Happy Healthy Long Life

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

What's on My Vacation Podcast & Reading List?

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Homemade Cocoa Walnut Chia Energy Bars

 

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

Mixing the Crackers

Cracker Spices

Spreading the Cracker Goop on the Dehydrator Racks

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

 

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

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

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

 

 

Lisa's Curried Yellow Split Pea & Carrot Soup

click here for a copy of the recipe on one page

Serves 8 generously

 

Ingredients:

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

1 large sweet onion, roughly diced

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

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

1 pound yellow split peas, rinsed

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

2 tsp. dried mustard

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

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

3 TBS. cider vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

 

For the spicy cream (optional):

1/2 cup silken low-fat tofu

1 TBS. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

 

Instructions:

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Nutitional Information based on 1/8 of the recipe:

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

The Launch Site

My Out-of-Focus Lift-Off Shot

All Done!  A Stunning Successful Launch

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Oma and Poppy Come to Town It's All About Playtime and Plant-Strong Cooking

  

There you go, baby!  A whole-grain roll, an apple, a tomato, and....

 

OK, all you grandparents, and future grandparents out there--here's what Dr. Tim Church wants you to know:

"To me, the most important element of exercise is healthy aging. 

There's no pill that assures that you'll be able to play with your grandkids, or to go duck hunting when you want to go duck hunting (forget about duck hunting--insert your own physical hobby here), or get up and down the stairs safely.

But, there is one strategy which we know works great for aging, and that is being physically active and maintaining physical activity throughout a lifetime."

-Dr. Timothy S. Church, PhD, MD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana-

 

And then there's Bill Clinton.  After his quadruple bypass & 2 stents failed, he went to Plan E (Esselstyn) and started eating an oil-free, plant-based diet in Spring 2010.  What was his biggest motivator for staying healthy?  To be around for his future grandchildren.

 

Click here to get to the web version if you've received this via email--better access to links & photos.

Which leads me to our wonderful week in St. Louis!  24/7 with "the little man". Playing, coloring, reading Sendak & Seuss a million times, bath-time, diaper changes, hide-and-seek, lots of ball playing, singing, swimming in the splash pool at the J, visiting "The Magic House"--St. Louis' AMAZING children's museum, cooking up a "plant-based" storm--and just enjoying the company of our kids. 

Months ago when my husband & I learned that son #1 was going on a 9 day work-related trip to a small Mayan village in the Yucatan (originally it was Guatemala), we offered to lend a hand with "the little man".   Yay!  Offer gratefully accepted.  Son #1 spent his week eating like a healthy Tarahumara Indian--beans, squash, & corn, while we ate plant-strong in the Loo.

But let's get back to Dr. Tim Church's advice about staying in shape so you can play with your grandkids, and be able to get up & down stairs safely--Believe him!  About the grandkids & the stairs!

It's three flights of stairs to get to my kids' apartment.  Up and down those stairs a million times, carrying the "little man", lots & lots of grocery bags, suitcases, gym bags, diaper bags, and a stroller!  And that whole winter bundling up thing, with boots, hats & gloves, and car seats. 

Good thing that my husband and I have been training years for this dream job!  You better be steady on your feet to climb as many stairs as we had to climb, while carrying a wiggly toddler & parcels.

Imagine an entire week of just playing, reading kid books, toddler-tending, and cooking?  Absolute heaven when you're a grandparent, not doing it day in & day out.  No TV at the "little man's" house, either.  And we hardly touched our computer.  No time for me to read any grown-up stuff, either.  It was living totally in the moment.  I slept like a baby.

 

Aren't Grandparents Supposed to Feed Their Grandkids Cookies & Ice Cream?

 

Darn!  This grandma knows too much.  Thanks to that big party pooper Dr. David Kessler, the author of "The End of Overeating", I know how important it is to keep sugar, fat, and salt away from the little guys.  If you want the best for your grandkids, how can you feed them junk?  It just doesn't feel right to get "the little man" started on chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and chips.

 

"We used to think of food as something we ate to fill us up.  But in fact, much of the food we're eating--this trifecta of fat, sugar, and salt--stimulates us.  And we now see from the science--this highly palatable food is excessively activating the neural circuitry of our brains.  We now know...the reason we keep on eating is because of this sustained stimulation."     

Worry about the children!  Kids from ages 3-5 are eating constantly, all day.  Fat, sugar, salt.  "Once you lay down the neural circuitry that gets activated by highly palatable food--that stays down for life."   

-Dr. David Kessler, pediatrician, former FDA commissioner, former dean of the Yale & UCSF medical schools-

 

It was Plant-Strong for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in the Loo

 

I packed 2 Sami's Pizza Crusts in my suitcase for dinner #1

Almost Instant Pizza made with Sami's Crusts

 

Ann Esselstyn introduced me to Sami's amazingly delicious Whole-Grain pizza crusts, and since I had a stash in my freezer, I packed 2 crusts carefully in my husband's suitcase--mine was too full, of course!

Here's the deal with Sami's.  You have to plan ahead--the bakery is in Tampa, Florida, for goodness sakes.  But, if you call them by Monday or Tuesday, you'll get them delivered to your door in 2 days--freshly baked.  $4.09 for each pizza crust--minimum order of $25.00.  There's no carry-out pizza place that delivers plant-strong pizza in my home town.  Click here for order info.  Click here for my Knock-You-Socks-Off Pizza Recipe.  **I was surprised & happy to hear that my friend Cheri has been ordering from Sami's ever since I wrote about them in November. 

My pizza recipe is a no-prep, no-chop affair.  Speed is of the essence.  Jarred sauce.  Jarred roasted red peppers.  Canned mushrooms & canned water-packed artichoke hearts.  Bagged sun-dried tomatoes.  Jarred Kalamata olives.  My one Esselstyn-transgression is 1/2 of a crumbled Field Roast (vegan) Italian Sausage sprinkled on top of the whole thing.  It adds 1 gram of fat to a 2-piece serving.

We served the pizza with a salad for a quick delicious plant-strong kid-friendly dinner.

Big Tip:  Make an extra pizza while you're at it.  One pizza really does feed four--but you'll be thrilled to have left-overs to eat for lunch the next day.

 

Oh, yum!  Green Smoothie & an Apple Walnut Larabar.  I just love those green chin dribbles!

 

You never know what kids are going to like--or hate--but I decided to make a Green Smoothie for "the little man", anyway.   Oh baby--did he ever love it!  Of course, it's too thick to come out of a sippy cup, so we had to put it in an Elmo cup with a wide straw, suck it up, to get it started for him--and just wait for those magic words,  "Mo' joos, peez!"

Here's what "the little man" liked in his Green Smoothie:  unsweetened grape juice or only-cherry juice, lots of lacinato kale & spinach, a couple of carrots, a big handful of Trader Joe's Frozen Very Cherry Berry Mix, an apple, and a couple of clementines.   Add cold water & mix in the VitaMix.   I thinned his with a little unsweetened only-cherry juice.  

Can you think of an easier way to feed your grandkids vegetables & fruit?  For more info, and the nutritional breakdown on my green smoothies, click here.

 

Thirty-Minute Rice with Chickpeas, Asparagus, and Lemony-Tahini Sauce (you only need a little)

 

This is by now an old standby dinner for me.  Everyone loves it!  "Little man", my husband, son #2, my daughter-in-law, my friends, my co-workers, Mina and her family, Cheri & her family--and just about everyone who tastes it.  It definitely needs the lemony-tahini sauce to make it extraordinary, but don't worry, just a little goes a long way, and it uses only 2 TBS of tahini for enough to feed 6.  (next time I'm going to drain the oil from the tahini)  For my enlightened version of this recipe, click here. For step-by-step pictures, click here.

We served ours with sauteed spinach.

 

Mark Bittman's Miso Soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles, & Grilled Tofu

 

Another easy breezy meal in a bowl.  We served this with salad greens, cherry tomatoes, and red peppers, tossed with a dressing made with Hot Squeeze Sweet Heat Chipotle Sauce, thinned with some rice vinegar, and toasted sesame seeds.  Hot Squeeze works as a fantastic tofu grilling sauce, too!

We had maple-soy oven-baked brussels sprouts on the side.  For the Miso Soup recipe, click here. 

 

The Little Man's Favorite Treats

 

Toddlers are so fickle.  Larabars, Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers, clementines, whole-grained toasted O's, apples, cut up vegetables, cherry tomatoes (go figure?), multi-grain waffles, Isa's Arabian Nights Lentil Rice Soup, spicy Italian sausage-flavored seitan with no-oil spaghetti sauce--were last week's favorites for "the little man".   At Thanksgiving he was all about my pumpkin fruited steel-cut oats.  Now, he's so over my oatma! 

The "little man" could not get enough of Ann Esselstyn's recipe for chocolate tofu mousse!   Neal's Frozen Banana Chocolate Milkshake was another "mo' peez" treat.

Mexican Chocolate (cocoa) Low-fat Tofu Mousse

 

Two summers ago my chocolate-loving friend Babs turned me on to Mark Bittman's so-called "healthy version" of chocolate mousse, made with tofu, real dark chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, and chili powder.  Amazing stuff! Click here for Bittman's version.

 I came up with this Esselstyn-approved version made with cocoa, "lite tofu", agave, cinnamon, and cayenne or chipotle pepper.  It's a pretty good stand-in for Bittman's mousse.  Picky son #2 & "the little man" both give it a rousing thumbs up!  Believe them.

Serves 3-4

Ann Esselstyn says: Be sure to MAKE this serve 3 or 4.  It is so good it is way too easy for it to serve just 1!

1 package "Lite" silken tofu (look for NaSoya brand if you want organic & non-GMO)  I used Mori-Nu for this recipe.

1/3 cup agave (what I used), or maple syrup.   I tried it with just stevia, to cut the sugar content--used 5 packets--and it tasted just fine.  Full disclosure: Some folks have concerns with stevia, but I'm a fan of the SweetLeaf brand.

2 tablespoons high quality non-dutched cocoa powder

1 tsp. real vanilla

1 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

A pinch of cayenne or more--or 1/8 tsp. of chipotle powder if you like heat.

Blend until smooth.  Use something powerful like a food processor or a blender.  It didn't work with a hand mixer.  Refrigerate 2 hours before use.  Spoon into small bowls & use small spoons.

Ann's variations:  Add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract & a garnish of a mint leaf.  Instead of agave or maple syrup use 2 TBS. of Raspberry syrup, 1 TBS honey, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries & blend.

 

 

Neal's Chocolate Banana "Milkshake"

 

1 large cut-up frozen banana, 1 TBS non-Dutched cocoa, 1/2+ cup of oat, almond, soy, hazelnut milk.  Whir it up in a VitaMix or a blender.  It's a good idea to keep a stash of cut up frozen ripe bananas in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment "milkshakes" or soft-serves.  Pack 1 sliced banana to a baggie for easy use.

Friday Night Dinner with Uncle Dan

 

 

Our Plant-Strong Friday night dinner with chili, challah, wine, & salad (IPAs & Jeni's)

You'll find the recipe for this All-American Chili with Lots of Kick That You Can Eat All Week Long, here.  It's Les & Tess approved--and they have very discriminating palates.

True St. Louis confessions: 

1.  Ice Cream.  We were all so good the entire week. When my daughter-in-law suggested we pick up a pint of Jeni's ice cream for Friday night dessert I wholeheartedly helped with the selection.  We decided on Gravel Road--Savory and smoky hits of almonds first, rounded out with salty notes for a satisfying finish. 

Bingo!  Dr. David Kessler's ultimate evil trifecta--salt, sugar, & fat--in every spoonful.  Thankfully, we only bought 1 pint--at $9.99 a pint--who could afford more?  We saved a generous serving for "the little man's" dad, who was coming home in 2 days from the Yucatan, so that left about a 1/3 of a cup each for my husband, my daughter-in-law, Uncle Dan (aka son #2) and me.   Zero for "the little man".  I wish I could say it tasted too sweet, too rich, & too salty.  I cannot tell a lie--it was fantastic!!  Glad we only had enough for mini-servings.  Eat at your own risk.  I'm staying away in the future. Visit Jeni's here!

2.  Pizza.  We also visited son #2's favorite St. Louis restaurant one night--PI's Pizzeria.  A favorite of President Obama's, too!  We were all set to order the vegan thin crust with roasted red peppers, eggplant, onions, & portabello mushrooms--and hold the cheese.  That is, until I noticed they had casein-free vegan Daiya cheese.  Truthfully, I would NEVER use this at home (it's made with 6 grams of oil per serving), but, hey,  it was a post-birthday celebration, we threw caution to the wind, and ordered it "with Daiya".   Not as good as my cheese-free pizza!  BTW, PI also has gluten-free crust!  Visit PI here.  Any restaurant that has vegan & gluten-free available is tops in my book!

 

The St. Louis Whole Foods Rocks!!

 

How many of you know that you can get deliciously-prepared vegan no-oil meals at Whole Foods?  It was news to me--but then I never looked closely at their prepared foods section before.

Everyday Whole Foods has hot soups, hot meals, creative whole-grain &/or vegetable salads, as well as a good selection of take-home meals in their deli case that are completely Esselstyn & Engine 2 approved.  No oil, no sugar, only whole grains, all real food.

But check the labels carefully!  Look for the Purple Signs that say: Health Starts Here.  Vegan - Oil-Free.

So, if you're looking for someplace to meet a friend for lunch, head on over to your local Whole Foods.  Too bad that every city's Whole Foods is different.  The prep food selection in my home town isn't half as good as the one in the Loo.  Go figure.

Here's what we feasted on for lunch.  Warning:  It doesn't come cheap.  We spent $9.00 each, but our plates were loaded high.

• Green Lentils & Spinach
• Stuffed Zucchini with Bulgur, Almonds, Currants, topped with a Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Black Bean, Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
• Spicy Vegetable Bean Chili
• Sauteed Garlicky Kale

Thank you Ann & Rip Esselstyn!  My daughter-in-law had made plans to see Forks Over Knives with a friend, but the St. Louis January 18th preview sold-out early--before she could get her ticket.   A big thank-you to Ann & Rip Esselstyn & the St. Louis Whole Foods (Marcia) for making it possible for my DIL to attend the film's preview  It's powerful, she loved it, and she's rethinking dairy for "the little man",  as well as ditching olive & cooking oils.  This is a mind-changing movie--and if you miss the preview screenings, watch for its release in March.  I can't wait to see it on the big screen next week.  For my synopsis of the film, click here.

 

St. Louis Play Time in Pictures

 

Library Time: Forget About Those Baby Books, "Little Man"  Heads Straight to the Preteen Section

Soon after I took this pic I was heading back to the car to retrieve the diaper bag I had forgotten to bring into the library--Green Smoothies, Larabars, and Dr. Praeger Burgers keep this little guy pretty darn regular.

 

Morning at the Open Gym with Oma & Poppy

Pint-sized Play Pizzeria at "The Magic House"

I've Always Wanted to Try This!!  The Magic House is for Kids of All Ages

That's My Husband Playing at the Magic House

And That's My Daughter-in-Law at the Magic House- We Did Not Want to Leave!

 

The Ambidextrous Artist Creating Uncle Dan's Special Birthday Card

A Little Snuggle at the Magic House

 

A Little Something to Eat After We Leave

 Before we  left St. Louis, I cooked up a batch of hearty burgers for the kids to stash in the fridge. Garbanzo beans, spinach, hot sauce, onions, chickpea flour, garlic and carrots.   When we returned home on Saturday night, I decided to make up a batch for us, too.   Topped with that lemony-tahini sauce--yum!

Stay tuned for this easy recipe sometime soon.  Time to sign off, eat dinner, & go see The Way Back--I brought the book of the original story home from the library for my husband to read 2 weeks ago--it's right up his alley--and lo and behold--the movie version is opening here tonight!  "Siberian gulag escapees walk 4000 miles overland to freedom in India."  BTW--he loved the book.  After you see this movie you will be sooo grateful for everything you have.  Like water, food, heat, and a bed.

 

 

 

A November Filled with Thankfulness - For Family, Friends, Good Health, Delicious Healthy Food, Opportunities to Learn, Laughter, Dance, Music and So Much More! I'm So Grateful!

Adam & Lisa's Wedding held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation--the former Ansche Chesed Synagogue Built in 1849 in New York City's Lower East Side

Ansche Chesed means "People of Loving Kindness"

"May you be as kind to each other in the years ahead--as you are today!  The secret of a good marriage is simple:  Be kind to each other!"

-The Father of the Groom-

 

If you've received this via email, click here to get to the web version.  Lots of links & photos.

November has been an amazing month filled with the blessings of family, friends, good health, learning, adventure, travel, dancing, singing, delicious food, and laughter.  

If you've wondered why I haven't posted much--it's because I've hardly had a chance. 

• November 9.  Heard Peter Lovenheim speak about his book: In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time.   A not-be-missed memoir with a message for all of us--get to know your neighbors--they'll enrich your life.   Read his New York Times essay to learn why.
• November 10.  A long overdue mah jongg game and "who-would-have-thought-possible-a-year-ago" plant-based potluck dinner with the gal pals--featuring a guest appearance from our dear friend "Nashville Fran".
• November 12-14.  A three day learning and plant-based eating extravaganza at the Wellness Forum's Fall Conference in Columbus, Ohio.  Dr. Mark Messina, a noted expert on soy; Dr. Amy Lanou, a nutrition scientist with expertise in bone health; Chef Del and Chef AJ, experts in delicious plant-based cooking.  You'll have to wait until Nov. 30th to hear all about it!  I've got fantastic recipes, cooking tips, plus news to share about the safety and benefits of soy, and how diet & exercise affect bone health.
• November 18-21.  The New York City wedding of Adam & Lisa, held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.  Adam's the son of my husband's college roommate--and my college roommate--our friends for 42 years.  The wedding was a reunion of college friends and family, and my oldest son, who's a rabbi, co-officiated.  What could be sweeter?  My son co-officiating at the wedding of his friend--who just happens to be the son of our long-time frIends.  It was a weekend filled with everything that makes you happy to be alive--family, friends, laughter, tears of joy, lots of sunshine, music, dancing, conversation, exploring New York City and the Lower East Side.
• November 25-29.  Thanksgiving will be in St. Louis with my children, my gorgeous grandson, my sister, brother-in-law, nieces, and nephew.   And yes, I'm going to enjoy some pastured (grass-fed) kosher Heritage turkey, and my sister's award-winning Classical Cookies!

 November 2010:  Putting into Practice of My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty

When I turned 60 in January 2010, I came up with twelve guidelines that I figured would serve me well if I wanted to enjoy a happy healthy life after 60.  Here are the top 7 that combined to make this November a stand-out!

• Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Check out the "hot-off-the-press" pre-publication of the Archives of Internal Medicine article that just may convince you that getting 7-9 v's & f's is a wise daily strategy.   Click here for the article or here for the press release. The study followed 15,318 participants for 14 years and found that high alpha-carotene consumption from fruits & vegetables corresponds to a lower risk of dying from all causes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.  Those with the highest consumption of alpha-carotene had the lowest risk of death from all causes.  But here's the catch:  alpha-carotene is obtained from fruits & vegetables, not from supplements.  Think carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash, broccoli, and dark leafy greens. 
• A balanced exercise plan.   Yep, it's a lot easier to follow this plan when I'm home--and much harder to do when traveling.  With no gym in New York City we walked across the long Williamsburg Bridge and back, trekked all over the Lower East Side, the Upper East Side, and danced for at least four plus hours on Saturday night. 
• A plant-based diet with minimal added fat.  When we hosted our book club on November 6th we served all low-fat and plant-based fare.  The usual cheese, crackers, nuts, cookies, soda pop, ice cream, and cakes that are so easy to shop for and lay out, are now history at my house.  Instead, we served Red Lentil Mulligatawney Soup topped with Granny Smith Apple Cilantro Salsa, chocolate chip pumpkin and blueberry muffins, raw chocolate walnut chia bars, a spicy curried Indian spinach dip with lavash, sparkling waters, and Pinot Noir.   The Columbus Wellness Conference we attended was all about no-added oil and plant-based fare, and while in New York City we had a chance to visit BabyCakes Vegan Bakery, the award-winning Candle 79 vegan restaurant, and a hole-in-the-wall vegan joint called Tiengarden Vegan Restaurant, where we enjoyed broccoli, carrots, kale, soy bean curd in spicy black bean sauce served over black rice and quinoa.
• No time urgency.  Wherever we went this month we built in extra-time for traffic, subway, and plane delays.  Instead of arriving in Manhattan at 5:00 pm on Friday, at the start of the official NYC 10 days of holiday gridlock, we started our drive a half-day earlier than originally planned, so we could arrive at noon on Friday.  Negotiating the Holland Tunnel and the Lower East Side in a stick-shift Subaru is not my idea of fun--but with the help of a GPS and maps we made it without a NYC driving meltdown, or getting lost.  In spite of the many sights and people I wanted to see I tried to resist my usual urge to overpack my days.   Not always possible to do.  I usually think I can pack in way more than I actually can.
• More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  Yes--that's exactly as I wrote it in January 2010, and November 2010 may go down in history as a month of DOING IT ALL--in spades!!
• Cultivate my garden of friends and family (OK I admit, this sounds so corny--but it's true).   I missed some of the key players in my life this month--like our Florida clan--but because of a lucky combination of circumstances I got a chance to see so many of both my local & out-of-town family & friends.  A November wedding and Thanksgiving certainly helped to make it happen!
• Once You're Through Learning--You're Through.  No doubt about it, this November has been jam-packed with learning opportunities.  Hearing Peter Lovenheim speak; attending a wellness grand rounds at work on Nov. 10 with Dr.  Tom Morledge lecturing about Nutraceuticals; attending the Wellness Forum Fall Conference with Dr. Mark Messina, Dr. Amy Lanou, Chef AJ & Chef Del; hearing Dr. Susan Love discuss breast cancer and bone health on the People's Pharmacy; reading dozens of articles and book chapters; and experimenting with a number of new recipes.  Lots to share when this November rush ends, and December begins.  Stay tuned!

 

 

Four or Five Hours of High-Energy Dancing & Singing with Friends & Family at Angel Orensanz

Healthy Book Club Treats--Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Oat Muffins without Added Oil or Sugar

Red Lentil Mulligatwney with Granny Smith Cilantro Salsa--Served at Book Club

Three Hours Before the Wedding - The Groom & His Mom

My Sons, Daughter-in-law, and Husband

The Fam, Minus the Photographer, Son #2

 

The Bride and Groom

The "Boys" at their Annual Black Moshannon Camping Trip--that's the Groom on the Right, his Brother & Best Man on the Left, and My "Boys" in the Middle

What Could Be Better?  Your Kids Grow Up and Are Friends with Your Friends' Kids--Oops! Missing the Bride & Groom

Lunch at the Award-Winning NYC Vegan Restaurant--Candle 79

Candle 79's Black Bean Pumpkin Seed Burger with Caramelized Onion, Chipotle Ketchup, and Polenta Fries

 

Chef A J's Amazing German Chocolate Cake Filled with Chocolate Tofu Mousse and Made without Sugar, White Flour, or Oil

Our College Roommates--Our Friends for 42 Years--and Parents of the Groom

Dr. Amy Lanou Speaking about Bone Health at the Fall Wellness Conference

Part Plant-Based No-Sugar No-Oil Pastry Chef, and Part Stand-up Comedian, LA's Chef A.J.

  

Enjoying the Lectures and the Food at the Fall Wellness Conference

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with healthy delicious home-cooked food, family, friends, laughter, engaging conversations, and plenty of time for a nap! 

My Wedding Wishes for Everyone:

• Outrageous & memorable adventures
• Wonderful friends
• Good health
• Work that you're passionate about
• Enough of life's challenges to make you stronger, wiser, and kinder
• Kids who are above average, sleep through the night, are easy-going and lots of fun
• The gift of balancing your life, your work and your family
• Enough money to feel both secure and generous.  Not so much that you become out-of-touch & spoiled.  (The economy has certainly made this an unlikely prospect!)
• The knowledge that it's your friends, family & experiences that will bring you your greatest joys.  Invest your time and money accordingly.

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. The Internet Sabbath.  Pulling the Plug.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The take-away points:

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

Chautauqua R & R - Back to the 1950's

The 1950's Cottage

Straight to the Rocking Chair for Me

My Husband, Too

Setting off for a Hike - Canada in the Distance

Our Wonderful Hosts

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

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

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

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

Here's my way-out-there story.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 
 
Lily Dale

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

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

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

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

The basis message I got for The Stump, was:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

Author Dan Buettner has scoured the Earth — not for the fabled Fountain of Youth — but for the key to a happy old age. He spent five years visiting areas of the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives, areas he calls "Blue Zones."

Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy:

• Create an environment that encourages physical activity
  
• Set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating
  
• Cultivate a sense of purpose 
  
• Surround yourself with the right people.

"These are long-term fixes that have been shown over and over to add not only more years of life, but better years of life."

-NPR story, "Can 'Blue Zones' Help Turn Back the Biological Clock?", June 8, 2008-

If you're reading this through via email, click here to get to the more readable web-version.

 

It's the start of the New Year. 

It's the start of a new decade.

It's the day I turn sixty.

Look, I'm not a big-birthday-celebration-kind-of-person.  They come and go and I don't even think about the years.  But turning 60 is different.  It's the last quarter of life, with no guarantees on what that quarter is going to look like.

Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising.  Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30. 

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything.  He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life.  He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant.  One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, and painful spinal fractures.  Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties.

And unfortunately, this scenario is all too common.  "[M]ost elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility."

So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.

Which is exactly why I'm ready for a more "Conscious Aging" plan.  We already have all the evidence we need to stay healthy.  It's not about adding more years to our lives.  It's all about adding more life to our years!

Just a sampling of the evidence.

• The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear.  There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease.  This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries.  All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5.  Reduce belly fat; 6.  Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8.  Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise   Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.
• The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.  "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years.  The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health

• The China Study.  This is Dr. T. Colin Campbell's mammoth 2006 study on the effects of a plant-based diet on health--citing over 750 studies.  The conclusion: People who ate the most-animal-based foods got the most chronic disease.  People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.  According to Campbell, "Good nutrition supported by exercise, clean water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts.  It's a biological symphony.  My introduction to Dr. T. Colin Campbell

• The Longevity Personality.  From the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2009 comes this conclusion: Those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active, more easy-going, more empathetic, and more agreeable than those who live a normal life span. The Blue Zones calls it, "likeability".

Here's My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty

Some of these are long-time habits, and they're easy for me to follow.  Some of these I don't do as regularly as I should.  Some of these are new goals.  But this much I do know:  If I don't have a plan, if I don't do these consciously, and if I don't carve out time to make them happen--they won't.

1.  Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  The Green Smoothies make it easy.  I get 6 servings in a 27 ounce Klean Kanteen that I divide over breakfast and an afternoon snack.  I calculated the nutritional info on my daily 27 ounce serving that includes, 2 1/2 cups kale, 8 mini-carrots, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 kiwi, and 3/4 cup frozen black raspberries.  Check out the nutrient content for 27 ounces:

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Green Smoothie-kale,blackberries,carrots,orange,kiwi,pom juice,apple
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	342
Total Fat	2.2g
Saturated Fat	0.2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	140mg
Carbohydrate	82.1g
Dietary Fiber	13.8g
Sugars	49.1g
Protein	8.9g
Vitamin A 729% Vitamin C 485% Calcium    35% Iron 28%

 

Then throw in some veggie-based soup, a salad, a veggie-based dinner entree, some fruit for dessert, and I'm good to go. 

This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension.  The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline.   Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

2.  A balanced exercise plan.  It's not just about cardio--there are 4 areas that need attention: Cardio (spinning-my fave), Weight-training, Flexibility & Balance (yoga-my fave), and Core Strength.  No, you can't just walk and think you're in good shape.  I'm super regular with my cardio, and not as regular with the weight training and yoga.  Click here to see what my workout looks like. As for core strength--that's pretty much non-existent.  And when it comes to weight-training, according to Randy Raugh, the Canyon Ranch physical therapist, and author of the excellent Prime for Life--Functional Fitness for Ageless Living--to get the maximum benefits you need to do it for 3 non-consecutive days a week--2 at the minimum.  Unfortunately, I often weight train only 1 day a week.  If you want to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, and maintain your muscle strength as you age--weight-bearing exercise for the lower body, and weight-training for the upper body is a must-do!  Yoga, helps with balance, preventing future falls, and building strength.  As for core strength, I'm upping my game with Dr. Stuart McGill's routine, and my birthday-present to myself is the physical therapist-designed Pelvicore exercise ball.

3.  A plant-based diet with minimal added fat.  I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends.  I'm convinced.  If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go.  Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease.  Click here for Jenkins research.  And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain.  Click here.  And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch it Click here.

4. No time urgency.  This is what keeps the Okinawans calm, relaxed, and living longer.  I'm really working on this one--which goes hand-in-hand with flexibility.  Things don't always go as planned--you either go-with-the-flow or get stressed and anxious.  My favorite 2 words, "Oh well."  Life goes better when you stay in the moment, chill, and don't worry about getting there fast.  When our Christmas Day trip to New York City was aborted because of an ice storm, we checked into a hotel at noon, and enjoyed a dinner of cranberry nut mix, Larabars, Cliff Bars, and clementines.  All the restaurants were closed in this Pennsylvanian town.  Oh well.  We had a good time, and made it to New York safe and sound the next day.

5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated.  But, it can only be stimulated through singing!  So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke!  Click here.

6.  The Supplements.  I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements.  I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me.  Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone.  Here are my favorites:  Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames.  Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take.  

7.  Eliminate the time-wasters from my day.  Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied.  So, why bother wasting the precious time?  The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites.  Enough already!

8.  Maximize my peak energy times of the day.  Over a year ago I blogged about getting in sync with our natural energy ebb and flow throughout the day.  It works--and I intend to start planning my day around them, when possible.  For instance, 9-11 is the peak time for brain work-creativity-and analytical work.  On days when I don't work I would usually use this time for exercise & errands.  Poor use of brain time.  Better to exercise between 3-6.  To read more, click here:  Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks to Your daily Energy Levels.

9.  Give a gift a day for 29 days a month.  When 36 year old Cami Walker of LA learned she had multiple sclerosis, her spirits flagged.  She was tired, in pain, and had the prospect of a debilitating disease ahead of her.  When a holistic health educator gave her the prescription of giving 29 gifts a day for a month she thought it sounded it crazy.  Nothing big (and that's the point)--something like making a supportive phone call or saving a piece of yummy cake for her husband.  Of course the prescription didn't cure her,  but it had a startling effect of helping her cope with her illness and gave her a more positive outlook on life.  I love this idea.  It's a planned regular way to just think about kindness.  No big acts, just something little-done everyday.  To read more, click here.

10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family.  Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations.  At 60 there's no time to delay any of these.  It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living.

11.  Once You're Through Learning--You're Through.  This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired UCLA basketball coach.  No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life.  I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn.

12.  Start Eating Less.  OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works.  I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes.  Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time.  The new year is a great time to start!  To read more about this tool, click here.

For some good reasons to eat less, read:  CALERIE: The NIH Calorie-Restriction Experiment. Lessons for Health, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Longevity, and Disease Prevention 

 

 

Time to end this list.  I've already maximized my 9-11 brain time and written this post.  It's now time to make my smoothie, do some core exercises, take those supplements, answer birthday phone calls, enjoy a birthday lunch, followed by an evening out with friends who all share the same wedding anniversary--if we can just make it through our foot of snow!

I'd love to hear from anyone who is 60 or over with advice, tips, and wisdom about maximizing life in the sixties, seventies, and more.

 

 

Getting Back the Zest - I'm Taking Coach Caroline Adams Miller's Advice & Taking a Day Off to Play & Not Think

Photo credit: Chris Blakely

"I give myself over to at least three or four hours a day to what, for an old guy, is spontaneous free play.  It could be reading or what I would call as extremely low-quality rogue tennis, hiking, playing with grandchildren.  But, you know, if a day goes by and I haven't, at this age, had some sense of timelessness and freedom and purposelessness, I'll probably be kind of ratty by supper-time."

-Dr. Stuart Brown, physician, researcher, and founder of the Institute for Play-

 

Saturday morning.  Hooray.   Not working.  Not traveling.  Nothing I must do or the sky will fall down.

I usually like to post a blog on Saturday morning--but since what I planned to write about would take some concentration, and some serious thought, I've changed my mind.

I haven't had much down-time lately, the skies are gray, it's cold outside, and it's time to listen to Coach Caroline Adams Miller's advice.  

"When you're tapped out--when you're brain is too full--or in a serious slump--the surefire recipe to get back into the game is to clear your mind and put some fun and zest back into your day--or life."      (paraphrasing Coach Caroline)

  

It's going to be all play and purposeless piddling around for me today!  And tonight -- It's going to be dancing to a playlist of classic rock & music from the 1950-70s - American oldies, British invasion and Motown. Woo Hoo!

You see, I just took the advice that Caroline Adams Miller gives to all her new clients.  Take the VIA Signature Strengths Test and see where the value of ZEST lines up among your other signature strengths.  I learned I have a serious ZEST problem.  Out of 24 strengths, ZEST comes in as a paltry #16 on my scale. What a shocker!  No wonder I'm feeling rather cranky.  I'm way too serious.

 

Check Out My VIA Scores

(Doesn't sound like a party-girl to me!)

 

Top Strength:        Love of learning

Second Strength:  Curiosity and interest in the world

Third Strength:     Gratitude

Fourth Strength:   Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness

Fifth Strength:      Perspective (wisdom)

No work for me today.  Take the test yourself and see if you need to take the day off to play as well.  This is a research-backed questionnaire out of Dr. Martin Seligman's prestigious Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania.  To register & take the questionnaire (it will take about 10 minutes) click here and you'll find the VIA Survey of Character Strengths under Engagement Questionnaires.

I'm a huge fan of Caroline Adams Miller and her recent essay on the importance of taking time out for play in order to recharge and get your groove back, is a must-read. 

She was inspired to write it when she saw first-hand how her 14-year old son was able to speed his own recovery from a sports concussion when he took the concussion clinic doctor's advice:  "Go home and "do not think"--just play!"

A Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, got similar advice when he experienced a serious slump!

Ortiz said Dave Magadan, Boston’s batting coach, had implored him to reduce the clutter in his mind.  

“I guess I was worried more about that than basically the ballgame,” Ortiz said.

“Trying to get so ready and so prepared and when the game comes, there’s nothing there.” 

 

Jumping on the Bed, Concussions and David Ortiz 

Click here for Carolyn's Blog

By Caroline Adams Miller

Created Oct 3 2009 - 3:50pm

"The New York Times recently ran an article about Red Sox slugger, David Ortiz, who entered a prolonged slump earlier this year, and reduced his spectacular hitting numbers to just one home run during a two-month spring stand.

Extra batting practice didn't help. The advice of friends and coaches didn't, either. Dissecting his swing and stance was a bust. And then Ortiz woke up one morning and decided to attack his game with the spirit of a happy, 12-year-old Little Leaguer who was playing for the sheer fun of it.

What Ortiz learned from his slump was that clearing your mind and having fun was the surefire recipe for relaxing, eliminating shoulder stiffness resulting from anxiety, and recapturing his love of the game.
Although researchers have cited play as one of the most critical characteristics in developing a youngster's brain, problem-solving abilities, executive functioning and imagination, we often forget as adults how important it is to play. I always ask my clients to take the VIA Signature Strengths test when we first start to work together because I want to see where the quality of "zest" lines up among the other 23 strengths, and when it's very low, I know I have a client who needs more play in his or her life.

I had this lesson reinforced unexpectedly when my 14-year-old son, Bayard, suffered a concussion in football practice in the weeks preceding the start of high school. Almost immediately he experienced swings of nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, an inability to read, and extreme sleepiness. He fretted about the fact that all of his peers were starting high school without him while he lay at home in a darkened room, trying to listen to books on tape and adjust to the "new normal" of his life.

He tried to conjugate French verbs. His head screamed in pain. He wrote a short paper for English class. The headaches were fierce. He went to talk to a therapist about how to deal with the varied fallout from the concussion and what it might mean for school, sports and other activities. He grabbed his head and pleaded with the therapist to stop talking because the questions were so thought-provoking that he couldn't tolerate what his brain was doing in response.

The concussion clinic doctors examined his regression on the baseline tests and ordered him to go home and "not think," so that's what he did. He watched sappy movies, sometimes the same one over and over. He organized his bookshelf and precious National Geographic magazines. He refused to indulge any thoughts that might make him sad or anxious.

The following week his concussion assessment scores catapulted forward, all because he had decided to substitute fun and play for serious effort and concern.  Although my son isn't out of the woods yet, he's back in school, just like Ortiz is hitting again.

Creating your best life sometimes means returning to a state of childlike innocence, and seeing the world as a fun and happy place, and not a place where we have to drag our depression and tension from activity to activity, stressing our brains in ways that we may not even be aware of.

In a similar vein, positive psychologists are trying to learn how to teach adults to raise their zest scores because of the high correlation between success, happiness and zest. A happy person is often a flourishing person, and if childlike enthusiasm is one of the tickets to get there, it behooves all of us to learn how to play better and more frequently.

One easy way to do this is to be around other zestful people, and to have a role model in having more fun. My grandmother was my primary "fun" role model. She skipped down the street in her sixties, wore ridiculous fluffy pink bathing caps in her seventies, and delighted in the silly games she played with me, challenging me to a round of golf in her eighties (she won) . As a direct result of her influence and her role-modeling not to take life so seriously, I sport multi-colored fingernails, drive an impractical canary-yellow car with a smiley face on the spare tire, and jump on the bed of every hotel I stay in.

I guess it's no surprise that zest is my number-three VIA trait, but I'm angling to get it up to number-one this year because my son's injury has shown me in vivid clarity how valuable it is to not take life so seriously, and why it's more important than I ever could have thought to live out the Sesame Street mantra: "Come and play, everything's A-okay!"'