Photo “One of these birds is not like the others” by Heather Paul courtesy of Flickr.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost
I’m different.
And I choose to Be Different.
I’m that round peg that doesn’t quite fit in the square hole anymore.
I’m the rebel, that ‘weird vegan guy’ who refuses to eat meat during family get-togethers.
I’m the troublemaker who makes sure there’s always a veggie dish at the company BBQ.
I work nights, and sleep days and I prefer my Mac over a PC. I don’t watch sports either, or follow the latest video games.
Instead I stare at vegan recipes, searching for that next viral post for my blog. And while others are comparing their latest techie gadgets, I’m chatting with someone across the country on the crazy things you can do with chickpeas.
I get it. I’m not like you
But I used to be.
The Road Less Traveled
You see years ago I too came to a split in the road, just like in the poem.
I was not exactly in the best of health. I was overweight, smoked, had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and was approaching my 50’s. Time felt like it was running out.
Now I could have taken the well beaten path like everyone else. Do nothing and wait for the inevitable heart attack, or go see my doctor for my daily dose of Lipitor. After all, this is exactly the path that millions of American’s will take this year.
They’ll take the pills, and have the stents, and be laid up unable to work for weeks on end as their medical bills slowly dissolve their savings. And that’s if they’re lucky enough to have insurance, or to have any savings at all.
And afterwards, they’ll continue to eat their fried chicken, and bacon, and BBQ, and triple cheeseburgers, and never think twice about their next hospital visit.
Until it comes.
And isn’t it just a little strange that we as American’s spend more money on healthcare than any other country in the world, but are nowhere near the healthiest? In fact we are way down on the list when it comes to health as a nation.
But I learned something years ago, that changed my whole direction.
I see things totally differently now, and as the poem goes – that has made all the difference.
I learned that our FOOD CHOICES are much more important than anyone ever thought.
Just about every single major health condition we have today – whether it’s heart disease, or diabetes, or obesity, or even cancer….. is all associated with what we put on the end of our forks.
And sadly, our doctors know nothing about nutrition – it’s not required. They do know everything about how to treat symptoms with this pill or that one. They are experts at cutting you open and removing this organ or bypassing that artery. But food? What does that have to do with anything?
Well I’m here to tell you – everything.
Now the research and clinical studies that prove a plant-based vegan diet is the best diet for your health have been out for years. And there are some doctors who know this. Slowly, more and more are looking at this data and coming to the same conclusions. There aren’t many, but their number is growing.
Doctors like Dr Caldwell Esselstyn who actually reversed heart disease in patients who were given up for dead, just by changing their diet. Doctor’s like Dr John McDougall and Dr Neil Barnard who have successfully reversed diabetes.
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I learned, years ago, that food does matter, and so right then and there I chose the road less traveled.
The road to a whole foods, plant-based, vegan diet.
And the result? My blood pressure is down, my cholesterol is down, and my weight continues to drop. I’m probably healthier now than I was in high school.
Just my changing the foods that I eat.
I don’t take any medications. I’ve never had surgery. In fact, I’ve never been in a hospital other than to visit others.
But as a licensed medical responder at work, I see the diabetes, I see the kidney stones, the gall stones, I see the blood pressure and the diverticulitis.
And now sadly at home, I see first hand with my 28yr old daughter just what the effects of an unhealthy diet can be, as she battles her Crohn’s Disease.
No, I CHOOSE to be different – and if that makes me a crazy one – then so be it.
I’m not out to change the world, but if i can help heal myself and my family, then that will have made all the difference in the world. My world anyway.
You can do this too. Make a difference.
Be Different.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ― Apple Inc.