Now more than ever, we need to strengthen our immune systems!  With a really strong immune system, we will be able to fight off this Covid-19 virus that has turned our world literally upside down.  Prevention is the KEY and it's NEVER too late to take back control of your health.

As I'm sure you know, the news is filled with statistics of how many more people have tested positive for this virus, how many more new hospitalizations occurred overnight, how many more people died overnight, and the doom and gloom just goes on.  Don't get me wrong, this is a very scary time we are all living through, BUT, what the "experts" continually tell us is they are working furiously to come up with drugs and vaccines that will "combat" this virus.  

What these "experts" are NOT telling us is, (besides social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing), the things we should be DOING to strengthen our immune system so if we do come in contact with this virus, we may not even get symptoms!

If you follow the science, all the data will tell you, EAT MORE VEGETABLES, FRUITS, LEGUMES AND WHOLE GRAINS!  It really is so EASY.  It's so easy that most people just think it can't be that simple.  BUT IT IS!!! Eat vegetables--cooked, raw, steamed, roasted--anyway you like them.  Eat a huge salad daily, (my salad bowl looks like it would feed a family of four), with all kinds of vegetables, raw, cooked, some rice added in or potato chunks, maybe some crispy tofu, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds and a really good low-fat dressing.

The more vegetables and fruits you can get into your diet, the more your body will love you.  You will be strengthen your immune system giving it the ammunition it needs to fight off whatever bacteria, virus, or toxins you may come in contact with.  When your immune system is compromised, from either vitamin deficient foods, pharmaceutical drugs, processed foods, etc., this is when we get into real trouble.  The "foreign invader" will take control and guess what--we become really sick.  Without the correct "weapons" we cannot fight the intruder.  

However, when we are armed with all the necessary ammunition, many times we don't even know a foreign invader has come in.  When our immune system is running the way it was designed to, our body takes care of the invader without us even "knowing" it happened.  This is exactly how our body was designed--it is more powerful than any pill or vaccine there is on the market today.

So, get your green leafy vegetables in everyday--it doesn't matter what kind--eat whatever kind you like--romaine, kale, spring mix, spinach, collards, Swiss chard, etc.--pile on cucumbers, onions, scallions, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, shredded cabbage, mushrooms, bell peppers--when you eat the rainbow consistently, your immune system will give you the protection that you cannot get from drugs--ever.

A sample day of eating this way might look like:  Breakfast--oatmeal w/berries, banana, sliced apples, etc.  with a sprinkle of flaxseeds (ground).  Lunch--a HUGE salad with a bowl of vegetable bean soup.  Dinner--a huge salad with a vegetable stir fry.  It's not rocket science, but it does take effort on your part.  You have to grocery shop and then you have to prepare the food--you simply cannot go through a drive-through and get this type of food.

The secret to success in eating this way is to be PREPARED.  If you don't have these foods on hand, you are going to grab whatever is available--then we start sliding down this slippery slope.  Believe me, it's very easy to order out, heat up some kind of frozen something, or go through a drive-through on your way home--but, the price you end up paying for poor health is just not worth it.  

We spend loads of money on the homes we live in, the cars we drive, our hair and nails, but we balk at the price of the foods we put in our mouth.  The food we eat should be our NUMBER ONE priority because remember:

Without our health, we have absolutely nothing.......

We are all literally living through a very stressful and fearful time--something we have never experienced before, something many of us never thought would happen in this country--but here we are.  

However, because so many of us are going through the "fear of the unknown", there are so many steps we CAN take to try and keep us healthy and sane.

Right now there is no BETTER time to get more vegetables and fruits on our plates!  These are the foods that will STRENGTHEN our IMMUNE SYSTEM--remember, the ONLY WAY to PREVENT any kind of illness from grabbing hold of us is to have a STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM.  Vegetables and fruits are the ONLY foods filled with antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals and FIBER--animal products do NOT give us the same nutritional profile AT ALL!!

If you are now spending more time at home, now is your chance to get your kitchen ORGANIZED--buy frozen vegetables and fruits, potatoes, rice, and beans--these products are soooooo inexpensive!!!  The potatoes, rice and beans NEED to be the STAR of the show with lots of vegetables and fruits.  This is not rocket science!

The BONUS is while eating like this, you will MOST DEFINITELY LOSE WEIGHT without even trying!  The only 'RULE' to remember is this:  Fill half of your plate with vegetables, any kind, and the other half of your plate with some sort of a starch like potatoes, or rice, or beans.  Eat the whole plate, and if you want more, fill it again with half vegetables and half starches, eat a second plate--it DOESN'T MATTER!!  When you eat like this, you eat until you are full, (not Thanksgiving full, but full), and eat again when you are hungry.  Listen to your body!!

Now more than ever we need to give our body what it needs to keep us HEALTHY.  We certainly do not want to end up alone in a hospital bed fighting for our life.  Remember, the MOST NUTRIENT RICH food on the planet are the GREENS--any green leafy vegetable is loaded with POWERFUL ammunition that will feed our immune system.  This is the ONLY way to keep us running strong.

Here is a TIP SHEET with ways to keep you and your family healthy during this very trying time:

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Look at that refrigerator--this is what we all need to be eating for optimal HEALTH and effortless WEIGHT LOSS!!  Because this is a whole different "way" of eating from how most of us we raised, people have no idea where to start.  Chef AJ, (a plant based chef and teacher), came up with 3 phases which I've listed below--she hit the nail on the head!  Once you go through all the "phases" you will have this lifestyle mastered and it will be your new "normal"!  

Phase 1: Learn It (Foundation)
First you'll have to learn the basics and build a strong foundation. This is like jumping into cold water and fully immersing yourself into this lifestyle. You may have to rely on willpower to get through phase 1 because everything is so new and because your taste buds still have to neuro-adapt (i.e. you may not like the food at first but you will eventually). The best thing you can do for phase 1 is to treat this as an experiment and commit to it 100% for three weeks. Everyone can do something for three weeks - especially if you're following a program - and the results will speak for themselves.

Phase 2: Master It (Habits)
While willpower can carry you through phase 1, it won't last. That's why phase 2 is all about turning your new behaviors into habits so it becomes effortless. New research shows that how long it takes to form habits varies from 21 days to 200 days. So give yourself enough time. Keeping a food journal, having an accountability partner, using meal planners, etc. are all resources you'll use during phase 2. The worst you can do is rush this phase and give up because you weren't "perfect". During phase 2 you all you want to aim for is progress - not perfection. Put in a conscious effort every day and soon it will become second nature. During phase 2 your taste buds will have completely neuro-adapted so the food will taste better and better and you'll get to experience the whole spectrum of natural flavors!

Phase 3: Own it
The final - and most rewarding - phase is to make it your own. At this point you've lost quite a bit of weight and can't imagine not eating this way. So you'll start to tweak your new lifestyle to fit in with the other areas of your life. The foundation of what we eat is always the same but you'll organize your life differently than I organize mine. Over time you'll reach a point where your diet is no longer "in the way" but a source of joy and energy for what you love in life. You'll find new recipes, learn new kitchen hacks, experiment with new ingredients, try new hobbies... This is all about finding ways to make this lifestyle easy and enjoyable for you. It's FUN and you will reap the rewards for the rest of your life!

So where do you start?
The most common question I've received after the summit was "Where do I start?". The problem is that there is nothing out there to help you through all three phases except for maybe long-term personal coaching that will cost you tens of thousands of dollars...

That is, until now!  Should you want personal help to walk you through all this, I can help you.  Here are the services I offer:

OPTION #1--THREE MONTH WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM (One on one)--$250

• Initial visit--One hour consultation learning about a Whole Food Plant Based diet
• Weeks 2-12--Half hour visits once a week
• Weekly weigh-in
• Review food log
• Discuss nutrition
• Discuss barriers
• New recipes every week
• Learn batch cooking techniques
• Learn how to do weekly food prepping

OPTION #2--SIX WEEK PROGRAM (One on one)--$175

• Initial visit--One hour consultation learning about a Whole Food Plant Based diet
• Weeks 2-6--Half hour visits once a week
• Weekly weigh-in
• Review food log
• Discuss nutrition
• Discuss barriers
• New recipes every week
• Learn batch cooking and weekly food prep

OPTION #3--PAY AS YOU GO (One on one)--$40/hour

• Learn about a Whole Food Plant Based diet
• Weigh-in
• Learn tips and tricks
• Discuss batch cooking techniques
• Discuss food prep
• Recipes

Once you join one of the above programs, you become eligible to attend my cooking classes!  The next cooking class will be:

Saturday, April 4th at 10:00 right in my Watervliet office.  We had a blast at last Saturday's class!

So, if you are ready to take BACK CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH and LOSE WEIGHT, what are you waiting for??

Week 1 of the 30 Day Challenge is complete!  Hopefully everyone is on track, doing the best they can, pushing the unhealthy foods off the plate and replacing them with healthy, delicious foods.  

This way of eating does not have to be labor intensive by any means.  The key to success is the planning.  If you have your food ready to go for the week, you don't have the "think" about what to eat.  

Roast a batch of potatoes, white and or sweet, it doesn't matter, maybe roast some chickpeas since you already have the oven on for the potatoes, (to roast chickpeas all you have to do is drain, rinse, and put them in a ziplock bag, put whatever seasoning you like, shake them up and pop them in the oven with the potatoes--of course they won't take as long so watch them so they don't burn), and while you're roasting the potatoes, cook up a batch of rice or quinoa.  

Put the potatoes in a ziplock when cooled, you can also do the same with the chickpeas and rice.  Take a look at the buddha bowls above and throw everything together.  It's really simple.  Chop up some vegetables, drizzle a dressing over everything or put a dollop of hummus in the middle of the bowl and you're done.

Or, just take a potato that's already roasted, open a bag of frozen veggies, while you reheat the potato in the microwave, heat up or steam the frozen veggies, put them on top of the baked potato, pour a sauce on top and dinner is done.

Remember, we are trying to eliminate all processed foods, meat and dairy for 30 days.  The closer you can stick to these guidelines, the bigger the results you will get.

Remember, try and start your lunch and dinner with a big salad or loaded vegetable soup.  The more vegetables you eat, the more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and FIBER you will be getting as well as you will be filling up with the lower caloric foods.  This is how you EAT MORE FOOD AND LOSE WEIGHT!!

Here are some ideas for this week:

BREAKFAST:  
Overnight oats with fruit
Cream of Wheat with fruit
Tofu scramble
Green smoothie (Greens, ripe banana, berries and water or Almond Milk)

LUNCH:

For anyone that's been through one of my classes, I am forming a Support Group--we will meet at my Watervliet office on Saturday morning, March 7th at 10:00.  We will share ideas, recipes and help each other over whatever barriers we may be having.  I will also be doing a whole food plant based cooking demonstration--everyone can sample the finished product!

If you would like to attend this Support Group, the cost will be $10.  Please RSVP as I have limited space available.

I hope you are trying some new recipes--I encourage people to find 5 or 6 recipes they really like and just rotate through them.  Remember, there is no calorie counting, weighing or measuring foods when you eat this way.  Eat when you're hungry and stop when your full.  Listen to your body--there is NOTHING more intelligent!

​Have a wonderful week--and remember, any questions or concerns, drop me a line!

I've said it before and I'll say it again....eating a Whole Food Plant Based "diet" is not just about eating lettuce!!  You have an abundance of vegetables, whole grains, fruits and beans to choose from--sometimes there are so many choices that people begin to feel overwhelmed.  

Let's face it--most of us cycle through 5-6 different meals each week.  Of course, they are usually centered around a "meat"--for instance, a steak dinner may consist of baked potatoes, steak and a vegetable.  A chicken meal may include rice and a vegetable.  Spaghetti night might be spaghetti, meatballs and a side salad.  These are the dishes most of us grew up with. 

What I'm saying is we change all that.  We look through different recipes, (and there are an abundance of them!!), choose a few to try, find the dishes we really like and cycle through them.  Eating this way, however, does require effort on your part.  Meal prepping is a life-saver for anyone eating this way.  Having the healthy foods on hand and having some of the prep work done ensures you will have a successful week!

If you are doing the 30 Day Challenge with us, there are recipes in the previous blogs--choose from there or just simply google Whole Food Plant Based recipes, or use the word Vegan, and you will be inundated with choices!

This isn't rocket science.......when you eat the foods your body needs, i.e., vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, your body will thank you in ways you won't believe!!

Need more personalized help?  I have different option plans available:

One on one sessions

• 12 week program: (First visit one hour, following 11 weeks 30 minute sessions) $225
• 6 week program: (Same as above, but for 6 consecutive weeks)  $125
• You decide how many visits: (One hour visits)  $40

I will also be offering a Group Session once a month which includes 2 Saturday morning sessions from 10-11:30, the cost for this is $50.

Once learning about a WFPB diet, I will be offering weekly Support Group meetings which will be held for an hour where we can help and encourage each other, share recipes, tips and tricks, and have a cooking demonstration.  The cost for the Support Group meeting--$12. (I will require at least 5 people to hold the class)

All of these meetings will take place in my Watervliet office--however, you do not have to be a patient to register.  Drop me a line and let me know if you are interested.  

Take back control of your health and LOSE WEIGHT WITH A FULL PLATE!

  When people think about "healthy eating", the first words they like to say is, "it's too expensive to eat health".  This is the BIGGEST MYTH out there.  

Let's think about this.....what's the most expensive food people buy in the grocery store?  It's meat.  When eating this way, meat is off our plate.  The foods that should take center stage on your plate are the starches--potatoes, rice and beans.  And guess what--they are dirt cheap!

When we "re-learn" how to come up with delicious meals using starch as the star, you will absolutely save money on your grocery bills--especially if you are cooking for a family.  Potatoes and rice are very filling--starting your meal off with a bowl of vegetable soup (homemade and very inexpensive to make) or salad, then have the entree such as a loaded baked potato, stir-fry vegetables over rice, or rice and beans, you have a healthy, delicious meal which did not take hours to prepare.  

I like to have foods prepped and ready to go for week-night dinners--potatoes roasted or baked, veggies chopped and in containers, a pot of soup made, have a sheet pan of roasted vegetables ready to go,  etc.  When your veggies are prepped and ready to go, you can throw a salad together in no time, you can whip up a stir fry, or just use frozen vegetables, they take less time to cook!  

At the end of the week, you can make what I like to call a Buddha bowl, where you put your left-overs in a bowl all together as pictured above, drizzle some kind of sauce over everything and you have a delicious dinner made with all your left-overs.  Absolutely delicious!

This  does take a little planning--you need to decide what you will be eating for the week, shop for the food, prepare as much as you can ahead of time, and week-night dinners are on the table in no time.  By planning ahead, you don't have to come home hungry and tired and wonder what you're going to make for dinner.  When you have the healthy foods ready to go, there is no temptation to order out!  Fail to plan, plan to fail.......

So, let's come up with a weeks worth of food:

BREAKFAST:  Oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with fruit, (fresh or frozen)
                      Banana oat pancakes (make several, put in refrigerator and pop in the toaster to reheat) topped with fruit
                      Hashbrown veggie stir-fry
                      Over-night oats (different than cooked oats)
                      Cream of wheat topped with fruits
                      Tofu breakfast scramble

LUNCH:          Soup (homemade)
                      Salad (giant)
                      Chickpea salad sandwich
                      Bowl of chili
                      Air fried potatoes 
                      Veggie wrap

DINNER:       Loaded baked potato
                     Rice topped with steamed veggies and a sauce
                     Portabello mushroom pizza
                     Rice and beans
                     Taco casserole
                     One pot creamy pasta
                     Spaghetti and "meat" sauce

And remember, you don't necessarily have to eat "breakfast" food for breakfast or "dinner" food for dinner. When you are eating the right foods, you can eat them any time of day you want to.  There are no "rules"!  Make extra so you have left-overs, it takes just as much time to make a small portion as it does to make a large portion.  Save yourself some time in the kitchen.  

Here are the recipes:
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Here's to 30 days of healthy, delicious eating!  Remember, when you eat the right foods, the weight will come off--not to mention, the need for prescription drugs will drop.  

So, if you choose to follow this eating plan and are taking blood pressure medication or medication for diabetes, PLEASE inform your physician--for those people that jump in with two feet and really follow the guidelines closely, you may need to have your doctor reduce your dosage fairly quickly.  Please closely monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar.  

I'm  hoping you where able to clean out your kitchen and have stocked your shelves with whole foods such as potatoes, rice, beans and lots of vegetables and fruits--fresh or frozen makes no difference.

You can dip your toes in slowly, or jump in with both feet--whatever works for you.  You can simply change one meal at a time, one day at a time, or completely change your diet overnight.  

The guidelines for a whole food plant based diet are:

• No animal products--meat, poultry, fish, dairy or eggs
• No highly processed foods--anything in a box, bag, or carton with an ingredient list a paragraph long
• No oil--yes, that means olive oil!

Foods you will eat in abundance:

• Vegetables--starchy (potatoes, squash) and non-starchy (peppers, lettuce, onions, cabbage, broccoli, etc.)
• Whole grains--brown rice, quinoa, wheat, oats, rye, barley
• Fruits
• Legumes--beans, peas and lentils

No need to count calories or measure your food.  Eat from the above list, eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full and the weight will come off. 

Exercise is optional--it's a bonus, it keeps our heart pumping strong, works our muscles which in turn feeds our bones keeping them strong, keeps us flexible, and tones us up!  Everyone should try and get at least 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every day.  A brisk walk is perfect!

I've already mentioned this, but if you haven't done this yet, try and get some potatoes roasted for the week, make a big batch of some kind of whole grain like brown rice and make a big pot of soup that will last you for the week so you can throw these foods together quickly and make meals in 15-30 minutes.

BREAKFAST:  Oatmeal with fruit
LUNCH:  Soup and salad
DINNER:  Baked potato topped with vegetarian chili and a side salad

Here's the recipe for the chili and soup:

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February 1st is tomorrow!  If you are joining me for the 30 Day Challenge, this is what your plate should look like.  Yes, you will eat a variety of whole, delicious foods and LOSE WEIGHT doing it.  

As pictured, half of your plate should be loaded with vegetables, cooked and or raw--the more you pile on the better.  The other half of the plate should be what I like to refer to as the "starchy" half of the plate.  This is where you will be putting your whole grains--brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, etc., and or some sort of plant protein such as chickpeas, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, tofu, etc.  

I'm sure this way of eating is "foreign" to many people.  We are so accustomed to eating meat, (being the center of the plate), potatoes and vegetables.  This way of eating is just pushing the meat and dairy off the plate, and replacing those foods with a variety of vegetables, starches, and a different type of protein.  Plant protein gives our body exactly what it needs to keep us healthy--and plant protein provides us with not only a host of vitamins, but this type of protein is loaded with FIBER--something that is so lacking in the Standard American Diet, (SAD).  

So many people are so concerned with protein--that is the LEAST of our worries--we need to be concerned with FIBER instead.  When you eat a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet, you will get a boat load of FIBER which will lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, "scrub" your intestines out to keep things running smoothly, keep us feeling full, and helps us LOSE WEIGHT FASTER!!!

This way of eating does not have to be labor intensive--it can be as simple as eating a huge salad loaded with all kinds of vegetables, a handful of chickpeas on top and air-fried potatoes--YUM!!

Here is a guideline for what your day should look like:

BREAKFAST:  Rolled/Steel Cut oats sprinkled with cinnamon and fruit on top
LUNCH:  Big vegetable salad and a bowl of soup
DINNER:  Steamed broccoli with rice and beans

Here are a few recipes to help you out:

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However, you don't necessarily need to follow any recipes--you can just throw together whatever veggies you have on hand into a soup pot of water with some vegetable bullion, whatever seasonings you like, and a can of beans--and there you have it--soup!

Again, this is not rocket science, but it does require effort on your part.  You have to shop for your staple items, I find it absolutely necessary to batch cook potatoes, rice, and a big pot of soup for the week, and you can literally have food on the table in 15-20 minutes.  Delicious, healthy food that will give you the results you are looking for!

Why wouldn't you try this for 30 days?  Your body will thank you........

Our 30 Day Challenge will be here in 3 more days!!  Are you ready?  Do you have your kitchen cleaned out??

The secret to success is having a plan in place.  Remember my motto:  Fail to plan, plan to fail.  

All the tempting foods that call our name need to be either out of the house, (preferred), or out of sight if other family members will be eating these foods.  Another favorite motto of mine is:  If it's in the house it's in your mouth!  We want to be as compliant as possible--the bigger the changes you make, the BIGGER the results you will get.

Over the next few days, get to the grocery store to pick up a few staple items:  potatoes, (white or sweet or a mix), brown rice, beans, (chickpeas, lentils, black beans, red beans, white beans, any kind of beans you like), and the beans can be in a can if you don't want to make your own from dry beans, frozen vegetables and frozen fruit.  These are the foods that will not go bad on you quickly.  Of course, the frozen foods will last for months.

The produce that you will be buying will be greens, (romaine, spring mix, 50/50 blend--whatever you like), bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, scallions, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli--whatever you like--but until you are ready to start eating these foods, hold off on buying them.  These are the foods that will spoil if they are just sitting in your fridge for days.  However, once you get started on this lifestyle, you should be having a GIANT SALAD everyday--YES, EVERYDAY.  

Now, salad is NOT the only food we will be eating--NO ONE can just eat salad.  BUT, to give your body all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and immune fighting "ammunition", you NEED to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits daily.  The best way to get a large amount of these foods into your diet is a big salad.  

Once you eat your salad, (which it's best to have one before your lunch and your dinner), then we will go on to eat the "main course".  That may be a loaded baked potato, stir fry vegetables over brown rice, pasta primevera, etc.  It's not just about eating lettuce--BUT, eating a salad prior to the main course starts to fill your stomach up.  There's very little calories in vegetables, so by eating the veggies first, and then eating the main course, your stomach will be full and your calorie count will be low. 

With that being said, this is not a "diet that requires you to count calories".  This is just the opposite--when you eat the right foods, you eat when you're hungry and stop when you are full, no "portion control" or counting calories required--that's the beauty of this lifestyle.  You can literally eat a LARGE VOLUME of food and LOSE WEIGHT!!!

So, get your kitchen "cleaned out" and start stocking up on the foods we will be eating for 30 days!  Again, the 4 Food Groups we will be choosing our foods from are:

1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Whole grains (Brown rice, quinoa, farro, millet)
4. Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)

Don't worry that you don't know what some of the whole grains are--stick with what you know you like so you are not wasting any money/food.  This is a VERY EASY way of eating--however, it does require effort on your part as you will need to be preparing these foods at home.  You will not be able to eat out 3-4 times a week at a restaurant and get the results you want--it just will not happen.  Restaurant foods may taste delicious--the reason being those dishes are loaded with fat, salt and sugar.  That's why it tastes "so good".  

However, once we get those "foods" off our plate, your palate will absolutely change and you will lose your craving for those foods.  

So, Saturday is the first day of the challenge.  Here's what your day should look like:

BREAKFAST:  Rolled oats sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with fruits (any kind of fruit, fresh or frozen)
LUNCH:  Large salad (greens, peppers, onions, shredded carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, shredded cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, a handful of beans) with a bowl of soup
DINNER:  Loaded baked potato
DESSERT:  Fruit--fresh or frozen

Remember, we are going to be "batch cooking" so putting meals together will not be too time consuming.  So bake a large cookie sheet full of potatoes, white and sweet, so they are ready to go for the week.  Put them in a ziplock bag in the fridge so they are ready to reheat during the week.  Cook up a big batch of brown rice, or get the Success Brown Rice--that takes 10 minutes to cook--easy!  Make a big pot of soup for the week so you can grab it and go.

Here are the recipes for the loaded baked potato as well as a soup recipe.  If there's something you don't like in the recipe, swap it out.  You don't even need to follow a recipe--these are just guidelines for you.

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