Whoa! Sugar!

10 months. Roland and I have been eating a plant based non processed diet for 10 months. Well, make that a little less than 10 months. I let sugar back in. Ack!

I just slowly let it happen. And this is how I feel:

• moody
• mucus-y
• tired
• distracted
• out of control
• I have an appetite for sugar (and it makes me think about sugar a lot)

Amazingly I haven't gained a pound. In fact I've lost a pound. But I feel yucky. So starting today I quit sugar. Who am I kidding? I'll probably have some goodies at Christmas but the deal is that I am not going to let it into my daily diet. I know I will feel better once the sugar  is gone. 

It's my Christmas present to myself.

Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

I have had some success with soup and so far this is my favorite. It takes a little prep but it is so good. The cashew cream gives it that creamy taste you expect from creamy buttery soups. I am a fan of cashew cream. The cashew cream recipe I linked is by Tal Ronnen who has a wonderful book called The Conscious Cook. I highly recommend that book.

I served this at a luncheon today and it got rave reviews and requests for the recipe. I roasted all the veggies the day before and assembled the soup this morning and it was easy and quick. It keeps well and can even be frozen. I doubled this recipe to serve 14 people.

Robin's Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

• 1 quart tomatoes  - I used the fabulous tomatoes I froze this summer but you could use fresh or canned.
• 4 small heads of garlic (or 2 large heads)
• 1 large onion- roughly chopped
• 2 cups Vegetable stock (I like Pacific organic)
• 1/2 cup Cashew Cream or to taste (http://www.talronnen.com/recipes/cashew-cream)
• Fresh Basil - 1/4 cup finely chopped- diced

Roast garlic - Here is a tutorial: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_garlic/ I dipped the cut heads in olive oil rather than drizzling oil so I used less oil. I also had to roast mine about 1 hour rather than 30 minutes. They sell roasted garlic at Sunflower if you'd rather use that.

Roast Tomatoes - spread tomatoes on large baking sheet with a lip - spray with Pam and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast at 325 for 2 - 3 hours. Let cool.

Saute onion until soft and sweet.

Put tomatoes (and juices if any), roasted garlic (squeeze them out of the skins) and onion in blender with enough vegetable stock to blend - and blend until smooth.

Pour blended mix into soup pan and add rest of stock. Stir in cashew cream. Simmer for about 30 minutes. 15 minutes before serving add basil.

Serve with soft whole wheat rolls and a huge dark green salad - of course!

Favorite Thing

Oprah had her final "favorite things" show. Wish I could have been in that audience. If I were Oprah one of the favorite things I would give is this:

Good Earth Sweet and Spicy Tea. 

They were sampling it at Costco and I couldn't believe how wonderful it was! 

Sweet AND Spicy. 

Even my husband and son, who usually prefer hot chocolate, like this stuff.

Drop by and let me make you a cup.

Thankful

I'm thankful for my husband who cautiously gave me "Eat to Live" for Valentines Day and sincerely asked me to read and follow the book for 6 weeks. It takes a strong (or clueless) man to give his wife a diet book on Valentine's Day. But it ended up being a wonderfully romantic gesture of love as our lives have changed so much for the better.

I'm thankful for friends who have encouraged me, taught me to run, made me go to the Y, shared fabulous recipes and food ideas, and patted me on the back. I truely am blessed with dear friends.

I'm thankful for children, sisters, and a mom who changed over to a plant based diet - making my change all the more exciting and fulfilling. And I am thankful that they are proud of me. Again, I am so blessed.

I'm very thankful for every single comment on this blog. Thank You.

And, finally, after years of complaining and wondering what was wrong with me, I can happily say I am thankful for a wonderful body that has energy, works hard, wakes up early, thinks clearly, and feels great!

Happy Thanksgiving indeed.

Love Your Food and Your Food Will Love You

Sometimes I can talk Roland into inviting a work associate (friend? peer? dude?)  home for dinner. This week was one of those times. Roland has been telling me how awesome this guy is for months now.

Prasad Kaipa. He works with Roland as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is also a professor at the Indian School of Business, and does Executive Coaching. He is a good photographer. He has a lovely wife and 2 beautiful children. And to my great pleasure he is a wonderful conversationalist who isn't at all afraid to talk talk talk. We talked about lots of interesting things but I want to share with you our conversation about food.

He is vegetarian and so he appreciated my meal of vegan lasagna, fresh baked french bread, big green salad, and apple sauce. We talked about how after a meal like that you feel satisfied but light. He told us that you must love your food and treat it with respect and care. He said when we eat the food meets 3 main needs: 1) emotional/spiritual edification, 2) physical/nutritional rejuvenation, 3) the elimination of that which is not of use. He said when we carefully prepare and consume our food with love it does a better job of meeting all 3 needs.

Eat with love.

I think this is why a bowl of watermelon is so much more satisfying than a bowl of cold cereal. And imagine the satisfaction emotionally and nutritionally of eating a watermelon you have grown and nurtured with tenderness.

He encouraged me to read a book called Messages from Water written by a Japanese researcher who studied the effects of music and words on the growth of water crystals. It is on my reading list.

He told us that 30 years ago only 20% of people in India ate meat and today 70% of people eat meat causing a huge spike in diet related illness in India. It's because they are adopting the standard American diet.

We talked about lots of other amazing things. I wish you all could have joined us. When he finally left Ike said he was a pretty cool guy. High praise from a 14 year old!

Links to Prasad:

• http://www.kaipagroup.com/
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/corporate-dossier/Ayurveda-for-building-innovative-organisations/articleshow/6909645.cms
• http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/11/can_the_us_and_india_really_work_together.html

Restaurants

I took a quick trip to Salt Lake City this weekend and put my daughter in charge of the restaurant choices. First we were going to eat at a raw food restaurant called "Omar's" (follow that link - it is an awesome web site) but they were closed. So we went to a vegetarian restaurant called "Sage".  The restaurant was actually vegan, it didn't say it was vegan, but I couldn't find single animal product on the menu.

We ordered and I had a whole grain crepe filled with pesto roasted veggies. Hannah had a colorful pile of steamed veggies with a delicious sauce topped with a nut burger. We ordered a side of mushroom escargot and carrot pate. SO GOOD. I am filled with regret that I didn't take pictures of our lovely food! For dinner we ate Indian food - The Indian Oven in Logan. You can always eat healthy at an Indian restaurant - except it was probably pretty high in fat. We ordered stuffed nan and an ugly spinach potato dish "Saag Aloo" that was ugly. Did I mention how ugly? But it was delicious. Lick the bowl delicious.

If you live near a big city (and even in a small one like Boise) you can probably find a delicious vegetarian restaurant or a restaurant that serves vegetarian food. Next time you want to go out for dinner skip Red Robin and be adventurous. If you aren't sure what to order, ask the staff - tell them you are new to this kind of food and unsure what you would like. They want you to have a great experience, veg heads love new converts, and will steer you in the right direction. And if you mention that you are eating vegan style they are more than willing to accommodate you.

The vibe in a vegetarian restaurant is laid back - easy - healthy. You leave feeling refreshed and nourished rather than full and tired.

Not sure how to find a vegetarian restaurant? Here are a few links that might help:

Urbanspoon.com - choose your city and search for vegetarian restaurants
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/regions
http://www.happycow.net/
http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/usa/index.html

Oh! The Weather Outside is Frightful!

It's cold and snowy.

The cold snow makes me want to bake and use ingredients like butter and caramel. But I feel blah after eating that kind of food and I want to keep eating healthy, especially as the holidays approach, I want to feel great!  So what to do when the comfort cooking urge hits? Put on some good music - right now I am liking "Lower Lights" an old timey hymn revival that you can really sing along to - and make rustic apple sauce.

It makes the whole house smell wonderful and satisfies that comfort baking/cooking/eating urge!

I had rome apples that were on the mushy side - perfect for:

Rustic Applesauce

• 8-10 large apples - peel them (don't worry if it's not perfect) and quarter them 
• Put apples in pot with 1/2 cup water (add more if needed)
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste 
• Simmer (with a lid) until the apples are done. 
• Break them up with a spoon into bite-sized pieces. 
• Serve them hot. 

I had them for dessert and then again for breakfast and then as a mid afternoon snack.

Here is another apple idea:
I had a gallon of cider and boiled 2 quarts of it down into a thick syrup. It was so sweet and strongly apple flavored. I added 2 tablespoons of the apple cider syrup to the applesauce and it was wonderful. I also used it to flavor a sugar free apple pie I made last week.

3 Meals In 1

I find this diet to be pretty heavy in the food prep department. Because of that I end up eating fruit and vegetables in their raw natural state a lot of the time. But I love to cook and have found that my cooking skills are getting better on this diet. Here is a recipe I made up this week that made 3 delicious meals!

It all started with roasted vegetables that was a meal in itself. Then I made a salad and a soup! 2 more meals!

Meal # 1
Roasted Veggies - I could eat this every week, all winter.

Not my picture. I usually forget to use the camera while I am cooking. I'll try to do better.

You want to make a lot of this so you have left overs for the other meals.
On a lightly oiled cookie sheet with a lip add:

Large Butternut squash (peel with peeler and slice into 1.5 inch cubes)
2 onions (peeled and quartered)
Lots of baby potatoes (don't peel, dont usually need to be cut as they are already small)
Garlic cloves
Carrots - lots
Any other veggies you have on hand (I included Parsnips (GOOD!) and brussell sprouts)

Toss with olive oil (I used a very very small amount - like 1 Tablespoon) and course salt and pepper. (I was very light on the salt - 1/2 t)

Roast at 425 for 30 minutes or until tender.  I roasted each vegetable in their own side of the pan and didn't mix them all together. When you serve it put the veggies all on a large platter but don't mix them together. Let them touch but keep them with their own kind. It looks rich and fancy that way. Serve with balsamic vinegar for dipping, salad and rustic bread. I served applesauce too.



Meal #2
Roasted Veggie Salad - there is something so yummy about the potato in this salad!

Mixed greens
cold roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts, butternut cut into bite sized pieces
sliced apple
toasted walnut
Balsamic vinegar (Amy's Green Goddess dressing is quite good here too)

Serve with toasted pitas and hummus



Meal #3

Butternut "Sausage" Soup - this was my favorite meal of all!

In a soup pot warm:

 4 cups vegetable broth
left over butternut, potato, parsnips, carrot, onion and garlic (about 4 cups worth)

When warm blend in smaller batches until smooth. Return to soup pot and bring to almost a simmer. While it is heating, microwave 3-4 MorningStar Sausage patties (if you have meat lovers in the house maybe add an extra patty or 2) until they are warm. Break them up into small pieces and add to butternut soup. Serve hot with leftover roasted brussel sprouts and toasted whole grain bread for dipping.

Do It To Feel It

Recently I was talking to a friend who felt like she should serve a religious mission. She shared with me how she felt like she should do it but she didn't feel "inspired" about it. She wasn't brimming with enthusiasm about the mission. Then she said once she started preparing, setting doctor appointments, interviews with her Bishop, and filling out the paperwork she started to feel it. She said,   

"Sometimes the feeling only comes after you do it. 

You have to do it to feel it."

Pretty smart for a 22 year old woman.

She is right. And I think it applies to taking care of our health. If you wait until something external motivates you it may be too late. But if you tell yourself that you want a healthy body, even if it means no more sour cream dip, fudge, or potato chips, and you start to do it, you will feel it. It is a positive cycle that takes on a life of it's own.

For those of you who are waiting for that big flash of inspiration I say:

You have to do it to feel it.

For Newbies

I've been getting quite a lot of email about our success on this plant based diet. I suggest that if you are truly interested in changing your health you read the book "The China Study". It will answer your questions. Another great book is "Eat to Live" (but the recipes in the older book aren't so good).

Also, I've added something new to my sidebar. It is a list of my selected posts, starting from the beginning, that have good information about this diet works (don't care for the word "diet" but that is what it is). If you are thinking about making big changes some of those posts might be interesting. Of course, I think every post on this site is amazing and you should read them all while you eat a green smoothie and some freshly picked apples.

Olympic Training Center

Roland and I got to hang out at the OTC (that's what we insiders call it) last week. He was speaking to a group and I went along to help him. What an inspiring place! We were surrounded by art work, sculptures, flags, murals and installations that celebrated being the very best in the world.

We ate lunch with the athletes in their dining hall. They pretty much ignored us.

Next week we get to go back and speak to another group. Can't wait!

Dinner's Ready!

I have made some nasty food on this diet. I made a butternut soup this week that was TERRIBLE. I mean, it was horrible beyond belief. But Roland ate it because he was hungry. Oh, it was bad.

Here are some tried and true dinner recipes that my entire family likes and will eat without being bribed. Most of them make great leftovers too. There is enough here to get you through 11 days.

• Burritos
• Tofu scramble (just like scrambled eggs - add peppers, onion, avacado, Red Hot sauce)
• Stir Fry
• Amy's Soups (lentil, bean chili - top with fresh tomatoes and avacado - perfect for stressful nights!)
• Veggie Sandwiches
• Veggie Burgers (marinate veggies in your favorite marinade and grill. Eggplant and portobello mushrooms make excellent burgers!)
• Three Bean Chili - (saute onion, peppers, celery and garlic [lots of garlic] - add tomatoes (fresh or canned) oregano, cumin, chili powder, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans - top with chopped lettuce, cilantro, and avocado)
• Chickpea Curry Super easy - open cans and fix.
• Spaghetti Squash with Eggplant sauce (saute eggplant slices and pour a jar of Classico sauce over and simmer until bubbly - one of Roland's favorite)
• Wild Beans and Rice ( a little work but worth it)
• Veggie Lasagna - a crowd pleaser every time and easy! Great leftovers!

and easiest of all and very delicious - just a big plate of fruits and veggies:

Now that the weather is cold I am starting on soups. You already know I made that nasty butternut soup but I am going to try a new butternut one this weekend. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will post my new Mushroom and Wild Rice recipe that I adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe. Yum!

Daily Menu

People ask me what I eat everyday if I am not eating dairy (what?! No yogurt!??) or meat or processed food. Well, to tell the truth I do eat some processed sugar now and then but it makes me feel bad now that I am off it. However, I very rarely have dairy and I no longer like the texture of meat but I sure do love the salt the meat is seasoned with!

So my days usually look like this as far as food goes:

Breakfast:

• Always a green smoothie (about 20 oz. - usually enough to keep me happy for 3 hours)
• Usually some fruit
• Sometimes oatmeal or granola with a little almond milk and sliced fruit and cinnamon

Lunch:

• Always a big salad (I mean huge. It takes forever to eat. I usually read while I eat even though diet books say that is a bad habit)
• Either leftovers from dinner the night before or, hummus and toasted pitas, or homemade whole wheat bread with almond butter

Snack: Sometimes I need a snack

• sliced veggies
• fruit
• small handful of nuts
• very thin bread with almond butter and bananas
• almond date rolls - yum!
• leftovers
• cup of hot tea 

Dinner:Veggies are the main course and side dish too! I will post some sample dinner menus tomorrow. Roland (he has a secret desire to be my blog coach) has been telling me that I need to create a list of dinner ideas. He is right.

Dessert:

We hardly ever need dessert after dinner. the nice thing about this diet is that all my nutrition needs are being more than met so my body doesn't crave sugar - not even during "PMS" time (which has disappeared with this diet). But if I have the need for a goodie I will make fruit or a fruit smoothie. We also make very low fat, low sugar kettle corn.

Tune in tomorrow for dinner menu ideas!

Brussel Sprouts

As a child I thought brussel sprouts were nasty. I've been passing by the big bag of brussel sprouts at Costco for a few weeks now but yesterday my friend, Jen, told me she had fixed them for her family and they loved them.  So today I bought that bag and roasted them up and they were wonderful! Ike loved them. I was rather shocked that I liked them too.

The outside is toasty and crisp and the inside has a wonderful texture and reminded us of artichoke hearts. The roasting brings out the sweetness in the sprouts.

I got this picture off the net - We ate ours so fast that there wasn't a chance to take a picture!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

• Enough sprouts to loosely cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan
• Olive oil (I used 1 Tablespoon but you might like more)
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix together until sprouts are lightly coated with oil. Roast in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or so, until tender.

I served this with spaghetti squash topped with egg plant and classico tomato sauce. Roland said it was a great dinner.

TO DO

This week:

I'm will make 2 new soups and a new salad from the Moosewood Cook Book.

I will re-read The China Study.
I will DVR a show called "Good Eats"
I will put the following cookbooks on hold at the library:

• Claire's Cornucopia
• The Conscientious Cook
• Fit For Life

I will exercise one hour 5 days a week (ack!)

Looking Forward to 64

Yesterday I was invited to lunch at my friend's so I could meet her mother. Of course I loved her mother. She is a lovely woman who reminds me of a modest and unassuming Martha Stewart. She lives on 40 acres in Alabama, has raised 14 children (!), and has been on a plant based diet for 30 years. It was such a treat to ask her about how she managed to go plant based (for health reasons) at a time when doctors were telling women that formula was more nutritious than breast milk. I admired the fact that she made such a huge change at a time when no one - I mean no one! was eating plant based.

I asked her how her life would be different if she didn't change her diet and she said she would be dead. What a loss! She has 36 (!!!) grandchildren! They would miss her and she would miss them. She has beautiful skin, a bright shiny smile, sparkly eyes, and a young healthy body. She was quick to laugh and knows just about everything about nutrition. And the meal she made! An amazing "salad" called Gado Gado from The Moosewood Cook Book (which I just happen to be borrowing from my neighbor right now) was so fresh and exciting I want to make it for you all!

She gave me a little pep talk and told me to post more often and include pictures. OK. I will. And after meeting her I look forward to being her age. Delightful.

For Maxine: a picture of some of my local, organic CSA peppers that I froze this week to use in stews this winter!

Commitment

It's been 8 months now that Roland and I have been eating a plant based diet. We just returned from a great week in Idaho where we ate healthy food and worked hard outside and felt wonderful! I have often said that I would continue to eat this way even if I didn't loose weight and the last 2 months have proven that.

In the last 2 months I didn't loose any weight, mostly because I was nibbling on extra bread, nuts and the occasional goody at a party. I also stopped exercising - no good reason to stop but I did. I didn't gain any weight, but my steady 2 lbs-a-week-loss came to a screeching halt. Well, I miss that weight loss so I am going back to the Eat To Live 6 week plan which means that everyday I will try to eat:

• 1 pound of raw veggies
• 1 pound of cooked veggies
• 5 pieces of fruit
• 1 cup of beans
• 1/2 cup whole grains.

Holy cow that is a lot of food! 

Last week I cut my long hair short as a reward for loosing 50lbs. It was a big change and kinda scary to do, just like changing my eating habits! But Oh! It has been so good for me!

I love this new hairstyle and feel like it is more "me".

I already started the exercise 3 weeks ago and I am back to running 2x a week and doing a ridiculously difficult workout at the YMCA 2x a week. Already, without cleaning up my eating, I have lost 3 lbs. Exercise is key in a healthy lifestyle. Oh, but I don't always like it.

So today I go out to buy more spinach, almond milk, bananas, and hopefully some smaller workout clothes!

What I ate today before 12:00:

• Green Smoothie
• 1 cup oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon
• big leafy green salad

Planned snack:

• Pita with Hummus and cucumber

For dinner tonight:

• veggie stir fry (peppers, cabbage, onion, tofu, wild rice, seasoned with fresh ginger, garlic, Braggs Liquid Aminos, and sesame seed oil [just a bit]- so good!)
• salad
• WATERMELON (might be the last of the season - big sad sigh)

There is no way this meets the 6 week food intake requirements. It's hard to eat that much food.

You Are In Charge

If you have youngish children you are so lucky! You can feed them whatever you want! Sure they will complain and beg and maybe even refuse to eat for a while, but eventually they will eat what you feed them. Ike - my soon to be 14 year old son - complained something fierce when we started eating Nutritarian, but now he is on board and actually prefers a plant based, non processed diet (of course he will eat junk if you give it to him - duh!).

Dr. Fuhrman recently sent out this informative email:

The Five Most Dangerous Foods to Feed Your Child


1. Butter and Cheese - full of saturated fat and fat delivered chemical pollutants


2. Potato Chips and French Fries - rich in trans fat, salt, and carcinogenic acrylamides


3. Doughnuts and other trans fat - containing sweets - rich in trans fat, sugar, and other artificial substances


4. Sausages, hot dogs, and other luncheon meats - containg N-nitroso compounds that are potent carcinogens


5. Pickled, smoked, or barbequed meats - places you at risk of both stomach cancer and high blood pressure

I used to feed my kids cheese everyday, sometimes 3 times a day, thinking that they were getting good nutrition that way. I saw the ads on TV and was trying to do the right thing.  Cheese on chips was a favorite! And rolled up lunch meat filled with cream cheese! I thought that was healthy and felt like a good mom when I made that for a snack. Oh, that I could go back and do that all over again! I had no clue what I was doing.

Here is a snack that all my kids loved (I rencently tried it out on my 8 year old nephew and it was a hit!).  Sliced apples and peanut butter. Easy peasy. I am especially fond of the Costco organic peanut butter. There are only two ingredients: dry roasted peanuts and salt. My kids liked any snack that involved dipping. My nephews are big fans of whole grain crackers dipped in hummus.

While your kids are young you can help them develop a taste for healthy nutritious food that will bless them their entire life!

Me and Mr. Clinton

If I had known he was so smart I might have voted for him!



Makes me want to bite my lower lip and look like I am thinking a big thought.

Tomatillos

This is what tomatillos look like after you remove the husks. My spell check doesn't recognize the word "tomatillo".

I got a bunch of these from the CSA and had no idea what to do with them. So I made salsa (with heirloom tomatoes that were almost sugary) and the tomatillos added a nice tart flavor. And I made a green salsa. It was a winner! Great with chips, eggs, burritos, tacos, perfect on salads - just so so good! Here is my recipe:

Tomatillo Salsa

• 15-20 fresh tomatillos - remove husks

Roast whole tomatillos in large pan until they start toast a little. While they are roasting assemble the following ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 4-6 roasted mild chiles - stemmed, seeded and peeled
• 1 onion
• 1 cup water

Once tomatillos are browned add the above ingredients and simmer until tomatillos and onions are soft. Then add:

• 1/4 cup (or more) cilantro leaves
• 1 T lime juice (fresh is best)

Pulse in food processor until it reaches desired consistency (no large pieces).

I also added a little cayenne pepper that we had on hand to heat it up a bit otherwise it is a mild salsa. You may want to add salt too.

Here in Colorado Springs you can get roasted peppers at road side stands, farmer's markets, or my favorite place is the Chile Festival in Pueblo (this weekend - I want to go!). It is wonderful and well worth the trip. For $20 you will bring home a huge bag of fire roasted chilies (mild or hot, your choice) and divide it up into smaller portions to freeze and use this winter in soups, salsas, and stews. The taste is amazing and the festival is fun! Arrive at the festival hungry.

I served this salsa on burritos and salad and it was great. For dessert we had a huge bowl of fresh peaches.

Yum!

Honestly

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I've found a new ability to be honest with myself. It has been a pleasant discovery that has helped me immensely. When I was eating the SAD (standard American diet) I was completely out of touch with my body.  I didn't understand the signals it was sending. I confused cravings with hunger - there was no difference. I was consumed with thoughts of eating. I accepted fatigue as normal. I attributed pain and weakness to being 45 years old.  I had no control over my appetite. I blamed my high cholesterol on genetics. I couldn't exercise because I was exhausted.

I was disappointed that my body was failing me. I asked myself over and over "why me?" Why did I have such a hard time losing weight? What was wrong with me? And then I would feel overwhelming hunger and make Snickerdoodles.

Since I have been eating a plant based non processed diet I have whole new relationship with my body. I don't feel the urge to eat or even think about food until my tummy growls and rumbles because it is empty and needs food. And if that happens and I am not near a food source I can have a glass of water and the grumbling empty feeling is gone - sometimes for hours. When I eat I can feel the food in my body and how it affects my mood and energy. Have I ever told you about the time I felt pure anger after eating a brownie on an empty stomach? I mean uncontrollable lash-out-at-your-kids anger. Roland sent me to my room.

But mostly the honesty that I have with my body is the ability to understand and objectively look at what is going on and adjust and make myself feel better. I believe that getting rid of the SAD food allowed me to be more aware of what is going on with my body and give it what it really needs instead of a doughnut.

When I first started having cravings (yesterday's post) I felt those old feelings of confusion, fear, and loss of control creeping back. But I was able to think clearly, assess the situation and be honest enough to see why this was happening and then decide that I would make a change and get back on track.

I'm happy to "give up" Coke, pastries, prime rib and cheese for that honesty. It's a good trade.

Confession

I've suddenly started craving junk food. Well, not suddenly. It's been a gradual process of having a little nibble of this and a taste of that. And "suddenly" I find myself walking right past 100 lbs of produce to stand in front of my pantry looking for something (chocolate cake? Cheetos? they aren't there- thank heavens!) to satisfy this surprising craving. It surprises me because up to this point I have had no cravings at all.

I've been confused by these cravings and a little disappointed in my body that it would "suddenly" trick me like this. But, one thing I have gained in this quest for health is the ability to be much more honest with myself. So I took a good long look at what was happening.

Could it be possible that a few little daily mouthfuls of sugary salty fat could create such strong cravings? Yes.

I want those cravings gone - banished back to 2009. I know how to do that - I have to walk that veggie line. Fortunately, I've only indulged in sugar, processed grains, and extra fat so I don't have to overcome  meat/dairy/caffeine cravings too. It will take about 3 days for the cravings to disappear. And then it will be easy again.

I start today.

100 LBS!

There are 20 lbs of pears, 20 lbs of apples, 20 lbs of peaches, and 25 lbs of tomatoes sitting in my kitchen waiting for me to do something with them. I still need to go to the farmer's market and pick up my CSA share. What am I going to do with all this produce??

I'm going to freeze the tomatoes (I was told to wash them and put them into freezer bags and freeze them whole!), skin and slice and freeze the peaches (they are great in my green smoothies), put the apples in the cool basement, and hope that the pears don't all ripen at the same time.

My fridge is still jammed full with the produce from last week's CSA share (probably another 20 lbs of veggies). Roland's been traveling and Ike doesn't love the veggies so much - I can't eat all this!

Poor Me. Too much food on hand. Everyone should have this kind of trouble.

Turns out we don't like turnips so much. You are welcome to come take all my CSA turnips away.

Yo, Adrian

So I went with Kelly to the YMCA and it pretty much kicked my little fanny. It took all the fight out of me for the whole day. That would have been the day to call and ask me to do something big for you - I would have said yes. No fight left. Or today - call me today because I went again this morning.

I'm actually looking forward to going next week. If I can walk.

Que The "Rocky" Theme Song

My friend, Kelly, walked up to me on Sunday and told me it is time to get serious about exercise. Don't you wish you had a friend like that? I don't deserve her.

I've fallen off the exercise wagon. I've only run 3 times since August 1. So tomorrow morning I'm meeting Kelly at the Y for a lovely cardio/weightlifting session.

I hate to sweat.

New and Improved!

This is what I had for lunch. Whole wheat pita with veganaise (just a little) stuffed with a salad heavy on garden fresh tomato and cucumber and a side of watermelon. It was delicious and filling and satisfying. Roland got back from London tonight and I made the same thing for him but substituted hummus for the veganaise and I think it was even better! It was the perfect meal following a day of flying.

I've modified my hummus recipe a bit. I added a can of white beans (northern) and it makes the hummus creamy. Sometimes I want to eat it with a spoon! I've tried the recipe without the tahini but I just don't like it as much.

Robin's Improved Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas (reserve liquid)
• 1 can white beans
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin or more to taste (I just got roasted cumin but I can't tell the difference - I need to do a taste test)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
• 2 T tahini

Blend in food processor until smooth and creamy. Add chickpea liquid if it is too thick. Serve on crackers, sandwiches, burgers, cucumbers, veggies, salad, pitas, or on a spoon if you love it as much as I do!

Selling The Fat Clothes

Today I took my old clothes to a resale store. It is called "Full Figure Resale" and they only sell size 16 and up. They sell shoes size 9 and up. It's for big girls.

It took me about 3 hours to sort my clothes, pick out the stylish clean new looking clothes, touch up iron, put them on hangers, and drag them out to the car. I had 31 items and the clerk told me they were beautiful. I hope they sell for lots of money because I only get 40% of the price.

All the clothes that didn't make the cut went to Salvation Army.

My closet is looking pretty bare - it looks big now! I bought a pair of jeans and a skirt and jacket at the resale shop. I am proud to say that everything there was too big! I don't really want to buy clothes yet. I still have a ways to go. So I will wear the same thing over and over until I get down a size.

Yay!

A Little Kick In The Pants.

"Everything you want in the world is just right outside your comfort zone...every single thing you could possibly want."  

Jamie Lee Curtis

I guess this means I need to get out of my comfort zone (couch) and start exercising again! 

What is it that you want that is right outside your comfort zone?

Pineapple

We are eating this tomorrow.

Did you know that if you turn a pineapple upside down (set it on it's leaves) that it will ripen more evenly and quickly? I've done it 3 times now and it works! Fresh pineapple is wonderful! So far the best pineapple has been at Costco.

Summer Dinner

Oh, what do you eat in the summer time when all the world is green?

How about this for dinner:

Green salad
Steamed Green Beans with pepper
Cantalope
"Oven Fried" potatoes

Oh so yummy and easy and clean up was a breeze! The potatoes were sweet and made it feel like a real meal.

"Oven Fried" Potatoes

• New potatoes - cut to bite size - freshly harvested ones are sweet and tender
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• chives
• minced garlic
• pepper

Mix in bowl, spread on cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tender - turning once during baking time.
................

This was such a light and satisfying meal. For dessert have Watermelon Icy's!

3 Months

I was doing some housekeeping and found a post that I wrote 3 months into the diet but for some reason I didn't ever post it. So, for your reading pleasure: A never published post from 3 months ago!

.....................................

5/17/2010

Roland and I have been nutritarian for 12 weeks now. It seems like we were just high fiving our 6 week goal and suddenly here we are at 12 weeks.

I've read back through my initial entries and have a different perspective now that I have some distance from the first few weeks. The first week was more difficult than I realized. I emotionally prepared myself and was ready for a tough time, so when you read the original posts, it sounds easy breezy when in fact in was hard. Not hard because I was hungry. I wasn't hungry at all. And I didn't really miss junk food or meat. There were so many new foods to try. And I love to cook and there were lots of new recipes.

What was hard was changing a life long habit. Change can cause struggle but struggle brings strength. And boy, am I much stronger now than I was in February!

When I look back on the first 2 weeks I remember that we were tired, the withdrawal from our previous diet made us feel weak and a little flu-ish. We watched a lot of TV during those weeks. And I was consumed with what I was eating. I thought about it all day long. I was obsessed.

.....................

Folks - that's all I wrote. But I think it is interesting to read because each month the diet just gets easier and easier. Sure, I crave junk sometimes and please don't leave an open bag of Doritos near me. But I've been at this long enough that it feels natural and normal. I can eat without thinking and planning as much. 

So
Glad
We 
Did
This!

After?

Quite a few people have told me that I need to post an after picture. I haven't because I'm not at the "After" point. But - I will post where I am right now.

I have been a nutritarian for 6 months and I've lowered my cholesterol by more than 60 points and lost 52 lbs. I feel so much better, younger, happier and productive!

Our before picture. A friend took this and thought it was such a flattering photo. And here are our afters (sorry - no body shots - yet!):

Roland - 53 lbs lighter

Me - 52 lbs and counting!

Pretty soon we will get a picture in the same pose as the "before".

I keep saying that even if I hadn't lost a pound I would still eat this way. My food tastes better and I feel better!

CSA Share

Every Saturday I go to the farmer's market and pick up my CSA share for the week. Each week I get more and more! This is what we got this week:

• celery
• kale
• basil
• beets
• green peppers
• lemon cucumbers
• baby potatoes
• garlic
• zucchini
• onions
• slicing cucumbers
• turnips (need ideas for what to do with these!)
• carrots
• cabbage
• tomatoes
• 2 kinds of beans

I still have quite a bit of produce left over from last week! I love that it is all organically grown, picked fresh and local. It tastes much better than store bought (and in the case of brocolli - much stronger!).

Can't wait to see what we get next week!

Veggie Sandies By The Dozen

Most of my family has started eating a nutritarian diet. My mom and sisters are especially devoted to this healthy lifestyle. This pleases me very much because it validates my position as the oldest and thus, the bossiest. But really, I love them and want them to feel as great as I do. I want to travel with them when we are old and when I say travel I mean adventure! Most of the places on my "To Explore" list involve, at the very least, vigorous walking. Some require an little bit of dare devil attitude and I want my mom and four sisters there because they really are the neatest people I know.

So this summer when we spent a few weeks together we ate lots of delicious food and had many exciting conversations about how wonderful it all tastes and how awesome we all are for treating ourselves so well. There was lots of bragging and back patting.

One night we made 12 veggie sandies:

12 wasn't enough. Everyone wanted two -they were so good. We served them with grilled corn on the cob (grill before shucking), melon salad, hummus and green salad. It was a feast!

Grilled Veggie Sandies

Sandwich thins - we used Pepperidge farms but any brand will do if it is whole wheat
Spread bottom thin with hummus
Stack:

• shredded carrots (on the hummus so they stick)
• grilled eggplant
• grilled zucchini
• grilled sweet peppers
• sliced onion (we used Vadalia)
• sliced cucumber

Spread top with guacamole.

Tuck bib into collar and open wide (real wide!).

My Bad - Not

Isn't it a relief to hear the words "it's not your fault"?

For 20 years I always thought it was my fault that I wasn't healthy and slim. I assigned all sorts of negative descriptors to myself:

• lazy
• lack of self control
• gluttonous
• undisciplined 
• careless
• ugly
• gross

I remember wondering how I could raise 4 babies while going to graduate school and working but not have enough strength to loose weight. Duh - it was easy! Eat less=weigh less, right?

I thought that if I ate the Standard American Diet (SAD) - but less of SAD-  I would lose weight. Then when I couldn't stick to that diet I would berate myself. My SIL, Christine, once told me that I was entirely too hard on myself. She was right.

In the past 6 months (yes! 6 months of nutritarian eating!) and 50 lbs of weight loss I have learned that it wasn't my fault. I had no idea how to feed myself. I was eating foods that created addictions and more hunger. My body wasn't getting the nutrition it needed so I had overwhelming cravings that I couldn't ignore. My diet of meat, cheese, and simple carbs was starving me nutritionally. Your body will not let you starve. It will create an urge to eat that cannot be denied. So I ate more of the diet that was starving me. It was a vicious, destructive, frustrating cycle that went on for 20 years.

Now I am eating such nutritionally dense food that my appetite has all but disappeared. My body only craves food when it is really hungry for more nutrition. I don't even feel the urge to eat when bored, sad, or lonely - those were my big food triggers.

If you struggle with your weight let me pat you on the shoulder and say, "There, there. It's not your fault." Eat a ton of veggies, pig out on the beans and lentils, gorge on the fruit and start saving your money for some new clothes honey, cause those pants are gonna fall right off you pretty soon.

What I Ate Today:

30 oz of green smoothie
small slice of whole wheat banana bread

Soy Nut Mix
banana
Almonds

cantaloupe
watermelon
apple
Zucchini spaghetti ( blend fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic and serve over cold shredded zucchini - so good!)
Lemon squash (very thin slices of yellow squash topped with a spritz of fresh lemon juice, a small drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, light sprinkle of shredded Parmesan, and chopped fresh mint. If I make this I will drop the oil and cheese and I think it will still taste fabulous!)

Now, quit beating yourself up and have some watermelon!

Back To What?

Back to school lunch? Back to junky cold lunch? Nope.

Ike and I did his back to school shopping today and that included lunch stuff. We walked up and down all the isles at Costco looking for healthy lunch options. Let me tell you, it was slim pickin's!

Ike's health has improved so much this summer. His skin has always been covered with large rough patches of eczema and scabs and now it is smooth and soft with only a few small patches on his ankles - this is almost miraculous to me. The dark circles under his eyes are gone. He can breathe through his nose. He just feels so much better. I believe it is because we removed nearly all animal products and processed foods from his diet (I say nearly because he will nab fried mozzarella sticks and Doritos when given the opportunity) and because he drinks a green smoothie everyday.

It has been pleasantly surprising to see that he wants healthy food. He now prefers almond milk to cow's milk and finds processed food to be too salty/sweet or just yucky. But what 13 year old is going to choose cucumbers over tater tots? It will be interesting to see if his health declines when he goes back to school and is surrounded by unhealthy food. And it will be interesting to see if he is ready to take his health into his own hands and choose healthy food at school.

In addition to fresh fruit and veggies and organic p-nut butter honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, here are the healthy lunch options we found at Costco:

Mrs. Mays dried fruit
Mrs. Mays Trio bars (not his favorite but I think these are so amazingly yummy)
Lara bars ( again - not his favorite but I love them)
Grapefruit cups (he likes grapefruit!)
Stretch Island dried fruit bars

Last year we did yogurt, chips, carrot sticks and a lunch meat sandwich. So I need more options for this year.

Any ideas?
..................
ps - Haiku Tofu - will you send me a link to your private blog? I miss you!

Forks Over Knives

If you've read The China Study then you know exactly what this all about:



Can't wait to see this movie!

Me and Padma

We went on a little trip this week and we ate mostly from restaurants.

After ordering a pizza that we redesigned to be vegan Ike told us that we are difficult customers. He said it in that embarrassed way 13 year olds have. I said, "Of course! If we are paying $22 for a pizza (this was in Vail, CO after all) I want it done right!" And so it went the entire trip.

When ordering the Irish steel cut oatmeal be sure to order without cream or butter or yogurt and ask for the berries on the side (you get more). And clarify that you want the grilled veggie sandwich without cheese. You have to be exacting and demanding. It goes against my nature to make demands but I have actually found that in a restaurant it is fun! Especially an upscale restaurant with a chef who has celebrity aspirations. We've had some delicious meals from those chefs.

On our last night there we went out for a  celebration dinner and chose the restaurant because several people in the group were vegetarian and we saw "Mushroom Meatloaf" and assumed it was like a mushroom burger - but meatloaf style. We were wrong. I asked the waiter what vegetarian/vegan options were available besides dinner salad. After checking with the chef he said the chef was up to the challenge and would create something special for us.

It was like Top Chef and I was Padma.

Yup. I'd say that's pretty much how I looked when I was being a "difficult customer".

The chef brought out our dinner and explained it to us (just like on Top Chef!) and we dug in. And we judged it to be good. He wouldn't need to pack his knives.

Orzo, smoked rosemary, pine nuts, grilled leeks and asparagus, strawberries and little slices of mushrooms. And lots of olive oil. I would have backed way off the oil, played up the veggies more, and garnished it with something fancy looking and given it a side of fresh mango. Ahh. That might have been perfect.

Younger Next Month

This is a good book:

Sure it says "Live like 50" but I think if you start early you can live like 40 or 30!  I definitely feel younger now than I did in February. And I am doing all kinds of new stuff. Like mountain biking. Down a mountain.

If you are older or if you have parents I recommend this book to you (them).  It is fairly repetitive so I found myself skimming parts and jumping ahead and still getting the message.

The Losing-est Loser Figures It Out

Athena 

The Goddess of War - and apparently more than 150 lbs.

If you are a woman who weighs more than 150 lbs, in the race I ran today, you are in the Athena Division. I am in the Athena Division.

When we lined up at the race start (The Classic 10K - dubbed the "fastest race in colorado" because it is relatively flat) I realized that I was the only non-athletic person there. 5K's attract walkers and very slow joggers but 10K's weed all those out (except the BolderBoulder because it is more like a street fair than a race). It was a small race - maybe 300 people? At the gun everyone took off and I told Roland, Ike and Kelly that they didn't need to run with me.  It took me about 5 minutes to realize that I would most likely be the last person to finish. It made me cry. Not sobbing wrenching tears, just a lump in the throat and a burning behind the eyelids.

Athena doesn't cry.

I was embarrassed. I wanted to turn back and wait at the car. I didn't want to run 6 miles knowing the whole time that I am the slowest. Athena doesn't quit. So I slogged it out. I ended up "running" with at 22 year old girl for most the race and I asked lots of questions so I could focus on listening and running.  Before long we were at the halfway point and I was feeling good. Better than I felt at BolderBoulder. But still - I was last.

In case you haven't ever been last (and you probably haven't) I will describe it for you. They've turned off the victory music. The finish line is empty except for the people you are riding home with, the race staff, and the Ethiopian winners of the race who are collecting their prize money. There is no fanfare. No one tells you what an inspiration you are for even showing up much less running that whole stupid thing. Your husband will hug you and tell you he is proud and that you really need to hurry to the bus because the last one is leaving soon. Your girlfriend will try to convince you that she saw someone running behind you and you weren't last. And, thankfully, everyone else will ignore you. No one, but you, really cares. And unlike the winner there is no recognition, thank goodness.

I did win though. I took 11 minutes off of my BolderBoulder time. So. That is a victory.

Afterwards we went to the farmer's market to pick up our CSA share (what the heck do you do with a kolrabi?) and I thought:

"Who are we? Last year I wouldn't have run 1/2 mile and certainly wouldn't have been excited about a bag o'beets! But today I ran 6 miles! 11 mintues faster than I did in May! And I can't wait to get this kolrabi home!"

I don't even recognize myself.

Athena

10K Manipulation

The running thing has slipped a bit. I've only run about 6 times in the last month. The less you run the less you want to run. I keep telling myself that once school starts I will be more consistent. But I worry that I won't.

Ike loved the BolderBoulder race and wants to do more races so a few weeks ago Roland said we should all do a 10K. Blah! I almost talked him out of it with my argument that we should spend the morning hiking instead. Or maybe painting the garage? I didn't want to run that race- even if it is mostly downhill. Finally Roland said, fine just drop us off and pick us up. So, I am doing the race.

It is tomorrow. I'll be the last one over the finish. High 5 me if you are still there.

Burgers

I find myself leaning towards burgers as a dinner solution in the summer. Here are 3 of my favorite burgers:

Easiest:

You can buy these at Costco and they are spicy delicious. I usually heat them in a fry pay (without oil) and serve them on whole wheat buns with guacamole, tomatoes, romaine and sweet onion. SO SO GOOD!

Most Like Meat:

Grilled marinated portobello mushrooms. Roland says they are as good as a burger. I marinate mine in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, red wine vinegar and Montreal Steak seasoning. Roland puts 2 on his burgers. If you aren't worried about fat intake add some olive oil to that marinade.

Most Surprising!

Grilled Eggplant! Just slice in rounds and marinate (in the mix above) and grill. I make sandwiches out of these (I didn't make the sandwich in the picture).
.................

Serve burgers with grilled corn on the cob - Just soak the corn (still in husks) in water for 20 minutes or so and then grill with husks on. Roland wears gloves and husks the hot corn after grilling.

Slice up a watermelon and dinner is ready!
..............

Hey, as long as the grill is hot marinate some zucchini (quartered lengthwise), peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes and grill them up for sandwiches tomorrow.

Smoothie Addict

5 months ago my breakfasts consisted of cold cereal and toast. Somedays I would have eggs. Usually I would rummage around and find some cookies or a little bit of candy to reward myself after the morning rush getting the family out the door. That has completely changed. My breakfast now is usually a green smoothie.

The Eat to Live program guidelines call for 1 lb of raw veggies a day. So I have a huge salad for lunch and a smaller salad at dinner but that still isn't 1 lb of veggies. It is hard to chew all those veggies too and it takes a long time! Enter the green smoothie.

I pack the smoothie with spinach, kale and any sort of greens we might have (chard, romaine, etc.). I've been getting beets in my weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) share and I've tossed the beet greens greens in too. You want bland greens that you can flavor with fruit (spinach is especially bland).

These smoothies are loaded with protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, and phytonutrients. It basically kicks cold cereal's butt. And steak and egg's butt too. With one arm behind it's back. And if you don't use carrot greens or collard greens it tastes wonderful!

This recipe is flexible, use what you have and what you like. I load my blender full of greens - I want as many greens as I can get and still have it taste like a smoothie rather than a blended salad. I probably use 6-7 cups greens (that blends down into 2-3 cups). But if you are just starting - maybe ease into the green-ness. Maybe just do a handful of greens.

Robin's New and Improved Green Smoothies

• 1 cup liquid (I use water unless I suspect that the greens might be too greenish tasting then I use a milk substitute [soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk])
• Spinach - 3-6 cups - whatever tastes good to you
• Greens - work your way up -shoot for 3-5 large leaves of kale, chard, beet greens, or romaine
• Banana  - this is a must have item. It provides creaminess and sweetness. Sometimes I add 2 bananas
• Apple- or some other fruit cantaloupe, pineapple, peaches, whatever you have handy.
• Flax seed - about 1 T per serving. just toss in the whole seed and let the blender grind it. This adds creamy texture too.
• Frozen fruit - about 1 cup unless you want it thicker (add more for thickness) I am partial to blueberries. Also try strawberries, and frozen fruit mixes. they should be sugar free

If you don't have a vita-mix ( I don't) add the liquid and half of the spinach first. Then add the remaining ingredients a little at a time so they can mix in easily.  These are remarkably filling and satisfying. I usually make about 6 cups of smoothie. Roland and I drink about 2 1/2 cups each and Ike has 1 cup.

Another smoothie idea:

Watermelon Smoothie

I made these last week on a hot day at the cabin. They were so cool and refreshing!

• Watermelon cut into cubes
• Frozen Fruit (from costco)

Shove watermelon in blender and blend until smooth and watery. Add frozen fruit until thick "milk shake" consistency.

Lean In More Baby

I'm Back!

I've been all over the place and finally I am home and ready for a routine. It was pretty easy to stick to the Eat To Live plan while traveling, except for the last 2 long car road trip days when I broke down and had peanut M&M's and Pita chips. And a Diet Dr. Pepper. And some Chocolate Cake. And then some more M&M's. And you will be pleased to know that they all left me feeling blah-ish.

We've been eating nutritiously for 5 months now! 5 MONTHS for crying out loud! And we feel great. The weight loss slowed for me the last month. As I read back over my posts the last few months I realized that I have let processed foods, flour, sugar, and salt sneak back into my diet little by little. So yesterday I recommitted to the strict 6 week phase of Eat To Live to jump start my progress and already I feel better and more in control.

My sister Emily started the eat to Live program too and she has a blog you should check out: http://www.vegetablecarnival.com/ She and her husband are on week 3 I think - they are great writers and very honest in their reports.

Tomorrow I'm going to tell you about the evolution of my Smoothies!

Toxic Hunger

I'm on the road - but I wanted to post this excellent article about hunger:

http://drfuhrman.com/ask/archives/2005_01_03.aspx

I suffered from toxic hunger (sounds like a pathetic radio ad) for 40 years. Now, I only get hungry when I really am hungry!

Yesterday I visited with a neighbor I haven't seen since Christmas. She went on and on about how good I was looking and she finally decided it was my haircut. I haven't changed my hairstyle since I last saw her, so it must be the weight. And the healthy glow from all that produce!

CSA

I signed up for a CSA this summer. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. You pay money up front and then all summer long you get local, organic, freshly picked produce. Such a great deal. Each Saturday morning I go to the farmer's market down the street and get my bags of produce.

Last week was the first week (it takes a while for stuff to get growing here) and I got all kinds of weird stuff like garlic scapes, brocolli raab, and tatsoi. I also got herbs (basil, cilantro), peas, spinach, beet greens (with little baby beets) arugula, radishes and a huge head of lettuce. That picture really doesn't do it justice. It seemed as large as an 18 month old child. We are still munching on it.

Check out CSAs in your area. I think they are a great deal!

Weighing In

 

http://tidwellstudios.com/images/weighingin_lg.htm

For the last 4 weeks I have plateaued on my weight. I was stuck at 198 for nearly a month. I started to worry that I would never loose more weight, that I would never be really healthy, that I would always be chubby. But I kept eating nutritiously because I wanted keep feeling good. Part of the reason I plateaued might have been because in 3 weeks we: celebrated 2 birthdays, high school graduation, a dance festival, senior recitals, an anniversary, 3 house guests, and went to China! I ate right and exercised through all that, but the scale wouldn't budge.

Yesterday when I hit the scales (I weigh in about once a week) I found that I was at 193! WooHoo! Only 4 lbs away from the 180's! That brings my total weightloss up to 44lbs.

Roland reminded me that when he lost 40 lbs he hit a plateau for about 3 weeks and then finally the weight loss resumed. So, if any of you hit that plateau hang in there! Don't give up!

..................

For dinner last night I made this green bean stir fry that was delicious! Margaret, the author of the recipe, is in our Green Goddess group. I cut the sugar out and only used half the sesame oil and it was good. I served it with a big salad, brown rice, and grapes.

Green Goddess Club

My friends Angie and Kelly have been eating healthy for years. They approached me about starting a healthy eater's group. I had to think about it for a month or so, I didn't feel qualified to hand out advice after only 4 months on a healthy diet. But they convinced me that it was a good idea.

Like 15 year olds starting a band, it was all about the name. I wanted to name it "Hippie Chics" or "Hemp Honeys" but Kelly nixed that. Finally we settled on a name and sent out this email:

………………….

Who?    You!

What?   Our very first Green Goddess meeting!

When? June 15^th – 8:00 PM

Where? Angie's Home

Why? 

After years of people asking why we eat this way, how we eat, what we eat, and telling us how hard it would be for them, we have joined our super green goddess powers to bring our “exceptional expertise” (ha!) to you. We will discuss food. How to eat so your body will thrive! How to eat to avoid disease and illness! How to feed your family so they can be their very best! This is all very exciting.

Our panel of “experts” (wink) include:

Kelly – life long healthy eater – creates healthy food that tastes great

Angie – healthy eater for 8 years – passionate about nutrition and excellent food

Robin  – the newbie who is turning her life around through superior nutrition

R.S.V.P. – reply to this email today so we can prepare enough delectable samples

Disclaimer: We are not professionals. We have degrees, but not in nutrition. We are not selling anything. We would like to be on Oprah and make lots of money, but mostly we want you to feel as good as we do.

Feel free to send this to anyone you think would be interested in joining us!

..............................

So, 28 women showed up. We talked about how we got started, why we love to eat this way, and then we ate delicious food that is healthy and nourishing for our bodies (green smoothies, black bean mango salsa, and fajita burritos). Ladies stayed until late - we practically had to kick them out. It was fun!

It was such a success that we are having our next meeting in July. 

You are invited.