Quite a few months ago, when I was in the midst of my Rouxbe cooking certification and reading more and more about Engine2 and Dr. Esselstyn and their messages for a heart healthy way of living via a plant-based diet, I heard about this ‘event’ called Plant-Stock.
Just the name intrigued me let alone the fact that I have been reaping the benefits of a plant-based diets for the last 20+ years. 🙂
If you didn’t already know, I am very passionate about living plant-based and sharing any and everything I know about it to anyone who wants to listen. Just because I have been this way since I was about 16 years old, doesn’t mean I know everything which is why I took the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition course a few years ago and more recently, Rouxbe’s Professional Plant-Based Cooking Course. I just yearn to know all that I can, read all that I can so that I can share all that I can.
I am sure many of you have heard or seen the movie Forks Over Knives. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you rent it, borrow it or download it as soon as possible. I owe that movie for Vans finally making the switch to an (almost) plant-based lifestyle and sticking with it for over 3 years now.
There is a scene in that movie, where they are talking to Dr. Esselstyn on his family farm in Claverack, New York. THAT is the place I am going to be this weekend! Let me clarify, I am going to listen to and (hopefully) meet the following plant-based legends I have spent the last few years following, reading and learning from while spending two days at the Esselstyn Family Farm in NY:
The author behind Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Dr. Esselstyn presently directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and is one of the biggest voices in promoting a Plant-Based diet.
Ann Crile EsselstynJane Esselstyn
Ann and Jane Esselstyn co-authored the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook that is just fabulous and full of yummy amazing recipes. I am super excited to meet these two. Jane, a nurse, is also going to hold a cooking demonstration!
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I am very excited to hear the other speakers as well. Many of whom I have either read their books or know about them and their messages.
Dr. Tom Campbell – author of the Campbell PlanDr. Neal Barnard – author of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing DiabetesDr. Doug Lisle – author of the Pleasure TrapDr. Robert Ostfeld – founder and director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Medical Center in NYCHoward Lyman
As an added bonus, we are also going to watch Plantpure Nation while we are there as well! I am super excited because the night I leave California, that movie is finally being shown in Sacramento and I was bummed to have missed it. Now I get to see it! I also helped fund and support that movie when it was trying to make funding for screening.
I am beyond excited about this adventure. Of course I am going to miss my girls and Vans but even Vans understands how huge this is for me.
As an added bonus, I will get to visit with Jersey Dad for a bit too but unfortunately, not for very long. I truly wish he could attend this conference with me.
I hope to come back from this trip with a recap for the blog along with photos. You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook as I am sure I will be posting some updates there as well.
Hopefully, in the meantime, I can figure out what is going on with all my old posts and all the missing photos. 🙂 As usual, stay tuned!
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 healthyÂť 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.Âť
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.
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. It effectively increases the sexual arousal in the male body encourages the viagra generika appalachianmagazine.com execution of sildenafil tablets. The treatment option includes medications, order cheap cialis appalachianmagazine.com testosterone replacements, surgical prosthesis, and also vacuum pump equipment. Add pre boiled viagra pill milk and cardamom to it and stir well. Patients can expect an effective treatment time buy cialis from canada of 4 – 6 hours but many GPs report longer times.
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).
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 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!
Time just seems to be flying by me lately. I swear that just yesterday it was the first of October and I was super excited for my favorite month and now, BOOM we have less than two weeks left! Halloween is just right around the corner. The girls couldn’t be more excited about it.
Of course the time is also flying when I look at my 50k training plan and see that we only have three weeks or so until race day! Gulp. My training has been less than stellar compared to races past but I do what I can do, when I can do it, which seems to be my M.O. for most of my races.
I am so behind in so many other areas of my life right now, why not tack on lack of mileage for a 50k? My blog has been suffering lately, I am behind in my Rouxbe assignments and now add lack of training. Vans has been traveling lately for work so my time for other things is limited but I have been enjoying my solo girl time with those two cuties above.
I did get in one last long run before Vans left on his trip. Last Sunday Burning Girl and I decided to do the route that we had done with Stonegate Girl just two weeks prior. I was pretty confident that I knew the way … famous last words.
My “P’s” – Pearl Izumi & Picky Bars.
Burning Girl picked me up and we drove to the Auburn Damn Overlook. The sun was up so I wasn’t too worried about the dark and I wasn’t even worried about seeing a bear like last week. We were on the other side of ADO and for some reason, in my head, that means I am safe. I know, not the best theory but I am going with it.
Off we ran down the hill and onto the single track. It was pretty darn cold compared to just two weeks ago. We were just chatting it up and we realized that without Stonegate Girl, we had to do a lot of the talking. 🙂 Which of course means that I was not paying close attention to where we were running. Yes, I took us down a wrong turn. We realized it pretty early on but we just kept going with it. We knew that the river always had to be on our right to be going in the right direction.
Up. Down. Over boulders. Under logs. We did it all. Soon we popped out onto a section of the trail that did look very familiar to me. I felt like this was the “secret” trail that I had been on a few weeks ago when I ran with another group. However, all of a sudden, things stopped looking familiar and we came across quite a few forks in the trail or turns. We’d stop, look around and make the best decision of what WE thought looked right. 🙂 Burning Girl is so easy-going. She wasn’t worried one bit but I was getting a tad bit nervous and could hear PigeonĂ‚Â yelling at me in my head. 🙂 Soon we came across this interesting piece of BlairwitchĂ‚Â art.
Not scary at all.
Burning Girl thought this was pretty cool and so we stopped to take some photos. I felt very secluded but was hopeful that this trail would pop us back out onto the main trail where we needed to be.
Come on trail! Lead us!
We just kept running. I stopped talking and was being more aware of my surroundings. I didn’t like that some of the trail hadĂ‚Â a rock ledge above us. I always fear that something will be sitting on that ledge.
Finally however, we connected with the main trail and I was flabbergasted as to where I had made the wrong turn. We clearly came down to the river way too early and it bugged me. Burning Girl said to let it go, she loved the adventure.
Familiar Trail
I have to say, even when we were back on the normal trail, there has been lots of work lately on the trails, leaving them looking a bit unfamiliar at times. Still, now I know what I did wrong and I know where to turn next time. I swear.
The rest of the run was pretty fun. We ran into a LOT of other ultra runners out on the trail. On our route back we ran into numerous hikers and horses. So no need to worry (Dad), we were never far from someone out there. All in all, we got 15 hard miles done in a decent time and then soaked our legs in the canal again (which was WAY colder this time around).
In some other exciting news my fabulous Great Aunt Debbie came for a visit! Technically she is Vans’s Aunt and the girls’ great aunt – is that right? But we all call her the Great Aunt Debbie. 🙂 She came down from Idaho and we have not seen her in quite some time.
Luckily Facebook allows her to keep tabs on us and the girls and she is always my number one reader and commenter on this blog (Hi Debbie!). I wanted to share that she has lost 25 pounds recently! She has done so by really cleaning up her diet and added more exercise!
She reaches out to me from time to time for nutritional advice. She’s always been plant-curious, meaning she’s been thinking and asking about plant-based living. She does eat some meat but she’s really increased the greens and added foods like quinoa to her repertoire. I was super excited for her visit because she always asks me for recipes for the meals that I post on my Trailmomma Facebook page.
AĂ‚Â lot of what I have been making lately is either part of my Plant-BasedĂ‚Â Rouxbe cooking assignments OR from my two new favorite books. Mostly, I have to say, they have been from my two favorite books (Prevent and ReverseĂ‚Â Heart Disease Cookbook and My Beef WithĂ‚Â Meat)Ă‚Â … and I wanted to share those booksĂ‚Â with my Great Aunt Debbie so that she can learn more about living plant-based and why it truly is the best and healthiest way to live.
Look at that skinny mini!
She was super stoked to get these and she’ s already made a few of the recipes and is sold! I am super-duperĂ‚Â happy. These books and their recipes are EASY. Really easy. I don’t have the time lately to prepare elaborate meals (although I do for my RouxbeĂ‚Â assignments) but I truly believe in the Esselstyn Family and their message about plant-based eating. It makes sense and for someone (like myself) who hasĂ‚Â aĂ‚Â high family history of heart-disease, it is a no-brainer. The 100mg tablets make it easier to deal with male impotence. levitra lowest price Many studies have proven that viagra 100mg usa these psychological factors are usually blamed for the condition. In the side effects of tadalafil 21st century, online prescriptions are the way to declining. Men instead of viagra generico mastercard being ashamed of disclosing about it to their doctor should face it and has no permanent cure to it.
However, I do enjoy making some of the more elaborate meals that Rouxbe asks us to make. They are time-consuming though and I find that I can only make most of them on weekends. One dish at a time.
Home-made Veggie Broth used to make Cabbage Soup
The cabbage soup above was a shocker for many reasons. I had no idea it was THAT easy to make your own vegetable broth. Really, 90 minutes is all that it took (I did have an issue with throwing away all the veggies though). I also didn’t think I would like cabbage soup much but I was wrong. It was tasty! I made the above Esselstyn style – without any oils.
Cashew bechamel aka Creamed Greens over Brown Jasmine Rice
I am not a cashew sauce fan. Mostly because I do not like the flavor and I do not like the amount of fat it can add to a dish, but in honor of my assignment, I made the above and I admit it was pretty darn tasty. It also makes A LOT of sauce … so I have been sharing it with friends.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings – these were GOOD!
Other than cooking when I canĂ‚Â andĂ‚Â running when I can, I still feel like life is flying by. I look at my girls and see how big they are getting. My blog happens when it happens. I’ve been reading a little more lately too, trying to find time to squeeze that in to let my brain rest at night (something I am not very good at doing). With Vans out-of-town, I have also been getting more sleep. Not every night butĂ‚Â most nights. Some nights, it is the usual, I am up late finishing laundry, packing lunches, prepping meals and trying to squeeze in a few Rouxbe assignments but I make sure to follow it with a night where I do not do that and instead I read in bed. No tv. It’s been really nice actually.
Stress can come in many forms. It doesn’t always come from work, it can come from the things you enjoy like cooking and blogging and worrying (about not running enough). So, I am trying hard to calm my mind. I even woke up early one morning and stretched. That was it. I did some core work but mostly, I stretched my achy muscles and it was wonderful.
I have a lot to be grateful for in this world. I have two beautiful girls, a wonderful husband who supports my running as well as other craziness and friends and family that I cherish more than anything. So for me, I plan to stay on this planet a long time and combat the genes that were given to me as best I can. Healthy eating, exercise and mindfulness is the name of my game.
Vans was in Whistler, Canada for six days last week leaving me with the girls for our own little week of adventure.
Who is he with?!
Not to worry though as we didn’t waste any time getting our own little party started …
Dinner at my our favorite restaurant the first night!
The girls understood that Daddy was away doing a bike race at our friends house in another country and that we had to continue on our usual routine as best we could without him. For me, that meant no more morning or weekend runs with the usual girls or using soccer practice as a time to do some of my Rouxbe cooking assignments.
The running part was an adjustment, but luckily I work for a company that provides showers and a locker room so I took my running outside a few days week during my lunch hour. The distance is only four miles and there is only about 9 feet of elevation (picture a completely flat bike trail and business park) so instead, I motivated myself to start running faster.
It worked!
I was able to maintain an average pace ofĂ‚Â about 7:37/mile each day thatĂ‚Â I ran on my lunch break. The temps were in the 90s too so it was pretty hot when all was said and done but it was a nice stress reliever which I have needed since work is growing more and more insane lately. Ă‚Â I have also been using my standup desk more and taking the six flights of stairs at the office. I keep reading articles about how sitting is slowly killing us by raising ourĂ‚Â triglycerides and insulin levels and that a mere 30 minutes of activity doesn’t do squat to combat the damage. I commute at least two hours each day to work, I sit at a desk all day long most days and when I come home, I am sitting with the Peanut doing homework. I know it may seem like I am on the go all the time but the reality of it is, I do spend a lot of time in a chair. Think about yourself. How much time do you sit in a car, a chair, at a desk or on a couch? Really think about it. The number may surprise you.
I also recently have been diving more and more into my favorite type of cooking. The online cooking course I am taking through Rouxbe is great but it is your basic plant-based cooking style using things like coconut oils and cashews to create rich and fulfilling meals. My family history of severe heart disease and heart attacks really makes it hard for me to eat that way all the time. I truly believe in the work behind Dr. Esselstyn and when I finally received his wife and daughter’s cookbook, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, I have been on an plant-power cooking adventure!
Mango Salsa!
Rouxbe does have a unit on oil-free cooking and I am eagerly waiting to get there so I can learn even more tips and tricks to cooking fantastic plant-based meals without oils or nuts.
Another Esselstyn inspired meal – Green Onion Hummus
It is really important for me to try and maintain a healthy heart (as it should be for everyone). I don’t need to share the statistics that prove Americans are getting more and more unhealthy and are more and more reliant on pharmaceuticals to try and “fix” their ailments. Drugs do not reverse anything. They are only a band-aid which is why I love Dr. Esselstyn’s message. He’s a doctor, a cardiologist and is first line of defense for any of his patients is to avoid medication and put them on a plant-based oil and nut free way of living. Not a diet, a way of life.
I know I know, so many of you are probably thinking “What?! You already do not eat gluten and meat, what on earth are you going to eat now if you leave out oil and nuts?!” It isn’t that difficult to cook oil free. Oil has no nutritional value to it what so ever. It is pure fat and can do massive damage to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery. Nuts will be a little harder as I do love almond butter. What Dr. EsselstynĂ‚Â and his crew (including his son Rip who is the founder and drive behind Engine 2) say, is that if you do not have a history of heart disease that 100% avoiding nuts and fats like avocado isn’t AS crucial.
I should preface this by saying I am TRYING to be better about living this way. In the years before Vans and the girls, my diet was very much low fat and nut free and I truly felt my healthiest (minus that gluten thing). However running and training for ultra races also presents various problems when you are maxing out high mileage on a weekly basis. In fact, my usual pre-race breakfast is a bar that contains a lot of nuts! What to do?
When asked about “moderation” Dr. Esselstyn’s response is generally, “if you eat unhealthy foodsĂ‚Â in moderation, you will have a moderate heart attack.” It makes sense. I am just trying to get the hang of it all. Eating this way and being active is doable. Rip EsselstynĂ‚Â is a former professional triathlete and firefighter who ate this way during his training days. It can be done. We shall see where this road takes me.
In other healthy news, the Peanut had another soccer game this weekend wherein she played goalie during the first half. One goal made it past her but her team soon rose to the challenge and returned the goal and many more.
The fierce goalie!
It was a pretty grueling weekend. The temperature was in the 100s both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday started early with soccer photos for every single team in the league!
Say Cheese!
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And the girls.Squeaker hiding from the heat.
We had the soccer photos at 9 am (and it was scorching already) followed by a game at 11:00 am. Come noontime, everyone was fried and exhausted. Since I wasn’t able to run on Saturday due to all the soccer activities, I planned a run with Stonegate, Burning Girl and PigeonĂ‚Â for early Sunday morning. I haven’t seen Pigeon in quite some time so I was totally stoked when she said she could run with us!
Pigeon arrived at my house promptly at 6 am and we ran ourselves down to the trail head to meet Stonegate and Burning Girl. The sun had just come up and Pigeon and I were catching up on some lost time and laughs. I love how we can always pick up wherever we left off.
We headed out on New York Creek looking to do about 16 miles for the day. My house is about a half mile from the trail head so that added an additional mile for us. Right off the bat my legs felt a little tired but they soon came back to life for a short while. The run out is always nice. It is somewhat downhill and we’re usually super excited and chat the whole way. By the time we passed Spanish House over by Folsom Lake the conversations were starting to slow. I felt like I had a bowling ball in my tummy for a while but it luckily subsided after I ate some food and took a salt tab.
Amazing views
The trails are a bit technical on this side of the lake compared to the route I normally go but it was a nice change of pace and it had some real nice rolling hills that we’d run and occasionally walk. Poor Pigeon had run 26 miles on Friday, 15 on Saturday and was sticking with us on our 16 mile run today. Her legs were beat but she was able to hang with us.
So lucky to live so close to trails like this.
We chatted and shared stories. The girls laughed endlessly at my fear of birds and Stonegate is longing for the day when a turkey crosses my path on the trails. I am sure she will have her day one of these days especially as we approach Thanksgiving.
The sun was rising!
Even though we started running at 6:30 am you could feel the heat coming. The air was thick on our route back and we were reduced to walking a bit more. We also encountered a million mountain bikers on the trail having a few close calls with some head on collisions.
Overall it felt good to be back out running some distance on the trails. I definitely feel the absence and I hope that I can rebuild the stamina I once had when it comes to running longer. I am also looking forward to the next two weekends coming up. Lots of adventures are ahead quite a few of them will be in Tahoe!
Meanwhile, I will be back in the kitchen cooking for Rouxbe as well as trying to incorporate some of my own plant-based meals ala Esselstyn style.
