Thirty three years ago, I was a microbiologist working for a global pharmaceutical company. It was what I saw first hand that caused me to forever eliminate meat, dairy, eggs and fish from my diet. A few years later, I became pregnant with our first born. Our midwife and many concerned family members repeatedly urged me to add back at least a little bit of animal protein, “For the sake of your baby.”
I am so grateful today – that instead of following misguided advice, or giving into fear others spewed, I went straight to the medical library (this was before we had internet) and dove into the published literature and discovered that populations of women consuming a whole-food plant-based diet in pregnancy not only had better pregnancy outcomes than any other groups of pregnant women, but also that their breast milk was far lower in toxic chemicals than that of women eating meat and dairy. I also learned that the milk of women consuming fish, which sit at the top of the food chain and thus bio-accumulate things like DDT, and thousands of other toxic substances was the most contaminated of all.
Even after I had two healthy children, who had never eaten meat, dairy or eggs (one of whom was doing back-handsprings on the balance beam as a competitive gymnast – and was also one of the few on her team who never broke a bone) I still felt vulnerable to societal anxiety over what we were not eating. Over and over I met smart, educated people including medical doctors who warned me that “There are no very old vegans.” Most imprinted upon my memory, was a seventy year old, well respected healer I met in a workshop, who angrily shouted at me, “Well god help you!” and then stormed off, upon learning that I never ate anything from an animal.
I share all of this, in the hope that you will begin to appreciate the profound cultural indoctrination and pressure we are all subjected to. Sadly I have observed it derailing some of those who switch to a plant-based diet. So I want to caution you to not underestimate the power of the pervasive, centuries-old belief system, known as, “Carnism” to act upon your mind-body and convince you that you might be harmed by a lack of animal protein.
That is why, in this month’s column, I want to celebrate my plant-based heroes some of whom are not only turning 90 this year, after decades of eating only plants, but are also still living vibrant independent lives.
Doctors T, Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist and Caldwell Esselstyn M.D., now retired from, the Cleveland Clinic, who were the subjects of the fantastic 2011 documentary, Forks Over Knives (which you can watch for free online at ForksOverKnives.com.) come to mind first. Ruth Heidrich, who was also in that film is not only turning 90, but just released an updated version of her 2000 bestseller, Race for Life (and I wrote the forward for the new edition.) It tells her story of being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer when she was 47 years old – and how instead of going along with the recommended chemo, she switched to a whole-food plant-based diet and since then, went on to finish the iron-man triathlon SIX times!
But some of my plant-based heroes are no longer living. Helen and Scott hearing who became famous when their books about “Living the Good Life.” made them world-renowned leaders of back to the land living. They grew all their own food working only 4 hours a day in their gardens and using no animals on their farm while living in their off-the-grid in a stone house they built with their own hands when they were 60 and 80 years old. They lived in that home in rural Maine right up to their deaths at ages 100 (Scott) and 90 (Helen.) Scott died a peaceful death shortly after he turned 100 – he had intentionally quit eating for three weeks saying he was ready to go. Helen died in a car accident ten years later when she was 90. -- living alone in that house without Scott for those ten years.
Ellsworth Wareham MD passed in 2018. He was 104. Born vegetarian, he eliminated dairy and eggs in his fifties. He remained vibrant past the age of 100. You can find video clips of him mowing his own lawn – he was sharp as a tack to the end.
And then there is Donald Watson – the man credited with creating the word, “Vegan.” Born in 1910 and not expected to survive, Donald was such a sickly child, that doctors didn’t vaccinate him – saying it might be dangerous for him. Growing up Donald visited his uncle’s small organic farm, and was so disturbed at learning that the pigs and chickens he had befriended would be killed, that he decided to never eat any animals again. He passed at age 95, and a year before his death, a friend of mine interviewed him and the two went hiking.
So let’s celebrate all of these heroes by making a birthday cake entirely from plants. This is a recipe that I used for my daughter’s 16th birthday, it contains no oil and is also gluten- free.
Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes put into blender and ground into flour
2 TBS ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1-1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1-1/2 tsp Rumford baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c finely diced and smashed apple or 3/4 cup applesauce
8 dates, pits removed and chopped
6 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 TBS raw cashew peices
3/4 c real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 nonstick cake pans
parchment paper
Directions:
I am so grateful today – that instead of following misguided advice, or giving into fear others spewed, I went straight to the medical library (this was before we had internet) and dove into the published literature and discovered that populations of women consuming a whole-food plant-based diet in pregnancy not only had better pregnancy outcomes than any other groups of pregnant women, but also that their breast milk was far lower in toxic chemicals than that of women eating meat and dairy. I also learned that the milk of women consuming fish, which sit at the top of the food chain and thus bio-accumulate things like DDT, and thousands of other toxic substances was the most contaminated of all.
Even after I had two healthy children, who had never eaten meat, dairy or eggs (one of whom was doing back-handsprings on the balance beam as a competitive gymnast – and was also one of the few on her team who never broke a bone) I still felt vulnerable to societal anxiety over what we were not eating. Over and over I met smart, educated people including medical doctors who warned me that “There are no very old vegans.” Most imprinted upon my memory, was a seventy year old, well respected healer I met in a workshop, who angrily shouted at me, “Well god help you!” and then stormed off, upon learning that I never ate anything from an animal.
I share all of this, in the hope that you will begin to appreciate the profound cultural indoctrination and pressure we are all subjected to. Sadly I have observed it derailing some of those who switch to a plant-based diet. So I want to caution you to not underestimate the power of the pervasive, centuries-old belief system, known as, “Carnism” to act upon your mind-body and convince you that you might be harmed by a lack of animal protein.
That is why, in this month’s column, I want to celebrate my plant-based heroes some of whom are not only turning 90 this year, after decades of eating only plants, but are also still living vibrant independent lives.
Doctors T, Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist and Caldwell Esselstyn M.D., now retired from, the Cleveland Clinic, who were the subjects of the fantastic 2011 documentary, Forks Over Knives (which you can watch for free online at ForksOverKnives.com.) come to mind first. Ruth Heidrich, who was also in that film is not only turning 90, but just released an updated version of her 2000 bestseller, Race for Life (and I wrote the forward for the new edition.) It tells her story of being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer when she was 47 years old – and how instead of going along with the recommended chemo, she switched to a whole-food plant-based diet and since then, went on to finish the iron-man triathlon SIX times!
But some of my plant-based heroes are no longer living. Helen and Scott hearing who became famous when their books about “Living the Good Life.” made them world-renowned leaders of back to the land living. They grew all their own food working only 4 hours a day in their gardens and using no animals on their farm while living in their off-the-grid in a stone house they built with their own hands when they were 60 and 80 years old. They lived in that home in rural Maine right up to their deaths at ages 100 (Scott) and 90 (Helen.) Scott died a peaceful death shortly after he turned 100 – he had intentionally quit eating for three weeks saying he was ready to go. Helen died in a car accident ten years later when she was 90. -- living alone in that house without Scott for those ten years.
Ellsworth Wareham MD passed in 2018. He was 104. Born vegetarian, he eliminated dairy and eggs in his fifties. He remained vibrant past the age of 100. You can find video clips of him mowing his own lawn – he was sharp as a tack to the end.
And then there is Donald Watson – the man credited with creating the word, “Vegan.” Born in 1910 and not expected to survive, Donald was such a sickly child, that doctors didn’t vaccinate him – saying it might be dangerous for him. Growing up Donald visited his uncle’s small organic farm, and was so disturbed at learning that the pigs and chickens he had befriended would be killed, that he decided to never eat any animals again. He passed at age 95, and a year before his death, a friend of mine interviewed him and the two went hiking.
So let’s celebrate all of these heroes by making a birthday cake entirely from plants. This is a recipe that I used for my daughter’s 16th birthday, it contains no oil and is also gluten- free.
Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes put into blender and ground into flour
2 TBS ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1-1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1-1/2 tsp Rumford baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c finely diced and smashed apple or 3/4 cup applesauce
8 dates, pits removed and chopped
6 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 TBS raw cashew peices
3/4 c real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 nonstick cake pans
parchment paper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Cut two circles from the parchment paper that are exactly the size of the bottom of the cake pans and carefully set them in the bottom of the pans.
- Add the first 8 ingredients together into a bowl and mix well with a wire wisk.
- Place the smashed apple, chopped dates, lemon juice and vinegar into a blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend on high until all is totally liquified and smooth.
- Add the cashew pieces to the blender, and again blend on high until smooth.
- Add the maple syrup and extracts to the blender, blend once more and then add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry. Use a spatula to get every last drop. Mix just until blended -- be careful not to overmix.
- Carefully split the batter between the two pans. It will be very thick. Use spatula to smooth the tops as flat as possible, and bake for 25 minutes.
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