Soy to the World, the lard has come!

Here's what happened:

On October 1^st, we dutifully went to the lab, donated three (!) vials of blood and drove straight to Starbucks without passing GO. We scanned the menu, knowing we could get anything- gobs of whipped cream, steamed cow's milk, strong coffee with half and half, pastries made with butter- the works! Instead, the “new brain” kicked in and two seconds later, we were sipping a delicious foamy soy latte, which is slightly sweet from the soy vs. cow milk flavor. Turns out, “anything can be made with soy milk” (barista quote). But before you get too excited, the day didn't continue in the soy lane, and by dinner, we were ordering pizza from Mombo's, as cheesy and greasy as possible. For several days this week, while waiting for results from the lab, anything was fair game. Potluck at work with chicken and carnitas, after work party with tuna tartar and triple cream brie, salmon on the grill at home served with mashed potatoes and caesar salad. Oddly enough, there were no adverse effects on the body at all from 30 vegan days to 4 glory days.

And then the lab results came; a dramatic shift downwards in all important numbers- total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL- the bad guy. We are buoyed into getting back on the wagon,especially the second place winner who is basically competitive and wants her total cholesterol reading to be below 200 before the end of the year! So, with some less restrictive options, the games will go on!

But the blog will not, at least in it's current form.

The author is considering other topics to blog upon: tanorexia, Gen x observations, Waldorf toys, the reality show obsession, the art of thrifting, preparing 20 minute dinners, planning family vacations, and much, much more.

Please offer comments and critiques about our Vegan blog to help with decision-making about whether to continue bloggin' or not.

Thanks for reading!

The Results are back!!!!!!

The labs are in, it's all there in black and white, factual conclusions based on real numbers. The two adults in the family took the challenge primarily for cholesterol reasons, and therefore, did the lab work at the end of 30 days. The teenagers took the challenge for “fun”- huh? Really?

First, the emails from our doctor based on the results- for one of us :

“Your results are now available and you should be able to see them online. Your cholesterol is now normal, and EXCELLENT! Good work; it appears that the vegan diet really did the trick for you. You should continue on that, because it seems to be the answer, unless you decide you can't stand it, in which case we'd want to discuss medication.”

and for the other one of us:

“So your numbers did improve; your total is still elevated but that's ok given the great HDL. Your LDL is now normal (goal of less than 130 for people who don't have heart disease or diabetes).
Good work! Looks like the vegan diet is the way to go if you want to avoid medication.

Wow! It worked!

So here you go:

The Wisconsin cheese eater won the contest!! Her total cholesterol went from 227 down to 196 and LDL went from 122 down to 107!

The second place prize goes to the New York born pastrami lovin' gal whose total cholesterol went from a whopping 242 down to 215 and LDL went from 141 to 119!

We can bore you with more juicy details like Triglyceride and HDL numbers later.

So, where do we go from here? Part time vegans?  Statin consumers?

More tomorrow and also some thoughts on a new blog topic- feedback appreciated on this one!!

When To Say When

Today is the last day of the challenge! Tonight, the last supper.
At midnight tonight: Game Over!
Enough is enough!
I give.
Lab reports will be posted as soon as possible; PricewaterhouseCoopers will be tallying the totals.
Stay tuned for results throughout the week: which vegan meal was indeed the best, which contestant will continue on the vegan voyage into October, who swerved into to the local grocery store today to pick up "local salmon" for tomorrow night's meal, who actually still liked soy at the end of the month, and yet untold, unedited, behind the scenes stories of what really went on all month long.
More will be revealed.  

Fun Vegan Facts to Know and Tell

 

Coming into the last three days of this month long challenge is bittersweet; we've had many moments of frustration and even disgust with the whole process, but also patches of joy and harmony at the physical and psychological gains.

Check out some of these factoids :

*Vegans on average live 6 years longer than non-vegans.

*In general, dogs are much easier to maintain on a vegan diet than are cats.

*One Chicago University study found that changing to a vegetarian diet was more effective at reducing the carbon footprint than driving a Hybrid.

*Vegans have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes than non-vegetarians.

*Red Meat and dairy are responsible for nearly half of all Greenhouse Gas emissions from food for an average U.S. household.

*Amount spent annually in US to treat cardiovascular disease: $135 Billion

Most common cause of death in US: Heart Disease

Risk of death from heart attack for the average American man: 50%

Risk of death from heart attack for the average American man who consumes no meat, dairy products or eggs: 4%


Hmmm...Next week, when we “can” buy whatever we want, will we?

 

Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit

      Tonight we had homemade vegan chili; chock full of beans and tomatoes, and lots of wonderful savory seasonings and herbs. We served this over rice- both brown and white options, with guacamole, chips, and soy cheddar cheese. It was superbly flavorful and totally filling and satisfying! Guess who made this? The Wisconsonite, who's cooking repertoire consists of three things, one of which is chili. The other two are noodles with butter and nachos.

      A week from today, we will be free of the constraints of this self-imposed bizarre ordeal. I have been forewarned not to go into a mad frenzy on Day 1, after the lab work that is, eating all manner of cheesy fries, ribs, fettuccine alfredo, and meatloaf. Turns out that none of that appeals at all any more. The empirical evidence shows that if you want to break a habit or create a new behavior, do it for 21 days and you've got it! Turns out the brain is as malleable as a lump of wet vegan dough.

The Seventh Inning Stretch

      We are on Day 22 out of 30; 8 more days of fish free, dairy deprived, eggless existence. Not a drop of honey nor whif of whey has passed through our lips in over three weeks. We are cleansed of even a fleck of milk product used to fortify almost everything you buy and eat. We have read thousands of labels, checking and rechecking to make sure there is not a kernel of cholesterol to be found.
     We are armed with our lab slips in hand, ready to charge in, Monday October 1^st at 7:30 am when the doors open. 

      Now the pressure is really on; only a week left of meals to go. So many recipes, so little time! We haven't made the polenta with ratatouille yet! What about the eggplant adobo we wanted to try? (thanks Ryan!) The vegan chili is just waiting to be created! Agh! Are we abandoning the project before it's time? Will we actually choose to eat this way after the 30 days are over? (NO!)

Bring back, Bring back, Oh bring back my butter to me!

 

So, the name of the book I am reading right now is Blood, Bones and Butter, a wonderful New York Times best seller by and about Gabrielle Hamilton, restaurant owner,chef, and food writer in New York. Blood, bones and butter, perhaps not the obvious literary choice for a person shunning dairy products and meats to curl up with at night. But wait, if you think vegan can't be chic or sophisticated, you are dead wrong! Inspirational and gorgeous fruits and vegetables shaved, julienned, pureed, minced, and morphed into elegant concoctions fit for any discerning palate. Here's a menu to drool over: Bruschetta with diced tomatoes, basil chiffonade, extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. (Make sure you use good Village Bakery type baguette to make the toasts); grilled vegetable platter of asparagus, portobellos, yellow Finn potatoes, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, peppers with two sauces: cilantro pesto and Thai peanut; spinach salad with black beans, red onion, avocado, and meyer lemon vinaigrette; wild mushroom risotto; and flat bread with hummus. Voila! You will never miss your milk or meat. A meal fit to serve the Obamas at their re-election banquet! Victory vegetables!