My refurbished orthotics finally came in this week so I had to make the long trek into town to pick them up. After doing that and a couple of other errands, it was time for the long drive back home. As I was going north towards the mountains, the radio station I was listening to reported that a major dust storm was moving into Tucson from the south. I looked in the rearview mirror and sure enough, there was a brown wall engulfing everything a ways south. Plenty of time to get home, I thought, despite the notice on the radio that it was moving northwards.
I was still fine by the time I turned parallel to the storm but it, sadly, was moving faster than me. There was no way that I was going to outrun it and be able to get home safely.* I made it to a shopping center and pulled in, planning to just hang out in the stores for the duration. It gave me a good excuse to have a sushi roll and some cucumber sunomono salad at the grocery store's sushi bar, enjoyable especially since I'd skipped lunch.
*For those of you unfamiliar with the dust storms that can hit the Desert Southwest, trust me when I say you don't want to try to drive through one. These "haboobs" bring in so much dust in the windy conditions that visibility can drop to zero. Several storms last year in the Phoenix area caused many accidents. You can see videos of the wall of dust on YouTube by searching on Phoenix or Arizona and haboob or dust storm. I found one for you that shows a storm engulfing a mountain range in six minutes. Here's a sped-up version condensing it to 1 minute. (Check out some of the other videos listed on the right.)
If you get caught in a dust storm, the recommended action is to pull off the road and turn all of your lights OFF. Yes, I know your instinct is to turn them all on so your car will be visible, but the experts say that doing so will make other drivers think your car is in motion and they will plow right into you. I am glad today that I had the option to get entirely away from the roads. If you see a storm approaching, try to get out of the way and wait it out. Luckily I was not driving on the freeway between Tucson and Phoenix. Dust storms are frequent there during high winds and there aren't too many nice places to pull off and sit it out in comfort.
If you want to learn more about dust, there's a fascinating book called "The Secret Life of Dust" that will give you far more respect for the pesky particles.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Educated and Motivated
Last weekend was everything I'd hoped it would be; two days filled with education and motivation to encourage me to get back to healthy eating. Viewing photos of exactly what happens to the body's blood vessels when certain types of food are consumed makes hearing about the research have more impact. Even better is hearing just how much capacity the body has to heal itself when harmful substances are removed and it is nourished with health-promoting foods.
Whether I like it or not, the science shows that human bodies do not thrive on animal products, oil, or sugar. Sure, there are plenty of anecdotal tales of so-and-so living to a ripe old age on a diet of beer and sausages but that is not the norm. The norm is what is so prevalent in the U.S. right now, as well as other Western countries eating a rich diet of animal products, fat, sugar, and processed foods, and that norm is skyrocketing disease. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, the big three, all thrive on the rich Western diet. They are far more rare in countries that eat a primarily plant-based diet low in fats and processed foods.
The great thing is that plenty of research, both in the lab and in medical practice, show that heart disease and diabetes can be slowed down, stopped, and even reversed by adopting a healthier way of eating. Cancer's progression can often be slowed as well. I'll add more links to the sidebar for those who wish to read more from the experts. Yes, there are plenty of dissenting opinions. Remember, however, that the industries that produce the foods that are not really the best for humans are very big and have a great deal of money and power to throw around in advertising, lobbying, and other means of influencing opinion and policy.
In any case, I'm not here to try to get you to believe me. You are gonna believe what you want and that's fine. For me, though, it's time to go in the direction that always improves my health and that is eating a plant-based diet with no added oil and as little sugar as I can convince my tastebuds they can deal with.
For this month, my goal is to stick to 100% plant-based foods. I'm not worrying about the other aspects - fat, sugar, processed foods - quite as much although I am avoiding them much more than I had been. I don't use oil to saute my vegetables, dress my salads, or in my baking. However, I did make some coconut rice to use up one of my last cans of "lite" coconut milk. (Lite is in quotation marks because this product is still 80% FAT and mostly saturated. And yes, coconut oil is still hard on the heart despite the positive spin the coconut industry is trying to put on its products.)
I'm reducing my sugar intake. I've finally quit my Starbucks habit, a drink absolutely loaded with fat and sugar, but I am still drinking decaf coffee at home. Despite much preferring sweet creamy coffee, I've so far reduced the sugar to 3 1/2 teaspoons per large mug (about 2 cups of liquid). My goal is to eliminate the added sugar so the only sweetener is coming from the vanilla almond milk and lite vanilla soy milk I use in it. This week I also made an experimental batch of pumpkin muffins that normally contains a cup of brown sugar. I used half a cup and they are still pretty good. They are more like a bread than a sweet muffin but I can live with that, especially as they are made with a tasty whole-grain flour.
For optimal nutrition (and easier weight loss), sticking to whole, unprocessed foods is better than using processed foods. In other words, eating corn kernels instead of cornbread and a bowl of rolled oats instead of wheat flake cereal. And definitely brown rice instead of white. However ... like I said, I'm not worrying so much about that this month. My DH hates brown rice so I will sometimes eat his white rice rather than make two kinds of rice for a meal. I much prefer muffins or toast to oatmeal so my breakfast is more likely to be a bit more processed for a while, although I do like hashbrowns and they are a nice whole food. Each month I plan to take another step in the direction of more healthful eating, building on the success of the previous month. This will help me enjoy my food while not feeling like all the tasty, fun choices are now off-limits.
Speaking of fun food, I used a coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up a Yonanas machine. You feed frozen bananas and/or other frozen fruit through the chute and it dispenses a creamy ice-cream like dessert. While I do make a delicious homemade non-dairy ice cream, my recipe contains 1/4 cup of sugar per serving. The Yonanas desserts contain no added sugar, just fruit. It does not taste "just like ice cream" but it does taste good. We're going to play around with it during the hot summer months and see if it satisfies the cravings for nice cold ice cream at the end of a brutally scorching day of hard yard work on the weekends.
A return to regular aerobic exercise is still somewhat on hold while I await the return of my custom orthotics from refurbishing. My heel pain was really aggravated from doing the quarter marathon at the end of March and I'm still unable to do much walking and definitely no running. Biking has been okay but it tightens the muscles which seems to have some impact. Stretching has been the center of my exercise routine lately!
That's all the news from Chile's kitchen and dining table. It's time for me to go slice vegetables (red onion, tomato, red pepper) and wash lettuce to go on the hummus sandwiches for lunch.
Whether I like it or not, the science shows that human bodies do not thrive on animal products, oil, or sugar. Sure, there are plenty of anecdotal tales of so-and-so living to a ripe old age on a diet of beer and sausages but that is not the norm. The norm is what is so prevalent in the U.S. right now, as well as other Western countries eating a rich diet of animal products, fat, sugar, and processed foods, and that norm is skyrocketing disease. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, the big three, all thrive on the rich Western diet. They are far more rare in countries that eat a primarily plant-based diet low in fats and processed foods.
The great thing is that plenty of research, both in the lab and in medical practice, show that heart disease and diabetes can be slowed down, stopped, and even reversed by adopting a healthier way of eating. Cancer's progression can often be slowed as well. I'll add more links to the sidebar for those who wish to read more from the experts. Yes, there are plenty of dissenting opinions. Remember, however, that the industries that produce the foods that are not really the best for humans are very big and have a great deal of money and power to throw around in advertising, lobbying, and other means of influencing opinion and policy.
In any case, I'm not here to try to get you to believe me. You are gonna believe what you want and that's fine. For me, though, it's time to go in the direction that always improves my health and that is eating a plant-based diet with no added oil and as little sugar as I can convince my tastebuds they can deal with.
For this month, my goal is to stick to 100% plant-based foods. I'm not worrying about the other aspects - fat, sugar, processed foods - quite as much although I am avoiding them much more than I had been. I don't use oil to saute my vegetables, dress my salads, or in my baking. However, I did make some coconut rice to use up one of my last cans of "lite" coconut milk. (Lite is in quotation marks because this product is still 80% FAT and mostly saturated. And yes, coconut oil is still hard on the heart despite the positive spin the coconut industry is trying to put on its products.)
I'm reducing my sugar intake. I've finally quit my Starbucks habit, a drink absolutely loaded with fat and sugar, but I am still drinking decaf coffee at home. Despite much preferring sweet creamy coffee, I've so far reduced the sugar to 3 1/2 teaspoons per large mug (about 2 cups of liquid). My goal is to eliminate the added sugar so the only sweetener is coming from the vanilla almond milk and lite vanilla soy milk I use in it. This week I also made an experimental batch of pumpkin muffins that normally contains a cup of brown sugar. I used half a cup and they are still pretty good. They are more like a bread than a sweet muffin but I can live with that, especially as they are made with a tasty whole-grain flour.
For optimal nutrition (and easier weight loss), sticking to whole, unprocessed foods is better than using processed foods. In other words, eating corn kernels instead of cornbread and a bowl of rolled oats instead of wheat flake cereal. And definitely brown rice instead of white. However ... like I said, I'm not worrying so much about that this month. My DH hates brown rice so I will sometimes eat his white rice rather than make two kinds of rice for a meal. I much prefer muffins or toast to oatmeal so my breakfast is more likely to be a bit more processed for a while, although I do like hashbrowns and they are a nice whole food. Each month I plan to take another step in the direction of more healthful eating, building on the success of the previous month. This will help me enjoy my food while not feeling like all the tasty, fun choices are now off-limits.
Speaking of fun food, I used a coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up a Yonanas machine. You feed frozen bananas and/or other frozen fruit through the chute and it dispenses a creamy ice-cream like dessert. While I do make a delicious homemade non-dairy ice cream, my recipe contains 1/4 cup of sugar per serving. The Yonanas desserts contain no added sugar, just fruit. It does not taste "just like ice cream" but it does taste good. We're going to play around with it during the hot summer months and see if it satisfies the cravings for nice cold ice cream at the end of a brutally scorching day of hard yard work on the weekends.
A return to regular aerobic exercise is still somewhat on hold while I await the return of my custom orthotics from refurbishing. My heel pain was really aggravated from doing the quarter marathon at the end of March and I'm still unable to do much walking and definitely no running. Biking has been okay but it tightens the muscles which seems to have some impact. Stretching has been the center of my exercise routine lately!
That's all the news from Chile's kitchen and dining table. It's time for me to go slice vegetables (red onion, tomato, red pepper) and wash lettuce to go on the hummus sandwiches for lunch.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Fun Weekend Coming Up
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. The Healthy You Network is hosting a Symposium featuring several of the people that were in the documentary, Forks Over Knives, as well as others who promote a whole foods, plant-based way of eating for optimal health:
An alternative activity this Saturday is the annual Solar Cooking Exhibition and Potluck hosted by the Citizens for Solar. It will be held at the Catalina State Park northwest of Tucson from 10 am to dusk when all the food cooked in everyone's solar ovens during the day is brought together for a great big potluck. More information here.
- Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. - he wrote the book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- Anne Esselstyn - his wife who comes up with delicious recipes
- Rip Esselstyn - his son, a former professional triathlete, who wrote the popular Engine 2 Diet
- Doug Lisle, Ph.D. - a psychologist who wrote The Pleasure Trap
- Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D. - dietian with insightful recommendations on how to eat healthy
- John Robbins - author of a number of books including Diet for a New America and Healthy at 100
An alternative activity this Saturday is the annual Solar Cooking Exhibition and Potluck hosted by the Citizens for Solar. It will be held at the Catalina State Park northwest of Tucson from 10 am to dusk when all the food cooked in everyone's solar ovens during the day is brought together for a great big potluck. More information here.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Help
NorCal Katie is one of my inspirations. This chick has been through some serious shit and survived. Most of the time she'll tell you she's better than before the shit storm that hit her life but like all of us, there are times when she needs help. This week she posted about being willing to ask for help.
After reading her post, my first thought was, "Um, hello? I need some help right now." What's going on? Well, here's the deal:
Last year I got totally on track and was super-committed to getting healthy. I was fed up with my weight gain from the previous several stressful years and a bit freaked out by getting the results of a cholesterol test and elevated blood pressure readings. In just four months, I lost 45 pounds, got my blood pressure down to normal (100/60) and dropped my cholesterol by 59 points. Then the holidays hit and totally derailed my momentum. This didn't surprise me as I often struggle between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
However, here it is, months later, and I am still derailed and getting further and further from my health goals. It seems the harder I try to get back on track, the more my inner two-year-old rebels and insists on proving that I cannot do this. Obviously I need some help. I will actually be seeing some people that I could ask for help in a couple of weeks when I attend the Healthy You Network Symposium. A number of the speakers are really focused on getting people on track and helping them stay there.
The problem is that I'm embarrassed to ask for help. Yet again. You see, I'm one of those people that others tend to think is "mostly likely to succeed." In reality I often fail to meet their - and my own - expectations. So asking for help gets embarrassing, especially when it's not the first time I've needed help. It doesn't help that I've had several times when people I respected reacted with considerable disappointment when they found out I had not succeeded in the ways they were positive that I would. Way to make me feel like more of a failure, guys!
Anyway, right now the downward spiral I'm in feels like the swirling water draining out of a bathtub, going faster and faster as it is about to run out. Somebody throw me a plug, quick! And then help me fill the tub back up with fresh, healthy water.
After reading her post, my first thought was, "Um, hello? I need some help right now." What's going on? Well, here's the deal:
Last year I got totally on track and was super-committed to getting healthy. I was fed up with my weight gain from the previous several stressful years and a bit freaked out by getting the results of a cholesterol test and elevated blood pressure readings. In just four months, I lost 45 pounds, got my blood pressure down to normal (100/60) and dropped my cholesterol by 59 points. Then the holidays hit and totally derailed my momentum. This didn't surprise me as I often struggle between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
However, here it is, months later, and I am still derailed and getting further and further from my health goals. It seems the harder I try to get back on track, the more my inner two-year-old rebels and insists on proving that I cannot do this. Obviously I need some help. I will actually be seeing some people that I could ask for help in a couple of weeks when I attend the Healthy You Network Symposium. A number of the speakers are really focused on getting people on track and helping them stay there.
The problem is that I'm embarrassed to ask for help. Yet again. You see, I'm one of those people that others tend to think is "mostly likely to succeed." In reality I often fail to meet their - and my own - expectations. So asking for help gets embarrassing, especially when it's not the first time I've needed help. It doesn't help that I've had several times when people I respected reacted with considerable disappointment when they found out I had not succeeded in the ways they were positive that I would. Way to make me feel like more of a failure, guys!
Anyway, right now the downward spiral I'm in feels like the swirling water draining out of a bathtub, going faster and faster as it is about to run out. Somebody throw me a plug, quick! And then help me fill the tub back up with fresh, healthy water.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Race Results
The Good
* I finished. I wasn't too worried about that as I'd done the distance (6.6 miles) several times before the race.
* I finished within my time goal. That part I wasn't sure about so I was pleased.
* I finished in slightly less than half the time it took me to walk a half marathon a number of years ago. I would have been disappointed if I'd been slower but would have accepted it because I'm older and a few pounds heavier now than I was then. So, happy to have beat that pace time. (average minutes per mile = pace time)
The Bad
* My leg muscles were very sore. I did not train on hills nearly enough for this course!
* My heel hurt worse than I exected. I could barely walk later. I've already made an appointment with my podiatrist to have my orthotic inserts refurbished to see if that helps. Plus I'm starting back up with the execises and stretches in the Egoscue Pain-Free book.
The Ugly
* The photos my sweetie took of me coming in to the finish line were a depressing reminder that I have got to get back on track and lose this unsightly FAT!
* I must have picked up a bug at the race - there were 2,000 people there - because I'm sick now. I don't run a fever often as I'm very careful about exposure but being around all those people while also really stressing my body apparently wasn't good for me.
* I finished. I wasn't too worried about that as I'd done the distance (6.6 miles) several times before the race.
* I finished within my time goal. That part I wasn't sure about so I was pleased.
* I finished in slightly less than half the time it took me to walk a half marathon a number of years ago. I would have been disappointed if I'd been slower but would have accepted it because I'm older and a few pounds heavier now than I was then. So, happy to have beat that pace time. (average minutes per mile = pace time)
The Bad
* My leg muscles were very sore. I did not train on hills nearly enough for this course!
* My heel hurt worse than I exected. I could barely walk later. I've already made an appointment with my podiatrist to have my orthotic inserts refurbished to see if that helps. Plus I'm starting back up with the execises and stretches in the Egoscue Pain-Free book.
The Ugly
* The photos my sweetie took of me coming in to the finish line were a depressing reminder that I have got to get back on track and lose this unsightly FAT!
* I must have picked up a bug at the race - there were 2,000 people there - because I'm sick now. I don't run a fever often as I'm very careful about exposure but being around all those people while also really stressing my body apparently wasn't good for me.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Going for a Little Walk
This weekend I will be joining hundreds of others in a local race. Nobody will be wearing pink at this race because it's not that race. Nope, this one is the Arizona Distance Classic up on the north side of town. What attracted me to this one is that it goes through a pretty residential area in the foothills of the mountains rather than down a busy highway with tons of traffic like the half marathon I walked six years ago.
Note however that I said "foothills." This means the race course is hilly and this makes me just a wee bit nervous. Even though I have been training for the Quarter Marathon (6.6 miles) for months, I have not spent nearly enough time walking anything other than flat roads. I had hoped to work up to running a fair amount for this race but my feet, ankles, and knees voted otherwise. They are willing to do 30 seconds of running at a time every three minutes or so, although they are reserving the right to walk up any and all hills.
Bodies are so tempermental.
Come out and cheer me on. I'm not fond of crowds so I will probably be a bit stressed. However, I'm so slow I'll be way at the back of the pack watching all the fast runners disappear into the distance. I'll also be tired and may not look like I'm having much fun but the way I figure it, at least I'm out there moving my fat ass. That's more than a lot of Americans can say these days!
Note however that I said "foothills." This means the race course is hilly and this makes me just a wee bit nervous. Even though I have been training for the Quarter Marathon (6.6 miles) for months, I have not spent nearly enough time walking anything other than flat roads. I had hoped to work up to running a fair amount for this race but my feet, ankles, and knees voted otherwise. They are willing to do 30 seconds of running at a time every three minutes or so, although they are reserving the right to walk up any and all hills.
Bodies are so tempermental.
Come out and cheer me on. I'm not fond of crowds so I will probably be a bit stressed. However, I'm so slow I'll be way at the back of the pack watching all the fast runners disappear into the distance. I'll also be tired and may not look like I'm having much fun but the way I figure it, at least I'm out there moving my fat ass. That's more than a lot of Americans can say these days!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Small Bites
You know the old saying about how to eat an elephant: one bite at a time? Well, there's some truth to that. Not eating an actual elephant but taking an enormous task and breaking it down into little bites. Sometimes when we look at things on our to-do list, they seem overwhelming and so we never get around to getting started on them.
A friend of mine was having a problem getting through her to-do list and started investigating time management schemes. She emailed to telling me about one suggestion she found that recommended taking these overwhelming tasks and breaking them down into the steps necessary to actually accomplish them. A small step is more approachable than the whole project.
Today I took that approach to a job that's been nagging at me every time I open my freezer door. Back in the fall, I had a bunch of damaged pomegranates from a friend's tree. After reading that the seeds could be successfully frozen, I decided that was worth doing with the surplus. The seeds keep well in the refrigerator, too, but I had too many for us to realistically eat before they started going funky. Supposedly the frozen seeds could be defrosted and used the same way as fresh ones.
Lie! Several weeks ago, I defrosted a cup of the frozen pomegranate seeds for a salad. (Arugula, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans, & a balsamic vinaigrette make an awesome salad.) The thawed seeds were soft and kind of icky, totally unlike the crisp crunchy fresh seeds. It made sense once I'd thawed them that this would be the result but I was unhappy that I had six cups of seeds in the freezer that I wouldn't be able to use as planned. The only option would be to make jelly with them instead.
But, making jelly seemed like such a big production in my mind. I'd have to thaw the seeds, juice and strain them, sterilize the jars and canning supplies, find the recipe, find the pectin, and make the jelly. I just didn't have the time or energy to face that job. So, today I finally decided to just get the juice part done. It could sit in the fridge for a few days until I had time to make the jelly.
As it turned out, though, all the frozen seeds only yielded a cup and a half of juice. That meant that I could do a half batch of jelly instead of a full batch, which meant I could use the smaller pot for heating the water. Processing a small batch takes far less time as heating the large volume of water for water-bath canning is what sucks up a huge amount of the time (as well as energy).
It took me less than an hour to find some jars and lids, locate the pectin, measure out half the pectin package, figure out how much sugar to use for a reduced sugar recipe (1 1/2 cups with low sugar pectin), sterilize everything, make the jelly, and seal the jars. Even the dishes are already washed and set out to dry. The juiced seeds are in a jar covered with vodka. I'll give the resulting pomegranate liqueur to the friend with the pomegranate tree as a thank you gift.
I'd put off this job for several weeks, thinking it'd take half the day. Now I've got most of the afternoon left to deal with other food-related issues such as planning meals through the weekend and prepping the food. Broccoli Pad Thai anyone?
A friend of mine was having a problem getting through her to-do list and started investigating time management schemes. She emailed to telling me about one suggestion she found that recommended taking these overwhelming tasks and breaking them down into the steps necessary to actually accomplish them. A small step is more approachable than the whole project.
Today I took that approach to a job that's been nagging at me every time I open my freezer door. Back in the fall, I had a bunch of damaged pomegranates from a friend's tree. After reading that the seeds could be successfully frozen, I decided that was worth doing with the surplus. The seeds keep well in the refrigerator, too, but I had too many for us to realistically eat before they started going funky. Supposedly the frozen seeds could be defrosted and used the same way as fresh ones.
Lie! Several weeks ago, I defrosted a cup of the frozen pomegranate seeds for a salad. (Arugula, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans, & a balsamic vinaigrette make an awesome salad.) The thawed seeds were soft and kind of icky, totally unlike the crisp crunchy fresh seeds. It made sense once I'd thawed them that this would be the result but I was unhappy that I had six cups of seeds in the freezer that I wouldn't be able to use as planned. The only option would be to make jelly with them instead.
But, making jelly seemed like such a big production in my mind. I'd have to thaw the seeds, juice and strain them, sterilize the jars and canning supplies, find the recipe, find the pectin, and make the jelly. I just didn't have the time or energy to face that job. So, today I finally decided to just get the juice part done. It could sit in the fridge for a few days until I had time to make the jelly.
As it turned out, though, all the frozen seeds only yielded a cup and a half of juice. That meant that I could do a half batch of jelly instead of a full batch, which meant I could use the smaller pot for heating the water. Processing a small batch takes far less time as heating the large volume of water for water-bath canning is what sucks up a huge amount of the time (as well as energy).
It took me less than an hour to find some jars and lids, locate the pectin, measure out half the pectin package, figure out how much sugar to use for a reduced sugar recipe (1 1/2 cups with low sugar pectin), sterilize everything, make the jelly, and seal the jars. Even the dishes are already washed and set out to dry. The juiced seeds are in a jar covered with vodka. I'll give the resulting pomegranate liqueur to the friend with the pomegranate tree as a thank you gift.
I'd put off this job for several weeks, thinking it'd take half the day. Now I've got most of the afternoon left to deal with other food-related issues such as planning meals through the weekend and prepping the food. Broccoli Pad Thai anyone?
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