Our guest writer today, Fred Schlomka, is the husband of a dear friend of mine.  I asked Fred to share his story with my readers and he generously does so very honestly below.

Now, I know that for some of you, the fact that Fred identifies as a vegan but is willing to eat a few non-vegan items or push pieces of meat off the top of a dish and still eat it, is problematic.  If that troubles you, don’t read this post.  If on the other hand, you can focus on the changes this man has made, the impact those changes have had, and allow that we each walk our own path, then I think you will really be inspired by Fred’s story.

 *            *            *             *

It’s really not that hard to be vegan. People are always asking me “How did you do it?” or gasping “What?  No milk or meat products?! What on earth do you eat?”

Well, here’s my secret: There isn’t one!

Most people know whether they are living a healthy lifestyle or not. Some of us have metabolisms and psychologies that enable a life of moderation and balance. I believe that most foods in moderation do not harm us, and that includes milk and meat products. However most of us in the ‘Developed World’ learn various types of addictions at an early age,  sugar, milk and meat tend to be the worst culprits. From our earliest years these products are shovelled into our bodies in quantities far exceeding our nutritional requirements. Our bodies then become dependent on them, and subsequently prone to all kinds of cardiovascular problems and exotic cancers. Our parents, schools, communities, corporations and governments all work together to reinforce the idea that these foods are needed in huge quantities.

Thus we become addicted, except the people I mentioned earlier who seem to float through life unaffected by all the food indoctrination. They remain gloriously healthy.

There was no real decision point for me to alter my eating habits. It was more like a continuum of knowledge easing me towards a healthier lifestyle. My daughter Maya was an inspiration. She has been vegetarian since she was twelve years old, and during the summer of 2011 stopped eating milk products as well. She never proselytized to my wife or myself, but our kitchen was always a reflection of our daughter’s culinary needs.

Meat was never a big factor in our diet. At home we used to have meat once or twice a week and I would eat the occasional shwarma or steak at restaurants. However I did like slabs of bread and butter, and snack foods such as chips, chocolate, ice cream etc., which, as I passed through my 50′s, started adding to my girth. It was becoming a problem. After a blood test last year, my doctor wanted to put me on drugs to reduce my cholesterol, and giving me red flag warnings about heart disease and cancer. I have also been an on-again/off-again smoker for most of my life.

So in early 2012 I started mulling over what to do. I think my wife’s comments on my emerging breasts had something to do with it. Then my daughter suggested I take a look at a video, Forks over Knives. If anything tipped my decision it was that movie, plus some research it prompted me to do. My reasons are for health alone. I have no ethical problem with the eating of animals or their products, although I am pleased to now be on the side of more ecologically sane eating.

Like most people I have a mild addictive personality so I knew that ‘going on a diet’ would not solve my health issues. Diets are by definition short-lived, so I have chosen a lifestyle change which includes new and permanent eating patterns. Most people have addictive personalities to a greater or lesser degree. This is possibly why most diets do not last. If you bristle at the idea that you are some kind of addict, then I challenge you to give up sugar for the next 60 days – zero sugar – none. This means no sugar in hot drinks, no fizzy soft drinks, no ice cream, cakes, etc etc.

I made a decision to remove from my eating plan any meat, dairy, sugar, bread, and processed foods. I am not fanatical about it. Just last night I had a little slice of birthday cake at a dinner party. So sugar and the like become occasional treats, not daily fare. Sometimes I visit my Bedouin friends who might serve Makluba for lunch, a delicious dish of chicken and goat meat cooked together with rice and vegetables. It arrives at the table on a huge platter. I just move aside the meat and help myself to the rice and veggies. A little meat flavour does not bother me.

During the first six week after beginning my modified eating plan, I dropped from 76 kilos to 69 kilos. That was ten months ago. Since then I have fluctuated between 67 and 70 kilos. I believe my healthiest weigh should be around 64-65 kilos so am working on reducing my “healthy” snacks which tend to include a lot of nuts.  Now when I am on the road I take fruit or nuts with me, or snack on falafel. Just about any falafel shop will provide a bag of falafel or a platter of falafel and salads without the pita. But I need to still cut down on the nuts.

Of course real health comes from a combination of proper eating and exercise. I practice karate 2-3 times a week and visit my personal trainer at the gym once a week, plus more sporadic working out at home, a little biking (which I want to increase), and lots of walking. I recently had a full blood workup and my doctor informed me that everything was 100%. No one was more surprised than he was!   “I wish all my patients were like you.” he admitted.

Oh, did I mention I stopped smoking several months ago? Now, as I approach the end of my first year as a vegan, I believe I am doing everything possible to improve my health and extend my life as much as possible. It really hasn’t been that hard. The American Philosopher John C. Lilly once wrote ”What one believes to be true either is true or becomes true within the limits of the mind. Those limits are beliefs to be transcended.”  Once upon a time I believed I was a meat-eating smoker, and I was.  Over a period of time I came to believe I was a non-smoking vegan – so I became one. No trauma. No cravings. We all have within ourselves the capacity to change, but for change to come successfully, we have to first imagine a new status, a new way of being and relating to the world. This creates a window of opportunity for change. I stepped through the window and haven’t looked back.

When he is not eating well or practicing karate, Fred manages Green Olive Tours, an “alternative” tour company. He spends a great deal of time driving around the country, introducing foreign visitors to the culture, social mores, religions, and politics of the region.