What Do You Do When You Are A Vegan and/or Changing to A Healthier Lifestyle & Your Spouse/Family Won't Join You?!

After reading the comments from some of my previous posts,  I was struck by the fact that a lot of you out there are concerned about the health of those around you and not sure how to convince those you love to make healthier choices!  Some of you are operating as solo vegans in your household (your spouse and kids are committed omnivores).  And some of you are married or parents to compulsive overeaters or anorexics or bulimics or just unhealthy people.  My husband posted on this problem after his father had some heart issues on Christmas Day, but I'm going to delve into it a bit further.  


What can you do to change your loved one's behavior and help them make good choices?  

I don't think you are going to like my answer!  

(Small caveat, my answer applies to adults only--for your kids under the age of 18 I'll refer you back to my posts on Dr. Leo Galland's book:  SuperImmunity for Kids.)

The solution is very simple, very frustrating and a little scary.  And the heart of it is something I've heard money management guru Dave Ramsey say a hundred times:  "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still."  The thing I have learned in my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program is that you cannot change anyone's behavior but your own.  


If you want to stop those around you from harming themselves with food, the best thing you can do is focus on your own recovery & let go of trying to control theirs.  In my 12 step program, we call it "a program of attraction and not promotion."  You attract people to your serenity, your honesty and your physical recovery far more powerfully than trying to convince them that any specific program is right for them! 


Now of course, if your loved one is seriously under or overweight or has significant mental or physical issues that require emergent treatment, you may need to hospitalize them.  But I'm talking about someone who is not emergently ill from their disease, I'm talking about someone who is still practicing eating behaviors that are unhealthy despite your best efforts to change their behavior.    

I see patients come in all the time who have made poor lifestyle choices.  Oftentimes the burden of their care falls on their spouse.  It breaks my heart every time.  It isn't fair, it isn't right but no matter how much we try, no one can make anyone else choose to change.  If you really struggle with this, I've heard that groups like Al-Anon can offer good support for relationship issues such as these.  

Unfortunately, I can share from personal experience that nothing you could say can change another's behavior.  No matter how much I loved my parents, my sisters and my friends, I couldn't stop eating compulsively just because I knew the pain I was causing them.  I remember my Mom sitting me down at one point to have a conversation about how concerned she was about my health--she was crying and saying that it was heartbreaking to see me killing myself every day.  As I passed the 200lb mark, I remember my sister (at my request!) trying to design a workout program for me and motivate me to exercise with her, but I kept being "too busy."  I wasn't wiling to change and sadly, no one could make me willing until I reached my own bottom!


Ironically, I was on the other side of the fence last year trying to deal with my husband, The Happy Nurse's unhealthy food behaviors.    I encouraged, I pushed, I prodded, I guilted, I begged & I yelled but guess what--no behavior change.  Only a lot of resentment and anger.  So my very wise sponsor told me to stop trying to sponsor my husband against his will and focus on my own recovery, in other words: shut up.  So I did.  


I lost another 40lbs and my husband kept noticing (and commenting on) the weight loss, the increased energy, the change in attitude.  Then one awesome day, not long after I stopped bringing up anything to do with weight loss, food or exercise, he came home and informed me that he'd started working a recovery program with his own eating habits.  And I smiled and said great but didn't make a big deal about it.  I shut up.  I let him work through his own process.  I focussed on me.  And it worked--when he was ready he became willing.  


Now my husband, The Happy Nurse is amazing me with his commitment to establishing a healthy lifestyle!  Like me, he is imperfect (who would want a perfect husband??!!) but the point is progress, not perfection--he inspires me every day to keep working my own program! 


The point is, the best advice I can give you is focus on YOU.  In a quiet moment away from a meal, tell your spouse/family how you feel about their behavior ONCE and then let it be.  You don't need to actively endorse your spouse/family's unhealthy behaviors by cooking fried food or massive meaty meals, but you should step away and let them make their own choices.  When they ask you to help them, then you can share what works for you.  Until then, step back and let them do what they decide to do.


The more delicious your own food is, the more they will want to "try it."  The more physical, emotional and spiritual changes that they see in you, the more they will want to join you!  Keep up the hard work!  You can be an inspiration by choosing health one day at a time!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

Healing Your Skin with Food!! Part 2 on "The Clear Skin Diet"

Yay!  Spots Gone!:-)

Today I want to follow up on my previous post "Ok Lets Talk Skin!  New Book to Recommend:  The Clear Skin Diet!"  Since that post two weeks ago I have continued to follow Drs Logan and Treloar's nutritional program to feed my skin the right nutrients it needs to heal!!  I'm delighted to report that after applying my dermatologist recommended products, completely eliminating soy from my diet since mid-December and strictly adhering to my omega-3 fatty acid supplement regimen, the "spots" are gone!! I actually was complimented twice this week on my skin sans makeup!  Whoohooo!  

For my omega-3's, I'm taking a multi-pronged approach.  It turns out that there is soy in a lot of those algae-based vegan omega-3 supplements!  So they were out for me.  I started doing more research and now I'm targeting components of omega-3's:  both DHA and EPA.   After reading several studies on brain function associated with DHA and the difficulty vegans sometimes have in converting EPA into DHA, I decided to splurge and get Dr. Fuhrman's liquid pure DHA.  Its expensive!  I put a few drops into my food or drink each day and consume that.  I also have been eating a lot of chia seed (which, like flax I think I'm now having a reaction too--argh!) so I'm heading back to my good old fish oil supplements for necessary EPA.  If what I just wrote sounds like a foreign language (and it would have been to me a few weeks ago!) then check out the following:

1) an excellent post from The Vegan R.D. about vegans and omega-3 fatty acids.

2) a fantastic series on fats by the Vegan Epicurean:

• http://veganepicurean.blogspot.com/2011/10/fats-101-first-in-series.html
• http://veganepicurean.blogspot.com/2011/10/fats-101-part-two-and-patrick-stewart.html

The additional omega-3's have been amazing for all of my skin in general--the winter dryness has decreased significantly.  Of course I'm still using my dermatologists regimen of various cleaners and lotions (I think this regimen is brilliant so check out the comments on the previous skin post for details on that regimen).  One caveat, I have noticed though that my skin is very very sensitive to what I put in my body.  A little grease--boom, new spots.  Too much of one thing (excessive chia seed--and yes, I know this is an EFA and it doesn't make sense but its the truth!)--boom, new spots.  And so I've continued to read The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD) closely and have learned SO much about nutrition in general and what is best nutrient-wise for skin care!  

Last post I shared Drs Logan and Treloar's assessment of what the native Japanese & other ethnic groups with gorgeous clear skin eat (and we should too!).  

From p.163 of The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD), ethnic groups with beautiful skin eat:

1. Less processed foods (my side note: this can be a vegan problem too--a lot of the "fake meats" are very processed)

2.  More colorful antioxidants

3.  Greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids

4. Fewer foods capable of spiking blood sugar

5. More fiber 

I am now hitting all five of the recs instead of just four and wanted to also share with you Drs Logan and Treloar's list of the highest antioxidant-rich foods that feed your skin and the doctors' advice on the specific types of food to embrace to have clear, healthy skin!   

Now, as you long-term readers know, I've posted on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods in the past regarding my approach to pain management, but I wanted to share Drs Logan and Treloar's list in particular as it does a nice job of detailing out in a more extensive list all the specific fruits and vegetables that are the most antioxidant-rice foods!!  

Here it is from p.70 in The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD):

Acai Alfalfa Apple sauce Apple vinegar Artichoke Asparagus Avocado Basil Beans (red, pinto, black & navy) Beets Bell peppers Black-eyed peas Black pepper Blackberry Blueberry Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cherries Chili powder	Cilantro Cinnamon Cloves Cocoa Cranberry Dates Eggplant Elderberry Figs Fuji apples Ginger Green tea High-quality olive oil *** Kale Nuts (walnuts in particular) Oatmeal and whole grain breakfast cereals oranges	Oregano Parsley Peaches Pears Plums Pomegranate Prunes Purple califlower Purple sweet potato Raspberry Red cabbage Red grapes Red leaf lettuce Red potatoes Spinach Strawberry Tangerines Tumeric
***(NOTE:  Dr. Esselstyn FIRMLY recommends against olive oil & oils of all kinds)

Next time I'll finish up this series by sharing what Drs Logan and Treloar which of these foods will get you the most "bang for your buck" so to speak for your skin!! 

Finally, if you want some extra data on how to get the most antioxidants out of our foods, check out The Healthy Librarian's post on the subject:  http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/03/antioxidants.html

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

Ok Lets Talk Skin! New Book to Recommend: The Clear Skin Diet!

Before

Ok so I've been having some issues with my skin that began a few months into my change to going strictly vegan! This perplexed me because I heard from so many others that the vegan thing has been wonderful for skin!  But since early November, my previously pretty perfect skin (and yes, this is my one vanity--first of all its genetic so I didn't do anything special and second of all it was the only thing I could really feel pretty about when I was obese so indulge me!!) broke out into spots that my new dermatologist calls "folliculitis" or irritation of the hair follicles.  It looks like teenage acne but it isn't.  

After (this past month)!

Of course it has caused me significant distress to look in the mirror every day (I think I was driving my husband crazy as I pointed out every new spot that cropped up!  His favorite phrase was: "welcome to my teenage years honey.")


Anyways, so when this all happened I started trying to figure out where I went wrong.  Nothing major in my life had changed--I had the usual stressors with work and family members being ill but this was normal for me.  So I started looking at what I ate.  The only new food that I can ascertain that I added in a major way in early November was that we went from eating soy maybe once every few months to soy everyday.  And before you point out the obvious--yes I know that I also eliminated animal products, but dairy and other meats are known to be a huge pro-inflammatory agent that cause skin issues so I really don't think the animal-free diet was the cause.  With this in mind, as a first step I eliminated soy. 


I have to be honest and share that this soy elimination has really, really upset me.  My dietary program is already quite restrictive in many ways--no sugar, no gluten, vegan....so to add soy to it too!  Argh!!  But I'm attempting to embrace a new cooking opportunity (trying to stay positive here!), so I'm searching out non-soy recipes.  So let me know if you all have any low-fat/no-fat non-soy, gluten-free, sugar-free recipes please?  Much appreciated :-)


Anyways, back to the skin problem.  With the elimination of soy I did notice that my skin started to improve.  But it was still not back to normal. So I bit the bullet and went to my first dermatology appointment.  And there, I really hit the jackpot.  I expected a very traditional doc as I knew he had a military background and was well over the age of 70 but much to my surprise, within the first two minutes of the visit he started talking nutrition!!  And then he actually complimented me on my dietary choices.  Whaaaat?  I know, you are all shocked here but he actually liked the vegan thing and the gluten-free thing and the sugar-free thing.  


Full disclosure, he wasn't 100% on board with my soy theory--mostly he thought it was likely not a true allergen but more like a "trigger" for beginning eczema (which is what he described my spots as!). And of course now my skin bumps were infected (helllo work in health care, land of disease!) and so I needed oral antibiotics on top of everything else!  He also gave me an excellent skin product regimen which I'm happy to share with all of you if you would like.  I say excellent because its been less than a week since the appointment and my skin is nearly completely clear (of course I also haven't had any soy for 2 1/2 weeks so I can't give the products all the credit but my skin certainly feels really nice!):-) 

Today
Soy Free, Omega-3 rich,
Dermatology Products & Antibiotics

Back to what he said about nutrition.  You all know I'm a fan of food-based treatment so isolating a soy allergy or "trigger" was not enough in my book.  I started wondering why I, with my anti-inflammatory diet, had developed a completely inflammatory disease (eczema)!  I have a strong family history of eczema so this diagnosis actually wasn't all this surprising but hearing that it was a potential diagnosis brought me back to reflect on whether I had made the right anti-inflammatory food choices.  Remember my list in my post  HERE? 


I found the answer in a book my dermatologist recommended:  The Clear Skin Diet by Dr. Alan Logan (ND) and Dr. Valori Treloar (MD).  I'm not finished reading it yet but I can tell you that from what I've read so far it is AMAZING!!!  It definitively demonstrates that diet DOES have a major impact on skin AND also reinforces my assertion that the reason most physicians don't prescribe nutritional treatments is that we are generally not educated in nutrition at all & therefore are very skeptical of data supportive of nutritive cures!  Don't get me started on the need to change medical education or else this post will be ridiculously long!  Suffice to say (and I'll write more about this in a second post because this one is getting too long), Drs Logan and Treloar give some fantastic advice.  


From what I can tell so far, my main issue appears to be a omega-3 deficiency.  This makes sense to me because the only other major change in my diet except for the soy was dropping my fish oil daily in favor of flaxseed meal!  Despite my own advice, I obviously wasn't loving the flaxseed meal (I ate it VERY inconsistently) so I have started to search out other plant-based omega-3 sources (in the meantime I'm back to fish oil daily).  


I do still strongly believe soy is at the root of this as well because it IS considered an inflammatory food for some, so I'm going to continue to eliminate it for another month & then start a few gentle food challenges to see if it really does have an impact. But for the omega-3 issue I'm going to start taking The Healthy Librarian's advice and try a seaweed-based omega-3 supplement with DHA (good for the brain).  In the meantime, I'm going to keep reading this book!  


I'll end with Drs Logan and Treloar's assessment of what the native Japanese & other ethnic groups with gorgeous clear skin eat (and we should too!).  From p.163 of , ethinic groups with beautiful skin eat:
1. Less processed foods (my side note: this can be a vegan problem too--a lot of the "fake meats" are very processed)
2.  More colorful antioxidants
3.  Greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids
4. Fewer foods capable of spiking blood sugar
5. More fiber 


Sounds pretty darn good to me!  Tune in to my next post on skin to get Drs Logan and Treloar's list of the highest antioxidant-rich foods that feed your skin and the doctors' advice on the specific types of food to embrace to have clear, healthy skin!   

Coming Up:

• Treating Pain with Food--more thoughts
• Foods That Make You Feel Good (A New Series Featuring Individual Foods & Their Nutrient Power)

Coming Up on Medical System Tuesdays:

• A Toolbox for Health:  Communicating with Your Doctor (Part 2)!
  
  The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

I've fallen in LOVE with my NEW Happy Herbivore Cookbook!!!

Ok so if you can't tell by my posts so far, I'm just a little bit of an enthusiastic person! :-)  My patients like it--some of them find it a bit amusing (particularly my geriatric patients)--but so much of medicine is coaching so I think this character trait helps me do my job well.  


That said, prepare yourself for a massive flow of enthusiastic energy because I just got Lindsay Nixon's cookbook, "The Happy Herbivore Cookbook," from Amazon yesterday & it is probably one of the most useful, simple & well-organized cookbooks I've ever seen or owned.  My husband, The Happy Nurse, & I sat on the couch last night flipping through it & we both found so many recipes that we love (and look super easy).  The section in the beginning about what to stock your pantry with & how to substitute for fat in recipes is worth the $11 it cost us!  Since we've already tried her recipes from her blog before, we know that her creations are yummy so we can't wait to start tag-team cooking these!


I realize that you all may become a little Happy Herviore-ed out after reading my next post on a Sample Bulk Cook using The Happy Herbivore's blog recipes--but I couldn't stop myself from writing about this cookbook because I'm so impressed.  From a health standpoint, you couldn't do any better (nutritional info on EVERY recipe is listed!)


The other cookbook I love that is in the same league with this one is Vegan on the Cheap (hellloooo I'm a doctor--I'm drowning in student loan debt!) but the only issue with Robin Robertson's cookbook is that I do have to do a lot of modifications substituting out oil so since "The Happy Herbivore Cookbook is nearly totally oil-free--I'm in food planning HEAVEN!  Combining Robin's money saving tips with Lindsey's recipes--awesome.


Now three months into the Esselstyn program (on top of seven months of Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Anti-Inflammatory food choices on my part), we have to admit that we've been getting a bit tired of recycling the recipes from Dr. Esselstyn's book & the Forks Over Knives Cookbook.  We need more variety--so to have an ENTIRE cookbook of yummy Vegan, No-fat/Low-fat recipes to supplement our recipes from other favorite bloggers (Fat Free Vegan, Healthy Girl's Kitchen, Vegan Planet, The Healthy Librarian) is just SUCH a bonus!  


This is not to say that Ann Esselstyn & the Forks Over Knives recipes aren't fantastic--they are absolutely delicious & we've been happily eating them--but after recycling the recipes over and over again, you do get a bit tired of the same thing!  And my husband doesn't like a bunch of things--like onions--so that eliminates a bunch of the Esselstyn recipes as options!:-(


So I'm going to strongly encourage all of you to pop over to Amazon (my favorite method of book buying) & spend $11 on this cookbook (The Happy Herbivore Cookbook).  Her new cookbook "The Everyday Happy Herbivore" comes out December 6--so that is something to look forward to as well!

Next Time:  Cooking in Bulk Example:  A Week of Recipes from The Happy Herbivore


Coming Up!:

• PAIN: How to Heal with Food (Part 2)
• How To Get The BEST Medical Care: Tips to Patients from a Doc
• RECIPES & Ideas: Snacks!  YUMMY & Portable Plant-Based Snack Food--all sugar-free, gluten-free & without adding oil or fat!!
• SuperImmunity Foods for KIDS (Calling All PARENTS!!)

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

COOKING IN BULK TIPS: How to Create a "Cooking Strategy!"

Ok, so in my last post I talked about how you can save time, money and insanity by bulk cooking your food, i.e. cooking on one day to prepare your food for an entire week! 


Anyways, here is the awesome cooking strategy that my husband and I honed after much trial and error in the last year.  It is extremely helpful now we are working the plant-strong Esselstyn diet which relies a lot on homemade foods!


I hope that this helps all of you!  Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas to streamline my process, or please share your own strategies!!  Calling all my busy people out there!!  Let's rock this thing!


STRATEGY FOR COOKING IN BULK!


1) Figure out what you have in your kitchen pantry already (this is the save a lot of money step)


2) Find recipes that list those pantry items as a main ingredient (once again, saving money)
    -Pick SIMPLE recipes (when you are cooking several things at once, don't complicate things any further getting too "gourmet" on you!)
    -Find recipes that you are actually excited to try to eat!  (don't just pick recipes that fit your on-hand ingredients--if you aren't looking forward to eating it, don't cook it!)
    -Double check to make sure that your family will like the recipes you want to make (if my husband doesn't want to eat them, then the whole purpose of the mass cook is lost).
   -Pick enough recipes for variety--we found if we pick only 4 we lose interest at leftovers x2--our magic number is about 7-8 dishes now


3) Make a grocery list


4) Make a Plan of Attack :-): Take a sheet of paper and break down the tasks listed in all the recipes as follows:
    -Long pre-cook items that can slow cook the night before (i.e. beans, grains, etc)
    -Chopping & juicing (veggies, fruits)
   - Mixing (spices, sauces, etc)
   -Assemble
   -Cook (and in what--a pan, the oven, etc)


5) Divide up the tasks between the chefs {try to get your family involved--my friend uses my strategy and has her two young kids do things like mix the sauces and carefully chop veggies (thats the older kid!)}


6) Grocery Shop (quickly only by list)


7)  Cook


8) Pack & Tupperware


Ok--so this sounds a little complicated (mostly because of step #4!)  It does feel that way at first, but the more you do it, the quicker you will get!  And the best reward is to have 7+ new meals ready after 2-4 hours of work! 


See my next scheduled Post for the specific cooking strategy for this week using The Happy Herbivore's recipes!  Feel free to use it yourself because the recipes are YUMMMMMM!!!:-)

Next time:   Cooking in Bulk Example:  A Week of Recipes from The Happy Herbivore

Coming Soon:

• PAIN: How to Heal with Food (Part 2)
• How To Get The BEST Medical Care: Tips to Patients from a Doc
• SuperImmunity Foods for KIDS (Calling All PARENTS!)
• RECIPES & Ideas: Snacks!  YUMMY & Portable Plant-Based Snack Food--all sugar-free, gluten-free & without adding oil or fat!!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

RECIPES: APPLESAUCE (Sugar-free!!)

Ok so I make applesauce pretty much every weekend.  Yes, it is a bit of an obsession but its just so yummy!!!  This recipe is something I adapted to be "sugar-free"--its a variation on this delicious cranberry-applesauce my stepmother used to make.  The trick to keeping it sweet but sugar-free is adding pears!  

It is very simple and produces a large amount for a low cost (my kind of cooking!). You can make this recipe with other fruits-- I made "pearsauce" two weeks ago and my husband, The Happy Nurse, was in heaven (he LOVES pears).  I usually serve it as a dessert for myself covered with oat milk and toasted oats (I toast them myself in the oven) .YUMMMMMM!

 As noted before--I'm not a chef!  So my variations on other folk's recipes won't happen too often--I prefer to showcase some favorite recipes from other blogs...but for now:

Applesauce (Sugar-free)

Makes 8-12 servings

8-10 apples (or more--I usually put in as much as I can fit in the pot!) {Golden Delicious apples are best, but I'm making today's batch with the Braeburn apples you see in the photo}

1 Tsp Cinnamon

2 Asian pears (if you want it even sweeter use a ripe Bartlett pear)

1. Roughly chop all the apples and the pears (removing the cores)--I usually quickly cut each apple into quarters and then halve the quarters.  Leave the skins on

2.  Put the apples and pears in a large pot

3.  Add water to the pot, filling it until approximately 3/4 of the apples & pears are covered with water.

4.  Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer slowly while covered. 

5.  Add 1 Tsp Cinnamon.  Add a little water as needed to prevent burning if that becomes an issue.

Apples (left) compared to Asian Pears (right)

6.  Let the applesauce simmer for 1-2 hours until all the apples have completely cooked down and the apple skins are soft.  Add more cinnamon per your own taste.  

7.  Make sure you stir every so often to prevent the apples on the bottom of the pot from burning.  Add a little water as needed to prevent burning if that becomes an issue.  You also may need to scoop a little of the water off depending on how "liquidy" you like your applesauce!

8.  Let sauce cool.  

9.  I serve the sauce without pureeing it--I like the texture of the apple skin because it reminds me of apple pie!  But if you prefer you can also puree it and it will taste more like store-bought applesauce.

Next time:  PAIN: How to Treat Everything from Arthritis to Muscle Strain to Fibromyalgia With Food

Coming up:

• COOKING IN BULK TIPS #1!  This week with recipes from The Happy Herbivore 
• How To Get The BEST Medical Care: Tips to Patients from a Doc
• RECIPES & Ideas:  Snacks!  YUMMY & Portable Plant-based Snack Food--all Sugar-free, Gluten-Free, & Without Added Oils or Fat!!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.  Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. The Happy Rehab Doc expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.  By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions.

Perfectionism & Food--A Few Reflections....

I am a perfectionist.  It is a major character defect that I continue to work on.  It helps me in some ways--I work hard for my patients and hold myself to a high standard.  But it works against me in many other ways--spending too long trying to write the perfect patient note (or blog post for that matter!), obsessing over tiny mistakes that others don't notice...the list could go on and on.

Strangely enough though, I am not a perfectionist with food.  At least not anymore!  

I'm sharing this because I was sitting at the table tonight after dinner and thinking about the meal I just had:  Chinese food.  Vegan--Yes.  Sugar-free, Gluten-free, Oil-free--not likely.  Am I obsessing about it and telling myself how "bad" I am.  Nope.  Do I feel like I need to run and call my sponsor? Nope.   Because I  know (and so does she) that I cannot be a perfect eater.  I tried to be one for years and all it did is make me fat.  I hate that word but is still the truth!  I was a perfectionist who constantly failed at eating healthfully and told myself I was "bad" when I ate unhealthy foods!  Not a happy feeling!

Do many of you do that?  Say I was "good" today or I was "bad" today when you talk about what you ate?  I think that somehow we all got trained in the idea that some foods were "bad" and some foods were "good" so if we ate from each category, our behavior was defined the same way! 

Why am I not extraordinarily displeased with my food tonight?  Because all we can do is the best we can.  My food choices were healthy ones but not perfect ones. My sponsor tells me--just do your best.  A friend from program reminded me the other day that "Perfect is the enemy of good."  

Yes, I am committed to eating gluten-free.  I can always do it at home.  Most of the time when I'm out there are great options but if there aren't than I just make purposeful choices--like not eating anything fried because I know its coated in flour!  Yes, I am committed to eating sugar-free.  At home this is a breeze--this means that I look at every bottle I eat and if sugar is one of the first four ingredients, than its not going to be eaten by me.  When I'm out, I primarily focus on specifically not choosing to eat anything that I KNOW has sugar as one of the primary ingredients--i.e. candy, desserts, etc.   Yes, I'm committed to eating oil free.  At home I do ok with this commitment.  Eating out is a bit harder but do-able and I never purposely order anything that has an obviously high oil content--i.e. vegetables in an olive oil sauce.  This is doing the best I can.  I'm not going to run off and binge if I have a little gluten or sugar in a sauce.  There are SOME foods that I eliminate nearly perfectly because I WILL feel like I want to run off and binge if I eat them:  cheese being one of them.  But even cheese I can't say I've been completely perfect on because I can remember one occasion where I found cheese had been in a dish after I ate most of it! 

I don't know if this makes any sense but I just wanted to reassure you that despite my commitment to my dietary ideals expressed in the previous posting, I could not ever say that I've eaten 100% according to my ideal.  About 80% of the time yes--but never 100!  So that is not a perfect record. 

And I think that is ok.  Because obsessing over every bite is what got me into this mess in the first place.  The most important thing is that I try--I try to eat what my body needs to feel good and healthy.  And most of the time--80% of the time--I do and it does!

Now the important question to ask me is:  how do I feel right now?  Well, my back has started to hurt.  My skin feels a little itchy.   I've got a bit of a headache brewing. And I know that it is the effect of the food on me.  I have eaten a highly inflammatory meal--which means that I won't be eating anything like this for awhile if I want to feel good.  I'm being reminded that this meal does not feel good--the food is damaging rather than healing my body.

And that is a good reminder.  :-)

What do I eat?? Anti-inflammatory, Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Oil-free....and yet, YUMMY!

In the last four years as I've lost nearly a 100lbs I've learned so much about food & its effect on my body. Over time, my food plan has morphed into the anti-inflammatory, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free program that it is today. But to get to that specific a point, it has been quite a journey! I'm not telling you that everyone has to eat this way--in fact it is much more restricted that Dr. Esselstyn's actual plan (gluten, sugar & anti-inflammatory foods are ok). 

~I just want to share my own experience--take what you like and leave the rest.~

Before starting Dr. Esselstyn's program I had already made some major changes in my eating habits:
1) Three plus years ago, I gave up cheese because I couldn't eat 1 serving without eating the whole thing! I already did not eat milk because when I was in high school a doctor removed it from my diet to relieve chronic sinus infections (and without the milk, those sinus infections ended!)
2) About 7 months ago, I gave up refined sugar (in every form--esp. high fructose corn syrup), caffeine, other dairy fats (including sour cream, etc) and gluten (wheat products) on the advice of my sponsor--I didn't think I had any issues with these, but I discovered:
            1st:   that all of them are HIGH INFLAMMATORY foods
            2nd:  I was shocked to discover there is sugar in EVERYTHING (frozen chicken breasts, spaghetti sauce, salsa of some kinds, canned soups, etc)
            3rd :  After the initial highly painful withdrawl period (a one week headache that totally made me want to quit--thank God for program support!), I was amazed at how much energy I suddenly had.  I was so much sharper at work and I didn't get the afternoon "fuzzy brain" any more!
3) Over the last year, I had purposefully begun eating mostly "ANTI-INFLAMMATORY" foods and avoiding "INFLAMMATORY" foods.  I capitalize those words because I can't emphasize enough how much of a difference this made in my daily pain level!!  I herniated a cervical disc (a disc in my neck) a year ago in a car accident and it gave me a wicked case of TMJ and significant daily pain for 8-10 months).  I wasn't able to do my usual rehab exercises for my back (chronic degenerative joint disease, herniated discs, sacroilitis--and yes, I'm only 34!), so then my back kept "going out."  A mess. BUT NOT ANYMORE!  


I'm going to devote a whole blog post to what these ANTI-INFLAMMATORY foods are and why this helps--seriously go buy Jessica Black, N.D.'s book: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Recipe Book!  I don't know her personally so I don't have any reason to promote it, but this awesome book--especially the chart on p. 42-43 of what foods to eat and what foods to avoid is SO worth the $12 purchase price on Amazon! The Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Jessica Black, N.D. (Amazon link)


Ok, so that is what I did BEFORE--now, I do all of that, and we follow Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Diet (with a side benefit of it preventing cancer &stroke as well as reversing diabetes, hypertension and obesity!).  


I'll talk more about the "why" for this diet in a later post but here is the "what."


We don't eat chicken, beef, pork, eggs, dairy, fish or added oils.  Here is the direct explanation of the diet from Esselstyn's himself:



"Here are the rules of my program in their simplest form:

• You may not eat anything with a mother or a face (no meat, poultry, or fish).
• You cannot eat dairy products.
• You must not consume oil of any kind—not a drop. (Yes, you devotees of the Mediterranean Diet, that includes olive oil, as I’ll explain in Chapter 10.)
• Generally, you cannot eat nuts or avocados.

You can eat a wonderful variety of delicious, nutrient-dense foods:

• All vegetables except avocado. Leafy green vegetables, root vegetables, veggies that are red, green, purple, orange, and yellowand everything in between
• All legumes—beans, peas, and lentils of all varieties.
• All whole grains and products, such as bread and pasta, that are made from them—as long as they do not contain added fats.
• All fruits

p.5, Chapter 1: Eating to Live, Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

So there you go...from the master himself.


So what the heck DO we eat? TONS of stuff--and guess what, much to my surprise I really don't miss the meat!  I'll share more of my menus in later posts. Also, The Healthy Librarian's Blog also has a nice sample menu for 10 days on Esselstyn's plan.


The part that is the worst for me is the olive oil!  I'm not going to lie--I'm not perfect and I'm still working on that part.  But overall I have cut that consumption down from about 3 tablespoons per day (somehow I was still losing weight!) to about 1 tsp every 4 or 5 days.  I know I'm going to keep craving fat until I eliminate it completely (like with my other "trigger foods" i.e. cheese, sugar, gluten, etc), so I'm praying for a little willingness on that.  


But like with everything in my life these days, I fall back on the classic "one day at a time!" and make an effort to be gentle with myself.


I've discovered through my 12 Step Program that my overeating illness is spiritual, physical and emotional disease.  My food addiction that ballooned me up to 268 lbs (likely higher b/c thats only my highest weighed point) was more than JUST the food--in later posts I'll talk some about meditation, stress management & good sleep hygiene as a necessary part of the healing process.


Next time:  The Plan for the Blog:  Using Food to Heal Can Change Your Life


Coming up:  

• Recipes: Soups Galore: Butternut Squash, Split Pea & Lentil-Barley!
• PAIN:  How to Treat Everything from Arthritis to Fibromyalgia With Food!
• Recipes: Applesauce (sugar free!!)
• Why Disability Can Be a Scarier Threat Than Death...

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