Real Foodies: Session III

This week with Real Foodies was less information intense and more oriented toward checking in with participants on their experiences with a one-week de-tox.

Most participants had some difficulty for one reason or another excluding all required elements from their diet during the week, and several who did exclude most or all of the items commented about experiencing cravings.  I attempted to engage in the de-tox myself but also had limited success.  I was not properly prepared for moments of hunger and experienced cravings because the foods on which I normally rely for satiety and which I consider good foods were not part of the program.

My evaluation of this short experiment is that while a de-tox is definitely a worthwhile project as the first step in an effort to determine specific food items that may be interfering with one's health and/or ability to lose weight, it can also be a detriment as one attempts to forge a lifelong plan for a healthy, sustainable eating style.

I shared with the group an earlier experience I had with a partial "elimination diet" in which I found no reaction to wheat but did discover that dairy products caused some congestion, which cleared quickly when I refrained from eating them.  Yoghurt and Labne (fermented milk products) do not seem to have the same effect on me. For those who are interested in experimenting more with a detox or an elimination diet, I suggest Dr. Michael Hyman's book, UltraSimple Diet, or several books, including a recipe book, available on Amazon .com with a search on "elimination diet."   

We considered briefly one of the primary potential allergens and inflammatory agents which is generating a lot of discussion right now: wheat.  I shared material from Dr. William Davis, cardiologist, who wrote the book Wheat Belly, in which he cites modern wheat as the cause of many of our modern diseases of aging beginning with diabetes.  We did not take time to review arguments against Dr. Davis' presentation, but I promised to include one in these notes: Analysis of Wheat Belly Hypothesis.  My conclusion: my goal with our group is to find a sustainable healthy eating style. From my perspective, it doesn't make sense to exclude whole grain bread from our diet unless there is a demonstrable reaction to wheat or other grains. This can be determined by using the elimination diet technique. I prefer a diet with fewer exclusions and a focus on real food.

Additional resources on the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load requested by participants are available via links from my website: www.expresslyleslie.com/resources.  Among other things, we can see in this list that while whole grain breads may be as high as white bread in the Index, they are lower in glycemic load due to their fiber.  Similarly the carrot soup we enjoyed -- carrots are high in the Index but have a low glycemic load due to their fiber.

In conclusion, a diet of real foods, high in fiber and low in sugar with high quality protein and good fats (including saturated fats in moderation) is the best lifelong diet.  During our next session, we will spend some time label reading to sort out meaningful from meaningless information and we'll take a look at some non-extremist "rules" going forward.  Assignment: browse labels in your pantry - or the products you removed from your kitchens three weeks ago.

Our dinner included our usual salad of mixed greens, which participants dressed themselves at the table with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a squeeze of Fresh Lemon, Salt and Pepper.  Lemon lowers the Glycemic Index of any meal.  A good goal is to strive for an eating style which results in an average below 55 on the GI and below 10 on GL. 

We enjoyed Carrot Soup as our next course.  The main meal was Kidney Bean Jambalaya, an example of taking two basic ingredients (kidney beans and rice) which can be prepared at the beginning of the week and made into something different each evening of the week. For a video of seven different ways to prepare Kidney Beans and Rice, go to my youtube page, www.youtube.com/expresslyleslie.

   

Real Foodies: Session II

During the second session, we focused more attention on the issue of sugar in all its forms, but particularly fructose, and on the connection between sugar and metabolic syndrome.  I shared with the group Dr. Lustig's review of several popular diets, and we saw that the common denominator between all these programs is that they are high in fiber and low in sugar.  The most highly recommended program specifically avoided fructose.

These features of the most popular diets correlate well with my own experience.  Recent research on nutrition, particularly with regard to causes of the current obesity pandemic, provide the scientific and statistical foundation for what I intuited and found to be true over 40 years.

We talked about portion control.  I am somewhat on the fence about this issue.  I don't like to count calories.  Counting carbs is . . . well, it doesn't work for a vegan since a vegan diet is 100% carb.  I like to go by the quality and type of food.  In class, we have talked about the best plate for metabolic efficiency: 1/4 good quality protein, 1/4 higher starch, more calorie dense veggies and 1/2 (or unlimited) higher water content / low glycemic index veggies.  I recommend these ratios, as much as possible, for snacks as well.  Plates for meals can be 9" plates and plates for snacks 5" plates.  I think the plates are kind of self-limiting.  It's true, you can pile a lot of beans and rice onto a 9" plate -- but you can eat a lot more when your diet is very high in fiber and low in sugar, and you will probably feel satisfied more quickly.

Several current researchers and writers say eat only until you're satisfied, not full.  Some say eat 80% of what you want.  Here's what I say: if you are eating a very high fiber diet with plenty of good fats, you will find it very satisfying.  Just eat slowly enough that your satiety signals can reach your brain and register, and quit eating when you're satisfied.  You don't have to clean your plate! Don't ever starve yourself.  It sends the wrong signals to your brain and body, and in addition you have a tendency to eat more quickly.  I think over time, with correct eating, portions will take care of themselves.

For dinner we had Zucchini and Leek Soup with Fennel (a variation on the recipe provided for last week's soup), a salad of mixed greens with berries and walnuts dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, and Quinoa with Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas and Cauliflower.  Since it was Valentine's Day, we had a special Valentine's Day treat: Strawberries 'n' Cream (Labne):

I asked participants to continue to avoid food items we removed during the first week of our program, including all sugars and sugar alcohols, white flour, refined carbohydrates and all processed foods.  This week, in addition, I recommended a one week de-tox.  The de-tox is basically a shortened version of the elimination diet, used to find food allergies and sensitivities.  The recommended foods to remove are potential allergens and foods which may otherwise generate inflammation.  The foods to remove include: Citrus fruits and juices, Yeast including vinegar, Dairy products, Eggs, Gluten, Corn, Beef, Pork, Lamg, Nighshades, Peanuts, Refined oils and hydrogenated fats, Stimulants, All flour products, Processed foods or food additives, Fast food and Junk food.  Any foods that come in a box, package or can or are commercially prepared are likely to contain chemicals, preservatives and other unnatural ingredients and should be avoided.  These are instructions from Dr. Mark Hyman's program.  I am not including Nightshades in my own program but told participants they could make their own decision about that.

So what can we eat? Fish, especially those less likely to be laden with toxins and organic lean white meat (if you are not vegetarian), non-citrus fruits, fresh veggies, legumes, brown rice, quinoa, nuts and seeds, flaxseeds, lemons and clear broths.

There is not time in our few weeks together to do a complete elimination diet, but if participants try this limited de-tox for a week and discover something of interest for themselves, they may wish to pursue a project like this more fully at a later time.  In the meantime, we will begin to add foods back during the next two sessions so that by the end of our four sessions together, participants will have a good idea of how they can eat going forward to enjoy best health and find their correct natural weight.

Following is a recipe for Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas and Cauliflower, adapted from an internet recipe published by Emily Todd of Habitually Hungry:

1 lb. dried chickpeas, cooked
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground tumeric
3/4 tsp hot paprika
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TB fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cups cauliflower florets
12 plum tomatoes, petite diced
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1.5 tsp salt

Add olive oil to a pot, and saute the diced onion, ginger and garlic.  Add the diced celery and saute a little longer. Add the diced tomatoes, lemon juice and all remaining seasonings and bring to a simmer.  Add cauliflower and simmer for a few minutes.  When cooking is complete, add chopped parsley and cilantro and cook very briefly.  I liked serving this as a stew topped with an ice cream scoop (one cup) of quinoa.

Tip: Prepare your seasonings before you begin cooking.  Simply measure them all out into a small bowl and set to the side until you are ready for them.  This seasoning mix is spicy and delightful! 

Real Foodies: Session I

During our first session, I reviewed the development of my own passion for healthy eating, beginning with an organic garden in the early 70s.  When I first began reading about health, shortly before the birth of my first son, my focus was on pesticides and food additives and the lack of fiber in our typical diet.  In the 90s, my attention turned to the glycemic index and eating in such a way as to keep blood sugar levels constant.  During the last two years, I have been most concerned with sugar and have conducted an extended experiment with myself.  Throughout my 40 year study of nutrition and health, my primary focus has been on real food.

Two recent authors discuss the disastrous negative consequences of a typical American diet, with a particular focus on the volume of sugar that comes to us via packaged and processed foods: Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Robert Lustig.  I'm still reading Dr. Lustig's book, Fat Chance, and it is a strong statement for reducing or eliminating sugar from our diet.  We reviewed some statistical information from both books.  Most striking is Dr. Lustig's statement that “In 2005 one study showed that despite the increased availability of medical care, our children will be the first generation of Americans who will die earlier than their forebears.”

For dinner, we enjoyed a green salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, Square Tomato Soup, red lentil kefta and salad options (1/4 of our plate was good quality protein (the kefta), 1/4 of our plate was starchier veggies and 1/2 of our plate was high water content / low glycemic index veggies.  Recipes for the Red Lentil Kefta and Square Tomato Soup are provided below.

Red Lentil Kefta
4 Cups Lentils
8 Cups Water
2 Cups FINE bulgur

Cook lentils to just done, and stir in bulgur.

2 Lg Onions
5 TB Tomato Paste
4 tsp Salt
2 TB Cumin
2 TB Harif
Juice of 2 Lemons

Saute the onion, and make a paste by adding remaining ingredients.  Add to cooled lentils, and mix.

1 Bunch Parsley
6 Green Onions

Chop parsley and green onions finely.  Add most of the chopped greens to the mix keeping some out for garnish.

Form as required.

Square Tomato Soup
ExtraVirgin Olive Oil
5 LB Plum Tomatoes
1 Lg Spanish Onion
1.5 tsp Salt
.5 tsp Hot Paprika
Fresh Basil

Wash and cut tomatoes in half.  Peel and cut onion into 1-2" chunks.  Add extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of a 2 Gallon pot. Add onion and tomato to pot and saute briefly.  Add seasonings except the basil, and saute for a moment.  Bring contents of pot to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low.  Let simmer until soft.  Add mixture in small batches to a blender or VitaMix.  Pour into serving or storage container, and adjust seasoning.  Add chopped fresh basil to the top.

Several pureed soups can be made this way using a variety of veggies.  Seasoning can be varied with garlic, ginger or other.

Assignment for Session II: Remove from your kitchen -- and do not eat -- any kind of sugar or sweetener, white flour, caffeine (except green tea), refined or processed foods, junk foods, alcohol, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats.  These foods are addictive, and it is important to remove them from your surroundings for the duration of this program.  At our next session, we will begin a one week detox.

Weight Loss for Some Becomes Health Gain for All

I will start our next Real Foodies (Living Lighter and Healthier) series on Thursday, February 7.

We will meet four times: Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. The fee for each session is $25, which includes the content of the session, resources and recipes distributed in class or via email, dinner, new friendships and hopefully fun.

Please plan to sign on for the entire series, although you may pay on a per session basis ($25) or for the entire series ($100). If you are required to miss a session, just let me know in advance so I won't set a place for you at the table. You need not pay for that session. If you would like to bring a guest to one or more sessions, please give me a heads-up and add $25 to your payment for that session. I will set another place.

The name Real Foodies indicates a broadening of our purpose: We are focused on how to eat for vibrant health. Weight loss follows for most people fairly naturally.

Eating joyfully is part of great health. It's hard to eat joyfully if you feel as though you are struggling to control yourself or are feeling deprived. We will focus on how to eat to eliminate cravings and feel satisfied based on body chemistry not will power.

Our four sessions are structured as follows:

Week I: BYOP - Build Your Own Palace: Prep for Week II
Week II: The Clean Plate Club - Detox
Week III: What's In, What's Out - Going Forward
Week IV: Your Life on a Plate - How to Eat What You Eat

At each of our four sessions, we will enjoy a delicious (and exemplary) meal together.  Recipes will be provided.

In order to reserve a place for you at our first session, I will need your payment, $25 for that session or $100 for the entire series. Please make your check payable to Expressly Leslie LLC, and drop off or mail to Expressly Leslie, 110 S. Johnson St., Woodstock, IL 60098.

During the series, I will refer to information from two recent books, and we will use some parts of the programs presented in those books: The UltraSimple Diet by Dr. Mark Hyman and Fat Chance by Dr. Robert Lustig. If you would like to have your own copy of either or both of these books, they will be available at Read Between the Lynes. Identify yourself as a participant in the Expressly Leslie Real Foodies Group, and you will receive a 20% discount.

Thank you for your interest, and please let me know of your commitment to the full four weeks via return email.

I hope to hear from all of you and see you at our first session, February 7.