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).
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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!
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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!

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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!

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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.

Still Here!

I'm still here, working on a big salad! I think some of you may be worried about me because I haven't been bragging posting lately. What with all the milestone celebrations my family has had and our world travels (sounds so glamorous hu?) you might think that I have slipped back to cinnamon rolls and cheesy pulled pork. Well honey, you would be thinking wrong. I'm still going strong and feeling better and better. I only need 6 hours of sleep a night!

Here is my Father's Day menu from yesterday (Roland has lost like 53 lbs! Hubba Hubba):

• Grilled Veggies (zuchinni, eggplant, sweet potatoes, peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic scapes) marintated in 1T olive oil, 2 T spicy mustard, 3 T basalmic vinegar, 1 T red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning - if fat isn't a concern to you add more oil. I grilled a ton so I made much more marinade and will eat leftovers tonight. The peppers are the best, I used the baby ones.0
• Mango salsa salad (recipe below)
• Potato salad (make your normal recipe - leave out the eggs and use veganaise instead of mayo. Not low fat but a wonderful treat!)
• Sun Dried Tomato Hummus with warmed pita
• Coconut/Rhubarb Ice Cream! (recipe below)

Roland said the Mango Salad on top of the grilled eggplant was "recipe book worthy". Happy Father's Day indeed!

This menu is heavy on meal prep. I made the ice cream and hummus on Friday, the mango salad and potato salad on Saturday, so on Sunday I could focus just on grilled veggies and the fathers in my life. I doubled each recipe (or tripled!) so I don't have to cook today or tomorrow.
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Black Bean and Mango Salad - Kelly O.  I had this for lunch today on a large romaine salad, So good!

Ingredients:

·                        1 15.8 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·                        2 cups mango, diced

·                        1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

·                        6 green onions, thinly sliced

·                        1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

·                        1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·                        1 tablespoon olive oil

·                        1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced or hot sauce to taste

·                        Salt to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, including beans in bowl. Toss and serve.

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Coconut Ice Cream: My mom sent me this recipe from this blog. I modified it and served it over fresh berries. It was delicious. I made it with the rhubarb (see the full recipe link) but I think I liked the parts without the rhubarb better. I plan to serve this on the 4th of July with blueberries and strawberries.

Ice cream:
1 cup (4 oz/110 g) raw walnuts
1 can (14 ounces or 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, preferably organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) agave nectar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut sugar* (I used brown sugar)
2 medium peaches cored or pitted and cut in to chunks (about 9.5 oz or 265 g)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 or more drops stevia, to taste (I used agave)
Pinch salt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla
* If you are not following an anti-candida diet and don’t have these sweeteners, you can use agave or maple syrup for the glycerin, and Sucanat or brown sugar for the coconut sugar.


For the ice cream base, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to directions.  Turn into a container and freeze until ready to serve.  Makes 6 servings.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can prepare it this way: Prepare the rhubarb swirl as above, and place in a container.
Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with waxed paper or parchment paper (plastic wrap won’t do in this case).  Set aside.
Blend all ingredients for the ice cream base as above, and pour the base into the prepared pan.  Freeze until just solid, then turn onto a cutting board, peel away the paper, and using a sharp knife, cut into about 25 squares.  Store the squares in a plastic bag in the freezer until ready to use.
To serve the ice cream, place 4 squares for each serving in a food processor and process until it comes together in a ball, then for about 10 seconds more to create a “soft serve” consistency.   Eat immediately.

Inked

I'm totally famous now.

Image from the Denver Post
Go Here!

Beijing

I will not blog for the next week or so as I will be in Beijing!

I think it will be easy to eat lots of healthy food there. I promise that I won't be tempted by scorpions on a stick. Even if they are dipped in chocolate!