Page 16 | Michael T. Miyoshi

I Believe My Body · 9 July 2013

Sometimes it seems that I believe everything I read. But in the end, it has been my body that has shown me what to believe.

I have bought into the notion of many different eating systems as the way to lose weight and get healthy. I bought books that told me getting rid of certain foods was the way to go. I tried The Zone, Atkins, and others. But in the end, they were all just fad diets. They were all just ways to sell another book.

The problem with most fad diets is that their claims are true to a certain extent. In fact, you can lose weight with just about any fad diet. I have. Unfortunately, most of these diets are not very healthy. And most of them are not sustainable.

Even so, with all the different fad diets I have tried, my body has told me when things were not working. It told me that I was not getting enough nutrients in my body or it said I was starving myself. Looking back, I can see that being a disciplined eater helped me lose weight, but did not make me any healthier. In the end, I gave up on every fad diet I ever tried because my body said it had had enough.

When I listened to my body, it said it was done with the diets because it did not get enough nutrients. I could only stay disciplined enough to lose about five pounds. Then, my body wanted more fuel and I could not keep up the regime. I would be back to where I started with no clear way to change. Fortunately, I have found the system that works.

After eating a whole food, plant-based diet for almost a year, I hear my body saying something different than when I was trying fad diets. It tells me that I am on the right track. It tells me that I can sustain an almost vegan diet as long as I am not getting too many calories from processed foods. My body has told me that I do not need to look for another diet to be healthy.

I have believed and tried many ways to eat in my quest to lose weight. Then, when I was not trying lose weight but just be healthy with eating properly, I lost weight anyway. I am glad that I listened to my body. For it has shown me what to believe about eating.

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Curing Diabetes · 6 July 2013

I believe we can cure diabetes by eating right.

I read a new book by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., called The End of Diabetes. It is a continuation of Eat to Live and makes outrageous claims. Claims that I am inclined to believe.

When I first started reading The End of Diabetes, I had already bought into the notion that eating a whole food, plant-based diet was the key to health, but I am not sure I totally believed diabetes could be cured with just food. At least not until I talked to my friend Perry.

Perry is the one who got his fasting glucose levels out of the dangerous pre-diabetic range (where he had been for years) to the normal range in just a few months by eating almost vegan. He is at least part of the reason I am inclined to believe Dr. Fuhrman’s claim that we really can cure adult onset diabetes. Just by the way we eat.

Personally, I am not diabetic, but I have a vested interest in the topic. After all, both my parents and one of my brothers have diabetes. Genetic predisposition to diabetes is one of the main reasons I have been trying to lose weight for many years. And even though I finally decided to try and run toward health instead of away from diabetes and heart disease, I want my family and friends to do so too. I want them to be examples of getting rid of diabetes by eating right. Especially, my Dad.

Dad not only has diabetes, he has had two too many heart attacks. He has had open-heart surgery. He has had stents placed in his arteries. I sent him the book, Eat to Live before I started reading The End of Diabetes because I am so certain it is the way to eat healthy. I am not sure he and Mom have bought into the program, but at least Dad is reading the book. And I know they at least know how they need to eat by what they have said.

People keep waiting for a miracle cure for diabetes and heart disease. They want to believe modern medicine is on the brink of curing what ails us. In reality, we need to keep our bodies in good working order by eating right. Then, we can stave off the effects of aging and keep away from many diseases caused by poor nutrition. Including heart disease and diabetes.

It might seem outrageous, but I believe Dr. Fuhrman and others who say we can cure what ails us by eating a whole food, plant-based diet. I believe we can cure diabetes just by eating right.

[Note: If you decide to try and get rid of diabetes by eating right, make sure to include your doctor in your plans, especially, if you are on medications.]

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Independence Day Eating · 5 July 2013

Potlucks, eating out, and feasting can all be tough when you are eating almost vegan. But you can still enjoy the food and the fellowship that comes with Independence Day eating.

Independence Day is a day of celebrating and feasting. Fireworks and barbeques are the staples for most people. That means lots of booming. And lots of meat, potatoes, chips, dips, cookies, pies, and other foods that are not on the main menu for people eating a whole food, plant-based diet.

Still, that does not mean you cannot enjoy the day. It just means you have choices to make.

Some people go to barbeques and ignore their dietary standards and just eat whatever is available. Others take it as an insult to their sensibilities that there is little they can eat and sulk or whine that there are so few choices for them. Still others take it as a challenge and decide what they are going to eat based on what is available. Many take their own food to make sure they have something to eat.

I have been to several potlucks since starting my whole food, plant-based eating plan and have successfully navigated the choices. In fact, I tend to do a little of each of the choices I just described without feeling insulted or offended and without completely ignoring my dietary standards.

Since I have never given up fish, I will have a small portion when it is available. I usually have a little junk food even though I know it is just junk. If a dish has unknown ingredients but none of them look like animal products, I will try it. Then, I will pick out the bits of meat if I am wrong and deal with it if there was dairy, especially, if I have already eaten it. When everybody is grilling burgers or hot dogs, I might take my own veggie version.

So in the end, with the exception of junk food and possibly the unknown foods, I stick to my self-imposed dietary restrictions. And I have fun doing it.

There are many ways to navigate potlucks and barbeques. (Including ignoring them or being offended by the food choices.) But even though it can be tough eating almost vegan, I choose to enjoy the feasting and fellowship that come with Independence Day eating.