It Begins
The story behind the blog.
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Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 9
Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 9: Have you ever wondered what our physiology says about what we should eat? People have tried to sell blood type diets, paleo diets, etc., but the way we are built says so much more about what we should eat. So, let’s take a look.
Research: Let’s start with teeth. Both the Forks Over Knives and What the Health documentaries point out that our teeth are most similar to frugivores and herbivores. Look up what the teeth of omnivores and carnivores look like. Our teeth are built for plants.
The same goes for our intestines. Carnivores have a shorter intestine whereas we have a longer intestine so we can digest cellulose in plants. Our bodies seem to be saying plants are our friend.
Resource: What the Health and Forks Over Knives
Recipe: I don’t really like leeks or dill…yet. I’m trying. I think people who like leeks and dill would enjoy this recipe.
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff: https://rainbowplantlife.com/creamy-vegan-mushroom…/
Belle was enjoying lunch outside with me.
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Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 8
Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 8: “The calculus of aging offers us two options: We can live a shorter life with more years of disability, or we can live the longest possible life with the fewest bad years. As my centenarian friends showed me, the choice is largely up to us.” – Dan Buettner
Research: Dan Buettner has been studying the Blue Zones for more than two decades, and one thing he found was that our traditional cuisine is plant-based. This shows that this way of living is not revolutionary, but in fact, part of our past.
Resource: https://www.bluezones.com/blue-zones-kitchen/
Recipes: Fermented foods are part of our past too. They offer such great benefits for our microbiome. Kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough bread… These are all options that should be added to a healthy diet. Today I am attempting two ways to add fermented foods to my life. The first recipe is for a sauerkraut (I added caraway seeds since I like Bavarian style) and the second recipe is for a sourdough starter.
Sauerkraut: https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/2019/12/01/sauerkraut/
Sourdough Starter: https://littlespoonfarm.com/sourdough-starter-recipe/
I also wrote a post about the origin of my starter’s name in case you are interested
. https://feettotheearth.blog/2023/06/08/meet-levain-loo-vahn/
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Meet Levain (loo-vahn)
Fermented foods are part of F GOALS according to Dr. B, so I’m expanding my opportunity to make fermented goods at home. I’d like for you to meet Levain (loo-vahn), my sourdough starter I am working on. She is just a baby right now, but someday she will be producing all kinds of sourdough goodness.
Many people name their sourdough starters because they become a part of the family (sort-of). This starter can last for decades and decades (maybe even generations) and can be used for all kinds of carb-alicious items such as bread, pizza crust, crumpets, and more. Levain’s name stems from a boulangerie in Paris that I frequented. This bakery was accessed through a beautiful walk in the Marais, my home arrondissement for a month in 2013. I just loved the atmosphere there and one of my favorite photos I took was of this very bread haven. Sometimes they have an awning out that says “Au Levain du Marais”. Levain means to leaven or sourdough. Hence, my new food baby, Levain. Click here if you want to hear the beautiful pronunciation.
If you are interested in trying your own sourdough starter, there are a myriad of recipes. I just happened to try this one. Baking and accuracy are not my strength, so hopefully Levain will have a long and prosperous life.
https://littlespoonfarm.com/sourdough-starter-recipe/
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Morning Ritual
Each morning, I have a routine I follow, and just recently I’ve added a new element.
My morning begins with a walk with Belle. It doesn’t matter the weather, I walk Belle everyday. I think this is so important for her, and it gives me a chance to start my day outside. Our walk is brief (especially during the school year), but that is okay. We have seen beautiful skies, walked alongside a fox, felt the peace of snow falling, and let our minds wander as we walk in silence.
Once we return, it is time for tea and breakfast. In the summer I opt for an Earl Grey Green Tea and in the winter I prefer an Earl Gray Black Tea. My breakfast changes, but I always try to have a diversity of plants to give me a good start. This morning I had Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Bread, organic peanut butter, bananas, cinnamon, flaxseed, hemp seed hearts, and chia seeds.
After this, I get dressed and ready for the day, then wake everyone else up to get their day going.
My new favorite part of my morning is my brief yoga stretch I’ve added outside. I got the idea from The Happy Pear. They are happy-go-lucky twin brothers from Ireland who live a plant-based life. The stretches are very basic, but they feel good, and to do them outside just adds a new way to keep my feet to the Earth (literally).
Routine:
- Pigeon Pose
- Trapped Wind Pose (at least that is what they call it)
- Crescent Pose
- Cobra
- Child Pose
I want to include more yoga and meditation in my life, but I’m going to start with something I know I can commit to each day (perhaps inside in the winter). This is so rewarding and simple. Be sure to watch the video to hear why I like doing this outside.
We saw the moon this morning.
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Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 7
Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 7: Plant-Based and Whole-Food, Plant-Based do not mean the same thing. On a plant-based diet, I can still eat Oreos, Impossible meat, chips, etc. Being on a whole-food, plant-based diet means only eating real food without any other ingredients. This means no oil. Yikes! Let’s see why.
Research: The Esselstyn family is very against oils, and here is why: “NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.”
That endothelium is what you want to keep healthy to prevent heart disease.
Resource: Dr. Cladwell Esselstyn https://www.dresselstyn.com/site/
Food Tip: Okay, so how do you cook foods without oil? Won’t they just burn. What about roasting vegetables? What about dressings? I have turned to The Whole-Food, Plant-Based Cooking Show to learn new techniques. When I see a recipe, I now know ways I can remove the oil and get a great-tasting result. At first this was all kind of intimidating, but now I feel like I’ve upped my chef skills and I’m excited about how I can become even more comfortable with experience.
How to Cook Without Oil: https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/2020/05/10/oil-free-vegan-cooking-tips/
Simple Dressing: https://eatplant-based.com/oil-free-salad-dressing/
“Crack” Dressing: https://plantbasedcookingshow.com/plant-based-cooking-made-easy-volume-1/ (featured in the salad image)
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