An Interview with Blogger Susan Voisin of FatFree Vegan Kitchen!!

Susan Voisin :-)

I'm so excited to finally share with my interview with the brilliant and lovely Susan Voisin!  When I first became an "Esselstyn" vegan, I really struggled to find low fat recipes that met the "Esselstyn" criteria.  One of my first recipe searches introduced me to Susan's blog:  FatFree Vegan Kitchen. It was a treasure trove of delicious & healthy recipes!!  I was SO happy to discover that my husband & I were not alone in our vegan quest AND that even though we were trying to eat fat free we could do so with pleasure since her food was (& is) SO tasty!!!  


Susan's blog is awesome and she also runs several other sites, including the Fatfree Vegan site and the The Vegan Connection.

Given how incredibly popular she AND her blog are, I never dreamed that she would be willing to be interviewed on my little blog!!  But I decided to take a leap of faith and email her to ask--imagine my absolute delight & surprise when she said yes!!!  So I sent her my questions & bless her heart, she answered everyone!!  


In the course of completing the interview process, Susan has become a friend.  She is warm, kind and humble--as you can see by this interview.  I'm so happy to share her thoughts with you today & hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!!  I know that MANY of you are HUGE fans of her (like me!) so feel free to share your love in the comments section of this post!


We are all so lucky to have  Susan as one of the first trailblazers of the vegan blogosphere--without her, none of us would be here!!  Enjoy the interview!

  
1) I read that you became a vegetarian out of your concern for animals and then you became a vegan for health reasons.  What changes have you noticed in your total body wellness after giving up meat (over 20 years ago!) and then after giving up dairy and eggs?

It’s been so long ago (18 years since I became vegan) that I can hardly remember what I felt like before. Once thing I can say for sure is that once I became vegan, I stopped getting bronchitis every winter.  Even as a vegetarian, I would get a terrible respiratory infection every winter, but that just stopped happening once I stopped eating dairy and eggs. Who knows what other maladies I might have now if I hadn’t become vegan?

2)  In medicine, I have learned that EVERYONE has an interesting life story!  Before you started your amazing blog, what did you do with your time?  Did you ever have formal training as a chef?

I’ve always liked to cook, but I never even considered a career as a chef so no, I have no training. Up until 13 years ago, I was a college English teacher. I took a break from that to be home with my daughter when she was very young, took a few online classes in website design, and started a second career building websites. Well, it was more a hobby than a career because I had only a handful of paying clients. At the same time, I built my own vegan sites, The Vegan Connection and, later, Fatfree Vegan Recipes, and found that that I was more interested in providing information to vegans than building sites for other people. But those sites didn’t really take off--and I didn’t find my true calling--until I started my blog in 2006. Blogging let me combine the things I enjoy most: cooking, writing, educating about veganism, and photography (which was something I didn’t know I’d love until I really got into it).

3)  You started your blog in 2006 and now it is well deservedly the most popular vegan blog on the net!!  What motivated you to start blogging and what do you remember fondly about those early blogging days?

What I remember most clearly is that I didn’t even know what a blog was! I was running the Fatfree Vegan site, and Karina Allrich, who had contributed recipes to the site and had just started her Gluten Free Goddess blog, suggested that I write a blog. I thought, “Why? I already have a website.” But I looked at her blog and a couple of others and thought it looked like fun. I could just write about whatever I was making that day. I figured I’d give it a try as a sort of off-shoot of the website, and if it didn’t work out, I could always stop. I never dreamed that very quickly it would turn into the most popular part of the site.  

4)  I know that you, like me, have rode the weight loss merry-go-round over the years, once losing 100 lbs yourself!  You have shared on the blog that you recently started eating differently to lose weight and be healthier.  How does your body feel now compared to before?  What advice to you have for others who struggle to become or maintain a healthy weight?

Weight and dieting are difficult subjects for me, and I don’t like to offer advice when I still struggle with my own weight. So I stick to describing what works for me--a low-fat, vegan diet centered on vegetables, fruits, and beans and avoiding processed foods like sugar and flour. When I eat that way, I feel better all around--more energetic, fewer of the aches and pains that come with aging, and less craving for processed foods. But even though I know that, I still slip up, more often that I care to admit, so I feel that I am not anyone’s role model. 

5)  You obviously have a special heart of service and we are all so grateful for everything you give those of us in the vegan community & beyond.  That said, I know that giving can sometimes deplete us.  What inspires you to keep blogging?  How do you maintain your balance in your life to continue blogging with a joyful heart?

I love blogging--the fun of creating a new recipe, of trying to capture it beautifully in a photograph, of sharing it with others, and--especially--of getting feedback from people who try it. So for me, blogging is its own inspiration. I do sometimes hit rough patches where I’m not sure where the next recipe is coming from--after having written so many, it can start to feel like I’ve exhausted the possibilities for fat-free cooking--but then I’ll read something in a cooking magazine or a reader will ask a question that will lead me to a new idea. 

The great thing about blogging is that I fit it in around my family life, not the other way around, like most “real jobs.” So when I need a vacation, I take one (and try not to stress out about time away from the blog too much).

6)  Your recipes are creative, delicious and extremely nutrient dense.  I realize that this might be like asking you to pick amongst your children but what are your favorite recipes on your blog and why?

Why, thank you! Picking my favorite child--that’s exactly how I describe it! It would be so much quicker to tell you which of the recipes I don’t like!  One of my readers recently asked me the same thing, so what I did was go back through my recipes, find the ones that I make all the time, and add them to a category on my blog, Family Favorites: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/category/favorites They’re not always the fanciest recipes, but they’re the ones I make over and over again and that my whole family loves.

7)  Speaking of children, I find it inspiring that you've shared that your teenage daughter has stayed on the veg-centered path.  What advice do you have for other Moms and Dads on how to guide their kids to eat healthfully without inciting a veg rebellion?!

I had it fairly easy because I raised E as a vegan from birth; trying to change kids’ tastes after they’ve acquired them must be so difficult, and I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with that. I think that what has kept E vegan is that I always explained to her why we eat this way, and her compassion for animals is so strong that, other than a brief flirtation with ice cream and other dairy treats, she chose to be vegan for the animals. Now, that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have the typical teenage attraction to sugar and other less-healthy foods. I can’t quite get her to be as concerned for her own health as she is for animals’, though I’m sure she eats a wider variety of vegetables than most kids her age just because she was raised eating them.

So my advice is: Explain the reasons for your diet, cook vegan at home, but once your children get old enough to make their own decisions, let them--at least outside of the home. If you don’t make it a battle, they won’t have anything to rebel against and may wind up coming back to the way you taught them. 

8)  I did part of my medical training in the rural South so I can understand the challenges of maintaining veganism without much local support or resources!!  Your town of Jackson isn't really rural, but have you had a hard time getting the food and support you need there in Mississippi?  Any tips for others living in non-veg friendly areas?

Because it’s the largest city in the state, Jackson has just about any vegan specialty item I could want, as well as several international grocery stores that make it easy to pick up ingredients that people in more isolated towns might have trouble with. So even though there isn’t a thriving vegetarian community here, I’m lucky ingredients-wise.  For people who live in areas without access to specialty foods, I recommend online shopping. Practically anything can be found online these days, so take advantage of free shipping through Amazon and other retailers.  And also take advantage of the vegan communities available online; they really kept me going when there were few vegans to talk to in my “real” life.

9)  Last question!  Everyone whats to know if and when you will be publishing a cookbook!!?  Any news to share on that front?!!

Sorry--no news!  And I am totally to blame for that. I’ve had opportunities, but I really can’t decide if I want to take time away from my blog to write a cookbook. I know myself, I’m a perfectionist, and I can’t imaging being able to do a good job at both and still have a life. So we’ll see.


Thank you Susan for taking the time to share with us today!!  You can follow her blog on Facebook here & check out her amazing blog FatFree Vegan Kitchen here!


I've written about how much I love her blog here.  And have featured her recipes MANY times on the blog:  a small sample includes my "What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week" posts (here & here & here) & "Best of the Blogosphere" posts (here & here) & my "Foods that Heal" posts (here & here) & my post on Salads & on Sugar-Free sweets & Snacks!:-)  
The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

Coming up! Recipes, an Interview with Susan Voisin, a NEW Healing Food, Joint Replacements & MORE!

Morning everyone!  Hope you are enjoying the Monday Meditation for today!  


I'm on the road again down in Texas but this time its much better than before because my husband, the Happy Nurse, is with me!  Thank goodness because getting sick and hospitalized when you are out of town is not fun without your hubby!  (not that I plan on getting sick this time darn it!)


I've really missed blogging and I'm excited about a bunch of posts I have coming up so I thought I'd share them with you!


This week I'm super excited to finally publish my interview with the amazing, talented & lovely Susan Voisin, author of the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog among many other things!   She is a very special person.   I'm grateful that despite her insane schedule she was kind enough to answer my numerous questions and become a friend in the process!  It was so fun getting to know her and I think you all will enjoy her interview! 


I'm also going to post my usual "What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week" feature--except it really is technically what we were eating last week.  But thats ok!  The point is to share the recipes right?  We're traveling all week this week so not much cooking on the road.  


Oh side note-- I'm reviewing a really interesting book--Chef AJ sent me her book "Unprocessed" and I'm really looking forward to trying her recipes when I get back!  Have any of you tried any of her recipes?  I'm excited because they look super yummy!!


I'm going to do a post on a new Healing Food!  I'm debating whether to focus on a high protein food or a high calcium food--two things I seem to be nutritionally deficient in these days so I can learn along with you all!  Keep an eye out for that.


And last but not least--and I'm going to apologize for the delayed posting to my reader who really wanted to prepare for her joint replacement in April-- I'm finally going to post on a great rehab topic---how to prepare for joint replacement!  I think the post will be very valuable to share with any folks you know who may be undergoing joint replacement and actually may be helpful even after joint replacement--I'm going to talk a bit about a few exercises you can do to speed your recovery & also share some pre-op nutritional recommendations based on the book: "Prescription for Nutritional Healing."  It should be a helpful combo of suggestions!


Ok so that is what is on the horizon!  Happy to be back and happy to "see" all of you!!!


Hugs,
:-) Dr. Cat


The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions. 

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Positive Attitude! A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week! 

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"Your attitude determines your altitude!"


~Unknown

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

As caregivers we are responsible for juggling many things all at once.  It is easy to become consumed by our responsibilities and begin to feel dissatisfied with our lives.      


We forget that how we feel is a CHOICE and we oftentimes become very negative--particularly towards the very people we are trying to support!  


Our resentments take over and people (including ourselves) do not enjoy spending time in our company.  We become even more "stuck" than before and can even start to feel hopelessly trapped in our own negativity.


No more.


Just for today, I will remember that I have a choice.  


I can choose a positive attitude that will lift me and those around me UP.  


Or I can choose a negative attitude that will bring me and those around me DOWN.


This week I will choose to be positive & see how far my heart will soar!

I'm back!!

Hey everyone!!  Wow have I missed blogging!  Its been a rough few weeks but I'm finally feeling more like myself and life is good :-)  I've really appreciated all the love my readers and my fellow bloggers--you guys are awesome!!  Thank you!!


Time to start posting again!  Hooray!!  I'm got some really excellent posts coming up this week so please tune back in!   


Hope you are all well and feeling good :-)


Love,
:-) Dr. Cat

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Appreciating the Present & A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week! 

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"Happiness is appreciating what you have, not getting what you want." 


~AA Slogan 

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

Oftentimes in life we feel like IF we just had THAT one thing happen or if we were lucky like THAT person than we would be truly happy!


Unfortunately, as we wait for the magic moment where what we want comes true, we miss the rest of our life.  And sometimes, even if the magic event happens or we acquire the treasured possession, we still aren't be satisfied with where & who we are.


Today, I will pay attention to what IS happening around me instead of what MAY happen in the future.


I will notice the good things in my life TODAY & appreciate the person I am.


This week, I will commit to try to stay PRESENT in my life instead of trying to live in someone else's.

I Have Been Ill and Apologies!

Hey blog family,

I just wanted to post a quick note because you may have been wondering why I haven't posted anything this week. Unfortunately I actually was hospitalized for what looks like severe food poisoning for several days at the beginning of the week and then have been on the road traveling since (unfortunately everything happened when I was out of town on business!)! I'm so grateful for all the support from good friends and family! I'm feeling MUCH better now thank goodness!!

I've missed blogging but my own health and wellbeing along with my professional commitments have taken precedence over my extracurriculars (as I'm sure you agree they should!)

Next week when I get some time to regroup I'll be back to my usual blogging schedule so keep your eyes out for new posts then!

Thanks for your patience and kind understanding!

Be well,
:-)Dr. Cat

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Praise & Blame; A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good morning!!
Here is your Monday Meditation to inspire you to self-healing this week!

"Go placidly amidst praise and blame"
~Motto of Komyo Reiki Kai

In life there are so many opportunities that ruffle our feathers. When we care for others it can be particularly hard to remain calm. We feel pride with praise and sadness with blame. This kaleidoscope of emotions can capture our spirits to the point we no longer feel things independent of what other people "make" us feel.

Just for today I'm going to center myself and remind myself that it doesn't matter what other people want me to feel. This week I will stay calm in the face of others' emotions--whether they are positive or negative ones.

I will choose to take pride in my accomplishments and accept blame for my shortcomings not because I react to others but rather because I can feel those emotions within my own heart.

In reaching for balance with my emotions I will find my own unique equilibrium.

How To Prevent Your Family From Having To Make Heart-WrenchingDecisions About Your Medical Care

One thing. Before you decide not to read this post I just want to share one thought. I'm a doctor. After years of training I am privileged to be entrusted with some of the deepest wishes of my patients' hearts. My job is to help guide them on a path to healing. Part of healing for me sometimes means that we talk about what happens when they can't care for themselves anymore. This is a difficult conversation to have with a 20 year old. Yes, that's right, you heard me. I said a 20 year old. Why? Well life happens. Car accidents & cancer effect all of us--no matter what our age.

Whether we are 25 or 85, the greatest gift we can give the ones we love is to clearly communicate our wishes for end of life care. By choosing to be brave and confront this often scary topic (even if you are young & vibrant & can't imagine ever being near that situation anytime soon), you remove a HUGE burden off the shoulders of your parents, children and spouse. By being clear and putting your wishes in writing, by sharing them with your family, you are showing them how much you love them and how much you want to protect them from making an impossible choice in an emotional, stressful situation.

I work in rehab--part of my patient population are the traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury patients. They are often young and healthy before an unexpected event irrevocably changes their life. This sounds sad but most of the time it isn't as sad as it sounds from my position as a rehab doc. We don't focus on how "sad" their life is now. That is a waste of time and actually, not true as so many of my patients go on from rehab to live very vibrant lives despite their injury. I absolutely love what I do and find these patients SO inspiring! But there are some sad parts about caring for these folks. The worst is when patients are so impaired that the decision making falls to their family members and those family members are upset & under enormous stress because they don't know what the patient would have wanted!

Having a written medical directive massively reduces that stress!

As for me, I don't give myself a pass on this conversation even though I'm pretty young and healthy. My husband and I have talked about it a lot and although it seems morbid, just knowing that if something awful happens I'm prepared and so is he--let me tell you, it's a relief.

A few days ago the Healthy Librarian posted an outstanding article on her Facebook page. Here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203918304577243321242833962.html It talked about why us doctors choose end of life plans that are often different than what our patients' choose. It's because we see what "doing everything" really looks like--and for many of us, it isn't the type of exit we'd like and when codes are run for long periods of time (CPR, defibrillation etc) we know that brain injury is a very likely outcome, even if our heart starts again. So as we age or if we become ill, we really start to think about how to design our directives well so they are clear!

For a long time it was hard for me to imagine how someone outside the medical profession would know how to write a clear advanced directive because there are so many things to consider (from tube feeding to breathing mechanisms)! Luckily for all of us (physician or not), this year I found an excellent form to refer my patients to:

http://www.agingwithdignity.org/forms/5wishes.pdf

The "Five Wishes" document was designed by Jim Towey who worked with Mother Teresa for twelve years in Hospice case and wanted to find a better way for patients to communicate their wishes. I'm not a lawyer so I'm not sure of the legal aspects of the document but I love the way it is designed! It is clear, specific and encompasses SO much in a concise, organized way. Take a look!

Do this today--what a major act of love on your part to be prepared!

Do it even though your think everyone "knows what you want."

You'll feel good about choosing to be kind and protective of those you love.

And best of all, you can take comfort that you won't be causing your family any potential fighting and broken relationships over decisions you needed to make a long time before something bad happened!

Thank you!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

What are YOU Thankful for Today?! Join Thankful Thursdays!!!:-)

Last week we started doing group gratitude lists on the Happy Rehab Doc Facebook page! It was so much fun that I thought--why not create a group gratitude list on the blog on Thursdays?! Why Thursdays? One of my readers on Facebook (Mac) came up with the excellent alliterative title!

Gratitude lists play a major role in my life. Let's face it, it's difficult for me to play the self-pity party game when I am listing off all the things I'm grateful for!! Interestingly enough, science has shown that an attitude of gratitude is healing for body and mind! So if you want to feel happier, calmer and healthier--start making a list of things you are thankful for!!

Today I'm grateful for so many things--a conference I'm at that is making me a better doctor, a husband who is so loving and kind, the sunshine of Texas (where I am now) that is helping me pretend winter is over!! I could go on and on!

Why don't you join me? Start listing now! What are you thankful for? Leave a comment on this post to share your thankfulness with our blog community!

Remind all of us what small and big things make a difference in someone's life. Inspire us!