A few years ago I lived in Washington, DC, which is very much a pedestrian friendly town, especially areas like Capitol Hill. I seldom used my car and walking daily to the market was a great pastime and a good form of exercise. Plus, it allowed me to meet many folks including most of my neighbors, and we stopped to chat often. We compared our backyard garden adventures, too.
One day on my way to the library, I happened upon a colorfully dressed character bopping down the street coming towards me. His huge rainbow dyed afro, striped pants, and happy go lucky gait, caught my eye and even stopped traffic! I had to talk to him, just to say hi and catch some of his energy. Turns out his name, as he introduced himself, was Happy Stan.
True story. Happy Stan told me he wasn’t always a happy camper. At the age of 41, he explained, he had suffered a debilitating stroke which had left him partially paralyzed. He said his doctors told him that his diet of processed food, heavily salted food, too much dairy products, and fried greasy meats had contributed to his clogged arteries and high blood pressure along with family genetics. Right then, he decided he was too young to give up and had to work at healing his body. He decided to give up red meat, dairy, and fried foods. At 67 years old, when I met him, he was lean, vibrant, and oh so happy to tell anyone and everyone all about his journey into healthy eating.
I came home wondering if I would be able to eat “animal free foods.” I read that celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Beyonce, and even Betty White were touting both the health and philosophical benefits of eating animal free foods even excluding dairy products. Could I replace the gooey, melted cheese baked on pizza? Would I be able to skip salty chips, sugar filled cookies and ice cream, all junky empty calories and dive into natural, (what I call real) food?
It’s not like I hadn’t done this once before. In my late teens, I went vegetarian and took up meditation, too. I felt whole, happy, and healthy while incorporating yoga into my morning and evening routines. Well, what took me away from all that, I wondered? That’s another whole story for another time. Let’s talk about getting some good nutrition into our bodies with common, home garden vegetables.
First off. You can start by limiting your intake of saturated and trans fat along with cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance made by your body and found in foods of animal origin, even ice cream. It is natural! However, too much cholesterol in your blood can and probably will increase your risk of stroke and heart disease. High levels of blood cholesterol result from two factors: how much cholesterol your body manufactures AND how much fat/cholesterol you consume in foods.
Second: If you Google vegetables and cholesterol, which I did, here’s what I come up with: broccoli is plentiful in soluble fiber and is good for fighting high cholesterol. Cholesterol-busting vegetables include spinach, Brussels sprouts and collard greens. My garden has all of these. Do I love eating them? Yes, if properly prepared and integrated into meals. People who yell YUK over green veggies crack me up. Everyone knows that vegetables are building blocks on the food triangle for good health. My suggestions: please try them!
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vegan diets are high in fiber, magnesium, vitamins C, B-12, and D, calcium, zinc, iron, and omega 3 fatty acids. All are helpful (though not guaranteed), in reducing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and some types of cancers. Without lecturing and turning off a slew of soda addicted families, let me urge you to get some nature made, not factory manufactured foods, into your meals. You don’t have to give up meat or dairy. Just add some more diversity to your intake, and not just empty calories.
Easiest way is to grow your own. Fresh, chemical free vegetables, fruits, and herbs are beneficial. It just makes sense, right?
To hear more about Happy Stan, go to https://dcist.com/story/20/11/20/happy-stan-happiness-philosophy-optimism/.
(Karen Cohen is an organic home gardener, photojournalist, and avid explorer. Please email your tips and comments to natureswaykaren@gmail.com)