You know that saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”?  I wanted to share my recent story proving that that old adage is untrue and that it’s really never too late for anyone to learn something new.

I am from southern Louisiana, where the culture is closely identified with food but rarely of the healthy variety. Twenty years ago, my typical Southern diet led me to developing type II diabetes. That was the start of a list of health issues that got longer and longer as I chose medicine over high-quality, healthy food. With each passing year, my meat and dairy consumption led to high cholesterol, hypertension, and other ailments that all continued to grow worse, translating into higher and higher dosages of medication.

Last autumn, I had a number of serious emergency health incidents that meant trips to the ER and hospital stays to stabilize some of these now out-of-control chronic conditions.

During one of these stays, I accepted that something had to be done to turn my health around.  Thank goodness I had access to resources of PETA and PCRM and was able to easily research and get guidance on plant-based diets and their positive impact on many of my conditions. I started by making vegan versions of some of my favorite meals but then quickly branched out into discovering all kinds of new and wonderful foods. The journey to improving my health through a plant-based diet opened me up to a whole new range of herbs, spices, fruits, grains, vegetables, and exciting new recipes to try using all of these newly discovered ingredients. It was a thrilling adventure to find a new way to incorporate healthier food into my family’s meals, and make them a new part of our culture.

Four months into my plant-based lifestyle, I lost 30 pounds and never once skipped a meal or felt like I was making any kind of sacrifice. In fact, the only noticeable things missing were the lethargy, heart palpitations, and blood sugar spikes from my previous diet.  I am thrilled that my doctors have already in a short space of time lowered my insulin by 40 percent and my cholesterol meds by 50 percent, and I am determined that this is just the start of taking back control of my health through a plant-based diet. I have not felt this well in a very long time.

The additional benefits were equally exciting—reduced food bills, a much more diverse menu, a new-found interest in shopping for food and food preparation, and lower prescription costs—just to mentioned a few. My increased energy levels mean I am putting more hours in at my part-time job, and I am even cycling for the first time in decades!

I confess that I had help: My eldest son has been an animal rights advocate since he was a boy, and he has told me for so long, “Momma, the food you are eating is harming you and hurting so many animals.” I know that now, and one big regret is that I didn’t listen sooner.  But I am so very happy that even at 69 years old, I have learned I can be taught some new tricks, and those new tricks are doing wonders for me, for animals, and for the environment.

Here is one of my favorite recipes:

Eggplant Sauce

1 cup vegetable stock

2 onions, chopped

4–5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large eggplant, cubed (no need to peel)

1 veggie bouillon cube

1 large can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 handful chopped parsley

1 13.7-oz. bag Gardein “beefless ground”

Spike seasoning

• In 1/4 cup of the stock, sauté 1 onion, the garlic, and the eggplant until tender.
• Add the veggie bouillon cube and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the bay leaf, the remaining stock, and the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.
• Combine the Gardein “beefless ground” and the remaining onion.
• Sauté for a few minutes, then add to the eggplant sauce and heat through.
• Season with Spike, if desired.
• Serve over your favorite al dente whole-grain pasta or brown rice.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Alberta LeBlanc lives in Louisiana with her husband of 50 years, Robert. She loves cooking, reading, spending time with her grandkids, and watching the LSU Tigers. Her son, Robbie, lives in London and works for PETA UK.