Making Adjustments

I’ve been on holiday from work for a few months & it’s nose-back-to-the-grindstone time next week. I just want to mention some tweaks I intend to implement soon to my Low-SOS Vegan Plan, some new items & some old items that I’ve been inconsistent about.

Each day I drink three 25.4 ounce servings of filtered water served in these empty glass juice bottles (see above). My new plan is to finish the first bottle upon waking before I eat any food. This will suppress my appetite, and I won’t be guzzling at the end of the day in an attempt to get my 3 bottle quota down the hatch!

I confess that I’ve been lax lately about the “O” in Low-S”O“S…oil! I’ve been eating out with family & I find it nearly impossible to convince the chefs to nix the oil from my order. My new approach, while a bit dishonest, will motivate most restaurant personnel to cooperate… just tell them “I’m allergic to all cooking oils”. I’ve had amazing success using this approach. I suppose they don’t want the bad press if a patron falls dead on their floor, or the lawsuits. I don’t feel too dishonest because over the long run we’re ALL “allergic” to processed fats!

And finally there’s the issue of processed grains. Oh I’m not talking about reasonable amounts of pure grains like rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, water rich high-fiber pasta, or minimally processed, sugarfree cereals (think rolled oats, shredded wheat, oatie-o’s). I’m basically referring to the milled flours –bakery products in which huge amounts of calories are reduced to small, dense, easily consumed servings. I intend to be more aware of not over-indulging in this particular delicacy.

Okay, so there you have it:

  • more morning water
  • less oils
  • fewer bakery products


    Pasta Paradise!

    Great pasta news…

    Okay… anything taken to excess can be unhealthy, but Jeff Novick (MS – Nutrition) has some good things to say about pasta. Here are two research articles that agree:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/pasta-does-not-make-you-gain-weight-according-to-italian-scientists-a7120126.html

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/pasta-lovers-healthy-diet-eat-less-fat-added-sugar-italian-food-balance-lifestyle-nutrients-a7569606.html

    Dr. McDougall’s 10 Favorite One-Liners – Naked Food Magazine

    1. The fat you eat is the fat you wear.
    2. Starches make you thin.
    3. Sugars do not ordinarily turn into fat.
    4. Sugar satisfies the hunger drive.
    5. Protein deficiency is impossible, even on a vegan diet.
    6. There is no such thing as dietary calcium deficiency.
    7. Plants, not fish, make all omega-3 (good) fats. 
    8. Taking vitamin supplements will increase cancer, heart disease, and death.
    9. In Order to Get “the Cure,” You Must Stop the Cause.
    10. People love to hear good news about their bad habits.

    Curious? Read details here…

    http://nakedfoodmagazine.com/dr-mcdougalls-10-favorite-one-liners/

    Chasing the Vegan Yum @ the LA County Fair!

    Let’s start w/ what NOT to eat at the fair:

    None of THIS

    And none of THIS

    And none of THIS

    And none of THIS

    And certainly none of THESE…

    But do try the bbq’ed corn on the cob (w/ tangy lemon, no butter or mayo). The natural taste is naturally buttery sweet!

    How about a Ten Pound Bun? Unfortunately they have no vegan option, so just order w/o cheese & add some guacamole from the Mexican food booth:

    If you watch the waterless cooking pots & pan demo they’ll reward you w/ some healthy coleslaw (dressing-free).

    You can order a beans & greens taco w/o the cheese.

    There’s a Plant Food for People booth on the north side of the old horse race track. They sell vegan tacos.

    To “healthy it up” I ordered the naked taco (called a vegan boat). It comes with jackfruit carnitas on a bed of pinto beans, topped with their coleslaw & all of their signature toppings. Unfortunately these include oily additives, even on the slaw – it was swimming in fatty vegan mayo! My only option was to get the carnitas (which tasted great) & beans w/ no toppings… boring!

    So I carried this to the taco stand for guacamole

    and combined it all inside a giant baked potato w/ broccoli from this place (plez hold the liquid fry-fat & the greasy cheese/creams!)

    Check out the Subway Sub booth. I ordered veggie (no cheese, no oil).

    If you’re really good (or really bad!) you might indulge in a slice of cherry pie, but eat the inside fruit & trash the fatty crust!

    They have some Indian Tacos (served on fry bread, but you need not eat the shell… just the beans, veggies & salsa are great!) I brought my own avocado, but you can buy some guacamole at the Mexican food booths.

    Or some Cowboy Potatoes on the bbq (w/ onion, bell pepper, and plenty of vegetable cooking XL-oil!)

    I found some steamed Veggie dumplings inside one of the commercial buildings:

    At Maria’s Restaurant you can order a plate of pasta w/ marinara sauce (minus the meatball)…

    Or you can order their salad w/ dressing on the side (greens, tomatoes, garbanzos, cucumbers, olives, carrots, pepperoncinis, and oily Italian dressing, minus the cheese.)

    Try some lovely dairy-free Pineapple Whip in a cup or cone!

    Or some mango-on-a-stick from Mexican Village:

    Bone apetit!