"Let Food Be Thy Medicine"

When Hippocrates made the proclamation above, he was ahead of his time. When we eat a diet filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, we flood our bodies with the micronutrients that support a very healthy immune system. When we avoid processed foods, white flour, sugar, and excess amounts of salt, we are keeping things out that weaken our body's defense mechanisms.

I just finished reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book Super Immunity which discusses how to make your immune system as strong as it was meant to be. Does it say you will never get sick if you eat an immune-supporting diet? Not necessarily. But when you do catch something, the duration of your illness can be that much shorter. Although this was not my favorite of Dr. Fuhrman's books, it was insightful and is inspiring me to really focus on loading up my body with micronutrients as we approach this cold and flu season. I preferred reading Fuhrman's book Eat to Live for an overall view of good nutrition but Super Immunity definitely gives us some insight into keeping our immunity in tip top shape.

If you would rather just check out his website (also very interesting and full of great tips and success stories from people, for example, who have reversed their autoimmune diseases or gotten off their blood pressure and diabetes medications), go to http://www.drfuhrman.com.

No App for Happiness

It's funny how one thing leads to another.

Yesterday, I had a few minutes to check out several health and nutrition websites on my search to find tidbits of motivation and information. On Kris Carr's website, www.kriscarr.com, I was reading one of her recent posts about spiritually inspiring books that she recommends. I just happened to browse through the comments section where other readers recommended their own books and saw among them the name Max Strom and his book There is No App for Happiness. I had never heard of him before but the title of his book struck me. I love the truth in it! So I googled Max Strom and found the following Ted Talk he gave in Kansas City (after watching it, I'm sorry I missed him!). The clip is only 15 minutes in length so if you can devote that much time to it, check it out. I am glad that I did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFjdog-ne9A

I was really struck by Strom's calm presence as he spoke, and I agree with a lot of what he says--so much so that I decided to order his book and check out more of what he has to share. I believe there is truth to the fact that the more technology takes over our lives, the more unhappy we are becoming (ironic coming from a blogger, I know!). I will share my own experience with this in a future blog. But I also know there are people who are rebelling against what I like to call "screen takeover." I have nothing against the internet and I believe computers, smartphones, and tablets all have their place. But we are losing our ability to truly connect with others face to face, to even look people in the eye when we speak to them! More thoughts on this topic in the future...

Starting with Veggies

When you think of a traditional American breakfast, usually eggs, bacon, toast with butter, bagels, and muffins come to mind. Kale, mushrooms and spinach are not always what you are craving at 7AM! If you follow a vegan diet, however, eggs and bacon are not going to be on the menu--so what to do?

Some days I'll start my morning with oatmeal and berries or quinoa, almond milk, and peaches. A sprouted English muffin (from Ezekiel) with almond butter and fruit on the side also does the trick. But over the past week, I've been trying to focus on foods that are going to build up my immune system and add energy and fiber to my life. So one dish I will prepare (maybe two to three times a week?) is a tofu scramble. Now a tofu scramble can take on many forms and I've seen a ton of different recipes for them online. One of my favorite ways to prepare this is to saute spinach, kale, and/or chard with onions, garlic and mushrooms. After those have been cooking for about ten minutes, I'll throw in the tofu and whatever seasoning I feel like (oregano, nutritional yeast, or salt and pepper) and saute for another five minutes. When it's all done, I might top it with fresh tomato or avocado and voila! In the dish pictured above, I put some Ezekial (sprouted) toast with almond butter as well as fresh berries on the side.

Now I have to admit, if you are not used to eating veggies in the morning, it can take some getting used to. You might not drool over a tofu scramble like you would a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich! But when I think about all the healthful, immune system-protecting nutrients in these foods, it makes me very happy to eat it! Plus, eating veggies in the morning is a great way to knock out some of those servings of vegetables that you need to eat throughout the day for optimal health and nutrition. Sounds pretty good to me!

PS--Cut up the veggies you are going to use the night before to save yourself time in the morning!

Try Something New!

I didn't want to post more than one entry a day but I have to tell you about the kickboxing class I just took over at Title Boxing Prairie Village. Holy amazing-workoutness! I took a free trial class today and it was the hardest workout I have done in such a long time. As I was beating the heck out of a punching bag (wearing very cool gloves and bad ass hand wraps, by the way), a realization came over me. I had been stuck in a workout rut this summer. I mean, things got boring and I was getting out of the shape I really wanted to be in. Sometimes all you have to do is change things up a little bit to find that moment when your heart is beating, great music is playing and the sweat is pouring off you, and you feel completely alive (even if you end up doubled over with exhaustion at the end!). I signed up for a membership at the club and I'm excited to see where this new endeavor leads!

Inflammation

In the past several years, a lot of information has been coming out about the role of inflammation in contributing to illness and disease. This article from cardiac surgeon, Dr. Dwight Lundell, talks about how inflammation may be a bigger contributor to heart disease than commonly-blamed cholesterol. Regardless of which is more of a factor in heart problems, eating a veggie rich, plant-based diet causes both inflammation and cholesterol to drop!

http://myscienceacademy.org/2012/08/19/world-renown-heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease/

Now that I have been following a vegetarian diet for almost four years, I've learned to tune into the signs my body gives me regarding what makes it feel good and what doesn't. One thing I tend to notice is that when I eat a lot of cheese, bread, and white flour pasta (and not enough vegetables and fruit) in a given week, my joints tend to feel achy, my stomach gets bloated, and I have an overall sense of lethargy. That's how I felt coming into this week. Starting this past Monday, I've been really consistent with juicing, eating big salads and eliminating dairy. My energy levels are up, my workouts feel better and I've even dropped a couple of the pounds I put on throughout the summer. Proof that a plant based diet agrees better with my body!

T Loft

One of my new favorite spots to stop in for healthy, nourishing refreshment is Kansas City's own T Loft! The store opened in the spring and serves juices, smoothies, teas, and all kinds of gluten free treats. The tea blends they have are pretty yummy but mostly we go in for the juices. With fun names like "Mean and Clean," "Extreme C," and "Warrior Juice" you can't really go wrong. We haven't tried them all yet because I keep going back to my favorites every time I go in. The combinations of veggies, fruits, and herbs make these drinks delicious while at the same time giving you a boost of energy that rivals that of caffeine (minus the jitters). Even my son loves the juices! Here he is drinking his "Mean and Clean" after a long day at school...

Of course, one of his favorite things to get at T Loft is a protein ball. They have two types of these: one is a cacao chocolate protein ball and the other is the peanut butter protein ball. These little 100 calorie treats are so yummy that CJ thinks of them as a special treat in the same league as a sugary muffin or animal crackers even though I would be completely fine with him having them everyday.

It is so nice to have a place in town (literally down the road from our house!) that serves healthy treats. Some people think this juicing craze is a passing trend and maybe that is true. But I think there is nothing wrong with a trend that provides all kinds of healthy minerals and vitamins to your body. For me, I always feel better walking out of T Loft after drinking one of their juices than when I walk out of Starbucks after drinking a sugary, high calorie espresso drink (although there is nothing wrong with that on occasion!). It also makes me happy to be able to bring my child to a healthy spot where I would be okay with him having anything they serve. Yay for T Loft! We are glad you are here.

Slow and Steady

"A jug fills drop by drop." --Buddha

I saw this quote the other day and it just stuck me as an important reminder that we need to take our "big project" (whatever that may be) one step at a time. It doesn't all have to be finished right away. Whether you are searching for health, happiness, the right job, the right environment... put one foot in front of the other and keep moving in a forward direction. Little by little, you will make progress toward your goal. Have a great day!

Throw it Together

Have you ever had that evening when you have absolutely no plan for dinner? (Wait, that's most nights?) Maybe you have a bunch of random ingredients and want to put together something healthy and yummy. Or perhaps you just don't feel like following a recipe and just want something simple and satisfying. This happens to me at least several times a week and here's how I throw it together.

When you're following a vegetarian or even vegan diet, you should always have several things stocked in your pantry and fridge for just such a situation: beans/legumes, some type of whole grain, and a fresh and/or frozen veggie. Here are some examples of the staples I try to keep on hand..

Beans/Legumes:

• Black, pinto, navy, or kidney beans
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Edamame 

Whole Grain:

• Long grain brown or wild rice
• Whole wheat couscous
• Regular or Red Quinoa

Veggies:

• Really this can be any veggie you like, especially fresh and in season (right now tomatoes are my favorite!)
• Frozen: broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, corn... again really anything that is your favorite!
• Onions and garlic 

So whenever you are in a bind and need to put something healthy together, choose one ingredient from each category and cook it up! And you can also put together several ingredients from the veggie category to make your body happy. For example, in the picture above, I put together pinto beans, wild rice, spinach, garlic, onions and fresh tomatoes. We happened to top the dish with nutritional yeast (sounds nasty but it has a little cheesy flavor and B vitamins). Shredded cheese or avocado also make nice toppings for this dish. The formula is not gourmet but it's a simple and healthy dish that everyone in the family can enjoy!

Back in (Veggie) Business

Alright everyone, let's get this show on the road.

It's been well over a year since I last wrote something on this blog. While much has happened (and not happened) in the interim, I have decided that today is going to be the day to return to the energy, the vitality, the health that inspired this blog in the first place. Today is my son's first day in a new school and it's my first day back in veggie grad school!

When Brian and I undertook our initial Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse in 2011, we learned a whole lot of amazing information about how to take care of ourselves and how to feel amazing through nutrition. Our eating and exercising was stellar during that cleanse and the results were highly encouraging. It's easy to want to continue eating like a veggie rock star when you know how good it makes you feel. But real life also gets in the way. Over the past year and a half, we moved to a new house, Brian's responsibilities at work increased, we did a lot of traveling and we splurged a little more than we had before.

Now, these are all wonderful life changes and are nothing to complain about! We are truly thankful for everything we have in our life. And believe me, I am all about splurging and enjoying the yumminess that is, say, a slice of New York pizza. What I want to do with Healthy For Life this time around, is to refocus and regain that sense of vitality and health that we knew so well. I'm writing this to inspire myself, my family, and hopefully you to live your best and happiest life! I also want to contribute something positive to the blogosphere when there can be a lot of negativity lurking around.

So sit back, buckle your seat belts, pour yourself a green juice and enjoy the flight!