Change your mindset and get started!!!

Dr. Kahn and Dr. Kalmus

Plant Based Nutrition Support Group is having a meeting on Wednesday June 24, 2015 at 6:30 pm in Birmingham Groves High School.

Come join us and get started! We can help!

Click Here for my most recent article.

Cauliflower Main Dish with Corn, Carrots and Cherries!

Cauliflower, Corn, Carrots, Cherries

Today I'm sticking with foods that start with "C".  Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. The cruciferous vegetables are currently being studied for their high content of Glucosinolates and an enzyme, Myrosinase. When combined the enzyme converts the Glucosinolates into  Isothiocyanates  which are thought to help fight Cancer in three ways:

(from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)
1) Prevent activation of Carcinogens.

2) Reduce the effects of Carcinogens that have already been activated.

3) Speed up the removal of Carcinogens from the body.

Since enzymes are proteins and are deactivated by cooking its important that the food is prepared properly to maximize its benefits. Activation of this enzymatic reaction is very simple. I just stab the cauliflower repeatedly with my fork. That's it! Once the vegetable has been broken up by either chopping it or simply stabbing it repeatedly I just let it sit there for 10 or 15 minutes allowing the reaction a little time to take place. The Isothiocyanates are heat stable. They maintain their nutritional benefits after cooking. So while I'm letting the cauliflower have its enzymatic reaction, I take the time to prepare a breading. This time I used an acorn squash mixed with gluten free flour and maple syrup.
The carrots are another simple dish. Its just 2 carrots sliced lengthwise then sprinkled with dried cherries. Put them in a paper towel and microwave for 90 seconds. That's how I cook the corn too. Wash it, wrap it in paper towel and microwave it on high for 2 minutes per ear.

Here's a recipe:

Cauliflower with Acorn Squash Breading

1 Head of Cauliflower

1 Acorn squash

3 TBS Maple syrup

4 TBS Gluten free flour

2 TBS Herbs de Provence

     Prepare the cauliflower by "tenderizing it"; stabbing it repeatedly with a fork and set it aside for 15 minutes to allow the enzymes to work.

     Cut the acorn squash in half, remove the seeds. Place it on a microwave safe dish face down, cover it with paper towel and microwave it on High for 10 minutes or until soft. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Scoop the squash into a bowl and mix it with flour and maple syrup. Set it aside for 10 minutes.

     Rub the Herbs de Provence into the cauliflower and steam it covered for 20 minutes. Place the head on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover it completely with the squash breading. Bake it at 375 degrees for an hour.  Let it cool for 5 minutes. Slice it into 1/2 inch thick servings.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

My 60th Birthday! Curiosity Survey: "Cold Turkey"? #vegan #wfpbNutrition

Quick survey. Please respond in the comments whether you are plant based or just thinking about it.

Would you prefer to transition away from an animal based diet gradually or "cold turkey"?

17 Months a Vegan. Before and after pictures of me!

Me with my daughters last September

Me in the same shirt today!

Its less than a year and a half since I adopted a plant based life. Time for a new belt! Its not a diet, its a lifestyle. My very smart friends and doctors were worth listening to! See what happens when you listen to the people who aren't trying to sell you anything?

I got my lab work back today too.  My total cholesterol is now 139!!!

This is real change and is completely due to giving up animal products, processed food and oil. If it isn't a plant or from a plant or if its been highly processed I'm not eating it. Simple!

Stop telling me you're going to get more exercise to get into shape.  You can't out exercise a bad diet to lose weight long term.  Eat whole foods, no animal products, stay away from oil and you're going to lose weight whether you run, skip, swim, walk or just roll over on the couch.

Join me at the Plant Based Nutritional Support Group meetings to learn from people who are mainstream medical doctors.  Meeting schedules are posted on the website.

Get yourself educated about whats good food and what's not.  

Watch a movie on Netflix about all this.  Forks Over Knives will help you understand.

Read a book:  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Calwell Esselstyn, M.D.

                       The Whole Heart Solution by Joel Kahn, M.D.

                       Reversing Diabetes by Neal Barnard, M.D.

                       The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn.

It doesn't matter how you get started, just get started!

Pad Thai Over Quinoa. Its your health. Proactive or Reactive? #vegan #foodismedicine #weightloss #Kosher

Pad Thai over Quinoa

     Last year at my annual physical I shared my choice to be Vegan with my Doctor.  The "BIG" question was, what made me choose to do this?  My answer brought a satisfied smile to his face and the comment:  "That's the message you should share with everyone!"  So on the advice of my Doctor, this was my answer:
     "I'm almost 59 years old and I took a look at myself and the path I was on and I didn't like where I was heading.  My weight was a problem, as it had been for almost all of my life.  I was taking pills to lower my cholesterol and blood pressure and pills to fight depression.  My back was hurting, my right knee was hurting and my family was fearful that I was a "walking time bomb" with heart disease, kidney disease, Diabetes or even a stroke in my future.  I love my family and hated knowing that they worried about my health, even though I thought I felt fine.  I made the decision to be proactive about my health rather than wait for something to go wrong and be reactive."
     My Doctor then shared with me that he became a Vegan 5 years ago.  We talked about some food ideas and stories about weight loss, reversal of heart disease and various studies all supporting a plant based diet.  He talked about President Clinton's choice to become a Vegan and how much he had improved his heart health after living through his heart surgery.  Now, what ever your politics, I hope you will agree that President Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar, is a very intelligent man.  Yet, he made the choice to be reactive rather than proactive.  Better late than never!
     Generally, I'm about as bad a procrastinator as anyone of you.  Probably a lot worse than most of you.  I wait for things to go wrong and then react to them.  After reading a little bit about the obvious health benefits of a plant based diet I made a proactive choice, a New Year's Resolution (1/1/2014) and jumped on the Vegan band wagon. I have nothing but positive things to say about how quickly and easily I lost the initial 30 lbs, how my back and knee pain have disappeared and how my blood pressure has stabilized at a healthy 112/72 all within my first 90 days. 

   I'm almost 60 years old now. Its been 17 months and I've lost 85 lbs.  No more cholesterol medicine. When last checked my total cholesterol was 141 with no medicine. I have no intention of going back to my old ways and am looking forward to the impending improvement in the weather so I can get out with my wife to walk the dog, to riding my bicycle again, jogging a little and even playing golf without pain.  Yes, exercise.  ME!
     So, realistically, we all have to look forward to a day when were going to have to face our own fate. As my friend, Joel Kahn, M.D. writes in his book:  "Dead Execs Don't Get Bonuses". None of us are getting out of here alive. The big variable is how far in the future is that going to be and how will the choices we make right now, today, this hour, this minute affect what that fate will be.  Many things are beyond our control.  But what you choose to eat is not among those things.  Make good health choices now rather than wait for a future where you regret the choices you made and no choice is left.  It really is up to you!
     What's it going to be:  Proactive or Reactive?

Here's dinner!  I caved a little and bought some processed food.  I was at Costco and found they have Vegan Pad Thai and its free of MSG, GMO's, and several other capital letters.  It does have wheat and peanuts so its not for everyone,  but for the rest of us - YUM!
There is quite a bit of sodium in this, so I added a pile of Quinoa and divided the recommended serving in half, leaving me with 235 mg of sodium from the Pad Thai plus 45 mg of sodium from the Quinoa the way I prepared it for a total of 280 mg.  Not great, but still only about 12% of  whats recommended in a 2000 calorie diet.

This is what I used to make it:

(serves 4)
   

PAD THAI OVER QUINOA

1 package of Tasty Bite Pad Thai

1 cup of Quinoa

4 shakes of Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

1 tsp of Sriracha sauce

2 cups of water

Cook the Pad Thai in its own pouch according to package directions.

Add the Quinoa, Mrs Dash and Sriracha to a medium sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 15 min or until the water is all absorbed.  

Divide the total Pad Thai and Quinoa into quarters.  Put the Quinoa on a plate and put the Pad Thai over it.  Eat it!

Enjoy!

Honored to be included in PBNSG.org!

Plant Based Nutrition Support Group!
I've been asked to participate with a group of very dedicated, totally committed healthcare professionals, Diabetes, Fitness and Nutrition educators, some talented plant based chefs, two wonderful computer guys and the inspirational Paul Chatlin who is our driving force in the launch of a new website! Please check it out and join us. We aren't selling anything. We share a common interest in promoting better health through proper nutrition. Share your story and recipes, contribute ideas, pick up a few new pearls and get your questions answered. We all practice evidence based medicine meaning we've read the respected medical journals, boiled down the useful information and are ready to help you on your path toward wellness. Whether you are just curious, learning about plant based eating due to health issues or even if you are a seasoned professional looking for feedback, we welcome you. Click the highlighted link to be magically transported to the .pbnsg.org. website. It may just change your life! It did mine.

"The “Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group” (PBNSG) was initially established to support those who had been diagnosed or were at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Now, PBNSG empowers all who want to optimize their health by following a plant-based, low-fat diet."

Strawberry Cinnamon Tofu Smoothie! Full of protein! #Vegan #Glutenfree #PlantPerfect #Oilfree #Kosher #Pareve.

Strawberry Protein Smoothie

     Under the heading of Sweet Desserts, there is a delicious, protein loaded strawberry smoothie that I love to make.  It only takes about 10 minutes to put together and serves 4. Most of the protein is from Firm Tofu. Tofu is so versatile since it has no flavor of its own. Whatever you blend it with is what its going to taste like. 

     You may have read that Soy, which is the basic ingredient in Tofu, isn't good for you. I read that too.  But if you do a literature search in scientific papers published in the past 25 years you will find articles like these:

     

         2002: Substituting soyfoods for animal products reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

2003: Soyfoods mildly reduce blood pressure—in men. (Preventive Medicine)

2003: Soyfood consumption associated with lower risk of coronary heart disea  —in women. (Journal of Nutrition)

2004: Consumption of soy reduces risk of coronary heart disease—in middle aged men (in Scotland). (The Journal of the American College of Nutrition)

         2009: Soy consumption reduces risk of stroke. (Neuroepidemiology)

         2013: Soy protein supplements may reduce levels of endothelial dysfunction (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

         2001: The soybean diet is the most potent dietary tool for high cholesterol. (CurrentvAtherosclerosis Reports)

        2001: Soy protein has “remarkable improving effects” on blood cholesterol levels of subjects with high cholesterol. (Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry)

        2002: Soy consumption reduces cholesterol. (Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing)

       1989: A diet of soy protein has a positive impact on a range of diet and health issues,     including diabetes and hyperlipidemia (abnormal blood levels). (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

      2001: Supplementation with soy protein lowers the blood cholesterol of patients with type 2 diabetes. (Diabetes Care)

       2002: Ingestion of soy protein improves glucose control and insulin resistance (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

      2006: Soy foods have a low glycemic index, making them an appropriate part of diet intended to improve control of diabetes. (Nutrition Journal)

      2010: Fermented soybean products may prevent diabetes more than non-fermented soybean products. (Nutritional Research)

There are a lot more papers out there and the majority of them make me feel confident that the risk/benefit ratio is strongly in favor of Soy as a healthy source of protein.  Of course if you are allergic to Soy or any of the other ingredients,  this isn't for you.

Strawberry Cinnamon Smoothie

Prep Time:  10 minutes.

Chill Time:   2 hours (or overnight even better)

Servings:     4

Ingredients:

12 frozen strawberries, 1  12.3 oz box of organic firm tofu, 12 pitted dates,  0.5 cups sweetened vanilla almond milk, 4 TBSP maple syrup, 3 TBSP Chia seeds, 2 TBSP cinnamon.

Mix together the almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and Chia seeds.  Let it thicken for about 5 minutes. Put it in your blender or food processor along with the strawberries, Tofu and dates. Blend it on high for 5 minutes or until smooth. Pour it into 4 servings and put it in the refrigerator over night or at least for 2 hours. Garnish each serving with half a strawberry on the top.

Enjoy!