Happy Healthy Long Life

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

 

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

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.

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Homework - Four Articles - Four Movies - Soba Miso Bok Choy Comfort Soup. The New York Times Interviews Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Vanity Fair's FDA Clinical Trial Expose, Living on Earth's Sex & Endocrine Disruptors & Vitamin D

Part of My Framed Applique Birthday Present

 

Much of the good in this world comes when ordinary people have the courage to do the right thing--in spite of the risks to their reputation or financial security.  In spite of ridicule, dismissal, censure, or pressure from family & friends.  It's so much easier to leave things as they are, and not make waves.

-This one's from me--based on the articles, movies, & even the cookbook author mentioned in this post-

 

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

I probably won't have much time to post over the next 10 days.  I'm going to play & hang out with our gorgeous 19-month old "little man".

So, I'm leaving you with some homework to do while I'm gone. 

• I've got four articles for you to read.  Two have certainly set my head spinning--and two have cleared things up nicely for me.  Now I want to know what you think of them. 
• I'm also leaving you with four movies to see.  All four are true stories about ordinary people who did what they knew was the right thing to do.  It would have been a whole lot easier to sit back, stay at home, give up, or shut up.  Oh, and I'm also giving you a link to some excellent thought-provoking movies for grown-ups.  It's cold, the days are short--the perfect time for a delcious dinner & a movie night.
• I've got a good recipe, too!  A rib-sticking-nutritious-comfort soup based on a Mark Bittman creation.

All the articles--the movies--and even the recipe could be posts of their own.  But, I've run out of time--got some grandson book shopping to do, plus some laundry, some packing, and a whole lot more..

 

The Homework Articles

The New York Times Interviews Dr. T. Colin Campbell--"Nutrition Advice from the China Study"  1/7/11.  Click here for this quick read interview by NYT writer, Tara Parker-Pope.  

Campbell's a man who has stellar academic & research credentials--but he's put them all on the line, risking censure & reputation--to speak out about the damaging toll our American diet is taking on our health.  The U.S. meat & dairy boards wish he'd just shut up & go away.

"Six years ago a small Texas publisher released an obscure book written by a father-son research team. The work, based on a series of studies conducted in rural China and Taiwan, challenged the conventional wisdom about health and nutrition by espousing the benefits of a plant-based diet.

To everyone’s surprise, the book, called “The China Study,” has since sold 500,000 copies, making it one of the country’s best-selling nutrition titles. The book focuses on the knowledge gained from the China Study, a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine that showed high consumption of animal-based foods is associated with more chronic disease, while those who ate primarily a plant-based diet were the healthiest."

If you want more background on Campbell read my post:  T. Colin Campbell of “The China Study” Pays a Visit – Does This Mean I Have to Become a Vegan?

 

Vanity Fair, January 2011.  "Politics - Deadly Medicine," by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele.  Click here for the article.   My sister-in-law said I had to read this one.  She was right.  Disturbing, to say the least.  I've passed it on to some doctor friends to get their opinions--is this truth, or just an over-exaggerated scary story to sell magazines? 

I would love to hear what Dr. Steve Nissen has to say about it.  But, this much I do know--if the piece is true, the only way it could have been written was because of the courage of those insiders who chose to do the right thing--and speak out.  Truth or lie?  Or a bit of both?

"Prescription drugs kill some 200,000 Americans every year. Will that number go up, now that more clinical trials are conducted overseas—on sick Russians, homeless Poles, and slum-dwelling Chinese—in places where regulation is virtually nonexistent, the F.D.A. doesn’t reach, and “mistakes” can end up in pauper’s graves? The authors investigate the globalization of the pharmaceutical industry, and the U.S. Government’s failure to rein in a lethal profit machine."

"Overall, deaths from F.D.A.-approved prescription drugs dwarf the number of people who die from street drugs such as cocaine and heroin. They dwarf the number who die every year in automobile accidents. So far, these deaths have triggered no medical crusades, no tough new regulations. After a dozen or so deaths linked to runaway Toyotas, Japanese executives were summoned to appear before lawmakers in Washington and were subjected to an onslaught of humiliating publicity. When the pharmaceutical industry meets with lawmakers, it is mainly to provide campaign contributions.

And with more and more of its activities moving overseas, the industry’s behavior will become more impenetrable, and more dangerous, than ever."

To learn more about the current controversies within the FDA's drug approval process, read my earlier post about crusading Dartmouth med school professors, Drs. Lisa Schwartz & Steve Woloshin, "Drug Safety and Drug Benefits--The FDA Information That Never Reaches Doctors & the Public. Dr. Lisa Schwartz & Dr. Steve Woloshin Discover the Data That Gets Lost in Transmission"

 

NPR's Living on Earth, "Sex and Endocrine Disruptors," by Ashley Ahearn, January 7, 2011.   Click here for the story.  Meet the physicians & lab researchers who are wondering if the ubiquitous chemicals in our environment may be causing serious changes to the reproductive systems of infant boys--and perhaps even affecting sexual orientation.  These changes have been seen in frogs & fish for years--but what about in humans?  Researchers in this field now have concerns that common synthetic chemicals might be responsible for feminizing effects, as well as genital birth defects in male children.  An abnormality of the male infant genitalia--called hypospadias--is now the second most common birth defect in the country, behind heart defects.  Is there a chemical connection?

AHEARN: Talking about problems with reproductive health is something society has never handled well. And perhaps because most hypospadias can be corrected with surgery, very few doctors have raised questions about the underlying causes of this birth defect.

But endocrine disrupting chemicals show up in almost 100 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and many of these chemicals are known to disrupt normal reproductive system development in animals - think back to Tyrone Hayes' frogs here.

So I asked Dr. Theo Colborn, who's been studying endocrine disruptors for over 30 years, if she thought our environmental exposures could be affecting our reproductive health. Or more specifically, given what we're seeing with hypospadias, I asked her, do you think we are feminizing our baby boys?

COLBORN: I definitely do. I think there's a certain percentage that are definitely being affected and there's no denying it.

For more background read these earlier posts:

• Cleaning Up My Kitchen - Clearing Out the Bisphenol-A and Other Lurking Toxic Chemicals
• ADD, Autism, Hyperactivity, Behavioral Problems? Could BPA or Phthalates in Cans, Plastics, Carpets & PJs Be Responsible? 
• 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 

 

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, December, 2010.  "Medical Grand Rounds - Vitamin D and the heart:  Why we need large-scale clincal trials," by Joann E. Manson, MD, DrPH, FAHA, Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine, Harvard Medical School.  Click here for the article.

Manson is the principal investigator in the upcoming VITAL Trial, which is set to follow 20,000 healthy older men & women for 5 years--testing the health effects of daily taking 2000 IUs of vitamin D3 & 1 gram of marine omega-3 against that of placebos.  Manson also took part in the Institute of Medicine's recent revision of the  guidelines for vitamin D.  She's an outspoken physician/researcher who carefully sifts through study minutiae before she comes to any conclusions.  If you want an excellent, balanced, and thorough explanation of the vitamin D research, read this article.  For more on the VITAL STUDY, click here.

"Although vitamin D supplementation appears to be a promising intervention for reducing risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases, existing evidence on its benefits and risks is limited and inconclusive. Recruitment is now under way for the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), the first large-scale randomized clinical trial of these nutritional agents for the primary prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Key points

1. Laboratory evidence suggests that vitamin D may lower cancer risk by inhibiting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and inflammation.

2. Vitamin D may also reduce cardiovascular risk by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle proliferation, regulating blood pressure and glucose metabolism, and reducing inflammation.

3. Some observational studies indicate there may be a threshold for vitamin D intake above which there is no increase in benefit and which may increase risk.

4. The VITAL trial is currently randomizing 20,000 healthy older men and women throughout the United States to receive either 2,000 IU of vitamin D₃ (cholecalciferol) per day or placebo, as well as 1 g of marine omega-3 fatty acids per day or placebo, for 5 years."

The Movies - Ordinary People with the Courage to Change Themselves and Sometimes the World

Made in Denhagen

The remarkable, funny, and inspiring true story of women fighting for equal pay in a Ford Motor Company in 1968 England.  Rita O'Grady is the woman of courage in this film.  Click here to read more.  I loved it!

The Fighter

A combination biopicture and dramedy that has us rooting for a working-class hero as he struggles to find his style in the ring and outside the ring within his dysfunctional family.  Dickie Eklund and his half brother, Mickey Ward are the men with a more personal kind of courage in this film--the courage to  change the direction of their lives and to stand up for themselves.  Click here to read more.  I loved it!

The King's Speech

An enthralling and heart-stirring biodrama about an unusual friendship that transforms the life and soul of King George VI of England.  England's about to go to war against Germany, they're in the middle of the Depression, and the country is feeling anxious & dispirited.  In the midst of this uncertainty, Prince Edward cavalierly gives up his claim to the throne, leaving his brother, Prince Albert, with no choice but to become King of England.  Against all odds Prince Albert has the courage to accept the position--overcome a severe stutter--and take a key role in uniting and lifting up the spirits of his countrymen.  Click here to read more.  I loved it!

Forks Over Knives

This documentary film tells the story of the courage of Dr. T. Colin Campbell & Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.  Both have stood steadfast in their position that our Western diet is hazardous to our health--and that many of our present day chronic diseases are "nothing more than food-borne illnesses" that could be cured if only we'd change our diets. 

Campbell & Esselstyn are both in their mid-seventies, and they are no longer beholden to any academic, medical, or governmental institutions--nor are they concerned about damaging their reputations--they are free to speak the truth.  They aren't motivated by financial gain, or fame.  They are unassuming, approachable, and motivated only by wanting to share what they have learned.  They don't have to do this!

I've seen the film--and can say without a doubt, it's a must-see!  It officially opens nationally in March 2011, but there have been previews all over the country.  For an updated list of previews in your area, click here.

To read my summary of the film, "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,"  click here.

For links to some top thought-provoking movies for grown-ups--those currently playing--and the best films of 2010--click here.

 

Dinner and a Movie - "Enlightened" Miso Soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles, and Grilled Tofu or Salmon

 

The Soup

Getting Ready to Grill the Tofu - Spread with Dragunara Sweet Chili Sauce

Gorgeous Grilled Tofu Made on a Cuisinart Green Gourmet Stovetop Grill Pan

Eden Brand 100% Buckwheat Soba Noodles

Bok Choy Greens, Chopped

Bok Choy Stems, Chopped

White Miso

 

This recipe is based on one I found in Mark Bittman's, The Food Matters Cook Book.  Bittman's a long-time food writer for the New York Times--and he's taken some courageous steps as a food writer in recent years.  For a guy who make his living from food--writing, cooking and eating--Bittman risked a lot when he make a 180 degree change in his own eating habits.

"I've been eating like Food Matters--the title of this book's predecessor, a book that encourages us to concentrate on eating more plants and few animal products and processed foods--for three years.  If you swap the basic proportions in your diet--increasing unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains--you'll wind up losing weight and improving your overall health while also improving more difficult-to-measure situations like global warming, the environment in general, and animal welfare."  Mark Bittman

 

Miso Soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles, and Tofu (or salmon)  click here for a copy of the recipe on one page 

Makes: 4 servings

Time:  about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces of soba noodles (look for the Eden brand that's 100% buckwheat

14 ounces of lite, firm tofu (I prefer NaSoya brand);  Salmon option: 8 ounces of wild salmon

Sauce of choice to season tofu:  I like Dragunara Sweet Chili Sauce, or use teriyaki or another Asian sauce

1 tsp five-spice or chili powder & black pepper if broiling salmon

1/3 cup any miso (I used white miso)

1 pound bok choy, stems separated and chopped, leaves cut into ribbons

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted if you like

1/4 cup chopped scallions

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2.  Prep the tofu.  Drain the water from the package, and cut the block into thirds, horizontally.  Wrap the three slices in a tea towel & put a heavy pot or weight on top of it to press.  After 30 minutes, cut each slice into 4 triangles, & spread one side with the sauce of your choice. 

3. Add the soba noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid, and rinse the noodles with lots of cold water until cool. 

4.  Put 4 cups of vegetable broth into the pot, along with the 2 cups of reserved "noodle liquid", and set it to boil again--you'll have 6 cups of liquid.

5.  Heat up a stove-top grill pan on high, and when it's hot, add the tofu triangles, sauce side down.  Spread top of tofu with sauce.  Watch carefully--it doesn't take too long for the tofu to nicely brown (as shown).  Flip when the tofu is browned with grill marks.  If using salmon, sprinkle with seasoning & either pan-fry without oil, or grill it.  Tofu won't stink or smoke up your kitchen!  Trust me on this one.

6.  When the water in the pot is almost boiling, put the miso in a small bowl, ladle in a cup or so of the heated broth, and whisk it until it's smooth.

7.  When the broth is boiling, add the bok choy stems to the pot and let them cook for about a minute.  Add the bok choy "ribbons" and continue cooking, adjusting the heat so the soup bubbles steadily, until the bok choy gets silky, 3 to 5 minutes more.

8.  Turn the heat down to low, pour the miso mixture into the pot along with the soba noodles, and heat just long enough to warm everything, only a minute or two.  Taste, adjust the seasoning.

9.  Serve the soup immediately, topping with 3 tofu triangles each (or 1/4 of the salmon), and sprinkle with sesame seeds, and scallions.

It's great as leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day!

It's Been Released! Chow Down: Eat Like Your Life Depends On It. A Documentary About Three People Who Change Their Diets To Reverse Their Heart Disease & Diabetes

Back in early May I posted about my preview of the Julia Grayer-Gage Johnston documentary, "Chow Down".  So many people emailed me back then to find out how to order a copy and see it for themselves--but at the time it hadn't been released.

Yeah!  It's finally out.  Julia Grayer, the writer-producer-director emailed me with the good news & the ordering info.  You can purchase your own copy or stream it via Amazon, by clicking here.  It's that rare combination of a movie that will have you laughing, learning, & rethinking what's going into your mouth all at the same time.  A 3-fer.  Kind of like the thinking-person's healthy hoot.  Enjoy!  And if you missed the May 3rd post--here's your refresher.

One man’s struggle to reverse his severe heart disease .... with diet.

Charles, 45, devoted husband and father of two, is shocked to learn not only that he has cardiovascular disease but that the blockages in his heart are so severe that his surgeon refuses to operate. But Charles is a fighter and he’ll do whatever it takes to be around to see his kids grow up.

Just like Charles, millions of Americans are sick and they’re tired of the pills and operations. What if you could avoid it all, but nobody’s willing to tell you how?

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic is trampling the status quo to get the word out. He’s the director of one of the longest-running studies in the peer-reviewed scientific literature showing that a plant-based diet can reverse even late stage heart disease. If heart disease, the number one killer in America, can be stopped and often reversed with diet, why aren't people like Charles routinely given this information before being sent to the operating room?

-Synopsis of "Chow Down: Eat Like Your Life Depends On It?-

If you received this via email click here to go to the web version with all the links & video trailers.

Back in April Ann Esselstyn lent me a copy of Chow Down: Eat Like Your Life Depends On It--a Julia Grayer/Gage Johnston documentary that was 4 years in the making!  Click here for the film's website.

I finally had a chance to watch it with my husband last night, and...

Our verdict?  We both loved it!  Nothing dull or dry about this documentary.  It's lighthearted, clever, controversial, with cool animation to help explain the technical stuff--and it tells the truth.  So go out & find yourself a copy!

Bottom Line:  Over 130 million Americans have a chronic illness--and 70% of deaths are caused by those chronic illnesses.  Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease can be prevented or reversed--and 60% of all cancers can be prevented--just by putting to use the knowledge we already have.  The answer isn't in pills and procedures--it's in eating a well-planned plant-based diet.  But it takes time, preparation, a shift in your food taste preferences, and above all--motivation and support from family, friends, and a healthcare professional.  And that's certainly been true for me.

How Did We Get Into This Mess?  Why Isn't This Information Front Page News?

Just follow the money.  The food and drug industries are not looking out for our health. And our government & medical "industries" have their own vested interests in the status quo. There's profit in cheap sweet fatty salty unhealthy food.  There's profit in pharmaceuticals and medical procedures.  And who knew the U.S. Department of Agriculture was more of a lobbying agency for farmers than a guardian of our health.  They're the folks who advise us about what to eat with their Food Pyramid--and provide food for school lunches.  It's like the fox guarding the hen house.

The meat & dairy industries--the big players--get 74% of our agricultural subsidies.  Less than 1/2 of 1 percent goes to fruit & vegetable farmers.  Hmm.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, the generic ads we see for beef and milk are funded from government programs.  The federal government at one time even worked with Wendy's to help create the Cheddar Lover's Beef Burger to sell more cheese--and the same with Subway.

Can You Really Change Your Health By Changing Your Diet?  Yes, You Can.

Charles Venezia:  a young father, who was a meat-lover, a vegetable-hater, a hypertensive since age 16, with multiple coronary blockages so severe his surgeon refused to operate.  His choices: disability, death, or a diet change.  He chose a diet change--with support from Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Before: 

Blood Pressure: 250/155

Weight:  360 lbs.

Cholesterol:  220

After:

Blood Pressure: 120/80

Weight:  not mentioned but he looks fantastic--and healthy!

Cholesterol:  140

He's had no coronary events and he leads a full active life.

Charles is 100% committed to eating plant-based, and he's fortunate to have a highly motivated wife who is willing to spend the time it takes to shop and prepare plant-based fare.  But it wasn't easy for Charles, the son of a butcher.   For him this change was a complete paradigm shift--he still misses his meat and he misses restaurant eating, "It's not fun.  It doesn't taste all that great.  But I'm not going to have a heart attack."  He also follows up regularly with Dr. Esselstyn.   Even Charles' young children are following the program--eating 75-80% healthy plant-based fare. 

My comment to Charles:  Come on over to my house & eat.  Our meals are 100% tastier & more interesting than anything I used to make that involved beef or chicken!

Charles and John Oehrle are just two of hundreds of patients seen by Dr. Esselstyn who have stopped or reversed their heart disease, arrested their diabetes, returned to normal weight, lowered their blood pressure, and regained their health by switching to a plant-based (no meat or dairy) diet of:

• Whole grains
• Beans & legumes
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• No added oils
  

Cardiac Procedures & Statins Don't Cure Disease

Esselstyn is fond of saying:

"The Elelphant in the room is that procedures really don't prolong life.  Stents, bypasses, dialysis--none of it works."

• The 17 patients of Esselstyn's who have stayed on a plant-based diet have had zero cardiac events.
• Before they started with him--while they were under the care of expert cardiologists--they had a total of 49 cardiac events.
  

John Oehrle's Philadelphia surgeon told him:  Procedures are just a temporary patch job.  These procedures do nothing to cure the diseases.  When we do these operations we put a band-aid on these people.  It doesn't treat the disease.  They have to do that for themselves.

Taking statins and not changing your diet does not "cure cardiovascular disease"--and almost 1/2 of men who have a heart attack before age 65 are dead within 8 years.

Think this doesn't apply to you because you don't have diagnosed heart disease?  Big coronary blockages only cause 12% of the heart attacks.  Most of the time it's the little arterial plaques that cause 88% of blockages--3 small blockages are a ticking time bomb--and you won't even know it!  Your coronary artery has to be 70% occluded to have symptoms, like angina. If your arteries are even 10-69% blocked, and you're inflaming them with what you eat, you're at risk. It's all about inflammation - Calm down the inflammation & you'll keep those atherosclerotic plaques safely stuck to your artery walls.

Bottom Line:  Operations don't cure everything. You have to do that yourself with serious diet & lifestyle changes.

Dr. Hans Diehl on the Benefits of Diet:  "As we treat heart disease with diet we also help to prevent strokes, fragility, dementia, blood pressure, and the common cancers like breast and prostate. It's probably one common disease that expresses itself in different ways." 

What Keeps Us From Making Drastic Diet & Lifestyle Changes?

• No Serious Support from the Health Care Community.  Many doctors assume people aren't willing to make the necessary drastic diet changes--so they don't offer the option.  Charles Venezia was told only to lower his salt intake.  John Oehrle was told to go on a Mediterranean diet--that was no help--and he didn't do it.  It takes a lot of support to make these changes.
• People love their fat, salt, and sugary food.  What are our favorite foods? Philly cheese steaks, bacon, General Tso's Chicken, barbeque, burgers, K.F.C., pizza.....
• Lack of support from Family & Friends. Garnet Hall--who participated in the documentary, hoping to stop her type 2 diabetes wasn't able to stick to the diet.  Her friends & family were enthusiastic at first--but that quickly stopped.  She had to do it all by herself--as well as cook meat, cheese, & barbeque for her husband, kids, and when entertaining friends.  She just couldn't do it all--and was faced with temptation at every turn.
• Some People Care More About Food Than Their Health.  "I don't want of live longer if I can't eat what I want to eat!"
• Many mistakenly think it's all genetic and out-of-their control.  Wrong. From Dr. David Katz of Yale--nutrition controls the expression of genes.  From Dr. Hans Diehl--Genetics loads the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Click here for a great animated video explaining how a heart attack happens--or if you don't see the Chow Down trailer on your screen.

To read more about Dr. Esselstyn, and a heart-healthy diet:

Yes, You Can Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease - But Are You Up for the Challenge?  Let Dr. Esselstyn Convince You!

The Huffington Post Interviews Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn about Heart Disease: What Causes It, How to Prevent It, and How to Reverse It With a Plant-Based Diet

Some Q & A From The Esselstyn Father & Son Team: The Plant Strong Fireman & The Plant Perfect Doctor

An Overdue Brain Cleaning: Eat, Pray, Love, an Esselstyn Diet Update, Vegetable Peels, Potatoes, the Benefits of Grazing, and How Bye-Bye Birdie Benefits the Blood Vessels

"If you could clear out all that space in your mind, you'd have a doorway.  And you know what the universe would do with that doorway?  Whoosh!  Rush in--and everything will take care of itself."

-Richard, the "annoying-wounded-but-wise" Texan that befriends Liz in India-

"La dolcezza di non fare niente!" 

Italian for "The Sweetness of Doing Nothing"

"So, that's the final lesson, isn't it?  Sometimes, when you set out in the world to help yourself, you inevitably end up helping...Tutti!"  

-Tutti is the Italian word for everyone, & the name of the 7-year old Balinese girl that Liz helps-

If you received this post via email click here to get to web version, the links, photos & a video.

Eat, Pray, Love--the movie version of Elizabeth Gilbert's incredible journey that takes her to Italy, India, and Bali in search of herself, opened in theaters this week. 

I saw it last night with my husband, and I loved it even more than the book.  How is that possible?  Make no mistake.  This is not a chick flick.  My husband hadn't a clue what this movie was going to be about--and he was captivated by it. 

OK, full-disclosure here:  If self-reflection, meditation, a bit of whining, 9th generation medicine men, gurus, mouth-watering Italian food, friendship, travel, and solo-unimaginable adventures seem too woo-woo-out-there, this movie is not for you.   Otherwise, inspire & uplift yourself, and go see it!   If you aren't able to see the trailer, click here.

So, in the spirit of Eat, Pray, Love--

• I'm clearing out my brain of as much information as I can stand to do at one sitting, so I can make some space for everything new that inevitable comes my way.   I've got recipes, links, and info I just haven't had a chance to get down in print--yet I'm unwilling to let go of them until I can "back-them-up-on-the-blog".
• I'm promising myself plenty of time in the future for "La dolcezza di non fare niente!"  Who wouldn't love that phrase?  The Italian philosophy, so contrary to our Western way of life--"the sweetness of doing nothing".  I definitely need some serious work in that department.  My husband, on the other hand, is a master of la dolcezza di non fare niente.  Lucky guy.
• If what I write about in any way ends up helping anyone else--that would be simply wonderful!  But honestly, I really write for myself.  "Sometimes when you set out to help yourself, you end up helping Tutti!"

My Esselstyn-No-Added Oil Plant-Based Diet Update

It's been eight-weeks since I started on this adventure, and honestly, it's no longer a diet--it's just how I eat.  Why, you must be wondering, would a healthy woman, seemingly without heart disease take on such a restrictive eating plan?

• My eating repertoire has expanded a hundred-fold.  Everyday, I'm eating something different, that's chock-full of anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and tastes delicious.  Kiwis, muscadine grapes, blueberries, tomatoes, lacinato kale, Swiss chard, lemons, oranges, bananas, 100% pumpernickel bread, steel-cut oats, watermelon, peaches, cherries, soba noodles, spicy tempeh "bacon", fat-free hummus, caramelized onion penne pasta with pumpkin and sage bread crumbs, Yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes, Cajun sweet potato fries, pizza with "Italian sausage", peppers, onions, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Enough said.
• No oil means my dishes, pots, pans and stovetop are a breeze to clean.
• I've lost between 6-8 pounds, depending on the day--and you'd need a huge cooler to hold all the food I eat in a day.  I love how my clothes fit.  And I love the compliments.  Without oil, the added fats in my food, nuts, that tiny square of chocolate that always grew into a bar, or avocados, I've got about 500 extra calories a day to "spend" on healthier food--or to lose weight.  And guess what?  Most of my weight loss is all in the belly & butt.   And according to a new report, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, having a larger waist was associated with a higher risk of death whether the person was normal weight, overweight or obese.  For more on the risks of belly fat, click here.
• Minor aches, or joint stiffness have vanished, replaced with a new-found flexibility.  This one seems sort of "woo-woo", but maybe I owe it to my better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios, now that I've cut out my main omega-6 source of nuts & oils.  Team physician Dr. Joe Maroon advises the Pittsburgh Steelers to ditch their ibuprofen, and replace it with omega-3 supplements to nix inflammation and pain--and there are a whole lot of journal articles that agree with him.
• Eating about every 3 hours keeps me energized and alert--and gives me an extra hour a day of awake time.
• My eating, shopping, and cooking routine has become just that--routine.  With my husband on board, helping out with shopping, chopping, & cooking it's just becoming a way of life.
• My craving for fat & sugar is gone.
• My idea of a perfect snack food has completely changed.  Forget chips & crackers.  Give me a some leftover sweet potato fries, cherries, or a small serving of dinner leftovers.
• It's impossible to overeat!  All you need is 400 calories of grains, beans, fruits, & veggies to fill up your stomach completely.  There's just no more room--you're full--so you stop!

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

• I've added back walnuts, in small amounts, and only for recipes, not for snacking.  I can see eating an occasional serving of wild salmon in the future because it's lean, a good source of long-chain omega-3s, that's relatively toxin-free and it would be an easy meal to share at friends' homes, or to order in a restaurant.

The Joy of Potatoes

I'm not quite sure why I stopped eating white potatoes in favor of sweet potatoes, but they're my new found fave.  When we received 2 dozen mixed fresh potatoes in our weekly CSA  share, I had to do something with them.  Voila!  Crispy Cajun Potato Slices and Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes.  Followed up shortly with my friend Barbara's Accidental Vegan Oil-Free Potato & Pea Curry at a recent picnic.  Recipe to follow.

Give Potatoes the Respect They Deserve:  The Satiety Index ranks foods by how much you can eat before satisfying your hunger.  Turns out, boiled potatoes have the highest satiety rating--at 323.  Croissants have the lowest--at 47.   And French fries are lower than boiled potatoes--at 116.  

Source:  "A Satiety Index of Common Foods,"  European Journal of Clinical Nutrition  49(9):675-90, 1995.  

Why so satisfying?  Potatoes are a natural source of a proteinase inhibitor that increases levels of satiety hormones and reduces appetite.  This step-child carb also has high levels of something called, "resistant starch,"  which doesn't raise blood sugar or get broken down into glucose.  According to Frances Largeman Roth, RD, resistant starch also helps reduce abdominal fat.

Vegetable & Fruit Peels for Your Smoothies

The best feature of a VitaMix is that it blends & "chews" up everything you put into it.  No, the best feature is that you don't have to peel your fruits & veggies before you grind them up.  It's a 2-fer.  Save time--and increase nutrition with fruit & vegetable peels.   Check this out, courtesy of Matthew Kadey, in the Septemer 2010 issue of Prevention.

• Apple peels contain nearly all of the fruit's quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant that's been credited with improving exercise endurance by increasing VO(2Max), preventing certain cancers & periodontal disease, as will as increasing nitric oxide production that benefits blood vessels.
• Kiwi peels are rich in vitamin E and disease-fighting flavonoids.
• Orange & lemon peels provide d-limonene, a compound that may protect against skin cancer, and flavanones that lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and help curb the appetite.
• Carrot peels are a good source of beta-carotene that protects the eyes, skin, and immune system.
• Anti-oxidants are concentrated in the peels of fruits & vegetables--because that's their first line of defense against pests & fungi.  Eat the peels if you want to boost your anti-oxidants. 

Gorger vs Grazer.  Advice from Supergrazer, Dr. William Sears, the well-known pediatrician

Who knew that Dr. Sears, the baby & parenting maven, and author of 30 books on child care almost died of colon cancer at age 57?   To insure that "he'd never have to go through that again,"  Sears hit the medical journals & consulted with the experts to figure out what diet would give him the best chance of remaining disease-free.  Turns out, the same advice kept turning up again & again:  Graze--don't gorge.

This made me stand up and take notice, because guess what?

If you're eating plant-based with no added fat, you end up eating every three hours.   Dr. William Lands, the renowned lipid & essential fatty acid expert believes most of our chronic diseases would disappear if we followed 2 rules:  Keep a balanced healthy ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s, and cut down on oxidative stress by eating like a grazer--small meals, spread out through the day.

Here's what Dr. Sears had to say about the benefits of grazing, in the September, 2010 issue of  Prevention.

"I learned that, compared with people who gorge on a few big meals a day, grazers, who eat frequent mini-meals, suffer less colon cancer, have steadier moods, are less likely to develop diabetes, have a healthier immune system, tend to be leaner, enjoy lower blood cholesterol and levels of stress hormones, have less "itis" illnesses (dermatitis, bronchitis, colitis, arthritis), and just plain live longer and healthier.

The magic of grazing is that the body has less metabolic  mischief to get into.  In a science-made-simple nutshell, grazing promotes stable insulin levels--the three magic words of good health.  To understand why grazing is so good for you, let's follow the meals of a gorger and a grazer from their plates to their bloodstreams.

As the gorger feasts on a high-fat, all-you-can-eat steak house buffet (followed by dessert), two things happen.

• Her blood levels of "sticky stuff"--cardiology-speak for artery-damaging fats--act like sludge in the bloodstream, clinging to the lining of her arteries, contributing to plaques, and ultimately stiffening arteries.

• The body doesn't like to waste food, so it also pours out the food-storage hormone, insulin, to deposit excess food fats into her body's storage bank--belly fat.  And we all know how bad that is for you.

As for the grazer, by eating smaller amounts of food more frequently, she has:

• Less indigestion

• Less heartburn

• Less sticky stuff in her blood vessels

• Stable insulin levels that remain stable

• Stable weight

Sears' Gut 101

• Eat twice as often

• Eat half as much

• Chew twice as long

• Enjoy super green smoothies loaded with the healthiest fruits & vegetables.  With a liquified smoothie it's easier to absorb more nutrients, and there's less waste.

Bye-Bye Birdie and Blood Vessel Health

Bye-Bye Birdie.  Joyful Music Relaxes Blood Vessels

 

Pre-Play Plant-Based Picnic with Friends

 

Who's the Smiling Guy? It's My Husband

 

Moosewood's No-Oil Mediterranean Lentil Salad

 

The Accidental Vegan's Potato & Pea Curry  (recipe to follow below)

 

Even a Complimentary Picnic Serenade by University Theater Students

 

A Picnic of Potato Curry, Lentil Salad, Crisped/Toasted Tortillas, Eggplant & Pepper Salad, Cherry Tomatoes, Pineapple, Watermelon, Tamarind Chutney, and Red Wine

It was the perfect evening.  Clear, 76 degrees, with low humidity. 

It was the perfect place.  A professional outdoor theater set in a stunning out-in-the-country hillside location.

It was the perfect picnic.  Plant-based, oil-free.  A delicious homemade potluck picnic with friends.  Complete with a serenade by theater students.  So easy.  So delicious.

But the production!  It bypassed all of our expectations.  High-energy music, song, and dancing.  It was a play we all grew up with and we knew all the lyrics by heart.  To say all of us literally felt uplifted, and dare I say, "joyful,"  by this Bye-Bye Birdie production, is no exaggeration.

So, what's the connection between healthy blood vessels and joyful music?  

It's straight out of the University of Maryland, in a recent article by Dr. Michael Miller, and the "endothelial vasoreactivity nitric oxide maven,"  Dr. Robert A. Vogel. 

Here's the gist:  If you listen to music that feels joyful to you, your blood vessels will relax & dilate, your blood pressure will lower, and your heart rate will decrease.  Endorphins will start to flow, lifting you up, and oxytocin will start to secrete.  That's the bonding hormone that makes you feel connected to whoever you are with.  And that's exactly how all four of us felt after our plant-based picnic & Bye-Bye Birdie.   Crazy, huh?

Miller, Michael, MD, Vogel, Robert C. et al.  "Divergent Effect of Joyful and Anxiety-Provoking Music on Endothelial Vasoreactivity"   Psychosomatic Medicine  72:354-56, 2010.

The Accidental Vegan's Pea & Potato Curry

Makes 4 to 6 servings

4 red or yellow potatoes (unpeeled), chopped

2-3 tablespoons of vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tsp. ground cumin*

1/2 tsp. ground coriander*

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric*

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom*

1 tsp. sea salt

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2  cup or more frozen peas

Put the potatoes in a saucepan, add water to cover by an inch or two, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft.

Meanwhile, heat the veggie broth in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and salt, and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. 

Stir in the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes longer, until it breaks down.

Stir in the peas and cook a few minutes longer, until heated through.  Serve hot.

*Cook's notes:  Serve with Tamarind chutney (I found this at Whole Foods).  Don't use russet potatoes for this dish, as they'll crumble, whereas yellow or red potatoes will hold their shape.  You can substitute 2 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder for the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cardamom.

Oops, I've run out of writing steam.  The recipes for All-American Chili with Kick, Spicy Moroccan Stew, Sweet Potato Fries, Yukon Gold Garlic Mashers, Caramelized Onion Pumpkin Penne Pasta with Sage Bread Crumbs, Spaghetti and Beanballs, Vegan Italian Sausage, and Three Layer Black Bean Tortilla Stacks will have to wait for another day.  

For now, it's time for La dolcezza di non fare niente!  The sweetness of doing nothing! 

Here's to a wonderful week!

What Does Katy Butler's "My Father's Broken Heart" Have to Do With Following a Heart Disease Prevention Diet, Meditation, Yoga, Osteoporosis & Movies?

 

photo by Eugene Richards for the New York Times

"The pacemaker bought my parents two years of limbo, two of purgatory and two of hell.  In 2005, the age-related degeneration that had slowed my father's heart, attacked his eyes, lung, bladder, and bowels. 

Clots as narrow as a single human hair lodged in tiny blood vessels in his brain, killing clusters of neurons by depriving them of oxygen...A few months later, he forgot his way home from the university pool.  He grew incontinent.  He was collapsing physically, like an ancient, shored up house."

Katy Butler, "My Father's Broken Heart: How Putting in a Pacemaker Wrecked My Family"  New York Times Sunday Magazine, June 20, 2010

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

Two weeks ago while I was still vacationing in Maine I received an email from Katy Butler, the author of this not-to-be-missed memoir in the New York Times.  Click here to read it.

Hi there, thanks for your comments on my piece for MORE on silence.
You sound like a kindred spirit.

Please read my upcoming piece next Sunday online if you don't get the Times.
Food for thought. warmly, Katy

"My Father's Broken Heart: How Putting in a Pacemaker Wrecked My Family," runs June 20 in the New York Times magazine.  I hope you get to read it, especially if you have elderly parents."

"One October afternoon three years ago, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in her birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight.  Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. "Please help me get Jeff's pacemaker turned off," she said. I nodded, and my heart knocked.
Upstairs, my 85-year-old father Jeffrey, a retired Wesleyan University professor who suffered from dementia, lay napping in what was once their shared bedroom. Sewn into a hump of skin and muscle below his right clavicle was the pacemaker that had helped his heart outlive his brain....."

Uh. I had to think long & hard to remember who Katy Butler was, & what I had written about her.  Aha!  It was her brilliant piece about silence, "How to Access Your Inner Calm"--her experience at a 6 day silent meditation retreat back in 2008.  To read her thoughtful piece that appeared in More, click here and the article is on pgs. 96-100. 

Little did I know what difficulties, sadness, and frustrations were going on in Katy's life at the time she wrote that article.  No wonder she was at a meditation retreat.  

And speaking of meditation--yesterday evening I had a chance to listen to the podcast of Diane Rehm's NPR broadcast on the Power of Meditation.   Click here  to listen to her hour-long interview of three top meditation researchers, experts, & practitioners--or just download it through iTunes and listen to it on a nice relaxing meditative walk.  Thanks to hubby for the tip about Diane's show.

"Millions of Americans practice some form of meditation to promote relaxation and reduce stress. But claims for greater health benefits are in need of further study." 

So, Why Am I Recommending That You Read Katy's Memoir?

"When people tell me my diet's extreme, or too strict, I ask them, 'How would you like to spend your last years in a nursing home, sitting in a wheelchair, incontinent, immobile, unaware, with saliva dribbling out of the side of your mouth?'"

The paraphrase of comment Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn made to me a few months ago.

Katy's story is a variation of my family's story.  My dad survived a massive stroke at age 69, just as life was starting to get nice-and-easy for him.  Both daughters were married, he could work less, and his first grandson (my now 30 year old son) was just 9 months old. Time for the travel my parents had always put off.

He lived on for 16 years after that initial stroke, until age 85, without being able to speak, read, or understand language--and reading was his joy--especially the New York Times.  He lost mobility, and everything else that makes life worth living.  My dad was kept alive by powerful anti-seizure medicines that prevented the severe seizures that were caused by the strokes' damage to his brain.  Later, he was kept alive with the help of a feeding tube.

My mom lovingly and without a single complaint took care of my dad at home for over 10 years, seeing her own health decline, and her world close in. Care-giving stress brought her weight loss, friend-loss, and unknown to her at the time, she was having her own silent imperceptible micro-strokes, as well as angina, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.  A year after my dad passed away those tiny strokes had started to take their toll on both her physical balance & memory.  After a number of falls, bone fractures, and full-blown strokes she spent her last year in that wheelchair, just as Dr. Esselstyn had described.

Read Katy's story if you have older parents, or an older spouse.  Read it for yourself, for goodness sakes.  Read it if you want the motivation to finally take your health into your own hands.  Read it if you want to understand why our medical system and Medicare lean toward expensive medical devices and expensive interventions that aren't always in our best interests. 

As for me, if there is anything that I can do that will prevent me from experiencing the same slow half-dead-half-alive fate that my parents had to experience in their final years, I'm going to give it my best shot.  Cheeseburgers & sausage pizza aren't worth the price.  And if I can prevent my husband & children from experiencing the incredible stress of care-taking--I'm going to give that a shot, too.

"It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that the possibility of death has been holding pretty steady at 100% for quite some time.  There's only one thing that we have to do in life, and that is to die.

I have often met people who use this fact to justify their ambivalence toward health information.  But I take a different view.  I have never pursued health hoping for immortality.

Good health is about being able to fully enjoy the time we do have.  It is about being as functional as possible throughout our entire lives and avoiding crippling, painful and lengthy battles with disease.

There are many better ways to die, and to live."

-Dr. T. Colin Campbell, "The China Study"  Dallas, TX: Benbella Books, 2006, pg. 75-

Katy's story expertly weaves together her families' most private emotions, with an explanation of how 21st century medicine has come to trap us into a cascade of expensive procedures, devices, and drugs at the end of our lives, that often extends our years, but not the quality of our lives.  She's a beautiful, poetic writer and has shared the most intimate details of her families' life to benefit others.  Read it!

Excerpts from "My Father's Broken Heart":

• I don't like describing what dementia did to my father--and indirectly to my mother--without telling you first that my parents loved each other, and I loved them.
• Anton Chekov, who died of tuberculosis in 1904, wrote:  "Whenever there is someone in a family who has long been ill, and hopelessly ill, there come painful moments when all timidly, secretly, at the bottom of their heart long for his death."  A century later, my mother and I had come to long for the machine in my father's chest to fail.
• I watched (my parents) lose control of their lives to a set of perverse financial incentives--for cardiologists, hospitals and especially the manufacturers of advanced medical devices--skewed to promote maximum treatment.
• Thanks to advanced medical technologies, elderly people now survive repeated health crises that once killed them, and so the "oldest old" have become the nation's most rapidly growing age group.  Nearly a third of Americans over 85 have dementia. 
• (M)y 77-year-old mother found herself on duty more than 80 hours a week.  Her blood pressure rose and her weight fell.  On a routine visit to Dr. Fales, she burst into tears.  She was put on sleeping pills and anti-depressants.
• If (Dr. Fales) had had a chance to sit down with my parents, he could have explained that the pacemaker's battery would last 10 years and asked whether my father wanted to live to be 89 in his nearly mute and dependent state.
• In a fee-for-service medical economy...communication is haphazard...thinking is often short-term.  Nobody makes money when medical interventions are declined; and nobody is in charge except the marketplace.
• Medicare rewards doctors far better for doing procedures than for assessing whether they should be done at all.  The incentives for overtreatment continue...because those who profit from them--specialists, hospitals, drug companies and the medical-device manufacturers--spend money lobbying Congress and the public to keep it that way.
• And so my father's electronically managed heart--now requiring frequent monitoring, paid by Medicare--became part of the $24 billion worldwide cardiac-device industry and an indirect subsidizer of the fiscal health of American hospitals.
• The pacemaker bought my parents two years of limbo, two of purgatory and two of hell.
• Of the 17 cardiologists who wrote the 2008 guidelines on pacemakers for the American College of Cardiology, 11 received financing from cardiac-device makers or worked at institutions receiving it.  Seven, due to the extent of their financial connections, were recused from voting on the guidelines they helped write.
• We learned that if we called 911, emergency medical technicians would not honor my father's do-not-resuscitate order unless he wore a state-issued orange hospital bracelet.
• More than half of heart-bypass patients suffer at least a 20% reduction in mental function.

Yikes, I started out writing this post as a brief segue into my first week following Dr. Esselstyn's heart-disease-reversal-and-prevention diet, and it just morphed into something else. Can you tell how much I adored Katy's article?

Sorry,  more about the Tips, Tricks, How-Tos of the Diet tomorrow, or later this week.  My son, daughter-in-law and adorable grandson arrive here late on Monday night, so I guess blogging may once more take a back seat.

Quick Diet Update:  So far so good.  This is definitely a lot easier than I thought it would be, thanks to all of Ann Esselstyn's amazing tips.  I have noticed that I definitely need to eat before I get hungry--because when I get hungry--I'm ravenous.  I'm noticing that I'm staying up about one hour longer each day than before.  No idea if that's diet related or not.  Loving fat free roasted red pepper humus, Ezekiel wraps & English muffins.

Sample Menu This Week

Breakfast:  Steel-cut oats, with dried apples and flaxmeal.  I never get tired of this!

Snack split over mid-morning & mid-afternoon:  My green smoothie made with kale or chard, apple, grapefruit, berries, and carrots.

Lunch: Giant salad of mesclun greens, roasted corn, steamed lentils (Trader Joe's precooked), tomatoes, cucumbers, Trader Joe's Corn Salsa & balsamic vinegar.  Plus, an Ezekiel-brand sprouted grain English muffin.

Dinner: Bok Choy with portobello mushrooms, carrots, ginger, pea pods, barbecued seitan, and soba noodles.  Fabulous!  A variation of Rip Esselstyn's recipe.

Additional snacks:  Cherries, watermelon, whole wheat pita, baby carrots, cucumbers with fat-free red pepper hummus

Update on Dr. Loren Fishman's Osteoporosis Study

The study is still open if you are interested in participating, and you will receive Fishman's DVD of 10 minutes of daily poses. Details on the study are here.

To enroll, email Dr. Fishman at:  Loren@sciatica.org

You will need to send copies of the SMA-18 (electrolytes & blood chemistry); CBC (complete blood count);  TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone); Vitamin D 1,25-dihydroxy;  ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate); parathyroid hormone test, and DEXA scan results, before you can enroll and receive the DVD.

I'm planning to enroll as soon as I can get together all the tests results.

I still don't have an answer about whether 2 or 3 times a week of hour-long classes would provide the same positive results as the 10-minute every day practice.

Movies I've Loved This Summer

City Island--do not pay attention to negative reviews.  This is a winner.  Everyone I know who has seen it has loved it.

Please Give with Catherine Keener--more than meets the eye.

Enjoy this lovely weekend!

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

What has happened to us?  Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure. 

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. 

About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug.  Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. 

Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions.  Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems?  A solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

-Forks Over Knives, a documentary that explores the evidence of "food as medicine", coming March 11, 2011-

 

 

If you received this post via email,  Click Here to get to the web version & all the links.

For my 1/29/11 updated post about the film when I saw it at a "Big Screen" sneak preview--click here

 

I can say this wholeheartedly.  When this movie comes out this summer, make sure you see it.

My whole view of what constitutes a healthy diet turned upside-down two 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. To read "T. Colin Campbell Pays a Visit: Does This Mean I Have to Become a Vegan?"

Four months later I just happened upon a 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.

Campbell & Esselstyn were both born in the early 1930's.  They both grew up on farms.  Eating beef and drinking milk was what they knew.  But by the 1980's both men, one a Cornell University research scientist and the chair of the division of Nutritional Sciences, and the other, a Cleveland Clinic surgeon, had turned their backs on their past, and were advocating a whole-food plant-based diet.

For Campbell--getting enough animal protein--enough milk and meat was important to good health.  Back then he believed milk was nature's most perfect food.  In fact, his original research was on the optimal feed for animals.  But, he's a scientist--so in spite of his background and his original biases, when all the evidence started pointing in the direction of animal protein as the cause of many of our chronic diseases, he set out to investigate--first to the Philippines to find out why so many children there were mysteriously being diagnosed with liver cancer, then by conducting numerous laboratory studies on the effects of animal protein on cancer, and finally traveling to China, to conduct the largest "living human laboratory" epidemiologic study ever designed. 

Campbell's conclusion:  There is not one single mechanism in a plant-based diet that is responsible for its health promoting effects.  It's not about individual nutrients.  It's the 100,000 chemicals from plant foods that work together synergistically that bring about good health.  Good nutrition supported by exercise, water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts.  It's a biological symphony.

"People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease...People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.  These results could not be ignored."

"I know of nothing else in medicine that can come close to what a plant-based diet can do."

"I can say this with a great deal of confidence.  Our national authorities are simply excluding this concept of nutrition from the debate in order to protect the status quo.  If everyone would do this, we'd cut health care costs by 70-85%."
 

 

                                                     -T. Colin Campbell, from Forks Over Knives-

"The major message from the China Study--is the only message--a plant-food-based diet, mainly cereal grains, vegetables & fruit, and very little animal food, is always associated with lower mortality of certain cancers, stroke, and coronary heart disease." 

--Dr.Junshi Chen, Senior Research Professor, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China, and co-investigator of the "China Study" with Dr. T. Colin Campbell-

 

For Esselstyn--trained as a surgeon, and trained to treat disease by cutting it out--he chose to specialize in breast cancer surgery.  But in the 1980's he was "increasingly disillusioned by what he was not doing--  never curing the underlying disease, never doing anything to help prevent it in the next unsuspecting victim". 

That led him to delve into the research of populations with low incidences of breast & prostate cancer--and then on to populations with low incidences of heart disease--and then noticing the dramatic rise and fall of heart disease in war-time Norway when the Germans commandeered all of Norway's beef & dairy cattle for their own troops.  He connected the dots--to the inescapable conclusion that animal protein was disease-causing, while plant protein was not.  The result turned into the initiation of the longest-running study (over 20 years) of heart disease reversal based on a diet devoid of animal protein--just beans, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit--hold the oil, please.

"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."

 --Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn--

Why do I personally find the work and message of Campbell and Esselstyn so compelling? 

• They have the scientific evidence.  Campbell came to his conclusions from the scientific research route.  Esselstyn came to his conclusions from the clinical research route.
• They are both in their mid-seventies, and they are no longer beholden to any academic, medical, or governmental institutions--nor are they concerned about damaging their reputations--they are free to speak the truth.  They aren't motivated by financial gain, or fame.  They are unassuming, approachable, and motivated only by wanting to share what they have learned.  They don't have to do this!
• Bottom line:  These two (and their families) are poster children for a plant-based diet.  At 77 & 76 Campbell & Esselstyn are both slim, healthy, with stick straight posture, brimming with vitality, articulate, with busy writing, speaking, teaching, & research schedules.  Campbell still runs--not walks--he runs.  Esselstyn, at 76, swims a mile a day, lifts weights, and bikes 3 days a week.  Ann Esselstyn, also in her 70's, practices yoga, weight trains, and runs.  I don't know about you--but to me, that says it all.

If you don't have the time to read Dr. T. Colin Campbell's The China Study and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, do yourself a huge favor & go see this film.  For me, Forks Over Knives did what these books could not. 

• You'll get a chance to hear Dr. Esselstyn's heart-disease-study patients tell their stories--how their lives were given back to them in a way that surgery and drugs could not. 
• You'll travel to China with Dr. T. Colin Campbell and his Chinese colleague Dr. Junshi Chen and you'll be able to really understand the depth, breadth, detail, and eye-opening evidence of their work in China--Diet, Life-Style, and Mortality in China: A Study of the Characteristics of 65 Chinese Counties.  Cancer & heart disease are diseases of lifestyle, not genetics.
  
• You'll clearly understand how the China Study, together with Campbell's work in the lab, and in the Philippines brought this former farm-boy to the inescapable conclusion:  animal protein above 5% of calories can turn on cancer cells.  Plant-protein will not. 
• You'll understand how U.S. government policies affect the foods we eat, the Food Pyramid recommendations, the subsidies our farmers receive, the food that is fed to our school children and to the military.  And you'll get an insider's look into how these policies are shaped by business and farm financial interests--not our health interests.
• You'll meet 2 people with serious health issues, who aren't exactly the "picture of health" in spite of conventional pharmaceutical-based medical care.  And you'll see how they turn their lives around on a whole-foods plant-based diet.
• Even Lee Fulkerson, the writer & director of the film, finds out that he isn't immune to the damage caused by his fast-food over-caffeinated diet.  Overweight, hypertensive, tired, with elevated cholesterol, and a dangerously high CRP score (a marker for inflammation), these conditions vanish after just 13 weeks on  a plant-based diet.
• You'll meet Dr. Ruth Heidrich, a triathlete who is now in her mid-70's.  At 47 years old she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer that had metastasized to her bones and one lung.  She thought she had a healthy diet: lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy.  Instead of conventional therapy she chose to participate in a research study based on a no-added-oil vegan diet.  Her only changes were cutting out dairy, chicken, and fish.  Constipation, dandruff, depression, and arthritis became history--along with the breast cancer.  She went on to compete in multiple Ironman Triathalons (winning a gold medal in her age group) and marathons, and in 1999 she was named one of the "10 Fittest Women in North America".  Now in her mid-70's she's still vegan, still swimming, running, biking, and weight-training and looks fantastic.  She has a family history of osteoporosis--but without any medications her bone density continues to increase.   Read more here.

Yep, I know this sounds like snake-oil, but let the evidence speak for itself.   Two years ago I made the switch over to plant-based and now it's just part of my routine. I can't see any reason to go back.

The Real-Time Health Turn-Around of Lee Fulkerson, Joey of Tampa, and SanDera of Cleveland

To be honest, I'm a skeptic at heart.  I never fall for magical transformations with pills, supplements, or diets.  I need to see the scientific evidence.  And I need to understand the mechanism behind how something works. 

But, for me, absolutely nothing beats the triple punch of: scientific evidence, understanding the mechanism of action, and seeing a real person's successful transformation.

Meet Lee Fulkerson, the writer and director of Forks Over Knives

• On a typical morning he'll drink 2 Red Bulls, 18 ounces of Coke, and a breakfast of fast food. Not a morning person, he relies on caffeine before he can even think.
• He's overweight, over-caffeinated, and often fatigued.
• Blood pressure of 142/82, weight of 231 pounds, cholesterol of 241, and LDL of 157, resting pulse of 92, and a CRP (measure of inflammation) of 6--which puts him in the high risk category.
• Soon after ditching the caffeine, and learning to eat whole plant-based food, Lee starts to eat more often, feel much better, lose weight, have more energy, and he actually starts getting up earlier.
• After 13 weeks on the plant-based diet take a look at Lee's numbers:

After:

Weight:  211 pounds (was 231 pounds)

Blood Pressure: 112/70 (was 142/82)

Resting heart rate: 60 (was 92)

Total Cholesterol:  154 (was 241)

LDL:  80 (was 157)

CRP (marker of inflammation) 2.8 (was 6)

He's not on any medications, and his health risks are now significantly reduced--just by changing his diet.

Meet Joey, owner of a landscape company in Tampa, FL

• He describes himself as, "Living to Eat"
• In 2004 his cholesterol is dangerously high at 320
• His blood sugar was a hazardous 480, making him a type-2 diabetic and a prime candidate for a heart attack or a stroke.
• He was put on multiple medications--9 pills, 2 injections.  His daily regimen was 2 pills for the diabetes, 1 for cholesterol, 1 for high blood pressure, and twice a day injections of Byetta for the diabetes.  He's spending $150-200 a month on medications after insurance.
• Four years after being on these medications he continues to be overweight, feels tired all the time, and hates being on all these pills.  He complains of low energy, ringing in the ears, sinus problems, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughs, indigestion, reflux, loose stools, diarrhea, bloating, and has trouble losing weight.  A total of 27 medical concerns.
• He meets with Drs. Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde who teach him how to shop and prepare plant-based meals.  Their joint goals are:  Get off all medications, sleep better at night, stop feeling tired all the time, stop feeling rundown, lose weight, and reverse the medical diseases that can be reversed.
• After only 8 weeks of switching to plant-based eating, Joey is off all of his medications, feeling more energetic, and he has started to run.  He's feeling good all the time!  At the start of his diet, his weight was 220.  8 weeks later, it's down to the 180-185 range--which makes him lighter than he was 20 years earlier.
• After 22 weeks on the plant-based diet take a look at Joey's numbers:

After:

Weight:  he's lost an additional 28 pounds--his before and after pictures are nothing short of amazing

Medical complaints:  26 out of his 27 medical complaints are gone

CRP:  down to normal

Blood sugar:  they are down, and continue to come down daily

Cholesterol:  in the normal range, and less than when he was on medication

Blood Pressure:  it's now normal, and even on medication it was elevated

He's off all of his medications, his numbers continue to improve.  He looks almost unrecognizable from a mere 22 weeks ago.  He feels energetic, and in control of his health. 

Meet SanDera, a mother of 5 in her 30's who works for a diabetes out-patient clinic.

• In October 2008 she was stricken with a strange illness.  She suddenly couldn't talk, had cold sweats, and fatigue.  Diagnosis:  hypertension and type-2 diabetes. 
• She was treated with expensive  prescription drugs--but she continued to eat the foods she knew she shouldn't eat.
• She was referred to Dr. Esselstyn who educated her about the relationship of diet to diabetes, and coached her towards a plant-based diet.  After years of eating fatty foods (like KFC, fries, biscuits, & more) the switch to plant-based was not an easy journey for her.
• The diet had an almost immediate effect on her health.  Her blood sugar immediately dropped. 
• Two months into the diet, the effects were dramatic.  Her blood pressure was great.  Her blood sugars were in the 80s & 70s.  When it dropped into the 60s she became alarmed, and visited her diabetes educator who told her,  "That's wonderful.  It's a normal blood sugar.  It means your pancreas is working."
• Ironically, SanDera works at an outpatient facility for diabetics, but the treatment that worked for her was outside the established medical system.
• Her sluggishness disappeared.  She felt in control, and felt she was now finally tasting & enjoying the fruits and vegetables she was eating.  She was able to eat to fullness, bring down her blood sugar, and still lose weight.  After 8 weeks she was down 30 pounds.
• When she approached her primary care physician about stopping her meds, she asked SanDera,  "What is that doctor trying to do?  Take you off your medication?"   SanDera said, "Yeah.  I'm hoping that's the goal."
• After 20 weeks on the plant-based diet SanDera had lost 45 pounds.  She had reversed her diabetes.  She was off her medication, she had lots of energy, and most importantly of all--she felt in control of her health.
  

Forks over Knives Trailer (click here if you don't see the video)

 

 

For more information on this upcoming documentary go the Forks Over Knives website

Keep an eye out for Forks Over Knives opening this summer.  It's sure to stir up some controversy.

"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-