Bubble, bubble, toil and…voodoo?

[Since the last post my life has been mostly routine, punctuated by:
Official Flax-y detox week (oh, the horror); trip to India (!!!! Someday may sort my photos…but probably not. A few, selected & optimized automagically by Google+, are available here); pneumonia; Pesach; family events.
Meanwhile, “diet” has, thankfully, become a non-issue. Reached a reasonable weight in January and it seems to be my new set point, relatively unaffected by celebrations and trips—and even Pesach.
There, all caught up.]

One of the many astounding experiences during the Mindful India trip was the consultation / treatment / nutritional advice by an Ayurveda practitioner: Dr. Harsh Agarwal. Went for the consultation more or less on a lark – his clinic was next to our hotel & he’d been invited to give our group an intro lecture.

The clinic is not very similar to Kupat Cholim: deity on the door; altar in the waiting room.

   

But H & I were sufficiently impressed to schedule subsequent treatment: a long massage plus herbal supplements to take home.

H’s prescription was for 2 little bottles of pills, bought in a local pharmacy. But Dr. Harsh said my supplements would be provided 2 days later in his clinic.

I expected a little envelope of dried herbs, or maybe a small bottle of elixir. I did not expect this:

The photo doesn’t indicate scale. Those containers are big. As I lugged the sack of supplements back to the hotel, I imagined my oncologist’s expression after I asked him whether I should ingest stuff provided by someone he’d consider a witch doctor. So of course I haven’t asked.

Some of the pills taste like flowers, others like dirt. And one of the powders comes with a whole procedure:

1. Dissolve 1 t in 5 c water.
2. Let sit overnight.
3. Boil until reduced by half.
4. Strain.
5. Cool till lukewarm.
6. Drink 1 c in morning & the other in the evening.

Luckily I have limitless time and energy (ha ha ha) for preparing this cauldron of witch’s brew.

So, you may ask, after taking all this stuff for a couple of weeks do I feel any different? Dunno. At least it hasn’t caused my skin to develop green scales or my toenails to fall off…

And Dr. H’s nutritional advice jibes perfectly with our increasing love of Indian food. We’ve been eating, rice, veggies, and even paneer (homemade cheese). And of course lots and lots and lots of lentils (this is a great dal recipe).

I intend to keep experimenting with new recipes, adapted for locally available ingredients and limited kitchen time, and post them here. Or perhaps I’ll actually upload my photos and describe my India trip. Or I may share my deep philosophical insights on the nature of Life (should I ever develop any…).

Whichever, this blog may not be dead just yet.

Week 8: To be Continued…

Weight: 8.5 lbs down, ~11 to go

With Flaxy’s blessing, I’m ramping down a bit till the official Spring Detox week starts on Feb. 22.

I intend to keep up whatever habits I’ve managed to develop over the past 2 months:

• Modified fasting till lunch (i.e. no breakfast)
• Eating basically vegan (minus, for the most part, nightshades)
• Taking the prescribed teas & supplements
• Exercising at least 5 times/week

It all seems much more manageable than at first. Have a few fallback recipes that are now routine. And am much less hungry/tempted than even 2 weeks ago. Eating out is also manageable; there’s usually enough permitted food available. And when I do indulge a bit (like when my daughter brought me a truly decadent birthday cake–tricolada from the Bleeker Bakery) I’m able to savor a tiny amount without wanting to binge.

Am actually looking forward to the spring detox: a full week of no cooking/planning. I’m well & truly weary of thinking about food.

One goal for the interval till then: find time–& inclination–for some sort of creative outlet. Blogging, alas, is just not doing it for me…

Week 6: Hey, I’m not Alone! (Links to Other Sites)

Weight: 3/4 kg down (3.5 down, 5.5 to go)

Originally, I’d intended this post to be titled “It’s not Just about the Diet”.

But, actually, it is. Six weeks in, this diet is still very/overly challenging & time-consuming. I’m spending an inordinate amount of time on diet-related activities: thinking about, preparing, and engaging in meals, exercise, and some degree of mindfulness. My life will regain more balance…but not, it seems, just yet.

So I’ll reserve that title for a future post. This week’s will instead focus on my delight at finding a number of online sources of inspiration/consolation.

There are so many blogs about diet, veganism, weight loss, wellness, balance, etc. etc.

The best have great recipes, beautiful photos, and good writing. Here are a couple I actually subscribed to:

• Veganizzm
• Can You Stay for Dinner

Want more? There’s a well-organized list of popular health & cooking blogs here.

I was struck by the About pages of many of these sites. Most of the owners are women who are young and beautiful. Clearly, following their advice is bound to make us readers young and beautiful, too. (So, then, if you’re a man, you may not want to read them.)

Not convinced? Me neither. So one disappointment is that reading these blogs may not make me young & beautiful. Another is that I can’t actually use most of the recipes.

I used to think that a vegetarian diet was too limiting. But once I started on a vegan diet, vegetarianism suddenly seemed very liberal. And now, compared with the Flay-y program, veganism is downright hedonistic.

With vegetarianism, got rid of meat, poultry, and fish. With veganism also scotched any animal-related products like eggs and dairy. But with Flax-y, the limitations are even more draconian; no: nightshades, gluten, soy products, fruit (except apples), nuts (except small amounts of almonds), salt, sweets (except 2 tsp. royal jelly per day). Other no-nos that severely limit my choices: canned food, GMO produce.

I’d never before realized just how many of my vegan recipes are based on canned tomatoes…

So, yeah, I like looking at the pretty pictures on the vegan blogs–but can’t actually prepare most of the recipes. At least not now.

Initially, I’d committed to this program for 3 months (till January). I’m half way through now, and can conceivably continue till I reach my target weight — which at this rate may be by mid-February. But after that, all bets are off.

 

Week 5: Retox (& Kitchari & Millet Pilaf)

• Weight: 1/4 kg down (2.75 down, 6.25 to go)
• Energy level: I’m going to quit reporting on this. Assume “no change”. Maybe maybe maybe reaching a good weight will result in more energy?

I’m not even supposed to be doing a true detox now; seems it’s contraindicated in autumn. However, I didn’t anticipate that I would, after a month of good behavior, embark on a personal re-tox program.

It started innocently enough. I’d intended to buy a wide-mouth thermos, for bringing hot food from home, but couldn’t locate one. And the thought of yet another miso soup lunch made me gag.

So I ordered food in. But just a salad. And without any goodies. No: cheeses, egg, tuna, peanuts, bottled dressings. Highly virtuous.

Yet, since I’m supposed to avoid raw food now, guilt was already setting in.

Which seemed grossly unfair. If I’m going to suffer guilt, why over a &*#@+^ salad?? I don’t even like salad!

And so, I reasoned, logically enough, as long as I was feeling guilty anyhow, why not run with it? Why not truly own the guilt?

That slope is slippery as a luge track. From salad I progressed to “tastes” of what the normal humans around me were eating. I had bites of: lasagna, pizza, potato kugel, salmon, roast cashews—even <gasp> Ben & Jerry’s Dulce de Leche and the birthday cake I’d prepared for my daughter, Chocolate Mint Dessert. So while I still abstained from meat, I did manage to ingest representatives of nearly all the other no-no categories: eggs, dairy, junk fats, white flour, nightshades and every possible variety of sugar. Plus enough sodium and additives to pickle a vat of cucumbers (thanks a lot, Pringles).  At least I’m thorough.

Although the amount of each food was—truly!—small, the effects were immediate and overt. Apart from losing less weight (hey, I was grateful I didn’t actually gain), my appetite revved into overdrive. All the forbidden foods, which I’d learned [slowly & painfully] to ignore, suddenly seemed to bear huge labels with dayglo print: “Eat me. Now! This is an order!!” Hunger was not just keeping me from falling asleep, it was also making me awaken ravenous, ready to devour the entire huge box of stale Telma cornflakes left from the grandkids’ visit.

A DIY emergency detox seemed the answer.

A few years ago Yoga Journal ran a 3-day detox program—for autumn!—with a recipe that the whole family liked: kitchari. Warm, spicy, and with the accompaniment of a pretty fresh coriander chutney, this dish makes penance palatable.

By the way, finally figured out a way to rewarm moist food without killing it: bamboo steamer in a wok. Works perfectly & quickly & there’s no pot to scrub. (Next challenge: learn how to remove the plate without suffering 3^rd degree burns.)

Also on this week’s menu: millet pilaf. Although the texture is a bit gooey for a pilaf, it’s tasty and attractive enough.

So these two dishes—plus cooked greens / roast veg, and the ubiquitous miso soup—should get me through the week with more variety than usual. I’m actually looking forward to lunch tomorrow. [Imagine Homer Simpson’s voice:] Mmmm, millet.

Week 4, Part 2: Indulge Me

I know snacking is evil. So is watching TV.

But I love both–preferably at the same time.

I don’t need a huge amount, mind you. Just a single program at the end of a harried day, with the accompaniment of, as Pooh Bear would put it, A Little Something.

So I’ve been searching for a treat to substitute for one of my favorites: buttered popcorn.

Imagine my delight when I found a recipe for popped amaranth.

Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Fast, easy, and healthy. Okay, so I’d be skipping the butter & salt, but at least it’d be crunchy and kinda fun.

Hauled out a pan & followed the directions. It worked. (Note there’s no exclamation point at the end of that last sentence.)

Here’s a pic of my former TV treat:

And here’s the new version:

You don’t see anything? Look closer, there at the very bottom of the cup.

Was that recipe supposed to be a joke? As a snack, it’s suited only to a Smurf. The taste? you ask. Think miniature Styrofoam pellet. And how is one to eat it? With tweezers?

Aside:

Per Flax-y, craving comfort food–specifically sweet, like chocolate–can actually be sublimation of a more basic–and important–desire: for love. More romance, she explained, equals less food cravings.

I’m not dismissing that theory. Quite like it in fact. Yep, I’m up for more romance. And my husband is on board.

But, I can’t help wondering, isn’t more romance enhanced by more chocolate?

The search for an acceptable snack continues.

Week 4: Polenta Quiche (& The V Word)

• Weight: 1/2 k down (2.5 down, 6.5 to go). Quite amazing…
• Energy level: Still poop out way too early in the day. Starting to suspect early rising is due not to more energy, but to Daylight Savings Time having ended.

I am not, and probably never will be, A Vegetarian. On the other hand, for about 5 months I haven’t eaten meat or poultry. And the Flax-y plan is all-out vegan. But I am certainly not A Vegan.

I would like to be. But it’s similar to how I’d like to be energetic: I see that it’d be a good thing, and I try to conduct myself as if I were; but, on the most basic level, I’m just faking it.

Intellectually and morally I’m on board. I’ve read, and been suitably appalled by, exposés of the meat industry such as Eating Animals and My Year of Meats. And my earlier assumption that V-ans are dangerously malnourished has been trounced. For example, my vegetarian son is an enthusiastic and accomplished runner. He recently earned 2nd place in the 61k heat of the Sovev Emek ultra-marathon. The guy who came in 1st place is a vegan. And so are the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners of the 200k (!!!!) heat. Googling “vegan athletes” produces 7,750,000 results.

So I’m convinced. And not eating animal products. But cannot declare myself a V.

I have been exempting myself at home from preparing/serving dishes with animal products. My family at first generously credited this to my having become squeamish in the presence of meat. I wish. It’s actually because I fear that, in a moment of weakness, I’ll seize someone else’s plate &, before he can react, cram his entire steak into my mouth at once. Sadly, I’m still powerfully attracted by the scent of roasting flesh. No matter how much time and effort I invest in the V meals, they seem a pallid & insubstantial alternative.

Case in point: the polenta quiche I prepared for Shabbat.

It wasn’t bad–just not equivalent to the golden, crispy, roast chicken my son prepared.

In general, while I’m not truly hungry these days, I deeply miss emotional/recreational/carnivorous eating. Absence of hunger ≠ satiety.

So I’m not a V. I’m simply not eating meat products today.

Week 3: Borscht (In Praise of Kind Husbands)

• Weight: Another 1/2 k down (so 2 down, 7 to go).
• Energy: Don’t know if this is a blip or a trend, but on a couple of mornings actually woke before the alarm went off. For someone who usually hits Snooze–and/or hurls the clock against the wall–this is major.

The evening after I published last week’s post, I arrived home from work to find that my husband had prepared a huge pot of hot, beautiful, tasty, filling and diet-compliant (well, nearly) soup. Bliss! A month ago I never would have believed that soup —  borscht, yet — could make me so happy. But it did. The adzuki/greens soup was consigned to its most appropriate home: the compost bin. Whew. The days since have been a lot more bearable. Although my hopes re the second consultation didn’t quite materialize–all the requirements stand as originally specified; there was no additional recommendation of a daily dose of chocolate– my schedule has been less crazy. So I’ve been able to prepare enough food that tastes good-enough. This was helped by the tips I got in Comments from ck. Thanks, ck! I’m sure my family & co-workers are grateful. Hunger does not make me a delightful companion.

So I’m muddling on. Mostly compliant — though we did go out for a nice dinner at Kohinoor to celebrate our anniversary. Yes, I know, we must find alternative, non-food-related, ways to mark occasions…Someday. But meanwhile, it was possible to enjoy the evening without guilt. And, in general, I haven’t been hungry or particularly craving sweets.

Another development this week was the arrival of an order from Book Depository. Move over, Julia Child, Moosewood chefs, and Claudia Roden. The new kid on my cookbook shelf is Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. We’ll have to wait to see if he remains a permanent tenant there–or if I wind up donating his book, like so many others, to the library. It’s a primary reference for the Flax-y consultant. If nothing else, just holding it to read will burn calories. The paperback version is 700+ pages in large format. I’ve started reading and PP makes his case rather persuasively. But so did Atkins, etc. on first reading. And I was rather surprised to find that, for a book that’s had several re-printings, and that Amazon classifies as “#1 Best Seller in Chinese Medicine”, there are almost no editorial reviews. But at least it has recipes for some of the ingredients I was advised to buy. Like millet. Up till now I’d have assumed that a recipe for millet would read:

1. Open package.
2. Feed to parakeet.

In addition to experimenting with weird new ingredients, I’ve also started bringing lunches from home: Miso soup. Every. Single. Day. A lot less fun than ordering in with the company card, but tolerable. (However, for lunchtime meetings I reserve the right to still go to Ricotta or order from Sushi Rechavia.) Upshot: I can do this. At least for now…

Week 2, Part 2: True Confessions

The first consultation for the Flax-y plan was more than 3 weeks ago, and there’s been no follow-up since. We’re supposed to meet again this Friday. My preparatory mental review of “progress” is not cause for rejoicing.

When we met, I asserted that I was up for any & all changes for a period of 3 months.

I lied.

While I was capable of that sort of dedication in the past, with each new diet plan I lose heart/steam/compliance at an ever more rapid clip.

Part of the reason is that for nearly each plan, initial weight loss was followed by a plateau & then rapidly regaining the weight. Bad enough if the regain had resulted from a Ben & Jerry’s binge–but since it usually occurred while still virtuously consuming mainly steamed broccoli and kale, well, sorry, but that’s just cosmic injustice. I understand that this is common plight for most dieters, but that’s little comfort.

With Flax-y, I haven’t [yet?] hit the dread plateau, but I’m finding it so difficult to maintain all the suggested changes that it’s just a question of time before I give up entirely. I’m already flagging.  Last week I was able to attend a wedding and eat only some vegetables & less than 1/2 a serving of salmon. But last night I came home tired from work and simply absolutely positively could not resist filching about a quarter cup of the mac and cheese (still warm! fragrant! creamy! and topped with buttery, perfectly browned, fresh bread crumbs!) left so enticingly next to the stove-top where I was reheating, yet again, some of the vile witch’s brew I prepared on Sunday.

So I think I need to:

1. Reexamine my goals, shooting for something achievable
2. Prioritize the recommendations, and jettison–at least temporarily–any less crucial for the beginning stages
3. Figure out how to obtain a greater variety of food–that’s actually appetizing!–to get me through the week (quite a tall order given my schedule)

 

Week 2: Adzuki & Spinach Soup (& a Few Words on “Creativity”)

• Weight: 1/2 kilo down. Not bad. It was a difficult week for compliance: a wedding, dinner at a restaurant, & weekend away. All these disruptions = less time for cooking.
• Energy level: Meh. No discernible change.

Soup will probably remain my fallback strategy; a potful can supply all dinners till shabbat. This week I was so scrapped for time that my primary considerations were speedy prep, using ingredients on hand, nutritious, and filling enough that I wouldn’t “supplement” with Snickers bars.

Luckily I already had the necessary ingredients for a tried & true recipe: the adzuki & spinach soup from my default cookbook, The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health: More Than 200 New Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Delicious and Nutrient-Rich Dishes. [Terrible title. But nearly every recipe is great.]

Correction: I had almost all the necessary ingredients. In other words, I had beans.

Now normally I cook like someone with the knowledge gleaned from experience of…uh…11 days. I slavishly follow recipes. Haul out a cookbook each time I do anything more complex than brewing a tea bag.

But one of the mandates for this Flax-y regimen was to be more creative. Here was an opportunity! Okay, so I didn’t have broth; but surely water would do if I compensated with extra spices. I had just one spindly wilted scallion; but had a nice big leek. And although the recipe is called “Adzuki Spinach Soup”, and I didn’t actually have any spinach, I did have a whole lot of unidentified green leaves courtesy of the last delivery from Chubeza. Aren’t greens pretty much interchangeable? Hey, seaweed is green, too–& so healthy & recommended by Flax-y. So decided to add some wakame, too.

I merrily threw together the ingredients I’d gathered. And, heady with the prospect of burgeoning creativity, used “splashes” of the specified seasonings–plus a few others not even listed in the recipe. Instinctively! Without measuring!!

Ah, yes–every day in every way I’m becoming more & more creative.

The resulting soup looked quite similar to the one I usually prepare, maybe just a bit paler from the addition of leeks.

The smell, however, was quite a bit more…um…[looking for a euphemism here]…pungent. Guess that “splash” of rice vinegar was more like a downpour. And the wakame grew & grew & seemingly consumed some of the other ingredients.

Upshot: The soup is edible, but just barely. And I don’t have time to prepare an alternative.

It’s gonna be a loooong week.

Week 1: Orange Soup

• Weight: 1 kilo down. But no balloons & champagne just yet. Have lost/regained the same 2 kilo dozens of times over the past few years. The trick will be continuing to lose & maintain the loss long term.
• Energy level: Still lower than the Dead Sea.

Gathering the ingredients & getting my head around all the prescribed changes took longer than expected (duh; I always underestimate…). Luckily I started during Sukkot vacation (12-Oct), so even with all the family popping in & out I have more time to invest in planning & cooking.

Particularly challenging: not nuking leftovers. I love my microwave! Time’s always an issue, and now eating takes even more of it. It’s doable, but I grumble about the extra time & pots involved. Also, some things when rewarmed in the oven wind up with the texture of toast — or an old shoe.

Soups are a good solution. I’ve been sifting through my old recipes to find ones compatible with this program. One longtime family favorite, orange soup, fits the plan perfectly and is relatively fast. I just make sure to get the green stuff in at another meal.

Orange Soup

• 4 onions, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 head garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2″ piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 T olive oil
• “Warm” spices to taste. Options include: cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes or Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper
• 6 c orange/white/yellow vegetables, peeled and cubed. Options include: pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes
• 1/2 c red lentils
• 1 can coconut liquid
• Garnish options:
  • Coriander leaves & pomegranate seeds
  • Sprouts

1. In a large kettle, warm the oil and gently saute onions stirring frequently until softened but not brown.
2. Add garlic and ginger and saute an additional minute or two.
3. Add the spices and stir.
4. Add the vegetables and lentils.
5. Add enough water (approx. 1 liter)  to almost cover the ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are very soft and the lentils are falling apart.
7. Let cool slightly and then puree with an immersion blender.
8. Reserve some coconut liquid for garnish, then add the remainder to the soup and blend. (If desired, add additional water — but the soup should be fairly thick so the garnishes don’t sink.)
9. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of coconut liquid and other options.