Exploring veganism...the raw food debate. (Also, minor setbacks!)

Hello Veggies!
I am sad to report I have had some setbacks. Initially, I set out to change my habits prior to my birthday, and now my birthday is basically here...and I am just getting started. I must be perfectly honest, in that I have not tried very hard to stick to a vegan regimen. Last week, I was back in my hometown of Ohio with my family for Christmas. My Mother has always been very respectful of my decision to cut meat out of my diet, but I did not want to ask her to remove eggs/dairy. So I enjoyed macaroni and cheese, cookies, cheese cake, and more. My plan was to get back on track at home, but my husband's uncle prepared the most delicious carrot cake for me EVER! And I am just so happy, but I obviously have been nibbling it (more like devouring it). My problem is that in the past year I have developed some emotional eating tendencies, and gain gratification from sweets. It is best, I steer clear of them until I can stick to a satisfying and healthful diet. SO tonight I wrapped up the cake, and have packed the remaining portions in the freezer. Cakes freeze! Just refrigerate the cake to harden the icing, cut the pieces, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and stash in a freezer bag. I can now take normal portions out every so often when I need a treat!!! Score!
This week I found myself searching for more information about women who participate in fitness/figure competitions, and ran across Erin Moubray, a pro bikini competitor on a LOW FAT HIGH CARBOHYDRATE VEGAN DIET! She follows a diet by a gentleman named Dr. Douglas Graham called the 80 10 10 diet. This diet is composed of 80% Carbs 10% Protein 10% Fat. I became quite curious because she has wonderful muscular definition, and I read the book myself. It was an interesting read. In general, he advocates a diet made up of fruits, and smaller portions of green leafy vegetables. Nuts, seeds, and fatty fruits/vegetables such as avocado are limited. In addition to this, he strictly forbids vinegar (good - bye salad dressings!), added salt, and alcohol to name a few. As you can imagine, to consume sufficient calories, one must consume meals of many bananas, whole watermelons, etc. I have thought about this pretty hard, and I can not confidently support this book for the following reasons:
1) I believe vegetarians/vegans should supplement the diet with Vitamin D/B12. Well, to each its own. However, deficiencies are real and serious.
2) At times, it seems he blames ailments such as cancer solely on our diets. Of course, we can not deny poor diet can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer (endometrial, colon, breast, etc.). However, even people in perfect health can develop cancer, and there are other causes of cancer known/unknown.
3) Dr. Graham implies this diet is the ONLY WAY! Yes, I love plant based diets, but we can not make generalizations. People have to do what is best for their lifestyle.
4) In one part of the book he claims people who eat salad with olive oil are not eating a healthy meal because most of the calories come from fat. However, I think if you eat a salad with a few teaspoons of olive oil as opposed to a burger, you are doing alright.
There are good points in the book!! You may want to pick it up and see for yourself, as he does include large numbers of references (scientific evidence), for personal research. In the end I have come away with some good ideas. I do like the promotion of fresh, and organic produce in the diet. I do think fruits can be consumed in larger portions in the diet, and should not be grouped together with refined sugar filled foods. According to the book, natural sugars from fruits do not wreak havoc on insulin levels, like refined sugars.
I can not believe I have been through four years of medical school, and learned so little about nutrition. With obesity on the rise, I feel it should be a greater portion of the curriculum. I can definitely see how people are confused about what to eat now a days. I still believe, the closer to a whole food you can get ... THE BETTER!
Tomorrow, my birthday, and the last day of the year...I will embark on a vegan adventure. I will be continuing my supplements. Giving up the diet sodas. Limiting coffee. Eliminating desserts. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Here are my diet thoughts at this point, we will call this 12/31/11 Day 1.
1) Emphasize mostly fresh/organic fruits and vegetables. Limit fat to no more than 15% of my diet. I will continue to consume my protein through natural sources (Some resources recommend 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight -- that's 40ish grams per day for me). Therefore, I will not be spending money on super foods/powders.
2) I will stick to raw simple meals for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, I will consider cooked options like quinoa, tofu or beans *both of which Dr. Graham denounces. However, I may decide three raw meals in a day is great!!! (I kind of want to give it a little try! Erin looks so good).
3) I will not be intermittent fasting because of the larger quantities of fruits I must eat.
That's about it!!!
4) I will eat at least 2,000 calories daily. Even though I am squishy.
I want to leave you all with a tidbit about diet/exercise. This week, I learned fruit can make decent meals. Experiment with fresh fruit and a blender if you are busy with children, or work. I recommend experimentation! This week, I used about 8 ounces of fresh squeezed OJ, two bananas, and about half a cup of berries to make a good smoothie. My dance teacher always says she starts everyday with organic blueberries, and she is always gleaming. They are full of antioxidants as well, so do try them. Also, look up recipes for GREEN SMOOTHIES where leafy greens are incorporated...often you can't even taste it.
Lastly, today in the gym I worked my chest. I use a machine to perform the incline and decline chest press. I also use a traditional chest press machine. Everyone I talk to feels the chest press on the decline is hardest, so I try not to progress too much (not yet) in the amount of weight I'm using when I am performing the incline chest press, so I can keep things as even as possible. I also perform push ups! They are awesome, do them! See you tube, or bodybuilding.com for pointers on technique. Lastly, I perform a "fly." (Think about pulling arms in toward your chest, much like a bird). I use a machine for this exercise as well. However, there are free weight variations of these motions. Pick whatever works for you!
P.S. I would like to thank my carnivorous former roommate for teaching me how to correctly purchase mango fruits. HAPPY NEW YEAR! PEACE&LOVE.