What's For Lunch?

Here are two great bean recipes I created this past week.  I cooked them while also preparing our breakfast.  They are easy and awesome!  I used ingredients I had on hand.  Feel free to change it up with what you have lurking in your pantry or fridge.



Awesome big salad w/ black beans & corn, radishes, much more!

 Today's lunch:  Red beans & rice with a big salad.

The red beans:  Put a few tablespoons of water in a skillet along with about 1/2 (can be less) diced onion, and 1 celery stalk diced, including any leafy parts.  Turn up to med-hi heat and cook, stirring as the water evaporates to prevent sticking.  Add about 1/2 cup (or more if desired) of the Trader Joe's soy chorizo.  It is about the amount squeezed out from a few inches of the casing.  Any ground meat or sausage substitute will work.  There seems to be many good ones these days.  (The ground chorizo texture and flavor work really well added to chili or tofu.)

Let that heat for a minute, than add a can of rinsed red beans, and some diced red pepper, a half or more of a corn tortilla cut into little pieces, and about 1/2 cup of fire-roasted salsa, or your favorite flavor.  Add a splash or so of more water to create a little juice, a few cherry tomatoes cut up (or 1 Roma, all optional), and some diced green pepper, put a lid on it and simmer for 5 minutes or so.  That's it!  I didn't need to add any seasonings because of the great flavor from the soy chorizo and the fire-roasted salsa I had (Sprout's brand.)

I add the green pepper at the end so it retains it's vibrant green color and flavor.  I am not a fan of the taste of over-cooked green peppers!

Today's salad:  Finely chopped mustard greens and green leaf lettuce with radishes and their greens, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, and dried cranberries.  All the greens are from the farmers markets.  Blue Sky Farms greens are pretty amazing!  Try with a slightly sweeter dressing like a honey-mustard, or sesame-soy vinaigrette to balance the peppery mustard greens, and tart cranberries.

Sometimes I throw left-over steamed veggies into our salads.  We had lacinto kale, sliced bok choi, and onions sliced into half-moons steamed that we tossed with the other raw greens for a part raw, part cooked salad.

We reheated leftover brown rice cooked with amaranth to eat with the red beans.  Yum!



Quinoa w/ beans & roasted cauliflower




Add a salad ~ Lunch 2 go!

 Easy & Festive Black Beans:   (no photo yet of these colorful, tasty beans) 

Start like above by putting a little water in a pan along with 1/2 a diced onion, 1 celery stalk diced, and 1 carrot diced.  Turn heat to med-hi, and let cook a few minutes, stirring as the water evaporates.  When soft, add about 1/2 diced red bell pepper, and flavor with 1 tsp. ground cumin and about 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a 1/2 - 1 tsp. wheat-free or low-sodium tamari, and the juice of 1/2 of a lime, more if not very juicy.  Add a cup of frozen corn, and 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa (red or green).  Turn heat to med-low and let simmer, covered until heated through.  Garnish with scallions or cilantro, or another squeeze of lime juice if desired. 

Put the beans in a tortilla with rice or potatoes for a burrito, or like a tostada.  You can add avocado or sprouts, or fresh diced tomatoes if desired, or serve on thin sliced romaine lettuce.

Salad ideas:  Fresh romaine lettuce is crisp and juicy, and great with the black beans.  Add fresh red pepper, shredded carrot, radishes, or any extra veggies prepped for the beans.  Toss in some raw sunflower seeds, or roasted pumpkin seeds, and a fat-free French dressing, or creamy (non-dairy) Italian.  Walden Farms is a good choice.  Or Annie's Green Goddess with tahini.

That's what is for lunch.  Enjoy!

Why I Chose To 'Eat the Bun, Hold The Meat'

I tenuously have been writing posts recently about consuming a nutrient-dense, low-fat plant-based diet.  In truth, the title and inspiration that birthed this blog is about the effects of food on our physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual well-being. 

My apprehension was two-fold.  One reason was because for some time, I have been planning my diet around the idea that I had a wheat, yeast, or possibly gluten sensitivity.  I attributed eating wheat products to abdominal bloating, constipation, weight gain, allergies and sinus congestion, and skin break-outs.  I also thought eating excess carbohydrates caused a blood sugar imbalance.

For many years I consumed a lot of chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, some fish, and yogurt along with veggies, greens, fruit and nuts; and some whole grains.  I did the Body Ecology Diet years ago that strictly omitted soy foods, sugars, dairy, beans, and most grains except quinoa, millet, amaranth, & buckwheat.  The only nuts allowed were  soaked almonds.  I made 'milk' out of acidopholus powder, lecithin granules, and alcohol-free vanilla.  I had an oil-free dressing I used that was thickened with zantham gum.  Proteins were eaten separately from starchy veggies like the grains, or red skin potatoes.    It also included a lot of sea veggies.

I ate voraciously.  I was also very physically active.  My energy was great, I bounded out of bed, and my hair, skin, and nails sparkled.  After the first week of detox symptoms, I felt great.  But for some reason, I didn't continue it. 

Fast forward to last year eating a very low carb diet, 'paleo' with Don seemed to go well initially, yet several months or so into it, and I began to have noticeable weight gain.  It seemed that the longer I was on the diet, the more I craved meat, and fat.  I wanted beef more than anything.  We often ate beef twice a day, along with a lot of salmon.  I was cooking with a lot more butter and coconut oil than I previously had, and consuming a lot more coconut milk, and at times heavy cream that some paleo eaters slip into their diet.

My wake up call was looking at pictures I had Don take of me in my 2 piece bathing suit.  I had a wedding looming, and didn't like being heavier than I ever have been.  We were strength training, but I realized how foolish I had been thinking I could be so liberal with fat.  Excess weight shows up quickly on smaller women.  At that point, we cut way back.  That is when we began to change what showed up on our plates at meal time, and what birthed the blog.

Since Don is a blogger fairly known in the paleo community, my second reason for my trepidation writing about a low-fat, plant-based diet is because of my connection to Don.  Many of his readers visited me on my blog, and of course we all know which post headline of his made paleo history.

My quandary is my sense of having to back all of my choices up with double-blind studies and scientific evidence, a realm much more foreign to me than my husband, however I am learning.

I am a shoot from the hip kind of person.  I tend to prefer writing to inspire more than educate, sharing and owning only what I have come to learn from personal experience in hopes of it helping others.

Yet, the path that has unfolded, however planned or unplanned, has been true to the title, The Food Way to Health, Happiness, and Enlightenment.  I am more in love with food and cooking than ever, and feel lighter and more aligned with who I always was, with far greater understanding than I had previously.

In truth, I am absolutely excited to have embraced a diet very low in fat, high in fiber, and chock full of variety.  I want to celebrate food and share menu ideas. I don't want what I share to spark attack from those who have a different point of view about what is healthy.  There are numerous books available written by credible doctors woking in the field that people can read, and decide for themselves.  The truth is in the telling, and the first-hand experience.  I seek only to encourage or 'enlighten' and support those interested in adopting a more sustainable, plant-based, nutrient-dense diet.  I also hope to help people improve their health.

I personally have had many  improvements in my health.   I believe some of the symptoms I was experiencing were early warning signs of far more potentially chronic problems, as I have come to understand more and more from reading the many books written by those doctors for which I am very grateful.  

I know women who have been eating higher protein diets for many years that now have breast cancer.  Eating a lot of veggies is not enough to protect against the effects of dairy and meat consumption that have been linked to higher rates of many cancers, especially breast and prostate.  Cancer is incubating for at least 6-8 years before  manifesting as a lump or tumor.

I feel grateful I have changed my course, and trust implicitly that  I am headed in the right direction towards a healthier future,  aging more gracefully than I would have on the path I was on. I feel it in my bones and in my heart.  I know I will have averted much dis-ease that was in the making.  The signs were on my own breasts, and body, my proverbial 'wall.'

And why do I say I have far greater understanding?

I recently read, The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick -Goudreau.  She is the creator of The Compassionate Cook website, pod casts, and several vegan cookbooks.  She wrote in the Vegan Baking book which I checked out of the library about her 'awakening' process, and transition to becoming a vegan.

Her words really resonated with my own story.  I have returned the book, so I won't quote her, but will use my own version.  Basically the awakening process is the painful ah ha that happens when the right information crosses your path, and you realize you can no longer be asleep with this new awareness.  It is a lot like a loss of innocence.

When it really began to hit home for me as I read story after story, watched movies, and read books about the incredibly inhumane treatment of chickens, cows, and pigs, and began to understand the breadth of the impact of our world-wide growing demands for these foods.  We have been over-fishing as well, changing forever the ecology of our beautiful underwater worlds.  I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach.  I cried, as did Colleen when she came upon similar information.

The potential for salmonella poisoning, the high percentages of chicken that are randomly tested with high amounts of bacteria, the incredibly insensitive brutality of how they are raised,  the feeding of ground up cow parts being fed back to the cows, and likewise with the chickens, the contamination from the putrid waste and feces seeping into the ground and water sources that are than used in the fields giving rise to the deadly bacteria showing up on spinach, and the enormous resources needed to support an ever-growing demand hit me personally like a ton of bricks.

I had to acknowledge all the ways I lived blissfully ignorant to the source of my food supply.  I considered animals 'livestock' for human consumption, and conveniently disassociated from the essence of what it meant to be a consumer of these animals being raised in such horrible conditions.

It seemed to go against the very fiber of my being.  I love animals, and the environment.  I was contributing to an industry that is being governed by greed, increasing revenues no matter the cost.  And our growing demand is taking, and will continue to take an ever huger toll on all of us collectively.  It is a global concern of epic proportions.  It will cost us our lives and billions, perhaps trillions in health care, loss of lands, pollution, loss of oxygen-rich forests,  a growing world-wide epidemic of what were 'Western' diseases, now rapidly spreading, and far more.

But this isn't intended as a sermon.  I am merely sharing publicly how thunderstruck I felt and had to personally process an overwhelming emotion of remorse and sadness.  I felt like I had completely veered off my path so long ago, when I first chose to be vegetarian more out of curiosity for what were such new and different foods relative to the 'basic 4 food groups' of my youth.  It was a sinking feeling of realizing how much greater my footprint had been all along than I ever would have wanted to believe.  And an accounting for how easily I seemed to remain so ignorant to the truths.

It was all too easy growing up in Chicago to be so disconnected from the source of our foods, living far from any farm.   Jewell Food's was our supplier  for all I knew as a kid shopping with mom.  Rice was Minute Rice from a box.  Beans were not on my parents shopping list.  The variety of produce available today did not exist, much of it was from a can.  There weren't farmers markets in our neighborhood.  In fact, our neighborhood finally has its own market after all these years.  Beef was what was for dinner, along with chicken, spam, Velveeta, Cheese Whiz, and all that wonderful stuff thanks to my dad's desire for the depression circa food choices he never grew tired of.

When I first got a taste of the gritty whole-grain breads, and sandwiches thick with layers of veggies, sprouts, a slab of white cheddar cheese, and some mayo, or the nutty taste of brown rice, and the meatiness of beans, I felt my senses come alive.  I was in high school.  I owe my love affair with foods to the Heartland Cafe in Chicago, still standing after all these years.

I never read any of the books that came out about why to be a vegetarian, as much as I read cookbooks like Laurel's Kitchen, or The Enchanted Broccoli Forest or Moosewood Cafe for sheer inspiration and enjoyment.  I read about why these foods were good for us, and for our budget.

These days much has changed.  But the growing diet industry has led to a lot of conflicting information about the best foods to eat to lose weight and stay healthy.

I feel we have lost track of some fundamental sensibility that helps us stay engaged with what is really best for the whole of humanity.

I understand that how we eat is something deeply ingrained in our upbringing and beliefs.  Our nation is definitely a meat-eating nation.  I have eaten my share.  I voraciously participated, and even contributed to encouraging others to eat more protein.  I feel incredibly bad about that.  But I also understand the constraints many face with budgets, time, and needing to feed a family with varying tastes and needs.

I know that people need to come into an awakening on their own time, if they ever will.  It is something that takes over you, and can seem like being smacked in the head with a plank when you aren't looking.  Perhaps some make a change, however begrudgingly, at their doctors urging.


<><>

<>

<><>

 

Our last Paleo Potluck Meet-up post
Ancestral Health Symposium

 I don't at all expect everyone to become a vegan.  Yet if many people began to at least reduce their weekly animal consumption, it would make an astronomical difference.  Every bit helps. 



Friends of the Paleo Tribe

 In the meantime, every day that passes for me now I find myself feeling ever more drawn to want to cook, and share in my excitement about how fun it can be to eat a very nutritious plant-based diet.  I find the possibilities endless, and the colors and textures tantalizing.  I am excited about the foods, and how I feel.  I would love to share all I know with anyone interested.  I can help people take do-able baby steps, or go full-throttle into a life-changing direction through a change in diet. 

I can coach people on how to transition, and trouble shoot problems, or help find ways to make things work with given time constraints, needs, and routines.  So many foods exist these days that noone need feel deprived of their favorite foods.

To come full circle, I hope that any way that I can enlighten people about the joys and health benefits of this style of eating can be a way for my Spirit to feel like it is paying back for earlier choices that were not very friendly to animals or the environment.  I feel more aligned with my core values I have always had within me.  And  my sensitive side that I often hid for fear of being vulnerable, can express itself in compassionate ways that feel meaningful.  My growing passion emboldens my Spirit in a desire to serve.  And I get to enjoy many foods I have avoided with no ill-effects at all.



AHS slide from Don's presentation

 That is the essence for me of The Food Way...to Health, Happiness, and Enlightenment. 

If you have found a different path, I hope we can still meet as friends and not let our food choices turn us all into adversaries.  We are still made of the same stuff, a cool mix of heavenly and earthly material.  The same source, our planet earth, provides for all of us equally, and if we remember to be reverent stewards, abundantly as well. 

At some point, we have to realize how much each choice counts.  If we start to learn to think of what is best for the collective now, we can begin to make positive changes.  Each of us has a part, a gift to share, a divine purpose. 



Celebrating life w/ friends & family, Mother's Day Brunch the day after our wedding:)

 Let your food be your medicine, and let it enlighten you every step of the way!  

To read Don's story, click here.

What's For Breakfast (Part 2): Ideas & Recipes



Oats w/ soymilk; steamed collards & onion



My previous post was a long-winded attempt to inspire elevating the status of our first meal of the day.  Since my first draft was inadvertently lost and I had to recreate the post the next day, I ran out of time (and space) to include some suggestions and recipes.  I hope these ideas will encourage taking breakfast 'out-of-the-box', and onto the plate.

Since we primarily eat two meals per day (sometimes a snack between meals, or in the evening), it may seem like we eat a lot more then what you may be used to eating in the morning.  What we eat for breakfast can easily become breakfast and lunch instead, depending on your routine.  What I call our lunch is interchangeable with what most people may consider dinner.



Lentils w/ chunky zuchinni, red pepper, & onion (water) saute



If you have issues with snacking, afternoon energy slump, blood sugar balance,  mental fatigue or cloudy thinking, you may especially want to eat some protein in the morning.  Getting adequate fiber will also help stave off hunger, keep you full and satisfied, and also help you maintain blood sugar levels.  The protein will block the serotonin released from high carbohydrate foods.  Refined carbs will release the blood sugars even more quickly, increasing the serotonin levels that can cause people to feel sluggish afterwards.

Here are some ideas:   

Quick & Convenient .... Try sprouted or whole grain bread with some tahini, sunflower butter, or raw almond butter and fruit preserves.  The fig butter at Trader Joe's is really good, almost like fig paste.  Manna breads are sprouted and come in many flavors including carrot raisin, a banana nut, cinnamon date, rye, and others.  Have this with fruit.  Or try sliced apple or banana on the bread with the nut butter.

For lower fat protein, have toast or pita with bean dip.  Hummus is available in many flavors, and is also cheap and easy to make.  You can make bean dips from other beans as well, like Northern white beans, or black beans.  If you want, add sliced onion, tomato, or cucumber.

The Hummus Doctor makes several low fat hummus spreads without tahini, and a raw, sprouted hummus with tahini, all of which are delicious.  His spinach onion dip is excellent on whole grain rolls or toast!  If you are in Old Town Scottsdale on Saturday mornings, visit his booth, and he will let you sample all of it.

Kashi whole-grain frozen waffles are pretty good.  They are whole-grain, with a few grams of fiber per waffle.  Many of the gluten-free waffles have a lot of starchy fillers, and can be more refined, with less fiber.  Have a waffle with (soy) yogurt and fresh blueberries, or with some applesauce.  Try heating equal amounts of applesauce with real maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or honey if you want some of the flavor without as much of the sugar.  Have the waffle with any of the healthier vegan sausages that are now available.  Or, have an English breakfast.  Try the toast or waffle with sweet baked beans.  It tastes great.

In a pinch, I have a morning drink I will fortify with some protein powder, and/or powdered greens.  I mix in a glass with a little water 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds, soy protein powder with greens ( I use a great Super greens mix you can get on-line that is all organic, and really affordable relative to most I see at the stores.  It is called 'Best of Greens' and cost $35.99 for a 60 day supply.  You can order at www.ganobrand.com/tao)  I add a little carrot juice, Soy Dream soy milk, and liquid Vit. D.  It has the fat to deliver the fat-soluble vitamin, and some fiber along with the protein.  I eat within an hour, usually a hot cooked whole grain porridge. 

The above could become a smoothie.  Mix per person about 1/2 cup each of a juice, non-dairy milk, and fresh or frozen fruit.  Add the ground flax, and powdered greens or vegan protein powder.  Silken soft tofu blended makes a wonderfully creamy smoothie as well.  It can be blended with applesauce, banana, and a little orange juice; or any other fruit and juice combo.  Half of a container is about one cup crumbled, plenty for a smoothie.

One of my favorite breakfast meals is tofu scramble.  Lately I have been making a soy-chorizo, tofu, and vegetable scramble.  It is fast, delicious, and an easy way to add veggies to breakfast.



Southwest tofu scramble w/ braising greens & carrot medley

                                                                           

Add a little water to a pan, along with 1/4 -1/2 diced onion.  Bring the pan up to a med-high heat, and water saute, stirring as needed to keep from sticking.  After a few minutes, add some diced red, yellow, or green bell pepper.  If you want you can add diced radish or turnip as well.  Continue stirring, adding a splash of water as needed.  Put 1/2 container tofu, any type, silken soft works as well as the firm varieties, and about 3/4 cup of some soy chorizo.  I use the Trader Joe's brand.  It tastes great, is affordable, and lower fat.  I season with onion and garlic powder, along with some nutritional yeast flakes (a good vegan source for B-12).  Add a diced Roma tomato, or sliced cherry tomatoes and a little salsa or more water to make a little juice.  I like adding a diced zucchini or chopped kale at this point.  Cover, and let simmer on low for a couple of minutes until veggies are cooked.  Kale will turn a bright green.  Serve with brown rice, corn tortillas, or whole grain toast.

Hot whole grain cereals are a great breakfast that offers fiber, and can be prepared in so many ways.  It is economical and simple.  Health food stores have flakes similar to oatmeal that are made from barley, rye, whole wheat, and other grains.  They cook like oatmeal, and can also be tossed in a bowl with dried fruit and nuts, topped with a non-dairy milk, or water and soaked overnight for a 'museli' or heated for a hot porridge.




Brown rice porridge & Lentil soup w/chunky Southwest Veggie Stir-fry



A favorite combo cooked in oats for me is cinnamon, diced dried plums or raisins, and grated apple.  I like having my oats topped with soy milk.  Sometimes I cook it with blanched almond slivers or sunflower seeds.  You can also top with lightly roasted walnuts.

 



Steamed kale w/ simple homemade baked beans



Try having beans for breakfast.  Having some beans with greens and grain is a great way to start the day.  Beans and potatoes works too.  We often have Trader Joe's baked beans, or vegetarian chili heated and served on top of sweet potatoes for lunch, along with a salad.  It can be just as simple and good for breakfast as well. 

Breakfast burritos or tacos are easy.  They can be wrapped the night before and taken to go, or heated in the oven in foil while you shower.  Add salsa, sprouts, spinach, shredded carrots, or diced onions and tomatoes.  Quinoa is good with white beans and green chili or tomatillo salsa, or with red beans and diced Tofurky meatless kielbasa sausage.  There are also good vegan ground taco meat substitutes as well.



Left over brown rice porridge w/ raisins & pan-toasted pumkin seeds


We love brown rice in the morning.  We reheat leftover rice in more water to cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes while we get ready.  It will turn out creamier and more like a breakfast porridge.  If we want it with beans, we just put leftover already cooked brown rice in a stainless steel bowl and place it in our steamer pot to reheat.  This keeps it from drying out.  At work, we heat rice up in our toaster over using stainless to go containers that work really well.  We bring chili and soups in a thermos, and a huge salad of raw or steamed greens with us for our lunch/dinner, having fresh or dried fruit afterwards for dessert.                                   

There are many other ways to eat breakfast.  Some are using more conventional products, and are quick, others take just a little time prepping, but is worth it.  If short on time in the morning, get as much together the night before as possible.  Bulghur, steel cut oats, or other grains can also be cooked over night in a pot or crock pot.  If using a crock pot, try a ratio of 3:1 water to grain.  Add a cinnamon stick, and some dried fruit and enjoy hot cooked grain in the morning.  Top with soy or other non-dairy milk, toasted nuts, a fresh banana or blueberries, or enjoy with melon or anything else you desire.

Eating low fat will help regulate leptin levels in the body, a hormone that helps tell the brain when we have had enough to eat, and also begins to rev up metabolism for digestion.  High fat foods interfere with this natural process, preventing appropriate appetite control.  Children that have been born without leptin become obsessed with food, constantly desiring to eat.  One child as reported by British scientists needed liposuction in her legs at age 6, and weighed 208 pounds by age 9.  Once doctors began injecting leptin, her appetite came into control, and she began to lose weight.

Among the many reasons to eat breakfast, keeping it low in fat, high in fiber, and higher in protein seems to offer the best fuel for your body and your mind.  Having less protein at the evening meal may help those who have trouble sleeping, but when you need your pistons to be running through the day, the protein and complex carbs really helps.

Neal Barnard writes extensively about how to eat to stay healthy and balanced.  He talks about how tastes change in three weeks in his book, Breaking The Food Seduction.  Try changing up your morning routine for just 3 weeks, and see how you feel.

I hope these suggestions can help you fuel your energy for a wonderful day!

What's For Breakfast...Eating to Stay Balanced

Eating the right foods, especially for your first meal of the day, can make a significant difference in how you feel mentally and physically, and how well your energy will be sustained throughout the day.  If you make smart choices, you can keep your blood sugar balanced, and your cravings at bay.  If you are trying to lose weight, getting the right combination can prevent  snacking, saving you hundreds of calories daily.

Researchers in England tested the effects of food choices, comparing different breakfasts, each with the same amount of calories to see how well they did the rest of the day.  One breakfast was bacon and eggs with toast and grilled tomato, one included croissants with margarine and jam, and one was a bowl of bran cereal with sliced banana and toast.  The bran cereal had 19 grams of fiber, and was low in fat, however it still had the same amount of calories.  The first two breakfasts were very low in fiber, and high in fat.

Those eating the bran cereal snacked 75% less, and ended up eating 987 calories less throughout the day.  They felt more satisfied, energized, and alert from the high-fiber, low-fat breakfast then when they consumed the low-fiber, high-fat food selections.

Another study in Boston in which doctors gave boys instant oatmeal for breakfast to determine if there would be a significant difference in how much they would snack afterwards compared to when they were given regular oatmeal which retains more of its natural whole grain and fiber in tact.  Instant oatmeal is broken up more so it can cook quickly.  This causes the release of sugars into the bloodstream too quickly, leading to a quick rise and fall of blood sugar, followed by hunger soon after. 

As expected, the boys snacked about 35% less when eating the regular vs. the instant oatmeal.

I feel there is a lot of confusion around how carbs effect blood sugar, and with so many advocates of low-carb diets, many people have begun to fear the very foods that fuel our brain, help us feel full, satisfied, allow us to stay more energized and focused, and maintain calmer moods.  To begin with, all carbs are not exactly created equally, as the above study shows.

As soon as we refine whole grains, we change its effects on our blood sugar by speeding up the digestion, and subsequent release of sugars too rapidly to help maintain balance.  The more processed and refined, and the more other things are added like sugars and fats, the worse it gets, as now we create a product that is filling, but not satisfying.  We feel full in our belly, but not satisfied.  The body still hungers for healthy nutrients.

Yet carbs are half the calories per gram as fat.  So it has been very misleading to think that eating too many carbs makes us fat.  Perhaps eating too many processed carbs contributes to weight gain in part because of these foods being low in fiber, and often high in fat.  They often have minimal needed nutrients, and lead to cravings and snacking.  We aren't getting what we really need. 

The addition of higher fat to the diet also leads to insulin insensitivity.  It is hampered from doing its job getting fuel into the cells where it is needed.  The blood sugar than can build up in our blood stream.  Over time, we create a blood sugar imbalance, but it can be corrected through diet.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman believes that people who experience hypoglycemic symptoms such as fuzzy thinking, rapid heart rate, increased irritability, etc. between meals that have been told to eat protein at every meal, and eat more frequently are only masking what he considers symptoms of toxicity by eating more animal foods.  He feels this is not correcting the underlying imbalance.  I can attest to this personally as for years I focused on eating more protein to stave off my own hypoglycemic symptoms.  However, in retrospect, I can see how this never solved the problem.  I remained a slave to the clock, needing to eat every 3or so hours.  If I didn't, I would lose focus, and have such tension in my facial muscles I appeared angry.

To try to deal with post-meal bloating, I focused on food combining strategies.  I did the eat the burger, hold the bun routine.  I would eat 4-5 oz. of animal protein, on a plate filled with salad and steamed greens.  I dumped the good 'heart-healthy' olive oil all over the veggies.  I avoided vinegars because I thought they could trigger candida flare-ups. 

One year I went on a beef binge.  I was told eating more beef helps people with candida, and with sugar cravings.  I figured my bloating, allergies, skin break-outs, and constipation were due to candida yeast overgrowth.  My mind is very impressionable when I am eager to change an ongoing chronic condition.  I ordered Asian a lot!  Beef and broccoli, hold the rice.

My sugar cravings, except for dark chocolate, subsided.  Yet interestingly enough, these days my diet reflects much more of what I used to hold, along with the same pile of veggies I always ate.  I had been told once by a medical intuitive years ago, prior to the current gluten-free explosion of products, that I had a wheat sensitivity.  She intuitively 'saw' me creating wonderful baked goods that were 'free' of various ingredients people are trying to avoid...wheat, sugar, dairy, gluten, and that I would possibly have a cafe or bakery of sorts where I would sell these alternative goodies.

One could hypothesize that I missed the proverbial boat with that trend.  Yet I now enjoy so many of the foods that were once on my hit list of menacing dietary staples that were not to enjoyed by me in this life time (or so I thought.)

It's interesting to note that our nation was consuming the bulk of their calories from grain until into the 1900's.  Corn was our initial primary staple.  Wheat came later.  Once  hard wheat was introduced that made better breads, and we began to process foods and add preservatives to expand shelf life, wheat boomed.  At its peak, we were consuming on average 220 pounds per person per year.  But with the advent of the booming cattle industry, growth made possible with technological advancements, wheat consumption declined to about 150 pounds per person annually.  We also gained weight, and began to see a huge surge in what have become called the 'diseases of the wealthy', namely heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer.

The USDA noted this trend, and began making recommendations to scale back on fat consumption, and consume more grains.  We ate more grains, but continued to eat the fat and animal foods.  And now other cultures are following our unhealthy trends.  Cultures that have predominantly consumed a plant-based diet are becoming wealthier, and their taste for meat is blossoming with the burgeoning accessibility of all things Western, like fast-foods, and Coca-cola.

It is easy to see why there is such confusion as to the real culprits of our food-related maladies.  The carbs we were eating as the 20th century progressed were more and more refined, and the consumption of dairy and beef were fueled by ad campaigns declaring them as the cornerstone to good health.

Yet the cultures that have until very recently consumed the white rice, corn, white potatoes we've developed phobias to eating, along with  other starches, fruits, and vegetables, have escaped the obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer we experience.  Unfortunately, the scales are tipping in the wrong direction, and with the widespread demand for meat, these diseases are fast becoming a global epidemic.

So what does this all have to do with breakfast? 

For starters, studies have shown that those eating more whole grains had between 21-26% less risk for getting heart disease, and the protection offered from grains was better than fruits and vegetables. 

What you eat for that first meal can make a big difference in total calorie consumption for the day, and can greatly influence your productivity at work, minimize cravings, and keep blood sugar balanced.  It can also effect your moods.

If you tend to have little time to prepare a meal before heading to work, chances are you either don't eat, or eat very lightly.  Coffee and a bagel, maybe yogurt and a piece of fruit, maybe just a pastry.  The caffeine can have the effect of reducing your appetite, yet you have not given your body the appropriate fuel.  You can avoid the mid-day tremors, or crash by eating something more substantial, that includes fiber from complex carbohydrates.  Even a bowl of oatmeal, or any of the other grain flake cereals like barley, rye, or a mix cook quickly and will have much better staying power.  You will feel more satisfied, and manage better in between meals.  Try any of these cooked with chopped dried plums or raisins, cinnamon, and half a grated apple.  Top with non-dairy milk like soy milk for added protein.

If you have become accustomed to eating a higher protein breakfast because you experienced a sleepiness after eating carbs, the fix is simple.  Eat plant protein in the morning.  Beans are the best source of protein as they have minimal fat, and are full of healthy phytonutrients.  They fill you up, keep blood sugar balanced, and are incredibly economical and simple to prepare.  Beans are readily available in cans for extra convenience. 

Having even 1/2 cup of beans for breakfast, or making a quick soy-chorizo and tofu scramble* along with some greens and any cooked whole grain, or whole grain or sprouted bread will keep you feeling focused and satisfied.  The key is to eat some protein first as this triggers the release of acids to begin digestion.  For something really quick, try any of the Ezekiel or Manna sprouted bread flavors toasted with a little tahini or sunflower butter and all-fruit preserves, or top toast with a little nut butter and sliced banana.  Or make a fruit smoothie fortified with a tablespoon each of ground flax seeds and raw cashews or a healthy protein powder, soy or almond milk, and dried, fresh, or frozen fruit.  Joel Fuhrman has a recipe for a chocolate smoothie that has spinach in it, but you would never know it.

Also, make sure you eat plenty of food!  Skimping on consumption of these naturally lower calorie, nutrient-dense foods will leave you feeling hungry, and possibly over eating later.  Fill up!  If you are not used to eating this way, the increase in fiber may leave you feeling full feeling at first.  The stomach fills up quickly eating high fiber foods.  This is a good thing!  It does not fill up eating high fat foods, rather it leaves us feeling full, yet not totally satisfied.  We may feel full, yet the body is starved for  needed nutrients, so we then crave more of something, often grabbing the wrong somethings...empty calorie snacks to 'tide us over.' 

So here is a challenge.  Try changing up your morning routine if your present one could use some improvement.  What you change here can impact your health in positive ways.  Whether you want to feel more focused, balanced, lose weight, feel more energized, and improve your mood, try eating a bigger first meal that includes some healthy plant protein, whole grain, fruit, and even veggies.  Greens, grains and beans are a great way to begin the day!  It may seem odd initially, but you will quickly expand your notions of what the traditional starters to the day can include.  Eating veggies first thing ensures getting in at least the minimum daily recommended amounts of some of the most nutrient-dense foods.

Since changing how I eat, I have noticed that foods I thought I didn't digest well I now do, and I am enjoying an awesome variety of foods.  I've even stuck my toe back into the 'wheat' well, testing the water.  I have found some great whole grain rolls at the Scottsdale Farmers Market.  The Bread Basket located on Miller near Sunflower Markets sets up a table on Saturdays at the Old Town Market.  They have rolls that are 100% whole grain, with minimal added oils and sugars.  They are naturally sweet and soft.

 I had my first burger with the bun in a long time.  It was a veggie burger on one of the rolls with  some of the Hummus Doctor's vegan spinach and onion dip smeared on it.  It seemed so decadent.  I had that with a bowl of miso soup filled with veggies and buckwheat noodles, and greens on the side.

The satisfaction is akin to a food orgasm.  These once 'detrimental' foods are my new healthy 'decadent delights.'  The sweetness inherent in a whole grain roll calms cravings for dessert afterwards. 

We typically eat breakfast around 10 am, and lunch (dinner) between 3-4 pm.  I may have a light snack after work, or occasionally between meals I will eat an apple or some dried fruit or nuts.  The two meals is what best fits our schedule during the work week, and we change it up a little on the weekends.

I have effortlessly lost weight and my blood sugar levels seem way more balanced.  I can go for as much as 6 hours or longer in between meals without the hypoglycemic reactions I used to experience which were at times very troubling.  I may feel hungry, but it no longer feels like the toxic hunger that Joel Fuhrman describes in his book, Eat To Live. And, for the first time that I can remember, I have finally healed my ongoing bouts of constipation.  That's enough to make me jump for joy, as many can attest to the pleasure of healthy elimination!

If you are dealing with heart disease, or want to reduce risk, eating oatmeal (regular, or steel cut oats) is often plenty for breakfast for many people.  Many of the patients that follow the low-fat, plant-based diets from the many doctors now advocating a nutritional approach to arresting, and reversing this disease along with diabetes  eat the same thing every morning.  They have come to love their first meal.  It is simple to make either in a microwave or stove top, or even by pre-soaking the night before.  You can add fresh or dried fruit, cinnamon, and top it with a non-dairy milk, sugar-free apple sauce or fig butter, or even a drizzle of brown rice syrup. 

Several of these doctors have written  books that are easy to read, and include meal plans and recipes.  Try Neal Barnard's Plan for Reducing Diabetes, or Dr. Caldwell Esselystyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease for starters.  Caldwell's son, Rip Esselystyn, an Austin firefighter and tri-athlete,  also wrote a book called The Fire Engine 2 Diet.  Dr. McDougall   has several books with recipes, shopping lists, and menu ideas.  If Rip can get the manly firemen of a Texas station healthier from a low-fat, plant-based diet, anyone can do it.  And by the way, follow this link to his book on Amazon and check out the short video about his book.  These guys could be in a calender!

They all have slight differences.  For diabetics, Barnard recommends avoiding foods like white rice and white potatoes that are considered high glycemic index foods, meaning they may cause a quicker spike in blood sugar levels.  Dr. Esselystyn of the Cleveland Clinic focuses on heart disease, and is adamant about eliminating all oils.  Dr. Fuhrman, (Eat To Live, and Eat For Health 2 book set) focuses on high nutrient density foods, and systematically takes people through stages of dietary changes that he feels are more do-able for most people.  He does not insist on eliminating animal protein, although he will gradually have you reduce consumption, trading for more nutrient-dense foods.  His big suggestion is to eat at least a pound of greens daily, trying to eat big salads as your main meal for lunch or dinner.

What they do all agree on is getting plenty of plant foods.  And they all agree about the benefits of beans, and eating a nutritious first, and every meal.

T. Colin Campbell, co-author of The China Study linked up the effects of casein, one of the main proteins in dairy, along with animal foods with the promotion of cancer.  He found that it takes a relatively small amount of these foods to 'turn on' cancerous cell growth. 

I know women dealing with breast cancer that have a history of eating a lot of animal foods, dairy, and fat, including  so-called healthy foods like whole fat Greek yogurt and coconut oil.  Eating ample portions of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables is not adequate to counter-balance the ill-effects of the offending foods.  We all have cancer within us.  It just takes the right conditions for it to manifest.  Tumors have been gestating for around 6-10 years before they are large enough to be detectable.

That is just one more reason to begin learning how to incorporate beans and whole grains into your diet.  The phytonutrients help mimic estrogens, allowing excess to be swept out of the body.  They provide excellent nutritional support, and ample protein.  We get plenty of protein from plant foods, addressing another fear people have about giving up meat.  One hundred calories of broccoli has almost double the amount of protein as 100 calories of a lean steak (over 11 grams vs. around 6), in a more generous portion than the steak.

I hope this inspires you to eat a healthy breakfast.  Don't let lack of time be an excuse.  You'll get a lot more time from your ticker if you take steps to eat right.  Break your fast with healthy, fiber-rich, whole foods.  Your body will smile, and your brain will breathe a sigh of relief.  Think how much less time at work you will miss by taking care of yourself now.  If you knew you could prevent (or reverse) heart disease and diabetes, lose weight, cut risk to most cancers, reduce cholesterol, feel better, and have more energy...wouldn't it be worth a try, even if at first it just seemed a little different?  I guarantee in no time, you will have a change of tastes, and heart!

I want to thank those who have left comments.  It means a lot to me.  My brain is sparking with blog post ideas, but my ability to get it out into the Internet ethers is still challenged, both by available time, and my present technology tools.  (Anyone have a lead on a new or refurbished Mac???)  I actually had to completely re-write this post as the first attempt I made after completing it yesterday was lost.

I hope this helps those  who are desiring to make a dietary change.  I am a great trouble shooter!  I am expanding my services to be available as a health coach, and may offer classes with Don when we move that will include demonstrations of how to transition to a healthier plant-based diet.

I have a food journal, and mini book about how and what to eat nearly done.  Don is working on our e-book about weight-loss.  I will keep you posted.  I will follow this post up with some ideas and the awesome and simple soy chorizo-tofu scramble recipe with my next post.

Enjoy your breakfast!