WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

I really debated whether or not to write this post. Normally my blog theme consists of trail running and the occasional story about being plant-based and of course being a mama. This will definitely fall into the plant-based category.

While many who know me know that I have been plant-based for over 20 years. I definitely can say that I followed the common trend of veganism though in regards to stopping meat initially, but I did not necessarily follow a healthy diet. I would say that I have been vegan for quite a while but have only been truly plant-based within the last few years. What is the difference? Well, Oreos are vegan. Potato chips are vegan. I was consuming some oily standard American fair while thinking I was being healthy.

However, the more I read and the more I investigated, I realized the difference and I made a change. What you may not know, is that I have very low hemoglobin and ferritin levels. Particularly in regards to my ferritin levels. What is Ferritin? Ferritin is an ubiquitous intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion (thanks internet). My levels are so low because I went for 21 years with undiagnosed Celiac disease. My body just did not absorb any iron and therefore ferritin.

To put it into perspective here are my levels over the last few years (it is all that I have in terms of history) and keep in mind that a Standard Range is 22-291 ng/mL

My history:

12/2005 : 3

6/2006 : 1

6/2013 : < 5

7/2013 (had a retest to confirm) : < 5

6/2014 : 13

I am surprised no one was freaking out in 2006 and clearly I avoided the doctor after that. But somehow, I managed to give birth to two beautiful kids and survive. Obviously, I have never had normal levels yet I continued to race and run ultras (stubborn much?).

The period between 2013 and 2014 where my levels bumped up to 13 is when my doctor insisted that I take an iron supplement. I took the supplement but I didn’t enjoy it.

In January of 2014 I started taking the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Course where I learned a  great deal about supplements and why we do not need them and how in fact, they can do more harm than good. I graduated from that class in March and in mid-June, I stopped taking my iron pills.

It was around this same time, that I read Dr. Esselsytn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease book and My Beef With Meat by Rip Esselstyn as well as all their cookbooks. I also started taking my Rouxbe online plant-based cooking course in August of 2014. While I knew a lot of this information, reading it and studying it just reinforced what I have known all along: plant-based food can cure and heal and that we do not need oil in our diets.

I started cutting out oil (we don’t need it is pure fat and has minimal nutritional value and severely damages your arteries). I cut out oil pretty easily as I rarely cooked with it. I have always cooked using vegetable broth instead of oil, but I also stopped eating other foods that contained oil.

I also started training for the Mt. Tam 50k as well as the California International Marathon. Best of all, I purchased my beloved Instant Pot and I began the habit of making sure I had home-made vegetable broth on hand and a ton of beans made from scratch that I freeze in can size portions.
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I started making my own hummus and dressings. I stopped buying a lot of store bought things preferring to make my own. Thanksgiving and Christmas were both plant-based oil free holidays in my house and the food was fantastic (thanks to Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn and Engine 2 recipes).

Enter 2015 and I have continued on this path. I ran the Salmon Falls 50k in February followed by my 3rd American River 50 miler in April (with a huge PR). Then, if you follow my blog, you read that I just ran 32 miles on the Western States course. I have run way more over the last year than I did the previous year.

As we are approaching June, I decided it was time again to get my annual blood work done. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I haven’t taken my iron pills in over a year and I’ve run more races harder and faster than I have before.

As it turns out, I was totally blown away. Not only did I lower my cholesterol to 136 (not that it was ever high it just dipped even lower), I also boosted my hemoglobin, doubled my iron AND my Ferritin is now registering at 25!! For once in my life, I have normal Ferritin levels!

Graphic from http://www.carlagoldenwellness.com/2015/02/05/nutrition-only-in-animal-based-foods/
Graphic from www.carlagoldenwellness.com

I 100% wholly contribute these improvements to my dietary changes over the last year. While I have made many changes to my diet, what I am about to share is not meant to be anything more than what has worked for ME. Please do not take what I am sharing as medical or nutritional advice. It is just what worked for me.

So having my Instant Pot meant that I had ready-made access to beans every single day. I’ve broadened our variety from just the usual chickpea, kidney, black beans, pinto and lentils to navy beans, pinquinto beans, red lentils, green lentils, split peas, yellow split peas, cannellini. When I see a new bean I get so excited. Per the advice of the Esselstyn family, I have mountains of leafy greens almost daily (including for breakfast sometimes). I STOPPED having smoothies. I haven’t had a green smoothie in over a year. For me, having daily smoothies just proved to be a recipe for disaster. First of all, you can’t tell how many calories you are tossing into that blender and some smoothies could easily reach the 400 calorie mark. For me, smoothies increased my appetite. I need to CHEW my food. Not drink it. In my opinion, smoothies on a daily basis teach your stomach to stop doing its job. If you give it liquefied food, it will no longer be good at doing what it is supposed to do, breaking down food. I constantly found that I had tummy troubles from smoothies. I stopped the smoothies, my tummy improved and I lost weight. Go figure.

I make sure that I have oats in some form for breakfast (whether raw, cooked or made with kale yum try it so good) every day. I bring my own food for lunch at work and usually it will consist of greens, beans and quite often potatoes (or a salad) and dinner is much of the same. We started eating a ton more potatoes in my house due to their ease of travel and the ability to batch cook them and have them throughout the week. I have lost weight, not gained. Don’t be afraid of whole food plant-based carbs!

Really, those are all the major changes I have made. I have definitely been more conscious of what I am eating and why. Basically, I add no oil to my diet, I majorly increased the beans, lentils, greens and other veggies that we eat and I have oatmeal every single morning. I’ve stopped the junk food snacking.

Currently, I am working on my racing fuel as really, if I am being honest, during a race is probably the only time I succumb and have something I would never normally touch on a day to day basis and it isn’t even that much. In training I bring my own plant-based food and I consume that but for some reason, in the heat of a race, my body is calling for that crap. I am still working on that one so stay tuned.

But overall, the purpose of this post was to share that if you are considering a plant-based diet but you are afraid you won’t reach all the nutritional values that you need (especially if you are racing in some form) that you can! It is possible with planning, work and a little education. Variety in your diet is key. You can’t just eat the same thing day in and day out. Try new things. See what is in season at your local farmers market or grocery store and then google recipes for it (omitting any added oils of course).

The experts like Dr. Esselstyn, T. Colin Campbell and the crew at Engine 2.com are right, you can thrive and succeed on a whole foods plant-based diet. I did not give up. People told me for years that I would have to eat meat to bring up my iron and ferritin levels or take an iron pill for life but I knew deep in my heart that was not the case and that a true whole food plant-based diet could help me. It did.

Of course, I am very proactive as well. I get my blood work done annually to make sure my levels are all in check. While I probably get very little sleep compared to most people (hello, I wake up at 4:30 am to run), I make sure to listen to my body and its cues. When I am tired and dragging, I bring the workout down a notch or I skip it and I stop and take a look at what is going on with myself and I make the necessary dietary changes (more kale, less spinach, more potatoes etc.).

Am I perfect? No, of course not. No one is. I just try my hardest to feed my body fuel, not necessarily food. Luckily for me, it is pretty darn tasty fuel at that and I enjoy following recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. It can be fun! Try it!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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PLANT-BASED : QUINOA

Quinoa (pronounced keen-waa) is a very versatile whole grain. It isn’t even really a grain as much as it is a seed. A little known fact about quinoa is that it is actually related to Swiss chard, spinach and beets! It is naturally gluten free and is a plant-based source of a complete protein which means it provides all nine essential amino acids.

Quinoa can come in three different varieties: white, red and black. Just one cup of quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 15% DV iron, 30% DV magnesium, 19% DV folate as well as heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

I like to use quinoa in place of rice AND oatmeal. Yes, I said oatmeal. I will have quinoa for breakfast quite often and I find it fills me up longer than just a bowl of oatmeal.

Quinoa can be prepared just like rice but will actually cook faster. For basic plain quinoa, I often take 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water or broth and place in a pot and turn the pot on to high heat. When the water starts to bubble, I lower the heat to low, cover the pot and set my timer for 20 minutes. I find that 20 minutes is just right for me, but many have luck at 15 minutes.

I buy a large bag of Quinoa from Costco (ranges about $13 per bag) but a little goes a long way, trust me.

On Sundays, I will often make 1 cup of quinoa (which requires 2 cups of water) and cook as directed above. I then divide the cooked quinoa when done into four or five containers with about a half a cup of cooked quinoa in each. At this point you can store (covered) in the fridge, or cool and prep your breakfast for the week if you know what you like ahead of time (just leave off the nondairy milk). I like to put my plain quinoa in the fridge and then add ground flax seed, cinnamon, blueberries and almond milk and throw in the microwave to warm up each morning before work (or reheat at work).

I will also post two recipes for two meals using quinoa below.

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I challenge you to buy some quinoa this weekend and experiment. Quinoa is very much like rice in that it takes on the flavor of the food mixed with it or used to cook it (i.e. vegetable broth vs water).

Here are the two quinoa recipes for you to try:

Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Pistachios (recipe from With Style and Grace)

Pizza Quinoa Casserole (recipe from Peas and Thank You)

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

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GETTING MOTIVATED

Since my last big post,  I have been trying to get motivated to do a lot of things that I feel I put to the side during training. Since AR50, I’ve been spending more time with the girls, more time resting, hanging with friends and planning birthday parties for the Peanut and Squeaker.

I have also been contemplating this blog and my last big post about being Plant-Based. I am basically learning on the fly and finally diving into what this website can do or really, what I can do to this website.

What I have learned is that I cannot have a “blog” like format (i.e. multiple posts) on separate pages. So that Plant-Based page I was dreaming of, did not quite materialize as planned. Instead, I spent quite a bit of time “Categorizing” my posts into separate…well, categories. If you see on the right hand side of your screen, there are four categories listed: Trail Running, Plant-Based, Race Reports and Uncategorized.

So basically, I will have to continue posting on this page (Home) BUT if you recall a post that you read here that you’d like to go back to, or if you missed a few (hey, it happens I can’t expect everyone to subscribe – hint hint) then just click on the Plant-Based category and you’ll find what you are looking for (I hope anyway).

I am working on a few posts (in my head) that I need to sit down and pan out a bit. Time has been consumed lately with a certain little Peanut’s 7th birthday that is quickly approaching as well as an awesome get-away weekend with some old and new friends.

The Trailmomma family traveled to La Porte, California (population 26 – maybe on a good day) for a wonderful weekend where we “unplugged” so to speak and enjoyed good company and great food.

Stonegate planned and organized the whole thing and she did a fantastic job. She assigned me to a crew that consisted of 3 or 4 other families for our Saturday evening meal prep. I was in charge of the vegan/plant-based dish. I lugged my Instant Pot all the way to La Porte and it came through 100%. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of my final meal, but it was pretty tasty and I used a new (to me) bean called a Pinquinto! I followed this recipe here modifying it a bit to my liking.
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The Saturday Night Meal Spread
The Saturday Night Meal Spread

Also, I have a Facebook page – www.facebook.com/trailmomma that mostly consists of plant-based nutrition posts or photos. So if you like that kind of thing, feel free to head on over there as I tend to post more frequently over there than I do here. 🙂

IMG_0139

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

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POTATOES – GOOD OR BAD?

So I realized the other day, as I was maintaining my Plant-Based “page” on my internal work “Facebook but not Facebook” page that I am recreating the wheel here.

So I thought I might get a twofer done by reposting some of what I post on my work page here, until I can figure out the best way to manage this Plant-Based page. The WordPress “gods” won’t allow me to post “entries” like I do over on my trail running page, but it does allow me to post new pages – hence we have this Potato Page. :)

Recently, someone asked me to talk about “bad veggies,” for example, potatoes or corn and to dispel any myths that may be associated with these veggies.

So today, I’ll focus on the good old potato! It seems that the introduction of the Paleo diet all but destroyed the lovely potato’s healthy reputation. And they ARE healthy. Just look at its nutritional stats!

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 8.05.42 PM

Potatoes are low in calories, low in fat and low in sodium and sugar. They are high in potassium, Vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin B-6 and our friend FIBER – we need more fiber in our lives!

Potatoes do not make you fat. I repeat, potatoes do not make you fat. What makes a potato “bad” is what you put ON the potato. Fried, sautéed or roasted in oil or perhaps topped with cheese, sour cream and butter and let’s not forget creamy mashed?! Yup, those are not the spuds I am talking about here. Those potatoes are a recipe for disaster (pun intended).
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I eat potatoes, whether it is sweet, russet, Yukon or red almost daily. It’s true, I do. I actually make a whole bag of potatoes in my pressure cooker and then store them in the fridge in a container. Potatoes are versatile and have quite a long shelf life. If I get home late I know that I have an already cooked potato in my fridge that I can top with broccoli, nutritional yeast or salsa and have a quick, easy and filling meal. I usually like add black beans too which really completes the meal. I often do this on a bed of spinach or kale to bump up the nutritional value.

Remember, potatoes are not the enemy. The important thing is that you vary what you eat. Change things up a bit but don’t avoid the almighty potato for fear of gaining weight. Just be mindful of what you top your spud with … you’d be surprise how filling a veggie loaded baked potato can really be!

Side note: for those with Diabetes, here is an interesting article pertaining to a vegan diet and diabetes. Potatoes and diabetes do not always “gel” but you can enjoy the occasional (healthy) spud if you are able to get your (Type 2) diabetes under control or quite possibly eliminated.

 

*I am not a doctor or nutritionist/dietician. Please do not mistake what I suggest as medical advice especially if you have a medical condition. 

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HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED?

I know I usually write about my super fun trail runs or some PTA function that has rubbed me the wrong way but tonight, as I was cleaning up from dinner and from some extra baking that I was able to fit in, I started thinking about this post.

I have been wanting to write something like this for a very long time but I guess I just never sat down and penned it out. Maybe I didn’t think I had the proper platform or audience but really, this blog is as much a hodgepodge of things as I am in real life so why not right?

Of course these are my own observations (as random as they are sometimes) so do what you want with it but for me, it seems pretty clear or perhaps CLEAN is the word I am looking for here?

IMG_7399

How many of you have a pan that looks like that one? In all honesty, that’s what I call my “meat pan.” While I have been plant-based for over 22 years now, 10 years ago I married a man that was not. Together we had children that were also not born and raised plant-based (in hind-sight, yes I would do it all differently).

That baking sheet above has cooked all the “meat” that has ever entered my home. I have a frying pan that I call my “meat pan” as well. I will not eat anything that has touched that pan or cookie sheet. Not only for the meat factor but also the gluten factor. Still, every time I look at it, I get a little more grossed out. Trust me, I have cleaned, scrubbed and soaked this pan numerous times. It just never seems to get clean enough. It has this film over it that never ever goes away.

Fast forward a few years and Vans is now plant-based and the Peanut and Squeaker, while in this house, are also plant-based (minus cheese – we’re working on it – baby steps). I haven’t touched these pans in a very long time (unless it is something that contains a lot of gluten that I don’t want contaminating my other pans).

IMG_7401

That is the pan I use all the time NOW. Notice the difference? I’ve probably used that pan over one hundred times.

Yes, I use parchment paper or silicon sheets when I bake things like cookies for my trail runs or for the girls.

Engine 2 Cookies!
Engine 2 Cookies!

Yet, the one thing that I have noticed in both my baking sheets AND my frying pans (I have meat free frying pans as well) is that EVERYTHING and I mean everything is SO much easier to clean. No residue. No stickiness. No dark patches where fat or grease has seared to the pan.

What exactly IS grease? Has anyone ever looked it up online?

Screen Shot 2015-02-12 at 9.37.52 PM

Hmmm, oily or fatty matter? Does that sound appealing? Would you want to eat a nice plate of oily or fatty matter each night for dinner?
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Now, let’s take this image just one step further shall we? Imagine, just for a moment that the first pan I showed you … here, let me show you again …

IMG_7399

… now imagine THAT is your heart, your intestines, your stomach! To be honest, that is probably not a far off image from what it probably DOES look like inside your body IF you do eat meat, oil and other greasy things.

Have you ever cooked dinner and then had to soak your pot or pan just to try and remove the grease and sludge that was left behind? What about brillo pads!? Maybe you’ve scrubbed with those for a few minutes trying to get back that new pan glow? Guess what? I don’t even own a brillo pad. Do you know why? Because my pots and pans look like this.

IMG_7401

When you cook plant-based and OIL free (key word being oil free) you don’t have to scrub. ANYTHING. I never have to let anything soak a few minutes to let something “unstick” so that it can be clean.

Think about it. Do you let your stomach soak? Your intestines? No. Typically you follow your meal with a dessert or perhaps another snack later? That oily greasy film is building. It is building in your arteries and destroying your endothelium cells. That means it is slowly clogging and forming plaque bit by bit. Greasy food by greasy food.

For me it is simple. That imagery of my super easy to clean pan verses one that is sticky, oily and turning black? Just translate that to what is inside your body. Sure you can cover up that pan with tin foil as many people do but that’s the same as taking statins when you have high blood pressure or cholesterol medication when you have high cholesterol. You are just masking the problem. Not fixing it.

IMG_7383

Food doesn’t have to be cooked in oil. When I make a “stir-fry” I use vegetable broth or water. I bake using parchment paper or silicon baking mats. You do not have to cook with oil to make your meals taste good. I don’t. While I haven’t always been this way, I have slowly learned and educated myself more and more. Oil is pure fat. There is zero nutritional value to oil, any oil, what so ever.

Honestly, the proof is in the pudding, or should I say pan? Do me a favor, take a look at your pots and pans. Is there a greasy sticky oily residue on them or are they super hard to clean? Chances are, that’s what your heart will look like too some day.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

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