Happy June ETLers! I am running late for work. Didn't even hear the alarm. It was a long weekend in the office and I think my brain rebelled. I'm not rushing around though. I'll still be there by 8:00.

Today's plan:
B - rolled oats with the usual additions (chia seeds, frozen mixed berries, a few walnut halves, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon)
L - 1/2 cup pinto beans with cumin, a couple Love Beets, chopped up some veggies for finger food today... cucumbers, carrots, celery, red pepper, and will have some fruit (bought cherries yesterday looking forward to them)
D - salad, Eat Your Greens Soup (I added cabbage to this batch), watermelon

I managed a few minutes on the treadmill last night. I need to really commit to the exercise this month.

y'all

devon_redux wrote: »

... and so I joined this group

I hope it's not a newbie faux pas to create the new month's discussion. I hoped for some feedback and was afraid a post in the previous month would get overlooked.

I read ETL several years ago. It influenced some of my eating choices (when I was even trying to eat well), but I never committed to it. Health issues (including a serious illness that hospitalized me last year) have forced me to take stock. I want to be around to meet my grandchildren so I am looking at Fuhrman's eating plan again.

As to the feedback I hope for: I started Fuhrman's "10 in 20 Detox Program" (just finished Day 4). I am holding fast so far, but I'm not loving most of the recipes. I understand that my cravings for salt & sweeteners & fat are supposed to diminish over time, but is this the actual experience of those that have been eating this way for some time? I'm pushing through because I must, and I'm following the recipes closely hoping it will be worth it in the end, but I can't imagine this as a lifelong eating style. Tell me it gets better

Hi Devon! Welcome! Thanks for kicking off the June thread!

Short answer: Yes, my experience has been that the cravings, both mental and physical, do go away over time. It does get better. I eat according to Fuhrman's eating plan (really different from where I started), and I eat meals I love and look forward to. My husband has commented that his experience of how things taste started changing within a week or so.

My experience with Fuhrman's recipes is that they are a helpful place to start, but I almost always modify them in some way. I generally like a lot more spice in things. I love to cook, and now have a set of books and blogs I go to for ideas.

I agree with @Mihani about keeping it simple, especially at the start. When I started ETL, I picked out one breakfast for the week and for the other two meals had (A) a huge salad with a plant-based dressing and (B) a big bowl of greens with some beans. Once I got comfortable with that, I started adding side dishes, and started making soups to eat for part of the beans and greens meal, and generally started doing more with recipes (and using batch cooking, as Mihani mentions -- cook a batch and have it ready to grab and use later). I started a little checklist of the elements of Fuhrman's eating plan, and checked things off to keep track.

The results have been amazing.

For me, the whole thing has been a project of changing my habits. So as I made changes, I have figured that a change would take several weeks to settle in and start being a habit. If interested, check out the work of James Clear. He has a book called Atomic Habits. This video on How to Get 1% Better Every Day has been particularly useful to me.

Welcome Devon! It does get easier and your body starts to crave a big salad...like it knows that will make it happy and well. Right now your body and mind are wanting what they think comfort food it. I agree with keeping it simple. Mihani, Carla, Austin and Magic have excellent recipes. Me, not so much...I do like vegetarian soups and chili but I like to stick to a big salad at lunch.

The first year I went out to eat at Zoe's a lot...like 3 times a week for quinoa salads, lentil soups and fresh salads. That for some reason helped me. Now I am stuck on cabbage salad mixes with added beans. I also load up on Trader Joe's frozen veggie mixes but you have to watch some of the ingredients and sodium if that is a problem.

Speaking of joining, I joined the local YMCA when we first moved here...never really liked it except they had two spin bikes in front of the big TV so I didn't have to go to spin classes ....the pool only had 2 lap lanes and kids played in them even though 3/4 of the pool was a play area. Brooks had us join a big club with outdoor pool w/ lanes, indoor pool with 6 lanes, children not allowed and indoor pool for kids and 3 hot tubs (everything is bigger in Texas). I was very skeptical of it but the indoor pool is very clean and last summer I got too much sun swimming outside. Today for the first time I went to a spin class and it was excellent. It took me a while to find the spin bike room because this place is huge. I am starting to get comfortable after almost 6 months of just going straight from locker room to pool. I think this will be my new Monday routine: spin class and then swim. I am also going to try a restorative yoga class. Next triathlon is this Sunday on base. Very short fun triathlon.

Went out to a sushi place today and had Miso soup with extra tofu and seaweed salad. Delicious. Skipped the sushi.

Morning lovely ladies (and gents if you're peeking in)...

MY WEEKEND. Goodness me, I so love it. But I think I just might not do so great completely retired...I am not that great with time management and kinda see myself putting everything off until tomorrow...and then where will I be! Anyway, it's a moot point as my credit card companies would frown on me not sending them money each month. LOL (FYI I am 70 years young)

For the time being, @devon_redux …just use the website. I happen to have both kindle and hard copy on this book...it is THAT good (sometimes it is so boring at work, easier for me to look at my phone and my library of books ... not great to be sitting there reading a book)...anyway, here is a recipe straight from her website, which I am making tonight --(once you see her website, you just may not feel you need to buy the book):

ASIAN VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP BY CATHY FISHER

Ingredients
8 cups water
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
4 medium white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, sliced on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
2 cups sliced green cabbage
4 green onions, sliced (green and white parts)
4 ounces brown rice pad Thai noodles (or see Notes below)

Instructions
In a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the water, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and coriander, and stir. Bring to a boil.
Add the mushrooms, carrots, and celery, and boil for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and green onions, and reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes covered, or until the vegetables are tender.
While the vegetables are cooking in step 2, boil the noodles in a separate pot, according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse. Add the noodles to the pot of vegetables, and serve.

Notes
This soup is very open to variation, so you can try adding or substituting:
Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, corn, chopped tomatoes, greens (bok choy, kale, beet greens, spinach, chard), yellow or white sliced onion, fresh peppers, and bean sprouts. Fresh fennel could also be used in place of celery.
Dried spices: red pepper flakes, cumin, whole star anise pods, clove, black pepper, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika.
Fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, mint, or basil (Thai basil would be really good). Using more than one type of herb is fine too.
Other: 5 to 6 ounces of tofu, cubed (add in step 2; use extra firm tofu). Coconut water in place of some of the water. Dried seaweed of your choice.
I’ve never used these ingredients but they are often used in Asian style soups: galangal, lemongrass, and Kaffir lime leaves.


Noodle substitutions: Since this is such a low-calorie, brothy soup, I like the addition of noodles, but you could also use another starchy vegetable to make it more filling, such as cubed winter squash, sweet or white potatoes; cooked brown rice; cooked beans (such as: black, soy, lima, black-eyed peas, or any type you like), or lentils.

Noodle types: Brown rice Pad Thai noodles are my favorite in this soup (favorite brand is Lotus Foods, in the 8-ounce orange package). I like using 4 ounces in this recipe to keep the noodle-veggie ratio more balanced; but if you want more noodles, add them. Any style of noodle can be used (fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, angel hair); long noodles are more traditional.

Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2.5 cups (663g) Calories: 149 Fat: 1.0g Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 32.3g Sugar: 4.4g Sodium: 61mg Fiber: 4.9g Protein: 4.1g Cholesterol: 0


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@bisky love your new found dedication to exercise. I am getting there...once this house is truly put together and can just be company ready at all times, then I plan on making the most of my days off for more exercise. Cleaning guy/handy man is coming Thursday to clean the Living Room, Dining Room, kitchen, guest bath and NOW, add my bedroom and bathroom.

Next week we add the guest room. And then after than we fix that darn garage up so that I have room in there to find everything. Phew!

Today's Menu:

Oatmeal - raw with almond milk today...cinnamon, frozen blueberreies, raisins, on and flax meal...buy it as seeds and then grind in coffee mill thingy.

Big Salad...romaine with tons of veggies...and beans. Homemade dressing from The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show.

Peaches

Asian Vegetable Soup.

Popsicle

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My transition into WFPB eating was not that fast...I actually started out with juicing, not a juice fast but drinking lots of freshly made juices I made (saw Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead)...the last to go were eggs, parm/reggiano and salmon. I kept putting it off. My reason for eating this way was initially to reduce inflammation in my knees so I could walk without pain. Of course it is helping...just no marathon walking/standing. But I sleep without ice bags now .

A funny thing happened however...the focus switched to the animals...and it was a no brainer to eliminate the last of my non vegan items. I found a peace inside me I had never felt before, once the trash man came and took it all away. The sound of the trash truck emptying my trashcan really made it a reality...my focus is just not on me and my pain, but the pain that comes to the animals when we use them as food.

Totally my experience and how I am dealing with this lifestyle, and would not ever tell anyone what to do.

I am constantly made fun of at work...I think they think it is ok...it is all a joke...and I really do not respond...it is what it is....and I have learned to rise above it.

I feel stronger each day and know I can go anywhere and still stay within my boundaries...even if I have to just drink water. THIS group has helped me feel that way...very cool.

Alrighty then...I am really reorganizing the kitchen to make more room. Have to use the step ladder to put stuff on higher shelves...but that opens up room for me to use daily items on the lower shelves. YAY. We love more room.

Have a great day everyone.

Soup sounds good, Magic. I came at this from the opposite direction, I was vegetarian for many years, went vegan beginning of 2012, then started getting into the health aspect of it all when I kind of accidentally lost 30 pounds as a "side effect" of going vegan. LOL

Austin, I got a variety pack of Mrs. Dash recently and have been trying them. I never really used salt in cooking or added it to my food, but I see so many recipes calling for a salt substitute I thought I'd give it a try. The 21 seasoning salute from TJ's is really good.

Devon, I usually eat my salads at night because it takes a long time to chew through all those raw veggies and I just don't have time at work. If you don't have any, check into salad scissors. I think it was Donna who first mentioned those and it sure makes the salad easier to eat having it all chopped.

Plan for today...
B - oats with the usual additions
L - soup, raw veggie slices, a few walnut halves, a pear
D - big ol' salad, pinto beans with cumin, watermelon

devon_redux wrote: »

@AustinRuadhain thanks for the typical day. Seeing those is helping this make sense to me. Unfortunately I can't ease into the salt reduction. I either have to get my hypertension under control with diet & exercise or increase the meds. Same with diabetes, except that I am trying to avoid starting meds, not reduce them.

I noticed you had your salad in the evening & heavier meal at lunch. Interesting, because I was toying with doing that - my fasting glucose is higher than it ought to be in the morning. I tend to eat quite late and try as I might, that's a habit I can't seem to break (yet). I think it would at least help to not force my body to deal with digesting a heavy meal when it has restorative work to do while I sleep.

'gnight all.

I'm glad that was helpful!

Oh, well to the sodium. Definitely do what you have to do to! Maybe explore spices more? I now eat lots more spices than I used to. Someone here ( @Mihani , I think) got me started putting 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon in my morning green drink some days. I love flavor, and eat lots of onions, garlic, ginger, spice mixes, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, nutritional yeast (adds umami).

If you give an evening salad a try, let us know how that works out. Well, I hope! My experience is that I am never hungry after the big salad. I really do eat 16+ ounces of raw veggies, including at least 8 ounces of greens (romaine hearts are a staple). It's a lot of fiber, and is tasty and filling. I do make an effort to cut things small enough to be pleasant to eat. I used to be kind of lazy about that, and have learned that a little work up front making the raw veggies smaller makes for a much nicer time at the table!

Morning all...just figuring out the day. Cleaning guy/Handy Man cancelled for today. Oh well.

Meal plan is something like this:

oatmeal ... with the usual suspects (flaxmeal, oat milk, frozen blueberries, cinnamon, raisins)

Romaine salad with a bunch of stuff...WFPB salad dressing Orage Tahini

Fruit

Not sure...but I think tonight is the night I am going to make that soup. Will just make enough noodles for one portion. I think I will make them fresh each day I take to work.

Lulu and I are off to Spouts and Trader Joes...then home to do some batch cooking...and just enjoy the day.

Have a good one, everybuddy!

What did you end up cooking today Magic?

Good luck this weekend, Donna!

Today was another good day...
B - oats with the usual additions
L - raw veggies, a peach, 2 Lundberg rice cakes
D - big ol' salad, watermelon

I haven't felt like cooking this week at all, but salads and raw veggies are all I really want for lunch and dinner right now it seems. I am going to cook a couple things this weekend. I got the How Not to Die Cookbook and have a couple interesting recipes I want to try. I am going to make a Whole Foods trip this weekend to get a few things I can't find at my regular stores. I love that store, but I avoid it. I can go overboard very easily.

Cathy Fisher Asian Vegetable Soup