Going back to my roots of sorts

I never considered myself to have a "green thumb".  I have always been an animal lover and have always dreamed of having many animals.   Well I managed to have 2 dogs and a cat as best friends.   I cannot imagine life without companion animals.  Growing up my grandparents had a big garden an my parents always had a backyard little garden growing tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and green beans.  I helped in the garden as a child and certainly benefitted from the fresh backyard vegetables.   The fruit I had for the most part came from the backyard apple tree and the berries we picked wild in the summer.   Nuts were also collected from the local walnut and hazelnut trees.   Fast forward to my grown up years I began to fancy the produce available year round in the grocery store.  Living in Florida there was fresh fruit and vegetables in abundance.   I never bothered to notice that they were shipped in from around the world and grown under who knows what conditions.  
As my plant based journey continues, I have heard discussion of the benefits of locally grown.   GMOs and pesticides versus organic.   I have also started eating a lot of produce.  As my cooking has expanded, I have planted some herbs on the lanai.  We have always had a few tomato plants.   I decided to try my hand at peppers and now I am taking on greens.   I have planted swiss chard, kale and arugula.   We are making planter boxes.   I have started to think of my yard as more of a garden opportunity than a manicured grass lot.  Today,  I have started to venture into fruit trees.   I planted a papaya tree and a pomegranate tree.  I also planted blue berry bushes.   Somehow, I feel like I am giving back to the earth rather than taking away from the environment.   I cannot wait to see how my garden grows.

Yes Virginia, Corn-beef is meat

I never cease to be amazed.   Doctors write about their success  stories.   Miraculous recoveries.    I am hear to tell the truth.   People have been so nutritionally suppressed that they do not even recognize whether a food product is animal or vegetable.   Corn-beef.   The patients name has been changed of course.   I do not think she is alone.   She is ill from many lifestyle diseases.   Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, peripheral vascular disease,  coronary artery disease and arthritis.  She has had many hospitalizations for heart failure or water on the lungs to the point she cannot breath.   She is not different from my grandmother that I rode to the hospital with as a child.  I desperately want to help her.   She is on all of the latest and greatest medications.  Yet her blood sugar is often 400 mg/dl when she comes to the hospital and her legs are tight water.   We talk plant based nutrition.   I give examples.   The only thing she remembers is that she SHOULD eat oatmeal  and fruit for breakfast.   Her husband does most of the cooking.   He tries.   He makes stew.   Yes it had beef.  No salt.  Bullion cubes for seasoning which for the record is loaded with salt.   I hold my head in disbelief.   We try again.   Today her husband came with her to her appointment.   I suspect she said you cannot believe how mean this doctor is.  I looked at him.  No bullion cubes.   Potatoes are good.  No butter or sour cream.   Use beans and vegetables with them.   No beef, chicken, or pork.   Cook with water no oil.  He looks at me.  No questions.   No expression.   I said St. Patrick's Day is coming up.   Make the potatoes, the carrots and the cabbage but no corn-beef.   She looks up and said I have never missed having corn-beef on St. Patrick's day.   What is wrong with corn-beef?  I look at her.  She said, "oh, it is cured meat".  I said yes and full of salt which will send you back to the hospital.  Please do not eat the corn-beef from a cow.  

We need to take care of our Veterans

I consider myself very patriotic.   We fly the American Flag daily.  My office wears red on Friday to commemorate those lost in battle and to remember others that are not near us.  I was recently moved by the movie, The American Sniper.  We do not take care of our Veterans and the awful things we have made us endure for perhaps freedom and perhaps the power of politicians.  Today I was deeply saddened by a Vietnam Veteran that I saw in the hospital.   He went to his local VA doctor and was transferred to the hospital for very high blood pressure.  His sugars were very high as well.   He is on a multitude of medications.   He has NEVER had dietary counseling of any kind and especially that of  plant based diet.   He says his carotid arteries have blockages that they are watching.  Watching?  Why not address with FOOD.   The right kind of food.   Vegetables, potatoes and whole grains.   His sugars are not controlled on crappy hospital food.  More insulin is thrown at him.   So frustrating.  I spoke with him at length.   I gave him Dr. McDougal's book ,   The Starch Solution,  and Dr. Esselstyn's book,  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease as a reference.   He has to go to the VA for his "medical care".  He was shot in Vietnam.   They had him on Prozac for years.   We have done very little to thank this man for his bravery in the last 40 years.   The system has just watched him crumble.   I am sorry to all of the Veterans.   If this story sounds like you.  Check out those references.  Email me at jamidulaney@gmail.com and I will give your more.   What you eat can go a long way to heal.  It is the food that can hurt and can heal.  

Starting fresh

I have not posted a blog for some time.  I have been getting a podcast up and rolling called the Jami Dulaney MD Plant Based Wellness Podcast.   There has certainly been a learning curve but I am having great fun.   I am also trying to develop a plant based wellness course in my office.  Right now we have a group class lasting an hour every other week for a total of 6 sessions.   We are midway through the second class.  It is giving me time to work with small groups to educate them on the benefits of a plant based no added oil diet.   We go over recipes, label reading, scientific studies and the general why and how to become plant based.   I am really enjoying the interaction with my patients and I hope they feel special.  My goal is to have some day sessions where people can come and spend the day learning and sampling the plant based food.   A patient said today if its good don't eat it right?   I said absolutely not at sputtered off a list of meals I had had in the last few week.   He agreed they sounded good.  
My goal is to get people plant based and then off of their medications.   I would even like to do some online coaching perhaps with the goal of getting people healthy and moving again.   Perhaps even have as a goal a destination marathon or triathlon for those really wanting to step up their  game and become healthy and active.  

It is what's for dinner

Eating vegan does not mean you have to have a cookbook dinner every night.  It is often as simple as your regular meat meals just without the meat.  Beans are a great source of protein and complement many menus.
Tonight a simple but nutritious meal.  A tossed salad with red onions, cucumbers, peppers,  and tomatoes dressed with oil and vinegar.  Main course was a sweet potato and creamed peas and gnocchi.  The cream was almond milk, a little earthbalance butter, and thickened with cornstarch and water.

Mushroom soup

This was placed on the frequent flier list Ingredients: mushrooms;I used shiitake and baby portabella, carrots, onions, garlic,spinach, adzuki beans, pasta, miso paste, soy sauce, vegetable broth In sauce pan sauté onions, garlic and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add cup water and simmer for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon miso paste, a box of vegetable broth and simmer. Add 1/2 can drained beans, 2 cups of spinach and finally the pasta broken into 1 inch segments. Add pepper to taste and serve. Cook time 30 minutes. I served it with white pizza made with garlic,basil, fresh tomatoes, olives and vegan montzerella cheese.

Lime Sherbert

All you need is a simple electric ice cream maker,  4 limes, sugar and almond milk

I blend in a bowl 4 freshly juiced limes, 3 cups of almond milk, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of sugar.
Pour in the ice cream maker and flip the switch.  20 min you get a great lime sherbert.