To Be or Not to Vegan: Ask Clinton

I would start this column by telling you how it all vegan, but that's already the title of an animal-free cookbook. 

I have been vegan for almost two months. In my friends' point of view, that is not enough time to call myself vegan, but until I see any of them give up all animal products, including eggs, cheese, milk and even honey, for more than two days, I will proudly keep my title.

There are several reasons to become vegan, including ethical, spiritual and nutritional. Mine are the latter. I have always had issues with my diet and the way my body reacts to certain foods, but for the last month or so I have felt much better.  

In a recent interview with CNN, Bill Clinton talks about switching to a plant-based diet, a decision he made mainly for health reasons (he had a heart surgery in 2004 and another one this year). He also wanted to shed some weight in time for Chelsea's wedding, but that's besides the point. Clinton credits research done by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, author of "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," and the father and son who wrote The China Study for influencing his decision.

Dr. Esselstyn is the father of a good friend. I had my first vegan dinner with the Esselstyns a few years ago, when I heard all about how, by changing the way we eat, we can go as far as abolishing heart disease, the number one cause of death in the U.S. for men and women. At that dinner, I also learned that when it comes to vegan food, you may be lactose intolerant, as I am, but can still indulge in chocolate fondue without upsetting your stomach.

My love for chocolate aside, I did not choose to switch to a plant-based diet until illness hit home. A few months ago, a loved one was told she had to go through chemotherapy after an old cancer came back. I grabbed both of us a copy of The China Study, the "most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease," according to the New York Times.  Like Esselstyn's book, The China Study also says that by changing from an animal-based to a plant-based diet, you can fight off disease—in this case cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. What does this have to do with China? In rural China, where people eat more calories, fiber and iron, but less fat, protein and animal foods, the rates of some cancers are up to 100 times less than in more affluent areas where there is nutritional extravagance, the study says. That is just one example.

I am not a scientist, and I am aware that experts have questioned some of the findings in The China Study, but this is a work in progress that so far has worked well for me, and I would like to share it with you.

Since I became vegan my digestion has improved, I feel lighter—even after a big meal—I have lost a few extra pounds and, believe it or not, I don't crave animal products (except when I make quesadillas with rice or soy "cheese," which never fail to disappoint me).

One of my main issues with my former diet, which consisted of eating a little bit of everything, is that I was always craving sugar. Now, all it takes to make me happy is a teaspoon of agave syrup in my breakfast and a bite of dark chocolate after dinner. Those days when I used to hang out at my favorite bakery hoping to get a free bag of the day's leftovers are gone.

A note of caution is that while it hasn't been difficult to let go of animal-based foods, the process of becoming vegan is quite time-consuming. It requires a lot of reading to make sure you are getting all the necessary nutrients, and you'll be spending more time in the kitchen and in grocery stores, reading labels and, occasionally, a dictionary. But that's all part of the fun. 

You will probably cheat, either by mistake ("Nobody told me there was milk fat in my peanut butter power bar") or consciously ("It's my birthday and I'll eat chiles en nogada if I want to"). But in the long run, hopefully you'll feel satisfied with your choice.

Through this column I would like to share my day-to-day experiences, like the recipes for the worst Pad Thai or the best pesto linguine I have ever eaten, and other useful information I'll come across in my reading. Please send any questions or comments my way as well. The first one to reveal the name of a decent substitute for cheese wins my eternal gratitude.

Happy veginnings!