Vegan and vital

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Buy Daily Star photo reprints Harlan Dubansky, 74, checking the grapefruit tree in his backyard in Oro Valley, had a life of eating and selling meat before he became a vegetarian and then a vegan. Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.31.2007 From honey to ham, not one animal product has passed through Harlan Dubansky's lips for the past 12 years. After a life full of eating and selling meat, the 74-year-old credits his vegan lifestyle with his happy, active retirement. While vegans — who eat only foods derived from plants — often describe themselves as "weird," Dubansky is conventional, a gregarious businessman from the Iowa heartland. He has found in veganism a way to maintain a healthy weight and demonstrate his love of animals. The diet signaled an abrupt lifestyle change for Dubansky, who moved to Oro

Valley with his wife, Shirley, in 1995. But it sprang from several ingredients stewing throughout his childhood and career. A struggle with obesity, a World War II Victory Garden, a dog named Pal, and 40 years as a grocer seasoned Dubansky's decision to become a vegan. Dubansky's weight shot up 30 pounds, to 310, when he quit smoking as a young man. The 30 pounds came off, but the 6-footer teetered between 250 and 280 pounds throughout adulthood — though he jogged three miles daily and participated in an annual seven-day bike ride across Iowa. (At that weight, he says, the high-impact aerobics damaged his joint cartilage, and he needed a hip replacement.) Following a trip to Lithuania 12 years ago to see the village where his father grew up, "something clicked," relates Dubansky, who now is a shade under 200 pounds. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life having trouble getting around due to his girth. He and Shirley enrolled in

a weeklong on-site weight-loss program. After the program and the sale of his last business in 1995 — he had come to own four grocery stores and four convenience stores in eight small towns near Ames — Dubansky decided vegetarianism might help him shed pounds. He avoided meat but ate eggs and milk products. After six months, he hadn't lost weight. "I still had my ice cream and chocolate malts," he says. He did away with the eggs and dairy. The pounds began to melt; further, Dubansky found that because vegetables have few calories for their bulk, he left the table feeling satisfied. The first months on the plants-only diet were challenging, but, Dubansky says, "now I would not depart from a vegan diet for even a second." Fortunately, he loves vegetables, partly due to Victory Gardens. Dubansky was a boy during World War II when citizens were urged to plant Victory Gardens to help free commercial

agriculture to feed American troops. His father hired a farmer to plow up the family's entire backyard in Des Moines, and put the youngest of his three children, 9-year-old Harlan, in charge of it. "At first I hated every minute, pulling weeds with a hand spade in that huge garden," Dubansky says. "But after the first year, I became addicted to it." A passion for both gardening and fresh vegetables stuck with Dubansky. Because raising vegetables in Tucson's desert soils isn't easy, he gardens in tubs. The first question people ask him is, "How do you get enough protein?" Dubansky relates. "People think they have to eat half a cow a day to get enough protein, but it's surprising how much protein is in vegetables," he says. Upon becoming a vegan, Dubansky consulted a dietitian, who instructed him on combining plant foods to obtain the amino acids needed to build body protein. She advised him to take a daily

supplement of vitamin B-12, a nutrient found only in animal products. Dubansky has yearly check-ups to make sure his restricted diet isn't contributing to any health problems. So far so good. "They test me for everything and proclaim me healthy," he says. He continues to exercise, biking 28 to 30 miles three times weekly, and working out with weights. Dubansky's love of animals also contributes to his dedication to veganism. As a boy, his beloved dog Pal, shot by a neighbor, bled to death in his arms . During his four decades as a grocer, Dubansky bought his own meat, which took him into many livestock and butcher operations. He often didn't like what he saw — "chickens stuffed in cages, their beaks cut off with tools so they wouldn't peck one another," for example. Dubansky says that having sold "hundreds of thousands of pounds of meat" throughout the years, he was part of a system he believes is cruel to animals.

He typically starts his day with oatmeal with almond milk and fresh fruit. Lunch is often soup, leftover veggies, and whole-grain bread. Dinner may consist of a grilled portobello, beans with salsa — for convenience, he heats canned beans—and a salad. Dubansky snacks on fruit, which is sweeter than vegetables. "It's hard to eat a stalk of celery and feel as though you've had a good snack," he says with a laugh. His greatest temptation is dark chocolate chips, and he'll sometimes buy a 12-ounce bag to nibble on. Often he ends up throwing away part of the package, preferring to waste the money than having the calories go to waist. "I just have to battle it and battle it, this struggle to keep my weight down; there's no magic solution." Dubansky and his wife mostly prepare their own foods, due to his veganism and because Shirley developed celiac sprue several years ago. This genetic disorder in which the body doesn't digest gluten — the

proteins of grains — runs in her family. Either Harlan or Shirley often prepares a base food, such as vegetable soup, to which Shirley may add meat, and Harlan, grains. Dubansky finds recipes on the Internet. He'll enter a key ingredient, such as Swiss chard, and see what comes up. Or he'll look through the fridge and improvise a meal around what he finds — " quicker and easier than spending a lot of time pondering recipes," he says. An extrovert, Dubansky has found ways to entertain and socialize without his diet becoming an impediment. He'll grill steaks for friends, along with portobellos for himself and others who want them, and serve plenty of vegetable side dishes. When invited to friends' homes, Dubansky takes a large salad to share and his own entree. "That's the easiest way to maintain comfortable friendships," he says. Photos by Ron Medvescek / arizona

daily star More Photos (2): Tomato and chickpea soup Serves from 8 to 10 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves 2 cups cooked chickpeas 2 cups tomato juice 6 cups water 1/4 cup white rice, rinsed 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne Heat oil in saucepan; then sauté onions and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Total calories per serving: 109; fat: 3 grams — The Vegetarian Resource Group nutritional note Many types of diets can provide nutritional health. However, the more restricted a diet, the more intentional one must be in choosing foods to meet nutritional needs, needs that vary with age and one's health, said Nancy Rogers, registered dietitian and coordinator of the Worksite Wellness Program at the University of Arizona. Rogers highlights the nutrients that vegans should take special care to obtain: • Vitamin B-12. Vegans should eat cereals fortified with vitamin B-12 or take a supplement. This is particularly so for elderly people; the body's ability to absorb vitamin B-12 diminishes with age. • Protein. Legumes, nuts and seeds combined with whole grains provide the amino acids needed to build body protein, with the added benefits of fiber and phytochemicals. While most

of the general U.S. population gets ample protein, elderly individuals, especially those who are sick or have had surgery, need to be sure to get enough. • Calcium. The phytic acid in some grains and oxalic acid in dark greens impede the body's ability to absorb calcium, so post-menopausal women especially should check with a doctor to be sure they are getting enough of this nutrient. Good sources of calcium include kale, corn tortillas, almonds, and fortified cereals and orange juice. • Iron. The body absorbs the iron in plants, such as grains and legumes, less readily than that of animal sources. Consuming a source of vitamin C at the same meal helps change the iron in grains into the form in which it's absorbed. Tortillas and chiles, and strawberries on ready-to-eat cereal, are examples of food combinations that help the body use the iron of grains. Iron needs are greatest during periods of growth and following blood loss. elusive numbers The number of American vegetarians is hard to pin down; research consistently shows that those who describe themselves as vegetarian often eat some meat, fowl or fish. In 2003, the Baltimore-based Vegetarian Resource Group commissioned a Harris Interactive Survey to ask adults about their eating. Those who said they never eat meat, poultry or fish came to 2.8 percent of the sample. Based on 2000 U.S. census figures, the group estimated that 5.7 million adults are vegetarian. Torey Ligon, outreach coordinator for Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., believes that while vegetarianism is moving from the fringe to mainstream, neither is it "something that the majority of Americans have taken on." She sees it as a slowly growing trend. If the Tucson scene reflects the whole, few of the estimated 5.7 million vegetarians are vegans. Harlan

Dubansky believes just a handful of Tucsonans are vegans. Sixty-five people registered on a Tucson vegan "Meetup" Web site between October 2004 and the end of 2006. Ligon, a 10-year vegetarian who tried veganism for a short period, says that many more products labeled "vegan" are available now compared to a decade ago and that they're selling well. Nondairy substitutes, rice and soy milk, rice cheese and ice cream top the list of vegan items sold at the co-op. Close behind are snack foods, chips, energy bars, popcorn. "I can remember a time when vegan cookies were not very good," says Ligon, "but we now sell many that even nonvegetarians buy because they're so tasty." Peter H

 

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