Happy Healthy Long Life

Happy Groundhog Day! The Bill Murray Movie, the Punxsutawney, PA Celebration, and Ellen Goodman's 1993 Meditation on Middle Age

 

Making the best of what we have....is not second best.  It is rather, a demand for active engagement in caring for what and whom we value.  That is what's touching about Groundhog Day.

-Ellen Goodman-

 

Happy 126th Groundhog Day!

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.  

If this post looks familiar to you--it's not because you're suddenly trapped in a some cosmic Bill Murray-like Groundhog Day Life--stuck seeing the same HHLL post every morning!  Although, I'm guessing it must seem like that for some of you.

No, it's just my not-so-annual Groundhog Day post--that I first wrote in 2008 and reposted in 2009 and I'm now reposting it in 2012!

 

Living the Groundhog Day Life

 

I love Bill Murray's 1993 movie, Groundhog Day!  It's my favorite kind of film---funny with a profound message.  We can get stuck in the same place, doing the same thing, every last day of our lives, until we finally get it right.  Until we change ourselves.

Phil Connors is an arrogant, cynical, sarcastic weatherman who has come to Punxsutawney, PA on February 2 to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebration.

He's the kind of guy who no one can stand--and he could care less!  To Phil this is a backwater town, and the assignment is beneath him.  And to make matters worse, he discovers he's in the middle of huge cosmic joke that condemns him to living the same day, February 2 over and over again. 

Every blessed morning he wakes up to Sonny & Cher singing, "It Ain't Me Babe".  Eats the same breakfast & covers the same Groundhog Day festival, sees the same annoying people.....until he gets it right!

Before I saw Groundhog Day I had read Ellen Goodman's column about the movie. Now, nineteen years later I still think about what the movie meant to her and I just have to share her Zen-like meditation on middle-age:

In the middle of the movie Phil says in utter despair to a man sitting next to him at a bar:

 

"What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was the same and nothing mattered?"  

 

Here's what Ellen Goodman had to say back in 1993:

"What would you do if you woke up in the same place and every day was the same?

For most people, middle age is a little bit like that.  It's long past the time of life when most of us were building our careers, beginning our families and nesting. 

It's the maintenance stage when an extraordinary amount of energy is going to upkeep - keeping up the commitments you have. One morning inevitably looks a lot like the one before it.....

But in real life, those of us who do not want to start over in the middle face a different test of renewal.  Daily renewal.  Getting up in the same place, doing the same things - only making it matter.

So we have to figure out how to make the best of what we have.

Making the best of what we have....is not second best.  It is rather, a demand for active engagement in caring for what and whom we value.

That is what's touching about Groundhog Day.  Our trapped weatherman has to learn this the hard way.  His life is reduced to one inescapable day.  It's the entire deck he's been dealt, the allotment of flowers he can arrange, the cast of characters in his life.

He goes through stages of feeling trapped, depressed, and living as if there's no tomorrow.  He finally comes to the not-so-profound-but-still-pretty-rare realization that he can change his world by changing himself.

..it's about making the best of what you have...over and over. Making small repairs and improvements so that the commitments of midlife--the work you do and people you love--don't become a trap.  They become and remain the town in which you choose to live even when you have options.

"Groundhog Day" is the perfect renewal movie when we're trapped in the middle of one of the coldest & snowiest winters (and the most challenging economic times) I can remember in a long time.

Note:  That might have been true in 2008 & 2009.  But, this winter it feels kind of nice to be trapped in the middle of one of the warmest & least snowy winters I can remember.  As the for economic scene--doesn't seem like much has changed in that department.

 

And the Pursuit of Happiness - How About That Maira?

If you've never had the opportunity to see Maira Kalman's gorgeous artistic essay, "And the Pursuit of Happiness" in the 2/01/09 New York TImes --please take a look & say "Hallelujah!"  

Feast your eyes & spirt on this!  Click here!    Her artistic column "And the Pursuit of Happiness,"  about American democracy, appeared on the last Friday of each month in 2009 in the New York Times.  You will find all of Maira's pictorial essays at the bottom of the link.  Enjoy!

Happy President's Day month, too!

 

 

 

Finding Soup at a Hair Salon? The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Cajun Kale with "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup and More Of Course

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version.

I found this recipe hiding in a magazine at my hair salon.

On Tuesday I got my hair cut & colored (don't judge!), and while I waited for Michelle to mix up my "hair coloring",  I started leafing through the January issue of O (Oprah) Magazine.  The cover pitched recipes for "Healthy Hearty Soups".  "OK.  Let's check 'em out,"  I thought.

Well, they weren't exactly up to my "health" standards--filled with ingredients like beef, oil, salmon, chicken broth, or coconut milk.

But, two of these soups had "great bones"--and I knew I could easily "enlighten" them to fit my plant-based, no-added oil specifications.

So, on Thursday, I did the grocery shopping and picked up all the fixings to test out these two O Magazine soups.  As I put the groceries away, my husband graciously offered to whip up soup recipe #1:  the Cajun Kale with "Spicy Sausage & Rice.

When we took our first tastes, we both looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Whoa! This just might be one of the best soups I've ever tasted!" 

OK--you know I can sometimes get overly enthusiastic, but, honestly, if you like a little spice, and are a fan of Cajun flavors--I just know you are going to love this easy-to-prepare nutritious powerhouse of a soup.

But, soup may be a misnomer.  This is so thick, it's more like a stew.  Definitely, a one dish meal.  Add a salad, and you'll be set for the evening.

 

I had to work on Saturday, so I brought in a giant bowl of leftover Cajun Kale Soup for lunch. 

I was working with Dee--so I offered her a sample. 

Now, you have to understand--Dee is not a fan of health food, or many of my plant-based creations.  This girl is picky.

She's 100% Paula Deen style-cooking & taste preferences.   But, I just wanted to see what she thought of this soup.  

And, she LOVED IT!  She wanted the recipe on-the-spot---and was ready to head right on over to Whole Foods after work to get a package of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle so she could make the soup on Sunday.

See what I mean.  I told you it was good.  It passed the Dee Test!  And she's a hard grader!

 

PS:  I plan to "recipe-test" O Magazine's Soup #2 on Tuesday.  It looks AMAZING.  Stay tuned.

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup

 

 

This just might be one of my new all-time-favorites!   A perfect mix of spicy flavors and textures--and it's chock full of nutrition!

It's a meal in a bowl--a thick soup, that's really more like a stew.

Click here to get the recipe on one page.

 

Serves: 6 generously

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Total time:  1 hour

 

Ingredients

• 6 cups of packed kale (curly or lacinato--I used lacinato)  Stem the kale, remove the ribs, & chop
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large celery rib, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 2 links of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle thinly sliced  (or substitute gluten-free TJ's Soy Chorizo sausage  Note: I've never tasted TJ's)   
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 (15 ounce) can of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted chopped of diced tomatoes, juice included
• 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)  I used it & I think it added a nice balance.
  
• 4 cups of prepared brown rice  (I microwaved Trader Joe's/ aka Rice Expressions frozen cooked brown rice.  2 pouches=4 cups)

Preparation

1.  Bring 10 cups of water to boil in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot  Add kale and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain in colander and set aside.  NOTE: These were the directions my husband followed--but next time, I would just add the chopped up kale to the saute mixture--or add it to the liquid & let it cook that way.  Boiling seems unnecessary.

2.  Preheat the soup pot on medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding a small amount of extra broth or water if the vegetables begin to get too dry or start sticking to the pan.  Cover pot & cook for another 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender and translucent.  Halfway through, stir the vegetables, & add just a little broth or water if they are getting dry or sticking to the pot.  Once the onions & celery are translucent, add the garlic, peppers, & sausage, and cook until the peppers soften--about 5 minutes.  Mix in thyme and allspice, stir, and cook 1 more minute.

3.  Add tomatoes, broth, cooked, kale, and black pepper.  Bring to a boi, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until greens are almost tender, 20 minutes.  Add salt to taste, and agave or maple syrup.  (If freezing the soup, stop here and add the rice after defrosting)

4.  If serving immediately, add rice and continue to simmer soup, uncovered, until the kale is tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

 

6 Servings

Freeze for up to 2 months.

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Cajun Kale Soup with Chipotle Field Roast & Rice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	283
Total Fat	5.2g
Saturated Fat	0.4g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	271mg
Carbohydrate	45.2g
Dietary Fiber	6.6g
Sugars	10g
Protein	14.1g
Vitamin A 247% Vitamin C 312% Calcium    15% Iron 16%

 

Here's What Else We Had for Dinner This Week

Farmer's Pie By Jill  (Increase the ingredients by a third to make enough for a  9 x 13 inch pan)

Farmer's Pie by Jill - French Lentils, Peas, Mushrooms, Onion, Garlic Topped with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 

 

 

This quick, hearty casserole makes up quickly, and is large enough for plenty of left-overs, if you increase the ingredients by one-third.  So why not?

The recipe comes from Healthy Girl's Kitchen, and uses convenience ingredients like TJ's vacuum packed French Lentils, canned (but not sweetened) sweet potatoes, & frozen peas.

I thought it could use a little punch in the spice department (but, that's just me)--and it turns out that Penzey's new Salt-Free seasoning, Forward, adds just the right punch, to kick this Farmer's Pie up a notch!  I sprinkled it on my own serving--not into the pie.

Find the recipe for Jill's Farmer's Pie here  But I highly recommend you increase the recipe by 1/3 so it fits a 9 x 13 pan, and you'll have plenty of leftovers.

 

 

• Special extra bold black pepper
• Onion
• Paprika
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Spice extractives (including oleoresin of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil, paprika)

 

 

Robin Robertson's Roasted Vegetables with Luscious Lemon-Cannelini Sauce

 

This is a Gorgeous Nutritious Delicious Combination of Roasted Vegetables

Butternut Squash, Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes, Chopped Onions, Carrots, & Brussel Sprouts

 

We enjoyed this for dinner one night, along with a big salad, and there were plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.  This is definitely a "keeper recipe".  

Imagine a warm sauce made from cannelini beans, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, & herbs.  Crazy, huh?   That's why Robin Robertson is one of my favorite recipe "designers".  This lady is creative, with a great sense for what tastes good.

I highly recommend this easy-to-do sophisticated no-oil vegetable dish.

Find the recipe here.   Just leave out the oil.  I did spray the vegetables very lightly with Spectrum's High Heat Canola spray, but you can certainly skip it.

 

Want to Make It a "Dinner & a Movie Night"!

 

Here's what I can recommend.

1.  Departures.  This won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film for 2008.  I  don't want to say too much--lest I spoil the surprise of your own discovery.  My husband & I both put this on our list of the top 10 best films we've ever seen. Unlike anything I've ever seen.  On Sunday night, our book club will be watching this for a "Dinner & a Movie Night".

2.  Paul.   This one was a big surprise.  A warm, sweet, goofy, hilarious, irreverant film that feels like ET for grown-ups.  It's all about friendship and loyalty.  Sexual language, some drug-use, & religious commentary that some might find offensive--so click on the link & read the review first.

 3.  Want some recommendations for some "Movies for Grown-Ups" that you might not have thought of?  Check out Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat's List of the Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2011.  That's how  I discovered, Paul.  I always check with Frederic & Mary Ann whenever I add films to my Netflix queue.

4.  My Week with Marilyn.

5.  Carnage.  

6.  The Way.  One of my favorites.

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Three Tuesday Tips: Dealing with Temper Tantrums at Any Age, Buying BPA-Free Cans, & Movie Theater Contraband Popcorn

 

 

 

 

If you do not see the Temper Tantrum video on your screen, click here. 

 

 

"The trick is to get the child past the peaks of anger.  Once you do that, what's left is the sadness, and sad children reach out for comfort.

The quickest way past the anger--is to do nothing.  

Don't shout, don't hit, don't try to comfort the child.  But, when a child is screaming it's hard to do nothing.

[W}hen children are at the peak of anger and they're screaming and they're kicking, probably asking questions might prolong that period of anger.

When I'm advising people about anger I say, 'There's an anger trap.  Even asking questions can prolong the anger--and the tantrum.'

It's difficult for them to process information--they're overwhelmed.  And to respond to a question that the parent is asking them may be just adding more information into the system than they can really cope with.

It's better to keep things simple.  Issue short commands like, sit down, go to your room.

Understanding that tantrums have a rhythm can not only help parents know when to intervene, but also give them a sense of control."

-Psychologists Michael Potegal & James Green, "Screaming, yelling, whining, and crying: categorical and intensity differences in vocal expressions of anger and sadness in children's tantrums,"  Emotion 2011 Oct;11(5):1124-33-

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with the links & the temper tantrum video!

 

Anyone Can Have a Temper Tantrum

 

OK--so, you don't have kids, or your kids are all grown.  You have zero interest in tantrums.   Why read this post?  

Because---the advice you'll find here can apply to your boss, your spouse, or your friends.  Anyone who's overwrought, frustrated, tired, hungry, angry and needs to vent!   Sure, with adults there's no kicking or screaming--but sometimes it's not a far stretch to substitute the word "venting"--for a "tantrum".

 

Toddler Tantrums Deconstructed

 

Would I be so ga-ga about research on tantrums if I weren't a grandparent--and dealt with a few toddler melt-downs myself?  Probably not!

But, you don't have to be a parent or a grandparent to experience the "horror show" of a full-blown temper tantrum.   Think grocery store lines, airplanes, or restaurants.  

It's happened to all of us--and it can make us feel as helpless as the screaming & kicking child who's having the tantrum.  And by the way--all kids have tantrums.

 

 "Small kids just have tantrums.  Some have lots of them.  Tantrums may be traumatic for parents, but they're mostly normal behavior.  So science hasn't paid much attention to them--until now."  (NPR)

But, if psychologists Potegal & Green are right--and I sure hope they are--there's both parental power & a sense of control when you know that all tantrums follow the same pattern--and if you know exactly when to ignore them, and when to intervene--a tanturm becomes easier to endure.  

 

"[W]hen looked at scientifically, tantrums are no different than thunderstorms or other natural phenomena.  Studying them as scientific subjects, rather than experiencing them like parents can cause the tantrums to stop feeling traumatic and even become interesting."  (NPR) Really????

 

My Temper Tantrum "Ah Ha" Moment!

When I heard the NPR story yesterday morning I had an AH HA moment!

Isn't a toddler's temper tantrum something we can all relate to? 

When we're REALLY REALLY UPSET or REALLY REALLY ANGRY (of course, I never am) we just want to have our say--and have someone listen to it--and not interrupt us.

• We don't want anyone to shut us up.
• We don't want any sympathetic coddling.
• We don't want to hear anyone's advice or solution to our problem.
• We don't want to hear logic.
• We don't want to be comforted.
• We just want to be heard, to vent, & release anger & frustration
• Only when we get our proper say, are we ready for hugs, comfort, & to listen to reason.

 

BTW--it only took me about 30 years of marriage to learn to just close my mouth & listen when my husband was having the equivalent of a grown-up's temper tantrum.   Plenty of time to talk & comfort after he's had a chance to vent!

Thanks to Michael Potegal of the University of Minnesota, & James Green of the University of Connecticut, who studied & recorded over one hundred temper tantrums--there just may be an easy technique for dealing with the terrible two's & meltdowns.

How crazy is this?  Potegal & Green devised a onesie with a wireless microphone.  Then they convinced parents to put the onesie on their kids--& hit the GO button, so they could record all that tantrum screaming, crying, wailing, & whining.

Potegal & Green say most temper tantrums follow the same pattern--the build up is quite quick--to a peak of anger--but then the child exhausts himself & what's left is a child who wants to be comforted.

 

The Play-By-Play Analysis of a Tantrum

 

NPR:  (commenting on the video) It looks like the tantrum is escalating.  But, in fact, what the new theory suggests is exactly the opposite.

Green:  (speaking about the child in the video) Once she's thrown herself on the floor and thrown something, or in this case, knocked the chair against the wall, we're probably on the down slope of this tantrum.  She's spent a lot of energy; screaming, yelling and now doing these physical behaviors.

NPR:  The scream was a peak.  No one can stay that angry for long - it's exhausting.  I asked Green what sounds he expected next from Katrina (the child in the video).

Green:  Probably something...like crying or whining.  There's been so much energy expended.  The child knows that they've been out of control.  That leads to a sense that they'd like some comfort from their parents.

NPR:  This tantrum from scream to whimper took only a minute.  But, Green & Potegal argue that no matter how long tantrums last or how often they occur, they follow the same pattern.

 

The Three Phases of a Tantrum

 

Phase I:  Yelling & screaming.  Associated with a high degree of anger.  That's how tantrums start, especially if there's a goal the parent has in mind that's different from what the child has in mind.

Phase: 2:  Physical actions.  Throwing oneself on the floor or throwing something.  This signals the downslope of the tantrum.  The child has spent a lot of energy, screaming, yelling & physical behaviors.

Phase 3:  Crying & whining.  This signals the end of the tantrum--what we see after intense physical behaviors.  And it can sometimes take only a minute to go from screaming to a whimper.  Only now is the child ready to be comforted--and she's ready to listen to mom or dad.

But, no matter how long it takes, from start to finish, all tantrums follow the same pattern!

Learn more:

1. Read the NPR "What's Behind a Temper Tantrum transcript here.

2. Listen to the NPR "What's Behind a Temper Tantrum" radio show here.

3. Access Potegal's & Green's article in Emotion here.

 

 

Look Right Here for BPA-Free Cans or Containers

 

The Go-To Safe Brands:  Eden Beans, Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes (started in January 2011), & Foods Packaged in Tetra-Paks or Glass

 

Just the facts, folks.

BPA is bad news.  I'm not going to get into all the nasty details of how this endocrine disruptor can be damaging to pregnant women, fetuses, babies, & children--or how, as a hormone disruptor it's been linked to breast & prostate cancers, attention-deficit disorder, behavioral problems, & even diabetes.

That's all old news.

But, here's the new deal, you might have missed.  BPA isn't just in plastic bottles--it's also in the linings of many cans--to prevent corrosion.  In fact, until recently, it was found in the linings of practically all canned tomato products.   That's now changed, because Muir Glen Organics recently started using BPA-free cans for its tomatoes.  Learn more below.

 

Here's what my friend Fran recently sent me from 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat (and just so you know--Dr. Fredrick vom Saal is THE BPA expert in the US).

 

Why You Should Avoid Canned Tomatoes (until recently, that is!!)

The Expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.

The Situation: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals.

“You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.  (and Muir Glen tomatoes canned after 1/11)

 Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes

Last Friday afternoon I waited  on the phone for 45 minutes in order to talk to a Muir Glen customer service rep to find out if Muir Glen tomatoes are really BPA-Free. 

To date, there is nothing on their label to indicate that they are BPA-free.  So I wanted to hear it from a company representative.

Here's the scoop:

• All Muir Glen tomatoes packaged since January 2011 are now in BPA-free cans.
• The company won't put the BPA-free labels on their cans until all the old stock is off the shelf.
• So, how will we know if our cans are BPA-free, until the new labeling goes into effect?   
  

1.  The lining will be orange, not white.

2.  The expiration date will have a 2014 on it.  But..most of my cans have an expiration date of Mar. 2013, & they've all been orange on the inside--which means they're BPA-Free.  The 2014 date will give you 100% assurance that the can is BPA-free--but there are 2013 expiration-dated cans that are also BPA-free.

3.  Here's another clue.  If the can has a white-enameled lining with BPA, it will say so on the label, right near the nutrition facts.  Something like: contains enameled lining.

Eden Brand Beans

All Eden Brand Beans come in BPA-free cans.  Learn more about that here.

Tetra-Paks or Glass

All food packaged in glass containers or in Tetra-Paks do not have BPA.  Some researchers have concerns about the linings of Tetra paks--but, I haven't seen any research on that subject.

The BPA Health Risk Cliff Notes

Cleaning Up My Kitchen - Clearing Out the Bisphenol-A and Other Lurking Toxic Chemicals

The Consumer Reports Tested BPA Levels in Canned Food. It's Time to Ditch the Cans and the Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole. Safe Levels Are Much Lower Than the FDA Allows

ADD, Autism, Hyperactivity, Behavioral Problems? Could BPA or Phthalates in Cans, Plastics, Carpets & PJs Be Responsible?

 

Here's the new research from JAMA, November 23, 2011

On November 23, 2011, right before Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans were going to open up cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, green beans, Durkee's Onion Rings, pumpkin pie filling, & cranberry sauce---one of the top-dog medical journals, JAMA, busted canned soup for it's sky-high BPA levels.   You can read a snippet of the article here.   

But, hey, if you had read my Consumer Reports post on canned foods, none of this would have been a big surprise.

Source:  Carwile JL, Ye X, Zhou X, Calafat AM, Michels KB,  "Canned soup consumption and urinary bisphenol A: a randomized crossover trial,"  JAMA  2011 Nov 23;306(20):2218-20.

The New York Times on BPA in Cans

 

If you want a quick summary of the JAMA findings--head over to the New York Time's article written by Anahad O'Connor on November 22, 2011.

 

"People who ate one serving of canned food daily over the course of five days, the study found, had significantly elevated levels — more than a tenfold increase — of bisphenol-A, or BPA, a substance that lines most food and drink cans.

The new study, which was published [on November 23, 2011] in The Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first to measure the amounts that are ingested when people eat food that comes directly out of a can, in this case soup. The spike in BPA levels that the researchers recorded is one of the highest seen in any study.

“We cannot say from our research what the consequences are,” said Karin Michels, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and an author of the study.

“But the very high levels that we found are very surprising. We would have never expected a thousand-percent increase in their levels of BPA.”

Dr. Michels noted that all the participants were fed amounts of soup that were smaller than what people probably would consume on their own.

“One serving of soup is a not a lot,” she said. “They were actually telling us that that wasn’t even enough for their lunch.”

But she also pointed out that the findings were probably applicable to other canned goods, including soda and juices.

“The sodas are concerning, because some people have a habit of consuming a lot of them throughout the day,” she said. “My guess is that with other canned foods, you would see similar increases in bisphenol-A. But we only tested soups, so we wouldn’t be able to predict the absolute size of the increase.”

 

Bring Your Own Popcorn to the Movies!

 

My Ziploc Bag of Contraband "Barbecue" Popcorn - Is It OK to Bring Your Own?

 

On Saturday, I worked all day--drove home, downed a quick bowl of soup, popped some popcorn in my hot-air popper to take to the theater--and headed out to see a movie.   The plan was to see The Way, but it was sold-out. 

We saw The Descendants instead.  All four of us gave it a thumbs up.  But, I still want to see The Way.

 

Here's how to make your own Barbecue Air-Popped Popcorn

• Use a hot air-popcorn popper. 
• As the popcorn comes out, mist it with water (yes, it really works & it's not soggy) from a water spray bottle, and at the same time sprinkle on Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub (or the seasoning of your choice)  It works a lot better than spraying the popcorn with cooking oil spray (which is what I used to do), with none of the fat!  The water just evaporates on the hot popcorn.
• If you don't like  barbecue flavor--just sprinkle on finely ground Morton's Popcorn Salt, or nutritional yeast.  Plain popcorn is pretty boring, in my opinion.

But, this is supposed to be about bringing your own popcorn.

My husband thinks it's unethical.   After all--I do have to "sneak" it into the theater. 

But, I say, it's not like I'd eat the theater's popcorn, if I didn't bring my own.  Are you kidding?

A medium combo (cola & bag of popcorn) at Regal has 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. That's roughly the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter.  To get the low-down on fat & salt content of the movie popcorn you're cluelessly munching, click here.

 

 

Chef AJ's Popcorn Experiment--Sugar, Salt, & Fat are the Evil Trifecta

 

Here's why we love our movie popcorn so much!

1. Make yourself a big bowl of air-popped popcorn.  Notice how you can't keep eating it after you're full.
2. Now add salt to the bowl & notice how you'll eat more than if it were just air-popped
3. Now add butter & salt to the bowl & notice how you'll eat even more of it.
4. Now make some Kettle Corn--with popcorn, salt, butter, & sugar, and notice how it's impossible to stop.  Sugar, Salt & Fat--the deadly Trifecta.

 

With Three Tips--I've Got Three Questions for You:

 

1.  What do you think about the Green & Potegal temper tantrum research?  Anyone agree with my adult "temper tantrum" comparison? 

2.  Do you have concerns about BPA in canned food--or do you kind of ignore the whole thing?  I still bought canned tomatoes, so I'm glad Muir Glen made the switch.

3.  Do you bring your own popcorn into the theater?

 

 

Using Medical Journals to Guide Your Cooking - Immune-Boosting Mushrooms and Inflammation-Fighting Vegetables - Three Favorites Recipes - Two Favorite Movies - Three Thanksgiving Dishes to Try

 

 

Big Vegan's Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine - Is It an Immune Booster Shot?

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version--there are videos you won't see in your email.

My husband & I returned from a jam-packed wonderful Wellness Forum Weekend late on Sunday afternoon.  After 3 days of sitting, listening, and taking pages of notes I was glad to be home.  And I was so happy that we had a big pot of Sweet Potato Spinach Soup in the fridge for dinner.

Strange factoid:  Both of us are used to eating so much food at home, that we both lost weight on the  meals served in the hotel--in just 2 1/2 days.  I was disappointed that Chef Del wasn't able to prepare the meals, as he did last year.  He's an amazing chef.  This was a hotel's version of plant-based fare.

Biggest surprise:  I got to meet some HHLL readers who attended the conference and introduced themselves to me.  This was so much fun for me--delightful--and totally unexpected!  It was a pleasure to meet, talk, and compare notes with everyone.  I met readers from Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Idaho, California, and Connecticut.  Hope I'm not leaving anyone out.  Thank you so much for taking the time to introduce yourselves and stopping by to chat. I only regret that we couldn't talk longer.

Lots to report on what I learned at the conference.  But, you'll have to wait until later in the week.

The most practical "I can take-this-back-home-and-use-it"  information came from:

• Janice Stanger, PhD: "Ten Dangerous Nutrition Myths" - I thought I would know everything on this list--I was wrong!
  
• Janice Stanger, PhD:  "It's Toxic Out There: Seven Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Yourself and the Planet" - Except for BPA and teflon, I kind of turn a blind eye to the info on toxins--but Janice definitely opened my eyes.  Think air fresheners, pesticides, household cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, body lotion, hair dyes, scented candles, mercury, and more.
• Gene Baur:  "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food"  OK, I've got to admit, before hearing Gene, this was the talk I was least interested in.   But, Gene is  a compelling speaker who just laid out the facts & photos about what goes on in factory farming. Think Food, Inc.  Frankly, it's hard to ignore what he had to say--and he made some good arguments about the free-range & pastured livestock industry, as well.  It's not as idyllic & pastoral as I thought it was.  His bit about dairy cows was particularly disturbing, and all new information for me.
• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr:  "Yes, You Can Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease"   OK, I've heard this talk at least 4 different times--in short, medium, long, & one-on-one versions.   But, it was still a research-packed talk that helps reinforce what I already know--and I still came away learning something new.
• Ann Esselstyn:  "How to Set Up a Kitchen to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" - More reinforcement to carefully read labels, add greens every chance I can, skip the desserts, and keep a lid on the nuts!  I hope I can have half as much energy as Ann does when I'm her age.  She's a testament to the plant-based diet.  And who do you think I saw at my early Monday morning yoga class?  You guessed it!

 

Thanksgiving is Around the Corner!  Let's Talk Recipes for the Holiday Weekend

 

Thanksgiving is fast approaching--and I just have to share three new recipes that have  knocked-my-socks-off since returning home on Sunday!  And it's only Tuesday!  You just might want to try them out on your guests over the long holiday weekend.

• Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine--This just might be one of the best dishes my husband has ever made.  It's from Robin Asbell's Big Vegan.
• Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, & (a little) Peanut Butter Soup  It's from Quick-Fix Vegan.
• French Lentil Dijon Chipotle Spread--It's a sandwich spread, it's a dip, it's easy & it's delicious. It's from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Families.

 

The Janice Stanger Research Connection to These Recipes

 

According to some of the research presented by Janice Stanger at the Wellness Forum's Fall Conference, each of these recipes brings a little something to the table when it comes to giving us an immune-boost.

• Two of the recipes contain mushrooms--the evidence for their immune-boost is mostly preclinical, in the test tube, culture dish or animal stage.  We'll have to wait a bit for the randomized-controlled human trials.  But, there's no harm in getting a head start, in case the preclinical studies pan out some day.  Mushrooms have been used medicinally in many traditional cultures for years.
• The soup recipe is filled with vegetables high in anti-oxidants, and they are cooked quickly, retaining their immune-boosting benefits. This is research you can take to the bank.

 

Janice Stanger's Myth-Buster #9 - Chicken Soup Is the Best Food If You Have a Cold, But It's Not Because of the Chicken!

 

Check out the title of the study Stanger shared with us.  It was published in 2000 in the prestigious respiratory medicine journal, Chest.  And then it was re-published in Chest's 75th year commemorative issue in 2009!  This article has been a long-time favorite.

Special Report:  Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro (in the test tube or culture dish). Rennard, BO, et al.  Chest  118(4):1150-1157, October, 2000.  Want to read it?  Here it is!

Here's the research behind what makes chicken soup good for the common cold:

Back in 2000, Barbara Rennard & her colleagues tested each component of a special recipe for Grandma's Chicken Soup.  One at a time they tested each ingredient of the soup to see which one had the strongest effect on inhibiting the immune response that's responsible for our miserable cold symptoms.

Which ingredient do you think had the most potent effect on inhibiting neutrophil migration?

• Chicken
• 3 Onions
• 1 large Sweet potato
• 3 Parsnips
• 2 Turnips
• 11-12 carrots
• 5-6 celery stalks
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Salt & pepper

Turns out, all the anti-inflammatory action of the soup came from its lightly cooked vegetables--not from the chicken.  The chicken broth had no benefit at all on inhibiting neutrophil chemotaxis.  Zippo.  That is...until the vegetables were added to it.

All the benefits of the broth on human immune cells came from the vegetables--and cooking them just 8 minutes was the optimal time--just until they were tender.

Take home message:  Don't overcook your vegetables!

 

"That some interaction takes place during the cooking seems likely as the soup acquires maximal inhibitory activity shortly after adding the first group of vegetables. 

While still active, inhibitory activity does decrease slightly during the later stages of the preparation.

The current study demonstrates a statistically significant inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by (vegetable) chicken soup in vitro.  This was not an "in vivo" (human) trial.

[Just to be perfectly clear]  The current study assessed a single measure of the inflammatory response, migration of neutrophils."

 

If you want an extra immune system boost--Dr. Stanger recommends you think about adding more mushrooms to your meals.

They've got more than 300 compounds that will increase the production of white blood cells and boost your immune system.  The #1 mushrooms for boosting immunity are: shiitake, maitake, & reishi, but, even white button mushrooms have recently been shown to have plenty of immune-boosting power.  Check out this article,  "The Effects of Mushrooms During Inflammation,"  BMC Immunol. 2009 Feb 20;10:12.  You can read it here.

So, here's the interesting way mushrooms work in the presence of disease--they seem to promote an appropriate immune response--inhibiting tumor growth or even destroying disease-causing microbes--but leaving healthy cells or beneficial bacteria alone.

Here's an example:

In a recent study of treatment for gingivitis (gum disease), researchers tested a mushroom extract against mouth bacteria.  Then they compared the results to what happens when a commonly used gingival mouthwash, chlorhexidine, is used.

The cholhexidine killed both the gingival-causing bacteria, as well as the benefiical bacteria in the mouth.

The mushrooms, on the other hand, had an appropriate immune response--and killed only the gingival-causing bacteria.

Read the full article here.  Ciric, L. et al "In Vitro Assessment of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes) Extract for Its Antigingivitis Activity,"   J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011; 2011: 507908. 

As much as I'd like to believe that mushrooms can perform magic on humans, at this point in time, most of the immune-boosting mushroom research is being done in the test tube, the culture dish, or on animals.  I checked PubMed, The Natural Standard Database (the authority on integrative medicine , Sloan-Kettering's Integrative Medicine Database, & more). 

The results are positive, but we'll have to wait to see the randomized-controlled human trials, for the final word. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something positive--not as a cure--but as an immune-booster.  

As for me, I'm going to add mushrooms whenever I can--they taste great, and I'm betting they're health-promoting.

Looking for some other natural cold or flu-fighting tools to put in your arsenal?  Read this HHLL post from 11/09:

Advice From the Experts on How to Protect Yourself From Colds and Flu. How to Boost Your Immune System and Avoid Germs. What Foods and Supplements Will Help the Most?

And Now for the Recipes!

Immune-Boosting (Maybe In Vitro) Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine (from Asbell's Big Vegan)

 

Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine

 

Creamy Mushroom Sauce for the Fettucine

 

Browning the Sliced Seitan for the Fettucine

 

A big thank-you to MLB, a blog reader in Philly who recommended Robin Asbell's Big Vegan to me.  So far, everything I've made from it has been amazing.  And I only have 348 recipes to go.

We had this for dinner last night and I just couldn't believe how fabulous it was.  It's got a dense, rich, and creamy sauce with just a hint of wine & spice.  The seitan provides just the right texture & mouth feel--not to mention, it's a huge protein boost.

If you want to get fancy, sprinkle a teaspoon of toasted chopped walnuts on top. 

Get the recipe on one page here.

 

Nutrition facts are for 1/4 of the recipe that includes the walnuts.

Nutrition Facts Big Vegan Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine wt Walnuts
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	396
Total Fat	5.1g
Saturated Fat	0.4g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	382mg
Carbohydrate	57.5g
Dietary Fiber	7.6g
Sugars	4.2g
Protein	26g
Alcohol	2.7g
Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    16% Iron 30%

 

 

 Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes & a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

 

Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

My husband picked out this recipe from Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegan to try last Thursday night, when I worked late.

This one is definitely going to go on my Go To Quick-Dinner List.

It's got it all.  Speed.  All the nutrient-dense ingredients.  Lots of spice.  And it smells heavenly.

I brought some of our left-overs to work yesterday, and every one of the healthy librarians who tasted it gave it a huge thumbs up.  I promised them I'd post it today!

Robin Robertson says it serves 4.  Don't believe her.  We always eat huge portions, and we got at least 6 servings out of it!

Click here for the recipe on one page.

 

Nutrition Facts are for a heaping two-cup serving.

Nutrition Facts Quick-Fix Vegan Enlightened Sweet Potato-Spinach Soup-2 cup serving
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	199
Total Fat	8.2g
Saturated Fat	1.4g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	737mg
Carbohydrate	26g
Dietary Fiber	7g
Sugars	11.3g
Protein	8.9g
Vitamin A 159% Vitamin C 43% Calcium    14% Iron 19%

 

 

 

Cynthia Lair's Protein-Packed French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread/Dip with Chipotle

 

 

French Lentil Dijon Spead/Dip Ingredients

 

French Lentil Dijon Dip - OK It's Not Much to Look At - But It Really Tastes Delicious

 

French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread with Roasted Red Peppers 

 

My son & daughter-in-law's friend, natural foods chef Eli, of "Eat with Eli", brought over her favorite cookbook as a gift, to celebrate the arrival of their new baby girl in October.   Cynthia Lair's  Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Parents.  Sasquatch Books, 2008.

Cynthia is a cooking instructor at Bastyr University in Seattle and she has a quirky/funny cooking video website called:  Cookus Interruptus, How to Cook Fresh Local Whole Foods Despite Life's Interruptions. It's really a blast (with a title like that!)--and even though Cynthia doesn't cook exactly as I do--she's got some excellent cooking tips, techniques, information, & recipes on her site.  Check it out.

 

 

Now, back to the French Lentil Dijon recipe.

This recipe just jumped out at me when I leafed through Lair's cookbook.  It takes all of ten minutes to prepare--and it's star ingredient is French Lentils--one of the best beans out there.  High in taste, iron, protein, the amino acid lysine, and fiber.   This dip is loaded with flavor & keeps in the fridge for about a week.

I've served it as a dip, and a sandwich spread.  Add a little avocado, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, & roasted red pepper and it can't be beat for a fast nutritious lunch.   It's last minute pantry food.

I've since shared it with my kids, the healthy librarians at work, and some of my friends--and now with you.  But thank Cynthia Lair, not me.

Everyone seems to add their own special flair to it.  Mary, the librarian added the chipotle, and I'm now adding it to mine!  Snez added a green onion.

Warning:  You must use French Lentils.  Not brown. Not red.  Only French.  If you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, use their already steamed, long-shelf-life lentils that come in a light blue box.  You'll find them either in the produce or the meat & cheese refrigerated cases.   These are French, and they really speed up the prep time.

Last thing:  It really works best to make this in a processor, although a VitaMix will also work--it's just harder to clean out.

 

Get a copy of the recipe on one page here.  Note: When I made this on 11/22/11 I noticed I had forgotten a key ingredient--1 tablespoon of lower-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)--and I didn't mention that the pepper in the recipe was ONLY if you weren't using the chipolte.  Sorry, if I ruined anyone's recipe!  My recipe has now been corrected--and it tastes delicious!

 Nutrition info is based on three servings for the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	133
Total Fat	3.3g
Saturated Fat	0.3g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	433mg
Carbohydrate	15.9g
Dietary Fiber	5.9g
Sugars	2.2g
Protein	7.4g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 3% Calcium    2% Iron 14%

 

Movies for Grown-Ups - Two I've Recently Seen That I Can't Stop Thinking About

 

Take Shelter

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

In a Better World

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

Three Recipes on My Tentative Thanksgiving Menu

 

These three were recommended by MLB in Philly.  She LOVES the mushroom soup, and the waldorf salad.  She hasn't tried the chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding, but the NYT's Tara Parker-Pope swears by it.

Roasted Triple Mushroom Soup--Nix on the olive oil and sour cream.  Use vegetable broth.

Chloe Coscarelli's Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding--I'll use faux coconut milk, not sure whether I'll use sugar or maple syrup.

Kale Waldorf Salad--Honey Crisp apples.

Friday Night Dinner, a Movie, and Two Ounces of Red Wine - "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead"

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version, with videos & links.

Friday night.

I wanted to go to the "first-Friday" swing dance, plus lesson--at a nearby middle school.  A wildly popular seven man swing band from Pittsburgh was featured.

Didn't happen. 

Turns out it was my husband's week to usher at the 6:15 pm service at our synagogue.  He's not the kind of guy who would skip out.

So, while he was ushering, I got to work in the kitchen making my version of Pea's & Thank You's Jambalaya!

My friend Janet introduced me to this recipe a month ago.  Then my husband made it for our grandson, who gobbled down two helpings.  Now it was my turn to make it.  Click here for the recipe. 

My husband returned home at 8:00 and dinner was ready to go!

 

How About 2 Ounces of Wine Before Dinner?

 

 

He:  "Hey, why don't we just chill out, have a glass of wine, enjoy our dinner, and see if there's something to stream on Netflix."

Me:  "Great idea, but, just pour me only a 1/4 cup of wine."

He:  "What?  What's up with 1/4 cup of wine?"

Me:  "Straight from this week's issue of JAMA.  Big study.  Women who drank 3 or more glasses of wine a week increased their risk of breast cancer.

Yep! Even low to moderate amounts of alcohol isn't such a good idea for women.  But, the researchers say it might still be a good idea to have a little wine--because even just a little reduces heart disease risk.  Hey, it's all about weighing your own risks. Breast cancer or heart disease. 1/4 cup might help me with both."

He:  "But, what's up with the 1/4 cup?"

Me:  "Run the numbers.  3 5-ounce glasses of wine comes to 15 ounces a week--I figured it was better to have a little everyday--which comes to 1/4 cup a day--and I'd likely only have that 1/4 cup 3 or 4 times a week.  Besides, Tom, a retired physicist blog friend of mine who hates the taste of alcohol, has analyzed every study out there on the health benefits and risks of alcohol.  His conclusion:  2 ounces of wine a day for women was the sweet spot."

We really did have this conversation, believe or not!

 

Want to Know More About the JAMA Breast Cancer Alcohol Study? 

 

If you do not see the video on your screen click here

 

Source:  JAMA 2011 Nov. 2;306(17):1884-90.  Chen, WY, Rosner, B, Hankinson, SE, Colditz, GA, Willett, WC.  "Moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk."

Bottom Line:  Women of all ages need to limit their alcohol consumption to 1-3 drinks a week, maximum.   Even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer.  Beer, mixed drinks, straight up, wine--they're all the same when it comes to increasing the risk of breast cancer.

 

On to the Movie

 

Netflix was not going to cooperate.

Turns out we have the cheapest Netflix plan, and my husband had already used up our monthly allowance streaming "Hell on Wheels"  (a documentary about the Tour de France) while he lifted weight in the basement.

"Let's try Hulu,"  he said.

Real bad idea.  There is nothing on the freebie version of Hulu. 

Except, as he scrolled through the alphabet of loser movies that no one has ever heard of, I spotted something that sounded vaguely familiar, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  How's that for a cheerful Friday night flick?

Turns out, it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was a hundred times better.  We both thoroughly enjoyed this 2010 documentary that's won many awards at film festivals none of us has ever heard of.  Actually, we LOVED this movie!

It's funny.  It's inspirational & uplifting.  It's down-right sad & scary.  It has heart and really gets you involved in Joe's story. It's all about an "everyday overweight guy" just trying to turn his health around and inspire others along the way.

Am I the only person who has never heard of this movie??  Am I really late to the party?

Two big thumbs up!  And best of of all--it's free on Hulu--for the price of watching a few commercials.

You can watch the full movie, 1 hr. 37 mins. here on Hulu--just be sure to disable any adblockers & give it time to load. We streamed it on our TV.

Would I recommend Joe's diet kick-starter plan?  No.  But, it worked for him, and he did it safely, under the care of a physician.  And now he's eating healthy plant-based meals & exercising regularly.  

And just who was Joe's doc?   None other then Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

 

Meet Joe Cross--He's Young, Fat, Desperate, and Sick of Being Sick

 

Joe and Phil

 

If you don't see the video on your screen click here to go to the YouTube movie trailer.

 

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead  (the extended trailer)

 

SYNOPSIS

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope.

In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself.

He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days.

Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well.

What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.

Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.

 Click Here for the Full Film on Hulu

 

 Jamabalaya, Baby!!  So Easy!  So Delicious!

 

Jambalaya & Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

 

Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Jambalaya

(adapted from a recipe in Peas and Thank You)

 

Servings: 4

Click here for a copy of the recipe on one page

 

Ingredients:

2-3 Field Roast Italian Sausages, thinly sliced  

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes in juice

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

1 teaspoon T.J.'s 21  Seasoning Salute (or other salt-free spice combo)

salt to taste (optional)

1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional or to taste  (if you like more heat, substitute red pepper flakes for the black pepper, to taste)

2 cups of already cooked brown rice  (I saved time with T.J. frozen brown rice pouches--ended up using 1 1/2 pouches)

1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste

 

Preparation:

1.  Prepare rice, whether microwaving the frozen rice, or cooking your rice.

2.  Saute the Field Roast sausages in a large non-stick skillet until they're browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove them to a plate for adding later.

3.  Add onions, celery, and red pepper and "steam" saute over medium heat.  Cover & let them soften for  5 minutes, checking halfway through to mix.  If it gets too dry, and starts to stick, add a little bit of broth or water to deglaze the pan.  

4.  Add the seasonings & garlic and cook for one minute. 

5.  Add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and bring to a low boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

6.  Add the browned "sausage", the pred-cooked rice and the tomato paste, mix well,  and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.  Adjust seasonings.

 

It was a perfect Friday Night.

Dinner, Wine (1/4 cup), and a Surprise Hit of a Movie

Got any Dinner & a Movie Combos to Recommend for Our Next Friday Night at Home?

 

 

 

A Summer Sunday's Ultimate Dinner and a Movie. "Life in a Day" Twenty-Four Seven - How the World Eats, Sleeps, Prays, Works and Even Learns to Shave

 

Stills from National Geographic Entertainment

 

Life in a Day - My Kind of a Movie 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version--might need it to see the video.

Life in a Day.  The Documentary.  Witness the true story of a single day on Planet Earth. Get a bird's-eye view into what was going on in the lives of ordinary people around the world on July 24, 2010.

Imagine more than 80,000 videos and 4500 hours of raw footage turned into one unexpectedly emotional 95-minute movie.  Clever, don't you think?  A film about "24/7", that's filmed on 7/24/10, and premieres today, 7/24/11 at 7:24 pm.  A National Geographic YouTube mash-up.

The Official Selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

"A thrilling piece of cinema."   FIve Stars.  The Times

How people all over the world eat, sleep, pray, work and even learn to shave.

Love.  Fear.  Hope.

"We went for things that resonated and stories and strong characters and all the things you'd usually expect from a cinema film."  Joe Walker, the film's editor.

45,000 hours of raw footage from YouTube videos submitted from folks all over the world--spliced together--reviewed by 24 researchers--who were skilled in cinematography and foreign languages.

The final cut - an unexpectedly emotional  95 minute documentary, directed by a master--Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland and State of Play)    

All submissions were rated from 1-5 stars by the reviewers.

One star = "The person who made it spent less time thinking about this than we did."

Two stars = "Teenagers whining in their bedrooms to no particular affect.  There were hundreds and hundreds of hours of that stuff."  No surprise--most submissions were 2 stars.

Five stars = "And five stars meant if this isn't in the film, you should fire me."

What you'll see: 

• "[M]ontages of ordinary acts, repeated from Japan to Dubai to Las Vegas, take on a kind of profundity: waking up, brushing teeth, making lunch."  Adam Sternbergh's  NYT Magazine "Around the World in a Day"
• "[B]ut the film's most memorable moments are the ones of unexpected intimacy - a man with a terminal illness, speaking from his eventual death bed, or a young gay man on the phone, coming out to his grandmother and recording his reaction to her response in real time.  Adam Sternbergh's NYT Magazine "Around the World in a Day"
• “I was fully expecting a film that’s closely integrated with YouTube to cover the subjects of cats and dogs and children falling over.  What was totally surprising was how generous people were about turning these brave stories over, these things very close to their hearts.”   Joe Walker, the film's editor.
• "The film aims to tell the story of a planet, but it’s the vulnerability of these individual moments, contributed as part of a larger project, that lingers."  NYT Magazine "Around the World in a Day"

When Can You See It?

• Today, for some lucky folks!  Special Sneak Preview on July 24, 2011 at 7:24.   Click here to see where.
• Regular theater release begins on July 29, 2011 in select cities.
• Check the Life in a Day website here!

Read the Adam Sternbergh's 7/24/11 (would you expect otherwise?) New York Times Magazine article, "Around the World in One Day" here.

Can't see the video?  Click here

 

Life in a Day Preview

 

 

A Perfect Summer Sunday Dinner (or lunch or breakfast--really!)

 

Cold Yogurt Soup with Wheat Berries, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, & Dill

 

 

Use the 24 Ounce Container of Wildwood Unsweetened Plain Soy Yogurt

 

  

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

 

 

Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Home-Made Sprouts on a French Meadow Bakery Sprouted Grain Tortilla

 

My Favorite Lentil Salad

Serves 4-6

This is an old Moosewood cookbook favorite that I revised into an oil-free version.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you--their vacuum-packed Steamed French Lentils cut the prep time down to about 15 minutes--with no sacrifice to taste.

Olive Tap's Tangerine Balsamic vinegar is highly recommended.

Click here for the recipe on one page.

Click here to read what I had to say about the recipe when I first tweaked it.

 

Cold Yogurt Soup with Wheat Berries, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, & Dill

 

Click here for the recipe on one page.

Martha Rose Shulman posted her version of this on her New York Times Recipes for Health column on July 19, 2011.    Click here to read Shulman's version.

It looked delicious & intrigued me, and I wondered how it would work with an unsweetened soy yogurt.  Tip:  Wildwood's Soy Yogurt is the only one I've seen that's really almost zero sugar!

I modified the recipe considerably.   I used soy yogurt, wheat berrries, extra cucumbers, no added water & no watercress.  I'm sure the watercress would be an excellent addition--but I didn't have any--and I didn't want to go to the grocery store to buy any.

BTW--it makes a fantastic breakfast!

This is quick to make, but you have to plan ahead.  The wheat berries soak for an hour--and they cook for an hour.  The cucumbers "marinate" for 30 minutes.  And then, the whole completed soup chills for two hours.  But it's all so easy to do--and uses up your garden's bounty.

 

My Riff on Martha's Yogurt Soup

Click here for the recipe on one page

Serves 4

1/2 cup wheat berries, preferably soaked for an hour or more and drained (don’t worry if you haven’t done this, although they make take longer to cook)  Martha uses spelt, and says farro will work, too!

2 cups water (to cook the wheat berries)

Salt to taste

1  24 ounce carton of unsweetened plain soy yogurt (Wildwood unsweetened plain, preferred)  (Shulman uses 1 qt. of plain low-fat or whole-milk dairy yogurt, free of gums & stabilizers)

2 ripe but firm tomatoes, cut in small dice--I used a combo of a regular tomato, with our homegrown  Sweet Million cherry tomatoes.  Yum!

1 1/2 cup finely chopped English cucumber  (if you use a regular cuke, you'll need to seed it first)

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), finely minced  (used our homegrown garlic)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped FRESH dill    (Shulman says you can substitute with parsley, mint or cilantro--but I'm a dill fan)   I used our homegrown dill.

2 tablespoons snipped chives  (used our homegrown chives)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Combine the wheat berries, water and salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer about 50 minutes to an hour until tender and some of the kernels have begun to splay. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.  Wheat berries should have a nice tooth feel.

2. While the wheat berries are cooking, place the cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and place in a strainer set over the bowl. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and allow to drain a bit, or blot with paper towels.

3. Combine all the ingredients.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for two hours or longer. Serve, garnishing each bowl with a sprinkle of fresh dill & halved cherry tomatoes.

Yield: Serves four

Advance preparation: You can make this several hours to a day before serving. It will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York Times, LA Times, & Variety's Movie Reviews on the Documentary "Forks Over Knives" - Soul Food, Vegan Style

 

An animated depiction of a typical heart attack, from the documentary “Forks Over Knives.”

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links and more.

My friend Barbara must have been up very late last night. 

Here's the email I found in my in-box early this morning:

"at this moment, the review of "Forks Over Knives" is the most e-mailed article on the NYT."

You can read it yourself, "Soul Food, Vegan Style," by Jeanette Catsoulis.  Looks like Catsoulis thought it was too heavy on data & statistics.  She was looking for more entertainment.  Why, I can't imagine?

I love the Times, but I can't always count on their movie reviewers to lead me in the right direction.  This one is no exception.  Go see it for yourself!

Check out the LA Times & Variety reviews below. 

"One of the more convincing, radical and politically volatile docus to come out of the burgeoning good-food genre, "Forks Over Knives" advocates quite convincingly for the adoption of a plant-based diet, the intent being the eradication of the diabetes, obesity and hypertension afflicting an increasing number of Americans."

Variety, May 5, 2011

'"Forks Over Knives" — eating right over surgery — explains in unflinching detail how we damage ourselves through our eating habits yet insists that it is within our grasp to change course. Many nutritional experts bolster Campbell and Esselstyn's arguments, and patients attest to Esselstyn's life-saving treatments."

L.A. Times, May 5, 2011

Soul Food - Vegan Style - The New York Times Review

"A tale of two doctors, many cows and a multitude of human ailments, Lee Fulkerson’s “Forks Over Knives” makes a pedantic yet persuasive case for banishing meat and dairy from the dinner table."

"Its hale heroes are the nutritional scientist T. Colin Campbell and the surgeon Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., whose combined decades of research into the harmful effects of animal proteins are summarized, along with a potted history of our worldwide dietary decline."

"While at times fascinating, this trudge through statistics, graphs and grainy film of cholesterol bubbles and arterial plaque may challenge even the most determined viewer."

"Luckily, things pick up midway, as Mr. Fulkerson bites into the global consequences of our food choices and the extent of corporate influence on our official nutrition guidelines."

(my comment) And Catsoulis, just like everyone else who has seen this movie,  enjoys hearing Anthony Yen (age 82) explain how switching to a plant-based diet helps men to once again "raise the flag".  

Yen became part of Dr. Esselstyn's study at the Cleveland Clinic after quintuple bypass surgery failed to resolve his cardio-vascular disease.  He's been eating plant-based since the 1980's--and if the photo below isn't an endorsement for the plant-strong lifestyle, I don't know what is!  BTW, Yen is my inspiration for oatmeal with greens.

 Best line in the review, was the last--in the parental guidance rating:  “Forks Over Knives” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). Nasty diseases and scary statistics.

 

Anthony Yen, one of Dr. Esselstyn's original patients.  Here, at age 81, at a Whole Foods/Engine 2 event, May 2010 

 

Adding My Two Cents

 

Not wanting anyone to miss this must-see documentary, I had to add my comment to the review.  Here's what I wrote:

Display Name

The Healthy Librarian

Rating:

Location

U.S.A.

Title

Go See It---It Will Change What You Eat!

Review

I saw the preview a year ago & it changed my way of eating--and my health, forever. Can't imagine going back to cheeseburgers, fries, and greasy pizza.  And yes, I still enjoy delicious  burgers & pizza--but they're now plant-based & without cheese.

A simple change in food choices real does stop the course of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, & hypertension. No more pills or procedures needed.

Everyone I personally know who has seen this movie (in preview)--including some cynics, skeptics, & physicians-- was entertained, impressed, had their eyes opened & minds changed.

Friends who went on to make their own diet changes have surprised their physicians with their improved health--in just a few short weeks. And it kept getting better. Diet trumps drugs, hands down.

Read the summary of the movie I wrote when I saw it last year. You'll learn much more than from this NYT's review!

http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/05/forksoverknives.html

 

More on Forks Over Knives:  The Pre-Release Screening of the Documentary "Forks Over Knives" Just Played in My Hometown - A Little Like a Rock Concert/Academy Award "Red Carpet" Event for Plant-Based & Plant-Strong Fans

Check Showtimes In Your Area Here 

 

Don't Know About Esselstyn's Heart Disease Reversal Study?  Here Are the Cliff Notes

 

This week Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. is speaking at a closed-to-the-public Wellness Grand Rounds.  I'll be there--along with some of the other healthy librarians with whom I work.  Trust me, we had a hard time finding someone willing to miss his lecture, & stay behind to mind the store.

 

“Ending the Coronary Artery Disease Epidemic – Making Yourself Heart Attack Proof”


From the flyer:

Dr. Esselstyn will review the epidemiology of coronary artery disease, establishing this is a food borne illness. He will examine the method and result of a lifestyle nutrition change that may halt and reverse coronary artery disease.

Bio: Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, FACS

  Twenty-three years ago, while chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's Breast Cancer Task Force, general surgeon Caldwell B. Esseistyn, Jr., M.D., grew disappointed in the way he and his colleagues were treating cancer and heart disease.

Relying on pills and procedures despite their side effects and risks, Dr. Esselstyn says he and his peers were doing "nothing to prevent diseasethe next unsuspecting victim."

This was particularly frustrating given that research studies had already suggested an obvious culprit. The fatty American diet was, in all likelihood, responsibe for heart disease and many Western cancers, which are infrequently seen in parts of the world where much less fat is consumed.

Targeting heart disease, Dr. Esselstyn's experiment started at home. He and his wife adopted a plant-based diet, cutting out oil, meat, fish, fowl and dairy.

"It means a lot to patients to know their doctor is making the same changes they are," he says.

Since studies show a craving for fat diminishes the less fat one eats, and since patients have hundreds of recipes from which to choose, the physician and his heart patients have grown comfortable with their routine, over time.
 

[N]utrition consultant Kris Napier attributes some of the success of Dr. Esselystyn's research study to the time and personal attention the surgeon devotes to the patients. He met with each patient every other week for the first five years of the study, every month thereafter.

The surgeon, his wife, the patients and their families still gather several times a year for picnics at which they share favorite low-fat, plant-based dishes.

Update - Oops!  A Plant-Based Cardiologist Just Told Me About the LA Times & Variety Reviews - I Hit the Publish Button a Moment Too Soon!

 

The LA Times Capsule Review:

The signal importance of executive producer Brian Wendel and writer-director Lee Fulkerson's richly inspiring and informative documentary "Forks Over Knives" lies in its persuasive presentation of solutions to unhealthful eating habits. The film centers largely on the work of T. Colin Campbell, a professor emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell, and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, a renowned former surgeon at the esteemed Cleveland Clinic.

Both investigated exhaustively the role of nutrition in health. Campbell co-wrote the monumental "The China Study," a survey of the relationship between nutrition and cancer in Chinese people; Esselstyn wrote among many other publications, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," based on his long-term nutritional research on arresting and reversing artery disease, even in severely ill patients.

The bottom line:

Whole plant foods are beneficial, while animal-based foods are not. Furthermore, whole plant foods prove to be genuinely satisfying, though junk food, which can be so pleasurable to eat, is so lacking in real nourishment that it causes one to crave more of it, which then escalates cholesterol levels and calorie intake.

"Forks Over Knives" — eating right over surgery — explains in unflinching detail how we damage ourselves through our eating habits yet insists that it is within our grasp to change course. Many nutritional experts bolster Campbell and Esselstyn's arguments, and patients attest to Esselstyn's life-saving treatments.

To his credit, Fulkerson, who had been dangerously out of shape, turned his life around in making this most important and heartening documentary.

— Kevin Thomas

"Forks Over Knives." Rated PG for thematic elements and some incidental smoking. Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes. At selected theaters.

 

The Variety review:

One of the more convincing, radical and politically volatile docus to come out of the burgeoning good-food genre, "Forks Over Knives" advocates quite convincingly for the adoption of a plant-based diet, the intent being the eradication of the diabetes, obesity and hypertension afflicting an increasing number of Americans. Pic's advocacy for produce and against meat and dairy should make it a lightning rod for the politically corpulent processed-food industry. Whether the film reaches the people it should reach probably depends on getting a well-positioned TV platform following brief theatrical play.

As a narrator, helmer-writer Lee Fulkerson has listened to too much "Dateline," but as a journalist, he covers the food front: From groundbreaking researchers T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. -- doctors who grew up as farmers and eventually rejected the foods of their youth -- to everyday people beset by ailments brought on by fat and processed food. What "Forks" barges into, and other health-advocacy films haven't, is the political clout behind keeping Americans unhealthy. Fulkerson not only addresses this but talks to those responsible, who generally don't make such a good case -- and don't look too healthy, either.

 

Go See It!

As a friend, who is a cancer survivor told me recently, "I can't control the chemicals or pollutants I'm exposed to, my genes, or what I did or did not do in the past.  But, I can control what I choose to eat NOW!"

 

 

 

Dr. Oz Calls It "The Hail Mary of Medicine" - Forks Over Knives Pays a Visit to Oz - The Three Food Groups to Cut Out to Prevent Heart Disease, Diabetes & Cancer - plus The Kitchen Cancer Fighting Arsenal

Real Life Adventures-Gary Wise & Lance Aldrich 4/19/11

 

"Make just three changes and you'll cut your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

This could be the "Hail Mary" of medicine."

-Dr. Oz, April 27, 2011-

 

"I can say this wholeheartedly.  When this movie comes out in May 2011, make sure you see it.

My whole view of what constitutes a healthy diet turned upside-down three years ago when Dr. T. Colin Campbell presented a lecture on  "Can Medical Practice Tolerate Nutritional Intervention?" at the major medical center where I work. Click here to read "T. Colin Campbell Pays a Visit: Does This Mean I Have to Become a Vegan?"

Four months later I just happened upon an NPR-affiliate's interview with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn about the  prevention and reversal of heart disease.  Click here to read: "Yes, You Can Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, But Are You Up for the Challenge?  Let Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Convince You"

Their evidence speaks for itself.  A whole-foods plant-based diet can prevent, and often undo all the damage that our "too-rich diets of affluence" have caused: obesity, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, many cancers, hypertension, strokes, and osteoporosis."

-Healthy Librarian's post, "The Research-Based Documentary That Will Change the Way You Eat. "Forks Over Knives" The Story of Dr. T. Colin Campbell's China Study & Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Heart Disease Reversal Study. Getting Your Health Back on a Plant-Based Whole Foods Diet"-

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links, photos, & more.

Making the trip to Oz.  Many of the stars of the upcoming documentary, Forks Over Knives (check here for showtimes), appeared on Dr. Oz's morning show this past Wednesday, April 27, 2011.  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Neal Barnard, Rip Esselstyn, along with the movie's writer & director, Lee Fulkerson.

But, gee, who's around at 10:00 Wednesday morning to watch TV?   And not everyone has a DVR or a TIVO.

Lucky for me that my friend Marlene, a fledgling plant-strong medical librarian, came to my rescue.  She TIVO'd it for me & lent me her copy.  Thank you!

Marlene loved the show--and I trust her opinion--so I couldn't wait to watch it for myself this morning.  

Look, nothing in the show will be news to any of you, but personally, I never tire of the reinforcement--and it was fun to see Dr. Oz's surprise when he learned that fish and olive oil weren't the super health foods he thought they were!

So, here you go.  My notes on the show.

Now, don't expect to find a summary of Forks Over Knives in this post.  Been there--done that. To get that, check out these posts:

1. The Research-Based Documentary That Will Change the Way You Eat. "Forks Over Knives" The Story of Dr. T. Colin Campbell's China Study & Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Heart Disease Reversal Study. Getting Your Health Back on a Plant-Based Whole Foods Diet--May 14, 2010
   
2. The Pre-Release Screening of the Documentary "Forks Over Knives" Just Played in My Hometown - A Little Like a Rock Concert/Academy Award "Red Carpet" Event for Plant-Based & Plant-Strong Fans--January 29, 2011

 

When the Forks Over Knives Director Starts to Eat Plant-Based - Results Happen!

 

Lee Fulkerson, FOK's Writer and Director, with Dr. T. Colin Campbell

 

Trying this diet for himself was a stroke of genius by Fulkerson.  It really clinches the deal.  Making it even more believable.

Lee's Numbers before eating plant-based:

• Weight:               231 lbs.
• Blood pressure:  142/82
• LDL:                   157
• CRP:                   6  This one really scared him.
  

CRP Test Results:

• Less than 1.0 mg/L = Low Risk for CVD
• 1.0 – 2.9 mg/L = Intermediate Risk for CVD
• Greater than 3.0 mg/L High Risk for CVD

Lee's Numbers after just twelve weeks eating plant-based:

• Weight:               211
• Blood pressure:    112/70
• LDL:                     80
• CRP:                     2.8

Lee was shocked to see how quickly & easily these changes happened--and without any medications. 

So was Dr. Oz.

 

Dr. T. Colin Campbell's Plant-Based Light Bulb Moment

 

Just so you know, Dr. Oz is an advocate & early fan of Dr. Campbell's "China Study".  If you haven't read it--check it out!

Dr. T. Colin Campbell explained how he had his "light-bulb" moment when he finally realized that animal protein promotes cancer cell growth.  He had replicated both an Italian & Indian study in his own lab--but with a twist. 

Campbell knew from previous research that when animals were fed casein, a milk protein, at levels above 20% of the calories in their diet--cancer cells were turned on--and when they were fed animal protein at levels below 5%  of their total calories, the cancer cells were turned off.  

Campbell constructed a study that fed the same animals, first a diet of 20% milk protein, and then switched it to 5%--and kept it up--switching them back & forth.  His light-bulb moment:  "You could literally turn liver cancer cells on and off--like a switch--just by manipulating the level of animal protein in their diets.  But plant protein, even in excess of 20% of calories, did not turn on cancer cells nor affect their growth."  For a bibliography of Campbell's research, click here.

Oz to Esselstyn:  How Challenging Is It to Eat Plant-Based?

 

When there's something that you can do for yourself that will save your life & give you back your health--it's not challenging--it's common-sense.

Dr. Esselstyn told Oz about his recent follow-up of 220 patients he has seen over the past nine years--since completing his ground-breaking 20 year heart disease reversal study.

Esselstyn says the compliance rate has been a high 92%--because these patients saw the results they got with a plant-based diet--over the alternatives.  They were able to avoid surgery, stents, and drugs in favor of the no-side effects of a plant-based diet.

"When they understood that they were the locus of control to absolutely annihilate heart disease they continued to stick with it."

 

Dr. Neal Barnard:  The Three Food Groups You Must Avoid to Prevent Cancer & Heart Disease

 

Dr. Neal Barnard, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, has a list of publications on the the benefits of eating plant-based that's a mile long.   But, don't jump to any conclusions about him--even though this brilliant doc has been eating this way for 25 years--he grew up on a cattle ranch where he lived on steaks & burgers.

The Three Food Groups You Need to Avoid

Click here for the Oz show details

1. Anything that swims, slides, slithers, or has a face.  Chicken, meat, fish, and eggs.
2. Dairy--cheese & milk: It's the biggest contributor of saturated fat to our diets--especially cheese.  It's bigger than meat!
3. Processed foods--anything filled with sugar, salt & fat.  This includes oils of all kinds--even olive oil.

 

Why ditch the fish, Dr. Oz wonders?  He loves fish.  Isn't it supposed to be so healthy, with all those beneficial omega-3s?

Barnard's response:  Guess what?  Most of the fat in fish isn't omega-3's--it's a mixture of different kinds of fats, including saturated fat--all of which are completely unnecessary & just end up putting fat on your thighs!  Not to mention that is also contains cholesterol.

And it doesn't have any of the nutrients or healing properties found in plant-based foods, like fiber & vitamin C.

 

Any what about protein?  Where are you going to get your protein if you ditch meat & dairy?

Barnard's response: That's easy.  First, whole grains are a terrific source of protein.  Think quinoa, amaranth, millet, and all the rest.  Then there are nuts, like walnuts, pistachios, and almonds. (Yes, Barnard is OK with small amounts of these caloric goodies--but for Esselstyn's heart disease patients, this is still a no-no)

Protein powerhouses for Barnard?   Beans, baby!  Black, kidney, and all the rest have protein and soluble fiber--which lowers cholesterol.  Big bonus:  They're also CHEAP!

 

Don't forget about the B-12, Oz reminds the audience--when you go plant-based!  But B-12 is an easy nutrient to replace via perfectly safe supplements.  Read more here.

 

What about calcium if you ditch the dairy?

Barnard's response:  Calcium is plentiful in many vegetables--and the calcium found in vegetables is more absorbable than the calcium in milk.  "Doesn't Want to Brag Broccoli" is 30% protein--with lots of absorbable calcium.  Collards & Brussels sprouts are also wonderful calcium sources.  And fruits are a great source of potassium and calcium.

 

Where are you going to get your Vitamin D, if you ditch the milk?

Barnard:  The real-source of vitamin D is sunlight on the skin.  And guess what?  The vitamin D that's found in milk was added to it in the factory--it's not natural vitamin D.  And besides, it's almost always added to the non-dairy milks, too--like soy, rice, oat, and almond. 

 

If we ditch the processed foods, what are we going to replace them with?  We've got to eat something!

Barnard:  This is not a no-carb diet, but we replace the processed foods with healthy whole grain carbs.  It's an easy switch.  You just switch to whole grain pastas & breads.  If you want some crunch--try the seed group!  Then there's the original fast food:  fruit.

 

What's wrong with oil?  You're saying it's a processed food & that even olive oil is bad for us?  Isn't olive oil a health food?

Barnard:  Oil is a refined food.  Think about it.  Where do you get olive oil?  There's no faucet on the tree!  You have to take 10,000 olives & throw away all the fiber & pulp to get the concentrated oil we pour all over our salads & pasta.  And then people wonder why they're gaining weight!  140 calories of pure fat in every tablespoon of the stuff.   No doubt about it, vegetable oil is a processed food.   For more on olive oil, click here.

"The heat from the pressing  produces oxidized molecular groups, many not found in nature.  Further processing includes degumming, refining, bleaching, deodorizing, additives, and winterization in order to produce the clear oil with a prolonged shelf life that we find in the grocery stores.  It is devoid of the polyphenolic compounds that provide color, flavor, and antioxidant protection. The modern omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is about 16:1 [mostly because of our high intake of processed oils]."  Simopoulos, A.P.  1999. Am J Clin Nutr  70(3 Suppl):560S-569s, "Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease."

 

The Fullness Factor:   Dr. Oz's favorite picture.  Why oil doesn't fill us up & why plant-based foods do.  You stomach's fullness receptors aren't activated until it's filled up!

Source: Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat for Health. Book One, 2008.  pg. 68.

 

 

Help?  What Am I Going to Put on My Salad If I Ditch the Oil?

 

Barnard's Option 1:  Just use a real good balsamic vinegar or squeeze a lemon on top of your salad (my recommendadtion: try Olive Tap's Balsamics)

Barnard's Option 2:  Mix thyme, lemon juice, and garlic.  Bingo!  A no-oil salad dressing.

Barnard's Option 3:  Roasted red pepper vinaigrette

Healthy Librarian's suggestions:  there are ample delicious no-oil salad dressing recipes in Appetite for Reduction, the Engine 2 Diet, Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease, & Dr. Neal Barnard's cookbooks.  Click here for some of my favorites--Jane Esselstyn's 3-2-1 is the favorite of everyone that I know. 

 My new "off-the-shelf" brand?  Cindy's Kitchen All Natural Mango, Coconut, & Pepper Sweet & Spicy Salad Dressing!  Amazing & no-fat.  1 tablespoon is 20 calories.  It's been taste-tasted by dinner guests, & at my library.  Availble at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section.

 

 

What About Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner?

 

Barnard's breakfast:  Steel cut or rolled oats cooked with apricots & sprinkled with cinnamon

Barnard's lunch:  Spinach salad topped with fresh vegetables & tofu--dressed with roasted red pepper vinaigrette

Barnard's dinner:  Whole grain fettucine--grilled asparagus & zucchini--topped with a no-oil tomato sauce.

OK--I don't want to toot my own horn, but I just have to speak up here!   Barnard could have done a lot better than these recipes if he wants to promote plant-based eating.  If you're new to this blog, check out the recipes I've posted over the years.  I'm picky about my food--and trust me--every meal I eat is delicious.  I don't want to settle for ordinary.

 

Rip Esselstyn's Five Things You Must Keep in Your Kitchen to Cut Your Risk of Cancer

 

Nutritional Yeast

It's nutritional value is so great you can't afford to pass this one by!  It replaces cheese--with all of the good and none of the bad.  It's high in protein, high in fiber (4 grams in 2 tablespoons), and loaded with B vitamins.  It's got a wonderful cheesy nutty taste that's perfect when mixed into rice, mashed potatoes--or sprinkled on pizza & popcorn.   Make it your go-to Parmesan cheese subsititute--especially when you mix it in your food processor with ground walnuts or cashews 

I'm kind of new to the nutritional yeast game, but I'm definitely hooked on the stuff.  Ann Esselstyn first introduced me to it when she recommended adding it to Yukon Gold potatoes for marvelous "buttery" mashed potatoes without the butter.  These days I'm sprinkling it into my Cheezy Oatmeal and my Smoky Split Pea Soup--and on top of my air-popped popcorn,

Bag of Freeze-Dried Strawberries

This is hot-off-the-press stuff!  Researchers at Ohio State University say the freeze-dried strawberries have 10 times the amount of anti-oxidants as the normal kind--and their collaborative study with China showed that eating 2 ounces of them daily for six months reduced esophageal cancer.  Read more here.  Here's a brand I've tried--available at health food stores or by mail-order.  Pricey.

Rhubarb

This is really a vegetable--not a fruit.  A Sheffield England study found that when it's baked for 20 minutes it's polyphenols are dramatically increased--making it protective against cancer.  Read more here

Escarole

This is a salad green all of us walk right by in the grocery store--completely ignoring.  At least I do.  It's been shown to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, thanks to its particular combination of phytochemicals, fiber, and vitamins.  It has all of the good--none of the bad.  I wasn't able to find a reference to this particular research, but I previously posted about the nutritive anti-cancer properties of greens in the chicory family--which includes escarole.  Click here to read more:  "Straight from the Experts at Ohio State University, Johns Hopkins University, & Canyon Ranch: Three "New-to-Me" Super Foods: Black Raspberries, Broccoli Sprouts, & Chicory-Family Leafy Greens"

 

According to Canyon Ranch's Christine Sardo, in 1 cup of cooked greens in the chicory family you'll get over 600% of your daily vitamin K, over 150% of your daily vitamin A, and 65% of your daily vitamin C--plus a host of anti-oxidants that are essential for cancer prevention.  Plus their high folate content protects against colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer.

Banana Ice Cream

Dr. Oz  & Rochelle, taste-tester from the audience, were pretty skeptical about this one--but after one taste, they understood!   Bananas have been shown to reduce kidney cancer--plus they're high in fiber, potassium, and magnesium. You'll find it all here in: Int J Cancer. 2005 Jan 20;113(3):451-5.  Rashidkhani B, Lindblad P, Wolk A. "Fruits, vegetables and risk of renal cell carcinoma: a prospective study of Swedish women."  

Here's Rip's recipe for banana ice cream, that he sprinkles with a little nutmeg.  This is one of my all-time favorite post-dinner desserts--but I add 1 TBS of cocoa to my frozen bananas--and then mix it up in a Vita-Mix with a couple splashes of soy milk, and make it Mexican-style with a little cinnamon & a pinch of cayenne!  Sometimes topping it with a couple of chopped walnuts!  Fabulous. 

Here's my recipe:

1 large cut-up frozen banana, 1 TBS non-Dutched cocoa, a couple of splashes of oat, almond, soy, hazelnut milk.  Whir it up in a VitaMix or a blender.  It's a good idea to keep a stash of cut up frozen ripe bananas in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment "milkshakes" or soft-serves.  Peel & pre-slice bananas & freeze them in individual baggies for easy use.

Add about 1/2+ cup of milk for an instant chocolate shake.  Other add-ins: espresso powder, cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne.  Be creative.

 

To read more about Rip's 5 cancer fighters, click here. 

 

Dr.  Oz's Bottom Line:

This isn't a diet--even though you will lose weight.  It's a lifestyle change that will change your health, putting the control in your own hands.  It's just a different way of thinking about how we eat.

 

 Anyone See the Show?  What Did You Think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pre-Release Screening of the Documentary "Forks Over Knives" Just Played in My Hometown - A Little Like a Rock Concert/Academy Award "Red Carpet" Event for Plant-Based & Plant-Strong Fans

 
The Plant Perfect Doctor and the Plant-Strong Fireman  (Esselstyns - Father & Son)

 

 

 

So Caught Up in the Energy of the Evening--This is the Only Photo I Took--My Half-Eaten Delicious Whole Foods Boxed Lunch

 

Our "To (not) Die-For" Plant-Strong Whole Foods Pre-Movie Dinner included:

Middlle Eastern style seitan kabobs with grillled red onion and cherry tomatoes

Wild rice & lentil salad with currants, citrus and pomegranate

Red pepper hummus with veggie dippers--potato slices (a most excellent dipper), peppers, cucumbers

Vegan cocoa date bon-bon rolled in shredded coconut

Air-popped popcorn with herbs & nutritional yeast (yum!)

 

Forks Over Knives National Release - March 11, 2011

 

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For almost a year now I've been singing the praises of Lee Fulkerson's well-done & eye-opening documentary, Forks Over Knives. It tells the story of how our Western diet is responsible for the sky-rocketing rates of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and type-2 diabetes in the U.S.  It pulls no punches in explaining how our chronic diseases are really "food-borne" illnesses that need never exist--and if they do exist--how they can be reversed.  

It's also the story of two pioneering crusaders, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.--both raised on farms in the 1930's--who steadfastly put the food/disease research puzzle pieces together--and are on a mission to change the way we eat.  

Esselstyn is the emeritus Cleveland Clinic surgeon/clinician who supervised the longest-running heart disease reversal study in the world--and Campbell is the eminent emeritus Cornell University nutrition researcher who conducted the lab & epidemiological cancer research that discovered the correlation between cancer cell growth and animal protein consumption--namely, meat & dairy.

Thanks to the Esselstyns, I saw a preview of Forks Over Knives last spring--and was wowed.  My good friend Babs, watched it with us last year, and was equally wowed--while our husbands took a pass & watched some boring forgetable sport playoffs instead.  

A documentary that's intelligent, understandable, lays out all the facts, yet is entertaining at the same time, is quite a feat!  FOK does it all.  And it has all the elements of a great flick: food, sex, power, money, politics, and triumphs!

I've already written a lot about the film--click here to read about it, so I'm not going to rehash it.  Right now I just want to share the spirit of the evening--and the Q & A of the post-film panel--something you won't find anywhere else. The panel included:

• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.
• Rip Esselstyn
• San'Dera Nation, the young woman in the movie who reversed her type-2 diabetes.
• Evelyn Oswick, one of Dr. Esselstyn's original 18 heart disease patients.  In 1985, her cardiologist told her he was out of treatment options for her, because her heart disease was so severe.   Evelyn's been true-blue plant-based oil-free now for 25 years--alive & thriving.

 

Like a Cross Between a Rock Concert & the Academy Awards "Red Carpet" for Plant-Based Health Fans

 

This was the hardest ticket to get in town.  The screening "sold-out" quickly--and by the time I tried to get a ticket, there were none to be had.  Of my friends, only Mary, the librarian--with whom I work & who's now a plant-based fan--was able to score a ticket.  Here's Something about Mary--she's a librarian and a nurse, and she thought I was a tad wacky with my plant-based no-oil diet.  That is, until she took home our library's copy of Dr. Esselstyn's  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease to read.  Her pantry's had a complete make-over.  She's also a dynamite creative cook--so check back for some her no-oil plant-based culinary inventions.

A week before the film, Ann Esselstyn generously found a ticket for me, when one of their guests couldn't make it.

The theater lobby was packed, as we all waited for a half-hour to get into the theater.  Looked like everyone had arrived early.  I was hoping to run into some blog readers with whom I've corresponded--and who were lucky enough to get tickets.  No way--not with a crowd of this size--in these tight quarters.

But then I did.  How crazy is that?  My Red Carpet Crew:

• The pediatric cardiologist:  Out of the blue, I heard my name called, & it was Dr. A--the pediatric cardiologist who has been enthusiastically eating plant-strong for 18 months, and somehow stumbled upon my blog.  Any plant-strong diet doubters out there, consider this--if a pediatric cardiologist has decided to switch his diet, and that of his family--that's a pretty strong statement & tells you something!
• Wendy, the creator of the Healthy Girl's Kitchen blog.  She's a dynamo, who's been eating plant-strong for 18 months, and as a former Weight Watcher, she's on a mission to share her discovery:  if you eat plant-based--the foods highest on the nutrient scale  (think ANDI Rankings--click here to read more) you can eat as much as you want, feel fabulous, get healthy, feel full, lose weight effortlessly, and look great, to boot!  I LOVE Wendy's blog--her enthusiasm is catchy--and she has delicious kid-friendly recipes, like all-fruit soft-serves, and even a killer dessert hummus--plus she's just plain fun to read!  Check out her blog now!
• Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn--I even got to make my way through the crowd to say hello to them before the film started.  I spotted their daughter Jane Esselstyn Hart, a nurse practitioner, from a distance.  Jane is a dynamo, who is passionate about plant-based eating for disease reversal.  She teaches healthy eating workshops for diabetes & erectile dysfunction. Click here
• Rip Esselstyn--ran right into him, while I made my way to my seat.  If you don't know who Rip is?  Click here to find out.
• Dr. Mladen Golubic & his wife.   As I left the theater, I ran into Dr. Golubic, who is a brilliant physician/researcher with the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine at the Clinic's Wellness Institute. Eight years ago, when Dr. Golubic was doing cancer research he presented a lecture at the hospital where I work, all about the health benefits of a plant-based diet.  I remember specifically asking him about olive oil, "Isn't no-oil old-school?  Dr. Walter Willett says olive oil is good for us.  What's wrong with using it--especially, if you're already healthy?"   He patiently explained the problems with oil to me back in 2003, but I chose to not listen--didn't want to give it up.  It was Mladen who also told me about Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book, back in 2003, "Eat to Live".   To read an interesting recent NPR story about Dr. Golubic, click here.  
• Jim Perko, the executive chef for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center--and many of the staff at the Wellness Center were also at the screening, according to Dr. Golubic.   Mladen told me Dr. Michael Roizen wanted to be there, but had to be out-of-town on the night of the screening.   

That's it for my ala Joan Rivers "Red Carpet" spiel.

 

Nothing Beats Watching Forks Over Knives in a Group

 

Best part about watching this film in the theater was listening to the audience's reaction.  I had seen the film twice before, once with my friend Babs, and once by myself.   I loved hearing how everyone was grabbed by the same scenes as I was:

• When Dr. Esselstyn says: 

"Some people think the "diet" is extreme.  Half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn onto their coronary artery.  Some people would call that extreme."

"The elephant in the room when we talk about stents and bypass surgery--those procedures don't protect from new heart attacks.   Stents & bypasses are used to treat large arterial blockages.  Yet according to many research studies only a small percentage of heart attacks are caused by the largest build-up of plaque.  The rest are caused by the more numerous newer blockages that are far more inflamed and much more likely to rupture than the larger older, more stable plaques.  So this is why those procedures don't treat the disease.  They are treating the symptoms."

• When San'Dera Nation, a thirty-something who was overweight, hypertensive & diabetic before switching to a plant-based diet, says: 

"When I approached my primary care physician about stopping my meds, the doctor asked me,  'What is that doctor trying to do?  Take you off your medication?' I said, 'Yeah.  I'm hoping that's the goal.'"

• When Dr. T. Colin Campbell explains his "light-bulb" moment when he realized that animal protein promotes cancer cell growth.  He had replicated both an Italian & Indian study in his own lab--but with a twist. 
  

Campbell knew from previous research that when animals were fed casein, a milk protein, at levels above 20% of the calories in their diet--cancer cells were turned on--and when they were fed animal protein at levels below 5%  of their total calories, the cancer cells were turned off.  

Campbell constructed a study that fed the same animals, first a diet of 20% milk protein, and then switched it to 5%--and kept it up--switching them back & forth.  His light-bulb moment:  "You could literally turn liver cancer cells on and off--like a switch--just by manipulating the level of animal protein in their diets.  But plant protein, even in excess of 20% of calories, did not turn on cancer cells nor affect their growth."  For a bibliography of Campbell's research, click here.

• When Anthony Yen, one of Dr. Esselstyn's original 18 patients explains one of the best--and little-known benefits of going on a plant-based diet. You'll have to see the movie to learn this one.  Definitely, a crowd-pleaser!

• When Dr. Doug Lisle, author of The Pleasure Trap, explains:

The 3 reasons we get into problems with food are because we're biologically programmed to:

1.  Seek pleasure--from food & sex 
2.  Avoid pain
3.  Do everything with the least amount of effort

So, bingo!  We're perfectly programmed to eat fatty, sugary, salty foods because we're pleasure-seekers--and we want delicious-tasting (who cares about how healthy it is?) food the fastest way possible--because we're lazy.  Hello, McDonald's & KFC!   And these highly processed foods are all addictive.  To learn more about this, click here.

 

 

The Best of the Q & A from the Post-FOK Panel

 

How long does it take before you can see the beneficial effects of eating a plant-based diet?

Dr. Esselstyn:  After 3 weeks on a plant-based diet the endothelial cells in the linings of our blood vessels can recover.  This can be seen on a very sensitive test after 3-4 weeks.  But the changes actually begin immediately.

 

San'Dera, at the time the movie was made you were eating plant-based for 20 weeks and had lost 45 pounds.  Can you give us an update?

It will be 2 years this May that I've been eating plant-based.  My diabetes is gone.  I've been off diabetes medication for 1 1/2 years, now.  My whole home is now plant-based--although in the beginning, I cooked separately for my children.   But, then I realized, how can I let my kids eat junk, while I'm eating healthy food.  I didn't want outlive my children!   So, now they eat like I eat.   Look, I'm the parent--I'm the one who shops & cooks.  My teen-age son is now a plant-based fan--the girls love his skin & his acne's all gone. 

 

Evelyn, tell us some more about how you got started in the study.

I'm one of Dr. Esselstyn's original patients & I've been eating plant-based now for 25 years.  Back in 1985 my doctor told me to just go home and prepare to die--but then, as an aside he told me about the study Dr. Esselstyn was conducting at the Cleveland Clinic.   When he told me about his crazy diet, I said,  "I'd rather die than eat that way."   But then I started to think--do I really want to die & leave all I've worked so hard for--a wonderful family--a beautiful home--to my husband?    And I knew he would remarry.  So, after a week of thinking about it, I called Dr. Esselstyn and said I wanted to participate in his study.  He told me that I was the last person he ever thought would call him back.  Essie, was fantastic, but you had to do things exactly as he prescribed, or he'd show you the door.  There were no half-way measures with Essie.  We met with him every 2 weeks--he looked at everything we ate--and checked our lipid levels.  He know whether or not we were following the program.

 

If this research on diet & heart disease is so compelling, why isn't this the first thing doctors tell us about?  Why doesn't everyone know about this?

Dr. Esselstyn:  Doctors have been cautious, and that was appropriate, until this heart disease prevention/reversal diet evolved and the proof was established.   Now, 25 years later we know it works.  Given the lack of time & the reimbursement issues that physicians have these days, it will likely become increasingly difficult for doctors to offer this option, because it involves behavior modification & needs hands-on support.  But, they shouldn't feel that they have to be the ones to supervise the behavior modification & provide the diet support necessary for this program.  There are others who can be trained, and are better able to provide the support necessary to help patients make these major lifestyle changes.

 

But, what about people with on low & fixed incomes?  People who couldn't possibly afford to pay for the kind of food you need on a plant-based diet?

Rip:  Rice and beans are cheap.  Eating plant-based is absoluely affordable.  I've worked out a $305/month food budget for two--eating plant-based & even shopping at Whole Foods.  That's $5/day per person.   That's affordable.  It involves buying in bulk, using some frozen fruits & vegetables--and I'm not talking about organics--conventional produce is just fine, if that's what you can afford.

San'Dera:  Eating plant-based is cheaper than even buying bulk chicken & pork chops.  You can easily spend more than $15 a day at McDonald's, Burger King, & Wendy's.  I don't spend anything like that on plant-based at home.

 

Do you think it's possible that some people are meant to eat meat?

Dr. Esselstyn:  emphatically, "NO!"

 

What about the supposed health foods, like non-fat yogurt, olive oil, and chocolate?

Rip:

1. Yogurt comes from a cow, and it's protein comes from casein, and at a level even greater than what's found in milk.  Read more here and here and here about dairy and yogurt
2. Olive oil is the most concentrated source of fat on the planet, at 120 calores per tablespoon.  20% of its fat is saturated, and as for its purported antioxidants, you can do much better with fruits & vegetables that are zero fat, and have far fewer calories.  Like berries & leafy greens.  The olive oil as "health food" story, is a great example of marketing over science!  If you think it's such a nutrient powerhouse, click here to see exactly what its nutrient content is. To learn more about olive oil's "issues" click here.
3. Chocolate should be reserved as something you eat occasionally, for entertainment--and not something you eat daily!   Unsweetened unprocessed cocoa can be a daily food. 

 

San'Dera, what do you eat daily?  How soon was it until you started to notice any changes?

I eat brown rice, pasta made from brown rice or whole wheat, lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, salads, and fat-free hummus.  I noticed a change in how I felt within 3 days of changing my diet.  Especially, the energy.  I stopped taking my diabetes medications after 3 weeks on the diet.

 

OK, what about people who are healthy, without diabetes, who aren't overweight?   Could they be on more of a flexitarian diet?

Dr. Esselstyn:  Certainly, a plant-based no-oil diet is a no-brainer for someone who is ill.  But look down the line--when exactly do people start to develop dementia or heart disease?   It's years before the event actually occurs.  Consider how the people in your family have died, or how they spent their final years.  We know that eating this way will prevent heart disease.  And we know from ample research that what's good for the heart is good for the brain.  There's nothing more troubling to see than someone who lives with dementia for 10-12 years.  My bias is to start eating plant-based now!  Recent research from the Mayo Clinic has also shown the importance of diet on the health of the brain's blood vessels--and how the brain's health is dependent upon nitric oxide.  Click here to read more.  

 

Mark Your Calendars for the National Release of Forks Over Knives on March 11, 2011

 

To read more about the program Dr. Esselstyn runs at the Cleveland Clinic, click here.

To read more about Dr. Campbell's research, click here.

To read more about Ann Esselstyn's plant-based pantry & cooking tips, click here.

 

"The greatest gift that you could possibly give to your family--you can make them aware of this incredible power to avoid life's most painful events.  You just don't have to have those kinds of events." 

-Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn-

 

Please be patient with me (brother-in-law Dave & others).  I've got lots of non-Esselstyn medical research to share--but I really wanted to post about this special FOK screening event first.  

And, boy do I have some killer recipes to share, too!  Last night's dinner was some of our best eating, ever! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Oma and Poppy Come to Town It's All About Playtime and Plant-Strong Cooking

  

There you go, baby!  A whole-grain roll, an apple, a tomato, and....

 

OK, all you grandparents, and future grandparents out there--here's what Dr. Tim Church wants you to know:

"To me, the most important element of exercise is healthy aging. 

There's no pill that assures that you'll be able to play with your grandkids, or to go duck hunting when you want to go duck hunting (forget about duck hunting--insert your own physical hobby here), or get up and down the stairs safely.

But, there is one strategy which we know works great for aging, and that is being physically active and maintaining physical activity throughout a lifetime."

-Dr. Timothy S. Church, PhD, MD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana-

 

And then there's Bill Clinton.  After his quadruple bypass & 2 stents failed, he went to Plan E (Esselstyn) and started eating an oil-free, plant-based diet in Spring 2010.  What was his biggest motivator for staying healthy?  To be around for his future grandchildren.

 

Click here to get to the web version if you've received this via email--better access to links & photos.

Which leads me to our wonderful week in St. Louis!  24/7 with "the little man". Playing, coloring, reading Sendak & Seuss a million times, bath-time, diaper changes, hide-and-seek, lots of ball playing, singing, swimming in the splash pool at the J, visiting "The Magic House"--St. Louis' AMAZING children's museum, cooking up a "plant-based" storm--and just enjoying the company of our kids. 

Months ago when my husband & I learned that son #1 was going on a 9 day work-related trip to a small Mayan village in the Yucatan (originally it was Guatemala), we offered to lend a hand with "the little man".   Yay!  Offer gratefully accepted.  Son #1 spent his week eating like a healthy Tarahumara Indian--beans, squash, & corn, while we ate plant-strong in the Loo.

But let's get back to Dr. Tim Church's advice about staying in shape so you can play with your grandkids, and be able to get up & down stairs safely--Believe him!  About the grandkids & the stairs!

It's three flights of stairs to get to my kids' apartment.  Up and down those stairs a million times, carrying the "little man", lots & lots of grocery bags, suitcases, gym bags, diaper bags, and a stroller!  And that whole winter bundling up thing, with boots, hats & gloves, and car seats. 

Good thing that my husband and I have been training years for this dream job!  You better be steady on your feet to climb as many stairs as we had to climb, while carrying a wiggly toddler & parcels.

Imagine an entire week of just playing, reading kid books, toddler-tending, and cooking?  Absolute heaven when you're a grandparent, not doing it day in & day out.  No TV at the "little man's" house, either.  And we hardly touched our computer.  No time for me to read any grown-up stuff, either.  It was living totally in the moment.  I slept like a baby.

 

Aren't Grandparents Supposed to Feed Their Grandkids Cookies & Ice Cream?

 

Darn!  This grandma knows too much.  Thanks to that big party pooper Dr. David Kessler, the author of "The End of Overeating", I know how important it is to keep sugar, fat, and salt away from the little guys.  If you want the best for your grandkids, how can you feed them junk?  It just doesn't feel right to get "the little man" started on chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and chips.

 

"We used to think of food as something we ate to fill us up.  But in fact, much of the food we're eating--this trifecta of fat, sugar, and salt--stimulates us.  And we now see from the science--this highly palatable food is excessively activating the neural circuitry of our brains.  We now know...the reason we keep on eating is because of this sustained stimulation."     

Worry about the children!  Kids from ages 3-5 are eating constantly, all day.  Fat, sugar, salt.  "Once you lay down the neural circuitry that gets activated by highly palatable food--that stays down for life."   

-Dr. David Kessler, pediatrician, former FDA commissioner, former dean of the Yale & UCSF medical schools-

 

It was Plant-Strong for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in the Loo

 

I packed 2 Sami's Pizza Crusts in my suitcase for dinner #1

Almost Instant Pizza made with Sami's Crusts

 

Ann Esselstyn introduced me to Sami's amazingly delicious Whole-Grain pizza crusts, and since I had a stash in my freezer, I packed 2 crusts carefully in my husband's suitcase--mine was too full, of course!

Here's the deal with Sami's.  You have to plan ahead--the bakery is in Tampa, Florida, for goodness sakes.  But, if you call them by Monday or Tuesday, you'll get them delivered to your door in 2 days--freshly baked.  $4.09 for each pizza crust--minimum order of $25.00.  There's no carry-out pizza place that delivers plant-strong pizza in my home town.  Click here for order info.  Click here for my Knock-You-Socks-Off Pizza Recipe.  **I was surprised & happy to hear that my friend Cheri has been ordering from Sami's ever since I wrote about them in November. 

My pizza recipe is a no-prep, no-chop affair.  Speed is of the essence.  Jarred sauce.  Jarred roasted red peppers.  Canned mushrooms & canned water-packed artichoke hearts.  Bagged sun-dried tomatoes.  Jarred Kalamata olives.  My one Esselstyn-transgression is 1/2 of a crumbled Field Roast (vegan) Italian Sausage sprinkled on top of the whole thing.  It adds 1 gram of fat to a 2-piece serving.

We served the pizza with a salad for a quick delicious plant-strong kid-friendly dinner.

Big Tip:  Make an extra pizza while you're at it.  One pizza really does feed four--but you'll be thrilled to have left-overs to eat for lunch the next day.

 

Oh, yum!  Green Smoothie & an Apple Walnut Larabar.  I just love those green chin dribbles!

 

You never know what kids are going to like--or hate--but I decided to make a Green Smoothie for "the little man", anyway.   Oh baby--did he ever love it!  Of course, it's too thick to come out of a sippy cup, so we had to put it in an Elmo cup with a wide straw, suck it up, to get it started for him--and just wait for those magic words,  "Mo' joos, peez!"

Here's what "the little man" liked in his Green Smoothie:  unsweetened grape juice or only-cherry juice, lots of lacinato kale & spinach, a couple of carrots, a big handful of Trader Joe's Frozen Very Cherry Berry Mix, an apple, and a couple of clementines.   Add cold water & mix in the VitaMix.   I thinned his with a little unsweetened only-cherry juice.  

Can you think of an easier way to feed your grandkids vegetables & fruit?  For more info, and the nutritional breakdown on my green smoothies, click here.

 

Thirty-Minute Rice with Chickpeas, Asparagus, and Lemony-Tahini Sauce (you only need a little)

 

This is by now an old standby dinner for me.  Everyone loves it!  "Little man", my husband, son #2, my daughter-in-law, my friends, my co-workers, Mina and her family, Cheri & her family--and just about everyone who tastes it.  It definitely needs the lemony-tahini sauce to make it extraordinary, but don't worry, just a little goes a long way, and it uses only 2 TBS of tahini for enough to feed 6.  (next time I'm going to drain the oil from the tahini)  For my enlightened version of this recipe, click here. For step-by-step pictures, click here.

We served ours with sauteed spinach.

 

Mark Bittman's Miso Soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles, & Grilled Tofu

 

Another easy breezy meal in a bowl.  We served this with salad greens, cherry tomatoes, and red peppers, tossed with a dressing made with Hot Squeeze Sweet Heat Chipotle Sauce, thinned with some rice vinegar, and toasted sesame seeds.  Hot Squeeze works as a fantastic tofu grilling sauce, too!

We had maple-soy oven-baked brussels sprouts on the side.  For the Miso Soup recipe, click here. 

 

The Little Man's Favorite Treats

 

Toddlers are so fickle.  Larabars, Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers, clementines, whole-grained toasted O's, apples, cut up vegetables, cherry tomatoes (go figure?), multi-grain waffles, Isa's Arabian Nights Lentil Rice Soup, spicy Italian sausage-flavored seitan with no-oil spaghetti sauce--were last week's favorites for "the little man".   At Thanksgiving he was all about my pumpkin fruited steel-cut oats.  Now, he's so over my oatma! 

The "little man" could not get enough of Ann Esselstyn's recipe for chocolate tofu mousse!   Neal's Frozen Banana Chocolate Milkshake was another "mo' peez" treat.

Mexican Chocolate (cocoa) Low-fat Tofu Mousse

 

Two summers ago my chocolate-loving friend Babs turned me on to Mark Bittman's so-called "healthy version" of chocolate mousse, made with tofu, real dark chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, and chili powder.  Amazing stuff! Click here for Bittman's version.

 I came up with this Esselstyn-approved version made with cocoa, "lite tofu", agave, cinnamon, and cayenne or chipotle pepper.  It's a pretty good stand-in for Bittman's mousse.  Picky son #2 & "the little man" both give it a rousing thumbs up!  Believe them.

Serves 3-4

Ann Esselstyn says: Be sure to MAKE this serve 3 or 4.  It is so good it is way too easy for it to serve just 1!

1 package "Lite" silken tofu (look for NaSoya brand if you want organic & non-GMO)  I used Mori-Nu for this recipe.

1/3 cup agave (what I used), or maple syrup.   I tried it with just stevia, to cut the sugar content--used 5 packets--and it tasted just fine.  Full disclosure: Some folks have concerns with stevia, but I'm a fan of the SweetLeaf brand.

2 tablespoons high quality non-dutched cocoa powder

1 tsp. real vanilla

1 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

A pinch of cayenne or more--or 1/8 tsp. of chipotle powder if you like heat.

Blend until smooth.  Use something powerful like a food processor or a blender.  It didn't work with a hand mixer.  Refrigerate 2 hours before use.  Spoon into small bowls & use small spoons.

Ann's variations:  Add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract & a garnish of a mint leaf.  Instead of agave or maple syrup use 2 TBS. of Raspberry syrup, 1 TBS honey, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries & blend.

 

 

Neal's Chocolate Banana "Milkshake"

 

1 large cut-up frozen banana, 1 TBS non-Dutched cocoa, 1/2+ cup of oat, almond, soy, hazelnut milk.  Whir it up in a VitaMix or a blender.  It's a good idea to keep a stash of cut up frozen ripe bananas in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment "milkshakes" or soft-serves.  Pack 1 sliced banana to a baggie for easy use.

Friday Night Dinner with Uncle Dan

 

 

Our Plant-Strong Friday night dinner with chili, challah, wine, & salad (IPAs & Jeni's)

You'll find the recipe for this All-American Chili with Lots of Kick That You Can Eat All Week Long, here.  It's Les & Tess approved--and they have very discriminating palates.

True St. Louis confessions: 

1.  Ice Cream.  We were all so good the entire week. When my daughter-in-law suggested we pick up a pint of Jeni's ice cream for Friday night dessert I wholeheartedly helped with the selection.  We decided on Gravel Road--Savory and smoky hits of almonds first, rounded out with salty notes for a satisfying finish. 

Bingo!  Dr. David Kessler's ultimate evil trifecta--salt, sugar, & fat--in every spoonful.  Thankfully, we only bought 1 pint--at $9.99 a pint--who could afford more?  We saved a generous serving for "the little man's" dad, who was coming home in 2 days from the Yucatan, so that left about a 1/3 of a cup each for my husband, my daughter-in-law, Uncle Dan (aka son #2) and me.   Zero for "the little man".  I wish I could say it tasted too sweet, too rich, & too salty.  I cannot tell a lie--it was fantastic!!  Glad we only had enough for mini-servings.  Eat at your own risk.  I'm staying away in the future. Visit Jeni's here!

2.  Pizza.  We also visited son #2's favorite St. Louis restaurant one night--PI's Pizzeria.  A favorite of President Obama's, too!  We were all set to order the vegan thin crust with roasted red peppers, eggplant, onions, & portabello mushrooms--and hold the cheese.  That is, until I noticed they had casein-free vegan Daiya cheese.  Truthfully, I would NEVER use this at home (it's made with 6 grams of oil per serving), but, hey,  it was a post-birthday celebration, we threw caution to the wind, and ordered it "with Daiya".   Not as good as my cheese-free pizza!  BTW, PI also has gluten-free crust!  Visit PI here.  Any restaurant that has vegan & gluten-free available is tops in my book!

 

The St. Louis Whole Foods Rocks!!

 

How many of you know that you can get deliciously-prepared vegan no-oil meals at Whole Foods?  It was news to me--but then I never looked closely at their prepared foods section before.

Everyday Whole Foods has hot soups, hot meals, creative whole-grain &/or vegetable salads, as well as a good selection of take-home meals in their deli case that are completely Esselstyn & Engine 2 approved.  No oil, no sugar, only whole grains, all real food.

But check the labels carefully!  Look for the Purple Signs that say: Health Starts Here.  Vegan - Oil-Free.

So, if you're looking for someplace to meet a friend for lunch, head on over to your local Whole Foods.  Too bad that every city's Whole Foods is different.  The prep food selection in my home town isn't half as good as the one in the Loo.  Go figure.

Here's what we feasted on for lunch.  Warning:  It doesn't come cheap.  We spent $9.00 each, but our plates were loaded high.

• Green Lentils & Spinach
• Stuffed Zucchini with Bulgur, Almonds, Currants, topped with a Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Black Bean, Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
• Spicy Vegetable Bean Chili
• Sauteed Garlicky Kale

Thank you Ann & Rip Esselstyn!  My daughter-in-law had made plans to see Forks Over Knives with a friend, but the St. Louis January 18th preview sold-out early--before she could get her ticket.   A big thank-you to Ann & Rip Esselstyn & the St. Louis Whole Foods (Marcia) for making it possible for my DIL to attend the film's preview  It's powerful, she loved it, and she's rethinking dairy for "the little man",  as well as ditching olive & cooking oils.  This is a mind-changing movie--and if you miss the preview screenings, watch for its release in March.  I can't wait to see it on the big screen next week.  For my synopsis of the film, click here.

 

St. Louis Play Time in Pictures

 

Library Time: Forget About Those Baby Books, "Little Man"  Heads Straight to the Preteen Section

Soon after I took this pic I was heading back to the car to retrieve the diaper bag I had forgotten to bring into the library--Green Smoothies, Larabars, and Dr. Praeger Burgers keep this little guy pretty darn regular.

 

Morning at the Open Gym with Oma & Poppy

Pint-sized Play Pizzeria at "The Magic House"

I've Always Wanted to Try This!!  The Magic House is for Kids of All Ages

That's My Husband Playing at the Magic House

And That's My Daughter-in-Law at the Magic House- We Did Not Want to Leave!

 

The Ambidextrous Artist Creating Uncle Dan's Special Birthday Card

A Little Snuggle at the Magic House

 

A Little Something to Eat After We Leave

 Before we  left St. Louis, I cooked up a batch of hearty burgers for the kids to stash in the fridge. Garbanzo beans, spinach, hot sauce, onions, chickpea flour, garlic and carrots.   When we returned home on Saturday night, I decided to make up a batch for us, too.   Topped with that lemony-tahini sauce--yum!

Stay tuned for this easy recipe sometime soon.  Time to sign off, eat dinner, & go see The Way Back--I brought the book of the original story home from the library for my husband to read 2 weeks ago--it's right up his alley--and lo and behold--the movie version is opening here tonight!  "Siberian gulag escapees walk 4000 miles overland to freedom in India."  BTW--he loved the book.  After you see this movie you will be sooo grateful for everything you have.  Like water, food, heat, and a bed.