Who the fuck are you to tell me what to eat? You may be thinking. 1. I don't care at all what you eat. My intent is to share what I do and what I've learned. If you like it - great. If you don't - no bother.
Michael Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
What he means by eat food is real food, not processed or ultra processed stuff resembling food. I'd just add "move more" to the end and there you it put simply. Nine words that sum up a healthy philosophy for living.
You could eat a bunch of junk and be vegan. For example, junk food that is "vegan" includes:
Those are some "vegan" foods. I don't buy any of those. So, you have to be careful with the term vegan. A healthier alternative to vegan is whole food plant-based (WFPB) .Rarely, I lose my mind and self-control and buy Swedish Fish. However, the best strategy is to keep the devil out. If I don't buy it, it's not in the house, and I won't eat it. It’s called shaping your environment
I don't really snack. The only time I do is after dinner for dessert. If I snack between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, my blood sugar, from drug-induced hyperglycemia, essentially my body acts diabetic from the Prednisone, is way off what I want it to be. So, I don't really snack. Also, David Sinclair, Harvard Genetics researcher and professor, said on the Rich Roll podcast that "it's good for the body to feel hungry." The thinking is that the stress response that hunger causes is good for the body because it kicks the survival genes into action. If I feel hungry for an hour I look at that as a good thing. He didn't say that going hungry for days is good or you should starve yourself. What he was saying is that if you feel hungry that can be good and that you don't need to run for the pantry at the first sign of hunger. I usually drink water if I feel hungry and I really need to have something. Another strategy I use after dinner to avoid unnecessary snacking is brushing my teeth because after I do that I really don't eat to eat anything.
If I do snack, I'll have something right after dinner, remember I don't lay down for 3 hours after eating to prevent GERD/acid reflux. So, if I snack or have dessert I try to be reasonable, if I can't be healthy.
Snacks
1. Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is always stocked in the cabinet to the left of the sink.
2. Apples
3. Italian Ice
Basically just sugar, so it depends on if I've hit my sugar limit. We need someone to invent/start manufacturing Italian Ice koozies.
4. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Not healthy as they are loaded with calories, fat, and sugar. 3 Minis is 210 calories! Every now and then I have one mini. One bag has been sitting in the fridge for a couple of months.
5. Bananas
I view them as a treat because I have to watch my potassium intake.
6. Pears - Anjou
7. Beignets
New discovery in the Market Basket bakery. From what Amanda tells me these are a delicacy in New Orleans. I've been really wanting to go there and this is just another reason. Beignets are little doughnuts with berry puree filling. Delightful, but I only have one.
Every so often I get tempted by a treat, but I try to remember that when you say no to food, you're in control. It can be quite liberating. Ultimately, what motivates me is the bigger picture, which keeps me focused so I'm not distracted by momentary, fleeting joy. I don't want to be unhappy or disappointed when I step on the scale, take my blood sugar, or get my test results. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.
Drinks
1. Water
Water is, by far, what I drink most. I sweat a lot, especially during the summer, so I want to stay hydrated to keep my organs, especially kidneys, hydrated and functioning optimally. I don't need to worry about another organ transplant, so with all the meds I take, water is key. I drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day, but often get close to 100.
2. Coffee
I used to drink coffee everyday. I also used to drink caffeinated coffee. When the transplant doctor said caffeine is a cause of GERD/acid reflux that was enough for me to switch to decaf. I sometimes drink coffee now, but not nearly as much. I'll have it with almond milk or oat milk - Dunkins has both. I'd rather drink water to be honest. I enjoy the challenge of reaching my water goal everyday.
3. Tea
I drink green tea often. I drink black tea sometimes. My mother is in the habit of drinking tea, so that puts me in the mood for tea sometimes. I used to drink it with milk or honey, but now I don't put anything in.
4. Soda
Soda is not healthy at all and I don't drink it much. I've drank a lot of soda in my life, but I just don't anymore. Too much downside. I have Sprite Zero in the fridge and I'll have one maybe once a week. If I go out to a restaurant, I'll have Diet Coke. Diet soda isn't healthy either, so I try to avoid it.
5. Alcohol
Tricky subject. The MGH transplant team says you shouldn't drink. However, I'm in a transplant group on Facebook, and each transplant center seems to have a different policy on alcohol. Protocols are all over the map. I think when a doctor says don't do this or that it's because it's just easier to say that, and many people don't have self-control. They're not going to have a different alcohol policy policy for every patient, and allow the ones they think have self-control to drink. It's just easier to say don't drink. So, what do I do? I have about a beer a week. I didn't drink for a few years. I worry about the effect alcohol could have on my health, particularly my liver, and kidneys. and I don't want to damage my health on purpose. My nephrologist said, in May, that she expected a normal 40-year-old, obviously I'm not normal, to have a GFR (kidney function) of 80. My last GFR was 83, so with healthy kidneys in mind, I allow myself a beer a week on average. I find that I look forward to it, plan it out, and enjoy it more than I would, if I could have endless amounts. I think that's reasonable. I don't even remember the last time I had two drinks because it's been years. I have the self-control to have one. Thats's my moderation. Moderation is a slippery psychological slope because people tend to think that moderation is what they do.
Final Thoughts
Like I said, I don't care what you eat or how you live. Everybody makes their own choices. I'm just sharing what I do, and giving some simple ideas for plant-based healthy eating. I've been given a second chance in life with my lung transplant, and I want to honor the donor, and myself, and live as long as possible. I want to be be as healthy, fit, and happy as possible during those years.
I would categorize my diet as plant-based. I strive for WFPB, and most days I am. I have made big changes to my diet. It's difficult to make big changes. It might be reasonable to to start with one plant-based meal per day. That would actually make a huge difference for one's health and the planet. I'm glad I made the changes and there's nothing I can do about what I've eaten or drank in the past. I've turned the page and moved on. I've reversed my philosophy from live to eat to eat to live.
The reality is that there are major problems with the American diet. Healthy eating is bad for business because it's bad for the bottom line. There's more money to be made selling us fat, sugar, and animal products than apples and asparagus.
Some disturbing statistics about American adults:
-about 1/3 are obese. I was considered obese about a year and a half ago
-In 1970, 1/100 was obese. That's shocking.
- 1/7 have chronic kidney disease and 9/10 have no idea that they do (I can attest to that because when my kidney function was very high from Tacrolimus I didn't feel anything or notice)
-45% have high blood pressure, which leads to heart attacks and strokes. I've had a stroke and it has fucked me up for the rest of my life. My stroke, or more correctly, strokes, occured as a result of complications during my lung transplant operation
-In New York, 50% of people that died from Covid had high blood pressure. In Louisiana, it was even higher
-1/4 deaths are connected to cancer, which can be related to diet
-Around 65% of the human population is lactose intolerant after infancy, yet the government says drink cow's milk
If you regularly eat a diet that's high in fat, sugar, and animal products and think you won't have problems, I'd say that's pretty fantastical thinking, but people don't want to hear that. People don't want to hear a lot of things, but it needs to be said. Ultimately, we're talking about probability here. Could you smoke two packs a day, drink every night, and eat shit? I suppose there's always a few who get away with that, but it's a dangerous gamble. I love to gamble, but not with my life.
There are many of resources out there to get helpful and healthy information. nutritionfacts.org, is one that is free from corrupting corporate influence, which seeks to improve the bottom line at the expense of our health.
Some of your genes dictate things that leave you no choice, like your eye color for example. Mine are blue, get lost in them sometime. Other genes are more open to argument or being influenced. For example, if you have a history of diabetes, heart disease, or cancer in your family that does not mean your fate is sealed. Your genes influence you, so influence them right back. You can affect the outcome. I've seen the changes, I've shown the results here, and I feel healthier and have more energy than ever. Here's one more result, I just set a new personal best for my lung capacity yesterday. They said my lung function peaked during my first year post-transplant. Well, I'm 27 months post and I just blew 5.2 liters. 112%! They were wrong. As humans, we're wrong about a lot of things, we're not perfect. I don't mind being wrong, and I'm not afraid to admit it, but I'd rather be right. The choices we make can have a big difference.
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| Carbs are your friend. They are not your enemy. |
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| nutritionfacts.org |
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