Sunday, June 24, 2012

Never EVER give up!

Now that it is summer I am reinventing what to eat.  There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables that it is easy to get those into my daily diet.  However, bean soups are just hard to do when it is 90 plus degrees outside.  I did a search for cold bean salads yesterday and I found a real winner:  Black bean mango salad.  I will include the recipe, with some changes I made.  It was delicious.  What I found eating a whole food diet is that it isn't that difficult and I stay so full.  It is fun finding new recipes to try.  Today I am fixing Summer Fruit Pie.  I will let you know on the next post how it turned out.

The past few months I have really been more in maintenance mode and have eaten some things that I really should not have been eating.  I had my physical last week.  My numbers were good, but up from 3 months ago which shows how much diet affects our system.  I had lost 7 lbs since I was last in and my doctor was thrilled.  My blood pressure was excellent.   I have been off my blood pressure medicine for one week now and this morning it was 113/72.   It feels good not to be on any medication at all.

Anyone that has been overweight knows how easy it is to get discouraged.  I have lost 25 pounds since October 8th, but really feel I should be at my goal weight by now.  My cousin and her husband have been on the plan 9 weeks.  He has lost 33 pounds and she has lost 23 pounds.  They both feel great and no longer have unhealthy cravings.  I am so proud of them.  You can see where I feel discouraged:  9 WEEKS......8 MONTHS.  I beat myself up for a while, but then decided to be proud that I have lost the 25 pounds rather than continue to gain.  I have given myself a goal to be at my ideal weight by my one year anniversary on the plan.  If it happens sooner, that would be great but I will never give up or go back to eating my old way.  I have received so many other benefits, such as normal blood pressure and I feel good.  I look "a little" better too.  As Jim Valvano said: Never EVER give up.  (Yes, I am a NC State fan)

Food for Thought:

Certain foods promote breakdown of bone and osteoporosis. Other foods supply the body with the nutrients necessary to build and maintain healthy, strong bones.
The worst foods for bone health:
  • Excessive consumption of animal protein and other high protein foods leave acidic residues in the blood, and the body responds by dissolving bone to release basic calcium salts to neutralize the acid, which results in loss of calcium in the urine. Many studies have found animal protein intake to be associated with low bone mass.7,8 In contrast, plant protein intake is associated with decreased hip fractures in the elderly.9 Natural plant foods do not leave an acidic residue in the blood or promote urinary calcium excretion.10
  • Too much salt promotes the excretion of calcium in the urine.11
  • Caffeine also contributes to urinary calcium loss. High caffeine intake is associated with increased bone loss and osteoporotic fractures.12,13
  • Soda, including diet and decaffeinated soda, is associated with bone loss.14,15 Soda consumption increases parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the blood, which increases blood calcium concentrations by stimulating bone breakdown. This increased blood calcium is then excreted in the urine.16
The best foods:

Whole plant foods are the best foods for bones. Studies show that individuals with the highest consumption of fruit and vegetables have the strongest bones.17,18
  • Beans, seeds, and greens. A diet full of natural plant foods provides the calcium and other bone-building phytochemicals and micronutrients required to build strong bones. Green vegetables in particular are rich calcium sources. For example, one four-ounce serving of steamed kale has just as much calcium as one cup of milk. Broccoli, bok choy, spinach, sesame seeds, and garbanzo beans are also excellent calcium sources. Furthermore, the body absorbs over 50% of the calcium in green vegetables, compared to only 32% of the calcium in milk.19
  • Green vegetables are high in vitamin K, which is a crucial component for maintaining healthy bones.20
  • Nuts and seeds are rich in magnesium, an essential mineral for the formation of bone tissue.21 They also help maintain adequate calorie and protein intake, to maintain muscle and bone mass without having to rely on high acid-forming animal products.
The point is that a nutritarian diet is not only designed for heart disease and cancer protection and for normalization of body weight, but it also is healthiest for your bones. Combined with Vitamin D adequacy and exercise, you can have healthy bones for life.     Dr. Fuhrman






Recipe of the day: 

Black Bean Mango Salad

2 cans of low sodium black beans
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn
1 cup of diced mango (I used a little more)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 clove of minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 of pear infused vinegar (or your favorite)
Romaine Lettuce

If using fresh corn on the cob, steam for 7 minutes or until tender, drain, cool and cut off kernels close to the cob.  Mix all ingredients, except lettuce.  Let stand for at least 15 minutes.  Serve on top of lettuce


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