Newsweek: I Can't Believe I'm Still A Vegan - And It's Not As Hard As I Expected

Cheeseburger & Fries




Vegan Tempeh Reuben

                                                                  

"It would be simple enough to let it all go.  As millions of middle-aged American have discovered, it's a hell of a lot easier to grow a belly than to not grow one. 

But I don't want to be one of those guys in the XXL golf shirts who look like they are about to give birth to a basketball.

And I don't want to increase my risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems associated with obesity.  Which is why, in early January, as my holiday food intake helped push my weight past the 210 mark for the first time (I'm six feet tall) I became a vegan. 

Much to my surprise, more than two months later I am still a vegan.  I am also 12 pounds lighter and I have substantially more energy than I did when I was a flesh eater."

--from David Noonan's Newsweek March 23, 2009 essay,  "I Can't Believe I'm Still a Vegan"--

David Noonan

Inspired by vegan firefighter Rip Esselstyn's "The Engine 2 Diet", Noonan, a senior editor for Newsweek,  decided to take the 28 day plant-based diet challenge in January and he's still going strong.  He's even given up cheese, which Esselstyn describes as,  "...simply put, a disease-promoting, nutritionally vacant, calorie-dense food."  No mincing words here.

If you're considering ever so slight a move in the plant-based direction, take a look at Noonan's article for a kick in the pants.  Just click here.  Or try your own 28 day challenge.

It's been almost a year since I eased on over to plant-based eating.  Honestly, it's not so hard to do.  Besides, like Noonan, I'm a 95 %er.  It's a lot easier that way.

By the way--it's a good thing that Esselstyn brought his diet to his fellow firefighters.  Turns out that firefighters have narrower-than-normal arteries because of smoke, and less-than-healthy sleep & eating habits.  Click here for a summary of this recently presented study.

Comments

[Kairol Rosenthal]

I was vegan for seven years. Then I was diagnosed with cancer. For a few years I rebounded by diving back into an "eat whatever the hell I want diet." For the last few, I have found the middle road: I eat organic meat once or twice a week, avoid chemicals in my food, and enjoy the luxury of eliminating the word "diet" from my daily vocab!