Many people give up certain lifestyle behaviors in observance of Lent as a sign of sacrifice and to develop self-discipline.
This may mean abstaining from specific foods or drinks (often animal products, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or other favorites). If you are one of these people and have been successful with your abstinence during this time, congratulations! You can feel very proud of yourself.
Hopefully, any healthy changes you’ve made will become routine. Change is difficult for those who have lived their entire lives eating animal products, but every little change we make has an impact on our own bodies and, considering the fact that animal agriculture accelerates global warming, potentially on the entire the world.
Dr. Michael Greger, who specializes in clinical nutrition, is the author of a book called “How Not to Die.” It contains information about how the food we eat affects our health, both for better and for worse.
It is divided in two parts; the first focuses on the most common diseases that people have today. If you’re like me, you probably have family members dealing with heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, brain disease, and more.
Fifteen diseases are reviewed in this section. As I read each one of them, I was amazed to learn how food can make you sick, and how most illnesses can be prevented, reversed, or at least controlled with a healthy diet.
The book is packed with relevant nutritional information, and I want to mention several key points in Part I. Greger argues that “Most deaths in the United States are preventable and related to what we eat. Our diet is number one.” “. cause of premature death and the number one cause of disability.
The Center for Disease Control website shows that for 2020, the three leading causes of death in the United States were: 1) heart disease: 696,962, 2) cancer: 602,350, and 3) COVID-19: 350,831 .
Just stop and think for a moment that COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic was the third leading cause of mortality, yet that’s only half the number of all heart disease-related deaths during the same time period. .
Greger states, “To become virtually heart attack proof, you need to have your LDL cholesterol at least below 70 mg/dL.”
One study mentioned in the book deals with patients with advanced heart disease who were given plant-based diets in the hope that a healthy diet would prevent their disease from progressing.
Greger states, “Instead, something miraculous happened. His patients’ heart disease began to reverse. These patients were improving. As soon as they stopped eating a diet of artery-clogging foods, their bodies were able to start dissolving some of the plaque that had built up. Opening of arteries without drugs or surgery, even in cases of patients with severe three-vessel disease. This suggests that their bodies wanted to heal all along, but they never got the chance.”
In Part 2 of the book, Greger discusses his concept of “The Daily Dozen,” a list of 11 foods we need to eat every day to stay healthy. (Number 12 on the Daily Dozen list is exercise.) Here are the various food categories, along with the recommended number of servings: Beans: 3, Berries: 1, Other Fruits: 3, Cruciferous Vegetables: 1, Vegetables: 2, Other Vegetables: 2, Flaxseeds: 1, Nuts and seeds: 1, herbs and spices: 1, whole grains: 3 and beverages: 5.
Each of these categories is described in considerable detail. A free app is available that makes it easy to keep track of the daily dozen. I started using it a couple of months ago, and my first thought was “How hard can it be to eat that in one day?” (I wasn’t even thinking about the exercise, which is the hardest for me.)
So on the first day, I was ready to give it a try and decided I wasn’t going to eat anything else until I finished the list. As it turned out, I still missed two servings of beans and exercise that day.
I can’t say I have it all figured out, but I still try to tick off as many of the Daily Dozen as I can. It’s a challenge, especially on weekends. It holds 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.
For me, berries are still tricky. Unless I make a smoothie or have fresh strawberries, I usually don’t eat them.
I told a cousin how I had a hard time eating berries and she said, “You’re crazy! That’s the easiest!” So, you see, each person is different. I think that, in general, most people want to eat healthier and take care of their body.
I also highly recommend Greger’s Nutrition Facts website (https://nutritionfacts.org/). You’ll find lots of interesting information on a variety of pertinent health topics. A digital subscription, which is free, will provide you with research-based information presented in entertaining, easy-to-understand short videos.
Greger’s team has also written the How Not to Die cookbook. If you want to try out some recipe ideas, most local libraries have copies.
The nutrition information website is also a resource; just enter the word “recipes” in the search bar. Below are recipes from the cookbook.
Red lentil dal with vegetables
This warm, comforting and delicious dal can be served on its own or over cooked brown, black or red rice.
Yield: approximately 6 cups
- 1½ cup red lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth (recommended: Better Than Bouillon, vegetable flavor)
- 3 cups spinach or other greens, fresh, coarsely chopped
- 1-14.5 ounce can (PBA free) small unsalted diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely chopped (or ¼-½ teaspoon ground)
- 1 small hot green chili, seeded and minced (optional)
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼-inch piece of fresh turmeric, grated (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Cooked brown, black, or red rice (optional)
1. In a large pot, cook the lentils in the vegetable broth. Whole lentils will take 15-20 minutes; for split lentils, the time is 5-7 minutes. (Don’t overcook or the lentils will turn mushy.)
2. Add spinach, tomatoes and cilantro, stirring to wilt spinach. Reduce heat to a simmer.
3. In a small skillet, heat 2 tbsp. water over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Cook until softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast, miso, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and lemon juice; mix well. Add the spice mix to the lentils and stir to combine. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
4. Serve with toasted vegan naan or pita bread, if desired.
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 cups soft, pitted dates
- 1 cup of walnut pieces
- 1 cup of old fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp. date sugar, to taste
- 1 tablespoon. ground flax seeds or chia seeds mixed with 2 tbsp. warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Water, as needed
1. In a food processor, combine dates, walnuts, and oats; process until crumbly. Add date sugar (if using), flax mixture, vanilla, and cinnamon. Process until dough holds together. If the mixture seems too dry to dry, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency.
2. To form the cookies, scoop out about a tablespoon of dough and press it between your hands to form a ball. Place the balls in a flat container. Use a fork to press them down and flatten them a bit.
3. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
Daily Dozens of Servings: Fruits, Flaxseeds, Nuts/Seeds, Herbs/Spices, Whole Grains
Banana Chocolate Smoothie
This creamy chocolate milkshake tastes so rich and delicious you’ll forget how healthy it is!
Yield: 2 cups
- 1 ripe banana, frozen
- ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon. ground flax seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon. almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 tbsp. date syrup or maple syrup
- 1 cup of raw spinach leaves
- 1 cup of water
- 3 to 4 ice cubes (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until thick and smooth. For a thinner texture, add more water or decrease the amount of ice cubes, if using. Serve immediately.
Daily Dozens of Servings: Berries, Other Fruits, Vegetables, Flaxseeds, Nuts/Seeds, Beverages
Note: A good strategy for smoothies is to combine super delicious foods with perhaps less tasty foods, like mangoes with raw kale, to balance each other out. Smoothies allow you to consume foods that you might not otherwise include in your daily diet, and they are easy to prepare and convenient.
María Mendizábal has been a vegetarian for 14 years and a vegan for five. She is from Guatemala and lives in Marion. She is president of the Eastern Iowa Vegan Community Board of Directors.
If you have questions or comments about the vegan community in Eastern Iowa, please email [email protected] or visit the website at www.veganeasterniowa.org. Everyone is welcome to join VCEI on Facebook and MeetUp.
