Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Oh, Just the Rest of My Life

Someone ask me how long was I going to stay on this diet plan.  I was shocked at how I felt about the question.  This isn't a diet, it is a way of life.  I do not plan to go back to eating the way I used to eat.  I feel very satisfied with my food and enjoy eating this way.  I am definitely enjoying the benefits.  Losing weight that I have struggled so long to lose and feeling great at the same time.  I am 56 years old and I am on no medication, my blood pressure and lipid panels are normal.  Kenny is making progress also, his doctor told him today to cut his blood pressure medicine in half.

In April we will be taking a trip of a life time.  I was a little worried about the temptation of food while on the trip.  But today I found myself thinking of all the wonderful fruit that will be available not the cakes and pies.  Wow, I am shocked.  I have no desire for the former things I used to love.  I only wish I had known years ago what I know now.  The more I read about sugar, flour and dairy the more I know I have made a decision to live healthier.  The article I am posting today is about wheat.  This is just one of many that tells of the dangers of wheat.  I hope you read it and do other searches to gain a great knowledge of exactly what we are putting into our bodies.

Recipe of the Day: 






This is doubled the recipe.



Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza



CRUST:
1/2 LARGE head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (or try another kind!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
TOPPINGS:
1/2 cup tomato-basil marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Green Pepper chopped
1/2 large sweet onion chopped
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits

Directions:

1. Shred the cauliflower into small crumbles. You can use the food processor if you'd like, but you just want crumbles, not puree. You'll need a total of about 2 cups or so of cauliflower crumbles (which is about half a large head of cauliflower. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes (see Tips below if you do not have a microwave). Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.
2. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden).  While the crust is cooking, cook the pepper in onions in vegetable broth or water to make tender.   Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.
3. Prepare the pizza: Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the green pepper, onion and pineapple, spreading it out around the pizza. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.
Food for Thought:


Your Addiction to Wheat Products Is Making You Fat and Unhealthy
By Nicholas Jackson
After having his patients cut wheat from their diets completely, Dr. William Davis says, they lost weight and showed improved clarity
WheatField-Reuters-Post.jpg
You've seen wheat. You know what it looks like -- amber waves of grain and all that. But when Katharine Lee Bates wrote those words, part, of course, of the patriotic song "America the Beautiful," back in 1895, the wheat fields she was looking out on were far different from the ones that cover our plains today. Back then, wheat was taller, more majestic. Today, wheat plants are more than two feet shorter and "it's stockier, so it can support a much heavier seedbed," Dr. William Davis told Maclean's.
That's not a result of genetic modification, of changing the structure in a lab. Instead, it's a result of years and years of cross-breeding and hybridization designed to make our agricultural products resistant to drought and better performing. It's like picking the two fattest pigs in the pen and forcing them to breed because you really like bacon. And raising one really fat pig takes just as much work as raising one skinny pig. The problem? Bacon, as it turns out, is not so good for you.
"[W]e've created thousands of what I call Frankengrains over the past 50 years, using pretty extreme techniques, and their safety for human consumption has never been tested or even questioned," Davis told the Canadian weekly.
That is, they haven't been tested in large-scale scientific experiments. Back home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he's a practicing preventive cardiologist when he isn't busy writing or speaking, Davis has been running his own tests. Several months after he told his pre-diabetic and diabetic patients to remove all wheat products from their diets, Davis says on his website, they had lost dozens of pounds and showed improvements in asthma, acid reflux, mental clarity, and more. Davis collected these lessons in a new book, Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health, which is why he spoke with Maclean's.
Q: How does wheat make us fat, exactly?
A: It contains amylopectin A, which is more efficiently converted to blood sugar than just about any other carbohydrate, including table sugar. In fact, two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar to a higher level than a candy bar does. And then, after about two hours, your blood sugar plunges and you get shaky, your brain feels foggy, you're hungry. So let's say you have an English muffin for breakfast. Two hours later you're starving, so you have a handful of crackers, and then some potato chips, and your blood sugar rises again. That cycle of highs and lows just keeps going throughout the day, so you're constantly feeling hungry and constantly eating. Dieticians have responded to this by advising that we graze throughout the day, which is just nonsense. If you eliminate wheat from your diet, you're no longer hungry between meals because you've stopped that cycle. You've cut out the appetite stimulant, and consequently you lose weight very quickly. I've seen this with thousands of patients.
Q: But I'm not overweight and I exercise regularly. So why would eating whole wheat bread be bad for me?
A: You can trigger effects you don't perceive. Small low-density lipoprotein [LDL] particles form when you're eating lots of carbohydrates, and they are responsible for atherosclerotic plaque, which in turn triggers heart disease and stroke. So even if you're a slender, vigorous, healthy person, you're still triggering the formation of small LDL particles. And second, carbohydrates increase your blood sugars, which cause this process of glycation, that is, the glucose modification of proteins. If I glycate the proteins in my eyes, I get cataracts. If I glycate the cartilage of my knees and hips, I get arthritis. If I glycate small LDL, I'm more prone to atherosclerosis. So it's a twofold effect. And if you don't start out slender and keep eating that fair trade, organically grown whole wheat bread that sounds so healthy, you're repeatedly triggering high blood sugars and are going to wind up with more visceral fat. This isn't just what I call the wheat belly that you can see, flopping over your belt, but the fat around your internal organs. And as visceral fat accumulates, you risk responses like diabetes and heart disease.
Read the full interview.
Image: REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/09/your-addiction-to-wheat-products-is-making-you-fat-and-unhealthy/245526/

Monday, February 13, 2012

Unbelieveable Energy

Wow, I feel good.  If I could sing I would sing a song.  Last week was incredible.   I have a new grand baby born on Thursday.  His name is Eli and he is precious.  My throat seems to be well and I have so much energy.  I have also lost 20 lbs. Now on to the next 20.  It will be slow but I am okay with that because this time I know I will NOT be gaining it back.

I have had psoriasis since I was 14 years old.  Sometimes it is worse than others.  It usually gets bad during the winter months.  For the past year it was getting constantly worse.  When I read Dr. Fuhrman's book he said eating a nurtritarian diet could clear up psoriasis.  I thought, "yeah right".
Well it had all cleared up but just a little on my elbows and I was so pleased.  Then....I got sick and they gave me prednisone in the hospital for the pain.  Prednisone is a very strange drug.  I remember when I was young my mother went on prednisone for her psoriasis.  Not as much was known about it back then.  Her psoriasis cleared up and she was so happy but then she started having a lot of bad side effects.  She had to go off the drug.  When the drug was out of her system the psoriasis came back worse than ever.   The little I had on my elbow went completely away after the shot I got week before last.  Once it was out of my system it came back on my elbows and on my knees.  But thank goodness for the way I eat now it is already going away again.  This little episode has proven to me that diet is so much better than using drugs to treat illness.   Sometimes we have no choice but to take medication and I am not a freak that believes everyone should throw away their medicine.  However, I feel that diet can improve our health and sometimes eliminate the need for medication.  Wouldn't you love to be able throw away all the medications you have in your medicine cabinet?

Food for Thought:


America is the most medicated nation on Earth. Department of Health and Human Services data shows that at least half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, with one in six taking three or more medications. Prescription drug use is rising among people of all ages, and use increases with age. Five out of six persons 65 and older are taking at least one medication. Prescriptions for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, blood glucose/sugar regulators and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, in particular increased notably between 1996 and 2002. Prescription drugs are the fastest growing health expenditure; costs have risen at least 15 % every year since 1998.  (Dr. Fuhrman)

Recipe of the Day:

German Chocolate Fudge Bites:



  • 3/4 cup pitted dates 
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/16 tsp salt
  • 2 T cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
  • 2 T shredded coconut
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pecans
  • optional: feel free to add some chocolate chips


Blend all ingredients together very well.  I used my Vita Mix or you can use a food processor.  Roll into balls.

These are the best sweet I have made so far.





Sunday, February 5, 2012

Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words

Wild Rice with mushroom and onions served with a sweet potato.



Start with low sodium vegetable broth.  This recipe in the past I always used real butter.



Saute onions and mushrooms in vegetable broth.  I added a salt free California Blend of seasoning.






Salt has been hard to let go of.  It was much easier letting go of sweets.  If you add salt after cooking it takes much less than if you add it in the recipe.  I wanted just a little dash of low sodium sea salt on this.


Add cooked wild rice.  Ummmmm!


I made the whole bag of wild rice because it takes 45 minutes to cook. I will be freezing the rest to be used at a later time.  Cooking fresh takes a while but if you learn to cook a lot at one time most things freeze really well and saves time later.

I am back to kitchen now to make smoothies to freeze.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Knowing When You Are Really Sick

Wednesday night a week and a half ago I got a sore throat, by Thursday morning the pain was so horrible I couldn't stand it. I was in the doctor's office by 9:00. I saw the PA and she said it looked like a small ulcer in the very back of my throat. She called in a prescription for a mouthwash to use. The pain remained unbelievable all day. Around 4:00 I called back and she called in an antibiotic. When Kenny got home from work I had started having chills, a fever and my blood pressure and heart rate had gone up. He wanted me to go to the ER but Urgent Care was still open so we went there. The doctor took one look and said I needed to go to the hospital for a CT scan and antibiotics by IV. It turned out it was an abscess on my tonsil. A condition that can turn very dangerous. The reason for telling all this is because you know your body better than anyone and if you feel something is not right don't be afraid to insist something is wrong. Also do research on the Internet. It helps to be aware of what it might be. I definitely learned that with Kenny's illness in October.

The diet is still going well. This week I joined Pinterest. I couldn't imagine what all the excitement was about. I have found out. I am finding a huge source of healthy recipes. The test kitchen will be open to try some and change them to make them fit the way I eat. I love the challenge of making them healthier. I purchased a new book on iBooks last night. The name of it is "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall. it is very interesting reading. She takes eating vegetables a bit further. I will stick to Dr. Fuhrman's plan. Reading her book is helping enforce what I have learned from Dr. Fuhrman.

I read an article this week attaching green smoothies and how unhealthy they are.  Anything done in excess can be unhealthy.   However, I still support that it is a very healthy way to start my day.  Following is part of an article I found in support of green smoothies.

Nutrient Absorption



Vegetables are packed full of vitamins, minerals and omega 3's, making them nutrient-dense foods. Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and lettuce are especially nutrient dense, making them good components of a green smoothie. By pureeing, or juicing, the vegetables in the blender, nutrients are released from within their encapsulated cellulose walls and are easily absorbed into the bloodstream. A related benefit is that consuming a green smoothie not only provides the body with a good supply of nutrients, it also helps to curb junk-food cravings.


Recipe of the Day:
White Bean Chicken Chili
2 (13 oz) cans of chicken breast drained
1 bag navy beans
1 Jar of Harris Teeter Naturals Organic mild salsa
1/2 (32 oz) box low sodium organic chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
2 cups 2% sharp cheddar cheese (I used Vegan Cheddar Cheese)
2 slices of 2%  provolone cheese
1 TBSP cumin
1 bag of organic blue corn tortilla chips

Soak the beans then cook until they are so soft they bust open.
Drain beans completely.
Add all the ingredients together in a big pot and heat til hot.
Serve with chips or eat alone like chili.

So easy and so tasty. 


Monday, January 23, 2012

OK....Some Meat

In my first blog I said "no meat". Dr Fuhrman  prefers no meat but after the first six weeks he does allow up to 12 ozs a week . This is what Kenny and I have been doing. Usually we save our meat until the week end. The only red meat I eat is filet.  I know it is best to have no red meat but sometimes I just want a good steak.  We have grilled fish and grilled chicken in 4 oz servings. That is 3 times a week. Some weeks I haven't even eaten the whole 12 ounces. Eating less meat has been a lot easier than I ever thought it would be.   Dr. Furhman says to think of meat as a condiment.

Portabella Mushrooms are a wonderful substitute for meat.  I spray them with grape seed oil and sprinkle with salt free steak seasoning and cook on the grill or on my George Foreman grill.   Grape seed oil is a healthier choice than olive oil.  I have a spray container I picked up at a kitchen store that I can put my own oil in.   Grape seed oil is very light.

I feel like I am a test kitchen. Today I made up a recipe.  It turned out pretty good. Kenny liked them. He even passed on his chocolate ice cream tonight.
I don't know what to name them. Give me suggestions.

Recipe of the Day

No Name Mini Muffins

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 dates
1 large apple
1 tbs. Cocoa
1  tsp. vanilla

Puree dates and apple with milk in blender. Add vanilla and cocoa. In bowl mix other ingredients. Add liquid and stir. Spray and fill mini muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.   Makes 24 mini muffins.

I patted the mixture in the pan level full.  

Food for Thought

"Instead of searching for weight loss gimmicks and tricks, adopt a resolution to be healthy. Focusing on your health, not on your weight , will eventually result in long term weight loss.  Eating a healthy diet, one rich in an assortment of natural plant fibers, will help you crave less and feel satisfied without overeating."  (Dr. Fuhrman - Eat to Live)

Friday, January 20, 2012

My New Best Friend


Legumes are my new best friend.  These are delicious and keep me very full.  My whole dieting life I have stayed away from beans.  I thought they were a starch and would cause weight gain.  Now I find out that they can actually help me lose weight. and are my best source for protein.  Lentils are my favorite.  They are the fastest to cook and you can add many different things to them.  There are so many different kinds of legumes that you can never get bored eating them.  I usually buy dry beans and soak them.  When you purchase canned products they are full of sodium.  

My daughter suggests Chick peas as a snack.  Chick peas just rinsed and eaten taste a lot like boiled peanuts.  They make a very heathy snack.  Eat all you want.  There are no limits on Legumes.

Recipe of the Day     

Italian Lentils  (My Recipe)

1 bag of lentils
1 large can of organic low sodium chopped tomatoes
1 large green pepper (cut chunky)
1 large onion (cut chunky)
2 cloves of garlic
Salt free Italian seasoning
Organic Vegetable Broth

Cook until tender.


Coming soon....White Bean Chili

Food for thought:

"Maybe if high blood pressure medications had never been invented, doctors would have been forced to teach healthful living and nutritional disease causation to their patients.  It is possible that maybe more lives  could have been saved."  (Dr. Fuhrman - Eat to Live)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

My Doctor's Visit

My appointment with my doctor yesterday went very well.  She was very pleased that I had lost 17 pounds.  She said that she doesn't usually see a weight loss in January.  :)  I made it through the holidays.  Now I hope to lose 17 more pounds in the next three months.  She was also all smiles about my blood work.  Here are my numbers before becoming a nutritarian and now.

January 2012                                    June 2011                             Normal Range

CHOL  199                                       225                                         100 - 200

TRIG      90                                       118                                           0 - 150

HDL       65 (Good Cholesterol)             87                                           35 - 60

LDL      110                                       115                                          80 - 130 

These numbers are after three months of improved eating.  I go pack in June and she said she is anxious to repeat my blood test.

I must admit I wish the weight would come off a little faster.  I have always been very slow to lose and very fast to gain.  :)  My weakness is exercise.  I know the numbers would be much better if I could just get into the habit of exercising.  I seem to have settled into eating this way very well,  now I need to develop the habit of exercise.

No matter how much I lose I know that I am healthier and that should be the real goal.