National Introvert Day PSA

Plant-Based Gingerbread Biscotti

Note what Jane said when asked if this was allowed for Dr. Esselstyn's heart patients because of the molasses and raisins:

Actually this is ok for heart patients- the guidelines are” not an excess of sweeteners like maple syrup etc”…and it is easy to not use the raisins if you don’t want to. The 2 T in this recipe are acceptable. Jingle jingle, Jane

 

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE! AL & ESTHER LOST OVER 150 POUNDS AND REVERSED HEART...

LIVE! How to Travel Whole Food Plant Based Esther Loveridge

They're Trying to Kill Us

Mondays with the McDougall's - Chef AJ Live

Women's Health Lecture and Marathon Q&A Download your free copy of McDougall's Medicine below. Use code AWARENESS. Valid until 11/30/21. 

https://www.drmcdougall.com/shop/mcdougalls-medicine-a-challenging-second-opinion/

Vintage Dr. McDougall Talk

Recorded during the 2001 VegSource Get Healthy Now seminar. This was before they started to professionally record them and sell them to the public.

Great talk by Dr. McDougall, and he's still saying the same things to this day!

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FROM DR. JOHN AND MARY McDOUGALL

Yes, another webinar about the Mary's Mini diet, and another set of guideline updates.

 

What the Heck is a Mary's Mini and Where do I Start?

Fasting Can Save Your Life - Documentary

A very, very young Dr. Goldhamer, from the days before TrueNorth existed as it does now!

 

DR. JOHN McDOUGALL ON FATS & OILS

Don't Let Your Healthy Diet and Lifestyle Ruin Your Life

Vintage Dr Doug Lisle Pleasure Trap Lecture

Jeff Nelson of VegSource just shared a lecture Dr Lisle did in 2003, I assume during a Get Healthy Now gathering, 2 years before they were all recorded for sale on DVD.

Replay of the Q&A with Rip Esselstyn 6/10/2021

If you look at what's on the shelves you'll se the new granolas on the top, the popcorn on the second shelf, new chilis and soup on the third. Notice the branding has changed from "Engine 2" to "PlantStrong" now that their contract with Whole Foods Markets has expired and these will be offered on-line now from the PlantStrong Foods web store.

BTW, it was announced that next week a sampler of the granolas will be offered (I assume at a special price) to the members of the PlantStrong community, so be sure you sign up to be a member (free) so you'll be able to get in on the deal.

 

SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY TRIBUTE FOR DR. JOHN McDOUGALL

QUIET!!!!

 There are three different landscapers working on 3 different properties at the moment on our block. That's a minimum of 3 lawnmowers and 3 leaf blowers, all going at the same time. The noise is unbelievable! 

I have no idea how my son, the night shift worker, is able to sleep through all of this racket!

Dr. McDougall on Lifestyle Magazine TV

 I know Dr. McDougall had done many appearances on this TV show, but these are the only ones I could find on YouTube right now.

A Three-Part Series on Autism:

Introducing Dr. Matthew Lederman 

 

Fasting

 

With Dr. Hans Diehl and the CHIP Diet

 

 

McDougall, M.D.

41 Episodes of the old McDougall, M.D. tv show with burned in on-screen captions. 

The YouTube channel that did this, now known as At Bahamas, was set up to help people learn to read English. This playlist is one of many subjects they transcribed. I don't care why it was done, I'm just glad these shows are still out there.

And 28 episodes with normal YouTube captions from a website called Smart LifeStyle TV.

 

Dr. McDougall's Latest Potato Talks with Q&As - Mastermind Series

It's nothing he hasn't already said multiple times, but in this series his daughter Heather is the moderator instead of Chef AJ or Gustavo Tolosa. In part 2, he does spend a few minutes explaining the botanical difference between yams and sweet potatoes, though.

Dr. Fuhrman Lectures then Releases a Few Personal Tidbits

The McDougall Family - John, Mary and Heather - Shoot the Breeze

Alan and Doug Shoot the Breeze

Is Dr. McDougall Taking the Covid-19 Vaccine?

So, the answer is Yes, he will, but he's not really happy about doing it, it seems.

Esther Lebeck Loveridge Reads from her Beginners Manual

The Beginners Manual post is in the Announcements on Esther's Nutritional Journey on Facebook, but she does allow it to be shared by copy/paste.

BEGINNERS MANUAL For my friend.

In the beginning, we are told, there was a garden and so it is that when we think about beginning a whole food plant-based way of eating, we need to revisit the garden.

 

When I first started following The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, I knew I needed to lose weight quickly enough to keep the momentum going so I wouldn’t get discouraged. It wasn’t that I chose the MWL book over any of Dr. John McDougall’s other books, but it was the book that was given to me knowing I needed a fast plan and that is what worked for me.

 

When we listen to a choir of voices, it is easy to “play” one “authority” against another until we find the plan which will give us the excuses we want to continue eating toxic food.

 

Perhaps that is why I decided to put Dr. McDougall’s MWL Program to the test and follow only that plan to the best of my ability so that I could determine if it worked. If I played around with it, the results would not be any more accurate than a sloppy scientific experiment.

 

I was desperate in July of 2016. It is true that I was already down 25 pounds from my all time high of 282 in 2011, but that didn’t matter when the doctor told me I had to lose 70 pounds before he could even refer me to an orthopedic surgeon to see if I qualified for knee replacements. I weighed in at 257 and was going to give it my best shot. I wanted quick results so my painful knees would not interfere with my desire to continue traveling the world.

 

Eating a plant based diet is very simple. These are my guidelines:

 

First of all, I learned the joys of batch cooking. Why would I want to start from scratch for every meal when I could reheat a plateful of food in the microwave for one minute (or maybe a bit longer) and have a meal?

 

Here’s what I try to have on hand at all times:

 

1. Steel cut oatmeal: I follow the directions on the package of oats but make 8 servings at a time. After cooking the batch, I pour the oatmeal into an oblong container (which has a lid) and after it cools, I cut it into 8 sections much like you would a baked product. (Notice I do not name the sweets because it just might trigger us wanting it, ha). This lasts for 8 days unless you are sharing it with others.

2. Potatoes: Potatoes are another staple that can be cooked in batches in the Instant Pot (or any other way) for 15 minutes with a cup of water. I don’t use a trivet nor do I poke holes in them. They can “rest” in the pot for hours after cooking and be warm when you return from any excursion or used after releasing the pressure.

3. Sweet Potatoes are my new favorite food. I started out cooking them in the Instant Pot but really find roasted ones orgasmic. I put them on a tray (can use parchment paper to eliminate any crusty juices) and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.

4. Rice: I prefer brown rice but white rice is not a deal breaker. Asians have led healthy lives eating white rice. I cook my rice in the Instant Pot while singing a 3:2:22:10 jingle. 3 cups of water, 2 cups of rice, cook 22 minutes and release pressure after 10 minutes.

5. Beans: Do you know how many different beans there are? I sure don’t but I do know that I like Mayocoba, Pinto and Garbanzo beans. I like lentils too but forget to make them so these three are my staples. See my Instant Pot Quick Cooking Chart for details.

 

Once you have these 5 groups taken care of, you can add fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit to your plate and you have a complete meal in a very short period of time. These foods can be presented on a plate, in a bowl, added to salads or eaten with your hands.

Spudfit Taylor has proven that we can live on potatoes alone (he did that for a whole year) and very successfully, I might add, so any other food you add to your plate besides a potato will be a bonus.

 

Is that simple yet? Have your plate be ½ starches (potatoes, rice, beans or corn) and the other half green and/or yellow vegetables and you’ve got a good place to start.

 

You might want to know what to drink? Well, there is warm water, cold water, water with a squeeze of lemon, water with herbal tea or filtered water if you want to get fancy.

There is no need to drink calories when we can use those calories by eating fresh food which we get to masticate. That means, we get to spend time chewing the whole food which is a lot better than having a machine chew it for us.

 

Eating from the four food groups: Fruit, Vegetables, Grains and Legumes makes it simple. Eating food in its whole form is important.

 

By choosing foods from these four categories, we realize we have all we need. Questions always arise about exceptions but if you ask yourself “Is it a vegetable, a fruit, a grain or a bean” you will know the answer. Get over it. It is that simple. You are on a journey to clean up your palate, your view about food and create a new healthy body. Weight loss is an added bonus.

 

We think our lives will collapse if we can’t put something on our salad. I keep that simple too: 3 parts Balsamic vinegar, 2 parts Dijon mustard and 1 part lemon or orange juice. I use ¼ cup as the measuring tool and that makes enough to fit into my 12 oz squirt bottle.

 

This dressing is also good over Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli etc. Condiments are allowed as well but by now you know how to read labels and watch for sugar, salt and oil content.

I prefer to focus on what we CAN eat and not list the no’s.

 

Suffice it to say that if it is not a fruit, vegetable, grain or legume, consider it toxic to you. When I pass the bakery section in a store, I cross my arms in front of myself and say “poison”. When I go past the dairy and meat cases, I add up all of the money I am saving by not even having to think about any of that. I do not look for vegan substitutes. I am simple. Substitutes often have excessive fat in them and that is what I want to eliminate from my body.

 

If you just don’t know how to enjoy a potato by itself, in a salad or in a soup, they are great buried under salsa, beans, dipped in mustard and/or a “safe” BBQ sauce.

 

EDUCATION

Reinforcements are necessary as is support. Be sure to join a positive oriented group – not one where the people seem to be looking for loop holes to following a radical plan.

What really helped me in the beginning was watching documentaries. If we don’t get scientific information about what are the real needs of our diet, we fall prey to gimmicks. Of course we have all wanted to find the magic bullet – the one that will not cause us to give up any of our favorites…but that is a myth. Instead of looking for a quick cure, decide what you want and pay the price of being honest with you and learn from others who have been successful – not just successful but sustained over time. (I don’t qualify for the 5 year suggested period of time, but I am worth listening to.)

 

DOCUMENTARIES I LIKE:

Forks Over Knives, What the Health and The Game Changers

I was initially told to read success stories but I figured they were all fake. They are not. My story is posted on Dr. McDougall’s website (drmcdougall.com) as “Esther’s New Life” with a follow up story as well.

 

RESOURCES:

For beginners I suggest getting well acquainted with Dr. McDougall’s website. ALL of his information is free. He has a good search bar where you can type in any health issue and get solid information that you can trust.

 

Dr. McDougall has a team of experts supporting his program. Dr. Doug Lisle is a psychologist who has helped us a great deal in learning that we are not weak people with no will power. We learned that it is normal to be drawn to the most calorie dense food in our environment. So, you say, what is the answer?

 

Get rid of all processed food or anything which has been a “go to” when you are under pressure or stress. (As you get some of this under your belt, you may look for podcasts on YouTube or you can buy “The Pleasure Trap”.)

 

Jeff Novick is an expert on nutrition so when you are not overwhelmed with so much new, exciting information, check him out on YouTube too. Learn the tools of his calorie dense chart and you will understand why sticking with the four food groups is the answer to ingesting foods too high in calorie content for a successful journey.

 

Dr. Anthony Lim is on Dr. McDougall’s team too and he has podcasts too which are informative and helpful. He helped me realize after hearing my story that I did not need to put myself back on levothyroxin for my thyroid for which I had been medicated for over 30 years.

 

Chef A.J. is a great source too even if all you learn is that “If it is in your house, it will be in your mouth”. A clean environment is the best antidote to “slipping” off the wagon. She is a real chef and provides great support for “food addicts”.

 

There are many additional doctors that I love too but this is all about helping the beginner and not getting overloaded with too much information.

 

MENTAL HEALTH:

Perhaps as important as anything is our mental health. What we think about, we bring about. If we don’t have a positive, energetic attitude, how would we expect healthy patterns to develop?

 

When we realize we are the creators of our own life, we are the ones who put food onto the end of our fork and we can be the ones who pat ourselves on the back and forgive ourselves when we screw up, we find that there is no one else to blame. Blame and shame never lead to success. We must be kind with ourselves and know that we are all babes in learning a totally new way to live and eat. There will be times when we make less than best choices and when that happens, I have found that having a potato be my next bite goes a long way to getting back on track. One error can be immediately changed. Binges are not productive. We still have to face what set us off looking for comfort in the first place. The problem will be patiently waiting for us anyway.

 

I say, “No guilt, only learning”.

 

I have found that it is not why I eat, when I eat, or how much I eat that is the issue. The only thing I have to consider is WHAT I eat. As long as I stick with the four food groups, I will be fine. I may overeat one day but that doesn’t matter. It all averages out.

 

Seek first your health. It is not what I did but what I have learned. If we eat the right food, the weight loss will be a positive side effect.

 

Keeping it simple,

Esther Lebeck Loveridge – “Esther’s Nutritional Journal" Author of "From Donuts...To Potatoes".

Hey GrapeNut Lovers!

Banana Bread Bars with Gabriel and Bridgette

 I love watching Gabe and Bridgette videos! She is one cute baby and you can tell they have a special bond. You should see her "helping" out on the farm!

In this one, Gabe single-handedly (literally!) makes Banana Bread Bars that will make a perfect breakfast or snack.

More From Dr. McDougall

 Here are 2 more talks done by Dr. McDougall during the 2005 VegSource Get Healthy Now Expo.

How Doctors Trick You

and Is Soy Healthy?

The other talk during the 2005 Expo was about Achieving Ideal Weight, aka the Maximum Weight Loss talk.

AJ Interviews Rip Esselstyn

 Rip speaks a lot about the PlantStrong food line that's coming out, as well as injuries in the family over the years.

NJ Strong Weather Forums

 If you live in NJ - or knows someone who does - and love to know every little detail about the weather going on outside your door or even 2 weeks into the future, hop over to the

NJ Strong Weather Forum

Tracking Weather one Storm at a Time

 

These guys and gals know every intimate detail of weather tracking, and just had their 1000th member sign up. Not bad for a little group of self-proclaimed "Weather Wienies" who first got together on a 7ABC message board!

Hang on to your hats if you do stop over this week - right now they're in full blown winter storm Roidzilla mode and things are going a bit crazy with NJ weather right now.

Here is how snowstorms are classified on NJ Strong Wx Community

Mothrazilla 6-12 inches

Godzilla 12-23 inches
Roidzilla 24-35 inches
Frankzilla 36+ Inches

Here is how snowstorms are classified on other Wx Communities...

SECS 6-11 inches Significant East Coast Storm
MECS 12-23 inches Major East Coast Storm
HECS 24-35 inches Historic East Coast Storm
BECS 36+ inches Biblical East Coast Storm

 

 

There is Officially a Grape Nuts Cereal Shortage

 An article in the USA Today newspaper explains:

Cereal shortage: Are you having trouble finding a box of Grape-Nuts? You are not alone and here's why

Kelly Tyko

USA TODAY

Rare Talk on Set Point & Weight - Dr. McDougall

Jeff Novick's Updated Label Reading Guidelines

Jeff recently posted this to the official McDougall message boards:

My Guidelines For Evaluating The New Nutrition Facts Lab

by JeffN » Sat Jan 23, 2021 4:26 pm

From the FDA

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/changes-nutrition-facts-label

"The updated label appears on the majority of food packages. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales were required to update their labels by January 1, 2020; manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales were required to update their labels by January 1, 2021. Manufacturers of most single-ingredient sugars, such as honey and maple syrup, and certain cranberry products have until July 1, 2021 to make the changes. The compliance dates are still in place, but the FDA is working cooperatively with manufacturers to meet the new Nutrition Facts label requirements."

This means we should now see the new food label on the majority of products. As such, I have again updated the Label Reading documents. I have also added in a new form of the worksheet, which makes it easer to walk through reading a label.

Label Reading has never been easier!

If you like, you can download them here.

1) The Label Reading Guidelines
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0-0vN3bfGANsCaaKaVJGniCYQ#Label_Reading_Guidelines_2021

2) The Label Reading Grid
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0puxF4GIIikAgsUCrsOJnOxEg#2021_New_Label_Reading_Grid

3) The Label Reading Worksheet'
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0EMNum-UA4DObP12elx2lRLAg#Label_Reading__Practice__2021

In Health
Jeff

 

The PlantStrong Challenge January 2021

 The videos from the recent PlantStrong (formerly known as Engine 2) January Challenge. During the challenge there were daily videos (these) and daily text based chats. IDK if anyone can still sign up to access those, but at least you can all see these short videos.

 

   

   

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

And it all leads up to this one:

 

An ad for their Rescue 10X program

Climate Change Mastermind Event

 Doctor McDougall mentioned a week or so ago that he's going to have a series of interviews with experts in the field of climate change, to register ASAP if you wanted to watch them live because there was a limit of 500 openings. Well, those slots filled within 45 minutes of the email blast going out, but he promised the replays would be on YouTube the next day. The first of these posted on Sunday and it's FIVE HOURS long! I have no idea if this is 5 hours with one person or many different ones. I haven't had the time to dig into it yet.

Have fun!