You are vegan.

Carolyn: You are vegan. You are awesome. Fierce! You are…

This is where I stop again and process, as I have a few times since I read your email last night. This is a hard change.  I am so in awe. I can’t think of a single other person I know who wouldn’t say simply: OK. Give me the drugs.

When did you receive the cholesterol news and make your decision? How are you feeling now?

I’m wondering if you are being hard on yourself, as you often are, by making immediate change vs. a phased approach. Are you? Is transition vs. cold turkey an option? Says the woman who always looks for every possible out first. 

But everything I’ve read is all about setting yourself up for success with gradual behavioral change to ultimately sustain it, vs. sudden change and deprivation.Not that I went vegan, but when I lost weight, I know now after some additional learning it was because it became something fun (cooking and trying new recipes) vs. something horrid (depriving myself). The fast food and bread just phased out and don’t even taste good anymore.

Vegetables = friend, with a lot of experimentation, usually roasted, and lots of garlic. 

Any restrictions on salt intake?  Not that I use much salt and in fact, usually avoid it. But they do make the kale chips actually kinda tasty if you’re making them yourself. Store-bought is crap.
I bought Alicia Silverstone’s Kind Diet years ago. I really like a lot of her recipes. I actually just lent it to a coworker, so I’ll have to get it back to give you the specific recipes that I can recommend beyond the summer succotash. Lima/fava beans, who’da thunk it?

What research and other recommendations do you have so far?
BTW: Tofu = gross. Why bother?

Where do you stand on chickpeas and black beans? You’ve given me the list of “can’t have” and “hate it.” What is the starting point on “okay with it” and, besides spinach, “I like it”?

Have you had roasted radishes? For more than 45 years, no one ever told me about roasted radishes. I try not to be bitter about that.

And pears… are pears on the okay list? Because baked pears and cinnamon are lovely to me.

Want to pick a book or recipe site or two, and we’ll test and exchange recipe reviews once a week? It’ll be a good for both of us.  

You encourage me to be a better person with your lead as you always do. You were doing yoga at least a decade before I finally tried it out, for crying out loud. And I really should go back to it.  My back and hips are killing me. 

Growing older together, sweetie. Love you.