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.
