Links to Articles

Here are some interesting links from Fitday.com:

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/proteins/10-great-vegetarian-protein-sources.html

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/top-5-vegetables-high-in-protein.html

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/6-good-sources-of-protein-for-vegans.html

Oven Roasted Veggies

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes!!! Serve with broccoli, yellow squash, or a salad, along with brown rice or quinoa! YUM!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 sweet potato, peeled & cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 sweet white onion, in wedges
1 red onion, in wedges
1 small butternut ssquash, cubed
4-6 carrots, cut into stix
4-6 parsnips, cut into stix
3-4 small beets, quartered
20-30 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil (EVOO) (I cut back to 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F and cover a large roasting pan with foil. Spray wth cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Combine all the veggies in a large bowl and toss them with the remaining ingredients. Toss to assure even coating and then spread into foil lined roasting pan.

Roast for 35-40 minutes in preheated oven. Stir every 10 min until veggies are cooked through. They should be nicely browned. I had to roast mine for about an hour to get that effect.

Weekly Weigh-in

This has not been a great week. I spent two days with fluctuating blood pressure....up and down the roller coaster!! It made me very dizzy and nauseous, but that seems to be behind me. I was not able to eat much....mostly slept, but I have lost some of what I gained over those two days of not being able to eat. Your body goes into starvation mode, thinking it won't get any more food, so it stores everything you eat!! You gain!! I know that. Anyway, I had gained almost 5 lbs. in 2 days, but this morning I was down 2 of those lbs., so I am at having lost in 7 weeks 13 lbs.

BUT....

I lost inches this week!!! 1-1/2 inches more in my waist, for a total of 8" and another inch in my belly/hips for a total of 9"!!!!! I'll take inches any day. Also, although I am not EXERCISING, I am moving more, walking more, having more energy and am so happy that the inches are pouring off!!

Please view some of my recipes, and please feel free to make comments!! Take care and happy losing!!!

About me!

Good morning!

This has not been a particularly good week for me. For the past 2 days, I have had blood pressure issues. It has not been stable and there has been some dizziness connected with it, too. I have faithfully taken my medicine, but that has not helped much!! Mostly Ive slept, since the dizziness kicks in making it difficult to walk and I wouldn't think of trying to drive.

At the same time, I have not eaten on time or all of what I should have eaten. That, of course, does a number on the metabolism, and that is what is happening right now. Yesterday, I did not have anything "green" or even yellow. The best I could do was a veggie soup, but I needed those lowfat veggies to counteract all the carbs in the soup: beans, corn, etc. The soup did taste good, but it needed to be tempered with the other veggies. I also ate only 2 meals yesterday, and that is a big blow to the metabolism

Tomorrow is weigh day. Today I was up almost 5 lbs!!!!!! That's what happens when you don't eat enough. Isn't that crazy? That's the way it works!!! I just checked my BP and it was down some, but not enough. Can't figure out what spiked this!!! Oh well, I will just keep on keeping on, and it will calm down. The pounds will follow!! Take care and see you here tomorrow!

Recipe

Hot Lap Bowl

This recipe is from Rip Esselstyn's book, Engine 2 Diet, and could be used prior to exercise. Experiment with different ingredients to personalize your bowl.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup uncooked hot cereal or quinoa
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 banana, sliced
• ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit
• ½ cup soy milk
• 1/2 handful of walnuts

Instructions:
1. Cook cereal in water according to directions with flaxseed meal, raisins, banana, and fruit.
2. Drizzle with soy milk and top with nuts.

Recipe

Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal Casserole
Serves: 6


Ingredients
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raspberries {any berries work}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk or milk substitute
1 large egg or egg substitute
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal).
In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar.

Weekly Weigh-in

Good morning!! Today marks the end of my first 6 weeks eating mostly vegan. Although I gained a pound, (with a loss of 15.2 lbs. in the 6 weeks),which is not unusual, I lost another inch in my belly/hips area for a total of 8" there and stayed the same in the waist at 6.5". From past experience, I do know the reason "they" don't want you weighing every day is because your body does flucuate up and down the scale. Some people get all bent out of shape over this, but I use it as a tool to reflect on how I might have done better. Did I drink enough water? Did I eat all the foods I should have had? Did I eat the last meal too late at night? All those things affect your weight. So, I did gain a pound this week, BUT......
I also lost an entire pant size and top size during the past six weeks, and for that I am so very thankful!!! I tried not checking the scale daily this week, but that really does not work for me, so I'm going back to the daily weighing, just as I take my blood pressure and my blood sugar levels each morning. It just works better for me!!

Recipe

Rips Big Bowl
I re-worked this recipe so that I might mix up 4 servings at a time. Only the grains and nuts were increased. The fruits and milk were NOT increased. This came from Rip Esselstyn's book, Engine 2 Diet. It is a MOST filling breakfast!!!

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 335.5
• Fat: 7.8g
• Carbohydrates: 58.5g
• Protein: 13.6g

Ingredients
* 1 cup raw old-fashioned oats
* 1 cup Grape Nuts or Exekiel brand equivalent
* 1 cup bite-size shredded wheat
* 1 cup Uncle Sam Cereal
* 4 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
* 8 tablespoons raisins
* 4 handsful of walnuts

* banana, sliced
* 1 kiwi, sliced
* Segments of one grapefruit and juice
* 3/4 cup milk substitute of choice

Directions
Toss all ingredients execpt the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl.

After cutting the grapefruit in half, use a small, sharp knife to remove the segments.

Add the segments to the top of the bowl and sueeze in the juice.

Top the bowl with milk substitute.

Note: I have a non-functioning thyroid and was told NEVER to eat grapefruit because of the Synthroid I have to take. Grapefruit interferes with its functioning in the body. I usually use only a banana!!

Variations

In a pinch, simply add water (the fruits blend with the water and give it a sweet taste). Add any fresh or frozen fuit, such as peaches, cherries, mangoes, blueberries, or red grapes.

Rip’s Tip

If you want to lower your cholesterol levels even more, add more oatmeal.

About Me

Tomorrow, Sept. 17th will be the end of my 6th week of eating mostly vegan. I say "mostly" because I still occasionally eat meat and egg whites. I am trying veggie patties for substitutes of breakfast sausages.

I don't know if I will have lost pounds or inches this week, but one thing I am very excited about is that I have gone down one whole size in my slacks and in my tops!!! This afternoon, I went through my closet and was pleasantly surprised. Not all the one-size-down tops fit, but MOST of them did!!! Wow!!! A whole new wardrobe!!!!

So come visit tomorrow to see if I've had any changes in pounds or inches. I also know that there are times when your body (oh, well, I might as well say it....your FAT cells) has to take time to change shape. You never lose fat cells, but they do shrink!! I've been told that this re-arranging of cells can often take as much as six weeks. Six weeks of no changes in pounds or inches, and only then can you assume you have reached a plateau. We often panic if there are no losses for 2-3 weeks, and we just give up, because we've done everything we should, and we STILL didn't lose. In this age of immediacy, we assume it isn't working, and we revert to our old ways of eating!! Because I am feeling so much better eating mostly vegan, I hope I can be strong and continue this plan. Only with God's help, will this work for me!! It is hard not to put yourself in charge, but I know that's the only way it will work!

Recipe

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Serves 8 - 10
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup fresh, frozen or canned no-salt-added corn, drained
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomato, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño. In a bowl, combine lime juice, oil and cumin, and drizzle over bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutrients per serving (for 8 servings): 125 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2.5 g total fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0.5 grams polyunsatured fat, 1.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 20 g total carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugars, 6 g protein.

From the American Cancer Society. The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook: 140 Great-Tasting, Good-for-You Recipes ( Atlanta, American Cancer Society, 2007).

Recipe

One of the websites I enjoy is WebMD and the recipes from Foodily.com. This is one of thse recipes, which blends beans, rice corn and other veggies to give a most nutritious meal!! Enjoy!!


Baltimorean Beans and Rice
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com
By The No Meat Athlete

Ingredients
1 cup dry brown rice
4 cups black-eyed peas
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped kale
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (can substitute with regular Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp Old Bay, or any Chesapeake-style seafood seasoning

Instructions
Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to 1 cup rice. Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes.

Heat up the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and heat through. Fry the kale with the peas and onion mixture for a few minutes until wilted. Add the cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and corn, heat through. Sprinkle rice with the Old Bay seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the pea mixture with the rice.
Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories: 396; Carbohydrates: 99.5g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: Fiber: 41.2g; Sodium: 126 mg; Protein: 37.7 g
For more recipes go to Foodily.com

Recipe

Upside Down Potato & Onion Tart


This is one of the great side dishes. If you are like me and you love potatoes but you get tired of the same old mashed or roasted ones...try these. The onions caramelize while the potatoes are cooking and when you turn them out of the pan they are gorgeous on the plate.

The flavor combination is really heavenly. It's a great side dish or accompaniment for steak and roasts. The inspiration for this recipe came from several different recipes. The beautiful photo is from Cathy over at Wives With Knives.

I use small red potatoes. I don't peel potatoes as a rule, you can if you prefer. I just wash them thoroughly and then slice.

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

12 sprigs thyme, strip the leaves from the stems

1 large onion, sliced somewhat thickly ( a tad more than 1/4 inch thick)

1 lb. waxy red potatoes, washed and very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup grated gruyère

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1 cup grated mozzarella

sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt the butter in a 9-10 inch ovenproof frying pan (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Add the thyme and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Place the potato, oil, cheeses, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine.

Top the onion with the potato mixture and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Turn upside down to serve.

Recipe

Veggie Quinoa



INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup diced firm tofu
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup vegetable stock to a boil. Stir in the quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, broccoli florets, and tofu. Stir for a minute, then cover and steam over low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup vegetable broth, mushrooms, and spinach. Cover and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft and spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir the vegetable-tofu mixture into the cooked quinoa. Cover, and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 12 oz. balsamic vinegar (or raspberry vinegar)
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-1/2 Tbsp. Splenda
• 1 tsp. Grey Poupon Brown Country Mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge. This is a freebie. I like things very acetic, but if it is too strong for you, you could add a small amount of water. This is oil-free, although the original recipe did have a little oil in it. That’s YOUR call!!

Recipe

Quinoa and Sautéed Veggies

Spray a large non-stick skillet with PAM.
Add about 1 tsp. olive oil.
Throw in thinly sliced pieces of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers.
Add a few pieces of garlic and several wedges of onion, both red and sweet white.

Sauté over fairly high heat until veggies are caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. I also added a little fresh thyme. At the last, splash in a small amount of Balsamic vinegar. (Just my personal preference….you may want to use cumin, chili powder, onion & garlic powders, etc. ) You non-vegans could also add pieces of cooked chicken, etc.)

This is really great served over Quinoa, rice or even pasta. Enjoy


How to Cook Quinoa

Some quinoa (keen-wah) requires that you wash it under cold water until the water runs clear. Not all quinoa requires this step. My box did not. If it does not say, then assume you must rinse the quinoa first.

On the stovetop, add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Place the lid on the pan with the burner turned off for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

About me!!

Dear Friends,

I am starting a new phase in my life, one which I should have adopted many years ago!! On August 1, 2012, I complained to my doctor that I had zero energy, was having pains in my upper abdomen, and was experiencing some rather unpleasant problems in the bathroom. To be quite honest, he and I both thought I was having gallbladder problems, so 2 days later, I was having a CT-scan. That evening, Dr.K called me to let me know the gallbladder was clear, but there was something showing up on the liver, a kidney and there was an aneurysm near the spleen. We then made an appointment for an MRI, about the middle of August. There were many prayers going up about these conditions, and I was so relieved and thankful that they turned out to be fatty deposits, not tumors!!

That first day in the doctor's office, Dr. K shared an outline of The China Plan with me. Basically, it suggested that if you wanted to be healthy, you really needed to eat a vegan program. The China Plan was a little too extreme for me, since it asked that you not eat: NUTS, OILS, MEATS, DAIRY, SALT, or SUGAR . I had followed a similar program years before except we did eat 2 oz. of meat protein, 6 times a day. I lost 142 pounds with that program, and was very successful with it. Unfortunately, about that time my mother was very ill and in and out of the hospital for a year (2006). From October 2006 through December 2008, I lost all my immediate relatives, 3 of my very best friends, and in all, a total of 26 people in 28 months. Being an emotional eater, I put all the pounds back on.

Then, in January and February of 2010 I was taking Lipitor for high cholesterol. Within a month, my leg muscles became very weak, and by February, my hands and arms were involved, to the point that I just could not hold on to things! Dr. K took me off the Lipitor immediately, and in the coming months, we discovered that I had a bad reaction to everything we tried.

I am telling you all this, to let you know that I am hoping a vegan lifestyle (the new phase in my life), will take care of this problem and the weight issue also. I have purchased the book Engine 2 Diet, since it is a little more lenient than the China Plan. My doctor had me look at two DVD's, but the one I liked the best was by the author of the Engine 2 Diet (www.engine2diet.com), Rip Esselstyn, an Austin, TX fireman.

The DVD was so impressive, that I "sort of" began the plan on August 4, even though I did not have everything I thought I needed to start the program. You also need to understand that I could barely walk, and never for more than 5 minutes!! By the end of the first 5 weeks, I had lost 16.2 pounds, 6-1/2" in my waist, and 7" in my belly-hips. I call it belly hips because it is the point where you usually measure the his, but my belly was far bigger than my hips ever thought about being!! LOL!!

I hope to be posting updates to my weigh-ins, recipes, etc. I share this with you in hopes that you will be inspired to try ONE more time. After all, my first "diet" was at age 16, which consisted of 1000 cal. I have been on Weight Watchers, Diet-watchers Guide, Jenny Craig, Michael Thurmond, and I was successful while on each program, but when I got off, I went crazy and ate my way back up!! The good thing about the Engine 2 Diet is that it really is NOT a diet. You may have anything, but each time you eat away from vegan, you are putting your health and your weight loss at risk. I am happy to see that some of the programs suggest you should take a 10% holiday occasionally, and have something NOT on your program. That way, you never feel deprived, and you can take part in family eating events without the guilt!! Of course, you need to go right back to the vegan lifestyle, but I'm already finding that I really don't want to jeopardize the weight loss by eating wrong. Where did that come from? I've never felt that way before!!! Maybe it is because I feel so good and have so much energy, even after just 5 weeks!!!! It is truly amazing. So come along with me for this ride. I've tried everything else, and this really does feel right to me!!!