Happy Healthy Long Life

The Healthy Librarian's Favorite Chili, Fries, Chowder, and Tortilla Casserole - from Veganomicon, Engine 2 & Dr. Neal Barnard's "Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook"

 

All-American Chili with Kick for a Crowd

"When you take these steps, good things happen in your body.

Your cholesterol level plummets, allowing your arteries to recover from years of abuse. 

Hormones within your body rebalance, bringing your blood sugar to a healthier level, trimming away excess weight, and reducing cancer risk.

Your digestion improves, and energy increases."

-Dr. Neal Barnard, physician & clinical researcher, adjunct associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine & president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine & author of "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook-

 

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

OK, I'm finally going to spill the beans & post some of my favorites recipes--the ones that I keep promising to post--and never do.

So many of you have asked for cookbook recommendations, but one size doesn't fit all.  It all depends upon what you're looking for--if you're an experienced cook, a newbie, if your willing to modify recipes to make them heart-healthier, or you want recipes that already are plant-perfect.

1.  Do you want original, out-of-the-ordinary well-seasoned recipes, and don't mind cutting out the oil, nuts, or cheese to make them healthier?   Then, get yourself a copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope-Romero's  Veganomicon - The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

Many of my favorite recipes come from Veganomican, and I can easily cut out the oil by sauteeing in vegetable broth, modify the dressings by nixing the oil, and I have no problem eliminating the nuts or vegan cheeses.  Favorites include: Spaghetti & Beanballs, Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Carmelized Onion and Sage Crumb Topping, and Quinoa Salad with Black Beans & Mango.  Consider also, Moosewood's Low-Fat Vegetarian Favorites.

 

2.  Do you want straight-forward super healthy nutritionist-approved plant-based recipes that use no oil, nuts, or cheese--and you don't mind adding more seasoning & spice?  Then get yourself a copy of Dr. Neal Barnard & Robyn Webb's The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.  You can follow these recipes "straight out of the box"--and that's a good thing.  All the recipes use veggie broth for sauteeing.  All the dressings are oil-free.  There is nutritional information for every recipe.   Now, don't get me wrong--these recipes are tasty--but so far I've had to kick up the seasonings a notch to get the kind of flavor I'm looking for.  Not hard to do--but, "a word to the wise".  Favorites so far:  Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole, the Spicy Spinach Frittata, & Vegetable Curry with Whole Wheat Couscous--but I kicked up the spice & ingredients for both of these!

This book is a worth the purchase price alone for its excellent-easy-to-understand & science-based 50 pager Part One which explains exactly how plant-based cooking benefits weight-loss, diabetes, heart health, high blood pressure, cancer, and digestive problems.  Once you read it you'll understand why food matters to health. It also has the best section I've seen on stocking your kitchen for plant-based cooking.  It includes many of my all-time favorite products like, whole wheat panko bread crumbs, mirin, Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, balsamic syrup, and citrus zest.

 

An All-American Chili with Lots of Kick That You Can Eat All Week Long

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I got this recipe from my friend Janet who uses it often when she needs to feed a crowd. The original recipe comes from Cooking Light, & was supposedly "made healthy" with Italian turkey sausage & ground sirloin.  The recipe has so much flavor that I figured I could cut out the meat, increase the beans, and still have a winner.  When I first made it, I planned to add a bag of frozen soy crumbles into the mix--but it was so good without it, I never bothered with the crumbles.

This chili keeps well for a week in the fridge, and it's great as is, as a topping for a taco salad, stuffed into a burrito, as a dip with crackers or pita, or any other way you can think of.

Yield:  8 generous servings

Ingredients

Vegetable broth for sauteeing the vegetables.  Start with 1/4 cup, and add as needed.

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 red & 1 green bell pepper

8 garlic cloves, minced (yes, 8)

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 TBS. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle powder (add more to taste, but start small)

1/4- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) This makes up for the red pepper that would have been in the Italian sausage. Be careful if you don't like heat!

2 TBS. brown sugar (sub if you prefer)

1 TBS. ground cumin

1 TBS. whole fennel seed (this is the licorice-flavored seed found in Italian sausage--add it only if you like this flavor-I love it)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 TBS. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 bay leaves

1 1/4 cups of Merlot or other dry fruity red wine

2 (28-ounce) cans of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes (fire-roasted makes a difference!)

3 cans (15 ounce) of different beans, drained & rinsed (like black, kidney, or cannelini)

2 cups of frozen corn, thawed.  I prefer the taste of roasted corn, but I can only find it at Trader Joe's.

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat & start with 1/4 cup of vegetable broth (instead of oil).

2.  Add onion, peppers, garlic & jalapeno to the pan & saute for about 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3.  Add all the spices, through the bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4.  Stir in the wine, tomatoes, and all the drained beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat; and simmer for 1 hour; stirring occasionally.

5.  Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the two cups of corn during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Note:  Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the next day!  I'm really nutso about making certain that my food is fresh, but this still tastes terrific after one week.  Another advantage of eating plant-based.

 

Engine 2's So-Easy Oven-Fried Sweet Potato Fries with Cajun Seasoning

As I was about to leave the house on Saturday night, the phone rang.  It was my friend Janet (yes, the same Janet who gave me the sausage chili recipe).  She was about to make these sweet potato fries for the third time, but had forgotten how high to heat the oven.  I didn't remember either, so I checked  Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet book (page 190) for her.  That's the source for these tasty fries. 

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes with skins on, scrubbed and sliced into strips (or Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Spears--all ready cut--but you'll pay for that convenience--find them in the produce section)

Your favorite Cajun or Southwest style seasoning.  I use Emeril's Southwest seasoning.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper--and cut off any excess that overlaps the cookie sheet.  Yes, it will brown a bit, but it won't burn.  Parchment paper really keeps food from sticking, and it helps with browning.

Option 1:  Lightly wet the fries, before placing them on the cookie sheet so the seasoning will stick to them.

Option 2:  Lightly spray the fries with a canola spray so the seasoning will stick to them.

Arrange the fries on the cookie sheet, sprinkle one side with the Cajun seasoning.

Cover the fries with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Important step.

Uncover the fries, turn them over (this is the hardest part), and sprinkle the other side with the seasoning.

Continue baking for another 10-20 minutes or until they are nicely browned.

Enjoy.  These make great snacks, and you can use the same technique for rounds of Yukon gold potatoes, or rounds of sweet potatoes.

 

Veganomicon's Fabulous Baked Potato and Greens Chowder with Potato-Wedge Croutons

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I've yet to make something from Veganomicon that disappoints.  Yesterday, was cold and dreary, and my husband asked me what cookbook I'd recommend for a good soup recipe.   "Check out Veganomicon!" I said without a monent's hesitation.

Oh boy was I rewarded with this fantastic soup when I got home from work!  He had no problem eliminating the oil used for sauteeing, and he used just a teensy bit of canola oil spray to make the potato wedges.  This recipe is definitely a keeper--and it's a meal by itself.

Serves 6

Time:  30 minutes, not including baking the potatoes

Ingredients

Do ahead.  6-8 potatoes (3 1/2 pounds), baked and cooled.  (preheat oven to 350 degress, poke the potatoes with a fork a few times, wrap them in foil-or not.  Bake for about an hour or until they are easily pierced with a fork.)

1/4 cup of vegetable broth for sauteeing.  Add more if needed.

1 large yellow onion, sliced into short strips

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed  (really makes this recipe a stand-out)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. salt

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine (or just more broth if you prefer)

4 cups of vegetable broth  (might want to use a bit more)

4 cups of kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 leaves, tough stems removed)

1/4 cup plain unsweetened soy milk

Potato wedge ingredients

2 heaping TBS coarse cornmeal 

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

Pinch of salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

Canola spray

Preparation

Once your potatoes are baked and cool enough to handle, preheat a large soup pot with 1/4 cup of veggie broth and saute the onions over medium-high heat until good and brown, about 12 minutes.

While the onions cook, prep the potatoes:

1. Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise.  Reserve three of the halves to make the potato wedges.  Slice the rest into 3/4 inch chunks.

2. Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, fennel, thyme, sage, black pepper, and salt.  Cook for 2 more minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pan.

3. Add the chunks of potatoes and the broth, cover, and lower the heat a bit to bring to a low boil.

4. Add the kale, cover & cook for 15-20 more minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare the potato wedges:

1.  Slice the reserved potato halves in half length-wise so you have six pieces.

2.  Preheat a good non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

3.  Combine all the ingredients for the wedges (except the oil spray) on a plate.

4.  Wet the potato wedges with a little bit of water and dredge the two cut sides in the cornmeal mixture.

5.  Lightly spray the wedges with the canola spray on all sides, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy.  Turn, and cook the other cut side.

Finishing the soup:

1.  The soup should be done at this point.  Either use a potato masher to "mush up" about 1/2 the soup--Warning: do not use an immersion blender for this!  It will make the soup pasty & yucky!  My husband did a very quick blend of 1/2 the soup in our VitaMix & that worked out fine.

2.  Add the soy milk to the soup and mix.

3.  If it's too thick for your taste, add additional vegetable stock or water.

4.  Ladle into bowls & top with potato wedge "crouton"

Dr. Neal Barnard's Go Vegan Double-Bean Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole (revised by me)

To print a copy of this recipe on one page, click here.

I love this recipe--and I really didn't change it that much.  It's quick & easy to make.  With beans, corn, & squash, Barnard says it's the perfect nutritional balance of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Canola cooking spray (just to keep the casserole from sticking to the pie plate)

1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (16 ounces) Bearito Fat-Free Green Chile refried beans.

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups of chopped zucchini

1 cup frozen corn, thawed (I prefer the taste of roasted corn--available at Trader Joe's)

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 (8-10 inch) whole wheat tortillas (I like French Meadow Bakery sprouted grain)

1 1/3 cup prepared chunky salsa

Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 10+ inch pie plate (I used a 10 inch square Corning Ware baking dish) with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  Add the beans, 1/4 cup of lime juice, garlic, oregano, and cayenne to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth & thick.  Now add the can of refried beans to the mixture & pulse mix to combine if you are using  a processor, or mix it together by hand in a bowl--whichever is easiest for you.

3.  Heat the 1/4 cup of broth in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  Put in the zucchini and corn and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the cumin and cilantro and saute for 1 minute.  Season with salt and black pepper.

4.  Place one tortilla in the prepared pie plate or baking dish.  Spread about 1/3 of the bean mixture over the tortilla.  Using a slotted spoon, add one-third of the vegetable mixture on top of the beans.  Add one-third of the salsa over the vegetables and top with another tortilla.  Make two more layers in the same fashion, to make a total of three layers.  The last topping will be salsa.

5.  Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Cut into wedges to serve.

Nutrition information based on 1/5 of the casserole. 

Nutrition Facts Dr. Neal Barnard's Three-Layer Tortilla Casserole
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	308
Total Fat	1.2g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	905mg
Carbohydrate	58.3g
Dietary Fiber	12.7g
Sugars	8.1g
Protein	16.8g
Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 51% Calcium    5% Iron 24%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Bill Clinton's Diet Gurus, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish - What the Interview Didn't Have Time to Explain about How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

 

Wolf Blitzer Interviews Esselstyn & Ornish - the Doctors Who Influenced Bill Clinton's Heart Disease Reversal Diet- September 24, 2010

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with the video and links.  You'll find the video of the interview at the end of this post.

Yesterday my husband and I had the pleasure of watching Drs. Esselstyn & Ornish explain on national television just how a plant-based diet can prevent or reverse heart disease.  Unfortunately, nine minutes can't do it justice.  So here's the rest of the story. 

As we watched, we enjoyed an amazing homemade whole wheat cheese-less pizza topped with kalamata olives, fresh basil, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts--that took just minutes to put together!

September 2004:  Bill Clinton has quadruple bypass surgery to repair blocked arteries after he experienced chest pain.

February 10, 2010:  Clinton has two stents placed in one of his previously-treated arteries, after one of his bypass grafts completely closed up.  According to his physician, Clinton had "toed the line" about adhering to diet, exercise & medical therapy.  Click here for the Medtronic (the stent company) press release.

Spring, 2010:  The stents fail to prevent further cardiovascular blockages. This is not an unusual occurrence. Clinton decides to read the medical literature about preventing and reversing heart disease.  He discovers that there is only one way to do this--a strict plant-based diet loaded with green leafy vegetables, and without meat, chicken, fish, dairy, or added oils.  The two physicians who are pioneers in this treatment approach are Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish.  Clinton decides to conduct his own personal clinical trial.

Zero cardiovascular events have occurred in Dr. Esselstyn's original group of 17 compliant patients that he has followed for over the past 25 years.  Esselstyn continues to work with hundreds of other patients who have similar success stories.  There is no mortality, no morbidity, no expense from following a plant-based diet--if you eat in a way that makes the cap over your plaque super strong!

Like most Americans, Wolf Blitzer didn't seem to understand why bypass surgery or stents cannot cure cardiovascular disease. These procedures only treat emergency blockages.  And statins are no guarantee that it won't happen again.  Too bad Dr. Esselstyn didn't have a chance to tell Blitzer this:

"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."

Just published: Am J Cardiol 2010 Sep 15;106(6):902-4.  Esselstyn, CB Jr.  "Is the present therapy for coronary artery disease the radical mastectomy of the twenty-first century?"

--Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn--

And take it from two of the country's top cardiologists:

"Multiple studies show that if you have one ruptured plaque you have many."  -Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic-

"We can't cure this disease until we address the fundamentals of lifestyle."  -Dr. Eric Topol-

Wolf seemed surprised at Dr. Esselstyn's suggestion that the only way we will ever stop this disease is by changing the eating habits of our children.

"What?  Are you suggesting that our kids shouldn't drink milk, or enjoy French fries, and chocolate cake-all the pleasures of life?"  Blitzer asked.

Unfortunately, there wasn't sufficient time for Dr. Esselstyn to answer that question.  But, if he had had time, here's what he might have said.

It All Starts in Adolescence according to the PDAY Study:  Atherosclerosis begins in youth. Fatty streaks and clinically significant raised lesions increase from age 15 to age 34. 100% of the autopsies done on 15-34 year old accident victims showed fatty streaks in the aorta and 50-75% showed streaks in the coronary artery--all precursors to later coronary artery disease.    Click here for study.

By 65-70 we all have it.  All males 65 years & older, and all females 70 years & older who have been exposed to the typical Western diet have cardiovascular disease & should be treated as such.  Without making any changes, you can expect to have a catastrophic event (a heart attack or stroke) in your 70's or 80's.  -Dr. Lewis H. Kuller, The University of Pittsburgh-

Dr. Ornish waffled when he answered Blitzer's question about whether or not it was necessary for everyone to be on such a strict plant-based diet--even people without heart disease.   Ornish suggests there can be a spectrum (the title of his latest book) of dietary strictness--based upon whether one has heart disease or not.

There's a bit of a problem here.  Heart disease is often invisible, and it's years in the making.  We often don't know what's going on inside of our blood vessels until it's too late.

Cholesterol levels, and other risk factors don't always predict future coronary events accurately.  Cardiovascular disease lurks in the unseen damage we do to the endothelial linings of our blood vessels, from the foods we eat.  This inflammatory process starts a cascade of bad-news biological events that lay down atherosclerotic plaque, damages vessel linings, and if we're unlucky, puts us at risk for vessel-blocking plaque ruptures--that set us up for heart attacks, invisible strokes, major strokes, dementia, and more.

Fit, lean, athletic people who are eating a Mediterrean Diet are not immune.  Just ask Dr. Esselstyn.  Just read my email--from people who exercised, ate right, & thought they were disease-proof.  Just read, "I'm healthy, I exercise, I eat right, I'm heart-attack proof - "Not a moment too soon I thought of Tim Russert"

"Now I finally understand how we can have a heart attack or a silent stroke even if we think we don't have heart disease or atherosclerosis.  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."   From my post Yes, you can prevent and reverse heart disease, but are you up for the challenge - Let Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Convince You.

Here are Some of the Questions the Interview Did Not Allow Enough Time to Answer

Why not just follow the Mediterranean Diet, which includes olive oil & fish?  Yes, the Mediterranean Diet is better than the American Heart Association Diet & the Western diet, but it only slows the progression of heart disease--it doesn't prevent & reverse heart disease.  And, sure who doesn't want to believe that it's healthy to eat fish & olive oil?  I know I did.  But followers of the Mediterranean Diet show reductions of only 19-25% in cardiovascular mortality compared to followers of more standard diets.  Not a huge reduction in my book.  Click here for a recent JAMA study.

Why can't I use olive oil?  I've covered this at length in I'm Going to Miss My Olive Oil - Who Knew It Wasn't So Healthy After All? Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Vogel & Rudel Did  but here's the short story:  Dr. Lawrence Rudel fed African Green monkeys (who are close substitutes to humans for study purposes) olive oil for 5 years, and then compared their arteries to those of Green monkeys who were given saturated fat to eat.   Rudel was shocked by the results--he expected the olive oil monkeys would be disease-free.  Turns out even though the olive oil monkeys had high HDLs, they also had just as much coronary heart disease as the monkeys who ate saturated fat.  Oops!  Olive, soybean, palm, coconut, oils all contribute to heart disease--just avoid them.

Why can't I eat nuts?  Recent studies say they increase HDL's, and lower LDLs?  Esselstyn is skeptical about this reearch, based on the surprising results of Rudel's study.  Just because the HDL's go up, & the LDLs go down, it's no guarantee that nuts are preventing or slowing down coronary heart disease.  Little known fact:  the nut industry has sponsored these cholesterol/nut studies & participants had to consume 2.3 ounces of nuts to accrue the lipid changes--that's 350-400 calories worth of nuts.  

Then there's the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio thing--ideally we want to aim for a 2:1 or a 1:1 ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s, because a diet high in omega-6s is inflammatory.  Most of us typically eat a diet that has a 17:1 ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s.  Except for walnuts (and Esselstyn gives the OK for a few walnuts for folks without heart disease), most nuts are very high in omega-6s, and low in omega-3s.  Cashews have a 117:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.  And all nuts are high in calories and saturated fat.  Almonds, the nut super-star is 6% saturated fat.

Isn't This Diet Extreme? Isn't it Too Hard to Follow?  Doesn't It Take All the Fun Out of Eating?

Not at all.  I'm someone who LOVED Kentucky Fried Chicken, corned beef sandwiches, Big Macs, barbecued ribs, and eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.  Don't miss them at all.   And I'm following this diet just for prevention.  I have no diagnosed heart disease.  But I saw two wonderful parents go through lengthy stroke-related declines, and if there is anything I can do to avoid that future, I'm going for it! Honestly, if I can do it, anyone can.  Really.  By now I can't imagine eating any other way--and I'm eating delicious food with lots of spice and zest--and it's far more interesting than broiled chicken.

Yoda:  So certain are you.  Always with you it cannot be done.  Do you hear nothing that I say?

Luke Sky Walker:  Master, moving stones around is one thing.  This is totally different.

Yoda:  No.  No different.  Only different in your mind.  You must UNLEARN what you have learned.

Luke Sky Walker:  All right.  I'll give it a try.

Yoda:  No. Try Not.  Do.  Or Do Not.  There is no Try.

If You Have More Questions About How a Plant-Based Diet Can Prevent Heart Disease--You're Welcome to My "Cliff Notes"

If the Esselstyn/Ornish Interview doesn't answer all of your questions, read Dr. Esselstyn's & Dr. Ornish's books.

If you want answers right now, read my summary of the day-long session I attended with Dr. & Ann Esselstyn--"What I learned from Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn's Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease "School".

Or go through my whole series of posts about Dr. Esselstyn's diet, how I adapted my cooking and recipes, and my successful experiment with the diet, click here, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Diet.

And Now For Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Drs. Esselstyn & Ornish

If you do not see the video, click here.

Stay tuned this weekend for some of my favorite plant-based pantry staples, and some of my long-promised recipes--that is if I can stand to sit at this computer any longer!

Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

Calorie Restriction Without Counting Calories - A 6 Cup Salad, Eggplant Lasagna, a 27 ounce Green Smoothie, & Fruit for Lunch & Dinner

 

 "I didn't think calorie restriction worked in humans until I started working with people who'd been doing it for years.

They are among the healthiest people I've ever known.  Their heart function is similar to people 15 years younger, they have very low levels of inflammation and very few get cancer."

-Dr. John Holloszy, M.D., lead CALERIE investigator, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri-

 "In terms of cardiovascular diseases - the No. 1 cause of death: 4 out of 10 people die of it in the U.S. and Europe - we know that they (Calorie Restriction Society members) will not die of cardiovascular death."

 "..every day doctors are publishing hundred of papers on circulation research and medications that are lowering blood pressure or cholesterol by a small bit. And here we have such a powerful intervention that is basically cleaning out the arteries."

 "I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this."

-Dr. Luigi Fontana & Dr. Susan Roberts, Washington University & Tufts University, investigators for the NIH-funded CALERIE Study-

 

9/21/10 update: Bill Clinton's CNN interview.  Why he's eating plant-based.  His stent wasn't going to cure his cardiovascular problems.  He wanted a long-term solution.  Click here.

Update 9/25/10:  Click here for my latest post about Bill Clinton's Diet and Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Drs. Esselstyn & Ornish.

 

Back to October 11, 2009 - Revisiting the CALERIE Study

One of my all-time favorite posts was almost a year ago--about the CALERIE Study that's been ongoing at Washington University in St. Louis (a shout-out to Wash U!), Tufts University in Boston, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

I was totally intrigued by these 132+ people who were cutting their calories by 25%, eating a nutrient-dense diet, and getting super healthy all at the same time.  But, honestly, it sounded like a whole lot of measuring, weighing, calorie counting, and constant hunger.  Back then I didn't seriously think it was something I could ever do it.

Fast forward to June 18, 2010 when I decided to up the ante on my plant-based diet, and take Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's challenge to cut out oils, nuts, and avocados from my already healthy diet.  That was 3 months ago--my 4 week "experiment" is over, but I'm still going strong with this eating lifestyle.  (update Aug. 2012:  Still going strong with the plant-based no-added-oil diet, 2+ years later & cannot see ever changing)

  Weight-loss is always a huge motivator.  I got on the scale today and I was 121 pounds--unbelievable for me--and that's with plenty of muscles, I'll have you know!  Down 10 pounds in 13 1/2 weeks, and I'm not counting calories or depriving myself one bit. (update Aug. 2012: I've stabilized at around 118 pounds, with plenty of lean muscles & a pretty flat belly & I eat a lot!)

I love how my clothes fit--I love that my blood pressure is consistently low normal--that my resting pulse is around 56--my cholesterol is just fine, I've got plenty of energy, the toxic belly fat is almost gone, as well as my extra tush cushioning--and guess what?  I didn't set out on this diet to lose weight.  I figured I was fine just the way I was--at 131 pounds--OK for a sixty-year old. (Update Aug. 2012: Now age 62.5 at 118)

I set out on this path for the same reason that Lisa Walford did.  She's the 55 year-old daughter of the late Dr. Ray Walford, one of the first researchers to look at the benefits of caloric-restriction.  Lisa has followed a 25% calorie restricted diet for over 20 years and at 4 foot 8 inches, she weighs in at a diminutive 80 pounds, and eats around 1500 calories a day.  If Lisa wasn't trying to lose or gain weight--her "set point" would be 95 pounds and she'd be consuming 2000 calories a day.

 

"Personally, I don't do it in hopes that I live longer.  I do it so that I can liver better now!  If I do live longer, it'll be a nice bonus."   Lisa Walford

 

My Unintentional Calorie-Restriction Experiment

 

Without intending to, it turns out that I'm following many of the precepts of calorie restriction, as well as the guidelines of the CALERIE Study (the Comprehensive Assessment of the Long Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy). 

 

• Sticking to the most nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes--although the CALERIE study is not vegan or vegetarian.
• Eating foods that are filling, appealing, low in calories, and nutrient-rich.
• Eating lots of fiber--at least 50 grams a day (for me) without counting grams or even trying.  Fiber is key to keeping satisfied and full--and it likely activates the satiety receptors in the lower intestine.  My husband is a huge fan of eating a big bowl of high-fiber cereal (Uncle Sam's & Ezekiel's) with oat milk as a dessert, or when he craves a snack.
• I've easily cut my calories by 25% just by eliminating the high calories of oil, avocados, chocolate, sugar, and nuts. I'm consuming around 1400-1600 calories of very filling, nutrient-dense & high-fiber foods without counting a single calorie.
• Why I wasn't losing weight on a plant-based diet. To maintain my previous weight of around 131 pounds I was eating around 2000-2200 calories a day, and exercising around 5 days a week.  Sure, I had been eating mostly plant-based since March 2008--but I still used olive & canola oils, salad dressings, ate avocados, nuts, nut butters, chocolate, and didn't scrutinize labels for added fat.  I never lost a pound.
• Eliminating high-calorie-low-nutrient foods. By just cutting out the added oils in my food and in my cooking, eliminating nuts (except for small amounts of walnuts in recipes), avocados, vegan mayo, my beloved Terrapin Ridge Chipotle sauce, my favorite Whole Foods prepared deli vegan fare, hummus with tahini, and chocolate--I've naturally cut my calories to about 1400 a day without counting a calorie, or missing a thing!  Believe me, I never thought I could cook without oil, or live without nuts.
• I eat whenever I'm hungry and as much as I want.

If you had the chance to stay healthy and lean as you aged--free from the diseases of aging, like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases--and all you had to do was cut out 25% of your daily calorie intake--would you do it?

Oh--and if you could also fit into cool clothes, drop to your high school weight,  & enjoy super energy?  Would you be willing to do it?

Why Is Calorie Restriction on My Mind Right Now?

A few weeks ago I picked up the Sept/Oct issue Natural Health and zeroed right in on their cover story "Eat Less, Live Longer" by  Catherine Guthrie.   And then I watched the 2010 Milken Institute panel, "The Science of Longevity", that featured my favorite calorie restriction expert from Washington University, Dr. Luigi Fontana.  I highly recommend viewing this video if you ever have 70 minutes to spare.  Right!

August 2012 Update:  I just watched the 2012 Milken Institute Panel, "Getting to 100: Your How-To Guide" with Dr. Luigi Fontana & others.  Excellent 1 hour presentation.  That summary will appear in a future post.

If you aren't seeing the 2012 Milken Institute video on your screen, click here.

 

 

Here's what I learned from the 2010 Milken Institute:

1.  Your body has a natural set point weight.  That's the weight your body would naturally gravitate to if you weren't trying to lose or gain weight.   If you want to lower your calories by 25%--you first need to know how many calories you typically eat to maintain your "natural set point" weight.

2.  Short-term pleasure vs long-term benefits.  To make this work, you have to be willing to sacrifice the short-term pleasure of chocolate cakes for the long-term benefit of good health.  Easier said than done.  It's also not just a calorie-cutting game--it's eating the most nutrient-dense foods possible.  Otherwise you end up malnourished.

3.  Why does calorie restriction confer good health?   Most researchers in the field believe it's because low-calorie nutrient-dense foods stave off oxidative stress, which is the damage caused by free radicals--a natural byproduct of the body's metabolism.  Catherine Guthrie offers an elegantly simple explanation of the process.

"Think of free radicals like the carbon dioxide produced when you burn gas driving a car.

By restricting the amount of calories entering the body, cellular engines are forced to be more efficient (hybrid vs SUV), and the entire body hums like a well-oiled machine.  More efficient cellular engines mean less metabolic waste and fewer free radicals spewed into the body.

Since free radicals (and inflammation) play a role in nearly all age-related diseases, especially cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, the result is healthier aging."

4. Caloric restriction slows aging. According to Dr. Luigi Fontana, caloric restriction is the most powerful tool we have to slow aging, and reduce disease.  All the cardiac risk factors are reduced significantly, type 2 diabetes is reduced to zero, arteries are clean, and cancer causing hormones are down-regulated.  Right now the average life span in the U.S. is 80 years.  The average health span is 50 years--after that it's doctor visits, prescriptions & treating disease.  We need to bridge that gap.  Fontana's latest article on "Extending Healthy Life Span--From Yeast to Humans"  is published in Science 2010 Apr 16;328(5976):321-6. Click here.

5.  Animal protein & cancer.  Reducing the amount of animal protein we eat to 10% of calories eaten reduces risk factors for prostate, breast, and colon cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases.  Animal protein increases IGF-1, a growth factor associated with these diseases. (Fontana)  Click here to read more.

6.  A Flat Belly Means a Healthy Body.  BMI is a crude way to measure health.  Waist circumference is better.  A flat belly means you are eating just the right amount of calories you need. Yikes!  A round belly means you are eating too much. (Fontana)

7.  If you have a family history of cancer, eating a high animal protein diet is not a good idea. (Fontana)

 

And now for the original post from Oct. 11, 2009.  It will explain a lot.

CALERIE: The NIH Calorie-Restriction Experiment. Lessons for Health, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Longevity, and Disease Prevention

Photo credit: Reinhard Hunger NYT 10/11/09

  

"In terms of cardiovascular diseases - the No. 1 cause of death; 4 out of 10 people die of it in the U.S. and Europe - we know that they (Calorie Restriction Society members) will not die of cardiovascular death."

"... subjects have cholesterol around 160, blood pressure around 100 over 60, high HDL, low triglycerides and very low levels of inflammation."

"...every day doctors are publishing  hundreds of papers on circulation research  and medications that are lowering blood pressure or cholesterol by a small bit.  And here we have such a powerful intervention that is basically cleaning out the arteries."

"I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this." 

Dr. Luigi Fontana & Dr. Susan Roberts, Washington University & Tufts University investigators for the NIH- funded CALERIE Study,   NYT 10/11/09

If you had the chance to stay healthy and lean as you aged--free from the diseases of aging, like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases--and all you had to do was cut out 25% of your daily calorie intake--would you do it?  Oh--and if you could also fit into cool clothes, drop to your high school weight,  & enjoy super energy?  Would you be willing to do it?

We know that careful calorie restriction--eating a nutrient-dense-low-calorie diet--works in rodents and those University of Wisconsin rhesus monkeys--but will it work for humans who are constantly tempted by cheeseburgers, pizzas, office parties, and dinners out with friends?  (Read about the Rhesus Monkey 20 year follow-up here)

 

According Dr. Susan Roberts, one of the principal CALERIE investigators, when it comes to animals,  "They don't just live longer, they are healthier.  They actually aged biologically slower.  Their hair has gone gray less quickly.  Their hormones have stayed at their youthful profile and their immune function has stayed good."

I'd heard for years about too-skinny "calorie-restriction groupies" who were out to beat death with a miserably low-cal boring diet.  It held no appeal for me.  I love food too much!

But, I've got to tell you, after reading about the National Institute of Aging's ongoing calorie-restriction  experiment known as CALERIE  (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy)--I'm rethinking this whole calorie-restriction scene!  This is not excruciating or boring at all!  And since I started on my "veganish" adventure in March of 2008--I'm not that far away from the CALERIE model already!

Take a look at Jon Gertner's fascinating story, "The Calorie-Restriction Experiment" in the October 11, 2009 New York Times Magazine, here. 

Honestly, I'd describe it as Weight Watcher's on steroids--with help from physicians, dietitians and counselors.  There's even room for an occasional Uno's pizza, Haagen Dazs ice cream bar, bratwurst, or beer.

The first participants are finishing up their 2-year trial and the results are promising.

 

What is the CALERIE Study?

• Since it's virtually impossible to follow people over a lifetime to find out if restricting calories by 25% would slow aging, drastically reduce diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer--CALERIE aims to follow a select group (right now there are 132 enrolled) for two years to find out if the biomarkers for aging can be modified when calories are restricted.
• The study will measure if inflammation, insulin levels, blood pressure, core body temperature, and body weight can be lowered simply by reducing calories by 25%.
• Where are the sites?  Tufts University in Boston; Washington University in St. Louis; Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.
• Who is eligible?  20-50 year olds who are healthy and not too fat or too thin--having a BMI of 22-27.9.  Participants also have to be motivated, organized (they have to measure & record every morsel they eat for 24 months), have stable jobs with little travel, and a supportive family.

 

What's the Diet Like?

• So, do you think you know how many calories you eat every day?  Think again.  Most participants guessed wrong.  Using a high-tech lab technique that involves swallowing water with rare isotopes, the researchers are able to figure out precisely how many calories each participant is typically consuming.  Then they cut it down by 25%.  
• Liz Ewen, a molecular biologist, was eating 2,226 before CALERIE--now she's at 1,670.  Dr. Jeff Peipert, an OB-Gyn, was consuming a whopping 3,300 a day pre-CALERIE--now he's at just under 2,500. 
• For the first 28 days participants get all their meals & snacks cooked for them and at no cost--based on their individual calorie counts.  This gets them accustomed to portion sizes and adjusted to eating the kind of foods that will keep them filled and satisfied.  And this food isn't spartan:  Mediterranean-style fish with Greek-style potatoes, or Farfalle with Pesto & Diced Chicken, for example.  After 28 days--they buy and prepare their own food--with regular help and guidance from dietitians and a support group.
• The Key to eating 25% less:  eat foods that are nutrient rich and high in fiber, like vegetables, fruit, high fiber cereals, and soups.  Aim for foods that weigh as much as what you were eating before the diet--but lower in calories--to keep you full and satisfied.  Favorite food for keeping hunger at bay:  apples.   Everyone in CALERIE has become a big fan of apples. 
• The 4 Rules for Eating Less:  Eat Foods That Are Filling, Appealing, Low in Calories, Nutrient Rich!
• Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts says, "If you don't change your diet to a high-satiety diet you will be hungry, and you will fail."  Fiber One, the breakfast cereal, or Nature's Path Organic Smart Bran--both with soluble & insoluble fiber, "have a unique  effect in helping calorie-restriction subjects feel fuller, probably because they activate certain receptors in the lower intestine."

To see some of Dr. Roberts' satiating snack recipes in my previous post click here: "The Instinct Diet Helps Us Combat Our Hard-Wired Food Cravings - And Satisfy Our Cravings for Something Spicy, Salty, Crunchy, & Chocolate"

• CALERIE tip: Save up calories if you have a special occasion or celebration coming up.  Want a bratwurst or Haagen-Dazs?  Save up those calories.  Decide what's more satisfying--170 calories for a gin & tonic, or a  190 calories for a  Haagen Dasz ice cream bar.

 

What Is the Hardest Part of the CALERIE Diet?

• Surprisingly, no one complains of raging hunger.  But most everyone felt hungry for the first few weeks.  When I joined Weight Watchers years ago to lose pregnancy weight I felt exactly the same way.  But then you just get used to less calories and learn to eat more filling foods.
• The hardest (& most annoying) part is getting used to measuring the food, preparing the food, and keeping track of the calories.

 

Why is CALERIE Working For Most of Its Participants?

• There's accountability. 
• You have to submit a weekly food diary.
• Attend weekly weigh-ins
• Once or twice a week you must attend individual counseling sessions
• Group counseling sessions give participants an opportunity to swap strategies and get support from fellow dieters.
• There's a battery of medical tests every 6 months.  Cognitive tests.  Blood tests.  Bone-mineral density tests.  Measurements of resting metabolism, respiratory output, and internal core temperature.

 

What About Weight Loss?  What About Health Improvements?  What About Energy? 

• Most participants met their weight loss goals.  They were told to expect to lose about 15% of their weight during the first year.  After that initial drop they would plateau to "weight stability".
• Doug Hansen started out at 198 pounds and dropped to 168--near his plateau--after 6 months.  Jeff Peipert began at 174 pounds--dropped to 151 after 52 weeks--and was projected to plateau at 147 pounds.
• Benefits.  For example: Peipert's blood pressure started out at 130 over 80.  Now almost a year into CALERIE, he's at 110 or 115 over 54. At age 49 his weight is what he weighed in high school.  Same for Brad Beggs. He is down to wearing a size medium shirt--a size he hasn't worn since high school.  And Beggs adds, "I've never gotten so much pleasure in my life."

 

Dr. Jeff Peipert, a Washington University CALERIE participant

 

Wondering about energy?  Check out how Dr. Jeff Peipert spent a recent day off:

1.   18 holes of golf

2.   Biking 8 miles back & forth to his office just to pick something up

3.   Cutting his 1 acre lawn

4.   Pulling out tree roots with his son for over an hour

5.   40 minute after-dinner walk with his wife.

6.   This "calorie-incinerating machine"  was wondering why he felt particularly hungry the next day,  resulting in his eating a bowl of cereal in the middle-of-the-night.  Both my husband & I have definitely noticed the huge uptick in our appetites the day after long work-outs.  It makes sense to us.

Is Calorie-Restriction Possible for the Average American?

• The Naysayers:  Dr. John Holloszy, a Washington University lead investigator thinks 99% of Americans can't stick with it.  Other doctors think calorie-restriction requires too much individual effort--too much in medical resources--too much in counseling.   Dr. Robert Krikorian, a neuropsychologist who happens to be a long-time follower of a calorie-restriction diet himself-- thinks that most people won't pay attention to how much they eat--and they would refuse to keep up the organizational requirements necessary for such a diet.
• The Boosters:  Many doctors involved in CALERIE are surprised & encouraged at the high level of compliance with the diet.
• The Participants:  All of the subjects that Times writer Jon Gertner spoke with intended to continue with calorie-restriction when the trial ended.  Liz Ewen likened it to Weight Watchers (& I agree).  Given the right online tools, some sort of infrastructure, group meetings, and dietitians available for support, Ewen thinks it's suitable for many people.  "It's really not much more than embarking on a diet that teaches you how to eat normal foods but make better choices!"
• Some of the  first of the group to finish:  Most of "first finishers" plan to keep up the diet--but switch to estimating the calories, rather than counting them precisely.  Josh McMichael finished up with CALERIE in September.  In the few weeks since ending the program he gained eight pounds--but it's now mostly gone.  "I tried the new massive burgers at Burger King,"  he said.  "Twice.  Wasn't worth the side effects.  I think I've gotten over things like that.  For the most part."

 

Words of Encouragement from the Lead Investigators

• Dr. Luigi Fontana of Washington University in St. Louis.  "My perception right now is the effects of calorie restriction are multiple, so I think it is highly difficult to find one, or two, or three drugs that will mimic such a complex effect."  And although he isn't optimistic that calorie restriction will gain traction in the general public, he does believe an important common sense lesson will be learned from the experiment:

"Eating less is better than eating more, especially if it's a nutritious mix of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and the like.  The evidence is overwhelming now that it will improve your health and will improve your chances of living healthier and probably longer."

• Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts University in Boston:  Roberts thinks the study will have greater effects than the average clinical trial.  "I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this--calorie-restriction,"  said Roberts.

 

The Healthy Librarian Weighs in on Calorie Restriction

For my money, the folks in the CALERIE study are following a plan that seems very similar to:

• Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, and Liver Longer
  
• Dr. Susan Roberts'  (a CALERIE lead investigator) Instinct Diet
• Dr. Caldwell Essestyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
• The Weight Watcher's diet plan

 

Easiest way to cut calories:  ditch added fats, like butter, margarine, mayo, cooking oils, salad dressings, desserts, high-fat dairy like cheese & ice cream, and the after-dinner snacking.

Foods highest in nutrient density:

*Dr.Fuhrman’s  Aggregate Nutrient Density Index
Top 30 Super Foods Score

1. Collard, mustard, & turnip greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Watercress 1000
4. Bok choy 824
5. Spinach 739
6. Brussels sprouts 672
7. Swiss chard 670
8. Arugula 559
9. Radish 554
10. Cabbage 481
11. Bean sprouts 444
12. Red peppers 420
13. Romaine lettuce 389
14. Broccoli 376
15. Carrot juice 344
16. Tomatoes & tomato products 190-300
17. Cauliflower 295
18. Strawberries 212
19. Pomegranate juice 193
20. Blackberries 178
21. Plums 157
22. Raspberries 145
23. Blueberries 130
24. Papaya 118
25. Brazil nuts 116
26. Oranges 109
27. Tofu 86
28. Beans (all varieties) 55-70
29. Seeds: flaxseed, sunflower, sesame 45
30. Walnuts 29

 

Drugs or Diet?  I find it interesting that the only cure for celiac disease (the inability to digest gluten) is to follow a gluten-free diet.  There are no pharmaceutical or surgical cures.  People with celiac who want to get better just follow a gluten-free diet.

Yet, when it comes to the diseases of aging, like Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and cardiovascular diseases--most physicians find that the majority of people are unwilling to follow a diet even if it promises to free them from these diseases.  Oh well!

Do you think such a diet is ready for Prime Time?  Would you be willing to give it a try?

 

 

Bill Clinton is Doing His Own Plant-Based Diet Experiment to Reverse His Heart Disease! Credits Esselstyn, Ornish & Campbell

Clinton Has Lost 24 Pounds So Far Following a Plant-Based Oil-Free Diet

Update 9/25/10:  Click here for my latest post about Bill Clinton's Diet and Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Drs. Esselstyn & Ornish. It's far more informative than this post.

Looks like Bill Clinton is following Dr. Esselstyn's plant-based heart disease reversal diet. 

Who would have ever guessed?  A reader from New Hampshire--who has been successfully following Dr. Esselstyn's diet after experiencing his own quadruple bypass three years ago--just sent me this recent post that appeared today on VegSource.   Good bye pulled pork--hello oil-free lentil salad!

Bill Clinton talks about going plant-based to reverse heart disease, so he can be healthy in the years ahead to see his potential grandchildren.

"I'm trying to be one of those experimenters," said Clinton. "Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves -- break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them."

Just hours ago, Ecorazzi received exclusive information from a friend of Clinton (who wishes to remain anonymous) regarding first-hand conversations with the former president about his vegan diet.

According to our source, Clinton decided to adopt the diet in the early part of May. While he does occasionally eat fish, the former president otherwise follows a strict vegan diet.

What made him go vegan? According to our source, Clinton has read many books on the topic, including books by T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish. Although losing weight was a benefit of the dietary change, the choice to go vegan was about more than just losing weight.

"I've never known him not to say what's on his mind," says our source. "And he knows quite a bit and likely has a lot to say about the benefits of a vegan diet. He has read The China Study, and he knows the issues. With time, I think it's likely he could become the most outspoken proponent of a complete vegan diet."

I certainly hope he can stick with it.  What better spokesperson for a heart healthy diet that can cut heart disease, cholesterol, and health care costs all at the same time?  Go Clinton!!

For a link to Clinton's latest CNN interview (9/21/10) explaining why he switched to a plant-based diet, click here.  He realized that his stent was no guarantee against future cardiac events--only a change in diet would provide that, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic had 25 years of research to back that up.

If you aren't seeing the video below--click here for the link.

Looking for a "refresher" on what this diet is all about, read: 
What I Learned From Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease "School"

Eat, Pray, Love - Our Sweet New Year Celebration in St. Louis and the Power of Talking to Strangers

 

My husband and I spent last week in St. Louis preparing for, and then celebrating Rosh Hashanah with both of our sons, our daughter-in-law, and our amazing 15-month old grandson--who's favorite word is "ball". 

He can tell you what sound a dog makes, show you how to wash your hair, and he loves to stack cardboard blocks and giant legos.  He's a genius, of course!

Son #2 has lived in St. L for two years.  Son #1 just moved there.

What a week it was!  We shopped and cooked.  We prayed and played.  We talked and walked. We ate and ate and ate. We were hosts and we were guests.  We schmoozed and sang.  We laughed and I cried. 

When you hear your son, the rabbi, deliver a Rosh Hashanah sermon that's funny, pithy, poignant--that cracks open your heart--and it includes something about Grandpa Jack, Grandpa Leo, cigars, fly-fishing, the wisdom of the Big Lebowski, and the importance of sharing our stories with each other--you better believe it's going to make you cry.

The message was about opening ourselves up to others.  Sharing ourselves by sharing our stories.  Sometimes being the storyteller.  And sometimes being the listener.  Sometimes the teacher.  Sometimes  the learner. Changing the roles and passing it on. It's how we connect.  It's how we create community.

There Are No Strangers in St. Louie- Just People We Haven't Yet Met

And bam!  There it was smack dab in St. Louie.  Strangers talking to each other--and sharing what they know.  From the stranger on the airport Metrolink who came to our rescue when she realized my husband & I had gotten on the train without tickets. What were we thinking?

The shoppers in Schnucks Market who overheard my daughter-in-law in search of seltzer and personally walked her over to the right aisle--and shared their seltzer stories. 

The parents on the neighborhood playground who noticed we must be "new kids on the block" and schmoozed and shared stories while their kids played baseball at dusk. 

And the newly-met family who walked four blocks over to my kids' apartment at 9:30 pm to invite us all to a Rosh Hashanah lunch. They knew the phone was turned off for the holiday.

And the just-met downstairs neighbor who is a professional dancer/college administrator/massage therapy student.  If my kids are interested, she'd love to teach them ballroom dancing.  I hope they accept her offer.

And that's only a small sampling of my six days of shared stories from strangers in St. Louis.

Howard White Learned It From His Mother.  I Learned It From My Sons

So, what does Howard White have to do with all of all of this?  You know me--I just love to connect the dots!

Two years ago, as I drove home from work I was struck by a simple story Howard White shared on NPR's This I Believe radio show.  White believes in the  "power of hello".   His mom had taught him about it when he was a kid.  My sons had taught it to me when I was all grown-up.  It's a story shared, and meant to be passed on.  It's now morphed into the "Power of Talking to Strangers".  (first posted on October 20, 2008).

The Power of Hello - A Lesson from Howard White and His Mother

“I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine.”

-Howard White, Vice President of Nike's Jordan Brand & "This I Believe" essay author-

I had never heard of Howard White or his mother before today.  When I heard his NPR "This I Believe" essay  I realized he learned something from his mom, that I learned from my sons.

In my younger, shyer, self-conscious, more insecure days I admit to not always saying, "Hello" to people I knew, let alone strangers.  Sometimes I was in too much of a hurry--or it felt too awkward to say hello to someone I didn't know well to start with, or hadn't seen in years.  Or I didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions. It was a nasty habit.  I even admit to occasionally pretending to be engrossed in a conversation with someone else, just so that I could avoid saying, "Hello"  to someone else.  Ick!!

But something switched in my brain over the years.  Here's a case where my kids taught me how to behave.  I noticed that as they got older they knew everyone--and they made an easy practice of talking to strangers.  They had no problem traveling by themselves to foreign countries and they met people wherever they went.

I decided I wanted to be like them.  And I decided to start with baby steps. (ignore the similarity to Bill Murray's "What about Bob?")  First I would say hello by name to all the service people I meet up with everyday.  Tina at the dry cleaners, Sid and Nancy at the gym, Marcy at the library, and Debby at the grocery store.

Then I decided it was time to introduce myself.  I knew their names.  They should know mine. I really started to enjoy life in the "up close and personal zone".  And I made it a rule to never miss an opportunity to say, "Hello".

From there I progressed to striking up conversations with people I saw everyday in passing at work, in the locker room, or in my exercise classes, but hadn't actually spoken to before.   All of sudden I knew about the lives, interests, and families of scores of people who I had never talked to before.

I was never a person "who made the first move."  Turns out, most people are that way, and someone has to "make the first move," or relationships don't happen.

A couple of people who I had mistakenly thought were sourpusses were nothing of the sort.  They were friendly interesting engaging people who just don't say "Hello" to people they don't know.  They were just like I was.

Today, I can't imagine not greeting everyone with whom I make eye contact, at least with a smile. (well, within reason--I am sensible--after all)  Grocery lines, movie lines, restroom lines, ferry boats--all are opportunities to learn something new.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Howard White says it a lot better than I can.  His original essay was read on NPR on August 14, 2008.

The Power of 'Hello'  by Howard White

I work at a company where there are about a gazillion employees. I can't say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them. I think that almost all of them know me. I'd say that's the reason I've been able to go wherever it is I've made it to in this world. It's all based on one simple principle: I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged, however small or simple the greeting.

When I was about 10 years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I was busy trying to bulls-eye the "O" in the stop sign with a rock. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any old time around the neighborhood, so I didn't pay any attention to him.

After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street."

That phrase sounds simple, but it's been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.

When you write an essay like this, you look in the mirror and see who you are and what makes up your character. I realized mine was cemented that day when I was 10 years old. Even then, I started to see that when I spoke to someone, they spoke back. And that felt good.

It's not just something I believe in; it's become a way of life. I believe that every person deserves to feel someone acknowledge their presence, no matter how humble they may be or even how important.

At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I was also speaking to the people in the cafe and the people that cleaned the buildings, and asked how their children were doing. I remembered after a few years of passing by the founder, I had the courage to ask him for a meeting. We had a great talk. At a certain point, I asked him how far he thought I could in go in his company. He said, "If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat."

I've become vice president, but that hasn't changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother's advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.

The day you speak to someone who has their head held down and when they lift it up and smile, you realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, "Hello."

Postscript:

After I first shared Howard White's story two years ago, I received this email:

"I work on the Nike HQ campus, and see Mr. White frequently in the cafeteria. I had no idea who he was, but I can tell you he really does practice this. He is always on the alert to say hello! BTW he also is a very snazzy dresser. A vivid and bright personality all the way around!"

 

 

 

 

“I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine.”

-Howard White, Vice President of Nike's Jordan Brand & "This I Believe" essay author-

I had never heard of Howard White or his mother before today.  When I heard his NPR "This I Believe" essay  I realized he learned something from his mom, that I learned from my sons.

In my younger, shyer, self-conscious, more insecure days I admit to not always saying, "Hello" to people I knew, let alone strangers.  Sometimes I was in too much of a hurry--or it felt too awkward to say hello to someone I didn't know well to start with, or hadn't seen in years.  Or I didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions. It was a nasty habit.  I even admit to occasionally pretending to be engrossed in a conversation with someone else, just so that I could avoid saying, "Hello"  to someone else.  Ick!!

But something switched in my brain over the years.  Here's a case where my kids taught me how to behave.  I noticed that as they got older they knew everyone--and they made an easy practice of talking to strangers.  They had no problem traveling by themselves to foreign countries and they met people wherever they went.

I decided I wanted to be like them.  And I decided to start with baby steps. (ignore the similarity to Bill Murray's "What about Bob?")  First I would say hello by name to all the service people I meet up with everyday.  Tina at the dry cleaners, Sid and Nancy at the gym, Marcy at the library, and Debby at the grocery store.

Then I decided it was time to introduce myself.  I knew their names.  They should know mine. I really started to enjoy life in the "up close and personal zone".  And I made it a rule to never miss an opportunity to say, "Hello".

From there I progressed to striking up conversations with people I saw everyday in passing at work, in the locker room, or in my exercise classes, but hadn't actually spoken to before.   All of sudden I knew about the lives, interests, and families of scores of people who I had never talked to before.

I was never a person "who made the first move."  Turns out, most people are that way, and someone has to "make the first move," or relationships don't happen.

A couple of people who I had mistakenly thought were sourpusses were nothing of the sort.  They were friendly interesting engaging people who just don't say "Hello" to people they don't know.  They were just like I was.

Today, I can't imagine not greeting everyone with whom I make eye contact, at least with a smile. (well, within reason--I am sensible--after all)  Grocery lines, movie lines, restroom lines, ferry boats--all are opportunities to learn something new.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Howard White says it a lot better than I can.  His original essay was read on NPR on August 14, 2008.

The Power of 'Hello'  by Howard White

I work at a company where there are about a gazillion employees. I can't say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them. I think that almost all of them know me. I'd say that's the reason I've been able to go wherever it is I've made it to in this world. It's all based on one simple principle: I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged, however small or simple the greeting.

When I was about 10 years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I was busy trying to bulls-eye the "O" in the stop sign with a rock. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any old time around the neighborhood, so I didn't pay any attention to him.

After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street."

That phrase sounds simple, but it's been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.

When you write an essay like this, you look in the mirror and see who you are and what makes up your character. I realized mine was cemented that day when I was 10 years old. Even then, I started to see that when I spoke to someone, they spoke back. And that felt good.

It's not just something I believe in; it's become a way of life. I believe that every person deserves to feel someone acknowledge their presence, no matter how humble they may be or even how important.

At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I was also speaking to the people in the cafe and the people that cleaned the buildings, and asked how their children were doing. I remembered after a few years of passing by the founder, I had the courage to ask him for a meeting. We had a great talk. At a certain point, I asked him how far he thought I could in go in his company. He said, "If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat."

I've become vice president, but that hasn't changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother's advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.

The day you speak to someone who has their head held down and when they lift it up and smile, you realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, "Hello."

Postscript:

After I first shared Howard White's story two years ago, I received this email:

"I work on the Nike HQ campus, and see Mr. White frequently in the cafeteria. I had no idea who he was, but I can tell you he really does practice this. He is always on the alert to say hello! BTW he also is a very snazzy dresser. A vivid and bright personality all the way around!"

How the Brain's Natural Housekeepers May Slow Cognitive Decline - Berries or Forbidden Black Rice Activate Them - Latest Research from the American Chemical Society Meeting

The Perfect Brain Food - Forbidden Rice Pudding with Black Rice

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

Housekeeping is definitely not high on my list of favorite things to do.  But, there's nothing like looking at a clean refrigerator or a newly organized cupboard to make me feel relaxed, energized & accomplished--all at the same time.  A place for everything, and everything in its place. 

After it's all done, I know exactly what's in my refrigerator.  And every plastic container in my storage drawer has a matching lid that I can now easily locate.  And best of all--I have brand-new freed-up space in my fridge--no more cramming & stuffing.

My Sunday Morning Housekeeping Chores

My Old Collection of Storage Containers--It Was Impossible to Find a Lid That Matched with 5 Different Brands

My New Storage Containers--Stackable--With Lids That Lock Together

  I Love My Clean Refrigerator--with Room for the Next CSA Delivery

Berries and Black Rice - Natural Housekeepers for the Brain

It's yesterday's news that berries benefit the brain--both in rats & humans.  It's that deep rich color--their antioxidants known as anthocyanins that makes it all happen.  They are anti-inflammatory and they ramp up the signaling between neurons in the brain, and s-l-o-w down neurodegeneration.   Need a memory refresher on berries & the brain?  Just click here for my  February 2010 post.

But Here's the Latest News!  So how exactly do berries improve our brains?  Well, that's the latest discovery.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.

Just like with a not-so-clean-and-over-filled refrigerator where you can't find a thing--and there's no room to put in a new bunch of chard or a fresh pot of soup---it looks like our brains also need some regular cleaning to help us find words and memories, and stop the inevitable decline.

Who Did the Research?  Scientists from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston--which is the center for berry & antioxidant research--recently reported their findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society held August 22-26, 2010.

The Effect of Antioxidants on the Brain:   Previous research suggests that the brain & body decline & age as the body loses its ability to protect itself from oxidative damage & inflammation.  The USDA Lab's past research has shown that when old lab rats are fed high-antioxidant extracts from berries they're able to "reverse age-related deficits in nerve function & behavior that involve learning & remembering".  But until recently scientists didn't exactly know how the antioxidants in berries benefited the brain.

The New Research:  The USDA lab researchers, led by Dr. James Joseph (THE berry expert), who died unexpectedly this past June, & Dr. Shibu Poulose, discovered that age-related memory decline is caused when the brain's natural housekeeping  process starts to slack off and slow down.   The housekeeping cells (I think of them as brain maids) are called microglia--and their job is to remove & recycle all the biochemical debris that accumulates in our brains and slows down our brain function.  But, unfortunately, they get old & tired, and become slackers, just like us.

Dr. Poulose's explanation: "But in aging, microglia fail to do their work, and debris builds up.  In addition, the microglia become over-activated and actually begin to damage healthy cells in the brain.

Our research suggests that the polyphenolics in berries have a rescuing effect.  They seem to restore the normal housekeeping function.  These findings are the first to show these effects of berries."

How Does It All Work?  The scientists found that berry extracts inhibit the Darth Vader-like protein that's responsible for the slowing down of the brain housekeeping process, known as "autophagy".  Berries put the microglia back to work, cleaning up our brains.

What Are the Best Sources of this Powerful Antioxidant?  Poulose says all berries & even walnuts are rich sources of the kind of polyphenolics that boost the brain-cleaning cells.  He recommends eating whole foods, not supplements, in order to get a full range of the hundreds of antioxidants found in real fruits & vegetables--and to eat frozen berries when fresh ones are unavailable.

Try Forbidden Black Rice - It's a Lower Cost Source of Anthocyanin Antioxidants

While Dr. Poulose was pitching berries for brain health at the American Chemical Society Meeting, Dr. Zhimin Xu of Louisiana State University's Food Science Department was extolling the virtues of Forbidden Black Rice.  

So, why is it called forbidden?  Because in ancient China the nobles knew a good thing when they saw it.  They kept it all for themselves, and forbade the common folk from eating this precious black rice.

Dr. Zhimin Xu's Pitch for Black Rice:  "Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants.

If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?  Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health promoting antioxidants."

What makes black rice better than brown rice?   Black rice gives you more bang for the buck than brown rice.  Sure, brown & black rice both contain the nutritious bran that's high in a vitamin E compound known as gamma-tocotrienol & gamma-oryzanol antioxidants.  These nutrients help lower the "bad-guy" LDLs.  But only black rice will also give you higher levels of anthocyanins, the same powerful antioxidants found in berries--the ones that benefit the brain.   They're found in the blue in blueberries, and the black of Forbidden Rice.

Where do you find Forbidden Rice?  Yep, this is exotic stuff.  It's used in Asia for food decoration, puddings, noodles & even sushi.  A year ago I bought some at Whole Foods when I was trying out a recipe for Forbidden Rice Pudding with Blueberries.  I looked for some yesterday & they were temporarily out-of-stock at my local store.  Try the Lotus Foods brand, that you can find here. 

As for the pudding, it came from my recipe guru, the New York Times' Martha Rose Shulman (see photo above).   But, something just wasn't quite right with its proportions of liquid-to-dry ingredients & it never thickened properly.  I'm hoping to rework her recipe when I get some more Forbidden Rice. 

Here's Martha's recipe--make it at your own risk!  Next time I'm going to skip the water, and add just enough vanilla hazelnut milk as the recipe on the RICE package calls for, plus a bit more to make it creamy.  Or maybe I'll just look for a rice pudding recipe, and sub the regular rice for the Forbidden Rice, and then add the blueberries.  Mega-anthocyanins with this dessert!  Serious brain food.

Are You a Vegan Athlete and Wondering If You Are Getting Enough Protein?

Be sure to check this out.  I found this helpful guest post by "No Meat Athlete" on a favorite blog of mine: The Front Burner.  

The 5 Warning Signs You Aren't Getting Enough Protein and What to Do About It- click here.

1. You're tired when you shouldn't be.

2. You’re weak when you lift weights, run, do yoga, or do any other strenuous activity.

3. You’re flabby where you used to be muscular.

4. You’re getting injured and not recovering quickly.

5. Your hair is falling out.

The author explains how to determine how much protein you need, and what plant-based sources will give you the most.  He also explains the common pitfalls of newbie vegan exercisers. Good stuff.

Real Life Adventures - Gary Wise & Lance Aldrich 9/6/10

The Medium is the Message - Unplugging the Computer, Heading Out Into Nature, and Just Having Fun

 Sipping My Morning Coffee and Watching the Water--My Techno-Free Weekend in Chautauqua
 

 

If you've received this by email click here to go to the web version to get the photos & links.

"Our era's communication devices make it possible for humans to connect in ways never dreamed possible before. 

But it's comes at a cost, the equally strong human need for time and space apart....we're all struggling with our connected lives, where we have all these wonderful technologies that pull us together and bring all this information to us. 

They are so rich in so many ways, and enriching.  But at the same time are imposing a new burden. It's hard to navigate all this information, and all these demands on our attention.  And that's the conundrum..I felt it in my work.  I felt it in my family life.  And I think we're all feeling it.

 We're not making the best use of these devices.  They're kind of taking over parts of lives that they shouldn't take over.  And it seemed like it's not the wisest use or the way to live with them."

--excerpt from NPR's Diane Rehm show. An interview with William Powers, author of Hamlet's Blackberry: a Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age--

 

 

No doubt about it.  I love research.  I love information.  I love writing this blog.  I love receiving emails.

But sometimes I just need a break from it all.  As long as there is a wireless connection, a computer, or an iPod near me it's hard to turn away--turn it off--and just tune out.

As strange as it may sound, it's downright frustrating for me to have so much information arriving via my computer everyday.  There's no way to keep up with it all.  And forget about sharing it on this blog--impossible.  And that becomes another frustration--so much to share--so little time.

So I was thrilled for the chance to spend the weekend away at my friends' circa 1950's cottage at the shores of Lake Chautauqua.  Definitely no wireless there.  Nothing to do but 1950's stuff.  Watch the lake, talk, eat, visit, eat some more, tour around the countryside, play board games, hike, and visit the Chautauqua Institute--that amazing 1890's style Victorian wonderland where you can immerse yourself in the world of music, the arts, politics, history, world views, and religion.  I LOVE Chautauqua!

And the weekend's surprising twist:  A spur-of-the-moment visit to turn-of-the-century nearby Lily Dale--home to the largest community of authenticated mediums.  Yes, I know, very very woo-woo.

Setting the Stage.  Four Signs Pointing to a Techno & Work Break

I couldn't stop thinking about the William Powers' interview I heard on NPR's Diane Rehm Show on July 8, 2010.

1. The Internet Sabbath.  Pulling the Plug.

The excerpt that got me to thinking:  "You know, if you're just constantly connecting, hopping from one person--one task to another, and never stopping to take it inside and really let it go somewhere inside of you; you're not gaining as much as you could from the (technological) devices.

So the point is not to run away from them, but to really achieve some balance.  And the way we have to do it, I think is to create more of those (time-out) moments ourselves, by thinking more about our connected lives.  That won't happen by accident.

What we do (in our family) is, we call it the "Internet Sabbath"...  Friday evenings, we turn off the modem for the household wireless router, and it stays off till Monday.

We found that we were being pulled apart from each other by our computer screens.  After dinner, we would go to gather in the living room to be together, and something began to happen.

I noticed this years ago.  I call it, "the vanishing family trick."  One by one, we would peel off on some flimsy excuse--I have to go check something--I need a glass of water--and we wouldn't come back.

We were each going to our corners of the house, and to really meet up with "the digital crowd," as I call it.

So, we just decided we would do an experiment.  My wife and I, we would take these two-days off a week, and be disconnected from this one channel, which is the computer screen.  We don't disconnect the phones.  We actually still have our mobile phones, but they're not smart phones, so no email is coming in.

And basically, it's sort of back to physical togetherness in the third dimension in our house, back to the voice, where people call us if they want to reach us.

We do regulate TV carefully, but we enjoy it together, including on the weekends.

But the internet stuff, the digital stuff, that we find, if taken to excess could be so draining, and was leaching so much out of our family life.  It's ramped down for those two-days, and we find the benefits.

We enjoy our connected time more, Monday through Fridays because we've been disconnected just a few days earlier.  It's again, this idea of balance."

2. And then there was my early Monday morning yoga instructor, who kept sharing with us the wisdom of "just enjoying time accomplishing nothing", being unproductive--like this quote from Chinese writer Lyn Yutang:

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”

3. "La dolcezza di non fare niente!"  has been stuck in my brain ever since seeing, Eat, Pray, Love.  Ah, the Sweetness of Doing Nothing.

4. Getting Out in Nature - Unplugging to Benefit the Brain

On August 15, the same message appeared in the New York Times--the story of 5 brain researchers who hit the backcountry in Utah to explore what happens to the brain when it disconnects from emails, smartphones and computers.   It's definitely worth reading.  "Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain", by Matt Richtel, New York Times, 8/15/10.

The take-away points:

• Heavy technology use can inhibit deep thought and cause anxiety, and getting out into nature can help.
• A seminal study from the University of Michigan showed people can learn better after walking in the woods, than after walking on city streets--the learning centers of the brain are taxed when we have too much information to process--even when just walking on a city street.  Some researchers believe heavy multitasking actually fatigues the brain, impairing its ability to focus.
  
• Getting out in nature helps to "recalibrate" the brain--improving our ability to notice subtle sounds & smells of nature.  It's restorative. Read more here.
• When we're always anticipating new emails, text messages, or new information coming in--we "tie-up" a certain amount of "working brain power" just anticipating the next new thing that will be coming in.  There's less space in the brain to store new ideas, to analyze them, and to even decide how to use the new information.
  
• Getting out into nature--and disconnecting allows for deeper conversations, and deeper thoughts--without interruption.  "There's a real mental freedom in knowing no one or nothing can interrupt you."  I'll second that one!
  
• Downtime gives you the opportunity for uncluttered thinking.   All the scientists felt more reflective, quieter, more focused while out in nature--and disconnected from the world.
  

 

Oh What a Day!--Thursday--the Day Before We Head to Chautauqua

• I'm up at 5:45 am in order to get everything done that I need to do before I can head out the door at 9:00 am packed & ready to go, for spinning, yoga, and my late-day at work.   I'm in high-octane productive mode.
  
• I promised Julia Grayer I'd post about the release of her eye-opening documentary, "Chow Down" today.  No way out of that one.  Had to do it before I left for work.  News Flash from a reader: "Chow Down" is available free on Hulu.  Click here. 
  
• I promised friend Barb that I'd send out some email inquiries this morning to B & Bs for our September weekend trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake.  We'd already waited way too long on this.  Couldn't put this one off.
  
• I had laundry to do to get ready for our trip, and our bathroom contractor needed to talk to me NOW--before I left the house.  I just wanted to get out the door--not to talk to him or make quickie decisions about anything.
  
• I work late on Thursday and fit in a spinning & yoga class before the workday begins at noon. To make it all happen I need to pack up work clothes, make a Green Smoothie, pack lunch, and dinner before I head out the door. 
  

 

My Big Lunch Box: Salad of Greens, Broccoli Slaw, Tomatoes, Roasted Corn and BBQ Chicken-less Strips, Green Smoothie, Eggplant Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta, Cherries, & a Nectarine

• I knew work was definitely going to be a challenge.  We were loading a brand-new version of the software I work with all day, everyday.  Everything needed to go smoothly or we would be in big trouble--and I needed to learn how to use it fast--before the day ended.  There was no way this electronic journal service could be off-line any longer than necessary.  Yeah!  Everything fell into place.  But, I still needed to stay late to complete a complicated literature search before I could head home.
• Got home at 9:30 pm and found out our Niagara B & B reservation was overbooked.  Back to square one--and back on the computer til 11:30 to find a new place.  I just wanted to get organized for the trip & crawl into bed.
• Up at 6:00 am to pack up for Chautauqua-food for 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches.  Thank goodness my husband had already made Mediterranean Lentil Salad and Caramelized Onion Penne with Sage Crumbs.

Chautauqua R & R - Back to the 1950's

The 1950's Cottage

Straight to the Rocking Chair for Me

My Husband, Too

Setting off for a Hike - Canada in the Distance

Our Wonderful Hosts

Cruising the Countryside - Amish Quilts, Farmer's & Flea Markets

Off to the Chautauqua Institute to See 81-year old Bob Newhart's Performance

Pre-concert Dinner of Caramelized Onion Penne, Sweet Corn, Salad, Asparagus, and more

The Medium is the Message at Lily Dale - This Girl's Just Gotta Have Fun

Here's my way-out-there story.

Saturday morning I woke up rested & refreshed, but I just had to share a wacky dream I had with my husband & our hosts.  It was about a younger version of parents, dancing & having a ball, wanting me to join in--and then my dad suddenly gets sick, and my mom rescues him.

While we ate breakfast my husband browsed through a Chautauqua magazine he found on the cottage's coffee table. 

My husband:  "Hey here's something you might be interested in.  There's a class today at the Chautauque Institute on dream analysis."

Me:  "No way.  Not interested in dream analysis, and there's no way there's a class like that at Chautauqua. Are you kidding?  It's Supreme Court Week. Where does it say this class is being held, anyway? "

My husband:  "It says it's at Lily Dale."

Me: "Oh, that must in the area.  That's the mysterious-odd-fascinating place I heard about on NPR a few years back.  It's this quaint 1890's village--a summer home to mediums and spiritualists--whatever that means."  click here for the NPR show.

My husband:  "Hey if it's close by, let's check it out on the way home.  It'll be a adventure."  (BTW, this is not my husband's usual style, at all.)

Me:  "Are you sure? Who knows if we can even get in or what it costs."   I was definitely a little skeptical, but since it really was just 40 minutes out of our way, I decided to go along for the ride.

We leave the cottage around noon on Sunday, heading northeast for Lily Dale, arriving at 12:30.  It's the last day of the season, and we pay $5.00 each to enter this kitschy Victorian-style community.

 
 
Lily Dale

The friendly woman at the gate tells us to park our car, and head over to "Inspiration Stump", in the middle of the woods to hear the daily inspirational message.  "You'll love it," she tells us.  We have no idea what we're going to hear--but we follow the crowd--taking a seat on a bench in a rustic-sort-of amphitheater, with about 250 other people.

I ask the two women seated next to me if they've ever been here before.  "Oh yes.  It's really a very special place.   A few of the resident mediums are going to speak to some people in the audience.  Just listen to their messages--maybe one of them will also feel meaningful to you."

Honestly, I'm not a believer in this sort of thing.  Don't know a thing about mediums, nor have I ever had a strong desire to communicate with any relatives who have passed away.

Here's the scene.  Each medium greets the audience, and then they seek out a few people for whom they have a specific message from a relative.   Example:  I'm looking for a Susan, who is wearing a blue shirt, has long blond hair, is around 30 years old, and had a boyfriend who died in a motorcycle accident in high school.  The medium locates the "sought-after"  Susan in the audience, and ask her if she's thinking about moving to Arizona to take a new job.  Did she go to college in Syracuse?  All these specific questions are answered with yes, and yes, and yes. 

The basis message I got for The Stump, was:

1. Fight the fear and inertia we all have that makes us want to just stay home, stay where it's comfortable,  and do the same-old-same-old.  Be open to new experiences.

2. Accept invitations from interesting people--or you'll stop getting them.

And then, with 10 minutes left to go, the next medium starts looking in my way.  "I'm looking for the lady in an orange shirt, who is slumping down in her seat so I don't notice her."

Oh no.  Please not me.  My heart started racing, and I just shook my head in agreement as I listened to his message, for me, supposedly from my mom.  Honestly, I was too nervous to really remember the details, but here are the basics:

"I see a woman with her hands on her hips, wanting to tell you something very important. Kind of admonishing you.  It's either your mom, or a woman who is like a mother-figure to you.

She's saying you're way too hard on yourself, and you expect more from yourself than anyone else expects from you, and more than you need to.  She always wanted you to distinguish yourself, to stand above the crowd, and you have--so relax.   You need to lighten up, be easier on yourself, and take more time out for fun.   I see the seashore.  I see amusement parks.  I see cotton candy.  (that one made me laugh--that's the last thing I can imagine eating.)

She wants you to know how important it is "To Take Time Out for Fun".

Does this make sense to you?  It's just the images and feelings I'm getting from her.  Only you know will know what any of this means."

I got all teary as he spoke, and I had the strongest sense that this was the exact message I needed to hear, right now. 

Would it have made sense if he had given it to any other person seated in the audience?  Is it just a universal message for all of us?  Perhaps.  But my mom was one-hardworking lady, who always put off "taking time out to just relax, enjoy, & travel".   She waited until it was too late for her.  Serious illness hit my dad, and then her, before they ever had a chance to do all the fun things they had planned to do.

I had started out this weekend just wanting to disconnect, and have some plain old-fashioned fun (complete with Bob Newhart--how old-fashioned is that?)--and that's exactly what I got.

Plus one-heck-of-a surprising message.  Maybe it just came from a Lily Dale medium--or maybe it really came from my mom.  It doesn't matter.  It was exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my life.

As we drove home, my husband said to me, "Think about this.  If you hadn't mentioned your wacky dream to me, I never would have noticed that "dream analysis" class in the Chautauqua brochure.   If there hadn't been an insert map in the brochure that showed us how close Lily Dale was, we never would have ventured over there.  And how odd that we got there at the exact time they were meeting at "The Stump".  And how odd that you got picked out of the crowd of 250.  Maybe it's more than coincidence."  

Be Sure to Take Serious Time Out for Fun This Labor Day Weekend! 

Post script:  This week I picked-up my new bike--the one that my husband was nagging me to buy!  I love it.  A Specialized Ariel Sport--works for trails, bike paths, & on the road.  We inaugurated it yesterday on a two-hour tow-path ride, and got drenched in the rain, midway.  No matter.  It was fun.  We head for shelter, enjoyed our picnic lunch--and met up with an older couple who had sold off all their worldly goods, and packed 180 pounds of gear on to the back of their tandem bike.  They were headed for Key West, camping & biking all the way.  Wish them luck.  It sure didn't look fun to me.