"29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life!" An Outstanding, Inspiring Book That I am SO Grateful To Have Read!!!

Since we are focussing on gratitude this week, I thought I'd re-post a blog entry I did in December on an amazing book that inspires deep gratitude!  "29 Gifts: How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" is an incredible book that I highly recommend!  After you read this blog post be sure to check out the author Cami Walker's website to join the "Giving Challenge!"  I joined the "Giving Challenge" two years ago at just this time of year and wrote my first blog as I did it!  You can see those entries here:  Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.

And now, originally posted on December 17, 2011:

Well I've been wanting to blog about "29 Gifts" for several weeks--this book is just such an incredible example of the power of the mind-body connection.  It is a true story of hope & healing written by Cami Walker, a young woman living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In the midst of a horrible MS flare which forces her to become nearly home-bound,  Cami embarks on a challenge to give 29 gifts away in 29 days. Along the way her body begins to heal itself--giving her a new, more active life.  Her gifts are sometimes as small as a phone call or rubbing her kitty's belly but they change her life in a major way.  

Her path to giving was initiated by a South African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo.  If you remember from the Monday Meditation on "Overgiving" Mbali's wise words are an inspiration to us all.  Beyond what I shared in the Meditation, Mbali also says "Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change.  It will shift your energy for life."  That shifting of energy is the magic of healing in the face of all medical science.  It is the mystery that happens when the mind & spirit begin to heal the broken body. 

Maybe its easier for me to believe Cami's story & her remarkable recovery because as a doctor I see it everyday.  For example, I had a patient in the Spinal Cord Injury unit who told me when I admitted her that every night since the injury she closes her eyes & visualizes moving her feet.  On Wednesday this last week, she moved her right foot.  On Thursday, she was able to lift her leg.  This is a miraculous recovery from an injury that should not be healing this quickly.  We expected her to regain function but not like this.  Not this fast and definitely not this widespread!  The therapists actually came to find me on the unit to take me to the gym to witness this incredible feat.  This is the power of the mind & spirit over the body.  And it exists in ALL of us if we are willing to reach into our hearts to find it.  Giving to others without the resentment of "overgiving" allows us to tap into this mind-body connection in a profound and extraordinary way.  It is a pipeline straight to healing.

I cannot recommend this book enough--and if you are still searching for a gift to give someone, let me tell you, this is the one!  

Cami has taken her book even further to create an online community of giving that spans the whole world (15,800 people!).  You can join the "29 Day Giving Challenge" and blog about the experience yourself at www.29gifts.org.  I hope you do!  You don't even have to buy the book to join--its all free!  If you DO join the challenge--put the address of your blog in the comments section of this post so I can follow it!!

And, if you want to see some of my first attempts at blogging:  I did the challenge myself in Spring, 2010 and you can see my blog at: Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.  All 29 days are there--here is my Day 1, you can link to my other posts by clicking on "View Blog"!:-) I think my two favorite posts from the challenge were Day 9: Two Wolves & Letting Go and Day 10: The Tow Truck Man:-).  I injured my back pretty badly halfway through the challenge but didn't quit and surprise, surprise as I continued to give, my recovery was more rapid than expected! Its fun for me to look back at the blog and read about each gift I gave and how it changed me.  I intended to renew the challenge at the end of the 29 days but wasn't able to carve the time out to blog about it so it sadly drifted off--I think I'll start again in 2012!!  

This book was a gift from my wonderful husband and I'm so grateful he introduced it into to my life!  I hope you feel the same way when you read it! :-)


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.

Eat Delicious Food, Drop Weight Like Crazy, Save Money & Feel Amazing: Just a Few Reasons I LOVE Being Plant-Strong!

Plant-strong eating rocks!!


One thing that I like about my new vegan lifestyle is that it has gotten SO much easier to continue my physical recovery (health & weight loss).  


In Dr. Esselstyn's book one of the parts that really stuck out to me is the section where Ann Esselstyn shares that with this diet there is no "calorie counting" and no "portion-control" dieting techniques involved. (This is good because I don't do diets anymore!)  Its very simple.  If you start gaining weight--eat less starch.  If you are losing weight too fast--eat more starch. And that is it. I didn't really buy that explanation until I started practicing a plant-based no-oil low-fat diet.  I'm not 100% oil-free 100% of the time but I do my best and guess what?  It really is as simple as Mrs. Esselstyn described! 


Why is it simple?


No Calorie-Counting
I tried at first to work my vegan diet the way I worked my food plan before veganism:  weighing and measuring my food, portioning things on my plate so half of the plate was veggies, 1/4 was protein (beans) & 1/4 was starch (grains).  This worked solidly for me in the past--I lost 70 lbs doing it after all & I totally recommend it!  But in my new food plan of low-fat plant-based eating, these tried and true methods never worked because I was hungry a few hours later AND with all the beans I was eating I began to have some unwanted GI side effects which caused me great embarrassment!! 


So after discovering that the World Health Organization actually ONLY recommends protein as 8-10% of your diet (0.81g/kg body weight per day), I decided to stop stressing out about the balance of portions, reduce the excessive use of beans and just eat whatever no-oil, low-fat vegan food I can find.  So far this has been working for me--mostly because I stay away from the processed vegan foods & I continue to maintain my sugar-free, gluten-free lifestyle with a strong preference for anti-inflammatory foods! I also make a conscious effort to eat a WIDE variety of colorful foods--particularly a lot of dark leafy greens.  Its pretty hard to overeat because all the FIBER is exceptionally good at doing what it was designed to do:  fill us up!!  Its also pretty easy to eat reasonably because I'm avoiding all the "Standard American Diet" foods that were designed to addict us!  


Weight Loss Without Effort
Obviously for me since I have an eating disorder, there is effort involved with regards to my emotional and spiritual stability BUT the mechanics of weight loss & physical recovery are SO much easier than the first 70lbs I lost without being a 100% vegan.  I've literally effortlessly dropped 30 lbs in the last few months since starting a 100% plant-based diet with minimal fats.  


I actually think I've dropped more than that because my husband kept coming up to me yesterday and telling me I need to buy new pants because I can fit my fist between my belly button and the waistband they are so big!  I protested and say I just bought these pants 2 or 3 weeks ago--but I guess the weight keeps sliding off.  So I'll head back to Goodwill or Salvation Army sometime this week (and YES I shop there because why the heck would I buy full-priced clothes when I have to keep buying new ones that fit?!  Besides, you can find some gorgeous clothes there in perfect condition.  I even get work clothes there and no one has any idea--at least until I just published it here! :-))  This need for smaller sized clothes has happened multiple times in the last few months.  


As you know from my "Dear 268 Pound Me," I don't weigh myself often so I'll let you know in February or so where I am!!  I still have more weight to lose to get to my healthy weight per medical science so for now, I'll keep doing what I'm doing!


I Eat A Lot
Of course, I work my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program to prevent binge & compulsive eating behaviors, but I do eat a TON of interesting, delicious food.  When I share at work that I'm now vegan as well as the sugar-free, gluten-free from before, everyone looks at me like I have two heads and ask me what in the world I eat?!  Um, Soups & Stews & Pasta & Pizza & Sandwiches & Dips & Rice & Casseroles & Curries!  Oh yeah, I forgot!  I also eat a TON of Fruits & Vegetables!  Then I take off my little tupperware top and let people sample my lunch.  Most common response:  "What was that recipe again?  That's SO good!"  Seriously, you'd think eating fat-free plant-based foods would be tasteless or something (at least that is what I used to think!) but it actually tastes AMAZING if you use great recipes & great cookbooks!


We Save A LOT of money
People always say "isn't eating a vegan diet expensive?" Um, my answer is a resounding NO!  My husband and I have saved SO much money since switching to a vegan diet.  Just think about how much beans, rice, fruits and vegetables cost compared to meats & dairy products?  If you eat 100% organic all the time than it can be expensive but we take advantage of frozen organic veggies which seem to be cheaper than fresh a lot of the time.  We also can't eat 100% organic 100% of the time, mostly because we are on a tight budget (thank you my nightmare of student loans) and there aren't always organic options available where we live so we do the best we can!  To combat the pesticides as best we can, we wash all our fruits & veggies with this organic vegetable wash called "Fit." Just water really doesn't remove any of those pesticides and soap tastes bad!


We also save money by buying dry beans in bulk from our local health food store & we don't eat a lot of nuts or tofu.  We also don't eat any "faux" meats or things like vegan mayonnaise or vegan margarine etc.  The processed items do tend to be more expensive so we stay away from them.  We operate usually on a tight "cash only" envelope system so we can only spend so much on groceries each week!  We cook and bring all of our lunches to work & fix our own snacks, etc.  Planning our food in advance really keeps costs down too.


I Feel Good & Know That I'm Being Good To My Body
With every bite I put in my mouth, I know I'm helping reduce my risk of getting heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.  With every bite I know that I'm making a conscious choice to live an active, productive life that doesn't end with frailty & a nursing home bound existence.  With every bite I can feel my body get stronger & my energy levels rise.  I don't drink caffeine at all but I have more energy with a plant-based diet than I have in YEARS!  This way of eating is guaranteeing me health in a way no other diet can.  And that feels good.


Ok! So that is why I'm a huge fan of plant-based eating!  Do any of you have stories of your own experiences with a plant-based diet?  I always love to hear some inspiration! :-)
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.

She lost 60lbs, Got Her Health Back and Is Grateful for Her Doctor for Saving Her & Her Husband's Life by Recommending a Plant-Based Diet!! The Holiday Happiness Marathon Continues!

The HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Continues!!!!! 

Welcome All My Guest Bloggers--Doctors, Nurses & Patients whose stories warm our hearts....Here is Another Wonderful Patient Story!

I've been thin most of my life but about 10 years ago, I started putting on weight due to a bad knee.  I couldn't exercise enough to keep the weight down.  About 5 years ago, I underwent a total knee replacement which didn't go as well as I had hoped.  Again, I couldn't do any extensive exercise other than work on my range of motion.


About a year ago, I was in such shape that I became hysterical if I saw myself in a mirror and I certainly didn't go shopping for clothes - it was too traumatic. 


I finally visited my doctor who told me that my only hope was to go on a plant-based diet for the rest of my life.  He explained what it was and even loaned me a book about it (The China Study).  I purchased Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's book, "How To Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" and off I went. 


I tossed out everything that wasn't part of my new Vegan lifestyle because if it was there, I knew I'd weaken.  After about 4 months, I noted that my clothes were loose so I weighed myself - I had lost 60 lbs.  I felt great with renewed energy and was able to look in the mirror again without going into a depression.  I will always thank my doctor, Dr. Don Wagner, for saving my life.


Now, fast forward to July of this year.... my husband was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident that should have killed him, both by statistics and by actual injuries. He was rushed to the Head Trauma and Burn Center in Las Vegas and was in the hospital from the Saturday morning it happened until Thursday when he came home with home nursing teaching me to change his dressings.  


We attribute his ability to heal so fast to our plant-based diet (& prayer) - there is no other answer.  It just reinforced our determination to adhere to our plant-based diet and, again, we thank Dr. Wagner for his insistence on getting us started on the right path.


~Sylvia in Laughlin, Nevada ~

Thank you Sylvia for sharing your inspiring story on the power of a plant-based diet!!  Readers--lets send a little love back to Sylvia and her doc for her amazing transformation!!  Write in the comments :-)!! :-))

Previous HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON Posts:

• A Pediatric Anesthesiologist Loves Being a Doctor & Is Grateful for Patients' Parent's Trust!!
• After Having Brain Tumor Surgery, A Patient is Grateful for "The Best Nurse I've Ever Had!"
• "You Heard Me and I Left the Appointment with HOPE"~A Primary Care Doc Shares A Story of Grace

Mind-Body Healing: "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life"--JOIN THE CHALLENGE! (AND links to my first blogging experience!)

Well I've been wanting to blog about "29 Gifts" for several weeks--this book is just such an incredible example of the power of the mind-body connection.  It is a true story of hope & healing written by Cami Walker, a young woman living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In the midst of a horrible MS flare which forces her to become nearly home-bound,  Cami embarks on a challenge to give 29 gifts away in 29 days. Along the way her body begins to heal itself--giving her a new, more active life.  Her gifts are sometimes as small as a phone call or rubbing her kitty's belly but they change her life in a major way.  


Her path to giving was initiated by a South African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo.  If you remember from this week's Monday Meditation on "Overgiving" Mbali's wise words are an inspiration to us all.  Beyond what I shared in the Meditation, Mbali also says "Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change.  It will shift your energy for life."  That shifting of energy is the magic of healing in the face of all medical science.  It is the mystery that happens when the mind & spirit begin to heal the broken body. 


Maybe its easier for me to believe Cami's story & her remarkable recovery because as a doctor I see it everyday.  For example, I have a patient right now on the Spinal Cord Injury unit who told me when I admitted him that every night since the injury he closes his eyes & visualizes moving his feet.  On Wednesday this last week, he moved his right foot.  On Thursday, he was able to lift his leg.  This is a miraculous recovery from an injury that should not be healing this quickly.  We expected him to regain function but not like this.  Not this fast and definitely not this widespread!  The therapists actually came to find me on the unit to take me to the gym to witness this incredible feat.  This is the power of the mind & spirit over the body.  And it exists in ALL of us if we are willing to reach into our hearts to find it.  Giving to others without the resentment of "overgiving" allows us to tap into this mind-body connection in a profound and extraordinary way.  It is a pipeline straight to healing.


I cannot recommend this book enough--and if you are still searching for a gift to give someone, let me tell you, this is the one!  


Cami has taken her book even further to create an online community of giving that spans the whole world (15,800 people!).  You can join the "29 Day Giving Challenge" and blog about the experience yourself at www.29gifts.org.  I hope you do!  You don't even have to buy the book to join--its all free!  If you DO join the challenge--put the address of your blog in the comments section of this post so I can follow it!!


And, if you want to see some of my first attempts at blogging:  I did the challenge myself in Spring, 2010 and you can see my blog at: Dr. Cat's 29 Day Giving Challenge Blog.  All 29 days are there--here is my Day 1, you can link to my other posts by clicking on "View Blog"!:-) I think my two favorite posts from the challenge were Day 9: Two Wolves & Letting Go and Day 10: The Tow Truck Man:-).  I injured my back pretty badly halfway through the challenge but didn't quit and surprise, surprise as I continued to give, my recovery was more rapid than expected! Its fun for me to look back at the blog and read about each gift I gave and how it changed me.  I intended to renew the challenge at the end of the 29 days but wasn't able to carve the time out to blog about it so it sadly drifted off--I think I'll start again in 2012!!  


This book was a gift from my wonderful husband and I'm so grateful he introduced it into to my life!  I hope you feel the same way when you read it! :-)

Coming Up:

• Best of the Blogsphere for THIS week!
• What the Happy Nurse & I are Making for Christmas Dinner (x 2 houses!)

NEXT WEEK from December 19-December 25th: 

• ITS THE HOLIDAY HAPPINESS MARATHON!!!  Doctors, Nurses & Patients Share Special Medical Moments That Will Warm Your Heart During the Holiday Chaos!

Coming Up After the Holidays:

• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• Medical System Tuesday: Tip #10 For The Best Hospital Care:  Try Not to Be Alone! ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~
• Treating Pain with Food--more thoughts

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.

An Interview with The Happy Herbivore: Ms. Lindsay Nixon

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing the one and only Happy Herbivore herself:  Ms. Lindsay Nixon about her newly released cookbook THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!  In case you can't tell by my enthusiastic posts--I think that Lindsay is one incredible chef (or as she says "a recipe writer") and her recipes have really helped me and my husband embrace plant-strong living!


I think one of the biggest challenges about moving to a plant-strong diet is the fear that "nothing will taste good again!" Or that every meal was going to be extremely complicated to make. I'm not going to lie--before I made the choice to turn vegan I had some pretty profound concerns.  But helllllooooo to yummy & easy-to-make food--enter The Happy Herbivore!  Concerns....gone! Meals....delicious!!  


Lets hear what this low-fat vegan magician in the kitchen had to say....


1) You know I'm a fan of your outstanding cookbook, The Happy Herbivore.  What inspired you to create a new cookbook (THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!) and how is it different from your previous publications?

I was obligated under a contract :-) I'm joking -- I mean, yes, that's true, I had signed a contract to write three books, but I knew after writing my first book if it was successful, I'd write more books for my fans.

I started my blog (and now write cookbooks) with one mission: to show that eating healthy, plant-based meals is easy, approachable, affordable and most importantly -- delicious. My recipes are all no fuss, everyday ingredients, quick and easy. I'm proving that healthy doesn't have to be expensive or complicated or a shore. It's possible -- and fun!

My first cookbook focused on comfort foods and classic meals we all know and love... and Everyday sort of brings it back to the basics and added in a lot of international flare. There is more diversity in Everyday.

2) How do you develop your recipes?  Any favorites in THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!?

It's a good mix of trying to replicate recipes that I used to eat that were either not vegan or not healthy, I'll create something on the fly or I'll be inspired by an ingredient. For example I saw a beautiful bunch of chard I couldn't pass up so I took it home and created a recipe for it. 

Asking a chef what recipe is their favorite is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child :-)

3)  You made the choice to change from a vegetarian to a vegan diet.  What motivated you to make that choice?

I was motivated by my health and the plight of farm animals. I'd met some vegans who told me if I went vegan (from vegetarian) my skin would clear, I'd have fewer migraines and I'd lose weight -- and p.s. they were right. Then, the more i learned about the horrors of the egg and dairy industries the more I could not support them. The reason I continue to follow a plant-based diet today are long and vast, but it's all still deeply rooted in concerns for my health, concerns for the animals and concerns for the environment.

4) Have you noticed any differences in your health since changing to the vegan diet?

Absolutely. I ran a marathon after having not ran so much as a 5k before within months of going vegan. My skin cleared, I lost a ton of weight, my stomach issues cleared, my hair got shiny, I had so much energy and just was a happier person. My temperament changed; I feel like I'm finally me. {Dr. Cat comment:  WAY TO GO LINDSAY!! Hooray health!}

5)  Why did you become a chef who specializes in low-fat vegan cuisine?  Did you need any specialty training to develop such wonderfully nutritious meals?

I am completely self-taught, a home cook. I pretend to be a chef but really I think "recipe writer" is probably more accurate since I never went to culinary school (but I did go to law school!). Cooking and cooking low fat is very natural for me. I follow a low-fat diet, so it makes sense that I write recipes and cookbooks that support the way I eat at home.


Lindsay thank you SO much for taking the time to answer these questions!  Whether a home cook, a recipe writer or whatever you want to call it--you create delicious, easy-to-make meals that heal our bodies.  What a gift to share with the world :-)  Keep it up!  And folks, head over to Amazon & buy something to make your body feel good--a whole new collection of low-fat vegan recipes in the: THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!

Coming Up This Week:

• BOOK REVIEW:  "29 Gifts!"
• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• Practical Stuff:  Kitchen Tools That Help & Products I Like!

Coming Up Next Time on Medical System Tuesday: 

• Tip #9 For The Best Hospital Care:  Pay Attention ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~

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.