Dusting Off the Blog...

Hi friends. I have not posted in this blog for a long, long time and for good reason. I've had much to walk through in life in 2014/2015, with responsibilities leaving me little time to keep this up. I am happy to see a return to more normalcy in my family and exciting things on the horizon, as the Lord tarries. Feel free to browse the blog. I plan to do a few different things here, from time to time, but currently, it will be used mostly as a journal to record my adventure of 2016.  I share it publicly because I figured why not let myself be accountable 'out loud' and so that I can hopefully inspire you from the pictures and recipes of my meals with how fun, varied, simple and tasty plant strong eating can be.

I'll let you in on a little secret. In a few weeks, I'll be leaving my thirties behind and entering my forties. As a present to myself for my 40th birthday, I decided that I am going to eat only plants for the entire year that I am 40. What a present, you may exclaim with incredulous looks (as some of my friends and family have looked as I've shared the plans for this adventure with them the past few months). I know. A few years ago, I could not have imagined this myself. But after eating at least 75% plants for the past 7 years, I am ready. I love veggies. I really do. When I go through a buffet line at a potluck, I am happiest to find the veggies. So, I see the past 7 years of being 'forced' to eat this way because I was dealing with serious disease (and I should have been anyway, to prevent those diseases in the first place and to take care of my body, God's temple, with thanksgiving for His gift), as preparation for 2016. I am ready. I am excited. I'm going to take the plunge and I see it as a grand adventure, not a hardship.

If you, my friend, happen to take me out to lunch or invite me to your house in 2016, please do not freak out or worry what you will feed me. If you would like to know, please feel free to ask and I'd be happy to share with you. If you would like to simply serve what you plan to serve, I will certainly not be offended. I will just bring along my own little meal and happily fellowship with you. Social life does not need to be around food for me to feel complete.

In 2016, as I walk this journey, I plan to record my meals here. I will try very hard to do it every day. I really want to. BUT I will start out once and see how it goes. I know it will require dedication. If you want to pop in here now and then, I would welcome you gladly. I hope that you find inspiration on your own journey to eating for health.

I do not plan to be elaborate most of the time. Responsibility will prevent that.

And, in case you wonder if I will be feasting on vegan junk in 2016, the answer is NOT CONSISTENTLY. "Oreos" are vegan, I'm told. (Vegan simply means the absence of animal products). I do plan to try to eat the majority of my meals as nutrient dense (check out Dr. Fuhrman's explanation of this if you care to here.) I plan to eat a few treats along the way, but I'm hoping to keep things as low sugar, low oil, as possible. The way I do that currently is by allowing one treat a week that is not necessarily no oil, no sugar, but within reason (to me).

So hop along for the ride. It's going to be a great adventure. I just know it. And if you should decide to join me for part or all of this journey in your own life, please do! I would love that.

~To health,
Marcia

PS
So why are you doing this, you may ask? I guess if I were to answer that, I'd say:

1. Plants were the first things God invited Adam and Eve to eat. So, I figure why not give that gift to myself. He knew it when He created them that plants are the building blocks of good health and disease prevention.
2. Discipline. We live in a world full of terrible food-like substances that people all around us enjoy in large quantities. I once was a food addict (to these food-like substances) and I have sobered in the past seven years as I see what 33 years of abusing my body with food had done to me. It took faith and repentance and much reliance on God (even now!) to walk away from that abusive lifestyle into the freedom and good health that God had waiting for me, which I enjoy today. Even so, I am still faced with decisions every day (most days in my own house, those decisions are easy because of how my larder is stocked), and I figured that a decision I make for a whole year will be good discipline for me.
3. I would like to give my body the cleansing and nourishing benefit of plants at a level I have not known up until now. I look forward to seeing what changes take place in my health in 2016. I'm sure it will be good.
     I expect that I will take pleasure in giving my husband's wallet a greater rest as my grocery bill decreases. It is much cheaper to eat a sensible, whole food, plant based diet than any other diet there is (if you are talking buying meat/cheese, or paying the doctor eventually).

PCOS...

Altho I have not officially been diagnosed, but after years of struggling, and of finding some relief but not totally, I have stumbled upon PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I cannot say that I have it, but I am pretty sure I do...and am pursuing more understanding on the matter for myself.

Since this is a food and health blog, I decided to post this because many women struggle with PCOS and do not understand what it is. I found a simple and easy to understand explanation for PCOS here:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03160/Polycystic-Ovarian-Syndrome-PCOS.html



Altho there are many different things a person can do to help with this problem, it seems the general consensus is that diet and exercise are the biggest things to focus on. Many of us ladies do not eat as well as we should, and we do not move as much as we should. It's hard. I know. We are busy, we are bombarded with junk food on every side in this land supposedly flowing with milk and honey (yes, I have an attitude and I am not really apologetic about it!). There are stresses from many places and we find ourselves pressed on many sides to try to find a balance.

I have just come through a very long and difficult summer that has been extra filled with stresses that have me fighting depression and weight issues and other health problems that I have not had to deal with for several years since I have switched to plant based eating.

Which led me to PCOS, and looking at how it affects us.

I tell you, I am not a normally depressed person. I am normally a 'glass half full' kind of girl. I see hope in many situations that others do not...normally.

But after this summer, I was wondering what in the world was happening to me! I felt like I was falling apart on many fronts and I wondered why because I have not changed in who I am with God, the most important relationship in the world. But I know that physical imbalance can make a person really struggle too, so I went asking for answers! And I'm glad I did.

A friend of mine who is studying to become a naturopathic doctor, shared with me that essential oils can help with PCOS as well. I am looking into that, as well as trying to keep my diet clean. By that, I mean make the focus of my food the vegetables, and add a few good starches per day, such as brown rice, potatoes, beans, and whole grains/whole grain flours in moderation.

I am taking time for 'me'. Yes, it sounds selfish, but in the long run, I am doing my family a favor if I exercise, and take the time for extra rest, Scripture and prayer, and if I take the time to make sure I plan and prepare meals that are a benefit to our health. Stress often can cause PCOS to flare up and even though a person is trusting God, we live in finite bodies that do cave under pressure at times.

I have had to cut out things I normally enjoy doing...for now. Some of these things I hope to be able to do again one day, but for now, I need to get better.

That's a little personal update on me, with the intention that I might raise some awareness about PCOS, and hopefully help some other women who may be struggling with this.

I am happy to know that I have seen results with the diet and exercise thing and that I have just encountered a little set back. I will see the positives in this:

1. I get to go a little deeper in my study/understanding of the affect of diet and exercise and stress on our bodies.
2. I get to rely on God more fully through a difficult time when I didn't know what was happening and why I was feeling so depressed and out of normalcy!
3. I get to relate to others who are knowledgeable and can help me through my struggle.
4. I get to discipline my body to say no when others often say yes to foods that are abundant in this land. :-)
5. I get to wait on the Lord and be of good courage, and He has certainly strengthened my heart.
6. I get to learn how to say no where I am not accustomed to saying it! I guess there is a time and a season for many things and sometimes this has to be, for the greater good of all involved.

I hope this finds you all well, and enjoying autumn.

PS
I wrote this post a few weeks ago, but never got it published. So here is a little update before I do that. I am feeling much better with a slower life pace, and with being very vigilant about my food and exercise routine. Several major, sad things have touched me indirectly the last few weeks, but I was able to breeze through them with the grace of God sustaining me, and not be too physically affected. I am so happy about this! I write, not necessarily to talk about me, but to say that often times good results come when we put some diligence into taking care (I am not speaking of life threatening or terminal illnesses here, although they can often be bettered, too) of our bodies.

Of Autumn and Caramel Pudding...

Since my plant-based journey has begun, I have wondered how to replace my mom's delightful caramel pudding recipe. I tried using almond milk but it just separated as I boiled it. Plus it is full of sugar and butter, so I knew that I needed to lay that recipe aside for now.

Well, until now. I am so stoked that I just had to share this with you. I now have a caramel pudding recipe that rivals my mom's dairy-filled one! It's smooth. It's creamy. It's delicious!

Originally, I browned a little butter to carmelize the sugar,

 but I don't think it's necessary and for true McDougall/Fuhrman followers, 

this step is out.

So here's the recipe:

Aunt Cia's Caramel Pudding

1 block any firmness Silken Tofu

1 or 2 T molasses

1/3 c raw sugar or maple syrup

1 pinch salt

1 T vanilla extract

2 cups plant milk
2 T browned butter, optional

Blend til smooth. It may be thinner than pudding consistency after mixing, but refrigerate for a few hours, and it becomes this spoonable, delectable dessert.

Use it to dip apples...

or mix in a few bananas and a crumbled graham cracker...

or top a black bean brownie with it...

The possibilities are many.

I hope you try it and it delights your tastebuds like it has mine.

Winter is Coming...

Winter is coming.

 Less Vitamin D, lowered immunity = more colds and flu. 

I strongly urge you to keep the 

sugar, meat, dairy, salt and oil consumption 

to a minimum, 

and eat lots of whole plant foods.

 Take a good whole food boost daily~ like Juice Plus, 

to keep your immune system consistently fed what it needs 

to fight off the nasty stuff. 

Tumeric is a great whole food antibiotic. I make sure I give that to my family several times a week. Garlic is great. I have in my fridge Dr. Christopher's Super Garlic Immune Formula (Amazon is a great place to buy it). I also mix up my large batches of immuniTea (which includes echinacea, rose hips, elderberry, mint, cinnamon, ginger, and more) and we drink that throughout the winter. I rarely need to treat colds and flu in my house, for which I am grateful, but I know that it takes vigilance on the mama's part and also faith in God for good health and for wisdom in knowing how to be the keeper of the family's health. 

Happy autumn, everyone. 

Enjoy cozy firesides and lamplight shining in the windows. 

Move every day and get some fresh air in your lungs.

And eat well!

Dr. Ellsworth Wareham - 98 years old vegan

I know it's been a long, long time since I posted here. I just wanted to check in here to say that I have many blog posts rattling around in my head for this blog, but the summer has not lended itself to much inspiration to write it down, and when inspiration hit, there was little time!



I hope you are all enjoying good health. We are trusting the Lord for it in our home, having had some health difficulties, including my daughter being diagnosed with Lyme. This is a completely new field for me, having been trained in diet related preventive/reversible diseases myself.



I have taken it as a challenge to learn about infectious diseases and the natural answers to kill their bacteria in our bodies, and above all I appeal to the Creator of our bodies for wisdom and for healing.



I enjoyed the video I posted. I am not a complete vegan, but I know that I feel the best when I am eating mostly plants. It has been a real blessing to me to learn from those who are getting the teaching out on this kind of lifestyle: Dr Joel Fuhrman, Dr John Mcdougall, T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Esselstyn, and others.



It was one of my hopes that I could take the nutrition courses these doctors offer so that I could obtain the certificate and knowledge that comes with that. However, it seems my daughter will beat me to it as she has that included in her school curriculum this school term.



I think understanding nutrition in even a basic way is a plus for every mom, mom-to-be, and anyone really. If you want to learn, you can start by reading books written by these doctors, or watching their teaching on youtube or on published dvd's.



Happy rest of summer to all,

Marcia

Of Berries And Chia...

When I was a school girl and would have to be home for a sick day,

my mom would often make McNess Coconut Pudding.

It was such a delicious treat, but one of those things I have totally

abandoned in whole food eating, trying to clean up our diet.

But sometimes I miss coconut pudding.

Well, not anymore!

Hello Chia Coconut Vanilla Pudding!

I don't eat it warm like we ate coconut pudding at home,

but this pudding fills the bill...

I had it this morning for mid morning meal...

with fresh strawberries and raspberries.

What deliciousness.

And so good for me, too.

I don't like the large amount of fat

in coconut milk, so I combine it with

almond milk and water and keep

a jar of it in my fridge for things such

as this.

Here is what I made this morning:

Cia's Vanilla Coconut Pudding

Into a bowl place

2 1/2 cups coconut almond milk

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

scant 1/2 c chia seeds

(I used white chia)
1 t. vanilla extract

2 T maple syrup

Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnite

or just a few hours.

Combine with fruit of choice.

Deliciousness in every bite!

PS.

I didn't forget that I was going to write 

a post about my journey through food addictions.

I still hope to get that done some time.

A happy, healthy summer to all.

Of Diets and Information...

Life has happened, and I have not been writing very faithfully here at all! I may be quiet alot over the summer but before I go silent again, I would like to leave you with my thoughts on a subject that has been burning a hole in my life for a good, long while and I have been pondering how to say what I need to say.

In no way am I tearing down people's desire to lose weight and be healthy. I will be the first to support and bless that endeavor and cheer on anyone who is doing this! America certainly needs a good dose of reality as more disease abounds and younger and younger people are sedentary, unhealthy and obese!

BUT...please take a moment to understand that it's not about weight loss as a focus. It's about getting healthy. Focus on eating wholesome foods for fighting and preventing disease and the weight will come off. I have weight left to lose, but in the past few years, I have learned to turn my back on addictive habits, eating meals that consist of high nutrient foods first. That has been a huge journey for me because, like many Americans, the addictions were strong. I was not a caffeine junkie, but I sure was a sugar, fat, and salt aholic. Those foods leave cravings stamped deeply on the memory and desires for YEARS if not dealt with properly. I am happy to have reduced many of the disease related problems that I faced over the years, and to have replaced fat with muscle, as I have energy to be active now, which now leaves me with the freedom to go a step further and lose the extra weight.

I have been in the diet world for years. There was Atkins. And South Beach. Cabbage Soup. And on and on. I did what I knew. And for the most part, these diets all have some good advice in them, some of them more than others. What these people know is how to help people lose weight fast but their advice is not entirely healthy.

The newest diet that seems to be a fast and furious appeal to many women is Trim, Healthy Mama. I will say right up front that I am not bashing people on this diet in any way. I understand! I get it why this diet appeals to you. There is a huge success rate of weight loss and even some reversing of some disease. I am excited to know this...

BUT...I just want to say that if you are using this diet as a reference point, please be aware of several things:

1. I understand that TMH teaches people that it is unscriptural to be vegan and that one needs meat to make them healthy. I am disturbed by this. It is NOT unscriptural to be vegan (Genesis 1:29, for anyone interested in knowing the first food plan ever given). People do not need meat and dairy and eggs to be well. This is a marketing lie employed by industry to get you to buy more of these products. Go ahead and research it. I am not alone in saying this.

Having said that, however, I am also well aware that is is not unscriptural to eat meat, dairy and eggs. I am not a vegan. I still enjoy a good grass-fed burger with all the fixings once in a blue moon. I am in no way  advocating that you are somehow less than the best if you eat animals. However, it disturbs me when in this info highway of how to be healthy, faulty information is majorly embraced and taken with delight as fact.

The problem with endorsing a meat, dairy, egg based plan is that you are eating more of these foods than ever was intended to be healthy. All that animal fat in your body promotes and hastens heart disease, among other diseases that are totally preventable. This generation has access to these foods at an alarming availability rate, many times higher than generations past could afford or even had available. Questionable growing practices of animals these days also puts an added health strain on your body, let alone the question of ethics!

2. I was part of the TMH group on Face book for awhile, and what I saw was that the majority of people were still basing their meals around animal products and not whole plant foods. If you are not going to be a vegan, then by all means, please know that nutrient density in foods (what our bodies need to grow healthy cells to replace dead ones and prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, etc) comes from plants. Whatever diet or weightloss plan you choose, please know that the best way for your body to be well is not through a certain labeled diet. It's a lifestyle, a choice to change for life. The only known, successful healthy lifestyle is the whole food plant-based one. (Please note: this does not mean you must only eat plants, but that the majority of your food comes from plants).

I recently saw a picture of a TMH meal that blessed me: it was brown rice, topped with stir fried veggies. Now that's a meal that needs no label to make it good for you! That is a prime example of a meal that has a hefty amount of fiber and healing/cell building nutrients for your body. Add to that a hefty portion of raw veggies and fruits, beans and nuts and seeds a for the day and you have a good food plan that is best for your health AND will promote weightloss. (not to mention, make your dollars reach further than if you were planning your meals around animal-based foods)

3. TMH advises that you replace sugar with stevia, xylitol, etc. While I heartily applaud their counsel that sugar is a high calorie no-no and 'way overused in our generation, I give you a caution about these replacements. Many of them are not completely whole-food, good-for-you replacements. Be knowlegeable, do your homework before embracing this counsel as the best you can do. I have been taught by whole-food, board certified medical doctors to go without baked goods and desserts except on special occasions. I work this out in my own life as once a week indulgences that are made with a minimal amount of sugar or dates, whole grains, and little to no added fat from oils and butter. I have reduced my sugar intake drastically and many Americans would think it  not possible, but hear  me out. Think about it: when you have eaten your share of high nutrient, whole plant foods each day, how much hunger is left, do you think? I tell you: most days, I am not hungry at all when I eat 3 satisfying meals of whole plants. I learned from Dr. Joel Fuhrman to eat only when hungry (not saying I ALWAYS follow this rule but it is my goal to be consistent in this and it pays off), and there just isn't much room left in the week for eating cheesecakes, cookies, candy, etc, even if they would be made with out sugar. Also: some of the stevia, xylitols, etc are not pure and are mixed with other ingredients so I want to put a caution out there that these things need to be carefully considered before you use them. Make sure they are pure.

Again, take these things not as bashing of TMH or any other diet that has been labeled and mass marketed. I speak from a genuine love and concern because I have been down this road and in my extensive research on health through nutrition, I have found many of these fad diets and labeled diets wanting/lacking in complete wellness.

Bottom line is that weight loss requires a change because obviously what we were doing that got us to this place was not a good thing, right?!

It's simple in theory...maybe a little hard to do to get disciplined and to ride out the cravings that want to take over. But the simplest plan I have ever heard that truly makes sense and is good for both the wallet and the long term lifestyle is taught by more than just Dr. Joel Fuhrman. If I have at all piqued your curiosity you can do a little research and find that I have been taught by people with a success rate that has never been matched anywhere else that I have ever found. Look them up:

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

Rip Esselstyn

Jeff Novick

John McDougall

John Robbins

Vegalicious Elena

Happy Herbivore

T. Colin Campbell

Hallelujah Acres

The Gerson Institute

There are many more but these have impacted my life immensely. From them, I have learned the science behind what God already knew in Genesis 1:29. I have seen both the adverse affects of the Standard American Diet on my life and my loved ones' lives,  AND the powerful, positive effect that whole plant foods has on my body and those of my loved ones and acquaintances that have chosen to give it a try. I have been so blessed by the SIMPLICITY of this teaching. I don't need fancy equipment, or certain meals at certain times. Just simple, unprocessed, nutritious food that has been created to fuel my body for productive living. Thousands of  people have been healed of disease including obesity by adopting this lifestyle.

Again, I am not bashing anyone who follows any of the diets I mentioned. I just keep thinking that I want to just share that it goes a step further than following a diet and losing weight, and it is important that we do not believe faulty information, however sincere these informants are. I bless them for caring and for sharing, for sure! But I wanted to address some concerns I have because I don't like to know that my friends are receiving and believing faulty information.

Above all, I acknowlege that God is the healer and God is the giver of good health. I also acknowlege that he does not stand in the way of sinful, selfish mankind and that reaping comes with sowing, even in what we eat. Doesn't mean He doesn't love us, but neither does it mean that is His perfect will...just like being an orphan or widow is not His original perfect plan. I also realize that we will not live on earth forever. I am prepared to die at any time and meet my Maker, but while I live here, I want to live a productive life as much as lies within me.

Happy trails to you. And if you, my friend, weigh all this in the balance and still decided that TMH or any other labeled diet is the way for you to go, I will indeed love and bless you. I hope you lose the weight and/or find relief from whatever other disease is plaguing you...I really do hope that above all, your soul prospers and that you will be in good health.

Love always,
Marcia