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Sunday, January 20, 2019

My Brother Mick

My brother Mick died recently - 1/11/2019. Easy day to remember. His son in law called with the news. No good way to say it, is what he said. Mick wasn't a youngster - 75 - and his lovely wife had died just a few years ago, after 51 years of marriage. Mick would engage you in conversation like no one else could. I will miss him.

My wife suggested that I write down a few of the stories I have told over the years about Mick - primarily to share with his children and grandchildren. Jude's dad used to tell stories all the time about growing up in MN or when he was driving the Greyhound bus. When he died we all sat around the living room telling his stories. At the funeral, his brother's kids said how much they loved his stories about their father's youth. So here are some stories. See what you think.

Our Parents
You should know first of all that our family history is somewhat different. My dad was a chronic alcoholic - he never drank on Sunday, but I am pretty sure he was intoxicated almost every other day, until he got much older and his kidneys failed. That means that our home was not a "normal" affair. Dad would come home drunk, mom would pry whatever money was left out of his pockets, and we would survive another day. My mom's siblings were of tremendous help to us - especially my mother's sisters. We spent a lot of time in their homes, a lot of time with them on vacations and celebrations. I knew my dad's siblings, but my mom's were an essential part of our life. That larger family is one reason that we remained relatively sane growing up in a dysfunctional household. I owe them all a great deal.

My mom was an amazing lady - full of love for us, compassion for others, and a lot of hard work. She held multiple jobs over the years - retail sales and custodian duty for older citizens. I think her bakery jobs were our favorite - there would always be something special when she got home. She moved out on my dad numerous times, but always went back. In those days, divorce was a rarity, and complicated. And once I had set myself on a seminary path, I think my mom felt that if she left dad, it would reflect poorly on my chances of becoming a priest. She finally did move out after my ordination - thank heavens.

So, you need that background for some of these stories - especially the later ones.

Mick's Name
Mick and I were 4 years apart. I was born before the war, and he was born toward the middle of it. Dad was in the Navy, stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Reserve. They were not going to send someone named Carl Scheider to Germany, when his father had been born there. So he often came home on leave. I remember him with his uniform, and us posing for pictures in the backyard. Some of my earliest memories are packing care boxes to send to dad, and hiding in our bathroom during the blackouts, and shopping at Caspar's grocery with ration coupons. We also had a backyard victory garden, as did everyone else.

My dad was pretty much a full time bigot. He had a name for every minority immigrant group, including the Irish. Dad's parents were full German, father born in Germany, mom one generation removed. They had both grown up speaking German, and we attended the German Church - not the Irish one, and definitely not the Polish one. Dad called all Irish "Micks". And since mom was half Irish - her mother, my grandmother, was Mary Mulaney - he called his newest little boy "Mick'. His full name did include Michael - but anyone that knew him from way back always called him Mick. It was kind of a test for how long you had known him.

Mom - He Hit Me
Now siblings have a bit of rivalry, and being the oldest I had a bit of an advantage. But Mick never let that get in the way. We had a big backyard, and the neighbors on both sides of us had full lots. We all had gardens during the war. We had a back porch on our house with the laundry tubs. It was kind of an add on. One day Mick and I were horsing around about some sibling rivalry thing. I was four years older and had a different circle of friends, and I wanted to play with them. Mom, naturally, wanted me to spend some time watching my brother.  So I'm upset, he's upset, etc. I was sitting on the steps to the back porch, and Mick came up behind me and hit me in the head with a hammer - with the claw end! Holy Spit. It really wasn't that hard - I don't think he drew blood - but did I yell! I don't remember what penalty he got, but I am sure he deserved it.

Stones Over The Hill
Mick was, how do you politely say this, an "unruly" child. He was not bad, he was just, you know, "independent". He had his buddies, and they prowled our neighborhood. We lived on a cul de sac which ended abruptly on a hillside. There were two sets of steps down the two dead ends. There was a vacant lot behind our house, where an older house had once stood - so we had the hillside there for climbing up and down, etc. And there was a large collection of shale rock - part of the original foundation I think.
Mick loved to throw stones. We were, of course, forbidden to play on the hill, and absolutely forbidden to throw stones over it. One day, Mick was heaving large stones over the hill - and he managed to pelt a few vehicles going by on Chartiers street below. Long story short, police were called, cops showed up, etc. Mick spent a few days in the yard as a penalty.

Throwing Stones Again
Mick and Ray McTighe were throwing stones at each other one day. Mick says he slipped, and one hit Ray McTighe in the eye. No permanent damage, but scary. Mom grounded him for a month. He could not leave the yard. The very first day out of the yard he is throwing stones at Jimmy Porter. Jimmy was ducking behind a fence, so Mick called his name, and then threw it as he was looking up - hit him in the eye! He was grounded again - I suspect he also got his behind warmed as well.

Saturday Night Movies
Back then, there were movie theaters in every neighborhood. We had one in Elliot right on Lorenz Ave. There was one in the West End on Main street, and one in Sheridan. We could walk to all of them, but we usually went to the Elliot one. It was about 4 good blocks away. This was before TV of course, and movies were really a big deal. If we got to go to the movies, that was an extraordinary treat. A newscast, a short cartoon, and a feature film - with pop and popcorn. It was absolutely our favorite thing to do. But Mick would always get antsy during the film, and he would always, always start crying and moaning and want to leave. I think he was about 6 years old.
So, one Saturday, Mick says - we should go see this movie. And mom says, there is no way I am taking you to a movie. You always moan and groan and we have to leave halfway through the film. Not going to happen. But Mick groaned, and cried, and promised that he would NOT fuss this time. He would last the whole movie. Please, pretty please!
So mom relented, and off we went. And, guess what, halfway through the feature film he starts groaning and moaning and crying - he just has to go home. We took the alley shortcut home so she could paddle his bum half of the distance to home. That was the end of those movies.

Saturday Morning Movies
On a more positive note, we would often go to Saturday morning movies. The local theater always ran a special with lots of films. It would start with some serials, like Tom Mix and the FBI or something. And then 7 cartoons or 2 or more feature films for kids. We would go to that as often as we could scrounge up the funds.

Kindergarten 
We went to parochial grade school, but for kindergarten everyone went to the local public school. It was literally in the next block. I remember going there and one of my 2nd cousins was in my class. I have a very unhappy memory of some altercation with him, but I was Mr. Goody TwoShoes, so my mom never found out. Mick, on the other hand, was a bit of a problem. He definitely did NOT want to go to school. As I remember the story, Sissy (Ethel) Killmeyer came to our home to take Mick to school every day. She was Gerard's oldest - my mom's brother. As she tells the story, Mick got his arms and legs out at the door in a kind of a cross, and she could not get him in the door. He was independent, as they say.

Our House
We had a nice house. I have a suspicion that my grandfather or my uncle helped my parents with the down payment. In the early years, during the war and later, the upstairs was rented out to help cover the mortgage. We had the three rooms downstairs. It was a duplex, sharing a common wall with the neighbor - the Boehm's. The house only had one full bathroom that we all shared - the upstairs one. So we would set up a schedule when we could all go up and have a bath - usually Saturday night. We also had a toilet installed in a small corner room in our "living" room. That was later moved to the basement when we took over the upstairs.
The Cues also had a real ice box - the ice man made deliveries every week. We, however, had an actual refrigerator! My Uncle Mike would come and babysit us once a week while my mom went to card club. I remember sitting on our sofa / day bed with him in the middle room, listening to radio shows like The Shadow, and Nick Carter. Mike Mulaney was my grandmother's brother, and he lived with them. That is what bachelor brothers did back then. Mike was always on the corner at Chartiers and Lorenz. And I would greet him every time I went by. And I also knew that if I did anything, Uncle Mike would hear about it and my parents would also.
After the tenants moved out, we occupied the upstairs. Mick and I shared the old kitchen, which became our bed room. I remember that there were some old canned goods in the closet there that had literally exploded in the cans.
With both parents working, when we were home, we were in charge. One of our favorite games with the neighborhood kids, was hide and seek - inside the house. That was a bit of a challenge, but we did it. I managed one day to escape detection by climbing out of the bathroom window onto our side porch roof. Then when someone came into that room, I jumped off the roof - and seriously sprained my ankle. Not Mick's fault that time.

Coffee Bag Football
Another time, Mick and I were playing coffee bag football in the house. My mom would always get a pound of coffee in a paper bag. It was a perfect small football for playing catch. But, I missed it, it landed on the floor and broke open. That was a serious investment back then - so I swept it up and put it all in a jar or something. I am sure my mom was not happy - and as I recall that was the end of coffee bag football.

Corner Softball
All the kids in the neighborhood used to play softball right on the corner - with one corner for home base, one for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. We would pitch and hit and run - UNTIL the ball hit a parked car, and then we would really run.

Rec Field Softball
We played ball on the corner, because the big ball field behind the grade school sitting right there across the street from the corner was always locked. It had a really tall chain link fence around it. But, we could climb over that fence, and the little kids would walk all the way around the block and climb over the lower fence on the other end of the field. So we sometimes played softball in that field. The major problem was when we hit a foul ball that went "over the hill". The hillside there was covered with tall bushes, and it was nearly impossible to climb back over the fence, and search in those bushes for the ball. And, needless to say, we did not own more than a few softballs in the whole neighborhood.

Left Handed Hitter
Mick was a left handed hitter, and a right handed thrower - and writer. I think he was naturally a lefty, but the nuns persuaded him that he could write with his right hand. It is probably why his brain was so developed! He used the whole thing.

Weight Lifting
I have many memories of Mick and his 2 buddies - Eddie Coleman and Ray McTighe lifting weights in the Coleman's back yard. They were both Catholic families - one Irish and the other Polish - so they went to different schools and churches, but they were Mick's best friends growing up. I can see them in Coleman's back yard doing their weight lifting routines. Mick was a really solid guy - large arms, large chest - a really big kid. I think he came by it naturally, but the weight lifting helped a bit.

High School Football
I went to the parochial high school, I think with my uncle's help for tuition. Mick went to the public school - a much larger institution. I don't remember much about that, because when he entered high school, I went off to the seminary and college. I remember him telling one story about making the football team, and then being harrassed by some bigger players, and figuring there was no way he was going to put up with that.

Confronting Dad
By high school, Mick was a big guy, and he could easily intimidate someone. My dad was often physically abusive to my mom. It was mostly shouting and yelling, but I know he did more than that. When I left for college, the burden fell on Mick. Normally when dad came home like that, we just ran and hid somewhere - all of us. I feel bad about that now - I should have stayed and helped - but that is a long time ago, with different values. My mom would not have wanted me to do that, for sure.
Mick told me the story about confronting dad. Dad had come home intoxicated, and he was threatening mom and Mick. Mick said he grabbed a baseball bat, and hit him with it - hard. Got his attention. And he told him that if he ever hit mom again, he would beat him senseless with it. As I understand it, dad never threatened physical violence again. You would never doubt Mick would do it, and it worked.

Living Room Discussions
I visited Mick often - while in the seminary, later, after I met Judy, when we were married. And we always talked. We had, as they say, lively discussions. He was a very opinionated type, and I am of a similar bent - ask anyone that knows us!
I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions. I would not say he was conservative - he was more "pragmatic" - that can't be right, that wouldn't work, etc. I was "fact based" and a world traveler! I remember one occasion when we were going at it about the war in Vietnam, and his daughter, Amy, came in the room and asked me to stop yelling at her dad! I was not yelling at him - we were just talking - but it sure sounded like yelling.
In all those years, we never shared a word in anger - just disagreements!

Honeymoon Visit
When Jude and I got married, he was the best man. Jude and I left on our honeymoon trip to New Orleans and Florida. We stopped to stay with Mick and Dorth on our way home. They had a nice 3 BR home where they always lived. They had made room for Jude in one of the bedrooms, and set out some bedding for me on the floor. I went up to wish Jude a good night - when I finally came back down, they had gone to bed, and had removed the bedding. They figured I was going to sleep with Jude in the single bed - well - and that is what I did!

The Cabin - Bonfire
Harold and Flo, my mom's sister, had bought a place in the mountains. Everyone helped build it, and everyone loved it. Mick bought one nearby for a few years. We all gathered up there to visit. It was like a periodic family reunion. Everyone would come to the mountains and sleep somewhere. I remember one evening when the bonfire got a little out of hand. I think it was that spare tire that Mick put on there! We thought the whole forest would catch on fire. He always was a bit of a pyromaniac with fires.

Investments
Mick was always into the world of business and investments. He loved the internet, and the newspapers, and magazines. I swear he read everything in the world about every company he invested in. He loved finding an opportunity. When he retired, with settlements and everything, he had a sizeable fund to work with. Dorth, however, thought it was scary and took up way too much of his time. She made him promise to stop at some point. I am pretty sure he did not. The last time I talked with him, he still had several companies he was watching. It was more of a long term game with him - he enjoyed it thoroughly and did it well.

Politics
Mick loved politics as well. He thought every politician was crooked in some way or other, and was into it for themselves, so he never voted. That was why Dorth would not let him talk about politics. The rest of us were more flexible.

Telephone Calls
The very best thing about Mick was just talking with him. Visiting was best, but a call was also wonderful. We could talk for 45 minutes with no problem. He was full of stories and ideas and jokes. He was the most outgoing individual I have ever met. I think he could have sold anything to anyone. He would call, and pretend to be some kind of salesman or police or IRS or something. That would set the tone, and it would just go on from there. He told stories about the family, relatives, economy, politicians - you name it. He was interested in hundreds of things and loved to talk about them. I always got off the phone thinking, man, I wish I could do that. But it was great fun. That is probably the thing I will miss the most - his call and chat. I loved that, and I loved him.

A Softie
Mick was a big guy and tough, and you would not want to challenge him physically. He was also an emotional guy who really felt for others. That came from our mom. He talked a good fight, but he was a real softie inside. Back in 1975, he decided that he needed to buy a gun - for protection or something. He bought a 22 rifle. Not a huge weapon, but a rifle. He took it up to the cabin to see what it would do. We went back in the woods away from everyone. Mick loaded the 22, and was aiming up the creek at rocks and things.  Lo and behold, there was this tiny chipmunk sitting on a rock, about 30 yards away.  Mick figured he would never be able to hit the thing, so he aimed at the chipmunk and fired.  Well -- he hit the poor thing and killed it.  It just flopped over, and lay there in a little, furry heap.
He was shocked.  He said, "Oh, no".  Just then, another chipmunk popped up, and came to sniff at the dead one, and then ran off.  We were sure this was the mate -- and Mick was even more distressed.  He was truly remorseful, with tears in his eyes. I don't know what became of the gun, but I never saw Mick with it again.

Mick and Dorth
If you knew them, you had to realize that Mick and Dorth had a very special relationship. His greatest love was Dorth, then his kids and grandkids. Mick has told this story many times about how they met. Dorothy Lucot was an absolutely beautiful girl. If you see pictures of her then, she rivaled Jackie Kennedy. The first time Mick saw her was in a large gathering and she was across the room. He was smitten. He told his friends with him that he was going to marry that girl and he had not yet even met her - and he did. She was a wonderful partner to Mick. He was wonderful with her, and loved her greatly. She tempered him and improved him. Everyone loved Dorth.
When she died so suddenly, we were really afraid for him. The pain was great just because their love was so great. But he survived. And that is why the tale he told in his obituary was so telling. As he wrote, every night he would say, "Goodnight Dorth. I'll see you in the morning." And then one morning last week, he did not awake, and they met. As he quoted from the song by Garth Brooks, "I could've missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance."

Conclusion
Find someone you love. Dance with them. Go sit with them. Chat with them. Call them - do it for them, and for yourself. Every day, just stay in bed for the first few minutes after you awake, and hold those you love in your mind - wish them well. Wish them a good morning. It will change your day and your life. Trust me on this.
For me, I am going to wish my lovely wife Judy a fond "good night, I'll see you in the morning" for the rest of our lives. Thank you Mick. I will miss you always.

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Sunday, January 6, 2019

Plant Based Diet - How to get Started

WHY
Hopefully you are reading this because you have decided to adopt a plant based diet. But just in case you have no idea WHY you would do that - here are some references.
Carl's Blog Entry - why I follow this diet - I have a few blocked cardiac arteries, and this diet fixed them - for good!
Forbes Article - how to get started. This is a nice summary of the research and suggestions on how to ease into it.
Dr. Esselstyn Website - the source for the heart disease portion!
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7913932/7-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-went-vegan/ I found this the best expression of what I have discovered. Hopefully better than what I wrote in all of this. 

If you are still hesitant about the plant based business look at this article:   
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466936/
It is a short overview of many of the studies. The only criticism of these has been done by journalists who say they are not peer-reviewed, not controlled studies, etc. AND they are generally supportive of meat and dairy industry. Ignore them. Trust me on this. 

SHORT CUT
Dr. Michael Greger has a great video here that explains WHY it is easier to leap right in - especially if you have a condition that is life threatening.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/friday-favorites-is-vegan-food-always-healthy/

 NO OIL
Just to be clear, this is the NO OIL approach recommended by the good doctor Esselstyn. Many plant based diet websites do not adhere to this rule. To quote from the source:
NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.
If you want to remove the plaque, you have to get your oil intake down to the point that you are no longer damaging the arteries, and your body can start healing.

Intermittent Fasting as an Entry Path
I had stumbled on the idea of intermittent fasting as a way to prolong life. For a few months, I would not eat between 10 PM and noon the next day. It taught me that I am rarely if ever actually hungry. I eat more by the clock than my stomach. So going to WFPB, "vegan with a vengeance," was somewhat easier. There is now excellent evidence that fasting can extend your lifespan. Look at the book Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To, by Dr. David Sinclair and Matthew D. LaPlante. I am currently trying to do it consistently from 6:00 pm to noon. 

 The Problem
The problem we face is that most of the food in our world is meat and dairy and oil and sugar based. Most products in the market contain some form of meat or dairy. And most are highly processed. The "organic" and "healthy" ones advertise how much "good" oil they contain. The market is slowly adapting, and "no oil" may someday be as common as "gluten free" is today. Whole Food versus processed may take a bit longer.

 Quick Start
If you are anxious to just get with it, I suggest you skip ahead to the shopping list heading, where I make some recommendations on your first foray into the retail food world to replenish your pantry. It took me several months to locate all of these goodies. The good news is that my list of edibles grows almost daily.

 Read the Books Again
To maintain this diet, you need a real sense of purpose and commitment, so read the books again. You need to ignore all those comments about "moderation", and the "Mediterranean Diet". Those doctors are simplly not brave enough to tell you the whole truth. Do NOT cut back on your cigarettes - throw them out. Same for this food. Go back to the sources:
a. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, 2007, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD.
b. The China Study, 2005, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
c. How Not To Die, 2015, by Michael Greger, MD. One of the scariest books I have ever read.

This last book has a very different approach to how to start this diet. This is a summary. Most people have only about 6 recipes that they use over and over. So:
  1. First identify 3 recipes you make that do not include meat or fish: minestrone, soup, etc.
  2. Then identify 3 that have meat, but that you could easily make with no meat or fish: chili, spaghetti primavera, etc.
  3. Now you need 3 new recipes - not a terrible task.There are thousands on the WWW. Each of the books cited above are 1/3 easy recipes. 

Adopt a Diet "World View"
A "world view" is a kind of coloring or flavor of how the world works. We all have one, and it affects almost everything we do. I have adopted a "that is poison" mantra towards foods that are not part of my diet. As Dr. Esselstyn puts it, just imagine that your arteries are literally on fire because of fatty acids you eat. You are tempted, just this once, to ingest something with that same oil. Now imagine throwing gasoline on that fire - that is what you are doing when you ingest another fatty acid. It will not kill you, but it certainly will slow down your recovery. And if you ingest that "gasoline" just a little bit, every day, your arteries will never have time to recover. To actually repair the damage, we need a NO OIL diet - NONE. 
My other mental exercise is to pay more attention to the people around me. Many of them are suffering from health problems that could be helped by this diet. I try my best to empathize with them - to wish them well, and to think about how much better off they would be if they could also adopt this diet plan. It keeps me from being envious of the foods they are ingesting with such gusto. You have to be careful not to annoy them too much by always pushing the "diet thing."

Pay Attention
Adopt a meditative eating style. Pay attention to the taste and texture. Much of the food we eat have is highly flavored. A lot of the plant kingdom has wonderful flavors, but they are more subtle. Take time to really taste them as you eat. You will never be hungry on this diet, and it is very hard to eat too much - but you can get bored. Pay attention!

Start Slow or ALL IN
You need to decide how you best operate. I am a kind of all in person. Once I have formed a conviction, why would I not just do that? Most people do not operate that way. This article from Forbes covers the basics on how to easily transition into this diet.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/11/30/how-to-smoothly-transition-to-a-plant-based-diet/#25fb507e50dc

A brief summary: 
Start Slow - eat those foods which are already in your diet but which are primarily plant based, and without the meat - chili, veggie stir fry, pasta primavera, etc.
Cut Back - Eat less meat and processed foods, more fruits and vegetables. STOP buying them and think about giving away that stock in your freezer. As long as they are there, you are at risk - this is assuming that your significant other is in agreement.
Start with Breakfast - Oatmeal, fruit and cereals are an easy entrée.
Stock Up - Explore the vegetarian aisles at your local market. Whole Foods is a great resource if you have one nearby. Get the recommended starter list below. In our area, CUB has a whole aisle dedicated to this.
Make a Meal Plan - Once weekly, do a tentative plan to make the recipes you already have on hand. Stock up on the ingredients.

 HOW
OK, now to the business at hand. I have been on this diet for a over six years now, so I have a decent handle on it. If you have better ideas, add something to the comment section below. As is my custom, here is a shorthand list, and then a longer explanation. There is a grocery shopping list at the end.
  1. Start with Breakfast. Non dairy milk, oatmeal, many name brand cereals are just fine - see the list below. Add a banana or fruit, a bagel, English muffin, with a soy based spread. There are simple recipes for pancakes, muffins - I could eat breakfast all day. Berries are amazing in what they do to our gut.
  2. Expand to Lunch. Fruit - slice up an apple, handful of grapes, a pineapple, orange, add a cup of flavorful soup, and a whole wheat bread, whole wheat crackers. 
  3. Keep Dinner Simple. Make a salad, with an oil free dressing. Add some off the shelf items to make spaghetti, stir fry, chili, potatoes of all sorts. Rice bowls and soups are great. Potatoes - any way at all they really fill you up, and there are lots of flavors. Sweet potatoes are amazing.
  4. Snacks. I cannot end the day without something salty and / or sweet. I have some off the shelf items and a few simple recipes. There are roasted soybeans or edamame, roasted peas with wasabi, some pretzel brands and salsa, a fruit-sicle or popsicle.
  5. Dining Out - plan ahead. I usually carry my own salad dressing and some crackers. Order fruit, oatmeal, salad with NO dressing or cheese, a stir fry without oil, refried beans and lettuce, veggie fajita with NO oil and cheese, etc. Most chefs will do their best if you ask. Chinese or Mexican are the easiest to adapt. Look at "HappyCow" for a list of vegan friendly offerings near you.
    https://www.happycow.net/
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HOW TO - the longer version
One very important thing - try not to obsess about food and eating. It takes up a very small part of your day and your life. Enjoy time with friends and family, get a job, volunteer somewhere. The last thing you want people to remember about you is your diet! Get on with the program of life. 
That said, here are some practical steps, meal by meal.

Make a Menu Plan 
It is always a good idea to plan ahead, and to make sure you the ingredients at hand for an interesting, enjoyable meal. For this to work, you must sit down once a week and loosely plan the next 7 days. Do it NOW! Then build your shopping list and make sure you have things on hand. Making the menu will also give you a chance to try out those recipes that are now showing up regularly in your email feed.

 BREAKFAST
Non dairy "milk" is a must for me with cereal. I have found very little difference between soy and almond based "milk". Oat is good too. I am afraid of the coconut one. I generally shop by price. Everyone carries it, from the big box store to Whole Foods. Aldi's is generally cheapest. 
Cereals. There are all kinds of cereals that have no fat. Bring your reading glasses along - the print is usually tiny. Cheerios, Wheaties, Shredded Wheat in many shapes and sizes, most raisin brans, Rice Krispies, and of course, oatmeal - the king of breakfast. The flavored oatmeals have a ton of sugar in them, so make your own with "rolled" oats, a bit of brown sugar and some raisins. Don't worry about the calories from the sugar - I have NOT been able to gain a pound no matter what I eat. Technically most of packaged cereals are processed foods. They do not give you enough fiber for your gut.
Breads. Almost any whole grain brown bread works, but some brands are dairy and oil free: Village Hearth Whole Wheat Bagels, Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins. Aldi's has one brand of bagels that works. Read the ingredients. Hopefully manufacturers will start putting "oil free" on the label. 
Muffins. Krusteaz used to make a wonderful Blueberry Muffin that was oil free - it said that right on the label. They were great, flavorful and moist, but used refined sugar. They used to make a corn bread and 2 other oil free types, but they stopped because they did not sell well. 
Spreads. Use any kind of jam or apple butter. There is a based 'cream cheese' spread - Kite Hill - at Whole Foods. They offer a plain one and one with chives - which also works on baked potatoes. Buy two. You can freeze it. Freezing changes the texture but not the flavor.
Pancakes. There is a really simple pancake recipe, using some egg replacer (see shopping list), banana, whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Maple syrup is plant based! I miss the butter, but I just remind myself that it is like pouring gasoline on my arteries. Drop some blueberries in them and they are great. And, when you have enough pancakes, stir in some raisins and pop the leftover mix into some muffin tins. Silicon muffin tins! No oil.

LUNCH
Fruit - I often slice up an apple - it seems more palatable than gnawing on the core. That and some grapes, or an orange - whatever we have. It is handy to have some fresh melon in the fridge at all times. One small watermelon lasts a long time.
Soup - There is a wonderful "cup of soup" by  Dr. McDougall. Whole Foods has the best price, even better than Cub. There are many varieties and they taste great. There are other soups too - look in the "organic" aisle. Campbell's has a new line of 'vegan' soups, but they all seem to contain milk and oil. There are lentil soups, and lentil vegan soups, ready to heat up. Whole Foods has a wonderful squash soup, and Aldi's has a couple of soups in jars - tomato and bean.
Crackers - Whole Foods 365 brand Woven Wheat cracker has no oil. Other crackers in this same brand have oil. Mary's Gone Crackers are crispy and tasty. Target's Market Pantry also has a woven wheat but with oil. Read the ingredients! Aldi's carries a great pumpernickel bread that is oil and diary free. Aldi's also has a brand of bagels that has no oil. 

DINNER
This is the challenge every day, so plan ahead. On my "other" diet, we just had things sitting around that could be pulled together in minutes to make a meal.
Salad - We almost always have a salad. Get a good supply of fresh greens, spinach, kale, lettuce, good tomatoes, peppers, red onion, cucumber, mushrooms, green onions, radishes, etc. An oil free dressing is critical here. Wishbone makes an oil free Italian dressing. Whole Foods has some oil free ones in a refrigerated case in their produce section. Cub has some in their organic or vegan aisle. Read the ingredients. Aldi's has an oil free balsamic vinaigrete. Worst case, a little vinegar and mustard makes a quick salad dressing.
Pasta - I am a nut for a quick dish of spaghetti or other noodles. Get the wheat pasta, but the white one is not terrible. Walmart has a house brand "no egg" egg noodle for a little variety.
Spaghetti sauce. There are several oil free spaghetti sauces. Trader Joe's mushroom sauce is oil free. Whole Foods has a 365 brand marinara that has no oil. Aldi's sells a basil and marinara. The other flavors in those brands do have oil. Worst case, get a can of tomato sauce and add some Italian seasoning.
Spaghetti Primavera. Get a bag of frozen Italian vegetables. Put them in your microwave steamer, and mix with a good sauce as above, and serve over spaghetti. I miss the cheese, but it is quick and easy and tastes good. AND Whole Foods has a parmesan from almond milk, that you can grate on it!
Veggie Stir Fry.  Get a bag of frozen oriental vegetables. Steam it, stir fry it in a bit of vegetable broth, add your favorite asian spice - there are many in the store - most have no oil in them. If you fry the onions first, they generate enough liquid to cook other things. Mushrooms also have a lot of moisture, and add flavor and texture.
Asian Soup Pho. Get some Chinese noodles, an Asian sauce, a bag of frozen asian vegetables use a vegetable broth and you have a spicy soup. I like the noodles! There is a Japanese Miso flavored broth that I love. A bit of rice or rice noodles in there and some veggies works great.
Chili. You do not need meat for a good chili. Chef's Cupboard makes a 3 bean chili mix that works perfectly - just add some tomato sauce, can of tomatoes, more beans, etc. We usually dice up a few onions and green peppers. If need a bit of a "meaty" grit in there, get a package of Lightlife, Smart Ground original crumbles, and put in about 1/4 of the package. You can find that at Whole Foods in the produce / meat alternative aisle. They also have a "Mexican" flavored one, if you are dying for the taco salad experience. 
Minestrone. There is nothing but veggies in minestrone normally. Add some chickpeas and other beans to give it more substance. This usually works for more than one meal.
Burger. I have found one brand of vegan burger that has no oil - Engine 2. This brand was created by Dr. Esselstyn's son, and it never has any oil. Most soy burgers in the market have some added oil. Some even have eggs. Keep some whole wheat sandwich buns in the freezer - Village Hearth makes some with no egg and no oil. You can cook the burger in the microwave or in a skillet. You are really just warming up the beans! I find it works best with a lot of condiments - lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup. You get the picture. Add vegetarian baked beans - almost like a picnic.
AND a portabella mushroom on the grill or the Forman, is great. Full of flavor, chewy. Put a little barbecue sauce on it - and a pickle! If you have time, the portabella is much better if you slowly warm it in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes or so, rather than "fying" it on the griddle.
See: https://eatplant-based.com/portobello-mushroom-burgers/#recipe
Potato Fries. You can do fries in the oven, quick and easy. You need a silicon baking tray, or cover your regular tray with parchment paper. Slice up a potato. Pre-cook them a bit in the microwave or a steamer, and then "fry" them in the oven. Toss them first with a bit of water or soy replacement and a salt substitute. It's all about the salt and the ketchup.
Ravioli. Engine 2 makes a variety of vegan ravioli that are good. Use one of the above spaghetti sauces, and add a salad. Whole Foods has a couple of Kite Hill vegan pastas - ravioli and tortellini. 
Pizza. Trader Joe's has a sprouted whole wheat pizza crust that is great. Spread a little of one of the spaghetti sauces on it, or just tomato sauce with spices. Saute some fresh veggies - or pop them in your microwave steamer for a few minutes. I really like this mix: mushrooms, olives, spinach, tomato slices, peppers, red onion slices. It's hardly pizza without the cheese, but it tastes good for a change.
Meat Replacement. Lightlife makes a whole line of meat-like things from soy, but most of their products have oil, so  . . . read the label. Tempeh is a soy product that is formulated to resemble the texture of a small piece of beef. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's carries several. There are multiple brands of this, but watch for the oil. Lightlife's is oil free. We used it to make a Beef Bourguignon recipe - turned out pretty well.  Quorn makes a chicken like thing that we use in a goulash recipe to replace the pork.

SNACKS
This is just a list of brand name products which I have found that work. There are many more out there If you find a new one, let me know.
Nabisco Fig Newtons "Fat Free". The original one is still oil free.
Rice Cakes- there are many of these - we find the Rice Rollers from Costco to be pretty good. These are something like eating flavored air!
Pretzels. Some brands of pretzels are fat and egg free. There is a flat variety that can also be used for hummus and salsa dipping. The Aldi's Clancy brand is the cheapest of these, but you can find the same product at Cub and CostCo. 
Edamame. I have seen dried soy beans, or edamame, sold as a snack - but now I cannot find them,
Raisins, craisins - always good for a snack.
Dried Fruit - any kind - some are very sweet, some very chewy!
Popsicles - there are the normal ice ones, and there are some fruit ones that are much healthier.
Ice Cream - Walgreens sells a couple of milk free frozen sorbets - raspberry and mango - they are wonderful. Aldi's has a brand of fruitsicles. 
Rice Pudding - for that leftover rice, some of the non-milk milk, a little brown sugar, raisins, and some tapioca flour - mix it and heat in the microwave.
Oven Baked Pretzels - these are great. You'll find them in Aldi's frozen foods. 6 in a box.

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RETAIL STORES Overview
You need to navigate the retail stores a few times to find out where they have these "specialty" or "vegetarian" items. Do read the ingredients. MOST vegetarian items have added oils. The new meat substitutes like Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat are full of oils. In a pinch, eating out, they are infinitely better for you than real meat.

CUB - for the Twin Cities, Cub has an excellent vegetarian aisle. If you are looking for tofu, it is tucked in the corner of the produce department, often with refrigerated things.

Aldi's - no special place, but some of the same things that are found in other retailers are here under different brand names. Clancy's Pretzels are one example of a flat, no oil pretzel "chip" that goes good with salsa. Their bagel brand is oil free, and a couple of their spaghetti sauces. They also have some good soups in jars, and some "vegan" meatballs."

Whole Foods - excellent source of vegan options. Right at the end of the produce section, there is a whole row of "meat substitutes" and the "cream cheese", right with the butter. Things only found here: Fire Station #2 brand - vegan ravioli, bean burger. Get their APP and search on 'vegan.'

Trader Joe's - the vegan options are tucked in the back next to the office. Sometimes the pizza crust that I like is with the vegan options nearer the produce section. They have a vegetarian fried rice that works, and some orange "chicken." 

Shopping List - Retail Stores Detail 
  1. Large Grocery Store Organic Aisle. These days, most large stores will have at least one aisle dedicated to organic, vegan and gluten free products. Look for these items in that aisle - you will need them. Whole Foods will also carry these, but often at a higher price.
    • Egg Replacer. Bob's Red Mill makes a lot of these products. This one is very helpful for baking recipes where the eggs provide the glutenous mass that holds things together.
    • Flaxseed Meal. Something similar that helps give baked goods their substance.
    • Nutritional Yeast. A magic ingredient in some combinations with ground almonds.
    • Almonds - non baked, raw, non salted. Buy a package or a pound. These are very handy for many recipes.
  2. Large Grocery Store - Other
    • Fruit - get some fruit for breakfast, for your cereal, for snacks. Fruits are wonderful, full of flavor and nutrients.
    • Bananas - these are essential to breakfast, and they are very useful for making pancakes or muffins.
    • Mushrooms - get some. Very handy for salads and other recipes.
    • Portabella mushroom - for a very meaty texture in anything.
    • Green Onions - have a bunch on hand - they add lots of texture and flavor.
    • Red and White onions - they improve everything.
    • Potatoes - it is a vegetable, just don't actually FRY them.
    • Tofu - it is generally in the produce section, and there are varieties. Check out the recipes first. It is pretty tasteless, but it provides a nice base for spices for spreads and things.
    • Half gallon of "other" milk. Get Soy or Almond milk. Buy the cheapest - they all taste the same. You will use this in baking and for breakfast cereals.
    • Great Harvest Bread - many of their breads are dairy and oil free - check the ingredients. Get a loaf for toast.
    • Village Hearth whole wheat sandwich buns. These are for the "hamburgers."
    • Village Hearth whole wheat bagels. Wonderful with "cream cheese."
    • Thomas English Muffins - 100% whole wheat. Good with jam. The ingredient list says "butter flavor" - I am assuming that is NOT any butter fat to worry about.
    • Jam - it's fruit - get a few jars to put on your bagel and toast.
    • Applesauce - another universal ingredient that is very handy for baking and other things.
    • Nabisco Fig Newtons Fat Free. Nabisco has added other fig newtons - they all have some oil. Look for this original formulation. They are just nice to have for a small treat. I have only found these at Walmart so far.
    • Wish Bone fat free Italian dressing. Essential to life in our household. There are now many fat free salad dressings.
    • Bragg Organic Vinaigrette. Bragg makes some fat free dressings. I have found these in our local Cub and other SuperValu outlets.
    • Bragg Organic Hawaiian Dressing.
    • Bragg Liquid Aminos - this is often used to augment ingredients in cooking. 
    • Whole wheat pasta - whatever kind you like. It is handy for a quick meal.
    • Spaghetti Sauce. It is hard to find oil free in the regular grocery shelves. Trader Joe's mushroom sauce and Whole Foods 365 brand marinara and some Aldis' have no oil.
    • Brown Rice - get some - any kind, instant or regular. 
    • Raisin Bran cereal. Almost every brand works, but check the ingredients. 
    • Whole Wheat cereal. The large ones or the small ones. I am partial to those with the sugar coating for a few extra calories.
    • Cans of beans and chickpeas and kidney beans. Soups and chilis are good.
    • Baked Beans - vegetarian - the one with the green top.
    • 2 Bean Chili spice. You will find this one in the soup section - nothing but spices and beans, and it makes up a fine chili. You can add the vegan crumbles for more texture.
    • Swiss Miss Dark Hot Chocolate - this is only chocolate, no milk, so you can mix it with a milk substitute for a nice hot drink with lots of flavor.
  3. Whole Foods Make Whole Foods your next stop. 
    • No Oil salad dressings. These are Whole Foods brands - they are in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
    • Kite Hill - cream cheese spread, made from soy. Whole Foods has a vegan shelf at the end of the produce aisle. Not everything there is oil free.
    • Kite Hill spread with chives. This is great on a baked potato. 
    • Upton Seitan - soy bean based meat like product. You will find this in the refrigerated vegan section. You can use it in stews and the like.
    • Engine 2 Black Bean burgers - all Engine 2 stuff is generally ok. Most meat substitutes have eggs or oil in them. You will find this in the vegan freezer section of Whole Foods.
    • Whole Foods’ 365 Organic Pasta Sauce.
    • Muir Glen mushroom marinara and portobello mushroom pasta sauces. Not all varieties of this brand are oil free.
    • Wheat Weavers Crackers 365 brand - like Triscuits, only no oil. 
  4. Trader Joe's Most of their products are not oil free, but here are a few I have found. 
    • Trader Joe’s whole wheat pasta (fusilli and penne). I really prefer spaghetti, and any whole wheat version will do.
    • Trader Joe’s organic spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. Other varieties may have oil.
    • Trader Joe's whole grain pizza crust.
  5. Aldi's 
    Don't ignore Aldi's. You may need to eat the fruits and vegetables a bit more quickly, but their prices are great, and some of their in-house brands are perfect for your diet, with considerable savings.
SHOPPING LIST
Put these items on your first shopping list - it should get you up and running. This is a bit repetitive of above, but . . . 
  • Salad Greens - lots. Cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms etc. Mushrooms are very handy for many recipes. 
  • Bananas - gotta have for many reasons.
  • Fruits - lots. Any berries, oranges, melons, whatever is in season and available. 
  • Non Dairy Milk - soy or almond.
  • Wishbone fat free Italian salad dressing.
  • Figs - these are handy for all kind of things, besides snacks. Costco sells a large bag of figs at about half the price that they want for a small container elsewhere. They get chopped into many baking recipes to hold some of the moisture.
  • Egg Replacer - this is really a ground flax seed that gives baked goods some of the texture that an egg adds. The most common brand is Bob's Red Hat.
  • Parchment Paper - use this on your baking sheets to keep the oil free recipes from sticking - really handy for fries. 
  • Red Silicone Baking Utensils. Get one of the those red silicon sheets for baking.
  • Silicone muffin cups and bread pan. These are handy for oil free baking. If you can't find them locally, check at Amazon.
  • Jam - get a couple of varieties for your breakfast spread.
  • Apple Butter - nice change of pace.
  • Applesauce - important for other cooking.
  • Bagels - Village Hearth Whole Wheat Bagels, some of Aldi's brand.
  • English Muffins - Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins.
  • Nabisco fat free fig newtons - not the new version. 
  • Raisins - nice for snacking.
  • Spaghetti Sauce - one of the no oil brands above: Whole Foods 365 marinara, Trader Joe's mushroom, two Aldi's.
  • Pasta - whole wheat variety.
  • Soups - McDougall's oil free varieties in the organic aisle. Lintel, bean soup in boxes.
  • Asian Rice Noodles - almost any brand. Gives nice texture to a stir fry.
  • Frozen mixed vegetables - get an Italian mix and an Asian one. Goes well with sauce and noodles.
  • Pizza Crust - a whole wheat one, preferably with no oil.
  • Cereals - oats, oatmeal, cheerios, wheaties, raisin bran, shredded wheat. Get a couple.
  • Pretzels - make sure they have no added oil.
  • Brown Bread - there are many varieties that work - Village Hearth is a good one.
Dining Out
Dining out can be a serious challenge. Even real vegetarian restaurants do not understand the NO OIL mantra, or NO CHEESE. I generally carry a small container of my favorite oil free salad dressing with me when going to a restaurant or even visiting friends. You can get some small plastic containers at Target that are leak proof. With a bit of notice, most places can generate some form of green salad. 
An Asian restaurant can generally produce a vegetarian stir fry. Just make sure they understand that you want the "frying" done with broth - not oil. Mexican or Hispanic establishments can always assemble refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa in some form. Ask them to hold the cheese they always sprinkle about.  Veggie fajitas on corn tortillas are generally good - but NO OIL for the cooking. Their tortilla chips are most likely fried in oil, so avoid those.
And, of course, there are REAL vegan restaurants out there. Check in YELP. Look at Happy Cow. 

Dining with Friends 
I have found it is generally a good idea to alert a friend that my diet has changed. I assure them that I will be just fine, and that I will eat whatever I can of what they offer - and they should not worry about it. But it is often easier to do small things up front - like separating out a few potatoes before they go in the mixer with butter and sour cream, or setting aside a small portion of the vegetable mix without the butter based dressing, etc. 

 Recipes
Here are some good references for recipes that generally are no oil based. I have collected a couple of hundred recipes from these, but have not tried very many as yet. And there's an APP for that. 
Conclusion
A lot longer than I had hoped, but  . . . see what you think. If you have figured out a better way, send me a note, or drop a comment here. Whatever works. We really are all in this together, and I am pulling for you. Hang in there.
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