Birdy Takes Flight

[Birdy]

I'm feeling better this morning after taking Tylenol and going to bed at 9:00 last night.

On the subject of Dr. McDougall looking so healthy and energetic, I happened across a short video interview with Loren Cordain who is an exercise physiologist teaching at a university in Colorado. He is the author of The Paleolithic Diet. On his website there's a photo of him that must be from years ago because he's young and slim. However, in a video I saw that was made recently, he looks to be in his late 50s or early 60s. Despite the fact that he exercises a lot, he's obviously overweight with jowls and looks unhealthy, especially in comparison to Dr. McD. The difference was very striking.

This morning I've been reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever, RD and I like it better than the vegan nutrition book I read by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina which is dry and presents the information in such a complex way that it's kind of discouraging. Hever's book is really thorough and has some great recipes. The conclusion I draw from both these books regarding fats in a plant-based diet is that it's best to avoid oils (as Dr. McD teaches) but okay to eat small quantities of fats as they naturally occur in whole foods including nuts, seeds, flax seeds, avocados, olives and traditional soy foods (tofu, soy milk, & tempeh). So I have the intellectual understanding I've needed to tailor my diet in such a way that I can embrace it wholeheartedly.

This morning I had quinoa with walnuts for breakfast. I used a 1/2 tsp. sesame oil and some soy sauce on the quinoa, but I have sesame seeds on my grocery list so tomorrow I'll have the rest of the quinoa with the whole seeds instead of sesame oil. And I'll throw in vegetables to make breakfast more substantial. For lunch I'll have leftover lentil dahl, and for dinner tonight I'm making a recipe from Hever's book called a Sushi Salad.

Since I'm feeling better I'll go for a nice walk with one of our dogs. More Christmas shopping to do too which involves walking as well.

Have a great weekend!

[Rosey]

If you are trying to lose weight you also want to make sure to get very small amounts of nuts, avocado, and olives. Dr. McDougall recommends not having them on the weight loss part of it.

[Birdy]

Hi Rosey. I know you're absolutely right. This time of year it's tougher than usual. I'm totally messing up, but am still trying to eat meals that are healthy. For breakfast I had rolled oats with sliced banana and about 2 tablespoons of toasted hazelnuts, plus coffee with soy creamer. At lunch I ate brown rice with salad greens, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, shredded carrots and about 1/3 of an avocado with 2 tablespoons tahini dressing which I could have done without. I had satsumas for snack, but then blew it with holiday treats from work. Blasted holiday baskets are so tempting. Tonight for dinner it's spaghetti with nonfat marinara and a salad with fresh lemon.

No walk unfortunately. I've been awfully busy at work for weeks and am truly having trouble taking the time for myself to even go for a daily walk. I know there's something wrong with this picture and this just has to change in 2012. Strength training and daily walks are my goals for the new year. You know the expression "Eat to live, not live to eat?" Well, for me there's also the backwards thing of living to work, not working to live (in terms of not finding the time to exercise).

I just listened to one of Dr. Michael Greger's pieces about heart attacks and cholesterol levels. It turns out the average cholesterol level of people admitted to ERs for heart attacks is 170. Well below the supposed desirable level of 200. And the only way to get below the true safe level of 150 is, as we all know, a low fat vegan diet.

I wish you all a very wonderful Merry Christmas!

[Anna Green]

Birdy, Happy New Year! I came to tweet at you. Ok, dumb joke but I do want to tell you I think this could be a very good year for us. I see you getting better and hoping I have it in me to do so as well.

Also, you get time for you. You should be able to take walks. That's just the way it is. I'm sending this message out to you and to the universe.

[Birdy]

Hey Anna thanks for tweeting at me : ) I tweeted back at ya.

For me there's a sense of relief in the change of the year, illogical though it is. A friend recommended choosing a New Year word rather than new year resolutions and I like this idea. Am mulling over what my word will be.

I gained weight over the holidays and need to update my ticker, but will wait until the next time I post. My focus this year is simply going to be on sticking to a vegan diet. Maybe I can't chew gum and walk at the same time or something because, every time I try to restrict my diet beyond being vegan, I mess up. It doesn't matter whether I'm trying to additionally restrict sugar, wheat, to do maximum weight loss, or very low fat - I only succeed at just being vegan. I got down about 15 pounds last year just eating vegan, so that strategy works for me.

Am going out for a walk in our strange but beautiful weather before the sun sets behind the ridge.

Happy New Year to you all!

[Anna Green]

Birdy, I think you do better than just being vegan. You are not eating french fries and oreos everyday. You seem to be eating a lot of whole foods and laying off the junk.

[Birdy]

I wrote a post last night, but then the whole thing disappeared before I could submit it. Trying again!

I've lost about two pounds since the holidays ended and I've gotten back to eating better. You're right Anna, I don't eat much junk food and have never been into fast food. I stopped drinking sodas years ago and now don't even like them. Still the stuff my husband brings home such as chips, cookies, chocolate bars, etc. do pose a challenge.

I made a big pot of Mary McD's quinoa/potato chowder that lasted two days for dinners and lunches. So delicious. Tonight it's a warm pasta salad with vegetables and beans. I'm using quinoa pasta since my youngest daughter is currently boycotting wheat.

Am walking every day and once I get that very well established then will focus on walking further, gradually building up to 3 miles a day (or that's my goal). Still haven't gotten into strength training. I've done it in the past and enjoy it, but for some reason am slow to start it again. One thing at a time is okay, I guess. So I'll continue to focus on eating well and walking.

Work is less busy than it was and I'm able to relax more and also get things done around our house. I have plenty to do outside in the gardens as well. Speaking of gardens, I saw a rhododendron blooming here a few days ago which is way early in the year.

I've been thinking about the New Year word I want to choose and have decided on "present" as in being present for people, for myself, and in the sense of what is present in my life. I guess also in the sense of "present" as in gifts.

Well, that's my meandering post for today!

[Anna Green]

Birdy, I too have a resolution to be more present. Or at least my version of it. I realized recently that I often am thinking of what else I should be doing or what I will be doing next. I think I do it so much that my boy feels that I don't listen to him much of the time. I think he is a bit of a drama queen but there is some truth to it. He should have been in my family with 6 kids. He just thinks he's not listened to. But I digress. I do need to be present and enjoy as much as possible what I am doing otherwise life just goes by in the future or the past doesn't it?

I'll stop. I like how you are thinking. Food looks good.

[Birdy]

Interesting we chose the same word for 2012. I know what you mean about kids and listening. I've come to think it's one of the most important, if not the most important aspects of parenting and of relationships in general. I hadn't thought about being present in terms of listening well, so thanks for that.

I'm back to eating vegan but am chaffing under the restrictions it imposes. Frequently I just wish I could eat like everyone else, but know that from both health and animal welfare perspectives being vegan is the best choice. Does anyone else find eating so much starchy food tiresome?

My weight had begun to drop after the new year, but has crept back up to 160. For many of you this doesn't sound like a lot, but for me it's significantly overweight. I haven't been exercising and, of course, that's important. Just gotta hang in here and keep trying to eat well and move more. It's been snowy here which is fun and I've taken short walks.

That's it for now.

[Birdy]

Gosh, we're in a winter wonderland here today with about 6" of snow and more falling all day according to weather reports. I made a delicious quinoa vegie soup to have for lunch today. I had a slice of bread with about a teaspoon of peanut butter for breakfast. Tonight we'll probably have some kind of pasta primavera with beans.

I'm going on a walk in the beautiful snowy landscape later. My teenage daughter is going to be really grouchy stuck at home with no peers to hang out with. Oh well. She'll probably sleep until noon anyway.

I have a good book to read and we have plenty of food and a wood stove in case the power goes out. I love the snow! Have never seen this much snowfall here in January - we usually get the heavy snowfall in November or December. Mother Nature's little surprise in 2012!

[Anna Green]

Birdy, I was thinking about you when I saw the weather report about snow in your area. Nice. Soup sounds good and cozy. Isn't it good to have something healthy that we just so enjoy? You have a good one.

[Birdy]

You would probably have enjoyed the snow! There's lots of it still and school was canceled the past three days. It's supposed to warm up and get back to our usual rainfall, but so far the temperature is steady at 33 degrees. I've gone on several happy walks down the road and it's been just lovely. Yesterday it took me 45 minutes to walk a mile and a half because every step I had to lift my feet high to walk on the frozen snow. I don't know how people live in areas where there is heavy snow for months. A few days is fun, but after that I'm ready for sunshine!

I've lost a pound since the holidays. Not much progress but at least improvement. Even though I was whining the other day about sometimes getting tired of eating so many starches, I reviewed some of Dr. McDougall's articles on this diet and that helped. I'm going to be more creative about cooking without oil. Last night by candlelight (the power was out), I made a red cabbage dish sauteed in apple juice, served with rice and Field Roast Apple Sage vegan "sausages." Those are oily so not a good McD choice.

My goals are to eat strictly vegan, walk daily, and strength train. My DH is wanting to eat vegan at home although he still eats what he wants when he's away from home. I'm glad he's so encouraging. He was very opposed to it at first. My youngest daughter has given up the "no wheat" diet and that makes planning meals easier.

Have a great day Anna and anyone else reading this

[Birdy]

This is a link to a great testimonial from T. Colin Campbell's website from a man named Bill Hale who cured himself of prostate cancer and has been healthy now for fourteen years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZ4ax3u ... ature=plcp

I find this so touching, especially since my dad passed away from the same cancer. Wish I'd known then what Mr. Hale did so I might have helped my dad.

We're having beautiful weather here and my DH and I went for a nice walk this afternoon. I started clearing flower beds today and would like to get some early vegies planted tomorrow while the nice weather lasts.

Am making Anna Green's split pea, quinoa and vegetable soup for dinner.

[Birdy]

I discovered something interesting. My weight popped up three pounds overnight just because I ate several salty foods that I don't usually consume (dill pickles, a vegie burger on a processed bun that was high in salt, and something else I'm forgetting). I've noticed a lot of fluctuation in weight from day to day but never knew before exactly why. I read recently that weighing every day first thing in the morning is a good way to keep on track with your diet. A good reality check to start the day! Today I'm eating lots of vegetables for potassium and avoiding stuff high in sodium.

Exercise: Walking and strength training; a little gardening.

We're back to more normal weather today (rainy and chilly).

Food: a vegan spinach wrap for breakfast. Lunch: Two spring rolls made with vegetables and a peanut sauce. Snack: one lemon soy yogurt. Dinner: Swiss chard sauteed with red onion, brussel sprouts steamed, and brown rice. Also, a tofu pumpkin pie made without oil or added fat (new recipe I'm trying, however the tofu is not the low fat version).

I tried "toasting" some garbanzo beans the other day after sprinkling them with onion powder, garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning. They were okay, but next time I'll try Mary McDougall's suggestion of tossing the garbanzos with soy sauce. Has anyone tried this? I'm wondering if the soy sauce will scorch?

[Birdy]

Here's a link to an excellent 15 minute talk given by Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the United States at Ted Talks in Manhattan, January 2012:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2012/02/tedx-talk.html