Who's afraid of the big bad.....carbohydrate?!?

Before we get rolling, and in case you're new to this blog, I have had a lot of ups and downs in my food journey. I went on my first diet before high school and have tried SO MANY eating plans- low fat, low carb, Weight Watchers, South Beach...you name it. Coming from someone who worked for years in the fitness industry, you'd think I would have gotten my act together a little sooner. The truth is that there is a lot of confusion (and conflicting information) out there. 

A mainly "plant forward" diet has worked well for me over the past three years, but I did (and sometimes still) struggle with the idea of all the carbs. Carbohydrates, or "carbs" for short, have been largely vilified. And there remain many so-called experts who give blanket advice about "cutting your carbs", many of whom do not appear to be the poster children for health & wellness. Let's be honest, we can find information on the internet to support pretty much anything we want to believe. Keep in mind, doctors used to promote cigarettes....

So what is a carbohydrate anyway? Brace yourself for some basic nutrition lingo...A carbohydrate is one of three macronutrients  or "macros" for short (protein and fat being the others). Each of these macros serves important functions in our bodies, so it stands to reason that we should not put extreme restrictions on any one group (it would also hurt their feelings!). Carbohydrates and protein each contain 4 calories per gram while fat contains 9 calories per gram. High fat foods such as oil, cheese, meat, nuts, etc. are typically much more calorie dense...so eat less of these if you're working toward a healthier body weight. You can read more about calorie density in an earlier post https://dontcallmevegan.blogspot.com/2020/02/calorie-density-eat-more-plants-for.html 

In the past, I had 100 percent been on the "can't eat that- too many carbs" train. Bowl of berries anyone? "uh no thanks...but do you have any pork rinds? a block of cheese? a bone-in ribeye perhaps?" In my head, the carbs from fruit or a piece of sprouted bread terrified me, but the fat and calories from the meat and dairy seemed perfectly acceptable and supportive of a long-term weight loss plan. Weird, huh?

I'll attempt to cut through a little confusion...and make the case for a little less carb avoidance.

1) Stop stereotyping carbohydrates. Do not lump straight up sugar and processed foods (cookies, chips, etc.) together with strawberries, greens, quinoa and sweet potatoes. That's simply not fair. Eating an apple is not the same as eating a bag of gummie bears or a handful of Oreos. When suggesting you eat more carbs, no one should be promoting daily consumption of highly processed, high sugar foods. As a recovering carbo-phobe, I admit I now get slightly annoyed when someone says, "I've really got to cut my carbs"- as if raspberries and green beans are at the root of anyone's weight or chronic health problems.

2) Complex carbohydrates, specifically fruits, veggies, legumes and grains have something you won't find in meat, cheese and eggs- FIBER! We've talked previously about society's fixation on protein...and likely protein deficiency is not a concern for the vast majority of us. Lack of fiber, on the other hand, can contribute to weight gain (fiber helps you feel full), can increase risk of diabetes and heart disease, and can cause the always-fun-to-talk-about constipation. THESE are things you want to be concerned about, and it is estimated that up to 95% of Americans do not get enough fiber in their diets- yikes!

3) Please stop saying "good" vs. "bad" carbs or suggesting that YOU (as a human) are good or bad based on what you eat on a particular day. Be honest, how many times have you said (or have heard someone say), "I was SO bad today, I ate a pint of ice cream, an entire charcuterie tray....whatever."? When thinking of carbohydrates, simply think in terms of ones that are more friendly to a healthy diet - fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and high fiber grains. There is certainly an endless supply of chips, cookies and candy that are also full of carbohydrates (and likely sugar and added fat) which are not conducive to maintaining a healthy weight or warding off chronic diseases. That being said, you're probably going to eat some of those things from time to time. Don't sweat it, and don't allow an occasional "treat" to knock you completely off the wagon.

4) Take a look at the Blue Zones. Trying to determine how to eat well for the long term is not easy - we know there are a million short term solutions!  There are boat loads of conflicting information on what we should eat for optimal health, and it's not a 'one size fits all' situation. As I fumbled my way through my own food issues and what made the most sense, I stumbled across information on the Blue Zones. These are areas of the world where people live the longest without chronic diseases. It stood to reason that these folks might be on to something. There are several facets beyond dietary habits that keep them healthy, but eating diets rich in fruits, veggies, beans, etc. is a big component. You can read more here https://www.bluezones.com/

I'm hesitant to go here, but the question always comes up- how much of my daily food intake should come from carbohydrates? You can find folks suggesting anywhere from nearly zero to upwards of 70 percent. Unless you are embarking on a low complex carbohydrate diet (which I'm not advocating), many guidelines suggest around 50-70% of your daily calories should come from complex carbohydrates- fruits, veggies, beans, high fiber grains, etc. Please note that many of your complex carbohydrates (especially beans and lentils) contain protein, too. You can add nuts, seeds, tofu, or meat substitutes to get additional protein and some fats... or lean meat, if that's your preference. Remember- judgment free zone here. 

I'll leave you with unique recipe from my cooking course, if you're feeling adventurous https://rouxbe.com/recipes/4801-coconut-braised-chickpeas-w-spinach-sun-dried-tomatoes

Thanks for reading!

 Michelle

 

Plant-based Cooking Course COMPLETE - Homework Highlights

To be clear, I do not consider myself a pandemic overachiever....in the past six months I have not learned a new language, built my own she-shed from the ground up or spent countless hours making origami animals. Completing a six month cooking course was purely coincidental- I signed up in February before our daily lives were turned upside down due to the coronavirus. The timing did work out well, however, as I've had a little extra time on my hands.

I stumbled across one of Rouxbe's virtual cooking courses when I was checking out a Forks Over Knives newsletter. (Side note- Forks Over Knives has a TON of info, recipes, etc. if you're curious about how you can get a few more plants into your day https://www.forksoverknives.com/) I signed up for Rouxbe's (pronounced roo' bee) six month plant-based program that included graded homework assignments, quizzes, etc. I enjoy cooking and baking (and can maneuver around the kitchen reasonably well) but was excited to embark on some "formal" instruction.  

Preparing my homework assignments (shopping, prep, photos, presentation, etc.) was both enjoyable and time consuming.  Each graded assignment contained the following components. A photo of the "mise en place" (a fancy way of saying "get all your ingredients prepped and organized"), a photo of the dish in progress and a photo of the final dish. A write-up of the dish- including aroma, taste, texture and techniques utilized- is also required.

Photo 1 - Prep for black bean & sweet potato burgers

Photo 2- In process

The final dish...garnished and ready to eat! YUM!

I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorite assignments. These are all 100% plant-based meaning they contain no meat, dairy or egg products. 

1) Homemade manicotti. I had never before made pasta from scratch- partly because I don't LOVE pasta as much as some folks, and I also perceived it as VERY labor intensive. That being said, I was intrigued by this assignment and curious to learn first hand what all the fuss was about  Will this be worth the effort? Now was my chance to find out (shout out to my neighbor Kathryn for loaning out her pasta maker!!).

What did I learn? Will I whip up some fresh pasta on a random Tuesday after work? Ummmm no. This was a project. Making homemade noodles (using tofu in place of eggs) as well as marinara & pesto from scratch took up an the bulk of an afternoon. Was it worth the time and effort? A resounding "hell yes!" Full disclosure, I made the noodles little too thick, so I had a couple of points deducted from my grade...sigh. My technical error did NOT stop by family from fighting over the manicotti like a pack of wolves.

Vegan Manicotti

2) 'Raw' zucchini lasagna with a pine nut "parmesan" crisp. This dish was from the raw gastronomy section (meaning no components are cooked at a temp over 118 degrees). I AGONIZED over what I was going to make for this assignment. Also, if I'm honest, I assumed that whatever I came up with would taste less than stellar. If it's not ice cream or salad, doesn't food need to be cooked??  

Once I finally got settled on an idea and got organized, the dish came together more quickly than I imagined.The lasagna noodles are zucchini sliced thin on a mandolin. I always wear oven mitts while using this gadget after losing a piece of my fingertip in a cucumber slicing incident. But I digress...other components included a raw marinara and a pesto made from walnuts and kale. I made the accompanying crisp (not sure what else to call it) mainly from pine nuts and nutritional yeast. The mixture was spread thin and and put in the dehydrator. This dish was not my absolute favorite from a taste perspective, but it was tastier than I expected and I was proud of the presentation. Raw food is now a little less mysterious.

My 'raw' zucchini lasagna 

3) Cauliflower 'steak' with chimichurri sauce. I'm not sure why I use quotes around references to meat substitutes...it doesn't take a genius to see there is clearly no steak on this plate. Anyhow, this dish was certainly something new for me and it was DELICIOUS!  The cauliflower steaks were first braised in the oven for about 40 minutes, then seared in a hot skillet. The chimichurri sauce was bright and flavorful, with roasted red peppers mixed with various herbs and spices. This was also one that was a hit with three quarters of the family, which I consider a win.

Cauliflower Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Overall, I was very pleased with this course and would recommend it. It provides both the basics (think knife skills, steaming, stir frying & vegan desserts) as well as more advanced cooking techniques (raw gastronomy and gluten free cooking). The course also discusses culinary wellness and the health benefits related to a more plant focused way of eating. Here is the link if you want to check out available courses  https://rouxbe.com/individual-training/

Thanks for reading! 

Michelle

5 Healthy Tips - Keeping Fit Through COVID19

Hello everyone- I hope you're all adjusting to these unique circumstances as well as can be expected. When it comes to healthy eating and exercising in the midst of "stay-at-home" guidelines, we can view the situation in a couple of ways. Option 1, "I think I'll just hibernate until this is all over. I will resign myself to coming out of this with some extra pounds and not feeling so great (mentally or physically). Once things get back to normal, THEN I'll get healthy'".  With plenty of "bake your way through the pandemic" recipes on Instagram, endless carryout and curbside pickup food options and the lack of ideal workout venues, it might be tempting to go this route.

Can anyone relate??

But WAIT! There are other possibilities. Option 2, "It's hard to use the 'I don't have time' excuse anymore. Could I use the time in the upcoming weeks to keep myself on track or even improve my health?". Spoiler alert- YES YOU CAN! What might it be like to come out of this feeling BETTER, to be on top of your fitness game once we are again free to roam the earth? Is it the easiest option in the short term? Maybe not. But give it a go, and you'll likely thank yourself later!

Here are 5 tips, in no particular order, to help you put some healthy practices into your day. Please note that I'll dive into more specifics around healthy eating in the next post!

Tip #1 - Be kind to yourself. You might wonder how this tip aligns with creating a fitter, stronger or faster version of yourself. And it might even sound a little kumbay-ish....All I'm saying is to commit to a few good habits, and if you experience a setback, let it go. This isn't going to be perfect. Remind yourself why you're taking these steps in the first place, and get right back to it. If you eat an extra cookie...don't sweat it...simply load up on more fruits & veggies at your next meal.

Tip #2 - Put your dessert or snacks on a plate or in a bowl.  Measure out a serving (or maybe two) and that's it. Yep, you heard me. Do NOT saddle up in front of Netflix with a bag of potato chips or three sleeves of Thin Mints. We all know that is not going to end well. If you want the cookie or some chips, by all means, enjoy them. Simply take what you're going to enjoy and then put the rest away. Take your time....enjoy the texture and flavors of your treat...but save the feed bags for the experts!

Whatcha got in there? Donuts?

Tip #3 - MOVE. How easy is it these days to go hours and HOURS without leaving the couch, except maybe for a bio break and to see if there's anything new in the fridge? Now more than ever it's important to move your body every day. What's a reasonable time commitment? 10 minutes? 30? This may depend on where you're starting. There are tons of at-home workouts available- on Facebook, Instagram, maybe from your local gym - including many that do not require equipment. Find something that looks interesting to you and TRY IT. For those of you with weights or other equipment in your house, dust it off and make the best of it. It may not be pretty- my temporary workout area also houses our washer & dryer, my husband's work bench and a couple of litter boxes. Not exactly inspiring....but I'm grateful to have something.

Hang in there- this is temporary!

Also, at the time of this post, Peloton is offering a free 90 day trial of their app. There are a variety of workouts available...might be worth checking out!

Tip #4 - Get outside. If your mode of exercise already involves something outdoors -you can kill two birds with one stone. If not, fresh air is still crucial to your physical and mental well being. Besides getting Vitamin D, being outside may reduce anxiety, improve focus, improve your sleep, etc. Even if the weather isn't ideal, go out anyway.  Listen to a podcast or music, call a friend...or enjoy the solitude (which may be hard to come by these days).

Ensure proper social distancing guidelines....

Tip #5 - Try on your "regular" clothes at least twice per week.  Many of us are working from home or just plain don't leave the house. Do NOT make the mistake of wearing ONLY yoga pants or sweats (or other male equivalent of yoga pants) for eight weeks straight.  Put on a pair of jeans or other less-forgiving pants as a check-in. Do they still feel good? Are they a little snug? If you've got less breathing room, now would be a good time to incorporate any of the tips listed above! A wise friend informed me that I don't have to wear my jeans all day...I just need to try them on. Then it's back to my work pajamas!

Uh oh!

You'll notice that none of these tips are earth shattering, mind-blowing rocket science. So if you're not yet doing any of these, figure out what's getting in your way. Maybe you could write down your plan or perhaps enlist a buddy who will hold you accountable. Start with one of two of these...and determine when it makes sense to add another.  

Again, the next post will focus on more on food- meal prep and simple menu ideas to get you through this time feeling good!

This week's recipe is a simple one...and easily modified based on your preferences and what you have in the house. It's a burrito bowl from Forks Over Knives. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/burrito-bowl/#gs.2e2ntz

Take care and stay safe.

Don't Call Me Vegan: Calorie density- Eat more plants for long term wei...

Don't Call Me Vegan: Calorie density- Eat more plants for long term wei...: As someone who has ruminated on food and weight since those awkward teen years, I am NOT writing this post from my ivory tower. My eating ha...

Calorie density- Eat more plants for long term weight management

As someone who has ruminated on food and weight since those awkward teen years, I am NOT writing this post from my ivory tower. My eating habits are a work-in-progress and I still eat tortilla chips on the regular. I will say that since using this general approach to eating, it's been surprisingly simpler for me to enjoy my meals with less anxiety.

You all know there are plenty of "diets" that work in the short term. You can avoid all sugar, eat only bacon, tape your mouth shut, etc. and drop some weight. The challenge is finding a way of eating that is sustainable in the long-term, reduces the likelihood of chronic diseases, and (most importantly) doesn't suck. Enter the calorie density approach.

Utilizing a calorie density approach can simplify healthier eating (and you can use this as a guide regardless of your meat-eating status). In a nutshell, if you eat more nutrient dense foods like fruits and vegetables vs. calorie dense foods like processed foods and oils, you will likely shed weight AND not starve. Sounds pretty good so far, right?

Here's a couple of ways to visualize this approach:

Fruits and veggies fill up our bellies with fewer calories.

By the numbers....

As someone who was once deathly afraid of carbohydrates, it's taken me some time to adjust. Now I am at peace knowing that raspberries and sweet potatoes are not the devil, and should not be put in the same "bucket" as chips, crackers and donuts.

you get the idea...

I'll share a few quick tricks I've adopted for swapping out calorie dense foods in favor of more nutrient dense ones:
1) Saute with vegetable broth instead of oil. If your main goal is to keep food from sticking to the pan, this one is a no-brainer.
2) Pile your pizza with your favorite veggies (assuming there are some you find tasty!) in lieu of some of the meat and go light on the cheese. This can save you hundreds of calories in a single meal. I would NEVER advocate giving up pizza; you can incorporate it into a healthy diet with a little maneuvering. 

This isn't for everyone. Baby steps. 

3) Two words. Riced cauliflower. I was a late adopter to this one (and hated cauliflower for most of my life), but now I'm converted. Sitting at approximately 30 calories per cup vs. 200 for brown rice, it's a nice option alone or mixed with "real" rice. I'm not saying brown rice is evil. It's not. Incorporating riced cauliflower is simply one way to feel more satiated with fewer calories.

that's me for sure

 4) Consider MEASURING out a portion size when eating whole plant foods like nuts, seeds or avocado. To put it into perspective, a quarter cup of cashews has approximately the same number of calories as an orange plus FOUR cups of Trader Joe's organic air popped popcorn. You can see how one of those options will likely leave you feeling more full.

No food is off the table (pun intended), but it's important to be mindful of how different foods fit into your eating plan. Taking small steps to incorporate more nutrient dense, fiber-filled foods can help you feel better and move toward, or maintain, a healthy weight.

Today's recipe has become a new favorite as we LOVE our Mexican food. It comes from Rachel Hartley nutrition. https://www.rachaelhartleynutrition.com/blog/2015/12/crispy-baked-tofu-tacos-with-cilantro-lime-slaw  Please note, you can reduce or eliminate the olive oil the marinade and it's still delicious. Also, I prefer Trader Joe's high protein organic tofu (extra firm) for this recipe.

See you next time!

Three Rules for Eating Plant-Based (or even vegan) without being an A@#$%&e

As a quick review- I am experimenting with a plant-based diet. This means no or minimal meat, dairy or eggs. I am not a vegan (and honestly that label scares me) as I still have some leather shoes, purses, etc. that I did not destroy when I transitioned my food choices. In addition, I still eat some junk food (chips, vegan cookies, etc.).  This means I do not eat a 100% "whole food plant based" diet. It means I'm a work in progress and doing what is working for me right now.

I mention that because there can be a lot of judgment around what people eat, especially if you think YOUR way is the BEST way, be that plant-based, keto, paleo, etc. Criticizing someone for what they eat or what their kids eat is the quickest way to send them diving head first into a Quarter Pounder or giant bag of Doritos. It's all too easy to place yourself up on a diet pedestal which only makes you an easy target for criticism and opposition. 

That being said, when you feel like you've found something that works - a healthy and affordable way to eat long term- it can be extremely difficult not to push those views onto others. Full disclosure- I'm working on this and sometimes I completely suck at it. Following are a few rules for eating plant based without alienating everyone around you:

1) It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I've had numerous people say that they are doing "Meatless Mondays" or eating vegetarian a couple days per week. That's great! Encourage people to make little changes, and they can judge for themselves how it's working and how they are feeling. Do NOT shame them for not being 100%...it's not practical for many people and it's just not nice.

2) Don't skewer people for eating"fake meat"- I have seen a lot debate of this lately. With the introduction of Impossible and Beyond Burgers, as well as the myriad of meat substitutes out there, this is a hot topic. You can even see in-fighting between the vegans and the plant based folks on this one. For some, these products are baby steps as they move from a traditional Western diet to a more plant-based diet. Others may try these as a means to reduce meat consumption or to eat more sustainably. From my understanding, the Impossible Burger wasn't designed as a "health food"...nor was a Big Mac. Let it go.

Meat or non-meat?

3) Feed people delicious food made from mostly plants- Cut down on the preaching and get in the kitchen (or to a hip restaurant that makes vegan or vegetarian food). If people taste for themselves that they can eat amazing food without meat (or even cheese or eggs), they might be more amenable to incorporating more of these meals into their rotation. I enjoy "veganizing" recipes, especially any kind of Mexican food. I even fed my dad tofu and said it was chicken (yes, he liked it). I also like going out from time to time, and most restaurants are happy to accommodate my quirky requests.

Wood-fired pizza with spinach, shrooms, and arugula- amazing!

Long story short, everyone is on their own journey when it comes to food. What works for some people, won't work for all. Eating mostly plants has worked for me, but it took me 40 something years to get here (and I would never EVER have imagined that I would go in this direction). If you're giving this a go, be patient and find simple ways to sub out some meat in favor of beans, lentils or meat substitutes. If you have no plans to ever stop or cut down on eating meat, but you find this blog entertaining....thanks for reading.

Here's a peanut butter cookie recipe my husband was given (yes, it's always been on a post-it). A couple of notes:1) the sugar is listed at the very top, you won't to miss that! Feel free to use regular, brown, organic or not, all of part Stevia, etc. 2) a flax seed egg is 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds plus 3 Tbsp. water (mix, let sit for a minute, then throw it in). These "eggs" work well in cakes, cookies, banana bread and many other baked goods.

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

Bodybuilding in Your 40s (while eating mostly plants)

After starting, and not finishing, several posts over the past year or so, I realized it was time to get back to it. The main reason for my procrastination is that I was unsure as to how, or if, I would share my latest "hobby". This new pursuit was integrated into the still somewhat new plant-based eating experiment....and it is bodybuilding. Yes, in mid-2018, I decided that I wanted to set a new fitness related goal, beyond fitting into a certain sized jeans or seeing a certain number on the scale.

You might ask, why not run a marathon? Well, I completed a marathon many years ago and generally dislike running, so that was out. Triathlon? Beyond the running avoidance, battling other swimmers like salmon swimming upstream is not remotely appealing to me. In addition, I've always preferred lifting weights to cardio, so I was hoping to incorporate that in some way. Enter bodybuilding - a sport that I was probably silly to consider WELL into my 40s. To do this while eating a diet largely devoid of animal products added to the challenge. Despite some general concerns about how this would turn out, I registered for a competition. And now, having competed in two shows (one in November of 2018 and one in August of 2019), I've learned a few things:

1) Jump in before you're ready. Researching all facets of your crazy ass goal is a recipe for changing your mind. For example, did I know that bodybuilding competitors wore bikinis? Yes. Did I look further and uncover that these are the most minuscule suits EVER and do NOT cover much of your backside AND cost hundreds of dollars? I most certainly did not! Would that have been enough to make me rethink this whole thing...hard to say for sure, but it would have certainly made it more terrifying from the jump.

Yep, that's all of it. And those SHOES!

2) You can build muscle and get stronger while not eating much meat (or eggs or dairy products). Everything I remember from friends who had competed in their 20s is that meat was a key component of the bodybuilders diet. Thanks to Google, I found several bodybuilders (male and female) whose diet consists mainly of plant-based foods. I'm not saying it was always easy to meet the protein requirements (which were higher than when I wasn't training), but it was manageable. I've gotten pretty creative with tofu and various types of beans! If you've pondered swapping out some of the meat in your diet for more plant-based proteins, but are concerned that you'll become weak and frail, check out The Game Changers documentary on Netflix https://gamechangersmovie.com The film highlights several plant based athletes (who are STRONG!) and the benefits of eating less meat. They do this without a an excess of judgment or an "all or nothing" perspective.

3) It's never to late to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Although I'm sure some (many?) think I'm completely crazy for jumping into bodybuilding at this stage in the game, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of more than I thought. I've often played it safe...being afraid to fail...worrying about looking foolish...so I'm making up for lost time by taking a big chance. Could I have fallen on my face? Possibly. Had a mortifying wardrobe malfunction? Not out of the question. So far, neither of those things have come to fruition. A bonus has been a generally friendly and supportive bunch of competitors!

Not a required pose- just for fun!

My tan was modeled after the Oompa Loompa :)

So what's next? Although I'm rehabbing a couple of injuries, my plan is to compete in a Figure competition in November. It's a ways off, but I have a lot of muscle building to do between now and then. Stay tuned!

One more thing...continuing the trend of providing a delicious recipe, here you go! This one is super easy and comes from Forks Over Knives. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/avocado-white-bean-salad-wraps/#gs.p1rimf. I tend to make the filling and just throw it into a high fiber tortilla (it saves me a little work of rolling and slicing). You can also add some jalapeños if you're feeling feisty!