Rainy Day Recipes

Rainy Day Recipes

Today has been rainy and cool.  To put the day to good use I spent all day in the kitchen.  In the past this would have been a bad thing, but today it has been good.  I have tested some recipes by substituting healthy food to replace un healthy food.  Eating healthy does not mean the same old boring food over and over again.  What I like best about eating like a Nutritarian is all the variety I can have.  I like the challenge of making the old favorites into wonderful healthy eating.

It has been almost two years since I became a Nutritarian.  Time has really flown by and I can't believe this is one way of eating I can stick with and enjoy.  I feel too healthy to ever give up on eating this way.  I have kept off the 30 pounds.  I would like to lose 15 more but even if I never do, I am much healthier and look much better than I used to.

At my last physical all my numbers were still improving.  The one I was most excited about was my C-Reactive Protein.  This is a blood test that measures inflammation in the body.  My doctor said it is actually a better indicator of heart disease than cholesterol.  The first time she took it in 2008 it was 10, normal range being 0 - to 3 mg/L..  There is no medication to bring this down like there is for cholesterol.  Every year since then it has varied from 8 to 10.  I tried not to let this concern me because I have psoriasis which is an inflammation of the body and an auto immune disease.  That helped me to relax and realize I wasn't likely to have a heart attack.  Recently, I have read that people with psoriasis are more prone to heart attacks because of the inflammation.  The good news is with eating like a Nutritarian my psoriasis is just about completely gone and drum role please…….my C-Reactive Protein is . 28.  That is point 28.  Less than 1.  I never thought I would see that number in the normal range.  I am glad there is no medication to lower this number.  Now I know it can be lowered just by eating right.  So much better than collecting pill bottles.


Food for Thought:

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels

The hs-CRP test measures your risk for heart problems. It may be done to find out if you have an increased chance of having a sudden heart problem, such as a heart attack. But the connection between high CRP levels and heart attack risk is not very well-understood.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels

Less than 1.0 mg/L           Lowest risk
1.0 to 3.0 mg/L                 Average risk
More than 3.0 mg/L          Highest risk


Recipes of the Day:

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup petite carrots, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 avocado

In heavy medium pot pour one cup of vegetable broth, add onions and carrots, salt and pepper.  Sauté until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.  Add broccoli and the rest of the broth.  Simmer until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.  Pour in almond milk and add avocado.  With an immersion blender, puree the soup.  I blended it in my Vitamix.   Serve hot.  I add a little vegan cheese on top. 


The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 3 Tbls. of flour.  The healthy avocado and almond milk replaces that and makes the soup really rich and creamy and very healthy.

Butternut Squash Soup

4 pounds of butternut squash  (I found it at the grocery store already cubed in the produce department)
1 cup finely chopped onion
5 Granny Smith apples finely chopped 
2 Tbls. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 cups of vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado

In large stockpot pour in 1 cup of broth, sauté' the onion, apple, thyme and ginger for 5 minutes, until the onion and apple are softened.  Add squash and the rest of the broth.  Simmer 20 to 30 minutes until the squash begins to fall apart.  Add avocado.   Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.  I pureed it in my Vitamix.  I like it topped with a few chopped walnuts and some vegan cheese.

The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream and another 1/2 cup of butter.  The avocado made this so rich and creamy without all the unhealthy ingredients.

In my recipes I use organic produce and broth.

Are You Carrying Too Much Sand?

A friend of mine recently lost 60 pounds and I am very proud of her.  What she has done for her health and future is wonderful.  I was out this morning spreading new sand on my patio to fill in cracks that have opened up.  The sand came in 50 pound bags.  I had to drag them around because I could not pick them up.  I was thinking the whole time how she had lost 10 pounds more than what I was trying to lift.  Can you imagine what carrying around this much extra weight does to your body?  No wonder so many people have knee replacements.  They can't climb stairs, their joints ache all the time, and they have no energy.  I see more and more people riding around in those auto shopping carts.  It's really sad that we have eaten our way into such misery. 

It would be smart if everyone out there that needs to lose weight would get something that weighs the amount you want to lose.  Each time you think of putting something unhealthy in your mouth, pick the item up and carry it around a few minutes ( if you can lift it) and then see if you still want to eat whatever it was.  I seriously doubt you would.  I have twenty more pounds to lose so I am on a mission to find two things around the house today weighing 10 pounds each.  I will let you know if it helps me get serious about this last 20 pounds.

Food for Thought: 

Obesity’s Effects on

Bones and Joints

Stephen P. Makk, M.D., M.B.A.

Obesity is an escalating health threat in the United States. It

increases the risk of developing life-shortening conditions

including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea and

cancer. Excessive weight also affects the musculoskeletal system.

Obesity is generally defined as being more than thirty

percent above one’s ideal body weight. The rate of obesity is

increasing across all demographic groups in the U.S. and is

especially high in children. While many factors are to blame,

certainly poor diets, fueled by processed and fast foods, and

sedentary lifestyles are culprits.

Joint and Spinal Problems

Obesity accelerates the wear on the joints and spine. In

particular, osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis) of the knees is

increased. Obese people have difficulty squatting (getting on

and off the toilet, getting out of a car), running and climbing stairs.

Biomechanically this is explained because the force on one’s

knees between the patella (kneecap) and its articulation with

the rest of the knee is about three times your body weight with

walking. When these other activities are undertaken, the forces

can reach six to 10 times body weight. That is, the force on a 200-

pound person’s knees while walking is 600 pounds, and when

they are climbing, running, squatting, etc. the force approaches

1200-2000 pounds. Multiply that by the number of years people

are overweight and you get excessive wear and thus arthritis.

The corollary is true as well, and this provides a nice

incentive to lose weight. The bang for the buck for the knees is 3-

10 pounds of wear reduction for every pound lost! Simply losing

10-20 pounds can make a real difference in one’s activity level.

Moderate exercise and leg-strengthening exercises can reduce

the effective joint forces as well.

Obesity also affects spinal mechanics. Truncal obesity with

a panniculus (doctor-speak for a big gut) causes an anterior

bending force and a compressive force on the spinal column,

thus leading to disc pathology and back pain. Imagine wearing

a backpack backwards with 50-75 pounds in it for a day and you

get the idea.

Hip and Knee Replacements 

As an orthopedist specializing in hip and knee replacements,

I often see obese patients with severe knee arthritis. In fact, this

is a wide-scale, increasing problem. Some are too overweight

to physically perform surgery on, notwithstanding the inherently

higher perioperative risks that they have. Sometimes we have no

alternative but to suggest that they buy motorized scooters.

Many patients swear that they will lose weight after they get

their knees replaced. I can count on one hand and personally

remember the patients that I have operated on over the last

dozen or so years who have actually done this. There was a well-

researched paper in our most respected journal a few years ago

that showed that the average weight loss one year after knee

replacement was actually a six-pound weight gain.

Additionally, hip and knee replacements demonstrate wear in

all the patients that get them, and obese patients, especially young

ones, tend to wear out faster, necessitating additional “revision”

operations which are usually more involved, to say the least.

Research shows that obese joint replacement patients do

worse functionally than thinner patients overall. But, studies also

show that obese joint recipients in the short term have equally

high satisfaction scores with the procedures. It is clear that obese

patients have more complications in the perioperative period,

including anesthetic difficulties, infections, blood clots, medical

problems and poorer functional outcomes.

In summary, obesity is bad for the musculoskeletal system.

With the average lifespan increasing, it would be prudent to keep

your weight at a reasonable level and to keep fit so that you may

better enjoy those extra years without the pain and limitations of

musculoskeletal wear.

Recipe of the Day:    

4 red potatoes
1 bunch kale
4 T. water (or more)
1 onion thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 T. tamari

Instructions:
Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Steam over boiling water until just tender when pierced with a fork. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

Rinse kale and remove stems. Cut or tear the leaves into very small pieces and set aside.

Heat 2 T. water in a large skillet and add the onion, garlic and sesame seeds. Saute 5 minutes. Add the cooked potatoes, black pepper, and paprika. Continue cooking until the potatoes begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the mixture gently as it cooks.

Spread the kale leaves over the top of the potato mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 T. water and the tamari. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 7 minutes  

If you don't think you like kale try this.  I didn't think I did but I really liked this and so did my son that never eats greens of any kind.

I served this with sweet potato cut in cubes sprinkled with cinnamon and coconut sugar and baked in the microwave until soft.  Yummy

I feel CLEAN!

30 pounds lighter and feeling so much better.  I still have 10 to go to get where I would like to be.  Not as thin as some may think I should be but my desire has never been to be thin just healthy and not fat.  It feels wonderful to say I have 10 pounds to lose instead of 40.  This has not been a real struggle either.  I have just had to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race.  I am planning on winning this race and never losing again.  I have changed so many bad eating habits to good habits.  That is the point, it has to become a habit. Instead of feeling normal when I eat something unhealthy it feels strange and unusual.   This is not temporary.  This is a permanent lifestyle change.  I know this is repetitive, but I really have no desire to eat the way I used to.  Not saying I never slip.  Boy, I do, but when I do I physically feel bad.  When I get back to  eating the way I should, it's hard to explain how I feel.  One word that works best is "clean".  I feel clean inside.  My body is getting the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.  This winter so many have been sick with flu and colds.  I haven't even had the sniffles.  (I will probably wake up sick as a dog tomorrow.)  My resistance is up against the enemy of sickness and disease.

Lately, we have had a lot of bad news about friends suffering from serious health issues.  People younger than I am fighting for their lives from deadly disease.  Thank goodness for modern medicine, but please don't put all your faith in that.  Start filling your body with as much healthy food as possible and drop those things killing you like a hot potato.   I can't say enough about how the book Eat to Live has positively influenced my life.  If you are fighting for your life, please read this book.  What do you have to lose?  It's time to give up those sugars, fats, dairy, and over processed foods and eat food that will feed and heal your body.  It is possible to turn your health around.  Don't give up.

My husband got his latest blood work back.  He has been on cholesterol medicine for a very long time.  He stopped taking it about 6 months ago.  His numbers are as follows:

 On Medication                                        Off Medication eating better (most of the time)

Cholesterol         239                                195
Triglycerides       159                                158 
HDL                       45                                  41
LDL                      162                                122
Non HDL Chol     194                                154

Some numbers still need improvement but th wonderful results and he no longer takes a drug that has horrible side effects.  He also is taking half the blood pressure medicine he used to take.  Unfortunately he may have to continue to take this because of this high stress job and me.  :)

Food for Thought:

February 28, 2012

Safety Alerts Cite Cholesterol Drugs’ Side Effects

By GARDINER HARRIS

Federal health officials on Tuesday added new safety alerts to the prescribing information for statins, the cholesterol-reducing medications that are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, citing rare risks of memory loss, diabetes and muscle pain.

It is the first time that the Food and Drug Administration has officially linked statin use with cognitive problems like forgetfulness and confusion, although some patients have reported such problems for years. Among the drugs affected are huge sellers like Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and Vytorin.

But federal officials and some medical experts said the new alerts should not scare people away from statins. “The value of statins in preventing heart disease has been clearly established,” said Dr. Amy G. Egan, deputy director for safety in the F.D.A.’s division of metabolism and endocrinology products. “Their benefit is indisputable, but they need to be taken with care and knowledge of their side effects.”

Diabetes patients and even those who develop diabetes while taking statins should continue taking the medicines, said Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, who has studied the medicines extensively.

“These are not major issues, and they really do not alter the decision-making process with regard to statins,” Dr. Nissen said.

Last year, nearly 21 million patients in the United States were prescribed statins. Whether that number of users is too high or too low has been debated for years. While advice on whether to take statins involves a complex mix of factors like age, family history and blood pressure, some experts have suggested that those with total cholesterol levels around 200 would benefit from treatment. Others have argued that treatment should not start until a cholesterol level of 240 or higher, all other factors being equal.

Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s health research group, is among those who contend statins are overused. He said the new alerts about risks provided more reasons that otherwise healthy people with cholesterol levels less than 240 “should not be taking these drugs.”

The F.D.A. said that routine monitoring of liver enzymes in the blood, once considered standard procedure for statin users, was no longer needed because the liver injury associated with statin therapy was so rare.

Reports about memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion span all statin drugs and all age groups of patients, the F.D.A. said. Dozens of well-controlled trials of statins have offered few hints that the drugs cause any kind of cognitive impairment, Dr. Egan said. Still, the F.D.A. has received many reports over the years that some patients felt unfocused or “fuzzy” in their thinking after taking the medicines.

Officials in the F.D.A. debated whether such reports were truly worrisome, Dr. Egan said. But in recent years, the F.D.A. — criticized for waiting too long to issue some safety alerts — has become more willing to be public about possible drug risks, even when the evidence is uncertain

“We are trying to be as transparent as possible with our alerts and labeling,” Dr. Egan said, even though the alert on the possibility of fuzzy thinking “is not overly helpful.”

Statins seem to increase blood sugar levels in some patients by small amounts, and when millions are treated, that change leads to a diagnosis of diabetes for more people.

The F.D.A. had already placed an alert about diabetes risks on the label of Crestor, a big-selling statin made by AstraZeneca, because a Crestor trial showed an increased risk. The agency decided to extend that alert to all drugs in the class with the exception of Pravachol, an older medicine manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

A well-controlled trial of Pravachol previously showed that it reduced the risks of developing diabetes by 30 percent, but other trials have found Pravachol less effective in reducing cardiac risks.

Dr. Egan suggested that doctors check the blood sugar levels of patients after starting them on statin therapy.

That statins can cause muscle pain, particularly at high doses, has long been known, but in its new alert the F.D.A. reminded doctors that some other medications increase the likelihood that statins linger in the body longer than normal and increase the risk of muscle pain. Among the drugs that conflict with statins are hepatitis C protease inhibitors like telaprevir and boceprevir and the antibiotics erythromycin and clarithromycin.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: March 1, 2012
An article on Wednesday about potential side effects of the widely prescribed cholesterol-reducing medications known as statins, using information from the Food and Drug Administration, misidentified the viral infection that is treated with protease inhibitors like telaprevir and boceprevir, which can conflict with statins. It is hepatitis C, not H.I.V.

My thoughts:  Of course they are going to tell you to keep the taking the drugs when they should be telling you to change your lifestyle and do it without drugs!

Another link with good information:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/20/the-truth-about-statin-drugs-revealed.aspx


The fact that statin drugs cause side effects is well established—there are now 900 studies proving their adverse effects, which run the gamut from muscle problems to increased cancer risk. For starters, reported side effects include:

Muscle problems, polyneuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet), and rhabdomyolysis (a serious degenerative muscle tissue condition)	Anemia
Acidosis	Sexual dysfunction
Immune depression	Cataracts
Pancreas or liver dysfunction, including a potential increase in liver enzymes	Memory loss

Muscle problems are the best known of statin drugs' adverse side effects, but cognitive problems and memory loss are also widely reported. A spectrum of other problems, ranging from blood glucose elevations to tendon problems, can also occur. There is evidence that taking statins may even increase your risk for Lou Gehrig's disease, diabetes and even cancer.

Recipe of the day:  Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash is so much fun to cook.  I love taking the fork and making the spaghetti.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds then  put 1/4 cup of water in one side and put the other side on top.  Place in a bowl in the microwave and cook for about 8 minutes.  Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into a bowl.  Heat a skillet with a little vegetable broth and add the garlic, onion, tomato, and spices and saute until onions are tender.  Toss in spaghetti squash and serve.  Yum Yum.  Going to fix some now.  You can use a little healthy oil if you prefer instead of vegetable broth. 

1             spaghetti squash
1/2          small sweet onion chopped
1 cup      Cherry tomatoes cut in half.  As many as you like for your taste
3             cloves of crushed garlic
1             Tablespoon of Italian spices or spices of your choosing
1/2 cup   Vegetable broth

 

Can't Go Back

Note:  This was written, but not published in October.  New one for January coming soon.

I have been reading a lot of books lately on diet and nutrition.  They all differ in what is good for you and what isn't.  However, there is one common theme.  No sugar, no flour, no dairy and buy organic fruits and vegetables and grass fed meat.  I am reading Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle.   Interesting reading, but I still feel that Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live is a healthier way to eat.  Paleo takes out all grains and legumes and adds as much meat as you want as long as it is naturally raised or grass fed.  It also allows fat as long as it is the right kind of fat.  I have enjoyed reading all these nutrition books, but it can get very confusing.  One thing is for sure, nobody agrees on the perfect diet.  Too much money involved in the industry to do that.

At this point, I feel I am still a Nutritarian.  Whole foods are the best way to go.  Stay away from anything processed and read labels on canned items.  If it lists too many ingredients and you can't pronounce one, put it back.   Eat fresh produce as much as possible.  I have not given up meat completely and have decided at this point not to.  I have reduced dramatically the amount of meat I eat to what I was eating a year ago.  It is now a side dish, not the main dish.  I buy only natural meat...no hormones and grass fed.  My new favorite meat is Bison.  It is healthier than chicken or fish, but tastes like beef.  Love it.

It has been one year since I started to eat the way Dr. Fuhrman recommends.  I had no idea that I would still be eating like this one year later.  Sometimes I think of going back to eating the old way and I can't.  I do not want to risk my health on eating fries and doughnuts and the vast supply of unhealthy food that is readily available.  This was a commitment for life and I can't go back.  Most shocking is that I don't want to.  Too much at risk...my life.  It was a very fast year and an easy lifestyle change for me.  If I can do it anybody can.  I also feel much better not carrying around 27 extra pounds.  Next year this time I hope to be carrying around even less.

Food for thought:

Seven Best and Seven Worst Foods for Health and Longevity (Dr. Fuhrman)
Because food has the power to heal, my patients often ask me for my top list of healthy food – the anti-oxidant foods, heart healthy foods, and nutritious foods that are central to the Eat To Live program. These high nutrient foods, consumed regularly, will contribute to your health and longevity. What you eat -- now and when you were growing up -- dramatically affects the state of your health. The effect is cumulative, influencing everything from the amount of energy you have (or lack), to your emotional state, medical condition, and ultimately longevity
Top Seven Foods for Good Health and Longevity

• Black raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Flax Seeds
• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli sprouts

The healthy and nutritious foods are high antioxidant foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. I selected these healthy foods because they contain the most powerful phytochemicals and anthocyanins which illustrate strong inhibition of chemocarcinogens.
Other foods with high antioxidant and high anti-cancer potential include walnuts, sunflower seeds, pomegranates, beets, cabbage, peppers, and parsley. Make your diet strongly cancer-protective and longevity-favorable by including these highly beneficial, nutritious foods.
A good way to think about nutritious food: Produce is the most important health care your money can buy.
Food also has the potential to harm, and these are effective foods for those attempting to die younger. One of my daughters calls this list the Seven Foods of Death.
Worst Seven Foods for Health and Longevity

• Butter
• Cheese
• Potato Chips and French Fries
• Doughnuts
• Salt
• Sausage, hot dogs
• Pickled, smoked or barbequed meat

Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat are consistently associated with high cancer rates. Cheese and butter typically contain over ten times as much saturated fat as fish and white meat chicken and turkey.

Salt has been consistently linked to stomach cancer and stroke, even in populations that eat diets low in saturated fat.
Add the carcinogenic potential from heated and overcooked oils (usually trans containing) delivered in doughnuts and fries with the powerful cancer inducing properties of carbohydrates cooked at high heat (acrylamide formation) and you have a great cancer potion.
Needless to say, I advise people to avoid the foods on my “worst list” entirely.
The best foods to eat are the healthy, nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. By making these antioxidant foods the major portion of your diet, you can protect yourself against cancer and other serious diseases. As you extend your youthful vigor into later years, you have contributed to your longevity by Eating to Live with a healthy, nutritious diet.  (Taken from www.drfuhrman.com)

Recipe of the day:  Cranberries and Apples

1 bag of fresh cranberries
3 apples with peel (chopped)
1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice
1/4 cup coconut sugar
8 medjool dates chopped

Combine in microwave dish with cover and microwave for 4 minutes, stir and microwave 4 more minutes.  I just made this one up and it was yummy and pretty too.