TRUTH: I’ve lost 25lbs since February. My blood pressure has gone from 200/105 (on 3 blood pressure medications!) down to 101/59. Want to learn how?

How did I do it?  Well, if you know me, you know I recommend the documentary Forks Over Knives to everyone because it really showcases well the ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC  PROOF behind the doctor recommended way of eating that is sooooooooooooo simple, I can summarize it in JUST four words.   I have been researching dietary issues for 8 years; while not an expert, I have learned a lot!

First, let’s look at some hard cold truth about diet-related deaths in the United States (from the latest CDC reporting found on their website here:  http://www.cdc.gov/).

 596,577 annual deaths from heart disease (the #1 cause of death in the US)

+576,691 annual deaths from cancer (the #2 cause of death in the US)

+73,831 annual deaths from diabetes

=1,247,099 total deaths per year that could be prevented by diet alone.  

Let’s do the math…   

6o seconds per minute 

x 60 minutes per hour 

= 3,600 seconds per hour

x 24 hours per day 

= 86,400 seconds per day

x 365 days per year 

= 31,536,000 seconds per year

Divide that by 1,247,099 deaths, and it equals 1 death every 25 seconds that could be prevented with a simple FORK!! 

People and politicians are all in an uproar about gun control…  How about we rally for FORK CONTROL instead???   For every person that dies from a gun, 114 die from something that could totally be within their own control!!! 

Moreover, this doesn’t even address the people that aren’t dead YET…  You know, the people who are so sick they just FEEL dead (that was me!).  They are pumped up with heart medications, nerve drugs, insulin, and chemotherapy, and have to deal with the awful side effects of the meds AND their diseases.  YUCKY YUCKY YUCKY!!!!

There are 26.6 MILLION non-institutionalized (non-nursing home or hospital) people – NORMAL PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME with heart disease in this country.  There are 20.1 MILLION non-institutionalized people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S.  There are 20.8 MILLION adults diagnosed with diabetes!!

HELLO, PEOPLE!!!  For goodness sake, change what you eat, CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

My blood pressure this afternoon!  I'm so happy!

Some might say I’m the "pot calling the kettle black" right now (because I am still overweight), but I can honestly tell you that just by changing what I put in my belly, I have lost 25lbs since February of this year.  My blood pressure has gone from 200/105 (while on 3 different blood pressure medications—Propranolol, Triamterene, and Hydrochlorothiazide) down to 101/59 with NO MEDICATION.  I haven’t taken blood pressure medication for over 3 weeks.  No more swollen feet and ankles, no more high pressure headaches, no more dizziness! 

   I  FEEL ****GREAT!****

I still have weight to lose, but I wanted to share this with you NOW, so you can change your life, too!!

How did I do it?  The way of eating that is sooooooooooooo simple, I can summarize it in four words.  Here it is: 

Only eat whole plants.

“Huh???  What??!?!  Susie, what do you mean, only eat whole plants???!!”  

It’s that simple.  

If it isn’t a whole plant, don’t put it in your mouth.  Preservatives?  Not a plant.  Artificial colors?  Not a plant.  Fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc.?  Not plants.  Cheese and butter?  Not plants either.  Burger-Helper-chemical-flavoring-disaster-in-a-box?  Oh mercy… Do not even let me get started on that stuff!!!

Right now you are probably saying, “But-but-but-- Susie!!!  What about my favorite double-stuff-ginormous-king sized-pancreas killing-bacon cheeseburger that I’m sooooooooooooo addicted to????”  

Don’t worry, you WILL get over it.  You WILL go through withdrawals if you have a cheese addiction (yes, cheese addiction is REAL, and that I will address in another post).  

I can show you how to make a healthy veggie burger that will knock your socks off.  I can show you how to make delicious cheese from nuts and soybeans.  JUST DO IT. 

What qualifies as a whole plant?

Basically, if it originated as a seed or spore, it’s a plant.  If it has been processed into a cracker, chip, white flour or white sugar something-or-other, it’s no longer a WHOLE PLANT, so don’t eat that junk either.

Some examples of edible whole plants include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Grains and grasses like millet, wheat, buckwheat, maize/corn, quinoa
• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro roots, cassava roots
• Countless types of beans (if you eat them often and cook them the correct way, you won’t get gas!)
• All vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices (NOT meat-based broth/bullions unless specifically labeled vegan and made with whole herbs and no msg)
• There are lots of types of edible flowers!

Anything you can make out of whole plants is ok to eat.  Minestrone?  Yep.  Burrito Bowl?  Sure thing.  Pasta Primavera?  Absolutely.   Thai, French, or Indian food?  Count me in!  You can find great recipes on this site:  http://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/

(No, I don’t receive any compensation or kick-backs from them for posting their site.  I just believe in what they do 100%.)

Salt?  Well, salt isn’t a plant, but it is still ok to eat.  It’s a mineral.  Do not use the regular iodized salt that you grew up with that is bleached white and contains additives to prevent it from caking into a big clump. White salt causes high blood pressure to go higher and a whole slew of other disorders. The best salt to use is a brand called Real Salt that is mined from an ancient sea bed right here in the U.S.   Himalayan salt is also good, but is not from the U.S. (I will talk about salt in another post, too).

Now, I have by no means been perfect and adhered to a 100% whole plant diet.  Life-long habits are tough to break!  I know this!  That is why I have only lost 25lbs so far and not 50lbs.  But, for every bite of plants you eat, that is one less bite of processed food and unhealthy animal products you eat.   

 

Watch the documentary Forks Over Knives. Watch it again and take notes.  It’s on Netflix and other video services, and can be found online for free (or so I’ve been told).  I purchased my copy from Amazon for about $13.00.  It will tell you so much more than I can tell you in a blog post.  

If you have questions, please, comment below and I will do my best to get you the answers! 

Happy forking! 

Mushroom Drunken Noodles

Cooking for one isn't always easy if you are used to cooking for a family all your life.  It definitely takes some getting used to, but it is easy once your get the hang of it! 

I LOVE a good challenge, so not only did I want to cook a meal for one, I wanted it to be plant-based and low calorie, too!  Just to add one more challenge, I made it gluten-free for my family and friends who need that, plus it helped to cut down the calories without sacrificing flavor.

Rice noodles are widely used in Asian foods.  I find them to be similar in flavor and texture to egg noodles, but milder and better for you than any "enriched pasta."  I'm amazed they are simply made with rice flour and water!  The only downside to them is leftovers have a weird (and by weird I mean GROSS) texture, so only make what you will eat immediately.

If you're not familiar with Bragg's Liquid Aminos, you are in for a treat.  It's a great way to get a salty, soy sauce flavor without the salt!  There is no added salt; it only contains natural sodium from the organic soybeans, which doesn't affect you like table salt does. And, you have the health benefit of all those Aminos!! 

To make this dish for more than one just multiply the amounts by the number of servings you need.

I didn't take demonstration pics throughout the process this time (sorry!).  I was starving and really just wanted to eat, and once I finished I was like, "I have to share this with everyone!"  Please forgive me and enjoy this low-cal comfort dish!

Mushroom Drunken Noodles

1tsp coconut oil, or other high-temperature cooking oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 small can mushrooms, well drained and reserve liquid, or 4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

Mushroom liquid + water to equal 2 cups

1/2 packet G. Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth (sold on Amazon here, or less expensively at most local grocers near the broth powders/cubes.  It is vegan!)

1/2 tsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (also sold on Amazon), our you can substitute soy sauce

Ground pepper to taste

2 oz  of wide rice noodles (found in Asian stores or some grocery stores' Asian section, labeled as "rice sticks")

Heat oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat.  Add onion and stir frequently to brown the edges for 2 mins, then add mushrooms and brown them with the onions for a few more minutes.  Turn heat down to medium, then add garlic and sauté together until onions are thoroughly cooked and soft, adding a bit of water as necessary to prevent from burning or sticking. 

Once cooked through, add 2 cups water, broth packet, Bragg's, and pepper.  Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil.  Then add the rice noodles and stir, cooking until noodles are all dente, approx. 7 mins. 

Turn off the heat and cover for a few minutes so the noodles absorb the sauce. 

Enjoy!