Wow, almost had to re-learn how to post on my own blog. Sorry it's been so long, life has been a bit crazy. The good news is that I'm still following my plant based diet. I've now lost 45 lbs. and feel WONDERFUL!! Of course, there are some new problems to contend with, the first being that my clothes are waaaay too big! I keep punching holes in my belts and cinching things up further but we are finally to a point where I need to look at getting new clothes. Nice problem to have! On a side note, one of the recent recipes I tried and really enjoyed was a recipe from one of the McDougall books for strawberry syrup. The syrup can be used over pancakes, ice cream or for dipping other fruit. Whatever it's use....it's good stuff! Here's the recipe: Servings: Makes 2 cups Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 6-8 minutes 1 cup unsweetened apple juice 1 cup sliced strawberries, thawed frozen or fresh 1 Tbsp. corn starch Directions: Pour the juice into a blender and add 1/2 cup of the strawberries. Process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan. Add the cornstarch and stir until well mixed. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add the remaining strawberries. Heat through and server warm. Enjoy!
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HEADLINE: Plant-based diet may help depression, dementia.
A new study in the July 6, 2010, issue of Neurology suggests that having depression boosts the risk of developing dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. Read the story... Note: Sorry, I'm on vacation and have not updated the blog much. Hopefully, this will hold you over for a bit ;-) Wow....not my favorite newspaper but they got this right. HEADLINE: Shaping How We Eat: The Debate Rages "The new dietary guidelines report recommends a plant-based diet and lowering salt intake. But it is just a starting point. The U.S. government has just served up a heaping mouthful to people who eat — the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010." Read the rest of the article here.... One of the suggestions in the "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" book is to read another book called, "The China Study". I've put it off for some time but finally got around to purchasing it and reading it. I'm probably 80% of the way through the book and I have one thing to say....YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! The book is written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and he tells the story of starting out on a dairy farm believing animal protein is exactly what we need. As he researches and follows the idea that animal protein is the best way to get protein, he starts seeing trends that conflict with his beliefs. Over the course of several years, he does a 180 degree turn and realizes that animal protein is what is causing the problem for so many of our health related issues. He presents research that ties our diet and animal protein to cancer, diabetes, macular degeneration, arthritis, heart disease and many other ailments we suffer in America. The book pulls together over 750 different research projects done by different researchers and presents a case against eating animal protein. Dr. Campbell has been researching and studying the effects of diet on our health for over 30 years and has been involved in many of the programs we've heard about or read about as it relates to health research. If you read no other book this year, please take the time to read The China Study....it will probably change your life! (Note: for those of you that think a plant based diet is extreme or hard to do, read this book and it will help give you the motivation to change your diet for your health). If you've read the book or after you read it, please post your thoughts or comments on the book as a comment to this post. On the first night of our camping trip, there was a farmers market at Avila Beach. There were lots of different sellers with everything from kettle corn, to indian food, mexican food, roasted corn, fresh vegetables and even some little trinkets being sold. What caught my eye was a gentlemen selling various flavored vinegars. I was able to taste test a few of them and decided to purchase the one in this picture called Pacific Spice. I'm always looking for sauces and dressings that do not have oil. According to the label, there is no oil but it tastes great! I tried it on some whole wheat pasta and it was good. Would also be wonderful over any veggies or on a salad. It's a little pricey at $10 per bottle but if you want to support a San Luis farmer, Chaparral Gardens is the way to go. Oh, and Craig (owner) was a nice guy also! This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
I went camping this weekend with just my little family. We went to Avila beach and had a wonderful time enjoying the cooler weather. We even brought along the dog...which was a new experience for him and for us. The dog did great and we had a great time! On the way home, we stopped at a gas station and while I took my son to the restroom, my wife did some gas station window shopping with the girls. When I came out of the bathroom, she had a big grin on her face and was holding up the following bumper sticker: That bride of mine....she just isn't right in the head.
So I'm sure you remember the post about the banana ice cream....well, here is my latest upgrade. I had a frozen banana in the freezer and went to get it to make some ice cream (we are almost at 100 degrees here in Bakersfield). When I opened the freezer to get the frozen banana, I noticed bags of frozen pineapple (Cari's favorite). I thought to myself, "Hmmm....banana and pineapple...sounds good. So I defrost each so they were still frozen but a bit soft and threw them in the food processor with 1 tsp of Coconut extract and a little water. YUMMY!!! I LOVE IT! And getting to eat it guilt free knowing that it's just two frozen pieces of fruit with a little coconut extract kick.
My buddy Mike (who is also on a plant based diet) brought in some enchiladas that he promised fit the diet. I tried them and was astounded how wonderful they were. I finally decided to take my own stab at enchiladas, and indeed, with a few tips from Mike, they were wonderful! The main key to the enchiladas is a wonderful ground beef substitute called Smart Ground. Not sure where all it is sold but we found it at Fresh and Easy here in Bakersfield (Update: Lassens also carries it). This product can be used as a ground beef substitute in any recipe and does a wonderful job in these enchiladas. (Thanks Mike for the Smart Ground tip!!). Prep time: 25 min Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: Enchilada Sauce
Enchiladas
Instructions: Enchilada Sauce
Enchiladas
Note: Modified recipe from McDougall book. Me and the kids went camping for one night at Wind Wolves Preserve south of Bakersfield. We met up with Kent's family and his brother-in-law and spent the night and then went on a nice long 5-6 mile hike. The temperature was perfect and we had a great time. Of course, one of the challenges was figuring out what to eat that would work for camping. We only brought a very small cook stove, bowls and spoons. So here is what my food choices ended up being and it worked out great! Friday Supper -Rice (steamed ahead of time), black beans and corn mixed with a Southwest Salsa (warmed up on the stove). -Whole wheat curly pasta with an oil free Italian dressing and pepper (served cold) -Whole wheat Pita bread -Oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert Saturday Breakfast -Quick oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and sugar -Banana -Coffee Saturday Lunch/Snacks We didn't really have a formal lunch but rather trail snacks. -Two different kinds of Red Mill granola -Dried apples -Banana -Raisins -Orange -Whole wheat pita bread -Lots of water We came home Saturday afternoon. Here are some more pictures of the trip. I have been fascinated for some time about TED talks. TED which is Technology, Entertainment and Design is famous for providing 20 minute monologues from some very intelligent people talking about a whole array of issues. In this particular TED talk, Dr. William Li talks about new methods for preventing or reducing cancer. The talk is about how to use anti-angiogenesis to reduce blood flow to cancers. It turns out that there are several foods that can provide the same anti-angiogenesis effect that prevents cancer. Oddly enough....almost all of the recommended foods are plant based.....fancy that! Check out the 20 minute video below: |
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