Week Four

It's my last week!  That was basically my motto for the final week of my life experiment.  It's probably bad (or at least contradictory) to say this after my most recent post on health issues, but I couldn't wait to eat ice cream, and chocolate, and CHEESE!  (My goodness, I missed cheese.)  But the light at the end of the tunnel was enough to make the week fly by.

After my second week I had decided to implement two cheat days (one for each of the remaining weeks).  I didn't talk about them in my last post, so I'll address how they went now.  Even though this is my experiment, and I got to make up all the rules, I couldn't help but feel like I was...cheating on my cheat days.  It sounds stupid and obvious to say I felt like I was cheating, but when my friends and I ordered pizza to eat while watching the Frozen Four Championship I felt pretty guilty eating a slice.  And even though I like pizza, I think it tastes better in my mind when I can't have it than it actually tastes in real life.  On my other cheat day, the one from this week, I had an omelette for breakfast.  I used to be able to eat the entire omelette plus a side of fruit, however, after only eating half of my omelette I was full.  And I was still full five hours later when I would normally eat lunch.  The cheat days gave me a nice break from my repetitive meals, but going back to the rules of veganism was very difficult after a taste of "normal" food.

I did move away from spinach sandwiches and this week.  I was happy to find black beans on the far side of the salad bar (were those always there?), so I had a lot of salad loaded up with black beans, corn, red peppers, and of course spinach leaves along with the lettuce.  Of course ranch contains milk products, so my salads are topped with either french or italian dressing.  Along with my salads I also had sweet potatoes or baked potatoes (depending on what the dining center was serving).  And usually when I didn't have a salad I had pasta instead because now the nutrition card dining center's marinara says that there is no milk in it.  

All in all, this week was a good week.  Time flew by, and my meals were actually pretty darn good.  But now I am done with this experiment (good bye veganism), and I can say hello to dairy products again!

Week Three

For this week I've decided to talk about how food is connected to health instead of rant and drone on about what I ate this week.  It shouldn't be anything new or surprising that the food we eat is correlated to our body's health.  And the entire reason I am undergoing this life experiment is to implement a healthier diet for myself.  It wasn't that long ago that I remember seeing numerous news headlines about America's latest health epidemic, which seems to alternate between diabetes and obesity.  So for this post I'm going to explore what are arguably the top three health problems in America--heart disease, obesity, and diabetes--and how they relate to food consumption.

1. Heart Disease      /härt dəˈzēz/      noun               (also known as cardiovascular disease) heart conditions that include diseased vessels, structural problems, and blood clots

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and its no laughing matter.  Every year cardiovascular disease takes the lives of 370,000 people in the US alone.  Anything ranging from stroke to high blood pressure (hypertension) to congenital heart disease lies under the broad topic of heart disease.  Some forms of heart disease cannot be prevented, like congenital heart disease, which is an abnormality in the heart that occurs before birth.  However, many forms of heart disease can be directly connected to the way someone treats their body, and, you guessed it, what food they put into their body.  

Because there are so many different kinds of heart disease I'll talk about the most common form: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).  This is the one where a waxy substance  called plaque builds up in the arteries over time, making it harder and harder for blood to flow freely throughout the body.  What causes this plaque build up you ask?  Well, you see, plaque is a fancy (and much simpler) word for a mixture of calcium, fat, cholesterol, and cellular waste.  So when a person consumes too much of any of those substances, all of which are prevalent in animal products I might add (well, except for cellular waste), they run the risk plaque build up.  When too much plaque builds up a person may experience a heart attack, a heart murmur, or even heart failure. I will admit that I am simplifying things for the sake of shortening this post because I could go on forever about any disease (I've got to say, health fascinates me), so I'm just putting a memo here that there are many more details involved that I am not bringing up.

Anyway, I'll bring it back to food now!  Once someone has been diagnosed with CHD there is no cure, but there are several treatments one of which is a healthier, balanced diet.  Eating healthy is also a sort of prevention as well.  As my picture above shows, vegans tend to have the lowest cholesterol levels, putting them at a lower risk of heart disease.  This is because meat, especially red meat, is high in cholesterol.  And that marbled cut of beef that Americans like so much is pretty bad for your health.  In Omnivores Dilemma I learned that marbling is when the cattle gain so much fat so quickly that the fat is dispersed throughout the muscles.  So even though it might taste good, that marbled cut is stock full of saturated fats and cholesterol...which is not so good for your body.  Cholesterol is also high in egg yolks, and this I know thanks to my family.  I have a somewhat funny story about egg yolks and cholesterol that involves my uncle.  At the time my aunt was on a diet, so she was making egg white omelettes every morning, and rather than waste the yolks she would make an omelette for my uncle--which contained about 4 egg yolks.  When my uncle went in for a check up at the doctors office his doctor just about had a heart attack when he saw my uncle's cholesterol level.  My uncle claims that egg yolk omelettes are amazing and every man should have at least one in their lifetime, but needless to say, he was put on a strictly low-cholesterol diet afterwards and he hasn't had an egg yolk omelette since.

Of course there are other ways to treat and prevent heart disease, such as physical activity.  But food consumption plays a major role in heart disease.

2. Obesity                     /ōˈbēsədē/                             noun                                                 the condition of being grossly fat or overweight.

So the textbook definition of obesity is when a person's BMI is 30 or greater.  Lately this condition has been getting a lot of media coverage for multiple reasons.  There are over 3 million cases of obesity every year in the US.  All the extra weight puts people with obesity at a much greater risk of developing other conditions such as heart disease, diabetes,and even cancer among other health issues.  And childhood obesity is on the rise, which is pretty scary given the associated health risks.  

 If there are so many people with obesity, then what causes it?  There are multiple factors that are involved, but the biggest culprits tend to be unhealthy diet grouped with inactivity.  Other factors include genetics, and there are many medications that cause weight gain, even lack of sleep can lead to weight gain.  Either way, food consumption is directly related to obesity, and the only "cure" is to loose all the extra weight, which is (most healthily) done through a healthy, balanced diet and physical activity.  

Going vegan, as crazy as it is, has certainly given me a much greater love and appreciation for my vegetables and fruits.  And the weird thing is that it seems like most people only eat fruits and vegetables because they "have to" but they really don't "want to".  This is something I find crazy because fruits and veggies are so amazing--they are like a burst of freshness--not to mention that every single fruit and vegetable has at least one health benefit.  While I can't really claim my diet has been the most balanced, it has certainly been healthier.  And many of the unhealthy foods that are absent mindedly eaten are not vegan friendly (or the vegan version is healthier).  Things like chips, crackers, and microwave popcorn (most brands) contain animal products, and those are the foods that I could eat 10 servings of and maybe still be hungry.  These are also the foods that many kids insist are a million times better than an apple and peanut butter or carrot sticks and rasins.  Substituting prepackaged microwave popcorn with air popped popcorn reduces the calories from around 200 calories per serving to about 40 calorie (or less) per serving.  And I've found that vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains can actually be very filling (it can just get boring).  So going vegan is instilling some healthier eating habits in me, and healthy eating habits is one of the most promoted prevention plans for obesity.   

3. Diabetes                               /ˌdīəˈbēdēz,ˌdīəˈbēdis/                             noun                                                                  a metabolic disease in which the body’s inability to produce any or enough insulin   causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood. 

 The major concern in America is that more and more people are developing type 2 diabetes.  There are over 3 million cases of type 2 diabetes every year in the US (is it just coincidence that its the same rate as cases of obesity?).  The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is that people with type 1 diabetes simply do not produce insulin (it has to do with genetics), while people with type 2 diabetes have become "insulin resistant" which is a fancy way of saying their bodies don't use insulin as well as they should.  And while genetics is most likely still involved in type 2 diabetes, one of the leading cause of type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese.  Again, whats kind of scary is that children are also developing type 2 diabetes because of childhood obesity, and diabetes is a disease that can last for a person's lifetime.  

So diabetes can be brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle, and as I talked about under my discussion of obesity going vegan (even for the short time thus far) has changed some of my habits.  The thing about diabetes, is that once a person is diagnosed (regardless of any previous behaviors related to food) they have to watch their food consumption in order to keep their glucose levels balanced.  Diabetics are very much aware of their food consumption patterns because of the disease.  But in regards to prevention (aside from predispositions that cannot be changed, like genetics), just as for obesity, the most promoted prevention tactic for type 2 diabetes is to practice a healthy, balanced diet coupled with exercise.

I'm sorry this post was so long, but I wanted to touch on some major health problems that  are directly related to food consumption.  After all, my main goal for going vegan is to develop a better knowledge of the food I eat in order to promote a healthier lifestyle.  I sort of lost sight of my goal while I was frustrated over my limited food choice at the dining centers.  But the health problems I discussed are proof that what we put into our bodies effects how our bodies function.  The idea that fruits and vegetables are gross is sad, because they provide almost all the nutrients that our bodies need with very few (if any) unwanted side effects.  

Week Two

It was a LONG week.  I think I'm going to have to retract some previous statements from my first post about the first week of this insane experiment.  Going vegan absolutely sucks!  I don't think I can have another spinach sandwich for lunch without wanting to rip my hair out.  Too many times the dining center hasn't had any or some of the ingredients needed to make what I ordered, so they just didn't make anything and I would end up eating salad or another glorious spinach sandwich.  And I really don't like having to schedule all of my meals for the day each morning.  I guess having to put in so much more thought into every meal has just gotten old, just like eating what seems like the same meal every day gets old.  Wow, do I sound high maintenance!

I'll elaborate on what has made me go off the deep end and totally change my position (from "this won't be so bad" to "when can I be done?") on this experiment:

1. Animal products are in EVERYTHING!!!

Want a nice piece of good old french bread?  Unfortunately the dining center, where college students like me eat, only provides one french bread that contains "glycerides", which come from animal fats...and also means that the bread is pretty well processed (it wouldn't look so white if it wasn't).  The only vegan bread offered at this school is a whole grain kaiser, which is good, but only for so many days in a row.  Now, one would think that marinara sauce would be a safe bet, but more often than not the dining center puts milk in their marinara sauce, so if you want spaghetti for dinner you'll have some very lonely looking noodles.  Most nights the only safe bets for food come from the salad bar, and by "safe" I mean "vegan friendly".  So it's either a spinach sandwich, plain pasta, or salad for dinner (along with a heaping side of fruits, and veggies if the dining center didn't cook them in butter).  And forget about picking up any dessert from the dining centers, because everything contains eggs.  I literally have not had anything sweet since the start of this experiment, and I really just want some chocolate!

2. Vegan meals from the dining center leave much to be desired.

So I kind of stopped ordering vegan meals from the dining center.  The last time I ordered food I showed up at the time I had indicated and was told that the kitchen (once again) didn't have the ingredients to make what I had ordered over five hours prior, but they had my side of vegetables for me.  For dinner that night I was given zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cabbage...but only the portion of a side dish (in other words "one serving spoon scoop").  The rest of my meal I had to come up with on my own.  I had originally thought that being able to order my own vegan meal was pretty cool and a very handy, helpful option to offer college students.  But after attempting to take advantage of the opportunity UND offers students, I feel like the university only offers this opportunity half-heartedly without caring much as to whether the students who actually are vegan are given the proper foods for a healthy diet.  I can eat all the lettuce I want at the dining centers, but I'm hard pressed to find cooked greens, lentils (or any beans really), and a lot of the other power foods I mentioned in my very first post.

3.  I've been eating the same thing all week.

My plates may not be exactly identical, but it sure feels like I've had the same food at every meal because each plate just contains a variation of a previous meal.  Each day I've had an apple or an orange for breakfast.  Lunch was either a salad or sandwich and lots of fruits.  My afternoon snack is peanut butter and carrots (which is actually an amazing snack, and I highly recommend it!).  And dinner is, just like lunch, either salad or a sandwich, probably with a sweet potato, fruit (whatever the dining center has for the day), and maybe some rice.  I drink a lot of water throughout the day too, which actually helps make me not feel hungry (but does nothing to stop me from wanting to eat cheese, goodness how I miss cheese!).  Eating nearly the same thing everyday has gotten extremely boring, and while getting food takes me a fraction of the time it takes my friends I'm pretty sure I enjoy my meal a lot less than my friends enjoy their meals.

Anyway, I think I've thoroughly complained.  After hearing about my fellow classmates experiments, I've decided to implement a weekly cheat day.  I'm taking the idea of a cheat day from one of my classmates, but it's also for my own sanity.  I wasn't completely joking when I said I just might pull out my hair if I have to eat another spinach sandwich.  So one day a week for the last two weeks of this experiment I'm going to allow myself to eat anything (hopefully I'll still make healthy decisions).  But on a good note, this experiment is halfway over!  In the words of Bon Jovi, and my high school color guard:

 "Oh, we're halfway there!  Oh, we're livin on a prayer!"

And for those of you that don't know what color guard is, I've done the honor of providing you with a video because even though it has absolutely nothing to do with veganism, color guard is an amazing sport and art that I wanted to share with everyone.

This was my high school's 2014 performance at the WGI World Championships. 

Week One

OK, so after the first week of my life experiment I'm thinking that this vegan thing is totally doable as a college student.  I had a few worries about finding vegan options at the dining centers.  However, there are some ways in which having all of my food provided for me makes this whole experiment a lot easier.  The dining center provides options for students with special diets.  All I have to do is go online and check off what I want for my meal (there's a long list of options available) and give an estimated time for when I'm going to eat.  

I definitely haven't gone hungry.  For my first day I decided to brave the dining center alone and ended up with a very full, very colorful plate.  The picture on the left is my first vegan meal.   

 I had a lot of fruits and veggies...and continue to have a lot of fruits and veggies on my plate.  My go-to snack, or plate filler, has become carrots and peanut butter.  That way I get some protein in.  For the next day I decided to try ordering my meal.  For lunch I got a hummus wrap and baked potato, which definitely isn't as colorful, but considering it was for my Wednesday lunch (the day I only have about 15 minutes to eat)the wrap and potato was just enough.  For dinner one night I ordered vegan ice cream with my meal, which is called "So Delicious Ice Cream".  I don't think I'd say vegan ice cream is "so delicious", it's more like frozen, sweetened almond milk.  And Finally I've come to a go-to meal, at least for lunch, which is my spinach sandwich.  I know it sounds kind of gross or at least weird, but I think it's pretty 
good.  My sandwich is a a whole grain bun with tomato, cucumber, red bell pepper (because it's the best kind of pepper), a whole ton of spinach, and mustard because every sandwich needs a condiment.

So I've made it through a week, and I'm feeling surprisingly good.  Because I eat so many foods that have animal products, it would only be natural to think that I'd feel lethargic, or at least hungry after cutting such a large part of my typical diet out.  However, I haven't noticed any decrease in energy and I've certainly had plenty to eat.  I think I can keep this up and be vegan for an entire month. 

Pre-Experiment Week: What is Veganism?

veg·an                             What is veganism?

/ˈvēɡən/                                                           Are there benefits?

noun                                                                                  Why did I choose this life-style experiment?

noun: vegan; plural noun: vegans

1. a person who does not eat or use animal products.

What is Veganism?

Most people seem to have an idea of what veganism is now days.  But for anyone who is scratching their head at the name of this trending life-style, I'll fill you in.  According to The Vegan Society, "there's a version of veganism to suit everyone.  Yet one thing in common is a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish, and insects), dairy, eggs, and 

honey - as well as products like leather and anything tested on animals."  Vegans and vegetarians are similar in that neither eat meat, but a vegan also abstains from foods containing any animal product - meaning no cheese, milk, honey, ice cream, eggs, etc.  Some practicing vegans (I call these people the "Hard-Core Vegans") also avoid clothing and personal use items that come from animals (leather, wool) or were tested on animals (makeup, face wash).

Are There Benefits to a Vegan Diet?

After telling my friends and family that I was going to try going vegan for a month they all thought I was crazy.  After getting over the initial shock of "You can't have any cheese!" and "A whole month without ice cream!" the next question is "Why?"  How can a vegan diet be healthy? 

In a way, a vegan diet can be more creative or exotic than a "normal" diet.  In order to get all the necessary nutrients, someone following a vegan diet needs to delve into foods many people don't eat on a regular basis.  Instead of just being the obligatory side dish, fruits and vegetables are the solid base of a vegan diet.  Protein can be found in beans, lentils, tofu, peanut butter, and soy milk as well as other foods.  Calcium, believe it or not, is in broccoli, almonds, collard greens, soybeans, mustard greens, and kale. Mom really knows what she's talking about when she says "eat your green veggies!".  To get Iron, you only need to look as far as cooking up lentils, soybeans, kidney beans, chickpeas, or lima beans.  The only nutrient that can't be found anywhere in a vegan diet is vitamin B12 (a vital vitamin that helps the nervous system function) because it is only found in animal products.

So, the benefits of a vegan diet.  Well, I could turn into an animal rights activist and start spouting "meat is murder".  But then I'd have to admit to being quite the serial killer.  Of course there are ethical implications with the meat industry and the treatment of animals in the food industry in general, but I'm not going to shame anyone for liking meat, cheese, or ice cream.  (Because I'll be honest; I really like cheese and ice cream, and meat is pretty good too.)  However, there are personal benefits to going vegan, mainly health benefits.  

Many studies have linked the consumption of meats and animal fat (especially red meats) to a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic diseases.  A vegan diet, however, is full of grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. all of which contain little to no cholesterol.  So, eating vegan is extremely healthy, and good for your heart.  Some people claim that eating vegan also gives them more energy, makes their skin look better, and helps them lose (and keep off) weight, but the validity of these claims may (probably do) vary from person to person depending on who you ask.  

Why Choose Veganism for a Life-Style Experiment?

It shouldn't come as any surprise that America tops the charts in obesity rates.  A little over 1/3 of American adults are considered obese.  Now, I know that I am not obese, but I certainly don't consider my eating habits to be very healthy.  I very rarely (basically never) look at the ingredients of what I eat.  And most people don't.  But I've come to realize that I absent mindedly eat snacks that have absolutely no nutritional value, that don't fill me up, and that make me crave more of the same thing.  I know I'm not alone in having poor eating habits, and it's not something to be ashamed of, just something to work on.  But my thoughts on going vegan are as follows:  If I have to look at what is in my food for a whole month I will have a better grasp on what I'm putting into my body.  Because let's face it, there's going to be a bit of research to figure out what ingredients go into something as simple as microwave popcorn (one of my all-time favorite snacks) let alone an entire month's worth of meals.  So while I'm not so focused on animal rights (sorry, I guess I'm a little too self-centered), I hope to become aware of what is in the foods people (myself included) eat on a daily basis without a second thought and use that to shape a better, healthier way of eating (and snacking) in the future.