Love Is All We Need, All we need... All we need... Beatles.

Welcome to February, the month dedicated to LOVE.

One of the most important components in my overweight old self (not the one now) was that I cared more about pleasing others at the expense of my own health.  As a child, I ate all that was put on my plate except peas and lima beans which I hid under the piano bench I sat on at dinner.

I never got in touch with what I felt full or when I felt satisfied. As most children, I never had a choice of how much to put on my plate. Thanksgiving was the big anti-love dinner. I ate until I was stuffed and then it was time after the dishes, to have dessert. At some of these holidays there were 5 or 6 choices and I did not choose. I didn't want to hurt any of the bakers' feelings so I tried them all.

At someone else's home or a party, I continued to put the host's feelings first. I even ate things I did not like. I heard myself many times saying,  "Sure, I'll take seconds," because I though it would make the hostess feel happy. How about that for self-care?

It took the two TIA strokes and the finding "How to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease." that clairified what I had to do to stay on the planet. I needed to find a creditable plan which is now completely plant based, and most importantly, I needed to listen to myself.

Was it hard? Yes. And it still is. But my voice is stronger through the years and my health is the beneficiary. It will be the same for all of us.

The first movie I watched was, "Forks Over Knives." It has been revised with new information. The following link will lead you to the Frequently Asked Questions. It is really important to first understand the "why" of the eating plan as well as the "what to eat."  "Why not oil" is answered as well as other info.

https://www.forksoverknives.com/what-to-eat/#gs.VCkYfBU  

The newest move is "What The Health," on Netflix.  Their website is also very informative. Somewhere in the explanation of how we have been duped, I found my self getting angry. Why did I ever think that the providers of our processed food could be trusted to care about our health is beside me. It is more like, "Do whatever it takes to hook the consumer,".... we became their cash cow... they got the cash and their food contributes to us turning into fat cows. So in our home there is very little processed food.  We have become label readers. First is the oil. You will be surprised to find it.  I went to the store to buy a baby food jar of organic prunes. It also contained fish oil. Label reading is important.

http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/

Let's get back to LOVE.
I covered my journey to loving myself.. Now I turn to my second reason I have been able to stay strong on a plant powered eating plan. Support.

I am so blessed that my support team started right in my family. From day one, my husband found Dr.
Esselstyn's book. We cleaned out the pantry of all things not in the plan together. We collected recipes, cooked, baked and ate together. In November of 2018 I will celebrate my 8 year anniversary.  My husband's payback came with a very good annual physical. My son's wife also has been a great support for me with her expertise in the restaurant business. Her creativity is amazing and delicious. I wished they lived closer.

My second support team was friends and family who cared enough to take the time to prepare as they call it, "Elin Friendly," dishes at parties and other gatherings. Also I work in the kitchen at a
B&B and the owners/friends made it their mission to find a way to changed dishes I liked to fit the new plan. Then to go farther to research new recipies. Amazing.

I have worked with two people who wanted to start the plan but who have had no support at home. My friend said that he was hit with, " you can do anything you want but don't  expect me to join you."  We found other people interested in eating for health both in his community and on line. So his tribe continues to grow.

Love to all of you on your journey. Elin

SUNFLOWER SOUP.     Sue Blaize   

Oven. 450F.         Yields 4 quarts thick soup 

INGREDIENTS

First Layer

5 sweet potatoes  ( 1 large white yam, two orange sweet potatoes, 2 purple sweet potatoes)

2 sweet onions cut in half

1 or more peppers to taste. 

ONE/HALF      1 white.   1 yellow. 1 onion  1 red pepper

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Put potatoes and peppers on whole. Slice onions in half

Bake for 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours or until potatoes are cooked. Inserted knife should go in easily. 

Note: take out smaller potatoes that are cooked. 

Second Layer

1 cup carrots cut in small pieces

1 cup of celery cut into small pieces. 

Add to baking pan to cook for the last 45 minutes. 

ONE/HALF  1/2 cup carrots.   1/2 cup celery

Roasting these ingredients will give them an additional depth of flavor.

Take off skins of the potatoes, peppers and onions 

Assemble all above ingredients in a large, lidded, oven-proof pot.

Add and mix in

1-1/2 large cans of fire roasted tomatoes (no oil) 

ONE/HALF    3/4 can of fire roasted tomatoes

Lower oven to 350F

Cook in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Take pot out. Mash ingredients into small pieces with a potato masher.

( Alternately; cook on the stovetop over medium heat with the lid on. 

Stir every 15 minutes. Turn down temperature if the ingredients begins to stick. Also add water or vegetable broth) 

Purée all ingredients in food processor, or use an immersion blender. Soup should be smooth. 

Third Layer 

1 cup of raw sunflower seeds (toasted ) 

1 cup of pumpkin seeds (toasted )

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds (toasted)

1 small can of garbanzo beans 

1 cup water or vegetable broth

ONE/HALF 1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds (toasted ) 

1/2cup of pumpkin seeds ::1/4 cup raw sesame seeds 

1/2 small can of garbanzo beans 1/2 cup water or veg broth

Toasting seeds brings out their flavor. Watch carefully.

Seeds can go from toasted to burnt very easily. 

Blend the three seeds in a food processor to a paste.

Add garbanzo beans and water or vegetable broth 

Consistency should be creamy.

Add to puréed soup mixture.  

Add soup spices, salt and pepper to taste. 

Adjust consistency from thick to thin soup with water or vegetable broth.

Served topped with cilantro or parsley, and dry roasted edamame for a crunch.  

This can be kept in the freezer for a few weeks as well.

Enjoy 

2018 is gonna be GREAT... TONY THE TIGER. Well the great part.

Hello and Happy New Year. I am celebrating because I am still on the planet. I thank becoming a vegan, a militant vegan for my continuation here on earth. Yeah!

Vegan food doesn't have to be bland, boring or banal. Love banal meaning unoriginal, lacks freshness or novelty.  Which is what all the Not-Know-It-All's think. My take is that I look at my Vegan Eating plan and the preparation of food as learning to cook another culture's food. Food that looks great and even tastes better. Food with an amazing offering of complimentary spices and hurbs. Food that will never be like the country you left... the meat and dairy land.  But one that will open your eyes and pallet to exotic newness.

I never use the word "diet" because it is a trigger word. It means failure. It means a way to eat until you meet your goal and then you can be normal again. Nope, normal never lasts. We go back to the habits that got us to want to change, loose weight, be healthier. Another diet, another yo-yo and no satisfaction. I prefer "eating plan." Also I am plant powered sounds good, too.

Becoming vegan was necessary for me with two TIA strokes in two years in my medical history. But I did not like it. No, not one bit or bite.  I had to lower my cholesterol and loose at least 50 pounds. One bite, one recipe, one great supportive husband,  one helping friend, one blog, one movie at a time. And it worked then as it still is today.

I have a few new recipes for my cravings. I actually have found an acceptable solution for all my cravings but one.  Cheese. Don't care what others put up with. Nothing tastes like cheese but cheese. . But on Vegan Land, it is just not an imported commodity. Forget about it!


SOME NEW KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

THE BULLET This is a mini blender. The standard has two blades and two sizes of containers. They go up in pieces and prices from there.

THE INSTANT POT Think safe pressure cooker. Electric no less! Changed our lives for the better with its short cooking time and great tasting meals. Yumm-0h. It is electric and comes in a few sizes.    Chef A. J.  travels with hers. She puts grains and potatoes in it and brings it on the plane as hand luggage. Recipies below.

DATE PASTE. Good for many dishes that call for sweetness. 

INGREDIENTS:

1. One pound of pitted dates
2. One cup of liquid (water, unsweetened non-dairy milk, unsweetened juice)

Instructions:

Soak dates in liquid overnight or for several hours until much of the liquid is absorbed. In food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process dates and liquid until completely smooth. Store date paste in the refrigerator.

PARMESAN CHEESE 

3/4 cup sesame or sunflower seeds  

3T nutritional yeast

Pinch of salt

1/4 t garlic powder

Mix in Bullet  Refrigerate for 5-7 days if it last that long. 

EDAMAME AND PEA HUMMUS.  

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup Ground sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (Garlic and Onion power)

1 teaspoon cumin

3 Tablespoons water (Veggie stock) 

3/4 teaspoon salt

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Assorted crudité or crackers, for serving

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook just until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the edamame to a colander. Return the water to a boil, add the peas, and cook just until tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the peas to the colander with the edamame to drain.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the edamame, peas, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, water and salt until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Taste the hummus and season with additional salt and pepper. Transfer the hummus to a bowl, top with chopped parsley and serve immediately with assorted crudité or crackers.

BLACK BEAN DIP 

For the black bean hummus:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1½ cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1½ teaspoons balsamic viniger

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine the black beans, garlic, lime juice, balsamic viniger, Kosher salt and pepper.Pulse the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste. Serve with pita chips.

Happy living.... happy cooking.

Plant Powered on the Camino- Tips from the Spice Girl

I went out for a tea break in 2014 and came back now. It has been a long time since I posted but I have been sticking to my V-N-O (vino-no oil) eating plan prescribed In How to Prevent and Revers Heart Disease.

I have written an article published in the March issue of La Concha. "Plant Powered on the Camino - Tips from the Spice Girl "  americanpilgrims.org

Plant Powered on the Camino - Tips from Spice Girl

by Elin Babcock, Ashland, OR
This is a take on walking the Camino on my plant-based plan: "nothing with a face or a mother." I am a V-N-O: vegan, no oil. (Or nuts) I did worry that I would have problems on the Camino.
I did not.
The Card to Success
Make a card in Spanish, to specify what I can and what I cannot eat:
"Dear Chef, Thank you for helping me stay healthy.”
List what you can and cannot eat.
At the end I mentioned, "I do drink wine." Now everyone is happy for me, yeah!
Emergency Kit
EK includes seeds, nutritional yeast, spices, herbs and mustard.
The Mother Load
Big nd. Health food stores called an Herbolario.Tofu, soy milk, rice and almond milk, tempeh, dried fruits, seeds, and spices.
Supermarkets
Beans, roasted red peppers, asparagus, lemon, frozen veggies, greens, lentils (bottle of wine) Balsamic vinegar, freezer bags
On Trail Recipes
Hummus: garbanzo beans, spices, roasted red peppers, lemon, balsamic vinegar. Put in heavy freezer zip-lock bag. Use wine bottle as rolling pin.

If I Get to Cook:
Stayed two days at an albergue in Pamplona. The other guests named me Spice Girl and gave me an apron with the city’s symbol of the bull. They were not too sure when I said I was xing vegetarian but by the time the aromas lled the common room even the owner came to dinner.
Dry roasted mushrooms: No oil necessary. Cut them and place in skillet over a medium heat. Salt releases their liquor.
One Pot meal: Lentils, beans, frozen tiny peas,
veggies, spices. Can be served over greens, rice, or pasta.
Dessert: pumpkin seeds or pepitos, sugar, skillet, parchment paper. Yea, I carry that with me along with a light weight cutting board and my knife.
Warm sugar until it starts to melt, add pumpkin seeds and stir till they are coated. Pour out onto the parchment paper. Let cool. Break apart into peanut-brittle sized pieces.
If I have an oven... Rare: Another dessert is baked apples, cinnamon and sugar.
WARNING: People will want your food.
Not to fear. With a touch of planning, you will be plant- strong and on track.
So bottom line to my fellow vegans and vegetarian pilgrims: You Can Do It.

 By Elin Babcock Ashland, Oregon 

Blessings At The Table 

I'm Back.

Wow, it has been over a year since I stopped to get a tea refill and boy, does time fly. In November, I celebrated my 3rd year anniversary of Veganism. What a blessing in my life and health.
I was thinking of the first 4 months, my "whining" months where all I could think of was what I couldn't eat... Of who I wasn't and wouldn't be ever again. Whaaaa.  Then my interest in cooking took over. Spices and herbs kicked in and new veggies introduced themselves.

Now it is my lifestyle. I replaced my "keep eating like this and you're dead" menus with "this food can actually make me better than before.  I didn't loose anything but weight.

My newest news is that my Dr. Esselstyn's wife, Ann, and daughter, Jane have written a cookbook, "The How To Prevent And Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook." The photos are lickable.   I have tried the gravy at Thanksgiving with the stuffed portobello mushrooms, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet and mashed potatoes and an apple crisp dessert.  No po' me there!

Today I am making an appetizer for a party with red potatoes, cooked, cut in half with the potatoe scooped out with a melon baller and lots of veggies and nutritional yeast mixed in and the mixture put back into the shells. A little red pepper and green chive topping and voilá, a bite size delight.

I want to be like Julie in the book, Julie and Julia, where Julie sets out to fix all of Julia Childs' recipes only be both Ann and Jane.

I have been to 5 countries since I last wrote. France, Italy and Turkey guiding tours, Croatia and Slovenia for research. I carry my card of my eating plan translated into all those languages. Most of the time, the chefs went out of their way to present a spectacular meal.  I am getting better at making sure I have protein. Without protein I am a car without gas parked on the side of the road.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate family and friends who support this lifestyle change. By now, when we go out, they know what to expect. I also have a group of local heavenly bodies who share their finds and anxieties. Yup, there's some of those with all of us.

Next year I am again going to walk the Camino celebrating a 5 year anniversary of my 65th birthday. Out on the trails .. Well except today where the wind is so forceful, I'm afraid to go out. Should die down by 3 so will at least make the gym.

Best to all your efforts. Each day is new and each day is an opportunity to go for it.

Second Year Anniversary and Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving and it just happens to fall on my second anniversary of being a VNO, vegan-no-oil.  I read Dr. Esselstyn's book, How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and wrote to him about a question I had about not taking statin drugs. (I have tried 5 and have an adverse reaction to all even in a 1/2 dose). It was just after Thanksgiving, two years ago. I was going to start but I had a lot of holiday and traveling on my schedule before I was going to try the plan out.  That would get me to May when I probably would have forgotten my resolve and still been waiting without defense for the 3rd stroke. 

The phone call that changed my life and health.

Dr. Esselstyn called on the morning of November 28th. We talked for a 1/2 hour. (I now call him My Doctor) I got off the phone and realized that tomorrow was probably not the best time to start: today was. Yeah!  

I am not into depravation. Actually for some reason, I fear depravation. 

I have learned to I.D. the triggers 

Eating out at a restaurant where I could not call ahead is difficult. 

Solution: bring emergency spices and even sauces for salads or steamed veggies.

Eat before I go. 

Fix something at home that I know I like to eat when I return after the restaurant.

Invitations to parties. 

I didn't want to alter a host's menu. I felt at first like a burden to mention My problem and My needs. Hello.... That attitude contributed to my poor health. 

Solution: if someone is inviting me to their party, it's not all about the food. I call ahead and we talk about the menu and I ask if I can bring something I can eat. I choose something that will blend in. 

If it is a PotLuck, I bring my lucky dish and make sure that there is a lot because my   

contribution looks dramatic and lots of people want to try it. 

                     

Missing my favorites.  

Well this is a day I could dwell on the Thanksgivings of the past, which like ole Scrooge, can come to haunt me and my healthy new day. 

I see myself looking over a great pit hearing  an echo calling, "come back, come back." Nope.

Solution:  I do not leave that hole of lost foods. I think it is dangerous to leave a void. 

I believe in replacement therapy. I jump into finding a delicious recipe, a new fruit 

or veggie to feel the adventure.  The sites on the side bar will keep you continually 

delighted and informed. 

                       

Going down the deprivation spiral with negative thoughts and conversations.

Solution. Reframe my word choices. I am not on a diet (trigger word for me) I am on a 

eating plan. I choose not to eat something instead of saying, I can't have that.  I will say, it's not on my eating plan.  I remind myself that I ate myself sick and now I am eating myself well. 

Isolation. No one is going through what I am. 

Solution: Dah,  The pity party was over the minute I started to read sites, books and blogs from people ahead of me on the health path. Again. Lots of sites on the     

sidebar. 

I need a tribe. Silly but an honest solution. I was lucky. My husband and friends

supported me from the first meal. They helped me realize that this could work.

It is hard if you are alone or if your family is not supportive. Look for vegetarian

meet-ups in your town.  This one is weird, but the Overeaters Anonymous fits quite well with anyone who hasn't developed an advocate voice for themselves.  Meeting are easy to find. They're free and anonymous. 

Lastly. The blog.  I write this blog for me, too. I am so grateful that there are so many viewers and appreciate your following.  This year I managed to write more than (12) entries so far and I still have December. 

So write your own story even if it is just for you. Your road. 

Happy Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings and health to all of us. 

Elin 

                    

Trip to Washington, DC and Engine 2 with Rip Esselstyn

Posted: 09 Sep 2013 06:37 AM PDT

Dear Heavenly Bodies, Hello from Washington, DC where we are celebrating my husband's birthday with a destination tour of our capital. The architecture style is in proportional relationship to the human in that the buildings in the central area are no more than 6 or 7 stories high. That makes one feel that the city is made for them unlike New York where I at least feel like an ant.  Also buildings are not chock-a-bloc allowing for space and green areas around as well as parks and of course The Mall. We are being total tourists, taking the Hop-on-hop-off bus to all the major sites one can see in two days. Then it's the Metro, buses and feet.

Food..... So as always then it's about the fuel. How do we get the food and mainly the protein in our tanks to keep going?

I can always get a salad but that can just get boring so a rundown on some of the wonderful choices available to us so far.
Travel Suggestions. Be prepared...... Take care of yourself.  Traveling is stressful but adding to it the uncertainty of "our food" being readily available is a recipe for defeat, putting me at least in a anxious place.....  That food deprivation area....    Nope, not interested.

Airplane food....  No meal selection for vegetarians not to mention no cheese vegans on our flight. The flight attendant didn't offer one thing that was on my eating plan.... My PLAN BEAUTIFUL kicked in and I was satisfied with My Happy Meal of fruit, mint, seeds, cranberries, raisins and baby spinach. Yum.  Lots of seeds and raisins left over for munching.  All packed at home.

First night in DC. After getting up at 3:30am at home and arriving in DC at 5pm, throwing our bags in the room and heading to the Mall to see the sights, I was really hungry. Right next to the hotel was a pizza parlor called Pizza Pi  (the symbol) cute.  Went in expecting a salad. With my card, I discussed my choices... Pay dirt.... I did have a small salad but also a thin-no-oil crusted pizza with tomato sauce, plant based sausage, dry sautéed mushrooms and garlic.  Left full and happy.

Special restaurant recommendations. Before we came to DC, I put out the word that we would love suggestions of special favorites our friends could offer.  A couple who lived in DC told us of a restaurant they enjoyed which turned out to be a block away from our hotel.

The importance of calling ahead.
I called about 3pm to discuss the possibility of dishes I could have relative to my eating plan. With a bit of on-hold and clarifying, we made reservations for 7pm with the suggestion that I make myself known at the desk.  I also gave my what-i-can-&-do not eat card with emphases on the No Oil to my server.  All went so well that we went back another night especially for the special care and treatment at the beautiful hands of Chef Karen who came out at the end of my 4 course meal to see if all was well. Wow  Hope the pictures come out of food and Chef Karen who told us that she doesn't eat any refined sugar. Amazing the stories and lifestyle others are living!  None of this would ever have happened to me pre-stroke and lifestyle change.  The night was delightful and memorable. I have met so many wonderful food angels on this journey.

We have also scored at the many Smithsonian gallery restaurants with well stocked salad bars some even with tofu and all with many choices of protein rich beans and spinach.
Dinner at vegetarian choices from VegDC blog were great and one meal in the room with an edamame, spinach, broccoli, seeds and fruit salad with soy yogurt dressing from the grocery store along with whole grain roll from the bakery.  Nobody's starving here.

It helps to have a hotel room with a frig and microwave.

Breakfast is always oats and fruit. Easy to find most places.

GREAT FIND....
Rip, son of Dr and Anne Esselstyn, is a fire fighter and tri athlete who has an interesting blog called Engine 2 Diet.  I will put this on the resources page. (Note about Rip...he does include some nuts and avocados in his recipes. ) hey, we know how to adjust, right?

This is a current article by Natalae on his blog. http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/emotional-eating/
EMOTIONAL EATING?  THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU.

BY NATALAE2
August 09, 2013
I always had this belief, I was an “emotional eater”. I was told this by various “experts”, TV show doctors, magazines and Oprah. And I believed it. It seemed to make sense, every time I got upset, I would eat, and make some bad choices.

But I looked around, I had thin friends that would go through a breakup, or have some other bad thing happen in their life. They would eat, lets say a pint or 2 of Ben and Jerry’s, or eat an entire box of oreos. They were thin, but I saw them doing the same thing I was doing in response to stress.

And if I was honest, I wasn’t just overeating when I was sad or angry, I was overeating on a pleasant, Tuesday afternoon or a nice dinner out, or, well really anytime.

It occurred to me that weight gain does not take much, if you have the right genes (high fat stores) to make it happen. It takes 120 excess calories per day of oil to gain 100 pounds in 8 years. That’s it. Spread throughout your day – 120 calories excess of empty calories. We’re not talking 3 pints of ice-cream or a bucket of fried chicken. We’re talking about a drizzle of salad dressing, or a few cookies, or a few potato chips.

This is the trouble when you have high fat stores. You store fat, very well. It was a great thing back in the day, it is why you survived. But in todays modern society, food is abundant, we can get it 24/7 without having to chase it, dig it, or catch it. We do not have to put an ounce of effort into getting food, unlike our ancestors who had to do a lot to not starve, not starving was a full time job back then.

When I started to really look into the reasons why we eat,I started to see the problem as one that is much more simple, yet far more complex at the same time. We overeat because we’re supposed to, we’re built that way, we have a unique wiring that says “get as much calorically dense food in me, or I might starve”. And we haven’t had that much food abundance, for that long to see any significant changes to our biology.

Same with working out. Your ancestors did not work out. They were active out of necessity, and the conserved energy, that was how they survived. Unless they were being chased by a lion, they didn’t run. So our modern brains are still catching up, if you aren’t being chased by a lion, why the heck are you running? If you have the opportunity to eat a donut that is deep fried, why wouldn’t you? Do you know how long that would last you if you were starving for the next few weeks?

So I started to examine what happens when we eat, for what seems to be emotional reasons. First, our brains sense there is something wrong. This is a great instinct, it means danger, trouble, and it probably meant that something bad was about to go down in the village, and that you might not be eating for a while. Our brains say “time to ramp up!” and we eat. We eat for a very normal, reasonable solution to a problem that took many centuries to develop.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Let me repeat that, and if you have to say it out loud, print it, put it everywhere. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU.

You are a normal human being, with a normal desire to survive.

You are not broken. You might feel like it. I felt like I was a big broken mess for years. I tortured myself over thinking there was something fundamentally wrong with me as a person, with my character, with my brain, with who I was. When there was nothing wrong with me at all. The response to eat and overeat can be traced back for as long as their have been humans on this planet. The difference is that now we have food available all the time, and then we did not.

That’s it. A simple yet complex problem.

So what is the answer?

The reason why this way of eating works for people who tend to have higher fat stores, and people who tend to eat more than others, is because of the amount of food you can eat. What we want to aim for is filling up your stomach, triggering your stretch receptors and telling your brain that you are indeed satisfied, and that you will not starve in the jungle.

It is why it is very important to make sure that you eat as many foods as you can that are lower on the caloric density scale. Eating a tbs of oil is NOT going to tell your brain that your stomach is full.

So this is what I do:

Start with a huge salad or a huge vegetable soup at EACH meal.
Try not to eat “compacted” food. By this I mean, things like crackers, breads, of course things like oil, potato chips, cookies/brownies. The more volume to your food the better off you are going to be. Let me state, for the record, there are people who can eat compacted plant-strong food just fine, and have absolutely no problem at all. I’m not addressing those people. I’m addressing people who identify with me as far as the amount of food they can eat or if they feel they eat A LOT more food during stressful times, and if they are trying to combat a health issue.
Try eating more intact whole grains (for the reason above). Things like oats, brown rice, quinoa. Also starches like potatoes/squash/sweet potatoes.
Drink water.
Do not drink your calories. I can’t stress this enough. Juices/smoothies are not going to help you when it comes to weight loss (especially long term weight loss). It also causes a spike in sugar, which causes a greater release of insulin, which then causes insulin resistance. For some people the occasional juice or smoothie is just fine, and for some as a treat they are just fine. But if you are overweight, or if you have T2 diabetes/pre-diabetes/insulin resistance, drinking food is not the best option for you. Disrupting fiber of food like that is not the way we were intended to eat food. Chewing is an important part to digestion and to satiety. Don’t believe me? The next time you drink your food, test your blood sugar 1 & 2 hours after you eat. The next day instead of blending and drinking all of your food,  put the same food in a bowl and eat/chew it, and then test your blood sugar 1&2 hours after you eat.
Eat whole fruits/vegetables when you can. I’m all for the occasional fruit sorbet, but for weight loss, stick to whole when possible. Frozen fruit (whole) is great!
Working out is great, but it will not make up for unhealthy choices. Workout because it is good for your muscles, bones, mental health. It’s not a great weight loss tool. So before you think “I can work it off” think again.
When you are facing a tough emotional stress in your life, have a plan.Map out how your day is going to go. Prepare the food for the week, get groceries delivered (Safeway, Giant, Instacart). Take a different route to work if you know that a certain fast food place is tempting for you. Do not keep bad stuff in your house, and if your family has the bad stuff, talk to them, or label their food, as a visual reminder.
Do not deprive yourself of healthy food. Eat until you are comfortably full. If that is 1 plate of healthy food, great. If that is 3 plates of healthy food, that is just fine. Just be sure to fill your plate up with 1/2 vegetables, and then the rest whole intact grains/beans, and make your first course a huge salad or soup.
Get moving. Doug Lisle, PhD talked about this in his interview on E2X a few months back. To combat depression the best thing you can possibly do is move. Even if it is only for a few minutes a day. The important thing is to do SOMETHING. Make sure that you plan your day to include moving – walk, dance, skip, go to the gym, swim, punch a punching bag, activity is key for combatting depression/anxiety/anger.
Get support. That could be something you start in your own town, your workplace, with your family. It could be a facebook group, or hanging out on our facebook page. We also have an amazing support community, Engine 2 Extra with live chat, and help almost any hour of the day, if that is something you are looking got.
Stay away from goals that set you up for traps. There are no goals, there is a healthy, long life. So if your weight goes up one week, it is ok, if your blood sugar is a little higher one day over the next, it is ok. The important thing is the overall pattern, over several years.
Know that each bite of non-plant strong food has the potential of triggering pleasure traps (like addiction). It’s like a smoker who goes a long time without smoking and then has one cigarette. They are more likely to go back into the habit, because their brain remembers all of the pleasure they had experienced from smoking before.
Your tastes WILL change, give it time. Have a plan, know what you are going to be eating, when you’ll be working out, and what you’ll do when you feel the urge to survive eat unhealthy food.
Most importantly, know that there is nothing wrong with you, or how your brain works. I wish I could wave a magic wand and rid all people of the guilt they feel for what comes down to, being a completely normal human being with the desire to survive. The only difference now, is that we live in a calorically abundant world, and so we have to make a few adjustments to overcome that fairly new issue to us.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Natala is the director of communications for Engine 2 Diet, she is also one of our coaches on our support site, Engine 2 Extra. A few years ago, Natala was at the end of her rope. She was on almost 15 medications daily, had out of control Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, issues with nerve damage, and was morbidly obese. She was just over 30 years old. She decided to take her life back by becoming plant-strong. She has lost over 200 pounds, got off of all of her medications and now has great health numbers. Natala plays the violin and studied music therapy. She became passionate about plant-strong nutrition, received her Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University, a certificate in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and is currently pursuing a degree in nutritional sciences.
We have a few more days but I know we will do fine.

Blessings and happy eating, happy life.   Elin