Copyright 2007 - 2011 Martha Theus and 21st Century Vegetarians
THE THEUS FAMILY - Londale, Martha, Kamaal, Londale Jr.
Hi! I am so glad you are visiting our site and are taking the time to get to know us. We are the Theus family and we are also the 21st Century Vegetarians. So what does that really mean? I place the emphasis on the 21st Century part because I believe we are a unique family that is completely mainstream yet also completely vegetarian. We are part of a growing movement of vegetarianism that is sweeping the country and we are not “your mother’s vegetarians.” In other words, we are not the image of what may pop into your mind when you think of the word “vegetarian”, which is probably, “skinny, weak, and weird.” We are, like most people, very busy and very involved with our (grown) children, our extended family, and with the businesses we run. We don’t have time to grow our own food or prepare elaborate, organic, “straight-from-the-earth-to-the-table” meals on a daily basis. In many ways, we are just like the typical American family that is in pursuit of the American Dream yet strives for balance and harmony in the process. I’m sure there are quite a few similarities between our family and yours. But I’m sure there are also quite a few differences.
and going to the theatre. Our kids have always played sports and now that they are in college, they continue to do so, in addition to hanging out just like normal college kids do. Londale has been a vegetarian since 1982, and I have been one since 1985. Kamaal and Londale II have been vegetarian since birth and have never eaten meat, chicken, fish, or eggs. I became a vegetarian seven months before I conceived Kamaal, and when she was only five months old, I became pregnant with Londale II. I had two back-to-back pregnancies while strictly maintaining our vegetarian lifestyle. Both of my kids, along with myself, were completely healthy throughout each pregnancy.
Over the years, my children have had to answer the question regarding meat “don’t you miss it?” at least a hundred times, to which they respectfully reply “how can you miss something that you’ve never had?” They have survived elementary school through college, excelling academically, athletically and socially without ever eating meat or ever being curious about it. Londale II has traveled all over the country for athletic events (basketball) without ever eating meat. As I mentioned before, Kamaal even spent a year living with a family while studying Spanish in Costa Rica without ever eating meat. They do not walk around barefoot, or wear tie-dyed T-shirts with unshaven armpits. Basically, they are just normal, well-adjusted, culturally in-tune kids who just happen to be vegetarian.
We are lacto-vegetarians (no meat, fish, chicken or poultry of any kind, no eggs and no cheeses that contain animal rennet or enzymes). Other than that, we probably eat just like anyone else. For some reason, everyone thinks that just because you are vegetarian that you do not like hearty or flavorful food or that all you eat are alfalfa sprouts and carrots. This is not the case for us at all. We eat more than just salads and pasta. We even eat sweets and fried foods; we just make sure that they are vegetarian and are prepared in a healthy manner. I have found that there is a vegetarian substitute for just about any animal product that is surprisingly similar in taste and texture so that many of your common recipes can be prepared completely vegetarian, as you will find in my cookbook “Throwin’ Down Vegetarian Style”.
At this point, some of you may be curious about why we decided to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, and, more importantly, why we have maintained it for so many years. Our reasons are based, first and foremost, on a spiritual philosophy that supports non-violence to all of God’s creatures. Another way to put it would be the law of karma, or “you reap what you sow.” These principles are what guide our lives and make it relatively easy to keep to our diet since it is not about adhering to a set of rules; it is a way of life. For more about what we believe, see Why We're Vegetarian.
Inaddition, there are the health and environmental benefits that are a natural by-product of a vegetarian diet. No one can argue that as a nation we are in a “state of emergency” when it comes to our health. Nearly every major disease and cause of death (obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, etc) can be directly associated with the consumption of an animal based diet.
According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), (www.obesity.org), 64.5% of adult Americans are categorized as being overweight or obese. For my demographic, African American women, that number climbs to 78%. That’s nearly four of every five Black women! Each year, obesity and obesity related diseases cause at least 300,000 excess deaths in the United States, and the healthcare costs of American adults who are obese amount to approximately $100 billion. Obesity is now an epidemic in our country and is the root cause of many of the other diseases we suffer as a nation. In spite of all of the advancements we have made as a species, whether in the medical field, education, health and welfare, or otherwise, physically, we are in the worst shape of our lives. On average, Americans are 30% heavier than we were just one generation ago. A big factor in this is the type of food that we eat and the way in which it is processed and prepared.
The consumption of an animal-based diet is largely to blame for this condition, as well as many other diseases. Animal foods are far less healthy than they were just a generation ago due to the many chemicals, bacteria, growth hormones, and antibiotics that are common in the meat producing industry. The flesh of the animal foods we consume are saturated with these chemicals and are, in turn, ingested by us. How can we not suffer the consequences? Regardless of what we think, we cannot negate the negative repercussions of ingesting the flesh of animals who were filled with chemicals, lived a horrible existence and died under the most inhumane and cruel circumstances. There simply has to be a connection between our health or lack thereof and the type of food that we eat.
Environmentally speaking, I firmly believe that what is happening in our external environment, our planet, is simply a reflection of what is happening in our internal environment, our own bodies. If our lifestyle and the daily choices we make negatively impact our bodies, how can it be good for our planet? One example of this is how the waste from farmed animals is harmful to our environment. The massive amount of animal feces found in factory farms which produce most of the nation’s poultry, beef and pork is one of the largest sources of airborne methane, which happens to be a major contributor to global warming.
To recap, we maintain a vegetarian lifestyle based upon our guiding principles from the inside out; spiritual, physical, and then environmental.
So…..enough about why we are vegetarians. The main focus of 21st Century Vegetarians is to show how we are vegetarians for those that are interested. As you go through our website and read our book, we will share our experiences and tips so that your journey may be “easier”, and you will be better informed on how to answer the inevitable questions “what do you eat?” and “where do you get your protein?”
21st Century Vegetarians is a glimpse into our way of life, one in which we have been blessed with good health and in which we are constantly shattering the myths of the vegetarian lifestyle amongst people who consider us an enigma. Quite honestly, this is a labor of love, and hopefully, will be a blessing to the creation in some way. This is our gift to you and our many friends and family members who over the years have asked us time and time again about our way of life and for vegetarian recipes because they have come to acknowledge the benefits of the diet.
I hope you enjoy visiting our site! Please check back often and subscribe to our BLOG as we will constantly add new content and information for our “growing community.”
With Love,
Martha Theus and the Theus Family
 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
For example, my husband (Londale) is a retired police officer and won “The Toughest Cop Alive” competition which is a decathlon for police officers in the 1994 California Police Olympics as a vegetarian and he was competing against non-vegetarian athletes. (He has since retired from Law Enforcement and is now acting full time! Check out www.LondaleTheus.com). My son (Londale II) is 6’6”, weighs 200 pounds, played college basketball and has never eaten meat. My daughter (Kamaal) also in college, has run track, played water polo and rugby, lived abroad in Costa Rica her freshman year of college and has never eaten meat. I have completed a marathon, am a retired Certified Public Accountant, and at one point in my career had to travel extensively, even abroad, and was always able to find vegetarian options. The list goes on and on. I believe our family breaks just about every stereotype there is when you think of the word vegetarian. We are definitely not skinny and weak, and personally, I don’t think we’re weird!
To illustrate this point even further, here’s a brief background of our family. Londale and I have been married for twenty-three years. We were raised in the 1960’s in the inner city; he’s from South Central Los Angeles, and I’m from Detroit. We are self-employed and have held several positions in private industry and in government. We love sports (primarily basketball), working out, movies, traveling, and going to the beach. We enjoy old school music (which is basically hip-hop without the cussing),
| ||||
7 Day Vegetarian Starter Kit
Paperback $7.95
FREE eBOOK!
Throwin' Down Vegetarian Style!
Paperback $9.95
