Need A Motivational Boost?

Do you need a gentle "kick in the pants" to stay in control of holiday eating?  I've blogged about the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart in the past, which will start up again after Jan 1. But what about NOW -- with the Thanksgiving and Christmas season looming ahead? If you want to avoid the typical weight gain of 5 to 10 holiday pounds, why not join a group of like-minded and similarly motivated people.


Dr. Joel Furhman, food guru extraordinaire, has a Holiday Challenge going on. Why not check it out and join? You'll get the lasting benefit of journeying through the holiday season without gorging yourself, without gaining weight, but he's also offering (drum roll) PRIZES! Can anyone say, Florida!?

Check out his website here, and take some time to explore the uber-valuable information on his site, including podcasts and books. Two if Dr. Fuhrman's books are on my Christmas wishlist, for sure!

Here's to the beginning of a plant-strong, healthy holiday season!

Ashland "Local Roots" Firmly Planted!

Local Roots in Ashland...You are sooo welcome here! Finally! We have year-round access to fresh, local goods, including fresh produce, honey and syrup, breads and more. Local Roots just opened about a month ago in a warehouse space in downtown Ashland, and I've been every Saturday so far, with one or both of my daughters in tow.


Go ahead and support our local producers, and sign up, volunteer, and most importantly BUY!

Plant-Based Diet Now Accessible to All With the Release of The Complete Idiot's Guide!

Don't miss the new release of dietician Julieanna Hever's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition.

Whether you're still looking for the right time to jump on the healthy eating (and living) bandwagon, or you need a boost in your journey, this book is a lifesaver! It's an easy-to-follow guide with loads of recipes and tips for newbies. Check out Julieanna on Dr. Oz's show or on her website.

Stay tuned for more regular blog posts; it's been a bit sparse around here-- for lots of reasons. But we're gearing up for some interesting new posts and some fun new ideas, as well as an update on our family's adventure with plant-based, whole food nutrition.

 See you soon!

Check Out How Your Favorite "Healthy" Fast Food Options Fare: Subway, I Thought We Were Friends?

This just in...Subway's Fresh Fit 6” Turkey Breast Sub failed the test, a recent report by the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) claims.

Oh no! This is my go-to choice of eating establishment in our small little town's vast array of fast-food options and extremely limiting healthy choices. At Subway, if you add mayo (or any of their dressings, except little ol' oil and vinegar) and fattening cheese, their sandwiches score low.

I always get the Veggie Delight, and word on the block is that Subway on Claremont packs the most veggies in their sandwich. We love the Claremont Subway!!! When we frequent other Subways in town (believe it or not, there are three), I practically have to BEG for extra veggies. every. time.

Actually, to be truthful, my family has avoided this location because one particular member of the family doesn't like its cramped quarters. Go figure: said family member is from NYC, so I was pretty shocked when this information was released. I guess this person has had his fill of small, cramped spaces.

Here we come Big Sky Country!

Back to the topic at hand: Subway and its Sandwich Artists:

The mindset just isn't there: if you take meat and cheese out of your diet, you have to fill up on veggies -- so don't skimp on the veggies Sandwich Artists! You don't want to mess with a hungry plant-eating crazy lady!

However, my new friend at Subway on Claremont got it right away. Let's just say if you go in the evenings, you're more likely to get a real Veggie Delight sandwich that will fill you up.

So, check out the news report and find out how your favorite fast-food meal fares.Will you be surprised to see McDonald's on the list? Um, that was a joke.

It's circle time, so please share: What's your favorite healthy fast food meal? Is it really healthy?

And don't hate on my endorsement of Subway on Claremont. Good food establishments in Ashland are few and far between. The good ones deserve the ink.

Food vs. Disease. Who wins?

"How To Save A Trillion Dollars," by Mark Bittman

This is an interesting read, and, while you may not agree with everything Bittman says, it's worth considering: spend money on healthy foods or treating disease. The choice is up to you, really, not necessarily the government. Vote with your dollars and your stomach.

Check out Bittman's article, and leave your comments.

Kickstart a Plant-Based Lifestyle

The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is hosting another round of its 21-Day Vegan Kickstart on April 4. Get in on the action and access plant-based recipes by joining here.
You can also download an app, which includes recipes and the 21-day plan.
Even if you don't want to follow the plan, there are a lot of great recipes on the program. I've used a bunch in my recipe rotation!
If you join, let us know how it goes.

Plant Based Diet Hits Low Income Community

I love this idea. Engine 2 released an article describing their participation in a plan to provide plant-strong education for lower income families with serious health risks. I love the fact that there are groups out there thinking about these things and acting on them on a large scale. It's great that we can all impact our family and friends, but the community projects are fun too.

Check out their report here.

The organization heading up "Meals for Health" within the food bank community is EarthSave.

I can't wait to hear the results of the study. They're collecting information to document health transformation and lifestyle changes. They will even have mentors available for participants. Isn't that we all need? A mentor to just get us through the change?

Consider asking a friend or acquaintance you know who is plant strong to take you to that next level. Feel free to ask your questions here too.

Quinoa

Interesting article from the NY Times on Quinoa. I never knew it was related to beets and spinach, but I guess that's what makes it a power food.

NY TIMES

The article also includes some interesting observations about food prices as demand grows and the impact on grower nations. I guess taste for processed junk food is universal, unfortunately.

In our house, we never waste Quinoa. It tastes great by itself, and I never throw any of it away -- it is pretty expensive. I would love to try it in a drink, too. Too bad the article doesn't show readers how to make the traditional Bolivian drink.

Has anyone come across a recipe? I know I'll be searching for one.

Normalizing High Fructose Corn Syrup

Have any of you seen the latest commercial endorsing high fructose corn syrup? SNL did a parody that was pretty funny, but the message remains. 

As Michael Pollan stated in his book "Food Rules," avoiding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is beneficial because it means you're basically avoiding highly refined foods (because HFCS is in MOST processed foods) and foods with a high sugar content.

In this book, he says it isn't... 

"any worse for you than sugar, but because it is, like many of the other unfamiliar ingredients in packaged foods, a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed. Also, high-fructose corn syrup is being added to hundreds of foods that have not traditionally been sweetened – breads, condiments, and many snack foods – so if you avoid products that contain it, you will cut down on your sugar intake.

It just doesn't sit well with me that a lot of our food supply has an artificial ingredient in it, even though it's from corn, to "soup" it up. What's the point? Why not put government subsidies toward fresh food? Wow. That's the most "political" I think I've ever been in a post. What's your view on the matter?

UK Dietary Guidelines Support Vegan Diet

The Seattle Times recently issued an article regarding the new Dietary Guidelines released in the UK. The article focuses on the guidelines' suggestion for eating less red meat and includes studies that show negative health consequences as a result. It's interesting to see how other countries are responding to the relationship between health and diet.

Despite our current economic "crisis" in America, we continue to be one of the wealthiest countries, with a majority of citizens accessing calorie-rich, yet almost nutrient-free and not necessarily healthy, foods. This raises a completely different issue, but one that has certainly influenced our culture of diet and lifestyle. Enjoy the article.

UK Dietary Guidelines

Funny Video

I'm posting a link to a video. entitled "Ask Your Doctor About Meat."
It has a modicum of humor, shock value, and contains at least some truth. Enjoy!

"Ask Your Doctor About Meat"

This blogger has been pretty busy lately with other writing projects, but promises to return to regular blog postings soon. New topics are piling up! Stay tuned.

New Beginnings

We are well into January and most of us have probably made some kind of resolve to change some habits and eat healthier. The Whole Foods, Plant Based Living for Kids blog wants to help you along the way. I have to confess that recently I have been allowing myself too many "treats."

True Confessions:

• I recently bought donut holes AND ate them.
• My sweet spot is "Hint of Lime" chips with salsa. The salsa is good....but the chips are LOADED with fat and not whole grain. Yes, I've indulged.
• M&Ms. Need I say more.

One site I look to over and over again for good recipes is "Whole Foods." They have a series of Health Starts Here recipes that are a surefire way to get back up on the horse. Check them out here.
I recommend the "Grain Stuffed Red Peppers." Share some new recipes you've tried that are keeping you on the straight and narrow.

Sugar

From today's Anticancer, a new way of life post:

The average teen consumes 28 teaspoons of added sugar per day - The American Heart Association

 How much sugar do you take in each day? Pick a day this week and count the grams of sugar you eat. Are you surprised?

Don't forget about 21-Day Vegan Jumpstart. It's in full swing but you can still sign up for emails here.

Going Low-Fat: 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

Check out Day 3 of Vegan Kickstart!


Today's topic: the importance of a low-fat diet.

Day 2: Vegan Kickstart

It's not too late to jump on board with PMRC's Vegan Kickstart. It's only Day 2. In the spotlight today: NBA basketball player John Salley. Even if you haven't committed to following the meal plans they outline, they have really good tips for healthy eating. Today's tip from Susan:

Cooking greens is easy, and the nutrients are abundant. Some greens have tougher stems- collards, kale, and chard-and it may be preferable to remove them before cooking. Others have stems that cook tender: spinach, watercress, and turnip greens. Adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to your cooked greens makes some of the nutrients even more bioavailable.

Buy some greens on your next shopping trip and add some lemon. If you're still eating meat, steam some greens and put chicken breast on top of it. Try it as a side. Start small, about a scoop full. Let us know about your experience.

Kickstart the New Year

PCRM (Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine) began a new Vegan Kickstart for the new year. Are you joining? Lots of recipe ideas, tips, menus and videos to get you started. Check it out at:

http://pcrm.org/kickstartHome/

Add Your Voice!

New survey up on the blog. Do you have any New Year's goals for adding whole foods to your diet? Chime in!