Really? A carrot?

We have just finished day 11 of our Reboot. Today was our first day adding back whole fruits and veggies along with the juicing. I am really starting to get used to eating only fruits and veggies; my taste buds crave it. This is a whole new world to me. I truly feel like I have made a major change. The peanuts at work do not scream my name any more. In fact, I don’t even think about them at all. I used to think about them every day – all day!

Last night was not a good one for me. My co-worker couldn’t walk with me, so my husband and I walked together. We got home around 7pm and started to make our juice in our brand new juicer. We were really struggling trying to figure it out. It’s a slow juicer and, while it makes a better quality juice product, it works differently than our previous juicer. We finally got the evening juice made around 8pm. I could barely get one sip down – to me the recipe was disgusting. I ended up eating some crackers to settle my stomach until we could make me something different. I wanted to try the famous “mean green” juice from the movie “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead”, so we did that next. Another bomb! I threw it out. Finally at 8:30 I ended up with a green salad, some kidney beans, and a little bit of Reboot salad dressing. Eventually my body calmed down and I felt better. Sometimes you have no choice and just have to survive.

The night before that I was a little bit hungry and decided to have a small amount of hummus with a carrot. Once again I had a quite a surprise. The hummus wasn’t that great (and I LOVE hummus), but the carrot really jazzed me. This is not the same Joan. Really? A carrot?

I had a major juice “high” yesterday morning. Upon arriving at work, one of the Security guards was also walking in the door. He said good morning and “how are you?” Without thinking, I answered “fabulous!” Out of the blue he responded with “well you look great – you are all glowing and look really good!” So many people have told me lately that I am glowing. Does my juice possess radioactive qualities??

The body has an amazing power to heal itself. The reason I am obese, have sore knees, and (had) high cholesterol is that I have never given it a chance before. A year ago in July I started my plant-based journey, and within the first three months, my cholesterol was down from 215 to 165. Last December it was 164. I am anxious to get it checked again to see if there is any more improvement (my blood pressure is better than ever!). I want to believe that by eating the most nutrient dense food on the planet (and organic at that) that I am on my way to healing my body.

My co-worker couldn’t walk with me again tonight and won’t be able to tomorrow. So my husband will be walking with me. I cannot believe how well my body is moving; I am walking hills and not hating or thinking about every step I take. Having ankles that aren’t swollen can be quite addictive.

Feeling good is quite addictive. I’m just glad I have chosen to do it in a healthy way.

Reboot Week One

This evening marks the completion of day 8 on our Reboot. No solid fruits & veggies (or olive oil) since Friday, only fresh juice. We have tried many blends of fruits and veggies, rarely is one repeated. One repeat, however, is fennel bulb and pear juice and it has actually become one of my favorites! Who woulda thunk?

This morning I had quite a surprise. I had my hand on my hip, feeling for my eczema to see how it was doing. I moved my hand all around trying to find it. I had to go to the mirror, because I was having problems. Imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror and saw it was gone!!! Eight days ago it was there, a perfect “L” shape about 3 by 2 inches. And now the skin was nice and smooth.

My energy level picked back up again. In fact, I would have to say it picked back up and then went into overdrive!! My energy level is unbelievable. It was hard to sit at my desk today at work. All I kept thinking is that I needed to MOVE. I walk after work every day with a co-worker and today she kept commenting about my energy. I wasn’t getting tired and I pushed her to walk further. I was so excited to see her go the extra revolution around the block and I hope she and I will continue to improve our time and distance.

One other benefit I never expected. I feel like I took a happy pill! It reminds me of the time I actually DID take a happy pill. I was temporarily on Paxil for a non-depression related issue. I have rarely been depressed, but Paxil made me very happy. Juicing seems to have the same effect. Imagine getting happy from fruits and vegetables.

My husband and I now have a system down for juicing and we are quite a team! It goes pretty fast and we both have our "job". We have been talking about extending the Reboot, but aren’t sure just yet. We are taking one day at a time. I’ve lost 6 pounds in 7 days and my hubby has lost 9.5 (sheesh, what is it with these men and their weight loss?)

Oh – there is one more negative to the juicing that I failed to mention in my last post. No matter how much you clean your kitchen floor, you will always find another spot of beet juice.

It's Time for a Reboot!

Our lives have taken a new direction. I have currently set aside my goal of cooking recipes from my inspiration: The companion book from the movie “Forks Over Knives”. As of Monday August 8^th, my husband and I stepped up our consumption of fruits and vegetables dramatically and have started juicing.

Some of you will probably think this is extreme, but I think eating the way we were before we converted to plant-based eating was extreme. And we have paid a high price with our health.

We found a short-term program to follow that we hope to reap a “bushel full” of benefits. For anyone interested, it is the Reboot program. We are following the Entry program: Five days of eating juiced fruits & vegetables and whole veggies (salads, soups, etc.), five days of juice only, and then a repeat of the first five days. It sounds boring, but there is a menu for all 15 days and the recipes are, for the most part, very good. Each day it is something different. We have not been disappointed.

Why the Reboot? We wanted to retrain our bodies into actually CRAVING fruits and vegetables, and to stop thinking about high-fat treats (plant-based cookies anyone?) and processed foods. In other words, we wanted to stop the madness. And we were both hoping to kick start weight loss.

Why juicing? Fresh juice provides us with minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and much more. When removed from the fiber, the highly concentrated nutrients enter our bloodstream very quickly. The benefits are supposed to be increased energy, a glowing complexion, strengthened immune system, stronger bones, and a reduced risk of disease.

I have never eaten such a variety of vegetables in an amazingly short time as I have the past five days. In fact, I have never really been a vegetable fan at all. I avoided them as much as possible. Now we eat or juice a rainbow of colors every day. Right now, I am starting to wonder what else is out there that I haven’t tried. What might it taste like? How would it taste with some juiced apples and ginger?

I actually ate seaweed salad! It sounded so disgusting and didn’t exactly smell great. But it tasted pretty good. The portion was huge though and while I liked it, half the salad was enough. In fact, portion size is an interesting part to the program. The portions are HUGE. My husband and I can’t eat it all. In fact, we finally decided to start sharing one meal.

So what benefits have I reaped from this experiment?

• · My ankles are not swollen any more. Hallelujah!!!!
• · My whole body feels different. It’s easier to move around and it feels lighter.
• · My face has cleared up. In fact, I think my skin looks great!
• · The eczema on my hip is almost completely gone.
• · I have lost over 5 pounds in 5 days. My hubby has lost 8 pounds (men!). I know, I know…..It is mostly water, but you have to start somewhere.
• · My hands are REALLY clean. (Washing hands after frequent trips to the restroom.)
• · Lots of exercise walking back and forth to the restroom and to our garage refrigerator for more fruits and veggies.
• · During the first five days of mixing meals and juice, my energy level had never been so high. Starting the total juice plan has made me lose some of that energy. I have heard this is temporary. We shall see.
• · I feel happy! My mood is perked up.
• · My husband and I are working together for a common goal. We shop, prepare everything, and clean up together.
• · I have a brand new appreciation for vegetables.

Unfortunately, there are negatives.

• · I have a second office at work. It is the restroom.
• · I miss bread.
• · I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hungry on occasion.
• · I think it is expensive. My husband disagrees. (But he never was a cheap date.)
• · It is a lot of work. There are tons of veggies to prepare for juicing, frequent shopping trips, and lots of planning.

This program has already exceeded my expectations by giving me the gift of a new appreciation for vegetables. You will hear more about other rewards as time goes on.

Alfredo, Lugnuts, Lemons and Raw - Oh my!!!

It has been a busy couple of weeks and I haven’t had much free time lately; hence the lack of posts. Tonight I was determined to share with you two fun meals we have had lately. Neither is from my inspiration book.

The first is a meal my husband created using a recipe from the “Get Sconed!” blog we read. It is called Cashew Miso Alfredo. And it sure made my taste buds happy!!!!

The Alfredo sauce was made from raw soaked cashews, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and white miso. It had a lovely seasoning of nutmeg and thyme. The center of the sauce was decorated with beautiful sautéed fresh morels that were juicy and flavorful. The sauce and morels rested on a bed of whole-wheat linguine, and Italian parsley added color to the top. Asparagus was on the side.

This is definitely a soon-to-be repeated dish, as fresh morels are seasonal - and we loved it!

For my husband’s birthday we planned a whole day of fun together. We visited the Pearson Air Museum and the Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals (a surprisingly VERY fun place to go). The evening was topped off with a Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts concert (which brought back memories from 20+ years ago when we used to dance the night away at their concerts) and drinks at our local Mexican restaurant. It was a great day. The Air Museum is in Vancouver and the Rice Museum is in Hillsboro. We needed a lunch stop in-between the two. Using the totally cool app “Vegan Steven,” we took a chance on a vegetarian restaurant in Beaverton called Sweet Lemon. To our surprise, they had just converted over to 100% vegan. What a delight to be able to order anything on the menu and be confident it was completely plant-based.

Our meal started with an appetizer called “Dancing Drumsticks”: meatless drumsticks seasoned with lemongrass and a spicy sauce. They were yummy and had a great presentation! For the main course, I ordered the Devine Thai Wrap: a rice wrap with brown rice, marinated soy protein, lettuce and Thai peanut sauce. It was so filling; I couldn’t eat it all. My husband ordered the Sweet Lemon Soup: a flavorful soup with tofu, soy ham, and veggies. He quickly devoured it. (Don't you just love the little umbrella on his lemonade??)

Since it was his birthday, we had to share a slice of cake – and it was RAW! The cake was chocolate/orange. It was not as smooth and sicky sweet as a cake from my prior life, but considering it was raw, whole-foods, and healthy, it was definitely a treat!!! And it was chocolate!!! What more do you need? It is a blessing to eat out at a restaurant and know that you are eating food that is fresh, organic and delicious. We can’t wait to go back and try more items from the menu.

You are probably noticing that a bite is missing from the cake! I was so excited to try a raw cake that I took a bite before I remembered to take the picture. Silly me!

Tuna Noodle Casserole sans Tuna

One recipe down, one hundred and twenty-four to go! Here is Creamy Noodle Casserole, the first recipe from my inspiration book. Creamy and noodle-y it was. With both my hubby and I working together in the kitchen to prepare this giant 9x 13 deep-dish casserole, it took almost 1½ hours to prepare and another 40 minutes to bake. All the time I kept praying that it was worth the effort.

The recipe had three parts: whole-wheat pasta, veggies (onions, carrots, celery, green beans, peas) with cannellini beans, and a thickened veggie broth spiced with paprika and thyme. It was supposed to have panko bread crumbs on the top, but we didn’t have any so we used regular bread crumbs.

And the verdict? Just OK. It was extremely bland, but very filling. Next time (if there is one considering how long it took to make) I would figure out some way to give it more flavor.

However, there was a plus side to spending that much time preparing the casserole. My hubby and I did have a wonderful time working side by side to create a such a healthy meal.

No, those aren’t some alien ear muffs. That was our dessert! Fresh mangoes. Yum! We decided to buy the whole mangoes from Costco and they did not disappoint! Usually we buy the cut up ones in the plastic container so that we can easily put them in smoothies. But my hubby figured out how to easily cut them up. To eat it, you actually pick it up as you see it in the picture and then just bite into it. So sweet and juicy! As our family always says, “Yum Punch!!”

What is the difference between whole-foods and plant-based?

One of the questions I was asked in my blog comments is “What is the difference between whole-foods and plant-based?” The best way to describe this is taken directly from my inspirational companion book Forks Over Knives by Gene Stone.

Plant-based means anything that has never had a face or a mother. In other words, avoiding all meat, fish, dairy and eggs. What can be eaten are grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and legumes.

Whole-foods means the food is as close to intact as possible or minimally refined. Overly processed foods include bleached flour, refined sugars, and extracted oils. While these come from plants, they have been stripped of most of the nutritional properties they once had. A person can eat a 100% plant-based diet and have potato chips, pretzels, dairy-free pastries, and low-calorie soda. Hence the “fat vegan” as I describe myself. I do love my pita chips.

But I have to say that it is all-OK. Pita chips and coconut milk ice cream got me through my first year of eating a plant-based diet. That in itself was a dramatic life change. But if I am ever going to lose weight I have to work harder at focusing on whole-foods.…and eating a lot less fats (bye-bye handfuls of peanuts!) and exercising.

I guess I never mentioned that I am very happy with this lifestyle. Very happy indeed!

I bought ingredients to create one of the recipes in my book, but won’t be able to cook it till later this week. In the mean time, the photo above is a dinner that my hubby and I made tonight. We saw a picture of it on a blog we enjoy following called “Get Sconed!” (http://getsconedpdx.com). It is orechiete (we used whole wheat) pasta with sautéed red and sungold cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, red pepper, black pepper, and fresh basil. We served it with asparagus and mushrooms drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It was a quick and filling meal - in fact I ate only half of what you see in the photo.

What's it all about, Joanie??

Welcome to my blog! As the tag line says, this is my journey to better health through a whole-foods, plant-based diet. It will feature recipes I have made – no matter how they turn out – and discuss the experiences I have working towards my goal. I WILL make mistakes, but I am hoping this blog will keep me motivated and accountable.

You may be curious as to why I selected the title “Forks Over Joan”. Well, there just happens to be a story behind that:

My journey began just about one year ago in July of 2010 when my acupuncturist recommended I read the book The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. The book made a life-changing impression on me. See, I’m in my 50s and everyone around me is getting cancer, diabetes, heart and other chronic diseases, or is on some type of medication. So far none of that has affected me, but I know it’s only a matter of time. The China Study is a 30-year study on clinical nutrition that opened my eyes to the fact that adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet will produce powerful health benefits.

That profound message led me to read endless books on the subject, scour the internet for blogs and knowledge, take classes on how to live this new lifestyle, and talk with Registered Dietitians and other experts that have been eating this way for years. As of August 2010, I made the decision to make the change to a 100% plant-based diet. Did you notice I didn’t include the words “whole-foods”? (Obviously, I still have a way to go on my journey.)

I was fortunate to see the premier of the documentary “Forks Over Knives” (www.forksoverknives.com). It traces the personal journeys of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn as they discover that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. After seeing the movie, somehow I accidentally ordered the companion book. I didn’t even know about it until it arrived at my door. Once I started reading it, it re-motivated me to make the next step. That step is a big one that is scary to me – increasing the whole foods in my diet.

I discovered there were tons of really great looking recipes in the companion book. Right then and there I decided I was going to make ALL 125 of them. (Just like in the movie “Julie and Julia” where Julie makes all of Julia Child's recipes from one of her books and then blogs about it.) I told my husband and he asked “and are you going to blog about it?” Hence the birth of “Forks Over Joan”.

So that brings me back to the title. “Forks Over Knives” means using your fork to put healthy food in your mouth so that you don’t have to go under the surgical knife (the bad alternative). “Forks Over Joan” means using my fork for the same purpose and not listening to the Joan that wants to eat processed foods (the bad alternative).