greens and grains questions

[Guest guest]

Slim and other Essy fat free eaters,

 

I just started Esselstyn's fat free way of eating a couple of months ago on my fiftieth birthday. I was already a long term vegetarian and vegan for all but a couple of months. I have been feeling somewhat better, but not as good as I would like to feel. I can eat greens (preferably kale) with corn or rice, but prefer my baked sweet potatoes plain and am not sure if I will ever be able to eat them with kale. And, when I have sweet potatoes that is all I want to eat because they taste the best out of all of the foods I eat. They are also more anti-inflammatory than the grains, but not as much as the kale.

 

I am growing a new type of kale this year like the common curly type one in the stores because I did not like the variety I grew last year so well. And I plan to let some plants go to seed so I will automatically get a new crop the following year. My favorite way to eat the kale is steaming it and cutting it up with scissors and adding it in a bowl of pureed steamed corn. But, I do have trouble eating much grain in the summer except for breakfast when it is cooler outside. When it is hot outside, I prefer blueberry, pineapple, spinach smoothies for lunch and maybe even dinner and a glass of carrot juice separately each day to keep me cool because of the extreme hot weather.

 

Can you tell me what varieties of grains, legumes and greens (you already mentioned the types of greens) you would eat in a typical day? I am looking for a daily menu and how you prepare them and if you eat three times as much grains as legumes as is sometimes suggested. Do you also eat greens for breakfast regularly? And, is that what you habitually eat is grains, greens and legumes? Are there any spices or sauces you add to it to make rice more palatable? I am getting bored of my menu, but am just looking at it like fuel for a car.

 

Oh, and do you just grow the greens in the winter and buy them at the store in the summer?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Maureen

 

 

 

Slim <slim_langer Sent: Fri, October 16, 2009 9:02:21 PM Re: How do I gain weight?

I too have been following the Esselstyn diet for a year or two. I too am at my high school wrestling weight, or somewhat below. Because I grow them in the yard, I have unlimited leafy greens, collards, kale, mustards, arugula, etc. If I'm heavier than I want to be, I eat more greens and less whole grains and legumes in the rice bowl. If I'm getting too light, I go for more grains and legumes and bigger portions. With the right balance you can eat all you want and never be concerned with weight or calories. That's what the diet promises and it delivers. I hope all the promises are as well fulfilled. So far, so good.Take care,Slim, "bopeltzman" <bopeltzman@ ...> wrote:>> Since starting on Dr. Esselstyn's fat-free vegan diet, about 4 months ago,

I've lost about 15 pounds when I wasn't really over weight to begin with.> I just told myself that this is good - I'm the same weight I was in high school. Now, after getting back from a three week cruise where I stuffed myself at each meal, I find that I've lost another 2 pounds. I could hire myself out for one of those concentration camp films quite easily (I'm exaggerating a little).> How do I gain weight and eat healthy at the same time?> I eat rice and bread and potatoes at lunch and dinner. I have a handful of walnuts each day with a half cup of blue-berries and oatmeal for breakfast along with a few prunes. > I guess I could increase the carbohydrates but there is only so much room in the stomach.> Any suggestions? > Thanks, Bob>

[Guest guest]

Hi Maureen,

For grains I like brown rice and oats mostly. I like barley, sometimes whole

wheat kernels and millet. And you can mix and match.

 

For legumes I like all the ones I've ever tried, but especially lentils, split

peas and black eyed peas as these can be cooked along with the rice and other

grains without soaking. I keep some black or white beans and pintos usually

pre-soaked in the fridge. They start to ferment and have a neat sour taste when

cooked, savory without salt. Also I love garbanzos! I have a limited amount of

whole soy beans (because of the fat) to use in the soymilk maker and a few now

and then with the bean mix is good too.

 

For spices I have tons of rosemary and sage in the yard and seasonal basil and

fresh peppers. I like tomato sauce and salsa, red pepper, black pepper, cumin,

dill, tabasco, curry and chili powder. I still like some salt (savory) but weigh

it to be under 3 grams sodium per day. (If I'm not sweating enough I can go out

and garden for awhile.)

 

Since I'm a bachelor, I usually just do a batch of 50/50 grains and legumes in

the rice cooker and fill the top up with greens as my daily food. Vary the mix,

vary the spices. Easy to make and eat when I want. For breakfast I usually have

oatmeal and fruit. I also have great, unlimited fat-free veggie yogurt I make by

pumping lentils or split-peas and oats thru the soymilk machine (without

soybeans).

 

I make fresh soymilk very inexpensively with the soymilk machine. I'm gonna try

this week making some " non-fat " soymilk from TVP instead of whole soybeans. I

think it'll work(?).

 

I have a little home grain mill and make fresh homemade sourdough bread in the

bread machine and artisan style. I like very thick creamy soups that use lentil

or other mixed legume/grain flours, usually mixed with some tomato sauce and

chopped fresh veggies. The legume flour (from the grain mill) is also very

useful, cheap and good in making all kinds of veggie stocks and gravy.

 

I grow the greens year round (In the southern half of USA). New Zealand spinach

and Amaranth are wonderful plants known as summer spinach. But I like them

year-round too. They're great producers, but can be invasive.

 

Take care,

 

Slim

 

 

 

, maureen smith <maureensgardengrotto

wrote:

>

> Slim and other Essy fat free eaters,

> ...

> Can you tell me what varieties of grains, legumes and greens (you

already mentioned the types of greens) you would eat in a typical day?   I am

looking for a daily menu and how you prepare them and if you eat three times as

much grains as legumes as is sometimes suggested.  Do you also eat greens for

breakfast regularly?  And, is that what you habitually eat is grains, greens and

legumes?  Are there any spices or sauces you add to it to make rice more

palatable?  I am getting bored of my menu, but am just looking at it like fuel

for a car.     

>

> Oh, and do you just grow the greens in the winter and buy them at the store in

the summer?

>

> Thanks in advance for your help.

>

> Maureen