Happy Healthy Long Life

The Healthy Librarian's Brand-New Weekly Facebook "Brain Backup" - My Favorite Health & Wellness News & Recipes for January 11-January 19, 2012

 

 

 

 

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

Missed it on Facebook?  Find it here.

A few readers told me they were disappointed that I started posting a lot of information only on Facebook--and not on HHLL.  Turns out, if you don't have a Facebook account, it's a pain to navigate a Facebook page.  Facebook keeps asking you to login.

The truth is--it's a lot easier for me to post "hot off the press" information on Facebook, without burdening you with multiple emails.

So...in an effort to not leave anyone out, I decided to see what you all think about a weekly collection of my Facebook posts.

Turns out--it's also a good way for me to refer back to the links, articles, & recipes I've posted--and it also makes them "sort of" searchable via the HHLL google search engine.  We'll see how well that works!

I left the comments off--in the interest of space.  Too bad--because the conversations are very interesting.

Let me know what you think!   Should I collect the posts in a weekly update?   Or not?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - Healthy Librarian Facebook Posts - Jan. 13-19, 2012

 

 Note:  Sorry about the way the posts are sort of squished together!

 

January 19, 2012

 

Dr. Esselstyn on cholesterol

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

‎"Cholesterol is a white, waxy substance that is not found in plants --- only in animals. It is an essential component of the membrane that coats all our cells, and it is the basic ingredient of sex hormones. Our bodies need cholesterol, and they manufacture it on their own. We do not need to eat it. But we do, when we consume meat, poultry, fish, and other animal-based foods, such as dairy products and eggs. In doing so, we take on excess amounts of the substance. What's more, eating fat [even as added oil] causes the body itself to manufacture excessive amounts of cholesterol, which explains why vegetetarians who eat oil, butter, cheese, milk, ice cream, glazed doughnuts, and French pastry develop coronary disease despite their avoidance of meat." - Dr. Esselstyn

 

Dr. Esselstyn on oil

Oil was the LAST thing I removed from my cooking/diet. I couldn't imagine how I could cook without it. Trust me--you DO NOT NEED IT FOR COOKING. It's so easy to "saute" without it. Bonus: no greasy stove or pans! Everyone who learns how to cook without it is surprised how easy it is. Lots of easy substitutes for oil in dressings, too! You will not miss it!

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

Just to clear any questions up: NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. And above all they contain saturated fat which immediately injures the endothelial lining of the arteries when eaten. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, or any other kind of oil. You should not consume any oil if you have heart disease. This is so important I have detailed oil in Chapter 10.- Dr. Esselstyn

 

January 18, 2012 

New York Times article discusses the latest New England Journal of Medicine article questioning the value of regular bone density tests.

Rethinking bone density tests--and prescribing bisphosphonates for osteopenia, in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

“Bone density testing has been oversold,” said Steven Cummings, the study’s principal investigator.

For years doctors were overly enthusiastic, prescribing it for women whose bone density was lower than normal but not in a danger zone, keeping women on the drug indefinitely.

Osteoporosis Is So Slow, Bone Density Tests Can Wait, Study Says

www.nytimes.com

A new study is asking whether frequent bone density measurements make sense for the majority of older women whose bone density is not close to a danger zone on an initial test.

Study on Exercise Keeping Alzheimer's at bay, especially for those with the APOE-4 gene

Here's the New York Times write-up on the Exercise-Alzheimer's study recently published in the Archives of Neurology. If it sounds familiar, that's because I posted the press release five days ago. Gretchen Reynolds does a good job explaining the details. If any drug had as many benefits as does exercise-everyone would want to take it!

How Exercise May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay

well.blogs.nytimes.com

A daily walk or jog could alter the risk of developing Alzheimer's or change the course of the disease if it begins in some people, a new study suggests.

NPR's Workout Song Mix

What's your favorite workout song? NPR has a mix for you to listen to--along with the song list to add to your own iPOD. I've got plenty of favorites--but Meat Loaf's full version of "Paradise" is fantastic in a spinning class! OMG! Tomorrow--4 new studies that will convince you to start exercising--if you aren't already.

The Ultimate NPR Workout Mix : NPR

www.npr.org

Hear an assortment of muscle-pumping, pain-annihilating anthems — as compiled by athletes, celebrities, NPR personalities and, of course, listeners.

 

 

January 17, 2012

New York Times - Reaction to Paula Deen's Type-2 Diabetes & her Novo Nordisk Drug Contract

Want to get angry? Read this. Yes, Paula has type-2 diabetes, and yes, she has a $$$ contract with Novo Nordisk to plug Victoza--a $500/month diabetes drug.

But, Paula says "she would not change her own lifestyle or cooking style drastically, other than to reduce portion sizes of unhealthful foods. "I’ve always preached moderation," she said. “I don’t blame myself.”

She feels like she cooks for ‘real people,’ and for better or worse, that is how many people in this country choose to eat. Her one concession is giving up sweet tea--made with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Paula Deen Says She Has Type 2 Diabetes

www.nytimes.com

Paula Deen’s disclosure that she has Type 2 diabetes has added impetus to the debate on the national diet.

New England Journal of Medicine Study of Diet & Intestinal Immunity  (How Food Affects Gut Bacteria & Microflora & Can Strengthen Immunity)

Diet and Intestinal Immunity--Clinical Implications of Basic Research. New England Journal of Medicine. Herbert Tilg, M.D - 366:181-183, January 12, 2012

What we eat really matters to our immune system--and can change the "environment" of our guts--which strengthens our immune system.
Turns out--cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, turnips, and rutabagas all have a unique "chemical" that is beneficial to the gut--Indole-3-carbinol.

This is BIG news! "“You are what you eat.” A couple of recent studies underscore the relevance of this adage to the immune system. New studies by Kiss et al [1] and Li et al [2] show how certain dietary components derived from vegetables (broccoli & Brussels sprouts) interact with intestinal immune receptors and thereby regulate the organogenesis of lymphoid follicles, intestinal immunity, and the microbiota." (yeah, I know, too much information)

Western diets are considered to be risk factors for certain diseases, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD [3] High vegetable intake is thought to protect against ulcerative colitis, whereas a diet rich in certain fats, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and meat is considered to increase the risk of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Accordingly, it is possible that dietary components prevent or induce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

Kiss et al. and Li et al., by providing a compelling link between diet and protective immune functions, have opened up a new line of inquiry. The search for foods containing similar immunomodulatory compounds has begun.'

1. Kiss EA, Vonarbourg C, Kopfmann S, et al. Natural aryl hydrocarbon
receptor ligands control organogenesis of intestinal
lymphoid follicles. Science 2011 October 27 (Epub ahead of print).

2. Li Y, Innocentin S, Withers DR, et al. Exogenous stimuli
maintain intraepithelial lymphocytes via aryl hydrocarbon receptor
activation. Cell 2011;147:629-40.

3. Hou JK, Abraham B, El-Serag H. Dietary intake and risk of
developing inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review of
the literature. Am J Gastroenterol 2011;106:563-73.

4. Monteleone I, Rizzo A, Sarra M, et al. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-
induced signals up-regulate IL-22 production and inhibit
inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenterology
2011;141:237-48.

5. Opitz CA, Litzenburger UM, Sahm F, et al. An endogenous
tumour-promoting ligand of the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor.
Nature 2011;478:197-203.

Thanks to Dr. H for alerting me to this N Engl J Med article published last Thursday.

Jeff Novick's Easy Breezy Plant-Based No-Oil Recipes.  5 minutes - 5 or less ingredients - costing less than $5

My "Healthy Librarian" friend, Marlene's dream come true! 5 minute recipes, with 5 or less ingredients, that cost less than $5. Click on the photo & see the easy-peasy recipe. Not a new link--but still relevant & very useful! Probably not for the "foodies" among us. Sorry, Jeff.

My Simple Recipes

Examples of some of my favorite simple recipes. Most all of them can be made in about 5 minutes, have less then 5 ingredients and cost much less than 5 dollars. These meals are very low in calorie density and very high in nutrient density so you can eat all you want till you are comfortably full without having to worry about portions size or going hungry. They are all based on my lecture, Calorie Density: How To Eat more, Weigh Less & Live Longer! Enjoy!

By: Jeff Novick, MS, RD

Photos: 29

Louisville Mike's All-Star Recipe Recommendation - Roasted Poblanos, Sweet Potato, & Black Bean Salad

I love roasted poblanos & HHLL reader Louisville Mike (a taste-conscious foodie) says this was a hit with his family. He skipped the olive oil when tossing the sweet potatoes, and used a little spray instead. His tip: definitely line the roasting pan with foil--my tip: use non-stick foil. This recipe has it all: Sweet potatoes, poblanos, black beans, corn, & spice. Can't wait to try it.

Budget Bytes: roasted poblano and sweet potato salad $5.96 recipe / $0.76 serving

budgetbytes.blogspot.com

I've made this dish several times now and love it.Thanks for posting it (found you through tastespotting)the only thing i change is that i put the onions and corn (plus some garlic) in with the potatoes and roast them all together. less of a sharp onion flavor then. and i add all the cilantro in a...

Janice Stanger Interviews a Plant-Based Health Super Star--Don't Miss This One

You cannot read a more inspiring story of a health-turnaround from a high cholesterol, obesity, & back pain. Lynne Morrissey is a plant-based & exercise rock star. Thanks to Janice Stanger for posting this! Don't miss it!

How To Go From Size 26 to Size 8 Without Being Hungry « Perfect Formula Diet

perfectformuladiet.com

Lynne Morrissey is a Facebook friend with an inspiring story of survival against heavy genetic odds. Lynne, who lives near St. Louis, Missouri, just turned 50 and has four adult children. She is sharing her achievements so she can show others to never give up. Health is just a forkful away.

Healthy Girl's Kitchen Farmer's Pie Recipe

I loved this recipe--as did others readers who tried it.  It could use more seasoning, though, and Penzey's Salt-Free Forward sprinkled on my individual serving kicked it up a notch!

I'm making Wendy's Farmer's Pie tonight! Quick & nutrient-dense with sweet potatoes, lentils (TJ's), mushrooms, spinach, onions, peas & garlic. Left-overs for lunch & dinner tomorrow with a 9 x 13 "pie"! Thanks Wendy & Jill!

Plant-Based Nutritarian Weight Loss Recipe Blog

healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com

Healthy weight loss recipe blog inspired by Eat to Live, The Engine 2 Diet, Nutritarian eating, Fat Free Vegan and Volumetrics.

 

 

January 16, 2012

 

The New York Times.  The Connection of Hearing Loss to Dementia.  How Hearing Aids Help!

This is an astonishing finding! Here's how hearing loss can contribute to dementia, rather than the other way around. A good reason to get your hearing checked.

“The brain dedicates a lot of resources to hearing. When the clarity of words is garbled, the brain gets a garbled message. It has to reallocate resources to hear at the expense of other brain functions,” according to Dr. Frank R. Lin of Johns Hopkins.

Thus, the overworked brain may lose “cognitive reserve,” the ability of healthy parts of the brain to take over functions lost by other parts.

Personal Health: Lifelines for People With Hearing Loss

well.blogs.nytimes.com

This "hidden" disability, currently untreated in about 85 percent of those affected, may be the nation's most damaging sensory handicap.

The Vitamin D & Ulcerative Colitis Connection

Study appearing in Gut. "A leading explanation for this north-south gradient in the risk of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease may be differences in exposure to sunlight, or UVB radiation, which is generally greater in southern latitudes," wrote Dr. Hamed Khalili, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.

"UV radiation is the greatest environmental determinant of plasma vitamin D, and there is substantial experimental data supporting a role for vitamin D in the innate immunity and regulation of inflammatory response," they noted.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Less Common in Sunny States: MedlinePlus

www.nlm.nih.gov

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Less Common in Sunny States

Vegans Have the Lowest Risk for Hypertension - The Latest Adventist Health Study

Adventist Health Study 2--just out. Vegans had a 63% reduced risk of having high blood pressure, as compared to regular meat-eaters. Lacto-ovo vegetarians had a 43% reduced rate. The reason for the lower blood pressure? Lower body weight, higher potassium intake, lower sodium intake, & lower insulin levels, for starters.

Jack Norris RD» Blog Archive » Vegan Rates of Blood Pressure from Adventist Health Study 2

jacknorrisrd.com

New York Times - The Downside of Cubicle Offices & Group Decision-Making.  Why Quiet & Solitude Promotes Creativity & Our Best Work

If you crave silence & alone time when you work, think, write, or read--you are going to LOVE this essay. I work in a noisy cubicle office--so you can just imagine... Learn why solitude is important to creativity--and why "work by committee" falls flat.

The Rise of the New Groupthink

www.nytimes.com

Collaboration is in. But it may not be conducive to creativity.

 

 

January 15, 2012

 

Seitan Gyros with Tzatiziki Sauce for Sunday Night Dinner

We had Seitan Gyros withTzatziki Sauce for dinner tonight! Amazing. If you haven't tried these yet--you don't know what you're missing! Double the Gyro part of recipe so you'll have some for lunch--sauce doesn't have to be doubled. Leave out the onion!! My BIL didn't & he wished he had.

I LOVE this recipe!!  The Tzatziki Sauce makes a great salad dressing, too!

Happy Healthy Long Life: My New Fave Go-To Cookbook - Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegan - Fast, Food

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

My New Go-To Fave Cookbook--Quick-Fix Vegan, by Robin Robertson "You don't have to be a full-time vegan to love this book. Quick-Fix Vegan is packed with 150 fast and easy recipes for putting delcious, healthy food on the table in...

Do Anti-Perspirants Really Have a Connection to Breast Cancer????  Or Is It Just an Urban Legend?

The association between anti-perspirants & breast cancer always seemed the stuff of urban legend--now a new study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology might be changing that. The possible culprit? Parabens--and maybe aluminum. An easy fix. Check the content of your anti-perspirants, cosmetics, & lotions in the EWG's site: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

The Peoples Pharmacy: Special Alert

myemail.constantcontact.com

 

New Study -  Increased Consumption of Magnesium-Rich Foods Lowers Stroke Risk

For every extra 100 milligrams of magnesium a person ate per day, their risk of an ischemic stroke -- the most common kind, typically caused by a blood clot -- fell by nine percent. The median magnesium intake for U.S. men and women included in the analysis was 242 milligrams a day (mg/d). The U.S. recommends men and women over age 31 eat 420 and 320 mg/d of magnesium, respectively.

Magnesium-rich diet tied to lower stroke risk

www.reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A fresh look at past research concludes that people who eat lots of greens and other foods rich in magnesium have fewer strokes -- a finding that supports current diet guidelines. But...

New Study in the Physician & Sportsmedicine - Lifelong Exerciser Preserve Their Muscles - Muscle Atrophy as We Age is Not Inevitable.

Exercise, baby! Don't stop--and start if you don't! From a study in The Physician and Sportsmedicine that took detailed measurements of 40 masters athletes between the ages of 40 and 81, and found a surprising lack of age-related muscle loss: This study contradicts the common observation that muscle mass and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Instead, these declines may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging. Thanks Janet for the link! I was actually planning to write about this one & 2 other pro-exercise articles, today. But, I was spinning & yoga--ing.

Sweat Science » The incredible unaging triathlete

sweatscience.com

The incredible unaging triathlete

 

 

January 14, 2012 

How to Find Real Food at the Supermarket

Another gem from my Healthy Librarian colleague, Marlene! Hilarious!

 

Wall Photos

By: Dare to be different

Robin Robertson's Fantastic  Roasted Vegetables with Lemon-Cannelini Sauce

I'm going to try this one tomorrow--minus the oil. This is one of Robin Robertson's recipes--One of my faves--author of "Quick-Fix Vegan"--so it's got to be good. Thanks to Lani for forwarding this to me.

I highly recommend this dish.  It's so easy, so tasty, so pretty to look at, and so nutritious.  Just vegetables & beans--that taste like restaurant fare.

Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with Lemon-Cannelini Sauce | One Green Planet

www.onegreenplanet.org

If adding more vegetables to your diet is one of your resolutions for a new year, here’s a delicious way to do it. Cut up a few different vegetables (the more the merrier) and roast them until tender, then top with a luscious and protein-rich cannellini bean sauce.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - Cholesterol: Fact of Fiction?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Cholesterol: Fact or Fiction? What Effect Does Diet Have on Cholesterol?.

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

About a week ago I received an email from a reader in New York. She asked a really good question. But, I wanted an expert to answer it. The Back Story She had just received a copy of the January...

 

New Study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.  C-Reactive Protein Decreases with a Low-Glycemic Carbohydrate Diet

Big news from the esteemed Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: "This finding is important and clinically useful since C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease," said lead author Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D., a member of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center. "Lowering inflammatory factors is important for reducing a broad range of health risks. Showing that a low-glycemic-load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese."

A diet rich in slowly digested carbs reduces markers of inflammation in overweight and obese adults

www.sciencedaily.com

Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease, according to a new study. Such a "low-glycemic-load" diet, which does not cause bl...

 

 

January 13, 2012

Just Heard.  Paula Deen Has Type-2 Diabetes.  It's rumored she also has a hefty drug company contract.  True or False?

The diabetes diagnosis part is true. The Novartis spokesperson part probably isn't. Deen was rumored to be a new spokesperson for the Novartis diabetes drug, but now the Atlantic wire is nixing the rumor. We'll have to wait & see. Here's New York Grub Street's story: "Deen made a mountain of money peddling her butter-soaked food, and now she's poised to make millions more with a "rumored" deal with Novartis as a spokesperson." Thanks Babs for sharing the story.

Paula Deen Has Diabetes

newyork.grubstreet.com

And the Daily says she's poised to make millions off of it.

Exercise Can Fight the Genetic Risk of Alzheimer's

Off to the gym!!! Dr. Robert Green's (study author) BOTTOM LINE:

“As we get older, there are an awful lot of things that influence brain health. The way I think of it is that if you’ve got a disease that’s slowly brewing in your brain and you keep yourself as healthy as possible, and you keep the vascular load on top of that disease — the stuff gumming up the arteries in your brain — if you can keep that to a minimum, then with whatever genetic load you have, and whatever underlying developing disease you have, you do better.” This research confirms many others over the past few years! Eat plant-based heart & brain healthy & exercise. They both boost nitric oxide.

Why To Exercise Today: Fight Your Genetic Risk Of Alzheimer’s (Maybe) | CommonHealth

commonhealth.wbur.org

I know, we’ve already linked to this study on exercise and Alzheimer’s, but I just wanted to come back to it because the findings struck me as so dramatic. As Bloomberg reports...

 

Vitamin D Expert, Bruce W. Hollis, PhD Doesn't Put Much Stock in Latest Study That Links an Increase in Inflammation to Increases in Vitamin D

Just received an email from one of my favorite Vitamin D researchers Bruce W. Hollis, PhD.--about that NYT & Am J Cardiol Vitamin D article:

I had seen it and like you I yawned. Another association study that may be negative. I weigh it against all the positive associated studies and so to me it does not mean much.

Who's Hollis? Read this. http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/02/vitamin-d.html

 

New York Times on a New Vitamin D Study That Links an Increase in Inflammation to Increased Vitamin D Intake.  A National Vitamin D Expert Responds

Read the response from the knowledgeable Vitamin D researchers! I read the American Journal of Cardiology article. The results were unremarkable and I'm not stopping my Vitamin D! http://blog.vitamindcouncil.org/2012/01/11/response-to-crp-and-vitamin-d-association-finding/

Risks: When Too Much Vitamin D Is Too Much

www.nytimes.com

Vitamin D supplements reduce blood levels of an indicator of inflammation that is linked to cardiovascular disease. But too much can raise those levels.

 

Dr. Esselstyn's November 2011 Cambridge TED Talk.  Fourteen Minutes You Don't Want to Miss

Just 14 minutes long. Dr. Esselstyn's November 2011 TED Talk. Change your nutrition to change your internal biochemistry--and in essence treat the causation of heart disease. Avoid the foods that injure your endothelium and eat the foods that will heal it.

TEDxCambridge: Caldwell Esselstyn on making heart attacks history

www.youtube.com

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn argues that heart attacks, the leading cause of death for men and women worldwide, are a "foodborne illness" and explains why diet is ...

 

Daily Garnish's Delicious Nutrient-Paced Triple Bean Indian Spiced Chili

We loved this so much I decided to post my variation. Make it this weekend!

Happy Healthy Long Life: What's Cooking? Emily Malone's Nutrient-Packed Triple Bean Indian Spiced Chili

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Indian Chili - Daily Garnish's Recipe, Tweaked by the Healthy Librarian I have no business posting a recipe before I head out of the house this morning--then on to the gym, then on to work, & then on to a...

 

 

January 11, 2012 

The New York Times.  What's a Vegetarian Living in Midwest Meat Country to Do?

Great read! There are zero full veg restaurants in my hometown. The upside? You don't often eat in restaurants & you get real good at trying out amazng new recipes. But I do envy New Yorkers, big time!! What's it like where you live?

A Vegetarian’s Struggle for Sustenance in the Midwest

www.nytimes.com

For vegetarians in the meat-loving heartland, eating can be a constant struggle.

Cholesterol: Fact or Fiction? What Effect Does Diet Have on Cholesterol? But the More Important Question is: "What Effect Does Diet Have on Your Cardiovascular Health?"

 

 

 

 

About a week ago I received an email from a reader in New York.

She asked a really good question.  But, I wanted an expert to answer it.

 

The Back Story

 

She had just received a copy of the January 2012  "Beating Edge", the newsletter of the Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Program. 

 

Here's what this New York reader wanted to know:

 

"I just received the Cleveland Clinics Heart and Vascular Newsletter this morning and its leading article was a short Q&A piece on cholesterol.

I know that Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. has a long association with the Cleveland Clinic.

Below lies an excerpt from the newsletter:

"Have your cholesterol checked.  And, understand how cholesterol works, recommends Cleveland Clinic heart surgeon Marc Gillinov, MD, and cardiologist Steven Nissen, MD.

Can you tell fact from fiction?

1. Diet is the most important factor in determining your cholesterol level.

False. Eighty percent of the body’s cholesterol is made by the liver. That means, only 20 percent comes from your diet. That’s why it is so hard to lower cholesterol through diet alone. By banning nearly all cholesterol from your diet, you might be able to reduce your total cholesterol level by about 20 percent. Understanding this can often make the choice to take cholesterol-lowering drugs easier. If you need to reduce your cholesterol by 50 percent, you cannot accomplish this through diet alone. You’ll need a good diet and the right medication."

She went on to say:  I have no intention - or at least I don't think so - of veering from my Esselstyn fare but I am wondering what sense you make of the above... I feel like this flies in the face of claims made by others who have followed the Esselstyn diet and seen significant decreases in their LDL.

Her question:  Do you have any thoughts on the above? 

 

The Response from a Plant-Based Cardiologist

 

What would a cardiologist, who personally follows the Esselstyn diet, say about the answer given to the Diet & Cholesterol question in this newsletter?

I certainly wanted to know, so I asked a professional who has the knowledge & expertise to best answer this reader's question.  He prefers to remain anonymous.  I feel so privileged that he took the time to respond to this question.  Thank you!

 

Diet's Effect on Cholesterol - A Plant-Based Cardiologist's Point of View

 

"I don't find fault with anything said, except that I think it is fallacious to say that because 20% of your intake is dietary, you cannot reduce [your cholesterol] by more than 20% by changing your diet. 

This part is just plain wrong.   As you can see from the discussion that follows the article, there is more hype than fact.  Unfortunately, funding for nutritional research is miniscule.

The statement that 80% of your cholesterol is made by the body and only 20% comes from diet is based on the average (as measured in the population eating the Western diet) cholesterol production of 1 gm per day and the recommended dietary intake of cholesterol of 200-300 mg. 

For many Americans, the daily intake of cholesterol is much higher.  For those eating a plant-based diet, the intake is near zero.  So the 20% is not representive of a population, but rather an average of very different nutritional choices.  Several other logistical fallacies occur to me:

 

1)  Population studies on humans who eat a plant-based diet with very low dietary cholesterol intake show some of the lowest intrinsic cholesterol levels.  We have many studies on dietary modification showing that decreasing cholesterol intake can result in dramatic lowering of serum cholesterol level. So the implication that dietary modification is not effective beyond 20% is just wrong.  I personally cut my total cholesterol from 209 to 136 and my LDL from 144 to 72 with just nutritional changes.

 

2)  Relatively few (if any) studies of cholesterol regulation have been performed in vegans, so we don't have much information on the effect of this nutritional strategy on cholesterol synthesis. You can't extrapolate findings from studies of patients on a Western diet.  This is one of my biggest pet peeves.  The majority of the research we are doing is on a population that is (hopefully) irrelevant.  Drugs and devices may lead to much different results in a study of vegans with heart disease (if you could find enough to study!).

 

3)  The assertion that drug therapy of elevated cholesterol is more effective than nutritional changes focuses on a surrogate endpoint, that is, the cholesterol level, rather than clinically important endpoints like death, MI and stroke.  Dependence on surrogate endpoints is one of Dr. Steven Nissen's biggest criticisms of drug and device studies.  Statins have been shown to result in improvement in early MI and death rates, but they are not above suspicion for longer term adverse outcomes and there is a growing concern about the downside of life long administration.  Several drugs have been removed from the market because they lead to higher death rates despite their beneficial effect on surrogate endpoints.  We need to look at the the MI, death and stroke rates of nutritional changes, not whether they can decrease cholesterol by 20%.

  

That said, there is no question that statins have a role in the early treatment of unstable coronary disease, but it is likely not due to their cholesterol lowering effect, but rather on their anti-inflammatory and pro-endothelial effect.  There may be much less powerful effects long term on mortality and MI rates (as well as other longterm adverse effects).  There is much less data on that." 

 

I'm so grateful for the balanced response this cardiologist provided to the important question of how diet can affect cholesterol--or more importantly, its effect on heart disease.

I certainly hope we can call on him again to share his expertise in questions of heart disease and  its prevention--and the beneficial effects of a plant-based diet.

 

As always, I'd love to get your feedback on this excellent guest post!

If you have a personal success story to share--now is the time.

 

 

 

Final Note:  If you haven't yet paid a visit to my new Facebook page: Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian  you are missing out on a lot of "hot off the press" health & nutritional news.  In the past 7 days I've posted over 30 new items.  (Is that too much?)  You can always google:  happy healthy long life - the healthy librarian facebook to find me, too.

Just a sample of the topics posts:

• From Fred Hutchinson's Cancer Center:  the effect of low-glycemic carbs on inflammation levels and its potential effect on cancer
• The effect of statins on diabetes in post-menopausal women
• An hysterical Italian video on "Fresh Made Pork Sausage"
• Bruce W. Hollis, PhD's & Dr. John Cannell's response to the latest research on vitamin D levels & CRP
• The effect of exercise on the genetic risk of Alzheimer's
• The best slow-cooker
• Dr. Esselstyn's 14 minute recent TED talk in Cambridge, MA
• A video about the pros & cons of nuts from Dr. John McDougall
• And whole lot more

How About Some of the Healthy Librarian's "Save Your Heart" Nitric Oxide-Boosting Chocolate Oatmeal to Start the New Year Off Right! It's for Breakfast and Dessert!

 

"Save Your Heart" Chocolate Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Walnuts

 

"How could something this good for you, be so delicious?  Eat it for breakfast or dessert.  Served up warm with berries & walnuts, and just a hint of sweetness, your blood vessels & body will be thanking you!"

 

-The Healthy Librarian-

 

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

 

Now, don't get me wrong--I'm not about to trade in the Healthy Librarian's Savory "Cheezy" Oatmeal with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes & Spinach,  Mike's Quick Kick A** Thai Peanut Butter Chili Oatmeal with Greens, or the Oatmeal Breakfast of Champions - Spiced Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats with Berries and Chia.

They still have a place in my heart.  And health.

 

But, my version of Kathy Hester's "Chocolate Oatmeal Topped with Berries & Walnuts (and Chia)" is just crazy good and it has it all.

• Cholesterol-cutting steel cut oats that are loaded with both soluble & insoluble fiber. 
• The atherosclerosis-preventing polyphenol, avenanthramide, found in oats, boosts the production of artery-saving nitric oxide.  This is a dose-response relationship--so the more oats you eat--the more nitric oxide you're producing.   Now you can enjoy oatmeal for dessert!
• The "miracle polyphenol", epicatechin, found in cocoa.  It lowers blood pressure, neutralizes inflammation, increases HDL's, dilates blood vessels, helps prevent atherosclerosis, increases nitric oxide production and more!
• The anthocyanins found in berries--that boost memory, tamper inflammation, & clean out "toxic brain junk"--like mini-brain maids.
• Walnuts have the highest amount of antioxidants of all the nuts, as well as heart-healthy omega-3s, and a perfect ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s. It's the best nut out there, hands down.

 

Could we ask for anything more?

 

Let's Thank Healthy Librarian Marlene for Discovering Kathy Hester's "The Vegan Slow Cooker"

 

My New Fave Cookbook and Where I Discovered Chocolate Oatmeal

 

The Back Story on How I Discovered Chocolate Oatmeal & the Vegan Slow Cooker

My fledgling "healthy librarian" friend & colleague, Marlene, hates to cook. 

She's on a personal mission to find the perfect vegan cookbook with recipes that have less than 5 ingredients, no exotic spices like cayenne or cumin (I keep telling her that these are not exotic), and can be prepped in 5 minutes.

Every new vegan cookbook that she discovers--she borrows from the library--but since Kathy Hester's cookbook is so new, she couldn't find a library with a copy.  So...she decided to buy a copy for herself.

She asked me what I thought of Vegan Slow Cooker.  Did I think it looked good?  Did I think the recipes were Esselstyn-style healthy?

Oh baby, was this one a winner.  I immediately photocopied 16 recipes--hoping to try them out over the Christmas & New Year's holidays.  Don't worry, Kathy.  I've already ordered my own copy--and I'm recommending it to anyone who will listen.

Here's what I've tried, so far--and all were winners at my house: 

• Cranberry Vanilla Quinoa (GF, SF)
• Be-My-Valentine Chocolate Oatmeal (GF, SF)
• Chili Relleno Casserole (GF)
• Chili-Chocolate Black Bean Brownies (GF, SF)

Here's what looked good to me--but trust, me everything in this cookbook looks good--but there was a limit to what I could copy:

• Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup (GF, SF)
• Chinese-Style Eggplant in Garlic Sauce (GF)
• Thai Red Curry Tofu and Veggies (GF)
• Chana Saag (Indian Greens with Chickpeas)  (GF, SF)
• Easy Veggie Chickpea Biryani (GF, SF)
• Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
• Atomic Tofu Pecan Loaf (GF)
• Pumpkin & White Bean Lasagna
• Texax-Style Tofu Taco Filling
• Carrot Cake and Zucchini Breat Oatmeal (GF,SF)
  
• Mango Coconut Rice Pudding  (GF,SF)
  
• Hungarian Mushroom Soup (GF, SF)
  
• Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew
• Apple Sage Sausage (GF version given, SF)

Full Disclosure:  There's very little oil used in any of these recipes, and when there is, it's usually just to pre-saute the vegetables--or to oil the crock-pot.   Easy to eliminate.   Hester does use coconut milk in some recipes, but that's such an easy fix, with 1 cup of non-dairy milk plus 1 tsp. of coconut extract.

She tries to avoid using too much sugar or sweeteners, and there are plenty of gluten-free & soy-free recipes. 

 

"Heart-Saving" Chocolate Oatmeal - Healthy Librarian-Style

 

Mixing up the Cocoa in a Cup of Milk & Water

 

Penzey's Special Deep Rich Cocoa - Not Really High-Fat At All! 

 

How Yummy Does This Look in the Slow-Cooker?  My House Smelled Heavenly!

 

Click here to get the recipe on one page

Adapted from Kathy Hester's "The Vegan Slow Cooker"

Serves:  4 large servings

Note:  I doubled Kathy's recipe & used my cheapo Procter-Silex 3.5 quart slow-cooker.  That way I had left-overs.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup steel-cut oats

2 cups water

3 cups unsweetened soy milk or almond milk (vanilla flavor is fine)

1/4 cup good quality unsweetened undutched cocoa powder  (Penzey's, Hershey's, Scharffen Berger's, or Ghiradelli's)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4+ tsp. stevia (to taste)  You can always add more to your oatmeal later if you want it a little sweeter--but watch out--stevia can get a little bitter if you add too much.

2 tablespoons of agave nectar (or maple syrup)

Options:  1/2 tsp. of cinnamon; 2-4 tablespoons of PB2, the defatted peanut powder

Top each serving of oatmeal with 1/4 cup of thawed, mixed frozen berries;  1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts, & 1 tablespoon of chia seed, if desired.

The night before:

1. Spray your crockpot with Spectrum's high-heat canola cooking spray if food tends to stick to your slow-cooker.

2.  Measure the milk & water, and then heat up about 1 cup of the liquid in the microwave, until very warm.   Now, slowly mix in the 1/4 of cocoa with a tiny whisk.  Cocoa usually doesn't mix well in cold liquids--that's why I pre-dissolve it, before adding it to the slow-cooker.

3. Add the oats, the milk, water, cocoa mixture, the vanilla, the stevia, & the agave. That's it!

4.  Set the slow-cooker to low.

Hester says this should take 6 to 8 hours.  Mine took only 6 hours!  Just warning you.

5.  Refrigerate the left-overs, and enjoy reheated the next 3 days!

Warning:  My slow-cooker runs hot--so my oatmeal was done in 6 hours.  If I had cooked the oatmeal overnight, it would have been a little dry, and slightly crusty or overdone on the sides.

Hester highly recommends that the first time you use these recipes you should do it when you are home, to see how long the cooking actually takes--and if your slow-cooker runs on the hotter or cooler side.

I REALLY want to get a better slow-cooker, so recommendations are welcome.  A programmable one--that could flip to warm after 6 hours, would be perfect.

Note:  I'm sure you could prepare this at night and let it soak overnight in a regular saucepan in the refrigerator--and cook it in the morining--on the stove.  It's the overnight soak that makes it special.

 

Nutrition Facts (based on one serving topped with 1/4 cup of mixed berries, and 1/8 of an ounce of walnuts, equivalent to 1/2 tablespoon)  (chia seed isn't included in this count)

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's/Kathy Hester Save Your Heart Chocolate Oatmeal wt Berries
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	312
Total Fat	10g
Saturated Fat	1.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	8mg
Carbohydrate	46.5g
Dietary Fiber	7.4g
Sugars	12.4g
Protein	16.4g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    7% Iron 21%

 

 

Why You Want to Eat Oats Everyday

 

The New Science Behind Oats - Avenanthramides  

Old news:  Oats have a soluble fiber, known as beta-glucan that helps to lower cholesterol by reducing its absorption into the blood stream.  They are also low-glycemic, taking a nice leisurely time to digest, so they keep you full longer, and keep your blood sugar steady.  All commendable qualities.

New to me news--the Avenanthramides--the heart healthy polyphenol found in oats :   Over at the USDA-Agricultural Research Vascular Biology Lab at Tufts University, Dr. Mohsen Meydani is the "oat expert".   It turns out that the polyphenols in oats, better known as avenanthramides, are the real power players when it comes to heart health.  First off, they prevent LDL from oxidizing, which sets the process of atherosclerosis into motion.  They work their magic by "decreasing inflammation in the artery walls, by limiting the growth of artery-stiffening smooth muscle cells inside arteries, and by preventing white blood cells from sticking to artery walls."  Harvard Health Letter, May 2010.

But it gets even better.  Meydani has recently found that the avenanthramides in oats are not only anti-inflammatory, but they put a stop to the kind of wild cell growth in the artery walls that starts the whole process of atherosclerosis in the first place--which can eventually lead to heart attacks.  As if that weren't enough--when you ingest these avenanthramides with your morning oatmeal, you're also preventing atherosclerosis by increasing artery-saving nitric oxide production in the endothelium or lining of your arteries. That's the "magic gas" that keeps the arteries relaxed and dilated.  And it's a dose-response--the more avenanthramides, the greater the nitric oxide production. Side benefit:  lowered blood pressure.  For Meydani's research click here and here.

Curbing colon cancer with avenanthramides, too.  We knew that oats and other whole grains helped to reduce colon cancer, but the mechanism wasn't fully understood.  Meydani's just-published research in Nutr Cancer 2010 Nov. 62(8):1007-16 found that the avenanthramides in oats tamp down inflammation in the colon, and inhibit the growth of colonic cancer cells.

 

What's So Good About Cocoa?

 

The Greek name for cocoa means, "Drink of the Gods".  Maybe they were on to something.  Epicatechin is the polyphenol in cocoa that does its magic on the cardiovascular system.

• It lowers blood pressure
• It reduces insulin resistance and improves platelet function
• It increases nitric oxide production--that "magic gas" that improves endothelial function, and it has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• In a recent meta-analysis in the journal Circulation, 75 grams of dark chocolate for 3 weeks increased HDLs by 14% and decreased LDL oxidation. Lowering blood pressure took even less cocoa to do the job.
• How does cocoa do all this?  It's probably because it increases the availability of nitric oxide, and it also increases arginase--which prevents nitric oxide from breaking down.  It's a 2-for-one!
• Cocoa's best benefit?  It inhibits the kind of inflammation that creates atherosclerotic plaque.
• This study will give you a good reason to drink cocoa daily.  One of the tests for a healthy vasculature is the ability of our blood vessels to dilate.  This study looked at the dilation of arteries after drinking a high flavanoid cocoa drink, compared to a low flavonoid drink.  There was a significant increase in vasodilation with the high flavonoid drink--and nitric oxide levels increased as the level of flavonoids in the cocoa increased.
• Watch out!  Avoid cocoa or dark chocolate that is "Dutch-Processed" or is treated with an alkali to decrease its bitterness--that destroys the flavonoids!

 

Bring on the Berries, Everyday!

 

Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's or Costco.  Read more here and here.

 

If You're Going to Eat Nuts, Stick to Walnuts--For So Many Reasons

 

Source:  American Chemical Society, March 27, 2011 press release

In a report [presented at the] 241^st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, scientists presented an analysis showing that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who did the analysis. “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.”

Walnuts are the top nut for heart-healthy antioxidants

Vinson noted that nuts in general have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits — in addition those antioxidants — wrapped into a convenient and inexpensive package. Nuts, for instance, contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat; vitamins and minerals; dietary fiber; and are dairy- and gluten-free.

Years of research by scientists around the world link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Despite all the previous research, scientists until now had not compared both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in different nuts, Vinson said. He filled that knowledge gap by analyzing antioxidants in nine different types of nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans. Walnuts had the highest levels of antioxidants.

Vinson also found that the quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts. Antioxidants in walnuts were 2-15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.

“There’s another advantage in choosing walnuts as a source of antioxidants,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. “The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants. People usually eat walnuts raw or unroasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.”

Dr. David Katz of the Yale University School of Medicine, published a small randomized-controlled study in 2010, that demonstrated how a walnut-enriched diet improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in type 2 diabetic individuals, suggesting a potential reduction in overall cardiac risk.  

Source:  Ma Y, Njike VY, Millet J, Dutta S, Doughty K, Treu JA, Katz DL, "Effects of walnut consumption on endothelial function in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized controlled crossover trial,"   Diabetes Care,  2010 Feb;33(2):227-32.  Click here for the full article.

 

Just Wanted to Say, "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You" to Everyone Who Takes the TIme to Read HHLL!!!

You are no doubt some of the most thoughtful, interesting, intelligent, independent-minded, savvy & healthy group of readers out there!

1.  What a surprise for me to see Happy Healthy Long Life on Susan Voisin's (The Fat-Free Vegan's) short-list of helpful sites that will support a plant-based lifestyle.  Susan's New Year's post,  My Get-Healthy Plan to KISSS in the New Year is outstanding.  Be sure to check it out.  Susan, I'm so honored to have made your list!  Thank You!  She is one of the best resources for fat-free recipes around.

2.  If you haven't been keeping up with all the thoughtful, articulate, motivating, & inspiring comments to my recent post, please click on this link, and scroll on down to read them: The Sunday New York Times "Fat Trap" & "Why Lost Pounds Come Back"- It Misses the Mark! Forget the Genetic, Hormone, & Metabolic Excuses - Just Give Esselstyn Plant-Perfect a Try!  Some very interesting comments.

3.  I'm overwhelmed, humbled, & absolutely thrilled to see so many of you visiting the Happy Healthy Long Life - Healthy Librarian Facebook page.  All your thumbs up, and generous words are beyond any expectations I had when I created the page.  It's so much fun for me to finally meet you--and have a conversation.  If you haven't visited, please do--and join in the conversation. 

You can find me here:

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. 

4.  Another surprise for me was seeing Happy Healthy Long Life on MD Consult's list of "Blogs We Follow".  MD Consult is an excellent and highly respected subscription website for physicians & medical/hospital libraries--so not something most of you are likely to have seen.  It's produced by Elsevier, one of the premier medical publishers in the world.  I'm honored to be on that list.

5.  My last bit of shared news, is one of my favorite comments on the New York Times, in response to Tara Parker Pope's, "Fat Trap" article.   It was written by an uber-healthy 84 year-old woman from Toronto:

• Margaret Bennet-Alder
• Toronto

Wouldn't every man worth his salt, and and every woman, want to put Viagra out of business? The wrong food got him into his pickle and the right food can get him out of it.

Forget the Food Pyramid with its animal foods. Use the Food Plate: whole grains, vegetables, beans/legumes, and fruits. How to make the switch?

Neal D. Barnard, MD, in his new book 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart takes you by the hand explaining why animal foods pack on the pounds and plant foods burn calories. Menus and recipes ease you on your way.

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's classic, Prevent and Reverse Disease, is the one that inspired former president, Bill Clinton, to lose weight and keep healthy after a stent.

Three years ago after reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, I became a vegan overnight. I began by following Dr. John A. McDougall's plant-based 12-day Meal Plan which is free from his web site. Within a month I lost the 10 pounds that I had tried to lose for 35 years. Upon not using any added oil I have lost another 15 pounds and now weigh what I weighed in high school. I'm never hungry and enjoy healthy carbohydrates. I'm looking forward to Dr. McDougall's forthcoming book, Starch, to be published by Rodale in April, 2012.

The healthylibrarian.com and vegsource.com provide excellent information to keep me on track.

Although heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity have felled relatives, I'm well at 84 thanks to my plate of plants. I look forward to more years of the same.

• Jan. 1, 2012 at 2:45 p.m.

 

The Healthy Librarian's Holiday Overindulgence Tool Box: Some Abstinence Inspiration, the Exercise Cure, a Holiday Video, a Company-Worthy Recipe, along with Sara Moulton's Favorite Chocolate (coronary) Cookie Recipe

 

 

"Is that piece of chocolate an innocent indulgence?  Or your next hit? We're finding that a sweet tooth makes you just as much an addict as snorting cocaine.

SETTLED on the sofa watching the usual rubbish on TV, I notice that predictable, uncontrollable, nightly craving.  At first I sit there, fighting it. But the longer I fight, the worse it gets. After 20 minutes, I can't concentrate on anything, I feel anxious, and start fidgeting like crazy. Finally, admitting my addiction, I break. I go to the freezer - to my stash of white stuff - and take a hit. Almost instantly, I relax, my brain in a state of bliss as the chemical courses through my veins. Isn't it amazing what a few scoops of ice cream can do?

Before you dismiss my agitation as mere weakness, consider this: to my brain, sugar is akin to cocaine. There is now compelling evidence that foods high in sugar, fat and salt - as most junk foods are - can alter your brain chemistry in the same way as highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Junk foods switch on biological mechanisms that are just as hard to fight as recreational drugs."

-Bijal Trivedi, "Junkie Food: Tastes Your Brain Can't Resist," New Scientist, Sept. 8, 2010-

 

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

 

Note:  This was posted last year--on December 22, 2010.  I can't think of a better reminder than this post to watch out for the holiday junk food.  Beware of gifts of chocolate & nuts!

 

Look, I don't miss my old favorites, like cheeseburgers, barbecued ribs, corned beef sandwiches, olive oil, or brie anymore.  I'm so over them.  Not remotely interested.

But, really good cookies or chocolate--now that's a whole different story.   Why?  Because I can't each just one.  If I start with one, I want (no, I need) more.  Normally, I can "just say no!"  But, this season....

On Thursday Dr. D came into the library to give me a thank-you gift for a research project I had helped her with.  This wasn't a Whitman's Sampler--it was a box of chocolates made locally by an artisan chocolatier.  I wasn't planning to taste a single one--and I set the box on the counter by the microwave in the library--for everyone else to enjoy. 

But when two colleauges said, "Go on, just have one.  You deserve it.  Give yourself a treat,"  I took the bait--and I didn't stop with one.   I ended up eating four pieces, stopping only with sheer will power.

Two days later, at a wedding, I downed a piece of red velvet wedding cake, and followed it up with a mini German chocolate brownie.  That night, before I went to bed, I dug into my purse, opened & ate the two-piece mini-box of Russell Stover chocolates my friend Marge had given me on Friday night.  Thanks, alot, Marge!  I tried to refuse them--but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

If you think sugar addiction is a myth, think again.

Back in September, my friend Bob, who works for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), sent me a copy of the New Scientist article I excerpted above--along with a hot-off-the-press article from his friend & colleaugue, Dr. Mark Gold:  "Neurobiology of Food Addiction," by Daniel M. Blumenthal and Mark S. Gold, Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jul;13(4):359-65.  Dr. Gold is an international authority  on addiction research--specifically, cocaine addiction.  According to Gold, there's now hard evidence for the biological basis for sugar addiction.  Doesn't sound far-fetched to me!

Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA agrees--and last year he wrote a book about it: "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite."  Want to learn more?  Read my summary of his research here.  If you can get a hold of the New Scientist article at your local library, it's definitely a worthwhile read, as well.

Bottom Line:  As I continue through this season of temptation--with cookies-chocolate-cheese-and-alcohol everywhere you look--I'm etching Dr. Michael Roizen's mantra indelibly on my brain.  And you can, too!

 

"The joy of eating an ice cream cone might last for 15 minutes.  The damage it does lasts months!"

"The sugar from that cone is going to negatively affect the proteins in your body for the length of life of that protein--anywhere from 90 to 100 days--far outlasting the 10-30 minutes of pleasure you're going to get from that ice cream cone.

Yes, that "extra sugar causes the proteins in your body to be less functional and as a result, directly ages your immune and arterial systems and even your joints (hello, arthritis). The joy of the food might last 10 minutes.  The protein change lasts months,"  says Roizen.

 

Last night my friend Babs, an expert baker, told me she had just made "THE best-ever-chocolate cookies". 

Babs is one of those lucky people who really can stop after eating just one cookie.  Her scrumptious recipe comes from Sara Moulton.  It's Moulton's all-time favorite cookie recipe from the just released: The Gourmet (Magazine) Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009, so you know it's got to be good (and bad for you).  Sara's Chocolate Mocha Cookie recipe comes from 1990--20 years ago--back when I wouldn't have given butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate a second thought.

Three dozen cookies made with 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate, 3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, 1 stick of butter, 4 eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  Oh my!  I'll have to just leave this one to my imagination.  Have you all heard about the new Imagine Diet research out of Carnegie Mellon?  If you want to torture yourself, click here for Sara's & Babs' recipe. 

 

Just in Case You Do Overindulge - Be Sure to Get Up & Exercise Before You Eat Breakfast!

 

Don't miss Gretchen Reynold's December 15, 2010 article in the New York Times, "Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast".  Now this is practical research you can really use!

Here's the pitch:

"A recent study by scientists in Australia found that after only three days, an extremely high-fat, high-calorie diet can lead to increased blood sugar and insulin resistance, potentially increasing the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Waistlines also can expand at this time of year, prompting self-recrimination and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

But a new study out of Belgium, published in The Journal of Physiology suggests a more reliable and far simpler response. Run or bicycle before breakfast. Exercising in the morning, before eating, the study results show, seems to significantly lessen the ill effects of holiday Bacchanalias."

For six weeks, three groups of healthy young men ate a lousy diet--50% fat, and 30% more calories than usual--kind of like all of us might be eating for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

• One group quit exercising completely for six weeks--and just enjoyed their high fat, caloric diet.
• Two groups participated in serious, supervised morning workouts, both with an equal energy expenditure.
• One of the exercise groups ate a hefty-carbo-rich breakfast before they exercised, and also drank a sports drink during exercise.
• The third group worked out before breakfast, on an empty stomach, and only drank water while exercising.  But afterwards...they chowed-down on the same calorie-rich breakfast as the breakfast-eating exercisers had enjoyed.

The results are compelling.

• Bad News.  The breakfast-eating non-exercisers packed on six additional pounds in six weeks!  And it gets even worse.  They developed insulin-resistance, their muscles no-longer efficiently pulling glucose out of their bloodstream, and they started "storing fat within and between their muscle cells".  The Lesson Here: Don't plan on skipping exercise after holiday partying!
• Somewhat Better News. The group who ate a hefty breakfast before working out gained about half as much weight as the non-exercise group.  And just like the non-exercisers, they too became more insulin-resistant, and started storing more fat in their muscles.
• Best News.  The exercisers who skipped breakfast gained zero weight, and showed no signs of insulin resistance.  And they still got to eat a hefty breakfast--but after they worked out.

Take-away message:  When you indulge at a holiday party, be sure to exercise on an empty stomach the following morning.  Eat breakfast after your workout.  Read the entire article for the "rest of the story!"

As for me, since returning home from our Thanksgiving trip to St. Louis, I haven't skipped out on any of my usual exercise routines.  In a week I fit in 4 days of spinning, 3 days of yoga, 2 days of weights, & one or two days of rest a week.   In spite of various sugary indulgences (like handfuls of leftover vegan chocolate chips that I had around because I was baking for company), restaurant dinners, dinner at friends' homes, holiday parties, and a wedding--not one extra pound has been gained so far. 

 

Enough of the Holiday YouTube Videos - This One Might Be a Real Life-Changer

 

I just discovered this powerful video this morning, thanks to James Brown at the Dr. McDougall site.  You'll hear first-hand how fifty-something James Brown ended up bypassing on bypass surgery--with the blessings of his originally skeptical cardiologist. 

Brown had been on high blood pressure meds since he was 23; by his fifties this 5' 7"er weighed 206 pounds; his cholesterol was 339; and he was starting to experience chest pains.  Talk about a "do-over"!  Brown really did it.  If you aren't seeing the video in this post, click here.

 

James Cures Hypertension and Heart Disease, McDougall Diet from John McDougall on Vimeo.

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Version of Company-Worthy Ten-Minute Asparagus & Brown Rice

Looking for a healthy recipe for the holiday season that everyone can enjoy?  This might be it.

Last January I discovered Heidi Swanson's amazing garlicky & lemony-tahini dressed garbanzo bean, rice & asparagus salad.  I brought it work, and everyone who tasted it ended up making it.  It's that good.

But, it's also loaded with fat: over a third of a cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of tahini, and 1 cup of slivered almonds.  Gee, and I used to think this was a healthy meal.  I haven't made it since June 18, 2010 when I started eating "no-added fat" ala Esselstyn style.

Three weeks ago I decided to see if I could "enlighten" this recipe--ditch the olive oil used for sauteeing--and substitute low-fat silken tofu for the olive oil in the dressing--a trick I learned from the Wellness Forum's Chef Del.

 

Golden Browned Onions Without Any Oil

Browning the Garbanzos Without Oil

Toasting the Almonds on Parchment Paper

A Bunch of Asparagus

Mixing It All Together

 

Mixing Up the "Enlightened" Tahini Dressing

 

For a copy of recipe on one page, click here.

Enlightened Ten Minute (more like 30) Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice

based on Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks recipe

Serves 4-6

2 14-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup of vegetable broth--used only as needed when sauteeing the onions & chickpeas

1 bunch of asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces

3 cups pre-cooked brown rice (I used the frozen already cooked brown rice available at Trader Joe's

2 TBS. of almond slivers, toasted in a low oven (I cut this down from 1 cup of almonds--you could leave it out entirely if you like)

fine grain sea salt & paprika, optional

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional--if you like your food hot & spicy

Tahini Dressing:

1 garlic clove, smashed & chopped

2 TBS. tahini (I cut this down from 1/4 cup)  *Don't leave this out!

zest of 1 lemon

4 TBS. low-fat silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu)

scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (one lemon)

2 TBS. hot water

scant 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt (optional)

a few good grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions:

1.  If you're using frozen rice, heat it in the microwave and set aside.  Or, make up enough rice for 3 cups, cooked.

2.  Make the dressing by pulse mixing the following ingredients in a food processor: the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tofu.  Add the hot water to thin a bit and then add the salt & pepper to taste.  Set aside.

3.  Heat your non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the dry skillet and saute. Lower the heat.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt & paprika if you like--the paprika helps give it a nice golden color.  Stir occasionally--the onions will be fine sauteeing in their own juice for awhile.  As they get dry, or begin to stick, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.  Add the garlic, and continue to saute for about 10 minutes total, until they are soft, sweet, and golden.  Add broth--2 tablespoons at a time, if needed to prevent sticking.  Remove from the pan, and set aside.

4.  Now add the 2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzos to the skillet, and "dry saute" for about five minutes.  Let them get a little crusty, browned or even a tad bit charred.  They may "hiss & pop". 

5.  When they are nicely browned, add the sauteed onions & garlic back into the pan, and add in the asparagus pieces.  Cover with a lid for a minute or two to steam--just until the asparagus brightens and softens up just a bit.

6. Uncover and stir in the rice and toasted almond slivers.  Taste & season to taste.  Mix in the cayenne pepper, carefully, if you like that kind of heat.

7.  Serve family style in a big bowl, and pass the tahini dressing so everyone can mix some of it into their rice.

NOTE:  This dressing is delicious on a veggie or falfel burger, and left-over rice salad is great mixed into a salad of greens.

 

Nutritional Information - Based on 1/6 of the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Ten Minute Asparagus and Brown Rice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	305
Total Fat	5.7g
Saturated Fat	0.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	55mg
Carbohydrate	51.6g
Dietary Fiber	9g
Sugars	3.1g
Protein	13.5g
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    12% Iron 18%

 

 

 

 

Police Chief Patrick Berarducci's Gone Plant-Strong and is Cracking Down on Heart Disease in Medina, Ohio

 

Thursday Morning's Weight Work-Out

 

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? 

-Clarence, the Angel, in the 1946 Film, "It's a Wonderful Life"-

 

 

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

 

Have I got an inspiring story to share.

It's crazy how interconnected we all are to each other.  You never know how much influence we can have on each other.

Here's the story Ann Esselstyn shared with me this morning--after a morning weight-workout class.

I just happened to have the day off--otherwise I wouldn't have attended this class--and I wouldn't have heard Chief Berarducci's story.

 

This summer a police chief's grown-up son learned about the benefits of a plant-based no-added-oil-diet at one of Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Immersions in Texas.  

The newly-plant-strong son convinced his not-so-healthy Medina, Ohio Police Chief dad to just give the diet a try.  It worked for Bill Clinton--it'll work for him.

When the Police Chief started losing weight & gaining energy, he convinced his officers to give the diet a try.

Then the Police Chief decided to take it a step further & get his whole community turned-on to all the health benefits of eating plant-based--so he invited Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr & his wife Ann to explain all about the diet at the Medina Performing Arts Center.

The plan: to make Medina into a "Heart-Healthy City"

That was last night.

The community came out in full force to hear Dr. Caldwell B. & Ann Esselstyn explain how they can become a "Heart Healthy City--packing the Medina auditorium.

The front row was filled with police officers--and I'm pretty sure the mayor was there, too.

 

How lucky that Chief Patrick Berarducci listened to his son's pleas to do something about his health.

How lucky for Partick Berarducci, Jr., that his dad took his advice to heart--and turned his health around.  Not many parents are willing to do that.  What a gift this father & son gave to each other!

 

"The greatest gift that you could possibly give to your family--you can make them aware of this incredible power to avoid life's most painful events.  You just don't have to have those kinds of events." 

-Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn-

 

 

How lucky for the city of Medina, Ohio that they have a Police Chief who wants the entire community to "crack down" on heart disease.

And the delicious part for everyone in the Northeast Ohio area---Chief Berarducci wields a lot of influence in the local restaurant community.

Rumor has it that at least two Medina restaurants, Sully's & Thyme, are more than willing to turn out plant-based oil-free dinners for the Police Chief--so, I'm guessing that they'll know exactly how to prepare healthy meals for everyone else who's looking for plant-based fare in the Medina area .

Ann Esselstyn told me that the dinner she & Dr. Esselstyn had in Medina last night was absolutely outstanding--and prepared by a local restaurant, exactly to Chief Berarducci's oil-free specifications!

 

 Trimmed-Down Medina Police Chief is Sharing Secret of Success with Community 

 

Medina Town Square--The New Heart Healthy City

 

Police Chief Patrick Berarducci

I learned all the details about Chief Berarducci's heart-health turn-around from Jake Poole's Sun Newspaper story, "Trimmed-Down Medina Police Chief is Sharing Secret of Success with Community."

 

Here's the full text of Poole's 12/2/11 story.

 

I started to just include the highlights--but, frankly, the article is just so good, I'm reprinting it all right here.   Please, please go ahead & click on Jake's story so he'll get credit for lots of internet traffic!

 

Trimmed-Down Medina Police Chief is Sharing Secret of Success with Community

 

 "The 61-year-old Medina resident and 37-year law enforcement official is cracking down on heart disease.

Over the last three months, Berarducci has lost nearly 40 pounds while following a ground-breaking diet that was designed by Cleveland Clinic doctor Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., who will speak at the Medina Performing Arts Center next Wednesday. Dr. Esselstyn claims that the diet makes a person heart attack-proof.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to protect my health and be here as long as I can, and I haven’t been disappointed,” Berarducci said of the diet.

'Dad, you need to do something.'  How & why Berarducci went plant-strong

His wife, Judy, and two grown children had become increasingly worried about Berarducci’s rising weight and climbing blood sugar, which required Berarducci to take 20 mg each day of Crestor, a medication to regulate cholesterol.

On the weekend of Sept. 4, Berarducci’s son, Patrick Jr., made a plea.  (according to HL's sources, Patrick, Jr. learned about the Esselstyn diet when he attended an Engine 2 Immersion weekend in the summer)

“He said, ‘Dad, you need to do something,’” the elder Berarducci recounts. “To me, I’m a cop, I’m used to somebody showing me the evidence. I’ve got to understand it.”

Show Me the Evidence

So Patrick Jr. did. He showed his father a recorded CNN special, “The Last Heart Attack,” that features Dr. Esselstyn’s research and a story about U.S. President Bill Clinton, who, despite having world-class health care, needed bypass surgery only a couple years after leaving office.  

It was a wake-up call to Berarducci, who formerly worked as a federal agent and knew the protective measures exerted for the President, including strict health care. If it could happen to someone on such a formulated and planned diet, it could happen to a local police chief.

“What do we do?” Berarducci asked his son. His next meal was on Dr. Esselstyn’s diet, and he has not looked back.

The Challenge of an Ever-Shrinking Waistline

Since September, Berarducci has lost 38 pounds and has had to invest in a tailor.

“The big problem now is I have to continue to have my clothes taken in,” he said. “That’ll be a price I’m willing to pay.”

Berarducci's Cardiovascular Fitness Has 'Skyrocketed' with Exercise

He has lost 11 percent of his body weight, and Berarducci, who works out at least five hours per week, says his cardiovascular fitness has “skyrocketed.”

“I’m doing miles instead of blocks,” he said.

Prior to starting the diet, 30 minutes of walking was a strenuous workout, but now, Berarducci rips off a one-hour walk with ease, even after 12-hour days. “You just don’t get tired,” he said.

The Heart Attack-Proof Lifestyle

The heart attack-proof diet, which is based on a 20-year study by Dr. Esselstyn, is plant-heavy and rejects the use of oils in cooking.

In his book, “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease,” Esselstyn details his study and 150 heart-healthy recipes.  Read more here.

According to the book’s website (www.heartattackproof.com), heart disease can be “prevented, reversed, and even abolished.”

'I've Not Enjoyed My Meals in the Past Like I Do Now'

By following the diet, food has come alive to Berarducci. Lentil soup over spinach, whole-wheat tortillas, whole wheat pasta: It’s like eating for the first time.

“The food you taste is so good, and I don’t remember feeling that way about normal food,” said Berarducci, whose wife is cooking through each one of Dr. Esselstyn’s recipes. “I’ve not enjoyed my meals in the past like I do now.”

Medina, Ohio--Where the Restaurants Now Make Plant-Strong Fare

And he’s taken his new diet out — to Sully’s, Thyme, and other local spots.

Berarducci will tell the chefs what he can and cannot eat, and the chefs’ creativity will flow out, producing new and unique dishes.

“To me, it almost looks like chefs are getting to be chefs. They are getting to prepare foods that they normally don’t get to,” Berarducci said.

As Berarducci’s weight plummeted and he continued to evangelize the diet, other police department employees began using the diet. But he could not stop there.

Like any good safety official, Berarducci wanted to protect the whole Medina community. He invited Dr. Esselstyn to present the diet to those in Medina City.

“I’m so thankful that my son didn’t give up on me and he got the message to me,” Berarducci said, “and I’ve kind of taken that on for the community.”  

 

I want to give a shout-out to my blog-buddy, plant-strong grandmother extraordinaire, Bonnie, who I finally had a chance to meet in person on Sunday.  She has her own inspiring story!  Bonnie's the one who told me about the upcoming event in Medina. I know you were there, Bonnie.  Care to fill us in on the evening's events?

And I thank Ann Esselstyn & Jake Poole for filling me in on all the details of Berarducci's story!

Go, Chief Berarducci!!!  We'll all be looking to Medina, Ohio for inspiration.

Every single week I hear motivating stories from readers who have switched to a plant-strong no-oil diet & are blown-away by the results.  They can't believe how easy it was to make the switch.

• Effortless weight-loss
• Greatly improved blood pressure, reduced blood sugar levels, & lowered cholesterol levels
• New found energy & cardiovascular health

 

I never tire of hearing these inspiring stories.

If you've got one--please share it with all of us.  Just click on over to the comments section at the bottom of the post--or drop me a line.

We really do motivate each other to get--and stay healthy!

 

 

 

 

Professor Peter Lewis: I'm Fit, I Mountain Bike, But I Still Got Heart Disease. His Recipe for Reversal. Plus HGK's & Fat-Free Vegan's Sri Lankan Kale, Black Bean, Sweet Potato Mallung & A Daily Dose of Lignans to Prevent Breast Cancer

 

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

Last Wednesday night, after my kids had arrived into town for Thanksgiving--as we were clearing the dinner table of our delicious dinner of Sweet Potato & Spinach Soup and Chef AJ's Thai Vegetable Noodles--Son #1 casually said to me:

 

Son #1:  Hey mom, did you see that video of Dr. Esselstyn--where he gets into a cab, and there's already another passenger sitting in it--and this guy says to him, "Aren't you Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn?"  

And then the guy in the cab tells Dr. Esselstyn how he's come all the way to LA from Wales just to hear him speak.   Turns out, many months before he was having chest pains--went to the emergency room, failed his stress test, got a load of pills, but, he didn't like the survival odds the doctors gave him. 

So he starts doing his own research to see how he can improve his odds of survival; finds Dr. Esselstyn's journal articles; decides to follow the diet---and now he's angina-free & off of all his meds.

Me:  What?  No, I never saw any video like that.  Where did you see it?  You never watch that kind of stuff.

Son #2:  Hmm.  Honestly, I'm not sure.  Could be that DIL #1 had it on her Facebook page or something like that.  Don't really know.  I think maybe her computer was sitting on the kitchen counter as I was making dinner one night--I felt like listening to something while I cooked--so I just clicked onto this video.   But, what an inspiring story.  And the whole thing was so random, how Dr. Esselstyn & this guy just happened to meet in a cab.

 

By now I was very curious.

You have to understand.  Son #1 hasn't even seen Forks Over Knives.  He avoids Facebook, and I can't imagine him watching a YouTube video that's over 6 minutes long--especially one on heart disease.  There's just no way.

So, I asked DIL #1 (his wife--my daughter-in-law) if she knew what Son #1 was talking about.   Turns out, this video was posted on Dr. Esselstyn's Facebook page, not long ago--we tracked it down--and I watched it.   (Note: I, also don't use Facebook--which explains why I never saw this video.  But, that should change in about a week.  Son #1 convinced me it was a good idea.  He, of all people??!!)

As for the video--I totally agree with Son #1.  It's a great story.  Two men randomly meet in a cab--and Peter Lewis ends up sharing his story with all of us!

Me to Son #1:  But, I'm still wondering why you bothered to watch this video through til the end.  Why??  Here's what he told me:

• It was such a random way that Dr. Esselstyn & Peter Lewis met.  And then, Dr. Esselstyn spontaneously asks him to speak to an large audience, without a bit of preparation.
• I was taken in because Peter was so fit--a mountain biker--and he still got heart disease. (Son #1 also mountain bikes & he's fit--maybe this hit close to home.)
• Plus, Peter is a professor, he understood the research, and he wanted better odds for survival than his doctors were offering him--with drugs or stents.

Am I the only one who hasn't seen this video!!

 

 

Peter Lewis, Mountain-Biker, Mathematics Professor From Cardiff Wales on Reversing His Heart Disease--Healthy Expo October, 2006

 

If you do not see the video about Peter Lewis, click here

 

I'm not a huge fan of posting YouTube videos.  Personally, I'm usually too inpatient to watch videos--and I figure, if I'm annoyed by them, maybe my readers are, too.   I prefer the written word.  It's much easier to refer back to. 

But, in this case--listening to Peter Lewis tell his own story is more compelling than just reading a transcript.

So, dear readers, I'm going to give you both--the video & my amateur transcript--not exactly word-for-word-but mostly.

 

Dr. Esselstyn:  Is Peter Lewis here?  Professor Peter Lewis of mathematics fame, from Cardiff? 

Peter, I wonder if I could get you to come up here a moment.  I've known Peter for about 25 minutes.  I was coming in from the airport & I crawled into this filled cab, and I saw this beaming face that I didn't recognize, & this man says, "You're Dr. Esselstyn, aren't you?"   And then he proceeded to tell me this story.  Since Peter is a professor, & he's used to being on his feet, I wonder if you can take just a few minutes & share your story with us, Peter.

 

Peter Lewis:  (Slightly embarrassed, completely surprised, and very charming)  This is totally out of the blue.  15 months ago, I thought I was pretty fit.  My sport is mountain biking & I regularly ride with my 35 year old son, & I keep up with him--and he's pretty keen.  

But, then, while I was helping my son do some gardening, 15 months ago, I felt this pain in my chest.  I thought, "muscle pain", and dismissed it.   But, it didn't go away & I ended up in the hospital emergency room, and I had to stay the night.

The next day, I was released with a bag of pills.   On the way to the "car park", I had to walk up a gentle hill & the pain was so great that I had to stop.   I had it fairly bad--I had a treadmill test in the hospital.  I managed 4 minutes on the treadmill--less than 1/2 of the length of a normal test.  So, I was in bad shape.

(When I got home) I looked on the internet to see what my prospects were--and they were pretty bad.  They talked about improving your risk for survival.  And the best medication you could get would only help lower your risk of getting a heart attack or dying. 

I thought, "I don't want to face that.  I'm healthy.  I want my normal life back!"

So, I carried on with the internet, & came across a paper by Dr. Esselstyn, and what he said was, "I can eliminate your chance of having a heart attack."  He had this study of 18 people who previously had collectively 49 cardiac events---and 12 years later, after they'd been on his diet, they had ZERO.

I thought, "That's the number I want!  Zero."   I didn't want a 5% or 10% risk, because if you're the 5% or 10% who have a heart attack, it's 100% for you!  I want zero.

So, I read the paper, immediately followed the recommendations, & I went immediately on his diet.  I calculated the fat content of what I was eating & it was someting like 7-8% or less.  And I stuck on that diet.

I've got a research background, so I thought "I'm going to measure my improvement.  I've got a standard bike route that climbs up behind my house--about 700 feet, & the first part of it is fairly gentle."

Immediately, when I started this test, I had to stop 7 times from pain during that first little bit.  Then, as the weeks went by, it was 6 times, then 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 time.   Then I managed to do the whole bottom section with no pain--or pain that was manageable.

I thought, "All right.  I'll go on to the next section."  It's steep up into the woods.  Rough track. Tough.  So I had to stop 3 or 4 times going up the steep part--because I was obviously much better.

Then that went down & I started to be able to ride the whole hill with no stops.  So I started dropping some of my medications, Nicorandil, a vasodilator--gradually.   Within 6 months, I virtually eliminated my angina--I was able to ride my bike trip all the way, without stopping & I was dropping my medication.

Now, 15 months later, I TAKE NO MEDICATION,  & when I saw Dr. Esselstyn in this taxi, I said, "I'm here because of you!" 

Because if you're doing this, and you believe so passionately in it, you want to help other people experience the benefits that you've had--but it's hard.   People tend to treat you like "a different sort of person".  They don't really want to know. 

So, in order to feel geniunely inspired, I needed to come somewhere where I'm surrounded by people who believe the same things I believe, & perhaps experience the sort of things I experienced. 

That's why I'm here.

 

Like my son, I'm also inspired by health-turn-around stories--especially, from people who thought they were fit--they exercised, and ate right--or so they thought.

Here's another one--from Michael Bicks--another cyclist who thought he was heart-attack proof--but wasn't:  I'm Healthy, I Exercise, I Eat Right - I'm Heart-Attack Proof. "Not a Moment Too Soon I Thought of Tim Russert"

 

 

Last Night's Dinner--A Gorgeous Sri Lankan Kale, Black Bean, & Sweet Potato Mallung

 

Before I left for work yesterday morning, I checked to see what was cooking in the Healthy Girl's Kitchen.  Turns out, Wendy's friend Quinny had cooked up a gorgeous Sri Lankan Kale with Black Beans & Sweet Potato dish that looked totally easy to make.  In Sri Lanka, it's called Kale Mallung.

I've never had a Sri Lankan dish, and it sounded like a good plan for last night's dinner.

The Lab Rat was up for the challenge--so that's what we ate for dinner last night.  He doubled Quinny's recipe--using 3 large sweet potatoes, 24 ounces of kale, 2 big onions, and 2 cans of black beans. 

Honestly, this recipe is enough for 8 servings--not four.   I'm also thinking that a little pineapple in it, next time, would taste great.   As for the not-so-healthy addition of unsweetened coconut--spread over 8 servings gives you about 4.1 grams of fat, according Susan Voisin, the Fat-Free Vegan and my nutritional info.  How's that for rationalization?   The coconut & lime really made this dish something special.

 It looks like a nutritional power-house to me, in spite of the coconut.

Nutrition Facts Quinny's & Fat-Free Vegan's Kale, Sweet Potato,Black Bean Mullung
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	249
Total Fat	4g
Saturated Fat	3.1g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	218mg
Carbohydrate	45.8g
Dietary Fiber	10.3g
Sugars	13.3g
Protein	10.4g
Vitamin A 312% Vitamin C 220% Calcium    25% Iron 26%

 

 

 

The Benefits of Flax & Chia Lignans for the Prevention of Breast Cancer

 

Thanks again to blog reader Tom, who emailed me yesterday's Disease-Proof   posting that explains how the lignans in flax & chia help to prevent estrogen-driven breast cancer.   One more reason to add a tablespoon or two of flax or chia seed on top of your morning oatmeal!  Fiber, omega-3s, & cancer-fighting lignans.  3 for 1.

The latest study on the subject just appeared in the October 11, 2011 issue of the British Journal of Cancer, "Estimated enterolignans, lignan-rich foods, and fibre in relation to survival after postmenopausal breast cancer."   Read more here.

Excerpt from the Disease-Proof Blog:

"Women eating more flaxseeds with a documented higher serum enterolactone were found to have a 42% reduced risk of death from postmenopausal breast cancer and a dramatic (40 percent) reduction in all causes of death.^14,15 Flaxseeds are clearly super foods; even with a mediocre diet they offer powerful protection against certain types of breast cancer.

 Another interesting study on flax followed women for up to 10 years and found a 51% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 71% reduced risk of breast cancer mortality."

Read the entire flax/lignan/breast cancer post here.

 

Using Medical Journals to Guide Your Cooking - Immune-Boosting Mushrooms and Inflammation-Fighting Vegetables - Three Favorites Recipes - Two Favorite Movies - Three Thanksgiving Dishes to Try

 

 

Big Vegan's Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine - Is It an Immune Booster Shot?

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version--there are videos you won't see in your email.

My husband & I returned from a jam-packed wonderful Wellness Forum Weekend late on Sunday afternoon.  After 3 days of sitting, listening, and taking pages of notes I was glad to be home.  And I was so happy that we had a big pot of Sweet Potato Spinach Soup in the fridge for dinner.

Strange factoid:  Both of us are used to eating so much food at home, that we both lost weight on the  meals served in the hotel--in just 2 1/2 days.  I was disappointed that Chef Del wasn't able to prepare the meals, as he did last year.  He's an amazing chef.  This was a hotel's version of plant-based fare.

Biggest surprise:  I got to meet some HHLL readers who attended the conference and introduced themselves to me.  This was so much fun for me--delightful--and totally unexpected!  It was a pleasure to meet, talk, and compare notes with everyone.  I met readers from Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Idaho, California, and Connecticut.  Hope I'm not leaving anyone out.  Thank you so much for taking the time to introduce yourselves and stopping by to chat. I only regret that we couldn't talk longer.

Lots to report on what I learned at the conference.  But, you'll have to wait until later in the week.

The most practical "I can take-this-back-home-and-use-it"  information came from:

• Janice Stanger, PhD: "Ten Dangerous Nutrition Myths" - I thought I would know everything on this list--I was wrong!
  
• Janice Stanger, PhD:  "It's Toxic Out There: Seven Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Yourself and the Planet" - Except for BPA and teflon, I kind of turn a blind eye to the info on toxins--but Janice definitely opened my eyes.  Think air fresheners, pesticides, household cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, body lotion, hair dyes, scented candles, mercury, and more.
• Gene Baur:  "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food"  OK, I've got to admit, before hearing Gene, this was the talk I was least interested in.   But, Gene is  a compelling speaker who just laid out the facts & photos about what goes on in factory farming. Think Food, Inc.  Frankly, it's hard to ignore what he had to say--and he made some good arguments about the free-range & pastured livestock industry, as well.  It's not as idyllic & pastoral as I thought it was.  His bit about dairy cows was particularly disturbing, and all new information for me.
• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr:  "Yes, You Can Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease"   OK, I've heard this talk at least 4 different times--in short, medium, long, & one-on-one versions.   But, it was still a research-packed talk that helps reinforce what I already know--and I still came away learning something new.
• Ann Esselstyn:  "How to Set Up a Kitchen to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" - More reinforcement to carefully read labels, add greens every chance I can, skip the desserts, and keep a lid on the nuts!  I hope I can have half as much energy as Ann does when I'm her age.  She's a testament to the plant-based diet.  And who do you think I saw at my early Monday morning yoga class?  You guessed it!

 

Thanksgiving is Around the Corner!  Let's Talk Recipes for the Holiday Weekend

 

Thanksgiving is fast approaching--and I just have to share three new recipes that have  knocked-my-socks-off since returning home on Sunday!  And it's only Tuesday!  You just might want to try them out on your guests over the long holiday weekend.

• Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine--This just might be one of the best dishes my husband has ever made.  It's from Robin Asbell's Big Vegan.
• Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, & (a little) Peanut Butter Soup  It's from Quick-Fix Vegan.
• French Lentil Dijon Chipotle Spread--It's a sandwich spread, it's a dip, it's easy & it's delicious. It's from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Families.

 

The Janice Stanger Research Connection to These Recipes

 

According to some of the research presented by Janice Stanger at the Wellness Forum's Fall Conference, each of these recipes brings a little something to the table when it comes to giving us an immune-boost.

• Two of the recipes contain mushrooms--the evidence for their immune-boost is mostly preclinical, in the test tube, culture dish or animal stage.  We'll have to wait a bit for the randomized-controlled human trials.  But, there's no harm in getting a head start, in case the preclinical studies pan out some day.  Mushrooms have been used medicinally in many traditional cultures for years.
• The soup recipe is filled with vegetables high in anti-oxidants, and they are cooked quickly, retaining their immune-boosting benefits. This is research you can take to the bank.

 

Janice Stanger's Myth-Buster #9 - Chicken Soup Is the Best Food If You Have a Cold, But It's Not Because of the Chicken!

 

Check out the title of the study Stanger shared with us.  It was published in 2000 in the prestigious respiratory medicine journal, Chest.  And then it was re-published in Chest's 75th year commemorative issue in 2009!  This article has been a long-time favorite.

Special Report:  Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro (in the test tube or culture dish). Rennard, BO, et al.  Chest  118(4):1150-1157, October, 2000.  Want to read it?  Here it is!

Here's the research behind what makes chicken soup good for the common cold:

Back in 2000, Barbara Rennard & her colleagues tested each component of a special recipe for Grandma's Chicken Soup.  One at a time they tested each ingredient of the soup to see which one had the strongest effect on inhibiting the immune response that's responsible for our miserable cold symptoms.

Which ingredient do you think had the most potent effect on inhibiting neutrophil migration?

• Chicken
• 3 Onions
• 1 large Sweet potato
• 3 Parsnips
• 2 Turnips
• 11-12 carrots
• 5-6 celery stalks
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Salt & pepper

Turns out, all the anti-inflammatory action of the soup came from its lightly cooked vegetables--not from the chicken.  The chicken broth had no benefit at all on inhibiting neutrophil chemotaxis.  Zippo.  That is...until the vegetables were added to it.

All the benefits of the broth on human immune cells came from the vegetables--and cooking them just 8 minutes was the optimal time--just until they were tender.

Take home message:  Don't overcook your vegetables!

 

"That some interaction takes place during the cooking seems likely as the soup acquires maximal inhibitory activity shortly after adding the first group of vegetables. 

While still active, inhibitory activity does decrease slightly during the later stages of the preparation.

The current study demonstrates a statistically significant inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by (vegetable) chicken soup in vitro.  This was not an "in vivo" (human) trial.

[Just to be perfectly clear]  The current study assessed a single measure of the inflammatory response, migration of neutrophils."

 

If you want an extra immune system boost--Dr. Stanger recommends you think about adding more mushrooms to your meals.

They've got more than 300 compounds that will increase the production of white blood cells and boost your immune system.  The #1 mushrooms for boosting immunity are: shiitake, maitake, & reishi, but, even white button mushrooms have recently been shown to have plenty of immune-boosting power.  Check out this article,  "The Effects of Mushrooms During Inflammation,"  BMC Immunol. 2009 Feb 20;10:12.  You can read it here.

So, here's the interesting way mushrooms work in the presence of disease--they seem to promote an appropriate immune response--inhibiting tumor growth or even destroying disease-causing microbes--but leaving healthy cells or beneficial bacteria alone.

Here's an example:

In a recent study of treatment for gingivitis (gum disease), researchers tested a mushroom extract against mouth bacteria.  Then they compared the results to what happens when a commonly used gingival mouthwash, chlorhexidine, is used.

The cholhexidine killed both the gingival-causing bacteria, as well as the benefiical bacteria in the mouth.

The mushrooms, on the other hand, had an appropriate immune response--and killed only the gingival-causing bacteria.

Read the full article here.  Ciric, L. et al "In Vitro Assessment of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes) Extract for Its Antigingivitis Activity,"   J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011; 2011: 507908. 

As much as I'd like to believe that mushrooms can perform magic on humans, at this point in time, most of the immune-boosting mushroom research is being done in the test tube, the culture dish, or on animals.  I checked PubMed, The Natural Standard Database (the authority on integrative medicine , Sloan-Kettering's Integrative Medicine Database, & more). 

The results are positive, but we'll have to wait to see the randomized-controlled human trials, for the final word. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something positive--not as a cure--but as an immune-booster.  

As for me, I'm going to add mushrooms whenever I can--they taste great, and I'm betting they're health-promoting.

Looking for some other natural cold or flu-fighting tools to put in your arsenal?  Read this HHLL post from 11/09:

Advice From the Experts on How to Protect Yourself From Colds and Flu. How to Boost Your Immune System and Avoid Germs. What Foods and Supplements Will Help the Most?

And Now for the Recipes!

Immune-Boosting (Maybe In Vitro) Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine (from Asbell's Big Vegan)

 

Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine

 

Creamy Mushroom Sauce for the Fettucine

 

Browning the Sliced Seitan for the Fettucine

 

A big thank-you to MLB, a blog reader in Philly who recommended Robin Asbell's Big Vegan to me.  So far, everything I've made from it has been amazing.  And I only have 348 recipes to go.

We had this for dinner last night and I just couldn't believe how fabulous it was.  It's got a dense, rich, and creamy sauce with just a hint of wine & spice.  The seitan provides just the right texture & mouth feel--not to mention, it's a huge protein boost.

If you want to get fancy, sprinkle a teaspoon of toasted chopped walnuts on top. 

Get the recipe on one page here.

 

Nutrition facts are for 1/4 of the recipe that includes the walnuts.

Nutrition Facts Big Vegan Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine wt Walnuts
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	396
Total Fat	5.1g
Saturated Fat	0.4g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	382mg
Carbohydrate	57.5g
Dietary Fiber	7.6g
Sugars	4.2g
Protein	26g
Alcohol	2.7g
Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    16% Iron 30%

 

 

 Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes & a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

 

Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

My husband picked out this recipe from Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegan to try last Thursday night, when I worked late.

This one is definitely going to go on my Go To Quick-Dinner List.

It's got it all.  Speed.  All the nutrient-dense ingredients.  Lots of spice.  And it smells heavenly.

I brought some of our left-overs to work yesterday, and every one of the healthy librarians who tasted it gave it a huge thumbs up.  I promised them I'd post it today!

Robin Robertson says it serves 4.  Don't believe her.  We always eat huge portions, and we got at least 6 servings out of it!

Click here for the recipe on one page.

 

Nutrition Facts are for a heaping two-cup serving made with Better'n Peanut Butter & no crushed peanuts

 

Based on using Better'n Peanut Butter & no chopped nuts

Nutrition Facts Quick-Fix Vegan 2 cup serving Enlightened Sweet Potato Spinach Soup
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	148
Total Fat	1.5g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	554mg
Carbohydrate	28.7g
Dietary Fiber	7.1g
Sugars	11.6g
Protein	6g
Vitamin A 159% Vitamin C 46% Calcium    15% Iron 17%

Cynthia Lair's Protein-Packed French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread/Dip with Chipotle

 

 

French Lentil Dijon Spead/Dip Ingredients

 

French Lentil Dijon Dip - OK It's Not Much to Look At - But It Really Tastes Delicious

 

French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread with Roasted Red Peppers 

 

My son & daughter-in-law's friend, natural foods chef Eli, of "Eat with Eli", brought over her favorite cookbook as a gift, to celebrate the arrival of their new baby girl in October.   Cynthia Lair's  Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Parents.  Sasquatch Books, 2008.

Cynthia is a cooking instructor at Bastyr University in Seattle and she has a quirky/funny cooking video website called:  Cookus Interruptus, How to Cook Fresh Local Whole Foods Despite Life's Interruptions. It's really a blast (with a title like that!)--and even though Cynthia doesn't cook exactly as I do--she's got some excellent cooking tips, techniques, information, & recipes on her site.  Check it out.

 

 

Now, back to the French Lentil Dijon recipe.

This recipe just jumped out at me when I leafed through Lair's cookbook.  It takes all of ten minutes to prepare--and it's star ingredient is French Lentils--one of the best beans out there.  High in taste, iron, protein, the amino acid lysine, and fiber.   This dip is loaded with flavor & keeps in the fridge for about a week.

I've served it as a dip, and a sandwich spread.  Add a little avocado, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, & roasted red pepper and it can't be beat for a fast nutritious lunch.   It's last minute pantry food.

I've since shared it with my kids, the healthy librarians at work, and some of my friends--and now with you.  But thank Cynthia Lair, not me.

Everyone seems to add their own special flair to it.  Mary, the librarian added the chipotle, and I'm now adding it to mine!  Snez added a green onion.

Warning:  You must use French Lentils.  Not brown. Not red.  Only French.  If you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, use their already steamed, long-shelf-life lentils that come in a light blue box.  You'll find them either in the produce or the meat & cheese refrigerated cases.   These are French, and they really speed up the prep time.

Last thing:  It really works best to make this in a processor, although a VitaMix will also work--it's just harder to clean out.

 

Get a copy of the recipe on one page here.  Note: When I made this on 11/22/11 I noticed I had forgotten a key ingredient--1 tablespoon of lower-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)--and I didn't mention that the pepper in the recipe was ONLY if you weren't using the chipolte.  Sorry, if I ruined anyone's recipe!  My recipe has now been corrected--and it tastes delicious!

 Nutrition info is based on three servings for the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	133
Total Fat	3.3g
Saturated Fat	0.3g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	433mg
Carbohydrate	15.9g
Dietary Fiber	5.9g
Sugars	2.2g
Protein	7.4g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 3% Calcium    2% Iron 14%

 

Movies for Grown-Ups - Two I've Recently Seen That I Can't Stop Thinking About

 

Take Shelter

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

In a Better World

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

Three Recipes on My Tentative Thanksgiving Menu

 

These three were recommended by MLB in Philly.  She LOVES the mushroom soup, and the waldorf salad.  She hasn't tried the chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding, but the NYT's Tara Parker-Pope swears by it.

Roasted Triple Mushroom Soup--Nix on the olive oil and sour cream.  Use vegetable broth.

Chloe Coscarelli's Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding--I'll use faux coconut milk, not sure whether I'll use sugar or maple syrup.

Kale Waldorf Salad--Honey Crisp apples.

Friday Night Dinner, a Movie, and Two Ounces of Red Wine - "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead"

 

 

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

Friday night.

I wanted to go to the "first-Friday" swing dance, plus lesson--at a nearby middle school.  A wildly popular seven man swing band from Pittsburgh was featured.

Didn't happen. 

Turns out it was my husband's week to usher at the 6:15 pm service at our synagogue.  He's not the kind of guy who would skip out.

So, while he was ushering, I got to work in the kitchen making my version of Pea's & Thank You's Jambalaya!

My friend Janet introduced me to this recipe a month ago.  Then my husband made it for our grandson, who gobbled down two helpings.  Now it was my turn to make it.  Click here for the recipe. 

My husband returned home at 8:00 and dinner was ready to go!

 

How About 2 Ounces of Wine Before Dinner?

 

 

He:  "Hey, why don't we just chill out, have a glass of wine, enjoy our dinner, and see if there's something to stream on Netflix."

Me:  "Great idea, but, just pour me only a 1/4 cup of wine."

He:  "What?  What's up with 1/4 cup of wine?"

Me:  "Straight from this week's issue of JAMA.  Big study.  Women who drank 3 or more glasses of wine a week increased their risk of breast cancer.

Yep! Even low to moderate amounts of alcohol isn't such a good idea for women.  But, the researchers say it might still be a good idea to have a little wine--because even just a little reduces heart disease risk.  Hey, it's all about weighing your own risks. Breast cancer or heart disease. 1/4 cup might help me with both."

He:  "But, what's up with the 1/4 cup?"

Me:  "Run the numbers.  3 5-ounce glasses of wine comes to 15 ounces a week--I figured it was better to have a little everyday--which comes to 1/4 cup a day--and I'd likely only have that 1/4 cup 3 or 4 times a week.  Besides, Tom, a retired physicist blog friend of mine who hates the taste of alcohol, has analyzed every study out there on the health benefits and risks of alcohol.  His conclusion:  2 ounces of wine a day for women was the sweet spot."

We really did have this conversation, believe or not!

 

Want to Know More About the JAMA Breast Cancer Alcohol Study? 

 

If you do not see the video on your screen click here

 

Source:  JAMA 2011 Nov. 2;306(17):1884-90.  Chen, WY, Rosner, B, Hankinson, SE, Colditz, GA, Willett, WC.  "Moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk."

Bottom Line:  Women of all ages need to limit their alcohol consumption to 1-3 drinks a week, maximum.   Even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer.  Beer, mixed drinks, straight up, wine--they're all the same when it comes to increasing the risk of breast cancer.

 

On to the Movie

 

Netflix was not going to cooperate.

Turns out we have the cheapest Netflix plan, and my husband had already used up our monthly allowance streaming "Hell on Wheels"  (a documentary about the Tour de France) while he lifted weight in the basement.

"Let's try Hulu,"  he said.

Real bad idea.  There is nothing on the freebie version of Hulu. 

Except, as he scrolled through the alphabet of loser movies that no one has ever heard of, I spotted something that sounded vaguely familiar, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  How's that for a cheerful Friday night flick?

Turns out, it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was a hundred times better.  We both thoroughly enjoyed this 2010 documentary that's won many awards at film festivals none of us has ever heard of.  Actually, we LOVED this movie!

It's funny.  It's inspirational & uplifting.  It's down-right sad & scary.  It has heart and really gets you involved in Joe's story. It's all about an "everyday overweight guy" just trying to turn his health around and inspire others along the way.

Am I the only person who has never heard of this movie??  Am I really late to the party?

Two big thumbs up!  And best of of all--it's free on Hulu--for the price of watching a few commercials.

You can watch the full movie, 1 hr. 37 mins. here on Hulu--just be sure to disable any adblockers & give it time to load. We streamed it on our TV.

Would I recommend Joe's diet kick-starter plan?  No.  But, it worked for him, and he did it safely, under the care of a physician.  And now he's eating healthy plant-based meals & exercising regularly.  

And just who was Joe's doc?   None other then Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

 

Meet Joe Cross--He's Young, Fat, Desperate, and Sick of Being Sick

 

Joe and Phil

 

If you don't see the video on your screen click here to go to the YouTube movie trailer.

 

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead  (the extended trailer)

 

SYNOPSIS

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope.

In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself.

He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days.

Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well.

What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.

Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.

 Click Here for the Full Film on Hulu

 

 Jamabalaya, Baby!!  So Easy!  So Delicious!

 

Jambalaya & Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

 

Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Jambalaya

(adapted from a recipe in Peas and Thank You)

 

Servings: 4

Click here for a copy of the recipe on one page

 

Ingredients:

2-3 Field Roast Italian Sausages, thinly sliced  

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes in juice

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

1 teaspoon T.J.'s 21  Seasoning Salute (or other salt-free spice combo)

salt to taste (optional)

1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional or to taste  (if you like more heat, substitute red pepper flakes for the black pepper, to taste)

2 cups of already cooked brown rice  (I saved time with T.J. frozen brown rice pouches--ended up using 1 1/2 pouches)

1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste

 

Preparation:

1.  Prepare rice, whether microwaving the frozen rice, or cooking your rice.

2.  Saute the Field Roast sausages in a large non-stick skillet until they're browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove them to a plate for adding later.

3.  Add onions, celery, and red pepper and "steam" saute over medium heat.  Cover & let them soften for  5 minutes, checking halfway through to mix.  If it gets too dry, and starts to stick, add a little bit of broth or water to deglaze the pan.  

4.  Add the seasonings & garlic and cook for one minute. 

5.  Add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and bring to a low boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

6.  Add the browned "sausage", the pred-cooked rice and the tomato paste, mix well,  and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.  Adjust seasonings.

 

It was a perfect Friday Night.

Dinner, Wine (1/4 cup), and a Surprise Hit of a Movie

Got any Dinner & a Movie Combos to Recommend for Our Next Friday Night at Home?

 

 

 

The Big 9p21 Cardiovascular Gene Turn-Off! Vegetables & Fruits - Q & A with Dr. Sonia Anand, the McMaster University Researcher Who Helped Discover the Interaction Between Heart Disease, Genes and Diet

 

My All-Day Heart Food Green Smoothie: 4 Cups of Kale, 1 Cup of Carrots, 1 1/4 Cup of Frozen Berries, 1 Orange, 1 Kiwi.   A Big 9p21 Gene Turn-Off!

 

 

"A diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to mitigate the genetic risk of a heart attack.

We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype (variations of chromosome 9p21) can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables.  

Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health." 

Sonia Anand, is the study's joint principal investigator, a researcher at the Population Health Research Institute and a professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.   "The Effect of Chromosome 9p21 Variants on Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified by Dietary Intake: Evidence from a Case/Control and a Prospective Study,"  PLoS Medicine, published ahead-of-print on October 11, 2011. 

 

 

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

For almost three weeks I barely looked at my computer, read a medical journal article, listened to NPR, watched television, or read a newspaper.   But, somehow, even I didn't miss this exciting Canadian diet/gene article!

I was busy enjoying the deliciousness of caring for a sweet toddler, while my son & daughter-in-law were hard at work bringing a gorgeous healthy baby girl into the world.  I'd say 56 hours of labor was hard work! 

And what more exciting news is there than a new baby?

I was doing the most important work I could think of at the time--playing & snuggling with my grandkids, reading picture books, going to the playground, coloring, preparing meals, grocery shopping, negotiating with a 2 year-old, doing lots of laundry, changing diapers, washing dishes, and best of all--giving "Beginning of Life Care" to my family.   Absolutely the best!  Stay tuned for more on that story...

 

Stuck with Bad Genes?  Think Again!  Fix Them with Vegetables & Fruit?  What??

 

I hear it all the time.  

Cardiovascular disease is all about the genes you're dealt.  And there's nothing you can do to change that hand.  So why bother changing your diet?   Bring on the cheeseburgers & fries.  Enjoy life.

Well, it's time to rethink that erroneous line of reasoning!

Dr. Sonia Anand & Dr. Ron Do were the principal investigators of a recently published study in PLoS Medicine that has now put the KIBOSH on the "I'm stuck with bad genes" fairy tale!   

I'm just saying....If you're going to skip your fruits & vegetables--you're making a big mistake.

Their study is the largest gene-diet interaction study ever conducted, and it encompassed multi-ethnic & racial groups--Europeans, South Asians, Chinese, Latin Americans, & Arabs.  You heard right--the 9p21 gene exists in all racial & ethnic groups.  It's not just a Caucasian thing.

 

What's Up with This 9p21 Chromosome?  Explaining the Back Story - Its Inflammation Connection

 

The 9p21 chromosome is the most robust gene ever associated with heart disease. 

Since 2007 scientists from all over the world have identified variations of this gene that are linked to cardiovascular disease & heart attacks.  This is a proven unquestionable finding.  If you have one or two copies of this gene--your risk of heart disease goes up.  How much?   Who's stuck with this gene?  More on that later...

Researchers already knew that this gene was bad news for heart disease, but it was only recently that they figured out how & why it caused so much damage!

The missing puzzle piece?  The 9p21 gene is an inflammation driver.  It does its dirty work by increasing inflammation in the endothelial cells that line blood vessels!  This is a huge AHA discovery!  

If you carry this gene you are at a higher risk of coronary & arterial diseases because it makes you more susceptible to inflammation than non-carriers.

Turns out, Dr. Kelly A. Frazer & her colleagues at the University of California at San Diego used some new-fangled three-dimensional DNA selection & ligation (DSL) technology to determine exactly how this gene increases arterial inflammation--which helps to explain why having a copy or two of this gene increases one's risk of cardiovascular diseases.  See:  Harismendy, O., Notani, D., Song, X. et al.  "9p21 DNA variants associated with Coronary Artery Disease Impair Interferon-{:gamma;} signaling response,"  Nature 2011; 47-264-268  Click here for the article.

 

According to Dr. Eric Topol, one of the study's co-authors:  

"This connects the dots for the 9p21 markers with multiple vascular phenotypes---coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and intracranial aneurysm---to inflammation.

It explains why 9p21 affects not just risk of coronary artery disease, but also aneurysms--because inflammation, as well as causing atherosclerosis, can weaken artery walls."

And according to Dr. Kelly Frazer:  

"[I]t opens up ways of thinking about people who have this particular [9p21] variant as a susceptibility--you may want to monitor their inflammation more than other aspects--eg, cholesterol--because when people think about coronary artery disease, they tend to always focus on cholesterol."  (for inflammation, think about the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test)

My comment:  If the 9p21 gene increases vascular inflammation, consider what other environmental/lifestyle factors further increase inflammation & cardiovascular disease independent of genes.

A diet high in omega-6 oils and the long-chain omega-6s found in grain-fed meat, saturated fats, trans fats, too little sleep, too little exercise, refined grains, too little fiber, too much sugar, abdominal belly fat, and a diet low in fruits & vegetables?   Are you beginning to connect even more dots?  Does this help to explain why a plant-based no-added oil diet is protective against cardiovascular disease?

 

Read more in:

1.  The Inflammation Connection--Statins, CRP & the JUPITER Study. The Non-Prescription Way to Prevent Heart Attacks & Strokes

2.  My Amateur Spin on Putting the Diet Puzzle Pieces Together - The Omega-6 and Omega-3 Face-Off in Health & Disease

 

Why Vegetables & Fruit Can Mitigate the Risk of the "Heart Disease" Gene

 

Once you know that having the 9p21 gene makes one more susceptible to inflammation, you can better understand why people who have this gene might decrease their risk of heart disease by eating lots of inflammation-inhibiting fruits & vegetables.  You know--the "anti-oxidant effect".  

But, wait a minute!  The McGill/McMaster Diet-Gene-Heart Disease Interaction Study was going on long before anyone knew that the 9p21 gene was responsible for vascular inflammation--which makes the study's results even more exciting.

 

How the McGill/McMaster Diet-Gene Interaction Study was Set Up

 

The Canadian researchers looked at two large international study groups totaling more than 27,000 people--from both the INTERHEART Study & the FINRISK Study--and identified which people had copies of any of four varieties of the 9p21 gene.

They compared the eating habits of those who had the gene with those who did not.   And then they looked at who had a myocardial infarction--and who did not--and compared that with their eating habits & their genes.

The result:  The people in the study who ate a "Prudent Diet" that was high in raw vegetables & fruits lowered their risk of heart attack even though they had the high risk gene.

 

Ira Flatow Interviews Dr. Sonia Anand of the Canadian Heart Disease-Diet-Gene Interaction Study

 

 

I'm a huge fan of NPR's Ira Flatow, and his Science Friday radio interviews with cutting-edge scientists & researchers.  

Listening to his recent interview with Dr. Sonia Anand helped me to better understand the 9p21 gene study--and answered a lot of practical questions that I had.  

How many of us have this gene?  How common is it?  How much can diet affect this gene?  How many fruits & vegetables do you need to eat to silence this gene?

Click here to listen to the interview yourself.

 

Here's what Ira Flatow asked Dr. Anand:

 

Tell us more about the 9p21 gene?

Having this gene increases your risk of heart attack.  It was discovered in 2007 & since then, many investigators have replicated this finding--so we really understand the effects of this gene quite well.

If you have one copy of the bad gene, or 2 copies of it, you have a significantly increased risk of a heart attack.  

 

People who ate a healthy diet, even with an increased risk from the gene, lowered their risk.  Please explain.

First we confirmed that the 9p21 gene was a risk factor, & then we looked at whether a diet high in raw fruits & vegetables would protect someone with the gene, from heart disease.  It turned out that it did.  

Then we looked at groups of people in different combinations, dividing people up by their gene status, and their dietary habits.  We found out that if you had the "bad gene" & consumed a "bad diet" that was low in raw fruits & vegetables, your risk of a heart attack was increased by 30%.

But, if you had the "bad gene", and consumed a "good diet", high in raw vegetables & fruits--your risk of a heart attack was no different than those who did not have the "bad gene".   So, the risk was brought down back to 1.  (Note: Other lifestyle factors also affect one's risk of heart disease, e.g. physical activity, smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, etc, regardless of one's genes.  This study looked only at how diet can affect those with a genetic risk of heart disease, as compared to those without a genetic risk.  In most common diseases, both lifestyle & genes play a role. The 9p21 gene ups the risk of myocardial infarction by 1/5 over those who don't carry the gene.)

 

Do fruits & vegetables have some mechanism to turn the gene off, or affect how it's working?

From this broad population observation, we believe that it's true--there are good properties within the raw fruits & vegetables that actually silence or turn off the gene.  

We don't understand how, and I believe that future studies should be focused in this area to understand at the level of the DNA what actually happens when people are consuming high quantities of fruits & vegetables.

 

Could you tell from the study which fruits and vegetables were the best at silencing the gene?

We conducted the first study in 5 different ethnic groups (the INTERHEART Study included Europeans, South Asians, Chinese, Latin Americans, & Arabs) and the main driver of the protective effect of this diet appeared to be among people who consumed RAW vegetables & fruits.

We then wanted to test our observation in a second study--and looked at the FINRISK Study from Finland.  They measured diet slightly differently than in the INTERHEART Study.  We found in that study, that any vegetable, both raw & cooked--or fruit or fresh or frozen berries seemed to have a protective effect.  So, I think that any of those--raw or cooked vegetables, fresh or frozen fruit or berries--are likely protective.  My comment:   Should we consider the ORAC Index or Dr. Joel Fuhrman's ANDI -Aggregate Nutrient Density index?

 

How many people have the 9p21 gene?  What percentage of the population has 1 or 2 copies of these genes?

50% of the population carries one copy of the "bad gene".

20-25% of the population carries two copies of the gene.  So it's actually quite a common gene.

*To clarify these figures:

"9p21 occurs in 75% of the population except for African Americans and is associated with a 25% increased risk for CAD with 1 copy and a 50% increased risk with 2 copies. Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that 9p21 is independent of all known risk factors, indicating there are factors contributing to the pathogenesis of CAD that are yet unknown. 9p21 in individuals with premature CAD is associated with a 1-fold increase in risk, similar to that of smoking and cholesterol." 

Clinical Chemistry  2011 Oct 20. [Epub ahead of print]  Roberts, R, Stewart, AF, "9p21 and the Genetic Revolution for Coronary Artery Disease."  Click here for article

  

Does diet affect the risk of heart disease equally--or does the risk go down equally if you have both genes?

If you have two copies of the "bad gene" & you are consuming a "bad diet"--your relative risk of a heart attack is increased 2 times, or 200%

If you have only 1 copy of the gene, and you're consuming a "bad diet", your risk of a heart attack increases about 60%.

So, two copies of the bad gene is worse than one copy--and any copy of the "bad gene" is worse than not having it at all.

 

Is there any way to know if you have a copy of the gene?

The genetic test is not widely available.  Physicians don't use it in their risk prediction.

There are some private companies that people can send their saliva or a blood sample to--and pay out-of-pocket to get this testing.  But, I think that outside of the research context, our findings should encourage all people to increase their fruit & vegetable consumption, because we know that high consumption of fruits & vegetables is not only protective against heart disease, it's also protective against stroke & some types of cancer.

 

In your study, how many fruits & vegetables did people eat during the day?

To be classified as a "high consumer", you had to be consuming fruits, vegetables, & berries in multiple servings per day--at least two was average--but likely, if we put our findings together with the public health recommendations, it would be eating at least five to six servings a day.  That's the best advice! And a serving is the amount you can hold in the palm of your hand.

 

So, if you have a couple of servings a day, that would be protective?

That's consistent with our study, and we have observed that that amount of fruit & vegetable consumption can silence this "bad gene".  

 

Can you get even "better silencing" if you eat more fruits & vegetables?

Well, we don't know of an upper limit--so we don't think there's a point where you can consume too much, or have adverse consequences.  Other studies have demonstrated that the higher number of servings per day, the better your health.   At least two per day--but likely more is better!

 

Do you think this study & the effects of diet on this gene explains why people who eat a healthier diet are healthier?

Well, it's one of the first clues between this observation of fruits & vegetables on health--and the potential interactions between a good diet & genes.  

I think it's important because we often think that if something runs in our family, well, it's in our genes. There's nothing we can do to change it--but now we have a hint that perhaps we can silence our genes & change our family history by embracing a healthy lifestyle.

 

Were you able to find out what role exercise might have with the healthier diet?

Yes!  In our study we looked at various factors that may alter the expression of this gene, and we really came up big with this signal from diet!

We didn't find that there are other interactions either positive or negative with other health behaviors, with respect to modifying this gene.  But, I will add that whenever you divide the study population many many times, in difference subgroups, your results become less reliable, because you don't have as many people.  That said, this study doesn't rule out the fact that exercise may turn off or enhance protective genes, but we can definitely see the observations of the protective effect of diet on the 9p21 gene.

 

Where will your research go from here?

In terms of research & next studies, I see three different lines of upcoming research.

• First is at the basic science level--trying to understand how this type of diet may alter gene expression.
• Secondly, we hope to replicate, replicate, replicate our observations in many other studies. Versus heart attack.  Versus stroke.  And the more we see this observation repeated, the more believable it will be.
• The third line of research, which is pretty exciting, is trying to understand if an individual's knowledge of their genetic risk will actually alter their health behaviors.  Will this informations cause more people to embrace a healthy lifestyle & diet, than if they didn't have this information?

 

What Does Dr. Eric Topol Think of the Canadian Diet-Gene Study?

 

Topol is one of the country's leading experts in cardiovascular genomics.  He's a professor of translational genomics at The Scripps Research Institute, and Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California.

It was his recent research that identified the 9p21 gene's inflammation connection.

 

Here's what Topol had to say about the Canadian study:

 

"The study findings suggest that lifestyle does matter, no matter what your genes have dealt you.

This suggests you may be able to do something about it [bad genes] if you follow a prudent diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.

I think this is a very sound report.  It's really one of the first solid evidence of this whole field of nutrigenomics.  (the way genes interact with nutrients)

The researchers found a dose response.  The worse the diet, the higher the risk of heart attack.  The better the diet, the lower the risk."

 

It goes without saying, that probably none of this comes as a big surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile.

But, it helps to confirm & and perhaps explain how a plant-based diet that's high in nutrient-dense vegetables & fruit can prevent and reverse heart disease--in Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's patients--and for those who have duplicated his diet on their own!

Read more here and here.

I'd love to hear your reactions to this study!

Introducing Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale "Gravy" - A Palate Pleasing Nitric-Oxide Boosting Nutritional Powerhouse for the Foodie In You

 

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale "Gravy"

 

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

Almost two weeks ago I got an email from Mike in Louisville:

 

I played around with your savory oatmeal recipe challenge and made an Oat Cake with San Marzano tomato/kale "gravy".   Now, here's a recipe loaded with avenanthramides!

It is a two step recipe that may be a bit more involved than what you requested. I made this originally with Field Roast Italian faux sausage, but realize many heart patients would omit, so I simplified where possible.

The oat cake is combined with my home made fat-free roasted red pepper hummus, but Whole Foods has a couple of brands that save time. Please let me know if you would like the recipe I will forward it.

 

I wrote back:

 

Mike:

Yes, yes, yes! Definitely, forward the recipe to me! Can't wait to try it. Sounds amazing.

 

Ten days later I finally tried out Mike's recipe--with one link of Field Roast Sausage--and my husband said:

 

This just might be the best dish you've made!

 

I absolutely agreed with him!

 

Here's a little preview about Mike--and why he's conducting Esselstyn-friendly plant-based cooking experiments in his kitchen.   His recipes are sure to please the pickiest of foodie palates.

• He loves good food and he hails from a long line of accomplished Italian cooks.
• He's got a strong family history of heart disease.
• About a year ago his 48 year old sister had a heart attack, followed by emergency quadruple bypass surgery.  She didn't fit the typical profile of "a heart attack waiting to happen".  She was slim.  She exercised regularly.  She never smoked.
• After his sister's heart attack, Mike's food IQ evolved at warp speed--leading him to make major changes to his diet--and his cooking.  He's now somewhere between 95-99% Esselstyn-style plant-based oil-free.  About 11 months ago he ditched the diet he thought was heart-healthy: lean meats & olive oil.
  
• Within 6 months he lost 45 pounds
• His omnivore friends & family all rave about his plant-based cooking!

 

My Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy--No Idea Why They Look So DIfferent from Mike's

 

What's So Special about These Oat Cakes?  Greens, Oats & Beans, Baby!

 

Mike had one goal.  Increasing his intake of oats, beyond a breakfast cereal.

It's all about the avenanthramides in oats and the nitric oxide boosting nutrients in kale!

Need a refresher on avenanthramides?

There's a little-known antioxidant in oats--avenanthramide--and it has a beneficial effect on our blood vessels.

Turns out, according to Dr. Mohsen Meydani, the "oat expert" at the USDA-Agricultural Research Vascular Biology Lab at Tufts University, oats help prevent atherosclerosis by increasing artery-saving nitric oxide production in the endothelium or lining of our arteries. That's the "magic gas" that keeps the arteries relaxed and dilated. 

And it's a dose-response--the more avenanthramides you eat, the greater the nitric oxide production.  The dose-response thing--that's what makes oats such an important part of a heart-healthy diet.  More oats=more nitric oxide!  

Which is exactly why Mike wanted to expand his oat recipe repertoire beyond breakfast cereal.

 

Here's the deal on nitric oxide:

1.  Nitric oxide is absolutely essential to vascular health--a finding that won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1998.

2.  It relaxes blood vessels, selectively boosting blood flow to the organs that need it.  It prevents white blood cells and platelets from becoming sticky, and starting the buildup of vascular plaque.  It lowers blood pressure.

3.  But with every meal of processed oil, dairy or meat we eat, within minutes there is damage & injury to the "life jackets" of our vascular health--which is the single layer of endothelial cells that line all of our blood vessels.

4.  The essential building block for nitric oxide production is an amino acid that is found in rich supply in plant foods.

5. And what can you eat to insure that your endothelial cells will have the raw materials to produce this healing nitric oxide?  Beans & leafy greens.  Load up on kale, collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, & beans and you will be well on your way to healing the linings of your blood vessels.

6. Dr. Esselstyn's patients who adopted a strictly plant-based diet brought about rapid restoration of their endothelial cells' capacity to manufacture nitric oxide--and restore circulation.

7. Here's why the Mayo Clinic says nitric oxide is important for the brain.

 

 

Introducing the Recipe that Met the Nitric Oxide Recipe Challenge:

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy

 

 

 

Mixing Up the Oat Cake "Batter"--Steel Cut Oats, Parsley, Tahini-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers

 

Chopped Onions, Garlic, Parsley, &  One Italian Field Roast "Sausage" (not an Esselstyn-approved ingredient, & can be left out--the red pepper flakes & some fennel seed can give you that  Italian "sausage" flavor)

 

One Pound of Farm-Fresh Kale, Stripped of Stems, Cut Into Ribbons

 

Dry Sauteeing the Onions, Red Peppers, White Beans, & "Italian Sausage"

 

Add 2 Cups of Cento's San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes with Some Puree--Another Heart-Health Booster

 

Mike is a San Marzano Man - After Trying Them, I Can Understand His Loyalty to This Tomato

 

Oat Cakes Bake in No-Stick Silicone Muffin Cups - So Easy to Use

The Tomato, Kale, & Bean Gravy

 

Three Oat Cakes Waiting for the Gravy 

 

Mike's Mediterranean Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy

 

 

Serves 5-6

Click here for the recipe on one page.

Note:  These cakes are a winner.  I plan to make a batch up regularly to keep in the freezer.  Works well for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner & can be easily topped with jarred (my fave: Walnut Acres no-oil pasta sauce or "Appetite for Reduction's" Puttanesca (pg. 75)

First the Oat Cakes

Ingredients:

One Cup of rolled oats cooked to package instructions (Boil in water for this recipe)
Hint.. thicker consistency is better here. HL's substitution: I used my fave-steel cut oats, which take longer to prepare!

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (helps tighten/thicken up the oatmeal and helps you cheese fans) HL's substitution: I used 2 tablespoons

One Cup Fat-Free Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Sahara brand if you can find it--There are other brands of fat-free hummus on the market, or you can make your own)

Chopped Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (Lots)  HL used about a cup.

Extra add-ins: chopped garlic, oregano, chopped roasted red pepper, basil

 

Preparation:

 

1. Transfer cooked oatmeal to large mixing bowl.

2. Add hummus and finely chopped Italian Parsley. More garlic, oregano, basil, cumin (HL left this out), or chopped roasted peppers (HL added 2 roughly chopped roasted red peppers) would be additional options here…. Mike's thinking is that oats can absorb some serious savory.. so add what you like.  Mike makes his own Hummus. That, as they say, is a whole other show.

3. Combine, and with a large spoon place Oat / Hummus batter in silicon
or non stick small muffin or cupcake pans. Mike's were silver-dollar size.  (HL filled hers muffin cups to about 3/4 full--and got 16 muffins--but they took much longer to bake!)

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You are going for
golden exterior crust and moist in center.  Just keep an eye on these--and bake as long as necessary to get them golden, with a moist center.  (HL had to bake her muffins for about 50 minutes--kept a close watch on them--to get them golden, with just a slightly moist center.  Next time I'll bake them at 400 degrees)   

These refrigerate well if doing ahead of time or storing leftovers.  Highly recommended! Will speed up the preparation & it would be wonderful to have a stash in the freezer or fridge!

 

Kale Gravy

Note: Mike is a San Marzano tomato snob. He admits it. He also admits that he spends too much on these canned beauties from the old country in this down economy. But Muir Glenn
ain't exactly cheap, either. Any quality crushed tomato product will work.

Hint: Due to their natural sweetness, San Marzano's require a bit more salt for balance.
If salt restriction is your goal you may want a more acidic variety.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced white or sweet onion  (HL added about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves fresh chopped garlic

Red pepper flakes, to taste (read spicy) You want this dish spicy--but suited to your tastes!

One bunch fresh kale greens washed, large stems removed, and cut in ribbons. (HL used 1 pound)

1/4 cup low/no sodium vegetable broth for "dry" sautéing (this is where Mike says he misses a little olive oil.)

1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed (optional…but highly recommended) (HL didn't have cannellini beans & used white kidney beans)

One link of diced Field Roast Italian sausage  or Mexican flavor works great also.(Optional) Hint: if you can't or don't want to use the Field Roast--add some fennel seed to give "gravy" the Italian "sausage" taste

2 cups of the San Marzano canned tomatoes (from a 28 oz. can) and some of the puree from can as needed. (HL used almost all of the 28 ounce can) 

Splash Red Wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar  (HL forgot this!)

 

Preparation:

1.  In a large saute pan "dry sauté" onion and pepper flakes over medium heat adding a little vegetable broth as needed. When onions release juices, add the Field Roast sausage, if using it, and turn up the heat slightly. Brown for 3 minutes and add chopped garlic and the rinsed beans.

2. The beans will "trap" the garlic-onion-sausage flavor. Add a few more drops of broth around edges of pan and put a cover on for two-three minutes.

3. Remove cover and add tomatoes and puree/juice, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a spoon.  Season with (optional) salt and pepper.

4.  Add the kale greens and cover again. Garden fresh kale will be tender and ready in under 10 minutes. But kale can be stubborn, so cook to your tastes to get it the way you like it. Some prefer al dente, others like kale softer, gentler to the bite.

5.  Put a few oat cakes (HL used 3 per serving) in bottom of serving bowls, (reheat for 15 seconds in microwave if using leftovers)

6.  When kale is tender, spoon your kale, tomato, bean gravy over the oat cakes

Note: Mike likes a sprinkle of red wine vinegar over the finished dish, but balsamic is great too. (HL left this last step out)

 

Nutritional Information Based on 1/5 Serving of the Recipe

This is truly a palate pleasing nutritional powerhouse!   It doesn't get much healthier, and tastier than this!!  Read this label.

 

 

Nutrition Facts Louisville Mike Oat Cakes wt Tomato Kale Gravy
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	375
Total Fat	5.7g
Saturated Fat	0.8g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	468mg
Carbohydrate	66.1g
Dietary Fiber	14.6g
Sugars	4.5g
Protein	24.2g
Vitamin A 366% Vitamin C 258% Calcium    28% Iron 42%

Stay Tuned for More Recipes from Mike.   They're load with spice, kick & originality.  Definitely, foodie-approved, IMHO.

I'm loving Mike's Kick A** Thai Peanut Butter (PB2) Chili Oatmeal with Yin Choy (or spinach or kale) &  I can't wait to try his Honey & Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Cakes!

We'd love to get your feedback on the Oat Cakes with Tomato Kale Gravy.  So, fire-up your test kitchens--and get cookin'!!!

 

Hot-Off-the-Press Article about Derek Tresize--Vegan Body Builder

 

photo by: Rebecca Bolte

 

Check out the Sept. 20, 2011 article in The Miami New Times, by Camille Lamb, "Derek Tresize, Vegan Bodybuilder: Meat Grows Muscles and Cancer".    

I had never heard of Deek Tresize before today.  This article was sent to me by a cardiologist who eats plant-based.  

An excerpt:

 

How did all of this start?

"I was pretty much a red-meat, chicken, and broccoli guy before, which is what you see a lot of the strength trainers doing. Then I just started learning about the negative effects of animal protein on the body, and I thought I'd give it a shot. Just from reading in Dr. T. Colin Campbell's "China Study", and from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's, "Eat to Live", you hear over and over the promotion of cancer, the promotion of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, significant problems that afflict millions of people.

Heart disease and cancer both run in my family. So I tried going 30 days without touching [animal products], and I noticed right away, aside from food cravings, I felt much cleaner. That's the best word -- you feel cleaner inside. Then, after the 30 days, I went back to trying to eat those foods again, and they made me really sick. And so that was kind of a wake-up call.

 

How did your dietary shift affect your athletic performance?

 
First thing, I lost a ton of weight, but it was body fat. It went from 12 percent to seven percent over a couple months. Which is a huge drop. I hadn't been able to do that with a whey protein diet, or with tons of cardio. But just by changing what I ate, the fat disappeared.

 

What do you mean by that?

 
Just based on our physiology, based on our digestive system, we're really geared towards breaking down plant material. But all athletes are like, "No, you need to have animal protein -- it's a complete protein, all the amino acids," and all that, so I was kinda surprised to get leaner and get stronger pretty quickly.

​I looked at all the medical studies and disease rates. People that eat a plant-based diet are healthier. And I looked at comparisons of us to a lion and to a horse. And we're nearly identical to the horse and nothing like the lion in terms of our digestive tract, which is pretty interesting. Because a lot of people would assume the inverse. And also look at us in terms of behavior. Carnivorous animals will be active a very short period of time. Like a lion will sleep 20 hours a day and be active for, say, four. Versus horses, you know, they spend their whole day foraging. So they're awake a long time. And people. People sleep eight hours; they're active for 16, 18 hours. And then you look at our teeth. Definitely not designed for catching and killing animals. So it really does make sense that we're designed to eat plants, and not eating plants causes problems.

Go to the article & read the rest.