Animals Eating Animals

I'm not talking about your dog or cat. I'm talking about the animals I train with at the gym. For the past couple of years, I've been involved in a regimen called CrossFit where people don't just work out, they become "elite athletes." I'm definitely fitter now at 52 than I was at 32, thanks to CrossFit and the wonderful coaches at TJ's Gym. The grueling workouts are always varied, functional, high-intensity, and performed for time. They are also named after Navy Seals and other heroes of combat. To give you an idea, a workout called "Murph" starts out with a one-mile run, followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run. Of course, you are always timed, so you don't do 10 pull-ups, rest by the cooler for 2 minutes, then attack ten more. Some would call it self-inflicted cruel and unusual punishment, and it's not unusual for an athlete to be flat out on the floor recuperating after a workout. But oh, do you feel great after you get up off that floor!

Now, CrossFitters perform indeed like animals, but they eat like cavemen. Those athletes that buy into the whole program eschew processed food, dairy products and grains, whether whole or refined, and ascribe to the Paleo diet where they try to replicate our hunter-gatherer ancestors by eating free-range meat, eggs, nuts and seeds, vegetables and fruits - period. As part of our workouts, we frequently run by by Cafe Gratitude, a vegan raw cuisine restaurant, and McDonalds, known to be not-so-raw or vegan. Now, a CrossFitter would probably dine at Cafe Gratitude over McDonalds, but then they would go home and have a slab of steak to get that extra protein.

Lurking in the midst of these would-be hunter-gatherers is me, the lone vegan, and several other vegetarians. CrossFit claims to have empirically-based, scientific evidence that supports the superiority of their health claims. Naturally, I am often found arguing about the benefits of a vegan diet, presenting a host of scientific, empirical evidence on the health and longevity of populations that eat a predominantly plant-based diet (often high in grains and carbohydrates). In fact, it has been my personal goal to provide empirical proof by being an example of vegan fitness. In the CrossFit world, I am practically a senior citizen, but (not trying to boast now), I can lift weights as heavy as those who are two decades younger. While I never think about where to get protein --neither do cows, deer or other herbivores -- I do think about where to get all of my greens for the day. Being vegan alone won't make one strong or healthy -- many vegans eat a diet that is no more healthy than those that eat at McDonald's. If you're a vegan who subsists on cupcakes and soy ice cream, you may not last through a CrossFit workout. My own vegan diet has changed over the years, from one based on meat substitutes and other fun, but not necessarily healthy, vegan processed foods, to one that is primarily focused on fresh, local fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

The bottom line is that we should try to eat something like our paleolithic ancestors did in that we should opt for natural, unprocessed, local foods, but we can achieve maximum health without slaying animals (besides, the domesticated animals today are nothing like the ones hunted thousands of years ago). A plant-based diet means exactly that -- eat mostly plants, in as natural a form as possible. So, have a cupcake now and then, but if you're going for maximum health and longevity, don't base your vegan diet on junk. And if you just can't resist the junk, just try incorporating more greens and fruits into your diet -- I guarantee that over time what you crave will begin to change.

And now, a recipe that both my Paleo-diet CrossFit friends and vegans alike -- not to mention everyone else in between -- can eat.  This is a simple but refreshing fall salad, featuring pears, which keep falling off the tree, and the mint in my yard.

              Pear and Mint Salad:


               2 large pears, slightly tender to the touch (please don’t use overly soft ones – they should be   tender but still slightly crisp)
                2 lemon cucumbers, or if unavailable, 1 regular cucumber
                1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
                2 cups roughly chopped escarole leaves (romaine or radicchio may be substituted)
             
                Ume Lime Vinaigrette:
                1/3 cup lime juice
                1/3 cup agave
                1 Tbs. Umeboshi paste  (available at natural food or Asian grocery stores)

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together.  If you are not using a whisk, first thin the umeboshi paste with a little lime juice to make it easier to emulsify.

For the salad, the pears and cucumbers should be sliced to be a similar size.  I prefer them to be fairly small, so I would generally cut them into quarters and then slice thinly.  Combine all of the ingredients, except the dressing in a bowl, and then add the dressing to taste, tossing well.   Serve immediately.