78. PLANT FOOD DOES A BODY GOOD
Dear Grandma Donna: Have you heard about Dotsie Bausch? She is an Olympic athlete who promotes a plant-food diet, which makes her a good example for our readers to know about. Love, Savana
Dear Savana: Dottie is a remarkable woman who has proven the value of eating vegan food. At age 26, she was a fashion model struggling with eating disorders and drug addiction. Her therapist encouraged her to take up a physical activity. She chose cycling, which ultimately led her to take up competitive cycling and rise to the top of the sport.
As a professional cyclist, Dotsie has won eight US national championships, two Pan American gold medals, including a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. During her training for the 2012 London Olympics, she started living a plant-based lifestyle. Within the first ten days of going plant-based, she noticed that she woke up feeling lighter and more energized, ready to get on the bike within an hour of getting up. She went on to win a silver medal in women’s track cycling at the age of 40, a record for the competition.
Now she is using her influence to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet and advocating against animal cruelty. She also launched Switch4Good, a nonprofit organization focused on building grassroots educational campaigns to raise awareness about the harmful effects of dairy.
Dottie states that she went vegan in 2010 after coming to the full realization of what it means to eat animal-based foods. She says, “I came across a horrifying video of a slaughterhouse and that tumbled me down the research rabbit hole. Once I realized that atrocity was the norm when it came to animals raised for food, I decided I no longer wanted to contribute to this system of abuse, and I dropped meat overnight. I have been plant-based ever since.
“I had been competing for about ten years before adopting a plant-based diet, but when I finally did, it felt like rocket fuel. I was more energized and able to recover from workouts so much faster than ever before. As the oldest person to ever medal in my discipline, that recovery factor really helped me pursue and earn a spot on the Olympic team.”
When asked what she eats, Dottie tells us, “For breakfast, I’ll make tofu scramble with veggies and avocado. For lunch and dinner, I have greens, grains, beans, nuts or seeds all drizzled with a yummy sauce like tahini in a big bowl. I love feeling satiated while still feeling light and energetic after a meal. I never felt this way when I ate animal foods. They always made me feel lethargic and bloated most of the time.”
It would seem that Dottie would consider her Olympic silver medal her greatest accomplishment, but she says her work at Switch4Good in saving the lives of animals, humans, and this beautiful blue ball we are all spinning on is tops. It’s creating a better world to live in on so many levels. She looks at it as her second Olympics.
“Switch4Good has a lot going for it,” Dottie testifies. “The deliberate misinformation spread by the dairy industry has always frustrated me since I learned the truth. Most people think dairy does a body good, but the truth is the exact opposite. Human or animal, the only body that thrives off cow’s milk is a baby cow.
“Dairy is detrimental to health for a vast number of reasons, but in specific regards to performance, it can inhibit recovery, increase mucus production, restrict airways, and make athletes—particularly those who are lactose intolerant—sick. Several components that make up dairy—such as IGF-I and Neu5gc—make dairy a highly inflammatory food.”
We can all cheer for this champion who is making a big impact for good as she promotes the plant-food diet plan! Love, Grandma Donna
VEGAN ENCHILADAS
1 pd firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into chunks
1/2 t salt
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 T olive oil
2 med jalapeno peppers, seed and membranes removed, finely chopped
1 med red bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
1 onion finely diced
2 T yeast flakes (optional)
1 15-oz can black beans rinsed and drained
1 10-oz bunch spinach fresh or frozen
20 oz red enchilada sauce
18 small corn tortillas
Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado, diced green or red onion, lime wedges
Pulse the tofu in a food processor with salt, turmeric and cayenne until smooth. Saute the jalapeno, bell pepper and onion in oil until soft. Stir in the tofu and nutritional yeast if using, and continue cooking and stirring until the tofu is heated through and dries to the appearance of scrambled eggs. Stir in the beans and spinach. Spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the sprayed baking dish. Scoop a 1/4-cup portion of filling into each tortilla, roll tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until the sauce is hot and bubbly.