Byline: Carolyn R. Choate

Okay, so it hasn’t been the snowiest winter in memory.  Still, cabin fever is a legit disease of the mind. Without summer gardens to tend, balmy front porches for spontaneous neighbor gab fests, or July kayak paddles in the Nashua River, it forced this vegan to look for reinforcements. Like-minded devotees in a secular world.   Enter Vegan New Hampshire on Facebook, the social media group started in 2014 with close to 5K members – including moi as of January 19.  

Come on. You didn’t think Carolyn Choate, of all people, would miss this annual opportunity to remind you of resolutions needing some serious neuron marinating, did you? Even though only 9% of Americans keep them – according to the National Center for Biotechnology Research – I believe in you! Like I always say, walk a mile in my cells and you’ll reach out for wellness solutions like a life ring on a choppy sea. Squeezing for dear life because, well, your life is dear. 

I know what a lot of you are thinking. This is the time of year when it won’t hurt to cheat a little and you’re right!  It’s the holidays. Duh! So, while I wouldn’t normally endorse sugar, processed plant-based foods from the frozen section – they’re really high in fats and sodium – or vegan cheeses and spreads for the same reasons, you don’t want to fall off the vegan wagon.  

September 1977, I dropped chemistry day #1 in college like a hot potato. It was too hard; I wasn’t pre-med; I didn’t care. 45 years later, I re-enrolled. I finally understood just how important understanding chemicals are to my survival. And that this body of mine is the most complex laboratory I’ll ever work in became the ultimate selling point.  

Such is the life of a cancer survivor.  A roller coaster from which you never fully disembark. A David and Goliath rivalry many readers will endure in their lifetimes. 

While T2DM may be associated with a genetic predisposition as well as some genetic predisposition to obesity, researchers have found that diet can act as a switch to turn off the genes programmed to develop disease.  This marvelous process, known as epigenetics – epi from Greek meaning above – describes a process that is beyond the genetic code.

Before continuing with this series on how animal protein promotes systemic inflammation and chronic disease, I want to thank Manchester Ink Link readers who reached out to share their stories of health struggles and ultimate hope through a whole food, plant-based diet. If not ready to commit 100%, at least ready to make substantial changes. Feels like a win to me.

Newsflash:  people don’t need as much protein as they think, and they don’t need it from animal sources. 

It feels great to be back in my element! Writing about food for Manchester Ink Link.  It’s been a while and my foodie proclivities aren’t what they used to be.  They’re far better. And that is what my new column is all about.  The transformative – if not lifesaving, always healthier – nutritional opportunities for well-being and longevity.