Caramelized Shallot Pasta

While I’m trying to fit in before lunch hikes and face meetings until 10 pm I’m on the prowl for quick to the table meals. This recipe will surely find a place in my new menu rotation. We just had it for lunch and I could eat it again tomorrow it was so delish!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 large shallots, very thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  •  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of smoky paprika
  • 8-12 ounces of finely chopped Baby Bella mushrooms
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) tube or (6-ounce) can of tomato paste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
  • 10 ounces gluten-free spaghetti 
  • 1 cup parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
  •  Flaky sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and red onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots have become totally softened and begin to caramelize showing golden fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Add red-pepper flakes and chopped mushrooms. You may need to add more oil at this point. Keep heat at medium-high so that mushrooms begin to brown.  Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper and paprika, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. This is an extra step but really brings out the flavors.  Set aside while pasta cooks.
  3. Before draining pasta add a ladle full or two of the pasta water to the shallot mixture, turning up the heat.  Add drained pasta and swirl to coat each piece of pasta with sauce. 
  4. Toss in chopped parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

 

Adapted from Alison Roman’s recipe in NYT. 


A Winter Salad

Doesn’t this winter salad make you smile?  Every bite of this crunchy dish is full of vitality and joy, exactly what is needed during the long months of winter. You truly don’t need a recipe to make it but I will share the ingredients I used and the process.  Please allow yourself permission to play with what you include, bringing to life a different salad each time.

 

Salad 

Red cabbage, chopped finely by hand

Carrots, grated

Kohlrabi, peeled and grated

Apple, a tart yet sweet variety either grated or cut finely in julienne strips

Pumpkin Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

 

Other ingredients I have used include grated broccoli stems, finely chopped kale stems, diced oranges, beets, hemp seeds, and any toasted and roughly chopped nuts you enjoy.

 

Vinaigrette 

Blend well with a whisk or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid

½ cup of fresh orange juice

2 TBL Apple Cider Vinegar

2 TBL Honey or Maple Syrup

1 ½ cup of Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Prepare salad ingredients and toss with the vinaigrette. Allow it to sit at room temperature to marinate a bit before serving.  This salad keeps very well, up to 3 days even with the dressing. I think it tastes better each day!


What’s the truth about protein?

That’s a question I come up against constantly in my practice. I speak with mothers concerned as to whether their toddler will get enough protein after they wean from breast milk. I speak with parents of growing adolescents who wonder if plant-based eating will support the rapid growth of their soon-to-be teenager. And with adults who push their body hard all day and fear their lack of energy is due to not enough protein consumption.

There is a lot of information out there and it can be difficult to decipher what is just good marketing from what is actually factual. I recently dug deep into this topic as I prepared for my new book, Building Immunity In Babies & Young Children and believe I came up with some very sound information. I discovered two resources I would recommend that you take a look at as well:

Becoming Vegan, Express Edition by Brenda Davis RD and Vesanto Melina, MS RD is an exceptional resource. Don’t let that name scare you away. It has a wealth of information for meat and plant eaters alike.

Which Type of Protein Is Better for Our Kidneys by Michael Greger, MD. In six minutes you can learn which proteins support kidney health based on the most up to date research. Once on Dr. Greger’s site you may even find some other videos of interest as well.

Here are three take-aways that I think will intrigue you:

  1. Plant-based eaters need to aim at consuming .8 grams of protein per 1 kilo of weight or 2.2 lbs. So, for a 135 lb adult, that’s roughly 55 grams per day. I’ve shared some suggestions of what might make up that daily amount below. For non-breastfeeding toddlers 2-4 years of age, a slightly higher ratio is required and the need is about 19 grams a day. Breastfeeding babies and toddlers receive all the protein they need from mother’s milk.
  2. Protein quality is not all alike and depends on the amino acid content. There are 9 essential amino acids that can only be gotten from our diet and they all can be found in plant foods as well as animal products.
  3. While all protein is a challenge for our kidneys to manage, plant protein is by far the easiest on this all important filtering organ.

So what are good plant sources of protein? Here’s a handy chart that might help put your mind at ease.

Lentils (cooked) 1 cup 18g
Beans (cooked) 1 cup 15g
(approximately)
Green peas 1 cup 8g
Spinach (cooked) ½ cup 3g
Avocado ½ avocado 2g
Broccoli (cooked) ½ cup 2g
White potato 1 medium 4g
Hemp 3 tablespoons 10g
(approximately)
Chia 2 tablespoons 4g
Seeds: pumpkin,
sunflower, sesame
1/4 cup 7-9g
Quinoa (cooked) 1/2 cup 7-9g
Wild rice (cooked) 1 cup 6.5g
Nuts: almonds, cashews,
brazil, walnuts (raw)
1/4 cup 7-9g

 


Taking Charge Of Your Fertility III: What To Eat

Perhaps you are considering starting a family soon or even a bit down the road.  Have you considered that what you eat today plays an important role in supporting or reducing your fertility? Read on and learn how.

Because fertility is a key indicator of health and vitality, it is my mission to make reliable, practical methods accessible to all. Fertility and vitality go hand in hand and to create a viable strong baby, parents must first have a high vitality. This can be seen in the state(s) of one’s skin, eyes, hair, teeth, quality of sleep, and family health history.

There are specific symptoms in these areas that indicate if inflammation is present and if it has been for long enough to reduce vitality, creating (as it is known among holistic practitioners) a state of acidosis. Individuals with low vitality tend to have an acidic pH and their symptoms can not improve until that state is shifted.

Easily identifiable examples of acidosis include acne, dry dull hair or hair that sheds easily, receding hairlines or balding in men before the age of 40, dental issues or tendency for cold/ canker sores in the mouth, and more. While allopathic medicine offers a path to fertility that ignores these symptoms and achieves pregnancy, with the 50% success rate of IVF, the new developing life is dependent on a physical body that has less than optimal vitality. What occurs next can be a pregnancy riddled with unpleasant symptoms, early delivery, c-section births, and infants with lowered immune systems leading to early infections and poor health from the start of life. This entire cycle can be broken by addressing the vitality of parents BEFORE conception, thus improving fertility and the quality of life they are creating.

Eating an alkalizing diet is simple, attainable, and won’t cost a bit more money than what you are eating already.

Morning Meal
It all begins in the morning with a breakfast of raw fruits and/or veggies on an empty stomach. This meal promotes an alkaline state from the start of the day, lymphatic cleaning, quick digestion, and optimal morning elimination. Continue eating raw fruit and/or veggies as far into the morning as you can.

Mid-Morning & Mid-Afternoon Snacks
These snacks can include such foods as whole raw fruits and veggies, fresh pressed juices/ smoothies, dried fruits, raw bars, guacamole or hummus with raw vegetables, almond or cashew butter with apples, and nuts or seeds.

Mid-Day Meal
Your lunch time meal will be any combination of vegetables and gluten free grains. This can be a salad, stir fry, curry, or Buddha bowl. Gluten free grain includes rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and corn. These two foods digest well together and more quickly than protein, preventing that afternoon dip in energy.

Evening Meal
The evening meal is any combination of vegetables and protein (plant or animal). Always begin the meal with a raw vegetable or fruit salad to aid digestion and increase your daily intake of plants. Watch your proportion ratios on veggies-to-protein keeping the protein to 30% or less of your meal. Note that proteins are placed at the end of the day as the digestion rate is the slowest of all foods, causing a drop in energy which is already natural in the evening.An alkalizing diet in combination with Gemmotherapy extracts is the perfect formula to improve vitality and fertility by restoring a healthy pH level!

Important to note is that Gemmotherapy protocols will clean, fortify, and restore rather than pushing weak organ systems to perform. Due to this unique action, fertility is addressed at its root. In this series, I will go into further detail on these protocols and how they benefit all wishing to improve their fertility.

New to Gemmotherapy? Check out my Beginners Guide. If you would like to learn how to begin  Restoring your own Immunity with Gemmotherapy, consider ordering my latest book. Would you like a more personalized approach? Contact one of my advanced interns for a consultation.

 

 


Changing Your Plate Part V: Dinner

We’ve had quite a few weeks now of meeting real families from my practice who are each, in their own way, making efforts to eat more plants daily. From the Sherman family in Houston who decided to take their first steps based on their baby daughter’s milk sensitivity, to the Thorntons who wanted to get their energy back and set a good example for their young daughter, and then the Kearleys who, after several years, had some excellent tried and true tips to share. It’s been quite a journey. Now, to close out this series, I’d like to introduce you to the Lachere family of Helena, Montana.

Mom, Molly, came to me requesting help to heal her digestive tract from damage that had occurred over the years leading to a Crohns diagnose. She had tried many different routes but nothing seemed to work. When we began our work she was faced with a lifetime of heavy duty medications or some radical dietary changes. You are going to love her story!

Molly and, husband, Gerald are in their thirties. She teaches and coaches part time at a private school and Gerald is a policeman. Although she and her husband do love to cook together when they get a chance, it’s Molly who does the majority of the shopping and the cooking for their family of seven. They are proud parents to Kevin 11, Carly 8, Tyler 6, Marcella 3, and Annaleise who is soon to be 1.

Lachere
When Molly and I met for her first remote appointment I was quite blunt. At this point in time, given the progression of her symptoms, if she wanted to avoid further dependency on medications she would have to get serious. And by serious she would have to at a minimum eliminate all dairy and all gluten. Even after that we would have to see what still may cause inflammation. The only way to be sure of what causes what reaction would be to reduce/eliminate processed food items. For a working mother who also feeds and cares for five children, making those changes would not be an easy route.

But Molly didn’t shy away. She listened, declared it wouldn’t be easy but she was opposed to filling her body with medication for the rest of her life. So she began to make changes for herself the very next day. Here’s what Molly had to say,

“After I felt so much better and noticed the huge changes to my health, I knew I had to get my family on board and completely change their eating habits.

In myself, I have noticed a complete change in my bowels. I went from over twenty bowel movements a day, to now just one or two solid bm’s. I also noticed better sleep, more energy, and even clearer thinking and emotions.”

Having followed Molly’s case, I’d like to point out this took a huge amount of dedication AND she had her share of emotional and physical setbacks when she questioned whether this was going to get her to where she wanted to be. This is often the case in highly inflamed individuals. Because inflammation will move along the pathways of the lymphatic system, pains will change and the “new symptoms” can be confusing. Continuing onward is the key and you will see that her perseverance has paid off. She recently underwent testing to check her inflammatory levels and both Molly and her doctors were astonished at her results. They applauded her commitment to her diet and encouraged Molly to continue whatever she was doing as it was truly making a difference!

Molly tells me about what she first noticed in her children with the changes to their diet.

“The change that stands out the most is no more tummy aches and constipation. My oldest son would spend 30 minutes every other day having a bm. My three year old would sit and cry that she couldn’t get her “poopy” out.

Over all, my children have had a healthy increase in appetite, and their attitude towards food has changed. The older ones especially see the correlation between what they eat and how they feel. How cool is that?”

What Molly saw in her children’s elimination patterns is not uncommon but unfortunately we are not trained to see those symptoms as problematic. Early elimination issues ARE exactly the start of chronic disease and parents need to pay attention. This is what food sensitivity looks like!

I love what Molly had to say about how she has framed this dietary shift for her children.

“We have approached this change with the attitude that we have a choice to feel so much better! When my kids want to eat something with dairy in it, I don’t freak out or tell them no, I simply ask them if it is worth it. Sometimes, they have said, “yep, totally worth it,” and without fail, either within minutes or days, depending on the child, (one experiences diarrhea while the other experiences constipation) they come around and decide that it wasn’t a good choice and they think a little longer next time they are faced with the same choice. The thing is, there are SO MANY alternatives that taste really good! This is absolutely not about depriving ourselves!”

Molly’s advice to families starting out is to take it slow and take time to make the changes.

“This is not an overnight lifestyle change,” Molly smartly shares, “every time you make a small change, you will feel better and will want to continue. The longer you are off of the dairy, the more you will notice the reaction if you try it again.”

So as Molly began implementing these changes, routines were very important. Because routines are already necessary for a family of seven, food planning would be no different. On a typical day, Molly’s husband Gerald gets up and starts the smoothies. He also makes lunches while Molly gets the kids up and moving. The big kids and dad are out the door by 7:40. Molly works part time, so if it is a work day, she gets the little ones packed up and fed and they are all ready to go by 9:15. All of the kids and Molly are home by 3:45 and dinner gets started right away. Kevin, the 11 year old, is in charge of the salad making but he often recruits the others. He is training them well! Gerald is home by 5:15 and dinner happens right away. Because the kids often have sports or meetings to attend, the Lachere family divides and conquers the evening activities.

Lachere

Some routines came quite easily. Every morning without fail they all began to have their smoothies, every lunch box got two vegetables, and every dinner began with a salad. But what to do about that main course?

After all the challenges I gave to Molly it was her opportunity to turn the tables on me. Molly had this to say:

“Plant based eating is challenging for us mostly because I wasn’t raised this way and all of my go to family favorites included large amounts of cheese, milk, cream, and meat. These are the meals my kids know and love and they aren’t about to give them up without a fight! I can’t just put a bowl of raw vegetables on the table with some dipping sauce and say, dinner is served!”

I asked Molly to give me a list of “family favorites” and I would get to work on finding some similar recipes that would keep them all on their new diet AND please her kids.

The list from Molly and her kids may sound a lot like your family favorites: casseroles, lasagna, tacos, stuffed peppers, stir fry, sandwiches, and cream based soups.

Before I got carried away, Molly reminded me, “The goal is always tasty, cheap, and easy. We are a big and busy family after all!”

So I had my challenge. Molly and family agreed to test out any recipe that met their standards and give me feedback. Later this week I’ll be featuring the Lachere kids teaming up to make plant based stuffed bell peppers and you”ll see for yourself what they thought about the results!


Changing Your Plate Part IV: Plan Ahead

Last week Janice Kearley shared her family’s approach to a plant based lunch– totally DIY, prepped ahead, simple, and colorful. Later we featured the family’s favorite wrap and bread recipes you won’t want to miss. Moving on this week, we are looking at what prepped ahead means to Janice and how she does it.

We all know that getting ahead on our family cooking is helpful but having a system to follow is what makes it sustainable. Hopefully you can glean some take-away tips from Janice that will work in your home.

Shopping/Stocking

Let’s start out with the topic of shopping and keeping that pantry stocked with essentials. When I asked Janice about her shopping she told me straight up, “I don’t buy a lot of packaged things.” From our conversation I gathered that if Janice can make it herself, she will. So what items does she purchase and always keep on hand?

Janice’s store bought staples:
Nuts (raw)
Raisins/ Dates
Honey
Maple Syrup
Apple Cider Vinegar
Brown Rice Vinegar
Avocado or Grapeseed Oil
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil
Just Mayo
Powdered Spirilina (for smoothies )
Nutritional Yeast
Coconut Aminos
Muir Glen roasted tomatoes with green chilis
Beans: Kidney, Black, Chickpea and Pinto
Lentils
Daiya Cheese

Items Janice prefers to make herself:
Almond Milk
Bars
Coconut Butter (recipe from home made vegan pantry)

The majority of Janice’s shopping is done at Costco and Sprouts. To keep up the ingredients she keeps on hand and minimize her purchases, she has developed a great system. Janice keeps two customized lists on the fridge at all times. One is an item specific list for Costco, divided into sections so that items are checked off as needed. The other list for Sprouts/ HEB has the days of the week on the left for menu planning and sections on the right for Produce, Bulk, Canned/Boxed Jars, Baking/Spices, Frozen/ Beverage, Miscellaneous. Janice only enters what she plans to use that week on the list so there is no waste or over purchasing. Here’s an example:

List

Cooking Ahead

The next piece of planning that keeps Janice’s kitchen running smooth and hassle free is her system of batch cooking beans and lentils.

Legumes

On the same refrigerator door with the grocery lists lives a little white board where Janice keeps up on what she needs to cook next. Items for batch cooking include chickpeas, pintos, kidneys, lentils, and black beans.

The Kearleys have purchased a true deep freeze in order to better preserve the food Janice is cooking ahead and a large supply of 2 cup Pyrex dishes that hold just the right portions for their meals for three.

Pyrex

Janice’s final tip for all families is, “If you have the space to grow some of your own food, especially if you have children, do it.” The Kearley family does have a small but abundant plot in their back yard that has been a rewarding family project.

In closing, Janice shared three of the many cookbooks that have inspired her repertoire in the kitchen:

Greens 24/7, Jessica Nadel (Be sure to check out the Kale Chip-Cool Ranch recipe.)
Oh She Glows, Angel Liddon
Everyday Detox, Megan Gilmore

I sure have learned a lot from the Kearley family and I hope you have too! Please join us next week as we move on to the evening meal, in this Changing Your Plate series. You are going to love the story of the Lachere family of seven!


Changing Your Plate Part III: Lunch

We talk a lot about food, in my office and home, and how changes to diet are most sustainable when they occur one meal at a time. In order to support you on your path to plant based eating, I thought it would be helpful to share some real stories from real families that we see in my practice. Becoming fully plant based is a journey. Setting realistic expectations while at the same time continually making progress is the key.

I ask my clients to change their breakfast first. What you consume for breakfast can set the stage for the rest of your day, activating your lymphatic system and encouraging healthy elimination. An alkalizing plant based breakfast will provide an alertness and clarity in the morning that can’t be achieved with coffee or a meal heavy with protein. Last week I shared the Thornton family’s story and their commitment to morning smoothies for the whole family, even 18 month old Lily Kai.

This week I want to introduce you to the Kearley family. Eating plant based was something Janice, who handcrafts Montessori baby toys, and her real estate inspector husband, Stephen, had implemented several years back. Since bringing their 8 year old homeschooled daughter Ruth to my practice, they’ve made a few tweaks. Even with the clean vegan diet they were consuming, Ruth still struggled with chronic congestion. Our plan for Ruth was more raw fruits and vegetables through lunchtime and a cooked gluten free, vegan meal for dinner. As this was not a huge leap, the transition has been fairly smooth. It also helps that Ruth not only is on board but is leading the way for the rest of the family.

fruit

Janice is very dedicated to her family’s diet and has created some systems that are quite inspiring. Their first dietary changes came when Ruth was still in preschool and she and Stephen read Disease-Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhman.

“The book really got us going,” says Janice, “and since then we’ve really branched out. It was a good place to start making the switch to plant based because at the time we were still eating meat and a bit of dairy. It was a good guide to making a gradual change. It was actually quite easy by then to just eliminate meat and dairy completely. It’s important to know that I LOVED cheese – but discovering recipes like Dr. Fuhrman’s Orange Cashew sauce really helped. Actually, that sauce is how our daughter learned to love kale.” 

With all this great experience, Janice is full of tips to share. I turned to her specifically for lunch and her’s is a simple one. To keep the midday meal stress free, Janice does batch cooking of many staples. It is, however, important to note that the precooked items mentioned can just as easily be bought prepared if and when time is a factor. Because the Kearley family keeps to a tight food budget, Janice prepares all of her beans (chickpeas, pintos, kidneys, lentils, black beans) in batches and stores them in the deep freeze in 2 cup glass storage containers. She has developed quite a seamless method to keep up on this that I will be sharing in next week’s post.

Janice explains, “Lunch is simple at our house. Everything is from what I have previously prepared. If we are at home, I’ll set out raw veggies and fruits such as bell pepper, cucumber, celery, carrots, oranges, and kale chips not prepared in any way just cleaned and cut, looking for color, even if it’s just the peel of the apple. I usually include some hummus, nut butter, or a black bean spread.”  With these items they are able to make a wide variety of combinations.

Ruth Lunch

Packed lunches use similar ingredients but the items are put into a wrap of some kind or into a sandwich with seed bread. Be sure to find the recipes for the Kearley family go-to wrap and seed bread featured in Lauren’s Kitchen later this week.

Keeping lunch simple is the key here and that is the bottom line for all plant based eating. The challenge to changing behaviors is finding the bandwidth to be creative. Thinking outside of the box when under pressure and stressed is not going to be successful. So consider taking on this next step on your plant based journey when you can create for yourself some time and space to plan your own approach. And don’t forget to check back in next week for some further tips from the Kearley family on stocking your pantry!


Changing Your Plate Part II: Breakfast

Last week I kicked off a new series about taking steps toward a plant based diet one meal at a time. In my first post, Changing Your Plate: Part I, I shared the news that so many of my client families are making headway in shifting what goes on their plates one meal at a time. Over the next few weeks I will be featuring a few of these families and sharing the tips they have gleaned to make the changes sustainable.

I suggest a cleansing meal of raw whole fruit to my clients to start their day.   This first mini-meal of the day should be a kick-start, not a slow down, for the elimination system that has laid at rest all night. We want fresh, raw, whole alkalizing foods to be the first on an empty stomach in order to wake up the lymphatic system, digest quickly, and promote morning elimination. The best foods to fit that description are these raw fruits: Apples, Berries, Citrus, Grapes, Mangoes, Melons and Pears.  These can be eaten as whole foods, blended into a smoothie, or juiced. Individuals who are in a very acidic state will do best starting slow with a piece or two of raw fruit instead of a juice or smoothie.  This meal can be extended to become your breakfast or be eaten atleast 15 minutes prior to what you normally consume.

Supporting the body with Gemmotherapy extracts when beginning to make dietary change is important since the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables in the morning calls on organs that have likely not been performing optimally. The Gemmotherapy extracts gently support those organs, relieving any additional stress.

Let’s take a look at how one family integrated this change to their breakfast as a team.

Meet the Thornton family. Rob and Susanna both worked full time as career educators until Lily Kai joined their family 17 months ago. Rob now serves as the Athletic Director for Elgin School district and Susanna, a newly licensed professional counselor, is substituting three days a week to allow for time home with Lily Kai.

Throughout her pregnancy Susanna was vigilant about her own diet, but as a couple they had not embraced any changes.

When Lily Kai came along and their routines and world changed dramatically, she resorted to old eating habits. At the start of 2016, however, the Thornton’s agreed together they wanted to make changes as a couple. They were both dissatisfied with their lack of energy in the mornings and at the end of each day as well as the extra weight they were carrying. Rob and Susanna wanted to make a change now in order to set better examples as parents.

They each came to my practice individually to talk about the first steps to take in order to make a sustainable change. What I had to say about an all fruit breakfast was not news to Susanna but it sure was to Rob Thornton! Separating Rob from his morning routine of scrambled eggs with spinach, onions, and turkey bacon plus coffee was not an easy sell. As an athlete and coach, and raised in a Hispanic household, he was more than a little skeptical about a morning fruit smoothie. In fact, the thought of sweet fruit in the morning was actually even nauseating. So we took it one small step at a time.

And now, three months later, guess who the smoothie maker in the Thornton household is today? It’s Rob who hits the kitchen at 5:30 AM while Susanna tends to Lily Kia.

Rob & Lily

“We’ve been on the breakfast smoothie plan 100% since January. For us to be successful it is a big deal to have enough product on hand. They have to be easy to make or we will fall back into our old patterns.”

The Thorntons keep a seven day supply of chopped fruit in the freezer and buy the organic Central Market brand. Because of their early start each day and tight schedule, they decided to go with convenience over price. Getting this built into their routine took some dialogue and most importantly some tangible benefits.

“We stick with it because it really wakes us up. After we have our smoothie, we are alert and ready for our day. On top of that, Rob has lost over 25 pounds. The alertness really is addictive. We also found that discussing the improvements we each felt was very motivating.”

As you can see, the whole family is on board and Lily Kai knows to expect her morning smoothie in her own Mini Mouse cup!

Lily

So what advice does Susanna have for others just starting out?

“Do what you have to do to make it work. Remembering why you are doing this is so important. Now that I am a mom it has changed how I see myself. I have come to realize that I am important too. If I am not good to myself, I am not being good to my daughter.”

Read here to learn all about the first protocols I suggest for clients for opening elimination and why I recommend an all fruit breakfast.


Changing Your Plate Part I: Getting Started

We just finished a fantastic series featuring new mom Jane Catherine Sherman and how her baby daughter motivated her to shift what she feeds the whole family. Learning that dairy products were the cause of little Savanna’s croup inspired Jane Catherine to research the benefits of a plant based diet and what it would take to embrace a new way of eating and living as a family. She and her husband Jason agreed that what wasn’t good for their daughter probably wasn’t good for them and began making changes just weeks ago.

Vegetables

In my practice I have clients who are brand new to the idea of plant based eating taking baby steps forward and families who have now embraced the changes for years. They all have inspiring stories to tell! Over the course of the next month I will highlight some of their experiences as I break down plant based eating one meal at a time.

  • Part II: We will take a look at the all fruit breakfast, why it is important, and how to make it happen.
  • Part III: We break down plant based lunch options, whether you are packing for a child or yourself or eating at home.
  • Part IV: Is all about the evening meal, starting with a raw veggie salad and ending with a plate that is 80% plant based.
  • Part V: Will contain a list of staples every plant based kitchen needs on hand and tips to keep you going.

You will also want to keep your eye on Lauren’s Kitchen during this month as I plan to feature some favorite plant based recipes from these clients.

While you are waiting for next week’s installment here are a few supporting articles to get you thinking and possibly even taking action.

Want to learn a bit more about the plant based eating movement? A great documentary to start with is Forks over Knives.

Need some concrete reasons outside of your own motivation to join the plant based movement? Here are 10 from ultra-marathoner Rich Roll & Here are 7 from U.S. News & World Reports Health.

Finally, what motivates individuals to change is a fascinating study and one that psychotherapists have studied for years and the tech companies of today cash in on. If you are interested in a good book on the subject you may like to read “Change for Good”.

In the mean time, consider this as you restock your fridge and pantry…

If it came from a plant eat it. If it was made from a plant don’t.”

~Michael Pollan

Plant Based


Plant Based Eating on the Go IV: Navigating Restaurants

No matter how much you pack along or stock up on at your destination, it is likely you will be faced with eating out at some point on your travels. If you are with colleagues or meeting clients it’s a given and important that you have a plan in action before you open that menu.

Granted, some cities such as D.C., Philadelphia, or Boston are a snap- Trust me it is possible to also keep it clean and green in the likes of Helena, Montana and Timisoara, Romania with just a bit more effort.

Let’s face the fact, however, that there are going to be times when you have a choice in the destination for a meal and times when it will be completely out of your hands. The goal is to just do your best so I’d like to help you with some simple tips whatever the circumstance.

Lunch

Lunch time on the road is getting easier with the growth of high-end salad chains that not only accommodate dietary choices but clearly advocate for those who must or choose to omit particular foods.

Hands down my all time favorite is Sweet Green, however there are other options as reviewed here by Business Insider. Not feeling so salad-y? Nearly all of the salad chains feature daily soups as well.

And, if there is one in the neighborhood, Whole Foods is also a great alternative with plenty of lunchtime options from smoothies to build your own salads to stir fry bars.

Vegan Restaurant Eating

 

Dinner (if it’s your choice)

Unless your companions are game to try the local vegan/ vegetarian restaurant, look for establishments that are highly rated and heavy on plant items.

Consider the many farm to table restaurants that are available in nearly every city. While not vegetarian, they can certainly offer you a wonderful selection of sides.

I favor Thai or Indian restaurants as most have easily adopted gluten free and vegan options and yet still include a wide array of other choices for colleagues.

Look for menus online that call out vegan and gluten free options as this is always a great sign.

Phone ahead and ask what they can do for you. Today many chef’s will offer an off-menu vegan plate. If not, they will have options. Trust me- You aren’t likely the first plant-based eater they have served.

Vegan Restaurant Eating

 

 

Dinner (making the best of it)

So, your local client has the reservations made and your job is to show up and enjoy the hospitality, right? When that’s it, you could be dining at anything from a steak house to a wine bar. And guess what- You can still do this!

These are the times when the rubber meets the road and it comes down to your owning the desire to walk a different path with the way you feed yourself. Although there may honestly be times a large salad is your only choice, that’s why you have back up snacks in your hotel room. Be pleasant, not pouty, and enjoy the company you are with and the best that that establishment can offer you. The truth is the more you can be clear and honest with yourself, the easier it will be to have your desires met. Here are some ideas to make not the best scenario still work:

Grab a salad or smoothie ahead of dinner so you don’t hit the restaurant famished.

Consider putting together a set of veggie sides if you are at a steak house.

If it’s a small plates establishment there are sure to be a few options to meet your needs or that can be modified.

Or, if you are my husband you will ask the wait staff for the largest vegan salad the kitchen can produce. And he has had some beauties!

Vegan Restaurant Eating

Wherever You Go

Be upfront with the wait staff as to your dietary needs and really be ok with sending something back that comes out laden with cheese from the kitchen when you specifically asked for dairy free. This is can be a real test for many. However, if your colleague or dining partner had ordered chicken and received a steak he or she would send it back. Get comfortable with taking care of yourself and your needs.

I have so enjoyed sharing this series with you these past weeks. I do hope that my suggestions on how to prep ahead, avoid airport non-food, and stock up your hotel room have provided you with just the tools you need to stay plant based on your next journey. Safe travels and stay well!


Plant Based Eating on the Go III: Stocking Your Hotel Room

Eating plant based on the go doesn’t have to be a challenge but it does require some advance planning. With all the traveling I do, I have discovered some great tips to make eating healthy on the road a snap. In this month’s series, I have shared my thoughts on what to pack in your carry-on and checked luggage and how to survive from airport to airport. So now let’s take a look at what to do once you’ve hit the ground at your destination.

You’ve ordered your ride or picked up your rental car and you are ready to go. Do plan to make your first stop the local natural grocers or Whole Foods Market nearest your destination. This will save you from heading out later when you are ready to settle in or are off to meet colleagues. In a perfect world, I have luck finding accommodations within walking distance of real food shopping. I realize this isn’t always an option, but in metropolitan areas it can be and I’m all about making eating plant based easy and accessible. If a good store is not within walking distance from your hotel, then be sure to take the time to make a quick pit stop at one on the way.

Whole Foods

So what’s on my shopping list? Here are just a few items to cover breakfast each morning and provide me with a back up meal should I need to supplement or cover a lunch or dinner. Consider any of the following:

  • Fresh pressed juices (One for each morning, keeping in mind that these days even the local Safeway-type grocer will have fresh pressed orange juice in the produce section.)
  • Fresh, pre-cut, raw veggies from the salad bar or produce section
  • Organic berries, cut pineapple, or other fresh organic fruits you enjoy
  • Locally made, organic hummus
  • Organic fresh ground almond butter
  • A meal sized portion of fresh salad with a gluten free dressing on the side
  • Pre-packaged vegan sushi (Watch out for side sauces that may contain gluten and/or dairy.)

Obviously all of this will need some refrigeration and here are some solutions:

  1. The easiest option, of course, is booking a room with a mini- fridge.
  2. Request a mini- fridge upon making your reservation due to the special diet/ medication you are on – nearly all hotels will honor this. (Food is YOUR medicine!)
  3. Bring along a soft-sided insulated cooler bag that you can fill with ice.
  4. If cold storage is at a premium, I buy whole fruit that I can leave at room temp, saving the limited space for the most perishable items such as fresh juices.

Fresh Fruit

So now, given what I brought along in my checked luggage and my recent purchases, I am set. I may choose to go out to eat for the experience and/ or the company, but I won’t be dependent on restaurants to stay well fed and nourished.

While bringing along and stocking up your own supplies is a life saver when traveling, trying out a local restaurant can also be part of the fun. Choosing a destination that welcomes dietary accommodations is key and there are more and more eating establishments that pride themselves in just that. Alternatively, learning to navigate those that don’t is a skill especially when you aren’t the one choosing the restaurant. I’ll be wrapping up this series next week with some advice on just this… Wherever your travels may take you.


Plant Based Eating on the Go II: An Airport Survival Guide

Last week I began a new series, Plant Based Eating on the Go, in order to pass along my tips on staying Plant Based while traveling. It’s a concern that comes up with clients over and again in my office. Fortunately, I have had a few years now of solid experience and never had to break my diet or go hungry! Eating is serious business to me and eating Plant Based while traveling is an even higher priority due to the added stress and strain that is put on our eliminating organs. Unfortunately, this is often when many choose to go unconscious about what they are consuming and it is really the time to be more mindful.

Last week I got you all packed up with probably more produce than you have ever traveled with! As I mentioned, there is certainly over-planning built in, but who knows when you’ll get grounded for several hours or arrive at your destination too late or too tired to go out for food. The choices I included are all quite shelf-stable and can even tide you over on the return flight home.

So, now you’ve made it through security and are headed to your gate. Lots of crazy “not really food” is calling out your name from cheese stuffed pretzels to coffee frappé. Keep walking. Here’s what you will need and, like everything else in life, getting clear about your needs helps illuminate solutions.

Look for:

A Large Hot Tea
Check out the tea selection. If there isn’t one to your liking, no problem! You brought you own (a small selection of tea bags -green, herbal to support digestion, herbal to support sleep) remember? Ask for a large hot water or hot water with lemon if that sounds appealing. Sipping a warm tea on the plane is just what your kidneys want and need. You will definitely want to forego the complimentary ice filled water or drinks offered on board that put added stress on your kidneys.

While getting your hot water/ hot tea, you can also fill the thermos you packed along with miso and veggies. I don’t do this if I am headed out on a morning flight, but I’ve done it a few times when I have a late arrival or a long stretch of flying. It has been the perfect nourishing comfort food whether I choose to eat it on board, on a layover, or wait and make the soup in my hotel room. Just imagine opening up thermos full of this:

miso soup


A Large Bottle Of Water (room temp)

This is to fill the empty water bottle that you brought along, with an already measured in dose of a Gemmotherapy extract to support kidneys during the day of your flight (Silver Birch Sap, Lingonberry, or Blueberry), Arrowhead, Evian, Essentia, and Figi appear to be the most alkaline brands of bottled water.

Essentia

Fresh Pressed Juice
If you are leaving out of Austin, I am delighted to say that Juiceland has arrived! My favorite refuge when out and about in Austin is now offering a full cold case of bottled fresh pressed juices at the main Austin Java in the center of the concourse. On my last flight, I grabbed two and was so happy I did when I was stuck in a hour long Friday evening traffic jam. That impulsive buy was a treat for sure. More and more airports are doing the same and you can discover if your departure or layover location does by performing a quick search.

JuiceLand

While I would never want to be dependent on what I can forage at an airport, here is a fantastic 2015 report by Physicians for Responsible Medicine on rating domestic airports on their ability to serve up real plant based options. If you are delayed this can come in quite handy.

Once you’ve boarded you can sit back and enjoy your flight while sipping away on your tea, Gemmo-water, and snacking as needed on the goodies you packed along. Be sure to check back next week to discover what I buy at my Whole Foods or Natural Grocery pit stop on the way to the hotel to stock my room fridge.