May we all be Healthy and Joyful

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  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    awww... the piglet is so cute, Austin! I forget to look for cute gifs and they brighten up the thread. :)

    My yard is also a big mess. I have a friend who does landscaping so he's been working on it a little at a time, but I wish he'd get back here and finish it. He doesn't charge me much though, so I always tell him to take care of his higher paying customers first. Wow, 15 bags of yard waste... no wonder you are tired!!!

    Secretary is still sick and I highly doubt she will be back tomorrow so I'm just screwed here. Although, my boss seems to be making some effort not to make me completely crazy. He usually freaks out when he's going on vacation and thinks everything has to be done before he leaves, and he's not doing that quite as much.

    I got some new dishes and running them through the dishwasher. I had 25+ year old white porcelain dishes with 16 place settings and they were definitely showing some wear and tear. Some stains and scratches, but really still in good shape so I will donate them somewhere. I got 8 place settings of Gibson stoneware dishes. They are still pretty simple, but color on the rims. I'm not a fan of fussy patterns for the table other than serving dishes and dessert plates. I honestly still liked my old plain white dishes, but now that my house is getting close to finished I'll be thinking about having parties here again and needed to replace them. I am having the family over next weekend so I have a little over a week to get ready and plan my menu. They are very open to vegan food so no problems there. First time entertaining in probably 15 years so I'm actually a little nervous about it. I used to LOVE to host parties.

    B - nope
    L - raw veggies, Dr. McDougall soup, half an apple (I got huge apples so I am splitting them with my boss)
    S - got into the dang pretzels again ughhhh! Just a handful but still. Can we say stress eating? LOL
    D - big ol' salad, watermelon

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Carla, missed your post as I was working on mine!

    I love hellabores! I have a big patch of them that were in my "shade garden" along with several varieties of hosta, then the neighbors cut down the maple tree near the fence and I need to start moving some of the plants to other areas now because they are definitely not in shade anymore.

    I got a chuckle out of "pseudo healthy".

    You have reminded me I must get to Home Depot myself. I need curtain rods. Everything here is still in a half finished state and it is starting to make me a little crazy.

    You also reminded me of the time I burned the H-E-Double-Toothpicks out of millet. I was making a recipe that called for lightly toasting the millet before adding water and cooking it. It was toasted to a crisp! LOL
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
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    I love hellabores too, and guess what I forgot to look for at the nursery. Oops!

    I picked up 2 varieties of echinacea and some black eyed susans to round out the sun loving plants and 2 hostas and a brunnera for the shade. Joe picked up a few different kinds of potatoes, some more onions and some bell peppers.

    breakfast - millet porridge
    lunch - leftover sushi bowl
    dinner - mushroom bell pepper and onion spaghetti sauce with tofu over whole wheat pasta, walnut parm
  • SusannahFlahertyFaber
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    Hey all!

    Yesterday I started a 21 day water fast! I'm 2 months in to my WFPB lifestyle change and felt it was time.

    So far, I've found that eating any kind of sugary foods (vegan) makes me wake up the next morning with super achey joints. That's happened twice over the past 2 months as I ate something sugary and paid for it the next day. Thankfully, it went away after the second day.

    I hope to relieve even more RA symptoms by the end of this fast and release more fat from my cells, as Dr. Goldhamer discusses. Less weight = less stress on the joints.

    I enjoy reading your posts!

    Have a blessed weekend!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Hi Susannah! Welcome to the group. I also have joint pain and arthritis as I am aging, although not RA and really feel for you coping with that. One of our members, Magic (who hasn't been around lately) has said that eating WFPB and avoiding sugar really helped her arthritis. Wow, 21 day fast is ambitious. I don't think I could do that. Have you been vegan for a while?

    Carla, can't wait to see pics of your flower beds.

    I did a lot of prepping today and still loving cooking in my new kitchen. Today's preps:

    Roasted veggies (green beans, broccoli, carrots) in lemon tahini sauce. I had leftover sauce again so will use it for salad dressing for a few days.

    Balsamic roasted mushrooms with paprika and rosemary.

    Sauteed onions, carrots, kale and collards with garlic and a splash of bragg's.

    Pot of brown rice.

    Cheezy chickpeas https://plantstrongfoods.com/blogs/plant-strong-recipes/cheezy-chickpeas I forget sometimes how simple to make and good these are. I love them, but if you are not a fan of nooch steer clear. It is definitely an acquired taste but I have been using it for many years and enjoy it. I am thinking I need to start saving aquafaba even when I drain and rinse my chickpeas so I can just make the cheeze sauce to freeze for other purposes. I know aquafaba freezes fine, not sure if the cheeze sauce would. Guess I'll experiment. I have a local place that sells unfortified nooch for a very reasonable price so I always have plenty on hand.

    Other than that just working today trying to catch up a bit. Going to the office tomorrow so my boss and I can wrap up a few things before he leaves on vacay. Hopefully secretary will be back on Monday.
  • SusannahFlahertyFaber
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    "May 15, 2021 2:41PM
    Hi Susannah! Welcome to the group. I also have joint pain and arthritis as I am aging, although not RA and really feel for you coping with that. One of our members, Magic (who hasn't been around lately) has said that eating WFPB and avoiding sugar really helped her arthritis. Wow, 21 day fast is ambitious. I don't think I could do that. Have you been vegan for a while?"

    Hi Mihani!

    I'm sorry about you having joint pain and arthritis. It's not fun.

    I've only been WFPB for about 2 months. Before that, I was organic/non-gmo/pasture-raised and finished/etc. I have milk goats, geese, and chickens, and have raised beef, pigs, and sheep for meat as well. I'm against factory farming and have been for like 30 years, ever since I learned about it. However, I'm not against eating animal products, if that's how someone wants to eat. I chose this lifestyle because it made sense to me and I expect it to alleviate my pain and restore my health. My whole family is going wfpb with me!

    As far as the water fast goes, it was hard for me to make this decision as well because I've had some fasting issues in the past, but I have listened to alot of podcasts by Dr. Goldhamer, Dr. Lyle, Dr. McDougall, and others about the benefits of it, so I prepared my mental psyche for about a month and a half and one of my daughters is doing it with me. I'm taking it one day at a time. So we shall see!!

    Blessings!
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
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    Hi @SusannahFlahertyFaber nice to 'see' you again :) Wow, 21 days water fast! The longest I've done a fast is 3 days. Let us know how it's going and best of luck. Hope it does wonders for your RA symptoms. Whenever I have too much sugar (I have a major sweet tooth) I feel it it my energy levels and I tend to get more headaches. It also makes me crave bad food. It is just so hard to stay completely away from it.

    @Mihani your food sounds good (tasty and healthy). I wish I was as good at staying on track!

    I did some edging today in the yard and prepped and painted a little garden stool. All but 2 of the new plants have been planted. I'm having trouble deciding where they should go. I also picked up a few solar fairy light strings and wrapped them around trees in the back yard.
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,592 Member
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    Happy Saturday, y'all!

    It has been a good day.

    I started the day with a cold water swim. I had lived through the discomfort of shopping for a bathing suit this week, and this was my reward! Afterwards, I sat in the grass while my teenager did some diving, and I got to watch a family of Egyptian geese, including 4 goslings!

    Carla, your landscaping work and your trip to Home Depot sound so fun!

    I went plant shopping today, too! I have so much to do in the yard, that I am doing it in bits. After plant these (tomorrow; would have done it today but ran out of mosquito spray), I will tackle another section. Today's haul included an assortment of things that are native or well adapted to this part of Texas: one hibiscus (red flowers), two New Gold Lantanas, two Golden Showers Thryallis, plus a couple of basil and cilantro, as I need to start rebuilding my herb garden.

    I have stuck with a super-good-for-me Dr F diet today, despite wanting treats:
    B - coffee, almond milk, 1 T peanut butter
    L - steamed turnip greens & garbanzo beans, steamed veggie bowl (zucchini, mushroom, carrot), steamed fruit and squash bowl
    S - apple + 20g cashews
    D - huge salad with homemade cucumber, onion and lemon dressing, bowl of blueberries and apple

    I got in all the G-BOMBS! I am a little over on calories, but am headed out for a walk in a bit.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
    edited May 2021
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    Hi Susannah, I tend to use vegan interchangeably with WFPB which I should stop doing! I have cousins who farm and raise livestock, and nobody else in my close circle of friends and family is vegan, but like you I don't worry about other people's choices. I think the word "vegan" can be negative to a lot of people.

    I have been vegetarian longer than I can remember, and coming up on 10 years vegan. I started down this road just because even as a little kid I hated the idea of eating an animal. Not that I didn't eat my fair share of burgers and chicken when I was younger.

    Then I was a very unhealthy and overweight vegetarian eating far too much cheese and pasta and bread (and drinking far too much beer) so I decided to take the next step, and now I strive for actual WFPB. Sometimes I'll go off the rails for a time and eat junky vegan foods.

    Carla, if I don't prep I don't stay on track. It has taken me a long time to get into the habit. Hiring my friend to prep my salads a year or so ago sure helped because I was constantly buying veggies and letting them rot in the fridge. You've been really busy on the yard this spring!

    Austin, I've never seen Egyptian geese, How cool. Excellent menu for the day. I want to plant an herb garden but it will likely be next year at this rate. There is so much work left to do in the house and yard just to get things cleaned up that the last thing I need is to add anything right now.

    Hey, for those with a sweet tooth, I saw something not long ago that Dr. F's daughter, Talia, published a WFPB dessert cookbook. I think it is only available on Dr. F's website and is kind of pricey but she has tons of recipes on her website: http://taliafuhrman.com/category/recipes/desserts/ She does note that some of her older recipes use Earth Balance and you can just substitute cashew butter in those.

    I'm headed to the office today. My boss and I need to wrap up a few things before he takes off. Didn't get around to laundry yesterday so I need to do that when I get home.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Here are my roasted veggies... big bowl tossed with the lemon tahini sauce, generous sprinkle of pepper, then roasted.

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  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
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    Austin, that water looks cold! brrr! Your salad sounds really good. And speaking of cucumbers, I'm reminded that I want to get some to put in with a pitcher of water in the fridge. That combo is so refreshing in hot weather.

    Mihani, those veggies look so awesome. We had roasted yams and asparagus the other day. I'm going to pick up more asparagus while it is in season. It is time we grow some, but it takes several years to really get going so that always puts me off because I want it right away. Doesn't make sense lol

    Sussanah, how's the water fast going? Can you do naturally flavored water, like with cucumber in it?

    Garden stool is getting a few protective top coats today and then I'll take some pics. I am enjoying the solar string lights in the yard. They are wire and super easy to put up.

    I'm feeling lazy this morning but I'm going to aim for more weed whacking in a bit, and once the dew dries up I should probably mow again. I've had the bagger off the mower so far this season and just had the clipping spraying around willy-nilly, but now that we're going to redo our beds in dark mulch I'm going to have to start bagging again. One last freedom ride!
  • SusannahFlahertyFaber
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    Carla_wfpb wrote: »
    Sussanah, how's the water fast going? Can you do naturally flavored water, like with cucumber in it?

    So far so good! Didn't sleep too well last night and had a headache, but that's gone now. I made a huge canning kettle of veg soup today for when the fast is over. I had like 20 quarts for the freezer and about 4 more meals worth for my daughter and grandson to enjoy over the next few days.

    I've listened to so many WFPB docs that I can't remember who said it, but he said 0 cal/no sodium flavored carb water is fine, so I would think cucumber water etc. is cool. My youngest daughter asked if herbal tea is ok; she gets cold. I'm not sure, but I asked Dr. Goldhamer and am waiting for the answer.

    Y'all are having a great time landscaping! Nice to read about your adventures!

    Have a great week!

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Can't wait to see your finished projects, Carla. I love asparagus. Especially steamed or sauteed with soy sauce, ginger and sesame seeds.

    Glad your water fast is going well so far Susannah.

    Great day at work with the boss away. Able to concentrate on one thing at a time and actually move files off my desk! It's nice to leave at the end of the day feeling good about what you've accomplished. The phone was fairly quiet and sure hope it stays that way this week.

    My menu today was all about the prepped foods.
    B - sauteed onions, greens, carrots
    L - big ol' bowl (brown basmati rice, roasted veggies, more sauteed greens, cheezy chickpeas)
    D - big ol' salad with lemon tahini dressing, watermelon

    Super tired and going to bed early tonight. I fell asleep reading in my recliner yesterday evening. Got up at midnight and went to bed, but I never got properly back to sleep after that.

    I've been trying to use the Daily Dozen app again. I usually only hit 17 to 20 of the 24, but at least it makes me think about some things I'm neglecting, like more exercise, and reminds me to take my vitamins. I also have trouble with getting in the flax or chia seeds unless I'm eating oats for breakfast. Will have to figure out other ways to incorporate that.


  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
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    I really overdid the weed whacking this Sunday. I went through 2 tanks of gas and my right wrist was in agony. good thing the tank ran out when it did because I was in the zone and wasn't really noticing the pain too much until I was forced to stop. I used a 'pain release' essential oil blend on my hands and wrists and that helped. Everything is almost 100% today.

    Tightening up my food. Haven't been feeling great and it is past time. I'm soaking garbanzo beans for tu-no salad, and making up another batch of tabbouleh salad this afternoon. Below is the Tikka Masala I'm making this week that I'll serve over brown ride. I'm going to add either garbanzos or baked tofu.

    Plan for today:
    Breakfast: blueberry smoothie w/ 1/2 banana, almond milk, spinach
    Lunch - tabbouleh salad if I have it ready in time
    Dinner - leftover spaghetti if there's enough or tikka Masala

    Hope everyone is doing great!

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masalafullofplants.com
    1
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients
    1 tbsp oil (i omit)
    1 medium onion, diced
    3 cloves of garlic, minced
    1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
    2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
    2 tsp garam masala
    1 tsp turmeric
    1/2 tsp ground red chili flakes
    1/4 tsp ground cumin
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice (about 3 cups)
    1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup
    1 small cauliflower head, cut into florets (about 4 cups florets)
    1/2 cup (118ml) non-dairy yogurt (or cashew cream)

    optional toppings: fresh parsley, roasted cashews

    my protein additions: tofu, garbanzo beans, lentils

    Steps
    Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode for 7 minutes. (Add the oil if using). Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize and become soft. If not using oil, add small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala, turmeric, chili, cumin, and salt. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and scrape the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking to it, this will prevent the Instant Pot from giving you a “burn” message.
    Add the crushed tomatoes, maple syrup, and cauliflower florets. Secure the lid and close the vent to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and adjust the time to 2 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, then cook under pressure for 2 minutes.
    Once the program is finished and you have heard the beeps, wait 1 minute and release the pressure. Stir in the non-dairy yogurt and stir to combine.
    Serve hot with rice, naan, or tofu, and top with fresh parsley and roasted cashews.
    Notes
    For a spicier curry, increase the ground chili flakes to 1 teaspoon.
    If your diced tomatoes don’t have much juice, add 1/2 cup of water.
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
    edited May 2021
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    Snapped a pic of the stool while I was in the shop. It needs a top coat but will look the same done. Would be nicer staged rather than on drop cloth, but you get the idea :)

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  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Carla, glad you recovered from being sore from yardwork. The garden stool looks great!

    I had a super busy and pretty stressful day today. Hope tomorrow is better. I really want to get through everything on my desk while my boss is gone for a week.

    Meals today were same as yesterday, with the addition of a handful of pistachios and a few triscuits. Ugh those crackers and pretzels are always my downfall.

    I still have to check some emails and get a few things done tonight so this is a quick hi!

  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,338 Member
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    Sorry to hear it is so stressful at work, Mihani. Hope you sail through a bunch of it today.

    How many days have you been on the water fast now, Susannah? How is your daughter doing with it?

    Austin, I am looking forward to some pics of the plants you are putting in, if you have time to take and post them :)

    I tried some yard work last night but it turns out my wrists aren't ready for that after all. We got our load of dark mulch for the garden beds delivered yesterday. I can't wait to get started! I know it is going to look so much better.

    I can already feel improvement from eating better yesterday. This morning I made up a big batch of tabbouleh and this time I made it with quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. Just as good and I'm happy to get in extra quinoa.

    B - blueberry and greens smoothie
    L - tabbouleh
    D - not sure, might be a stir fry with all the veggies that need to be used up
    snack - I had a turmeric latte yesterday with 2 medjool dates blended in for sweetness. that works well for me so i'll probably have one this afternoon or early in the evening.

    Here's a pic of the 'Shadowland Wheee!' Hosta. Yes, that's really it's name LOL (Sorry the quality is bad, it is a screen capture of a video)

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  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    I like the curly leaves on the hosta, Carla. Hope your wrist are feeling better. The quinoa in your tabbouleh idea is awesome! I will have to try that.

    I got into the crackers yet again today, but other than that day was good. I think my leftovers are starting to turn though, so I will just have Dr. McDougall soups and an apple the next couple days for lunch and salads for dinner. I should have frozen some leftovers earlier in the week but I have been so busy I just plain forgot.

    <3 y'all
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,592 Member
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    Hello, all!

    Mihani, I'll take a few pictures once I get in some more progress this weekend. One sad note -- the snails have been chomping on my new hibiscus. I have scattered the ground around it with coffee ground. Hopefully that will discourage them.

    Carla, that's a lovely hosta! Mulch is magic. It makes the yard look so much better. I am using that same strategy.

    Susannah --- how are you and your daughter doing?

    I am making plans for a healthy day today (Dr F food, all preplanned; extra exercise also planned) and a healthy weekend (bonus exercise on Saturday; I am out to meet my fitness minutes for the week by end of Saturday instead of Sunday, as a challenge).
    B - coffee & cashew milk (done)
    L - steamed spinach, garbanzo beans & tomatoes; steamed veggie bowl; steamed butternut + chopped apple and jicama (in process; I am typing this while veggies steam)
    S - apple & 15 g cashews
    D - romaine, celery, apple salad; hot corn with chili pepper plus green onions

    Here's to all of us making some healthy choices today and this weekend!

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  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,964 Member
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    Love your menu, Austin! Sorry the snails are messing with your new plants. That's a great challenge to try to get all your exercise in early.

    I've been eating leftover soups and cooked veggie mixtures from the freezer stash the past couple days. I really love lentil veggie soup. I forget how much I enjoy it sometimes, until I have a bowl and then I wonder why I don't eat it every day! LOL

    Lots of work to do this weekend, and don't feel like I made nearly enough progress this week with the boss out of town.