A Dog & Whales with a Home; Firefighters with Healthy Hearts (and, um, other parts)

I could use some good news. Perhaps you'd like some too? (You'll have to read all the way to the end of this post for the make-you-blush "other parts" stuff.)

First, easyVegan.info tells us the story of Gramby, a pit bull who was found as a stray puppy in a town with a breed ban and who, after too long in a shelter (a great no-kill shelter, but still a shelter--no match for a loving home), has found a happy home. I really needed this particular story this week. Thanks, Kelly.

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Over at NRDC's Switchboard, there's a post titled "What Successful Environmental Activism Looks Like: Wild Baby Whales."

I spend most of my working hours sitting in meetings in office buildings. But over the past few days, I came face to face with what those meetings can achieve: wild baby gray whales, whales whose last unspoiled nursery was saved by NRDC and our citizen activists.

Every time I go into the field, I am reminded that environmental activism has tangible results--things you can literally touch, like the trunk of a 300-year old tree in a healthy forest or a grizzly bear footprint along a muddy stream. Being within arm's reach of the sleek, rubbery gray whales was a jolt of inspiration: this is what successful conservation feels like.

Go read the story.

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Finally, after you've finished reading about Gramby and the whales, check out this super-cool article about an Austin firefighter who's spreading the plant-lovin', meat-eschewing word throughout his fire station and--now--beyond, with a book on a way of eating that does remarkable things for health (though I'll be the first to admit that my diet is not oil-free as Esselstyn's recommended diet is). Think you have to consume meat, dairy, and eggs to be strong, healthy, and--yes--tough? Tell that to this guy. Read lots more (including the "who needs Viagra?!" testimonial) after the jump.

Plant-powered firefighter wants to lower your cholesterol: Rip Esselstyn writes book about meat, dairy and oil-free diet

Austin firefighter Rip Esselstyn, a former professional triathlete and, most recently, self-dubbed Head Lettuce of a group that tested his Engine 2 Diet . . . is about to drop a smart bomb of healthy eating into a society that, he says, eats food that ravages our cardiovascular systems and relies too readily on drugs to keep its cholesterol in check.

Five years ago, Esselstyn flipped the meat-munching crew of the Austin fire station where he worked to a plant-powered gang fueled by beans, tofu and leafy greens. Now he's introducing the rest of us to his eating philosophy in his book, "The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds."

The premise of the diet is simple: No meat or fish, no dairy, no added oils. Even olive oil — a concentrated source of calories — is spurned. Eliminate as many processed foods as possible. Cut down on sodium. Increase your intake of vegetables, legumes, leafy greens and fruits.

By following his program, Esselstyn says you can lower cholesterol naturally. . . .

On a recent evening, firefighter Steve Martinez is whipping up a batch of corn chowder made with rice milk, green chiles, potatoes and vegetable broth at Fire Station 2, near the University of Texas campus. The chowder will make it onto the dinner table alongside a giant salad and whole wheat bread. There's no meat or butter in sight.

Esselstyn looks on approvingly. "It's hearty, and it's tasty," he says. It's also void of saturated fats, dietary cholesterol and animal protein. "Remove those three culprits and your cholesterol comes down like a rock," Esselstyn says.

Most Americans get 10 percent of their diet from whole, unprocessed foods. About 50 percent comes from processed foods; 40 percent is dairy or meat, Esselstyn says. "If we can turn that upside down, it's so much better."

The article's author tried out the Engine 2 diet for herself and liked the results:

"It's the cheapest way to eat on the planet," Esselstyn says. (Unless you are buying Ezekiel bread, a brand made without oil or preservatives, I should add.) "It's environmentally friendly. It's compassionate. Plant foods are loaded with micronutrients, yet they are calorie lean, as opposed to meat and dairy."

And it works. Two weeks in, my total cholesterol dropped 37 points. By the end of the 28-day program, it was down exactly 40 points. My LDL cholesterol — the bad stuff — sank to 71. My risk ratio was 0.95, just about perfect. (My HDL, or good cholesterol, also dropped, but Esselstyn says that's because when your LDL drops you need fewer HDL molecules to clean up after them.)

"You're essentially heart-attack proof," Esselstyn told me. "That's an amazing risk ratio. You hit a home run."

During an earlier six-week pilot study with 62 people who followed the Engine 2 Diet, the average drop in total cholesterol was 40 points; the average LDL drop was 36 points.

And here's the article's great conclusion:

In the long run, he wants to change the way Americans think and feel about eating this way.

"I became a firefighter to help people and save lives," he says. This is just another way to do that.

Over at Esselstyn's own Web site, where you can check out his book and diet in more detail, he provides answers to frequently asked questions, including, of course, "Can real men eat just plants?" The uncensored answer:

The fat and cholesterol in animal products clogs up the arteries traveling not only to the heart and head but also to the extremities, including the penis, where they can cause PAD (peripheral arterial disease) and impotence, which research shows may be an early sign of heart disease.

So, men: There is a better way, and it doesn't involve taking Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. It involves eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

In my father's research study, several of the men who had been impotent for years regained their performance after changing to a plant-based diet, making their wives quite happy. Many of the Engine 2 Study participants also reported improved potency, including one who said that his erections "are now like blue steel."