Category Archives: food

How I lost 30 pounds in 12 weeks

I lost twelve pounds in six weeks. I didn’t mean to, but it happened when I radically changed my diet. You probably don’t want the illness that initiated this change, but you may find interesting the weight loss results I have achieved.

My liver swelled up with a rare kind of hepatitis in early November, about 2 months after I returned from the Amazon, and I could no longer digest just about everything normal in the American diet. No alcohol, no wheat, no corn, no sugar, no fruit, no raw food, no cold food, no fried food.

It takes a lot of will power and a very upset stomach to say “no” to so many foods. So it may be tempting to refer to this as the “No diet” diet. Or, worse, the hepatitis diet.But perhaps reverting to a simple diet is a better description.

Japanese breakfast of rice, miso, seaweed, daikon and vegetables improved my health and helped me lose weight

What I have been able to eat and enjoy resembles a diet eaten by Japanese farmers: rice, cooked vegetables, miso, broths, small amounts of fish and dark meat and tea. The healing power of this simple Japanese-style way of eating is reknown.

Japanese people suffer less heart disease and obesity than Americans, and even those that move to Hawaii — halfway between Japan and the Mainland US — live longer if they maintain a Japanese lifestyle, according to the landmark Honolulu Heart Program, a long-term study of Japanese men in Hawaii. Acculturation was a primary study parameter, and researchers found that Japanese men who adopted the Western diet and sedentary lifestyle most fully were more likely to develop coronary heart disease, as well as 11 other risk factors (Am J Epidemiol, 1982). Conversely, eating a more Japanese diet and maintaining physical activity lowered men’s risk for heart disease, overweight and other risk factors.

In my time of illness, a simple Japanese diet was all my liver could tolerate. Following it helped to restore my health and, in the process, I have lost weight. After years of indulging in rich western foods, I definitely carried some extra pounds and was in no danger of becoming too skinny. The hardest part of the diet was battling intense cravings for all the foods I was withdrawing from within the first two weeks, foods such as greasy meat, spices, bread, and sugar.

This simple diet has also eliminated nearly all of symptoms from seasonal allergies to pollen, dust and molds. For years I have taken over-the counter and prescription medications for runny, drippy nose that comes with seasonal allergies. It’s the classic western answer to any health problem: take a pill.

But recovering from hepatitis or any other liver problem is all about not taking and eliminating the unhealthful. With an injured liver, you can’t take anything. So removing all I could not tolerate was my only choice. This includes wheat and corn, and doing so has worked wonders for my immune system.

Two weeks ago I took a small taste of a corn tortilla and within about 30 minutes, my nose started to run. Same when I tried to reintroduce wheat. Wheat also slows my digestion, causing almost instant feelings of nausea. So both corn and wheat are out for good, but removing them also means removing everything that eats them, including all factory farmed chicken, pork and beef.

I already don’t like ranch dressing, Coke or catchup. Now I’m eliminating wheat, corn and factory-farmed animal flesh from my diet all because I don’t want to take pills and I want to feel healthy. I also exercise every day and enjoy taking my dogs on long walks. Depending on your politics, I am suspiciously unAmerican or all about freedom. Either way, I am 12 pounds lighter and allergy free.

Recipes for Avocados

It’s avocado month at my house, where the 20-year old tree in my backyard has begun to drop 10 to 20 fruits per day. Judging by the height of the tree and the number of green fruits still hanging, I’m guessing my avocado tree could easily “rain” about 250 pounds of fruit over the next 30 days.

The avocado tree in my backyard, loaded with fruit and starting to drop
The avocado tree in my backyard, loaded with fruit and starting to drop

So I’m undertaking an avocado eating challenge to see how many avocados one person can eat safely. My tally this week: 15 avocados eaten. So far the only side effect I’ve noticed is that certain biologic functions run a lot smoother.

I’m also giving avos away to friends and neighbors, knowing that I can’t possibly eat the whole tree’s worth. But in order to enjoy so many avos that remain and avoid avo burn out, I’ve begun searching for new recipe ideas. Apart from slicing the fruit and adding it to sandwiches, salads, soups and stir-frys, I’m in the process of perfecting my guacamole recipe.

Other recipe suggestions that I’ve received so far include avocado cream pie, avocado ice cream, avo smoothies and if those don’t sound strange enough, avocado hair conditioner.

If you’d like to share your favorite “killer” guac, or any other avocado recipe, I’d love to give it a go.

How to roast meat in a solar oven

Roasting meat is easy in a solar oven. Not only does cooking with solar save money on electricity, but it makes the meat more tender and juicy than a conventional overn. We picked up a fresh 5lb leg of lamb yesterday, and since the sun’s out, I decided to roast it today. Here’s a rundown of how to roast meat a la the sun.

Step 1: Prepare the roast

Remove the packaging and netting, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the roast on a cutting board.

(Note about cutting boards — Glass or plastic work best for raw meat because they can be sanitized with bleach later. Avoid wood because the porous material holds onto bacteria)

Choose your seasonings and rub them liberally all over the roast. Today I chose rosemary, black pepper and sea salt. Other great choices for meats include mixed garden herbs, Indian “curry” mixes, or Spike.

Set up your solar oven to preheat (or preheat your regular oven if you don’t have a solar oven) to about 325 degrees F. Most recipes call for higher heat, about 400, but I strongly prefer the more tender meat that comes from lower, longer heat.

Step 2: Seal in the juices

Heat your roasting pan on the stove top at medium-high and add about 1 tbsp of oil. I use ghee or canola oil because they have a higher smoke point. Place the roast – fat side down – into the hot pan. Let it sizzle and crackle for about 3-4 minutes, or until browned. Turn over and repeat on the other side.

At the this point I also throw some chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery and tomato into the pan and let them sautee.

Step 3: Slow and low

Now comes the roasting part. Check your oven’s temperature. It should be between 300 and 350 degree F. If it’s much lower, about 200 or 250, your roast will take a lot longer, but it will still cook.

For solar cooking, I use cast iron pots and pans exclusively. They are black and hold heat beautifully. They also lend a lightly smoky, outdoorsy flavor that your guests will rave about.

Cover the roast (don’t use aluminum foil for solar cooking as the shiny quality also reflect away heat!). Transfer the roast to oven, set a timer for 1 hour 30 minutes (for medium rare) and walk away. Enjoy your cool kitchen and lower utility bill to come while the roast cooks outside.

Step 4: Test and rest

Bring the roast inside and set it on the stove. Open the lid and slice into the middle. What color is the center? If it’s pink, you’ve got medium rare meat. Grayer and it’s more well done. Redder and you might think about returning it to the oven for a few more minutes.

Another easy way to test the meat’s doneness is to insert a thermometer. This will give you a more precise reading of the internal temperature. It will be easier to adjust to your preference this way.

Once the roast is how you like it, let it rest covered on the stove top for at least 30 minutes. Remember that during this rest period, the meat will cook a little bit more. It could take a medium-rare roast to medium. So keep that in mind while you’re testing.

After resting, the roast is ready to carve and serve. Enjoy!