PLANT-STOCK 2016 – A plant-based dream come true

But where do you get your protein?” Usually a loaded question but one I did not hear for two straight days this past weekend. Why? Because I was in plant-based heaven.

Photo by Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

Last year I attended Plant-Stock (you can read that experience here). I had traveled the 3,000 miles from California all by myself to attend this two day conference held on the farm and home of the Esselstyn family. This year, I had a friend.

East Coast here we come!
East Coast here we come! (Photo by me)

Sit back and settle in as this may be one of my more “lengthy” posts filled to the brim with photos from a weekend that completely blew me away. It is worth the read though so grab a cup of tea and relax.

How I travel.
How I travel. (Photo by me)

Stonegate and I took a red-eye out of California which headed direct to Boston. Our layover in Boston wasn’t terrible. We recovered from our overnight flight and talked about how excited we were for the weekend ahead. Stonegate also made fun of my “folder making” habit … When I travel or do anything that requires planning, I make folders. What can I say? I am a very organized person.

Folders!
Folders! (Photo by Stonegate)

Forty-five minutes and one tiny plane later, we landed in Newark Airport. Stonegate hopped on a train and headed to NYC to visit with some family. I met my dad and headed to my hometown in NJ for a quick visit.

Sad to leave my family, I then drove the 3 hours (usually 2.5 but there was an accident) to upstate New York where I checked into our hotel and scored a gluten and oil free vegan pizza from Baba Louie’s Pizza in Hudson, New York. It is the best vegan pizza I have had ever.

The best!
The best! (Photo by me)

Later that evening, I picked Stonegate up at the train station and brought her back to the hotel. We ate pizza and seriously laughed the night away (I think we were deliriously tired from traveling). We were beyond excited for our weekend to begin.

Saturday morning bright and early we drove to the Esselstyn Family Farm in Claverack, NY. This place is breath-taking. 500 acres of the most amazing fields you have ever seen. It is one of two farms in the entire state that is owned by the same family dating back many centuries.

We checked in and took our seats and were treated to a plant-strong breakfast. Speakers were just wandering around. Attendees were trickling in. I saw people who in “my world,” are celebrities just mingling with everyone.

The event began on time. Rip Esselstyn started our day and our plant-education was under way. When Rip was done, he introduced his dad, the legendary Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.

Photo by Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

The format was such that someone would talk and then we’d have a break. This was nice as it helped get us out of our seats and kept us moving.

Stonegate Hula Hooping
Stonegate Hula Hooping (Photo by me)
So fun!
So fun! (Photo by Stonegate)

On one of the breaks, I saw Dr. Garth Davis. He had been surrounded by people since he had arrived but suddenly, he wasn’t. I walked over and introduced myself. We chatted a bit about his book, his blog, his posts on Facebook (follow him if you don’t already) and just how “enthusiastic” he is about a plant-based diet. Stonegate took some photos of us.

Super excited to meet Dr. Garth Davis
Super excited to meet Dr. Garth Davis (Photo by Stonegate)

He was incredibly genuine and easy to talk to. I admire his drive in promoting plants over meat and I am blown away by his intelligence and ability to prove his point. He was a new addition to the Plant-Stock line up this year and one I truly hope they continue to have. His talk the next day was a hit.

PSDay1 3
Dr. Garth Davis

The first day we heard from the following speakers: Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Paul Chatlin, Dr. Doug Lisle, Dr. Michael Greger, Adam Sud and James Wilks.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell - legend Photo by Molinski Photography
Dr. T. Colin Campbell – legend
Photo by Molinski Photography

During one of the breaks, I met a super nice guy who was also there taking photos for the event. He was about as local as you could get living just 5 minutes from the farm. We talked quite a bit and he told me that one of his jobs that day was to head to the train station to pick up Rich Roll. WHAT?! He was super chill about it but at the same time, feeling incredibly lucky because he’s a huge fan and I am sure was beyond excited to have the chance to have that 20 minute drive with Rich Roll.

Later, when Rich Roll arrived, we had been on a break. I saw my opening and I took it. I walked up to Rich and introduced myself. He had been talking to Howard Jacobson, Ph.D. (who I had met and talked with earlier) and Josh LaJaunie (another exciting athlete that I follow and had chatted with earlier). I explained to Rich that Vans was a huge fan. So much so that he even read his book (and Vans doesn’t read books often). I explained that his birthday was in a day and he was home with two kids while I was here, meeting him. He laughed. I told him he could potentially save my marriage if he’d do a birthday message video to Vans. He kindly obliged.

You can see the full video on my Instagram page
You can see the video on my Instagram page @Trailmomma

Stonegate wasn’t around to see this and was floored when I found her and showed her the video. She got a photo with Rich too.

PSDay1 9
Photo by me

What a great guy and yes, Vans was totally blown away. Marriage saved! 🙂

My favorite photo. Photo by Molinski Photography
My favorite photo.
Photo by Molinski Photography

We also heard from Adam Sud whose talk brought me to tears quite a few times. Such an inspirational guy and I am so happy he is out spreading his message.

Photo by Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

Next we heard from James Wilks who is a retired professional mixed martial artist and winner of The Ultimate Fighter but who is currently a film producer. The work he is doing is super exciting and I cannot wait for it to be released to the public. He was also another incredibly nice person.

James Wilks
James Wilks (Photo by Stonegate)
PSDay1 7
Stonegate and James (Photo by me)

James actually ended up sitting with us at dinner and we chatted about his family and his plant-based kids and how he handles certain situations. It truly was a once in a lifetime mind blowing experience.

Dinner was fabulous. The setting was beautiful. The food was outstanding.

Photo by Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

It was a five course meal for 420 people and the plates were delivered still hot and right on time. That rarely happens.

Such a beautiful setting.
Such a beautiful setting.

After dinner, we heard from Rich Roll, our final speaker of the day. His talk was great. It was filled with humor and inspiration. Rich has a tremendous way with words and it was a great way to end what had been an amazing day.

Photo by Stonegate
Photo by Stonegate

Stonegate and I left feeling excited, energized and motivated but also pretty darn tired. Our three hour time change was still looming over our heads a bit. We were eager to get to sleep because Sunday was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity that will forever be etched in our minds.

Fun time!
Fun time early Sunday morning! (Photo by me)
Weeee!
Weeee!

Engine 2, the creators behind Plant-Stock, had decided to host a group run on the farm property WITH SCOTT JUREK PROFESSIONAL ULTRARUNNER for those who were interested. Um, say no more!

The run/walk group.
The run/walk group. (Photo by Engine2)

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At least fifty people were interested. There was also a group walking with Jane Esselstyn so you didn’t have to run the full 3 miles. Stonegate and I were bursting with excitement for this. Also joining the run was Dr. Garth Davis, Howard Jacobson, Rip Esselstyn (with his 2 year daughter Hope on his shoulders) and Josh LaJaunie! How freaking cool!? My friend Tara, who works for Forks Over Knives and Engine 2 was also able to run and Michael, my photographer friend also made it! I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time.

Rip with Hope on his shoulders
Rip with Hope on his shoulders (Photo by me)

The run was not as easy as many would think. When you are not used to humidity as thick as it is on the east coast, it feels like your lungs are running in water. Your breath and your chest feel it first. Pushing any uncomfortable feelings aside, I just ran like I was a child again.

Beautiful!
Beautiful! (Photo by me)

Scott Jurek worked his way back through the group so that he could chat with everyone. He reached us just as we were going up a steep hill.  He is a super nice guy who remembered where a lot of people were from which blows my mind. He truly was listening to everyone.

Photo by Michael Molinski with Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

The run ended with the whole group going up this big hill with a picturesque view. Josh LaJaunie was standing at the top and I could hear him cheering as everyone was climbing. I decided I had to run the whole thing and I did and he cheered and gave me a high-five as I reached the top. Nice!

Josh LaJaunie
Josh LaJaunie (Photo by Stonegate)

Scott stayed and took photos with EVERYONE. Stonegate and I took photos with him solo and as part of a group.

Wow, right?
Wow, right? (Photo by Stonegate)

Michael, our photographer expert took some AMAZING photos during the run as well as after.

Michael aka Molinski Photography (Photo by me - with his advice LOL)
Michael aka Molinski Photography
(Photo by me – with his advice LOL)

Talk about an amazing way to begin the day. Seriously, I know my kids would disagree, but this was better than Christmas!

Love this photo.
Love this photo. (Photo by some guy)

After breakfast we heard from Dr. Esselstyn again. His second talk I think is more mind blowing for the non-scientific folk. Stonegate I know was blown away by some of slides showing the reversal of heart disease.

The man himself. Dr. Esselstyn
The man himself. Dr. Esselstyn! (Photo by me)

Sunday was the day we heard from Dr. Garth Davis. His talk was fantastic. Full of energy, humor and some pretty great slides.

Dr. Garth Davis
Dr. Garth Davis (Photo by me)

We heard from Dr. Richard Oppenlander as well. I have not read his books yet but I plan to. His presentation was focused on our environment and how it will not survive if we continue on the path we are headed. Living in California I see this first hand with our drought. Most of our water is feeding cattle and could, in fact be used in a better more economical and sustainable way that could save our planet and rid the world of hunger.

Dr. Richard Oppenlander
Dr. Richard Oppenlander (Photo by me)

Dr. Doug Lisle spoke again on Sunday and I absolutely hands down LOVE this talk that he does. He did the same talk last year and I loved it then too. His talk, How to Get Along, Without Going Along is an absolute must at a conference like this. He understands that we will walk away feeling like we have found the “Holy Grail of health” and like the kind people we are, we will want to share it with EVERYONE.WE.MEET. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t want to hear it. Dr. Lisle provides everyone with the tools and the knowledge to handle certain situations when you leave Plant-Stock.

Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle (Photo by me)

Stonegate and I had met a lovely Canadian couple at dinner the night before and the wife was discussing this very situation. Her coworkers don’t understand and she doesn’t know how to handle it. I told her to wait and hear Dr. Lisle’s talk. Afterwards, I found her and she was bubbling. She loved it and thought that it hit the nail on the head and felt ready to head home with some additional knowledge.

We also saw a cooking demo (aka comedy show) with Ann and Jane Esselstyn.

Ann and Jane cooking and laughing.
Ann and Jane cooking and laughing. (Photo by me)

These two ladies have my heart. Their energy and laughter are infectious. I would love to be at their house on Thanksgiving morning helping them prepare meals. It must be a hoot.

I ADORE this woman! Photo by Molinski Photography
Jane Esselstyn – I ADORE this woman!
Photo by Molinski Photography

They also had a plant-strong family discussion with all of Dr. Esselstyn’s kids (Rip, Ted, Zeb and Jane) and their spouses. Between them all, there are a lot of grandkids, who are also all entirely plant-based. This discussion was new and I found it very interesting. Although, I would LOVE for them to meet my picky Peanut someday as I think she could give them a run for their money. 😉

Plant Strong Family
Plant Strong Family

Right before this, Rip’s 9 year old son Cole showed off his plant-strong muscles by climbing the pole of the tent we were sitting under. Insane. I glanced at Rip to see if he was as nervous as I was during this. That kid climbed to the top!

That kid can climb!
That kid can climb! (Photo by me)
I think dad was nervous though. I was!
I think dad was nervous though. I was! (Photo by me)

The final talk of the entire day was Scott Jurek. He took the stage with his wife Jenny and 3 month old daughter Raven. They were lovely. His presentation was on his 46 day 2,189 mile journey through the Appalachian Trail. It was engaging to watch. He also saved time at the end for questions from the audience.

Photo by Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

And sadly, the weekend had come to a close. We knew it was bound to happen but I just didn’t want it to end. The weather had cooperated for most  of it, the speakers were great and I met so many lovely people this year. Stonegate and I said our goodbyes to Michael the photographer and exchanged contact information. I went in search of my friend Tara but unfortunately, she had already left.

Love this girl. Find her on Instagram: @tarafraserkemp
Love this girl. Find her on Instagram: @tarafraserkemp (Photo by me)

The rain had started to fall as we were ending the day. It was almost fitting. Semi pushing us out the door seeking cover ready to move on. We were leaving the comfortable nest of Plant-Stock.

Dr. Esselstyn & Ann Crile Esselstyn - two amazing kind hearted people. Photo by Molinski Photography
Dr. Esselstyn & Ann Crile Esselstyn – two amazing kind hearted people.
Photo by Molinski Photography

I am not going to lie, the car ride back to New Jersey scared me out of my mind. Torrential, can’t see the road in front of you down pours almost the entire way. I live in California now, we’ve been in a drought for four years. I haven’t driven in rain like that in a VERY long time. Holy cow.

Overall, the weekend was a blast. Despite it being my second year in a row, I did learn quite a few new things I hadn’t before and I met so many more amazing people this time around. From speakers to attendees, the people I met and conversed with over the course of the weekend really touched me. So many stories, so much emotion, Plant-Stock is a place where anyone is welcome and there is no judgment.

Photo by Michael Molinski with Molinski Photography
Photo by Molinski Photography

I truly hope to attend next year. The cost  of travel isn’t easy for my family but they do see how charged and motivated I am when I return. Next year, I would love to bring Vans and I know Stonegate would love to bring her spouse. Let’s just hope they can handle a little east coast run!

Photo by Stonegate
Photo by Stonegate

Happy Trails,

Trailmomma

SHOUT OUT: Hey upstate New York readers and friends, if you are EVER looking for a photographer for an event, family photos, you name it, please check out Molinski Photography (click here). Their work is stellar and some of the nicest people you will meet. Thank you Michael for all the amazing photos.

DISCLAIMER, I was in no way compensated for writing this post or for attending Plant-Stock. All opinions are my own. I 100% believe in the message they are sending. If you are interested in attending Plant-Stock 2017, please check out this link.

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HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

Being that I am a vegan (or plant-based), I often get asked the question “Where do you get your protein?” Since I am going on 20 years of eating a plant-based diet, I don’t really get asked that question as often as I once used to. I guess when people realize that I have not eaten meat in 20 years and I am still standing, running and raising two kids that apparently I am doing something right. Vans celebrated his one year of being vegetarian this past September and he is continuing on this journey, with no pressure from me. We have been married 9 years and have known each other for 13 and I never once asked him or forced him to become a vegetarian. I never refused meat in our home. Granted I never cooked it much but he knew how long I had been a vegetarian and he rarely trusted my meat cooking skills (I don’t blame him).

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What I find funny though is that the minute Vans stopped eating meat people jumped on his case about his protein intake! He didn’t declare across the world that he no longer wanted to eat animals, but just went along his way and in certain social situations just tried to get around the meat being served. This experiment really opened his eyes to how meat laden a lot of his work situations are and how little they catered to those who did not eat meat.

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I don’t want to go into a whole post about veganism and where can one get their protein. All you have to do is google and you’ll find tons of blog posts, articles and websites devoted to the topic. However, I do want to highlight the key people who I respect and who validate a plant-based diet over one that contains meat. What is that saying? “Knowledge is the best defense?” Well I am here to point you in the direction if you want to know more about a plant-based diet and how it can benefit your life.

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A lot of people know about Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn who wrote the book “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” and he convincingly argues that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent and stop the progression of heart disease, but also reverse its effects. That is pretty profound stuff. You can read more about Dr. Esselstyn here I know it hits a cord for me coming from a family history that is high in heart disease.

 Dr. Joel Fuhrman  is another favorite of mine to reference. He’s a board certified family physician and the author of the book Eat to Live. If you have the time, I highly recommend reading his book. Not only is it informative, it will open your eyes to the benefits of eating a plant-based diet over a meat laden one. Dr. Fuhrman dives into detail with such examples like eating 100 calories worth of broccoli will provide you with 11.1 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, 2.2 grams of iron and 10.8 grams of fiber.  When you compare that with 100 grams of beef the comparison is shocking for most. 100 calories of beef will give you  8.0 grams of protein, 7.4 grams of fat, 24.1 grams of cholesterol, 0.9 grams of iron and 0 grams of fiber! Read his book, it may surprise you. The chart below focuses on a sirloin steak vs a cut of beef most commonly consumed by Americans.

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His book may also scare you a little because he dives into a plant-based diet with both feet asking that you consume a pound of greens a day. While that would be truly beneficial to your body, it might also hurt your wallet a little bit.

Another person of influence is Dr. Garth Davis. I first heard Dr. Davis on Rich Roll’s podcast and later I moved to his Facebook page. As a doctor he is the first to tell you that his nutrition course was all but one hour in medical school. Doctors are taught to heal, fix and provide medication that heals and/or fixes ailments. They are not taught the age-old quote by Hippocrates “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” That quote is by the same person that the Hippocratic Oath is thought to have stemmed from and is taught to young medical students sweating their way through medical school. Why would nutrition not be included? If you could heal yourself without the benefit of medication wouldn’t you do it? Or is America only after the quick fix?

Dr. Davis is actually a weight loss surgeon. He performs those surgeries where they section off the stomach or what have you to allow highly obese people to lose weight as a lifesaving technique. On Rich Roll’s podcast, Dr. Davis has said that never once were any of his patients vegetarians prior to surgery. He himself was not a vegetarian until a few years ago when he found himself over weight, with high blood pressure and cholesterol. He was quickly resembling one of his patients. Now, a man whose JOB is to perform surgery to allow people to lose weight is coaching his patients to live off a plant-based diet! He makes money off of expensive, invasive surgeries and yet is choosing to help his patients by promoting more vegetables and fruit. Think about that.

So the health benefits aside, what about the pure nature of our digestive system? If science based fact is not your cup of tea, how about mother nature? The human body is not and was not designed to digest and process meat. One of the best explanations I have ever read was from Kimberly Snyder’s book “The Beauty Detox Solution.” In her book she compares humans to the animal we most resemble, primates (monkeys, chimps and gorillas). In fact, 99.4% of our DNA sequence is shared with that of chimpanzees. She compares humans/chimpanzees to tigers a carnivorous animal.

If you notice humans (and chimpanzees) have flat teeth and no claws. Flat teeth like our strong molars are perfect for grinding down plants and vegetables while our canines can be used to open nuts. Tigers have claws that they use to rip into the flesh of their prey and they have large pointy shaped teeth (including their back molars) in which they use to tear apart the flesh of their prey.

She moves further into the discussion by comparing our digestive tracts. The human liver has a very low tolerance for uric acid, a by-product of digesting animal protein. A tiger’s liver however contains uricase which is an enzyme to  used to break down uric acid. Furthermore, a tiger’s intestines is very very short compared to that of a human’s super long intestines. Our intestines are so long so that it takes longer for food to digest and for us to absorb the nutrients and minerals whereas a tiger’s short intestine is short so that the meat they consume is quickly processed and digested which explains why they have to eat so often. When humans consume meat, the meat is not quickly processed through our intestines and ultimately sits there rotting while our body is working over time to produce enough acid to break down the meat and move it out of our system. Just picture that the next time you are presented with meat and see how appetizing it is for you when you think about it rotting inside you over the next few days.

I truly could go on and on here. A few other people of insight are, Julieanna Hever over on the site The Plant Based Dietitian. She also has a Facebook page and she posts some of the best photos online. Rich Roll is an endurance athlete/vegan who has an amazing podcast. I will admit, I was not a fan of his when he first started. His voice alone was very monotone but he eventually grew on me and I cannot deny the amount of information I have gathered from his guests. He also wrote the book Finding Ultra where he talks about how he changed his life around (in his 40s) via a plant-based diet. I also have numerous books by Brendan Brazier another outstanding athlete.

I also just purchased the book No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier which has not arrived yet. When it does, I plan to do a full review.  Please don’t think that being vegan means that you have to also be an athlete. By all means, no. Plant based at any stage in your life is better than nothing at all.

If you are looking for more resources that are not in the form of a book, please watch (on Netflix or Amazon or online) Forks Over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead , Vegucated and Hungry For Change. Those are my top movies right there if you are looking for more information, motivation or if you are just curious. Worst case scenario, you’ve only wasted 90 minutes of your time one evening and you can go back to eating the way you always do. Best case scenario? Better health. It is as simple as that.

Now I get asked all the time if my girls are also vegan or vegetarian. The answer is they are not. I never lie to them when they ask me questions about food but I don’t want to force the matter on them. It is their choice. I grew up never really liking the taste of most meat but I was “forced” to eat it while under my parent’s roof. When I left for college (and shortly before that by means of hiding it when I could) I stopped eating meat entirely. I may have had a few moments here and there where I found myself eating it but I truly never enjoyed the taste or texture. Flash forward many years later, my mom died of a heart attack (and had severe issues of high blood pressure before that) and my father also, although much later in life, had a heart attack (which he thankfully survived) but who ironically now, is very curious about plant-based diets and even limits a lot of his meat in take. I believe he sticks to chicken only which I would love to argue with him about but instead, I am happy he’s baby-stepping his way to a more green diet.

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Poppy & Gramie

I always feel that if you force something on someone, they will do the opposite. My five and two-year old are prime examples of that which is why I want the decision to be theirs. When they are ready, or if they are ready, they can choose to not eat meat but at least now I am educated enough to help them navigate a way to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition. That is what I lacked when I was in my early days as a vegan. I was one of those “unhealthy” vegans eating fake meat and processed foods. I try to set the example for my girls by eating healthy food in their presence. As a parent, I think that is the best you can do. Sure my kids eat junky processed sugar laden foods but I warn them about how they will feel eating certain foods but ultimately give them the choice (within reason of course).

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I have now armed you with a few resources. If you are suffering from aches and pains, are overweight, tired, not sleeping well, sleeping too much or just plain not feeling your regular self or the way you used to feel when you were years younger, don’t blame old age and don’t blame solely your lack of exercise. Look at your diet. What are you eating? How much are you eating or better yet, what are you NOT eating (leafy greens, veggies, fruit etc.). Take a minute and think about what you had for breakfast today, for lunch? What can you do to improve your dinner? Don’t jump 100% into a plant-based diet. Start with small changes like Meatless Mondays or perhaps have one meal a day that is not meat based and is solely created from plants.

Your body, heart and mind will thank you. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or if you want more information or even recipes.

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~Trailmomma

*Disclaimer: Please do not interpret this as medical advice. The information and ideas presented on this site are for information resources only. Please consult a physician before making any health care decisions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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