big al and my plant-based beginning

My dad loved cake. He loved celebrations, big and small. Road trips. The newspaper. Candy!

He loved going to any type of ball game, settling into the bleachers with a box of popcorn in hand, after years of being an athlete & coach himself.

As he got older, like many Americans, he struggled with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and eventually, cancer. He followed doctors’ orders, and took his meds, had surgery, and endured chemo & radiation. We supported him in his efforts to regain health, and for me, that included finding ways to complement the medical care he was given.

I discovered a NYT best-selling book called Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schrieber, MD, PhD. Dr. Servan-Schrieber discovered at age 31 that he had brain cancer, and in his own efforts to fight it, researched ways to use his body’s natural defenses to help heal himself. In his book, he discussed the fact that food is a powerful tool in strengthening our bodies’ immune response—-to both prevent disease, and sometimes reverse it. Dr. Servan-Schrieber lived nearly 20 years after his initial diagnosis, by changing his diet to include more beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables.

That was my springboard to begin learning more about the power of food, and it’s relationship to one’s health. I am dedicated to sharing what I’ve learned through The Table Leaf : “make room at your table for plants”. While I wish I had had more time to help my dad with a diet change, I will honor his memory by helping folks add more plants to their plates.

I loved my dad, and his big love of comfort food and sweets. I wish I had known then, what I know now: a plant-based diet can help prevent disease, and in some cases, reverse it.

And you don’t need to give up cake.

*Did you know you can make a cake without eggs? And without (dairy) butter or milk? You can, and it’s delicious (and wacky!) Wacky Cake & Fudge Frosting