If one year ago today you told me that my husband and esteemed co-founder of OC Estate and Elder Law, Fernando Orrego, was going vegan, I would have told you there is a better chance of us training a family of teddy bear hamsters to draft irrevocable trusts and master the strategies of Medicaid planning. But sometimes the impossible does happen. This blog is not exactly about estate planning, but it is about growing older, staying healthy, and striving to become a centenarian (someone that is 100 years or older). Sometimes you stumble upon something so eye opening, you just have to share.
A little background. OC Estate and Elder Law was founded by two immigrants turned attorneys who merged into a husband-and-wife superlawyer duo: Natasha Chipiga and Fernando Orrego. A Russian and a Colombian. These two cultures share a strong emphasis on carnivorous diets, with meat playing a central role in traditional dishes. In Russia, hearty meals like borscht and beef stroganoff showcase the table, often accompanied by some cow’s tongue appetizer and salo, (the Russian version of bacon which is mostly fat, very little meat, and served cold – don’t knock it until you have tried it). Similarly, Colombian cuisine features iconic dishes like bandeja paisa and chicharrón, highlighting meats such as pork and beef. As you see, we grew up in a culture drenched in protein-rich meals.
We have Americanized and do not send our children to school with a lunchbox of cow’s tongue sandwiches on black bread. Off topic – this is the lunch I took to public school in New Jersey in the 2nd grade and no, it was not easy to explain to classmates what I was eating. Fast forward to 2024. Despite eating a lot of meat, we thought we were doing it right – grass-fed, pasture raised, organic, non-GMO, responsibly farmed, Keto observant, bla bla.
Then we noticed that Fernando was feeling very tired very often. Not the typical tired you would expect of a superstar lawyer who works 60-hour weeks. But the wake up on Saturday, have a cup of black coffee, then fall back asleep on the couch type of tired. We ran some tests. EKG = perfect. Heart stress test = fine. Bloodwork = high cholesterol but otherwise good. Then the final test (which btw the cardiologists usually leave as a test of last resort after other tests indicate some sort of issue) but thanks to my genius brother-in-law physician, Aleksandr Martirosov, MD, we had this test done: cardiac calcium score (CAC) scan. Bam. Devastating news. Fernando had 80% blockage of two arteries, one of which stemmed from the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, also known as the widowmaker artery. This can lead to a fatal type of heart attack called a widowmaker heart attack. I think the name speaks for itself as to the seriousness of the whole thing.
So, there we were, two weeks later, thinking a simple angioplasty procedure and stenting would fix this. Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that opens blocked arteries and inserts a mesh stent to keep the artery open. Nope. Due to the location of the arterial blockage and shape of Fernando’s artery, a full double bypass was necessary. In technical terms, this procedure is called coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In layman’s terms, heart bypass surgery is where they crack your sternum, pry your rib cage open, disconnect your heart for an hour or so, and replace the defective artery with a happier artery that is cut out of your leg. Not as fun as it sounds.
Needless to say, we were shocked. It took us a few days to pick our jaws up off the floor. Fernando is only 48 years old. The need for bypass surgery under age 50 occurs in less than 5% of the population. But it was happening. Luckily our connections over years of networking got us into Memorial Regional Hospital with some of the best cardiologists and surgeons in South Florida. The procedure was painful as all heck, but successful.
Then comes the recovery. Two months of it. No driving, physical therapy three times a week, and a healthy diet. The third prong has been the most eye-opening of all. What we eat IMMENSELY affects our general health and the main culprit in this whole fiasco was… red meat. NOOOOOOOOO! Not our favorite cuisine that is ingrained in our cultures and apparently now our bloodstream. There is no way around it – must give up or greatly limit our intake of red meat if we want to live longer and healthier.
As much as we tried to deny it, the evidence is there. Eating a more plant-based diet is directly linked to longer healthier lifespans. Netflix recently released a 2024 documentary called “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment” which showcased a Stanford University study that involved 22 sets of identical twins who adhered to either an omnivorous or vegan diet for eight weeks. At the study’s conclusion, participants on the vegan diet exhibited an average weight loss of 4.2 pounds more than their omnivorous twin counterparts and significantly lower cholesterol levels. Moreover, the vegan group displayed a significant 20% decrease in fasting insulin levels, a crucial finding given that elevated insulin levels pose a risk factor for developing diabetes. Aside from these findings, this show opened our eyes to the condition of the animals we eat. The livestock held in cattle farms where cows did not consume a single blade of grass, the chickens that lived in chicken coups where they were living one on top of each other like a Matryoshka doll, and the farm-raised fish that were so cramped together they ate each other’s poop as their meals. And we eat this stuff!!!
Another eye-opening Netflix documentary was released in 2023 called Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. With a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this one highlights the study of longevity hot spot regions, or “Blue Zones” around the world where certain pockets of people living in a Blue Zone have a higher-than-average life expectancy and lower rates of age-related diseases. One of the main factors in living past 100…drumroll…eating a more plant-based diet.
The results are in. Yet how can you substitute the pleasure of biting into a charred on the outside melt-in-your-mouth tender piece of Wagyu beef from Japan, dry-aged USDA Prime beef from the United States, or Argentine grass-fed beef? Correct, these cannot be replicated with a plant. But the amount of delicious vegan brands that have popped up in grocery stores is equally amazing. Brands like Beyond Meat, Oatly, Impossible Foods, Miyoko’s heavenly cashew-based mozzarella, just to name a few, are making headlines. So much so that Eleven Madison Park, a Michelin-starred restaurant located in New York City, made headlines in 2021 by adopting a completely plant-based menu. Renowned chef Daniel Humm leads the restaurant, which is often described as the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence. Many consider Eleven Madison Park’s shift to plant-based cuisine a groundbreaking reimagining of fine dining, challenging traditional culinary norms.
There you have it. Do what you want with this knowledge. Needless to say, the past few months have been eye-opening for what it means to live a longer, healthier lifestyle, and strike that work-life balance that everyone is dying for. Our law firm is here to help your family every step of the way to plan ahead for the graceful aging process. Allow us to alleviate some of the burdens associated with preparing for your golden years. Our exclusive focus lies in estate planning, ensuring you peace of mind regarding the welfare of your family. Contact OC Estate and Elder Law at (954) 251-0332 or info@ocestatelawyers.com to get started with your free consultation. Our attorneys are fluent in English, Spanish and Russian.
