Week 4 Of Our Whole Food, Plant- Based, 45 Day SOS-Free Diet (No Sugar, Oil or Salt)
Week 4 Of Our Whole Food, Plant- Based, 45 Day SOS-Free Diet (No Sugar, Oil or Salt)
This week I have become convinced that this way of eating is a wonderful, healthy and sustainable one for the long term.
We are losing weight while eating lots of tasty, healthy foods, foods that give us lots of energy and do not leave us feeling hungry and wanting more.
This week I listened to more talks and lectures about how this healthy way of eating has helped reverse all sorts of chronic diseases, including heart disease.
I listened to testimonials by Hollywood actresses who are eating this way to stay slim, and to a testimonial by former president Bill Clinton, who is now following a plant-based, whole foods, oil free diet and has lost over 50 pounds doing so.
Dr. Esselstyn http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/video-2/
has some testimonials on his website about this way of eating, and you can also find very informative lectures on YouTube about the plant based oil free diet by Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr.McDougal.
After so many years of listening to misinformation, it is hard to navigate the nutritional world and know what to believe and what not to believe.
For me, the best way is to try it and see how I feel.
I feel wholesome on this diet, calm, healthy, energetic, strong and on the way to my ideal weight.
The only thing that I plan to relax on is the salt.
I will not add any oils to my diet after the 45 days are over, but I will add small amounts of salt, just to make the food more tasty.
I will not add salt to raw salads, but even now when I cook the food, I add a bit of miso paste or veg soup broth, which has a bit of salt.
I also serve some foods like roasted potatoes with mustard on the side, just to make it more yummy.
Day 22
Breakfast: A glass of lemon water with psyllium husk.
Lunch: A big stew of pumpkin, mushrooms, beans, onions, zucchini, and broccoli, served with a few slices of baked sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Afternoon Snack: An Onigiri rice ball wrapped in Nori, filled with Kombu and Wakame seaweed.
Dinner: A big salad of greens, cucumber, orange, apple, radish, Brussels sprouts and lemon juice.
Comments on day 22- Today I made Onigiri rice balls, to take with us tomorrow.
Tomorrow we plan to go to our dentist for teeth cleaning, and afterward we will drive to Aspen to the Nordic ski center.
We want to check if they have cross country boots in my size.
All the shops in our area are sold out.
Even online, it is currently impossible to find a pair in my size.
We have been told that all the equipment is sold out because many people picked up cross country skiing this year, in order to enjoy the outdoors during the pandemic.
To make the filling for the rice balls, I marinated three kinds of seaweed, and then cooked them in water, with a little bit of soy sauce and mirin, until the liquid evaporated.
Rice balls are easy to pack and in Japan, they are the preferred food that most people take when they go hiking.
Tomorrow before leaving the house, I will pop them in the air frier grill for a few minutes, to crisp them a little.
Day 23
Breakfast: Two Onigiri rice balls filled with seaweed and with a little preserved fermented tofu.
Lunch: Two Onigiri rice balls filled with seaweed and with a little preserved fermented tofu.
A slice of oat and fruit jam bar.
Afternoon snack: Cubes of frozen passion fruit, unsweetened.
Dinner: A big salad of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, apple, orange, lemon and sugar-free balsamic vinegar, followed by a big steamed artichoke with mustard.
Comments on day 23- We did go to Aspen today and to my delight, they had a pair of combi boots in my size.
I was happy to find a combi boot, because it will allow me to do both cross country skiing and skate skiing in the future, when I get a little better.
Both skate skiing and cross country skiing are done on the same trails, but require different equipment.
The combi boot offers the ankle support required for skating, and can be used in both sports.
The rice balls were a very satisfying and filling lunch, especially with the fermented tofu which our friends from Taiwan gifted us.
Day 24
Breakfast: A glass of lemon water with psyllium husk.
Lunch: A big bowl of stew with zucchini, pumpkin, mushrooms, onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pinto beans and lots of Wakame seaweed, with a bit of miso paste, followed by
two Onigiri rice balls with a little preserved tofu.
Afternoon snack: fresh clementines.
Dinner: Roasted potatoes with steamed broccoli and cauliflower with a dip made from mustard and balsamic vinegar.
Dessert: Fruit sorbet made from only fruit, drizzled with some aged balsamic.
Comments on day 24- Today I was very hungry all day and I also ate more than usual, but I am not concerned about it, because we just ate more of the whole foods allowable on this diet, without any oils, sugar or added salt.
As I was working in the studio, I listened to a few more lectures by different doctors, about how they have helped reverse heart disease and diabetes in their patients, by putting them on a whole food plant based diet without ANY oil.
They all agreed that the concept of “healthy fats” is an oxymoron.
There are no healthy fats.
All the fats we eat are harmful to our health, and if added to our food, will be stored in the form of fat, either in the arteries or on our waistlines.
The reason we don’t immediately develop blocked arteries from eating meat and oils, is because the human body has 60,000 miles of blood vessels (and 46 miles of nerves). The effects of improper eating are gradual.
Day 25
Breakfast: A glass of lemon water with psyllium husk.
Lunch: A baked casserole of sweet potatoes, zucchini, seaweed, mushrooms, green beans and onion, mixed with falafel mix and baked for two hours.
Afternoon snack: One Onigiri rice ball filled with kombu seaweed.
Dinner: A salad of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, orange, apple with lemon and no sugar added aged balsamic vinegar.
Dessert: A chocolate mousse made from mashed bananas, dates, mashed baked sweet potatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla. No oils or sugar added, sprinkled with raisins and crunchy granola.
Comments on day 25 - The chocolate mousse dessert felt very creamy and indulgent.
I have made enough for a few days, and it is amazing how a dessert made from sweet potatoes can be so delicious and taste so rich, but without any harmful ingredients.
Day 26
Breakfast: nothing
Lunch: A picnic lunch of Onigiri rice balls filled with Kombu seaweed and fermented preserved tofu.
A small slice of fruit only jam oat bar.
Dinner: A big salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, orange, apple, fresh corn, lemon and balsamic vinegar.
Dessert: A chocolate mousse made from mashed bananas, dates, mashed baked sweet potatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla. No oils or sugar added, sprinkled with blackberries and crunchy granola.
Comments on day 26- Today we went cross country skiing.
It was a bit windy and a bit cold, but we wanted to ski before the big storm that is coming to our area arrives, and it is scheduled to stay for a few days, blanketing the mountains with spring snow.
I noticed that my knee no longer hurts.
It does not throb at night as it used to, and I am beyond delighted.
My knee was the real reason I started on this diet.
Yes, of course I wanted to lose 20 pounds, but my biggest motivation was to heal my knee.
I was so worried about the future and my ability to walk thousands of kilometers on foot pilgrimages, with an achy knee.
But now I am so relieved.
I know that if my knee can heal in just four weeks on this plant based diet, my whole body will be renewed and restored in four months, and will thrive in four years on this way of eating.
The future is looking bright!
Day 27
Breakfast: lemon water with psyllium husk.
Lunch: A big plate of roasted potatoes, steamed spinach, cauliflower and shiitake mushrooms.
Dinner: A big salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, orange, apple, fresh corn, mango, lemon and balsamic vinegar, followed by two Onigiri rice balls filled with seaweed.
Dessert: A chocolate mousse made from mashed bananas, dates, mashed baked sweet potatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla. No oils or sugar added, sprinkled with blackberries and crunchy granola.
Comments on day 27 - The anticipated snow storm has not yet arrived.
But that was fine with me because I was a little achy from the cross country skiing and needed a rest day.
I spent the day resting on the sofa, reading and listening to lectures.
More and more scientific research is linking not just type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but also dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to a diet of processed foods, animal protein, dairy, sugar and fats.
There is no doubts that the SAD (Standard American Diet) is sad indeed...
Day 28
Breakfast: Lemon water with psyllium husk.
Lunch: Mashed potatoes with a mushroom gravy, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms and spinach, followed by four clementines.
Dinner: A big salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, apple, orange, mango, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
Dessert: A chocolate mousse made from mashed bananas, dates, mashed baked sweet potatoes, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla. No oils or sugar added, sprinkled with raspberries, blackberries and crunchy granola.
Comments on day 28 - I made a gravy for the mashed potatoes by cooking onion and mushrooms with a bit of vegan soup broth, miso and a tablespoon of soy sauce.
After cooking it for thirty minutes, I blended it in the blender and added a teaspoon of corn starch to thicken the gravy.
It was good on the mashed potatoes which we mashed without any butter, nut milk or oil. Still, I was missing the taste of salt but I resisted adding salt.
Today the anticipated snow storm has arrived.
The sunny skies gave way to wind and clouds and soon snow flakes started falling all around.
I spent the day in the studio, finishing the painting that I have been working on this month.
While painting, I listened to the book “Opening Heaven’s Door” by Patricia Pearson, who tells some amazing stories about people all over the world, encountering angels and helpers or divine help, in times of great need.
This week we lost another pound each, making my weight loss until now 6 pounds in four weeks. (Jules has lost a little bit more.)
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,
Tali
