Small Changes = Big Results, Not all Vegans are Healthy, and Meat is Meat

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM. 

The #1 risk for death is our diet, associated with more deaths than any other risk factor––responsible for us losing our parents, siblings, spouses, and friends, because of what they ate and the resulting cardiovascular disease. This is the exciting thing about plant-based diets, which lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and risk of dying from it - and in fact, lower the risk of dying from all causes put together. Increasing our intake of plant foods and reducing the intake of animal foods is the key to life longer and stronger – and even more exciting is that small changes make a big improvement! Replacing just 3 percent of animal protein with plant protein resulted in a 10 percent lower overall mortality. It is Meatless Monday and one meatless day a week is about 15% less meat and a great place to start! 

It's Transition Tuesday and a fantastic resource for transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is a website called "Running on Real Food"  It’s so much fun to exploit the author’s site and there are many recipes and tips.  There is also a “How to Transition to a Plant-based Diet” guide that’s excellent.  Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

Healthy plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Increasing consumption of plant foods, while decreasing intake of animal foods does not mean drinking cola and eating Oreos – yes, they are plant-based! Simply avoiding animal products is not enough – the best diet is one made of whole foods that are plant-based, where nothing has been added and nothing has been taken away. In an eight-week whole food plant-based program in which two dozen who were already eating vegetarian, or vegan moved to whole foods, there was significant weight loss and reductions in cholesterol – like dropping ten pounds and 15 cholesterol points. On this wonderful Wednesday, plantify your plates with whole foods! 

Researchers separately scored the quality of different animal foods in an animal-based Diet Quality Index. For example, if you consider processed meats and red meats as unhealthy animal foods, but fish, seafood, dairy, and poultry as healthy animal foods, they found no association for the quality of animal foods––meaning they seemed just as bad in terms of cancer mortality, heart disease mortality, and death from all causes combined.  Remember, the #1 risk to our health is the Standard American Diet, most importantly the amount of cardiovascular disease it causes. You can live longer, stronger, and better by replacing animal foods with real foods that are plants – beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, grains, and fruits! 

It is Fix-it Friday and oh my goodness, you will love these Four Layer Enchilada Cakes

Ingredients:

½ cup raw cashews

2 T nutritional yeast

1 T lemon juice

1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained.

½ cup cooked brown rice

2 T chopped fresh cilantro.

2 t taco seasoning

2 medium red-skin potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.

2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms

2 cups finely chopped orange bell peppers

2 cups finely chopped red onion.

2 cloves garlic, minced.

½ tsp ground cumin

7 cups chopped Swiss chard.

10 6-inch corn tortillas

4 cups oil-free enchilada sauce

½ cup Pico de Gallo

 For the cashew cream, in a small bowl combine cashew and ½ cup hot water. Let stand for 20 minutes. In a blender combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Cover and blend until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mash beans. Stir in rice, cilantro, and taco seasoning. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water and bring to the boil. Steam covered for 20 minutes. Remove and mash potatoes. In another large saucepan cook the next five ingredients (through cumin) over medium for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. In an extra-large skillet cook chard over medium low for 3 to 5 minutes. Toss with ¼ cup of the cashew cream. Place a tortilla in each of the two pie plates and spread ¼ of the enchilada sauce and half of the bean mixture over each. Top with another tortilla then spread ¼ cup enchilada sauce and half of the mushroom mixture. Add a tortilla then ¼ cup enchilada sauce and half of the mashed potatoes. Add one tortilla and ¼ cup enchilada sauce, half of the chard mixture, and top with the remaining tortillas. Spread stacks generously with enchilada sauce, reserving some for serving. Bake for 25 minutes. Warm the enchilada sauce and top with remaining cashew cream, with Pico de Gallo on the side. 

From The Archives:

We have all heard the phrase, “More is not always better” – Today in our country, malnutrition is one that is excessive – in calories, saturated fats, added sugars, and salt. In the year 2000, 30% of us were obese – today it is over 42%. Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Elevated cholesterol, associated with eating high levels of meat, butter, and cheese, along with eating too little fiber and healthy fat, increases our risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. High blood pressure, also devastating to our health, is a result of not getting enough activity, excessive salt intake, being overweight, smoking, and not managing stress well. Much of why individuals have diabetes is due to lifestyle, such as being overweight, low physical activity levels, and increasing amounts of abdominal fat.  Being overweight or obese is reversible – and the healthiest way is to have Meatless Monday more and more days!

 It is not commonly known that being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing cancers such as uterine, breast, ovarian, kidney, liver, pancreas, thyroid, and colon cancer. Yes, the acronym for our Standard American Diet is “SAD,” and it drives our weight issues. But there’s super news – we have a choice! We do not have to continue the destruction of our bodies and future selves – we can do quite the opposite. For those interested in eating more plant-based and healthier, the No Meat Athlete Cookbook is great, and the Food Monster App has thousands of delicious recipes.  Plantify your plates and have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

 The concept that “protein is good and the more the better” along with “protein quality” definitions that favor animal protein fosters the impression that eating more meat, eggs, and dairy is healthy…but this is in direct opposition to nutritional guidelines based on research. But isn’t protein, protein? It is not – unlike animal-based protein, plant protein is low in branched-chain amino acids, which improves metabolic health. People who eat more protein tend to live shorter lives – due to the increased consumption of animal protein and it is resulting in health issues. Plant protein does just the opposite. Replace animal protein with plant protein to live longer and stronger and have a wonderful Wednesday!

 This is interesting! Those who suffer from allergies appear to have a decreased risk of certain cancers! Their immune systems may be working overtime to fight pollen and dust, and at the same time taking out cancer cells as well. Wouldn’t it be great to boost our immune systems without suffering allergies? We can! Mushrooms, with their array of unique "myco" nutrients, may do the trick. Adolescents living in areas where more grains, veggies, and nuts were consumed were significantly less likely to have wheezing, allergic issues, and allergic eczema. Children who eat two or more servings of veggies a day have only half the odds of suffering from allergic asthma. Those who suffer from seasonal allergies may also benefit from drinking green tea. We live in an area where allergy season lasts almost all year round – give these tips a try and see what happens!

 We are launching something new today - "Fix it Friday" where we will share a recipe with you! Labor Day weekend is HERE, and it is a great time to grill veggies - easy with kabobs of mushrooms, peppers, onions, sweet potatoes - anything you like and put them on the grill. I microwave the potatoes a bit because they take longer. A grilled "cauliflower steak" is awesome - slice a huge head and spray with a little olive oil or avocado oil and grill on both sides. But we need a grillable veggie burger! Try Beyond Burgers OR make your own to be the healthiest: 

Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers by the Minimalist Baker

 1 cup of cooked brown rice

1 cup of raw walnuts that you have heated in a skillet for a few minutes.

1/2 Tbsp of olive oil

1/2 medium white, finely diced onion

1 Tbsp of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.

1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans that are rinsed off and drained.

1/2 cup of panko crumbs for gluten-free or breadcrumbs

3 to 4 Tbsp BBQ sauce

 Heat up the oil and onion and sauté them.

Add the cooled walnuts to a blender with the spices and blend them.

In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork and add all the other ingredients. Mix the well and add more BBQ sauce if it is dry. Make patties and put them on the grill! It sometimes helps to put oil on the grill.

 

All Animal Products are Processed - Athletes and Diabetics Benefit from Being Plant-Based

 

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 I had great feedback on sharing last week's video - this week I will share a wonderful resource called "Running on Real Food". Here you go:

 https://runningonrealfood.com/start-here/

 A key insight Dr. Greger, author of “How Not to Die” and many other books based on research wants to emphasize is the concept that animal products are the ultimate processed food. Basically, all nutrition grows from the ground: seeds, sunlight, and soil. It is where all our vitamins, minerals, and proteins come from, including the essential amino acids. The only reason there are essential amino acids in steak is because the cow ate them from plants. Why not cut out the meat and get the nutrition directly and, in doing so, get all the phytonutrients and fiber that are lost when plants are processed through animals and none of the harmful effects of eating meat? It is Meatless Monday, y’all! Try it at your home, then add another day, then another to live longer and live stronger!

 It is Transition Tuesday and we have mentioned that giving up dairy and processed meats are the two things you can do that will most impact how you feel, function, and live. Once you have given them up, try removing other meats like chicken, beef, pork, fish, and turkey. It also helps to get together with friends who are plant-based and share recipes, have potluck dinners, and go to restaurants together that have great alternatives to choose from. Very importantly, remember that you influence everyone around you. When you are eating out and they mention how you are eating and you tell them how much better you feel, you will make a difference in their lives - and what could be better? Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

 Studies show that vegan athletes have significantly superior aerobic capacity and endurance, lasting 25 percent longer on cycling tests – even though in the studies they were significantly older! There are potential reasons - higher muscle glycogen storage, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of their diet, and superior aerobic capacity. It is so important to understand that athletes benefit from a vegan diet. The “No-meat Athlete” is a great book to explain more! Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

 A study of diabetics who ate the same calories and exercised the same, but one group was vegetarian and the other was not, showed that vegetarians had better body weight. How is that possible when they are given the same number of calories? Just eating meat-free led to significantly more weight loss—about six pounds more, and more waist loss, lower cholesterol, and less superficial fat. But most importantly, significantly more visceral fat loss - that most dangerous, deep belly fat. They also had better control of their diabetes and better mental health, while more effectively improving their physical fitness. WOW!

Grilled Corn Succotash

 Ingredients:

6 ears of cleaned sweet corn.

1 cup edamame

2 T lime juice

1 large red bell pepper, quartered.

1 leek, chopped.

2 cloves garlic, minced.

½ tsp paprika

½ cup slivered fresh basil

Small fresh basil leaves

Lime wedges

 Directions:

 Cook corn and edamame in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain. Combine 1 T of lime juice and 1 T of water. Brush over the cooked corn, bell pepper, and leeks. Grill, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until lightly charred, turning as needed and brushing with additional lime juice mixture. Transfer to a cutting board and chop after cooling, cutting corn from the cobs. In a bowl combine corn, bell pepper, leek, edamame, garlic, and paprika. Stir in basil and 1 T lime juice. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve with lime wedges and it is a party in your mouth on this fantastic Friday.

 And here is your blast from the past! 

We know that beans are SUPER powerful, plant-based proteins that are loaded with prebiotics and antioxidants, but which are the best ones for our health? The top five are pinto beans, black beans, small red beans (not the larger kidney beans), garbanzo beans, and in number 1 place are LENTILS! Lentils are perhaps the "best among all tested legumes for the development of a dietary supplement for promoting heart health and preventing cancers."  Simply adding beans to a meal, including breakfast, slows down our stomach emptying so you feel fuller longer, and reduces oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, just to name a few benefits. When subjects were fed a cup of chickpeas daily for 3 weeks, bad gut bacteria were crowded out, and the good bacteria increased, allowing our gut microbiomes to be healthier! Add beans to your plantified plates and have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

 Established in 1965, the IARC is the international agency for research on cancer. It aims to find preventive measures and to reduce the burden of and suffering from cancer. They classify carcinogens - those substances that cause cancer - into groups. For example, Group 1 carcinogens have sufficient research findings to be classified as "carcinogenic to humans." It is important to know that many tobacco compounds, alcoholic beverages, and processed meats are listed - because they cause cancer. What we drink and eat matters so much when it comes to cancer. Live longer and live stronger by avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and processed meats like ham, bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs, and cold cuts. Have a wonderful Wednesday everybody!

 In 2015 US Dietary guidelines advised eating less sugar… and the soda-funded "International Life Sciences Institute" sponsored a review which concluded that the guidelines were simply not trustworthy. It is an example of how opinions are biased due to industry funding, as it was paid for by companies like Coca-Cola, Hershey, Red Bull, and the makers of Oreos. And, the writers of the research swore they were not biased, but that turned out to be false… so they had to retract those statements. There were some bright spots – candy companies like the makers of Snickers, Skittles, and M&M’s broke ranks with the other food companies and denounced the paper. They knew that telling people to ignore guidelines to cut down on sugar made them all look bad. The best way to get your sugar is from nature's candy – a plethora of fruits that are sweet AND loaded with fiber and nutrition!

 It is "Fix it Friday" and we are fixing our favorite veggie sandwich! Ikaria, Greece is one of the five Blue Zones in the world where people live longest and best, and their sourdough bread is a staple there. Start this sandwich off with two thick slices of the bread and drizzle olive oil on it, then toast it in the oven. Spread your favorite hummus on the untoasted side of the bread. Layer on thinly sliced tomato, avocado, and cucumber, a small handful of peeled and grated beet, a small handful of grated carrot, and your favorite greens like spinach or arugula, drizzle on balsamic vinegar and then add the other piece of toasted bread to the top. And welcome to raw beets! Beets contain nearly ALL the nutrients we need - loaded with vitamins and minerals and low in calories and fat. Slice up all the veggies, have a variety of greens, various bean, and hummus spreads, and let everyone make their own on this fantastic Friday!

 

Our #1 Risk for Death is the American Diet - How to Turn it Around!

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 Hi followers! Due to popular demand, I am going to start including some links for videos and websites to help transform your health! The first one is on losing weight and keeping it off - with some of my FAVORITE people - Dr. Gemma Newman, Brenda Davis, RD, Dr. Neal Barnard, and more! Here is the first and it is 45 minutes in length. Live longer and live stronger everyone! 

The traditional medical view on obesity, as summed up nearly a century ago: “All obese persons are alike in one fundamental respect—they literally overeat.” While this may be technically true, this is in reference to overeating calories, not food. Our urge to overeat is selective -we do not crave cabbage, do we? We have an inborn preference for sweet, starchy, fatty foods because it is where the most calories are concentrated. Fruit and vegetable preferences of four-year-old children correlate with calorie density - preferring bananas over berries and carrots over cucumbers. It is not just a preference for sweetness - they prefer potatoes over peaches! How do we overcome this inborn drive to maximize calories with every forkful? More to come this Wednesday! 

In the United States, our #1 risk for death is the American diet! It claims more lives than any other risk factor and the good news is that the damage it has done can be undone with healthier eating habits. It is Transition Tuesday and a great way to transition to healthier eating is to start with breakfast! Instead of highly processed cereal with cow's milk, make overnight oats with cinnamon, stevia, raisins, and almond milk. Instead of white bread toast with butter, or a high-fat, high-calorie muffin, get your grains with whole grain bread and make muffins with applesauce and plant-based alternatives instead of eggs - like chia seeds. As you are transitioning, remember to ask yourself, "How bad do you want to feel good?" Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

If we are born with a drive to maximize calories, it does not help that the food industry strips foods down into almost pure calories—straight sugar, oil (which is pure fat), and white flour. First, they remove the fiber – running brown rice through a mill to make white removes two-thirds of the fiber. Turning whole wheat flour into white loses 75 percent of fiber, which is so important to our health. In fact, calories are condensed in the same way plants are turned into addictive drugs! It is by concentration, crystallization, distillation, and extraction - which then activates the same reward pathways in the brain. Processed foods are engineered to addict us, but you can break that addiction by plantifying your plates a bit more every day! 

“Food addiction” is a misnomer because we do not suffer out-of-control eating behaviors to food in general. We do not compulsively crave carrots, for example. Milkshakes are packed with sugar and fat: two of the signals to our brain of calorie density, so we crave them. In terms of cravings, the most problematic were cheese, meat, and highly processed foods, like donuts. Those that were the least problematic were fruits and vegetables. Start breaking those addictions by transitioning to plant-based whole foods to live longer and live stronger! Type in "transitioning to a plant-based diet" to find lots of resources :) 

It is Fix-it Friday and how about a bowl of great grains called “BROL”? BROL stands for barley, rye, oats, and lentils. Barley, rye, and oat groats are the entire grain and are available in markets or online. Purple barley and black lentils, just like darker-colored fruits and vegetables, are the highest in antioxidant power. BROL is a powerful prebiotic mix, the best thing for our good gut bugs, which helps ALL our organs. Mix a cup each of barley, rye, and oats with 6 cups of water and cook in your instant pot for 30 minutes. The lentils cook faster so fix them alone with 2 cups of water. Mix them all together and dish it up like oatmeal, then add some fresh chopped pineapple, blueberries, pomegranates, raisins, chopped nuts, cinnamon, dark chocolate powder, ground flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds – anything you want. Add almond milk and stir it up. It is SO great for your magical gut microbiome! 

We have all heard the phrase, “More is not always better” – today in our country, malnutrition is one that is excessive – in calories, saturated fats, added sugars, and salt. In the year 2000, 30% of us were obese – today it is over 42%. Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Elevated cholesterol, associated with eating high levels of meat, butter, and cheese, along with eating too little fiber and healthy fat, increases our risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. High blood pressure, also devastating to our health, is a result of not getting enough activity, excessive salt intake, being overweight, smoking, and not managing stress well. Much of why individuals have diabetes is due to lifestyle, such as being overweight, having low physical activity levels, and increasing amounts of abdominal fat.  Being overweight or obese is reversible – and the healthiest way is to have Meatless Monday for more days! 

And from LAST Year! 

It is not commonly known that being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing cancers such as uterine, breast, ovarian, kidney, liver, pancreas, thyroid, and colon cancer. Yes, the acronym for our Standard American Diet is “SAD,” and it drives our weight issues. But there’s super news – we have a choice! We do not have to continue the destruction of our bodies and future selves – we can do quite the opposite. For those interested in eating more plant-based food and healthier, the No Meat Athlete Cookbook is great, and the Food Monster App has thousands of delicious recipes. Plantify your plates and have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

The concept that “protein is good and the more the better” along with “protein quality” definitions that favor animal protein fosters the impression that eating more meat, eggs, and dairy is healthy…but this is in direct opposition to nutritional guidelines based on research. But isn’t protein, protein? It is not – unlike animal-based protein, plant protein is low in branched-chain amino acids, which improves metabolic health. People who eat more protein tend to live shorter lives – due to the increased consumption of animal protein and it is resulting in health issues. Plant protein does just the opposite. Replace animal protein with plant protein to live longer and live stronger and have a wonderful Wednesday! 

This is interesting! Those who suffer from allergies appear to have decreased risk of certain cancers! Their immune systems may be working overtime to fight pollen and dust, and at the same time taking out cancer cells as well. Wouldn’t it be great to boost our immune systems without suffering allergies? We can! Mushrooms, with their array of unique "myco" nutrients, may do the trick. And adolescents living in areas where more grains, veggies, and nuts were consumed were significantly less likely to have wheezing, allergic issues, and allergic eczema. Children that eat two or more servings of veggies a day have only half the odds of suffering from allergic asthma. Those who suffer from seasonal allergies may also benefit from drinking green tea. We live in an area where allergy season lasts almost all year round – give these tips a try and see what happens! 

We are launching something new today - "Fix it Friday" where we will share a recipe with you! Labor Day weekend is HERE, and it is a great time to grill veggies - easy with kabobs of mushrooms, peppers, onions, sweet potatoes - anything you like and put them on the grill. I microwave the potatoes a bit because they take longer. A grilled "cauliflower steak" is awesome - slice a huge head and spray with a little olive oil or avocado oil and grill on both sides. But we need a grillable veggie burger! Try Beyond Burgers OR make your own to be the healthiest:  

Easy Grilled Veggie Burgers by the Minimalist Baker 

1 cup of cooked brown rice

1 cup of raw walnuts that you have heated in a skillet for a few minutes.

1/2 Tbsp of olive oil

1/2 medium white, finely diced onion

1 Tbsp of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.

1/2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans that are rinsed off and drained.

1/2 cup of panko crumbs for gluten-free or breadcrumbs

3 to 4 Tbsp BBQ sauce 

Heat up the oil and onion and sauté them. Add the cooled walnuts to a blender with the spices and blend them. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork and add all the other ingredients. Mix the well and add more BBQ sauce if it is dry. Make patties and put them on the grill! It sometimes helps to put oil on the grill.

 

S.O.S. Free (No Salt, Oil or Sugar) and Beverage Choice is Important!

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 S.O.S. free living is something you may not have heard of – it is no sugar, oil, or salt. Giving up sugar is one of the best things you can do for your health because it causes more inflammation of your cells than anything else – which leads to a cascade of diseases. You will not believe how your taste buds change once you have done it for two weeks! Do not replace it with something that is still high in sweetness, like sugarcane juice or high-chemical sweeteners. Use date paste if you need super sweet because it has fiber and it is super easy to make! (HOW?) 

It is Transition Tuesday and now it is time to clean up the beverages. Water, green tea, and coffee are the best beverages for our bodies. Give up sodas and alcohol. If you need help, get help. The sugar and sweeteners in soda are addictive and you may need help giving it up as well as the alcohol. There are so many non-alcoholic versions of beer, wine, and spirits that you can use to transition away from the real ones. And here is where you can REALLY influence everyone around you. When you are with them and they mention that you are not drinking alcohol and you tell them how much better you feel because if it, is how your brain fog has lifted, and how much weight you have lost, you will make a difference in their lives! 

Less S.O.S. means less sugar, oil, and salt, and here is some news that is shocking for some:  there is no such thing as a healthy oil. Not extra virgin olive oil, not canola oil. Oil has 4000 calories per pound! Fruits and veggies have 100 to 300 and beans, grains, and potatoes at the highest have 600 - not 4000! Oils are also highly processed and “denatured” – nothing like nature provided. How do you change an olive into clear oil without some major processing? Oils are also void of any nutrients. Any fat we need, like 10% of our calories, should come from nuts, seeds, and avocados. If you are having trouble losing weight on a plant-based diet, it could be you are consuming too much olive oil, peanut butter, walnuts, and guacamole! Plantify your plates and keep your fat consumption to 10% to live longer and live stronger! 

The last S for an S.O.S.-free diet is salt. Sea salt is SALT - and we get way too much of it! We require a little sodium. Give it up and just like with sugar, you will not believe how your taste buds change in their interpretation of good foods! Try different spices and seasonings instead. If you still desire salt, sea veggies and non-oil sundried tomatoes are awesome! Go to seaveg.com to order dulse or kelp – both are high in minerals and have a naturally salty taste with little sodium. Or pulse sundried tomatoes in a coffee grinder or high-speed blender to make food so flavorful! It is a party in your mouth and every cell with thank you when you go SOS-free!

It is Fix-it FRIDAY and time for a Zucchini and Chickpea Sauté.’ 

Ingredients: 

1 cup chopped onion.

1 cup chopped red bell pepper.

6 cloves garlic, minced.

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

3 medium zucchinis halved then cut into ¼-inch thick slices.

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

1 cup oil-free marinara sauce

1 T white wine vinegar

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped.

 Directions: 

Heat an extra-large skillet over medium. Add the first five ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent sticking. Add zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in chickpeas, marinara and vinegar. Cook until heated through and serve immediately, garnished with basil. 

Do not miss this issue from last year! 

What if there was a medication that could successfully treat and even REVERSE heart disease, the #1 killer of people, along with many other chronic conditions and it only had positive side effects? And what if it were low cost? Well, it is available, and it is known as the “Food as Medicine” movement, with foods from minimally processed plants. It is growing worldwide but one of the roadblocks is that many believe that once someone has a diagnosis of conditions like heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, or high blood pressure, they do not think there is anything that can be done other than live with the medications and hope it does not get worse.  Stay tuned this week to learn the fantastic news to live longer and live stronger – big hint…have a marvelous Meatless Monday, everyone! 😊.

 There is a reason more are referring to health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and others as “conditions” rather than “diseases” because they are conditional – conditioned upon the lifestyles we choose. The word “disease” sounds like it is a forever thing when it may not be! The fact that a whole food plant-based approach provides a safe, effective, low-cost alternative to reducing symptoms and treating the causes is unknown to many. Thankfully, the word is spreading, and physician groups are recommending plant-based diets to their patients. The side effects are only positive, such as increased energy, improved digestion, and treating many conditions while eating unlimited quantities of satisfying foods! So, search “whole food plant-based” and “Food as Medicine” to learn the best ways to plantify your plates, and have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

In 1665, England started keeping mortality statistics when a person died in an accident, falling down the stairs…and that same week nearly 4,000 people died of the plague. Today, the modern plague is not COVID, but heart disease. It is the number one killer of men and women. Decades ago, Nathan Pritikin, then Dean Ornish, then other scientists at the Cleveland Clinic showed the natural cure for coronary heart disease. Dr. Hans Diehl developed the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) which was an affordable 30-day lifestyle intervention to be delivered to individuals in their community. Teaching patients to embrace centering their diet around whole plant foods was optimal but it was not rigid – and after just 4 weeks there was an average weight loss of 6 pounds, blood pressure dropped 6 points, bad cholesterol levels went down 16 to 32 points and blood sugar levels dropped as well. Move a little every day in your plant-slant journey and have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 

More than a decade ago, a paper was published titled, “Healthy Living is the Best Revenge” showing that following four simple healthy lifestyle factors can have a strong impact on the prevention of chronic diseases. We are talking 80 percent less chronic illness risk, slashing diabetes risk by 93 percent, heart attack risk by 81% and cancer by 36 percent! WOW! What are the four behaviors? They are not smoking, not being obese, getting half an hour of exercise each day, and eating with a plant-slant (meaning little or no meat and lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and beans). “Finally, a regimen to extend human life expectancy” was exclaimed. How have we done since then? Not well…but recently the tide is turning. And it is never too late to turn back the clock! You can do it, one step and one forkful at a time! 

In 1903, Thomas Edison predicted that the doctor of the future would give no medicine but would instead instruct their patient in the care of the human frame in the diet in the cause and prevention of disease. One hundred years later the American College of Lifestyle Medicine was born. They prescribe drugs but also recognize that the leading causes of death are caused mostly by lifestyle – particularly what we put in our mouths:  food and cigarettes. Great news - we can stop blaming our genes and focus on the significant portion (over 70%) that’s totally within our control: those 4 simple lifestyle factors bear repeating - not smoking, not being obese, a half hour of exercise, and a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and less meat is what’s under our control – reducing our risk of disease by 78%.  Following these steps is like turning back the clock for 14 years! Have a fantastic Friday everyone!

 

The Great Myths - Eating Healthy is Too Expensive, Takes Too Much Time, and is Too Hard! How BAD do you want to be HEALTHY?

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM. 

Let us address some common false beliefs you have when choosing a healthier lifestyle. First, we may think it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. Consider some tradeoffs, such as, what you are spending on foods and beverages that are unhealthy? Cutting out one trip to the coffee shop each day could save a lot. What is you are spending on other things that you can live without and use toward good foods - the most important investment for your health? Very importantly, how much do you spend eating out, when eating at home is much healthier and cheaper? We have 100 times more heart attacks than those in Uganda, who live on pennies a day eating grains and vegetables. Some of the poorest countries are much healthier than us - we are one of the richest, but we are never in the top 20 healthiest countries, due to our lifestyles. Go to forksoverknives.com or drmcdougall.com to see how you can eat healthier with LESS spending. Here is a hint – it is Meatless Monday everyone! 

Most food choices we make are simply due to ingrained habits. I have shared before that a small percentage of our conditions and diseases are from our genes. What we inherit most from our parents that influences our own health is how they cook and what they eat. Breaking these habits may be one of the most challenging tasks we face. A simple yet highly effective step in getting there is writing down the goal in the form of an "if-then" statement on a piece of paper. Making a healthier option the "default option", for example, "If I am craving a burger, then I will choose a Beyond burger" provides your next step, the substitute you have in mind. It can make a huge difference in your success to live longer and live stronger! It is Transition Tuesday and a great day to write down your plan to live longer and live stronger! 

 

A false belief about lifestyle change to live longer is that you do not have time to prepare healthy foods. Look at how you spend your time now, and consider, “How badly do you want it?”  How bad do you want health and energy – would that be enough to reduce your TV time, phone time, and social media time? We all have enough time for the things we value, so how much do you value your health and future? You will have more energy and will get things done more quickly when you feel better. And many steps in cooking are left out when you go salt, oil, and sugar-free. Buying already chopped foods can help and it can certainly be just as fast to cook healthy as cooking the standard American diet. For example, you can make black bean brownies that are delicious, from scratch, faster than opening the brownie mix box! It is important – to your entire family, and remember, you influence every person around you! 

Some resist changing their unhealthy eating habits because they feel they cannot live without meat, dairy, or processed foods. But what if by kicking an addiction you could free yourself from diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke? If giving up cheese, meat, sugar, or other super unhealthy foods makes you think it is impossible, start by substituting half of what you would normally eat with the healthy version, like half almond milk and half cow’s milk. Find a friend to help you give it up and join the McDougall Discussion forums online at drmcdougall.com. Try it for 14 days and you will not believe how great you feel when you plantify your plate! 

Fix-it FRIDAY is today and its Teriyaki Burgers with Pineapple

 1-pound portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup sliced green onions.

2 T low sodium soy sauce or tamari

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 tsp grated fresh ginger.

½ tsp pure maple syrup

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

2/3 cup cooked and cooled brown rice.

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

¼ cup ground flaxseed

6 fresh pineapple slices

6 leaves Bibb or red-leaf lettuce

1 recipe Carrot Pickle

 In a large skillet cook mushrooms over medium 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 T at a time as needed to prevent sticking. Add scallions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. In a bowl combine the next six ingredients (through the crushed red pepper). Reserve one T to use on the pineapple. In a large food processor, combine the mushrooms, soy sauce mixture, panko, rice, walnuts, and flaxseed meal. Cover and pulse until chunky but not pureed. Shape into six patties, pressing firmly. Chill for at least 20 minutes. Brush the pineapple slices with the reserved soy sauce mixture. Grill the burgers and pineapple, covered, over medium for 8 minutes, turning once. Place each burger on a lettuce leaf, and top with pineapple and Carrot Pickles.

 Carrot Pickle:  In a bowl combine ½ thinly sliced cucumber, ¼ cup shredded carrot, 3 thinly sliced radishes, 2 T rice vinegar, ½ tsp pure maple syrup, 1/8 tsp sea salt. Cover and chill overnight.

 And from a year ago!

 There is a relatively new term you may hear, called "regenerative agriculture" - growing food in ways that feed not only humans but the ecosystem that produces it - restoring soil and managing erosion and water usage are just a few examples. Healthy produce has become a priority for more of us, and a company called "WhatsGood" introduced a model that bypasses farmer's markets to allow consumers to order goods online directly from farmers for home delivery. They are in 21 states, not yet in Missouri, but their app looks great! It is Meatless Monday, and those farmers' markets are in full swing, so take advantage of them and have a marvelous Monday! 

To get healthy produce into areas called "food deserts" - mostly urban areas that have access to little fresh food, some nonprofits are getting creative. Small farms in cities are being created and not only are they growing food, but they are also educating, training, and developing leaders in growing crops. The food is then loaded on buses that deliver to local communities and health centers and churches. Interest in gardening and in volunteering has increased since the pandemic, and it contributes to better health for all involved! South Side Farm, sponsored by Saint Francis Healthcare System, is a great example. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

 

Yesterday we talked about the rise in urban gardens and the importance of fresh produce that is available for everyone. Not only does it benefit the recipients greatly, but there are also many health benefits of gardening. Simply being outside in a GREEN space is good for our mental health and it reduces stress. Gardening also counts as exercises that boost our immune systems, and of course, pushing a tiller or lawn mower is even better :) Gardening gives us a sense of purpose, connects us with others who enjoy it, allows us to be "at the moment", and importantly gives us something we can count on. Knowing we come home to a few minutes of yard work or gardening gives us certainty, which boosts our mental health. And plantifting your plate with your produce makes us healthier too! You can make a tiny garden in your kitchen window if you do not have much space. Have a wonderful Wednesday and happy gardening! 

For many years, a good number of us avoided corn because we considered it "unhealthy". Associating it with high fructose corn syrup is part of the turn-off, as well as the heavy butter and salt that normally goes with it. But it is time to reframe corn as a healthy food that is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals AND even though it is called sweet corn, it has less sugar than beets or fruits. It is also a good source of protein and antioxidants. Popcorn is too! In Costa Rica, a Blue Zone where people live longest and best, they lean heavily on what they call the "three sisters" of corn, squash, and beans. But - they do not add butter or salt, which effectively negates all the health benefits. Put corn in fresh salsa, soups, on salads, and get Skinny Girl popcorn for your health on the shelf! 

Recent results of the Global Burden of Disease Study shocked many, finding that consuming more than just 2 teaspoons of wine or 2.5 tablespoons of beer a day causes health risks, stating, "Young people should not drink". Oxford University also completed a large study showing there was "no safe dose of alcohol" when it comes to brain health. And a study in Ireland just concluded that alcohol poses a greater risk of heart disease than previously thought. We cannot forget that ethanol breaks down to a known cancer-causing compound that damages our DNA. The best beverages for these fantastic bodies we have been given have no calories, no side effects, and little to no cost:  water and tea. Start reducing your alcohol consumption today to live longer and live stronger on this fantastic Friday! 

 

Cooking Foods to Boost Nutrients, Dangers of Milk when it comes to Cancer, and What are Analogs?

 

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 Does cooking foods, and the method used to cook them, change their nutritional value? Some foods are simply better COOKED and thankfully, antioxidants are not destroyed by boiling – but they leach out into the cooking water, so it is important to consume the water too. Antioxidant power is boosted in mushrooms when they are microwaved or grilled (rather than raw) but boiling them results in significant decreases. Cauliflower is also negatively impacted by boiling - raw or steaming is better. Broccoli has LOTS of lutein, an eyesight, and brain-protecting compound that boiling increases and steaming nearly doubles the lutein levels - but microwaving cuts it down. Finely chopping spinach can double the amount of lutein - cooking almost eliminates it. Those are some tips to get the most out of your plantified plates in the way you prepare them on this Meatless Monday!

 It is Transition Tuesday and the last of your grocery list to live longer and live stronger has to do with analogs. Analogs are those "like animal products" that have the texture, taste, and sometimes crunch, without the damage of consuming actual animal products. Go to the produce section in any grocery store and visit the plant-based section for cheeses, hot dogs, sausages, and milk. Then go to the freezer section for Beyond Burgers, Gardien Ultimate Chickn Tenders, black bean burgers, and more! Try them all and see which ones you like best. Though they are highly processed, they are a good way to move away from meat and dairy, and next week we will talk about why they are so beneficial. Keep in mind they are not part of a whole food, plant-based diet that is the healthiest choice, but they are a great way to get there! 

 prostate cancer rates around the world have a 70-fold difference in incidence, with the highest rates in North America, Northern Europe, New Zealand, and Australia where a lot of milk is consumed, and lower rates in Asia and Africa where little is consumed. Intake of dairy is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and the more calcium consumed from dairy sources, the higher the risk. The good news is that non-dairy, plant-based calcium sources have been found to protect against it. With plant-based diets, prostate cancer patients had a significant reduction in their PSA levels, indicating tumor shrinkage and their bloodstream became almost eight times better at blocking cancer cell growth! High dairy consumption after a prostate cancer diagnosis can contribute to a 141 percent increased risk of dying from the cancer. The research is clear, dairy is scary for men when it comes to prostate cancer.

 This is shocking! By drinking milk after infancy, we persistently ‘abuse’ the growth-promoting signaling system of milk that maintains the most important hallmark of cancer biology, which is a signal to continuously grow! But what about calcium supplements? They have been shown to significantly reduce colon polyps that may otherwise turn into cancer but have also been associated with adverse cardiovascular problems. The best way to get calcium then is from dark-green leafy vegetables and legumes like beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils, or calcium-fortified foods, such as soy or almond milk. Check your health on the shelf and remove the milk to prevent and reverse disease and live longer and stronger! 

FIX IT FRIDAY MEANS “NO TUNA SALAD SANDWICHES”

 Ingredients:

 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

3 T tahini

1 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard

1 T pure maple syrup

¼ cup diced red onion

¼ cup diced celery

¼ c diced pickle

1 tsp capers drained and chopped.

1 T unsalted sunflower kernels

8 slices Ezekiel Bread

Romaine lettuce sleeves, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion.

 Directions:

 In a medium bowl mash chickpeas with a fork, leaving a few whole. Add the rest of the ingredients (through the sunflower kernels). Mix well and scoop onto four slices of bread, add desired toppings, and place remaining bread slices. 

 

Less Meat = Less Disease and More Meat Analogs!

 Cerebrovascular disease is another name for stroke. For the most common type of stroke, which is caused by clots, vegetarians consistently have almost 60 percent lower risk. And for bleeding strokes, they have about 65 percent lower risk than nonvegetarians. Also, there is a significant protective effect of a vegetarian diet when it comes to the incidence and mortality from heart disease and total cancer, with a vegan diet resulting in about twice the reduced risk of cancer. It is Meatless Monday and based on this great news, why not make EVERY day Meatless Monday?! 

It is Transition Tuesday and last week we talked about meat analogs – those “like meat” plant-based alternatives and a recent study had people eat two servings a day of plant versus animal meat for eight weeks each while keeping everything else the same. Instead of burgers from cows, sausage from pigs, and breasts from chickens, they ate burgers, sausage, and breasts from plants. The results showed a SIGNIFICANT drop in TMAO levels for the plant-based meat group – TMAO is associated with heart failure, kidney failure, and our number one killer, atherosclerosis. The plant-based meat group also achieved a significant drop in cholesterol – no surprise. Contrary to critics of analogs, there was basically no difference in sodium intake. And the big surprise was weight – the plant-based group lost a couple pounds despite no differences in calorie intake or physical activity levels between each phase. Same calories, yet less weight. Analogs not only help you transition off meat, but they also improve your health, so try them! 

Monday, we shared the many benefits to your health of eating no animal products, based on so many studies. But what happens when you stop eating vegetarian and start eating meat? The Adventist Health Study found that compared to those who stayed vegetarian, those who started eating meat suffered a 231 percent increased risk of gaining weight, 166 percent increased risk of developing diabetes, 152 percent increased risk of having a stroke, and 146 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with heart disease. Plantify your plates, y’all, to live longer and live stronger! 

The largest and oldest association of nutrition professionals in the world is clear with their messaging: Plant-based diets are appropriate for all stages of our lives and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. For example, vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancers, and obesity. Everything we eat has an opportunity cost -unless we are consuming plant-based whole foods, every time we put something in our mouths, we have an opportunity to eat something even healthier. Try it 14 days - live longer, live stronger, and live better by taking those opportunities! 

FIX-IT FRIDAY IS TEMPEH BBQ SANDWICHES WITH PINEAPPLE SLAW!

 INGREDIENTS

1 8-oz. package of fresh button mushrooms finely chopped.

1 cup chopped onion.

2 cloves garlic, minced.

4 oz. tempeh, crumbled.

1 cup cooked wheat berries

1 14.5-oz. can of non-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained.

½ cup low-sugar barbecue sauce

2 cups shredded red cabbage.

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple.

¼ cup sliced scallions

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

4 100% whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted.

 INSTRUCTIONS

In a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic over medium for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Add tempeh and wheat berries; mix well. Stir in tomatoes and barbecue sauce. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, for slaw, in a medium bowl toss together cabbage, pineapple, scallions, and vinegar. Spoon mushroom mixture on bun bottoms. Top with slaw and bun tops.