BLOGGER ON BOARD: So Long, Stay Well (DAY 6)

PHOTO: VT blogger Janah Adickman with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study.

I can’t believe my week-long Holistic Holiday at Sea is already over. Not only have I had the opportunity to learn from the leading plant-based chefs and nutrition experts, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to learn from my fellow cruisers.

Today, I sat in on a Q&A with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. The Q&A was an introduction to Forks Over Knives, an eye-opening documentary about the health-benefits of a plant-based diet that features both Campbell and Esselstyn. They answered a wide range of interesting questions from the audience, questions that I never would have thought to ask. One gentleman asked if genetics determine one’s health. Esseltyn responded by using an apt analogy: “Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” Campbell added, “a plant-based diet keeps genes under control.”

As I reflect on my week at sea, I am amazed by how much I have learned. Each night, my  sister and I mapped out our schedules for the next day in the cabin, and sometimes even again at breakfast, in effort to fit in as many classes as possible. At any given time on board, there were a number of classes that catered to mind, body, and spirit. Since I had to miss out on chef Christina Pirello’s hands-on cooking boot camp, I made it up by catching her “Oh Boy, Soy Boy” cooking class. I learned how to make the most delicious sloppy joes and vegetable pot pies! While I was busy attending cooking classes, my sister enjoyed qigong, do-in massage, and flower remedies classes.

After a week at sea, I’m returning home with new friends, enough vegan product samples to last for weeks, and a killer tan. But, most important of all, I’m taking home the invaluable knowledge that I’ve gained on my Holistic Holiday at Sea. While my adventure may be coming to an end, I know my voyage into a plant-based diet is just beginning.