Happy Healthy Long Life

Get Fired Up to Go Vegan or Plant-Based - Watch the Video of Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet on the CBS Sunday Morning Show

                                    Photo credit: Brian Fitzsimmons

Worked late--came home & ate a snack of Dr. Kracker Klassic 3 Seed Flatbreads, roasted butternut squash with maple syrup & some mixed berries with walnuts--checked my email and found this link from Rip Esselstyn's mom, Ann.  Great video.  Much better than reading the show's transcript.  Thank you, Ann!

If you missed the CBS Sunday morning segment on "Going Cold Turkey From Meat"--here it is. It's hard to believe that the entire Austin, Texas Engine 2 Company is eating plant-based, but they are--well mostly.  And least one firefighter admits to missing fried chicken--not eating it--just missing it!

But, considering that less than 3% of Americans are vegetarians, I find Engine 2 Company inspiring & motivating!

Click Here If You Can't Access the Video

As Rip says, "If it works for firefighters in Austin, it will work for anyone."

As his dad, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.--the heart-disease prevention guru--says, "Leaving the USDA to design our food pyramid is like having Al Capone do your taxes!"  According to Dr. Esselstyn if you're eating the typical American diet it's a guarantee that you already have heart disease.

Engine 2 has traded in their cheeseburgers & barbequed ribs for vegetarian enchiladas and Thai Curry.  Everyone's weight and cholesterol levels have dropped without any effort on their part--just by eating plant-based, no added fat and no dairy.

For a link to a "home video" of an Engine 2 Pot Luck with the cholesterol test results of its members  click here.

If you missed the whole Esselstyn family vegan/plant-based/heart-disease prevention posts--here they are!

Tri-Athlete & Fireman Rip Esselstyn's Heart Healthy Weight Dropping Cholesterol Lowering Diet for "Real Men"

Firefighter Rip Esselstyn's Today Show Appearance - The Engine 2 Diet in Four Simple Steps - Grains, Beans, Vegetables & Fruit, No Oil

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

A Delicious Heart Healthy Lunch at the Home of Dr. Caldwell B. & Ann Esselstyn - A Nitric Oxide Booster Shot

The Secret To Success: Do Something You Love, Practice A Lot, Pay Attention & Get Feedback

"Pardon me sir, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
 "Practice, practice, practice!"

Arthur Rubinstein, Pianist

Want to get really good at something?  Want your kids to be successful?  No need to be a genius.  No need to have the perfect genes.  You don't even have to have talent.  All you need are 4 things.  At least that's according to 3 new books and a lot of research studies. 

1.  You need to find something you really enjoy doing.  Something that really interests you.

2.  You need to put your nose to the grindstone and practice for 10,000 hours.  That means, if you can only spare 2 hours a day, it's going to take you 13.75 years to get really good at something. 

3.  You need to practice with your head in gear--consciously, deliberately and methodically.  You need to break down each and every technique--think about what you are doing, to prevent your brain from going into its favorite mode, "sloppy automatic pilot".

4.  You need to find a knowledgeable mentor who will give you constant feedback, point out your tiniest errors, and push you to take on tougher challenges.  Simple, huh?

Oops!  So that explains why I'm not a a smashing success at anything.  I never liked to practice.  I love to take shortcuts.  And except for a couple of elementary school teachers I never had a mentor who pointed out my tiniest errors.

But, when I think about this prescription for success, it's absolutely right on the money. 

What are we best at?  The things we love to do.  The things we do everyday.  Violin, art, foreign languages, crafts, gardening, team sports?  Forget about it!  I was awful to mediocre.  Digging into books, looking for information or trying out new recipes?  Now that I could do everyday.

And for me, I know that I only improve when I do something consciously--methodically--analyzing carefully--thinking about how something works--figuring out what's working, what's not.  And that takes a lot of time.

The hardest thing to come by is feedback.  Let's face it--we rarely give honest constructive feedback to each other.  And we share the positive more than the negative.

Last week I heard our brand new division head at work introduce himself at a "town hall" sort of meeting.  Here's what he said--remember he's a scientist,  "I'm a feedback kinda guy.  I thrive on feedback.  Please let me know how I am doing, and how how you think we can do our jobs better."   So, I decided to send him a short "thumbs up"  feedback email about his talk. 

I love his reply:  "tx. feedback is a gift!"  So true.  We need to gift each other more often.


What Are The Three Books That Are Bursting The Genius Bubble?


Malcolm Gladwell.  The Outliers: The Story of Success.  Little, Brown, Nov. 2008.

Daniel Coyle.  The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born.  It's Grown.  Here's How.   Bantam, Apr. 2009

Geoff Colvin. Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everyone Else.  Portfolio, Oct. 2008.


Excerpts From David Brooks, NYT's article, "Genius:  The Modern View"

"What Mozart had, we now believe, was the same thing Tiger Woods had--the ability to focus for long periods of time and a father intent on improving his skills.  Mozart played a lot of piano at a very young age, so he got his 10,000 hours of practice in early and then he built from there."

"It's not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms of chess.  Instead, it's deliberate practice.  Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft."

"Her practice would be slow, painstakingly and error-focused....By practicing this way, performers delay the automatizing process.  The mind wants to turn deliberate, newly learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills.  But the mind is sloppy and will settle for good enough.  By practicing slowly, by breaking down into tiny parts and repeating, the strenuous student forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance."

"The primary trait...is not some mysterious genius.  It's the ability to develop a deliberate, strenuous and boring practice routine."

According to Coyle, (not Hoyle) "It's not who you are, it's what you do."

Malcolm Gladwell's Five Steps to Success

1.  Find meaning and inspiration in your work.

2.  Work hard.

3.  Discover the relationship between effort and reward.

4.  Seek out complex work to avoid boredom and repetition.

5. Be autonomous and control your own destiny as much as possible.

To read an interview with Gladwell click here.

According to actuary tables, at 59 I have at best 23 years left, which means I have maybe enough time to pick 1 & 3/4 things to get really good at--the 10,000 practice hours, remember?  What's it going to be?  I think maybe I'm going to choose YOGA!

My New Inspiration (thanks to my niece Tarah, the yoga instructor!) Yoga Granny Bette Calman, age 83

According to Calman, "You're never too old.  The body is a remarkable instrument."

"It can stretch and stretch, and get better all the time.  Forget age!"

"I'm proof that if you keep at it, you'll get there.  I can do more now than I could 50 years ago!"

Mrs. Calman teaches up to 11 classes a week with no sign of stopping and she keeps the 'corpse' posture strictly for her classes.

To read her more click here.

Meet You At Carnegie Hall!

Get Depressed and Then Cheer Yourself Up! The Crisis of Credit Meets The Sound of Music

First Get Depressed

Everyday for 2 weeks now my husband has asked me if I've watched the video he emailed me.

I say, "No, not yet, but I will. Thanks for reminding me."

It's called the "Crisis of Credit. The Short & Simple Story of the Credit Crisis". 

He says, "You've got to watch it.  It will explain how the country's gotten into this mess." 

Now you can understand why I wasn't rushing off to the computer to watch it.  Depressing, potentially boring--a possible snoozer.

He says,  "It's only about 7 minutes long--it's really good--in fact it's so good that I've watched it about 4 times already."

OK.  He just asked me again today and I can't delay any longer.  I watched it.

He was right.  It's really good!  It's easy to understand & it makes simple the hard to understand. Even for me.

He was wrong about one thing, though.  It's not 7 minutes long--it's 11 minutes long.  Relax, that's not really so long.  Watch it now, or I'll remind you about it everyday for two weeks.

My Big Tip:  If you're not ready to get depressed right now--at least get happy & skip down to "The Sound of Music" - unless, of course you've already seen that video.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Now Get Happy - Cheer Yourself Up

Click Here If You Don't See The Video (thanks to Gretchen Rubin's mother-in-law for this one!)

Martha Rose Shulman - My Favorite Vegetarian "Recipes For Health" - A Dinner With Tips

                                                 Photo: Andrew Scrivani for the NYT

 Recipes for Health:  Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Sauce & Olives

I rarely bother with cookbooks anymore--now that I've discovered Martha Rose Shulman's recipes.  You'll only find them online at the New York Times--where she provides a steady supply of winners.  I try one about once a week--and many have become favorites--like this one!
Click here to get started. 

Ms. Shulman has been creating vegetarian recipes for over 30 years and she developed many of the recipes used by Dr. Dean Ornish in his diet & disease reversal books.  I'm a very finicky cook--I want lots of flavor--lots of variety--and I don't want things too complicated.  Martha Rose Shulman is now my Go-To-Gal-For-Gourmet-Vegetarian-Grub.

Thursday Night's Dinner-On The Table In 25 Minutes

Here's my big tip: 

Roast the cauliflower the night before--and roast a whole one, not a half.  It's delicious and not at all like the steamed or microwaved versions, which I'm not too fond of.  This will cut your prep time in half.  And the left-over roasted cauliflower is great on salads or as a side.  Frankly, I think this is the only way I'd eat the stuff--not counting Obama's Kansan Macaroni and Cheese.

What's so good about cauliflower?

It's loaded with compounds like indoles and sulforaphanes, which are potent cancer fighters.  The sulforaphanes were first identified in broccoli sprouts by researchers at Johns Hopkins University--they're super-charged antioxidants and stimulate the body's natural detoxifying enzymes in the liver.


Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Sauce & Olives

1/2 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets  (I roast an entire head--and do it the night before)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided  (Yes, I use the oil--I think it improves the roasting)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (I like lots of spice & heat, so I use 1/2 tsp. & it has kick!)

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice (use a tad more if you want more of a "saucy" result--it might be nice to have about 6 extra ounces of tomatoes on hand)

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

12 kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half lengthwise (this is a must-no substitutions)

3/4 pound spaghetti (I use Barilla Plus Angel Hair-4 grams of fiber & tastes great--but 3/4 lbs. is a little too much pasta for the amount of sauce that the recipe makes)

2 ounces either feta (crumbled), ricotta salata, Parmesan, or a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino (grated) (the dish can easily stand alone, without cheese if you want a vegan dish)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Blanch for two minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water. (Don't get put off by the blanching process--it's really not a big deal) Drain and blot dry. Cover the pot; you’ll use the water again for the pasta. Quarter the cauliflower florets, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt generously. Transfer to a baking sheet, place in the oven and roast 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a wide, nonstick frying pan or a 3-quart saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. (Add more tomatoes or even a little water if you want a little more liquid--just not too much!) Stir in the cauliflower and the olives, and simmer a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Bring the water back to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente, usually about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the cauliflower-tomato mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve at once.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: The recipe can be made through step 2 as far ahead as one day. Keep in the refrigerator overnight, or on the stove for a few hours. I recommend pre-roasting the cauliflower the night before--then you can quickly finish the recipe after work--really!

Note: Cauliflower roasted in this way is delicious as a side dish on its own.

Martha Rose Shulman's Tips for Healthy Cooking

On April 20, 2009 Ms. Shulman answered NYT readers' questions on healthy vegetarian eating and cooking.  Check out the full "consult" here--it's loaded with great info.  Note: Shulman is a vegetarian, not a vegan or a no-fat cook.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Q:  What about reducing oil in recipes?
A:  ...when I approach a recipe that calls for a generous amount of oil, I always ask myself if I can make an authentic-tasting version using a little less fat than the recipe calls for. If a recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of oil, I try to make the dish with 2 tablespoons...

Q:  Your recipes often call for using a non-stick skillet at medium heat.  I thought you were only supposed to use non-stick cookware at low heat.
A:  The weight of the skillet is significant. I use a heavy Anolon non-stick skillet, and do not heat it for a long time with nothing in it. The nonstick surface does not change over medium-high heat and I’ve never had a problem with the surface peeling.

Q: As a vegetarian I'm always falling back on packaged fake-meat products, like crumbles, strips & deli.  I'd like to come up with some new meal alternatives that won't be as processed.  Any suggestions?
A:  The best way to get away from the packaged products is to begin to cook. I believe that fake-meat products are just another form of processed food, and that they are not particularly healthful. The best thing about vegetarian food is the food itself – produce, grains, beans, good dairy products. With Recipes for Health, my goal is to provide you with lots of satisfying and simple ways to prepare these foods.

Q:  I want to cook healthier meals, but I work full-time & go to school and by the time I get home at 10 p.m. I'm way too tired to cook. Help!
A:  More than “quick cooking,” I think the key to easy healthy cooking is stocking your kitchen and pantry with a few food items. If you can get a couple of routines down, it will be easier to slap together a healthy supper when you get home from work at 10 p.m. See: Staples for a Healthy Kitchen Pantry: Tips from NYT's Mark Bittman and the Healthy Librarian.

If you can make a trip to the market once a week and buy salad greens, some vegetables that you like and eggs, you’ll have the fixings for a quick dinner. Wash and dry the salad greens and seal them in a plastic bag so they’re ready to toss; steam or roast enough vegetables for two or three days so that you don’t have to cook them when you get home from work; and make enough salad dressing for the week.

A main dish salad is one of my most frequent fall-backs when I’m pressed for time or it’s late and I’m hungry and tired. You can add many substantial foods to make a salad a meal — canned beans or tuna, boiled eggs, grains and cheese. Steam a pot of rice or other grains, like quinoa or barley; cooked grains will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator, and you can easily heat them in a microwave or throw them into salads.

If there’s a day when you’re home and do have an extra hour, make a pot of beans or a pot of soup that will last the week. Scrambled eggs are my most frequent late-night dinner; a delicious and nutritious meal, especially if you’ve got some vegetables and/or a salad to serve on the side.  Click here for the rest of the article.  Take a look at "It's All About Preparation.  My Smoothie, Soup, Salad, Single Dish Supper Diet"

Who Makes the Best Pasta? New York Magazine Answers the Question
in "The Last Noodle Standing" April 26, 2009

*Thanks to my New York tipster Babs for this info!

Hey, I usually opt for something with whole grain that also tastes good, like Barilla Plus, but according to the experts, Barilla is not a fave!

The Carbo-Contenders

"The results were surprising, to say the least: The 99-cent underdog from Trader Joe’s triumphed, edging out the pricey artisanal competition. Most surprising of all perhaps was the poor showing of the mid-priced Setaro, which is highly touted by just about every top Italian chef in town, present company included. “No flavor at all,” is how Schirripa put it. “Like eating paper.”

Trader Joe's 99 cents a pound Cheapest of the bunch, and best in show. Canora praised it for its “great aroma and nutty, malty flavor” Ladner called it a “great performer.” “Not bad at all,” said Schirripa.	Rustichella $6.50 for 17.6 ounces at Dean & DeLuca Neck and neck with Trader Joe's for texture and sauce-gripping ability, only lost the flavor race by one point. “Pulita!” exclaimed Casella, which means “clean” or something like that in Italian.	Martelli $8 for 17.6 ounces at Marlow and Daughters Ladner liked the texture, not the flavor. Schirripa demurred: “I’d love a big bowl of this with some meatballs and sausage.”	Latini Classica $8 for 17.6 ounces at Dean & DeLuca This acclaimed artisanal brand scored high in the sauce-absorbing department. Ladner, Casella and Schirripa liked the flavor well enough, but Canora said it tasted “cardboardy.”
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Benedetto Cavalieri $8.79 for 17.6 ounces at Garden of Eden Good scores for flavor, middling ones for texture. Schirripa surmised that it was a “cheap brand.” Little did he know.	Setaro $6.95 for 35 ounces at BuonItalia Big surprise here in that only Casella gave it high marks, succinctly stating on his scorecard: “I like.” The best the others could muster was “not terrible.”	Barilla $1.79 a pound at D’Agostino’s America's most popular pasta was far less so among our panel in every way. Schirripa liked the flavor, but admitted that to him “even an old shoe would taste good with butter and Parmesan.”	Rummo $1.99 a pound at DiPalo’s Poor Rummo elicited the lowest scores and harshest comments (“overall crappy,” “yucky gummy,” “a shit pasta”) and rendered Ladner almost speechless. “No like much,” he wrote on his scorecard.
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