails” before we went to bed consisting of baking soda and water (a natural remedy for indigestion). I will go farther to say that in general I would have some kind of burn after every meal either at home or on the road.

Since we have been eating vegan, I have had very very minor heartburn once. I have not taken any antacids in two weeks. We both agree that all of that general “bloat” after eating heavy meals is down 95%.  We both have yet to have any kind of “fat and happy” general lethargic feeling after a meal. This is even after we have had full vegan meals like the lasagna Aleta made today or full on bowls of asian noodles, green beans, and broccoli in peanut sauce.

And “Don’t touch me” has been struck from our vocabulary…

The recommended daily allowance for cholesterol is 300 mg. My cholesterol level has historically hovered between 220 and 340 with LDL topping out around 150 – 170 sometimes. When I watch my cholesterol for 3 months, it usually drops to 200. In 2007, my doctor put me on Lipitor. For grins, I decided to see what kind of effect it would have on me. Between the medicine and the diet, my cholesterol level dropped to 170. That has been the best it has been since I have been tracking it. Historically when I watch my cholesterol, I limit my daily intake to 200 mg or so. Since I have been eating vegan, I have been eating less than 10 mg a day. That is rather drastic to say the least.

I want to see what kind of effect this will have after a couple months. In order to measure the effect, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. The office receptionist immediately asked me if I wanted my doctor to renew my Lipitor prescription. I politely informed her that I was not on Lipitor and was making some dietary changes to prevent taking it. Kinda confused, she scheduled my appointment. This does not surprise me. This kind of “give you medicine to cope with disease” approach is what Aleta and I are used to in her quest for wellness. No cures and lots of coping.

My doctor was pleasantly surprised about my goals and supported them fully. She was so excited that she ordered extended blood work and scheduled me for a full physical in September. She even made the comment that so few of her patients ever want to fix the problem. They simply want the medicines that perpetuate their poor dietary choices.

Stay tuned for the results…

Where do I start?

Probably with the fact that my wife, Aleta, has crippling arthritis and a thyroid condition. She, like many other women, take a daily medication to regulate her hypothyroid condition. If that isn’t enough, she also takes a weekly shot for her crippling arthritis. You’d never know it watching her chase around our 4 and 2 year old rough boys.

As for me (Darren), I was diagnosed with high cholesterol in the 7th grade. Yes, the 7th grade. My cholesterol was 240 and I had not even hit puberty. I remember standing in line for the original Transformers movie (starring Judd Nelson) reading the labels on the wrappers of cookies and candy bars for ingredients like “palm kernel oil” and butter. The other kids simply stuffed their faces.

At the age of 35 and cholesterol hovering between 220 and 320, I have come to the conclusion that I am way too young to take statins and also not really wanting to keel over dead at 42. The interesting part of all of this is that I have been a cross country runner since the seventh grade and have hit the gym an average of 3 times a week for the last 13 years. I carry around 10 lbs of spare energy (mainly in my belly, like most guys). For my wife (who would prefer I did not disclose her age), she simply wants to be able to be a mom for the next 15 years and raise our boys without the stiff wrists and hurting hips. She, like me, is active and goes to the gym. As with her age, I probably shouldn’t disclose her spare energy quantity either. Simply put, we are aware of our health and live a life of moderation.

So what gives with the vegan thing?

One simple reason: health. Aleta has been to multiple arthritis specialists, chiropractic clinics, and physical therapists. She has even explored Eastern doctors who specialize in NAET. So far, the only relief she has ever received has been through acupuncture in which has has a weekly appointment. I will spare the editorial comments about the US health system. Suffice to say that the impression we have been left with is that there is little to no incentive for a doctor to try to cure your disease. The prognosis again and again for Aleta has been “take medication for the inflamation and for pain management”. For me, I simply don’t want to take a regular prescription drug at 35 for the rest of my life. I also don’t want to be one of those people who dies at 40 from heart disease and make my wife the widow of 2 young boys.

Aleta and I were watching TV on one lazy Saturday afternoon. For whatever reason, we were watching that cheesy show “Extra!” which is usually nothing more than gossip and trash about celebrities. On this show, however, they were talking about health and they conducted and interview with T. Colin Campbell, author of “The China Study”. The basic premise of this book is that our American diets consist of excessive amounts of meat proteins. This overage of meat protein in our system actually accelerates diseases like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. By switching to a plant based diet, a person can put disease into remission and in some cases, cure it. Dr. Campbell’s book is filled with 20+ years of scientific research on diet, nutrition, and metabolism. We were astonished by what we heard and immediately ordered the book.

My own perception of people who were vegan was very stereotypical: skinny, artsy,  hippie, and somewhat militant about animal rights. After all, we are bread and butter conservative churchgoers with two kids and a house in the suburbs of the American Bible belt. This place is the most anti-vegtable town outside of Antartica. Would I have to get horn rimmed glasses,  small T-shirts, go to local coffee shops, and study the works of Kant, Hegle, and Neitschzie? I don’t own any indie label albums anymore (the last was Perl Jam) and don’t have a single thing made of hemp.

In any case, Aleta read through it in a couple days and had a complete personal conviction about trying it. We discussed it, prayed about it, and both decided to take the leap. We’d figure the rest out along the way in terms of where to buy food, how to go out to eat,  what to tell our friends, and deal with the general wierdness our culture has towards veganism. These issues just did not seem to weigh that heavy on us. Aleta was convinced that this is the cure God has for her and an answer to her prayers. We both were at peace about it. So, we decided that we will make the jump tomorrow on July 5th, 2009.