A Little Bit Of Plant Based Wisdom.

 Others have said it best.

" I don't understand why asking people to eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it is medically conservative to cut people open or put them on powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs the rest of their lives. "

Dean Ornish, M.D.

" None of us ask for fried chicken, pork chops, or ice cream in the delivery room. We are all born without preferences. Everything we think we like, we were taught to like. "

Milton Mills, M.D.

" When I was 88 years old, I gave up meat entirely and switched to a plant foods diet following a slight stroke. During the following months, I not only lost 50 pounds, but gained strength in my legs and picked up stamina. Now, at age 93, I'm on the same plant-based diet, and I still don't eat any meat or dairy products. I either swim, walk or paddle a canoe daily and I feel the best I've felt since my heart problems began. "

Benjamin Spock, M.D.

"  I know of nothing else in medicine that can come close to what a plant-based diet can do. In theory, if everyone were to adopt this, I really believe we can cut health care costs by seventy to eighty percent. That's amazing. And it all comes from understanding nutrition, applying nutrition, and just watching the results. "

T. Colin Campbell

" Let's start with the most prominent ecological crisis of our time: global warming. When you look seriously at the numbers, you find that switching from a meat-based to a plant-based diet would do more to curb and reverse global warming than any other initiative. "

T. Colin Campbell

" When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need. "

Ayurvedic Proverb

" Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. "

Albert Einstein

Biggi

For The Love Of Red Cabbage.

A new favourite is added.

What can I do when I love reading and listening about and to the latest health discoveries to do with  our whole food plant based life. So many books, so little time.

Red cabbage is one of those miracle vegetables that are amazingly full of antioxidants and also full of fiber ( nowadays the fiber is on par with antioxidants for health, and thankfully it only exists in plants and thus the proverbial two birds with one stone. ) Red cabbage should be added to every meal either as a side garnish or a main part of it. I love basing a salad around it and the beautiful purple colour it gives off.

But how to get Bob to eat it for lunch? Pretty sure that he wouldn't be happy with a plain red cabbage salad or would he? So, a few days ago I hatched a plan to sneakily add this super food into his lunch. As the lunch of the day are sandwiches ( easier to eat quickly ) I decided to chop up a bit of raw red cabbage with a red onion in order to add it to the sandwiches the base of which was an aubergine sandwich spread.(  One of the sandwiches is always a peanut butter and jam affair for extra energy! )

Lunches get made at about five each morning and when I knew Bob was in the shower I hauled out the cabbage and started to chop it up fine. Blended perfectly into the red onion and after I had  surreptitiously cleaned up the evidence, by the time he came through to the kitchen he only saw me adding ' chopped onions ' to his sandwich.

At times sandwiches come back uneaten which in itself answers the question if Bob liked them and I worried that the same fate would befall this ultra healthy new lunch combo. I had to wait until 10 pm to find out. When Bob came home I got hold of his lunch bag and noticed straight away that it was empty. The all important question of what it tasted like and if he even noticed I left until that next morning.

" Schatzi, did you like the sandwiches from yesterday? "

" You mean the ones with the cabbage? Loved them. Reminded me of coleslaw. Could you make them again for today? "

Gosh, firstly no fooling Bob and secondly, how great that he also loved the red cabbage because now at least I can add another layer of health to his lunch. Should have asked him all along about the cabbage as it would have saved me a lot of cloak and dagger sandwich making, but  you know, that is just part and parcel of a fun marriage...raise your hand those of you who haven't employed a bit of cloak & dagger, bait and switch or the pleading of ignorance at some point in your relationship...! 

Biggi

 

Great Advice From Dr Micheal Greger.

Bits and pieces that may help.

" The best way to minimize your exposure to industrial toxins may be to eat as low as possible on the food chain, a plant-based diet. "

" Popeye was right about spinach; dark green, leafy vegetables are the healthiest food on the planet. As whole foods go, they offer the most nutrition per calorie. "

" Studies on cherries, raspberries and strawberries suggest that most of their nutrition is retained when they are frozen, so it's a good idea to keep some in the freezer. "

" For women, just eating two handful of nuts per week may extend their lives as much as by jogging four hours a week. "

" Physical activity is considered a promising preventive measure against breast cancer - not only because it helps with weight control but because exercise tends to lower circulating estrogen levels. "

" Ounce for ounce, herbs and spices have more antioxidants than any other food group. "

" The benefits of a healthier diet are far-reaching because they also equate to fewer animals being bred into inhumane factory farm conditions and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. "

" A plant-based diet is a one-stop shop against chronic diseases. "

" After following more than 60 000 people for more than a dozen years, University of Oxford researchers found those who consume a plant-based diet were less likely to develop all forms of cancer combined. "

All quotes from Dr Micheal Greger

Biggi

Chard, Banana & Blueberries.

The luck of a vegetable garden.

I was strolling through our garden yesterday and re-noticed our chard section in the vegetable garden. We only planted six little shoots ( given to us by a friend ) and these have developed into a veritable chard colony. Some are orange stemmed, some normal and some red stemmed. As it wasn't even close to lunchtime but I did want to eat a few stalks, I decided to make a smoothie.

How marvelously easy it was to step into the garden and cut several stalks, as well as a few strands of rocket, a handful of herbs from Bob's hanging herb collection and throw it all together into the smoothie mixer. An apple, a banana, a handful of frozen blueberries, a spoonful of flax seed, water and a few ice cubes made the most divine smoothie. Sweet enough not to taste of health although I absolutely love the ' healthy ' taste of vegetables.

The beauty of these types of smoothies is that one can smuggle in the oddest bits of healthy vegetables without it altering the taste too much. Ideal for stubborn kids who refuse to sample from the fruit and vegetables offerings without ever having tasted them. Okay, the green colour might be a clue but even that could be explained away by leaving a bottle of green food colouring next to the smoothie.

Bob explained to me how I should harvest ( cut ) the chard- a stalk or two from each plant - so that it continues to regrow. That it does as despite me robbing it of a few stalks most days, the plant has increased in size. Brilliant and a nice bit of salad and smoothie future ahead...

Biggi

A Bit Of Plant Based Wisdom.

Try it for a few weeks and be surprised...

" The longest-lived people eat a plant-based diet. They eat meat but only as a condiment or a celebration. Nothing they eat has a plastic wrapper. "
Dan Buettner

" Whether the patient has a cardiac condition, hypertension, autoimmune disease, fibroids, or asthma, he or she must be informed that fasting and natural, plant-based diets are a viable alternative to conventional therapy, and an effective one. "
Joel Fuhrman

" Eat a plant-based diet which acts like a prebiotic and probiotic in the gut. "
Deepak Chopra

" If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. "
Paul and Linda McCartney

" Medicine is not healthcare. Food is health care. Medicine is sick care.
It's time we see it for what it is. "
Anonomous

" When I was 88 years old, I gave up meat entirely and switched to a plant foods diet following a slight stroke. During the following months I not only lost 50 pounds, but gained strength in my legs and picked up stamina. Now at age 93, I'm on the same plant-based diet and still don't eat meat or dairy products. I either swim, walk, or paddle a canoe daily and feel the best I've felt since my heart problems began.
Benjamin Spock

" So, what is my prescription for good health? In short, it is about the multiple health benefits of consuming plant-based foods. "
T. Colin Campbell

Biggi

A True Game Changer.

Thank goodness for Netflix!

Honestly, Netflix has been our lifesaver. First it allowed us to watch What the Health which was what started us on this journey to a new way of life and now, it again let's us watch what appears to be the bestselling documentary of all times on i-tunes, The Game Changers.

Doctors plan to show patients the Game Changer documentary

In our journey through life we get given opportunities and chances that all we have to do is to grab them. Or rather acknowledge them. Change is hard for most people and changing one's eating choices even more so. But once done, the world opens up on another level entirely.

On a personal level, Bob and I have learnt to handle the ridicule and thoughtlessness about veganism, as somehow the concept of vegan / plant-based diet is too difficult to imagine for many people. Well, this movie goes a long way to explaining the many fold reasons why plant based is the way to go. But, perhaps you will see and get an epiphany yourself.

Having chosen the road less travelled ( or maybe the high road? ) through life has proved to be amazing, awesome and exciting as well as having broadened our horizon. As with any new experience, a slew of new ideas are had and thankfully they help sweep away old thought patterns and habits.

I take refuge in the thought that back in the days when the automobile had just been invented, most made fun of it and carried on using their four legged transport, even going so far as to ridicule those that jumped aboard the nascent automobile wave...

Biggi

The Beauty Of A Simple Plant Based Salad.

Feeling grateful.

Yesterday we were talking about gratitude and how most of us forget to be grateful for the things we have. There is always that extra bit we seem to want to have in order to finally be happy. Or we complain to our family about the stuff that isn't perfect instead of being grateful for the things they have already done for us.

So, you might ask what brings me to a mere salad? Well, as you know I have been embracing parts of Suzy Homemaker and try to make a tasty and satisfying lunch for Bob to take to work. Honestly, I love thinking of ideas and often the middle of the night the best ones appear. Two criteria are unshakable...it has to have enough nutrition and energy for Bob, who is now only a mild diabetic, and adhere to our new plant based way of eating.

Leftovers are a great invention and with a few spots of colour from vegetables a most delicious salad can be made. Two or three times a week I cook a batch of beans ( chickpeas, kidney or lentil ) to store in our fridge. Once the mere thought of soaking them for 12 hours before cooking was daunting but now that I am used to it, it seems extremely easy to do. One sachet of 500g dried beans cooks up to an amount that will give us at least 5-6 meals. At an average of 2 euros per sachet, it is an extremely cheap source of protein and energy, not to mention healthy to boot.

That we have discovered this way of eating and that we usually have a broad array of vegan foods in our larder makes me feel very grateful. Not everyone has enough food to get three meals a day, so we shouldn't take it for granted.

Some of Bob's lunch: Leftover pasta, rice, chickpeas, corn, onions, garlic and some rocket...even at seven this morning I got a kick out of seeing this colour combo and thought I'd share it with you...

Biggi

Popeye Was Right About Spinach's Might.

A new elan discovered.

Cleaning was and never will be my strong suit but lately, I've have gone above and beyond. The extra mile or rather the extra window. Out of the blue a newfound enthusiasm takes hold and yours truly can be seen hanging out the window with cloth and sponge in hand. What gives? Even Mausi was shaken out of her leisurely slumber and took up station next to me on the sill.
I felt like giving her a headband and showing her how to wax on - wax off. Cute, my little karate-kid.

Mum has noticed that I do extra bits whilst we are cleaning the Kellerstocks. Unheard of really and it has given her renewed hope that I will follow in her precision footsteps. Eh, sorry mum!

When we started eating plant based foods, I read up a lot about it and one of the perks everyone mentioned was the extra energy one got. Naturally we could eat more greens like kale, spinach and broccoli ( I love those by the way ) but it is hard to get hold of them daily. Yes, yes, I should plant them in the garden. Next season for sure. Kale, which is touted as one of the super foods perfect for putting into the blender for smoothies, is not available here or if it is, I haven't seen it yet.

It isn't as though we only eat rabbit food. Far from it in fact. But we have increased our daily intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole wheat pastas, rice and potatoes among other foods. Well, all I can say is that along with Popeye, I will continue to eat my greens.

Biggi