Happy Healthy Long Life

It's a Numbers Game! What HBO's "The Weight of the Nation" Missed - Eat More, Weigh Less on a Plant-Based Diet

 

"I don't understand why I'm not losing weight.  I exercise.  I eat healthy food.  And, I'm not eating that much."

-Just about everyone I know, including me--before I went plant-based & ditched the oil-

 

 

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Prior to 23 months ago I was exercising, eating a healthy "mostly" vegetarian diet, & exercising more than most.

I weighed 132 pounds & never lost a single pound.  To tell the truth, I didn't think I needed to lose any weight, but now that 15 pounds have just effortlessly fallen off--I'm thrilled.  I feel better, my blood pressure is excellent, my cholesterol is perfect, the belly fat has banished, & I like how my clothes fit.

Huh?  So, what was I doing wrong, before?  Turns out, I was eating about 400 more calories a day than I needed to.  And all of it was from cheese, pizza, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, chocolate, desserts, & eating out.

If you haven't watched the 4 part HBO documentary, "The Weight of the Nation" yet, watch it online here. This eye-opening research-based film is the reason for this post.

Bottom Line:  We're getting fatter & sicker, while consuming more calories than ever before.   You've heard it all a thousand times.  To lose weight we need to eat less & move more.  Lots of people have already tried this approach.  And lots of people have failed, over and over again.

Yes,  "The Weight of the Nation" is a must-see, but they left out one important message:

It's a lot easier to lose weight, get healthy, AND FEEL FULL, if you switch to a diet that's PLANT-BASED, NUTRIENT-DENSE WITH NO-ADDED-OILS and MINIMAL USE OF HIGH-CALORIE NUTS & SWEETENERS!

It's the ONLY way you can eat a boat-load of food, fill your tummy, be satiated, get healthy, and STILL LOSE WEIGHT.

No calories to count.

It's that simple!

Sure, you can go ahead & follow the moderate standard lower-calorie Weight Watcher's sort of diet (like Rhonda & Elana in Weight of the Nation), count calories, include a little dessert, some nuts or almond butter, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, some chicken, a little feta or goat cheese, a mini-slice of pizza---but, I'm telling you--you probably won't feel full--and you won't lose your cravings for fat and sugar.   

You'll probably feel deprived.  And how long are you going to put up with that?

No wonder people just give up trying to lose weight.

If we honestly look at what we are eating, consider how much we eat out, all the little indulgences we choose to ignore, start paying attention to labels, & start moving more, we'd notice how easy it is to lose weight--on a plant-based no-added oil diet.  And yes, you won't lose weight on a plant-based diet if you make up your own rules!

 

 

Meet Nutritional Mathematician, Carson C. Chow

 

Photo by: Michael Temchine for the New York Times

 

Carson C. Chow is a mathematician who didn't know much about calories or obesity until he took a job in 2004 with the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 

But, Chow was a quick learner & he put his mathematical modeling skills to work to better understand how the U.S. has gotten so overweight & sick since the 1970's.

He also helped figure out a "slimmed down" equation that ordinary folks could use to calculate how much they can eat if they want to lose weight.  His equation factors in age, height, activity levels throughout the day, plus how quickly you want to achieve your goal weight.

I used the NIDDK calculator today, and it was spot on for me.

I plugged in that I wanted to lose 15 pounds in 180 days-- and it told me I needed to eat just 1326 calories a day for 180 days, provided that I exercised strenuously a few days a week, given that I have a desk job & sit at a computer all day.

And, once I lost those 15 pounds, I could up my ante to 1558 calories to maintain my weight. Woo Hoo! Lucky me.

Totally, accurate for me.  It took me about 6 months to lose 15 pounds, & I've been able to increase what I eat to just about 230 calories--the equivalent of a date or two, and some walnuts.  Maybe.  

But, guess what?  I didn't count calories while I was losing weight, and I don't count them now.  

So, how do I know the NIDDK calculator is correct?  Because, I check in" periodically & plug my calories into myfooddiary.com--and I always seem to eat around 1400-1600 calories a day.  And I eat a lot.

Give the NIDDK Body Weight Simulator/Calculator a try & see what you think.  Find it here.

• First download & install the NIDDK applet--it will take a few minutes
• Then close your browser & restart it
• When you go back into the site after you've downloaded the applet, you'll need to click "Allow Access" for it to work.
• Be careful to change all the defaults that apply to you, or this won't work correctly.  For example:  Change from grams to pounds, change from kj's to calories, from centimeters to inches, & change your original & goal weights

 

The NIDDK Body Weight Simulator/Calculator

 

"A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity," by Claudia Dreifus

 

Yesterday, the New York Times published an "enlightening" interview with Carson C. Chow--definitely worth reading.  That's where I discovered the NIDDK Calculator.

 

Here are some of the interview's highlights:

 

What new information did your equation render?

That the conventional wisdom of 3,500 calories less is what it takes to lose a pound of weight is wrong. The body changes as you lose. Interestingly, we also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.

Also, there’s a time constant that’s an important factor in weight loss. That’s because if you reduce your caloric intake, after a while, your body reaches equilibrium. It actually takes about three years for a dieter to reach their new “steady state.” Our model predicts that if you eat 100 calories fewer a day, in three years you will, on average, lose 10 pounds — if you don’t cheat.

Another finding: Huge variations in your daily food intake will not cause variations in weight, as long as your average food intake over a year is about the same. This is because a person’s body will respond slowly to the food intake.

Did you ever solve the question posed to you when you were first hired — what caused the obesity epidemic?

We think so. And it’s something very simple, very obvious, something that few want to hear: The epidemic was caused by the overproduction of food in the United States.

Beginning in the 1970s, there was a change in national agricultural policy. Instead of the government paying farmers not to engage in full production, as was the practice, they were encouraged to grow as much food as they could. At the same time, technological changes and the “green revolution” made our farms much more productive. The price of food plummeted, while the number of calories available to the average American grew by about 1,000 a day.

Well, what do people do when there is extra food around? They eat it! This, of course, is a tremendously controversial idea. However, the model shows that increase in food more than explains the increase in weight.

 

In the 1950s, when I was growing up, people rarely ate out. Today, Americans dine out — with these large restaurant portions and oil-saturated foods — about five times a week.

Right. Society has changed a lot. With such a huge food supply, food marketing got better and restaurants got cheaper. The low cost of food fueled the growth of the fast-food industry. If food were expensive, you couldn’t have fast food.

As for the genetic argument, yes, there are people who are genetically disposed to obesity, but if they live in societies where there isn’t a lot of food, they don’t get obese. For them, and for us, it’s supply that’s the issue.

 

Any practical advice from your number crunching?

One of the things the numbers have shown us is that weight change, up or down, takes a very, very long time. All diets work. But the reaction time is really slow: on the order of a year.

People don’t wait long enough to see what they are going to stabilize at. So if you drop weight and return to your old eating habits, the time it takes to crawl back to your old weight is something like three years. To help people understand this better, we’ve posted an interactive version of our model at bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov. People can plug in their information and learn how much they’ll need to reduce their intake and increase their activity to lose. It will also give them a rough sense of how much time it will take to reach the goal. Applied mathematics in action!

 

What can Americans do to stem the obesity epidemic?

One thing I have concluded, and this is just a personal view, is that we should stop marketing food to children. I think childhood obesity is a major problem. And when you’re obese, it’s not like we can suddenly cut your food off and you’ll go back to not being obese. You’ve been programmed to eat more.

 

You said earlier that nobody wants to hear your message. Why?

I think the food industry doesn’t want to know it. And ordinary people don’t particularly want to hear this, either. It’s so easy for someone to go out and eat 6,000 calories a day. There’s no magic bullet on this. You simply have to cut calories and be vigilant for the rest of your life.

 

 

 

What Did I Eat Yesterday?  About 1400 Nutrient-Dense High-Volume Calories

 

After plugging my information into the NIDDK Calculator I ran the calorie numbers on what I ate yesterday--being scrupulously honest.  I wanted to see just how much I'm eating these days.

I knew I ate a lot.  I figured it had to be a high number of calories.  Wrong!

Yesterday, I put in an hour of spinning & weights after work, and after dinner I sat in a chair, vegged out, watched "The First Grader"  (which I recommend, BTW) with the Lab Rat--and consumed a GYNORMOUS bowl of air-popped popcorn, seasoned with Bone-Suckin' Barbecue Rub, plus a mix of PB2, Penzey's Cocoa, stevia, a couple of chopped walnuts & a half a banana.  Quick chocolate fix.  I was stuffed.

 And what else did I consume during the day?

• Breakfast: A bowl of Savory Cheezy Oatmeal with Spinach, Shiitakes, & Sun-Dried Tomatoes, topped with 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia
• Lunch:  A bowl of Mark Bittman's Miso Soup with Soba Noodles--substituting steamed French lentils for the grilled tofu which we had devoured the the night before.
• Snack:  20 ounces of a vegetable-heavy Green Smoothie (kale, orange, berries, & carrots)
• Dinner: A green salad with tomatoes & cucumbers, plus a big serving of Enlightened Bulgur, Swiss Chard, Garbanzo's & Tofu Feta cheese.  Delish!
• Dessert:  1/4 cup of pop corn, air-popped, 2 tablespoons of PB2 mixed with 1 tablespoon of cocoa & stevia, a tablespoon of chopped walnuts, & a 1/2 a banana.  Yum!

 

A quick look at the numbers will show you that these 1400 calories were power-packed!

• 570.1 mg of vitamin C.  This is 760% of the recommended daily value (75 mg) for adult women.
• 45332 IU of vitamin A.  This is 1,511% of the recommended daily value for women.
• 37.8mg of iron.  This is 210% of the recommended daily value for pre-menopausal women.
• 66 grams of protein.
• 70 grams of fiber
• 1050 mg of calcium
• 23 grams of fat--the only "too low" category by "normal standards", & 2.1 grams of saturated fat.

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Food Summary

 

Meal Calories Fat Carbs Protein Breakfast 256 8.4g 59.0g 16.3g Lunch 380 1.0g 73.3g 16.1g Snack #2 170 1.8g 38.1g 7.2g Dinner 302 2.8g 62.2g 14.9g Snack #3 285 8.9g 47.9g 11.1g Total Percentage of Calories 1 1393 22.9g 13% 280.5g 71% 65.6g 16%

   ¹  Typical Percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, and Protein 10-35%.

At a glance ...

Notes A high-fiber breakfast can help you lose weight and reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. You have eaten fiber-rich foods.  This is a good indicator of a healthy diet. Saturated fats only accounted for 1.1% of your calories.  Good job staying below the 9% limit! You consumed 570.1 mg of vitamin C.  This is 760% of the recommended daily value (75 mg) for adult women. You consumed 45332 IU of vitamin A.  This is 1,511% of the recommended daily value for women. You consumed 37.8mg of iron.  This is 210% of the recommended daily value for pre-menopausal women. Only 13.0% of your calories came from fat.  Fat should account for a minimum of 15% of your calories.

 

 

 

The Caloric Density of Food

 

When I first saw this information from Natala Constantine posted on The Healthy Girl's Kitchen---I thought it had to be an exaggeration.  But, I looked at a composite of caloric information on the USDA nutritional database, and it's pretty accurate for a composite estimate of calories for these food groups.

I took Natala's information & put it into a handy-dandy chart that I used in my Centenarian Strategies presentation  in April 2012.

Pretty instructive--and proves the point of this post:    Eat More, Weigh Less with a Plant-Based No-Oil, Low-Nut, Low-Sugar/Sweetener Lifestyle

That's the only way we'll be able to change,  "The Weight of the Nation", IMHO.

Four pounds of plant-based food above the red line = 1500 calories of food.  Goodness.  Enough to fill anyone's tummy.

 

What Do 500 Calories of Food Look Like?

 

This informaton is based on a chart in "The China Study".

The plant portion is based on equal parts of tomato, spinach, lima beans, peas, & potatoes.

The animal portion is based on equal parts of beef, pork, chicken, & whole milk.

 

 

As Always, I'd Love to Hear Your Feedback on the Post

Did Your Results with the NIDDK Calculator Seem Accurate?

 

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-

 

 

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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!

Girl Talk, a Success Story, and the Best Vegetables to Put the Kibosh on Cancer

 

My Sister-in-Law Today - March 2012

My Sister-in-Law Seven Months Ago - July 2011

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version, with all the links--and to write a comment!

I was really looking forward to this Wednesday.  

My sister-in-law literally "flew in" for a mini-21 hour visit.

We hadn't see each other since last July, when this photo of our hike was taken.  A last minute business trip was scheduled that would bring her within easy driving distance for a quick visit with me & her brother--the Lab Rat.   We live so far away from each other, that we only get a chance to see each other about twice a year.  Next visit:  At the end of July for a family vacation.

For the entire 7 waking hours of our visit we talked non-stop.  Par for the course.

We had lots to catch-up on.

As for the very personal story that follows, she only agreed to share it because I convinced her it would inspire & motivate others.  She's very modest, humble, & private.  It's all her accomplishment--but, I couldn't be happier & prouder of her success story.

 

The Quickie Back Story

 

Back in August 2011 my SIL found out her cholesterol was way too high--and her triglycerides were off the charts.  Her doctor advised her to high-tail it to a cardiologist ASAP--get on statins, and whatever else was needed to get her numbers down.

Just so you know...

• She's been a lifelong exerciser!  She's no couch potato!  She might have weighed more than she wanted to--but she's alway been fit!   She's always been a regular walker, hiker, weight-lifter, & a "sometimes jogger".
• She watched what she ate.  She really tried to avoid the junk food, and ate a Mediterranean style diet--lots of fish, fruits & vegetables, olive, & nuts.  Just like all of us were doing--when we thought we were "eating a healthy diet."   And, we all know how those restaurant meals, and dinner parties add up.

Before making that cardiology appointment she wanted to see if she could turn those numbers around by herself--with diet, rather than drugs.

She wanted to give Dr. Esselstyn's diet protocol a 100% college-try before taking the medication route.

She downloaded a copy of "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" for her Kindle.  I sent her all the Esselstyn diet information I had--and I even asked Dr. Esselstyn what he advised her to do to get her triglycerides under control.

A few short weeks after she changed her diet, her total cholesterol level had dropped an amazing 100 points.

 

Fast Forward Seven Months Later on the Esselstyn Plan

 

The girl has stuck to with the program!

OK, maybe some very rare transgressions when she's traveling---but those have been few & far between.

Her tastes have completely changed. She loves the foods she is eating now.

Even at restaurants, she's sticking to plant-based no-oil healthy choices.  Salads, baked potato, steamed vegetables.  Amazing!

She's completely hooked on cooking without oil.  She loves all the flavor-packed plant-based recipes she continually experiments with.  OK, there have been a few losers or "so-so's" here & there.  Doesn't miss meat, chicken, fish, or cheese a bit.  But, barbecue potato chips?  That's a different story--but she's not eating them.

She's lost about 25 pounds, which is significant for her tiny frame--and her Chico size is now down to 00-- double zero, for all you Chico fans--probably an equivalent of a size 6.  Her Gap jeans are size 6, & they're lower-cut, skinny ones.  Woo Hoo!   

She feels great. She's going to kill me for saying this (I told you--she's very modest)--but compliments & questions come her way almost every day,  "You look fantastic.  What's your secret?  What are you doing differently?"

In two weeks she get a full-enchilada lipid work-up---so no numbers to report as yet.

 

 

My Sister-in-Law's Request -

A Sneak-Preview of My Centenarian Strategies Presentation

 

After our non-stop gab fest on Wednesday night, my SIL asked to see a preview of my "almost-completed" Centenarian Strategies presentation.

When we got to a slide that detailed which vegetables had the strongest effect on cancer-cell proliferation--and which veggies are the best bets to prevent cancer, she wanted to know where she could find that post on my blog.

She:  "I don't remember seeing a post about this.  Where is it?  Can you send me the link?"  she asked.

Me:  "Well, I never got around to posting it.  It's only in my presentation."

So, dear readers, below, please find my "Table That's Worth a Thousand Words" presentation slide.

Sure, there's more to say about this research than you can see on two slides--but I'm short on time.  

Quickly, here's how the study was designed.

• Extracts from 34 vegetables were isolated & tested on 8 different tumor cell lines for their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth & proliferation .
• Fresh vegetables were juiced with a Juiceman extractor--and then tested on & against specific unique types of cancer cells; like stomach adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung carcinoma, glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, etc.

 

 

The Best Cancer-Fighting Vegetables

 

The Bottom Line:  The Best Cancer-Fighting Vegetables

 

1. Over 250 epidemiological studies have suggested that people who consume a diet high in fruits & vegetables  reduce their risk of developing cancer.  But, which vegetables are the best bets?
2. Not all fruits & vegetables are created equal when it comes to cancer prevention--and the study's results, convinced the authors that people need to be encouraged to eat the vegetables that will give them the "most bang for their buck" when it comes to preventing cancer.
3. Turns out, the vegetables we eat the most--have the weakest inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth: potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, & lettuce.
4. Evidence shows that the cancer prevention properties of fruits & vegetables are "additive" & "synergistic".  Bottom Line:  Eat a wide  of fruits & vegetables to get the "most cancer prevention bang for your buck".
5. Study weakness: The vegetable juices in the study did not contain water-insoluble (aka fat-soluble) molecules such as lycopene or beta-carotene that are found in the yellow, orange, & green leafy fruits or vegetables, which may have resulted in some underestimations of the cancer-fighting properties of vegetables that contain these fat-soluble phytochemicals--like tomatoes, carrot, broccoli, & spinach.
6. Cruciferous vegetables have potent cancer inhibitory activity against most cancer cell lines.
7. Other vegetables in the Brassica oleracea family, like kale, cabbage, curly cabbage, cauliflower, & broccoli, were the most inhibitory vegetables tested.
8. The best bets for cancer prevention are the cruciferous vegetables, the dark green leafy vegetables, & those in the Allium family, like onions, leeks, chive, shallots, & garlic.   The authors want this message to reach the public.  Pay attention.
9. These vegetables have exceptional "inhibitory" activity against all tested cancer cell lines--including those from the kidney & pancreas:  garlic, leek, green onions, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, & various cabbages.
10. And which vegetables do we eat the least?  That's right!  All the most potent cancer fighters listed in #9.  

 

"Since the formation of tumours is a random event that occurs in a significant percentage of the adult population, the increased consumption of these vegetables with high anticancer properties could play a central role in preventing these tumours to reach a clinical stage, and thus reduce the incidence of several types of cancer."

 

"Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: a comparative study," Beliveau, R. et al.  Food Chemistry  2009:112:374-380

 

If You Missed It the First Time--Here It Is Again!

The re-posting of My Sister-in-Law's Story

September 05, 2011

Saturday Morning Heart to Heart Girl Talk with My Sister-in-Law - Triglycerides, Esselstyn Diet Success, Restaurant Insanity, Molten Lava Cake, Tortilla Soup - and of course, the Grandkids, Kids, & Husbands

 

 

 


Photo by Vincent Van Der Pas

"When triglycerides go up over 100 we start making abnormal forms of cholesterol--the small dense LDLs that are atherogenic and penetrate much more rapidly into the arteries than normal large LDLs. 
 
When triglycerides start going up--and the changes start around 80-100--nearly everyone with triglycerides over 100 is making significant amounts of small dense atherogenic LDL--above 150 almost all LDL particles are small dense and atherogenic." 

-Dr. Patrick E. McBride, Professor of Medicine and Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, and a member of the Expert III NCEP Panel setting cholesterol guidelines-

 

 

On Saturday morning, my sister-in-law and I FINALLY had a chance to catch up.  

We talked for an hour staight--which is nothing for us--we'd barely scratched the surface of what we could cover--but we both had to call it quits to get on with the rest of of the stuff on our To-Do Lists.

She had some pretty good news to share--and I asked her if it was OK if I shared it with you.  She said, "Sure! Go ahead."   So here's what we talked about....

 

What's Up with My High Triglycerides?  Help!

 

Here's the back story.

Exactly, one month ago my sister-in-law texted me a cryptic message, "Call me when you have a chance.  Need your opinion."

Turns out, she'd had her annual gyno exam.  Her doc had taken her lipids, and she' had just found out that her total cholesterol was too high--and her triglycerides were off-the-charts high.

 

She: "How can that be?  I really do eat healthy.  I exercise.  My doc wants me to make an appointment with a cardiologist ASAP, but I don't want to go on statins, or take anything for the triglycerides.  Most of my other numbers are OK--the LDLs & HDLs--but the triglycerides are sky-high.  I'd really like to go 100% on the Esselstyn diet first  & see if I can get those numbers down."

Me:  "Well, don't get mad at me for saying this--but I've been there myself--thinking I'm eating a healthy diet, when I'm really eating "a healthy diet at home"...in addition to a load of crap out-of-the-house!  

I know you make healthy meals at home--but it's probably all the rest of the stuff you're eating.  The restaurants, the traveling, the cookies, cakes, & pastries your friends make, the lack of exercise when you're traveling, the wine & rum, the sugar, the dinners at friends', the crusty French bread, yada yada yada.  It all adds up--and bottom line--if you're taking in more calories than your body needs--you can end up with high triglycerides!

Look, I never would have tried the Esselstyn diet 100% if he hadn't challenged me to do it.  You won't know if it works until you do it 100%.  Once I did it 100% & saw the results--I was convinced.

High triglycerides, are bad news.  Definitely see the cardiologist. But, sure-- try the diet first to see if it can make a difference for you.

She:  I've already downloaded Esselstyn's book on my Kindle.  Can you send me any other info you might have that will help?  I've got just 2 1/2 weeks to try this out, before I go out-of-town with my friends.  I know I won't be able to do it 100% on vacation--just not possible--so I'm going to see if I can get a cholesterol test before I leave on vacation to at least see if I'm on the right track. Before I see the cardiologist.

Oh, I've been reading up on triglycerides--but send me anything you might have on the blog that would help.

Here's what I emailed her:

Here's one of the posts I've written about on triglycerides--but this one sums it all up.  NOTE:  In April the ranges for normal all moved downward.  Now, the recommendation for the normal range is at 100 or below (no longer below 150).  But as you'll read, it's best to be at 80 or below. You want to make sure you're making light fluffy LDLs, not the small dense kind.  You might request the NMR particle test.  And here's the link to the new American Heart Association Scientific Statement recommending that triglycerides ought to be at 100 or below--not 150.

You want me to ask Dr. Esselstyn what he suggests you do?

Good luck!

Love you!

My note to all of you:  Please read that post I sent my sister-in-law about triglycerides.  It will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these bad-boys.  They're an independent risk factor for strokes & cardiovascular disease.  If you've got a lot of belly fat--you probably have high triglycerides.  If you're eating more calories than your body can burn off--you probably have high triglycerides.  To read even more (yeah right!) about the triglyceride stroke/heart connection, click here and here and here.

How Strange is This?  The day after I sent the email to my sister-in-law, Dr. Esselstyn just happened to call me at work with a library question.  Of course, I asked him for some words of wisdom for my sister-in-law & for high-triglycerides in particular.  Darn, I no longer have my notes--but here's what I remembered he said:

• Cut out the sugar--all kinds!  (my note: be sure to read this and this)
  
• Cut out alcohol
• Cut out the white foods--refined flours, pastas, breads, rice, crackers, etc. If high triglycerides are a problem for you--stick to just eating whole grains--and skip foods made with whole grain flours, like breads & pastas.  Even whole grain flours can raise triglycerides in folks who are overweight and insulin-resistant.  Think about it--flours of any kind are "processed" & digest too quickly.  Instead eat quinoa, wheatberries, hulled barley, steel-cut oats.  Flourless sprouted breads, like the Ezekiel brand, are a better choice if you need a bread.
• Remember!  Green leafy vegetables are the Main Event when it comes to making blood vessels "heart attack proof".  Load up on vegetables over grains!
  
• No fruit juices--and be careful not eat too many fruits, either, if you have high triglycerides.  Stick to the ones with the lowest sugar content.  (my note: the fruits lowest in fructose include strawberries, berries, cantelopes, grapefruit, peaches)  Source: AHA statement quoted on CardioBrief
  
• Avoid smoothies made with fruit!  It can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar for some people.  I see it happen a lot!
• Avoid dried fruit--too much sugar!  Especially high sugar fruits like dates & raisins.
  

 

Oh heck--I really really don't want you to miss the Triglyceride Post I emailed to my sister-in-law--so, just in case you don't click that link--I at least want to make sure you get some of the key points:

In A Nutshell--Here's What Dr. Patrick E. McBride is Saying About Triglycerides

• If your triglycerides are under 80 you are making "normal large" LDLs that are not very atherogenic (think atherosclerosis; arterial plaque; hardening of the arteries)

• When triglycerides are over 150 (there are just too many particles floating around with no where to go) they briefly get inserted into the LDLs and change the LDLs into "small dense atherogenic" particles.

• Stealth LDL: That's what you call what was once a normal LDL particle that's been penetrated by free-floating triglycerides.  When triglycerides are too high they are able to change the LDL into "small dense dangerous" LDL that oxidizes very easily (a bad thing) and penetrates rapidly into the arteries. Note: Triglycerides are not supposed to penetrate the LDLs!!

• Normal LDL: It's difficult for normal LDL (large & fluffy) to penetrate into the wall of an artery!

• When triglycerides are between 80-100 you start to  make abnormal LDL.  Some of it starts changing into the "small dense atherogenic" variety at this level.  (If changes start happening over 80--it looks to me like the only safe triglyceride number is under 80!)

• When triglycerides are over 100--according to Dr. McBride--you've turned the corner & "are making at the very least, a significant amount of "small dense" LDL."

• When triglycerides are above 150, almost all of the LDL particles become "small dense atherogenic".

• Dr. McBride served on the III NCEP Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults that set the guidelines for triglycerides (and cholesterol) back in 2002.  He advocated for the normal level to be under 100--and he strongly believes that the current level will go down to 100 when the next guidelines come out.  Note: in April 2011 the AHA issued a Scientific Statement recommending the new normal be under 100.  Find that here.

• Big clue that your triglycerides are probably too high?  Abdominal obesity aka belly fat.  That's the engine--the symptom--that starts the cascade toward atherosclerosis; heart disease; stroke; type II diabetes.  It's a big reason for triglycerides producing nasty stealth LDL. Read "This Belly Fat is Going to be the Death of Me and Now I Understand Why."  and "Lose That Terrible Horrible Inflammatory Disease-Causing Visceral Belly Fat with Whole Grains? Tufts Researchers Say It Helps!"

• According to Dr. McBride, if you have abdominal obesity, the chances are greater that you are producing the abnormal dangerous "small dense" form of LDL.

• If you overconsume sugar, soda pop, saturated fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and "fried apple pies"--and you are consuming more calories than you need--your body doesn't know what to do with all that junk--and you end up with lots of rich triglycerides--that are very inflammatory and very atherogenic--floating around--just looking for an LDL to penetrate and turn it into "small dense dangerous" LDL!

 

Sister-in-Law Success! 

 

Before my sister-in-law went on her week vacation with her gal pals, she wisely had her blood drawn for a cholesterol test.  She'd been on the Esselstyn diet for just 2 1/2 weeks--eating no-fat, no meat, no cheese, no-oil, no refined grains.

She knew it wouldn't be as good as if she'd been on the diet for 4 weeks--but at least she's get some idea if it could improve her lipids.

 

Test results:  Her total cholesterol dropped 100 points!  Amazing! Full disclosure: for some unknown reason, the lab only measured her total cholesterol--not what she really needed--a full lipid panel.  But she figures the triglycerides & LDLs must be going down if her cholesteol levels came down so much in just 2 1/2 weeks.  She'll be following up with a full lipid panel.

Other good news:  In spite of her one week of transgressions on vacation--she's back to the Esselstyn diet--and she's losing weight.  Best of all, she's losing belly fat!  She's committed to stick with it. She'd rather lower her triglycerides with diet instead of drugs.  Besides, only diet can help reduce weight.

 

What My Sister-in-Law is Up Against.  She Lives in the Southern "Stroke Belt", Her Friends Think Health is All About Genes, Not Diet & Everyone Likes to Eat Out

 

She's swimming against the stream in her neck of the woods.  She's the odd girl out in her social circle.

Everyone loves butter, meat, cheese, pastries, fried foods, good old Southern cooking, and eating out.

Lately, everyone's complaining about being so forgetful.  They thinks it just normal aging. 

Uh??  Think again, folks!

Check out this "hot off the press" article published online in Stroke, Sept. 1, 2011   Buchman, AS etal "Cerebrovascular Disease Pathology and Parkinsonian Signs in Old Age".  It's summarized in the NPR Blog, Shots:

 

"Old people who don't have signs of cardiovascular disease still may have suffered microscopic strokes that don't show up on conventional tests. The small strokes may impair their ability to walk, balance and function just the same.

Scientists examined the brains of 418 priests and nuns after they died. The researchers found that one-third of the brains that had seemed normal using conventional tests while the people were alive actually had damage to tiny blood vessels. The damage was so slight it was impossible to see without a microscope.

The people whose brains had these tiny signs of hardened arteries and stroke were most likely to have had shuffling gait and other movement problems while they were still alive."

 

If you've been eating the standard American diet--and you're eating out a lot, there's a good bet that what we take to be the "normal forgetfulness of aging"--isn't exactly normal.  It could be teeny weeny imperceptible strokes.  Now that's one scary thought!

 

"Dr. Megan C. Leary of UCLA examined over 5,500 MRIs of the brains of 50 year olds & found many had tiny white spots that indicated that they had unknowingly experienced tiny, imperceptible strokes.  These "brain attacks" have the same history and cause as heart attacks.   See "Annual Incidence of First Silent Stroke in the U.S" Cerebrovasc Dis 2003;16(3):280-5.

According to Leary, "'Silent strokes' are epidemic in this country.  While they occur in parts of the brain where they don't cause symptoms right away, the word 'silent' should be put in quotes, because their effects accumulate over the years.''

While a single silent stroke may have no impact, repeated ones lead to memory lapses, mood problems and difficulty walking. They are also a sign that people are especially prone to full-blown strokes.

Keep on eating the same way at age 60, 70, & 80 and there's a good chance that those tiny strokes will add up to increasing memory lapses, and progress on to dementia--depending upon what part of the brain has been affected. 

What's good for the blood vessels of the heart, is good for the blood vessels of the brain."

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease lecture 6/18/2010. see also: The Rotterdam Scan Study;  "Silent Brain Infarcts and the Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Decline," New England Journal of Medicine 2003 Mar 27;348(13):1215-2; "Silent Brain Infarcts: a systematic review,"  Lancet Neurology 2007 Jul;6(7):611-9.

 

As for all that rich Southern cooking--forget about it!  It's killing brain cells and giving the South a new claim to fame:  It's known as The Stroke Belt. 

The "brain-damaging suspects" are likely to be the much-loved traditional Southern diet of fried, salty, & fatty foods along with too little exercise--all of which contribute to hypertension, excess weight, & diabetes--the biggies responsible for stroke risk.

I posted about the brand new REGARDS Study, the Stroke Belt & how the Southern diet is affecting cognitive impairment on July 26, 2011.  No need to repeat what I wrote, just click here to refresh your memories.

 

Two of my favorite quotes about the REGARDS study:

 

"This is a very strong alarm signal.  [The finding suggests that] if you want to keep your marbles, you need to control your blood pressure, excessive weight and other risk factors for stroke."  

Dr. Gustavo C. Roman, the head of the neuroepidemiology section of the American Academy of Neurology, commenting on the article.

[Problems like high blood pressure and diabetes are likely to be "affecting  blood flow to the brain, even if it's not causing a visible stroke.  An undersupply of blood can also cause problems with brain cells that lead to cognitive decline."  

Dr. Kenneth Langa, a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, commenting on the article.

 

Restaurant Madness - From "Cook This, Not That"

 

My sister-in-law's friends like to eat out.  Who doesn't?   It's nice to have someone else do the cooking. 

But, once you really know what's in all that restaurant food--most of us will run back to our own kitchens.

Unfortunately, twice a week my sister-in-law has a pretty much mandatory "luncheon meeting" at a restaurant with her business partner.  Sort of non-negotiable. 

Last week, on my weekly public library run I picked up one of those "Cook This Not That" books.  OMG!  I started reading it before I went to sleep--and I couldn't stop interrupting my husband's own reading with, "Listen to this!"   "OMG!  Listen to this one--it's even worse."  

The book shocked me!  No wonder most Americans are overweight.

We haven't a clue what's in that restaurant food--so a big "Thank You" goes out to David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding for collecting all this incriminating nutritional info.  I suspected it--but I really didn't know it was that bad.

And to think how much I used to love Molten Chocolate Lava Cake.  Never again!

 

Chili's Molten Lava Cake - 1,070 calories, 51 g fat, (26 g saturated), 143 carbs

 

No wonder restaurants don't want to post the nutritional info on their menus. 

These aren't the worst offenders--but here's a sampling of some of the meals that even health-conscious folks might consider ordering.

 

Marie Callender's Spanish Omelette:  1,550 calories, 78 g fat (25 g saturated), 2,980 mg sodium

Baja Fresh Chips and Gaucamole:  1,340 calories, 83 g fat (8 g saturated), 950 mg sodium

California Pizza Kitchen Tuscan Hummus with pita:  861 calories, 4 g satuated fat, 1,562 mg sodium

Ruby Tuesday Buffalo Shrimp Quesadilla:  1,465 calories, 89 g fat, 3,528 mg sodium

Houlihan's Fire Grilled BBQ Salmon Salad:  1,182 calories, 61 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,719 mg sodium

T.G.I. Friday's Santa Fe Chopped Salad:  1,800 calories

Panera Bread Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat Sandwich:  750 calories, 47 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,130 mg sodium

Chipotle Grilled Chicken Fajita Burrito:  870 calories, 30 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,940 sodium

Just for kicks, borrow a copy of this book from your library--or check out the worst vegetarian restaurant meals  (check out the side-panel on the left) and then click through the slideshow of the 20 worst new foods in America.

 

  Cook This!  Enlightened Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup

 

Enlightened Isa's "Appetite for Reduction"  Tortilla Soup - 223 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 8.7 g fiber

 

 

No conversation with my sister-in-law is complete without sharing recipes--the new finds-that-we've tried out--and loved!

Funny, how she is always trying recipes that I never even noticed--even though we both share a lot of the same cookbooks.  I'm definitely going to reap the benefits of her expert cooking now that she's going Esselstyn.

She:  "Have you tried Isa's Tortilla Soup in Appetite for Reduction?  We all loved it.  But I cut the jalapenos down to just one."

Me:   "Nope.  I never even noticed it in the cookbook.  But I'll check it out as soon as I hang up!"  

And I did, later that day.  A big winner.   Here's my enlightened version.

It looks like a stew or a chili--but it's a soup.  Hearty, spicy, and a big one-bowl meal.

 

Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup---My Enlightened Version

click here for the recipe on one page

Serves 6 generously.  Add a salad & an ear of corn for a terrific meal!

 

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (Isa used a small one)

1 jalapeno, seeded & sliced thinly (Isa says use 2)

1 poblano pepper, seeded & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (this is the large dark green one--ask your grocer--I had to)  OK to use a sweet green pepper, but go with the poblano!

4 cloves garlic, chopped

(Isa also recommended 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.  I left these out to see if the soup needed it--and it was hot enough without them--and I like heat!)

1 tsp salt  (optional, always)

28 ounce can of crushed Glen Muir Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (plus extra for sauteeing the vegetables)

4 ounces of fresh small corn tortillas--bake or toast these until they are crisp.  Watch them carefully so they don't burn.   (Isa uses 4 ounces of baked corn tortilla chips)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 (15 ounce) can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn.  (I like using Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnishing

Juice from 1 juicy lime

 

Preparation:

1.  Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat.  Dry saute the onions, jalapeno, & poblano peppers until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add a little vegetable broth if the onions start to stick or dry out--to deglaze the pan.

2.  Add the crushed tomatoes, the 3 cups of vegetable broth, and the cumin to the pot.  Mix well.

3.  Crush the crisped tortillas into crumbs (some bigger pieces are OK) & add about 1/2 of them to the pot--reserving the rest for garnish.   (I ended up adding all of them to the pot, because I didn't read the directions carefully & it thickened the soup, nicely)  You want the crumbs to "melt" into the soup.

4.  Cover, & bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer, add the beans, corn, & cilantro.  

5.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.

6.  Add the lime juice, taste for seasonings.

7.  Ladle soup into bowls, & top with remaining tortilla crumbs & remaining cilantro.

 

Nutrition Info:

1/6th of the recipe

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts Enlightened Appetite for Reducti The Best Tortilla Soup Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 223 Total Fat 1.5g       Saturated Fat 0g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 408mg Carbohydrate 46.9g       Dietary Fiber 8.7g       Sugars 12.4g Protein 8.6g Vitamin A 48% Vitamin C 172% Calcium    8% Iron 15%

 

 

 

 

I'd love to hear about your favorite Appetite for Reduction recipes!  

Anyone have some suggestions for "safe foods" when you absolutely have to eat out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100

 

My Dad Would Have Been 100 If He Were Alive Today

Reading the New York Times with coffee - I'm 15 months old & it's 1951 - and at 62 I still start every day this way!

 

 

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

Next month I'll be presenting a talk at the Utah Library Association's 100th Anniversary Meeting in Salt Lake City.  My first visit to Utah and I can't wait.

And what better subject to speak on for a 100th anniversary than, "Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100"!

Right now I'm hard at work putting together my talk--which turns out to be the Best of the Best of this  "Medical Librarian's Adventures in Evidenced-Based Living".

Since January 2008 I've been reading and analyzing the medical research on wellness, nutrition, & exercise-- and then trying out the reasonable strategies on myself--and my husband, who's affectionately known as "The Lab Rat".   Yoga & prunes for bone health.  Chia for omega-3s.  Interval training, chocolate hummus, higher vitamin d,  adding b-12,  using a neti pot with Alkalol & saline, talking to strangers, oatmeal with turmeric & spinach....

 We've come a long way baby!  And I know a lot of you readers have come along for the ride.  As for me, my life has changed plenty since January 17, 2008--and at the start of this project I thought I was pretty healthy already.  Wrong!

 

Little did I know back then, that by 2012:

• I would be enthusiastically embracing a plant-based no-oil diet.  Never in a million years would I have guessed that one.
• I would become an avid plant-based recipe creator & tester--whose husband miraculously discovered he liked to cook.  My husband, a really good cook?  Never would have believed it.
• I'd be regularly spinning, lifting weights, building more muscle than I've ever had, & getting good at yoga--and, I'd even willingly get up at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning to fit in a yoga & a spin class. This one, I might have believed.
• I would have lost 15 pounds, wear a size 4, & not need to be on statins, blood pressure, or bone medications--and I'd even get a health insurance rebate.  Wouldn't have believed it!
• I'd be friends with Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn, and I'd have the opportunity to hear Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. David Katz, Dr. Colin Campbell, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Ed Hallowell and so many others, speak in person on health issues. 
• Many of my friends, family, relatives, & co-workers would be interested in following or at least exploring a plant-based no-oil diet--to varying degrees.  
• I'd still be blogging--and would have started a facebook page in early 2012, enjoying & sharing the "evidence-based healthy living"  ride with thousands of regular readers in almost 200 countries--and getting to know interesting, smart, & engaging people from all over the world--including many physicians.

Yikes, with over 500 posts written, and so much to share, I'm having a hard time cutting to the chase, getting to the nitty gritty--and deciding what to include--and what to leave out in this upcoming talk.

 

 

The plan was to touch on these key strategies, as well as share my own evidence-based experiences.

1. How a plant-based, no-added oil diet can prevent & reverse heart disease, and reduce your risk of dementia, strokes, diabetes, & some cancers.
2. How three different types of exercise can help protect you from dementia, bone loss, osteoarthritis, diabetes, & heart disease.
3. Beyond the body:  Why we need to stretch our brains beyond our comfort zone, make time for friends, fun, sleep, down time, relaxation--& invest our resources in experiences--not things.

 

I Need Your Help!

 

Many of you have been following along with me for anywhere from 4 years to a few weeks.

• What have you learned that's changed your health the most?   Or what's changed your mind?   Or what's changed how you feel, shop, eat, cook, spend your free time, or exercise?
• I'd really appreciate your suggestions about covering the topics that an audience will find the most helpful, the most engaging, the most health-changing, and above all--the least boring.
• What would YOU want to hear me talk about?
• Feel free to comment here (& scroll to the end of the post until you see the comment box) or via [email protected]

Please, give me feedback!  It will be so helpful!  And I'll be so grateful!  Really!

 

 

I'm Taking a Good Look at My 2011 Report Card & My Fifteen Month Plant-Based Diet Update--And You Can, Too

 

 

If you missed my most recent "Report Card" from August 23, 2011, here it is:

Fifteen Months Into the Esselstyn-Style Plant-Based No-Oil Way of Eating - The Healthy Librarian Spills the Beans - And It's All Good! Can't Wait to Compare Notes with Bill Clinton on Saturday

 

I'll probably have less time to post while I put this "Centenarian baby to bed"--but, I'll still try to post "what's new" in health care via Facebook.  And with this gynormous post, you'll definitely have plenty of reading material for weeks to come.

And speaking of what's new....

If you're not a facebook visitor, here's what you missed in yesterday's news.  Pretty interesting!

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Here's it is! After analyzing the data from over 120,000 health professionals for over 26 years, the verdict is in:

Meat's not so good for your health. And it's just as bad for the environment.

“When you have these numbers in front of you, it’s pretty staggering,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor of medicine at Harvard. 

This is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study showing that consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality from all causes as well as from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

An earlier study linked meat consumption to diabetes.

This "hot-off-the-press" study was accompanied by Dr. Dean Ornish's more readable editorial. If you must have meat--the authors advise sticking to less than half a serving a day. Paleo fans, take note!  You just might want to consider a diet re-do.

Even HeartWire billed the story as "The Carnivore's Dilemma" with an interesting lead:

"Long-term data from two large studies might have more people considering a switch to vegetarianism, with investigators reporting results showing that processed and unprocessed meat consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as increased risk of death from cancer."

Find the full article, here: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/archinternmed.2011.2287?etoc

Here's the editorial:  Arch Intern Med -- Holy Cow! What's Good For You Is Good For Our Planet: Comment on "Red Meat Consumption and Mortality.

 

 

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

 originally posted February 5, 2011

December 31, 2010--Ending the Year Right--With Good Friends, Good Food, Good Music & Dancing

 

 

Last year on my 60th birthday, perhaps naively, I sat down to figure out if there was anything I could do to increase my odds for a healthy happy rest of my life.  My parents hadn't fared so well after they hit 60.

 

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

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

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

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

 

So, on January 1, 2010 I wrote one of my favorite posts,  It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

It outlined the 12 things I planned to do to stay healthy--live long--and die short (hopefully)!   And evidenced-based librarian that I am, most of these strategies are backed by research--and tried out by yours-truly.

So how did I do?  What worked?  What didn't?  And most importantly, what new strategies did I learn about in 2010 that are now part of my daily routine?   

I looked over all of my 2010 posts to see what new strategies I've added to my original Top 12--and I was surprised to see how much I've learned--and how much I've changed this year. 

I'm including the links to my favorite "I'm now doing this daily" posts for 2010 so I won't have to bore you with the details.   And I'll follow it all up with a repeat of my Start of the New Year, Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties post--with notes on what worked, what didn't, for me.

 

And a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to read Happy Healthy Long Life.  If not for all of you, I know I wouldn't take the time to carefully read & summarize research articles, pay as close attention to the details of the recipes I try out, and be so diligent with what I choose to eat. 

And because I really stuck with no-oil plant-based diet, I'm hooked, it's now a habit, cravings are history, and I feel great!   P.S.  I love hearing from all of you!  It makes my efforts all worthwhile!

 

Biggest Changes in 2010?

1.  I've lost 13 pounds since June 21, 2010 (in 7 1/2 months) by adopting Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" approach to eating--just by cutting out added oils in my cooking & in the groceries I buy, ditching all nuts (except very small amounts of walnuts), chocolate (not cocoa) & avocados (except for occasional small amounts).  It effortlessly did the job.  I also reduced my body's percentage of fat by 5%.  (Update 2012:  15 pounds & that's enough for me.)

Back in March 2008 I had cut out all animal protein (dairy, meat, fowl, ate fish only rarely) and sugar & desserts (mostly) from my diet--and I used whole grains.  But, I never lost one single pound until I cut out the oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados, in spite of exercising regularly!   To be fair, I wasn't trying or expecting to lose weight on the Esselstyn diet--I was more interested in the health benefits.  I didn't expect to shed more than 4 or 5 pounds--but I'm thrilled with the results!   Belly fat is gone--and the butt has shrunk!  Don't be fooled that olive oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados are health foods.  There are far better choices out there--that are far less addictive--and more nutrient-dense.

2. Health Means Money Where I Work.  Thanks to eating Esselstyn Style, I qualifed for hefty health insurance rebates from my hospital employer at the start of 2011.  I got a 9% rebate off of my 2010 premiums, and I locked into the 2009 rates for 2011--another hefty 17% rebate.   Why?  Because my borderline hypertension is now history, and my lipids are now looking great.  My weight is a comfortable 118 pounds for my small 5' 3" frame--and my BMI is 20.9.  No medical conditions.  No prescription meds.  Woo Hoo!  Lower insurance rates!

 

Why This Plan Works--A Picture & a Graph Tell the Story

Here's why I feel full and can eat whenever I'm hungry.   My belly can only hold 400 calories of high-fiber, high-nutrient plant-based food at a time!  It's that simple. 

 

 

This chart makes it clear as day where you're going to find the best nutrient bang for your calorie dollar!

Source:  T. Colin Campbell, PhD.  The China Study.  Dallas:Benbella Books, 2006, pg. 230.

 

The Healthy Librarian's New "Evidence-Based Living" Strategies for 2010

 

The Exercise Changes I Made This Year

• Kicked it up a notch with the aerobics:  This year's research convinced me that at middle-age I needed to "kick it up a notch" when it comes to heart-pumping aerobics.   I've added higher-intensity intervals to my spinning workout and I've noticed a reduced resting heart rate--an increased aerobic capacity and calorie burn. Read more here and here and here
• Yoga to strengthen your bones & improve core strength, balance & flexibility:  When I learned that yoga is one of the best things you can do to strengthen every bone in your body (not to mention the chill-out factor)--I decided to rearrange my work schedule so I could fit in 3 classes a week.   I never enjoyed yoga that much, nor saw any flexibility improvements until I increased the number of times from once a week or less, to 3 times a week.  Now I'm a huge yoga fan. Read more here and here
• Weight-lifting/Strength-training for the brain & bones:  Weight-training was last on my agenda when it came to exercise--but this year's research showed a double-header benefit for  improvements in both the brain & bones  deparment when you weight-train at least 2 times a week.  This was too hard to ignore.  I now "lift" twice a week--and my husband promises to teach me an easy-to-do-at-home kettle bell routine that can be done in just 10 minutes.  Read more here and here and here  (2012 Update:  I now strength train 3 days a week with an ever-changing routine that engages every muscle & is aerobic at the same time.  It involves using the lower & upper body at the same time, varying the weights, the reps, & the speed of the movement.  Plus lots of push-ups, planks, & ab work. It's challenging & fun.)
• My typical weekly routine: Yoga 2 times a week, spinning 4 times a week, weights/strength training  3 times a week.  One or two days off a week. I can get in this many workouts in each week because twice a week I exercise for 2 hours.    (New for 2012: If you keep strength training all your life, you won't lose muscle--click here & here.  And as we age--we need to add flexibility & strength training to our aerobic conditioning.  Click here)

 

This Research Convinced Me to Make These Supplement/Diet Changes in 2010

• Omega-3s Lengthen Telomeres--slowing down biological aging.  Who can resist that?  I'm not as regular as I should be, but I do take both a molecularly-distilled pharmaceutical quality fish oil capsule, along with a plant-based DHA supplement.  Although this study only looked at the benefits from fish oil--2 other studies in 2010 showed that plant-based omega-3s (ALA)--that's the  the kind found in high amounts in flax & chia--and in smaller amounts in berries & greens--work just as well as fish oil.  Read more here   (2012 update: I regularly eat 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of chia a day & a take a DHA algal supplement-125 mg.  High levels of omega-3 are associated with the best brain health, as we age, click here)  Stay tuned for my update on getting enough omega-3s on a plant-based diet!  Very interesting positive news!
• Vitamin D for So Many Reasons--in spite of the Institute of Medicine's October 2010 guidelines I'm sticking to the advice of Dr. Bruce Hollis and Dr. Michael Holick and taking 2000-4000 IUs of vitamin D--but, it's rarely daily--& my doc tracks my vitamin D levels.   Read more about Hollis & vitamin D here.  I'm also following Dr. Angelo Licata's research that found that absorption increased by 50% or more if you take your vitamin D with your heaviest meal of the day.  Read more about Licata's research here  (2012 Update:  With Rainbow Light Sour Lemon Vitamin D gummies I NEVER miss a day of vitamin D!  I stick to 4000 IUs a day--with my doctor's blessing, but it's time to get retested)
• I'm eating the fruits & vegetables with the highest amounts of antioxidants.   Check the ORAC Index or the Fuhrman/Whole Foods ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) rankings for the foods with the most bang for the buck.  Read more here
• Low-glycemic whole grains--no exceptions (well hardly any exceptions)--Whole grains (like oats, guinoa, grainy/kibbled breads) reduce the dread & dangerous belly fat & prevent insulin-resistance (think type-2 diabetes).  Cool news to me--the way refined high-glycemic carbs can affect our genes:    "But after the high-glycemic carb meal, insulin shot up, and 62 different genes that are linked to the stress response, insulin-signaling and cytokine-mediated immunity were turned on." Read more here
• B-12 Everyday 1000 mcg/a day:  If you're eating plant-based take a B-12 once daily--that's the only way you'll get enough.  Even if you're eating meat--many medical conditions, prescription drugs, as well as just plain aging can impair the absorption of B-12.  This year's research pointed out the need for adequate B-12 for brain health as we age. Read more here and here
• Rethinking calcium requirements & calcium supplements.  I've decreased my calcium supplement to just 1 a day for 315 mg of calcium--and follow Dr. Walter Willett's advice about the total amount I need--just 700 mg/a day compared to the DRI of 1200 mg/a day for the over 50 set.   I eat a lot of greens that provide highly absorbable calcium, and I use calcium-enriched soymilk in my oatmeal every day.  New this year--2 Australian studies found an increase in cardiovascular events with calcium supplements.  Read more here

Dr. Amy Lanou's Slide from her Wellness Forum Lecture Novembr 2010

 

• Nitric Oxide Boosters to Prevent Alzheimers & Dementia--the blood vessels of the brain need adequate nitric oxide to stay healthy--and increased nitric oxide also prevents dread amyloid plaque formation--and guess what increases it?  That's right, lots of greens & exercise.  I can do that!  Read more here  (2012 Update:  The greens have the highest amount of the nitric oxide building blocks--and arugula is NUMERO UNO!)  Which vegetables are highest in nitrates?  Click here to find out.
• Ditch Vegetable Oils & Nuts (walnuts, excluded)--they are the highest sources of inflammatory omega-6s.  A groundbreaking meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition pulled the plug on the theory that polyunsaturated oils are good for heart.   Nuts, especially peanuts are off-the-charts high in omega-6s, too!  It took years for the polyunsaturated oil study to surface, so despite research to the contrary, I'm still not convinced that eating 2.5 ounces of nuts a day is a wise health move!   I'm staying away--except for walnuts.  Read more here and here  (New for 2012:  Walnuts are the TOP NUT for heart health.  Click here--& scroll half-way down the page & look for: If you're going to eat nuts, stick to walnuts for so many reasons)

 

Brain Booster Changes Based on 2010 Research

• Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's.  Read more here and here.  (New for 2012: Go for the Berries--latest review on the subject will convince you.  Click here)
• Reduced my belly fat.  It's definitely bad for the brain!  Read more here and here  (New for 2012: At 62 my belly fat is mostly history--I credit my diet, & ditching the added oil & sugar)
• Increased my aerobic exercise & cleaned up my diet--the better the cardiac index the less your brain's volume shrinks.   What's good for the heart is unquestionably good for the brain, according to the latest Framingham study and a University of Pittsburgh study that demonstrated sizable increases in brain volume in the seniors who walked the most!  Read more here and here 
• Keep learning new things daily to grow brain cells & connections.  The only way to keep building brain cells & new connections is by continuously engaging in serious, challenging learning for the rest of your life.  It requires effort, and it has to be something that's important and interesting to you!  It requires intense focus.  Dr. Michael Merzenich is the go-to-guy in this arena.  I'm certainly hoping that putting together this blog is doing something for my brain!  Read more here  (New for 2012:  Why it's important to learn new things as we age.  Click here and here)

 

Favorite Wisdom of  2010 - It Works for Me

• Alkalol & saline solution to prevent colds.  I'm talking about neti pot nasal irrigation with 1-2 TBS of Alkalol, a cup of warm water, 1/2 tsp. of salt, & a 1/4 tsp. of baking soda at the first inkling that a cold is brewing.  1/2 cup through each nostril.  Honestly, this works for me.  Haven't had a cold in a year--in spite of close calls.  What's Alkalol?  It's a solution invented in 1896 by a Massachusets pharmacist, that's made with methol, eucalyptus, thymol, camphor, and oils of wintergreen, spearmint, pine, and cinnamon.  Its "an alkaline saline solution specifically formulated to clean and moisturize the nasal passages, dissolve mucus, kill germs and bacteria, and provide natural relief from the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies."   Better than the now FDA-banned Zicam.  It's sold at my hospital pharmacy, CVS, Drug Mart & Walgreens, but you'll probably have to ask the pharmacist for this low-marketing-budget product.   Read more here  (New for 2012: I now use distilled water & the premeasured packets of salt/baking soda sold at the drug store.  I also wash my neti pot with hot water & soap after every use--& regularly sterilize it in the microwave.  Read more here.)
  
• Make time for fun!   Away from computers & technology.  Hey, I got this message directly from my mom, who passed away in 2003!  This is one of my favorite (& weirdest) posts!  Read more here  And here
• Sister power.  They can be the flesh-and-blood kind--or the best-friend kind.  It doesn't matter.  We all need someone with whom we can share our most insignificant day-to-day things with--and who can give us a reality check.  I count my blessings in this department!  I've got two--Beth & Lisa.  Read more here
• We get our greatest happiness from the experiences we share with our friends & family--not from expensive consumer goods.  "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends."  Spend your time & money wisely.   Dr. Dan Gilbert swears by this research-backed advice.  Click here  for Gilbert and here  and here  and here for my year.
• "When in doubt, do the positive."  This was Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's favorite saying and a rule I try to live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  "Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."    Click here for more

 

Life on the Esselstyn Style Diet

In May 2010, when I found out my cholesterol wasn't as outstanding as I had expected, in spite of a mostly plant-based diet, I asked Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn for advice.  He invited me to be a guest at the day-long session he runs once a month at the Cleveland Clinic, along with this wife Ann.

He challenged me to try eating and cooking with no-added-oils for 4 weeks & see how it works out for me.  I attended the class on June 18th, 2010, and started eating Esselstyn-style on June 21st, 2010.   I haven't looked back & now it's just, "how I eat".   I feel wonderful, I've lost weight, I've got lots of energy, I feel mentally sharp, and my digestive system is AMAZING!  Any nagging hip or joint pain I'd had in the past is long gone--not sure if I can credit the elimination of the inflammtory omega-6s with this surprising occurence or not.  (Update 2012:  knock on wood--hip, finger, joint pain--it's history!  Bill Lands, PhD, a pioneer in omega-3 & omega-6 research says that's no surprise at all.  When you lower your omega-6 load by eliminating the foods that are highest in omega-6, like oils & nuts, you have less inflammation)

 

You can read all about the day long session, and my Esselstyn-style cooking adventures in these posts:

Oops! Take It From Me - Half Dietary Measures to Lower Your Cholesterol Will Result in Half Measure Improvements

The Great Kitchen Cholesterol Clean-Up - Parchment Paper, the No-Oil Saute, and Munching on the Top Cholesterol-Cutting Foods

What I Learned From Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease "School"

Week Two on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Heart Disease Prevention/Reversal Diet Challenge. The Rules, Tips, and Tricks to Enjoy Plant-Based Oil-Free Eating

Can a Plant-Based No-Added-Fat Diet Survive "Real Life"? My Fourth of July Trial on the Esselstyn Diet - House Guests, Restaurants, Road Trips, and Dinner with Friends. Let the Numbers Speak for Themselves.

Everyone Can Do This! Breakfast & Lunch on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Oil Diet Challenge. Fast, Hearty, Healthy and Delicious.

Some Q & A about the Esselstyn Diet Challenge. Why Do It? What about Oil & Fat-Soluble Vitamins? What About Omega-3s? And My Top Recipe Picks of Week Three

Plant-Based Eating Confusion! Omega-3s, Omega-6s, Glycemic Index, ORAC Index and More. A Picture, a Chart, and the ANDI Rankings Help Clear the Confusion.

Final Week on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Added Oil Diet Trial. What's Changed? What Have I Learned? Tips and This Week's Favorite Recipes

My Esselstyn Plant-Based Diet Trial Results Are In. Understanding the Numbers and Why No Oil or Nuts Makes Sense. Think Weight Loss, Lowering the Omega-6s, Healthy Arteries, and Energy

More from the Healthy Librarian's Plant-Based Kitchen Lab: The Restaurant Scene, Staying Fueled, PB2 the Nut Butter Substitute, and Chia Fresca for Omega-3s

Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Bill Clinton's Diet Gurus, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish - What the Interview Didn't Have Time to Explain about How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

Follow One of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Patients - Q & A on the First Three Months of a Diet to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

My Favorite Healthy Kitchen Pantry Staples: For Quick, Easy & Delicious Plant-Based/Vegan Meals

 

My Top Food Discoveries/Additions for 2010

• Hot Mexican Cocoa, Fruited Steel-Cut Oats (now made with pumpkin! or savory), & Air-popped Popcorn  Read more here.   (2012 UPDATE: Chocolate Oatmeal   Chocolate Hummus & More Treats & Teeccino, a caffeine-free herbal coffee substitute)
• PB2 "Peanut Butter" and Chia "Fresca" Water  Read more here  I top my morning with oatmeal with chia daily!  Go Chia Seed for omega-3s!
• I can easily "Esselstynize" any recipe in my fave cookbook--Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  Read more here  Just cut out the oil, nuts (or sub smaller amounts of walnuts), vegan margarine, vegan mayo, & vegan cheese.
• Keep vegetables, especially greens & herbs fresh a lot longer with Kinetic Go Green BPA-free storage containers.   These are truly AMAZING!!  Read more here
• Here's a list of my favorite kitchen pantry staples  
• Homemade Raw Chocolate Chia Walnut Energy Bars beat Larabars for their taste & they pack a nutrient wallop!  Read more here
• Spiced Pumpkin Fruited Steel-Cut Oats is my new breakfast fave--brimming with alpha & beta carotenes  Read more here  Top it with a tablespoon of chia seed & you won't be thinking about lunch for hours!
• Sami's Pizza Crusts--whole grain millet & flax, no-oil & delicious.  Order from Sami's Bakery in Florida & receive them in 2 days--it's really not a big deal.  Can't live without these.  Just received an order for 16 to divide among 3 of us.  With delivery it comes to $5.00 per crust--not cheap--but it's fast--whole grain--and feeds my need for pizza.   Read more here
• Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz--my current go-to favorite cookbook.  I could use it everyday.  She's finally cut the fat, calories, eliminated the vegan junk stuff & included nutritional info.  I highly recommend it!  Read more here

 

Best Science-Based Diet Information for 2010

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Losing Weight, Exercise, Stress, and Cardiovascular Risk from an Expert, Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer. The Best Diet, How Much Exercise, the Hormone Stress Connection, the Best Phytonutrients, and the Healthiest Carbs

Dr. Hiromi Shinya, the Physician-Inventor of the Colonoscopic Polypectomy: What He's Learned About Diet and Health From Over 300,000 Colonoscopies

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

Dr. Michael Roizen's Straight Talk About Chronic Disease - Lifestyle Changes Can Control Them and Bring Health Care Costs Down. Roizen's Thirteen Pearls of Wellness.

 

Finally, the Original Start of My Sixties Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy & Happy

 

January 2, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

It's the start of the New Year. 

It's the start of a new decade.

It's the day I turn sixty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.

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

Just a sampling of the evidence.

• The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear.  There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease.  This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries.  All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5.  Reduce belly fat; 6.  Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8.  Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise   Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.

• The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.  "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years.  The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health

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

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

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

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

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

 2012 Update:  My Green Smoothie has grown up since this post.  These days, it's  mostly vegetables--and not very sweet--but loaded with vitamins & minerals.  

The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie  1/24/12

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

 

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

This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension.  The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline.   Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables.  I'm still sold on eating 7-9+ fruits or veggies a day.  Still drinking that old-stand-by Green Smoothie--but I keep experimenting--using less fruits, more vegetables.

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

3.  A plant-based diet with minimal added fat.  I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends.  I'm convinced.  If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go.  Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease.  Click here for Jenkins research.  And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain.  Click here.  And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch it Click here.  I Finally ditched the fat starting 6/21/10.  Don't miss it a bit.  The benefits are too numerous to mention!

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

5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated.  But, it can only be stimulated through singing!  So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke!  Click here.  I say "Yes!"  to fun things to do, trips, visits, outings, meeting new people, and dinners whenever I possibly can--without making myself crazy by overbooking or overcommitting.   I'm almost always glad for it!   Haven't signed up for dancing lessions yet--but it's on my to-do list--and definitely need more Maj-time!!!  OK, gal pals, when's the next game?  Frannie we miss you!

6.  The Supplements.  I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements.  I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me.  Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone.  Here are my favorites:  Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames.  Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take.  I'm not an everyday person with supplements, and try hard to get them from real food, but I still take a plant-based DHA, magnesium in am & pm, 1/2 the Citracal I used to take, curcumin occasionally, Juvenon occasionally, vitamin D (2000-4000 IUs), and a daily vitamin B-12 (1000 mcg), and I've added 1/2 of a whole foods multivitamin ("Mega Food Women Over 40 One Daily") twice a day based on Dr. Roizen's recommendation.

7.  Eliminate the time-wasters from my day.  Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied.  So, why bother wasting the precious time?  The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites.  Enough already!  Except for writing this blog, doing research, or writing/reading emails I'm no longer cruising the internet.  I just don't have that much extra time in the day--with a long commute & everything else.  TV doesn't interest me much--unless it's at the end of the day & I'm too tired of reading.

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

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

10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family.  Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations.  At 60 there's no time to delay any of these.  It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living.  I really try hard to keep this one at the top of my list!  Can't help but think of the extra time I'd have to accomplish this if I ditched writing this blog, though, but read #11!

11.  Once You're Through Learning--You're Through.  This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired (he died in June 2010 at 98) UCLA basketball coach.  No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life.  I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn.  Not a day goes by that I don't work on this one--but it doesn't feel like work to me!  Well, at least most of the time it doesn't feel like work.

12.  Start Eating Less.  OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works.  I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes.  Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time.  The new year is a great time to start!  To read more about this tool, click here.  Well, this strategy  sure played out big-time in 2010!  I'm eating far fewer caleries, shed 13 pounds, but I eat whenever I want.  You all know this story--I won't repeat it!  And yes, I do use MyFoodDiary for my recipes & to keep a check on how balanced my diet is--but not daily or weekly.

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

 And my updated version: Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

 

My new goals for 2011: 

1.  Resume a regular meditation practice--so many good reasons to do so, including its positive effect on some 2000 genes: those that control aging, inflammation, & metabolism.  Read more here

2.  Start playing around with the  Dr. Michael Merzenich's Brain Fitness Auditory software that I received for renewing my local NPR affiliate membership.  I'm a huge fan of his work! 

3.  Figure out some way to have more unscheduled do-nothing time:

"La dolcezza di non fare niente!" 

Italian for "The Sweetness of Doing Nothing"

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! How about a Seitan Reuben Sandwich?

 

Barbecued Brisket Seitan Reuben Sandwich

 

 

"The only food that I can honestly say I miss the taste of--and I won't rule out eating in the future--is a hot corned beef sandwich.  There's no substitute for that one,"  my husband likes to say.

That is:  until  November 16, 2011, when he came up with a Reuben Sandwich that's  "even better than the real thing!"   No exaggeration!

-My Husband, the Lab Rat-

 

 

Click here to get to the web version of this post, if you received it via email.

This recipe has taken me way too long to post.  Sorry!!  Really. 

HHLL readers keep asking for this recipe ever since last November--when I wrote about The Thanksgiving Corned Beef Sandwich - Family's Coming to Town - Stocking the House for Five Days of Thanksgiving Meals.

And what better time than St. Patrick's Day to try your hand at making no-oil plant-based Reubens?   Honestly, I don't think you can mess this one up--as long as you follow the directions carefully!  It just takes some time to make the seitan brisket--but it will give you four pounds--enough for plenty of sandwiches--Reubens, Philadephians & BBQ Brisket! 

Back in November tried my hand at making a barbecued brisket seitan based on a recipe that vegan Chef Chad Sarno's demoed in the film, PlanEat.

Chef Sarno's "brisket" looked delectable, but when I made it, it was clear to me that his measurements & baking times were way off.

I increased the amount of wheat gluten, modified the instructions, & increased the baking time.  The results were delicious--and I was rewarded with 4 pounds of barbecued brisket seitan, that I divided into 4 pieces, & then froze three of them.

But, you can thank the Lab Rat for coming up with the Reubens.  He's a corned beef sandwich guy from way back--and one day when I came home from work, he surprised me with Reubens for dinner.  We relished every bite.

When our kids came home for Thanksgiving they made their own Reubens & Philadephians at least two or three times. They're corned beef sandwich fans, too!

I've made this brisket recipe twice--and I'll definitely make it again.  It's easy to do--but, definitely a "pitchkey patchkey" that you want to do when you have a free morning or afternoon.

My friend Fran made a batch & served it a Ladies' Luncheon, along with some real brisket.  One of her guests kept going back for more--but, I prefer it sliced & served on a bun, or in a sandwich--topped with barbecue sauce, or grilled in a Reuben.

 

Let the Brisket-Making Begin

 

The Ingredients You'll Need on Hand

 

Barbecued Brisket Right Out of the Oven 

 

Slicing the Brisket after It's Chilled in the Fridge Overnight

 

Sliced Brisket--Ready to Make Into Sandwiches 

 

BBQ Seitan & Mashers

Trader Joe's or Alvarado Street Bakery's Sprouted Rye Bread

 

 Prepping the Sandwiches with Sauerkraut & No-Oil Thousand Island Dressing

 

Tada!  The Plant-Based No-Oil Reuben Sandwich

 

The Healthy Librarian's Riff on Chef Chad Sarno's Seitan Brisket Recipe

 

Barbecued Seitan Brisket ala Chef Chad Sarno

Click here for the recipe on one page.

Makes 4 pounds of brisket--can be sliced & frozen.

 

Ingredients

NOTE:  This is important!  You make 2 batches of the WET INGREDIENTS---one batch gets mixed with the dry ingredients--the 2nd batch is used as the braising liquid.

Ingredients--this is for just one batch of the wet ingredients--you'll need to mix this up twice (I know, it's a big pain):

• ¼ cups shoyu (low sodium tamari or soy sauce)
• 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons date paste (or maple syrup)  I had date paste already made--you can make your own by covering pitted madjool dates in soy or almond milk overnight--pour off liquid the next day & process--add a little of liquid if it's too dry.
• 1 cups marsala wine
• ½ cups tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic fine minced

Whisk all above ingredients well.  Then, in a separate bowl mix the dry batch:

• ½ tablespoon chipotle powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups of vital wheat gluten flour  (start with 3 1/2 cups--and add the last 1/2 cup if the mixture is still too wet to knead.  You want it to be a kneadable texture.  Not wet.  I used all 4 cups of wheat gluten)
• ¼ cups nutritional yeast

---

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 1.  Once you have the wet and dry batches mixed separately and thoroughly, then and mix both batches together. 

2.  Knead for 3-5 minutes until it is all is mixed and elastic in texture, like a very firm dough. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of gluten if the mixture is too wet.  

3. With your hands, shape it into a loaf pressing to be no thicker than 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick.Now you¹re ready to bake it.  I used a deep 9 X 13 inch pan (like a lasagna pant).  There's a lot of braising liquid, so you need a pan that's deep enough so it doesn't  spill into the oven.

4.  For the braising liquid, make another bowl of the wet batch liquid as listed above, and pour into a very large & deep baking/roasting pan--a 9 X 13 inch with deep sides & then place the seitan loaf in the center and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, flip it--very carefully, baste with liquid and continue to bake for 20 more minutes. I then needed to cook for an additional 20 minutes at 375 degrees--total 60 minutes. Then I lowered the oven to 325 degrees & finished baking for about 20 more minutes, until the braising liquid had thickened into a nice glaze. 

5.  Here's what the Chef advised:  Continue this process until most of the liquid has thickened up as a glaze and the seitan is firm to the touch. Allow it to sit and firm up before use.

6.  When it had cooled, I covered it in foil--and refrigerated it overnight to firm up.   Then I cut it into 4 large pieces--to freeze what I wasn't going to use right away.  It slices beautifully when it's frozen--and is just slightly defrosted.

7.  Makes delicious "bbq brisket" sandwiches--maybe add extra bbq sauce or some of the glaze & serve on a delicious bun.  My family  LOVED it as a Reuben, grilled with a panini press, with no-fat Russian dressing, sauerkraut, & a little Daiya mozzarella cheese---or with cole slaw, Daiya, & Russian dressing.

Let me know how it turns out.  Can use it for fajitas, stir-fries--etc.

 

Healthy Librarian's Notes

Have on hand:  sauerkraut, hearty rye bread with caraway seeds, homemade Russian Dressing or deli brown mustard, & Daiya mozzarella cheese.

1.  The Reuben is best with real caraway-seeded deli rye, or TJ's or Alvarado Street Bakery's Caraway Sprouted Rye Bread.

2.  Assemble the sandwiches for grilling.  We used a little Daiya Mozzarella--and it works best to first warm up the sliced brisket for one sandwich, topped with about 2-4 tablespoons of Daiya, in the microwave before grilling the sandwich.  This way the cheese easily melts, & the brisket warms up before you grill the sandwich.  Otherwise it takes too long to get the brisket warm & the cheese melted while grilling the sandwich.

3.  Each sandwich has sauerkraut & is spread with with either brown deli mustard, or homemade no-oil Russian/Thousand Island Dressing.  

4.  We grilled them without oil on a non-stick grill pan (any pan will do), & used a heavy panini weight to press them down.

 

 My new version of No-Fat Crazy Creamy Chia Russian Dressing

1 cup of regular plain soy milk

2  tablespoons of real lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or regular mustard  (option:  add a little horseradish for extra kick)

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of chia seed (or use ground chia is you don't have a VitaMix)

Mix all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until well-blended, about 1 1/2 minutes.

When it's done, remove from the blender & add 2 tablespoons of ketchup & 1-2 tablespoons of pickle relish to the mayo.

Make ahead & let this gel about 15 minutes.

Refrigerate leftovers.

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Weekly Facebook "Brain Backup" - My Favorite Health & Wellness News & Recipes for January 19-January 29, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

January 19, 2012

• Heartwire: Statins for Prevention?  Why Two Top Doc Recommend Prescribing Based on Total RIsk--Not Just LDL
  
• Diane Rehm Show: Adult Children Caring for Their Elderly Ailing Parents--Author Hendrick Hartog Discusses the Difficulties
  
• NYT: A Better Middle-Aged Brain--Suggestions for What Works
  
• HHLL: Facebook Weekly Back-Up Post--News from January 11-January 19, 2012
  
• Disease Proof: DHA & Micronutrients for the Brain--What You Need
  

 

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

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Dr. Harlan Krumholz of Yale & Dr. Rodney Hayward of Michigan argue for a sea change in treating cholesterol. Treatment based on overall risk, rather than a single LDL number. [I say "Hooray!"] What do you think?

Makes sense to me when you look at the evidence of drastic health & cardiac risk improvements (far better than with statins)--with no adverse effects, for people on the Esselstyn plant-based no-oil diet--even when LDL levels sometimes don't go down as drastically as they might with high-dose statins. You stop making small-dense atherogenic LDL. Looking solely at LDL numbers ignores the reality of "light fluffy LDL).

If inflammation is the main driver of heart disease--this makes sense to this rank amateur. Time to focus on the big picture (weight loss, BP-lowering, diabetes reversal, inflammation-reduction) when it comes to heart disease prevention--not one single lipid number!

 

Treating risk, not LDL cholesterol: Open letter | theheart.org

In focusing on patient risk, rather than LDL-cholesterol treatment targets, doctors would improve patient outcomes and reduce adverse effects and costs that result from treating low-risk, low-benefit patients, say experts.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

If you love your children, stay as healthy as you can, for their sake, if not your own! Heard this on Diane Rehm this morning--and it's worth listening to if you've ever cared for or been responsible for an elderly sick parent or relative. It's only going to get more difficult as our economy & gov't assistance gets more challenging. Many can't afford assisted living or nursing care--and taking care of a sick parent at home (especially if you are working-live out-of-town-or have kids at home) can be one of the most difficult of life's challenges. I was 30 years old with a newborn when my dad suffered a major stroke. It's not easy.

 

 

Hendrick Hartog: "Someday All This Will Be Yours" | The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR

thedianerehmshow.org

We all hope that we will get the care we need through our old age. But these days, Social Security, Medicare, pensions and retirement plans seem less of a sure thing. Economic uncertainty is putting new pressure on adults to take on...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Exercise, Education, Friends, Volunteer, Stay Calm--the Better Brain Prescription. Must reading if you wonder why some people remain sharper than others as they age.

"When the Midus team (a National Institute of Aging mega-research project studying mid-life) put their data together, they noticed other similarities among people with the strongest cognitive skills. Senior citizens who performed as well as younger adults in fluid intelligence tended to share four characteristics in addition to having a college degree and regularly engaging in mental workouts: they exercised frequently; they were socially active, frequently seeing friends and family, volunteering or attending meetings; they were better at remaining calm in the face of stress; and they felt more in control of their lives.

Just as money and education often run together, these factors tend to reinforce one another. Adults who call on friends and family for support may be better able to reduce their stress, and reducing their stress may give them sense of control. "

 

A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond

New York Times:  How to subtract 10 years from your brain’s age? Get a college degree.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: The Healthy Librarian's Brand-New Weekly Facebook "Brain Backup" - My Favor

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Missed it on Facebook? Find it here. A few readers told me they were disappointed that I started posting a lot of information only on Facebook--and not on HHLL. Turns out, if you don't have a Facebook account, it's a...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I take a DHA supplement everyday--along with chia & flax. B-12 is a must. I'm not taking any chances with my "brain nutrients." I will have the opportunity to take a DHA test soon to measure how well my plant-based omega-3s (ALA) are converting into long-chain EPA & DHA. Very curious to find out.

 

DHA and micronutrients may prevent brain shrinkage with age

Disease Proof:  Vitamins, DHA, and the aging brain It is known that a Western diet is associated with dementia – the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease

 

January 20, 2012

• HHLL:  My Very First Blog Post--January 2008
• Dr. Neal Barnard Video:  Reversing Type-2 Diabetes with Diet
• WSJ:  Chia to Win Football Games?
• Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: The Cognitive Impairment--Kidney Connection
• The Atlantic: The Evidence for a Vegan Diet
• The Vegan RD:  Omega-3s in the Plant-Based Diet

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

What a revelation! My very first blog post was made on January 10, 2008. How my life has changed since then! No more counting calories, or measuring food. I now eat until my appetite & "heart's content"! I still use My Food Diary for getting the Nutritional Info for my recipes--and to check in every so often to see how much protein, fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, & calcium I'm getting from my typical diet. It always checks out as "Excellent". Happy Blog Anniversary to me! First public post was on January 18, 2008! Some things never change! http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/01/crazy-busy-over.html

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: What a revelation! Filling out MyFoodDiary before I start my day.

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

I joined MyFoodDiary a couple of years ago when Tarah Parker-Pope recommended it in her review of food diaries for the Wall Street Journal. When I use it, it's eye opening & IT WORKS! It shows you exactly how healthy...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Hands down, one of the best videos I've seen to explain how what we eat affects our health & our weight. Whether your pre-diabetic, already have type-2 diabetes, or you're perfectly healthy--take the 37 minutes to watch this. Best time investment of the week for me. Dr. Barnard is funny, articulate, & turns the complicated into simple!!! Just watch it until the end. And he changed my mind about salmon.

 

Neal Barnard program for Reversing Diabetes-YouTube Video

Neal Barnard program for Reversing Diabetes book tour at Vero Beach SiliStudio Speaker: Neal Barnard Videographer: Sam Tsang PostProduction: Silvia Li

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Just posted my summary of Dr. Neal Barnard's video on Reversing Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet on HHLL--including my detailed summary of what Barnard has to say in the video.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Can You Really Reverse Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet? Let Dr. Neal Barn

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Dr. Neal Barnard on Reversing Diabetes Through Diet If you do not see the video, click here to go to the direct link. This is hands down, one of the best videos I've seen to explain how what we eat...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

HHLL reader & friend Tom says Ray Rice must be reading my blog, since I'm such a big fan of chia. Thanks, Tom, for sending me this link!

 

The NFL's Top-Secret Seed

online.wsj.com

Ray Rice, the leading rusher for the Baltimore Ravens, has a diet secret: mixing in spoonfuls of an obscure Bolivian-grown seed that, he believes, replenishes his energy and helps keep his digestive system humming.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This large study of woman over age 70 found that even very small amounts of protein in their urine indicated the very beginnings of kidney dysfunction, and signaled that cognitive abilities — higher-order brain functions like memory and verbal fluency — declined two to seven times faster than normal. Why? Damage to small blood vessels--in the kidney & the brain. The cause? Vascular inflammation associated with obesity, diabetes, & hypertension. The puzzle pieces continue to fit together. Diet does matter!

 

How Your Kidneys Could Signal Trouble Ahead For Your Brain | CommonHealth

New research finds links between the humble kidney and our brains. Shown here is the kidney of an embryonic mouse, genetically altered to glow green.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

From the Atlantic. Thanks Amy for sharing this one!

 

The Evidence for a Vegan Diet

From the Atlantic

There's plenty of science to justify a plant-based diet, but the stories of personal transformation—curing diabetes, losing 100 pounds, living an active lifestyle—make the biggest impression.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Bottom Line: Don't skip on the flax seed/meal, chia seeds, etc! Everyday! You need them. The research is just not out yet on whether you also need a DHA/EPA supplement.

Omega-3 Fats in Vegan Diets: A Quick Primer | The Vegan RD

 

January 21, 2012

• What's in the Healthy Librarian's Saturday Take-to-Work Lunch Box?
  
• MedCityNews: Biotech Company Making Omega-3 Supplements from Algae
  
• Science Friday: The Benefits of Meditation for the Body & the Brain
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Off to work on this Saturday. Packed my lunch box with a Green Smoothie (lacinato kale, Swiss chard, orange, carrots, mixed berries), Crockpot Chocolate Oatmeal with chia, walnuts, & berries, and an OMG! Cajun Kale Soup with just a little Field Roast "Andouile Sausage" & Rice. Recipe on Sunday--if I have time.

 

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Seems like timely news! Could fish oil be on the way out--and sustainable algal oil on the way in? Hmm. Or maybe it will turn out that none of it's needed if you're on a plant-based, no-added-oil, balanced omega-6:omega-3 diet.

 

Biotech company that makes omega-3 oils from algae raises $2.5M

MedCItyNews: AlgiSys looks to enter the vegetarian omega-3 oils market with technology that makes omega-3 acids from algae. Read more about AlgiSys' technology

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian via Science Friday

Meditation Friday

soundcloud.com

Take a few minutes out of your day to relax with a meditation from psychologist Mark Williams, author of Mindfulness.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I'm planning to listen to this Sci Fri podcast when I get some quiet time alone--and then chill out with their mini-meditation below!

 

Be Here Now: Meditation For The Body And Brain

ScienceFriday: Oxford University clinical psychologist Mark Williams talks about his new book Mindfulness.

 

 

 

January 22, 2012

• The Favorite Fun Facebook Video of the Week: The University of Toronto's Dr. Mike Evans & His Amazing Video on the Benefits of Exercise--Don't Miss It!  All Learning Should Be This Fun.
  
• HHLL: Spicy Cajun "Sausage" & RIce Soup (Everyone Who Has Made It--Has Loved It)
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Watch this sometime today--without fail!! A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way.

Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital. A big thank you to Scott in MN for sharing this gem with me! I'll present more convincing evidence on Tuesday on HHLL.

 

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? YouTube Video

A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way. Dr. Mike Evans is founder of th...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Latest HHLL post. My latest new fave soup discovery. Plus some "sure bets" for dinner this week. And how about a couple movie recommendations for a winter stay-at-home "Dinner and a Movie Night"?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Finding Soup at a Hair Salon! The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Caju

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup I found this recipe hiding in a magazine at my hair salon. On Tuesday I got my hair cut & colored (don't judge!), and while I waited from Michelle...

 

 

 

January 23, 2011

• The Natural Standard Database: Strontium Ranelate for Osteoporosis
  

• NPR: The Story SSRI's for Depression--The Low Serotonin Theory
  
• Planet Money on "This American Life":  The Euro Crisis & What Really Happened to Greece.  Economics Made Interesting & Understandable
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Researchers Compare Osteoporosis Drug Effectiveness. Strontium ranelate may be a more efficient osteoporosis drug than alendronate, according to a recent study. Strontium is a metallic element that has properties similar to those of calcium. The body can easily incorporate strontium into bones and tooth enamel. Strontium ranelate is a frequently prescribed drug for post-menopausal osteoporosis that may not only prevent the breakdown of bone, but may also encourage bone growth and density. The scientists concluded that strontium ranelate may have a stronger influence on the structure of the bones than alendronate. However, they added that more evidence is needed in order to better understand these findings.

 

Natural Standard - Database Home

naturalstandard.com

Natural Standard, the Authority on Integrative Medicine

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Everyone likes a simple late 1980's story of a chemical imbalance brought on by low serotonin--to explain depression--and that's why it has remained very popular. "I don't know of any story that has supplanted it," says Alan Frazer, a researcher who studies how antidepressant medications work. He is also chair of the pharmacology department at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Unfortunately, the real story is complicated, and in a way, not all that reassuring. Researchers don't really know what causes depression. They're making progress, but they don't know. That's the real story. It's not exactly a blockbuster.

 

When It Comes To Depression, Serotonin Isn't The Whole Story : NPR

NPR:  The antidepressant Prozac selectively targets the chemical serotonin. When the drug was introduced in the 1980s, it helped solidify the idea in many minds that depression was the result of a chemical imbalance. But the real story is far more complicated.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I heard part of this on the way home from the gym on Sunday--and I'm going back for more! It turns snoozer info into an exciting who-done-it. It clarifies what's going on in Greece, Spain, & Portugal. Get the whole Euro monetary crisis explained in a way that you sure to understand! Viva Planet Money & This American Life. I love Ira Glass.

 

Continental Breakup | This American Life

If you're like us, when the words "European debt crisis" pop up in the news you feel a little worried, and a little like taking a nap. Turns out, there's a story behind this story. One that's filled with guilt, and drama, and betrayal, and 100-year-old dreams come true. Alex Blumberg of Planet Money...

 

 

 

January 24, 2012

• Healthy Librarian Tip: Cocoa-PB2 Chocolate Heaven
  
• HHLL Reader's Tip:  Ann Esselstyn's Orange Soup Simplified in Crockpot
  
• New York Time Education Issue:  One Hour a Day--The Lifetime Learning Prescription
  
• HHLL Post:  The Green Smoothie Controversy
  
• The Vegan RD:  Dairy/Plant-Based Comparisons--And the Winner is?
  
• New York Times: The Calorie-Burning Benefits of Brown Fat--A Good Reason to Exercise & to Lower Your Thermostat
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Last night's chocolate fix. I'm LOVING Penzey's Unprocessed Cocoa (richest grade available in the world). 2 TBS. PB2 (defatted peanut flour), 1 TBS. Penzey's Cocoa, 1 packet stevia, a couple drops of really good vanilla, 2 TBS of warm water. Mix well in a cup, and dip 1/2 a banana slices into it. Oh baby!

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This morning's genius "no-work" tip from HHLL reader Amy: Just wanted you to know that I got rushed today and put Ann Esselstyn's Orange soup in my crockpot. I did none of the steps AT ALL. I merely put in precut raw butternut squash and raw, peeled, cut up sweet potatoes, chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped carrot, the chopped garlic, the lentils, 1 tsp salt, the rosemary and red pepper. Plus the 8 cups of water. When I came home from work I used my immersion blender to whir it all up and it was amazing. I cannot believe it! Pass it on! :) Recipe below.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Real Men Can Cook: An Amazing Plant-Based/Vegan Nutritional Powerhouse of a

Ann Esselstyn's Awesome Almost All-Orange Vegetable Soup Ann Essestyn's Very Easy Blueberry Muffins Click here to go to the web version of this post, if you've received this via email. Better for photos. My apologies for writing another recipe/food post....

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Devote 1 single hour a day to learning something new, no matter what--something that's out of your comfort zone. Take advantage of free mini-online classes on iTunes U which includes Stanford & MIT or even YouTube. Keep track of it all in a notebook or a spreadsheet. Jeremy Gleick, you inspire me!

 

Renaissance Man

New York Times: For more than two years, Jeremy Gleick has set aside a “learning hour.” He recently logged in his 1,000th hour.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My latest HHLL post! The Green Smoothie Controversy. Is it good for your health? It all depends. My argument for a greens & vegetable heavy smoothie, that's light on the fruit. What's your opinion?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Gr

The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable-Heavy Smoothie - Mostly Kale (8 cups), 2 carrots, 1 orange, and 1 cup of berries Yesterday, I received this email from Gael, a long-time HHLL reader: "This does not make me happy!" To Smoothie or Not...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

A must read comparison of dairy vs non-dairy equivalents. This research confirms that milk and other dairy products have nothing to offer that you can’t get elsewhere. Here are some things that happened when dairy products were replaced with nondairy foods. The amount of saturated fat and sodium both dropped. And the amounts of vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium all increased. The study didn’t analyze vitamin C, vitamin K, iron or fiber, none of which are found in dairy products and all of which would be provided by the nondairy composite. Thanks to HHLL reader, Betty, for sharing this with me!

Dairy-Free Diets Are Packed with Nutrients | The Vegan RD

by Ginny Messina on 23. Jan, 2012

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My house is set at 58 degrees in the winter. It's freezing at work, too. And I exercise. Gotta love that calorie-burning brown fat. Who knew? I'm not complaining about a too cold house anymore. New article from the Journal of of Clinical Investigation by Dr. Carpentier explains how it works. Brown fat, Dr. Carpentier, “Is on fire.” On average, Dr. Carpentier said, the brown fat burned about 250 calories over three hours. It not only takes up glucose, if you have it, it will keep you warmer in a freezing room.

Brown Fat Burns Ordinary Fat, Study Finds

The New York Times:  In separate studies, researchers have determined that in cold conditions, people’s calorie-gobbling brown fat uses ordinary fat as fuel — and that exercise may convert ordinary fat to brown fat.

 

January 25, 2012

• Disease Proof:  It's a Junk Food Jungle Out There for the Kiddos--Two Mom's Track the Sugary Snacks Offered to Their Kids for 6 Weeks
  
• Wall Street Journal:  Point-Counter Point on Prescribing Statins for Prevention--Should Healthy People Take Statins?
  
• Dr. Michael Greger: The Number One Cancer-Fighting Vegetables
  
• New England Journal of Medicine: Is Heart Disease or a Stroke in Your Future?  An Easy Risk Calculator.
  
• Marth Rose Shulman's Black Rice, Red Lentil, & Edamame Salad Recipe

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

In forty-five days, three children, ages 3, 5, and 7 were offered a total of 41,734 extra calories; 1,927 grams of fat; and 6,470 grams of sugar! No joke! No wonder our kids are hooked on sugar & fat. Even if your house is junk food-free, there's always someone else ready to offer them a treat. Interesting experiment.

 

Two moms and an eye-opening experiment

Disease Proof:  The creativity of our readers is amazing! The following is an “experiment” that two Moms, Mandy and her friend Jessica, did over this pas...

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Drs. Roger Blumenthal & Rita Redberg do an enlightening "Point Counter-Point" in the Wall Street Journal on prescribing statins to healthy people for primary prevention.

Here's what Blumental says: Critics of statins argue that lifestyle changes are a lot cheaper than drugs. But generic statins cost about $50 a year. Can you get a year's worth of fruits and vegetables for $50? (Me: and that's a reason to prescribe drugs?? But, it gets better...when he says:)

What's more, the true alternative to statins is more costly than that. Current lifestyles in the U.S. are flawed. We're getting fatter, older and sicker. We must fundamentally restructure our food supply, so that the focus is not on meat and high-calorie, high-fat foodstuffs with little nutritional value. Our cities, our workday and our pastimes must be restructured to promote physical activity and heart-healthy behaviors.

 

Should Healthy People Take Cholesterol Drugs?

online.wsj.com

Roger Blumenthal of Johns Hopkins says statins save lives in seemingly healthy people who have high cholesterol. Rita Redberg of UC San Francisco argues that the evidence isn't clear and that the risk of side effects is too great.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Given the release this month of the American Cancer Society’s new dietary guidelines calling for an “emphasis on plant foods,” I thought for today’s video pick (featured below) I’d feature a video that offers insight into which plant foods may be best. It covers a landmark study that pitted 34 common vegetables against 8 different lines of human cancer cells. Make sure to also check out the “prequel” video Veggies vs. Cancer. Thanks to HHLL reader Gael for sharing this one!

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/1-anticancer-vegetable.html#ixzz1kV82TRiF

 

#1 Anticancer Vegetable

Dr. Michael Greger:  A landmark study in which 34 common vegetables are pitted against 8 different lines of human cancer cells.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

A study in the January 25, 2012 New England Journal of Medicine offers a simple way to predict the risk of a fatal or debilitating heart attack or stroke for a middle-aged person over the rest of his or her life."

If at age 45 you have two or more of either elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes or smoking, and you're a man, then there's a 50-50 proposition that you will have a heart attack or a stroke during your remaining lifespan," cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, who headed the study at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Women with two risk factors have about a 30 percent chance.

Having even one risk factor dramatically increases the risk of heart disease. And 95 percent of middle-aged Americans (ages 45-55) have at least one risk factor for heart disease.

 

Start Early To Curb Heart Risks For A Lifetime : NPR

NPR:  Middle-aged men with two common risk factors have a 50-50 chance of having a serious heart attack or stroke as they grow older, a new study finds. The findings suggest that taming risks early in life can make big difference later on.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Minus the oil--this one sounds like a winner, don't you think?

 

Black Rice and Red Lentil Salad — Recipes for Health

Martha Rose Shulman's Recipes for Health:  With a mix of textures and colors and bright flavors, this dish makes for an enticing midday meal.

 

 

 

January 26, 2012

• One Green Planet:  Flavonoids to Lower Heart Disease & Stroke
  
• Chicago Tribune:  An Interview with Yogi Tara Stiles,
  
• The Natural Standard Database: The Sugar and C-Reactive Protein Inflammation Connection
• Dr. Michael Greger: Antioxidant Rankings & What's the Better Breakfast?
  
• NIH News:  Nurses's Health Study and the Animal Protein & Gestational Diabetes Connection
• New York Times:  Kettle Bell Work-Out for a Stronger Injury-Free Back

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This just published study (ahead of print) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that flavonoids have a number of benefits linked to less heart disease & stroke-- including fighting inflammation and acting as antioxidants — which means they also help protect body cells from damage that may lead to chronic diseases and cancer.
The findings are based on more than 98,000 men and women Thanks to Bev for sharing this!

 

Flavonoids Found in Plant-based Foods Linked to Fewer Heart Deaths | One Green Planet

www.onegreenplanet.org

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who get the most flavonoids in their diets are less likely to die of heart disease or stroke, when compared to those who ate the least flavonoids. The compounds are found in a range of plant foods, including man...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

Yoga instructor Tara Stiles: Q&A

articles.chicagotribune.com

When yoga teacher Tara Stiles listed her influences on her YouTube profile, she typed in "Deepak Chopra, Jane Fonda and Yoko Ono." Shortly thereafter, Stiles become Chopra's personal yoga...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

In a new study, researchers studied 559 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18. They collected data on participants' diet and blood sugar levels.
The results suggested that higher fructose consumption may be associated with several heart disease risk factors, including higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar and increased levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.

 

Natural Standard - Database Home

naturalstandard.com

Natural Standard, the Authority on Integrative Medicine

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Be sure to watch Dr. Greger's "A Better Breakfast"! Looks like he's a smoothie fan. Anybody ever hear of "amla"? Sounds interesting, don't you think?

Acai to Zucchini: antioxidant food rankings

nutritionfacts.org

Today's NutritionFacts.org video-of-the-day Dragon's Blood wraps up a ten-part series based on a groundbreaking study that measured the total Antioxidant

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk, January 25, 2012 News Release - National I

NIH:  Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

At the end of the study, the kettlebell exercisers reported less pain as well as improved strength in the trunk and core muscles, compared with the control group. Over all, working out with kettlebells reduced lower back pain by 57 percent and cut neck and shoulder pain by 46 percent.

Turning to Kettlebells to Ease Back Pain

New York Times:  Kettle-shaped iron weights, which have been used for centuries to train Russian soldiers and athletes, appear to be a promising therapy for back, neck and shoulder pain, new research shows.

 

 

 

January 27, 2012

• NPR: StoryCorps on Coping with the Sudden Death of a Child--Overcoming Grief
• People's Pharmacy:  Interview with Reid Wilson, PhD. on Overcoming Obsessions
  
• One Green Planet: An Easy Energy-Packed Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding for Breakfast
  
• Happy Herbivore:  Q & A of Tofu, Calcium, & Nutritional Yeast
• The Chef in You: Vegan Egg Substitutions for Baking & Cooking
  
• Nutrition Facts: The Most-Nutrient-Dense Fruits & Vegetables to Lower C-Reactive Protein/Inflammation
• Osteoporosis International Study: Spinning & Jogging for Stronger Bones

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Every Friday morning I listen to StoryCorps. I am always moved beyond any expectation. Real people sharing their stories. Sometimes inspiring. Sometimes devastating. Always thought-provoking. This morning I cried.

 

After Son's Sudden Death, Shock, Grief, And Coping : NPR

NPR's StoryCorps:  Dennis Apple and his wife, Buelah, came to StoryCorps to talk about their son Denny. Nearly 21 years ago, Denny came down with mononucleosis. Before going to bed one night, he took some medicine, and talked about where he wanted to sleep.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Haven't listened to this one yet--but the People's Pharmacy podcasts are my listening favorites for my work commute. Always top-notch experts.

 

844 Overcoming Obsessions - The People's Pharmacy®

People's Pharmacy Interview:  Letting Go of Obsessive Thoughts

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Probably more for the athletes, skinnies, & exercisers among us--with a 1/2 cup of chia & 2 TBS of hemp you're getting 12.25 grams of fat per serving--but lots of it is healthy omega-3s. I've got all the ingredients in my pantry, so I'll give it a try (with Penzey's cocoa). BTW--organic shelled hemp seed is DELICIOUS!

 

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding | One Green Planet

www.onegreenplanet.org

Chia seeds are one of the oldest cultivated plants known to man. They are loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids (3 and 6), vitamins, minerals and fiber. Chia seeds maintain blood sugar levels as they slow our bodies conversion of carbohydrates into simple sugars. They are great for an a...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

This Week's Q&A (Talking Nutritional Yeast, Tofu, Calcium & More!)

happyherbivore.com

You've got questions, I've got answers!1. My husband has been concerned that we're not getting enough calcium since switching to a vegetarian (trying to be vegan) diet. He's run some numbers to compare what we're eating to see how much we are getting each day, but still feels like we ...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I usually use 1 TBS of flax meal mixed in 3 TBS of water as an egg substitute, but, I wanted more guidance before trying HHLL reader Amy's Black Bean Cake which uses 3 eggs. Would Energ-G be better? Came across this helpful looking post. Verdict: I'm going with "flax eggs".

 

Substitute for Eggs | Vegan, Egg Free Substitutes in Baking | Chef In You

chefinyou.com

Comprehensive list to know how to make egg substitutes to make Eggless (Egg Free) Cakes, Muffins, brownies, Pancakes, Cookies and other savory dish recipes.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Choosing the most nutrient dense fruits & vegetables can reduce your C-Reactive Protein (aka inflammation levels) Link to article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20674303

 

Anti-inflammatory antioxidants

nutritionfacts.org

Even when choosing the same quantity of fruits and vegetables, those making higher antioxidant choices experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein (inflammation) levels.

Happy Healthy Long Life: What the Experts Say About Getting the Most Antioxidants from Our Food. Wh

‎"About twenty years ago, researchers found the missing link. They discovered that colorful plant foods in their natural state were also rich in thousands of compounds with important health properties for humans—phytochemicals. Only by eating an assortment of natural foods...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Hey 20 & 30 somethings--take note! A recent study published in Osteoporosis International investigated the normal exercise routines of more than 1,000 25-year-old women and found that high-impact weight-bearing activities, particularly jogging and spinning (my fave), led to stronger bones than similar low-impact exercises like walking and regular cycling. Researchers believe these differences occur because higher impact exercises involve more jumping and strength-training which place more resistance on the skeleton, better stimulating bone growth.

 

Hey, Ladies: Exercise for Bone Strength, Not Just Weight Loss | Mind the Science Gap

As obesity continues to plague Americans, exercising for weight loss seems to be at the forefront of education, news, and entertainment. But exercise has benefits far beyond just losing weight, including research supporting its potential to ward off osteoporosis. A recent study in Sweden confirms ...

 

 

 

January 28, 2012

• Feeding Our House Guests Fabulous Plant-Based Meals for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My sister and brother-in-law are visiting this weekend. Last night's dinner: Spicy Cajun Soup with "Andouille Sausage" & Chili Rellenos. Chocolate Oatmeal with berries & walnuts for breakfast.

 

 

 

January 29, 2012

• Dairy versus Dark Leafy Greens for Calcium

 

Plant calcium from dark green leafy vegetables is absorbed twice as well as the calcium in milk. And the other bonus from the green leafies: fiber, folate, iron, anti-oxidants, & the bone health super star: vitamin K. The bonus from cow's milk: cholesterol, butter fat, lactose, manure particles, antibiotics, & pus. Turns out pasteurization kills the bacteria from pus--but it can't cover up the taste. Yummy!

 

Plant vs. Cow Calcium

Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/plant-vs-cow-calcium-2/ and he'll answer...

The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie

 

The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable-Heavy Smoothie - Mostly Kale (8 cups), 2 carrots, 1 orange, and 1 cup of berries

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links & photos--and to comment.  I love feedback.

Yesterday, I received this email from Gael, a long-time HHLL reader:

 

"This does not make me happy!"

To Smoothie or Not to Smoothie.  The Skinny on Blending Your Fruits & Vegetables.

 

Gael was referring to a recent blog post written by Lani Muelrath, presenting the case against smoothies.

Lani's post didnt' make me happy, either.  Not all smoothies are created equal.  And I don't agree with all of her arguments against them.  But, hey, there's room for differences of opinion.  

Until I see a study that looks exactly at the digestion & nutrient absorption of my power-packed Green Smoothie, and convinces me otherwise--I'm sticking to my Green Smoothies.  Using a study that compares an apple to apple sauce is just not the same!   Sorry. 

I wrote a lengthy response back to Gael, and then I decided to share it with all of you.

I'm not looking to stir up controversy.  I just want to present another point of view.

 

My Smoothies Have Grown-Up--More "Savory" Than Sweet

 

Not all Smoothies are created equal!   And they shouldn't be judged in the same way.

It's just like lumping the health of all vegans together. 

Think about getting more vegetables into your body--not more fruit.  No one has a problem eating enough fruit--right?   It's the kale that can be more of a challenge--especially if you work.

Make your smoothies with a 4:1 ratio of vegetables (mostly greens) to fruit, & concentrate on low-sugar high-nutrient fruits like mixed berries, citrus or kiwi, &  maybe 1/2 an apple.   I use 1 orange, 1 cup of berries, & maybe 1/2 of a large apple in a smoothie that's large enough to last 2 days---almost 64 ounces.  That's not much fruit, at all!  

The bulk of calories in this smoothie come from kale & carrots:  177 calories are from the vegetables!  That's 72%!!

My 64 ounce smoothie--that lasts 2 days--consists of:

• 8 packed cups of organic kale
• 2 large organic carrots
• 1 very juicy orange (or a kiwi)
• 1 cup of berries (usually mixed--but I only had wild blueberries today)
• Occasonally I'll also add 1/2 of a large Honey Crisp apple
• 3 cups of plain water--I like a drinkable smoothie

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable Heavy Green smoothie Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 247 Total Fat 2.7g       Saturated Fat 0.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 164mg Carbohydrate 55.3g       Dietary Fiber 12.5g       Sugars 17.5g Protein 10.9g Vitamin A 1,295% Vitamin C 624% Calcium    45% Iron 31%

A Power-Packed Nutrient-Dense High-Fiber High-Protein Snack to Sip Through Out the Day

 

 

Here are my thoughts on Green Smoothies:

• The majority of the ingredients should be greens:  kale, collards, spinach, or Swiss Chard
• Include carrots or other, not-too-strong flavored vegetables, if you like.  Like celery, parsley, cucumbers, bok choy, or even cooked beets
• NEVER add a sweetener or fruit juice or yogurt or non-dairy milk!
• Fruit should be limited to about a quarter of the contents--I prefer berries, an orange, maybe 1/2 an apple.  All low-sugar fruits.
• There is no way I could consume all these greens without drinking an almost daily smoothie, and I don't drink it as a meal replacement--or down it all at once.  I'll divide it over the course of a day--as part of a snack, have a little with my lunch, after a work-out, or on my way home from work.   There is no sugar rush whatsoever from my smoothies.  It keeps me from overeating--and keeps my blood sugar steady.
• Diabetics or people with insulin-resistance may be wise to avoid them, consult their physicians---or drastically lower the fruit content of their smoothies.  
• Dr. Esselstyn advises his patients (primarily people with heart disease, & some with other complications like type-2 diabetes) to avoid them.  I want to make that very clear.  These are my opinions--not his.
  
• If you are adding mostly fruit smoothies to your usual diet--you will likely gain weight!

 

Why Dr. Esselstyn Disapproves of Green Smoothies (my words--not a direct quote from him)

 

Dr. Esselstyn is not a fan of "Green" smoothies, because they're usually made with  lots of 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.  Amylase is an enzyme found in the saliva that helps to digest starches & separate out glucose for storage & usage. Click here to learn more  And then there's the concern of getting too many added calories with the fruit in smoothies.  All valid concerns.

 

My Amateur Argument for Green Smoothies--Dr. Joel Fuhrman-Inspired

 

I respectfully disagree with Lani.  The study she cites as an argument against smoothie, compares eating an apple with eating applesauce or drinking  apple juice that has a fiber supplement added to it.  That is not enough to convince me.  Applesauce is a fruit, it's heat-processed, and the peel has been removed.  It's not comparable to drinking a fresh, vegetable-heavy Green Kale Smoothie. 

And the purpose of the Penn State study was more about the benefits of eating raw apples before a meal to curb your appetite--which is exactly how I use my Green Smoothie.  

 

My Mostly Vegetable Green Smoothie - Not Very Different From Vegetable Soup

Many people make sweet smoothies filled mostly with fruit--and sure, that could be a quick rush of insulin.   My smoothies are mostly kale & carrots, an orange, berries, & sometimes an apple.   They aren't at all sweet, and those are low-sugar foods.

With all due respect to the "Anti-Smoothie" Theory--that it interferes with satiety, makes you crave more calories, & that it "disrupts" fiber in a negative way--it just doesn't make sense to me!

Dr. Fuhrman specifically explains how breaking down the tough cellulose opens the vegetables' cell walls & makes it easier for us to absorb its nutrients.

 

The Up-Side of Smoothies--According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman

This comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health book, vol. 1.  It certainly makes sense to me--and I absolutely can see (literally) the benefits of my morning/afternoon "green heavy" smoothie snack & this excerpt is what influenced me to make vegetable-heavy green smoothies.

Juicing & Blending:

All plants are composed of cells whose walls consist mainly of cellulose, a type of carbohydrate.  Humans do not have the enzyme capable of breaking down cellulose, so we cannot utilize cellulose as an energy source.  The only way we can break down these walls and release the most nutrients possible from the cells into the blood is by thoroughly chewing fruits and vegetables.

However, when we chew a salad, we often don't do an efficient job of crushing every cell; about 70-90 percent of the cells are not broken open.  As a result, most of the valuable nutrients contained within those cells never enter our bloodstream and are lost.  They just travel through our bodies until they are excreted.  This is one of reasons why practicing the chewing exercises detailed in Phase One is so important to the Eat for Health plan.

An even more efficient way to ensure you receive these needed nutrients is using a blender to puree raw, leafy greens.  The blending process aids your body in the work of breaking down and assimilating nutrients.  It guarantees that a higher percentage of nutrients will be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Making "green smoothies" or "blended salads" is also a delicious and convenient way to pump up your consumption of greens.  It is amazing how many people love the taste of these liquefied mixtures of raw greens and fruit that can be made in a high-powered blender.  While you sip or eat a creamy smooth blended salad with a spoon, think about all of the nutrients that are now powering your body to restore and maintain optimal health.  Savory blended salads can be made with endless combinations of vegetables & fruits.

And it continues on.  

Heat softens the cellulose walls of vegetables--which is why we can often better absorb nutrients from vegetable soups -- we don't usually chew our soups--especially blended ones. 

 

 

Kicking Green Smoothies Up a Notch with Dr. MGs Power Green Smoothie - It Powers Her All Day

 

 

 

First off, I've got to tell you about son #2 (the 28 year-old)--a lawyer who rarely cooked when he was in law school.  That's when he first started to make Green Smoothies--as a way to get some quick, easy, quality nutrition into his body.  Eventually he kicked his smoothie-making up a notch, too.   He used to make his with mild spinach, heavy on the fruit.  Then he graduated into the kale world, and adding carrots in to the mix. 

In his words,  "Oh yeah, kale really does make a difference.  Mom, did you know there's a web site all about the benefits of kale?   365 Days of Kale.  Written by a cancer-surviving dietitian.  Check it out!"   I did--you should, too. 

Now back to Dr. MG.  She's a busy second year medical resident or fellow (not sure which now) with whom I correspond occasionally.  She's got a crazy busy schedule--but Dr. MG is serious about nutrition & a nutrient-dense diet.  She blogs about medicine & life as a resident at Adverse Effects.

Almost a year ago, she picked right up on my comment that Dr. Esselstyn isn't a huge fan of smoothies, because he's concerned that they're too fruit heavy--and he thinks it's better to chew your food--not drink it.  Here's why I got hooked on green smoothies back in 2008.

Here's what Dr. MG had to say:

"Hey, green smoothies don't have to have too much fruit!

For today's smoothie I packed the hopper full of dandelion greens, dino kale, parsley, and arugula.

Then I added a lemon, baby beet, carrot, small knob of fresh turmeric root, chia seeds, wild blueberries, and a few frozen strawberries.

I admit I'd never choke this down without a nice thick glass straw, but it truly fills me up, gives me more energy, and my skin tone looks better than it has in years. Can't get around the no chewing, tho'."

 

Not enough info for me.  "Tell me more."   I wanted more exact amounts.  Dr. MG delivered & here's what she wrote back.  Honestly, I'm going to try some of her ingredients:  Fresh turmeric, the power-packed antioxidant--I never knew it came in any other form but powdered in a jar--beets, cayenne?  Wow!

 

"My smoothies are limited only by the size of the Vitamix container.

The vegetables:

I cram as many greens as I can into the hopper. Dandelion and arugula go bad fast, so I try to use them within a couple days of purchase. Kale, parsley, and cabbage keep longer. Oh, and I include the stems!

Today, I had no room for celery, but I usually add that, too. I usually add 1-2 carrots. Any size will do, but mine tend to be smaller as I buy them in 1 lb bags.

I add raw beet to most smoothies, either a single baby or a chunk of a larger one. Gives it a deep fuschia color.

The fruits:

I usually add half-to-one cup of frozen wild blueberries in every smoothie plus one other fruit. Today I added ~5 organic strawberries. I know they're not in season, but they add a nice flavor. I often add half a lightly peeled grapefruit.

Orange gives a very nice flavor, too. A peeled lemon or two is refreshing.

But the point is that adding two of the above fruits really doesn't break the sugar bank. On rare occasions I'll add half a banana or a whole one if I'm serving someone less accustomed to weird smoothies. :-)

The spices:

I get the turmeric at Whole Foods. For the sake of accuracy, I should add that it's a rhizome, or an underground stem. It has a fairly unique flavor that is stronger than the powdered version.

Fresh ginger (also a rhizome!) goes wonderfully in smoothies.

Savory smoothies (e.g., lemon/parsley/tomato/beet/celery) do very well with a little cayenne.

MG's Mixing Technique:

I fill the container about 3/4 full with water after I add the solid contents.

When blending, I always wrap a clean rag around the tamper and spout to avoid splash. 

About That Glass Straw: 

I want to emphasize the importance of a good glass straw to get these smoothies down. At a minimum, the veggie bits get stuck in teeth and blueberries/beets stain.

For more strongly flavored smoothies, the straw really softens the flavor. You can water the smoothie down more if it's too thick for a straw.

I use smoothie straws from glassdharma.com. They're strong, not too expensive, and have a great warranty. The skinnier version is great for tea or coffee. Be sure to get the pipewire cleaner (comes with all sets or is available for sale). Hope this helps. I'm the first to admit that this approach is unconventional, but I know I'd be a lot less healthy without my veggie-heavy smoothies. Let me know how your smoothie adventures go!

Smoothie Words of Advice from the Doc:

You know, I should add that I really don't use recipes for the smoothies. I buy whatever looks good at Whole Foods (oh, how I miss California farmers markets!) and chuck it into the VitaMix.

My rule of thumb is that if you can eat it raw then it's fit for the VitaMix!:-)

I might limit certain potent ingredients if I'm serving the uninitiated since I can see how my smoothie tastes have evolved since I started doing this last June. Another great perk is that my produce never goes bad anymore!"

 

 

Dr.  Maring's Amazing V-7 Juice

 

 

"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-

 

This was written at the end of the summer--August, 2011. 

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) - A Smoothie Maybe Even Dr. Esselstyn Would Approve Of

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!

 

So, there you have it.

A lot of words that can be summed up into just five: I think Veg-Heavy Smoothies Rock!!

Please tell me what you think!  To Smoothie or Not?  That is the question.

 

Finding Soup at a Hair Salon? The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Cajun Kale with "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup and More Of Course

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup

 

 

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

I found this recipe hiding in a magazine at my hair salon.

On Tuesday I got my hair cut & colored (don't judge!), and while I waited for Michelle to mix up my "hair coloring",  I started leafing through the January issue of O (Oprah) Magazine.  The cover pitched recipes for "Healthy Hearty Soups".  "OK.  Let's check 'em out,"  I thought.

Well, they weren't exactly up to my "health" standards--filled with ingredients like beef, oil, salmon, chicken broth, or coconut milk.

But, two of these soups had "great bones"--and I knew I could easily "enlighten" them to fit my plant-based, no-added oil specifications.

So, on Thursday, I did the grocery shopping and picked up all the fixings to test out these two O Magazine soups.  As I put the groceries away, my husband graciously offered to whip up soup recipe #1:  the Cajun Kale with "Spicy Sausage & Rice.

When we took our first tastes, we both looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Whoa! This just might be one of the best soups I've ever tasted!" 

OK--you know I can sometimes get overly enthusiastic, but, honestly, if you like a little spice, and are a fan of Cajun flavors--I just know you are going to love this easy-to-prepare nutritious powerhouse of a soup.

But, soup may be a misnomer.  This is so thick, it's more like a stew.  Definitely, a one dish meal.  Add a salad, and you'll be set for the evening.

 

I had to work on Saturday, so I brought in a giant bowl of leftover Cajun Kale Soup for lunch. 

I was working with Dee--so I offered her a sample. 

Now, you have to understand--Dee is not a fan of health food, or many of my plant-based creations.  This girl is picky.

She's 100% Paula Deen style-cooking & taste preferences.   But, I just wanted to see what she thought of this soup.  

And, she LOVED IT!  She wanted the recipe on-the-spot---and was ready to head right on over to Whole Foods after work to get a package of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle so she could make the soup on Sunday.

See what I mean.  I told you it was good.  It passed the Dee Test!  And she's a hard grader!

 

PS:  I plan to "recipe-test" O Magazine's Soup #2 on Tuesday.  It looks AMAZING.  Stay tuned.

 

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup

 

 

This just might be one of my new all-time-favorites!   A perfect mix of spicy flavors and textures--and it's chock full of nutrition!

It's a meal in a bowl--a thick soup, that's really more like a stew.

Click here to get the recipe on one page.

 

Serves: 6 generously, 8 regular portions

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Total time:  1 hour

 

This just might be one of my new all-time-favorites!   A perfect mix of spicy flavors and textures--and it's chock full of nutrition!

It's a meal in a bowl--a thick soup, that's really more like a stew.

Serves: 6 generously, 8 regular sizes

Preparation Time:  30 minutes

Total time:  1 hour

 

Ingredients

• 6 cups of packed kale (curly or lacinato--I used lacinato)  Stem the kale, remove the ribs, & chop
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large celery rib, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 2 links of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle thinly sliced  (or substitute 6-12 oz. or gluten-free TJ's Soy Chorizo sausage  NOTE: LOVED the soup with Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo MORE than with Field Roast  
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 (15 ounce) can of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted crushed, chopped or diced tomatoes, juice included
• 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (NOTE: this makes a VERY THICK SOUP--more like a STOOP.  Use 6-8 cups of broth if you like a soupier soup)
• 1-15 oz. can of white beans (cannellini or navy), drained & rinsed
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
• 4 cups of prepared brown rice  (I've used both Trader Joe's/Rice Expressions frozen cooked brown rice (microwavable) & Trader Joe's Microwavable Rice Medley (brown rice, red rice & Black Barley).  2 pouches=4 cups)  LOVED the Rice Medley.

Preparation

1.  Preheat the soup pot on medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding a small amount of extra broth or water if the vegetables begin to get too dry or start sticking to the pan.  Cover pot & cook for another 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender and translucent.  Halfway through, stir the vegetables, & add just a little broth or water if they are getting dry or sticking to the pot.  Once the onions & celery are translucent, add the chopped kale, garlic, peppers, & sausage, and cook until the peppers soften--about 5 minutes.  Mix in thyme and allspice, stir, and cook 1 more minute.

3.  Add tomatoes, broth, and black pepper.  Bring to a boi, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until greens are almost tender, 20 minutes.  

4.  Add the beans.  Add salt to taste, and agave or maple syrup.  (If freezing the soup, stop here and add the rice after defrosting)

4.  If serving immediately, add rice and continue to simmer soup, uncovered, until the kale is tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

 

6-8 Servings

Freeze for up to 2 months.

 

 

Here's What Else We Had for Dinner This Week

 

 

Farmer's Pie By Jill  (Increase the ingredients by a third to make enough for a  9 x 13 inch pan)

 

 

Farmer's Pie by Jill - French Lentils, Peas, Mushrooms, Onion, Garlic Topped with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 

 

 

This quick, hearty casserole makes up quickly, and is large enough for plenty of left-overs, if you increase the ingredients by one-third.  So why not?

The recipe comes from Healthy Girl's Kitchen, and uses convenience ingredients like TJ's vacuum packed French Lentils, canned (but not sweetened) sweet potatoes, & frozen peas.

I thought it could use a little punch in the spice department (but, that's just me)--and it turns out that Penzey's new Salt-Free seasoning, Forward, adds just the right punch, to kick this Farmer's Pie up a notch!  I sprinkled it on my own serving--not into the pie.

Find the recipe for Jill's Farmer's Pie here  But I highly recommend you increase the recipe by 1/3 so it fits a 9 x 13 pan, and you'll have plenty of leftovers.

 

 

• Special extra bold black pepper
• Onion
• Paprika
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Spice extractives (including oleoresin of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil, paprika)

 

 

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

 

This is a Gorgeous Nutritious Delicious Combination of Roasted Vegetables

Butternut Squash, Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes, Chopped Onions, Carrots, & Brussel Sprouts

 

We enjoyed this for dinner one night, along with a big salad, and there were plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.  This is definitely a "keeper recipe".  

Imagine a warm sauce made from cannelini beans, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, & herbs.  Crazy, huh?   That's why Robin Robertson is one of my favorite recipe "designers".  This lady is creative, with a great sense for what tastes good.

I highly recommend this easy-to-do sophisticated no-oil vegetable dish.

Find the recipe here.   Just leave out the oil.  I did spray the vegetables very lightly with Spectrum's High Heat Canola spray, but you can certainly skip it.

 

Want to Make It a "Dinner & a Movie Night"!

 

Here's what I can recommend.

1.  Departures.  This won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film for 2008.  I  don't want to say too much--lest I spoil the surprise of your own discovery.  My husband & I both put this on our list of the top 10 best films we've ever seen. Unlike anything I've ever seen.  On Sunday night, our book club will be watching this for a "Dinner & a Movie Night".

2.  Paul.   This one was a big surprise.  A warm, sweet, goofy, hilarious, irreverant film that feels like ET for grown-ups.  It's all about friendship and loyalty.  Sexual language, some drug-use, & religious commentary that some might find offensive--so click on the link & read the review first.

 3.  Want some recommendations for some "Movies for Grown-Ups" that you might not have thought of?  Check out Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat's List of the Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2011.  That's how  I discovered, Paul.  I always check with Frederic & Mary Ann whenever I add films to my Netflix queue.

4.  My Week with Marilyn.

5.  Carnage.  

6.  The Way.  One of my favorites.

 

 

 

The Evidence for a Vegan Diet. James McWilliams Presents His Case in the Atlantic

 

 

 

 

 The Evidence for a Vegan Diet

 

I posted this on Facebook Friday afternoon, and I thought it was just too good to not share with everyone. James McWilliams presents the evidence for a plant-based diet in a thoughtful rational eloquent voice.  Thank you, Amy, for sharing it with me.  Click here for the article.

As the article's author James McWilliams says:

 

"There's plenty of science to justify a plant-based diet, but the stories of personal transformation—curing diabetes, losing 100 pounds, living an active lifestyle—make the biggest impression."

 

James McWilliams, an associate professor of history at Texas State University, San Marcos, and author of Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly.

This was published on January 18, 2012 in the Atlantic's online Health News.  Find the article here.   If you enjoy reading comments--look out--there are plenty--pro & con! 

 

Three Related Posts You Don't Won't to Miss -  Plant-Based Nutrition Perfection & Reversing &/or Preventing Type-2 Diabetes

 

1.  Getting to Plant-Based Nutrition Perfection with a Little Help from Expert Vegan Dietitians Ginny Messina & Jack Norris - The Protein & Supplement Connection

2. What the Experts Say About Vitamin B12: The Must-Have Supplement If You're Eating a Plant-Based or Vegan Diet - Doses, Deficiencies & Benefits

3.  Just posted 1/20/12 - Can You Really Reverse Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet? Let Dr. Neal Barnard Explain the Results of His NIH-Sponsored Research - and Exercise Was Not Part of the Program

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

Missed it on Facebook?  Find it here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

January 19, 2012

 

Dr. Esselstyn on cholesterol

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

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

 

Dr. Esselstyn on oil

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

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

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

 

January 18, 2012 

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

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

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

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

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

www.nytimes.com

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

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

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

How Exercise May Keep Alzheimer's at Bay

well.blogs.nytimes.com

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

NPR's Workout Song Mix

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

The Ultimate NPR Workout Mix : NPR

www.npr.org

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

 

 

January 17, 2012

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

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

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

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

Paula Deen Says She Has Type 2 Diabetes

www.nytimes.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Simple Recipes

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

By: Jeff Novick, MS, RD

Photos: 29

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

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

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

budgetbytes.blogspot.com

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

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

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

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

perfectformuladiet.com

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

Healthy Girl's Kitchen Farmer's Pie Recipe

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

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

Plant-Based Nutritarian Weight Loss Recipe Blog

healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com

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

 

 

January 16, 2012

 

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

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

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

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

Personal Health: Lifelines for People With Hearing Loss

well.blogs.nytimes.com

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

The Vitamin D & Ulcerative Colitis Connection

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

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

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Less Common in Sunny States: MedlinePlus

www.nlm.nih.gov

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Less Common in Sunny States

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

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

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

jacknorrisrd.com

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

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

The Rise of the New Groupthink

www.nytimes.com

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

 

 

January 15, 2012

 

Seitan Gyros with Tzatiziki Sauce for Sunday Night Dinner

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

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

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

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

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

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

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

The Peoples Pharmacy: Special Alert

myemail.constantcontact.com

 

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

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

Magnesium-rich diet tied to lower stroke risk

www.reuters.com

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

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

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

Sweat Science » The incredible unaging triathlete

sweatscience.com

The incredible unaging triathlete

 

 

January 14, 2012 

How to Find Real Food at the Supermarket

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

 

Wall Photos

By: Dare to be different

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

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

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

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

www.onegreenplanet.org

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

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - Cholesterol: Fact of Fiction?

 

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

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

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

 

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

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

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

www.sciencedaily.com

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

 

 

January 13, 2012

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

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

Paula Deen Has Diabetes

newyork.grubstreet.com

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

Exercise Can Fight the Genetic Risk of Alzheimer's

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

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

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

commonhealth.wbur.org

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Risks: When Too Much Vitamin D Is Too Much

www.nytimes.com

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

 

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

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

TEDxCambridge: Caldwell Esselstyn on making heart attacks history

www.youtube.com

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

 

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

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

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

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

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

 

 

January 11, 2012 

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

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

A Vegetarian’s Struggle for Sustenance in the Midwest

www.nytimes.com

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