My 5th Year a Vegan Starts Tomorrow! Recipe: White Beans and Wild Rice #WFPBnoOil #ReverseDiabetesNow!

White Beans With Wild Rice

      Here's my recipe for white beans and wild rice. It's full of fiber and contains ZERO cholesterol. I used my pressure cooker and it was ready in an hour. It contains all the essential amino acids so your amazing body can make it's own protein with no added oil to gum up your system. The things I used to eat as side dishes are now the center of my Whole Foods Plant Based No Oil diet. 

     Tomorrow is New Year's Day 2018. Start it out with a bowl of oatmeal with vanilla almond milk, raisins, cinnamon and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed. Have a banana. Eat an orange. Have an apple or two. If you get sick of football, sit down with a big bowl of air popped popcorn and watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix. If you don't get Netflix, watch Dr. Esselstyn from the Cleveland Clinic lecture about how to make your heart healthy through what you eat so you can eliminate your blood pressure and cholesterol medications. Have the healthiest, happiest New Year ever! Anyone can.

White Beans with Wild Rice

1/2 cup of dry white beans

1/2 cup of wild rice

2 cups of vegetable soup stock

1/2 cup of water

Servings:  2

Saturated Fat:  0

Rinse the dry beans. Put everything in your pressure cooker. Set it for 1 hour. Let the steam vent on it's own.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

DONE!

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Four Years a Vegan! Happy New Year!!! #eattolose #foodISmedicine #nutritarian #WFPBnoOIL

White beans with wild rice, Zoodles stir cooked in veggie broth, Sweet orange pepper, Portobello mushrooms and Sweetcorn  

2013

     Monday, January 1, 2018 will mark the beginning of my 5th year living a whole foods plant based no oil lifestyle. I started out at age 58 as an obese, prediabetic, sedentary, depressed couch potato with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, exercise induced asthma, kidney issues and obstructive sleep apnea. In less than a year those problems vanished and my doctor took me off my medications. By 18 months I had lost 100 lbs without increasing my activity. When I was challenged at age 60 by one of my nieces to join her for a 5K race I found that I liked running for the 1st time in my life and that I was good at it! Another 10 lbs vanished with the running and my weight became stable at 174 lbs. Total weight loss was 110 lbs. Now at the end of my 4th year my weight remains stable, I eat enormous amounts of food, feel great, don't need medications and have tons more energy than ever before. As a bonus, my chances of developing Diabetes or of having a heart attack have been reversed!
     Heart disease is the number 1 killer of people in the United States and the numbers are growing. All of the blood pressure pills and statin drugs out there haven't changed that fact. So even if this whole foods plant based no oil diet didn't make me lose weight and keep it off, reverse prediabetes, eliminate the sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma and kidney issues wasn't it worth doing just to save me from suffering a heart attack? There aren't any pills out there that can replace a healthy diet and there aren't any other diets out there that can do all the things for you that this one can.
     Get over to the produce section and you won't have to spend time in the pharmacy department. It doesn't matter how old you are. Anyone can choose to do this for themself. It makes a GREAT New Year's resolution. Make changes in your food choices now to look and feel better next week, next month and for the rest of your life!
For a FREE 21 day kickstart plan that starts on the 1st of the month go to Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. Make that 1st choice. Nobody can do it for you!

NOW!

Merry Christmas! Give yourself a gift of health ❤ #veganNOoil #eattolose #eatmoreweighless

    In 2013, age 58,  I was pre-diabetic, weighed 284 lbs, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and my kidneys were leaking blood; 5 red cells per high powered field. Rather than wait for a health crisis to hit, I was proactive and chose to get on board with a whole foods plant based lifestyle.

    In the first year I lost 80 lbs. By month 16 my weight was down 100 lbs without any exercise. I was no longer pre-diabetic, no longer had sleep apnea and my doctor took me off my blood pressure and cholesterol pills. My kidneys stopped leaking blood completely.

    Memorial Day of 2015 I started running. By Labor Day I was down a total of 110 lbs, comfortable running 5K and ran in my very 1st race. I won the Bronze Medal in my age group!

    January 1, 2018 will mark the beginning of my 5th year doing this. My weight is stable between 174 and 180 lbs no matter how much I eat. I am more active and weigh 5 lbs less than I did when I was 18. Going whole foods, plant based, no oil was the best health decision I ever made!

Your age doesn't matter. Anyone, and I mean EVERYONE, CAN DO THIS!

A Quick Meal! Steam is my friend! #6minute

Just to emphasize how easy it is to make healthy food when you have no time, this meal took 8 minutes to prepare. It's snowing out and my commute last night turned into a little adventure. Yadda yadda yadda I made it home safe, but very late and quite hungry! From the variety of choices in our fridge, I grabbed an ear of corn, a yellow bell pepper, a stalk of broccoli, some cherry tomatoes and homemade garlic sauce. I peeled and cut the broccoli stalk into coins, cut up the florets then sliced the yellow pepper. The corn and other veggies went into a glass casserole dish and cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes. While cooking I sliced the tomatoes. Let it cool a little, sprinkle a hint of allspice on the broccoli, put a tablepoon of garlic sauce on the peppers, add the tomatoes, take a picture, eat! ....or make pizza:

Almost 4 Full Years A Vegan!! Healthy Beyond Words! Plenty of Protein!!! Here's a Snack Bar Recipe!!! #vegan #plantperfect #kosher #pareve #treattime

Snack or Breakfast Bars

It's coming up on the 4th anniversary of my transition to an all plant diet. I lost 110 lbs and am maintaining my weight right there too.  I'm getting upset about hearing from people who, for weight loss or other health reasons, want to be Whole Foods Plant Based and are taking Protein Supplements. To begin with protein supplements are not whole foods. Whole foods are unprocessed with no preservatives or chemical additives. The supplements tend to contain Erythritol, Stevia or Xylitol as sweeteners. All three, though found in nature, are concentrated, processed sweeteners. When you take a protein powder, one scoop contains about 25 grams of protein and between 120 and 140 calories. It will not fill up your stomach and will not make you feel full. In other words, you are going to eat what you normally would eat to keep yourself from getting hungry and on top of that you are adding 120 to 140 calories per day! For the average person you only need between 45 and 55 grams of protein per day.  Your body has no mechanism to store protein. Any excess protein that you consume your body will convert to fat, burn for energy or excrete.  Every single whole plant food source contains some protein. If you are eating enough plants to make yourself feel full you will easily reach that amount and probably surpass it.

For example:

One cup of oatmeal cooked in water contains 6 grams of protein. Adding 1 cup of almond milk, a banana and 2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed (an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids) brings the total up to 11 grams. 

Two slices of whole wheat bread contain 10 grams of protein. Sprinkling 1/4 cup of chickpeas on a 3 cup serving of spring mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing is another 11 grams of protein making a light lunch containing a total of 21 grams of protein. 

As an afternoon snack, try a fruit smoothie with 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds adding more Omega 3 fatty acids and 5 more grams of protein to your day. 

For dinner an ear of corn adds 3 grams, one cup of cooked quinoa adds 8 grams, one veggie black bean burger is 10 grams on a whole grain bun for another 5 grams. That's a dinner with 26 more grams of protein. 

We're already at 63 grams of whole foods plant based protein with no processed sugar and no oil added. We have included all the essential amino acids; the building blocks of protein. You can even round out the night with air popped popcorn adding another gram of protein per popped cup. 

Like I said, getting enough protein is not an issue. We've been convinced by the advertisers for the food industry that we need 2 to 3 times the amount of protein than is really necessary. As a result we have a very serious health problem in our country with diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension and Heart Disease all associated with obesity.
Don't worry about protein. We live in a country of excess. Feeling full is not a problem either. You can eat all the fresh fruit and veggies that you want during the day and night with no guilt and one more gram of clean protein per serving! Nobody is at Weight Watchers because they ate too many apples.

I think we all deserve a treat. Here's my recipe for some wonderful snack bars:

SNACK BARS

Plant Perfect
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 1 hour, yield 18 bars per pan.

RECIPE:
3 Cups Rolled Oats, 2 Ripe Bananas, 12 Dates (pitted and chopped), 1.5 Cups Apple Cider, 1 Cup Chopped Apples, 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries (Craisins) or raisins, 1 TBS Maple Syrup, 1 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1 tsp Vanilla, I Cup Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds (may substitute 1 cup of your favorite chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the bananas, 1 cup of rolled oats, maple syrup, apple cider, dates and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. In a separate bowl put 2 cups rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice, shelled hemp seeds (or nuts) and mix them together. Stir in the contents from the blender until it's the consistency of cookie dough. Mix in the chopped apples and dried cranberries.

Line two 9 x 9 inch baking pans with parchment paper. Spread the dough evenly and bake for 35 minutes. Take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Cut it into bars, turn them over and bake for another 15 minutes. Let them cool and serve. For a less chewy granola bar texture let them dry out overnight.

Great as a snack, breakfast bar or energy bar.

Enjoy!

Michael Greger MD, Joel Kahn MD and Allan Kalmus DPM

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce!!! Gluten Free, Nut Free, Cholesterol Free, Delicious. #eattolose #Kosher #Pareve #NOcholesterolProtein

 Here is the recipe for the Alfredo sauce I posted the other day.  This time I paired it with fusilli pasta made from chickpeas.  They are gluten free and really tasty.
Enjoy all the flavor and the great texture with none of the guilt!!!!

CREAMY VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE
Prep time 5 min.
Cook time 15 min.
Serves 2

1 lb firm tofu
1.5 cups unsweetened coconut milk
6 T nutritional yeast
4 T tapioca flour
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1 T salt
1 t garlic powder
1 T basil
2 T dried parsley
1/8th t ground pepper


Add everything to your blender and puree thoroughly. Pour it into a sauce pan and stir over medium heat until it gets thick and creamy (about 10 min.) Pour it into a container and set aside.
Cook 2 cups of the pasta in salted water for 12 min. Drain the pasta and put it into your sauce pan. Start adding and stirring in the sauce over low heat until it looks creamy and good to you! Store any extra sauce for another day. Serve hot.

My grandson's pumpkin 2017

3

47 Months A Vegan!! Fettuccine Alfredo dairy free and no added oil #cleaneating #foodismedicine #eatlikeahorse

Fettuccine Alfredo With Whole Wheat Noodles 

     It has been a quite a wonderful 47 month journey into the world of a Plant Based Whole Foods lifestyle. Four years ago there was no freaking way I was going to give up meat, dairy, oil, fish and fowl. I couldn't cook without oil nor could I bake without eggs. Don't even get me started on cheese and yogurt. I loved that stuff! There couldn't really be anything wrong with summer barbeques, creamy coleslaw, potato salad and cheeseburgers!  Where else would I get my protein? I live in the good old USA and that stuff is all on the menu for the building blocks of the Standard American Diet! (S.A.D.) You are not going to tell ME to stay away from DQ, KFC and those other places where I would be asked if I wanted fries with that. So what if I am over 100 lbs overweight, can't get up off the couch without help, wearing a C-PAP mask to keep me breathing when I sleep and taking pills for my high cholesterol, high blood pressure and joint pain. I have no problem swallowing pills. Just give me another one if I'm developing Diabetes. That half of a large pepperoni pizza that I ate last night was no problem. I could just work it off with exercise. If the worst happened and I started getting chest pain, I can count on a heart stent or bypass surgery to keep me going. I believe in medical science and it's ability to save my life!

     But wait a second. What about those guys in my immediate circle of friends and relatives who ate the S.A.D. way, took pills for their medical problems, exercised regularly, got the stents in their heart vessels to keep them open, got the bypass surgery when the stents failed and then died anyway? Three friends died from heart attacks in 6 months. Two of them had no history of heart disease. Three more had stents put in their heart vessels. Maybe I was looking at this wrong. Maybe you can't out exercise a bad diet. Maybe you can't depend on medical science to fix your heart with surgery. It was looking like 50% of the time people my age would die from their 1st heart attack. The writing was on the wall and I needed to change that story. 

     There was another branch of modern medicine that I was completely ignoring. I didn't want to pay any attention to it because it was telling me that I had to change my ways. I hate change!  Change is hard. Change implies that I was wrong about the way I was living. Who wants to admit that they were wrong about anything? But still, there was a ton of information about preventing and reversing heart disease, about sustainable weight loss without surgery or fad dieting, about preventing and reversing Diabetes and in general just taking control of my health by controlling what I was eating. 

     At first I didn't want to change anything. I loved my food and couldn't see giving up what I loved.

But after reading more, watching Forks Over Knives and Eating You Alive I started thinking maybe I could try this. Suddenly someone close to me died from a heart attack and something in my brain clicked. What would happen to my family if I wasn't around? My friend, Joel Kahn, MD, convinced me that I didn't have to be the next statistic. At the time, he didn't even know what he did for me. I made a mental contract with myself that I would go 100% Vegan for 1 year and if I didn't like it, I'd find another way. Now, 47 months later, my only regret is that I didn't know about this sooner. I've taken up cooking, lost 110 lbs, don't need blood pressure pills, cholesterol pills or my C-PAP machine anymore. I've even taken up running and I'm enjoying that too! 

     If you're healthy and happy with your weight, that's great!  If you are looking to improve your health, protect your heart, prevent or reverse Diabetes, strokes, kidney disease and improve your feeling of well being a whole foods plant based lifestyle is the way to go!

     The picture on the top is of my dinner tonight. Fettuccine Alfredo with whole wheat noodles, corn on the cob and a tossed salad with creamy garlic dressing.  I'd be happy to share my recipe for the asking. Most of it involves throwing ingredients in a blender and then stirring them over low head for a few minutes. Its pretty easy and quite garlicky!  

Pre-Vegan

2 Years Later

What have you got to lose?