Now It's Just Plain Old Eating

"Tunot" stuffed tomatoes with cilantro

 Never that good at math, I find it sounds odd to hear LG tell me we're starting the 7th week of our 4 week Engine 2 Diet challenge. I think it's that "New Math" thing that I thought passed by a decade or two ago. I guess it's just going to be a mystery...I can barely keep up with who's doing whom in Hollywood via the British Daily Mail web site, so I certainly don't have time for remedial math studies. By the way, LG is the one who persuaded me to read that news site periodically after I announced one evening that CNN's breaking news was reporting that something significant had happened somewhere to someone. She looked at me - only mildly impatient with my childlike ignorance - and announced she'd read that bit of "breaking news" 36 hours earlier "on The Daily."

So now I know about all the US news before most other Americans - not to mention - I'm learning there are apparently some very newsworthy Americans about whom I'd never even heard. There's this Snooki something or other who's apparently a very important figure here in our country...who knew?!


While I may not be current with my advanced math skills, I can make the basic calculations necessary to report LG and I are both continuing to lose weight without really trying. We're enjoying some of our wines and even indulging in a lunch or dinner out from time to time (vegan, of course.) Our vegan cooking skills are being more finely honed by the day. We're learning about neat ingredients and new combinations of spices. It really is fun and the food doesn't taste like, well...vegan food.

Red curry Pad Thai with fried tofu

We actually used cooking oil to deep fry some firm tofu the other evening to accompany our pad thai. I cut a block of tofu into rectangular chunks, then let them drain between cotton kitchen towels before air drying them near the woodstove for a few hours. I mixed up a little Ener-G egg replacer for a dip and seasoned some panko (very crunchy Japanese bread crumbs.) A quick dip in the wash and roll in the panko and a bath into the 330-350 degree oil for 30 to 60 seconds resulted in a wonderfully crunchy and tasty addition to the noodles. Flavor enhancements include red curry paste, our home made curry powder, coconut milk, garlic...you know, good stuff.

The lovely little tomatoes at the top of the page are stuffed with a vegan "tuna salad" made with chickpeas, celery, nutritional yeast and a few other ingredients. Not a big tuna fan anyway, I think this version is far superior to any of the fishy stuff I ever tasted. LG whipped this up using a recipe from The Happy Herbivore. She used the recipe on the site [ http://happyherbivore.com/2008/10/mock-tuna-salad/ ] but left out the kelp. I'm sure adding the kelp would make it taste more like real tuna...if you think that's good thing.

Don't smile when you're holdin' that, dammit!

How, you may ask, does Mac know when the oil for cooking that tofu at the right temperature? Well, I'm glad you asked. I have a serious guy's kitchen tool for that purpose - not some mamby-pamby tube you lower into the pot either. I use my Ryobi Tec-4, laser thermo-reading tool with miniature nuclear reactor power source...(low growl!) Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about, baby. You get this puppy at the building supply store...'cause you won't find it between the doilies and tea sets in the kitchen shop.

LG doesn't really have the temperament for proper use of this device, but I let her hold it for the picture...it's just the kind of guy I am. All you have to do it point this at the surface of the oil and pull the trigger. You get a lighted digital readout in very manly block numerals...it pretty seriously rocks. How much does it cost? I don't really see that that point is relevant to such a cool tool.

Well, this adventure is still fun and we don't see any reason to even consider changing back. I ordered a "vegetarian tofu" burrito a while back during a road trip. It came with very little tofu but oozing with melted cheese...something I used to adore. I scraped off what I could, but I still felt kind of unsettled after tasting and feeling all that greezy fat. I know...weird!

Thinking about it yet? I don't blame you either way. I just want to say that this is a form of eating that anyone could learn to love. All you have to lose is body fat, cholesterol, joint discomfort, the opportunity to benefit makers of insulin injectors and a close and loving relationship with your doctor.

Wine and Whine...Not Necessarily in that Order

Claims she has a reason to whine

I was reheating some coffee and a certain canine hanger-on here at our place offered an unsolicited - and less appreciated - high pitched, vocal opinion of my activity in the kitchen. As you can easily tell by the contemptuous sneer, she asserts her position as the least satisfied household inhabitant with regard to our recent dietary adventures.

It wasn't long ago that an upright member of the family's presence in the kitchen meant bits of meat, left-over scrambled eggs or the odd chunk of cheese carelessly dropped onto her platter (aka: floor.) Now, she lackadaisically slouches in the direction of dropped items, generally carrying them - with as light a touch as possible - to the living room where she either grudgingly swallows them or leaves them there for us to find with our toes. I have a thick skin, though, and her behavior barely scratches my feelings...I'll be OK. Thanks for your concern. So, dog food it is for the time being.


I chose to do a weigh-in this morning and - for the first time in nearly 5 weeks, didn't lose any weight. The scales claim, in fact, that I've gained nearly a pound. I think they're lying...in league with the dog and hoping to erode my enthusiasm for this way of eating. I believe this because the dog was standing in the hallway when I emerged from weighing and she had a distinct smirk on her face.

To become the door less accessed

Since I'm certain the weight thing is due to subversive elements right here in the house, I'm less inclined to consider the possibility that I've been overdoing the wine consumption of late. My completed wine room has been a preferred destination lately, I admit. But, wine is a vegan food after all and carries the magical ability to raise my HDL. I'll admit, it may not take a HUGE glass to accomplish that outcome...but it's so hard to get it back in the bottle. Just to prove to Daisy and her digital associate they can't control me this way, I'm going to start using a much smaller glass at dinner time. Hah!

We do have some very delicious and less calorically rich options with which I might supplant some of the ruby juices. I mentioned in one blog that we'd made a trip to a Teavana tea store in a nearby shopping mall. We departed the store with a number of lovely metal cylinders containing unusual and fabulous combinations of tea, fruit, flowers and - if I'm not mistaken - the toenail clippings of Nepalese lamas. The bag of containers was surprisingly light, as were our wallets as we departed the store with our mouths agape.

So that's what $150 worth of tea looks like!

Fortunately, we've found that it takes very small amounts of these hand rolled balls and carefully selected leaves to steep a strong and flavorful cup of tea. I'm a big Earl Grey fan, and the Earl Grey Creme and Earl Grey White are the best I've ever tried.

LG loved the fragrances of some more fruity herbal teas so we got some for summer iced teas. I guess we'll be enjoying them this summer - huddled closely around the woodstove, hoping a bit of sunshine arrives to make another rainbow.

 Perhaps the most rewarding part of this entire venture has been a recent spate of requests from friends for our favorite vegan recipes, links to the Engine 2 Diet site or our favorite vegan recipe books and web sites.  It's cool that people have an interest and are willing to expand their experience base by learning more, or even trying some of the foods.

Enjoy your day...and life!

A Mid-Week Update...After the "Challenge" is Over

Wine, Pie...and Poo

OK, I'm going to admit that - in spite of LG's best efforts to guild this turd with tasteful staging - my acorn squash and whole wheat gnocchi with pesto could stand in for any sophomoric comedy movie scene in need of an excremental prop. I know this, because sophomoric comedy movies are my very favorite genre. Some, however, feel the need to include gratuitous female nudity and sexual content. Now those are the really good ones!

The meal was wonderful, accompanied by a  celebratory glass of Maryhill '07 zinfandel and a pie of our fresh-from-the-garden rhubarb and last year's local strawberries. LG made a wonderful crust with light olive oil, coconut oil and whole wheat pastry flour. The pie (containing a full cup of sugar) and wine are our first non-Engine 2 Diet food products in a month. We indulged Sunday evening, but are now happily back to the same dietary choices we'd been making during the past 28 days. Please notice that I didn't say, "dietary restrictions." We are both enjoying the foods we're eating and neither of us is feeling the urge to add back the meat, butter, half-and-half, constantly added sugar and salt that were a big part of our old dietary choices. The rest of the pie (MY pie...LG only had a little bite, I ate 1/3 of it Sunday evening) is divided between two containers in the freezer for the next time I feel like a sweet, fruity diversion...other than LG, this is...

Vegan-licious Garlic Soup

We had this soup for dinner last night. It's been one of our favorite soups for a long time. It's purely vegan, made now without olive oil - or any other added oil - and contains a full bulb (head) of garlic, orzo pasta, a can of San Marzano tomatoes and fresh basil. The mass atop this bowlful is our faux parmesan cheese (cashews, nutritional yeast,etc.) We did have a [smaller than Sunday's] glass of Willamette Valley pinot noir with our soup, a concession I'm making to my otherwise Engine 2 Diet.

This morning, we're enjoying big bowlfuls of LG's cooked cereals and fruit again. She insists that she loves preparing it. That's cool, because I'm equally jazzed about eating it. This has been a big change from past "low-carb diets" we've tried - with breakfasts crammed with egg yolks and bacon...glad I didn't have my cholesterol checked after that one! I do intend - maybe - to try some our hens' eggs one of these days. I'm just not feeling the urge at this point.

So, that's a quick update on our post-28 day challenge. We're still [mostly] at it and enjoying our food. We figure, "If you don't miss it, don't eat it!"

The Final Daily Report of Our Engine 2 Adventure!

Can't think of a down side for our Engine 2 Diet experience

Yup, we accepted Rip's challenge and did the whole 28 days...no added sugar, no added oil, plant-strong diet sans animal flesh, dairy and salt. The outcome: we're proud of ourselves! Not because we made it 28 days, but because we've learned some things about ourselves, our bodies, our world and how we can best serve each of them.

I disclosed my blood analysis success already and I can now report my final fat loss success. I lost another 3 pounds this week (surprised yet again!) The 4 week total for fat loss is an ounce or two under 15 pounds! Next time you're at the market and see one pound packages of mostly-fat bacon, lift fifteen of them and take a look at the mass that I no longer need to haul around.

As I returned to the kitchen following my weigh-in, LG was preparing her signature cooked cereal delight and asked if I was going to add "something sinful" like brown sugar. I felt giddy, knowing that I could - in fact - add butter and gummy bears to my bowl today if I wanted! But you know what? I didn't want to add sugar or butter fat...and I hate gummy bears anyway. So, here's the really wonderful part - I can't think of anything I'd change about this nutritious and prepared-with-love meal...thanks LG, I adore you! Somewhere down the road, though, our little red hens will insist I have some of their home grown, organic eggs from time to time.

Looking forward to lunch, we have some left-overs that'll make a great burrito...or maybe a clean-out-the-fridge stew...either will be great. But I'm comfortably full now and don't need to even think about it for a few hours.

Now, this evening, I intend to celebrate our new way of eating with a nice bottle of zinfandel or maybe a rich Yamhill valley pinot noir (not the whole bottle, though.) It will, however, accompany an Engine 2 style dinner. We both agree that our preferences have changed in a pretty dramatic way. From now on, we'll eat anything we want...it's just that the things we want are different now than they were just one, momentous month ago. I'll use the phase "life changing" without trying to imply too much. But, consider how you'd feel if you found a few of your life's greatest physical challenges suddenly resolved. Yeah...like that. Blood sugar, cholesterol levels, weight control and environmental impact of one's consumption patterns - all improved and all pretty important things.

Two sugar-monsters

In spite of our dietary choices this past month, we've been using a lot more cane sugar than usual...thanks to our local population of hummingbirds.

We've never seen more than 6 at a time, but they can drain a 2 cup feeder in about a day and half. I guess I could get away with that too if I could flap my arms a hundred times a second...I think I'll just stick with a more omnivorous, primarily plant-strong diet and flap more slowly with dumbbells in my hands.

In addition to all the great recipe's in Rip's book, here are some of our favorite "new" foods:

Chef AJ's lasagna from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's site,

http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/unprocessed-chef-ajs-disappearing.html

Chef AJ's vegan faux parmesan - we use this for all kinds of things that would be enhanced with the addition of dry cheese.

The same page as the lasagna, recipe included in directions  

Green Chai Smoothie from Healthy Girl's Kitchen - this includes a recipe for making your own chai spice mix

http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/getting-to-point-of-no-return-and-my.html

Yumm-like Sauce - Dipping, spreading or topping sauce - we substuitued an avacado in place of the canola oil in the listed recipe.

http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/04/12/wannabe-recipea-mmmm-sauce/ 

We could go on and on. There are thousands of great vegan recipes on dozens of web sites we found. Be sure to look at recipe section of The Whole Foods web site too...lots and lots of great vegan choices.

Well, it's been fun folks. LG and I are delighted to have experienced The Engine 2 Diet  and are thankful for the changes it's helped us make in our lives. We recommend it to everyone. At least it's an informative read, at most - it may give you the motivation and tools to transform your health.

The Last Day (of this 4 week session, anyway)

Last night's dinner - stir fry with lots of bean sprouts

It doesn't seem like it, but today is the last day of our 4week Engine 2 Diet session. There have been times when I just wanted it to end so I could add some olive oil to a pan or bake something that didn't come out like a spice-infused wet sponge. But, this adventure has met or exceeded every objective I'd set for it, and I'd made those goals so demanding that I was sure it couldn't deliver. Now, I'm faced with the task of setting new goals for the next 4 weeks...maybe the next 4 decades!

I've lost a significant amount of fat (we'll all know just how much tomorrow morning), while doing very little exercise beyond what I'd be doing around here anyway. I didn't think I'd ever have my current blood profile. And all these things have happened without ever feeling hungry - except for the couple times I got too busy and didn't think about eating until my blood sugar level was somewhere near the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Yes, my dear LG, I know you think I get cranky when that happens...thanks, sweetie, I appreciate hearing it. The whole thing has been relatively painless, though, and extremely good for my body (and I've heard it's good for my mind, but there was so little to work with there from the outset.) I'm eating vegan today and probably will be a 75%+ vegan for the foreseeable future...probably.

Here are the problems I have to overcome to accomplish long term change:

1.  I find the best vegan meals are those that don't taste like cooked vegetables, they taste like they contain meat or cheese or some other not-so-vegan ingredients...old habits you know.

2. I think much of my determination to stick with this was the awareness that it would only be for four weeks. Kind of like getting a loooong, slooow hypodermic inoculation to prevent some horrible disability in the future.

3. The worst foods for my body (doughnuts, hamburgers, greasy pizza, whipped cream) still look, smell - and probably would taste - deliciously appetizing. I'm beginning to see their previously hidden price tags, though.

4. I've never been able to eschew the really yummy stuff on a restaurant menu (especially if it's Italian) to order a salad or vegetable soup. But we've had a couple meals out this past month - vegan meals - that have been great tasting a filling.

Veggie stir fry with fresh red bell peppers

Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily intend to return to my old, hedonistic, artery-clogging, body-bloating habits of eating. I want to continue to lose fat. I want to continue to reduce my LDL and kick up my HDL. I want to feel as good for the rest of my life as I have lately.

In the mean time, pretty much everyone LG and I know think we're somewhere between silly and kick-'em-off-the-boat psychotic for even trying this way of eating. As you read this part, nodding in bemused agreement, I don't blame you. I would have done the same if it were some other fool doing it while I crunched on potato chips. But it's not some other fool...it's this fool...and his sweet wife. Believe me, this is something you can do if you have even a little bit of determination. If your blood pressure is high, if you have blood sugar/insulin problems, if you can't find a fat loss diet that works and is healthy, if you're interested in leaving a lighter carbon footprint...this is a truly viable option for you to consider. [Oration complete.]

Now, about last night's dinner - we had the stir fry you see in these photos. There was a small packet of udon noodles in the bottom of the pan, but it was basically all vegetables. It was good, but LG and I concurred that it just didn't quite meet our need to feel, if not sated, at least satisfied. After a while, LG headed to the kitchen and topped off the evening's intake with a little snack of Yumm Sauce (mentioned in an earlier post) on whole grain flatbread. I soon followed and fixed myself a smoothie containing fresh pineapple, light coconut milk, a banana, a big handful of fresh baby spinach, a few drops of coconut flavoring, some stevia and ice. I forgot to add the textured soy junk with the consistency of yogurt, but would add it next time for improved texture and protein.

If you like greeniacoladas...

Sorry for the residue on the glass. I forgot to take a pic until I'd had some of it and I didn't have the photo-staging dedication necessary to wipe it clean. Anyway, it was of tasty, vegan and nutritious. As you can tell by the ingredients, it's similar to a famous tropical alcoholic drink, ergo my name for it: greeniacolada. I think it would be great with some rum added and it would still have some health benefits - though with the added calories.

One of the things we'll be doing now that we can add a bit of oil to our diet is to fry tofu as an addition to some dishes. We've had fried tofu before and it can be really good. It tastes, as they say...like chicken (I made that up...it's a lie...but it is good) Another change will be the addition of wine and other alcoholic beverages from time to time. Believe it or not, that's part of my regimen to raise my HDL...no really! One site says that some research shows 1-2 drinks a day are as effective at raising HDL as regular exercise...wonder what adding BOTH will accomplish?

I'm still not sure about the role meat will play in our new food-life. I'm not feeling really drawn to any meat product right now. Same for cheese - except maybe for some real, crumbly sharp parmesian-reggiano on a brown rice/mushroom risotto, or some tangy blue cheese crumbles on a pear, walnut and mixed greens salad. LG and I have chatted about this very little, but I think we're likely to be making animal products a minor addition to primarily plant-based dishes, rather than the main part of our meals. Time will tell.

I'll post tomorrow's final Engine 2 Diet,  four week challenge weigh-in figure. I'm not expecting too much loss, but if I'm down another couple pounds I'll be very happy. If spring and summer ever do arrive, we'll be doing some bicycling and the outdoor work around home will add a lot of fairly intense physical activity. That will help with the calorie outgo too.

LG is off to work again on this damp, cloudy Saturday morning, but other than looking forward to her return - I'm feeling very good. I'm comfortably full of her cooked fruit and grain breakfast (prepared with dedication and love every one of these past 28 mornings), I'm delighted to have found a simple and healthy way to lose fat, and my heart-health is at the highest level at any point in my adult life. That's nothing to sneeze at as I'm nearly ready to qualify for social security.

Tomorrow evening, I'll toast LG, our new way of eating and all of you with a glass of an as-of-yet-undetermined, rich red wine. I'll continue to post periodic blog entries about our ongoing dietary exploits, though probably not daily. So, until tomorrow morning's weigh-in - adieu. Find happiness in every way you can. If it involves getting a healthier body, you might consider trying this approach.

Forks, Food, Flowers and F-blood Fests

We only have a few days left in our four week vegan voyage. Really and truly, it doesn't seem like it's been that long. As a matter of fact, it seems we're just getting started; just learning about new foods and ways to prepare them; learning to look at food in a more comprehensive manner. I've been trying not to sound preachy - but I think it's human nature to make an effort to rationalize our selected behaviors and maybe even try to persuade others to join our efforts as the ultimate form of affirmation. Whoa...heavy, dude. I'm not trying to persuade you to do anything you don't feel personally dedicated to do. I will simply say - as I've implied throughout our adventure - it's not nearly as oppressive as I thought it would be, and the payoffs are greater than I ever expected.

OK, that aside, I guess that royal wedding thing happened. I didn't get up to watch it, but it's kind of a cool thing...sweet, positive, creating a sense of joy in a world too often focused on the nastiness. I hope they do some nifty stuff for Britain over the next few decades. And the princess is smokin', ain't she?!

The poster at the top is a promotion for the movie Forks Over Knives, currently in release (you probably guessed that...) We'll be viewing it soon, and will give a bit of a review after we've seen it. One of the draws for us will be the presence of Rip Esselstyn, author of the Engine 2 Diet, who'll be doing a Q&A after the show. Thought we'd try to get out book signed...if we can get it back from the latest borrower. Not surprisingly, the movie's about personal and planet health issues related to how and what we eat. I doubt it'll be a nominee at the Oscars, but we're looking forward to seeing it. More of that rationalizing our current diet choice, I guess.

Brave Solo Tulip

 This is one of the [damned few!] Spring flowers that have dared to show themselves in this dark, sopping, cold late April. Fortunately, our kitchen has been alive with color and that really does help life the spirits.

Pie-Bound Superfood

  We did a left-overs dinner night last night - LG having spaghetti with marinara and pesto and I had a black bean burger smothered in daughter Heather's vegan chili. Everything was great. Dedicated to have provided a "nice hot breakfast" each of the 28 days of this adventure, LG once again prepared a blueberry infested, walnut topped melange of good and good-for-us grains. Thanks again gorgeous.

Rhubarb is one of the foods that cardiologists say is a great addition to anyone's diet. Ours is coming on strong - apparently less concerned than most of the flowers about the nasty weather. Just as well...I'm not inclined to make the flowers into a cobbler anyway.

Now...the big news - as far as I'm concerned anyway. I spoke with a nurse from my doc's office and got a report on my blood analysis. My "before" profile includes a total cholesterol of 280 (probably higher, though I hadn't checked it for a couple years), so-so triglycerides, and a HDL to LDL ratio that was close to OK. About 8-9 years ago, I used a natural form of statin drug (red rice yeast) for about 6 weeks and got my total down to 199. I didn't keep it going because - even though its a "natural" substance - the red rice has the potential to cause the same kind of harm to one's liver as other cholesterol-lowering prescriptions. I apparently only have one liver and am inclined to keep it as healthy as possible, thank you very much.

The really good news is that my total cholesterol was the lowest it's ever been in the 35 years I've been monitoring it - 196, and without any kind of drug. My triglycerides were at a very good level as well. The down side is that my HDL - the good cholesterol - had dropped a slightly greater percentage than the bad LDL. I'm sure that would have been true of my "before" profile if I'd checked it recently, but it's something I can work on...and I have a plan in place to do just that. I'll weigh Sunday morning and that will be the final metric for this 28 day start to a new way of eating.

Yeah, it sure seems like maintaining a diet close to what we've been doing is a very good idea. I can see big changes in my body composition - good changes! Over the past couple years of "growing", I've complained - but done little - about my spreading mid-section (and sections adjacent.) LG always tells me that she thinks I  "look just fine." Lately though, she's been hugging marking how "thin and hard" my body feels. I'm especially delighted with the tone in which she offers those remarks...yeah baby! My joints are much less inclined to feel stiff after working hard. While I quite frankly am not interested in living to be 100 years old, I'd like to have 80+ really healthy, active years on this plane of existence. Yeah, that's the ticket!