Happy Healthy Long Life

Happy Valentine's Day 2013! Love Potion Number 9: Generosity, Luck, the 5-1 Ratio & Bill Murray's Groundhog Day!

 

                                                                                 
                                        Hammer Press                                           

 

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Bet you can't read everything on this intriguing card!  I know I couldn't.

So, I enlarged it--and was rewarded for my efforts.  It's a hoot!

It may be tongue-in-cheek, but guess what?   We're kind-of-living this greeting card message.  Don't hate me.  I lucked out "big time" in the husband department.  Pooh-pooh-pooh!  Kenahora!  (But, don't get the wrong idea.  We still argue, disagree, get annoyed, & get on each other's nerves sometimes.  Who doesn't?)

Lucky us, I say!

But, it took 41+ years of practice--every day--to get there!  We're slow learners.  Plus, lots of luck, the 5-1 ratio, & Bill Murray's Groundhog Day.   More on that later.

In case you're wondering, the words in italics are how the Healthy Librarian & the Lab Rat stack up to the card's standards.

I WILL

• Buy You Flowers For No Reason.   Check!  He's done that.  A lot.  I haven't.  But, I buy him other surprises for no reason, that I know he'd appreciate.
• Remind You That You're Good at Your Job.   Check!  For both of us--all the time.  But, it's usually not about our "work" jobs--it's about other things we're good at.
  
• Make Coffee For You Every Morning.  Check--whoever is up first, makes the coffee!
• Open The Door For You.  Check!  For both of us.
• Not Roll My Eyes When You Talk About How Hot Tom Brady Is?   Huh?  Who's Tom Brady?  
• Be Vegan If You Want To Be Vegan.  Check!  We both were willing to give this one a try.
• Cook For Your Book Club.  Check!  It's "our" book club--it's co-ed--and we both cook for it when it's at our house.
• Wash Your Car For You.  Check!  He washes my car.  I've never washed his.  He's into car care--I'm not.
• Rub Your Feet While We Watched House Hunter's International.  Check!  I kid you not--this actually happened this year--and, trust me, he must have really felt sorry for me to do this.  Can't think of a show he hates more--and he's not a foot-rubber.  
  
• Let You Spend All Day Sunday In Front Of The TV.  Check!  Sure, why not? Occasionally.  Sometimes a guy needs to veg-out without being nagged about it.  But, TV's his thing--not mine.
  
• Not Interrupt You!  Hasn't happened yet-but we're working really hard on this one!  

 

Where Did This Card Come From?

This adorable card illustrated Tara Parker Pope's December 11th, 2011 Sunday New York Times Magazine story, "The Generous Marriage".  

So, what's a "generous marriage"--and why should we care? 

 

This excerpt will give you the gist:

 

"Researchers from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project recently studied the role of generosity in the marriages of 2,870 men and women.

Generosity was defined as “the virtue of giving good things to one’s spouse freely and abundantly” — like simply making them coffee in the morning — and researchers quizzed men and women on how often they behaved generously toward their partners. How often did they express affection? How willing were they to forgive?

The responses went right to the core of their unions. Men and women with the highest scores on the generosity scale were far more likely to report that they were “very happy” in their marriages.

The benefits of generosity were particularly pronounced among couples with children. Among the parents who posted above-average scores for marital generosity, about 50 percent reported being “very happy” together. Among those with lower generosity scores, only about 14 percent claimed to be “very happy,” according to the latest “State of Our Unions” report from the National Marriage Project."

 

 

Of course, I read the article immediately--it was short--and I took the quiz that came with it, "Do You Have a Generous Relationship?".   

Then, I asked my husband to take it.  I couldn't believe he didn't roll his eyes at that request--but he took the quiz.  It helped that there are only 4 questions to answer!

Turned out we got the same score--a 17, I think.  But, if you ask me, he's definitely the more generous one.

 

Here's what I wanted to tell Tara Parker-Pope after I read her article:

 

Love this study--and this column.  Thanks, Tara.  I'll try to be more generous.

Yikes--In about 2 weeks my husband & I will be married for 40 years (note: originally written in 2011--now it's 41+).

He's incredibly generous--every day.

Last night he shared his Good & Plenty with me, at the movies, even though he only bought a small box because I swore I wasn't going to want any of it.   No kidding--that's generous!

Whoever gets up last--makes the bed.  Whoever gets up first makes the coffee in the morning.  Whoever has the time, does the grocery shopping,  makes dinner, or cleans the house.

He knows the stuff I hate to do--so he'll just do it for me.  Car stuff.  Lawn stuff.  Money stuff.

I'll do the the stuff he hates to do.   Make the phone calls.  Keep in touch with the relatives.  Make the social plans.  Buy the presents, the cards, do the non-guy-type shopping.

He'd deny it, but, honestly,  I think he's more generous to me, than I am to him--but, I always keep a look-out for what I can do for him.

 

 

So Why I'm I Bringing Up "The Generous Marriage" Again?  

Today is Valentine's Day & I Think It's Excellent Advice! I Certainly Need the Reminder.

 

 

Everyone Has Advice About What Makes a Good Marriage.

But, I'm Still Sticking With What I Wrote on Our 37th Anniverary, Four+ Years Ago:

What's the Secret of a Good Marriage?   Luck, the 5-1 Ratio & Bill Murray's Groundhog Day!

 

A reposting from:

December 26, 2008

Happy Anniversary - Secrets of a Good Marriage - Luck, the 5-1 Ratio & Bill Murray's Groundhog Day

 

 

"Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry."   
                     
  -Tom Mullen-

 

"Life is a Life-changing Experience"

-Harry Shearer-

Today is our 37th wedding anniversary!  Yikes!  Where did the time go?  We were both only 20 years old when we first met.  We literally grew up together.  And now we are into the dessert course of marriage--the best part!  Empty nest & grandchildren.

My husband is the funniest person I knew.  He makes me laugh everyday, really!  He's also the most trustworthy person I know.  Except when he's being the most annoying person I know.

When I asked him what superlatives he would give me, he answered instantly, "You're the nicest person I now.  And the kindest.  Except when you're being the most annoying person I know.  You're also funny, but not the funniest person I know.  Sorry."

So what's the secret to a happy marriage?  I wouldn't presume to answer that question for anyone but us, but I figure you need 3 things going for you:

• Good luck in who you choose and good luck in the curve balls life will surely throw you.
• The 5-1 ratio.  Your nice-to-nasty ratio must be 5-1!  It really works! 
  

John Gottman's pioneering research on marriages suggests that there is a "magic ratio" of 5 to 1 -- in terms of our balance of positive to negative interactions. Gottman found that marriages are significantly more likely to succeed when the couple's interactions are near that 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative. When the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages "cascade to divorce."

• The Bill Murray Groundhog Day Principle.  If you stay married long enough, and keep repeating the same stupid mistakes over & over again, you finally get it right!  The light bulb will go on & you'll figure out what works & what doesn't.  Ditch what's not working.  

For instance:

  

• I am spatially-challenged, so my husband has quit relying on me to help him move furniture through narrow doorways or going up & down stairs. 
• My husband  is directionally-challenged (as in maps) so I'm the directions person, & I make sure I know exactly where we are going.
• I love to hike, but I'll pass on backpacking--why would you want to ruin a perfectly good hike carrying 50 lbs. on your back?  So he goes with a friend. 
• He's not into going to lectures on weeknights--I go with friends. 
• He got tired of listening to me whine & he finally learned to dance--and loves it.
• He knows I hate to read technical manuals, so he'll just read them for me.
• Nagging never works!  (I'm still working on this one.)  Sounds simple enough, but like Bill Murray, it took us years to figure these little things out.

Ellen Goodman, of the Boston Globe explains it better than I can, in her Zen-like review of Groundhog Day :

 

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

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

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

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

Back in May 2008, in honor of a very special wedding in Chicago I did a little thinking about what I'd learned after almost 37 years of marriage.

  

• Laugh a lot, touch a lot, show affection & give each other compliments!  It's the WD-40 of marriage.
• When your spouse asks for your help or needs you to show up--Do it!
• When your spouse needs to talk--Listen.
• When it's important to speak your mind--Speak up.
• Know when it's important to keep quiet.
• Cut each other some slack.
• Learn to dance.
• Get into the habit of taking walks-it's the best time to talk.
• Make time for activities you do together.
• Make time for activities you do on your own.
• Laugh a lot.  It bears repeating.
• Cook together.
• Stay healthy for each other.
• Be wonderful to each others parents.

Favorite advice from Meg Tufano.

• Listen to your spouse. Shut up and listen, every day, for at least a half hour a day. Ask pertinent questions. Remember the answers. Keep notes if necessary. Your children depend on your relationship with your spouse. Make sure your marital relationship is solid and your kids will be fine. 
• For men: if your wife is looking miserable, ask her to tell you what’s wrong and keep asking until she spills her guts. WHATEVER it was, it will no longer make her miserable because she has talked about it with you. This is the magic key to making women happy. Flowers are always nice too!.
• Rest. Sundays are good if only because other people may be doing the same thing. But any day is fine. Rest is essential to everything else you care about. Without rest, the fragility of your life will be front and center; with rest, you have a savings account of energy from which to draw to help out others. Make it religious in the sense you ALWAYS take rest at least once a week.

My Wish for Dave & Emily back in May 2008, is exactly what came true for us!

• Outrageous & memorable adventures
• Wonderful friends
• Good health
• Work that you're passionate about
• Enough of life's challenges to make you stronger, wiser, and kinder
• Kids who are above average, sleep through the night, are easy-going and lots of fun
• The gift of balancing your life, your work and your family
• Enough money to feel both secure and generous.  Not so much that you become out-of-touch & spoiled.

• The knowledge that it's your friends, family & experiences that will bring you your greatest joys.  Invest your time and money accordingly.

 
And I almost forgot, this sage advice comes from Rhett Ellis' wacky book, "How I Fell in Love with a Librarian and Lived to Tell About It":

 

"We've all got our good and bad sides.  If you want to find love and joy in this lifetime you've got to live by mercy.

 

Focus on the best in people and ignore all the bad that you can ignore.  It's really that simple."

To Life, To Life, L'Chaim, Be Happy, Be Healthy, Long Life!

 

Now It's Your Turn.  What Secrets of a Good Marriage/Partnership/Relationship Would You Share with a Newly-Married Couple?  Click here, scroll down, & share your wisdom.

 

Ann Esselstyn on "How to Eat Plant-Perfect: What to Eat, Where to Buy It, How to Cook It"

Ann Esselstyn Speaking at a Hospital Employee Wellness Talk: "How to Eat Plant Perfect"
 

 

 The Esselstyns 

 

If you received this post via email, please click here to get to the web version so you can view the videos of Ann's talk, all the links, & photos. 

 

Oh, gee, it's been three weeks since I PROMISED to summarize Ann's talk.  Finally, coming through today, folks--here it is!

Isn't it Ironic that on January 14th, Tara Parker-Pope writes a column in the NYT on, "How to Go Vegan" , garnering almost 800 comments.  Tara, why didn't you talk to Ann, first?  She's got years of experience.

Then on January 15th,  Ann Esselstyn delivers an energizing talk & demo on "How to Eat Plant-Perfect: What to Eat, Where to Buy It, How to Cook It" to a standing-room crowd of hospital employees where I work.   Do you think plant-based is maybe, just maybe, moving a tiny bit closer to "oh, that's not sooo weird" & "it really does makes sense"?  

Ann is a high-energy, down-to-earth dynamo & this crowd of "mostly-new-to-the-plant-based-world" employees loved her!  She shared her Top Ten Plant-Perfect Rules, along with her most favorite foods--like who makes the best pizza crusts, pasta sauces, salad dressings, non-dairy milks, veg broths---& her go-to everyday breakfasts.  Ann's all about making it easy.   Not fancy schmancy.

Ann is the nuts-and-bolts member of the Esselstyn team.  She'll tell you how to shop, transform your pantry, & how to cook all these strange new foods.  Dr. Esselstyn, on the other hand, is armed with his clinical experience, statistics, angiograms, journal citations & science to explain how eating a diet of just vegetables, grains, beans, & fruit can prevent & reverse heart disease.  You can get a summary of Dr. E's explanation here.

Ann tells us how to do it!

 

How to Eat Plant Perfect.  The Ground Rules

 

1. Forget about replacing meat with "faux meat"

Avoid this:  Ann calls it Vegan Junk Food, and the freezer cases of our grocery stores are filled with faux chicken nuggets, barbecue ribs, fake sausage, hot dogs, & lunch meat.  Newbie vegans figure all they have to do is find plenty of plant-based meat substitutes.  "Forget about it," explains Ann.  Read the labels.  Most of those "faux meats" are filled with faux ingredients.  They're high in fat, contain ingredients of questionable benefit, like isolated soy protein, and they usually have too much sodium.  Just read the labels.

Consider instead: If you're looking for a quality plant-based burger, Ann recommends one made by a company in Columbus, Ohio, called Luna Burgers.  You'll recognize ALL the ingredients on their labels:  Spelt Berries, Black Beans, Oats, Onions, Carrots, Kale, Beets, Blueberries, Molasses, Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Rosemary, Pepper.  I know.  Strange sounding ingredients for a burger--but, they're really good!  Not available everywhere in the US, however.

2. Forget about vegan cheese.  

Avoid this: Carefully read the labels.  Most vegan cheeses contain 2 ingredients you definitely want to avoid: casein, which is a milk protein, & oil.   

Consider instead:  Nutritional yeast.  Find it in the bulk food section of health food stores, or at most grocery stores, these days. Nutritional yeast is a "must-have" seasoning.  It looks like dry pale yellow flakes, but it imparts a subtle cheesy taste to sauces, tofu "ricotta", "mac 'n cheese", pestos, mashed potatoes, popcorn or as a topping, sprinkled on casseroles.  It is a bit of an acquired taste--but, an easy one to acquire.  It's an excellent butter substitute in mashed potatoes.

3.  Give yourself time for your taste buds to adapt & change

If you've eaten a typical American diet all your life, it's going to take time to adapt to the taste of no-oil cooking, new vegetables, less salt, less sugar, exotic spices, unusual beans & grains.  Never fear.  Our tastes change!  

When San'Dera Prude, the 30-something single mom, featured in the documentary Forks Over Knives, was invited to lunch at the Esselstyn's for the first time, she later told Ann she hated the food she was served.

San'Dera was used to fried foods, Kentucky Fried Chicken, a lot of salt, & she wasn't much of a fruit or vegetable fan. Months late, San'Dera realized that she needed to taste a new food at least THREE TIMES before she liked it. Don't make a judgement on your first taste of something new.

4.  What's the difference between Engine 2's Plant-Strong & Esselstyn's Plant-Perfect?

Nuts & avocados are included in the less stringent Engine 2 diet plan.  That's it.  Both plans emphasize: no oil; no meat, no poultry, no fish, no dairy or milk; and both advise a diet of whole grains, mostly unprocessed foods, lots of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes.  That's it!   Engine-2 was originally conceived by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's son, Rip Esselstyn for a younger population who didn't have heart disease--and wanted to avoid it.

 

 

Ann's Top Ten Plant Perfect Pointers

 

1.  No Oil, Ever.  

 It sounds hard, but it's really the easiest change to make. Here's what's problematic with olive oil.  

Sauteeing vegetables without oil:  Instead of oil, find a low or no sodium vegetable broth to saute with, like Kitchen Basics No Added Salt Vegetable broth.  Read labels. Avoid boullion cubes.  The first ingredient is usually salt, & the second ingredient is often palm oil.  

Sauteeing onions & mushrooms is easy, because they have a high water content.  First, preheat your pan on medium high heat.  Add the onions, mushrooms or celery.  Lower the heat to medium low, & cover the pan. Check on the vegetables about every 2 minutes, stir, add a little broth or water if they are starting to stick--and that will easily deglaze the pan.  In about 7 to 10 minutes you'll have beautiful golden & soft vegetables. Garlic has less liquid content, so you'll need to add more liquid when sauteeing garlic.

Baking without oil:  In place of oil, you can use mashed bananas, baby prunes (avoid Gerber Organic brand--it contain tuna oil. The "conventional" Gerber brand is fine! ), or apple sauce.

Salad Dressings without oil:  Ann's favorite dressing is made with a no-oil, no-tahini hummus, some balsamic vinegar, the juice of an orange, & mustard.  Often she dresses her salads with just a high quality flavored balsamic vinegar, like Olive Tap's.   They have every flavor imaginable, like: black currant, pear, chocolate (which is great on banana "ice cream" or drizzled on strawberries), or tangerine. 

 

2.  Eat Leafy Greens.  Many Servings.  Everyday.

 

Strip.  Ann's fridge & garden are perpetually stocked with kale & collards.  Even in the winter she's harvesting kale.  She calls kale, "Spinach with Heft" because it's so nutrient dense, hardy & "hearty".  To help kale cook evenly, she removes its thick stems by holding each leaf in her left hand, and starting at the stem's base, grabbing the stem with her fingers & sliding the leaf quickly off of the stem.  You can chop up the kale leaves, tear them apart--or not.  Place them in a pot of boiling water, cover, & it's done in 5-6 minutes.  Kale stems can be cut on the diagonal & sprinkled on salads, or thrown into soups.  Kale stems: almost like a brand new vegetable.

Massage.  To use raw kale in salads, you'll need to break down it's tought cellulose a bit by massaging it with your hands using a citrus juice, a non-oil dressing or even some hummus.  After massaging, add cherry tomatoes, some lemon zest & lemon juice, or even mango & lime juice to your salad.  An exotic delicious salad in minutes.  Here's a favorite raw kale salad of mine.

Ann's favorite kale:  Lacinato, the long deep dark puffy textured kale, also known as Tuscan or Dinosaur kale.

Use collard greens as a sandwich wrap, a burrito or for making sushi.  Ann fills large softened collard leaves (burrito-fashion) with steamed asparagus, red peppers, carrots, hummus, cilantro, & lemon slices.  Or she makes them into burritos filled with black beans, sweet potatoes, cilantro, & salsa.

Greens in your pasta.  Another genius Ann tip.  Throw cut up greens into a pot of boiling pasta water & let them soften as the pasta cooks--or throw a bunch into the pasta sauce as it heats.  An easy way of getting more greens into your life.

Remember, no oil, greens every day--in salads, soup, pasta, or sandwiches.  Lots of vegetables.

 

3.  Eat Oats (Oatmeal)

Raw, Cooked, Rolled, Steel-Cut, or Whole Oat Groats.   It doesn't matter how you eat them, just eat them everyday for breakfast.  Or whenever. 

Oats help to reduce cholesterol, reduce inflammation & the more you eat, the greater the results--because their benefits are dose-responsive.

Dr. Esselstyn eats his Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats raw, every night after dinner as a snack.  He adds 1 tablespoon of chia or flax meal (kept refrigerated) to them, along with bananas or berries, a crunchy cereal like Kashi, Ezekiel, Grape Nuts, or Shredded Wheat, and oat milk. 

Ann used to eat her rolled oats totally dry with halved red grapes, & maybe a squeeze of grapefruit juice. She wasn't a fan of cooked oatmeal. But, she's changed her tune, and she's now passionate about cooked steel-cut oats, made with a REALLY RIPE banana, 1 cup of water, & 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  When done cooking, she tops it with chia & blueberries.  No milk in her oatmeal.

Ann's Favorite Savory-Style Oats:  Yay!  She's a fan of my "Cheezy Savory Oats with Greens"   They're steel-cut oats that you could serve to company for dinner.

Dr. Esselstyn's Favorite Milk:  Oat milk

Ann's Favorite Milk:  Almond milk

Don't Forget One of These Important Oat Toppers:  Add a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed (flax meal) or chia seed to your daily oatmeal for a handy source of omega-3's.  Flax seeds need to be ground for your body to absorb their nutrients--and always keep them in the refrigerator for freshness.

The of variety of non-dairy milks is stunning.  Almond, Oat, Soy & Rice.  Sweetened, unsweetened, enriched, Vanilla, Chocolate, you name it.   Each come with there own benefits.  Some are better for cooking.  Some are better tasting.  Most are enriched with calcium & vitamin D, to match dairy milk.  Read the non-dairy milk labels carefully.  Avoid any that contain oil or ingredients that you don't want to consume.   Avoid coconut milk.

 

4.  Fill Your Life with Beans & Lentils

Ann's favorite bean is red lentils, because they cook quickly & dissolve into a thick creaminess which is perfect for soups & stews.  She even throws red lentils into pasta sauces.

Bean rule #1:  Look for cans or cartons with no-added salt.  Whole Foods 365 Brand & Eden Foods make no-salt beans.  Eden Foods packages them in no-BPA cans, & now 365 Brand packages their beans in tetra-boxes.

 

5.  Eat Whole Grains

Read all bread, tortilla, pasta & cereal labels CAREFULLY.  The first ingredient should include the word WHOLE, as in WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, not just wheat flour, or semolina flour.

Pizza crusts:  Ann sometimes uses whole wheat pita bread or lavash as a pizza crust.  But, her all-time favorite, & mine, is Sami's Millet & Flax crusts.  Unless you live in Florida, unfortunately, you'll have to order Sami's crusts from their main bakery in Tampa, FL.  To cut down on shipping costs, I order them with a group of four friends.  32 crusts at a time, 8 crusts for each of us, & we store them in our freezers.

 

 

Pizza & Pasta Sauce?

Ann recommends Walnut Acres Basil & Tomato.  It's one of the few prepared sauces that's made with no-oil & is low-sodium.  Look for it at health food stores, Giant Eagle, or order it through Amazon.   

Second best:  Muir Glenn's Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce.

Third best:  Trader Joe's No-Oil Marinara Sauce.  It's high in sodium.

Ann's tip for pizza sauce:  Mix chopped-up cooked kale into your pizza sauce to get extra greens. You won't even notice it in there.

 

 

A Delicious New Bread Discovery by Ann.  Almost dessert-like.

Manna Bread.   This is a sprouted, organic bread made with whole wheat kernels, carrots, & raisins.  Ann recommends toasting it for your "eating pleasure"--because it has a soft squishy texture.   I haven't tasted it yet, but Ann's got a loaf set aside for me in her freezer to be delivered the next time we meet up at the gym. Look for it at some Whole Foods.

 

 

 

6.  Drink Water

Don't drink your calories. No soda.  No diet drinks.  Don't juice.  Don't drink smoothies.  Better to chew your fruits & vegetables, & eat them whole, rather then blend them into a drink.  

 

7.  Limit Salt

The amount of salt that's added to processed, prepared, or restaurant foods is over-the-top.  Instead of salting your foods, Ann recommends a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, because they activate the same taste receptors on the tongue & trick our brains into not missing the salt.  Other brain-tricking options are using a dash of vinegar, hot sauce, sriracha or cholula sauce.

Ann tip:  Freeze lemons & limes whole & grate some onto whatever you're eating.  Vinegar takes the bitterness out of foods, so drizzle some onto greens or other strong-tasting vegetables.

 

8.  Limit Sugar

Bottom Line:  Keep sugary snacks & baked goods out of the house.  It's just too tempting, & as long as you keep the sweets around you'll keep your sugar addiction.  Just try eating one piece of chocolate or one cookie.  You know you'll be back for more.   

Ann tip:  Consider a Yonanas machine & make your own sugar-free "soft-serve ice cream" from frozen fruit & bananas.

 

9.  Avoid Coconut Milk or Coconut Oil

Coconut is everywhere these days, touted as a "healthy fat" mostly because of its creamy mouth-feel.  It's in non-dairy milks, ice creams, & yogurts.  Don't use it.  It's a highly saturated fat.  In just 1/4 cup of coconut milk (about 1 serving) you'll find 12 grams of fat--10 grams of which are saturated.  Even if it was found to be a healthy, unharmful fat--it's still a fat, that's loaded with calories of limited nutritional value.

A Handy Coconut Milk Substitute:  You can easily substitute the taste & creaminess of coconut milk in recipes by adding 1 teaspoon of high quality coconut extract, like Silver Cloud Estates, to one cup of non-dairy milk.  You'll need 1 1/2 teaspoons & 1 1/2 cups of milk for a typical can of coconut milk.

 

10.  Unsweetened Un-Dutched Cocoa Yes!  Dark Chocolate, No!

You get all the heart-healthy benefits of chocolate if you go right to the source:  COCOA.  In one small serving of dark chocolate you're eating 20 grams of fat, 12 of which are saturated.  It's just not necessary. You can enjoy non-fat unsweetened cocoa in so many ways.   Like these, for example:  "Anytime Valentine Chocolate Treats for Breakfast, Snacks, or Dessert - It's Just Beans, Oats, Chia, and Dates (and Stevia)"

 

The New Kitchen Gadget Ann Recently Discovered

 

 

Ann's daughter, Jane, recently gave her a Perfect Tortilla Cup set.  It's available at  Bed, Bath, & Beyond--so I hear.  "The best part",  Ann says, "is that the Engine 2 No-Oil Sprouted Grain & Gluten-Free Torillas fit perfectly into these molds & make "perfect tortilla bowls"  for salads."

 

I'm an unabashed Ann Fan!  She tells it like it is.  She's fit, strong, energetic & a role model for all of us who want to age with health & vitality.

 

 

 

Excerpts from Ann's Talk at the Lab Rat's Rotary Breakfast Meeting (8 minutes)

 

Ann, you'll be happy to know, the Rotarians were taking excellent notes.  Yesterday's newsletter had a full page summary of your talk!  

 

If You Don't See the Video, You Can Access It Here

 

Ann's Talk in Nova Scotia, Canada (36 minutes)

 

This video was part of a public lecture presented by Dr. and Ann Esselstyn while visiting Sydney NS Canada in January of 2013.

 

If You Don't See the Video, You Can Access It Here

 

 

Lasagna That's Plant-Based, No-Oil & Low-Fat? And Delicious? Absolutely! The "Enlightened" No-Oil Low-Fat Version of Chef Chloe's Ooh-La-La Lasagna

 

"Enlightened" Ooh-La-La (Chloe Coscarelli) Lasagna

 

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Whenever I discover a recipe that's easy-to-make, scrumptious, makes a lot--and I find myself making it over & over again--I can't wait to share it with all of you!  

That's the story with Chef Chloe Coscarelli's Ooh-La-La Lasagna.  I lightened it up--cut out the oil & used Na-SoyA's Low-fat Firm Tofu--and Ta-Da!!  Ooh-La-La Librarian's Light Lasagna.   

No long intro here, except to share with you what Chloe says about her own lasagna recipe:

 

"With a last name like Coscarelli, I know my lasagna.  So trust me when I say this is the best vegan lasagna you will ever make!"

 

But, one more thing.

Even though some of the recipes in "Chloe's Kitchen"  contain oil, Earth Balance, nuts, coconut milk, vegan shortening, & assorted Esselstyn no-no's -- and there are lots of delectrable desserts made with SUGAR & CHOCOLATE -- there are SO MANY recipes that can be easily enlightened.  I haven't been disappointed in my enlightened versions yet.  I've found enough winning recipes in this cookbook to make it worth the purchase price.

Chloe is a master chef, with a talent for creating easy, flavorful, & out-of-the-ordinary recipes.  Check it out from your library first.  I bet you'll want your own copy. 

That's exactly what I did.   I found I couldn't live without it!  

 

 

My "Enlightened" No-Oil Version of Chef Chloe's Ooh-La-La Lasagna

 

Hot Out of the Oven - Needs No Cheese or Faux-Cheese Topping

 

Finally Found No-Boil Whole Wheat Lasagna at Whole Foods - A Real Time-Saver!!

 

No worries.  If you can't find whole wheat no-boil noodles, go ahead--use the regular version.  This recipe is designed SPECIFICALLY for no-boil noodles.  It uses lots of sauce, & raw spinach--which help to sufficiently soften the thin no-boil noodles.

 

 

Layer Sauce, Noodles, Garden "Ricotta Cheese" & Plenty of Raw Spinach

 

 

Enlightened Ooh-La-La Lasagna

adapted from Chloe's Kitchen

For a copy of the recipe on one page without photos, click here

Makes one 9" X 13" pan of lasagna

6 to 8 generous servings, nutrition info below

 

Garden Ricotta ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 14-ounce container of NaSoyA brand Lite Firm Tofu   (not Mori-Nu)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (more or less to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper (to taste, naturally)
• 1 tablespoon of white miso paste
• 3 cups of fresh basil  (Must use fresh basil--never dried!  OK-not so easy & inexpensive to buy basil in the winter.  We found mini-fresh-growing bags of basil for $2.99.)

Sauce ingredients

• 8 to 10-ounces of crimini (or white) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 32-ounce of no-oil marinara sauce  (add 1/4+ teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you like your marinara spicy, like we do.  Walnut Acres Tomato-Basil Low-Sodium No-Oil is a good choice, but, it needs some extra spice, IMHO.
• 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar or maple syrup
• Pepper &/or salt to taste (salt optional)
• 5 ounces of baby spinach
• 9 ounce box of no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.   Options: Lightly spraying a 9' X 13" pan with high-heat canola spray;  or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper; or simply go "bare naked pan".  Suit yourself.  I mostly go "bare naked pan".  Never a problem.

Preparation of the Garden Ricotta

1.  Preheat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion, lower the heat, cover the pan & saute for 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft.  Every couple of minutes, lift the lid, stir the onions, adding a small amount of water if the onions start to dry out--and to deglaze the pan.  Remove from the heat when done.

2.  In a food processor, combine onions, garlic, drained (not pressed) tofu, lemon juice, salt, pepper, & miso paste.  Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth, but still has some texture.  Now, add the basil and pulse a few more times to mix the basil into the "ricotta".  Taste--and adjust seasonings, accordingly.

 

Preparation of the Marinara Sauce

1.  Preheat the large frying pan again over medium high heat.  Add the sliced mushrooms, lower the heat, cover the pan & saute for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.  Every couple of minutes, lift the lid, stir the mushrooms, adding a small amount of water if the mushrooms start to dry out--and to deglaze the pan.  

When the mushrooms are done, add the jarred marinara sauce, the optional hot-pepper flakes-to-taste (if you are using them), the non-dairy milk and the brown sugar or maple syrup.  The milk & sweetener moderate the acidity of the tomatoes.  Add black pepper or salt to taste.

 

Assembling the lasagna--follow this exactly even if it sounds a little odd--and not equal divided.

1.  Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan.

2.  Arrange 4 lasagna noodles across the pan.  Spread half of the Garden Ricotta over the noodles.  Layer half of the spinach over the Garden Ricotta.

3.  Arrange 4 more noodles on top of the spinach layer.  Spread another layer of sauce over the noodles, and then arrange 4 more noodles on top--and then top the noodles with another layer of sauce.  Yep, that's the weird part.  Noodles, sauce, noodles, sauce.   Don't ask!  I just did what Chloe said to do & worked just fine.

4.  Finally, spread the remaining Garden Ricotta on top of the sauce layer.  Top the Ricotta with the remainig raw spinach.  Now finish with final layer of 4 noodles--and top the noodles with the remaining sauce.  I ended up with 1 left-over unused noodle.  Aesthetically rearrange the mushrooms in the top layer of sauce to make the top layer look pretty.

Note: I know the layering sounds odd--but, it all works out just fine.  The lasagna may seem extra saucy, but, it helps to cook the "no-boil" noodles.

5. Cover the lasagna pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the noodles are cooked and the sauce is hot & bubbly.  Remove from the oven & let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

 

Nutrition facts based on 1/8 of a serving of the pan of lasagna  

 

Nutrition Facts based on the "Big Boy" portion of 1/6 of a serving for a pan of lasagna

 

Buon Appetito!!!

So good.  Hope you have enough left-over for a 2nd dinner, or at least a lunch.

 

 

 

 

An Ultramarathoner's Best Power-Packed Plant-Based Whole Grain & Seed Waffles or Pancakes

 

Whole-Grain & Seed Power Breakfast Waffles or Pancakes

 

 

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On Saturday, Deb, an ultramarathoner and endurance athlete sent me the recipe for her favorite waffles & pancakes. 

I tried the recipe out immediately & we liked the waffles so much, that I made a second batch on Tuesday--working the kinks out of the recipe so I could share it with you.

The Lab Rat & I couldn't believe how delicious & filling these waffles were.  On Sunday, just one waffle kept me full & fueled for 5 hours & over 2 hours of exercise.  Had one for breakfast today with PB2 & berries--and I'm just getting hungry now--6 hours later.  That's something!

Thank you, Deb!

 

Here's what Deb emailed me:

 

My favorite breakfast!  

Features:

• Whole grains
• Whole foods
• Gluten-free
• Lots of flax
• Seed + Grain = Complete protein
• Spices, like cinnamon for improved insulin response
• Plant-based &  no chemical leavening
• No added-sugar

I ate one before a 25 mile mountainous trail run last weekend, and all i had later was a gel and a bite size snickers bar (yeah, i know, but it tasted good!) for the whole day...

Here's the recipe.......

 

The Breakfast with Big Benefits

 

For the many benefits of consuming oats & buckwheat groats click here.  Whole grains, protein, soluble & insoluble fiber, low-glycemic, gluten-free, steadies blood glucose, B-vitamins, increases nitric oxide production.  Need I say more?

Flax is fiber, lignans, & a fantastic source of plant-based omega-3's rolled into one package.  Read more about its benefits here.

As for pumpkin seeds, although I don't eat them regularly, they are loaded with nutrients.  Read more here.   Dr. Mladen Golubic, the Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Lifestyle Medicine rarely consumes nuts, but, pumpkin seeds are a different story for him.  They are a regular favorite snack of his, owing to their high nutrient-content.  Plus, pumpkin seeds are a snack he's eaten throughout his life.

 

Deb's Back Story

 

I first heard from Deb over 2 1/2 years ago--soon after she had started on the E2 version of a plant-based diet.  I figure that if a plant-based no-oil diet can fuel an endurance athlete--it certainly will work for mere mortals like us.  But, even with all those years of running Deb was never able to lose those extra pounds or belly fat until she switched to plant-based & no-oil.  That made an impression on me.  My exact same experience, too! 

 

Here are some bits & pieces of Deb's story:

"I am a 58  year old woman, and I have seen an amazing difference in the way I feel, and how I can train now. 

I was "mostly vegetarian" for a number of years, until switching to plant-based no-oil over 2 1/2 years ago.

However, even with running 50+ miles a week, and eating a healthy diet without a lot of processed foods, I could not lose weight or get rid of that blob around my middle!!  Looking back, I realize we ate refined flour in the form of pizza dough and in our "multi-grain" (but not whole grain) bread, and occasional crackers and bagels... and white rice.

Since switching to plant-based, my joint pain disappeared, other seemingly unrelated symptoms (dry eye, allergies, sinus problems, asthma and digestive issues) all went away!

  

I lost weight, about 20 pounds, got leaner, have more energy, I don't need as much sleep, I feel GREAT!

 

I am never hungry, I am able to keep training hard on this diet, and actually, am even running better than before (gotta be not lugging that extra weight around!) I love this way of eating!!

Of course, after only a short time on this eating plan, all of my numbers also dropped - cholesterol was 156 after only a week and a half, down from the 180's, and is probably lower now... blood sugar down, blood pressure healthier.. all good stuff!

And how many almost 60 year old women do you know who can regularly run 30+ miles, and race at distances of 50-100 miles?   I have gotten my hubby, also an ultramarathoner, off of almost all animal products, but with a great increase in good plant based foods... he even eats kale!

Even at my age, there are markedly positive results from changing to a healthier way of eating.  And maybe that's worth sharing - "it's never too late" sort of thing...

 

Waffles for a Week - If You Can Eat Just One at a Time

 

 

 Nine Golden-Brown Slightly Sweet Waffles for the Week

 

 

 

Peanut Butter (PB2) & Blueberry Waffles for a Protein Boost

  

 

 

Deb's Power-Packed Plant-Based Blueberry Waffles

 

 

I hope this waffle recipe will soon be your fave, too.

The recipe makes 9 medium size delicious-hearty-slightly-sweet waffles that can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to eat throughout the week.  They're perfect plain, with maple syrup, topped with blueberries, or even spread with 2 tablespoons of PB2  & blueberries.  

What's PB2?  It's defatted peanut flour (1.5 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons) that reconstitutes into a creamy "peanut butter" with just 2 tablespoons of water.  It's now available at Whole Foods & even my local grocery store. You can order a pound or more at a time through the company's website.  That's how we do it.

Without a topping, these make a very portable take-with power snack.

 

 

Power-Packed Plant-Based Whole-Grain & Seed Waffles/Pancakes

 

Makes 9 waffles=1/2 cup of batter

For a copy of the recipe on one page, click here: 

 

Ingredients:  

• 1 cup of oats (rolled oats or steel-cut)  I've used both. Rolled oats might grind more easily.
• 1 cup raw buckwheat groats  (buy in bulk at Whole Foods or Nuts.com We buy 10 lbs at a time)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds/flax meal
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds  (I use pumpkin seeds!)
• 1/4 cup raisins or currants
• 1 very ripe medium to large speckled banana
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Optional spices include: pumpkin pie, allspice, ginger, cloves, vanilla to taste
• 3 cups of unsweetened almond milk--or your favorite non-dairy milk.  Water can also be used--although I've only made this with milk.

 

Preparation:

1. Before you start, soak the 1/4 cup of raisins in about 1 cup of the milk needed for the recipe.  

2. SEPARATELY grind each of the grains & seeds in a power blender, like a VitaMix.  Emptying the contents into a large bowl after each one is ground.  Works beautifully--& this won't clog up your blender.  DO NOT try to grind everything together at the same time.  DO NOT GRIND or blend the raisins in anything--except the milk.

I'm sure a food processor will also work, but, I haven't tested that out.

NOTE:  Raisins or currants are too gooey & must be blended separately with the milk, or they'll get stuck around the blades.  Because the pumpkin seeds have fat in them, they don't grind up as "cleanly" as do the grains.

3.  Pour the remaining milk--2 cups--into an empty blender, along with the raisins & their 1 cup of soaking milk & the banana.  Add the cinnamon & nutmeg & mix until well-blended.

4.  Pour the milk into the bowl with all the ground up grains & seeds & mix until just smooth with a whisk or a mixer on slow speed.

5.  Preheat your waffle iron or griddle, if you're making pancakes.  I have a non-stick waffle iron, but I still had to spray it with Spectrum's high-heat canola spray before each waffle, or they stuck.  The trick for me was figuring how long each waffle took to cook & not opening the waffle iron until then.  Using 1/2 cup of batter, each waffle took 4 minutes to be done.  Larger waffles will take longer.  NOTE: I hear that pancakes brown up perfectly, without oil or spray, with a Scanpan.  I'm seriously ready to purchase their Classic 12 1/2 inch non-stick fry pan. 

6.  USE 1/2 cup of batter per waffle in order to make 9 waffles.

7.  Store extras in the refrigerator or freeze them.  Heat them up in a toaster oven for crispness.  Top with thawed wild blueberries or a fruit of your choice.  The Lab Rat insists on maple syrup.   I skip the syrup. For an extra 5 gram protein boost (45 calories), spread with 2 tablespoons of PB2.

 

Nutrition Facts based on making 9 waffles from this recipe.  

1/2 cup of batter per waffle or pancake.