Foods That Heal: #2: SWEET POTATOES!!!! (and RECIPES!)! Does Your Body Hurt? Do You Feel Sick? Want To Prevent Disease? Start Eating These Foods!!

Well folks its time for spotlighting another awesome anti-inflammatory, antioxidant food!  This time I thought I'd pick a starch that may surprise you!  SWEET POTATOES!!  

Yes, thats right folks, I'm talking about potatoes!  But sweet potatoes aren't really "potatoes" as we think of them!  While doing research for this post, I was surprised to discover that sweet potatoes themselves are actually not part of the "potato family"--they are a root vegetable in their own family completely separate from white potatoes & even yams!  So bring on these "potatoes!"   As I shared last week with KALE, in each post I'll share why each food rocks nutritionally and give you some recipe options to try to prepare it!  Once again, I'd love to hear any recipe ideas that you have to cook/prepare yummy meals with the featured "Food That Heals!"  Please share your ideas in the comments below!

And now:  back to the sweet potatoes!

You'll note that sweet potatoes showed up on all three of the anti-inflammatory/antioxidant lists I've shared on the blog.  Thats because they are full of powerful micronutrients that pack a major punch to fight & prevent pain, cancer & even stabilize blood glucose in diabetics!  Extra bonus--they taste delicious & have a relatively low glycemic index which makes them a perfect food to satisfy a sweet tooth!

I really love sweet potatoes--I have since I was young but when I became vegan and sugar-free I got a bit stumped on how to cook them!  I was so used to having them baked with butter and brown sugar or in a casserole with marshmellows!!  Luckily, the vegan blogger world stood ready to provide me with many tasty recipes to enjoy this nutritious & delicious treat!  I'll share some yummy recipes later in the post but first, why do sweet potatoes rock?  Remember, I'm a doctor but still engaged in my own nutrition education so I'll do the best I can explaining these nutrients!

Antioxidant Value

• Vitamin A (1 cup provides 438% of the RDA!)--as I shared in Kale last week, Vitamin A is one impressive vitamin.  
• It protects cells against cancer and other diseases and is necessary for new cell growth
• It contains Carotenoids: lutein and beta-carotene--studies have demonstrated a cancer-preventive function for prostate cancer and colorectal cancer in particular! 
• The beta-carotene & anthocyanin in the sweet potatoes is what gives them their rich orange color--beta-carotene is a precursor for Vitamin A (which means it is a substance that helps make Vitamin A)!
• Vitamin C--like Kale, according to "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" this vitamin is an "antioxidant that is required for at least three hundred metabolic functions in the body including tissue growth and repair..."
• THE POWER OF PURPLE: 
• In one study, the antioxidant activity in purple sweet potatoes was 3.2 times higher than that of a type of blueberry! This is due to the anthocyanin (discussed in anti-inflammatory value below) which was  found in one study to have the strongest antioxidizing power out of 150 flavonoids
• I haven't been able to find any purple sweet potatoes at my local Whole Foods but I'm going to see if my little organic shop up the street will order me some from these folks that I found via Google!:-)

Anti-Inflammatory Value (some overlap with antioxidant)

• Anthocyanin:  the pigment that makes sweet potatoes orange and sometimes, even purple!
• a class of flavonoids.  As I mentioned last week, flavonoids are extremely beneficial, check out this paper by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
• Shown in studies to reduce the inflammatory agent  cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) {small informational note: COX-2 inhibitors--things that reduce COX-2--include the drug Celebrex!}

Other fantastic nutritional benefits include:

• Potassium; manganese; Vitamins B6, B3 & B5; copper; tryptophan
• FIBER:  nearly 4 grams per cup!
• and MORE! 

What diseases are Sweet Potatoes thought to influence, prevent, reduce or improve:

• Reduces Pain
• "In animal studies, reduced inflammation following sweet potato consumption has been shown in brain tissue and nerve tissue throughout the body.
• Once again, check out Dr. Neal Barnard's book: "Foods That Fight Pain"
• Helps improve blood glucose control in diabetic patients
• Recent research has shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can help improve the control of blood glucose levels by improving insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients.  
• "It also has been shown to significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism." 
• Helps prevent cancer (like all antioxidant dense foods!) 
• May reduce damage to the aging brain, including reducing cognitive deficits
• May help reduce obesity
• studies have shown that the purple sweet potato's anti-inflammatory effects includes suppressing leptin (the molecule that generates fat tissue in the body)
• Helps fight arthrosclerosis & stabilizes the walls of small  blood vessels which can improve blood flow throughout the body
• Improves cholesterol
• A study shared in Dr. Fuhrman's Disease Proof blog indicated that anthocyanin dense foods reduced LDL cholesterol & increased HDL cholesterol

***Caveat:  If you have kidney or gallbladder problems, check with your doctor before you eat a lot of sweet potatoes--they have oxalates in them which can crystallize.***

Recipes:  SO many great recipes!!  What are YOUR favs?

• Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges and Zippy Yams & Bok Choy from p.9 of Dr. Neal Barnard's "Diabetes Recipes" pdf
• Susan Voisin of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's Millet Sweet Potato Flat Bread sounds AMAZING!  She uses it to make a "cheese" sandwich!  Going on my list for next week!
• Probably my FAVORITE soup: The Healthy Librarian's version of Robin Robertson's Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup
• Ok this looks amazing and I'm so sad that with my soy-free life I can't have it but for the rest of you:  The Vegan Epicurean's Sweet Potato Torta with Dijon Cream
• My New Roots Sweet Potato Hummus:  OK YUMMY!!!
• Sweet potatoes for breakfast?  Oh yes!  Check this out from "Oh She Glows":  Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole and this other Sweet Potato Breakfast Salad recipe from "Choosing Raw"
• Healthy Girl's Kitchen shared this great looking Sweet Potato Stew recipe from another blog The Jana/Dr. Joel Project 
• When Lindsay Nixon's new book the "Everyday Happy Herbivore" came out, she was kind enough to send me one of the recipes as a preview--yummy Sweet Potato Dal!

Ok thats all folks!  Enjoy!

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.

Ten Things I Do to Keep Those Nearly 100lbs Off!! (AND more Before & After photos! :-))

I realize that most of you do not have an eating disorder like mine.  But maybe some parts of the things I do can help you too!  I can only share from my own experience, but here is how I've lost the weight & maintained my recovery for the last four years.  Trust me, it was not "willpower!"  I don't have any when it comes to food!  You already know what I EAT (I wrote about it here and here ), so here is what I DO!

BEFORE- 268LBS

#1:  I Write It Down:  
I write down my food report, my food plan, my step work & then I journal when I'm feeling emotions that may be challenging for me to handle without food.  For the first three years of program I emailed my sponsor nearly every night to report what I ate that day.  This made me accountable to her and to myself.  I also tried to quickly jot down my plan for what I would eat the next day. My committing my plan to paper removes the need to think about food the next day.  I know what I will eat.  For my recovery (and everyone in my 12 step compulsive eating recovery group has a different program) I don't HAVE to eat what I plan the next day--I just do my best. I don't food report right now unless I'm feeling shaky but I do still try to write a food plan in my journal the night before.  If you are not in a 12 step compulsive eating recovery group or another similar program, I recommend getting a buddy that you can send your food to--it REALLY helps!


#2:  I Eat TWO cups of Vegetables with Lunch & Dinner. 
My sponsor told me to do this so I do.  It was hard to do at first because that is a LOT of vegetables but its easy now.  I can't eat as much other food because it fills me up. It also gives me the nutrients I need. I usually stick to dark leafy greens like kale & spinach.  I like those tossed with a few dried cranberries (not the ones with added refined sugar, the ones sweetened with apple juice:  Whole Foods has them!)  Its really yummy like that!

AFTER:
AT THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR!

#3:  I Cook in Bulk:  
We cook in bulk once a week & refrigerate or freeze all our meals in BPA-free tupperware.  We do this mostly because my husband & I usually do not have the time or the energy to cook during the week plus we need to bring our food to work (there is barely anything we can eat at our hospital cafeterias AND we are trying to pay off my massive student loan debt by being frugal).  See my posts on our methods of bulk cooking: here, here & here.


#4:  I Don't Weigh Myself:  
I stopped weighing myself regularly at the beginning of my program.  I did this because EVERY time in the past (in my many, MANY years of dieting before I started this 12 step compulsive eating recovery program) when I lost enough weight to get down to near 200lbs, I shot right back up.  I don't know why--it just happened that way.  So I only weigh myself every few months--sometimes I've gone 6 months without stepping on a scale.  We don't own one.  And removing the "weight game" brings so much sanity to my life.  I measure progress by how I feel, not what the scale says!  I only mention numbers now because people always want to know how much weight I've lost.


#5:  I Use My Community Support:  I tend to seek my main support from my 12 step compulsive eating recovery community because they can relate to my history of obesity and food dysfunction.  My phone has about 20+ 12 step compulsive eating recovery program members from my local meetings so I can rapid dial when I'm in a bad situation--like very hungry driving home from work & obsessing about food because I forgot my snack!  By the time I'm done with talking--even if all I do is leave messages--I'm sane again.  Its a miracle!  I reach out to my non-compulsive eating friends and my family too!  I also have great support from my husband, the Happy Nurse (he is ah-maze-ing).  Very grateful.  Other things I do:  I go to 12 step compulsive eating recovery program meetings and I listen to free podcasts from iTunes of 12 step compulsive eating recovery program speakers in Los Angeles that inspire me (just search for "12 step LA speakers" in iTunes & you'll find them!).  


All that said, you don't need a 12 step compulsive eating recovery program to build a community of support to stay healthy--reach out and ask for help if you need it.  You'll be surprised at how powerful it is!
   
#6:  I Don't Watch TV:   
Yup, that's right!  Our TV is for DVD viewing only.  No cable.  We download shows one episode at a time on our computers when I want to watch something & my hubby watches Hulu.  TV for me is another addiction and that is why I avoid it. And of course, due to work, we are rarely home!  As a side benefit I get to miss all the commercials about foods that are not good for me! 


#7:  I Keep Emergency Snacks:  
I always have an emergency snack--a few flaxseed crackers, a date or two, some trail mix, a piece of fruit--available in my glove compartment or my work bag.  Raging hunger is a dangerous thing for me so I try to avoid that.  


#8:  I Follow What My Sponsor Says & I Give Service & Sponsor Others:  
So much of food addiction recovery involves surrender.  I kept doing things "my way" for years and guess what--it doesn't work!  So I look to my sponsor (another member of my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program with a strong recovery) to guide me.  I give a lot of service--I sponsor people, I help with meetings, I make calls to my people in need and I look for opportunities to give.  When I give to others I get out of my own head and turn my thoughts to their needs.  I share my story as often as I can because I have a responsibility to give the gift of hope as others have done for me.


#9:  I Keep My Abstinence No Matter What:  
Everyone's "abstinence" in my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program is different & defined by the member & their sponsor.  To use more familiar terms, "abstinence" is the equivalent of "sobriety" in AA.  I don't care if I'm exhausted from work, sad because I lost a patient, upset at my husband/family/friends, joyous over an accomplishment or sick with the flu--I will not eat the foods that my sponsor & I decided were unsafe for me to eat.  If I have one bite--I will binge--it is impossible for me to only eat one serving.  I am NEVER going back to the way I was before.  And I know with the support of my Higher Power (HP) & the life skills I have learned from OA, I will not have to feel the pain of working my way towards 300lbs & hating myself for it.


#10:  I Meditate, I Pause & I Listen to My Higher Power:  
I meditate to guided meditation because I have NO ability to silence my brain.  I need someone talking to me and telling me how to relax! My fav right now is a free iPhone app called "Spiritual Healing by the American Monk."  It is awesome--8 mins long.  It helps me stay centered.


I PAUSE.  If my eating disorder is active, when I sit down to eat I feel like a train running out of control.  I have to eat as much and as quickly as possible.  All I can think is MORE MORE MORE!  The way I stop this is by pausing--I sit before my food and take a deep breath.  I close my eyes for a quick second and make my whole body completely still.  And I listen for guidance from my heart (my HP).  And then I start eating--a much calmer, saner person!  Physically stilling myself before meals seems to be the key to not overeating.  I don't need to do this all the time, but I do practice it fairly frequently. 


For me, my Higher Power (HP) is the voice in my heart that is the best version of myself, the version of myself that wants only the best for me, that is kind & can see things clearly & calmly. The way I understand this program concept is that everyone defines their own HP in the 12 step compulsive eating recovery program--it can be God, it can be nature, it can be the recovery group, it can really be ANYTHING greater than yourself that can stop you from acting in your addiction.  


OK!  So that is all I know right now.  Remember that I am not a spokesperson for any 12 step compulsive eating recovery program--I'm just one member sharing my honest experience, strength & hope the way we are taught to do.  Thank you for letting me share this with you!

Coming Up Next Week:

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

Coming Up 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.

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.

The Plan for the Blog: Using Food To Heal Can Change Your Life

Over the next few posts, I'll give you the "why" and the "how" to explain why I think a "clean" diet is good for every person, no matter what their genetic background!  

The "why" being that for some people disability (a stroke, obesity, heart disease, etc) is worse than death.  And it can be completely prevented. More on that later this week!

The "how" being a bunch of info on what meals I actually eat, what recipes I've found yummy or made up myself and last but not least for all you busy folks: practical food planning tools to help you grocery shop, cook in bulk and save a BUNCH of money!


I'm also going to talk about some major health challenges my patients' face in rehab and how to get the most out of your medical care.  

Keep reading and take what works for you!  I can't wait for you to change your health--its so exciting to have the energy to live life to the fullest and its never too late to start working on this now!!

Next time: Recipes:  Soups Galore!!


Coming Up:

• PAIN: How to Treat Everything from Arthritis to Muscle Strain to Fibromyalgia With Food
• RECIPES: APPLESAUCE (Sugar-Free)
• 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.

Nearly 100 lbs LOST: "Before" and "After" Photos

A nearly 100lb weight loss & counting--Here I am, for all the world to see! (cool note I just noticed--in my after pic--taken 3 weeks ago, the pants are actually too big for me!:-) I will post more photos later down the road!)

Four Years Ago at 268lbs & Now 

On this blog I will share with you what I've learned to reach this point. It seems to work one day at a time when I continue my 12 step compulsive eating recovery program!  

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

Coming Up:

• The Plan for the Blog:  Using Food to Heal Can Change Your Life
• Recipes:  Soups Galore: Butternut Squash Soup, Split Pea Soup and Lentil-Barley Soup
• PAIN: How to Treat Everything from Arthritis to Muscle Strain to Fibromyalgia With Food
• RECIPES: APPLESAUCE(Sugar-Free!)

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.

Some Excellent Resources I Love:

A great movie I can recommend that captures the power of the plant-based diet: Forks Over Knives Some other great resources Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Dr. Leo Galland: Superimmunity for Kids (Amazon link) Dr. T. Colin Campbell: The China Study The Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Jessica Black, N.D. (Amazon link) Dr. John McDougall's Website Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Blog Forks Over Knives' Recipe Book (Amazon link)

The Beginning: Using Food to Heal: My Journey

Today I was searching on the web for recipes to do some cooking on one of my rare days off.  If I don't cook and get organized today, it'll be another week of the occasional emergency take-out punctuated by leftover soups that my husband and I cooked last week.  Its now or never because during the week, neither of us have any energy to attempt creative cooking!

Don't get me wrong.  I love Green Pea Soup, Lentil Soup, Butternut Squash Soup and the ever outstanding Lentil and Barley Soup.  The Lentil and Barley Soup is a creation of my husband, aka The Happy Nurse, because according to him "anything with barley tastes amazing!"  I totally agree but after two weeks of tupperwared soups with varying veggie options, I need to branch out.  

I decided to start this blog because tonight, as I searched for recipes (and found an AWESOME blog of a librarian who shares my food philosophy: The Healthy Librarian ), I discovered how little organized, easy to access information there is out there on healing yourself with food.  Google searching turns up a lot of options that look good, but then if you read closely, most of the food has things I can't and shouldn't eat if I'm going to feel good!  So I'm going to do my best to provide you with organized resources, recipes and ideas to truly feel healthier!!  I'll also share some snapshots of my life as a rehab doctor and some HIPPA-compliant sketches of some of my patient's experiences.

I realize that most men and women searching for recipes may have some dietary restrictions that limit their options, but my husband and I have a few more restrictions when we eat.  We are getting "radical" and choosing to treat our health issues with food rather than needing cardiac surgery, cancer treatment or a cupboard full of meds in the future.


Huh?  I know, I'm an M.D. talking against the idea of piling on the meds!!  My patients are always surprised to hear that I'm not big on the traditional, let me pull out my prescription pad, cut you off from talking and send you out the door, brand of medicine.  Granted, I'm still in my final stages of training in my specialty: Physcial Medicine and Rehabilitation but I'm a fairly passionate person once I find a cause, so I doubt I'll be changing my medical approach anytime soon! But, stay tuned to this blog and I'll let you know!!  As a side note, I'll share more about my field later, and yes, we are doctors (MD's or DO's), we went to medical school and Physcial Medicine and Rehabilitation is a medical specialty just like cardiology, orthopedic surgery or psychiatry!  

For the last two months my husband and I have been eating a no-oil, plant-based Vegan diet according to the Cleveland Clinic's Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's program from his book, "How to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease."  Our program is well-supported by clinical and scientific research (including such notables as Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and more).   We started the plant-based diet because my husband has heart disease--intermittent atrial fibrillation--which lands him in the hospital every other year or so.  We are making a choice to change our lifestyles to prevent disability (stroke, cancer, angina, arrythmias) and to live longer, more active lives.

I add my own twists to the plant-based Vegan diet based on a twelve-step program I have been working for four years to recover from obesity and overeating behaviors.  I also fold in some anti-inflammatory diet practices to treat my chronic low back pain and acute neck pain following a car accident a year ago.


I can hear you now....wait Dr. Cat, no meat???????....(I can hear you wailing from here!)..but give me a chance and keep reading....take what you like and leave the rest.

I truly believe that eating this way has given me a new lease on life.  I've lost nearly 100lbs in the last four years.  I've gotten off all daily anti-inflammatory and pain medications.  I no longer have allergies or sinus infections.  Since transitioning to a no oil, plant-based diet I no longer have the GI issues I struggled with for years.  I have more energy.  I laugh more because I don't hurt as much.  I am a better wife and a better doctor.  

Remember, I'm not your doctor and if you follow any ideas I present on this blog, you understand that I will not be held liable for anything I share or recommend.  That said, I can't wait to get started!  Next post will be on what I eat, why I eat it and how you can too!

A great movie I can recommend that captures the power of the plant-based diet:
Forks Over Knives

Some great resources:

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Dr. T. Colin Campbell: The China Study
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet by Jessica Black, N.D. (Amazon link)
Dr. John McDougall's Website
Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Blog
Forks Over Knives' Recipe Book (Amazon link)

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.