Salads For A Full Meal: How I've Resisted Them & Now I'm Learning To Make Them! RECIPES!!:-)

My own pasta salad with vinegar,
sundried tomatoes, carrots, scallions &
rice pasta

So I haven't eaten salads consistently in years.  If I ate them at all I ate them out.  I rarely if ever made them at home!  I think because when I was dieting all those years (and failing again and again), salads were a staple.  Eating them reminds me of those unhappy days and so I avoided doing that often since entering recovery!

But then I became a vegan!  And by force of my dietary limitations (gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free) I'm starting to slowly warm to them.  All of a sudden I'm discovering that you can actually eat salads for complete, nutrient dense meals!  And eating them makes you feel well nourished and energetic!  

The only thing is, I was kind of at a loss on how to create a diverse enough salad to keep me satiated AND provide me with a wide variety of nutrients.  

Enter the amazing vegan low-fat blog world.  

I am so grateful to all my favorite bloggers for teaching me how to do this!  I've been easing into this slowly but the more I read Wendy's (Healthy Girl's Kitchen) posts on how she and her husband eat a salad for dinner nightly, the more I'm becoming jazzed up to actually give this whole salad thing a try!  At first I didn't think it was practical--how was I going to find the time to prep all the raw veggies, etc, during the week!  And what was I going to put on it for dressing??  But then Wendy once again came to the rescue--just recently she posted that she makes all their salad dressings for the week once on the weekend and she also shared the helpful information that without the dressing, a prepped salad can last for several days!

So I'm going to start trying it!  For my food plan next week salad is going to factor in prominently!  My life is becoming more complicated with each passing day and I'm set to travel nearly all of March so I'm going to need some simpler foods to prepare while I'm on the road.  I'm thinking HELLLLOOOOOO Soups and Salads!  

Some great resources in the blogosphere that I have found to guide this new food category for me include:

Tons of AWESOME resources in Wendy's blog "Healthy Girl's Kitchen:"

HGK's No Oil
Caesar Salad Dressing

• The BIG List of No-Oil Salad Dressings: Wonderful dressing options from multiple sources!  Ranging from Dijon Pistachio Dressing to Chef AJ's Husband's Favorite No-oil Balsamic Vinaigrette!
• How To Build A Nutrient Dense Salad
• Time-Saving Tips To Make Salads AND A RECIPE: Roasted Kabocha Squash, Dried Fig and Walnut Salad
• My absolute favorite salad dressing I've made so far:  HGK's No-Oil Caesar Salad Dressing!  I alter it by not adding the soy sauce.  Instead I add 1/4 cup oat milk (original flavor) AND I add 2 full mini bottles of capers instead of just 2 Tbl!  I think I like the flavor of capers...hehe:-)

Fantastic posts on Susan Voisin's blog "Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen:"

• Right up my alley:  Tips for Eating Salads When You Don't Want To & RECIPE:  Hidden Cashew Ranch Dressing!
• RECIPES:  Salad recipes galore!!  Such a large list and so much variety!  Everything from Artichoke Pesto Pasta to Thai Salad in Pineapple BBQ Sauce!
• RECIPES:  Salad dressings: Once again a wide variety of types of dressings, ranging from Blueberry Vinaigrette to Guacamole Goddess Dressing

Other Amazing Salad RECIPES I like:

• My New Roots Roasted Sesame Winter Slaw
• Romaine & Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing from the Party Vegan Cookbook by Robin Robertson

A BIG thank you to all you bloggers out there who give us SUCH great salad recipes and "how-tos!"

Do you all eat many salads?  If so what are your favorite combos and do you have any favorite healthy dressings to recommend?  Would love to learn more from y'all!!

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. 

Craving Something Sweet?! Try These Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Valentine's Day Treats!! RECIPES!!:-))

Well its that time of year--the really challenging time of year for those of us who have chosen a sugar-free, gluten-free life :-)  Its chocolate selling season--um, I mean Valentine's Day!  


To help us all stay plant-strong, sugar-free & gluten-free while we celebrate the ones we love, here are some Valentine's Day-friendly dessert recipes I've sampled from the blogosphere!


What are YOU doing for Valentine's Day this year?  Any special recipes you want to share?!:-)

ALL RECIPES ARE VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE

Completely Sugar-Free Recipes:

• Chocolate Chia Pudding by Susan Voisin from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
• Ambrosia by Susan Voisin from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
• The Healthy Librarian's "No-Fat Pina Colada Dessert" (scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe)
• Healthy Girl's Kitchen's post on "Rip's Dessert ideas": "The Unnamed Dessert" (that features dates--YUM) and "Avocado & Raspberry Pie" (sounds bizarre but Wendy insists avocado & chocolate combos are good & I trust her judgement!)
• The Vegan Epicurean's Strawberry & Banana Sorbet

One of my favorite gluten-free, sugar-free bloggers Amy Green of "Simply Sugar & Gluten Free" is having a baby and a bunch of the bloggers in the gluten-free, refined sugar-free community are having a virtual baby shower for her!  The result is some awesome recipes (most use coconut sugar)--I've tried to pick out a few of the Vegan ones!

• She Let Them Eat Cake Blog's Gluten-Free & Vegan Gingersnaps
• Cook It Allergy Free Blog's Gluten-free Apple Streusel with Maple Cinnamon Glaze (obviously the Maple part has Maple Syrup in it so if you eat that, this recipe is for you!)  
• And since I mentioned Amy--here is one of her recipes:  Raw Date Truffles

If you eat agave nectar:

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing
• ICE CREAM:  The Golubka blog has recipes for Vanilla Ice Cream, Rose Ice Cream, Pomegranate Sorbet and something called a "Rose Petal Mille-Feuille" which sounds very fancy and looks delicious!!  All are made with coconut as the base.

If you eat coconut sugar:

• Diet, Desert & Dogs Blog's Chocolate Mint Truffles
• Post Punk Kitchen's Raspberry Truffle Brownies--can sub in date sugar, coconut sugar or any other dry cane sugar substitute

Ok folks I hope that helps!!

Happy Heart Day to You & Yours! :-))

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.

WOWOWOWOWOW!! The Blog has past 20,000 page views!!!!!!

Today!  Yay!

Oh my gosh!  I come back from vacation just in time to see that the blog has now past 20,000 page views!!  That is incredible!!!

2007

 When I started this blog three months ago, my primary purpose was to be of service, to share my experience and to gather & organize important information on the vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, anti-inflammatory lifestyle.  A secondary goal was to build a warm, loving community of support amongst blog readers & fellow bloggers.  I feel that the blog is reaching both of those goals today and I have all of you to thank for it!  


It really makes me feel amazing to know that so many of you relate to my story.  I LOVE hearing yours too!  


As a doctor, I learned early in my career that you can never judge a person's insides by their outsides!  EVERYONE has a story and there is always something of value to learn from each person who crosses our paths.  I feel privileged to have you trust me (and the blog community we have built here) enough to share YOUR experiences with me--via comments, emails and Facebook.  


As we grow together I hope you will share the resources on this site with your family and friends that are interested in health, medicine & pain-free living.  By working on your own health and well-being you will attract others to your lifestyle simply because you can demonstrate that a truly vibrant life is possible!  At least that has been my experience!  


Thank you for being here & participating in the conversation!
With gratitude,
:-) Dr. Cat

Coming Up 

• Sugar-Free, Gluten-free Vegan Sweets for Valentine's Day!!
• Preparing for a Joint Replacement--What can YOU do?
• SLEEP:  Why Is it Critical for Your Health ~ Join the Sleep Challenge!!!
• What Do You Do When You Are Vegan & Your Family/Spouse Is Not?!
• What The Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week & The Recipe of The Week!!

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.

How I Stay Healthy During Vacation!!! :-)

Well I wasn't planning on posting from vacation but I really love to write so I'm sending you all one from sunny Florida!!


I got inspired walking on the beach yesterday thinking about how vacation is different since I've been able to receive the gift of recovery from my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program. 


Basically, I'm a long-time food tourist.  Ask me about Greece & I'll tell you about baklava and moussaka.  Ask me about France, I'll tell you about pastry and Brie. Ask me about Texas & I'll talk about eating BBQ & potato salad.   And so on and so forth.


For years, every time I traveled I thought about the food before, during and after the activity.  I wish I could say that being in program and losing so much weight and gaining so much sanity has erased this dangerous habit--but that wouldn't be honest.  Its SO much better than it used to be but it is still an ongoing problem.  


That said, the exciting news is that I realized on this vacation that I'm actually really starting to become better at letting the food go!  Maybe its because I've enjoyed the pleasure of getting in a bathing suit and not feeling enormously uncomfortable.  The best thing is that there aren't any bulges escaping from the "slimming" panels of my swim suit.  In fact, I don't even wear those "slimming" suits anymore!  Yay plant-strong living!!!  I'm not quite ready for bikini action but I'm comfortable in my plain, no frills tank suit.  And that is a MIRACLE.  It makes me very conscious of the gifts that program has brought me.  And inspires me to change the way I operate with food on vacation.


I thought it might be helpful to share some of the techniques and tools I use to stay sane during vacation & lose/maintain weight during the trip.  So here they are!


1) I pack my own plant-strong snacks for the airplane and car rides: 


This is absolutely critical.  No matter what, take the time to get those ziploc bags out and fill them with fruit, homemade trailmix (for me its raw oats, some raisins & a few nuts), oil-free kale chips, crunchy raw veggies etc. See my snacks post or my kale post for more details.  At some point along the way you WILL want something around you that is not good for your body.  For me, I always look at those airplane snack packs with longing.  Yes I know those mini snack packs are not exactly the yummiest food when you actually eat them, but because I can't have them, my disease likes to throw a small tantrum in my airplane seat!  Thus the homemade snack bags.


2) I check to make sure every hotel I stay at has a fridge so I can bring my own food:  


Once again, very important if you are staying anywhere for an extended period of time.  Pack some Nalgene bottles or other empty water bottles in your luggage so you can fill them up with water at the hotel (of course ignore this tip if you are in a foreign country with questionable water sources--splurge and buy the commercial bottled stuff). Its nice to have something to drink to tote along with you--whether its to the beach or to the slopes (I'd put the water in a mini-pack if you're on skiis!) or hiking or driving etc.  Buy some of your favorite breakfast & snack foods at the grocery store--especially cereals and plant-based milks.  If worst comes to worst, you can have cereal for a meal if necessary!  Fruit is also an extra bonus to have on hand!


3) I grocery shop:  


One of the first things that the Happy Nurse and I did when we got down here is shop for some fresh fruits and vegetables to stock our hotel fridge.  I also got a few things I can fix for lunch or snack.  This makes a huge difference financially AND unless you can find gems of restaurants then eating at the hotel is always better than eating out nutritionally speaking.  


4)  I spend time pre-selecting what I'm going to eat at restaurants & when I'm traveling with others, I stay flexible:  


When someone suggests a restaurant on vacation I like to immediately go to the restaurant menu and check to make sure I can eat there.  I even call the restaurant ahead of time to make sure they have some decent options for me.  Depending on the restaurant I either say that I'm a vegan with a gluten allergy OR I say that I'm allergic to eggs, dairy, soy, gluten & I don't eat meat.  I can tell pretty quick if it isn't going to work.


Vacation is a great time to demonstrate to those omnivores you love who travel with you that vegan food can be delicious!!  This trip we've had a chance to take my brother and sister-in-law to two delicious vegan restaurants and they have actually LOVED some of the food at each!


When I'm out to eat on a special occasion at a restaurant location that is non-negotiable & there are very few or no vegan options, I'll be honest--I'll choose a piece of fish & go for rice & veggies if I don't think the rice & veggies alone will sustain me.  I still think that being 100% vegan is the way to go and I'm vegan 99.9% of the time, but occasionally I like to reduce the number of ripples I make in social situations & maintaining my abstinence is more important than anything else.  If I've consulted with the manager, the restaurant location is non-negotiable and I really don't have options (hello, remember soy-free and gluten-free and sugar-free too), then I opt for seafood. It is pretty rare that I find myself in that position but I did have to do it once this week.  There really wasn't anything I could eat on the menu & we were in a huge group.  I decided to just relax & go with the flow because sugar was a bigger temptation at the time and I needed something filling in my stomach to not eat dessert.  


Guess what?  That is ok. At least it is for me.  I do the best I can, and that is good enough.  I am 100% an imperfect vegan.  Just like I'm 100% an imperfect person.


5)  I try to be more active and exercise more often than I ever do at home:  


I am usually exhausted by the time I make it to vacation.  But I find that if I force myself to get up every morning (even if I sleep in) and go for at least one solid walk outside (no matter what the weather) than I really feel so much more energized.  I've been walking on the beach for very prolonged periods of time this vacation and am finding it absolutely heavenly.  I've added in a little upper body routine where I mimic the motions I would do while weight lifting except I'm walking without weight.  I realize that many of my fellow beach walkers may look at me a bit funny doing chest presses in front of me as I walk but I love the result.  My body feels strong and healthy by the time I'm done.  Just feeling the sand beneath my toes is therapeutic by itself!  Water relaxes me and I try to vacation near water as much as possible.   


On top of the walking routine, I try to specifically look to get involved with high energy activities as much as possible.  For example, this time I made a sand castle with my nephews (elementary school age) and then played in the water with them for over an hour.  And let me tell you, that sand castle was no smoothing and piling sand operation--we were digging!  We dug a huge hole in the sand all the way to water.  My hamstrings and triceps were screaming the next day after leaning over and scooping sand for well over an hour but it was so worth it.  I felt alive and so grateful because four years ago it would have been impossible to do it!  


Wherever or however you vacation, you can always find something more active to do than what you are doing.  Don't hurt yourself, but do look to push yourself with fun activities!  Play with active kids and you won't even notice that you are doing a major workout until its over!  Trust me!!:-)


6)  I go to at least one of my 12 step compulsive eating meetings:  


The Happy Nurse and I checked the program's meeting list in our vacation location before we came down & we really enjoyed going to a meeting down here.  Its always fantastic for me to reconnect with program people who understand the struggles of being on vacation and wanting to "splurge" and reward myself for working hard!  Going to meetings helps me remember that my disease is always present even if I like to pretend it isn't.  And I remind myself that vacation is a great time to get to meetings--I don't have work or other demands to keep me from them!!


7)  I use my downtime to catch up on step work and readings:  


I haven't been doing as much of this on vacation this time because its been really socially active with my husband's family, but we do have some quiet time the next few days which will give me time for reflection.  I like to find a quiet spot--I remember fondly doing my Step 7 work on a deck on the back of the cruise ship where very few people came.  I was able to write and write and feel nature and just relax to let things flow.  It was incredible and I highly recommend scheduling in some "down-time" to recharge and reflect.
  
8)  I unplug:  


I really try to stay off my phone, my email, facebook and now, the blog.  I often turn my electronic devices off completely for the entire week (scary in this day and age eh!!:-))--I did do that on our vacation in October and it was wonderful.  Oh! And as much as possible, I resist the temptation to turn the TV on in our hotel room.  I find that once it is on, I get stuck in the room instead of out and about experiencing my vacation location.  I like to take time to relax in the room yes, but its a totally different relaxation experience without the TV chattering in the background!!


A few specific tips for food-challenging vacations:

• Cruises--First, the basic thing: no snacking between meals, skip dessert & take advantage of the awesome exercise equipment on the ship.  Second:  talk to the maitre d and your waiter/waitress about your food restrictions.  Call them "allergies."  The chef can usually accommodate you without any fuss at all!  We love cruises--particularly on Celebrity (they are awesome last minute vacations--fantastic price reductions when booked within a month before & you feel so pampered!).  With their all-you-can-eat philosophy, they tend to be a real challenge for compulsive overeaters but I've managed to stay abstinent throughout two of them so far.   
• Our first night on the ship on our honeymoon I let my waiter know about my dietary restrictions and from then on, he pointed out all the meals I could safely have on the menu each night.  
• On another cruise the waiter called the maitre d over and each night before we left he brought the menu for the next night to the table and asked me what modifications I needed on the already planned dishes!  It was wonderful--and there was no extra fee or negative reactions to my requests.  
• Just ask what you need--if you ask politely and nicely, they tend to bend over backwards to accommodate you! 
• Bed & Breakfasts--this is one of the trickiest by far.  If you are staying at a place really remote than you need to call ahead and let them know about your restrictions.  If they can't accommodate you--don't go.  Really.  It will be incredibly frustrating every morning to come down from your room to a delicious looking meal that you can't eat.  Frankly, it can ruin a vacation for a food addict like me.  So choose a place that will work with you.

Ok!  I hope that is helpful!!  

Like so many of us, I wish I could stay on vacation forever but at some point I'm heading home.  And I can say confidently that I haven't gained a bit of weight during this vacation despite all the eating out!  Using the above tips have made that completely possible and I feel so good!

What techniques do YOU use on vacation to stay healthy?!

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.

Fantastic news! Ms. Lindsay Nixon's NEW Cookbook is out!!! The EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!! Special RECIPE preview!!!

I literally just left a patient's hospital room where I was counselling him on the health potentials of a plant-based diet and came back to my office, only to hear the best news! 

I'm VERY excited to share that my FAVORITE chef, Lindsay Nixon, has just put out her NEW COOKBOOK:  THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!  I had already given the patient the information on her first cookbook (The Happy Herbivore Cookbook), but it looks like after I finish this post--I'm going to head back in there and give him the information on how to get THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE! as well! Not only is her food super healthy, but it also is delicious--this is why I share about her to my patients! If they cook her meals, I know they'll stick to the lifestyle changes I recommend!

Now you all know how I raved about Ms. Nixon's culinary and nutritional talents in my previous posts: here and here so I of course can't wait to get the new cookbook.  She has been kind enough to share one of the recipes from THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE! with me to provide all of you with a "taste" (so to speak) of what we can look forward to in this new effort!  Check the end of this post for the recipe for a fantastic looking Sweet Potato Dal!!  YUMMMMMMMM!!  And you can BUY her new cookbook, The Everyday Happy Herbivore, on Amazon by clicking HERE

A little background on Ms. Nixon from her impressive press kit:
"Lindsay S. Nixon is a rising star in the culinary world, praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious. Lindsay's recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women's Health Magazine and on The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna, a luxury resort and four-star restaurant in the French West Indies. You can learn more about Lindsay and sample some of her recipes at happyherbivore.com

After vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon wrapped up her popular cookbook The Happy Herbivore Cookbook last year, she went back to her kitchen in her new home of St. Maarten. Island living encouraged Nixon to come up with simpler fare, which led to a follow-up cookbook focusing on recipes that bring tasty back to quick-and-easy.

Now, in Nixon's much-anticipated follow-up cookbook, THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!  , readers will see, once again, that just because plant-based eating is optimal for health, it doesn't have to also be expensive or time-consuming.

THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!  includes more than 175 doable recipes--recipes that are so quick and easy, you could cook three healthy meals from scratch every day like Nixon does.

Each of Nixon's recipes are made with wholesome, easy-to-find, fresh ingredients and include no added fats. With additional notes indicating recipes that are ideal for preparing ahead of time and those you can whip up with just a few dollars, THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!   will be the must-have cookbook for anyone desiring a healthier, happier menu!"

A FREE RECIPE FROM HER NEW COOKBOOK THE EVERYDAY HAPPY HERBIVORE!!  

Sweet Potato Dal |
serves 2

This soup is Dal-icious! It’s so flavorful you’ll want seconds. and thirds!

1 small sweet potato, skinned
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala, plus extra
1 cup vegetable broth, plus extra
1/2 cup red lentils
4 cups spinach, or more
salt

Dice sweet potato into small ½-inch cubes, and set aside. Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water and saute onions and garlic for a minute. Add a pinch or two red pepper flakes and continue to cook until all the water has cooked off. Add turmeric, ¼ tsp garam masala and stir to coat. Add 1 cup broth, uncooked lentils, and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to low, cover, and simmer for a few minutes, about 5. Add sweet potatoes, bring to a boil again and reduce to low and simmer, until lentils are fully cooked (they expand and the sauce thickens), about 5 minutes more. Check periodically to see if you need additional broth (I tend to add an extra ½ cup but it can vary). Once lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are fork tender, taste, adding more garam masala as desired (I like to add another ¼ tsp but some blends are stronger than others). Add spinach, continuing to stir until spinach cooks down and softens. Add salt to taste and serve.
Per Serving: 232 Calories, 0.9g Fat, 42.2g Carbohydrates, 17.7g Fiber, 4.7g Sugar, 15.4g Protein

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.

RECIPES & Ideas: Snacks! YUMMY & Portable Plant-Based Snack Food--all sugar-free, gluten-free & without adding oil or fat!!

My schedule has been characterized as "insane" and I know that a lot of you can completely relate!  That said, if you are working in health care than you know how poorly "putting yourself first" and "taking breaks" is regarded!


So when it comes to snack foods I need things that include:
1) Eat Standing Up or On the Drive Home:  Quick bursts of good filling energy that makes me feel like I can keep going without having to set up a table-top to eat from!
2) Eat at My Desk:  Something I can eat without silverware and look forward to grabbing during a break from the action
3) Sweet Things:  Sometimes living sugar-free can be a bit of a challenge!  Bring on the mock desserts that I make for myself without any added sweeteners--my blueberry "cobbler" nighttime snack for example or my homemade applesauce!
4) Salty/Savory Things:  Yes this is a heart-healthy diet but I don't think a little added salt now and then is going to kill me since we aren't eating added salt in our main meals!


There are some awesome recipes for snacks in the Vegan blogosphere that I want to try:  
The Fat Free Vegan: Microwave potato chips, roasted curried chickpeas, kale chips!
Robin Robertson's Spinach & White Bean Fritters (I think I'll be able to modify these by baking them?)
Robin Robertson's "Finger Lickin' Tempeh Fingers" from her book: "Party Vegan"


AND, here are a few ideas that my husband and I use!

• Items You Can Eat Standing Up or On the Drive Home
• Homemade Oat Bars from dates, bananas, dried cranberries & oats

• Homemade Trail Mix (raw rolled oats, raisins or prunes, raw irish/steel cut oats)
• Mexican Chickpeas (we use the chickpea filling from the Happy Herbivore's Chickpea Taco's using this AWESOME homemade taco seasoning mix --you can snack on these & they are super yummy, kinda crunchy & filling!)
• Fruit of course!
• Air-popped Popcorn (The Healthy Librarian has a recipe here, just scroll to the bottom of the post)
• Items You Can Eat At Your Desk
• Homemade & Store-Bought Tahini-free Bean Dips: (with my favorite oil-free cracker: Mary's Gone Crackers) 


• black bean, white bean, hummus, lentil, etc
• right now my go-to hummus recipes are in the Dr. Esselstyn's Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease.  My main favorite is made with chickpeas, garlic, tahini, dijon mustard and spring onions!  
• another favorite is Ann Esselstyn's Artichoke Bean dip (also from Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease.
• Salsa! (with my homemade tortilla chips)
• garlic chipotle (my favorite Trader Joe's flavor), pineapple, fire roasted, etc
• Sweet Things
• Homemade Blueberry "cobbler" (thawed frozen blueberries with oat milk & toasted rolled oats)
• Homemade Banana "ice cream" (Ann Esselstyn's recipe:  frozen peeled bananas mixed in a blender or food processor--instant ice cream.  This is seriously & surprisingly delicious!)
• Frozen Mango (THANK YOU Trader Joes for your nicely peeled & cubed frozen mango!)
• Sugar-free Homemade Applesauce (see my recipe from my previous post here.)
• Dates or Figs (I try to eat no more than three of each when snacking because of their high glycemic index)
• Salty/Savory Things:
• Homemade Sweet or White Potato Chips (see microwaved potato chip recipe above--I season mine with garlic powder & kosher salt)
• Homemade Tortilla Chips
• I just take plain corn tortillas and bake them in the oven at 350 until they turn brown & then I break them into pieces and use them as chips.
• Homemade Veggie Chips 
• Baked Kale Chips: By Mrs. McDougall from Dr. McDougall's Newsletter (click here)

What are YOUR favorite snacks?  I'm always looking for more recipes--any ideas?  Please post in the comments section :-)

Coming Up on Medical System Tuesday: 

• Tip #8 For The Best Hospital Care:  Be Nice ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~

Coming Up Next Week:

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

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.

Using Food to Heal PAIN: Part 2: What Did I Do? Also, Effects on Arthritis, Acute Muscle Strains, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer!!

Ok, the question you might be asking is what did I ACTUALLY do to treat my neck and back pain with food instead of NSAIDs (Mobic, Ibuprofen, etc)? As you saw in my last post on the power of the anti-inflammatory diet to reduce or reverse pain there is a very long list of both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory foods.   Discussing the literature is one thing, but what did I do in real life?

Well, basically, I used that Anti-Inflammatory Book as a Bible but made a few tweaks of my own (me, doing it "my" way--shocking?!).  


I first gave up all dairy (which actually wasn't that hard because I already wasn't eating cheese & I hadn't drank milk since I was a teenager because it caused recurent sinus infections).  I didn't notice a massive difference in my pain at that point, but it improved enough to make me a believer.  Then I gave up sugar & gluten--holy cow--HUGE improvement!  


Sugar as an agent of inflammation wasn't a huge surprise to me.  Prior to these dietary changes, whenever I started to feel a cold coming on, I would immediately eliminate all sugar from my diet (including fruit) and eat a ton of nutrient-rich vegetables (SPINACH! Kale, broccoli, green beans, collard greens, etc).  If I did that the very first day I started to feel bad (as well as take 1 day dose of 50mg of Zinc & 1000mg Vitamin C), I rarely every progressed to getting the cold or sinus infection I was heading towards.  I honestly can't tell you why I made this choice--I think that probably about 10 years ago I read about improving children's immune systems in Dr. Leo Galland's book "Superimmunity for Kids" & some of that removing sugar to improve the immune system advice was in there!  Either way, it works like clockwork for me despite the fact that I work in a hospital and get exposed to nasty germs every day!  


The whole gluten thing was a surprise to me though...so I had to do a little research.  One of my medical school classmates (and dear friend) had eliminated gluten from her diet because she was getting recurrent sore throats that stopped when she stopped eating it, so I knew that eliminating gluten from my diet would have some effects.  But, since I didn't have celiac disease (a disease that causes the body to reject gluten & cause severe intestinal & other dysfunction), I couldn't quite figure out why I got such a big bump in pain relief with the gluten elimination.  After researching it,  I now just think that maybe it is because wheat gluten isn't what it used to be.  What do I mean by that?  Well, briefly--if I was eating wheat about 50 years ago I wouldn't recognize the wheat we eat today.  Compared to farmer's products in the past, todays wheat is extremely genetically modified--with many natural nutrients depleted over time.  So my body obviously doesn't like our wheat!  I'll be happy to share more about that research in a future post, but I could go on forever about that so lets focus on the PAIN stuff some more.


Around the time I stopped sugar and gluten I also stopped caffeine!!  I cannot believe that I forgot to mention this in my earlier posts!  It was seriously one of the HARDEST things I've ever done.  I felt horrible stopping the caffeine--a headache that didn't budge for a week was so painful to work through.  But once again, on the other side--less pain, more alert brain.  Crazy how this all works!  I should note that the majority of my caffeine consumption was tea.  I didn't really drink much coffee or sodas even before giving up caffeine.  My "no coffee rule" was because back when I was obese I constantly had GERD (reflux/heartburn) and I eventually gave myself a severe case of gastritis that forced me to eliminate the coffee that kept me awake for most of med school!  My "no soda rule" was because sodas actually contain phosphorus which leaches the calcium out of your bones putting you at much higher risk for osteoporosis as you age.  Yup, its true folks--but sometimes its hard to get that message out about such a profitable product!  I'll write in a future post about why diet sodas are particularly bad (they damage your bones AND they change the way you store your fat so it makes it harder to lose weight)!


Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn & Citrus fruits didn't really seem to alter my pain levels so I kept them in.  I already don't drink b/c we're 12 steppers so no alcohol to eliminate!  


So I marched along without sugar, gluten or caffeine while consciously eating more Omega-3's, nutrient rich veggies on that anti-inflammatory list, berries, garlic, Roobios team (no caffeine), quinoa (my fav) and other grains.  I did this while maintaining a daily professional traction machine & exercise regimen prescribed by my PT for my neck.  I was doing all those PT directed activities before the food changes so I believe I can isolate the food changes as an independent variable (science speak).  In other words, I think I can safely say that the food was the main thing that changed, and after that change, the pain improved enough to get off the daily anti-inflammatory meds (normal people speak)!  

THEN, comes the Vegan thing.  Literally about 2 weeks after giving up meat of all kinds (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish etc)--I was pain-free nearly all the time.  I even noticed that in the weeks prior to the initiation of the Vegan program we had been cooking out a lot on the grill (with delicious meat from a local beef farm of course--support local farmers!) & my pain seemed to be a bit higher in those weeks despite the lack of sugar, gluten or caffeine.  Then BOOM--goodbye meat, goodbye pain.


So there you go--thats my story!  Remember of course, my repetitive caveat to read my medical disclaimer below!!! 


Here are a few comments on specific ailments: Arthritis, Acute Muscle Strains, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer.  Please remember that the majority of the findings discussed below are still deemed "inconclusive as effective" in large scale peer-reviewed research studies--however, I believe there is enough quality data (even in small studies) to support at least considering dietary changes for treating or supplementing treatment of the following conditions.  The arthritis data however ARE very well supported in the literature (see the link below).


1) Arthritis:  eliminating anti-inflammatory foods obviously has a major and rapid impact on this inflammatory condition.  There should be no such thing as "I'm growing old at 50 and my joints hurt"--seriously--I mean it--seriously!  I spent over an hour with a patient a few weeks ago who could barely walk due to his arthritis--he committed to making dietary changes & I can't wait to see him walk into the office in a few months.  I am that big a believer in this! 


A few excellent resources on food as medicine for Arthritis include an outstanding article written by Dr. Neal Barnard from the Physicians for Responsible Medicine.  You can read it here: http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/foods-and-arthritis


2) Back strain, sprained ankles, tendonitis etc--all of these are examples of injuries with acute or chronic inflammation.  Basically the body has a very smart response to injury--in non-medical speak: it draws on its own resources to infiltrate the damaged areas, heat them to protect them from bacteria & stimulate the tissue to heal.  So inflammation is a good thing actually.  But when you pile on a bunch of additional sources of inflammation like food and chronic inflammatory diseases like Diabetes or Heart Disease, the inflammation can get out of control & healing can be prolonged.  


When I face those situations, I recommend eliminating every inflammatory food on that list immediately and starting to consume as many of the anti-inflammatory foods as possible.  Watch for yourself and see what happens.  Of course, the foods can only do so much to overcome the power of inflammatory diseases like Diabetes or Heart Disease but if you aren't severely ill with a chronic disease, I'll bet you'll be surprised with how quickly the injury heals and the pain goes away! That is at least my own experience.


3) Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Syndrome:  Both of these illnesses trap patients in a body that is extremely hypersensitive to normal stimuli.  What this basically means is that, if you touch a fibromyalgia patient during a flare, they are exceptionally sensitive to touch in particular areas of their bodies that occur in a very specific pattern.  They also are overwhelmed with fatigue (and in most cases, depression).  Chronic Pain patients feel pain when normal people do not--their nerve endings are so damaged that they are hyperactive, creating a seemingly "fake" response on physical exam.  True Chronic Pain Syndrome is very very real, and more common than I would like.  It is also accompanied by fatigue and depression.  


Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain patients are two of the most common patient groups in my specialty AND I believe they are two of the main groups that would benefit greatly from dietary treatment of their disease.  Many of these patients are as obese as I once was, and their bodies are in an overwhelming state of inflammation from the obesity ON TOP of the inflammation from the painful diseases!  I would love to see more doctors treating these patients with an anti-inflammatory, vegan diet before doing anything else (such as add narcotic medications to allow these people to function)!


3) Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue, Heart Disease:   These are all diseases of chronic inflammation.  There is a particular marker of inflammation that the body puts out, its called C-reactive Protein (CRP).  When you measure the CRP in people, the result can be predictive of future heart dysfunction if the measurement is done when the patient is not in an acute state of illness. Once again, inflammatory disease, eliminate inflammatory foods (including  oils & fats according to Dr. Esselstyn) & add anti-inflammatory foods!


4) Cancer:  I will devote a whole post to cancer in the future with regards to prevention & how to use foods for healing in conjunction with treatment by traditional Western Medicine.  I need to do some more research to supplement what I know but I can tell you this much.  First, significant studies have been done that demonstrate a reduction in cancer risk with adoption of an anti-inflammatory diet such as a vegan diet.  Second, any patient going through chemotherapy or radiation can tell you how exhausting and depleted the body feels.  They also do not feel like eating due to severe nausea, even though eating is the one thing that can boost their tolerance of the treatments!  They could possibly benefit a great deal by optimizing their intake of anti-inflammatory foods and eliminating inflammatory foods:

1. to reduce the activation of cancer cells (as demonstrated in rat models with casein (found in animal products)-- Dr. Colin Campbell's original research)
2. to provide them with the extra boost they need to manage the chemo and radiation process.  

Ok!  That about wraps it up for this post!  Hope this information is helpful and looking forward to writing more about this in the future!


****
After I wrote this I found some awesome posts from other bloggers on this topic!  Here are a few excellent ones:  


1)  Healthy Librarian: Using Medical Journals to Guide Your Cooking!
2) Vegan Epicurean (scroll down to the bottom to see her comments on a recent JHU conference!)
3) Healthy Girl's Kitchen: great post on sugar!!!


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.