How Does a Food Writer End Up Vegan?

It's story time

I’ve heard from some of you asking for some background on my high cholesterol diagnosis, my health journey, and how I ended up plant-based. So this week, I’m sharing some of that story.

Just after my 40th birthday, my doctor waved her prescription pad menacingly in my direction. She wanted me to go on medication—a statin—after a blood test revealed high cholesterol. Troublingly high. My total cholesterol was 263, and my LDL, the “bad” cholesterol was 175. (It should be under 100.)

My diet at the time was far from terrible—I ate in a very Michael Pollan-inspired way. The cholesterol issue, according to my doctor, was genetic.

“I think I can fix this,” I told her.

She looked skeptical. “No, really—I can cook,” I said.

I could tell she didn’t believe me, but she gave me six months to try anyway. I knew I would rather start in the kitchen than the pharmacy when it came to fixing up my health. I would do it whipping up even-better versions of the cholesterol-rich meals I loved.

The very day I got my cholesterol news, I switched to a mostly plant-based diet. So long, cheese! See you later, butter! Bye-bye, chicken thigh!

It was a sudden change, but my long-simmering passion for plant-based home cooking made it relatively painless. I had never been so happy in the kitchen. In the six months my doctor gave me, I dropped my cholesterol enough that I was granted a reprieve from a prescription. 

The problem with the 80/20 rule

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Back then, I was telling myself it didn’t have to be all or nothing. I ate vegan foods 90 percent of the time, occasionally enjoying buttery pasta at a restaurant and ice cream for dessert. This approach works well over the long term for many people.

I am not one of those people. That “90 percent vegan” gradually began to look more like 80 percent, then 75. When life events inevitably happened—my father had a debilitating stroke, my sister came to live with me for a stretch—I got even looser about what I was eating. 

When I finally made my overdue return to the doctor, the bloodwork was bad again. This time she looked at me and said, “You know what to do.” Sometimes I need a second try to get things right. 

Going all in

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This time, I knew my diet would be vegan, not mostly vegan. If I wanted butter, it would have quotation marks around it. If I wanted ice cream, the cream wouldn’t be coming from a cow. I knew it would be easier for me to say, “I’m vegan” and get on with life than to spend willpower every day making decisions about when I’d make exceptions and for what. 

The food part, if you cook, can be easy. For me, breaking the news of this change to the people in my life was hard.

Becoming a food rebel

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I used to pride myself on being the person at a restaurant who is in for the tasting menu, up for sharing everything. I started saying to friends and family, “I’m not fun to eat with anymore, I’m sorry.” And “X restaurant doesn’t work for me, there’s nothing vegan on the menu, can we eat at Y instead?”

I had to let my identity change. I had to prioritize my own health needs over other people’s expectations. I still struggle with this part sometimes.

I realize now a lot of this had to do with setting standards for what I put in my body and boundaries with other people. I saw the role people-pleasing played in my choices about what to eat. There were many times I ate pizza because I didn’t want anyone to think for a second I was high maintenance.

Today, I try to accept myself and that I’m high maintenance around food. I am the picky eater with dietary restrictions I used to scorn. But I love that the way I eat now is a reflection of my values about health, the environment, and kindness.

You can’t argue with numbers

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After 16 weeks eating only plants, my cholesterol levels were lower than they’d ever been before, well into the normal range. My total cholesterol fell to 169 and my LDL to 97.

I couldn’t believe how effective a plant-based diet could be. It was so empowering to learn that even with my genetic high cholesterol, I could take charge of my health and skip the pills. Now I’m excited about following a vegan diet for life.

And even if that’s not your goal, I think there’s much to gain from shifting in a plant-based direction—especially armed with recipes like those I’m sharing with you here.