Happy Healthy Long Life

The Healthy Librarian's Plant-Based Vacation Preparation Primer 101 - How a Family of Fifteen (Omnivores & Vegans) Found Vacation Harmony at the Beach

 

Paddle Ball, Anyone?

 

 

February 20, 2012

hi all,

hope everyone is doing well. i think of all of the different things (jobs,kids,life) we're all doing and am amazed of the changes in the past few years.

life certainly goes on and we are certainly a strong group. so, here we are in 2012 and i'd love to get together w/everyone this year.

I'd like to get some feedback from all of you as to when would be the best time (personally, december is out)...summer comes to mind as does north carolina .

we really have time to put something together so let's get some ideas of where & when...you know we'll have lots of laughs, a few tears,good food & i'm sure a few beers, bottles of wine and who knows what else.

can't wait to hear from you-SOON!

love,

El (aka. kid,mom,mima,lis,aunt El,favorite sister-in-law)

Email My Sister-in-Law Sent out in February, 2012 to Our Gang of 15

 

 

A July Beach Vacation - By Popular Demand

 

If you received this post via email, click here  to get to the web-version with all the photos, links, & to share your own plant-based vacation travel tips.

Where did everyone want to rendezvous?

The Beach!

The Beach!

The Beach! 

Everyone responded.  Multiple emails & phone calls later we settled on the single week--July 21-28th-when everyone could get off of work.  

We settled on the location.  The South Carolina coast.  Affordable.  Family-friendly.  Low-key.  Beautiful beaches.  Gentle surf. Lots & lots of bike, walking, & running paths.  Within driving distance for everyone. Some longer than others.

We found three moderate-costing houses to rent (split the cost), all very near to each other. Two on the same street. Perfect!  

 

So, how did 15 people--ages 9 months to 62,  married & single, no-nesters, empty-nesters, full-nesters, hipsters & oldsters, meat-eaters & vegans, night-owls & early risers, exercisers & slackers, with lots of different interests--find vacation harmony, enjoy amazing gourmet meals & beachtime together & still find plenty of time to do their own thing?

• We rented three separate houses--kind of like "separate" togetherness.
• We didn't try to "do everything" as a group.  We kept our own schedules.  Got to the beach in our own sweet time (or not), when we were ready--happily intersecting with each other.  Easy, breezey, no-hurrying.
• We got together for potluck dinners on most nights--but not every night!  The 20- & 30- somethings had their own dinner together one night.  The 50- & 60- somethings went out to a cool vegan-friendly Rasta restaurant one night.  The single twenty-somethings had some night life.  The full-nesters enjoyed a date night out with "free" baby sitting.
• Every dinner had something for everyone.  About half of us are eating plant-based. The other half love their meat & fish.  Viva la difference!
• The restaurant-goers of the group, went "out-to-lunch"--it's cheaper, with no long waits.
• Everyone was on their own vacation time. Some of us walked every morning.  Some of us ran. Some of us took long bike rides.  Some of us kayaked & fished.  Some of us played golf. Some of us explored the local shopping scene.  Some of us (like 3) got up at 5:30 am to enjoy a beach sunrise & some beach yoga.  Some of us slept late.  Some of us got up early.  

 

Morning Walks

The Officiant & Best Person.  We Renewed Our Weddeding Vows Under a Chuppah Fashioned from a Sheet Held Up with Golf Clubs 

Circling the Bride & Groom Under the Chuppah--What a Treat to Do It with a Grandee

A Little Yoga on the Beach?

 

 

BTW:  My sister-in-law was 100% right.  We shared a lot of laughs, a few tears, good food, a few beers, & some bottles of wine.  Margaritas & Mojitos, too!

And more:  The Lab Rat & I renewed our wedding vows (after 40+ years); we all danced on the deck to my daughter-in-law's "Perfect Play List", we walked on the beach, boogey-boarded everyday, body-surfed, played bocci & paddle ball, biked, hiked, cooked together, and screened the Lab Rat's AMAZING tear-jerker of a video featuring over 40 years of old 8mm movies & pics of long-forgotten family memories.

Accompanied by the music of our lives: Harry Chapin, Johnny Cash, John Lennon, Beatles, Moody Blues, Four Seasons, John Denver, Lovin' Spoonful, Louie Armstrong, Weavers, Simon & Garfunkel, Temptations, Ellis Paul, Frank Sinatra and more.

Unplugged.  Being mostly "unplugged" from my computer for over a week was a revelatory & rejuvenating experience. What a blessing!  OK, I did check my iPhone occasionally (totally addicted0, & we used our phones to "synchronize" our meet-ups.  

But, no emailing. No keeping up with "the latest news".  No writing.  My computer was mostly untouched. The TV was barely watched.  

OK, all "the girls"  climbed into our king-sized bed one night to watch my SIL's neighbor's nephew (got that?) "mustache" wedding on TLC's goofball reality show, "Four Weddings".  And we watched the opening ceremonies of "The Olympics".

And sweet sleep was had by all!  The grandees took their naps like champs & slept straight through the night.  Mostly.  I got an amazing 8-9 hours of straight-through-the-night restful sleep every night. What's up with that?  

 

Plant-Based Vacation Preparation 101

 

Eating plant-based is a huge game-changer when it comes to going on vacation.

Everything's more complicated & time-consuming.  You can't count of fast-food, carry-out or restaurants. But, it really does get easier the longer you do it.  Now it's just something I do.

You have to pack your own road-trip lunches---if you don't want to get stuck eating a Burger King Crispy Chicken Sandwich & Fries---like we did on our first "plant-based" vacation to Martha's Vineyard, back in the Summer of 2008.  OK, we were newbies, back then.

Lesson learned.  This year our road trip lunch cooler was packed with Homemade Match "Chicken"  Burger Sandwiches, peanut butter muffins for Little Man, Green Smoothies, humus, pita bread, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, fruit, Heart Thrives, and McDougall Breakfast Cups for our overnight hotel stay.

Who wants to spend a lot of time on meal prep when you're on vacation?  No one!

And I did not want to spend my vacation in a grocery store & cooking for a crowd.  No way!

 I figured out ahead of time, with the help of Son #1, my sister-in-law, & the Lab Rat, a basic plan of what some of our easiest meals could be. 

• I got a list of vegan-friendly restaurants & the best grocery stores on "the island" from a very helpful HHLL reader who lives there full-time--and we enjoyed a delightful "meet-up" at her home!  More on that, later.
• We came up with a meal plan for the week.  Each "family" would make what they wanted for dinner & we'd share it potluck style.
• Breakfasts & lunches were on our own.
• Each family brought their own favorite staples.  We would shop for fresh produce on the island.  My sister-in-law & niece brought their entire weekly organic produce "shares" to share with all of us.  A huge gift to us all.

Our potluck dinners were fashionably "fusion" & beyond our wildest expectations.  You could NEVER eat this well in a restaurant!

Cooking together makes a huge difference--it turns work into fun.  And cooking with my family is one of life's pleasures.  If we didn't eat until 9:00 pm, it didn't matter.  We were on "island slow time".

The non-cooks in the group pitched in with the hard work of drink-making, shopping, schlepping, clean-up, table setting, & entertaining the kids.   Teamwork at its best!

 

 

My Master Shopping List

 

I shopped for the vacation staples TWO WEEKS before we left.

My grandson was going to be visiting with us the week before we left on vacation--plus, I still had to work that week.   I didn't want to waste a minute of his all-too-short visit traipsing around grocery stores.

I figured my best bet was to bring my own staples from home for the meals we planned on making.  Who knew what I'd find at "the island" grocery stores?  

Besides, once this vacation started--I wanted to spend as little time as necessary at a grocery store!

I brought along only the staples we'd need to make the following meals:

• Pizzas loaded with artichokes, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, & Field Roast or Upton's Italian "Sausage"
• Breakfasts of steel-cut oats (Chocolate Oatmeal--this converts easily from crockpot to stovetop cooking by cutting the liquid down to 2 cups of soymilk & 1 cup of water), Chocolate Chia Breakfast Pudding, rolled oats, Whole Grain Muffins & peanut butter (for the kids)
• Chloe's Artichoke & Spinach Dip
• Vietnamese Ba'hn M'i Salad/Sandwiches
• Spicy Sweet Potato, Corn, Black Bean & Chorizo Lasagna
• Black Bean, Cherry Tomato Guacomole Salad  (just ditch the oil in this recipe)
• Black-Eyed Pea & Sweet Potato Burgers with Buns (ditch the oil, & consider using Taylor's canned sweet potatoes for faster prep) 
• Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Walnuts & Raisins
• Fixings for a taco dinner--Upton's Chorizo & Plain Seitan, Salsa, Beans
• Lunch fixings:  Tu-No salad, smoked tofu sandwiches, humus (Note: Tree of Life Smoked Tofu is not availabe everywhere, but it is fabulous & makes delicious sandwiches)
• Beach snacks. 
• Drinks.  Watermelon Margaritas.  Mojitos.

 

Click here for my Master Shopping & Packing List

 

The Beans:  Eden Brand Garbanzos, Black Beans, TJ's vacuumed-packed Black-Eyed Peas

The Spices & Herbs:  This basic supply included a lot of blends that work for multiple recipes.  Kelp granules, cinnamon; curry; Penzey's Cajun; Barbecue 3000 & 4/S, Greek Seasoning; sea salt; Trader Joe's South Aftican Seasoning Blend; Red Pepper flakes; cumin; vanilla; black pepper; ground fennel seed.

The Condiments:  Kalamata olives, capers, sriracha sauce, jarred roasted red peppers, rice vinegar, pizza sauce, chipotle salsa, nutritional yeast, ketchup, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Olive Tap Lemon White Reserve Balsamic Vinegar (a gift from from SIL), TJ's Fat-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, TJ's Sesame Soy Giner Vinaigrette. 

The Canned Food--excluding beans:  Taylor's Sweet Potatoes (nothing added),  chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, artichoke hearts, mushrooms

The Staples:  Eden-brand soymilk, 1 box of low-sodium vegetable broth, steel-cut oats, rolled oats, whole wheat orzo, chia seed, raw cashews, raw walnuts, Penzey's Cocoa, raisins, PB2, medjool dates, Starbuck's coffe

The Refrigerated Foods:  3 Sami's Millet Flax Pizza Crusts; Field Roast Italian Sausage; Upton's Plain, Chorizo & Italian Style Seitan, NaSoya Soft Tofu, 4 packages of Tree of Life Smoked Tofu (Regular & Hot n' Spicy); Chipotle & Regular Humus; 1/4 cup of Tahini for burgers; peanut butter for Little Man

The Breads, Buns, & Crackers:  Ezekiel Sprouted Corn Tortillas, Trader Joe's Whole Wheat English Muffins, Ezekiel Sprouted Bread, Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Hamburger Buns, Finn Caraway Crisps, Wasa Crackers, Mary's Gone Crackers (regular & caraway),  Pretzel Crisps (Sesame & Everything), plenty of Heart Thrives for emergency meals or snacks.

The Mixed Drink Fixings:  Tequila & Grand Marnier

 

My Must-Have Kitchen Utensils

 

I've been in enough vacation rental condos/houses to know that "you never know how well-equipped" someone else's kitchen is going to be.

If you REALLY have a favorite "must-have" kitchen utensil--just bring your own.  Better safe than sorry.

Here's what I packed:

• My VitaMix--we used it everyday.  Smoothies, salsas, dressings, chia pudding, humus, etc.
• A good spatula for the VitaMix
• One really good sharp knife (oops, forgot about this one!)
• A Zester & my favorite (I use it everyday!) lemon juicer (if you don't have one of these, get one ASAP)
• Measuring spoons & cups--I'm big on measuring ingredients!
• My mini-OXO angled measuring cup--great for measuring small amounts of liquid ingredients--including mixed drinks.
• The recipes I planned on making, & 2 cookbooks--just in case plans changed.  Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegan & Chloe's Kitchen.
• Dobie pads for dishwashing.  My own favorite dish rags for counter clean-up
• Ziploc bags, aluminum foil--so glad I did.
• I really wanted to cart my Cuisinart food processor--but, I had to draw the line.
• Lots of freezer packs
• A couple of my fave plastic containers
• Kleen Canteens
• Coffee filters

 

Turns out, our kitchen was well-equipped with most everything we needed.  We even had a gas grill on the deck.  Figures!

 

Mixed Meals - Something for Everyone

 

DInner Out - Roastfish & Cornbread's Veggie Menu - My Roasted Portobello Sandwich

 Roastfish & Cornbread - The Lab Rat's Ultimate Vegetarian Po' Boy

 Marg & Melon Margarita's  

Chloe's Warm Artichoke & Spinach Dip - My Tofu-Hating Nephew LOVED This One. 

The Barefoot Contessa's Guacamole Salad (just ditch the olive oil--not needed)

My Sister-in-law's Stuffed Roasted Portobellos ala Chef Chloe

Quick Chipotle Sweet Potato Lasagna with Black Beans, Roasted Corn, & Chorizo 

My Sister-in-Law's Roasted Artichokes - First Time for Me

 Master Chef Son #1 Working on His Homemade Salsa

 

My SIster-in-Law's Easy Rice Paper Veggie Roll Bar with Something for Everyone - Vegan or Fish Eater

 

Asian Veggie Roll Ready for Eating - Three Dipping Sauces

 

My Niece & Nephew's Giant Loaded Salad

 

Fresh Grilled Fish for "Fish Tacos"

 

Taco Bar Fixin's - Rice & Beans, Guacamole, Marinated Cabbage, Salsa

 

Homemade Salsa, Homemade Creamy Chipotle "Cashew Lime" Sauce, Homemade Pickled Hot Peppers

 

Asian Veggie Roll, Stuffed Veggie Taco, & Salad

 

"Not Your Carry-Out Pizza" - Roasted Garlic, Fresh Basil, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Artichoke Hearts, Sauteed Spinach, Kalamata Olives & Field Roast Italian "Sausage"

"Pizza Joint" Take-Out Pizza for the Meat & Cheese Lovers in the Family

 

 

Tu-No to Feed a Crowd  - Enjoyed by Miss Bean the Nine-Month Old & Omnivore Son #2

 

Better Forget About Restaurants with a Crowd of Fifteen - We Hit the Harborside Picnic Tables for Live Music, a Pre-Dinner Beer & Plenty of Runaround Space for the Kids

 

Ba'hn M'i Salad/Sandwiches with Cabbage, Cucumbers, Carrots, Lime, Hoisin Sauce, Upton's Chorizo & Plain Seitan & a Crusty Baguette

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Onions & Ginger

My Sister-in-Law's Cinnamon Roasted Organic Acorn Squash  

My Nephews' Fresh Catch - Grilled Spotted Seatrout

My Sister-in-Law's Gazpacho with Sami's Millet-Flax Croutons

Your Won't Find This Combo in Any Restaurant:  My Dinner Plate - Ba'han M'i, Gazpacho, Roasted Acorn Squash, & Swiss Chard

 

Lots of Spicy Black-Eyed Pea & Sweet Potato Burgers

Roasted Red-Skin Potatoes with Garlic, Onions, & Penzey's Cajun & 4S Seasoning

Burgers & Fries Topped with Guacamole & Creamy Chipotle Dressing

 

Breakfast at My Sister-in-Law's - Banana-Blueberry Oat Breakfast Bake & Fresh Fruit

 

Vacation Harmony?  I Think We Pulled It Off.  I'm Game for the Sequel!

 

Please forgive my family photo-sharing indulgences!  Thanks for your patience!  I totally understand, how annoying this must be.  

 

Now--please share where you went this summer, and your own tips for helping to make plant-based vacation travel as easy as possible!

This is a work in progress for all of us.

Road Trip! Plus the Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Spicy, Sweet, & Savory Sicilian Orzo ala Quick-Fix Vegan - Two Ways - Esselstyn-Style or Plant-Strong

 

No-Oil Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Raisins

 

If you received this post via email click here to get to the web version with all the links or to leave a comment.

 

July has been a crazy whirlwind of activity.

August promises to be more of the same.  Ah, summer!  

Our newbie three-year old grandson just spent his first week ever without his mom & dad,  visiting with his Oma & Poppy (H.L. & the Lab Rat).  Such a treat for all of us.

And then we all got to drive 14+ hours to vacation with our far-flung kids, plus the Florida & Georgia relatives.  A real family reunion.  

Oma, Poppy, & Little Man all valiantly survived the long car ride, thanks to many rounds of singing Little Bunny Foo-Foo, the Black Bean Burger Platter at Chilis, & the Little Man's first hotel do-it-yourself waffle-maker breakfast.  He loved it!

The Sube's air-conditioning mysteriously died two hours before we reached the beach--and it was 90+ degrees. Lucky us.

 

 

Baking Up Healthy-ish Zucchini Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

 

The Road Trip Lunch at the Rest Stop - Homemade Veggie Burgers, Fruit, Carrots, Hummus & Pita Bread

 

The Only Thing Close to Plant-Based was Dinner at Chili's - The Black Bean Burger Platter - Yes, We Ate the Fries

 

Hotel Breakfast Buffet Heaven for This Three-Year Old - The Waffle Maker!  Please Don't Judge Us

 

Our Subaru was expertly packed to the gills by the Lab Rat--loaded with boogie boards, beach chairs, a Potty Chair, a porta-potty, a Pack-n-Play, a VitaMix, 2 coolers, cars, picture books, & loads of food.  

Whew!  I'm finally back from a fantastic family beach vacation and I can't wait to share the story of how 15 people--from ages 9 months to 62 years old, married & single, no-nesters, empty-nesters, & full-nesters, hipsters & oldsters, meat-eaters & vegans, night-owls & early risers, exercisers & slackers, with lots of different interests--found vacation harmony, enjoyed amazing gourmet meals & beachtime together & still found plenty of time to do their own thing.

My family rocks!

 

 

Yes, I admit, I was a little worried that we could pull this one off & still feel like it was a real vacation. And, it totally worked.  Laid back.  Relaxing.  Good times.  But, that's a whole other post.

Gotta ease back slowly into the blogging groove with a short recipe post, first.  I've grown lazy.

I've been wanting to share one of my favorite new recipes, that I adapted from my Go-To cookbook:  Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegan.  

I've already made this four times--so you know it's got to be good!

I planned on making this while on vacation--but, I never had a chance.  Made it on the first night we got back home.   

So here you go!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

 

 

 

When My Sister or Sister-in-Law Recommend Recipes They Always Rock!

 

Dinner on the First Night Home from Vacation

 

When my sister-in-law (who's an excellent cook) told me she loved the Quick-Fix Vegan's Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad I knew it would be a winner.  Couldn't wait to try it.  But, the dressing needed a serious re-do!

This salad is sweet, spicy, savory & satisfying.  No shrinking violet, this one.  It packs a flavor & nutrient punch & is perfect company fare.

I adapted the recipe to eliminate the oil, & I substituted capers for the kalamata olives.  To say the Lab Rat HATES olives, is an understatement. So does my sister-in-law.  Must be a family thing.

Here's my oil-free adaptation of Robin Robertson's recipe. 

I present two versions.  

• One with a dressing made with cashews.   
• One with a dressing made with soymilk & chia seeds.  

The taste & texture of both are very similar!  Both will work.  And ditch the toasted walnuts if you are on a strict Esselstyn Heart Disease Prevention/Reversal Diet.

 

Some of the Salad Ingredients - Ignore the Shallots!

 

For a copy of the recipe on a single page, CLICK HERE

 

Serves 4, generously

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat orzo (substitute brown rice for gluten-free)
• 1 1/2 cups home-cooked garbanzo beans, or 1 (15 ounce) can, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half (use your homegrown ones)
• 3 scallions, sliced thinly on the diagonal--green part only
• 1/2 cup of raisins or currants
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional), coarsely chopped  (yes, toasted!)  bake in a preheated 350 degree oven on parchment paper for 8-10 minutes.  Watch carefully!
• 1/3 cup of drained capers  (can substitute pitted, sliced or chopped Kalamata olives)
• 1/2 to 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 to 3 cups of coarsely chopped baby spinach leaves

Preparation:

1. Cook the orzo in a saucepan of boiling water until it is just tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain & rinse under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the garbanzo beans, spinach, tomatoes, scallions, raisins, walnuts, capers or olives, & basil. Mix well.  Set aside.
3. Prepare & mix in the dressing of your choice.

 

Option 1--Cashew Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of raw cashews soaked for about 30 minutes in 1/2 cup water.  You can do this before you prepare the other ingredients.
• 1/4 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 2 teaspoons of brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel.  This is a MUST ingredient.  Can substitute whole fennel seed, if using a VitaMix--or grind in a coffee grinder.
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don't like a lot of spice)  Note: add this after the dressing is made--you don't want it to be ground up or it will be too strong.
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.  Note: add this after the dressing is made--you don't want it to be ground up, either.

Preparation:

1. Add the cashews with the soaking water, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water, vinegar, sugar, garlic cloves, salt & ground fennel into a VitaMix or other blender.   Mix very well.  If you don't have a VitaMix, it may take longer to get the cashews a creamy consistency
2. After the dressing is mixed well, add the red pepper flakes & black pepper & blend quickly--you want the peppers to remain whole--just mixed in!

 

Option 2--No-Nut Creamy Chia Dressing:

• 3/4 cup of regular soymilk, I pefer Eden Extra.  Don't use a "light brand"
• 2 tablespoons white chia seeds, like the Salba brand
• 1/4 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel.  This is a MUST ingredient.  Can substitute whole fennel seed, if using a VitaMix--or grind in a coffee grinder beforehand.
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don't like a lot of spice)  Note: add this after the dressing is made--you don't want it to be ground up
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.  Note: add this after the dressing is made--you don't want it to be ground up

Preparation:

1. Add the soymilk, chia seed, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic cloves, sugar, sea salt, & ground fennel into a VitaMix or other blender.  Mix very well.  If you don't have a VitaMix, it may take longer to get the chia seeds well mixed.
2. After the dressing is mixed well, add the red pepper flakes & black pepper & blend quickly--you want the peppers to remain whole--just mixed in!

 

No-Nut Creamy Chia Dressing for the Sicilian Orzo Salad

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's No-Nut Dressing for Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 51 Total Fat 1.8g       Saturated Fat 0.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 302mg Carbohydrate 6.1g       Dietary Fiber 1.2g       Sugars 2.8g Protein 2.8g Vitamin A 6% Vitamin C 12% Calcium    4% Iron 2%

 

Creamy Cashew Dressing for the Sicilian Orzo Salad

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Dressing for Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 95 Total Fat 6.5g       Saturated Fat 1.5g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 285mg Carbohydrate 7g       Dietary Fiber 0.6g       Sugars 2.4g Protein 2.5g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 12% Calcium    1% Iron 3%

Eat and Run - Plant-Based Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek Talks Diet, Vegan Travel Tips, Training, and Favorite Foods with the Healthy Librarian

 

 

 

On switching to a plant-based diet in 1999:  "My blood pressure and triglyceride levels dropped to all-time lows, my HDL, 'good cholesterol', shot up to an all-time high.  

I had virtually no joint inflammation, even after miles of pounding trails and roads, and on the rare occasions I sprained an ankle or fell and whacked my elbow or knee, the soreness left faster than it ever had before.

I was running in the morning, working eight-to 10-hour days, then running 10 miles in the evening—yet I woke up with more energy every day. 

Was it the fiber that sped food through my digestive tract, minimizing the impact of toxins?  Was it the food I was adding--the vitamins and minerals, the lycopene, lutein, beta carotene?  Or was it what I wasn't eating? 

"I wasn't sure of the answer, but I had never felt better.

On training:  "I learned patience while doing tedious tasks, but more important, I learned to find joy in repetitive physically demanding work.

Scott's disciplinarian Dad repeatedly told him, "Sometimes you just do things!  There is no free lunch!" 

-"Eat and Run, My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness," by Scott Jurek-

 

 

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Plant Power to Fuel 135 Mile Runs?  You Betcha! 

 

"I'm a serious vegan.  (I usually avoid that word; to many people it connotes a certain crabby, self-righteous zealousness.)

And I'm a serious athlete.  But, I won't starve for my principles.  

To my delight, subtracting some things from my diet actually allowed me to discover incredible and delicious new foods.  My new diet included fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts and seeds, and soy products like miso, tofu, and tempeh.  

I was blown away by the bounty of Japanese sea vegetables, that I discovered when I later raced in that country, the simplicity of a homemade corn tortilla, and the complexity of Thai red curry."

 

If Scott Jurek can run insane ultramarathons, all powered by plants--you can bet I wanted to know more!

I can't fathom the strength & endurance needed to run for 25 hours straight, covering 135 miles through blazing hot Death Valley, California and then climbing up a total elevation of 13,000 feet to reach Mt. Whitney.  Crazy, huh?

Here's how I look at it.  If 38 year-old world-class ultramarathoner, Scott Jurek, has been winning grueling trail races since 1999-- all fueled by a plant-based diet, I definitely want to know more about "how that's working for him".

Lucky me. Two weeks ago I had a chance to ask Scott all the questions I still had, after reading his book. Too bad I only had 40 minutes to "power-quiz" the poor guy.  I only got through half of my questions. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about talking to Scott--but his humility and enthusiasm instantly chilled me out.  What a mensch he is!  I was very impressed.

Scott Jurek is in a perfect position to test out how well a plant-based diet compares to the standard American Diet--putting the diet to the hardest test of all--grueling 100 mile+ ultramarathons.  

He didn't start out as a plant-based believer back in the late 1990's--and he had plenty of concerns about getting enough protein, just like all the rest of us.  He's a former hunter & fisherman, who used to live on typical Western meals--pizza, double McChicken sandwiches & extra-large fries.  He competed first, as a meat-eater, before slowly switching it up to plant-based.  It took him about 2 to 3 years to test out his "food as fuel" theories.  And he's never looked back.

Jurek based his diet switch on research, backed up by his own-evidence-based experiences.  He was his own running-Lab Rat--testing which fuel would be the winning formula.  And having a degree in physical therapy gives his n=1 experiment a little more credibility.   He knows something about treating injuries, diet, & the speed of recovery.   

 

Bottom line, here's what motivated Jurek to switch to plants:

 

"What Jurek realized during his remarkable winning streak is that eating vegan allowed his muscles to heal faster between training sessions, a discovery that in turn allowed him to train more. 

'On race day everyone is looking for the magic bullet, but it really comes down to training harder.  If you can bounce back faster, you can train more,'  said Jurek. 

[His] results aren't backed by any significant studies, but his theory is sound.  Extreme exercise inflames muscles and builds up free radicals that lead to what's known as exercise-induced oxidative stress. 

High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables are rich in naturally occuring antioxidant vitamins minerals, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which help limit inflammation in [the body, and in the] arteries.  Animal fat, on the other hand, is pro-inflammatory..."   (From Men's Journal, Kevin Gray, "The Power Vegans" October 2010)

And don't miss this link to the Men's Journal Guide to Going Vegan that includes the "ground rules", what to expect, a shopping list, and some of Scott Jurek's recipes, click here.

For the Runner's World excerpt of Eat and Run, plus a look at what a plant-based ultramarathoner eats on an average day (recipes, too!), click here 

 

Jurek on staying healthy while training hard:

 

"Years of eating plants had convinced me that the best way to get well and to stay well was to eat simply and to avoid processed foods whenever possible.   

After my epiphany in my first (physical therapy) internship with an old man and his hospital food, I tried to treat injuries and illness with natural remedies whenever possible.  

Food was my medicine.  I even avoided anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, which other long-distance runners gobbled by the handful.  I thought it masked pain so much that I might risk serious injury by running when I shouldn't.  

I had also heard too many stories of runners taking so much ibuprofen that they damaged their kidneys.  It was a classic case of treating symptoms, of wanting the quick fix.  It was, in many ways, typical Western medicine.  

For Jurek's Strawburst Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie click here

I haven't tried it yet--but, I know this will be the perfect smoothie for the Lab Rat to test out after his next long run.

 

Toughness Training - Starting at Age Nine

If you want to understand what drives ultrarunner Scott Jurek--and enables him to win grueling long distance races, that would be impossible for mere mortals--you have to understand his difficult disciplined childhood.  That's where Jurek got his basic training.

Scott was nine years old when his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.   With his father working two jobs just to make ends meet, at a young age Scott was expected to take over the daily cooking chores, mow the lawn, pull the weeds, stack the wood,  keep an eye on his younger brother or sister, as well as keep a close watch over his mom.  And still do well in school.  He even made valedictorian of his high school class!  There wasn't time nor money for luxuries, like after-school sports.  

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of "Eat & Run" &  it hooked me right from the start--even though sports memoirs aren't my go-to-sort-of-book.

The Lab Rat, a long-time runner & a three-time ultramarathoner, gobbled the book up in one giant gulp--enjoying Scott's philosophical-meditation leanings, his training & diet advice, & and his "survival war stories":  vomiting from the extreme heat of the Death Valley race, or running with a sprained ankle and swollen broken toe.  Guys eat that stuff up!

The Hardrock Ultra:  As least one sleepless night and usually two waist-deep river crossings.  Harrowing exposure to heights, fixed ropes, and steps cut into snowfields, tundra, and rock, hopping cross-country where no trail exists, and scree fields that crumble under you feet as you spin in place. (H.L.: told you this was grueling stuff)

 

Inspiration.  Adventure.  Food.  Training Tips.

 

Photo: Runner's World June 2012

 

You don't have to be a runner to enjoy "Eat and Run".   I'm not--and I did!

Jurek offers easy-to-follow tips on exercise for rank beginners, like getting starting, finding the time, sticking it out, stretching, posture,  breathing,  getting enough protein,  and getting enough calories--along with his favorite trail-tested recipes that keep him fueled and winning races.

Jurek started cooking at age nine.  He knows his way around a kitchen & judging by his recipes--the guy seriously cares about how food tastes!  My kind of guy.

• Lentil-Mushroom Burgers.  Jurek says, "These are as delicious as they come!"
• Apple-Cinnamon Granola
• Long Run Pizza Bread
• "Buttery" Omega Popcorn
• Green Power Pre-Workout Drink
• Minnesota Winter Chili.  Says Jurek, "The night I tasted this chili is the night I decided I could be a happy athletic vegetarian."
• 8-Grain Strawberry Pancakes
• Western States Trail "Cheese" Spread.  Spread on Ezekiel 4:9 Bread this a great source of carbohydrates and protein.  Tahini give the "cheese" a bite.
• Chocolate Adzuki Bars.  "If you're going to eat a moist, sweet dessert on the run, this one is ideal."  Carbs & protein.
• Indonesian Cabbage Salad with Red Curry Almond Sauce
• Tamari-Lime Tempeh and Brown Rice
• Coco Rizo Cooler--a thick homemade sweetened coconut-flavored rice milk with chia.  Drink before, during, or after exercise. It sounds delicious.
• Holy Moly Guacamole.  Served on warmed corn tortillas--not chips.
• Pre-Run Incan Porridge--made with quinoa, almond milk, pears or bananas, coconut flakes & spices
• Kalamata Hummus Trail Wrap--"on the run food"
• Carob Chia Pudding--silken tofu, chia, miso, maple syrup, carob/cocoa, & vanilla
• Smoky Chipotle Refried Beans--Jurek uses Kombu seaweed & dried epazote to make the beans more digestible
• Salsa Verde
• Xocolatl Energy Balls--WOW!  Raw cacao, cashews, dates, mesquite powder, red pepper & more!!!  Yum!
• Rice Balls (Onigiri)  Perfect running fuel in the heat.  Sushi rice, miso, nori seaweed.  Jurek's a big fan of these.

 The Healthy Librarian & Scott Jurek Dish about Plant-Based Fuel

 

 1.   Your parents & your hard-working childhood/adolescence shaped your character in such positive ways---but, did your mom’s multiple sclerosis or your dad’s later health problems influence your move towards a healthy lifestyle--running & a plant-based diet?

My mom’s illness--MS had a major impact on my decision to exercise, eat right, & train to be a physical therapist.  “Living with a chronic disease in the family does one of 2 things---you either run away from the idea that you have the power to change your health--or you do everything you can to make sure you can stay healthy.   Reading Andrew Weil’s “Spontaneous Healing”  had a profound influence on me. I realized we have the power of good health in our own hands.   Then, reading Howard Lyman’s (The Mad Cowboy)  book completely changed my mind about meat.  If a Montana cattle rancher can stop eating meat --& knew the evils of factory-farming--then certainly even I could stop.

 

2.  I've got lots of food questions for you.   Favorite soy yogurt?  Is your tofu sprouted? Do you eat seitan?  Do you buy the new-on-the-market sprouted grains?   Do you choose the whole grains like wheatberrries over whole grained flours?   In your book you talk about grinding your own grains for the flour in your pancakes.  Tell me more.

I'm a fan of Wildwood & Whole Soy yogurts--but for taste I prefer So Delicious Coconut yogurt, and now So Delicious has just come out with (So Delicious) a new almond Greek-style yogurt. (HL: we just sampled it in St. Louis & it's really good--but it has too much sugar for my taste.  Too bad it doesn't come "plain".)  

I don't drink soy milk anymore since I already get plenty of soy from tempeh, tofu, & miso.  I stick to traditional whole soy products, & avoid as much as possible isolated soy protein, although I'm not crazy rigid about all of this.   I'm not a big fan of seitan--I'll eat it mostly in vegan restaurants--but, I don’t cook with it myself. It's meat-like texture does make it a good transition food for someone starting out, though.  I'm just not a fan of faux meats.

I eat all kinds of grains.  When it comes to using flour, though, I do like to (when possible) grind my own with a grain grinder.  It’s fresher, and I learned about using a grain grinder when I was in Europe.  But, like with everything, I'm not extreme about food.  I'll eat whole grain packaged flours, too, when it's more convenient to do so.

 

3.  How do you refuel right after a run?   

With real food!  It's very easy to do.  Just do it within 20-30 minutes of exercising to get the most benefits.  I try to be sure that 10-15%, or sometimes up to 20%, of it is protein.  The rest of it, should be carbohydrates.  It's really very easy.  I'll eat some tempeh & rice  or bananas or potatoes.  Just real foods.  Mostly carbs--some protein.

 

4.  Would protein requirements be different if you were weight-lifting---or do you need the same amount for weight-training as you do for endurance sports?   Advice? One of my sons is convinced he needs more protein after lifting weights.

The protein requirements for weight-lifters aren't that much higher than they are for runners or the endurance sports.  Maybe slightly higher protein requirements, over the 10-15% protein that I consume--but, nothing like you see going on in the gyms.  What you really need is to eat more calories---it’s not about the protein. It's all about the calorie count--and that’s what you see in the vegan ultra-fighters & boxers--it’s calories.  If you consume enough calories--you'll get enough protein.

 

5.  As a trained physical therapist--not as Scott Jurek, ultrarunner whose in the middle of a big race---is it wise to run on a sprained ankle, a broken toe, as you've done in some races?

I've learned to read my body--weigh the pros & cons of whether or not it’s something that is fine to run through--or something that will cause more damage if I run through it.  I'm definitely smart about it.  Yes, I've run in air casts and splints, but, only when I knew it wouldn't make things worse.

 

6.  What’s your body barometer that tells you you’ve over-trained--or need more rest?  A cold?  Crankiness?   Poor sleep quality? 

After all these years I can read what my body is telling me--I know when I need a rest & I dial it down.  I have no problem listening to my body & taking a day off, if I need it.  That’s entirely different than believing the false “siren song” of your brain that says,  “Take a break, stay in bed, stay home,  relax--why work so hard?"  You have to know the difference! 

 

7.   When you travel & you know there won’t be any big stores with all your usual must-have foods---what’s on your MUST PACK  list? What do you take to eat on the plane?

I'm moving more toward figuring out how to adapt to airport food that's healthy, instead of needing to bring all kinds of special foods with me.  I'm working toward making it easier to be a vegan.  It should be user-friendly.  If more people are going to eat this way--I'd like to show them how they can do it anywhere--easily, without too much work.  But, I always brings protein powder with me.  I make my own "blend" by mixing up brown rice & a legume protein powders--I don't buy the "pre-mixed combos".  These days I use NOW brand Pea Protein for the legume &  Nutribiotic brand Brown Rice protein.  They are easy to find in most health food stores.  I also bring along dehydrated hummus--which is also easy to find in bulk or even packaged at Safeway.  It's a terrific, easy-to-take-along product.  You just add water if that’s all you have.  You don't even need the tahini.  I often bring some kind of energy bars along, too--but it’s hard to find really good ones that aren't loaded with ingredients I'd rather not eat.

 

8.  I know you use chia--is it something you eat everyday?

Yes, I really like & use chia often--but not necessarily daily.  I love its texture & all the omega-3’s.  But, it's funny--even though many people were first introduced to chia in Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run", I didn’t really see it used much when I was in the Copper Canyon of Mexico.

 

9. Tell me about Udo’s Oil?  I know you're a big fan of the 3-6-9 oil. Why the need for Omega-6 & Omega-9 when they’re so abundant in your diet, already?

Honestly, I first learned about it by seeing it on the shelf at a health food store.  It just makes it easier for me to not have to worry about getting enough of the essential fatty acids. I take 3 TBS a day of Udo’s   3-6-9  I've read the research that Udo Erasmus based his formula on--it’s packaged so no light can get through it--it’s refrigerated--and it’s date stamped. I trust the careful quality control that's involved in this product.  I've seen some athletes not do well when they aren’t getting enough fat in their diet.  Plus, taking Udo’s oil helps me to get more calories--and the right oils into my diet.   

 

10.  What about nuts?  Any concern about their high levels of omega-6's?

I eat them for calories & protein.  I'm not concerned about the omega-6s that come from nuts, as opposed to those that are in processed oils--which I strictly avoid.  The omega-6's in nuts aren’t heated, or chemically extracted as they are in most seed oils.  They aren't producing free-radicals.  And with all the energy I burn during training--I need the extra calories. I make a big effort to include enough calorie-dense foods in my diet--nuts & nut butters, seeds, avocados, starchy root vegetables, coconut milk, and oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil.

11.  What do you think about the top four doctors who write about the benefits of a plant-based diet?   Namely, Drs. Esselstyn, Campbell, McDougall, & Fuhrman.

I've read many of their books and I respect them all.  I've testified before Congress with Dr. T. Colin Campbell and I've done plant-based promotional work with Dr. Neal Barnard & the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine.   I'm not a strict follower of anyone in particular--I do my own diet tweaking--and experiment with what works best for me.  

 

12.  Do you limit your oil intake to coconut, Udo’s, & olive oil?

I use coconut oil mostly when I'm cooking at high temperatures, because it’s more stable, and in spite of its saturated fat, it appears to not be of any harm.  Most of the research on coconut oil shows it to be mostly neutral--not harmful nor particularly beneficial.  (H.L.: Dr. Chris Gardner of Stanford University would agree with him--and clearly Scott doesn’t need to worry about the calories he's getting from the small amount of coconut oil he's using.)

 

13.  Are you still changing or altering your perspective on diet and training? 

I'm moving away from the rigidity of bringing everything with me when I travel and I'm enjoying the challenge of “how to make this work”  wherever I am, whether it's in an airport or in some remote locale.  These days I'm thinking, "How can I get by with what I have “here”'?  I don’t want to make this “extreme dieting”.   I really want to show people that a plant-based diet can be user-friendly for everyone.

 

14.  What do you fuel with before, during, or after a race?  What are the easy-to-absorb fueling foods that you take with you on your long runs?  Do you use the gels or chomps? 

During a run I use gels, like Clif Shots--but, I'm moving toward packing real food with me on my runs.   Of course, further into the race, I definitely don’t want the real food--it's just too hard to eat.  But, early on, I likes to bring beans & rice burritos, or hummus wraps.  Those rice balls work well, too.

 

15.  What do you see yourself doing at age 60? 

I don’t see myself running many ultras at age 60--but, I’ll be jumping in now & again.  Popping into races.  I see myself as healthy, fit, enjoying life, and being an example to others--how you can age well if you start early to live a healthy lifestyle--instead of waiting until you get too old, or sick.  Yes, I see myself still running--but not the grueling kinds of competitions I'm currently running in. 

 

16.  What do you say to people who ask you if you can get enough protein just from plants?

Here are a few tricks:  In my breakfast smoothie, I add some nuts and a hit of plant-based protein powder (brown rice, hemp, pea, or fermented soy protein).   

For breakfast I'll have a grain source, like sprouted whole-grain toast with nut butter or sprouted grain cereal or porridge.

For lunch I always eat a huge raw salad--I love Lacinato kale--and I'll up the protein content with a soy product (tempeh, tofu, or edamame), a big scoop of hummus, or maybe some leftover cooked grain like quinoa.

For dinner, it might be beans and whole grains, maybe some whole-grain pasta.  If I didn't have soy for lunch, I might have it with dinner.

For snacks I'll have Clif Bars and trail mix throughout the day and some soy-or nut-based vegan desserts--and I get more than enough protein to maintain my muscle tone and help my body recover.

I stick to traditional soy foods, like tempeh, miso, and sprouted tofu--which are all more digestible and have less phytoestrogen than isolted soy protein.

I prefer sprouted-grain breads & tortillas--and when I'm at home, I soak my whole grains & beans before cooking, to help breakdown the indigestible cellulose in plant celll walls.

Average total calories consumed when Jurek is training:  5,500

Average total protein consumed:  80 grams

 

 

A big thank-you to Christina Mamangakis for the advance copy of Eat and Run, and especially to Scott Jurek for the generous time you spent patiently answering all my questions!   

The interview was a delight and I learned so much!   

If you have a chance--I know you'll enjoy Scott's book. 

 

I hope you all found Scott's story & the interview as interesting & helpful as I did.

For many of you who are on the Esselstyn diet, I'm sure you're surprised by Scott's consumption of nuts, seeds, & oils--but, he's been eating "clean" since he's been 25 years old, and he's a life-long exerciser.  He burns calories like it's no tomorrow.  His diet can't be compared to that of someone who's eaten a Western diet for most of their life, is overweight, doesn't exercise much, has the beginnings of heart disease, hypertension, and is perhaps pre-diabetic.  Jurek's a fuel-burning machine!  Just saying....   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah Rocks! Rx: SPiF WAD - the Centenarian Six. What Does That Have to Do With Making the Most of Everything That Utah Has to Offer?

 

Hiking 6500 Feet Up to Observation Point in Zion National Park

 

"You have to climb the tree, if you want to enjoy the fruit."

-A framed quote sitting on a little table outside of my low-tech neighborhood gym-

 

 

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

Utah Rocks!  

As the Lab Rat & I hiked up the Utah mountains in Zion & down into the canyons of Bryce & Capitol Reef, I had one of those light-bulb moments.

Everything that I'd been doing for the past 4 years had brought me to this magnificent experience.  Here I was hiking up strenous narrow trails with precarious steep drop-off cliffs.  The temperature was 70 degrees, sunny, not a cloud in the sky.

We weren't limited to just driving to the parks' look-out points--in order to view the awe-inspiring sites of Zion, Bryce Canyon, & Capitol Reef National Parks.   We hiked up the mountains & down into the glorious canyons.  Away from the crowds.  

That plant-based no-oil diet certainly was working for us.  Plenty of energy to spare--and no aches or pains to hold us back.  No bum knees or hips.  We were steady on our feet--no worries about slipping off the mountain's edge.  Not to mention, the unmentionable--our digestive systems were doing just fine, in spite of the travel.

All that spinning & weight-training was paying off in spades.   These were strenous hikes (ranked as "difficult"), yet my quads were up to the task.  No need to stop & catch my breath--even in the high-altitude.  No need to rest my quads.  I felt strong, capable, & down-right proud of how my body was up to the task.

A word about technology:  I mysteriously lost my annoying interest in the internet for a week.  Gone.  Who cares what's in the news?  No computer.  No iPhone.  No TV.  No newspaper.  The sights I was seeing--were a lot more captivating.

And of course, the  presentation on, "Centenarian Strategies"...  That's the reason we were in Utah in the first place.

 

 

When I was asked 6 months ago to speak at the Utah Library Association's 100th meeting, I thought, "Sure, why not.  What an honor!  You want me to speak?"

But, two months ago, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.   What was I thinking, saying "Yes" to delivering an hour-long presentation.

No exaggeration--putting this presentation together was a mammoth job.   Hours and hours of work.  But worth every minute of it!  I stretched my brain in ways I never thought possible, while getting proficient with Apple's Keynote software.  I could literally feel the new neuron connections sprouting.

I learned how to insert videos, add audio clips, work with shapes, include fancy animations, transitions & graphics.   The whole 9 yards.   Learning something new--out of my comfort zone was worth all the effort.

But, the best part, was the opportunity to share what I had learned over the past 4 years!

Turns out, only one person in the entire audience had seen "Forks Over Knives".  The film had never made it to Salt Lake City.  All this was new territory.

 

 

Rx:  SPiF WAD - The Centenarian Six

 

The night before my presentation Ann Esselstyn sent me an email:  "Good luck!  I know you'll be fantastic.  But expect "technical difficulties.  Nothing ever goes as planned."  Uh oh!  Was this an omen?

She knew how things can go in the "presentation world"!   

I had double & triple-checked that there would be audio for the video & audio clips in my presentation.   All systems were go.  No worries.

When I arrived an hour before the talk, there was no audio in the room.  Somehow the IT staff never got the order for audio--and by now, they already had big computer problems to work on for other presenters.  Oops. Now what?

Well, the audio somehow finally got sorted out--but that put me about 15 minutes behind schedule--with the big luncheon & keynote speaker following me at 12:00 o'clock sharp.

The talk went well.  The Lab Rat (who's as honest as they come) says everyone was closely paying attention--transfixed, he said--& rapidly taking notes.  But, I ran out of time to finish, to wrap things up, to answer questions, & just plain schmooze with everyone.  That part was a big disappointment for me. But, I'm over it.  The feedback--so I hear--was great.

 

So, Here's the Post-Presentation Wrap Up I Never Had the Chance to Make

 

As we flew home on Thursday, I was totally engrossed in Jonah Lehrer's new book, "Imagine: How Creativity Works".  It's all about how ideas come to us, seemingly "out-of-the-blue" when we're relaxed & least expect them.

Light bulb moment again.   Well, nothing so brilliant.  But, having the opportunity to travel 6 days after the conference, I now had THE PERFECT ENDING to my Centenarian Strategies talk.

I had experienced every single one of the Centenarian Six Rx on this trip!

And I had reaped the rewards of this outstanding trip because of the Centenarian Six.

• I've got a body I can count on because of what I eat & how I exercise
• I've got energy
• Strong heart, bones, & a better brain (I really notice clearer thinking)
• Solid sleep
• Solitude
• The joy that comes from friends, family, & meeting new people wherever I go & embracing new experiences
• The fulfillment that can only come from work that's serious & stimulating
• The laughter, the silliness, the upbeat attitude (that's the smiles) & unabashed joy of music & singing

Bottom Line:  Diet really is the keystone to Rx SPiF WAD--but all the other five are important contributors to health & happiness.   We need them all!

 

Here's the silly acronym I jotted down on the inside cover of Lehrer's marvelous book - SPiF-WAD.

It says it all.

 

A Word About Food

 

The only "food" we brought with us on this trip was chia seed, Hammer bars & Larabars.  So little preparation?  What were we thinking?  

The no-fat vegan Heart Thrives & California Suncakes we ordered too late to arrive before we left.   But, be sure to check them out!   They taste great & are loaded with nutrition.  Perfect travel & hiking fuel. They taste like scones.

 

How crazy & fortunate that we found amazing vegan options for breakfast, lunch, & dinner--everywhere.  

We stocked up on hiking supplies for our hikes in the little Utah town of La Verkin, on our way to Zion.  Found Better'n Peanut Butter (better than nothing), hummus, hearty whole grain La Brea bread, Suzy's Spelt Cakes, & fruit.  That's a packable lunch!

In the Salt Lake City Hilton, and at Oscar's Restaurant in Springdale, outside of Zion, we enjoyed giant bowls of steel cut oats, topped with berries & chia for breakfast.  At Oscar's, steel cut oats are made daily--but they're not on the menu.  And they even have soymilk.

At the famous Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder, UT we breakfasted on brown rice, red beans, & hot sauce. Definitely rib-stickin'.  Something I'll try at home for breakfast.

At the amazing Torrey School House B & B, our host made us no-fat vegan whole grain blueberry pancakes & served them with fresh organic asparagus from her garden.  She called it, "Vegan Bacon".

 The Salt Lake City airport Quality Inn & Bryce's Best Western Grand had sorry-looking breakfasts, but we made do.  Donuts, Lucky Charms, bacon, sausage, white bread, waffle mix, tasteless oatmeal that looked like thin gravy & yogurt.  Next time I'll pack some emergency homemade oatmeal baggies.

 

Steel Cut Oats with Berries for Breakfast

 

 Hell's Backbone Grill Beans & Brown Rice with She-Devil Sauce for Breakfast

 

Dinners to Delight

 

Our dinners were all vegan & all delicious.  How is it possible that we were able to eat so well?  These options don't exist where I live.

Favorite Utah Restaurant:

Sage's Vegetarian Cafe in Salt Lake City

 

Other memorable vegan dinners:

Bit & Spur in Springdale, UT:  Polenta Stacks with Cremini, Shiitake Mushrooms & Black Beans & Pumpkin/Mushroom Tamales with Roast Tomato Sauce & Black Beans.

The organic, locally-sourced restaurant in the Bryce Canyon Lodge is under new management & has a number of vegan options.

Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder, UT

Cafe Diablo in Torrey, UT (ask for the gluten-free & vegan menus)

 

Breakfast in Springdale (Zion National Park):  Oscar's Cafe:  Steel cut oats are made everyday, even though they aren't on the menu.  Soymilk is available.

 

Sage's Cafe in Salt Lake City

 

Sage's Amazing Towering Soba Salad with Blackened Tempeh

 

Sage's Mayo-Free Potato Salad with Blackened Tempeh, Avocado & Vegetables Galore

 

Sage's Special Squash & Spicy Tempeh Burrito with Tofu "Sour Cream"

 

Sage's Appetizer Asian Lettuce Rolls with Spicy Tempeh & Vegetables

 

Cafe Diablo in Torrey, Utah

 

Cafe Diablo's Complimentary Grilled Vegetable Appetizer with Homemade Bread 

 

Cafe Diablo's Vegan Vegetable Tamales with Black Bean Sauce, Pureed Sweet Potatoes & Grilled Vegetables

 

Cafe Diablo's Kid-Sized Homemade Strawberry Sorbet

 

Hell's Backbone Grill Vegan Arugula Pesto Ziti with Greens

 

Hell's Backbone Grill Award-Winning House Salad with Honey-Chili Dressing

 

Hell's Backbone Grill Hearty Vegan Green Chili & Bean Posole - Not Much to Look at, but Delicious!  I Plan to Order Their Authentic Posole

 

Utah Sights - Salt Lake City, Zion, Bryce, & Capitol Reef National Parks

 

Utah Rocks!  Zion National Park

 

On Top of Observation Point - Zion National Park - 4 Miles Straight Up & 4 Miles Straight Down

 

Whoa!  We Hiked Up Those Switchbacks??   At Zion NP

 

Hiking the Navaho Loop & Peekaboo Trail at Bryce Canyon NP

 

Hiking Among the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon

 

Hiking to Hickman Bridge at Capitol Reef NP - That's the Lab Rat on the Left!

 

Waiting for the Shuttle at Zion NP - No Cars Allowed!

 

Flowers are Everywhere in Salt Lake City's Stunning Tabernacle Square

 

Listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Thursday Night Rehearsal - Beautiful

 

The Mormon Temple

 

Lay Your Head Down - Sweet Sleep 

 

The Warm & Inviting Under the Eaves B & B in Springdale, UT - Zion NP--Thumbs Up!  Hosts Mark & Joe are Terrific

 

Our Home Away from Home at Under the Eaves - Zion NP

 

At Boulder Mountain Lodge - Boulder, UT - Freebie Upgrade to a Gynormous Rustic Room with a Kitchen, Porch & Mountain View

 

The Charming 1914 Renovated School House B & B in Torrey, UT - Gorgeous Gardens Everywhere

 

This School House Has a Sharper Image Massage Chair in Every Room - Nirvana

 

A Huge Thank You to Our Utah Hosts - E & D - for Making This Experience Possible & So Much Fun!  Please Come Visit Us!

A Smoothie Maybe Even Dr. Esselstyn Would Approve Of. Plus, a Post-Trip Almost Instant Spicy Unmeatballs & Spaghetti Dinner

The Amazing Homemade Heirloom Tomato V-7 Juice -  Dr. Preston Maring's Recipe

 

"A well known vegetable juice blend (can you guess which one?) has 480 mg of sodium in its "classic" version.  In response to new national guidelines about sodium intake - 2300 mg per day for many, but 1500 mg per day for all people 51 years of age and older, African Americans of all ages, or anyone with heart disease, kidney disease or hypertension - they offer a lower sodium version that has 140 mg per cup.

Here's a homemade Farmer's Market knock-off I call V-7 for obvious reasons.  As a teaspoon of salt has about 2300 mg of sodium, you can make your own low sodium version with a half teaspoon of salt for 8 cups.  The heavy dose of Tabasco doesn't add that much sodium as it only has about 30 mg per teaspoon."

-Dr. Preston Maring, a Kaiser Permanente physician and surgeon with 36 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology.  Because of his passion for organic local produce & cooking, Maring started the Friday Fresh Farmer’s Market at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in May 2003-

 

 

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The Healthy Librarian Hits the Road Again - to the Hills of Kentucky

Back on the road again!  Just got back home on Sunday night after spending 9 days vacationing with the family-- first with a too short stop-over in Cincinnati--and then on to Western Kentucky.  Anyone ever hear of Lake Barkley or the Land Between the Lakes?   I hadn't a clue until this trip.  It was a convenient place to rendezvous for the St. Louis gang.

It was a good thing we planned to make all of our meals in our rented lakeside cabin, because we would have been in big trouble if we had planned on eating out everyday in Cadiz, Kentucky.  Yikes!   And that's even if we ate burgers & pizza.

And the local Food Giant--definitely was not a giant!  It made me realize how incredibly fortunate I am to live in an area with a fabulous family-run grocery store, a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, & plenty of local farmers' markets.

Let's just say the fresh produce at the Food Giant was slim pickings--mostly iceberg lettuce, packaged romaine, bagged apples, Idaho potatoes, bananas & cellophaned carrots.  Plenty of fried chicken, chips, candy, and meat & cheeses of all kinds.  A rural food desert.

The cashier said, "You guys sure must like to eat lots of fruit & vegetables."  That's all we had in our grocery carts.  My husband couldn't even find raisins on the shelves.

Since we had arrived a day earlier than the rest of the family, I put in an emergency call to Son #1 in St. Louis.  "Bring whatever fruit & veggies you can fit into your car!"  He didn't disappoint!  He arrived with baskets of tomatoes from his garden, basil, beets, blueberries, and bags of bounty from his C.S.A. 

Thankfully, the Walmart in Paducah (Nice town, Paducah! Home of the National Quilt Museum) supplied just about everything else we needed for the week.

Let's just say I was glad I had planned ahead--bringing everything I thought I wouldn't be able to find in Cadiz. 

 

The Partial Portable Pantry--Complete with Vita-Mix, Air Popcorn Popper, Zester, Lemon Juicer, & Recipes. 

 

 

 

The Great Hematite Lake Hike--Land Between the Lakes

 

But, I'll save the family vacation story for a later post.  Wonderful relaxing week with the kids & a special guest appearance from Nashville Cats, Fran & Dick. 

But, this post is all about our return home. 

An instant meal.

V-7 Juice.

 

What's for Dinner after 10 Hours of Driving and the Fridge is Empty?

 

The 15 Minute "Real Italian Unmeatballs" with Fettucine & parma! Vegan Parmesan

 

By the time we'd unloaded the car--emptied the cooler--and the "Portable Pantry"--it was 8:00 pm.

We were starving.

What crazy person decides to cook dinner after driving all day?  This crazy person. 

All the way home I had a vision of baking MATCH Italian meatballs in the oven--and serving them up with the left-over jar of Trader Joe's fat-free marinara sauce, over fettucine.  Best laid plans.  Foiled.  The leftover package of MATCH was still a solid frozen brick--even after 10 hours of sitting in the cooler in the car.

But, lucky me--tucked away in the refrigerator's "meat & cheese" drawer--I spotted Plan B.

It was an impulse buy I picked up at Trader Joe's before I left for vacation.  A brand new product--at least new to me. Trader Joe's  Beef-less Ground Beef.

OK--if you're dead set against using fauxs--this isn't for you.  Stay away.  But, hey, when you want food fast--this turns out to be amazing stuff.  It comes in a refrigerated package--12 ounces of textured wheat & soy vegetable protein (TVP) , onions, spices, a teeny tiny smidge of expeller-pressed canola oil, and some added vitamins & minerals--like B-12.

Why they bothered with the vitamins & minerals is anybody's guess.  I guess they wanted a real meat substitute--complete with iron & B-12.

Six servings to a package weighing in at 60 calories, .5 grams (that's 1/2 gram in case you miss the decimal point) of fat, 250 mg of potassium, 2 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein. 

But, unlike MATCH,  there was no way this "beef" is made to be rolled into meatballs--it's the crumbly kind.

So here's what I whipped up in 15 minutes for the "Post-Trip Crash" Dinner.

 

The Unrecipe for 15 Minute "Real Italian Unmeatballs" with Fettucine & parma! Vegan Parmesan

 

This super-simple meal was spicy & perfecto--so good in fact, that my husband wanted to go back for a third helping.   There was no way--I was saving that last serving to take to work for lunch the next day.  Remember, my fridge was bare!

Ingredients

1  12 ounce package of refrigerated Trader Joe's Beef-less Ground Beef

Red pepper flakes  (to taste)

Oregano, dried (to taste)

Whole fennel seed (the secret ingredient of Italian sausage) (to taste)

Lemon juice from 1/2 squeezed lemon

Add whatever other Italian seasonings you like in your meatballs (basil, parsely)--or to replicate an Italian sausage taste.

12 ounces of Bionaturae 100% Organic Whole Wheat Fettucine

25 ounce jar of Trader Giotto's Fat-Free Organic Spaghetti Sauce with Mushrooms

parma! Vegan Parmesan--made with raw organic walnuts, nutritional yeast, & Celtic sea salt (low-fat, low-cal) 

 

Preparation

1.  As the water boils for the fettucine, heat up a non-stick 12 inch frying pan.

2.  Add the "beef", seasonings, & a squeeze of lemon juice.

3.  Stir occasionally until the "beef" is well-warmed & mixed well with the spices.  Taste & correct.  You want it spicy--Italian sausage-like.  At least, I want it spicy, Italian sausage-like.  I'm obsessed with that taste.

4.  If the meat mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a very small amount of veggie broth or water to deglaze the pan & unstick the "meat".

5.  Cook the fettucine according to package directions--9 minutes

6.  Add the jar of spaghetti sauce to the "unmeatball" mixture & heat thoroughly, as the fettucine cooks.  Let it simmer.

7.  Serve in bowls, fettucine topped with plenty of unmeatball sauce, and sprinkled with parma! parmesan.

 

 

Dr.  Maring's Amazing V-7 Juice

 

When you go away in August, you better believe you come home to loaded-down tomato plants.

Before even unpacking the car, my husband headed out to the backyard to see how his beloved tomato plants were doing.  He filled baskets with mega-giant Brandywine heirloom tomatoes and plenty of sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.

On Monday morning before heading off to work I spotted Dr. Maring's recipe for V-7 juice on my RSS feed & printed it off for my husband to see.  Hint! Hint!

He fell for the bait.  When I got home I found 2 half-gallon jugs filled with this gorgeous amazing anti-oxidant orange-colored smoothie concoction.   OMG!  Fabulous!

Of course he improvised a bit.  He added more garlic than Dr. Maring.  Maybe more tomatoes.  And a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce.   But, this is just a template.  Create your own V-7 Juice.

I think even Dr. Esselstyn would approve of this all vegetable smoothie.  He's not a fan of "Green" smoothies because they're usually made with fruit--and for some folks that quick rush of sugar can be a problem for their blood sugar &/or their triglycerides--and maybe not much different than drinking fruit juice.   And Esselstyn is a firm believer in chewing fruit--not drinking it--to get that amylase in the saliva flowing, I think.   And then there's the issue of added calories with the fruit in smoothies. 

 

Dr. Maring's V-7 Juice (modified by my husband)

Click here for the original recipe

 

Ingredients

Makes about 8 or more cups — about 2 servings of vegetables per cup

8 heirloom tomatoes, cored and chunked  (our heirlooms were gigantic--so my husband used about 4)  NOTE:  I think the fresh heirloom tomatoes are the secret to the delicious taste.
6 medium carrots, chunked
4 celery stalks, chunked
1 medium yellow onion, chunked
About 1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
1/2 bunch spinach  (about 4 cups)
4 cloves garlic  (my husband grew his own this year--OMG what a difference from the grocery store variety.  He used Georgia Fire garlic for this juice)
Water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Worcestershire sauce to taste (vegan or regular)

Note:  He made ours in a Vita-Mix (of course), in batches, as Dr. Maring suggests.

Dr. Maring suggests doing this about 4 cups at a time in your blender or food processor. Divide the veggies — 1/2 the tomatoes, carrots, etc. Put the squishier vegetables in first, e.g. tomatoes and onions. Add the rest of the vegetables then water to make four cups. Blenderize. Transfer to whatever storage container you are going to use in the refrigerator. Process the remaining vegetables with water. Mix all together and stir in salt and Tabasco. Chill. Maring says his turned out sort of a weird green color but it sure tasted good.

As you can see, ours was a gorgeous pinky orange.

 

Nutrition Facts Dr. Maring's Low Sodium V7 Juice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	78
Total Fat	1g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	142mg
Carbohydrate	17.1g
Dietary Fiber	4.2g
Sugars	8.1g
Protein	2.5g
Vitamin A 319% Vitamin C 67% Calcium    6% Iron 9%

 

Honestly, after tasting this savory blend of juice, I just might start making fruit-free savory smoothies a regular habit!

And maybe tonight I'll turn some of the leftover V-7 into a super-healthy Bloody Mary!

 

UPDATES:

1.  I've finally started my "at-home" weight-training routine.  Definitely a challenge.  Don't worry, you'll get the full review.  Easy equipment.  Stability ball,  5, 8, 10, 15 lb. weights.  Yoga mat.  10 lb. kettlebell.  I'll add a Bosu later.

2.  Upcoming: My "first" 14 months on the Dr. Esselstyn Plant-Based, No-Added Oil Diet will follow soon.  Still going strong.  And, in case you missed it--Bill Clinton is going to "tell all, too!" to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta (at least I think so) on Sunday, August 21. 

Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, & Agatston will be interviewed, too.   The new one-hour documentary, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: The Last Heart Attack - a Mission Possible focuses on the latest heart disease prevention science.  It debuts Sunday, Aug. 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET and PT, and replays on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET and PT on CNN/U.S.

Dr. Esselstyn explains to Dr. Gupta, “We’re never going to end the epidemic with stents, with bypasses, with the drugs – because none of it is treating causation of the illness.”   But, we all knew that already.  RIght?

3.  And then there's my Brendan Brazier, Thrive Fitness recipes & review update--haven't forgotten about those, either.  Hint:  We're fans.  My husband--the more serious athlete in the family--finds them pretty incredible.  Definitely missed them in Kentucky.

4.  Got my Peas & Thank You Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family WIll Love Cookbook yesterday. I really like Sarah Matheny. She's funny, down-to-earth, and has created quick & delicious kid and husband-friendly vegan meals--but they just aren't exactly Esselstyn-friendly.   Some will work--but many won't, because they rely on Earth Balance margarine, Daiya cheese, Veganaise, tahini, some oil, and nut butters.  Lots of muffins, cookies, & baked goods.  I've liked whatever I've tried from her Peas & Thank You blog--but, of course, I hand-picked the Esselstyn-friendly recipes.   I will still give this a chance, and see what I can modify--but I was surprised to see so many not-so-healthy recipes in her cookbook--but I know, my standards are ridiculously tough to meet.  If I still had kids at home--I know I would use this cookbook!  Very kid-friendly.

 

Later!

Traveling again to New York & Boston this month--so intermittent postings until September.  Whew!

It will really be nice to finally just stay home and veg for awhile!

From St. Louis to Santorini, Can You Really Eat Plant Strong While on Vacation? What Worked. What Didn't. And What I Learned on the Adventure.

 

Santorini Island, Greece - June 2011

 

25 Days of Wandering - Land, Sea & Air - From St. Louis to Santorini

 

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

I'm finally home--and what a crazy exciting wonderful month it's been!  Sure, I unplugged my computer and cellphone & took a blogging break, but, oh baby, this was no slow-paced kick-back retreat!  Not much  poolside lounging or meditating on this vacation.  

Most mornings we were up at 6:00 am and down at 11:30 pm! 

I'm a "don't-want-to-miss-a-thing-kind-of-gal" & there was just too much to see at every port--and plenty to do on the ship.  If we weren't touring, exploring, getting lost, hiking, talking, eating, watching outstanding performers in nightly shows, listening to music, drinking wine, dancing, working out at the gym, sitting in the hot tub or meeting new people--we were crashing in our room.   In spite of the pace it was so romantic & relaxing-the Mediterranean, no cooking, no responsibilities.

We hiked the cliffs of Capri and the caldera between Fira & Oia in Santorini, got lost in Rome (at least I thought we were lost--my husband said "We're not lost. We're in Rome."), beached it in Mykonos, then hiked down the donkey trail, dodging cranky donkeys & manure, strolled the streets of Barcelona for eight hours straight marveling at Gaudi's genius, and then ate & drank ourselves silly on tapas & sangria.

1. Part I:  Son #2's graduation in St. Louis--a whirlwind 3 day trip, that included 20 hours of driving, and an overnight stop in Indianapolis to see our daughter-in-law's family.   Couldn't have been a more perfect graduation day!   Elie Wiesel was the commencement speaker, the threatening skies cleared to a bright blue--and we couldn't have been prouder parents! 
2. Part II:  Got home, unpacked, & quickly repacked our suitcases for 3 days in Barcelona & a 12 day Mediterranean cruise to Rome, Naples/Capri, the Greek Islands of Santorini & Mykonos, Athens, Turkey, & beautiful Malta.  We did a whirlwind house-cleaning in preparation for a visit from our grandson & kids at the end of our trip--I squeezed in another day at work--and off we flew across the Atlantic for our Mediterranean adventure.
3. Part III:  The five day visit with the kids & our just-turned 2 year old grandson.  No sleeping in for Oma & Poppy!  Plenty of play time, a train trip, relaxing outside, and lots of good food that we cooked together. 

 

 

25 Days on the Road.  What Worked.  What Didn't.  What I Learned.

 

What Worked

1.  The Best Airport Food for Vegetarians.  Consult the Physician's Committe for Responsible Medicine List of Airports with Healthy Vegetarian Food.  Thanks to the PCRM List we knew we could find a decent meal at Green Leaf Grille at the Newark airport before we headed off to Barcelona.  A perfect loaded salad worked for me.  Flatbread with hummus & vegetables for my husband.  Tanked up & ready to roll.

2.  Bring your own breakfast & snacks on the plane or you'll regret it. For an overseas flight, bring plenty of healthy snack foods, lots of water, and something to eat for whatever meals the airline is going to serve--if you plan to skip their offerings.  We knew we were getting dinner at the airport--so all we needed to bring was something for breakfast.  I brought along McDougall Oatmeal Raspberry Breakfast Cups that just needed some hot water to make them ready-to-eat.  My husband brought along Ezekiel bread with PB2 & Jam.   We also had plenty of Hammer bars, Two Moms in the Raw Granola bars, and a couple bags of Mary's Gone Crackers Sticks & Twigs.   Too bad we couldn't pick up anything decent in Barcelona for lunch or dinner to take on the plane for the ride home!

3.  Staying healthy on the germy plane.  On the drive home from St. Louis I read a just-in-time article in Prevention on how to stay healthy while traveling.  We decided to take their suggestions & brought along Clorox wipes to de-germ the plane's seat belt, tray table, and seat arms.  Hand sanitizer & some saline nasal spray to keep the nasal passages moist & germ-free.  We drank lots of water to stay hydrated.  We opened the air vents above us, to keep the air circulating, but directed the flow away from our faces.  At the hotel we wiped down all the usual suspects with the Clorox wipes--the door knobs, the remote, the light switches, etc.  Did the bed bug check.  It felt like overkill (I'm not a germaphobe)--but we did not want to be sick on our long-awaited trip.  Brought along my neti pot and some Alkalol--just in case. Check out the Prevention article (link above) for more tips..  Everywhere we went on the ship there were Purell dispensers--to make sure no one got sick--colds or the dread norovirus.  It felt like a hospital--but I was glad for it.

4.  Traveling on a ship that has wide selection of healthy food and accomodates vegetarians & vegans.  We booked a cruise that we knew would accomodate both vegetarian & special diets. Thanks to the helpful advice of a blog-reader in New Hampshire who strictly follows the Esselstyn diet, we cruised on the Celebrity line, which he assured me would go out-of-their-way to provide a vegan no-oil diet if we asked for it.  And he was absolutely right--I just didn't take the extra step to ask them to prepare our food without oil.  I was happy enough to have a wide choice of creative delectable gourmet vegetarian dinner options--including many made without dairy.  There were also plenty of plant-based lunch options to choose from--and a homemade fruit sorbet for dessert at every dinner.  There's no restaurant at home where I would find this variety & quality of vegetarian food.  The ship has a special chef who prepares food for people on restricted & specials diets.   If I had heart disease, I would have no qualms about insisting that my food be cooked without oil.  But, when we were off the ship for lunch or while in Barcelona,  I was surprised at how difficult & expensive it was to find a restaurant with decent plant-based meals.  Meat & pork are favorites everywhere. Fish and salad were often the best options available to us off the ship.

5.  Fitting in some exercise.  In port cities we put in many miles walking--but the pace was slow when we were on a tour arranged by the ship.  On the few sea days that we had, we worked out in the ship's well-equipped gym.  I even had a chance to take 2 spinning classes with a Romanian world-class cycling champ.  And we absolutely never took an elevator--walking up & down 10 flights of stairs many times a day.  This is definitely heart-pumping exercise.

6.  Food Finds.  Best find on ship's lunch buffet?  The Indian food station.  The mixture of dal, vegetarian curry & rice was fantastic.  Best breakfast buffet find?  The mix-ins at the yogurt station.  Adding stewed strawberries, walnuts, flax--and the baked apples I found at the English breakfast station--made the ship's soupy fiberless oatmeal edible.  We found a whole grain Marathon bread hidden among a large selection of fiberless white breads.  Best port city find?  Within the Farmer's Market in Barcelona, located on La Rambla, we found a delicious vegetarian take-out stand, called Organic.

7. Hosting a celebration dinner?  Forget the restaurant!  No time to cook?  Find a Natural Foods Caterer! We knew we wouldn't be able to shop & cook a dinner for son #2's graduation--we just didn't have the time.  And it wasn't going to be possible to go out to a restaurant on a Friday night.  The solution was to contact Eli Margulies, of Eat With Eli in St. Louis.  The cost turned out to be close to what we would have paid for dinner, drinks, & a tip at a really nice restaurant, and it wouldn't have been half as creative, flavorful, healthy, or leisurely.  Besides, we ended up with leftovers for lunch!  Eli's Graduation Dinner Menu:

Lemongrass Miso Soup with Tofu

Cucumber Peanut Salad (ala Heidi Swanson)

Fresh Field Greens with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Grilled Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce over Forbidden Rice with Julienned Vegetables & Roasted Pineapple  (a knock-out)

Broccoli Raab

Chocolate Almond Midnight Tofu Mousse Cake with Almond Praline & Raspberry Sauce (sinfully delicious)

Homemade Mojitos

8.  Our best vegan lunches turned out to be part of the ship's shore excursions to Athens & Ephesus, Turkey.   That was a big surprise.  In Athens we had about 20 fresh vegetable entrees to choose from at an elegant hotel buffet, so we piled our plates high so we could taste everything.  Short on atmosphere--but we loved the food.  The Turkish restaurant near Ephesus was an out-of-the-way open-air roadside restaurant that I wouldn't have stepped foot in if it hadn't been part of the tour.  A little on the sketchy side.   Once more, a gigantic lunch buffet with about 30 vegetable-based entrees to pick from.  Lots of variety--but not much on seasoning.

 

What Didn't Work

1.  I really missed my beans & greens!  Sure we ate veg--but it lacked the best parts of my diet--beans, greens & whole grains.  None of the rice, breads (except for Marathon bread), grains, or pasta we ate were whole grained.  Turns out living without beans, whole grains, non-dairy milks, steel cut oats, kale, collards, Swiss chard, Green Smoothies, sweet potatoes, squash, berries, and sprouted whole grained breads does make a difference in how I feel.  Sure, I didn't gain a single pound on vacation, but my digestive system was way out-of-whack without eating all the fiber that I usually eat.  And I really missed my daily dose of beans or soy.  Within two days of returning home--eating my steel-cut oats, Green Smoothies, baked squash, All-American Bean Chili--I felt like a new woman.  

Son #2 tells me that he also notices a big difference when he has his usual Kale Smoothie after a week hiatus.  His digestive system works better.  He feels sharper.  He notices improved word fluency.  His energy level shoots up.  I agree. 

2.  Strolling & walking the stairs are neither aerobic nor muscle-building.  Sure I was on my feet everyday--walking all over the Mediterranean port cities--but it's just not the same as doing heart-pumping aerobic exercise & weight training.  I can't tell you how good it feels to finally get back to my regular exercise routine--spinning, weights, & yoga.  Being away from my regular exercise routine for a month made a noticeable difference.  My body started to decondition.  My muscles started to shrink, my yoga flexibility decreased, and my heart rate isn't getting up as high as it usually does during spinning.  Hey, I know it won't take long to get back into the groove--but it's interesting to see how quickly the body deconditions when you take even a short exercise break.

3.  When you're surrounded by desserts, alcohol, and restaurant fare--it's so easy to indulge.   Yes, I had a little of a lot of foods I would never eat at home.  And I had a glass of wine almost every night with dinner.  Sure they tasted good--but not as good as I would have thought.   I'm glad I tasted them--to get that out of my system, but it didn't make me crave more the next night.  My most memorable indulgence:  fresh-grilled sardines & Greek salad at an out-of-the-way tiny Santorini family restaurant that overlooked a parking lot--not the typical gorgeous Santorini cliffsides.   My indulgences:  hazelnut gelato, some fresh feta cheese on top of a Greek salad, a vegetable terrine topped with goat cheese, fresh-off-the-boat teeny tiny flash-fried sardines, The Barcelona tapas favorite--fried potatoes topped with hot sauce & mayo (so not worth it), chocolate bombes with raspberry sauce, a chocolate chip cookie, gravlax (salmon), and a very ordinary vegetable cheese pizza we ordered when it turned out to be the healthiest option on the menu.  Really.

4.  Getting asked why I was ordering from a separate menu & why I wasn't eating meat makes me feel defensive.  I never met  anyone else on the ship who was eating vegetarian--let alone vegan--although I'm sure they were onboard.  Whoever we sat with for dinner invariably asked us what we were eating and why it wasn't on their menu.  I usually bumbled out some explanation that we've been eating a mostly vegetable diet for a couple of years--primarlily for health.  Often they wanted to know more--and I was forced to mentioned that we also don't eat dairy--and then sometimes I was pushed to say we also don't eat oil--and by then I wished I'd kept my mouth shut--and I felt compelled to say--"But really, we're very normal people--not fanatics or wackos."   I definitely wasn't interested in talking about plant-based diets to people who were enjoying steaks & braised beef shanks.  A little awkward.  A little uncomfortable.  Our dinner guests were all lovely interesting people--and I didn't want to talk diets.

5.  It's harder to eat plant-based when you're the only two people in the room who are eating this way.   So many of my friends, family, & co-workers now eat this way that it's easy to forget how uncommon it really is.  When everyone is talking about the amazing Bananas Foster, beef shanks, lamb chops, or lobster that they had for dinner--and they ask you what you're eating--you feel a little separated from everyone else--but it wasn't really much of an issue.  Just didn't want anyone to think I was some kind of a weirdo.

6.  Bottom-Line:  My trip was amazing, and it was surprisingly easy to stay mostly on the plant-based course--in spite of what now seems like a lot of  "planned indulgences".  Going no-oil would have taken the plant-strong challenge to a whole other level--but it would have been possible to do on this ship.

 

What I Learned

 

1.  I was surprised to find out how much the addition of beans, whole grains, and greens contribute to how well I feel.  I never would have realized their importance if I hadn't had the opportunity to live mostly without them for 3 weeks.  I'm talking about improved digestion and more energy.

2. Plan ahead and bring food from the U.S. for your return plane trip home.   Portable healthy food options are slim-pickings outside of the U.S.  Don't expect to find much of anything healthy to eat at the non-US airport you fly home from.  As for airline food--don't get me started!  Our lunch was a doughy bun with a 2 fried chicken patties filled with cheese, mayo, a candy bar, a pale limp salad, & chips!  Yuck! Has anyone ever ordered airline vegetarian meals?  Is it worth it?

3. I should have done my restaurant homework before I left home.   Here's where having a computer or smart phone would have been helpful!  Next time I'm going to travel with more than just Frommer's and Rick Steve's guidebooks.  Who knew how easy it would have been to check Trip Advisor or Happy Cow for recommendations for good vegetarian food?  Certainly not me!  Doesn't mean that the restaurants would have been easy to get to--or worth the effort--but at least I could have seen our options.  It definitely would have worked well for us in Barcelona.

4.  Plan your own shore excursions with the help of the internet.  Our best advice came from two women from a small town in South Carolina who really did their homework.  They checked out Rick Steve's site & Trip Advisor & booked reasonably-priced personal tours with highly recommended English-speaking guides who picked them up at the ship & took them to exactly where they wanted to go in Rome, the Amalfi Coast, & Athens.  They were able to walk right into all the crowded hard-to-get-into places like the Vatican Museum & the Sistine Chapel--and were even taken to reasonable local restaurants that they raved about.  The costs for their custom guides were the same as the bus-load-shore-excursions offered by the cruise ship!

5.  If you're still full 3-4 hours after eating, your food probably had too much fat in it.

6.  If you have zero intestinal gas a few hours after a meal--your food has very little fiber in it. 

7.  The best food is what you cook yourself.

 

What Made the Traditional Post-World War II Mediterranean Diet So Healthy?

 

After seeing the Greek islands for myself I now understand why the Mediterranean Diet got a reputation for being heart healthy.  Steep hills, homegrown food, and isolation.

Imagine living on a craggy isolated Greek island, post-World War II.  You had to walk up and down steep hills everyday to tend to your garden and your animals.  There was no processed food coming onto the island. 

You lived off of what you could grow yourself--tomatoes, greens, vegetables, fruits, and the wild purslane (high in omega-3s) growing on the hillside.  Sure you had a little cheese, fish, wine & olive oil--and fava beans. 

You were heart-healthy because you worked hard, ate lots of plants, a little fish, and a little wine.  And that heart health came in spite of the olive oil--not because of it.

What's the real story behind the virtues of the Mediterranean Diet?

The authentic post-World War II Mediterranean diet of Crete--lots of physical labor coupled with lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and just a little bit of olive oil, wine, & fish.

Br J Nutr. 2004--when researchers went back to Crete to look at the health of the  islanders--the group with the highest olive oil (MUFA) consumption had the highest heart disease, and those with the lowest olive oil intake had the the lowest heart disease.  Click here and here for more about why olive oil & the monounsaturated fats aren't exactly health food.

The data on which the Mediterranean Diet is based came from the 1950's. At that time the people on the Isle of Crete had the lowest all cause mortality. It was post-WWII, they were poor, didn't have a lot to eat, ate mostly fresh fruits & veggies from their gardens, walked 9 miles a day, worked at hard physical labor and the highest consumption of oil was 3 TBS a day--and small amounts of fish. Big difference from how we live today.

 

 

The Parthenon in Athens

 

Ephesus, Turkey

 

Hiking the Cliffs of Capri

 

All Aboard--Waiting for the Train--the Grandson Wave

The New Graduate Wave

Forbidden Rice with Roasted Pineapple--not yet topped with Grilled Tofu & Spicy Peanut Sauce

Our First Train Ride - Next Stop? Lunch

Our First Homegrown Crop of Lacinato Kale & Dandelion Greens - Went Right Into My Homecoming Green Smoothie

My First Meal After Our Kids Left- All-American Chili with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

What a trip! But It's Great to Be Home.

 

I really want to know!

Do you find it hard to eat healthy & exercise on vacation?

Any travel tips for sticking to a plant-based diet?

Do you notice a difference in how you feel when you aren't eating your usual fare?

 

 

After 40 Days of Wandering, I've Learned a Few Things.

"Not all who wander are lost."

                       J.R.R. Tolkien

   "There's No Place Like Home" 

         Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz

I never felt so glad to be home.  After 40 days of summer schlepping from St. Louis to St. Lucie to Syosset and more, my 40 days of wandering have finally come to an end.  I'm ecstatic!

When I added it all up, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we were out-of-town for nine weekends, and a total of 40 Days!  No wonder I was so cranky, whiny and out-of-sorts.

Even when I was home, everything was a little off-kilter.  Our empty nest was suddenly refilled when Son #2 came home for a 2 month visit before starting grad school; my mother-in-law discovered she had ovarian cancer; I was always behind at work with all my unplanned "wanderings", coupled with an already super-short-staffing-situation; and "mitten-drinnen" (the Yiddish word for "in the middle-of-everything") we moved everything out of our bedroom & office to refinish the floors: --bed-dresser-chest-nightstands-books-bookshelves-clothes-pictures-chairs-couch-papers-computer-printers-- EVERYTHING!

For 3 weeks we slept on the porch while the floors dried, the stinky polyurethane smell dissipated, and until we finally had time to "move all the stuff back-in" the bedroom  & office.  It was my husband's dream-come-true.  Camping-out at home! You could see the stars and the moon.  Hear the crickets and the birds.  And who knew that bees start buzzing a 5:00 in the morning?  That was a little unsettling.

It was like living out of suitcase and we weren't even on vacation. I couldn't find a thing with all my possessions crammed into a spare bedroom and the dining room. Hey, we even had out-of-town visitors, but when they saw the accomodations they didn't linger too long.

So What Did I Learn While I Was Wandering Around for 40 Days?  Turns out you often don't know what practices are really working until you're forced to give them up.

1.) Regular sweat-producing exercise & weight training matter.  I tried to fit in exercise while I was away, but often there just wasn't time and in Port St. Lucie, Tropical Storm Fay flooded us out.  Exercise not only burns calories, it keeps me happy.  Since I use a heart rate monitor I can easily compare the calorie burn for the hour walk that I take on vacation to the calories burned during my usual hour spinning class.  No comparison! With my exercise routine disrupted and reduced over the summer I started to gain weight I haven't seen in 24 years; I could even see my muscles start to disappear; and all of a sudden I had an unwelcome visitor called "midriff bulge". Not to mention a new edgy crankiness was invading my usual good mood.

2.) Adding fun into each day is a must.  I had a chance to hear a rerun of an interview with Dr. Stuart Brown, a physician and researcher, who is the founder of the National Institute for Play.  Adults need to play as much as children do.  Without it, we risk becoming depressed, rigid, unable to problem-solve, unsympathetic to others and humorless.  Speaking for himself, Dr. Brown says:

"I give myself over 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."

This summer left little time for goofing off and having "purposeless fun", the kind that recharges my batteries.  Now I know how critical play is for my spirit and I'm going to make sure it gets on my "To Do List". 

For me, play is:  dancing, singing (even though I have a terrible voice), hiking, reading for fun, playing Maj with my gal pals, trying new recipes, and laughing til it hurts.  My husband and I had so much fun dancing at last weekend's wedding that we promised ourselves to sign up for lessons this Fall. 

And in our younger days we spent hours singing with the help of songbooks and an inexpensive guitar. When I read Megan McCafferty's story  in the September 2008 issue of  Health, "Love (and Karaoke) Will Keep Us Together",  I was intrigued.  Who gets to sing anymore?  Megan's brother-in-law bought her & her husband a karaoke video game a few months ago, just for "the fun of it", and she says

"Karaoke has inspired my husband and me to be unself-conscious dorks together, in a way we hadn't been in years!"

They've got their own American Idol  thing going, with Elvis, Christina Aguilera, and Pat Benetar songs.  When I mentioned this to my husband, (who wouldn't do Karaoke in public in a million years) he was game.  Yeah, he's a secret singer, too.  I can't wait to find this video game.  Anyone know what it's called?

3.) Yes, the food diary really works. My very first blog post back in January 2008 was about how well keeping a food diary works.  Problem is, when something is working for me, I often think I no longer need it.  I've started back to tracking my daily food intake with my favorite: MYFOODDIARY.com and there's no doubt that it works.  As my weight started to drift upward this summer, I realized I needed to see what I was eating.  As my exercising dipped downward, my eating stayed the same.  It was clear to me that I needed to exercise to the tune of 400 calories a session, 5 times a week to not gain weight. Or, the less appealing option of just eating less!

MYFOODDIARY.com,  works wells for me, even though there is a monthly fee, because I can enter all my favorite recipes into their database and create my own "Fridge" of my personal "everyday foods".  It takes all the guess work out of it, and even calculates fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sodium, vitamins & nutrients. This summer, the scientific proof of the value of using a food diary was published in the August 2008 issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, in a study that suggests that keeping a food diary doubles one's weight loss.

4.) I need quiet-alone-time.  When you vacation, when you visit relatives and friends, when you have house guests, or your grown kids pay an extended visit, quiet-time disappears.  Someone (& I am guilty, too) is always talking, or the television is always on.  OK, it's fun. It's enriching. But after awhile, one's inner calm needs  a battery recharge.  When I read Katy Butler's piece, "How to Access Your Inner Calm" in the September 2008 issue of More, she reminded me of how much I was missing meditation, and how much noise assaults our peace and sensibilities.

"The loudest sound my great-grandparents heard on an average day was the ringing of their village church bell. Nobody interrupted their dinners with beeps; news arrived by letter or, less often, with a knock at the front door.  They lived in the vast South African desert, and the background was silence.

Contrast that with ordinary life in 21st century America, where the background is a hum of machine noise so constant that it goes unremarked: subways, freeways, leaf blowers, air conditioners, Jet Skis, television.  Technology penetrates traditional boundaries of solitude and sanctuary; cell phones ring during funerals; helicopters buzz the Grand Canyon; bosses e-mail the house on Sunday morning.  And then there are the 16,000 odd words, on average that we each speak every day, and the thousands more we hear."

My resolution:  Insure some quiet-time, some alone-time, or some meditation time every day. 

My husband's promise:  He's buying a wireless head set to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa.  Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless earphones for your TV?  Viva the silence!

5.) The Valerian/Hops combination works! Before I took off on my latest travels I decided to give the Valerian/Hops combo a try to insure a restful sleep before starting out on my journeys.  Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, the herbal expert from the University of Arizona gives a big thumbs up to this herbal sleep remedy.

I had a hard time finding a product that contained just those 2 herbs.  I finally settled on Nature's Ways "Silent Night" formula, which is a proprietary blend of Valerian, Hops, and Scullcap.  I took the advised dosage of 4 tablets, 1 hour before sleep.  I briefly woke up a couple times during the night, which is typical for me, but I didn't get panicky about not falling back to sleep.  I felt sleepy, mellow & fell right back to sleep.  I woke up well rested without any grogginess whatsoever.  I've never taken any sleep medication, so I have nothing to compare this to, but I would definitely use it again.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Stretching in St. Louis - Try Something New & Build New Brain Cells at the Same Time

“Getting into the stretch zone is good for you.  It helps keep your brain healthy.

It turns out that unless we continue to learn new things, which challenges our brains to create new pathways, they literally begin to atrophy, which may result in dementia, Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.”

  -M.J. Ryan, author of "This Year I Will...-

The July trip to Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake had been on my calendar for 6 months now.  I was driving up to Toronto with my husband for his continuing-ed course on July 10--then on to Niagara on July 12.

Switching gears:

When Son #2 asked me 2 1/2 weeks ago if I wanted to come with him to St. Louis on an apartment hunting expedition on July 10 (his date was unchangeable) I immediately said, "Gee, I'd love to, but Dad & are going to be driving to Toronto on the 10th.  Sorry, can't do it!"

 But, then I thought about it. 

• "Habits are a funny thing.  We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine", according to Janet Rae-Dupree in her article, "Can You Become a Creature of New Habits?"
• Wait--my super independent son wants me to travel with him to a new city--"Hey, we'll have a good time checking out the city,"  he had said.  How often do I get a chance to travel 1-on-1 with my adult kids?
• If I were looking for an apartment in a new city I'd want a second pair of eyes, a second opinion before I signed on the dotted line.  Why would he be any different?  I needed to read between the lines here.
• If I could fly one way from St. Louis to Toronto (at a reasonable cost) before my husband & I had to drive to Niagara-on-the-Lake I could go to St. Louis with Son #2 and hunt for an apartment.
• New Habits: I can switch gears & change plans.  It's possible to take 2 one-way flights on different airlines to get where you want to go & not pay a premium or surcharge.  It's possible to change your reservations without a penalty if a seat is available & you're traveling on Southwest Airlines.  I'm now a huge fan of Southwest!

Stretching in St. Louis.

• "Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits.  In fact, the more new things we try - the more we step outside our comfort zone -- the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives."   Janet Rae-Dupree in "Can You Become a Creature of New Habits?"
• The plan was to stay in a hotel within walking distance or Metro access to any apartment Son #2 would be looking at.  No need for a rental car--which was fine by me!  I'm used to my own stick-shift Subaru (or my husband's).  I don't like driving rental cars--I'm always the navigator when it comes to rental cars--my husband drives.
• The plan changed!  We got the rental car.  Since son #2 is under 25, I was the driver.  Great!  At first I couldn't even figure out how to move the seat closer to the steering wheel.  I could move that darn seat every which way-up & down-reclining or straight-but not closer to the steering wheel.  Before you think I'm a total idiot, understand that my car uses side levers, not hidden buttons to do all that sort of maneuvering.  I didn't have "brain pathways" for seat buttons. I do now!
• Forget about the GPS!  Since I didn't yet have the "brain pathways" for driving in St. Louis (and a whole interstate is out-of-commission) I decided to spring for the GPS to talk us through the directions.  "Easy as pie"--plug in the address for the hotel & away we would go.  Not so easy-the hotel had no address--really!  I had Son #2 call & find out the address--and there really is no address.  But we found it "easy as pie" by following written directions, and Son #2 turned out to be a great navigator.  We couldn't even use that darn GPS to get us back to the Rental Agency because their street address isn't in St. Louis, it's in St. Ann. (Their own map had a St. Louis address) And the GPS can only find an address if you have the exact city!  After 2 days of driving around St. Louis I was laying down "brain pathways" for getting around, without the help of a GPS.  Got the hang of maneuvering around all the gated & blocked streets, the main highways, and I was even starting to like that rental car.  Oh--here's another confession--I don't parallel park.  Not a good skill to lack in St. Louis if you need to park in the Central West End.  Son #2 coached me through this--and I did it!  I definitely plan to add parallel parking to my "brain pathways".
• Old habits can rescue you.  Glad I kept my old habit of always keeping maps & written directions in the car.  I knew from past experience that Airport Car Rental Agencies are notoriously hard to locate, especially when you're stressed for time, trying to make a return flight.  Glad I had a back-up plan.
  
• It's OK to make mistakes.  You don't always have to ask for directions.  If one thing doesn't work, try another.   It's great to have a new travel companion, particularly your grown children, to shake up the status quo & to teach you a few new tricks.  Son #2 taught me that you can learn your way around a city (or a campus) by exploring, looking around, discovering things for yourself, allowing yourself to make mistakes and trusting yourself to figure things out.  I was starting to relax and enjoy being in the "unknown zone".
• Beware the herd mentality.  Make your own decisions.  More lessons from Son #2.  Just because everyone is moving to one neighborhood doesn't mean it's the best place for you.  Do your own research!  Know your own priorities & do your own cost-benefit analysis.   According to Dawna Markova, author of "The Open Mind", "..to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one.  A good innovational thinker is alway exploring the many other possibilities".
• Stretching in St. Louis was a success! 
  

Trying out new, awkward and unfamiliar activities--cruising in the STRETCH ZONE---that's where true change can happen.  So jump in, make the leap and go for it!

Don't Leave Home Without It! The Must-Haves in My Travel Bag

   "Just because I'm traveling doesn't mean I have to eat junk and stop exercising."

         -The Healthy Librarian-

On the road again!  Whether I'm traveling for business or pleasure, for a weekend or a week I've got about 10 must haves in my travel bag. Especially if I'm going to be stuck in a hotel room and not have access to a kitchen.  In no particular order, here's  what goes in my bag.

1. My IPOD Nano.  The best $138 purchase I ever made.  Got it at Costco.  I may be the only person I know who has no music on her IPOD, but this little gizmo keeps me well-informed, educated, entertained and enlightened.  I load it up with my favorite podcasts, and listen to all my NPR favorites on my time.  Before my Nano, it was only catch-as-catch-can to hear Diane Rehm, This American Life, or Science Friday, and forget about Krista Tippett's thought-provoking Sunday morning show, Speaking of Faith.  No way am I listening to the radio at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning! And then there are all the amazing books that I never had time to read.  I download one a month through Audible.com.  Right now I'm listening to The Book Thief (fiction) and Three Cups of Tea  (non-fiction).  With my loaded Nano, I'm set for car or plane travel.  I even have a walking and exercise companion, and who cares if there's a plane delay! The variety of podcasts available for free is beyond anything you can imagine, including lectures from Stanford University and Harvard Business School.

 

2. Dr. McDougall's Breakfast Cups.  If I don't want to fuss at all, and I want a fast, delicious, non-dairy, organic, high fiber, nutritious breakfast, this is where I turn.  Every hotel room has either a coffee maker to boil water, or you can get some boiling water at the hotel restaurant.  They come in these flavors: Cranberry Muesli (made with organic grains), Organic Maple 4 Grain with Real Maple, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, and Peach Raspberry Oatmeal and Barley.  Just add hot water to the fill line & there you go.  Each cup says it contains two servings, but that's ridiculous.  They only say that so dieters won't freak out that the calorie count for a full healthy filling cup comes to 260-320 calories.  They must think 130 calories sounds better.  You'll get about 8 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein.

 

3. Flax Meal or Ground Flax Seed.  I never travel without a ziploc bag of this stuff.  Not only is it a great portable source of omega-3's and healthy cancer curbing lignans, it has soluble and insoluble fiber.  I just add 2 tablespoons to my cereal, or mash it into nut butter spread on top of toast, or sprinkle it on a salad. It will keep you regular, and everyone knows that travel can be your worst enemy in "that department".  I've shared this stuff with very grateful fellow travelers at a medical mission in Honduras and at a meditation retreat in New York. 

 

4. Running shoes & exercise clothes.  Pretty obvious!  But still, no matter where I'm going there will be someplace to work-out, or at least to walk.  Having comfortable shoes, a sports bra & work-out pants or shorts will get me on the treadmill if there's a gym, or allow me to power-walk, not just stroll, if I'm outside.

 

5. My Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor.  Before you scoff & think I've gone off the deep end with this, hear me out.  This is one of the best birthday presents I've ever gotten and I wouldn't travel without it.  A heart rate monitor is one of the best exercise motivators around.  I helps you stay in the right heart rate zone for you- it keeps you honest - and it keeps track of how long you've exercised, how many calories you've burned, and how many times you exercise during the week.  You'll see how hard you really are working because your heart rate will be staring you in the face.  For years I've worked out without a monitor, and now that I have one, there's no going back.  Besides, it will keep you from working out too hard if it's humid or you're tired.  When your heart rate starts flashing you're working too hard, and you can slow it down!  Even Dr. Roizen, the wellness guru recommends this as a "must-have".

 

6. My favorite vitamins & supplements.  I've really grown to believe in the "whole food" over the vitamin/supplement model, but I still have a few favorites that I always travel with.  Using a trick I learned from my dear friend Babs, I divide each day's vitamins into a separate ziploc bag, so I'm not fishing around in one bag for what I want each day.  Oh, I guess I could use one of those daily pill cases, but they're so darn tiny.  My must haves are:  Vitamin D (1000 IUs); magnesium citrate (200 mg. 1 in a.m., 1 in p.m.); Citracal with D (calcium); a Centrum Silver multivitamin that I take alternately with a B-50 complex ; Omega Brite (pharmaceutical grade omega-3s). For "Why Vitamin D is My Favorite" click Here!

 

7. Zicam and my Sinucleanse Neti pot. This is my insurance policy just in case I start to feel the sniffles coming on.  Nothing will ruin a trip more than getting a cold. I don't know about you, but travel can be stressful for me.  All that rushing around getting ready, and I never sleep well the night before I have to leave on a trip, especially when I have to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to get to the airport on time.  Nothing makes you more vulnerable to a cold than stress and flying on an airplane.  Zicam & my neti are my security blanket.  And they don't sell them in Honduras, that's for sure. For more on why I use Zicam & Sinucleanse click Here!

 

8. Larabars .  By far one of the healthiest pre-packaged snacks around.  It's billed as "The Original Fruit & Nut Food Bar".  It's vegan, it's kosher, it's gluten free, it's raw, it's unprocessed, need I go on?  Right now I'm looking at Cashew Cookie (just cashews & dates); Cherry Pie (just dates, almonds & unsweetened cherries); and Apple Pie (just dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins & cinnamon).  Calorie count ranges from 180-210; protein count from 4-6 grams; with 3-4 grams of fiber.  Whole food, just fruit  & nuts & it will kill the munchies until you can really eat.

 

9. Dry roasted almonds.  Another portable snack to have on hand, just in case.

 

10. A half cup of almond butter & 4 slices of Ezekiel bread/or Rye Crisp Crackers.  Just in case you need a quick breakfast, lunch or snack. The almond butter stores easily in a Glad Ware mini-round container.  Almond butter on Ezekiel bread, sprinkled with flax meal is a great breakfast.  My husband takes almond or peanut butter & La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortillas when he backpacks.  They don't need refrigeration and they pack a protein & fiber punch.