Happy Healthy Long Life

Time Is Money - Economist Justin Wolfers Offers Advice on How to Spend Your Free Time Wisely. What's the Opportunity Cost?

 

"But the foundation of all economics is something called opportunity cost.

It says that the true cost of something is the alternative you have to give up. 

So each hour that I spend running (or blogging or gardening or Facebooking or watching TV) is an hour that I don't spend hanging out, working, or sleeping. 

How do I choose?"

  -Justin Wolfers, business & public policy teacher at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania-

 

"Stop Hitting the Snooze Button"

-Mel Robbins, author of "Stop Saying You're Fine"-

 

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

If you haven't yet checked out Happy Healthy Long Life-The Healthy Librarian's Facebook page, please do.  I post a lot of news I don't have time to blog about.  And you don't need to be on Facebook to look at the page.  Find the Facebook link in the upper-right corner of Happy Healthy Long Life.

 

I wrote the post you'll soon read below on a sunny day in August, 2009.  And it's still one of my favorites.

But, this Thursday morning was a gray, snowy, cold January 5, 2012.  I "made" myself get up early in the pitch black predawn darkness--out of a warm cozy bed (thanks to my heated mattress pad!!).

 

"Good Reasons to Wake Up Early"

I got up crazy early so I would have time to catch up on the news, eat breakfast (chocolate oatmeal), make a Green Smoothie, pack my lunch, pack my "librarian" clothes, and attend a morning super-tough weight class-- before going on to work--and then meeting-up after-work with three of my favorite gal pals for a "1/4" glass of wine, and a birthday celebration dinner at veg-friendly Indian restaurant.  Got home at 10:00 pm.

 

After-Work Birthday Dinner & Fun with the Gal Pals [over 240 years of experience here]

Sure--there are plenty of things I can't do because I choose to eat healthy, cook most of my meals (with the considerable help of "Lab Rat"), work, hang out with my friends, exercise religiously, visit my family every chance I can, and blog.   But, we all make choices every day.

My soon-to-be-28-year-old son's (#2) favorite quote is something like, "Gandhi says we all have the same 24 hours in a day.  How you spend it is your choice." 

I think it's a pretty wise investment to devote time to preparing healthy meals & to exercise.  Sure, I know how difficult it is to find the time--and establish the "plant-based shopping/cooking/eating & exercise habit".   But the returns on this investment are something money cannot buy:  improved health, weight-loss, increased energy, & a great mood!  Really.

 

Update:  Since writing this post in 2009 I've economized on the ways I fit in exercise, shop, cook--and spend my time.  Far from perfect--but, I'm always tinkering with the best ways to "fit it all in".  If your kids are still "in the nest", you have parents to help take care of, or you're a single parent--I know it's going to take a whole lot of creative time management to fit it all in.

 

The Economics of Time - How We Spend What We've Got

 Written August 26, 2009

Yesterday after work I planned to go to the gym, but I changed my mind.  It was 72 degrees & sunny.  I headed home, put on my workout clothes, attached the nifty radio receiver I have for my iPOD Nano & set off for an hour long walk, listening to NPR.

Marketplace Money came on with their series, Econ Fun-01--about what economists do with their free time.  Listening to Justin Wolfers talk about the "Time is Money" conundrum is making me do some serious rethinking about how I'm spending my limited "free time".

Look, we only have so much time in a day.  I'm at a big disadvantage right from the get-go because I live "way out" in the sticks--about a 45-50 minute commute to work--a 20 minute drive to where I work-out--a 30 minute drive from lots of my friends, my favorite movie theater, and decent shopping. 

But I love where I live--it's green and open and quiet and peaceful--and my house is paid-off.  Moving is non-negotiable for now.

I've got some other "time-user-uppers" that are also non-negotiable:

1.  I need 7-8 hours of sleep
2.  I try to exercise at least 5 days a week for 60 minutes
3.  Healthy eating takes lots of time to shop & prepare for.  I "make" breakfast, lunch & dinner, and I enjoy cooking.
4.  Work
5.  Weekend evenings are reserved for socializing
6.  If I want a good night's sleep, I need to just do something mindless after 9:00 pm, like TV, magazines, or book skimming
7.  I would never say "no" to an important activity or event involving family or friends 

Justin's hobby of choice is training for a marathon. 

My hobby of choice--reading about health & wellness, and blogging about it--is a huge time-sucker.  But I love it.  I love learning new things and taking the time to capture them on a computer.  I love the positive feedback from readers all over the world.  But, I have far too much to write about than I have time for and that creates its own stress.

And frankly, Justin is right!  There is an opportunity cost. 

1.   Less time to do nothing--don't discount that one.
2.   Less time to hang out with friends, or take long leisurely walks.
3.   Less time to organize & fix up my house.
4.   Less time to volunteer.
5.   Less time to sit on the couch & read an entire book.
6.   Less time to meditate.
7.   Less time to spend with my husband.
8.   Less time to work in my garden.
9.   Less time to switch gears & pick up a new hobby.
10. Less time to clean up my messes, organize my photos, or learn something new.
11. Less time to just talk.

We all have our hobbies. 

And we all have our time-wasters.  What can we cut out?  Or is it possible that some time-wasters are   mind-savers because they help us to wind-down & chill-out?  Facebook, Twitter, favorite-must-check-daily websites, ESPN, HGTV, sudoku, KenKen, garage sales, computer games, talking on the phone, texting, you-fill-in-the blanks. 

If the internet is your time-wasting addiction of choice, you MUST READ a recent article in Slate that shows how it adversely affects our brains, and why it's actually a most unsatisfying activity!  Seeking:  How the Brain Hard-Wires Us to Love Google, Twitter, and texting.  And Why That's Dangerous.  by Amy Yoffe.  Click here for the article.  After reading Amy's article I'm definitely curbing my laptop usage.  (Update 1/7/12): Yeah right!  Hasn't happened.)

Want to waste some time seeing how Americans spend their day?  Check out this interesting interactive graphic.  How are we spending our time?  (Very cool graphic!)

 

The problem: 

According to Justin: "And as I spend my hours slugging out the miles, I'm forced to confront my choices.  Instead of sweating it out on the trails, I could take on extra teaching and earn a few extra bucks.  And so going running costs me good money."

"The same logic applies to you.  Each hour you spend on your hobby you don't spend working harder to get a promotion, studying for a degree, or shopping around for the cheapest groceries."

 

According to me: "Or, each hour you spend on your hobby you don't spend with your spouse, friends, family, neighbors, getting your house in order, having fun or just plain relaxing."

So, am I going to keep on blogging, or am I going to give it up for more walks, housework, reading, Mahj games, and meditation?  Something to think about.  "I keep doing an activity only as long as it yields greater benefits than the alternative."

This "not having enough time to do everything" is a running theme for me.  It's my "Fighting Entropy" syndrome and I've written about it here and here.

Justin's Marketplace transcript:

If You Run the Numbers, It's a Good Time  click here
 

JUSTIN WOLFERS: I'm not just an economist, I'm also a runner, training for the Marine Corps Marathon.

Runners World magazine recently argued that marathon running is an incredibly cheap sport. All you need is a pair of shoes, and you're off and running. But they're wrong.

You see, they were emphasizing the out-of-pocket cost, which is small. But the foundation of all economics is something called opportunity cost. It says that the true cost of something is the alternative you have to give up.

So each hour that I spend running is an hour that I don't spend hanging out, working, or sleeping. How do I choose? Following economic theory, I keep doing an activity only as long as it yields greater benefits than the alternative.

And as I spend my hours slugging out the miles, I'm forced to confront my choices. Instead of sweating it out on the trails, I could take on extra teaching and earn a few extra bucks. And so going running costs me good money.

The same logic applies to you. Each hour you spend on your hobby is an hour you don't spend working harder to get a promotion, studying for a degree, or shopping around for the cheapest groceries.

By my calculations my 16-week training program comes at an opportunity cost of several thousand dollars. A quicker runner would have a smaller opportunity cost. It's only because I'm both slow and an economist that I fret that the world's cheapest sport is actually incredibly expensive.

But to an economist, the choice is still a no-brainer. We think you should only do what you love, and pay for it by doing what you are good at.

By sticking to economics, I make time for running. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars worth of time cleaning my house each Sunday, I hire a cleaner, who does a better job, at a better price.

When a friend asks me to help them move, I write them a check to pay professional movers instead. It's just more efficient.

And while it can be hard to forgo extra income for a long run, it is even harder to justify wasting that time on Facebook. And with the time that saves, I'm pulling on my shoes to head out for another run.

Justin Wolfers teaches business and public policy at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Finding Our Footing in an Unpredictible Financial Future - With Family, Friends, Food, a Little Fun, and Advice From Daniel Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

 Finding Our Footing - Balancing Between "Rain" Drops

 

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

 

Some New Business Before the Happy New Year 2012 Post Begins

 

I'm famous for procrastinating.  Just ask anyone in my family. But, last week I did three things I've put off for years--and they were all worth it.  Why had I waited so long?

Lesson learned:  Enough with the research. Just do it! 

• After 15 years of spinning (indoor cycling class) I finally shelled out the $40.00 to buy clip-on cycling shoes.  What a difference!  Why had I waited so long?
• After a year of procrastinating, dreading the learning curve, I took the plunge & went from a "dumb phone" to an iPhone 4S.  Even I could figure it out--and I love it!  Why had I waited so long?
• After a year of thinking about starting a Facebook page--I literally forced myself to "just do it!".  Thanks to a little help from my DIL & encouragement from Son #1.  Why had I waited so long?

Only a small fraction of you have found your way there--but, I'm really enjoying the conversation & actually "meeting" HHLL readers from around the world.  And you don't even need to be on Facebook to pay a visit.  I'm adding new information everyday--the kind of things I'm just not able to blog about--so please stop by--learn something new and join in the conversation.  Find me here (or in the upper right-hand corner of my blog).   

Something New - Please stop by & visit, whether you use Facebook or not.

Follow me on Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian's Facebook Page. Something new everyday--& you don't need a Facebook account to check out what's on the page.  

But, I'd love it if you'd click that thumbs-up LIKE Button on the top of page, and join in the conversation.

 

Goodbye 2011 - Hello 2012

 

It's the last day of the year.  We've just passed the shortest & darkest of days.  Today's going to be cloudy, cold, with rain & snow.  Who cares?  It's a great excuse to just enjoy a relaxing day indoors.

It's been another year of economic uncertainty.  Job losses.  Business closures.  House foreclosures.  Scaling down.  Uncertain futures.  Limited job prospects for new college grads who are saddled with unprecedented steep student loans. (NPR- 12/30/10 Young People Greet 2011 with Caution--what a downer!)  Serious family illnesses.  Unexpected gut-wrenching deaths.   It's a wonder how we all just keep-on-keeping-on.

But, it's also been a year of weddings, welcoming new babies to the world, delirious dancing, gorgeous giggling grandchildren, lots of hugs, graduations, starting new jobs, family gatherings, learning new things, hanging out with friends for an evening of cards and games, cooking with the family, and this list could go on and on.  

I like Phil Stopol's attitude--he's one of the "greatest generation", an 87 year-old who fought in World War II--and just celebrated his 61th wedding anniversary last week.

 

"Mr. Stopol explained that he could hardly believe he had ever served in the military; he had locked away that part of his life. “I’m someone who can remember 50 instances of good times,” he said. “I can’t remember more than four bad times.”  For the rest of his story, click here.  Phil Stopol

 

Many Things We Can't Control - Let's Concentrate on What We Can Control

 

And yet, I've spent a year writing about eating right and exercising in order to stay healthy, perhaps reverse illness, lift your spirits, and just plain feel strong and good.  What's up with that?

Here's why:  Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to each other.  When things fall apart for our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community--we hurt right along with them--as they do with us. 

There's so much we have NO control over.  But heck,  we can always control what goes into our mouths.  We can always control how much we move our bodies--yes, that's code word for exercise.  The way I look at it--it's a gift to everyone--and I mean everyone--when we can stay healthy, maintain a positive attitude, and have the energy to be present for those (including ourselves) who are hit by the uncontrollable curveballs that life always throws us--whether we like or not. 

Your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your friends have more than enough on their worry plates these days--they don't need to add you to the pile.  Do them a favor and take care of your health--it's at least one thing you (mostly) have control over.  And being in control of something, is the best mood lifter out there.

 

Daniel Gilbert:  As Bad as Things Get--It Always Gets Better--It's the Uncertainty That's Making Us Miserable

I'm a research geek--I own up to it. Dan Gilbert, is the well-known Harvard research psychologist who specializes in figuring out what makes us happy and what makes us miserable.  He's my go-to guy when I want an attitude adjustment.  I hope his words can put into perspective whatever current worries happen to be on your plate this year.

What Gilbert learned when his own life fell apart.  Or, how did he got into the happiness research business in the first place.

"Within a short period of time, my mentor passed away, my mother died, my marriage fell apart and my teenage son developed problems in school.  What I soon found was that as bad as my situation was, it wasn't devastating.  I went on.

One day, I had lunch with a friend who was also going through difficult times.  I told him: "If you'd have asked me a year ago how I'd deal with all this, I'd have predicted that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning."

The truth is, bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to.  That's true of good things, too.  We adapt very quickly to either."   Dan Gilbert

We're Clueless When It Comes to Our Own Worst Nightmares!

Think of your worst nightmare.  The loss of your spouse, financial ruin, the unspeakable stuff I refuse to even write, a life-threatening disease.  According to Gilbert, we're lousy predictors of our own unhappiness.  When the unthinkable happens, we somehow get through it.  He cites countless studies that show "a large majority of people who endure major trauma (wars, car accidents, rapes) in their lives will return successfully to their pre-trauma emotional states--and that many of them will report that they ended up happier than they were before the trauma."

 

How can that be?

For one thing, we change across time; the person you are when your are imaging what would happen if your nightmare came true, isn't the same person who ends up dealing with it first-hand.  We learn to adapt--we just get used to things. And thankfully, we have a built-in "psychological immune system" that helps us through the big negative events like job loss, or the death of a spouse.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well for the day-to-day insults, like car break-downs, and over-flowing toilets.  That's where we do lose it.

We're also great at rationalizing.  "It was a boring dead-end job, anyway.  If I hadn't gotten laid-off I never would have had a chance to go back to school."  "She never was right for me anyway."  We have exceptional talent in finding ways to soften the blow.

And then there's the "I'm not the only one" trump card.  If we've got buddies in the same boat--it's not so bad.  When you're the only one in dire straits, that's a different story.

 

What Really Makes Us Unhappy is the Unknown

"An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait.  That's because people feel worse when something bad might occur, than when something bad finally does occur.  It's the not knowing that is making us sick."  Daniel Gilbert

A University of Michigan study considered the emotional adjustment of colostomy patients.  One group underwent  permanent colostomies, another group had colostomies that might be reversed one day.  Six months after the operations, those who had the permanent colostomies were happier than those who thought they could have a chance for reversal. 

 

Why? 

"Because when we get bad news we weep for a while, and then get busy making the best of it.  We raise our consciousness and lower our standards.  We find our bootstraps and tug.  But we can't come to terms with circumstances whose terms we don't  yet know.  An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait." Daniel Gilbert

So, What Really Does Make Us the Happiest?

Here's what the research says.  Pay attention and invest your time accordingly.

Yeah, we do need money, but not as much as we might think we need.  If you're poor, a little money will absolutely buy a lot of happiness.  And yes, we do all need the basics, like shelter, food, and some security.  Those who think otherwise have never needed food stamps, been without health insurance, depended upon the generosity of family or friends, or lived for months on ramen noodles.  But, after $75,000/a year, money won't buy you much more in the way of happiness--at least that's what Princeton economists say.  Don't argue with me about that one.

 

"We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.

We know that it's significantly more important than money and somewhat more important than health.  That's what the data shows.  The interesting thing is that people will sacrifice social relationships to get other things that won't make them as  happy -- like money." Daniel Gilbert

Shopping for happiness? 

 

Take the vacation, make a great gourmet meal and share it with friends, see a movie, play games with the fam.  Forget about the expensive new couch or high-end car.   Hands-down, the research says, we get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods.  Read about one couple's experience living on way less.

 

 "Another way I follow what I've learned from data is that I don't chase dollars.  You couldn't pay me $100,000 to miss a play date with my granddaughters.  That's not because I'm rich.  That's because I know that a hundred grand won't make me as happy as nurturing my relationship with my granddaughters will."  Daniel Gilbert

When in Doubt, Do the Positive! - Advice from Jeanne Marie Laskas

  

 

In the February 2011 issue of Prevention Jeanne Marie Laskas shares some wisdom she learned from her mom--another tool to put into our 2012 Toolbox.

"When in doubt, do the positive."  This was my mother's favorite saying and a rule I live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  Jeanne Marie Laskas

Laskas goes on to share the story of one of her life's "not-so-big dilemmas".  She had a raging head cold.  It was snowing to beat the band, and she was comfortably hunkered down--on the couch--in her bathrobe.  She had no intentions of going out with her husband on that night to chaperone a Valentine's Day Dance for fifth and sixth graders. 

There was no way she wanted to get off that couch--and she knew that no one would blame her for staying home--but then her husband pulled that "Do the Positive" card on her, 

 

"When in doubt, do the positive.  Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."  Jeanne Marie Laskas

Of course, Laskas goes to the dance.  And it looks like it's going to be one big disastrous waste of her time. The kids aren't dancing--the boys are huddled in one group, the girls in another.

 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," my husband says.  He pulls me onto the dance floor, twirls me to the growls of Lady Gaga.  The kids are laughing, but then my husband does his Travolta spin, so I do a little hustle move, and soon the girls and some of the boys are out here with us, and the silliness of this night becomes a kind of freedom for us all.

The DJ "brings it down" to "Just the Way Your Are," and for the first time in more years than I care to count, I am dancing with my husband on Valentine's Day, cheek to cheek.

When in doubt, dance!"  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

That's exactly what I'll be doing tonight--this New Year's Eve 2012--dancing!  We'll be joining at least six couples at our symphony hall for a bargain-priced evening that includes a Broadway musical performance, followed by some rock-n-roll dancing, noisemakers, and a kitschy balloon drop.  So, we'll be dressed up and dancing tonight.  When in doubt--do the positive--dance!  What better way to ring in the the New Year?

 

When In Doubt - Do the Positive!  advice from Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother

The best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.  Daniel Gilbert 

 
"When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again."  Carole King (sung by James Taylor)

Sitting silently beside a friend who is hurting may be the best gift we can give.  Unknown

 

Happy New Year - 2012

Wishing You Health, Happiness, Love, Laughter, New Friendships & Learning Something New Everyday

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Round-Up: Book Club, Brunch, HGK's Plant-Strong Potluck, Fall Wellness Weekend, and Yoga for Back Pain

 

 

Healthy Girl's Kitchen Plant-Strong Potluck Extravaganza

 

Chef AJ was in Town & Cooking Up a Storm

 

Curried Caulifower, Chickpea, Sweet Potato Soup  (Who Made This Soup???)

 This Delectable Soup was a Crowd Pleaser--Here's the Recipe

Wish I Knew Who to Credit!  Mystery Solved.  It's Val the Librarian.

Bengali Curry of Cauliflower, Kidney Beans served on top of Chipotle Whipped Sweet Potatoes (My Contribution)  Recipe Here

 

Chef AJ's Thai Noodle Salad Deliciousness Loaded with Blanched Veggies

(Get the recipe here)

Jane Esselstyn's Tasty & Easy 4 Ingredient Barbecue Tempeh Pineapple Tacos 

 

Chef AJ's German Chocolate Cake 

 

Spicy Sweet Potato Italian "Sausage" Hash -  Served at Sunday Brunch (Get the recipe here)

 

It's Thursday morning--6:00 am.

I'll be leaving the house by 9:00 am and I won't get home until, maybe 9:30 pm.   Yup, I'm working late tonight.

But, before I leave home, I need to make breakfast, pack my lunch & dinner, & whip up a Green Smoothie.   (Here's what I packed: a green smoothie, a soy yogurt & berries, left-over Moroccan-Spiced Pumpkin Soup, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, & left-over Bengali Cauliflower Curry, of course)

And....before I leave home, I also need to tidy up the house a bit--and make sure the guest room is in "company order"--fresh sheets, enough blankets, blah, blah, blah.

On the way home from work I'll be picking up my friend Barb, who'll be sleeping over so we can high-tail it out of town before daybreak on Friday.   

So, where are we headed? 

We're off to Columbus, Ohio for the Fall Wellness Conference.  Remember? 

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Ralph Moss, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Ann Esselstyn, Dr. Janice Stanger, Chef AJ, & others will all be speaking---Friday through Sunday.  Six friends, and my husband will all be there.  And it get even better.  For once I don't have to pack lunch, or breakfast, or snacks, or anything.  Nada. There will be gourmet plant-based no-added-oil breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Yay!

 

Thank You, Wendy of Healthy Girl's Kitchen!

 

Before I head out-of-town, I just want to give a BIG THANK-YOU to my friend, Wendy, of Healthy Girl's Kitchen, for hosting the best plant-based potluck you can imagine!  OMG!  The most intersting mix of guests, the most creative dishes, and I barely had a chance to scratch the surface of all the dishes atop her kitchen island.

Thank you Wendy.  Thank you Chef AJ.   You're the best.

 

What a Week It Has Been

 

1.  Saturday night was my turn to host the book club.  What is it now--twenty years?   All plant-based, no-oil  and delicious.   French Lentil Chipotle Dip, Oil/Egg Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Bread, Moroccan-Spiced Pumpkin Soup, and I totally forgot to serve the Blood Orange & Raspberry Sorbert I had bought.  Oh, the book?  Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.

2.  Sunday morning was a vegetarian brunch at Myra & Rick's with the Friday night dinner group.  A gorgeous blue-sky 65 degree day--and an extra hour to sleep in.  So much fun & another food extravaganza.  I'm totally loving my riff on a Robin Robertson recipe from Vegan Planet. A spicy, sweet potato & yam, onion, red pepper, Field Roast Italian 'Sausage" Hash.  Perfect for brunch. Cooks up in a jiffy with pre-roasted sweet potatoes--and this is a 100% man-pleasing dish.  Trust me on this.  Click here for the recipe.

3.  Tuesday night was Wendy's Plant-Strong Potluck with Chef AJ.  The best part?  I got to meet a number of local blog readers who I had never met before Tuesday--didn't even know they were reading my blog.   What a wonderful group of interesting warm people.   The craziest part--it turns out that at least 4 of them also work-out at the community gym I've gone to for over 30 years. Another reader I met is the manager of a local library, and another lives almost down the road from me. 

4.  Food-Photo-Texting.  Son #2, the single-not-much-of-a-cook-omnivore-lawyer sent me two-texts on Sunday with food photos.  What?  Now, that's a surprise.  Must be rubbing off on him.  Home-made steel-cut oats with berries for breakfast, and an awesome sandwich of baked tofu, avocado, tomato, & spinach on Ezekiel bread.

5.  And the newbie granddaughter?  She gained 2.5 pounds in one month---Woo hoo, miss cutie.

6.  I made my own seitan barbecued brisket (from scratch, I'll have you know) and it was out-of-this-world.  Think barbecued brisket sandwiches for lunch.  (pictures & recipe will follow in another post)

 

 

7.  I'm now on a mission to make my own Field Roast-style Italian, Apple Sage, & Chipotle Mexican Sausages--so I can enjoy "wheat meat" sausages without the oil that's added into the Field Roast.  Anyone want to join me in this experiment??

8.  Lots of exciting new medical research in the news this week.  I really need a separate post to give you all the details of each, but here are a few of my favorites.  News we can all really use!

• Yoga trumps traditional medical care for chronic & recurring lower back pain.  This article appeared in last week's Annals of Internal Medicine 2011;155:569-578 and I definitely took notice.  But this wasn't just any yoga.  This large, well-designed 12 month British study employed an Iyengar-style yoga that was practiced at multiple study sites, where students attended 12 weeks of yoga classes.  The movements are careful and slow.   Instructor's make sure that the students' positions are correct, and they teach safe postures & body alignment, along with relaxation.  But, gee whiz!  Why were the researchers surprised to find out that in order to keep back pain at bay--the students had to keep attending classes & practicing?  All the students received a book of detailed postures & routines for home study, as well as a relaxation CD.  Interested?  Here's the good news:   the book & the CD used in this study will be available for purchase around December, 2011.   Go to this website for all the details.   Go to this link for 2 short videos that explain the results of the study, and the specific yoga techniques that were used. [4]

Oops--I've run out of time!  More on the medical news....later.

 

Medical Research that piqued my interest this week:

 

1. Al Mheid I, Patel R, Murrow J, Morris A, Rahman A, Fike L, Kavtaradze N, Uphoff I, Hooper C, Tangpricha V, Alexander RW, Brigham K, Quyyumi AA. Vitamin D status is associated with arterial stiffness and vascular dysfunction in healthy humans. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Jul 5;58(2):186-92.

2. Aronson WJ, Kobayashi N, Barnard RJ, Henning S, Huang M, Jardack PM, Liu B, Gray A, Wan J, Konijeti R, Freedland SJ, Castor B, Heber D, Elashoff D, Said J, Cohen P, Galet C. Phase II prospective randomized trial of a low-fat diet with fish oil supplementation in men undergoing radical prostatectomy. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 Oct 25

3. Heymach JV, Shackleford TJ, Tran HT, Yoo SY, Do KA, Wergin M, Saintigny P, Vollmer RT, Polascik TJ, Snyder DC, Ruffin MT,4th, Yan S, Dewhirst M, Kunnumakkara AB, Aggarwal BB, Demark-Wahnefried W. Effect of low-fat diets on plasma levels of NF-kappaB-regulated inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors in men with prostate cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 Oct;4(10):1590-8.

4. Tilbrook HE, Cox H, Hewitt CE, Kang'ombe AR, Chuang LH, Jayakody S, Aplin JD, Semlyen A, Trewhela A, Watt I, Torgerson DJ. Yoga for chronic low back pain: A randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Nov 1;155(9):569-78.

5. Zhu H, Guo D, Li K, Pedersen-White J, Stallmann-Jorgensen IS, Huang Y, Parikh S, Liu K, Dong Y. Increased telomerase activity and vitamin D supplementation in overweight African Americans. Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Oct 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's Life Like Cruising in the Plant-Based No-Oil Lane? 10 Days in the Life of the Healthy Librarian with all the Boring Details. We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends, Family, & Blog Readers. Recipes, Too!

 

Drawing by Robert Krulwich 

 

These Things I Know To Be True

 

 How Do You Change the Way You Eat?

1.  Get educated.  Here's a good start.

2.  Learn to cook food that tastes delicious.

3.  Do it day after day until it's a habit, and your preferences change.

4.  Find a support group of like-minded people to inspire you.  Habits are contagious.

-The Healthy Librarian-

 

 

How can we change our behavior?

"So, in seeing it differently the temptation is less. And the way we do that, as Aristotle understood years ago, is through habits.

We have habits of politeness. We have habits of self discipline. And you change your mind by changing your behavior.

Or as the Alcoholics Anonymous folks say, you fake it 'til you make it. And so by changing your behavior in small ways, that helps you control your impulses on the big things."

-David Brooks, interviewed by Diane Rehm on NPR about his newest book, The Social Animal, on Thursday, March 10, 2011-

 

 

Want to get really good at something? 

1.  Do it everyday!

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

-The advice of Malcolm Gladwell, Geoff Colvin, & Daniel Coyle, three authors who have studied success-

 

 

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

Today I really did plan to write my follow-up post to: "Fifteen Months Into the Esselstyn-Style Plant-Based No-Oil Way of Eating - The Healthy Librarian Spills the Beans - And It's All Good! Can't Wait to Compare Notes with Bill Clinton on Saturday"     That's  going to be the one with my favorite tips, tools, recipes, & pantry staples.   But, my brain wrote an entirely different post this morning while I was taking a Spinning Class.   So, that's what you're going to get.

Sorry--I'll start that toolbox post as soon as I get this one out!

 

 

The Past Ten Days, Cruising in the Plant-Based Lane

 

 

I'll be honest with you.  The hardest part of sticking to a plant-based diet is eating out with friends, or getting together socially with friends & family.  It's easy to "eat right" at home.  But, when you venture into the "real world"--that's when the challenges really begin!

In July 2010 Dr. Pam Popper, who runs the Wellness Forum, and is featured in "Forks Over Knives" said something that really made an impression on me. 

"The longer I stuck with the plant-based no-oil diet, the less awkward & easier it got for me, socially.  

Once my family and friends realized that this was more than a fad for me--that I was really serious about it--they respected it.  They stopped bugging me.

They stopped pushing nachos, burgers & fries, & cakes my way.  They made sure there was going to be something I could eat when they invited me over."    paraphrased from a conversation with Dr. Pam Popper

 

Pam's right.  Now that I'm over 15 months into living in the "Plant-Based Lane", things have changed.  A lot.  

So--sticking with this whole theme of "what's in my toolbox of tricks" that keeps me moving on the "almost" straight-and-narrow plant-based path, I keep thinking about how this past week played out.  How effortless  "my so-called diet" has now become.  Basically, it's a non-issue.

And it really is a group effort, because of all the support I get from you, from my husband, my co-workers, my family & friends, the research I read, and the Esselstyns.

 

Thursday, September 8, 2011  

 

1.  The plant-friendly party at work:  My friend and co-worker, Marlene decided to treat the entire library staff to a deluxe catered Mexican lunch.  She had recently been recognized for her outstanding work with a Caregivers Award that came with cash--and she generously shared her bounty with all of us.  

Where am I going with this?   Support from co-workers, silly.  Marlene made sure that 1/2 of the lunch included vegan enchiladas, guacamole, salsas, vegetables & rice--nothing fried, no meat or cheese or dairy, no lard.  She also included a gorgeous fruit salad for dessert--and a healthy chip alternative to the typical tortilla chips.  

She did not have to do this--but she did!  Sure there was a platter of fried foods with pork, steak, cheese, & chicken flautas, burritos, & tacos---and plenty of chocolate chip cookies--but, she made sure there was a healthy alternative.  Update:  everything was devoured--leaving almost zero left-overs.   Learn more about the healthy librarians with whom I work, here.

2.  A surprising phone call from my niece:  M. left me a voice mail message.  "I need to ask you something.  Call me."   OK--I had no idea what this might be.  Turns out, she had recently watch CNN's "The Last Heart Attack"--and it made a huge impression on her.  She was ready to change how she ate.  But...now she had a new dilemma.  Her baby's pediatrician strongly recommended she start her very healthy active--but slim six-month old on meat, now!  She didn't want to--what did I think?

3.  A text from my daughter-in-law:  "So excited you posted the Tortilla Soup recipe...I have been craving that.  I also got [your Son #1] to agree to watch Forks Over Knives & read Dr. E's book. 

 

Friday, September 9, 2011

 

1.  Inspiring emails:  I continually receive inspiration from people all over the world who share with me their success stories of renewed health after starting a plant-based no-oil Esselstyn-style diet. Nothing beats reading about someone else's successes!  Some had heart attacks. Some had multiple bypasses.  Some had stents.  Some just wanted to get off of the poly-pharmacy treadmill.  Some did it for prevention.   On Friday I received some special ones, that knocked my socks off--along with plenty of great tips for salad dressing recipes and where one can eat out "safely".  Like this link to a Dr. McDougall listing of "safe" restaurant suggestions--you'll have to do a lot of scrolling.

2.  Grilling indoors.  I ran out of propane for my grill.  Who knew that my grill pan would do an even better job?   As my husband took off to usher at our synagogue, he asked if I could grill some quick MATCH "Chicken" burgers for dinner.  Sure.  No problem.  I mixed them all up--took them out to grill--and darn it!  The propane tank fizzled.  And the spare hadn't yet been re-filled.  Now what?   Bingo!  I heated up my Cuisinart Green Gourmet (no-Teflon) Grill pan & those burgers turned out absolutely delicious.

MATCH "Chicken" Burgers, Sprouted Wheat Bun, Lab Rat's Homemade Pickles, Baked Squash & "Fried" Yukon Gold Potatoes

 

This recipe comes from an old favorite Perdue Ground Turkey Burger Recipe that I refused to throw out.  My husband, son #2, friends Cheri, Neal, and their college-aged son are also fans of these burgers.  

 

Grilled "Chicken" MATCH Burgers (has soy, gluten, & a smidge of canola--so they're not-Esselstyn-approved)   

 

Click here to find out more about MATCH

 

1 pound package of MATCH Chicken

1 cup of Ian's whole wheat panko crumbs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sweet red or green pepper

3 TBS worcestershire sauce (vegan or regular)

1 TBS dry mustard

1 TBS Dijon mustard

2 TBS ketchup (no/low sugar/salt preferred)

1 1/2 tsp. Bone-Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub

1 + teaspoon curry powder

 

Mix it all together.  Make six patties.  If grilling outside, put these in a grill cage (to prevent sticking) because they're very very low fat--or grill them inside like I did, using a grill pan.   Do not overcook--don't want to dry them out.

We enjoyed them on an Alvarado Street Sprouted Wheat buns, with some baked squash, "fried" Yukon Gold potatoes, & Appetite for Reduction Cool Slaw.

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's MATCH No "Chicken" Burgers (makes 6) Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 178 Total Fat 4.2g       Saturated Fat 0g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 444mg Carbohydrate 21.3g       Dietary Fiber 5.3g       Sugars 3.4g Protein 15.7g Vitamin A 9% Vitamin C 44% Calcium    7% Iron 19%

 

 

 

 Saturday, September 12, 2011

 

1.  One of so many 9/11 10th anniversary stories that touched me deeply,  NPR's Story Corps "Slain Priest, Father Mychal Judge--Bury His Heart, Not His Love".  A highly recommended short read.

2.  Oatcakes with San Marzano Tomato-Kale "Gravy".  Received an email from Mike in Louisville (a guy who appreciates really good food) along with a fabulous-sounding recipe to try.  Long family history of early heart disease, & his 48 year-old sister's heart attack motivated him to go Esselstyn plant-based. Lost 45 pounds in six months.  I'm trying his recipe for dinner tonight.  My friend Fran is going to give it to her amateur chef-husband to test-drive it in his kitchen, too.  We'll let you know!

3.  Eating out with friends.  Asian Vegan.   On Saturday night, 10 of us gathered at a local Asian restaurant that has a wonderful gigantic round table complete with a Lazy-Susan--perfect for sharing dinners.   Plenty of vegan options, here--including the new addition of Gardein chicken.  But, certainly no oil-free options.  I should have asked--I didn't.  Of the 10 in our group--6 ordered meatless.  The times they are achangin'!  But, four hours later--my stomach felt uncomfortable--and I'm not one to ever have stomach issues.  It stayed with me all night.  No big deal--but it was there--nonetheless.  The dishes weren't oily--but I'm sure they weren't oil-free.  Was that the reason for the stomach woes?  Bottom Line: Dining out with friends is always fun--and I'm glad there are decent dining options.  Next time I'll specify, "no-oil" please.  I've done it before--I'll do it again.

4.  The After-Dinner Birthday Dessert.  Gourmet Sorbet works!  After dinner we all went to the home of one of the couples in our group for a "surprise" 60th birthday dessert.  Cake, Jeni's  Dark Chocolate & Buckeye Ice Cream, Jeni's Poached Pear Riesling Sorbet, & fruit salad.   I passed on the cake.  I couldn't pass up on a small taste of Jeni's Dark Chocolate, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Poached Pear Riesling Sorbet.

 

Sunday, September 11, 2011

 

1.  Post-Spin Class Girl-Talk Update with My Plant-Based Spin Buddy, Ms. C.   I hadn't had a chance to catch up with Ms. C for awhile.  I was in a rush--but, Ms. C had way too much to share.  It was worth it!

• She's been eating Esselstyn-style plant-based for over a year, now.  It was high time for a new wardrobe.  She promised herself she would wait a year before buying new clothes.  "How'd you manage that?  Your clothes had to be falling off!"  I said.   "Well, I did buy a few things. But, yesterday was a big shop."   She said she had reached the point of no-return.   Her old way of eating was now history for her and her husband.  They feel way too good, know way too much, and their health has improved so much--that she knew there was no going back.   Ms. C started this diet to support her husband's health--she was average weight--and thought she was in good health.  But, her subsequent weight loss--and her new & improved annual physical convinced her--and her doctor, that she was on to something!
• Following All the Rules.  No exceptions!  If you have heart disease, diabetes, or weight issues you cannot eat walnuts, avocados, Larabars, dried fruit, probably no more than 2 or 3 pieces of fruit a day, or add fruit into a Green Smoothie.  Some of us can get away with this.  Or maybe we're just kidding ourselves. Others cannot. They'll gain weight & won't see all the blood sugar & lipid improvements they're after.   Ms. C, my husband, & I don't have heart disease--and seem to be able to get away with these "sometimes-but-not-daily" additions to our diet without weight gain or problems.  Ms. C's husband knows he needs to be vigilant--and follow the rules!  I'm just saying.....
• Eighty-Something Enlightenment after CNN's "Last Heart Attack"--Ms. C's 80-something in-laws are the poster-children for why you want to eat plant-based--if you get my drift.  To them there's nothing wrong with corned beef sandwiches, brisket, lox & cream cheese, & cheesecake.  They didn't understand Ms. C's & her husband's new way of eating.  Not at all.  That is--until last Saturday. They confided to their grandson that they saw Dr. Gupta's show, "The Last Heart Attack".    It was a light bulb moment!  "Ah ha!  Now we understand why your mom & dad are eating that way!  We're glad.  Good for them!"    And good for all of us that Dr. Gupta so articulately explained the benefits of a plant-based no-added-oil diet.

2.  Kitchen Lab Experiments!  Lightening up Healthy Girl's Kitchen Creamy Asian Dressing recipe.  Wendy of HGK posted a delicious sounding redo of a Creamy Asian Dressing that was made with a 1/2 cup of olive oil.   Her redo subbed 1/2 cup of almonds for the oil, plus it had some toasted sesame oil in it.  

Hmm.  I wondered how it would turn out if I subbed Mori-Nu Low-Fat Silken Tofu for the almonds--and then subbed toasted sesame seeds for the sesame oil.   I loved how my re-do of Wendy's re-do turned out.

It makes plenty, and I loved it on top of Wendy's chopped raw broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper & currant salad.  I also mixed in some 100% soba (buckwheat noodles), along with some teriyaki baked tofu--for one delicious take-to-work lunch!

 

No-Fat Creamy Asian Dressing with Chopped Raw Broccoli, Cauliflower, Currants, Soba Noodles, & Teriyaki Tofu

 

 

No-Fat Creamy Asian Dressing (based on HGK's Redux Recipe)

Makes 2 1/4 cups

 

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

1  cup of Mori-Nu Silken Low Fat Firm Tofu (in a box)

2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

2 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of mellow white miso

juice of one lime (2+ tablespoons of lime juice--more is fine)

6 pitted dates 

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, tamari, or Nama Shoyu

1/2 cup of water

Combine all the ingredients in your blender, Vita-Mix or food processor and blend until smooth & creamy.

 

Nutrition Information--based on 1/4 cup serving  (HGK's Redux is a big improvement over the 1/2 cup olive oil recipe, but it still clocks in at 80 calories per 1/4 cup serving, with 4.4 grams of fat--about 50% fat)

 

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian Creamy No-Added Fat Asian Dressing (1/4 cup servings) Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 42 Total Fat 0.5g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 380mg Carbohydrate 7.6g       Dietary Fiber 1.2g       Sugars 4.2g Protein 2.1g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    1% Iron 4%

 

 

 

 

 

The Chopped Raw Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad with Soba Noodles & Dressing

 (based on Gena's Choosing Raw recipe)
  

 

 

Serves 4

 

3 heaping cups of broccoli florets

3 heaping cups of cauliflower florets

1 large red bell pepper, finely diced

1/3 cup currants

2 cups of cooked 100% buckwheat soba noodles (mix in 1/2 cup per salad)

Dress with 1/4 cup of dressing per each serving

Optional topping:  diced baked teriyaki tofu--1/2 of the normal serving

Finely chop all the vegetables.  Mix together.  

To serve,  mix soba noodles into the vegetable salad.  

Top with dressing (1/4 cup per salad)

 

Nutritional Information for 1 serving of salad with Creamy Asian Dressing--soba noodles & tofu not included:

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Redo Raw Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad wt Creamy Asian Dressing (no-added fat) Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 129 Total Fat 0.6g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 420mg Carbohydrate 27.4g       Dietary Fiber 6.7g       Sugars 17.7g Protein 6.1g Vitamin A 36% Vitamin C 250% Calcium    6% Iron 10%

 

Nutritional Information for 1 serving of the Salad with Soba Noodles & creamy Asian Dressing (tofu not included)

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Redo Raw Broc & Cauli wt Dressing & Soba Noodles Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 229 Total Fat 1.1g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 423mg Carbohydrate 48.9g       Dietary Fiber 8.2g       Sugars 18.7g Protein 9.1g Vitamin A 36% Vitamin C 250% Calcium    7% Iron 13%

 

 3.  The Book Club's House-Warming Dinner--Plant-Based Options Galore.   After the salad dressing experiment I needed to quickly get into gear to prepare my Grilled Italian Sausage, Onions, Peppers & Rice Dish  to take to the house-warming dinner we were having at the new home of one of the members--scheduled at 6:30 pm.

I've long ago ditched the oil in this recipe--and substituted extra lemon juice---but this time I decided to cut that acid taste, & substitute Low Fat Mori-Nu Silken Tofu for the olive oil/or extra lemon juice.  

I liked it.   And so did everyone else--every speck of this dish was devoured--and I couldn't enjoy seconds. But, not to worry--there was plenty of other plant-friendly food to enjoy, brought by the others in the group.  

An amazing oil-free gazpacho, a green salad--luckily I brought along some of my left-over Creamy Asian Dressing--and a delicious cold fruit soup.   The only dishes I skipped were salmon, chocolate brownies, & M & M's.   And there you go--this group went out of their way to leave out any extra oil or cheeses from dishes, where they could--like the soups, salsas, & salad.  Click here, scroll down a bit & read about my previous unhealthy lavish book club spread.  (and make note about the Alkalol mention in this post, too--amazing stuff!)

 

Monday, September 12, 2011

 

1.  The Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.   Mary, the Librarian gives it a Big Thumbs Up!--says it's the only cookbook she's found that really has no-added fat.   Last week I finally got my copy of The Happy Herbivore.  I knew I wouldn't have a chance to do much with it, so I shared my copy with Mary--who took it home over the weekend.   She loved Lindsay's Cheddar Cheesy Sauce--served it over mashed potatoes--and brought some in on Monday for all of us to taste.  Not exactly cheddar cheese--but a delicious stand-in.  Mary returned my copy--and ordered her own.  Looking forward to cooking my way through this new cookbook.

2.  Pizza in the Pantry--my back-up plan.  Lab Rat was getting home late--and since I was the first one home--I did the dinner honors.  Thank goodness I always have all the fixings for pizza in my freezer & pantry.  Dinner on the table in 30 minutes.  Wasn't Lab Rat happy to find already cooked pizza when he got home at 8:00ish?   I've always got a stash of Sami's pizza crusts in the freezer, some Walnut Acres Low-Sodium No-Fat Pasta Sauce, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and  kalamata olives in the pantry, just in case!.  Get that easy breezy recipe here.

3.  My Sister-in-law left me a long voice mail message:  Diet's going great.  Not as hard as I thought it would be.  Only one minor transgression--no big deal.   Do you need some context for her message?  Click here

 

Tuesday, September 13

 

1.  A Vegan Pot-Luck Luncheon.   See how much has changed over the past 15 months?  Who could have predicted that I would be invited to a pot-luck vegan lunch given by a friend of a friend.  Wish I could have been there!  Looking forward to hearing all about it.

2.   My Sister Calls as I'm About to Leave Home.  "Hey, guess what I just bought?  Appetite for Reduction!"    Turns out, the first recipe she tried out was the Arabian Nights Lentil & Rice Soup.  click here for the recipe--and just scroll on down!  She & my BIL LOVED it!  She says her next foray will be the Buffalo Tempeh & Cool Slaw wrap.   Thank you HGK Wendy for turning me on to this recipe.  Just so happens to be my favorite.  I've made it at least 5 times.  Crazy that sis & I picked the same recipes to try out--we're like identical twins separated at birth!

3.  Nashville Fran calls to tell me her husband made some amazing lentil burgers over the weekend.  I want that recipe.  Her husband knows how to cook!

 

coming up Wednesday, September 14, 2011

 

1.  After work it's going to be Maj with my gal pals. We'll be lucky to get in three games with the way we like to talk & kibbitz.  We're going to be playing at a local restaurant that won't mind us taking up space for 3 hours--as well as someplace where we can get a plant-based dinner.   Who'd have ever predicted fifteen months ago, that this wonderful group of friends would now all be leaning in the plant-based direction?  Meet the Mahj ladies.

 

coming up Saturday, September 17, 2011

 

1.  Cooking up a special plant-based no-oil dinner to celebrate buddy Ken's milestone birthday!   Turns out the guests want to come early & help with the cooking!   Who could ask for anything more?   Well, maybe a glass of wine or beer to go along with the cooking.  Haven't planned the menu yet.  Anyone have some good suggestions for a celebration dinner?   Who's the birthday boy?  Seeing if you can figure it out?

 

 

I'm Serious!  Does Anyone Have a Plant-Based Amazing Dinner Party Menu to Suggest?  I'm All Ears!

Summer in the City - My Five Yes! Weekend. Healthy Girl's Kitchen Plant-Strong Pot-Luck, Friday Night Services, a Country Walk, a Book Club Talk, and an Island Bike Ride Adventure

 

My First "Yes" of the Weekend!  A Plant-Strong Pot-Luck Dinner at Healthy Girl's Kitchen/aka Wendy (photo by Wendy)

 

We get our greatest happiness from the experiences we share with our friends & family--not from expensive consumer goods.  "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends."  Spend your time & money wisely.   Dr. Dan Gilbert swears by this research-backed advice. 

What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy.  I say "Yes!"  to fun things to do, trips, visits, outings, meeting new people, and dinners whenever I possibly can--without making myself crazy by overbooking or overcommitting. 

--The Healthy Librarian, from "The Report Card on the Healthy Librarian's 2010 Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy - What's Working, What's Not, What's New for 2011?"--

 

"I have plenty of time for the things that are important to me.  Say, Yes!"

Gretchen Rubin of "The Happiness Project"

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here for the web version--lots of pictures.

Here's how my five YES! weekend unfolded...

 

On June 17th Wendy, of Healthy Girl's Kitchen emailed me:

Wendy:  "Is there any Saturday night in July or early August that you and your hubby are available to finally do this?...I know how busy you are this summer!!!!!!!!!"

Me:  Yeah!  Sounds like lots of fun! You amaze me, lady.  I can't believe this--but it really looks like the only free Sats. are next Sat, June 25, & then July 30.  Crazy.  

I wasn't going to miss this dinner!  When it turned out that we couldn't find a Saturday night to "Pot-Luck", Wendy decided to do it on a Friday night--July 15th to be precise!

 

And so began the first of My Five YESes for the weekend of July 15-July 17, 2011.

 

Weekend YES #1.  Better Than Any Restaurant!  The Plant-Strong Pot-Luck Dinner at the Healthy Girl's Kitchen/Wendy

 

My Contribution--Antipasta Salad on Crusty Whole Grain Bread (photo by Wendy)

 

Since I had to leave my house 2 1/2 hours before the pot-luck was scheduled to begin, silly me forgot to bring my camera.  What was I thinking?  

Thankfully, Wendy is an amazing photographer & took lots of great pics--so hop on over to her blog & catch them all!  Here, here, and here.

The evening was terrific--23 people--some I knew--some I had just met--and a kitchen island topped with the most amazing array of plant-strong oil-free dishes you can imagine!  You can't find this kind of deliciousness at any restaurant that I know of.

Bring together a group of smart, fun, healthy, energetic, interesting people--who are adventurous and excellent cooks--and you have all the makings of a memorable evening!

Thank you, Wendy, for graciously opening up your home--and hosting this wonderful evening--that I suspect will be the first of many to come.   You are the hostess with the mostest--and you sure can cook!

Wendy has written three posts that you won't want to miss.  Her photos are pure Plant-Strong Food P0&N--and she's generously posted all the recipes.

• Food P0&N--the Pot-Luck Preview Post
• Plant-Strong Pot-Luck--The Food Post.  This one has the main-dish recipes.
• Plant-Strong Pot-Luck--The Desserts 
  

 

My Insider's Review

Honestly, I loved every dish I tasted, but there was so much there, I didn't have room on my plate, nor in my stomach to taste them all.

Here are my favorites, the ones definitely plan to make at home:

• Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine) with Lavender Elixir, on ice.  Quinn's contribution?? OMG!  Beautiful & delicious.  I'm bringing a bottle of that Lavender Elixir to my friend Marge's home this Friday night, for her Half & Half Italian Pot-Luck.  Half Plant-Strong/Half Omnivore. 
  
• Jane Esselstyn's Thai Cole Slaw.  Spicy, creamy, crispy, a multi-layered crazy fusion dish.  We even made it last night for dinner--it's that good!  And BTW, this is really a-quick-to-fix-dish. The dressing would be fantastic on soba noodles with vegetables.  Wait--the slaw would work great with soba noodles mixed right in.
• Quinn's No-Oil Roasted Corn Chowder based on Terry Walter's Clean Food Recipe.  Fabulous, with fresh herbs from Quinn's garden.
• Toby's Thai Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce. Crisp, raw julienned vegetables wrapped up in Asian rice wrapper.  Oh my, so delcious.
• Wendy's Helluva Halavah Bitty Balls (Truffles) for dessert.  A sinfully delicious mixture of raw cocoa, raw sesame seeds, maca, date syrup, tahini, & more.  This comes from Chef AJ's not-to-be-missed cookbook & inspirational personal memoir, Unprocessed.
• Chef AJ's Disappearing Lasagna--made by Chris.  I've made this one at least 4 times!  A definite winner.
  

 

Weekend YES #2.  Go to Synagogue Services Before Wendy's Pot-Luck?  I Didn't Know That Wasn't on the Schedule!

 

Once a month my husband is a volunteer usher at Friday night services.  And he never misses--unless we're out-of-town.  He's that kind of guy.  Dependable.  Who knew that his turn would be the same night as Wendy's Pot-Luck?  Certainly not me!  Until the last minute.

Uh.  How are we going to do both?  No problem.  We can do this.  It just meant we had to leave the house two hours earlier than I'd planned.  Packed the Antipasta Salad in the cooler--and picked up ice on the way.  It was 90 degrees outside.

My YES #2 surprise.   My "reward" for adding "one more thing into this evening" was serendipitously reconnecting with my old friends, Shelley & Michael, who I haven't in seen in way too long of a time.   Get this--they don't belong to our synagogue--but there they were--on this particular Friday night. 

The other sweet surprise of the evening was running into Debra at services--and finding out she discovered my blog through her sister.  Lots of fun plant-based talk.  I'm always surprised by people who serendipitously discover my blog.

And we still got to Wendy's on-time.  Sort of.

 

Weekend YES #3.  The Saturday Morning Walk with Bonnie

 

This YES! came from Bonnie, not from me.  As I was heading to the grocery store on Friday, to pick up the fixings for my pot-luck antipasta--I called Bonnie.

 

Me: "Hey, do you want to walk on Saturday morning?"

Bonnie:  "Yes!"

As far as I'm concerned, a walk in the country with a friend is one of the pleasures of life.  Talk, walk, commiserate, sunshine, exercise, and the great outdoors. 

Thanks, Bonnie, for saying, "YES!"

 

Weekend YES #4.  The "Welcome to the Monkey House" Saturday Night Book Club

 

This Saturday night we talked about two short stories from Kurt Vonnegut's Welcome to the Monkey House. 

Here's the email I received:

"Let's read two short stories (total of about 25 pages) from Kurt Vonnegut's collection called Welcome to the Monkey House. The book should be easily available at your local library, or maybe it's on your own shelf.

Harrison Bergeron and Welcome to the Monkey House (the story) are both about government-mandated social engineering as viewed from the 1950's -- and I think they'll be interesting to consider in light of the political / social issues we're thinking about today.  And they are a fun read -- KV was a comedian by some people's measure."

 

My third YES! of the weekend was a  group "YES"!

If I've got my years straight, this book club will be meeting for nineteen years, this August, and that's because five couples continue to say, "YES!  Let's  keep doing this.  Let's set the next date before we start talking about the book."

And here we are, 19 years later--our kids are grown up--some of us now have grandchildren--and we're still meeting. 

We all appreciate the opportunity to stretch our minds, think, and discuss writing that takes turns being enriching, classical, enlightening, disturbing, emotional, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, or controversial.

Three months ago we decided to try something new.  Instead of just reading books, we're branching out.  

• Short stories
• Watch a movie or documentary
• Read in-depth magazine articles from the likes of the New Yorker, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, or the New York Times Magazine, etc.
  
• Speeches
• Whatever the host chooses

In May we read "Annals of Science.  The Truth Wears Off.  Is There Something Wrong with the Scientific Method?"  Jonah Lehrer.  The New Yorker,  December 13, 2010.

In July it was Kurt Vonnegut.

In September we'll watch a film festival entry,  and discuss it over dinner at an Indian restaurant.

 

Weekend YES #5.  Do You Want to Take Our Bikes to Kelley's Island on Sunday?

 

Kelley's Island - No Need to Travel to Martha's Vineyard for an Island Bike Ride

 

I told my husband that Bonnie & Bob took their bikes over to Kelley's Island on July 5th for a day-long biking adventure.  They loved it.  It's flat.  There are hardly any cars.  And it's a beautiful ride.  There's a nice beach, a cute town, and even an open-air Tiki Bar with live music.

He got right on the case.  Checked the ferry schedules.  Checked the weather for Sunday.  And said to me: "Let's go this Sunday."

I said, "YES!"

 

I Packed Our Lunch.  Hot n' Spicy Smoked Tofu (my new favorite) Hummus, Pickles, & Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches.  Cherries & Homemade Energy Strawberry Carob Energy Bars

 

We Loaded Up the Bikes - I Meant, My Husband Loaded Up the Bikes

 

The Ferry Ride Over

 

On the Ferry - Just a Fifteen Minute Ride to the Island

A Breezy Traffic-Less "Coastal" Bike Ride to the Beach

A Little Beach Reading - Chef AJ's Unprocessed & the New York Times Sunday Magazine

 

Enjoying That Picnic Lunch on the Beach

 

The Bike Ride Continues -The View from the Road

 

Good Thing We Brought Our Lunch - Here's What Everyone Else Was Eating at the Open-Air Tiki Bar

Heading Back to the Mainland

 

Picked Up Corn at the Local Farmer's Market

 

Strawberries, Too!

 

And Some Peaches

 

Left-Over Buffalo Tempeh Wraps with Cool Slaw & Fresh Sweet Corn for Dinner

 

A wonderful FIVE YES! Weekend!!! 

 

1.  Healthy Girl's Kitchen Plant-Strong Pot-Luck

2.  Friday Night Services with Serendiptious Reconnections

3.  Saturday morning walk in the country with Bonnie

4.  Saturday night "Welcome to the Monkey House" book club

5.  Sunday Kelley's island bike ride adventure

 

It hit all the right bases. 

Spirituality, Good Food, Thought-Provoking Discussion, Connecting with New Friends & Old, Outdoor Exercise,  Out-of-my-comfort-zone Adventure, and Alone Time with My Husband.

After 5 hours of biking in over 90 degree heat, I was fast asleep by 10:00 PM!  So, good sleep, too!

 

"I have plenty of time for the things that are important to me.  Say, Yes!"

 

 

 

The Fourth of July Homemade Wellness Weekend. Unplugged, in Nature, Un-Busy & Filling Up on Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter

 

Where Have I Been?  Follow Me Up the Mountain to Silly Ridge

 

"But the point is not how many things we have done or will do in a given amount of time; the point is how we do what we do. If we're rushed and frantic, we're too busy. If we move through our tasks with equanimity, patient and composed, we're not.

Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we're doing, we're always just doing what we're doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.

It goes without saying that if you've bitten off more than you can chew in a day, or in a lifetime, you'd better step back and change your circumstances, if at all possible.

--Norman Fischer, author of "Simple Yet Astounding Ways to Calm Down,"  O Magazine, September 2008--

 

 

On the Way Up

At the Top

 

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

Plant-based recipe alert.  It's been so long since I've posted any recipes--and boy do I have a lot of them to share--I try out new recipes every week.  And besides, my sister-in-law said, "Post more recipes!"   You'll find 2 recipes at the end of this post.  One is hers.  One is mine.

 

Unplugged, Un-Busy, Single-Tasking, & Smack in the Middle of the Deep Woods 

 

Yep, I was away again.  So, where did I go this time?   

Deep into the North Carolina/Georgia Mountains--visiting my sister-in-law & brother-in-law, and my Atlantan nephew & niece--stretching the 4th of July weekend into 5 days that turned out to be of "a homemade spa wellness weekend".   

But, I have to be honest.  Being away from home so often--especially after a travel-crazy May & June-- can knock me off balance, making me feel overwhelmed & edgy, even before I leave town.  And that "I've-got-too-much-to-do-&-not enough-time" feeling doubles when I return home. 

You all know what I mean--when you're out-of-town you fall way behind on everything that needs to get done at home & at work.   

But none of that happened this time!

Here's My Theory.  Do you all remember that post about Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter?   Sure you do--it was just 2 1/2 weeks ago.  Well, on this extended 4th of July weekend, I unknowingly nailed everything on that brain platter, every single day!  It chilled me out--and the light bulb went on!  The platter works. 

I "unplugged", I got a giant dose of nature, and traded in the "multi-tasking" for  Norman Fischer's "single-tasking" un-busyness.  I highly recommend it!  (here's what I'm talking about)

 

Here's how my vacation re-entry played out this time around.

We returned home at midnight on Tuesday night--and I hit the ground running before the alarm went off at 6:00 am.  Had to work on Wednesday.  Had to forage for food in my pantry & freezer.  My refrigerator was bare.

Then it was up early and home late--most every day last week.  But, I was still feeling energized and relaxed?  What's up with that?

• Certainly no time to blog last week--so I just let it slide.  Why stress about it? 

• My suitcase didn't get unpacked until Saturday morning.  Oh well.

• The boxes & piles of grandkid toys that filled all the free floor space in my family room didn't get put away until Saturday.  And why were awesome boxes of toys filling my family room?  A friend had generously dropped off a car load of stuff the night before we left town--so the piles stayed where they had landed until I had time to move them upstairs--on Saturday.

• The kitchen floor was starting to get super sticky--the laundry was piling up.  But, I knew I'd get to them in due time. They'd have to wait.

• Here's what filled up my free time last week.  I was co-hosting a wine and beer tasting bridal shower four days after I got home--so I was busy organizing, shopping, schlepping, & food prepping. (BTW--we all had a blast!) Plus a bit of prepping for a work picnic the following day.   And of course I had to bring something plant-based & oil-free for the picnic--my reworked "Bon Appetit" recipe for Rice Salad, with Grilled Italian "sausage," Peppers & Onions.   The recipe is here--but I ditched all the oil, & upped the fresh lemon juice!

• My week was not all work--and no play.   I fit in time to touch base with my sis, sister-in-law, kids, & friends, exercise, eat healthy & delicious food,  get to sleep on-time--and take Friday night off to catch Super 8 at the local theater.  Loved it!  It's a mix of ET, Night-of-the-Living-Dead & Goonies that's scary, suspenseful, & sentimental.  I screamed about a dozen times.  My husband hadn't a clue what we were going to see, and he hands-down loved this movie!

Believe it or not, nothing this weekend has felt like a hassle.  Really!  I'm trying hard to be a single-tasker, taking my time, & it feels so fine.  I was even writing this blog two hours before "Shower Time!"

Here's the thing!  Those five days away have taught me one big important lesson.

Now, the real trick will be to keep that lesson in mind when the going gets tough!

• Don't hurry.  Ever.  Take the time for each task as you do it.  Start with the must-do stuff--and focus on it.  Be here now!  Brooding & worrying about that too-long to-do list is counterproductive. Here are the Cliff Notes:  The Healthy Librarian Unplugged. Advice from the Experts: Heart, Brain, & Soul Fixes. And How to Go From "Crazy Busy" to a Zen-Like "One Who is Not Busy"

• Focus completely on what you're doing at the moment--whether it's work, reading, listening to a friend, or making dinner.  Do one thing at a time--and stop thinking about the next thing on your list.  Enjoy it. 
• Good sleep matters!   It will save you so much time in the end.
• Get a daily dose of that Healthy Mind Platter & make life easier on yourself.

 

Our North Carolina Healthy Mind Platter Days

 

Focus Time. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.  My Fourth of July weekend had plenty of time for serious kitchen experiments, reading the hard copy of the New York Times without any distractions, & Brendan Brazier's Thrive. 

 

Blueberry, Banana,  & Oat Company Breakfast Bake--Recipe Below

 

Stay-Tuned for My Lab Rat Husband's (& my) Experiments with Thrive's Pre & Post Exercise Recovery Drinks & Energy Bars!

Microwave Magic--Puffy Lentil Puppodums--Like Indian Tortilla Chips

 

Play Time. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.   This was five days of easy-going play-time, laughter, & adventure.  Any Band of Brother's  fans out there?  We tracked down the Currahee Museum--which commemorates the WW II training camp where The Band of Brothers got their start.

 

A Grown-up Game of  Doctor & Patient--My sister-in-law & niece had 30 minutes of fun trying to remove a deck splinter from my toe

 

Connecting Time. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, richly activating the brain's social circuitry.   Plenty of time to just hang out, walk, & talk with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, niece & nephew.

 

L-R: My Sister-in-law, My Husband, My Brother-in-law, My Nephew & Niece

If You're Walking--You're Talking

 

Physical Time. When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens the brain in many ways.  Serious daily hiking, & Hot Yoga on the deck--everyday!

 

 

My Niece--Our Bikram Yoga Instructor

 

Time In. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain.  Plenty of deck-sitting, just taking it all in!  Few distractions, no TV watching, with barely any internet or phone services available on this mountain top.

 

View from the Deck

 

Down Time. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.   We had no plans.  Nothing we had to do.  Nowhere we had to be.  We just hung out.  Relaxed & recharged.

 

 

Sleep Time. When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.  I've never slept better--except for a couple of dog-barking morning wake-up calls!  No need for air-conditioning.  Just cool mountain breezes coming in through wide-open windows.

 

Sweet Savasana

 

Let the Recipes Begin!

 

Blueberry, Banana, & Oat Company Breakfast Bake

 

 

 

Blueberry Breakfast Perfection.  This is the perfect recipe to make the next time you have houseguests.

My sister-in-law made it for us & I kept going back for more.   It was like eating a dessert.

 

Blueberry, Banana, and Oat Company Breakfast Bake

For recipe on one page, click here

Serves 4, generously

Ingredients:

2 cups of large flake rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup (or less) of walnut pieces lightly toasted (optional)

1/3 cup brown sugar (use less, or substitute a sweetener of your choice)

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), lightly toasted

2 teaspoons whole flax seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups non-dairy milk--soy, almond, rice, or oat

An egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg.  Mix 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of hot water.

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon maple syrup (option: increase this, & decrease the brown sugar)

2 medium bananas, diced

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (not thawed)  Note: we used fresh

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 C).

2. Use an 8 inch round baking dish--equivalent to a 2 quart capacity.   Lightly spray your pan if it's not silicone, or non-stick.   Note:  an 8 inch square pan can also be used--see notes at the end.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, walnuts, brown sugar, pepitas, flax seeds, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Set aside.

4.  In another bowl, whisk together the milk, the egg subsititute (flax meal & water), vanilla, and maple syrup.  Set aside.

5.  In the prepared baking dish, spread the diced bananas in an even layer, then scatter the blueberries over top.  Pile the oat mixture to cover the fruit, but do not pack too tightly.  Carefully pour the wet milk mixture over the oats; it will look as if there is too much liquid, but don't worry, it will be absorbed during baking.

6.  Sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon & a few chopped walntus, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the oatmeal is puffed and set, with a golden brown top.

7.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and then enjoy.

Notes:  Re the measurements--the fruit just needs to completely cover the base of the baking dish.  Adjust quantities to suit your baking dish. 

An 8 X 8 inch square baking dish can be used in place of the round--the oatmeal will be crisper.

 

 

Thai-Style Coconut Soup

 

Thai-Style Coconut Soup

 

I randomly picked this recipe out of Robin Robertson's fabulous Vegan Planet--and boy was it ever a winner.  It comes together quickly & makes an easy quick-cooking dinner.  I highly recommend this cookbook--which is easy to modify to no-added-oil.

We shared 2 bowls of this yummy soup with our friends when they dropped off the toys--and I made another batch a week later in North Carolina.   Big thumbs up from everyone who tasted this easy-to-do recipe.

No need for lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, or galangal.  Robertson thankfully uses easy-to-find substitutes.  I just upped the tofu--to make it heartier--and used my favorite "faux coconut milk". 

How to make no-fat coconut milk:  

1 tsp of coconut extract (or start with 1/2 tsp. & taste first) to 1 cup of regular (not light) unsweetened soy milk, or hemp milk, or whatever non-dairy milk you like. 

Use this same ratio (1 tsp. to 1 cup--1/4 tsp to 1/4 cup) of extract to milk whether you're making more or less coconut milk.  I prefer soy milk when making faux coconut milk--4 grams of fat per cup give it a creamier texture.

Note: 1 can of real coconut milk is 14 ounces.   Mix 14 ounces of "milk" with 1 3/4 tsp of coconut extract (more or less to taste)

I ditched my Durkee's artificial coconut extract when I spotted this natural blend, Silver Cloud,  at Whole Foods a few months ago.  It's pricey--but it's also a large bottle.  Click on Silver Cloud if you can't find this locally.   Get the Silver Cloud coconut extract!

 

Thai-Style Coconut Soup

For recipe on one page, click here

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 shallots, minced

2 cups of thinly sliced white mushrooms  (I used more--16 ounces)

3 cups of vegetable broth

1 1/2 tablespoons of peeled & grated ginger

2 tablespoons of tamari or other soy sauce

1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar or natural sweetener of your choice

1 teaspoon Asian chili paste, or to taste (a must ingredient!)

14 ounces of Faux Coconut milk  (mix 14 ounces of regular non-dairy milk--I prefer soy milk--with 1 3/4  teaspoons of coconut extract.)  The Silver Cloud natural extract works best!

14 ounces of extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, & cut into 1/4 inch dice

Juice & grated zest of one good-sized lime (no teeny-tiny ones)

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro for a garnish

 

Preparation:

1.  Heat up a non-stick pan, & add the shallots.  Add a little water or vegetable broth if they start to stick--to deglaze the pan.   Cook the shallots until tender, about 5 minutes.  

2.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.

3.  Stir in the vegetable broth, ginger, tamari, brown sugar, and chili paste and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

4.  Stir in the "faux coconut milk", tofu, lime juice & zest, and lemon juice, and simmer until the flavors have blended and the soup is hot, about 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.

5.  Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro.

 

Puppodums

 

 

 Find these in plain or spicy flavors in the Asian/Indian section of the grocery store.  They're widely available.   Amy Cramer introduced me to these super-easy snack/appetizer treats more than a year ago.

Just pop them one-at-a-time into the microwave & cook for 40-60 seconds, depending on your microwave & voila, you have a beautifully crisped giant lentil chip.

We served them with jarred chutney & hummus.  Also try them with Trader Joe's pre-cooked French lentils, mixed with mango or tamarind chutney.

4 giant puppodums are just 80 calories--0 fat (translation, less than .5 gram of fat)--but, the ingredients list as:  black gram bean flour, salt, raising agent, lime, spices, rice flour, & sunflower oil--which may be a deal-breaker for some!

4 puppodums contain: 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, 70% of daily calcium, & 8% of daily iron, and a whopping 720 mg of salt--maybe another deal-breaker for some.

 

Anyone else ever feel overwhelmed by travel & vacations?

What kind do you prefer?  An R & R vacation or a see-and-do everything one?

 

 

Brain Food: Rock & Siegel's Healthy Mind Platter of the Seven Essential Daily Activities for Maintaining Well-Being

 

Brain Food: The Seven Ingredients for Mental Well-Being

 

"[I]t seems we've entered an ERA of OVERWHELM. 

A time when too many people's mental well-being is being stretched through multi-tasking, fragmented attention and information overload.

The trouble is, we are short on simple, clear information about good mental habits.

Few people know about what it takes to have optimum mental health, and the implications of being out of balance.

Without good information about the mind and brain, we may be stretching ourselves in ways that may have bigger implications than poor eating habits."

-Dr. David Rock, the executive director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, writing for the Harvard Business Review blog, "Maintain Your Mental Well-Being"

 

 

Click here to go to the web version if you received this via email.

Every now & then I read something that's so wise, yet so simple--that rings true to my own experiences--that helps me to better understand my everyday reactions & feelings--and then gives me clear directions on how to make positive change happen in my life.

That's exactly what discovering Dr. David Rock & Dr. Daniel Siegel's, "Healthy Mind Platter"  has done for me.  Riffing off of the USDA's brand new Choose My Plate  recommendations for a healthy diet--Rock & Siegel have incorporated the latest neuropsychological research to visually share with us the 7 daily  activities needed for  "good mental nutrition."  

Sometimes you just have to hear common sense advice from an "expert" to really believe it!

 

• Ever notice how cranky, impatient, & fuzz-thinking you feel after a night of too-little sleep?
• Is there any comparison between a long walk & heart-to-heart talk with a close friend versus connecting via emails, texts, or phone calls?
• What about all those constant interruptions at work--or at home--when you're trying to complete a project that takes a lot of mental focus?  The emails, phone calls, barrage of questions, comments, and the daily work chatter.  Can anyone really concentrate in a cubicle office?  What about the sheer joy you feel when you're so focused on a project that you completely lose track of time?
• And how often do you allow yourself the luxury of 100% do-nothing piddle around unscheduled time at home?   Rarely--I'm guessing.  Whoever just sits on a park bench, their couch, or in their backyard--or drives in their car or "ambles about"-without being connected or plugged into something that takes up all their attention--like the radio, an iPhone or iPod, a cellphone, a laptop,  a book/magazine/newspaper, or a companion?  I'm talking about 100% quiet time to just think or reflect.  No one I know.

This is a topic close to my heart--and one that I've written about often.  How can we find the right balance between purposeful work, family, friendships, self, obligations, & health?  How do we fit everything into our lives without making ourselves crazy busy, unfocused, stressed out, feeling put-upon, or unhealthy?

What can we cut out?  What should we add in?

 

Rock & Siegel's Seven Essential Mental Activities for Optimum Mental Health

 

"This platter has seven essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health in daily life. These seven daily activities make up the full set of 'mental nutrition' that your brain needs to function at its best.

By engaging regularly in each of these servings, you enable your brain to coordinate and balance its activities, which strengthens your brain's internal connections and your connections with other people."

 

The seven essential mental activities are  (click here to go to Rock's full blog post):

 

Focus Time. When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, taking on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.

Play Time. When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, which helps make new connections in the brain.

Connecting Time. When we connect with other people, ideally in person, richly activating the brain's social circuitry.

Physical Time. When we move our bodies, aerobically if possible, which strengthens the brain in many ways.

Time In. When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, helping to better integrate the brain.

Down Time. When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, which helps our brain recharge.

Sleep Time. When we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.

 

Consider this, folks!  Four of the activities essential to mental health involve No Purposeful Action!  That's right--to feel our best we need to carve out daily time to wind down, chill out, play, & sleep!  All activities that aren't goal-oriented.

 

Big thanks to my daughter-in-law who emailed Rock's HBR Blog post to me yesterday--at work--completely interrupting my focus (just kidding!) 

Apologies to all of you if this is "old news"--the HBR post came out on June 3, 2011.

As for me, it's totally liberating to learn that Down Time "doing absolutely nothing,"  Time In  "taking time out to just sit quietly & think", Play Time, and Sleep Time are as important to my well-being as are healthy food, exercise, purposeful work, and friendships.  Doing nothing will never more be considered  a "guilty pleasure"--it's an essential one!

And it's so validating to learn that what I know in my heart to be true for me: Focus Time, Connection Time, & Exercise Time are all key players for happiness & well-being.

 

 

What's your opinion of the Essential Seven?

Any tips on how to make time for them all?

Do you agree or disagree with Essential Seven?

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian Unplugged. Advice from the Experts: Heart, Brain, & Soul Fixes. And How to Go From "Crazy Busy" to a Zen-Like "One Who is Not Busy"

 

 

 

 

Protecting Your Heart (& Brain): The One Lecture You Must Watch

 

 

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

When I heard Dr. Steven Nissen's lecture  two months ago I was stunned.  I couldn't stop talking about it to anyone who would listen.  

Nissen's eye-opening talk on intravasclar ultrasound, atherosclerosis, and reversing heart disease with high-dose statins didn't spend too much time discussing diet or lifestyle changes.  But it certainly convinced me that I was on the right path--to keep on eating a plant-based no-added-oil diet, and to keep on exercising. 

Why?  Because, the inarguable evidence we now have from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) demonstrates how very low LDL levels can absolutely make a difference in stopping the progression of atherosclerosis--ultimately reversing it.

Nissen, who is the chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, is one of the top & most respected cardiologists in the country.  When reporters want an opinion about anything related to heart disease, he is the go-to expert. 

What he has to say--and what his power points demonstrate--will convince you that our diet & lifestyle is highly atherogenic--that most of us already have coronary (and/or cerebrovascular) atherosclerosis--in spite of the fact that the majority of us would probably pass a stress test or have normal angiograms.

• 68% of men & 42% of women who have myocardial infarctions will have less than a 50% stenosis (narrowing) in their coronary arteries--and have no prior symptoms, until an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures from within their arterial wall.  To understand how this can happen, click here.
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), is a diagnostic technique that's able to measure the arterial plaque within the arterial wall, as well as the opening (lumen) of the artery.  It's used primarily in clinical studies, not for "regular" patients--because it's costly, time-consuming--and involves risk. But, it has completely changed our understanding of how coronary artery disease occurs--and more importantly, how its progression can be stopped, reversed, and prevented.
• Cardiovascular disease (as well as carotid & renal vascular disease) is NOT a disease caused by the narrowing of the arteries. 

The opening (lumen) of an artery can even look perfectly normal--because this isn't a disease of the lumen--it's a disease of the vessel wall--and angiograms & stress tests cannot pick up what's going on inside the artery's wall.   It's all about that ever-present atherosclerotic plaque embedded inside of our vessel walls.

I'll say it again!  Over half of the time this "Tim-Russert-kind-of-disease" of the vascular wall will not show up on a stress test or be seen on an angiogram--and often it won't cause angina or any other symptoms.  Your cholesterol numbers might even be in the normal or high normal range--not  high enough to warrant more than a low or medium dose of statins. 

With standard diagnostic tools you won't have a clue about what's going on inside of your blood vessels.  And besides, if you don't have angina or serious symptoms--you're never going to have a diagnostic test, anyway.

• Stents & bypasses won't stop the disease--they'll just get you out of a crisis.  And the typical normal dose of statins can only reduce cardiovascular disease by one-third.
• How did we get into this mess?  Blame can be placed squarely on our diet and lifestyle.

Sorry that the video of Dr. Nissen's lecture is no longer available. If it were, I'm certain you would come to one of three conclusions:

• You'll want to take the highest dose of statins your body can tolerate in order to prevent heart disease or stroke--which isn't going to be an easy thing to do, because no physician would likely prescribe such a high-dose of statins just for primary prevention.  And evidence continues to mount of increased side effects the higher the dosage, the longer one is on statins, & the older one's age. 

And after watching the lecture, if you're now wondering about the possible side effects of taking high-dose statins, read "What the Experts Say About the Side Effects of Statins.  What are They?  What Causes Them?  Who is Most at Risk?  How are They Treated"

• You'll just give up thinking about all this prevention, plaque, heart disease & stroke stuff--eat whatever you want to eat, take what the doc prescribes, and let the chips fall where they may.  You'll probably end up with some level of heart disease, peripheral artery disease, vascular dementia, or renal artery disease, because the cure seems worse than the disease.
• You'll decide to change your diet from one that's atherogenic & slowly killing you, to one that's plant-based-with-no-added oil, because it will do exactly what the highest doses of statins will do without the side effects.

If by now I've convinced you to listen to what Dr. Steven Nissen has to say, just click here, and plan on spending one hour learning something that many physicians might not be aware of.  And please get back to me--let me know what you think, and what you plan to do about it.   You all know what I've decided to do!

 

Protecting the Brain & the Soul.  Unplugging with a Shot of Nature

 

Son #2 doesn't spend much time surfing the net--and he rarely forwards articles. 

So, when he sent me this one last summer I definitely paid attention: Your Brain on Computers: Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain.  It's no coincidence that he also loves to backpack & spend as much free time as he can outdoors.  And since my kid knows that I'm fascinated with brain science--this article was right up both of our alleys!

Here's the story:

Last May five neuroscientists headed into a remote canyon region of southern Utah for a rafting trip and some hands-on evidence-based brain research--on themselves.  They wanted to find out what happens to your brain when you completely unplug from the world.  No phones, no computers, no watches, no devices of any kind.

What the wanted to find out first-hand:  Would you notice any changes to your brain or thought processes if you could immerse yourself in nature, really disconnecting from distractions, technology, constant interruptions, and your work, of course.  

• Would your focus and attention improve & sharpen without the usual distractions? 
• Would thoughts deepen, if noise & interruptions could disappear? 
• Is nature & silence restorative? 
• Or would you just feel even more anxious if you're cut off from your work, your techno gadgets--and your everyday world?

Starting out, two of the group were believers in the value of escaping into nature--unplugging--and resting the brain.  The other three were skeptics--joined at the hip to their digital devices--and doubtful that the trip would affect them personally or scientifically.

 

"It was a primitive trip with a sophisticated goal:  to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects.

It is a trip into the heart of silence--increasingly rare now that people can get online even in far-flung vacation spots.

By extension, some scientists believe heavy multi-tasking fatigues the brain, draining it of the ability to focus.

As they head down the tight curves the San Juan has carved from ancient sandstone, the travelers will, not surprisingly, unwind, sleep better and lose the nagging feeling to check for a phone in the pocket.

[Dr.] David Strayer, the trip's organizer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, says that studying what happens when we step away from our devices and rest our brains--in particular, how attention, memory, and learning are affected--is important science.

"Attention is the holy grail,"  says Strayer.

"Everything that you're conscious of, everything you let in, everything you remember and you forget, depends on it."

[Just the expectation of email or receiving new information seems to be taking up our working memory.] 

Working memory is a precious resource in the brain.  The scientists hypothesize that a fraction of brain power is tied up in anticipating email and other new information...

"To the extent you have less working memory, you have less space for storing and integrating ideas and therefore, less to do the reasoning you need to do,"  says [Dr.] Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois.

"There's a real mental freedom in knowing no one or nothing can interrupt you," says [Dr.] Todd Braver of Washington University. 

When he gets back to St. Louis, Braver plans to focus more on understanding what happens to the brain as it rests.  He wants to use imaging technology to see whether the effect of nature on the brain can be measured and whether there are the other ways to reproduce it, say through meditation.

--Your Brain on Computers: Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain, by Matt Richtel, New York Times, August 15, 2010--

 

On Wednesday I'm starting out on my own journey that will disconnect me from my computer and cellphone.  

Neither will get plugged back in until almost mid-June.

It's not exactly a backpacking trip or a silent meditation retreat--but I'll be visiting far-flung places.  The first leg starts with a 20 hour road trip to celebrate & attend son #2's graduation--and then my husband & I will embark on multi-leg journey that's a pre-celebration of our 40th anniversary.  

As soon as we return home, three of our favorite houseguests will have already arrived at our house--our #1 grandson, son #1, and daughter-in-law #1.  Oops--I better thoroughly clean the house & get the bedrooms ready before I leave.

So...I've made the executive decision to leave my computer, my phone, and my blog behind for 3+ weeks and enjoy every moment of this wonderful month with my full attention--minus any distraction.

 

Learning to Let Go of "Crazy Busy"

 

I'm great at making myself crazy when I think I have too much to do. 

You know what I mean.  All that planning in your head that goes into preparing for a long trip.  I'm not a "just show up & fly by the seat-of-my-pants kind of gal".   I wish I was.

I'm the worst combo: a procrastinator who is also an "over-preparer"--who doesn't want to miss out on anything.  Ugh!  Turning easy into complicated is not a good thing--but I'm so good at it!  I think too much--and then try to do it all at the last minute.

• Researching the destinations--planning what I'm going to see & how to get there.
• Buying the luggage (the old ones are too heavy), the comfortable walking shoes, the bathing suit (the old one is now too big), figuring out what to pack for every possible circumstance, the foreign currency, and all those little details necessary for travel
• Planning a celebration-graduation-Friday-night dinner for son #2--Thanks to Eli, this one's going to be easy and amazing!
• Fitting in all the pre-trip chores into my all-ready jammed-packed schedule
• While also planning summer visits to North Carolina, Chautauqua, Boston, a family trip to Kentucky, and a July wedding shower.   It's going to be a very busy summer!  OK, I admit it--these all turned out to be easy-to-plan-events and I had plenty of help from others.  It was just the "thinking about them"--and the procrastinating that made them seem so much harder than they were--and drove me crazy.

So it was perfect timing as I tried to fit in one last "before I leave" blog post that thoughts of Norman Fischer serendipitously flew into my head.   Really. 

I reread (and you can, too!) my October 25, 2008 Norman Fischer post about how to calm down when you think your too darn busy.  And honestly, it worked.

 

First Posted:   October 25, 2008 

Serendipitous Saturday--Finding Norman Fischer's Simple Yet Astounding Ways to Calm Down

 
Photo: Olaf Gunderson


The Definition of Serendipity: A Seeming Gift for Finding Something Good Accidentally

This morning, through a circuitous route I accidentally found my way to a blog that linked to Norman Fischer, the very wise Jewish Zen master from whom I learned to meditate over 3 years ago.

Norman is the person who gave me: The Best Advice You Can Ever Give Your Grown-up Kids.  It was the subject of one of my earliest posts. You can read that post here.  And he was the one who taught me a Meditation for Dummies technique I blogged about here.

So here's the serendipity part.  I always have things I want to write about--too many.  The problem is, it takes a lot of time to put thoughts to paper (or rather--to computer) and frankly, I've got lots of other stuff to do today.  Like plant flower bulbs, put away my laundry, call my aunt, go for a walk, bake cookies for the new neighbors and hang-out with my husband. I've been mulling over writing posts on multi-tasking; strategies from positive psychology to get through tough economic times; yoga as medicine; and lessons from cultures with lots of centenarians & so on.

So, to continue.  I get to the Norman Fischer link.  It takes me to his newsletter where I learned that Norman not only has a new book out: Sailing Home, but he wrote an article in the September 2008 issue of O Magazine (as in Oprah), called  "Simple Yet Astounding Ways to Calm Down".

As with everything related to Norman, the article is wise, kind, thoughtful, and easy to read.

Forget about reading anything I have to say about multi-tasking, getting through tough times, yoga & longevity.  Read Norman's article!  It's all right there.

And by the way, even though Norman advises against giving advice to grown-up kids, in this case I disagree.  So, Son #1, Son #2, Daughter-in-law #1, if you are reading this, I know you guys are crazy busy.  I hope you have a chance to read Norman!  It will serve you well.

Simple Yet Astounding Ways to Calm Down

Norman Fischer
appearing in O Magazine, September 2008

Illustration: Jillian Tamaki

 

"If you're so crazed that you have to pencil in time for a deep breath, here's how to become more relaxed—and efficient—in less than a minute. All together now: Ahhhhh…

You keep a to-do list, but you can't get through it by the end of the day, and you're frustrated because you feel like you haven't been able to get enough done. You find that things take longer than you thought they would. And when people ask how you are, "Fine" has been replaced by "Too busy."

Welcome to the "too busy" club.

In this technology-driven world, we can do more, so we do—and we love it. We feel effective and powerful as we check items off our lists and use our cell phones, BlackBerrys, and computers, sometimes all at once. We're multitasking, doing as much as we can in the least amount of time. We're active, creative, and engaged! In demand! Being too busy makes us feel as though we're making an impact.

On the other hand, feeling too busy drives us crazy. Falling ever further behind as the to-do list relentlessly grows (each item generating many more items almost as fast as we can think of them) is nerve-racking and stressful. We begin to feel like prisoners of the list, prisoners of our lives and our desires, prisoners of time. There just aren't enough hours in the day. It's as if we're doing battle with time—and losing.

But the point is not how many things we have done or will do in a given amount of time; the point is how we do what we do. If we're rushed and frantic, we're too busy. If we move through our tasks with equanimity, patient and composed, we're not.

In the Zen Buddhist tradition that I've been practicing for many years, there's a story that illustrates this point: A monk is sweeping the temple grounds. Another monk comes by and says, "Too busy!" The first monk replies, "You should know there is one who is not too busy."

Our sweeping monk may have been moving quickly, and so he looked "too busy" to his brother monk. But inside—in his mind—he wasn't busy. In the midst of his vigorous activity, he was in touch with "the one who is not busy."

Most of us judge how busy we are by how much we have to do. When there are too many things to do, we think we're busy, and when there isn't much to do, it feels like we're not busy at all. But in fact, we can feel busy when there isn't that much to do, and we can feel relaxed even when there's a lot going on. The states of "busy" and "not busy" aren't defined by how many things there are to do. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as multitasking; the brain can tend to only one thing at a time. Being too busy or not being busy is an interpretation of our activity. Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we're doing, we're always just doing what we're doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.

That moment may seem long or short. Time is an internal, not external, reality. Have you noticed that half an hour in the dentist's chair lasts longer than half an hour at a fun dinner party with friends? And five minutes waiting on hold on the phone passes more slowly than five minutes watching a movie. Time is how we live it, not what's measured by the clock (after all, the watch was invented fairly recently, in the 16th century). To be sure, our world operates on clock time, which is convenient and necessary; how else would we make it to that dentist's appointment or dinner party? But the clock is supposed to be working for us, not the other way around. If we feel too busy, we've mistaken a feeling for an objective reality and are held captive to that reality. It needn't be that way.

Okay, you say, good theory: We think we're busy, but we're not—we're just doing one thing after another. But the habit of being convinced we're too busy is hard to shake. What can we do about this persistent mania of feeling task- and time-driven?

Understanding something differently is only a beginning. To change the way we live, we have to practice what we've come to understand until it becomes a natural part of us, a habit of thought, feeling, and body. There are many simple techniques that can help us with this. Take three conscious breaths (try it now, as you're reading). This will change your mind. Whatever you're feeling will become less compulsive, less driven. There's a measure of detachment and equanimity even after the first breath. You become more present to your surroundings, to the basic awareness of being alive. Try it the next time you're feeling overwhelmed; it doesn't take much time, and it will help you remember "the one who is not busy," the part of you that's always right there, even when it looks or feels like you're too busy.

Walking meditation—intentionally bringing awareness to your body as you move—can lift you out of a busy-ness-induced, semiconscious funk. If you can become conscious of the way you're moving and the sensation of each movement, you'll feel refreshed instead of rushed. I know what you're thinking: "I'm too busy to go for a walk." But this is something you can do on your way to and from the bathroom. (And if you're really feeling busy, you're probably overdue for a trip there anyway.)

Sometimes just a phrase can help: "Not busy." Remembering our two monks, you can say this softly to yourself when you feel overwhelmed. I do this when I feel crazed; with the repetition of the words, I immediately recognize that it is my feelings and my thoughts that make me feel pressured, not the tasks I have to do. They will get done—or not, and the world and I will survive. Even if I do have a crucial deadline, I'll have a much better chance of making it if I feel "not busy" and can proceed with a calm mind. Feeling frantic doesn't make me more efficient. Quite the contrary, it makes mistakes and glitches more likely.

It goes without saying that if you've bitten off more than you can chew in a day, or in a lifetime, you'd better step back and change your circumstances, if at all possible. Let go of a few activities: Peace of mind is more important, and healthier, than those few extra accomplishments. But if you can't or don't want to change your circumstances, you need to find the most serene and beautiful way to live the life you have.

In the end, if you persistently and unpleasantly feel too busy, remember this: It's not a fact; it's a choice. There is one who is not busy. That one is you."

 

 

Don't Forget!  I'll Be Back Sometime in June!

 

PS:  Don't miss John Tierney's wonderful new article about Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, in the May 16, 2011 issue of the New York Times,  "Findings: A New Gauge to See What’s Beyond Happiness".  

"[T]he five crucial elements of well-being, each pursued for its own sake: positive emotion, engagement (the feeling of being lost in a task), relationships, meaning and accomplishment.

“Well-being cannot exist just in your own head,” Martin Seligman writes.

“Well-being is a combination of feeling good as well as actually having meaning, good relationships and accomplishment.”'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girls (and the Guys) Just Wanna Have Fun - Square Dancing Has It All: Joy, Fun, Friendship, Music, Laughter, Exercise & More

L to R: My Husband, Jeannie, George, The Healthy Librarian, & Mark--Want to Have Fun?  Go Square Dancing!

 

"All cultures dance.  You don't have to teach people to dance.  Basically people learn not to dance."

-Choreographer Mark Morris, at the keynote address for the 2008 Society for Neuroscience Conference-

 

"As a dance critic for some twenty-five years, I've long been aware that choreographers and dancers seem to age, mentally and physically, so much more slowly than the rest of us.  

What is the connection between how dancers spin magic out of intricate physical movement and how they keep their cells humming along vigorously well into their eighties and nineties?  

What are the mechanisms that keep their brains, muscles, bones, and organs so much more vital and active than the same parts in the rest of us?

Dancing....combines many of the elements of longevity revealed in the latest scientific research on stress and aging:

• Intensely focused mental and physical attention
  
• Grappling with novelty--to build new neural pathways rather than just etch existing ones deeper
• Aerobic and resistance exercise together
• The elimination of abdominal fat
• Dealing with risk, but within a controlled environment
• Meditative practices--talk about mindfulness!
• A sense of spirituality
• Powerful social relationships
• Eating healthful diets rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

-Thea Singer, in "Stress Less - The New Science That Shows Women How to Rejuvenate the Body and the Mind", NY: Hudson Street Press, 2010-

 

 

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

No joke.  For 23 years I've been wanting to go to the Tree Tapper's Ball--a community square dance that celebrates the annual tapping of the maple trees.  And just so you know (after the "Bitter Truth of Sugar" post)--my vote for the healthiest sweetener goes to maple syrup--because of its great taste, minerals & low fructose content.

This year, I was going to make sure that I made it the dance!  As soon as I learned of the date for this year's dance, I sent out emails to friends I thought would enjoy an old-fashioned country square dance--and since I could only make reservations for 8--the first 3 couples to respond were in!  

 

The announcement read:  Celebrate the maple season with our ever-popular, old-fashioned square dance.  Novices needn't feel like saps: all dances are taught in fun fashion.

A Few Brix Shy provides rip-snortin' old-time string band music for roof-raisin' entertainment.

 

Hands-Down - A Hoe Down is One of the Best Ways to Feel Like a Ten-Year Old Again!

 

The Guy on the Far Right?  My Husband (looking like he's 10 years old) Having a Laughing Fit

 

The Magic Three of Square Dancing

 

1.  It's just plain fun--Dr. Stuart Brown, the physician founder of the National Institute for Play, firmly believes that adults need to play as much as children do.  Without it, we risk becoming depressed, rigid, unable to problem-solve, unsympathetic to others and humorless.  Who wants that to happen?  Read more about Brown's views on the importance of play in the New York Times, "Taking Play Seriously"

2.  Music & Laughter are so good for the heart--and the soul.  Music, like laughter benefits the heart.  According to Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland, if you're listening to music that makes you feel "joyful or euphoric"--like the bluegrass music that Two Brix Shy played at the Tree Tapper's Ball, your blood vessels will dilate 26%, improving blood flow--which is an effect similar to that of exercise.  But, wait--dance is exercise--does that mean we had a 52% improvement in blood flow?  Miller says:  "The inner lining of the blood vessels--the endothelium--serves as the gatekeeper to vascular health."   Keep them dilated & keep them healthy.

3.  The element of touch.  Do-Si-Do.  Alamande  Left.  Promenade.  Swing Your Partner.  Square dancing is definitely "touch" dancing--and you're not just dancing with the partner you came with--you're dancing with everyone in your square, so there's plenty of touch.  "The Research Behind the Benefits of a Little Touch - High Fives, a Pat on the Back, a Touch of the Arm"

Humans thrive on touch--and what better way to connect with friends--and strangers, for that matter, than through the casual touch of dance?  Touch releases oxytocin--the hormone that creates a sense of trust--and reduces cortisol levels--the hormone of stress.  When oxytocin is released through touch, we relax, we feel good, we feel bonded.

 

Kid Stuff

 

Here's the thing about square dancing--or contra dancing.  All those things you loved to do as a kid--you'll find them all on the dance floor!

1. Spinning Around.  Remember how much fun it was to spin around and around purposely making yourself dizzy?  Go square dancing--every time the caller says, "Swing your partner!" you can spin around like crazy, if you like.  At least that's how we like to do it.
2. Rolling down hills.  Remember how much fun it was to roll down a big hill as a kid?  You'll get that same feeling when you square dance.
3. Screaming for Fun.  Remember how much fun it was to scream at the top of your lungs--hoop & holler?  Every individual dance begins and ends with everyone holding hands in a circle and coming into the center to let out a loud "Woo Hoo".  Lots of screaming to stimulate the sacculus--the pleasure organ of the inner ear!
4. Getting all mixed up & not worrying one bit about it, because you're a kid.  Remember how much fun it was to mix up your left from your right, go one way when everyone else was going the other way?  Get all mixed up, and no one blamed you--you all just laughed?  Go square dancing!
5. Laughing so hard.  Remember how much fun it was to laugh so hard you could hardly breathe--or worse?  Go square dancing.
6. Active kid games. It's like playing tag, statues, London Bridges, Crack the Whip, Duck Duck Goose all rolled into one--and you don't have to know a thing about square dancing to do it!   It's the caller's job to teach you!
7. Running & skipping.  Remember feeling just pure joy from running or skipping and hanging out with your friends?  Go square dancing!

Every single one of us had a blast--and danced non-stop for three hours. Even the folks sitting on the sidelines had smiles on their faces watching everyone else makes fools of themselves.  It was freezing outside--but we were sweating buckets on the inside!  Not a drop of alcohol was served--just old-fashioned lemonade and plain old water. 

 

Dr. Stuart Brown and the National Institute for Play

 

Dr. Stuart Brown, is a physician and researcher, who is the founder of the National Institute for Play. 

He firmly believes that adults need to play as much as children do.  Without it, we risk becoming depressed, rigid, unable to problem-solve, unsympathetic to others and humorless.  Don't want that to happen!

I first learned about his research almost three years ago on Krista Tipppett's award-winnig Public Radio  "Speaking of Faith" broadcast, called, "Play, Spirit, and Character".   Brown totally captivated me--because frankly, once we grow up it really is so easy to leave the world of play behind.

After studying both animals, infants, and children at play, Brown is convinced that it's through play that we learn how to get along, how to forge friendships, develop empathy, trust, irony, problem-solving, and how to just "blow off steam." 

"When one really doesn't play at all or very little in adulthood, there are consequences: rigidities, depression, no irony — things that are pretty important, that enable us to cope in a world of many demands."

"Sometimes, I have to realize that wherever I feel stuck, it's often a cue to start playing. And it's as if play can actually open my mind again, actually help to reinvigorate the work that I'm doing."   from Speaking of Faith, "Play, Spirit, and Character".

 

The Roots of Play - What We Learn in Infancy & Childhood

 

According to Dr. Stuart Brown, if you're lucky enough to have a normal childhood, you learn early the basic elements of play--and for the rest of your life, when you're feeling pure exuberance and joy--it's likely that you're revisiting one of these elements.

Interesting how these three elements are integral parts of dance!

1.  Attunement Play:  When you dance, you have to make eye contact with your partner(s).  You have to get in sync with each other.  And if you don't want to get dizzy when you spin or swing around--you have to stare straight into each other's eyes.  "When an infant makes eye contact with her mother, each experiences a spontaneous surge of emotion (joy). The baby responds with a radiant smile, the mother with her own smile and rhythmic vocalizations (baby talk).  This is the grounding base of the state-of-play. It is known, through EEG and other imaging technologies, that the right cerebral cortex, which organizes emotional control is “attuned” in both infant and mother."

2.  Body Play and Movement:  What's dance?  It's movement & play.  "If you don’t understand human movement, you won’t really understand yourself or play.  If you do, you will reap the benefits of play in your body, personal life and work situations.  Learning about self movement structures an individual’s knowledge of the world - it is a way of knowing, and we actually, through movement and play, think in motion. For example the play-driven movement of leaping upward is a lesson about gravity as well as one’s body. And it lights up the brain and fosters learning. Innovation, flexibility, adaptability, resilience, have their roots in movement. The play driven pleasures associated with exploratory body movements, rhythmic early speech (moving vocal cords), locomotor and rotational activity - are done for their own sake; pleasurable, and intrinsically playful. They sculpt the brain, and ready the player for the unexpected and unusual."

3.  Social Play:   Dance is nothing more than social play.  "The urge to play with others, in addition to being fun, is often driven by the desire to be accepted, to belong. Kids start this process by “parallel” play, i. e., without much consciousness of the feelings or status of the play partner.  But as development proceeds, friendships happen,  empathy for another is felt, with mutual play as the crucible in which it becomes refined. Group loyalty and affection ensues, and with it the rudiments of a functioning community.  In animals, affiliative play appears to be kindled by the release of certain hormones and neurotransmitters, but it requires the experience of play to make “belonging” occur.

 

What's Up With My Love of Square Dancing?

 

Bob Howell, educator, ski instructor, life-long square-dance caller

 

Junior High assistant principals are supposed to be the "Enforcers".  The ones who keep kids in line, and dole out the detentions & suspensions. 

How lucky for us that our junior high of the 1960's had someone like Bob Howell as the Assistant Principal.  Funny, firm, kind, easy-going, and always wearing his signature red socks.  Just so happens that he was also a professonal square dance caller--so everyone who went to my quasi-urban junior high school learned how to square dance--and learned how much fun it was!

Mr. Howell got me hooked as a pre-teen.   And when I set out to write today about how much fun we all had at "The Tree Tapper's Ball", I remembered Bob Howell--who was still teaching skiing & square dancing well into his seventies or maybe even his eighties.  He passed away March, 2010, at 87.

"Howell has traveled the world putting the fun back into square dancing.  He's cued dancers to promenade in the South Pacific, allemande in Australia, and swing their partner in Sweden.

I go back to the roots - the basic stuff - that's where the fun is.  Keep it simple, keep it folk.

He's taught nursing home residents confined to wheelchairs to do solo dances like "Alley Cat".  And he's shared sashays with the severly mentally retarded, who pen green and red dots on their hands to keep left and right straight.  He's even taught a precision unicycle team to square dance - on unicycles.

One of Howell's most memorable jobs was calling for a group of foreign exchange students who had just arrived from Nigeria, Japan, Poland, Trinidad, and other countries.  He vividly recalls a beautiful Indian woman dressed in a silk sari, red dot on her forehead, a diamond stud piercing her nostril.

She came into the circle and had to swing her corner, and she froze.  He was a Pakistani - an untouchable.  He froze, too.

After a few tense moments, the man and woman joined hands and danced together the rest of the evening.  Howell sees it as only one of the many miracles that dance can bring about.

At home, they'd be shooting at one another, here, they're holding hands.  The world has to dance.  Dance together and we're going to get along."    Source: "His calling is the Dance"   Plain Dealer, January 29, 1993.

 

This Snake Dance Got Faster & Faster & Coiled Up Tightly

Under, Over, Inside Out - A Sure-Fire Recipe for Rotator Cuff Injury and Laughter

The Motley Blue Grass Band, A Few Brix Shy, led by the Master Square Dance Caller Bob Smakula from Elkins, West Virginia

Janet & George, "Swing Your Corner"

About to Collide with Another Couple During the Virginia Reel

A Little Bit of Acrobatics

The Pure Joy of Dance

 

 George and Laurie

 

Group Hug?  No--It's a Dance Move.  Women's Arms Around the Men.  The Men's Arms Around the Women.  Then You Spin Around & Around as Fast as You Can!  Oh, Baby Is That Fun!

 

 Dance Rules!

 

1. Learn to Dance - from: "Happy Anniversary - Secrets of a Good Marriage - Luck, the 5-1 Ratio & Bill Murray's Groundhog Day"

2. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated.  But, it can only be stimulated through singing!  That's why it was so much fun to hoop & holler before & after every dance!  From: "The Report Card on the Healthy Librarian's 2010 Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy - What's Working, What's Not, What's New for 2011?"

3.  Why sit on the sidelines watching everyone else dance?  Trust me, no one is watching you--just get out there and have a good time!   We're now checking the calendar for upcoming square and contra dances!  Get those dancin' shoes on!

4.  It's a 2-fer--Have Fun & Burn Calories-my friend Snez dances regularly, and often clips on her step counter at dances--she regularly logs in over 18,000 steps during an evening, just having fun!  Can't beat that!

 

 

 

On the Road Again! Family Bonding, Eating Raw & Plant-Based Even on Vacation, Kitchen Lab Experiments, My Vacation Reading & Podcast List, the Discovery Space Shuttle Launch and More

 

 

First Stop - Lunch at the Raw Kitchen in West Palm Beach, Florida

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version--lots of photos & links in this post.

This week I've been on a laid-back "visiting vacation"  with family--and a meet-up with our newest family addition: one-month old great niece Lily.   Unlikely that I'll be posting--but just some quick shares.  Uhh, never got around to posting--just got home last night--this is the post-trip-post!

My sister-in-law is an adventurous cook, and she's trying hard to eat & cook more plant-based, so as soon as my husband & I landed in Florida, we headed on over to lunch at The Raw Kitchen--the only vegan restaurant in the area.

This was my first experience eating raw--something I'm slightly skeptical about--but all four of us thoroughly enjoyed our lunches.  Raw vegans do lean heavily on nuts, seeds, avocados & oils--so definitely not-Esselstyn-approved fare--but a delicious eating adventure nonetheless.

 

My Sprouted Buckwheat Crust BLT Pizza with Eggplant Panceta, Veggies, Nut "Cheeze", & Chipotle Dressing

 

My Sister & Brother-in-Law's Asian Zucchini "Noodle" Bowl Topped with Portobellos

 

My Husband's Zucchini "Noodle" Pad Thai with Julienned Vegetables, Savory-Sweet Almond Sauce

 

Red Pepper Hummus & Homemade "Raw" Flax & Sunflower Seed Crackers--the inspiration for our own "Kitchen Lab Experiments"

 

Our next stop, before we made the long ride home was to pick up groceries for the week at Whole Foods.  We had a whole week's worth of meals planned.

• Sunday:  Home-made tahini-free red pepper hummus with raw peppers & raw flax-seed crackers.  Main dish: Spicy Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
  
• Monday:  Chickpea & Spinach Burgers, with lemony tahini (just a little) tofu sauce & spicy oven-roasted sweet potato fries.  Burger Tips not found in the recipe link:  Use a whole can of drained garbanzos, not 1 cup.  Consider making a double-batch to freeze the left-overs.  Don't fry--bake the burgers at 400 degrees on a silpat or parchment paper for 30 minutes total time--flipping after 15 minutes--until browned on both sides.  Recommended: Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Wheat Burger Buns.

• Tuesday:  Barbara's Sprouted Corn Enchilada Casserole with Butternut Squash, Roasted Corn & Pepitas--topped with Green Tomatilla Sauce--plus Lisa's Curried Yellow Split Pea & Carrot Soup
• Wednesday:  Sami's Millet & Flax Pizza with Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Greens, and little Field Roast Italian "Sausage"  
• Thursday:  Appetite for Reduction's Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Potatoes (of course)  Never made this one--got home too late from the space shuttle launch--had plenty of left-overs to eat!

 

What's on My Vacation Podcast & Reading List?

 

1.  Over-Diagnosed.  Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health, by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, Dr. Lisa M. Schwartz, and Dr. Steven Woloshin.  Boston: Beacon Press, 2011.   This one's "post-worthy"--so, stay-tuned for a later summary post.

"According to Dr. Welch, a complex web of factors has created the phenomenon of over-diagnosis:

• The popular media promotes fear of disease and perpetuates the myth that early, aggressive treatment is always best.
• In an attempt to avoid lawsuits, doctors have begun to leave no test undone, no abnormality--no matter how incidental--overlooked  (OK--this one's a press-release exaggeration, IMHO)
  
• Inevitably, profits are being made from screenings, a wide array of medical procedures, and of course, pharmaceuticals.  

Examing the social, medical, and economic ramifications of a health-care system that unnecessarily diagnoses and treats patients, Dr. Welch makes a reasoned call for change that would save us from countless unneeded surgeries, debilitating anxiety, and exorbitant costs."

These are three of my favorites physician-authors.   They're nationally recognized experts who publish widely in the most-respected medical journals--and they also happen to be professors at the Dartmouth University Institute for Health Policy.   Welch, Schwartz, & Woloshin are able to make an objective reasoned  analysis of the statistics, delve deeply into the research and tell the truth about the down-sides of screening tests on healthy people--like regular PSAs, mammograms, & CT-scans--as well as the down-side of the continual lowering-of-the-bar on the diagnostic test values that are used to prescribe drugs to treat non-diseases, like pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes, osteopenia, and elevated cholesterol.  The treatment group just gets larger & larger as the bar is lowered.   Sometimes, more isn't always better--and the diagnoses & treatments that follow aren't without risks.  Just to be clear--these authors are all for making the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent disease.  As they say, "There is more to prevention than early-diagnosis, and the prescriptions & procedures that usually follow."

For more on these docs, check out my 2009 post on Woloshin's & Schwartz's investigative research into FDA's approval process:  Drug Safety and Drug Benefits--The FDA Information That Never Reaches Doctors & the Public. Dr. Lisa Schwartz & Dr. Steve Woloshin Discover the Data That Gets Lost in Transmission

•  Listen to Dr. Welch's interview on Vermont Public Radio.  Gael in Vermont recommended this podcast/interview--and it's well worth the 30 minute listen.  Click here
•  Listen to NPR's Science Friday interview with Welch.   You can listen to the podcast, or just read the transcript (lower left-hand corner), click here.

 

 

2.  How Sugar Harms Our Health--the effects of fructose/aka sugar on obesity, insulin resistance, and the liver.   This was a recent People's Pharmacy podcast(able) radio interview with Dr. Robert H. Lustig,  a neuroendocrinologist, and a professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco.  

Lustig is another well-respected clinician/researcher who makes a strong case about the hazards of eating sugar that's devoid of fiber, in its "extracted form"--including fruit juice, soda, table sugar, syrups of all kinds, & high-fructose corn syrup, etc.  There's a good reason insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, & obesity are ever-increasing--and sugar devoid of its natural fiber is a big one. 

Lustig's Rules:  Avoid processed foods, eat foods that come from the ground in their natural state, and eat fruit only in its natural form with all its fiber.  No juice for babies or children!  Eat only whole grains--nothing removed.   When it comes to whole wheat, that includes all parts of the wheat kernel -- the bran, germ and endosperm.   Learn more at the Whole Grain Council site.  Fiber rules--and most of us are sorely deficient.  The USDA's recommendations for 25 grams a day are too low--Lustig recommends 50 grams a day--most Americans are getting only 12 grams/day.  If you think 50 grams a day is impossible, think again.  Without fail, I get over 60 grams of fiber a day eating plant-based.  This eye-opening interview is absolutely "post worthy"  and I'll be ready to share more later this week.

 

3.  Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free, by Melinda Dennis, RS, RD, LDN, and Daniel A. Leffler, MD, MS.   This is a must-have book for anyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.   It's hot-off-the-press--just published in December, 2010 by the American Gastroenterological Association, and the authors are both on staff at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.  The authors are international experts in the field--and Melinda Dennis lends personal experience to her expertise-- being diagnosed with celiac disease 20 years ago.

With 53 chapters, written by different experts in the field, every possible topic of concern is covered: from celiac's causes, symptoms, the diagnostic tests, supplements to consider, and the co-existing conditions that can arise, like anemia, depression, nutritional deficiencies, neurologic & dermatologic manifestations, malabsorption, and osteoporosis.   Another "post-worthy" book to review.  Highly Recommended!

 

Experiments in My Sister-in-law's Kitchen Lab

 

I'm so lucky.  I've got the perfect partner for kitchen lab experiments with my sister-in-law Lis.  Always ready to try something new.

 

Homemade Cocoa Walnut Chia Energy Bars

 

1.  Homemade Raw Cocoa Walnut Chia Bars.  Right off the bat Lis got inspired to just whip up a batch of my Raw Cocoa Walnut Chia Bars.  Fabulous, except, by mistake she dusted them with garbanzo bean flour, instead of oat flour.   Stick to the oat flour!  Click here for the recipe if you missed it in October 2010.

Mixing the Crackers

Cracker Spices

Spreading the Cracker Goop on the Dehydrator Racks

Homemade Raw Italian & Barbecue-Flavored Seedy Flax Crackers -  Delicious!

 

2.  Crispy Homemade Flax, Pumpkin, and Sesame Seedy Crackers.   After tasting the crunchy homemade seed crackers at the Raw Vegan Kitchen, we decided to borrow my niece's Nesco tabletop food dehydrator & do a little experimenting of our own.  I had just received my own Nesco as a gift from my kids--but I hadn't yet had the time try it out.  Next on the agenda:  spicy kale chips.

We mixed up two different kinds of crackers, a barbecue chipotle and an Italian version.  We really had no idea what we were doing, but we soaked 1 1/2 cups of golden flax seeds in 3 cups of water until it was a nice thick gelatinous mess--about 20 minutes.  Then we added in pumpkin and sesame seeds.  To half of the goop we added sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes & fennel seed.  To the other half we added a mixture of Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub spices, chipotle powder, nutritional yeast, and chili powder for a spicy-sweet taste.  Dehydrating is a slow process--taking us about 15 hours at 105 degrees to get the nice crisp taste we wanted--but, "oh, baby" were these crackers fabulous.  Thankfully, I had a stash to travel with yesterday--and these high-fiber crackers kept me satisfied for the long-day of airplane delays.

3.  Curried Yellow Split Pea & Carrot Soup.   OMG delicious, spicy, hearty, & super healthy.  This soup has it all:  plenty of fiber, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, protein, potassium, the B-vitamins, a nice supply of the sought-after amino acid tryptophan--the one we need to manufacture the brain chemical, serotonin--which regulates mood, appetite, hunger and sleep.  Want to read more about how power-packed split peas are, click here.   Thank you, Lis, for providing this link!

 

 

Lisa's Curried Yellow Split Pea & Carrot Soup

click here for a copy of the recipe on one page

Serves 8 generously

 

Ingredients:

6 medium carrots, peeled and diced  (can substitute squash or sweet potatoes for the carrots, or use a mixture)

1 large sweet onion, roughly diced

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp ginger, peeled and roughly chopped  (or more to taste)

1 pound yellow split peas, rinsed

2 TBS. curry powder  (start with 1 TBS & taste)  *I think I'd also like some Garam Masala

2 tsp. dried mustard

1 tsp. sriracha sauce hot chili sauce (aka Rooster hot chili sauce--find in the Oriental section at most groceries)  Could substitute a pinch or 2 of cayenne or other hot chili sauce

7-8 cups of low-sodium vegetabe broth (use less if you want a thicker soup)

3 TBS. cider vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

 

For the spicy cream (optional):

1/2 cup silken low-fat tofu

1 TBS. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

 

Instructions:

 

1.  Cover the split peas in water, and heat to boiling.   Simmer for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let them soak for 10 minutes--this speeds up the cooking process.  Drain, and reserve peas.

2.  Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot on high, and when sufficiently heated, add the carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger.  Stir well, adding small amounts of water when & if the vegetables begin to stick to the pot.  Cover & cook until the onions are tansluscent and the carrots are tender--about 8-10 minutes.

3.  Stir in the pre-soaked yellow split peas, curry powder, and dried mustard.  Add vegetable stock and bring soup to a boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

3.  Cook soup until peas are tender, about 35-45 minutes.  Add cider vinegar, and season to taste with salt & pepper.  Set aside to cool slightly.  

4.  Prepare spicy cream, if desired.  To make this, stir all the ingredients in a small bowl--you may want to use either a processor or blender to "cream up" the silken tofu, first.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Once the soup is cooled slightly,  puree 1/2 of it in a blender--or use an immersion blender to blend up 1/2 in the soup pot.  We all liked the smooth/chunky mixture achieved by blending only half of the soup. Ladle soup into bowls & top with spicy cream, if you're using it.

 

Nutitional Information based on 1/8 of the recipe:

 

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Curried Yellow Split Pea & Carrot Soup
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	257
Total Fat	1.6g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	154mg
Carbohydrate	47.8g
Dietary Fiber	7.4g
Sugars	11.1g
Protein	15g
Vitamin A 283% Vitamin C 15% Calcium    6% Iron 15%

 

 Kennedy Space Center - The Final Discovery Space Shuttle Launch - Thursday February 24, 2011.  We Were There!

 

On the last day of our Florida visit we decided to make the 5 hour round-trip trek up to the Kennedy Space Center to view the final Discovery shuttle launch.  Good thing we were completely clueless about how often these launches are delayed or canceled, or we never would have set out!  Post-launch we found out that 10 minutes before lift-off, the launch was 4 seconds away from being scrubbed because of a computer malfunction.  Yes, we lucked out.

I'm not much of a space enthusiast--but honestly, this was an absolutely thrilling experience for all of us.  We're were so happy we made the trek and that this map-and-GPS-less-crew were lucky enough to serendipitously arrive at a  perfect beach viewing site.

 

L-R:  My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, me, and my husband awaiting the Final Discovery Launch

The Launch Site

My Out-of-Focus Lift-Off Shot

All Done!  A Stunning Successful Launch