Early January is a time to reassess our lives … and often our diets.
My friend, Faith Montgomery Paul, recently visited me. Over the past few months, Faith has radically changed the way in which she eats. She is now cooking and eating a plant-based, reasonably low-fat diet.
I don’t know that I’m ready to embrace her diet altogether. I could live without meat. I adore eggs and cheese, however, and neither of those is precisely plant-based. Nevertheless, I enjoyed trying some of Faith’s go-to dishes. That experience has inspired me to seek out more plant-based foods as I go forward.
I was a bit taken aback when Faith first told me she had gone vegan. Her previous regimen was gluten-free, and I had planned a gluten-free menu for her visit that included meat, eggs and cheese. She offered to bring some of the food we would eat together, however, so I adapted quickly.
I asked her what had precipitated the change in her eating habits. She explained that in the fall she had had her first physical examination in more than two years. Like many of us, she had stayed home a lot during the initial months of the pandemic.
Nothing the tests showed was a huge red flag, but she found the test results taken together concerning. First, her colonoscopy revealed some polyps. Second, she learned that her cholesterol was elevated. Finally, a bone scan revealed that she had osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.
She called this combination her “three strikes,” and she decided to make some changes in her life.
Faith has long been interested in nutrition so she delved into the possible causes of these conditions. “It was very clear that eating animal products, processed food and oil were all things that directly contributed to every single one of these markers,” she recalled. “It’s not my body. It’s what I put into my body.”
She read extensively and watched and listened to nutritional lectures. She was particularly struck by a documentary called “Forks Over Knives.”
The film explores the work of two doctors, Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn, who have successfully fought heart disease and promoted health through diet, she told me.
“Then I found my way to this guy named Dr. Michael Gregor. He has written several books. The first one was called ‘How Not to Die,’” Faith explained.
“He read the research on the studies that establish what will kill you and what won’t kill you, … He may be the nerdiest person I have ever heard in my life, but he’s so brilliant, and he’s so entertaining and engaging.”
Faith tries hard to maintain protein in her diet to keep her body strong, and she exercises regularly. She eats as much of her food as she likes, but she has still lost weight on this diet. And she has expanded her repertoire in the kitchen.
“I always have cooked vegetarian and vegan meals from time to time. But now I cook that way all the time,” she noted. “Some of those (meals) I can still use. Here I am just like a newlywed, trying out recipes.”
She feels great and so far is managing her conditions without medication. “There’s no reason I should take cholesterol medicine if I can control my cholesterol (through diet),” she said proudly.
She finds that the experience of changing her diet has been psychological as well as physical.
“Once I became a vegan, I realized it sort of aligns with my tender approach to animals,” she revealed. “And then when I look the environmental facts in the face, these other considerations resonate with who I am.”
Referring to her cat, she added, “I wouldn’t eat Patches, so why would I eat Chicken Little?”
For readers interested in exploring a couple of plant-based recipes or just interested in trying something new, here are a couple of Faith’s go-to recipes.
I suggested adding caraway seed to the cabbage recipe, but Faith doesn’t like the way the seeds get stuck in her teeth. I will definitely try the caraway the next time I try the recipe on my own, however.
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, or to taste, minced
1 bay leaf
½ or 1 whole head red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 apple, cored and sliced but not peeled
Balsamic vinegar to taste
In a skillet, heat the garlic and the bay leaf in a scant amount of water until the garlic smells good. Add the chopped cabbage and sauté until the cabbage is tender, throwing in the apple pieces about halfway through. Add a bit more water if the cabbage starts to stick.
When the cabbage is tender, turn off the heat and sprinkle on balsamic vinegar to taste. Serves four to six.
Peanut sauce ingredients:
½ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter (Faith prefers smooth and uses Teddy brand)
¼ cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Noodle ingredients:
1 pound whole-grain spaghetti, cooked according to package directions and drained
all of the peanut sauce (you may hold back if you want to and save some, but it’s good!)
1 cup chopped green onion, white and green parts
1 cup other vegetables, julienned (we used carrots and cucumber)
To make the peanut sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, making sure they are well mixed. Leftover sa
To make the noodles, place the spaghetti in a large bowl. Toss in peanut sauce to taste. Top with the vegetable pieces. Serves four to six.
If you prefer to eat this dish cold, just make sure the spaghetti is rinsed with cold water. I like it warm, particularly at this time of year!
Tinky Weisblat is the award-winning author of “The Pudding Hollow Cookbook,” “Pulling Taffy,” and “Love, Laughter, and Rhubarb.” Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.