Esselstyn Exilir

I was inspired my Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's presentation Tuesday night, and our conversation afterward!

In honor of meeting the amazing Dr Esselstyn, I introduce:
(EXILIR: because on his diet, you're heart attack proof, cancer proof, you won't get cancer or osteoporosis, ...and so, you may LIVE FOREVER!  :)

Esselstyn Exilir

12 c water
1 c brown rice, uncooked
1 lb frozen spinach
4 carrots, sliced
small head of celery, chopped
Italian seasoning (majorum, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)
4 small onions, chopped
Tbsp garlic, minced
10 heads baby bok choy, chopped
Poultry seasoning (sage, thyme, onion, majorum, pepper, celery seed, and red pepper)
2 cans beans (I used cannellini, and 3-bean (kidney, pinto, and black)
1 can diced tomatoes

Boil spinach, carrots, and celery in water with Italian seasoning. Saute onions, bok choy, and garlic in a little water with poultry seasoning, and then add to soup. Let it all simmer for as long as you like. After an hour, it will be a lovely soup, and after 2, it'll be a thick veggie stew!

It's vegetarian (meat-free), vegan (animal-free), oil-free, and nearly sodium-free (it works out to be less than 50 mg per cup!)  Edan Organic beans only contain 30 mg sodium per serving, compared to up to 450 mg per serving beans of other brands.

It also includes two of the six greens that he recommends everyone eat daily! They included spinach, bok choy, kale, collard greens, arugula, and I think mustard greens!

If you have low blood pressure and a healthy heart, adding a few cashews, like we did with leftovers, was yummy!

COMMENTS: Have you heard of Dr Esselstyn or read his book or watched Forks Over Knives?

COMING SOON: A summary of Dr Esselstyn's presentation, our conversation, and my thoughts on it all :)

5 BIG reasons to make your meat portions SMALL

5 Reasons to Eat LESS Meat

1. Reduce CANCER risk
2. Bone health
3. Weight loss, heart health, blood pressure and cholesterol improvements
4. Decreased inflammation
5. Cure type 2 Diabetes!

Meat is the New Tobacco?

I am not ready to go to that extreme, nor do I think it is necessary for perfect health, yet... (UPDATE! I AM READY TO GO TO THAT EXTREME! MY FAMILY NO LONGER CONSUMES ANIMAL PRODUCTS!)

Some MEATLESS days, or even meatless MEALS, are good for everybody!  Don't worry -- there is plenty of protein in the other foods you'll eat such as veggies, beans, and whole grains!  And if you don't LIKE meat, please don't eat it because you think you NEED it! Vegetarians who eat a variety of WHOLE FOODS (though not all do!) maintain a diet full of everything they need nutritionally!

Unfortunately, there is some rather shocking research coming to light, which finds that the PROTEIN from animals is highly linked with various cancers, especially prostate and breast cancers.

Here are some MEATLESS options you can try!

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Tomato and Guacamole Pizza

Mexican Fiesta Bowl

Try your very OWN meatless chili -- just omit the meat and add some extra beans! Easy as that!

Truffle Treo -- add some beans, and perhaps rice for a delicious meal!

Healthy Mexican Lasagna

Below is a trailer to a really INTERESTING documentary that discusses lots of SURPRISING research.  One of the lead research physicians is right out of the CLEVELAND Clinic! Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's website is called www.heartattackproofdiet.com and his book is called Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease which includes lots of yummy recipes!

Forks Over Knives DVD

The movie also has a great FACEBOOK page -- CLICK for it HERE!  It has lots of great information -- articles, events, testimonies, and more!  If you're thinking of changing to a more plant based diet, this is a wonderful resource, and possibly even support system!

If you prefer books, The China Study by Dr T Colin Campbell would be a great place to start!

Dr Campbell has a great website -- so much helpful info on the topic of plant-based eating!  This was one cool tid-bit I'd like to share:

"A growing number of the world's top athletes eat a plant-based diet, including Carl Lewis, Tony Gonzales, and Brenden Brazier."

Also, Dr Esselstyn's son, Rip Esselstyn has popularized a plant-based diet called Engine 2 Diet, as he took up the career of firefighting and improved the health of those he works with, and since many, many others!  Rip's photo is shown at top of post :)

COMMENTS: Have you ever followed a vegetarian diet? Know someone who did? How did you feel?