Hitting the Trails for 13.1

I've done this before. I've laced up my Asics Gel-Kayanos and followed a training schedule to get myself to the starting corral of a marathon. Only this time it is 13.1 miles instead of the 26.2 for the full tamale. I haven't done an endurance event for five years...and my last event wasn't pretty. I was very overweight, walked with a limp, and lived on over-the-counter pain medications.

Then, you know, I got that brand new shiny titanium hip, and the rest is history. Now I am cross training, eating so well and beautifully, that this seems like a walk in the park. I am not sure that I move as I used to, but, I can glide with the rest, do speed intervals, and push myself. And the truth is, I am plant powered. I am whole-grain powered. I hydrate with water. I nibble on a piece of fruit instead of an energy bar. I am not persuaded by sugary power drinks. The only technical thing I really need for training is a great pair of sneakers, and my Asics do fit the bill.

I always think about my life and what its quality would be like if I had never become plant strong. This coming Friday, I will be celebrating two years of being plant-strong. This is an amazing testimonial for me...you know, you've heard me say that the longest I could ever "stay on a diet" was maybe, like, a week. And, everyday is a new adventure...planning healthy meals...cross training...lifting weights....finding peace from the sun's early rise on any given day.

In the meantime, my gym bag is packed, my new Thor-los are rolled inside my shoes, and when the sun comes up tomorrow, I will be on a trail, thinking about my journey of life and getting to my bib corral on race day in January at the Disney Half Marathon.

I am feeling really great. Power to the plants.

I Gotta Get Cable...

There's a very simple reason why I do not have cable. It has nothing to do with economics, morals, or anything like that. But, the truth is, I would watch TV 24/7 (if I had my druthers). During our recent vacation, I got to catch up with the Kardashian family. Not sure why I am so into the dynamics of that family, but they amuse me beyond belief. And after that, I could watch the news for days and feel as though I didn't learn quite enough about some piece of historical minutia. And between Kim K's wedding, an earthquake, and a hurricane, I was busy!

Anyway, the recent airing of the CNN special, The Last Heart Attack with Sanjay Gupta, MD was my main obsession all week. At our vacation home, that huge, gigantic TV in the living room was going to be Visual Nirvana for me. But, between Libya and Irene, I didn't stand a chance. The special was scraped numerous times.

So, back home in PA, without cable, but with the hysteria of local newscasters, reporting about Hurricane Irene, I found out that the CNN special was going to air. on Sunday night I had several thoughts in my head...go to a hotel, go to a bar, call a friend...but, I thought, THE GYM. Without access to cable, I was almost in a panic. Although I had been to the gym earlier in the day, I figured that an extra 4.5 miles on the treadmill would allow me to watch the show, uninterrupted.

As the credits rolled in the beginning of the show, I was on the edge of my treadmill. That Bill Clinton, he still packs a powerful message. If he is plant-strong, there is promise for the rest of the world. Imagine that each of the 450,000 Americans undergoing heart surgery has sky rocketing costs to the tune of $112,000 per operation. And while I really love/admire Bill Clinton, I was really tuning into the show to see the rock star of the plant-strong universe, Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD. You know, the guy from the Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute. Also known as Dr. Sprouts, this man has single handedly changed the direction of prevention of heart disease, as we know it.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Esselstyn three times, and truth be told, if you said to me, "You have a choice between making dinner for Bill Clinton or Caldwell Esselstyn, who would you chose?" Hands down, Esselstyn would win! Such a smart man, such a visionary. Quite comical. And with an amazing family.

When I am eating, people often look at my plate of greens and things and say, "Don't you think the food you are eating is a bit radical?" And that is when I hear the rich voice of Dr. Esselstyn say, "You think this diet is radical, what about open-heart surgery and having your sternum cracked wide open?"

Sanjay Gupta, MD, you deserve an EMMY for having the chutzpah to air such an important show. It covered many important facts. However, here are a few things that I would have added to your story board:

-Ending the story in a food court at a mall was a cheap and pedestrian shot. Why didn't you head to a Whole Foods Market's produce department?

-Eating out is a breeze. Who doesn't have VEGAN STEVEN on their iPhone? I go to NYC all the time and always find a great place for plant strong dishes.

-Finding other medical providers who truly supported a plant-strong way of living would have been nice. The MD's represented seemed skeptical to me. A pitch from Neal Barnard, MD would have been awesome.

Esselstyn makes it all very simple in a rather mellifluous manner, "Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Kale, Collards, Collard Greens, Beet Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Napa Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Parsley, Spinach, and Arugula."

Hats off to Dr. Gupta, and may the greens be with you.

Power to the plants.

Here's my dinner from last night, I am calling it "CNN GREENS"

This is a quick and easy dinner, make lots so you have some on hand for several meals.

CNN GREENS

Head of Kale, stripped and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup of vegetable juice for sauteing
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups of cooked, brown rice

Add juice to a skillet, saute garlic in bubbling juice, add kale. Cover for about three minutes. Once the kale is slightly wilted, add nutritional yeast, stir. Throw in tomatoes and steam for two minutes.

DONE. And done.

Serve on a bed of brown rice OR, place greens on an Ezekiel Wrap and you are good to go.

I'd make dinner for the Esselstyns anytime! And for you too, Dr. Gupta!

What I Learned from Fran Costigan

My real profession is "People Watcher." What I know, I have learned from watching others. Really.

For example, I like to watch how my husband, Patrick, eats his dinner. He is tall and thin. And the reason he is thin is due to the fact that he is a very, very slow eater. He chews his food well, stops eating when he is full, and occasionally, leaves food on his plate. I, on the other hand, eat at meteoric speed, and have never, never, left food on my plate. Never, ever.

I am intrigued by slow eaters. Like, how did they get that way? Last week, I joined some friends for dinner at Seasons 52. We are all vegans, so it was fun getting together, sifting through the menu, and finding something that we could all eat. One of my friends at the table was noted vegan cookbook author, Fran Costigan, that's her in the picture. If she and my husband ever went out for dinner, they would still be eating dinner at closing time. But Fran's "sensibility" goes beyond how she eats. Watch her do her "thang" in the kitchen. It is a reflection on how she approaches life...all with balance and keen observation.

I would describe Fran as a whisp. She is quick moving, a thoughtful talker, and an ace in the kitchen. She was busy showing her fans how to make vegan truffles. There she was in the middle of a Whole Foods Market where an audience of forty watched her every move as she discussed the virtues of fair trade chocolate, the importance of organics, and the fun of vegan dessert making. This is a woman who doesn't miss a beat. She takes it all in, and gets the job done. She is also a "food-balancer," someone who is cognizant of what she puts into her body, and if she thinks she has eaten too much, her next meal will be greens and more greens. How smart is she?

When Fran was ready to make the truffles, in my mind, they were going to be the size of golf balls. Really, when did you ever seen a truffle the size of, well, a pellet? Fran meticulously made each truffle with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. And each one was about 10-12 millimeters in size. She dusted each truffle with ginger powder and they were so pretty.

As she was busy rolling away, a light went off. Nothing in a healthy person's life is supersized. Everything is normal. Within reach. Balanced. No extremes. Slow. Unrushed.

I am going to take a few lessons from Fran. She is a witty lady, and has a sense of humor that makes you laugh into the depth of your soul. But my take-away is this. Don't overdue it. Add balance. Love what you do and do what you love. Add greens, and don't overeat. She hasn't told me this, but, remember, I am a people watcher. And watching Fran was my master class.

Here's Jonny...

Call it fate. Call it Kismet. Sometimes there are people who you are supposed to meet. And, they plop in your lives at the most unsuspecting times. And I was meant to meet Jon Ostroff, Esq.

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Rip Esselstyn's wall from a woman named Amy Saler Ostroff. She asked Rip to support her husband in his quest to become plant-strong. Rip, in turn, asked his E2 followers to lend some support to Jonny O.

Jonny O. started a blog called, "Jonny O Goes Vegan." It was a pictorial countdown of his days as a carnivore. I started reading the blog and was amused by Jon's wit, but inside, a part of me was aching for Jonny. Because Jonny was caught in a tangled web of bad eating. Having escaped that same winding and destructive path, I was really pulling for Jonny O., who at the time, was "my friend whom I hadn't yet met."

In the corner of my mind, I remembered seeing Jonny and Amy at the May 19 premiere of Forks Over Knives. I also remember him getting his picture taken with Rip. And I remember thinking to myself, "Oh, I would love for this guy come to the plant strong side of life."

I posted to Jon's wall, you know, just a friendly "holla." Well, a few weeks ago on a Friday, I got a call from Jonny O. who was traveling the globe and visiting every restaurant on the eastern seaboard. He was having a swan song with meat and captured every moment through pictures. The funny thing was that, just as he had called me, a Whole Foods Market truck passed him on I-95. It was as though central casting sent the truck as a "sign." During our chat, I was touched by his humor and wit. But even with all of his "hardy-har-hars," I knew that he wanted to escape from bad eating and join us the Engine 2 way of life. In my heart, I felt as though bad eating had consumed his life, and he was done with feeling horrible. I knew that, because Jonny O. and I walk the same walk.

I met Jonny O. on August 1. I drove to his house in a thunder storm. My car was loaded with plant strong groceries. I got to his home and was greeted by Amy his wife, who is a life long vegetarian. They ooze love for one another. Amy and I unpacked the car and my plan was to make a few "E2 Basics" for them. I always LOVE showing people just how delicious plants can taste. And, Rip's lasagna is always a treat, and that was on the menu for my hands-on cooking demo. Dinner was "Raise the Roof" lasagna, a hearty salad with Casa de Luz dressing. Dessert was Spinach Sorbetto. Jonny's eyes were crossed in confusion when I mixed grapes with spinach, but he loved what he ate. I scribed the dinner in its finale as a "romantic, plant strong dinner for two."

Meeting Jonny O.? There are no words to describe Jonny O. He is larger than life. Perceptive. Very witty and funny. But, also very serious. Serious about his goals. He has set the plant strong world on fire. He is truthful. I wait for his daily blog posts. He has a posse of 12 who has joined his crusade, I am one. I live E2 everyday of my life, but being with the "Vegan Wagon" has me committed to more gym, getting more sleep, and taking my lunch to work everyday (this is part of a money-saving crusade I am presently on to reserve funds for a Vespa, a sea foam green on at that [another story, another time.]).

Jonny O. is the real deal. He can talk about farts and make you laugh, but on a deeper side, I can feel him moving to the plant strong side of life beyond his 28 day prescription. And that puts a smile on my face. When I visited that afternoon, Jonny O. was Skyping with Rip. It was fun being a fly on the wall. The whole time, I was pulling for Jonny O., because saying good bye to bad food, well, it is like the Gladys Knight song, "Neither one of us wants to be the first to say good bye."

So, if you want to read a little of Jonny O., and believe me, he will make you laugh, get to his blog. He will also make you think deeply into the bowels of your heart. This is a nice man. A funny man who is reaching out for change, and at the same time, to lend support to others.

I love Jonny O.

In the voice of Ed McMahon, I say to you, "Hereeeeeeeeeeeeee's Jonnnnnnnnny."

www.jonnyogoesvegan.com

Summer Salads

I can remember going to a salad bar and thinking, "Salads, healthy. I am safe." That idea was long before I even gave thought to becoming "plant strong." Truth was, I would pick greens and veggies (many prepared in oil), then douse them in a heavy animal based salad dressing. In fact, I had a system.

First, I would go to the salad bar and eat greens, and only greens. Covered in dressing. Then, my next trip would be for "protein," and this mainly so I could get my "money's worth" at the salad bar. In my head, I thought I was eating healthy, because after all, I was at a salad bar. I also paid attention to the little jars filled with sunflower seeds, croutons, raisins, etc. Thankfully, the spoons were small and so it cut down on portion size. But, I wondered why I couldn't lose weight? The salad bar was more like a trough.

Today, my trips to salad bars are fast and quick. At Whole Foods Market, you can eat a bounty of really delicious products, thanks to the ease of "Health Starts Here." Last night, I knew that I didn't want to cook dinner, so I hit the salad bar at WFM and loaded up with kale, heirloom beans, corn salsa. That was my dinner and it was SO good. Filling and delicious. Two years ago I wouldn't have even eaten that, especially because there is a silent rule that Friday is pizza night.

Being Plant Strong gets easier and easier every day. It really is like being on a journey, or maybe studying a foreign language (the more you practice, the more proficient you become). The further you are from your journey's beginning, the harder you realize it would be to "go back." It all has to do with being patient with yourself. Never, never, ever think that you are on a "diet." That will screw up your mind, because when you are on a diet, there is magical "done bell" you think you need to touch with the diet is "over." When you are plant strong, the journey is never over. Never.

One funny thing. Someone suggested to me that I should be plant strong six days a week, and on the seventh day, "go all out and eat whatever you want." I do eat whatever I want, and all of it is plant strong and delicious. No need to go back and visit the "other side."

Back to the salads. The dressings are the killer. Loaded with oil and salt. Even sugar. Sometimes I miss oil and salt, especially on a salad. I recently stumbled upon a really good salad dressing recipe in the Forks Over Knives companion book. I am going to post the basic, and then tell you what my Italian palate did to it.

Be a detective at salad bars. Ask to see an ingredient list. Or better yet, make your own dressing and take it with you when you eat out.

Here's my new favorite dressing, but be warned, that you should use it sparingly, This is really delicious and super creamy.

Favorite Easy Salad Dressing (by Brian Wendel)

Raw Nuts of your choice (cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
Orange Juice (freshly squeezed is best)
Tomato

1. Calibrate amounts based on how much dressing you will be serving and the desired creaminess.

2. Blend orange juice, a small amount of raw nuts, and a few slices of tomato together. Serve over your favorite salad.

Char's Additions

I prefer a dressing with a little more kick, so I added ONE garlic cloves and a quarter of an onion. I used 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 cup oj, and 1/2 tomato. If you want a thinner dressing, add more juice.

Passing On Your Left...

It was 95 degrees out today. I am not a fan of heat, humidity, sweating, and pounding sun. Yet, I found myself motivated to hit the Betzwood Trail for a good, flat, fast workout.

The Betzwood Trail is located in Valley Forge, and what I love most about it is the beautiful canopy that protects the sizzling sun from making it even hotter. Today, I was jamming with Earth, Wind, and Fire and Stevie Wonder and we were having fun. The path was loaded with all sorts of people from the serious cyclist (the ones who yell, PASSING ON YOUR LEFT) to leisurely strollers who can't tell the difference between your right and their left. In my head, I am streaming like a gazelle, but the reality is that I am only walking a 14 minute mile. But, I am still moving along at a clip.

Things race through my mind when I walk. Like, today I was wondering how I escaped being the morbidly obese woman who shops at Lane Bryant wearing pastel pink with matching sandals. Or, how I darted the bullet from heart disease and diabetes. As the gentle breeze on the trail made the leaves twist, I thought about the morbidly obese woman who I had seen earlier in the day on the electric scooter at Target. Her basket with filled with crap. And, I thought to myself, "Face it Charlene, you were an Oreo away from that scooter had you not turned to plants and turned away from the evil trifecta."

As I sped along the trail doing speed intervals, I thought about another lady at Target. I couldn't help but to become part of her conversation. She was holding up boxes of candy for her maybe two year old. She was asking him what he wanted, the M&M's or the Good&Plenty? He wanted a toy. She then held up Mike and Ike's and Peanut M&M's. He still wanted the toy. And slowly, I turned to say, "Maybe you need to take his lead. He's letting you know that the toy is a far better choice than the candy." I was ready to run for the hills, but she turned and said, "You know, I think you are right." Now if I only had the same courage to talk to the other lady in the scooter with all of her candy and cookies.

I realize that we do what we know. The candy and cookies lady probably only knows cookies and candy best. Target isn't known for its veggie selections, but they are taking a step in the right direction in providing fresh vegetables. In my head, I was wishing for a remote control device so I could steer scooter lady to the veggie aisle.

As my workout was coming to an end, I was feeling victorious. Feeling victorious not because I had walked 4.6 miles in just under an hour (alright, I really was), but I was feeling victorious that I wasn't in a scooter, wearing a pink top, stuffing candy and cookies into my cart. But rather, I ate some fresh fruit, drank some water, stretched my hamstrings out, and hopped into my car for my next destintation...where I bought some leafy greens and some fresh fruit. My reusable bag was filled with a bounty of summer freshness, and I was still feeling victorious.

These plants...they give me great joy.

Turn the "Beet" Around...

It's hard to know where you stand and what you do. Best foot forward isn't always the case. But, putting one foot in front of the other is the best way I know to continue to move forward.

I am on this journey of wellness and sometimes, it feels rather lonely. It's easy to become isolated from your "before" world because if food was the mainstay in friendships, that crowd feels awkward hanging out with you. My plant-strong world is dynamic, and just that, strong, but it is a world where I sometimes feel far away from others.

So, today, I got a request to "hey, send me a before picture of you." I fished around, and let's face it, you are not exactly camera friendly when you weigh nearly 300 pounds. I was always that person who was hiding behind a plant, or the tallest person in the room. But, a few years ago, a local running store did a story about me. I have a ten year history as a marathon walker, and my picture sits in their store. Not just a picture, but rather a portrait. In this black and white photo, I am wearing a 3X fleece top. And, I remember thinking that the fleece top was probably a miscut, and that it was really like an XL, or better yet, a large. I mean, I couldn't possibly be that big. But, pictures don't lie.

I sent the picture to my friend who needed it for a lecture. Then, I sent him a picture from today (snapped in the bathroom)...and was in shock when the pictures were back-to-back. I had NO idea how far I had come. I have no idea how I got to today, but it is a good place to be. Truth be told, I actually had tears in my eyes. Who knew that plants could change my life so much. Who knew that I could even stay on this journey? I have a black belt in dieting...and was stellar at a diet. I could lose a truck load of weight in record time, then, double gain what I had lost, and then some. That was my life pattern.

My plant strong adventure is a daily must. People always say, "Don't you want a piece of cheese?" On a diet, you'd say, "Yea, hand me a piece." On this plant strong journey, the thought wouldn't even cross my mind. In fact, I find cheese revolting.

I am very proud of this journey. It is like a marathon. I pace myself, I take in the scenery. I've learned to not take the inventory of others. Look, if Jane Doe wants to blow out her arteries with a cheesesteak, it's on her. I have nothing to do with her choices, or anyone else's. I only have to look at my own food selections, my exercise, my relationships, etc.

My heart is filled with gratitude for where I am today. And for where I will be tomorrow. Yesterday isn't that important to me.

I owe deep gratitude to many. And that list is way too long. But, if you taught me how to read a food label, understand the pillars of being plant strong, encouraged me to use a pressure cooker, or know the importance of fair trade...then, you know who you are.

No recipes today. No thought for the day. Just love and gratitude. That's all. Just pure love and gratitude.