APRIL 9, 2012 BEYOND BROCCOLI

" Wear the world as a loose garment."

Thanks Karen.

I needed to be reminded of this today. As a health care provider I used to take the whole world on my shoulder. It never strangled me. But I couldn't keep doing all that I wanted to do and still be sane. Now I wear the world as a loose garment-- still helping, educating and healing individuals. But the one difference is I heal myself on a daily basis through prayer, meditation, a loving relationship, honestly and of course, hobbies.

This weekend I will be having dinner with a few colleagues I started medical school with in 1982. Thirty years later, some of us are married and some of us have children in college. From 1978 through medical school I was a vegetarian. I am a former vegan. I began to realize the physical and mental symptoms I was getting from being a vegan. I began to know, read and acknowledge that I needed saturated fats, fat soluble vitamins as, D, E, A and K, B12, folic acid, DHA an other nutritional deficiencies.

There are many myths about vegans that should be sorted out:

1. Man is not adapted to eat meat

2. Low fat and low cholesterol diets are more healthy

3. Vegans get less cancer

4. Vegans have a lower incidence of obesity

I know more vegans that are overweight than I care to discuss

Again, there is nothing wrong with a vegan diet as long as you substitute the necessary minerals and vitamins listed above. I NEVER ask my patients to adhere to a diet found in books, or online. A diet should be individualized based on blood tests (not blood typing - although this can useful ) I am talking about insulin levels, food allergies, triglycerides etc.

Any dietary lifestyle should be done in moderation. You cannot go from total carnivore to total vegan in one day. It is not healthy. We do know that hydration with water and exercise are important lifestyle changes.

I recommend reading Beyond Broccoli by Susan Schenk. I loved the book. I loved the cartoon at the end of the book with a doctor saying this to the patient , "The high carb diet I put you on twenty years ago gave you diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Oops."

I still know some doctors today who encourage eating ice cream and carbohydrates after losing weight from chemotherapy and radiation. Can you imagine this? It happens.

Until tomorrow...