Was walking in downtown Union, NJ the other day and did a double-take:
COMING SOON. KILLER VEGAN DINER AND DELI.
Thought I was hallucinating. It was always my dream for such a venture to take place in Jersey.
But what timing!
The more I think about it, the more conviction I have in the venture.The recent announcements of President Clinton and world-class athlete Venus Williams,to follow a vegan diet, is a ringing endorsement. How far we've come from the stereotype of the typical vegan being a scraggly starvation practitioner.
Funny, I used to work for a company where the women just adored the former President. I mean, he could do no wrong. And these were the same women who castigated me for eating tofu. So I wonder, how much clout does he have? Would they now turn on him, or would it make them more open?
What's interesting here are the opposing reasons why both the former President and Ms. Williams came to their decision.
Clinton's decision was spurred on by a strong letter by Dr. Dean Ornish, an MD who has reversed coronary arterial blockage through dietary and lifestyle changes and has the scientific proof to do so. In fact, Oxford is paying for his protocol, as an alternative to bypass surgery. Clinton, in a candid interview, said, he wants to be around for his grandkids to grow up. That statement is on the money. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to people with the same academic intelligence as President Clinton, became utterly moronic when defending their dietary choices. Here, the President came to an informed decision based on irrefutable science. I mean, it's just a grand slam on his part. There is academic intelligence. And then there's emotional intelligence. The President has it on both counts.
In the case of the thirty-year old tennis champion Williams, she became educated on how a predominate animal-protein diet is pro-inflammatory. here she made the choice to be her best on the court.
I truly hope that these two admired public figures, by coming out, will encourage others to do the same. Again, not to necessarily buy the practice wholesale. Just a shift. And from that shift comes momentum once the benefits are realized.
