A food memoir of weight loss, family recipes, digital cookbook and nutrition information for family and friends
Aging may be the greatest threat to your freedom and independence you’ll ever know, only because of what it does to your muscles.
Sean Hyson. How Old Is Too Old to Start Strength Training? – Medscape – Apr 14, 2023 — https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990794?src=rss#vp_1
Broccoli is known to be beneficial to our health. For example, research has shown that increased consumption of the cruciferous vegetable decreases incidence of cancer and type 2 diabetes. In a recent study, researchers found that broccoli contains certain molecules that bind to a receptor within mice and help to protect the lining of the small intestine, thereby inhibiting the development of disease. The findings lend support to the idea that broccoli truly is a ‘superfood.’
Penn State. “Broccoli consumption protects gut lining, reduces disease, in mice: Researchers discover that a certain molecule in broccoli interacts with a receptor in mice to promote gut health.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230406152639.htm (accessed April 9, 2023).
Conclusions: High dietary sugar consumption is generally more harmful than beneficial for health, especially in cardiometabolic disease.
BMJ 2023; 381 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-071609 (Published 05 April 2023)
Published just in time for Easter!
This is a poor man’s meat sauce: the vegetables are cut smallish to simulate the texture of ground beef. The inspiration for my version comes from a cookbook I’ve had since 1986. I wasn’t happy with a number of my sugo sauces until I started using stewed tomatoes instead of 100% plain crushed tomatoes. Then finally, Chinese-Italian success!
Saute the vegetables in olive oil until soft and fragrant.
Add dried basil and parsley (if using dried) now.
Add the stewed tomatoes and simmer over low heat uncovered until the tomato chunks start to break up. Smash the rest of the tomato chunks with a wooden spoon. You want somewhat chunky but not super chunky.
Add the can of crushed tomatoes, mix well, and simmer over low heat for at least one hour.
Add salt, pepper, a little sugar, butter and parsley (if using fresh). Adjust seasonings until you get that perfect balance between salt and sweet.
You’re ready for pasta.
This sauce freezes well. Half of the sauce was enough for Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta and Parmesan (no recipe for this, yet).
This pasta sauce will be invaluable when your kid turns into a teenager, comes home and announces she has stopped eating meat to save the planet.
Trust me on this.
Another short post today. There’s too much bracketball to watch today.
Breakfast – Roasted chickpeas and veggies
Lunch – Ampaipitakwong Fried Rice (aka Pete’s), egg roll (yes, it does resemble last night’s dinner)
Dinner – Chicken fajitas
I enjoyed tracking my meals this week and learned a lot.
I no longer need to track consumption like I have in the past. The habit and behavioral changes have stuck around.
My snack last night was grapes and crackers. They found my mouth after I posted.
The very ripe spotted bananas seemed to ripen faster when residing in the same bowl as the once rock hard green avocados that are now ripe enough to eat hence fajitas for dinner tonight.
I made Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (updated). See above.
Snack – muffin?
For the week 1/3 of my meals were meat based. Time to rename The 90% Solution The Nearly 70% Solution.
Still not a vegan.
Short post today. The Boss is Back and there will be Boss directed activities to be done today.
Even More Things I Learned This Week
Rock hard green avocados ripen faster when placed in a bowl with very ripe spotted bananas.
Fresh grapes satisfy my sweet tooth.
I forgot to weigh myself this morning. “Daily weighing may be key to losing weight.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181105081735.htm (accessed 03.25.23). My OCD may be getting better.
Keeping a food diary/journal makes me more aware of what I’m eating and provides opportunities for improvement. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-keep-a-food-diary-2019013115855.
The Boss noticed the brownie supply in the freezer was smaller than when she left. I have no idea what happened to them.
I forgot to include some snacks in my meal count.
Today’s Meals
Breakfast – Low sugar box breakfast cereal, added raisins, low fat cow milk
Lunch – 2 shrimp tacos, cup of black beans, green beans, 4 french fries
Dinner – Ampaipitakwong Fried Rice (aka Pete’s), egg roll
“Do not worry about immediate results. More and more you must concentrate on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.”
Thomas Merton
Friday 3/24
After 47 years as a cardiologist with 200,000 patient visits, I can firmly say that vegans are my healthiest patients. I certainly agree with you it is not easy. My position is that 90% vegan which is 19 of 21 meals a week will do just fine. Foods should be, prior to preparation, ideally organic and unprocessed whole foods exactly as they grow up out of the ground and in the field.
H Robert Silverstein, MD, FACC
I found this quote in the comments section of an online article years ago. The 90% Solution has been my targeted balance of meals ever since. Yet the older I get the more I realize things are never that simple nor easy. Life is never simple nor easy. Too many of us don’t know what we don’t know.
More Things I’ve Learned About Myself
Over time I’ve revealed more personal information. At first I hesitated to share personal details about my journey. Now I’m much more relaxed about my privacy than in the past.
My personal journal remains my primary journal. My blogs have become journals as well. They’re all me. Remember what is here is only a part of me.
I write differently in my personal journal than I do in my public journals.
Writing in a journal has incredible health benefits so Keep a Journal (not just about food). Going back in time develops wisdom.
For the first time I’ve taken a deeper dive into where I’ve been in this blog. Some of what I discovered surprised me. I sometimes don’t follow my own advice. It is always easier to say rather than to do. It’s been quite some time since I posted Keep a Journal/Food Diary. I can’t remember the last time I tracked my meals.
When The Boss is away I listen to more jazz when working.
I’ve taught myself how to write more in my journals during the day when taking work breaks.
Today’s Meals
Breakfast – Buttered whole wheat toast, oatmeal with raisins, milk
Lunch – Two soft beef tacos
Snack – crackers
Dinner – Black bean chili, Texas Corn Bread
No Chicken!
I just found this. The file is dated 12.26.2017.
No wonder why the cumin, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper are missing.
Thurs 3/23 Update 5:25 pm
I’m learning a lot about myself this week from tracking my meals. Since The Boss is away my meals and eating habits are totally my own. I don’t have to think about, shop for, plan or cook with someone else’s preferences in mind. I like not having regularly scheduled meals. I much prefer to Eat Only When Hungry. Last night I didn’t have a big dinner meal, just a cup of homemade chili beans.
Things I’ve Learned About Myself
I spend far more time at grocery stores than I realized.
I like spending time in grocery stores.
I tend to shop the sales and plan meals around what I end up buying with basic pantry items already in the house (ahem, Chicken Thigh Week?).
I do not like wasting food and will eat leftovers until I get sick and tired of them. I’ll also incorporate food items into several different meals to reduce food waste. For example I picked up a tub of organic greens for $1.49 (yes, you read that right) which I’ve been eating all week. The tub got eaten up today.
Although I once said I’m incapable of creating a 7 day meal plan I think I’m getting better and feel I can now plan a full day ahead.
I eat a lot of peanut butter.
Today’s meals –
Breakfast – Strawberries, banana and full fat Greek yogurt. Two Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes.
Lunch – Toasted Irish Cheddar Cheese sandwich with organic greens and mustard.
Snack – apple
Lunch #2 – cup of soup, PB on whole wheat bread
Dinner – Roasted Chickpea and Veggie Burrito (see Veggie Burrito Spice Blend for the seasonings).
Sarah Whiteside ’24 An iPod. Then an iPhone. Then an iPad. Then a laptop. It never ends. We eagerly await the newest technology release as if we are not satisfied with a fully capable and working phone. We strive for more. We equate technology with power, and power with success. We rarely stop to ponder […]
Technology and Food – Hand in Hand — University of Cincinnati COM Chronicles
Good article. I recommend reading the entire post.
We. Are. Doomed.
garyskitchen.net 