Veganuary Anyone?

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VEGANUARY ANYONE?

By Stephen Mark Kolter

My vegan journey began with a medical diagnosis back in the summer of 2017. I was visiting family in America and decided to get a health checkup. I had gained quite a bit of weight the previous year and my eating habits weren’t the best. Being from Texas, I ate more than my share of beef and hamburgers. I also never skimped on sugary treats, fast food, pizza, packaged meats and cheeses and any manor of fatty, salty “goodness!”

So it wasn’t too surprising when my doctor broke the bad news to me that I was about 60 lbs (30 kg) overweight and pre-diabetic, along with having high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Knowing that others in my family were diabetic, and the seriousness of the conditions, I was quite alarmed and concerned. But this wake up call was a blessing in disguise and just what I needed to set me on a path for a healthier future.

Upon returning to China, I moved from Guangzhou to my new home of Hangzhou and saw this as an opportunity for a fresh start. I decided to cut red meat out of my diet and greatly reduced my intake of junk food and sugar. I became more active as well, playing occasional sports, biking and choosing to walk more often. This served me well for a time and I was shedding pounds, but I eventually experienced a tapering off of weight loss after about three months. A bit discouraged and desperate for ways to better my results, I began researching and considering a vegetarian diet.

Around this time, an old friend in Guangzhou began sharing with me how he had transitioned over to a vegan diet to combat his own weight gain and diabetes type 2 and was experiencing

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great results and overall better health. Being a serious “foodie”, I doubted how I could ever make such a drastic, dietary change, such as going vegan.

I began educating myself on all things vegan. I read numerous articles on health and nutrition and watched every documentary and video interview I could find on the subject. The Forks Over Knives film was a particularly enlightening account of the rising costs of healthcare and damaging affects of the so-called standard American diet, commonly referred to as “SAD.”

It noted the China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, as a major source of data on how diet affects the health of a population on a large scale. I also watched an online docuseries called Mastering Diabetes that promoted the benefits of a wholefood, plant-based, low-fat diet as a means of preventing, and in many cases, even reversing some forms of diabetes.

I DOUBTED HOW I COULD EVER MAKE SUCH A DRASTIC, DIETARY CHANGE, SUCH AS GOING VEGAN.

Armed with this new-found, nutritional information, I eagerly started making changes, such as ridding my kitchen of all animal-based products. Packaged and frozen meats, dairy products, eggs and honey were all thrown out or given away. I decided to eat out less and to cook more at home to lessen my intake of oil, salt and sugar. It was exciting learning of the existence and medical benefits of healthy “superfoods”, such as chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, quinoa and natural, chocolate, cacao nibs and I began adding them into my dishes at home. As well, as I incorporated more fruits, veggies and beans into my diet, I was delighted to discover the health benefits an increased intake of fiber has on the digestive system.

Just three weeks after going vegan, I payed a visit to my doctor in Hangzhou and was thrilled to find out that my blood pressure and cholesterol were already back down to normal levels, and my A1C diabetic blood marker had lowered some as well. I was also sleeping a bit more soundly and full of energy on a daily basis. And after a few months more, I was pleasantly surprised to find that even my tastebuds were adapting to where I enjoyed the more healthier options I was serving myself.

Though a meatless and dairy-free diet may not be for everyone, I have found the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices. I am certainly no doctor or authority on nutrition

or disease. But now, being around 30 lbs (15 kg) lighter and fighting daily to keep fit, to make healthy choices and to control the consumption of the food that I fuel my body with, I am happy with my progress.

Not only am I seeing my waistline shrinking and my internal condition improving, but an unexpected compassion for the animals that we share this planet with has become a part of my life. There is even more thought into the environmental impact that my daily purchases bring. I am enjoying sharing about the dishes I am learning to cook, especially with other health-conscious friends I have had the good pleasure of meeting this past year.

I have at times wondered if my change to a vegan lifestyle has been worth all of the time and effort I have put into it and I have always come to the same conclusion...a resounding yes! It’s so important what we put into our bodies and food can be medicine. I hope to inspire and empower others to think more about the food that they consume. And if this meat-loving, former cheese addict can change, anyone can!

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