Happy Monday!

Summertime…and the livin’ is easy…. That’s how I feel when I’m at my summer childhood vacation spot, Cape Cod. I’m leaving for the Cape in a couple of hours and can just about taste the salty air that awaits me. I look forward to this week all year. This break came just in time.

Last Saturday, I served as a guest speaker at the Adult Congenital Heart Association Regional Conference. It was a beautiful event and gives me hope for a bright future of plant-based eating, which is better for our health, the environment and the animals. I spoke during the morning session, before the first round of doctors. At the Q&A, someone asked about plant-based eating relative to congenital heart disease. To my surprise and delight – several of the doctors chimed in. It turned out that 3 out of the 4 doctors on the panel where plant-based eaters and believe fully in this way of life! That made my heart happy.

Below I outline the main points of my talk. If you follow these techniques that I have developed over nearly two decades of research, self-exploration, trial and error and eventual, success, then you too will end cravings and lose weight without deprivation. Remember, everything you need to be your best self is inside you, sometimes waiting to be discovered but it is there. Do not compare yourself to others as all beings are fantastically different. You are unique, you are special and you have tremendous power within you. You can do anything you set your mind and your heart to. Knowledge is power so let’s get to it.

The S.A.D. Dilemma

S.A.D. Diet. The standard American diet is sad. It provides the perfect recipe for obesity and disease with calories coming mostly from refined foods and animal products, which are low in nutrients and have no beneficial phytochemicals, found only in plants. This diet is also highly addictive. Foods labeled as healthy, nutritious and wholesome are often anything but.

Become your own detective. Is that marketing claim truthful or misleading? Read labels. If there are more than five ingredients and you can’t pronounce one or more of them, then that is a classic case of a food-like substance being marketed as food and you shouldn’t eat it. Check out the ingredient list of prepared foods at places that market themselves as health food stores. Without calling out any one health store by name, I will say that too often, you’ll discover that despite the beautiful appearance and food displays, these are not fresh markets after all – hint hint, wink wink.

H=N/C

Health = nutrients/ calories. This is a simple health equation by Dr. Joel Fuhrman who promotes a nutritarian diet. When you increase your nutrient intake relative to calories, the pounds start to shed, you have more vitality, suffer from less colds and experience less disease.

As an easy way to remember foods that we should consume every single day in abundance, I like to use Dr. Fuhrman’s acronym G-BOMBS.

Nutrient-dense foods include:

• G reens
• B eans
• O nions
• M ushrooms
• B erries
• S eeds

You can also remember to eat the rainbow – brightly colored foods are high in antioxidants  and nutrients and help to reduce inflammation. Other anti-inflammatory foods include ginger, cinnamon and turmeric. I put cinnamon and turmeric powder in my coffee each morning. *As a side note, if you are on blood thinner medication, too many foods with vitamin K – such as dark, leafy greens – are not good for you. Always talk to your doctor before making major changes to your diet. Make them a part of the discussion.

THE CROWD OUT APPROACH 

Now you know what you should eat more of but how do you do it without feeling deprived?

You essentially crowd out refined, processed foods with nutrient dense, whole foods. Remember, you aren’t eliminating anything you love so keep eating those same foods, just less of them if they are not whole foods. Each day introduce a little more of this and include a little less of that until you get to a point where your body wants more of the good and less of the bad.

What about protein? All the aforementioned nutrient-dense foods contain protein. The S.A.D. contains much more protein – and often unhealthy protein at that – than our bodies need, which can actually be counterproductive to a healthy existence. I have been a vegetarian for the past 27 years and a plant-based eater for the past two. I have never counted calories nor protein grams. Consume a variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods and you will get enough healthy protein. If you are worried about your protein intake, feel free contact me directly I will point you to the research and science that should ease your mind about protein.

90/10

Another form of crowding out and achieving a balance is to follow the 90/10 rule. Cheating is not only allowed but encouraged in small amounts as part of this healthy program. Eat clean 90% of the time and don’t worry about it 10%. The beauty is that the 10% cheat foods will become healthier because your palette will have changed.

Finally, modify your favorite dishes. I’m from Boston and love Clam Chowder or chowda as we call it. It’s part of my youth. Now I make a modified, delicious version with mushrooms instead of clams and cashew cream instead of dairy. This and many of my other dishes have been adapted from recipes found in my all-time favorite cookbook – Isa Does It.

Integrative Nutrition Plate

While I love to make food, eat food and talk about food, any healthy program includes guidance on other areas of life that contribute to health. The plate pictured left may look similar to the USDA plate but there are notable differences. We’ve replaced dairy with water, included healthy fats and oils and emphasized lifestyle factors aka Primary Foods, which include relationships, career, spirituality and exercise. Holistic health considers the person as a whole. Lifestyle factors are just as important, if not more important than diet when it comes to achieving and maintaining optimal health.  When you prepare homemade food, you tend to move and stand more (which burns calories), you spend more time with loved ones sharing and you value the food more because your heart and soul went into the dish’s preparation. Do more of that – cooking, sharing, caring – and you will achieve holistic health and happiness.

Brown bag it and ABS

It’s a proven fact – cool kids bring their lunch. Pack delicious foods and plenty of water to bring with you for the day. That way, there is less chance of you consuming something your body and your conscience would prefer not to. Preparation equals satisfaction and satiation. A typical lunch for me contains – leftovers (soup, hearty salad, rice dish, etc.), apple, orange, banana, avocado, nuts & seeds. I work out at lunchtime and can get extra hangry during the day so I keep Amy’s Indian Samosa wraps in the freezer as an occasional treat when my packed lunch isn’t enough. While homemade is best, Amy’s wraps provide a portion-controlled, organic, veg-filled option for those times when I need a little more somethin’ somethin.’

And remember to ABS – always be snacking. Have portion-controlled jars of mixed nuts, seeds, dried fruit, berries, etc. These foods have a high nutrient content and good fats, which will keep you happy and firmly planted on your healthy track. I like to add sea salt and nutritional yeast flakes to my trail mix. Nutritional yeast is a great source of vitamin B12, which is a must for plant-based eaters. I add it to soups and pasta as well. Nutritional yeast gives foods a delicious, cheesy-like flavor.

Shop smart & know your food

Where do you find this wholesome, delicious and nutritious food? Farmer’s markets are perfect places to purchase fresh, organic, homemade food at a good price. I normally buy fresh veggies at the farmer’s market on Saturday and make a cashew cream veggie soup on Sunday, which provides lunches for the work week. Also, consider joining a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture for a weekly veg/fruit box during the season. If you live in South Florida, I highly recommend CSA program from Bee Heaven Farms. You know you are getting the freshest, local, organic produce from them.

You can find whole foods like organic brown rice, dried black beans, flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds in bulk at wholesalers like Costco and BJs. Don’t discount the discount stores.

If you have a green thumb, then home gardens are the perfect way to get your hands dirty (which is also good for health) and get closer to your food. Not sure how to start? Fresh herbs like rosemary, basil and sage are easy to grow and will give your homemade dishes and extra healthy kick. Interested in eating organic but not sure which foods are on the “clean” or “dirty” list? Consult the Dirty Dozen Clean Fifteen list.

water – my favorite subject

If you spend any time with me, you’ll get an earful about water. I’ll be drinking water, offering you a glass of water and/or talking about water. I am water’s #1 fan. Most of us are walking around dehydrated and never realize that lack of water is responsible for headaches, cravings and irritability.

Here’s what you do –

Morning routine. Drink two glasses in the morning upon waking to complete the body’s detox process.

Before meals. Drink a glass before meals to prepare the stomach for digestion. Try not to drink liquids during or immediately after meals, as this disrupts the digestion process.

Curb that craving. When a craving comes on, drink a large glass of water and wait 15 minutes. That craving is likely gone. However, if you still crave that particular food, eat it and chalk it up to your 10%. Enjoy it! There is no place for guilt on this program.

Daily water intake. My trick for getting enough water is to fill up a 32-oz jug (I recycle a 32-oz Santa Cruz pure organic lemon juice container) in the morning and drink it while I’m getting ready for my day. I fill up one more to bring with me to consume throughout the day. This makes it easy, effortless and routine – all keys to your health success.

Discover your best self

Like the Nike commercial. Just DO IT.

• Get a buddy/partner to embark on this health journey with you
• Keep a journal – the Integrative Nutrition Journal is my all-time favorite journal to get started and stay on track
• Healthy workshops – Attend holistic health and cooking workshops
• Chart it – Use a calendar to chart goals and successes – like drinking enough water 😉
• Find a coach – you can find health coaches all around the world to assist you to reach your goals

Follow these techniques and you will get lasting results.

You have the power to do anything. I invite you to…

Choose to live well.

Choose to eat clean.

Choose to sacrifice nothing.

Choose to discover your best self.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer to the fullest.

Stay well,

Susie