Merry Merry Month of May
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Way to go on the 5 pounds Donna! I completely gave up beer the first of the year and after this amount of time I don't even miss it. I have only had wine maybe 4 or 5 times so far this year. I really think it's making a difference in my energy which has been my main issue for a while. Hope your back gets feeling better. The doctors all told me to work on core strength to help my lower back problems and it does help when I keep it up consistently.
Austin, I haven't seen mustard greens in the store lately. I never tried them until maybe 2 years ago and really like them.
Well done on the kitchen project, Magic! That's what I need to do, just tackle this place a room at a time and keep moving.
Yesterday was a good ETL day until I decided to eat a few Mary's Gone Crackers after my dinner salad and I probably ate 15 or so of them. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, they are ETL friendly, but it put my starches and seeds over for the day. I could have had more fruit or some more beans instead. I guess I still have to be on guard against the snack monster. I thought it was sleeping.
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Morning TEAM ETL! Having coffee...thinking, just thinking about the day...it's my Sunday. Most everything is in the house for me to make great work meals...last night I steamed artichokes...so good...so easy...just plain. They were the little ones from Trader Joes...globe artichokes...think I might have to make more tonight.
When my kitchen is somewhat organized, it is so much fun to come in here and whip up something WFPB. I just really feel I am doing so many wonderful things for my health.
I must make another taco/burrito bowl salad for lunch. Way good. And I think for lunch tomorrow...I might make a veggie sandwich, either Ezekiel bread for Lavash wrap. Thinking the sandwich might be easier to eat at my desk. Can't make it too big or I will cause a scene. LOL
Crackers...I think I would not be able to stop, either, @Mihani. But you really did not go way overboard.
I hope you all have a great day. I am going to make a quick Trader Joe's run...a quick stop at Walmart and then play around the house all day. Later, mates.0 -
@magic71755 - I think I am the one oddball who likes coffee in their morning smoothie. 🤣🤣🤣
I should say in advance that I am happy to have bitter be part of the flavor of a food, if it's not too much,
Way it works: 1 cup cold brew coffee (homemade in our fridge, not overly strong), 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk, small helping of frozen blueberries (~1/4 c), about twice that much frozen spinach (~1/2 c), 2 T flax seed meal. Blend.
Your work in the kitchen sounds great! I just yesterday spent time working on my pantry. Over time, I tend to end up with forgotten items pushed to the back and partially used bags of things (like I have part of a bag of jasmine rice, part of a bag of brown jasmine rice, etc.). So I was cleaning out, inventorying, sorting, combining. It feels cleaner and more alive and ready to cook now!
Enjoy today's burrito bowl and playing around the house!
Good luck with your triathlon, this weekend, @bisky ! A $20 small triathlon sounds great!
A big congratulations in losing 5 pounds over the last couple of weeks. That's great! Are you feeling a difference?
And oooh, that neighborhood Korean grill where they know your order -- awesome!
The beautiful dog is lucky to have been found by someone being more responsible and kind!
@Mihani - As to the greens, I am lucky. Our local grocery chain stocks their own house brand of frozen chopped greens -- spinach, collards, mustard and turnip. I buy in such quantity that I have had the checkers ask what I do with all those greens! (Doesn't seem like THAT much, really. I get 5-6 pounds at a time. Our freezer is not large.)
I am off to get ready for the next part of the day. I just spent an hour and a half baking something for an end-of-season academic team celebration. I must confess, it is fun to have a reason to bake occasionally. My kiddo eats really well most of the time, so this batch of bar cookies is a treat, and pretty and tasty to share.1 -
I will have to look for the globe artichokes Magic. I tried steaming a couple artichokes some time back and it was a lot of work for not a whole lot of reward. I decided I'd go back to opening a can of artichoke hearts lol. How's your kitchen project coming along?
Donna, how's your houseguest doing? You all ready for your tri?
Austin, I miss baking too. I have been looking at Dr. F's chia seed cookie recipe and may give that a try when the 6 weeks strict is up.
I have been eating salad for both lunch and dinner the past two days because I've been too busy with work to make a soup or stew for lunches. I am going to run out of lettuce and veggies before the next batch is delivered on Tuesday at this rate, but I can get by with a box of spring mix and a few veggies. It's just so nice having a big variety. Really makes the salads feel like a meal.
L - salad, cantaloupe, rice cake
D - salad, cantaloupe and blueberries with chia seeds
Got all the GBOMBS woohoo!
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Hi everyone! Looks like lots of good eating and exercising going on.
I miss baking too! I tried doing some vegan baking a while back and was getting good results dessert-wise, but unfortunately it was Joe and I eating most of it, and it for sure wasn't at all healthy. Something about putting those ingredients together and seeing all of the fat and sugar makes it easier to not be tempted by sweets. It no longer feels natural or normal to add all of that crap in a bowl with the plan to eat it!
Speaking of health, I had a follow up at the doctor's this week and brought in all of my blood testing results, etc. I lost 11 lbs for the month, and had a nice drop in my glucose numbers (according to my home testing...a1c fasting results from the lab won't be for another 2 months). She (doc) was really happy for me and left it up to me to go on meds short term or not. I agreed to that and will only be taking half the normal lowest dose to protect my kidneys as I continue to improve.
Mihani, I've made 2 batches of Holiday Soup for the Soul based on your recommendation. It is so good!!! It's in the permanent rotation.
I need to try the microwaving mushrooms trick. I get my g-bobs, but I want to be the boMb
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Mr Grumpy salesman quit! Yahoo!
I want to make Holiday Soup! Where do I find that recipe?
😮 WOW. Congratulations on those a1c numbers and 11 pounds gone.
That is seriously some kind of effort!1 -
13 hour work day
Cuties
Oatmeal like dr Esselstyn
Ezekiel Sammy with engine 2 hummus sprouts red onions cukes
Baked potato0 -
@Mihani - Hurray for all those salads and GBOMBS!
@Carla_wfpb - Congratulations on all the great news from your doctor visit! 11 pounds lost is impressive! It's great to hear you are doing the work with the glucose monitor and seeing great results.
Let us know what you think if you try microwaving your mushrooms. I buy them sliced, microwave them and sprinkle a spice on top (Mrs Dash, Spike, etc.). You can do them ahead if you are worried about them going bad over the week.
I had a victory a little like that today. I went in for my annual physical. "Morbidly Obese" was marked as a resolved issue on my chart. My BMI was marked as 22.4, and that was with my jeans and shoes on! Woohoo!
Thanks for the reminder about Holiday Soup for the Soul. That's still on my to-try list.
@magic71755 - Great menu! Sounds delicious!
The link I have bookmarked for Holiday Soup for the Soul is:
https://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/16/holiday-soup-for-the-soul/
@bisky - Good luck on the triathlon!
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Great news on the doc visit Carla. I know you'll be able to get off the meds in no time. I'm glad you liked that Holiday Soup. It seemed so simple I wasn't expecting much from it honestly, but wow is it good.
Glad to hear your grumpy co-worker left, Magic. Life is too short to have to deal with people who go out of their way to ruin your day.
That's awesome Austin... "resolved issue" sounds very final too.
It was a really stressful day today and I'm glad to be home, but I will be back in the office this weekend.
S - 2 rice cakes
L - big ol' salad and cantaloupe
D - baked tostada spread with fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa and topped with a big pile of veggies that I sauteed with fajita seasonings... it was kind of a clean out the fridge mix of onion, broccoli, red pepper, swiss chard (this actually tasted far better than I would have guessed and I ate two of them)
Will have some watermelon and blueberries with chia seeds to round out my day.
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Great news on the doc visit Carla. I know you'll be able to get off the meds in no time. I'm glad you liked that Holiday Soup. It seemed so simple I wasn't expecting much from it honestly, but wow is it good.
Glad to hear your grumpy co-worker left, Magic. Life is too short to have to deal with people who go out of their way to ruin your day.
That's awesome Austin... "resolved issue" sounds very final too.
It was a really stressful day today and I'm glad to be home, but I will be back in the office this weekend.
S - 2 rice cakes
L - big ol' salad and cantaloupe
D - baked tostada spread with fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa and topped with a big pile of veggies that I sauteed with fajita seasonings... it was kind of a clean out the fridge mix of onion, broccoli, red pepper, swiss chard (this actually tasted far better than I would have guessed and I ate two of them)
Will have some watermelon and blueberries with chia seeds to round out my day.
@Mihani - You are so right about "resolved issue" sounding final. Yes!
SO sorry about your stressful day. I hope things improve!0 -
Spent a few hours in the office, ran errands, came home and did some cooking and chores. Need to put in a longer day at the office tomorrow so I better get more energetic about accomplishing things around the house before bedtime.
B - sprouted grain English muffin with a little peanut butter
L - big ol' salad, watermelon
D - leftover bean and veggie tostadas, watermelon
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Hey @Mihani, I hope your evening is being fun and productive!
I had a busy day -- chores and serious housecleaning for game night this evening (we are hosting), transporting the teenager to a Scouts meeting, plus a panic when we thought our cat had gotten out. It turned out that he had found a new hiding spot -- phew!
B - spinach and blueberry smoothie
L - collard greens, black beans, pickled onions, steamed baby bella mushrooms, apple slices
S - apple slices and walnuts (100 calories total)
D - steamed butternut squash, big salad (massaged kale, roma and mini tomatos, green cabbage, red bell pepper, cauliflower), dressing (cilantro, tomatillo, cashew milk, onion vinegar, spices), minced apple and blueberries for dessert1 -
Didn't finish my cooking last night so I think I'm going to run to the office for a few hours then home to finish cooking and work the rest of the day from here. I'm going to try a simplified version of the Hello Nutritarian week one plan.
Austin, hope game night was fun!0 -
I really like the concept of the Hello Nutritarian plan, but it is a lot of work to do all the cooking, and I left out 3 recipes. I am going to try it on certain weeks and other weeks stick with my very simple cooking/eating habits. I think it would be excellent for someone not used to prepping and eating ETL, but with the huge salads I like to eat it's way too much food for one person even not making all the recipes.
Anyway this took longer than I thought and I really need to get some more work done before bedtime so I'd better get at it!
Happy Mother's Day to the moms in the group!
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Hey @Mihani ! I have never signed up for the Hello Nutritarian plan, but it certainly looks gorgeous and elaborate. I can completely sympathize with wanting to make it simpler! I think I do what you do -- have some basics, and then add on with new recipes as I have the bandwidth!
I am a mom, so thanks for the Mother's Day wishes! And I'll echo that -- Happy Mother's Day to any moms!
Speak of such things, I made a super simple dessert this evening that I thought was really delicious: about an ounce of fine diced butternut squash and about 3.5 ounces of fine diced apple (I used Kanzi). I microwaved that on high for about 2 minutes, sprinkled a generous helping of cinnamon on, let it cool a bit, and enjoyed.
My menu today
B - spinach and blueberry smoothie
L - spinach, black beans, pickled onions, steamed mushrooms, homemade sauerkraut, apple slices
S - apple slices and walnuts (100 calories total)
D - big salad (massaged kale, romaine, pickled onion, small sweet tomatoes, raw broccoli, parsley, red bell pepper); dressing (nooch, dijon, cashew milk, Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb, cilantro, tomatillo); apples and butternut squash for dessert
Back to work!0 -
That dessert sounds really good, Austin. I meant to ask you, do you avoid grains for the most part? Doesn't seem like you eat many grains or bread.
I enjoyed having dinner all ready to go tonight!
L - big ol' salad (baby spinach and kale, arugula, leftover refried beans and sauteed broccoli, peppers and onion) with un-honey mustard dressing, balsamic roasted mushrooms, clementine
D - cup of split pea soup, baked tofu, roasted green beans and peppers with lemon tahini glaze, chia pudding
The "pudding" is just something I made up to get my berries and chia seeds in. A little almond milk with a tablespoon of chia seeds over blueberries. I have liked all the recipes from the Hello Nutritarian plan so far, and really like seeing all the containers of ready to go food in my fridge.
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Hey @Mihani ,
Your food prep work is so inspiring! That refrigerator full of containers of ready to go food sounds delightful!
I, too, love blueberry chia pudding, and so does my husband. I need to make some! My son wants me to make tapioca soon, too. Mmm, puddings!
Yes, I do eat more way more starchy vegetables than grains. Dr. Fuhrman has said that there's no nutritional requirement for grains. Foodwise, I am happy with starchy vegetables (I really love butternut squash for example!), and I figured out years ago that avoiding breads/baked goods is a requirement for me to lose weight, and that I have to keep that low to maintain. I love baked things, and wish this weren't the case, but so it is. I do like whole grains occasionally. I have a batch of quinoa cooked in the fridge for something this week!0 -
Yay Carla - good job on getting the blood sugar down and losing 11 lbs!
Austin - Awesome that you were marked resolved issue...that is fantastic.
I have not been able to find owner of the big dog but I did find him a great home. A friend of mine and her husband came to see him over the weekend. I showed them the best and the worst of this sweet dog. He is an escape artist but has separation anxiety. They are moving into a bigger house with a few acres close to me so I am keeping him for a month. We have him scheduled to get neutered next week.
This Triathlon was the most mental hard event I have done. Saturday morning it was raining with a slight wind, 62* and we are lined up at 0700 to get in the pool. Everyone has a bathing type suit...not a wet suit...people are turning blue as we are only allowed to get in one at a time...45 minutes later I finally got in. The good news the pool was slightly heated and was wonderful. I had a PB in the 400m swim but I really think timing was off. I never swim that fast. By the time I was biking the rain had stopped and the run/walk was actually a bit tiring...zigzagging down a hill and then straight up. Brooks gets a gold star because he went home and got me a change of clothing, a jacket plus a thermos of coffee. I did not warm up until I took a hot bath and had hot tea.
Finally meeting people my age who are active! Really makes a difference to have someone to bike with when Brooks is at work.
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Great job on the tri, Donna! And yay for finding a good home for pup!
I have trouble restricting breads and pastas, Austin, so I have to avoid them also. I never really crave sweets, although I like them now and then, but bread, potatoes and pasta I always go overboard. I am okay with sprouted grain breads and whole grains. I've had bean pasta a few times and it's not bad at all. I even found the Lundberg rice cakes were starting to get hold of me so I had to give them up for now.
L - sliced cucumber and carrot with un-honey mustard dressing for dipping, couple pieces of baked tofu, green beans and peppers with tahini lemon glaze, balsamic roasted mushrooms, apple
D - big ol' salad (romaine, beets, peppers, carrots, radishes, broccoli, sesame seeds, balsamic, nooch), banana and berry chia pudding
Been better lately about remembering to take B12 and D vitamins. Need to get more EPA+DHA.
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I forgot about the snack... 2 rice cakes and a lara bar. I was really hungry this morning and I didn't have my "emergency" container of oats in my desk. Had the rice cakes and that didn't do it so I had the lara bar. I should have just eaten my apple. Lesson learned... always have a container of oats in my desk and don't buy any more rice cakes or lara bars.1
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Morning, mates! Just a quick fly by...Lulu and I have been busy uncluttering our home...big job, but I made big progress yesterday. Thankfully. Wouldn't you know it, the kitchen is a mess again. I just have no organizational skills in there. I need to really work on that.
Anyway, off to Sprouts...doing totally good eating WFPB...watched an amazing talk by Dr. Klaper yesterday...will leave the link at the bottom.
Love that you found a good home for that beautiful dog, @bisky ! That is a win win all around.
I will take much more time to look over posts later. Please know how much I respect this group and your commitment to eating WFPB and ETL. You are truly my lifeline.
Have a wonderful day, everyone.
Dr. Michael Klaper! (I like just playing it in the background as I work in the house...so inspiring...what a great man!) Note, you might have to move cursor back to beginning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxs7V0I2q1Q&t=2961s 1 -
Hello everyone! I’m a new vegan. I changed my diet nearly two months ago. I eat the same breakfast nearly every day. It’s a combination of healthy cereal such as Ezekiel cereal plus fruit, chia seeds and nut milk.
I recently got an Instant Pot and am making my own soy yogurt. I also make cashew ice cream on occasion in my Cuisenart ice cream maker.
I look forward to learning a lot here and am looking forward to getting to know everyone. 🤗
Cindy0 -
Hi Cindy, welcome to the group! Most of us here follow Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live, but some (myself included when I'm not being more strict) are more generally going for WFPB. I got an IP for Christmas and I'm still afraid of it and haven't tried it yet.
I've been vegan for over 7 years, and was vegetarian for a long time before that, but I was not a healthy vegan for a long while!
I wondered where you got to Magic, good to see you. I will check out the video when I have a moment to breathe. Still working like a maniac, but left a little early and brought work home for tonight because I was sick of being interrupted at the office. I feel like some days I don't get anything done at all in that place. Well done on the progress on the house projects.
Had a better day today. Not sure what got into me yesterday but willing to bet falling into my stress/fatigue munchies and I didn't let it happen today.
L - big ol' salad (romaine, beets, carrots, pickled red onion, balsamic roasted mushrooms, radishes, un-honey mustard dressing), split pea soup
D - chickpea "tuna" salad and arugula on Ezekiel English muffin, apple and blueberry chia pudding
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Welcome Cindy! This group really is dedicated to Eat To Live -- Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I am not quite there EXACTLY. But I am all about Whole Food Plant Based...and have never been happier and more in love with what I make...which is always mostly simple.
I got here by way of Juicing and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead--Joe Cross. I still juice (invested in a vertical slow juicer Kuvings last Christmas...once a week, I make about three quarts and vacuum seal and it lasts a week. Just a 16 ouncer each day about. I never did do a juice fast. I like to eat too much. But I love how I feel when I flood my body with all the greens...(kale, celery, cukes, lemon, ginger, granny smith). But that is certainly NOT part of Eat To Live. I don't think too many of the docs in this arena recommend juicing.
Speaking of Ezekiel, today I just took a Sprouted Wheat Tortillas, spread some Trader Joe's Refriend beans on it...microwave and voila...add a little hatch green chili. Seriously! That is good eating.
Also a huge romaine lettuce salad with more beans, pico de gallo, cilantro...(I LOVE IT)...Ezekiel corn tortillas cut into strips and heated in air fryer...then crumble with hatch chil again mixed in. Another winner.
I am big on watching Vegan--NOT JUNK FOOD VEGANS/WFPB youtubers...so much fun...they are so creative. Love the meal preps, food hauls, mukbangs ---but those make me really hungry--especially when they are eating Pho.
Biggest thing to report today...MY KITCHEN IS GETTING THERE. I got rid of so much clutter.
Will run the diswasher later tonight (electricity goes down after 7 ...I live in the desert)...and then will do the remainder of the dishes. Will finish up tomorrow...wiping down all counters and steam mop the floor, and organizing a drawer or two.
Today, while eating...well, I just felt so peaceful...no harm came to any animals for the meal I was eating. It was such a good feeling...it actually is making me choke up right now writing this. My reason for going WFPB was for health. But now...now the focus is on the animals and the envirorment. Dr. Klaper talks about that in the video above. He said: Now you know...before you didn't. But now you know...so you do the right thing. Today was lot about growing into this lifestyle. Very emotional.
Later, guys.
PS For awhile there I worried about going to family get togethers and how was I going to deal with the whole thing and the questions....you know what I mean. I don't feel that way anymore. This is my life, my choices. Besides, I know I will always have you guys to talk to when it gets tense. FAMILY can be the worst at accepting this way of eating.0 -
Rant: I know on the scheme of things this isn't a big deal put I am trying not to drown my anger out with food.
I went to a very nice place for an expensive haircut. I told the guy I wanted a bit of a bob...shorter in back and long in front but not too short as my husband does not like short hair and I like to tie my hair back when I bike and swim. Well....I will be wearing a hat for the rest of the summer. I have not had this short of hair since my mother made me get a pixie when I was 10.1 -
@bisky I’m sorry 😐. Did you speak to the manager? You obviously explained to the stylist what you wanted...and he did not listen.
Sometimes when I get a bad cut.. if I come home and wash it and style it my way , it’s not so bad.
It will grow. But for now ...just smile more and no one will notice! 🤗0 -
Ahhhh... sorry Donna. That really sucks.
Magic, it's so great how you've immersed yourself in the WFPB lifestyle! Love your energy and commitment.
I ordered one of Dr. Barnard's books yesterday and think it will be here today. I always learn something new from all the vegan doctors, though I tend to follow Dr. F more than the higher starch plans of the other doctors. I often recommend the Engine 2 diet (at least at first) for people who really struggle with Dr. F's plan.
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Good morning! Thank you for the welcome! I probably won’t be following Dr. F completely. Hope I’m still welcome. I like some of my veggies a bit cooked. The rest of the rules I can follow. I also like the Engine 2 recipes.
We will be traveling in a few weeks, I’m already trying to figure out how to navigate eating out. We usually take our healthy cereals with us for breakfast. There’s rarely a lot of healthy choices at the hotels...but fruit is usually available at the breakfast bar. We travel by car with our two fur babies....
Mihani, I too was afraid of my IP. Jill McKeever has some great YouTube videos using it, plus a “how-to” video which made a world of difference helping me get used to it. It’s great for cooking beans quickly.
I grew up on a farm and fell in love with all animals. It’s really hard to love those animals and then find a chicken on the table or a beloved steer in the freezer, but that was life then. I was heartbroken when my Dad sold my favorite calf...my parents did what they had to do to feed 4 kids in rural Oklahoma. I’m so glad I can live a “kind” life now.
Have a wonderful day everyone!1 -
@magic71755 - Congratulations on the kitchen progress!
@bisky - I am so SO sorry. Bad haircuts are so frustrating. They pass eventually, but in the moment are just the worst!
Hey @Cindy781 - Yes, you are definitely welcome! This is a friendly, supportive group. Follow as much as works for you. It's all directional, and different things can work a little differently for different bodies. Dr. F actually has a little handbook where he suggests 3 levels. I think we are like that, with each of us finding the level that works for us in our lives.
Engine2 does indeed have some really great recipes! There's a Ripped Salad that I serve as a family dinner about once every week or two. Roasted veggies make it hearty enough for the non-vegan guys at my house.
@Mihani - Which Dr. Barnard book are you reading? I have enjoyed his videos, and might enjoy a book of his.0 -
Hi Cindy, welcome! I love my IP too, especially for beans and grains. Traveling makes eating this way harder for sure! Molly Patrick has some excellent tips for wfpb travel https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/?s=travel
Donna, that is too bad about your hair. How annoying!!! Hopefully after a few days of working with it yourself, you'll start to find a way of styling it to your liking. Congrats on the triathlon. You are a badass! So happy that dog was lucky enough to get scooped up by you and will be going to a good home.
I'm behind on the posts. I have to get back into the habit of posting daily so I can keep up with you gals.
Today I'm making more quinoa & black bean falafel patties. After this run it might be time to switch up to another recipe. The talk about Engine 2 reminded me I want to try making some of the E2 bowls. I like having all different bits of healthy things and just tossing whatever is appealing into my salad or bowl on the fly.
today:
green smoothie
salad w/ falafel & tofu, red wine vinaigrette
apple w/ nut butter
fajitas - veggies, tofu, ezekiel whole ground tortilla0
