Monday, January 21, 2013

An Apple, Tofu, Kale, Beans a Day...

If an apple keeps the doctor away what keeps someone with their doctor? I loved hearing my daughter's pediatrician tell us "we are partners working together to keep Elena healthy. You have an intuition and connection with your child that I don't have however I have the medical expertise and together we can do a pretty good job". She has answered every question we have had and takes the time to make sure we understand why she is doing what she is doing, asking, etc. We love her. Elena and I were a bit anxious however for her 9 year well visit. This would definitely be the visit where the vegan diet would come up. We were not worried that she would talk us out of it however we were worried that she would not support us.

Our worries were unnecessary! During the visit, the doctor started to ask Elena how many servings of fruit she ate a day. Elena looked at me as if to ask if this was the best time to reveal her exciting news however she refrained.  She was then asked about vegetables, grains and finally...meat. She didn't ask about protein, she asked about meat. Elena looked at me, smiled real big and slowly explained that we were vegan and she ate tofu, greens, and beans to get her protein. She stopped and waited for the doc's reaction. She simply said that a vegan diet can be very healthy as long as you make sure to get your nutrients and stay away from processed foods. Fist pump! We didn't have to explain or defend our diet and she agreed it could be very healthy.

Elena's height and weight were right on target and she was told she was a healthy little girl. We left  happy however we left with something else as well. About 6 days after the well visit, we returned only for her to be diagnosed with Influenza B. Elena had the flu. It didn't stay too long and she is back to normal now. I truly believe she recovered so quickly due to the healthful, plant based foods she eats everyday.

Eat your apples,
Christy


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