Vegan Men Say What? Guys, If You Have ED It Might Be Your Lucky Day

 A good friend of mine recently passed away from colon cancer. He was only 54.  I was at his bedside the night he passed and his needless death haunts me.  I had known Kelly for almost 20 years and yet I had never done much to encourage him to switch to a plant-based diet.  Kelly’s death caused me to take a deeper look at what is important in my own life.  As part of that self-appraisal and in memory of Kelly I decided I want to encourage my friends and family to live long, healthy and compassionate-filled lives. After all, I don’t want to be golfing by myself when I am 70.  Accordingly, I decided to write a monthly article on topics that perhaps males, my friends and yours, will find relevant to their lives. Thank you to VegansEatWhat.com for including these articles in its monthly newsletter and on its blog.

I must start out this first article by apologizing to my children if they are reading this. No child should read an article on erectile dysfunction (ED) by his or her father. But now that I am in my mid-fifties (okay, slightly more) it seems like a relevant topic for my first article based on all the Viagra, Cialis and Levitra commercials I see on television- and I rarely watch TV. 

You might be asking why I titled this article “Guys, If You Have ED it Might be Your Lucky Day.” That is because from the onset of symptoms of erectile dysfunction to the first manifestation of coronary artery disease (heart attack, serious arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac arrest) there is on average only 2-5 years. 67% of men who suffer a heart attack had the onset of erectile dysfunction about 3 years earlier. Not all men have ED as a warning—they have a heart attack first. The lucky ones are the men who develop ED first because they have a warning that the clock is ticking.

Approximately 45% of men in the USA over the age of 40 suffer from ED. The advent of ED is associated with a 50-fold increase in heart attack risk in men 40-49 years old. Companies have built billion dollar businesses around pills for erectile dysfunction. While these medications work well to maintain erections, they only mitigate the symptoms. They do nothing for the underlying cause. The solution is on your plate not in the form of pills. Companies have built billion dollar businesses around pills for erectile dysfunction. While these medications work well to maintain erections, they only mitigate the symptoms. They do nothing for the underlying cause. The solution is on your plate not in the form of pills.

Coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction are different manifestations of the same disease—atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disorder that destroys all our arteries with inflammation, calcification and thrombosis. It is caused by plaque from fatty foods such as meat and dairy and gradually accumulates inside the arteries impeding blood flow. ED often manifests itself before coronary artery disease because the penile arteries are only half the size of the coronary arteries. The same amount of plaque will narrow the penile arteries more significantly than the coronary arteries. The organs connected to the smaller arteries manifest symptoms first. 

In summary, decreased penile artery blood flow accurately predicts the onset of coronary artery disease. The good news is that we can listen to the warning signs and reverse the process that underlies both atherosclerosis and ED.

A study published in 2011 involving hundreds of men with ED showed that dietary changes had a significantly greater effect on reversing ED than the taking of statins. Those taking statins had a zero difference in improvements compared to the placebo group. On the other hand, almost 50% of the men who changed to a plant-based diet regained normal sexual function within only 2 years. Plant-based foods shown to improve erectile dysfunction and decrease blood pressure and cholesterol are watermelon, papaya, grapes, apples, onions, arugula, rhubarb, kale swiss chard, spinach, beets, pistachio nuts, pine nuts, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds. Oats, wheat germ, garlic and green teas will also improve ED. In addition to improving ED, numerous studies by doctors such as Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn prove with certainty that a vegan diet will prevent and even reverse coronary artery disease.

Please don’t eat a burger with blue cheese and then reach for the blue pill. It is only masking a larger problem than ED.  Instead, consider a plant-based diet.

Doug E.  Meier

5/1/14

Doug is an attorney who practices in Colorado.  He ate a vegetarian diet for many years prior to changing to vegan in January, 2013.    

Real Men Can't Be Vegan? -- Let's Change A Myth!

VegansEatWhat? is pleased to again welcome author and activist Gabrielle Allen!

This morning, I came across the Facebook exchanges of two women, who have recently committed to a vegan lifestyle, discussing why it is impossible to raise their sons as vegans.  It occurred to me that this wasn’t the first time I had been privy to similar discussions.  Just last week, my friend Jennifer told me that she would have no problem going vegetarian, but she could never bring her husband, a meat and potatoes guy, on board.  Typically, the dialogues go far beyond the whole protein thing and how men, and certainly growing boys, can only get enough by consuming a large, juicy chunk of meat.  Essentially, none of these women felt comfortable to push a plant-based diet on the males in their lives.  Their daughters, yes, without a questions, but boys as vegans... hmmm?  Their argument against it?  Not only are males genetically predisposed to crave animal protein, sending boys to school with a Tofurkey sandwich and a tupperware filled with carrots and kale could open them up to ridicule.  So why go there?

Theoretically, moral conception has always equated women with compassion, care and welfare, while men, in general, have been viewed... well, you know, as the tough ones, the warriors, the hunters, the stabilizers.  If we are to believe certain advertising messages-- take the spot for BK’s Big King Sandwich or Wendy’s T-Rex Burger--there is just something so inherently sexy and manly about a guy biting into a six-patty-stacked bacon burger. 

Yet, by now we know that vegetarianism / veganism is not just reserved for women, but for all those who want to support the wellbeing and rights of animals, and the protection of our social and ecological environment.  So why would we not want to raise our sons as compassionate vegans?  Why not educate our brothers, boyfriends and husbands about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle?

True, even 21st century society is much slower in accepting a male’s rejection of a good, hearty slab of beef than a woman’s. But does that mean men are programmed to crave meat? Consider all the male athletes who have joined the ranks of ex-carnivores, believing that a vegetarian or vegan diet not only makes them healthier but enhances their athletic performance.  Former Seattle Seahawks guard Deuce Lutui, runner and Olympic Gold Medal winner Carl Lewis, and Alexey Voyevoda, the Russian arm-wrestling bobsledder built like a hulk, are just a few.  Certainly, we have all heard about Bill Clinton switching over to a (mostly) plant-based diet and just recently, former vice president Al Gore also announced that he has taken up a vegan diet.

The motivation to give up animal products may differ for many of us.  Some do it to save the planet; think greenhouse gases.  Some do it to live a longer, healthier life; and others do it because they find it morally unethical to slaughter and consume sentient beings.

My own family adapted a plant-based diet for the latter reason.  Incidentally, my husband decided to switch from a vegetarian to a vegan status several years before I did.  As an executive for a publicly traded company, he travels a lot and frequently attends business dinners, many of them held, of course, in steak houses!  You can imagine the discussion that ensues when my husband orders a salad or pasta dish sans cheese, and “leave out the bacon or meatballs, please.”  Or, when he requests the chef to prepare a specialty plate consisting of grilled vegetables while everyone else goes for the fresh lobster or filet mignon.  Both of my daughters’ long-term boyfriends are committed to a vegan lifestyle.  Now, they weren’t in the beginning, but once the relationship evolved, they joined first out of respect and later out of conviction.  Take my daughter Elisa’s fiance, Barry!  He grew up on his parents’ farm in Cork, Ireland.  They are fourth or fifth generation dairy and sheep farmers.  Of course, it took a bit of time for his family to get used to the idea that he’d pass up a bowl of steaming lamb stew in favor of a veggie sandwich.  This July we’ll be celebrating Elisa’s and Barry’s wedding in Galway, Ireland with an all vegan menu. 

The way I see it, we are not just a family who adopted a new way of life, we are advocates too.  Advocates for the animals, advocates for our planet and advocates for the health and well-being of those we care for.  So why not ask your son, your spouse, well, yeah, your daughter or sister, if she is not yet on board, to give veganism a try.  Start with Meat-Free Mondays and see how it goes.  No excuses! 

For me, veganism is similar to my religion, and while I respect anyone’s belief, I still make it a point of inviting them to my church!

Gabrielle Allen is a Colorado vegan and former marketing director and community relations manager for a national bookstore.  She currently devotes her time to writing and animal rights activism.

Summer Cooking Ideas That Will Put You In The Soup

By Mark W. Reinhardt

After last winter’s “Polar Vortex” everyone I know is grumpy, and asking the question: “When do we get spring? When do we get summer?? What ever happened to good old global warming???” Okay, so that’s three questions, but the answer to all of them is that hot weather is coming—you can pretty much bet on it. (I say “pretty much” because there was one year—1816—when summer never came. You can look it up. But I digress…)

Let’s just assume for a moment that climate change hasn’t totally hosed us, that this year won’t be anything like 1816, and that those stifling days of summer are right around the corner. If that’s the case, you’ll want to be ready for the season with light and tasty foods that will make your family and friends think you fussed over them and went to a lot of trouble. But, of course, you don’t want to go to a lot of trouble.

The purpose of this article, and those to follow, is to give you some new ideas for summertime foods. These ideas will range from tiny variations on familiar foods, to whole new bizarre ideas. There will be lots of hints, a few recipes, and lots of stuff to roll your eyes and shake your head at.

We’re going to start with soups. Not just any soups, but cold soups. Cold soups are not only better for summer, but they have a lot more panache than hot soups. Hot soups are boring. Cold soups are fancy. Cold soups can be served on the “veranda” with real china and silver and a white tablecloth. You can even serve them in little bowls set inside of big bowls filled with ice. Everyone will think you’re Martha Stewart.

But the good news is that you don’t have to be Ms. Stewart to make this stuff. The basic recipe, which is real easy, is this:

·         In a soup pot sauté a diced onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in olive oil until tender

·         Add whatever chopped seasonal vegetable looks tasty

·         Cover with vegetable broth

·         Add whatever herbs you like

·         Simmer until the vegetables are cooked

·         Cool then Blend

·        Add soy milk (or whatever milk of choice) to taste

·         Chill thoroughly

It couldn’t be simpler, and there’s almost no way it won’t be delicious. Here are a few more tips:

·         Take advantage of fresh, in-season vegetables
· If you add a diced potato and cook it with the vegetables it will add additional body and creaminess

·         What herbs you choose aren’t hugely important. I like rosemary and thyme together. Oregano, thyme and basil are great if you want an Italian taste. Herb blends like “Herbes de Provence” are always fine. Of course, always choose fresh if possible. Use lots more fresh herbs than dried.

·         If you don’t already have one, buy a plunge blender. They make quick work of blended soups, and you can use them for your breakfast shakes in the mornings.  Use the blender to achieve desired texture.  Some people like their soup very smooth while others like the texture small chunks of vegetables provide.   

Want a recipe as an example? Asparagus is great in cold soups, and it just happens to be at its lowest price in years.

Cold Asparagus Soup

 Ingredients:

·         1 bunch (about a pound) of fresh asparagus with the ends broken off and discarded

·         1 onion (chopped)

·         2 cloves garlic (chopped)

·         2 T Extra Virgin (“Just like me!”) Olive Oil

·         1 medium potato (cubed)

·         1 T Better than Bouillon veggie bouillon paste (or use bouillon cubes) in 3 cups of water (or 3 C canned vegetable broth)

·         2 t dried dill (or lots more fresh dill, chopped)

·         1/2 C Soy milk (more if you like your soup very creamy)

Preparation:

·         Break up the asparagus, setting aside about 1/2 of the tips.  In a medium pot sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender

·         Toss in the potato, asparagus,vegetable broth and dill (the veggies should be barely covered by the broth)

·         Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender

·         Remove from heat, let cool a bit, and  blend.  Stir in soy milk and chill thoroughly. 

·         Serve with fresh ground pepper and with the reserved asparagus tips chopped and floating on top (…a classy little touch, don’t you think?)

You can use this same recipe all summer, varying the vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, corn, carrots, whatever), herbs, and everything else to your heart’s desire.

“Okay,” you say, “that’s all well and good, but I want something more creative; something that everyone will say is the best cold summer soup they’ve had, at least since the non-summer of 1816.”

All right, if you insist. Here’s a recipe that I got third-hand off the Internet. (Someone had attributed the original recipe to Paula Deen, but it’s really not her kind of thing.) I’ve made some changes.

Thai Red Curry Soup

Ingredients:

·         1 medium sweet onion, chopped

Thai Red Curry Soup

·         3 tablespoons  vegetable oil

·         2  garlic cloves minced

·         1/2  teaspoon cumin seeds

·         28-ounce (or 2  14-oz.) can diced tomatoes

·         2 tablespoons red curry paste

·         2  14-ounce cans vegetable stock

·         14-ounce can coconut milk

·         1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

·         Limes

·         Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

·         Sauté the onion, garlic and cumin seeds in the olive oil until the onion is tender

·         Add tomatoes and red curry paste and simmer for 10 minutes

·         Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, and brown sugar and simmer for another 10 minutes or more until tomatoes are softened

·         Let cool slightly and blend well

·         Chill thoroughly, and serve with a wedge of lime and topped with chopped cilantro.

Flavors will blend nicely if made a day or two in advance.

Ah spring. Ah summer. Serve some cold soup, some warm bread, and you have a meal. …Unless, of course, you want to make some other warm-weather treats. We’ll look at some of those next time.

Mark is an attorney, author and long-time vegan.