I am half Italian and born in New Jersey. Although, I somehow picked up a southern twang over the years (maybe because I have lived in the south for 10 years), I still have loyalty to New Jersey and Bruce Springsteen (gotta be from Jersey to get that one).

A very simple Italian/northeastern dish is to simply sautee up a bunch of peppers, saus’ge, onions, and some mushrooms. I did this yesterday for lunch and it was a delightful and filling meal without the associated calories and heart crushing saturated fat.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp grape seed oil (much better for cooking – use canola if you don’t have this)
• 1 package Tofurky Italian Saus’ge
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 handful of sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp of Frank’s RedHot

Heat the oil in a large skillet and get it really hot. Slice the saus’ge into decent bite sized slices. Julienne cut your onions and peppers. Add all the ingredients to the skillet. It should really sizzle. Stir constantly for 5 to 7 minutes. You will see the onions start to get slightly brown and caramelize. Remove from heat, and add the Red Hot. Stir until it is mixed.

Pour the big ‘ole pile into a bowl and turn on some Bruce Springsteen to listen to while you eat.

Our American diet lacks fiber. Estimates are that we consume half the daily allowance of fiber required to maintain good digestive systems [google it]. There are direct medical problems that result from lack of fiber and also indirect. The most common are weight gain, high cholesterol, and all kinds of issues with your digestive system.

A friend of mine turned me onto psyllium husk a couple years ago. Psyllium is a native plant of Pakistan and India. It is much higher in fiber than oats or bran and is water soluble: to the tune of absorbing up to 10 times its original size. What does it mean for you? It provides soluble fiber that binds to triglycerides in your blood, helping you reduce your cholesterol. It also contains insoluble fiber which passes right through you. The great thing about the latter is that it literally will sweep through your entire digestive system and take anything it finds with it. Many cleansing products use psyllium as their base.

So, if you want a very simple way to massively boost fiber, go to any health foods store and get a container of it. Mix 2 teaspoons with a large glass of juice, follow up with another glass of water,  and start your morning off with it. The first day or so may be utterly shocking after a couple #2’s. Just prepare yourself. You will not believe you could make something that big. The good news is that you will start to feel better, keep stuff flowing, and not feel so bad about not eating that apple in the morning.

There are three things I like about eating vegan: I simply feel much better, my heart is the healthiest it has ever been, and I am back to my 25 year old body (with a couple nicks and dings). I achieved all of this without having to diet (verb) and worry about all of the hassle that comes with it: counting calories, “cheating”, starving, and obsessing on the scale. There is no fixed time period for a vegan diet (noun) with ‘goals” and an end. Aleta and I eat what we want and when we want it. The only thing we concentrate on is whether we ate enough balanced foods today. It is actually pretty simple: If you eat a vegan diet, you eat significantly less of all the stuff that makes you tired, unhealthy, and fat. The end result is you are more healthy and skinnier than before. I have already proven to y’all through my bloodwork that there are no adverse health effects (the “not enough protien” myth).

Eating vegan does not mean no fat. There is fat in a vegan diet, even saturated fat (the bad stuff). As a matter of fact, all fats (good or bad) have the same amount of calories per gram (9 to be exact). The issue is one of chemical makeup. Saturated fats kill your heart, while others protect it. Meat and dairy give you a one-two punch: they have 1. more dense concentrations of  2. bad fats than their vegetable counterparts. So, the more meat and dairy you eat, the more dense concentrations of these fats and corresponding calories you will intake. According to the American Heart Association, Americans eat 4 – 5 times the amount of saturated fat than their bodies can handle.

Here is a great primer from the American Heart Association on fat. The bottom line here is that a vegan diet (noun) takes all the guesswork and stress out of dieting (verb). If done with appropriate balance, your body (like ours) will naturally adjust to an ideal weight and health without you having to take drastic measures.

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.

In continuing with our 60 day checkup, I wanted to share my full bloodwork and results of my physical from my doctor. Many of you have asked about whether a vegan diet provides enough nutrients (protein, iron, etc). You will see below that all my bloodwork AFTER 60 days of eating vegan is just as normal as it was BEFORE we started. I have lost 10 lbs while still maintaining my strength at the gym and for the first time since I was 25, I actually weigh what I am supposed to.

As you already know (or have yet read), I also have  high cholesterol. This leads to all kinds of bad things like coronary disease, heart attack, and stroke. Many of you reading this may be on high cholesterol medicine. I have resolved to never take that stuff because I believe (and you will see below) that it can be controlled by diet. For those who don’t know, any cholesterol level over 200 is BAD and of that, LDL levels over 130 are BAD. My record highest cholesterol count 3 years ago was 310 with an LDL of 200. That is a heart attack waiting to happen (in 10 years). My cholesterol is now in the very low risk category without an ounce of pharmaceuticals in my body.

My doctor was very pleased with the results and gave me 100% encouragement to stay the vegan course. The one thing I do need to do is raise my HDL level a couple points. HDL levels should be between 40 to 50 for men. Mine is now at 40. There are many ways to raise HDL levels in diet which I will incorporate.

After 60 days of eating vegan, my take is that it is the best health choice I have made in my life. It has been the easiest “diet and exercise” program I have ever been on. Aleta and I are not sure for how long we will do this, but for now we are Born Again Vegans.

I finally received my blood results from the doctor (click here for original post). These are the results BEFORE I started the vegan diet. Well, that is not entirely true. I had my blood drawn 4 days after I started as that was the first availability to do so. In any case, here are the results:

Sodium: Normal
Potassium: Normal
Glucose: Normal
Triglycerides: 50 (wow)
Cholesterol: 193 (47 HDL 136 LDL)
CBC (complete blood count): normal
CRP (inflamation, cancer, auto-immune test): normal
Weight: 197
Blood Pressure: 130/78
BMI (body mass index): 26

I was a lot healthier than I thought going into this (or just 4 days of the vegan thing had a significant impact). In any case, I was shocked at how low my triglycerides were. This is the level of plaque-like stuff you have floating in your bloodstream that risks clotting and hardening your arteries. Diets hight in cholesterol and saturated fats (which make more cholesterol) spike these levels. High levels are 150+. Mine has been at 170+ in years past. It is now at 50. Soluble fiber is clinically proven to be the triglyceride buster. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and the skin of fruits (especially apples) are high in soluble fiber. Since the last time I had my blood checked (Jan 2008) with my triglycerides at 130, I have been drinking the morning flax seed shake with psylium and my whole family has been drinking fruit smoothies (we make them with soy yougurt now). These two actions have boosted my intake of soluble fiber and almost 1.5 years of the practice have paid off.

In any case, these numbers were surpisingly good. To be continued in September…

Also knows as “lbs” or “pounds”. I know many of you are dying to know if we have both lost weight. The answer is yes. At the start of our 3rd official week eating vegan, we both have lost 5 lbs or “El Bees” as Aleta calls it. The first week, the bees pretty much melted away at the rate of .5 per day. This slowed a bit the second week, down to 1 bee. Considering we are both getting our daily intake of protein and hitting the gym regularly, we should be on track to gradually taper off a couple more, but nothing too drastic. I have read multiple articles (you can google) in which people experience moderate weigh loss or even gain weight.

Being a vegan does not warrant eating whatever you want. You can easily consume 2000 – 2500 calories a day as a vegan and if not careful, most of those calories can come from carbs (too much rice and pasta) or fat (soy cheese/milk/ice cream, too much oils). Unquestionably, however, is the lower saturated fat and cholesterol. It is very difficult to load yourself on saturated fat as a vegan and next to impossible to find anything with cholesterol. You may not lose weight, but your heart, stomach, liver, and kidneys will thank you for it later.

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…