Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. Ornish are two of the gurus around a plant-based, whole-foods diet. They are the doctors that President Clinton cites in his healthy turn-around. Dr. Esselstyn's son, Rip, is behind the Engine Company 2 fire-fighters plant-based diet I cite in another post. The Doctors talk here with CNN. Keep in mind that Dr. Esselstyn was a heart surgeon when he began putting his bypass and stent patients on the plant-based diet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoHt9cSWJVI&feature=player_embedded
One of the benefits of a plant-based, whole foods diet is that it will make you feel good.
While I physically feel great, I don't feel as well mentally. It's actually a bit stressful to stay on this regimen because it is such a big shift in my eating patterns. Remember, I was a vegetarian before starting this - or more properly phrased - a meat-avoider. I didn't eat meat, but I did eat dairy - cheese, yogurt, ice cream, as well as oil, fried anything - potatoes, rice, vegetables, and a large dose of junk food - doritos, potato chips, pretzels, cheese sauce, nachos. You get the picture. ALL of that is gone. It's a bigger change than I thought - but that is part of the honesty of the process. There is no - oh, I'll just have a little of this. It doesn't work like that. But the shift does weigh on you - so you need support.
I do this blog to reinforce my own support. I read other blogs for inspiration. But friends, I'm finding, are reluctant to support this effort of mine, except for the occasional query - so how's it going? I think my friends are curious, but do not want to have to face their own eating habits. Too much support for me would mean having to examine their own coronary-damaging diet. I never raise the issue with people because I don't want to be an evangelist and be in people's faces about this. I really need my friends! But I am finding the silence to be pretty deafening. I need to find other people who are doing what I am doing so that I have some support!
I have been doing Landmark Education programs for the last 5 years. We are constantly urged to share the work with friends and colleagues and invite them to participate too. It's an eye-opening experience because most people do not want to face their own issues, nor are they willing to shell out $400 bucks to get real. I have been turned down by friends so many times it makes me feel quite defeated and, thus, reluctant to bring it up again with them. So I do a few gentle reminders to people, invite new friends, and hope that a few will take it up. It completely changed my life and I am thankful every day I have that access to personal understanding. People ask me how I do the things I do. I tell them it's Landmark, but they don't believe it.
I feel the same way about this plant-based regimen. It's new and people will eventually stop asking about it and it will become a curious thing that Robyne does. And I won't understand how to convince people that a plant-based diet is the key to their good health. And I will accept that and be glad I am doing it.
We all have foibles, phobias, baggage, and habits. We are human and flawed. We have so much access to things that can make our lives fantastic, but we refuse to reach out and take them because they go against what we see as the "natural order" of our lives. We would rather take pills and get gastric bypass than eat a plant-based diet. We would rather watch Oprah or Desperate Housewives rather than do the hard work to achieve our best selves. In the end, it doesn't matter! We are here playing a big game - and we can play it any way we wish. These are the ways I am playing my game and you will play yours as you see fit. So let's all have fun while we can and live with our choices.
Onward!
<3
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