Many people observe Lent as a sign of sacrifice and give up certain lifestyle behaviors in order to develop self-discipline.
This may mean refraining from certain foods and beverages (often animal foods, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or other favorites). Congratulations if you are one of these people and have been successful with your abstinence during this period! You can be very proud of yourself.
Hopefully the healthy changes you make will be routine. Changes are difficult for people who have lived their lives eating animal foods, but all the small changes we make affect our own bodies.
Dr. Michael Gregor, who specializes in clinical nutrition, has written a book called “How to Never Die.” It contains information about how the food we eat affects our health — both good and bad.
It is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the most common illnesses people have today. If you’re like me, you probably have a family dealing with heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, brain disease, and more.
This section outlines 15 diseases. When I read each of them, I was shocked to know how food makes you sick and how to prevent, recover, or at least control most illnesses by eating a healthy diet.
This book is full of relevant nutritional information and I would like to mention some important points in Part I. Gregor said: It is the cause of premature death and the number one cause of disability. “
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, the top three leading causes of death in the United States in 2020 were 1) heart disease: 696,962, 2) cancer: 602,350, 3) COVID-19: 350,831.
Consider for a moment that COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic was the third most common cause of death, yet it is only half of all heart disease-related deaths in the same period.
Gregor said: “To substantially prevent a heart attack, LDL cholesterol should be at least 70 mg / dL.”
The studies mentioned in this book are about patients with progressive heart disease who ate a plant-based diet in the hope that a healthy diet would prevent the progression of the disease.
Gregor said: “Instead, something miraculous happened. Their patients’ heart disease began to reverse. These patients were getting better. As soon as they stopped eating arterial obstruction foods, Their bodies were able to begin to dissolve some of the accumulated plaque. Even in patients with severe triple vascular disease, the arteries opened without medication or surgery. This healed their bodies all the time. I wanted to, but it suggests that I wasn’t given a chance. “
In Part 2 of this book, Gregor explains the concept of “day readers.” This is a list of 11 foods you need to eat daily to stay healthy. (No. 12 on the day leaders list is exercise.) These are different food categories and recommended serving numbers. Beans: 3, berries: 1, other fruits: 3, Brassicaceae vegetables: 1, greens: 2. Other vegetables: 2, flax seeds: 1, nuts and seeds: 1, herbs and spices: 1, whole grains: 3, beverages: 5.
Each of these categories is described in considerable detail. A free app is available that makes it easy to track a dozen daily. I started using it a few months ago, but the first thing I thought was “how much I can’t eat in a day”. (I wasn’t even thinking about the most difficult exercise for me.)
So on the first day I was ready to try it and decided not to eat anything else until I finished the list. After all, I still missed two serving beans and exercised that day.
I can’t say I understand it all, but I’m still trying to check out as many day readers as possible. Especially on weekends, it’s a challenge. It makes me accountable for how healthy (or unhealthy) I am eating.
Try the Daily Dozen app. It will be interesting to see which foods are easy or difficult for you.
Berry is still tricky to me. I usually don’t eat them unless he makes smoothies or eats fresh strawberries.
I told my cousin that I had a hard time eating berries, and she said. That’s the easiest way! So, you see, each one is different. In general, I think most people want a healthier diet and physical care.
We also highly recommend Greger’s Nutrition Facts website (https://nutritionfacts.org/). You will find a lot of interesting information on various related health topics. Free digital subscriptions provide research-based information presented in short, easy-to-understand and entertaining videos.
Gregor’s team also wrote “How to Don’t Die Cookbook”. If you want to try out recipe ideas, most local libraries have copies.
The nutritional ingredients website is also a resource. Simply enter the word “recipe” in the search bar. Below is a recipe for a cookbook.
Green and red lentil dull
This warm, soothing and delicious dull can be served alone or on cooked brown, black, or red rice.
Yield: about 6 cups
- 1½C red lentils
- 3 C Vegetable Broth (Recommended: Better than Bouillon, Vegetable Flavor)
- 3 C spinach or other vegetables, fresh, coarsely chopped
- 1-14.5 oz Salt-free diced cans of petit tomatoes (PBA-free)
- ¼ C fresh cilantro
- 2 pieces of garlic, chopped
- ½ tsp. Finely chopped ginger (or 1 / 4-½ teaspoon)
- 1 small hot green chili sowed and chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons.Nutrition yeast
- 1 tsp white miso
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp.Grand coriander
- Fresh turmeric in ¼ inch pieces, grated (or ¼ tsp. Grinded)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Cooked rice, black rice, red rice (optional)
1. In a large saucepan, cook the lentils with vegetable soup. The whole lentil takes 15-20 minutes. For split lentils, the time is 5-7 minutes. (Do not overheat. The lentils will become muddy.)
2. Add spinach, tomatoes and coriander and stir to wilt the spinach. Reduce the heat to low.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons in a small frying pan. Sprinkle water on medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and chili peppers. Heat for about 1 minute until soft. Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast, miso, cumin, coriander, turmeric and lemon juice. Mix well. Add the spice mixture to the lentils and mix. Keep on low heat for a few minutes and mix the flavors.
4. Serve with toasted vegan nan or pita bread as needed.
Daily dozen servings: beans, greens, other vegetables, herbs / spices (and whole grains if used)
No Bake Oatmeal Walnut Cookies
Yield: 30 cookies
These delicious treats can be made in minutes.
- 1½ cup soft, perforated date
- 1 cup walnut
- 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons.Date palm, taste
- 1 tbsp. Blend ground flax seeds or chia seeds with 2 tbsp.Hot water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Water as needed
1. In a food processor, combine dates, walnuts and oats. Process until brittle. Add date sugar (if used), flax mixture, vanilla and cinnamon. Process until the dough sticks together. If the mixture seems too dry to dry, add a small amount of water one tablespoon at a time to the desired concentration.
2. To make a cookie, scoop up a tablespoon of dough and press with both hands to make a ball. Place the balls in a flat container. Use a fork to push it down and flatten it a little.
3. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
12 servings daily: fruits, flaxseed, nuts / seeds, herbs / spices, whole grains
Banana-Chocolate Smoothie
This creamy and chocolate smoothie is so rich and delicious that you forget how healthy it is!
Yield: 2 cups
- 1 ripe banana, frozen
- ⅓ Cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons.Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp crushed flaxseed
- ½ tsp.Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons.Date palm syrup or maple syrup
- 1 cup of raw spinach leaves
- 1 cup of water
- 3-4 ice cubes (optional)
Combine all materials with a high speed blender. Blend until thick and smooth. To lighten the texture, add water or, if used, reduce the number of ice cubes. Eat immediately.
12 servings daily: berries, other fruits, greens, flaxseed, nuts / seeds, beverages
Note: A good smoothie strategy is to balance super tasty foods with perhaps less tasty foods such as mango and raw kale. Smoothies are easy and convenient to make, as they can consume foods that may not otherwise be packed into your daily diet.
Maria Mendizabal has been a vegetarian for 14 years and a vegan for 5 years. She is from Guatemala and lives in Marion. She is the president of the vegan community of the East Iowa Board of Directors.
For questions or comments about the vegan community in eastern Iowa, please email veganeasterniowa@gmail.com or visit the www.veganeasterniowa.org website. Everyone is welcome to join VCEI on Facebook and MeetUp.
