English Muffin Mini-Pizzas

Easy enough. This was lunch today. Trader Joes pizza sauce and various veggies or pepperoni. On Sunday, I made one with Follow Your Heart "cheese" and veg pepperoni too.

Total Bummer!

The Boston Triathlon was cancelled because of the high winds and rain that we are supposed to experience tomorrow. This was going to be my last tri of the season. I was all ready to go and rearranged my call schedule so that I wasn't on call.

I suppose I could do *another* tri as my last of the season. But at this point, I just want to get ready for the half marathon in the middle of October.

I'm in shape!

Ok, maybe I knew that already. I'm a research subject for a study on fitness level and blood markers. So far, I had some blood work and a VO2Max test. The results are good:

My total cholesterol is 138, down from about 190 about 2 years ago, before I was a vegan. Unfortunately they didn't measure my HDL cholesterol directly, but assuming it is between 55 and 75, where it's been measured in the past, my LDL is between 40 and 55.

VO2 Max is a measure of the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. Mine is 44. For a 30 year-old woman, that ranks as "superior".

Just had to toot my horn :) The Boston Triathlon is on Sunday. Cold weather and swimming in the Boston Harbor.... should be interesting. This will be my last triathlon of the season, and then I get to focus more on running.

Lasagna

Veggie lasagna with Follow Your Heart Cheese. I used Trader Joe's marinara, spinach, sliced mushrooms, and Boca ground burger.

I did not make this stuff

,

Takeout from Happy Buddha rocks. This is the sweet and sour chicken (of course it isn't real chicken, silly) and an order of spring rolls. The spring rolls below are nice because they aren't fried, and they come with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. All this food was $12.60, and it's enough for two meals.

I am having way too much fun with this

Have some fun of your own: http://www.ronaldmchummer.com/index.php

Back in the day, I did work fast food at Hardees of Farmington Hills, Michigan. At seventeen, I was the queen of the drive thru. One customer requested extra salt for his fries. I threw a few salt packets in his bag. He looked inside, unsatisfied with the amount of salt and demanded more. I grabbed a generous handful of salt packets, dropped them in his bag, and said, "Your arteries will thank you, sir. Have a nice day."

From that point, maybe I should have known I was going to end up a cardiologist.

Another classic moment was a day when me and two other college-bound vegetarians were working the front line. A customer walked in and asked us what we recommended off the menu. We looked at each other and laughed. "Ummm... we're all vegetarians...."

Enchiladas

This is an old favorite from my lacto-ovo days, but of course this time around made vegan. I filled whole wheat tortillas with refried black beans (though truthfully I like pinto beans better) and chopped up sweet peppers. The enchiladas were topped with Old El Paso enchilada sauce and shredded Follow Your Heart mozzarella (which honestly is the only remotely acceptable vegan "cheese"; you can buy it at Whole Foods). I cooked this at 450 on the top shelf of the oven so that the "cheese" could melt.

Later in the week, I'll veganize another old lacto-ovo favorite: Lasagna.

Burning Out.... and Finding New Goals

I've been fighting the feelings of burnout over the past few weeks with my triathlon training. I've grown tired of finding somewhere to ride my bike -- you can read of my frustrations here or here. My back tire wouldn't hold air and I did this subconscious passive-aggressive thing of not getting it fixed for two weeks. And, even though swimming is my best of the three triathlon sports, that's getting old too.

Running is my favorite sport. Of the three tri sports, running gives the biggest endorphin high. When you're running, people look at you and think, "I should be doing that!"

My last triathlon will be the Boston Triathlon, which is 9 days from now. After that, my goal is to run a half marathon in Lowell in mid-October. I'm excited to get back to running, as I haven't done a half marathon or marathon in almost 5 years.

My ultimate goal is to run the Boston Marathon this spring. I would not be able to live with myself if in my year in Boston I did not participate in the marathon. There is no way I could qualify at my current ability level, but I can run with a charity. (I wonder if the cath lab considers Patriots' Day a holiday....? hmmm....) More on this in the future. But, a fall half marathon is a good warm-up for winter marathon training.

Faceplant!

I'm not the most coordinated individual. At the end of a run this morning, I'm jogging along the sidewalk in Beacon Hill, when I trip, fly in the air, and *splat* land flat on the ground. My knees are banged up, my left arm and elbow are a mess of road rash, and my palms are scraped. But the most bruised part of me is my ego.

With everyone staring at me, I got up quickly, smiled and laughed nervously, and kept on going.

Race Karma

That's me -- right after finishing the Wild Dog Triathlon this weekend. No makeup, sweating like a pig... yup that's me! 13th out of 21 in my age group. I'll take it!

I believe in Race Karma, if that's what you call it. Races are supposed to be fun. We're all out there to do our best. So, I like to cheer for people. Usually, it's best done on the run, and works quite well on an out-and-back course. I yell for people on their way out, or for people I pass. "Way to go girl, you look great!" The crappier they look, the more I cheer for them, because they definitely need the motivation. My favorite people to root for are older folks, like the 76 year-old woman who finished the triathlon. Now *that* is awesome!

There's no point in racing if you can't have fun, right????

Breastfeeding is Definitely Vegan!

Breast milk is produced for the purposes of feeding babies. It's the healthiest thing to feed a baby, as opposed to formula.

The purpose of veganism is to reduce suffering of animals, live a healthier lifestyle, and to help preserve the environment. Breastfeeding does not negatively impact any of these things.

On the other hand, humans are the only species that consumes the milk of a species other than our own. What if your dog drank giraffe milk? Wouldn't that be weird? Same goes for humans consuming cow's milk.

Chole with a Twist

I've made this before, but never with kidney beans. It came out well.

Wild Dog Triathlon -- Race Report

This morning, I did the Wild Dog Triathlon, a sprint triathlon. My friend's girlfriend took pictures, but hasn't sent them yet, but when she does I'll share.

We barely made it in time to compete. My dear friend picked me up 25 minutes late, and then took a very wrong turn on the highway. Start time was 8 am; we arrived at 7:59. I was beyond livid at him. As we pulled up, I sprinted out of the car, over to the registration table, and was able to get our race packets just seconds before they were to be put away for good. As things were fortunately running a bit late, I had time to throw together my transition area and put on my wet suit.

For the swim, I decided to start toward the front, which proved interesting since the ocean water was quite choppy. I did the breaststroke for at least half of the way out. It was crowded enough that there were people behind me who I kept kicking; I felt bad, but really, they should have moved if I kept kicking them. Does that sound harsh? Then out of the water, onto the bike for a pretty flat course where my legs felt so heavy. And finally, a 3 mile run, where crazy me cheers for everyone behind me on my run back.

So in my age group, I was 8th place on the swim, 14th on the bike, 11th on my run. How many people in my age group? I don't know yet. But, I did get a nice finisher's medal.

After all, we are all winners, right? :)

Silly questions deserve silly answers

I'm out to dinner with a friend. She orders a calamari appetizer. I am sipping on a glass of wine.

The server brings out the calamari. My friend says "I'd share with you but you can't eat this."

Server says, "Oh why can't you have any?"

Me: "I'm a vegan."

Server: Points to my wine. "But you killed all these grapes."

This is not the time to discuss the difference between sentient beings and fruits and vegetables, let alone the suffering of animals that factory farms cause or the health consequences of animal products. Our server could care less. So here's my response:

Me: "Can I tell you a secret?"

Server: "Sure...."

Me: "I hate fruit. I like to kill and stab fruit to death and then eat it. I hate vegetables too."

I got a few laughs after throwing him off with that response. Thoughts? How do any of you handle similar idiocy?

Stuffed Pepper

I made a green pepper stuffed with quinoa and portobellos. The quinoa was prepared in advance in my rice cooker, with vegetable broth instead of water. Then, I sauteed some baby bellas in a little oil, and added the quinoa toward the end of cooking. The peppers were stuffed with the quinoa/mushroom mixture and baked for about 30 minutes.

On the side is mashed sweet potatoes with a little Earth Balance Buttery Spread.

Why I went to California

This is my adorable niece Samantha. She just turned one, and her first birthday party was this weekend. She's the only lifelong vegetarian that I know.

How about some food posts already?

Salad for lunch, with a couple slices of Amy's vegan pizza. Lettuce, carrot, onion, corn, and chick peas with sesame soy ginger dressing.

I made a BIG trip to Trader Joe's yesterday, so there will be more food posting to come.

Alternative Outfitters

I have blown some serious $$$$ at AlternativeOutfitters.com, on purses, belts, cell phone cases, and other accessories. So, this week when I was in LA visiting my brother and his family, and I received an e-mail about their new showroom in Pasadena, I *had* to go.

I've found other vegan shoe and accessory web sites often to be too punk. Alternative Outfitters, on the other hand, has trendy items that a fashionable, or even professional, vegan will love.

I bought a purse, a belt, and a wallet, while my brother bought Mary Ruth a black purse and wallet. If you're in California, visit them, or wherever you are, check out their goods.

Perfect Vegan

If you take birth control pills, or just about any pill for that matter, there's a lactose binder.

If you develop photos, I believe gelatin is still used in the processing.

If you ever drive a car, you're going to splatter a few bugs on your windshield. Heck, even riding my bike I'll get a few bugs splattering on my face or even in my mouth. It happens.

As a doctor, I treat patients with heparin, which is pork-derived. It is often the best option medically for them.

Please know I'm not *that* lax. I went out Tuesday night to an Italian restaurant. I ordered a mushroom pizza without cheese, said please make sure there's no butter at all on this. And for dessert had some sorbet. At the end of the meal, I was sure to thank our waiter plentifully for taking care of my vegan needs. I didn't annoy my waiter or my friends I was eating with, kept it simple.

Did the dough conditioner have mono-diglycerides derived from an animal? How about the source of the lecithin for the bread -- soy or animal? Was there some honey in the crust? Was the pizza prepared on the same surface as animal products, and was there possibly cross-contamination? Don't know. What's important to me is that by avoiding the dairy in the pizza that I didn't contribute to the suffering of dairy and veal cows.

To the person who posted that she only eats at vegan restaurants, I wish I could do that. But I live in Boston, with a limited supply of veg/vegan restaurants and a vast majority of friends who do consume meat. Every so often I can take them out to Grasshopper or Buddha's Delight (two vegan restaurants), but not every time.

To me, it's all about the big picture. It's nearly impossible to be perfect.

Selling Out?

As of late, I've been less strict about the vegan thing outside the home.

When I go to a restaurant, I'll eat the bread. If something is probably vegan, I assume it is. I had Chinese food a couple nights ago at a buffet place, including miso soup, white rice, stir-fried veggies, and veggie lo mein, along with some cucumber sushi.

The obvious questions: Does the miso soup have bonito flake in it (possibly)? Are the stir-fried veggies prepared in broth (probably not)? Does the lo mein have oyster sauce in it (very possibly)?

I didn't ask. The way I now think about things is, if I pepper these people with my annoying questions, I make my vegan lifestyle look exceedingly difficult. And, what is the incremental amount of animal life that I'm saving by choosing not to eat these items, which may have a trace of animal product in them? Probably not even one thousandth of an animal.

I may be the only vegan that these people have ever met, and as such, I am an ambassador for all those who choose a compassionate lifestyle. I don't want myself or those who make the same choices as I do to be seen as being a big pain in the ass.

Thoughts? Have I sold out?

You see, I'm not that fast

Yesterday I was talking to someone who was a competitive swimmer in college. I mentioned that I do swim, and that "Actually, I do triathlons."

Shortly after that, I caught myself adding, "But you see, I'm not that fast."

I've noticed that any time I tell anyone about my running, biking, or swimming adventures that I add that caveat. And I don't ever dare say "I'm a triathlete". As if they might assume that I'm a world-ranked ironwoman when in fact I'm just someone who does sprint triathlons for fun and does okay at them. Okay of course meaning that I finish and I'm not dead last, though earlier this summer I did place third in my age group.

If I were a man, would I temper any mention of triathlons with self-deprecation?

Boys who do well in school attribute their success to being smart. Girls, on the other hand, attribute their success to luck. Is this an extension of the same mentality?

Why as women do we not give ourselves the credit we deserve?

Breakfast Burrito

Inspired by PETA's Vegetarian Recipe of the Week, I made breakfast burritos! But, my version doesn't have the Gimme Lean Sausage, and instead has lots of protein-packed mushrooms.

Here's how I did it: Pour a couple tablespoons of canola oil in a skillet. Add olive oil and garlic. Take one pound of firm tofu. squeeze out the water, and mash to a scrambled-egg like consistency either with your hands or with a fork. To the skillet, I added chopped tomato, orange pepper, mushrooms, and tofu. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and paprika to taste. Sautee for 5-10 minutes. Serve on warm tortillas.

Sweet Potato Fries

Easy enough. Peel and chop up a sweet potato. Mix it with salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like -- I like cumin. Then bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Disturbing -- Blood and Guts Course

These photos are from a Blood and Guts course at the Virginia Governor's School. The course is taken by gifted high school students who aspire to careers in medicine. Students dissect several animal species for the sake of learning the anatomy of the animals.

Compassion for my patients was one of the most important lessons that I took away from my medical training. The opposite lesson is being taught here -- I find these photos disrespectful and absolutely inappropriate. We know that dissecting animals is an inefficient way to teach about human anatomy. Students could see actual human bodies in a cadaver lab, for example, or use a computer simulator, and would probably learn more that way than from dissecting non-human animals.

If you're as disgusted as I am, please visit here. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is trying to stop this gruesome dissection course. From this web site, you can get links to express your concern to the people responsible for this so-called educational experience. I already have.

Veggie Stew

With a little spare time in my apartment on call this weekend as the Boston area remains heart attack-free, I had an hour or so to make a veggie stew.

These are easy to make -- any vegetables will suffice. I used what I had on hand, which was an eggplant, onion, cut baby carrots, and peas. Take a large pot and heat about a quarter cup of oil. Here, I used canola. Then add the veggies, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Next I added the seitan, beans, and two cups of vegetable broth -- add another cup of water or broth if more liquid is needed.

Simmer the mixture for about 30-35 minutes. Then, add a quarter cup whole wheat flour, a quarter cup of tamari or soy sauce, salt, pepper, and a little turmeric or whatever spices you like. Simmer for another ten minutes.

Running with Friends

This evening, I ran a five-mile road race in South Boston that I signed up for at the last minute. Normally when I run races, I go solo, with the exception of the Chase Corporate Challenge, when my good friend Karlyn caught up with me for the last 3/4 of a mile and we pushed each other to finish strong.

I ran tonight's race with another friend. We ran together, of course with him saying that I'd probably be faster than him, and me realistically knowing that he would be pushing me hard to run faster than I normally would, and that I might have to drop behind him. As it turned out, he was a good pace, and we finished the race together. My official time was 47:29, though we started 30 seconds later, and so I really ran it in 46:59. That's about 9:20 per mile.

That's why I like running/biking/swimming with other people -- they push me to be a better athlete.

What's In My Fridge

I'm a single vegan chic with a job that has weird hours. Unlike a lot of the other vegan food bloggers, I don't spend a lot of time cooking or preparing foods. Nothing I make on this site, unless stated otherwise, takes more than 30 minutes, because I want people to know that being a vegan who eats healthfully isn't a hard thing!

So, these are the top 2 shelves of the fridge.
Top Shelf (from left):
Leftover Trader Joe's Punjabi Chole (aka Indian Food in a Bag)
From top to bottom in middle: Pre-packaged Black Bean and Wheat Pilaf, Baba Ganoush, and Hummus
Stir fry leftovers from Tuesday
Spinach spread

Middle Shelf:
Protein for sandwiches, wraps, or stir fries -- Tofurky, Seitan, and assorted mushrooms
Avocado -- great spread on pita bread
Polenta
Organic strawberries and blackberries
Arm n Hammer -- to keep the fridge from smelling funky

Other staples that I like to have on hand:
Natural peanut butter
Soy milk
A few stir fry sauces
Vegenaise
Ketchup (to mix with Vegenaise to make vegan Thousand Island Dressing, or to put on a veggie burger)
Barbecue sauce -- great on Chik'n Nuggets

Tri Training

I've been telling myself for weeks that I'm going to start working out in the morning. This way, if things get late at work, I'm not riding my bike on the trainer in the living room at 11 pm, running through Chinatown in the dark, or doing something equally crazy.

So, this morning I set the alarm for 6:30 to go for a 45-minute hill repeat run. My normal thing lately has been to reset the alarm for 7:30 to get to work by 8 am and bag the workout until later. But today, I woke up on my own at 6:15 am, had my raisin bran, and was out the door by 6:40. Ran through Chinatown, across the Theater District, into Boston Common, to the hill in the park that runs parallel to Beacon Street, then decided that wasn't challenging enough and ran up Beacon Street itself three times. 45 minutes later, back home, showered, and off to work.

My next goal is to get faster on the bike. That's my weakest sport; swimming by some fluke is my strongest. My friend Gideon, who claims to be fast on his bike, is going to take me on a couple of butt-whoopin' workouts. I can't wait.

With this summer's tri training, I've only missed one workout. This with all the craziness of my life -- moving, new job, and weird hours. Pretty cool.

Chicken-Style Seitan

This is the stir-fry I wanted to make last night, but didn't have time. Instead it was lunch. It has broccoli, edamame (soy beans), orange peppers, onion, and chicken-style seitan (wheat gluten) in a sweet and sour sauce.

I wouldn't include edamame if I had tofu or a soy-based sauce, because that would be soy overkill, and as I do have a mild soy allergy, I try not to get too soy crazy.

Vegan Cheesecake from TJ's

After dinner at Grasshopper last night, I headed over to TJ Scallywaggle's, the all vegan pizza and sub place for a slice of cheesecake. This piece is topped with cherries. Oh my gosh this was absolutely amazing!

Tonight I thought I'd stir fry up some broccoli, edamame, and chicken-style seitan. but it was late and I was on call and wanted to get a bike ride in before it got dark. Instead I had "Indian food in a bag", aka the Trader Joe's Indian food that comes in convenient boxes. Maybe tomorrow I'll cook something.

The weirdest thing happened today....

I went to a Boston Vegetarian Society dinner this evening at Grasshopper. As a new person, I had to introduce myself -- "Hi, I'm Heather, and I just moved here from Rochester New York." That's all I said.

Later, a woman comes up to me -- "Do you have a blog? You're a cardiologist, right?"

How funny is that?!?!?!?!?!?!

Oh yes, and a shout out to my new friend Jody. Thanks for the heads up on the Toad the Wet Sprocket concert. That was fun!

Lowell Triathlon

Today was my first triathlon since moving to Boston. I think I did ok.

The swim was in a very quiet river. I have a confession: I panic in the water. Somehow, practice swims are no big deal, but when it gets to be race day, I can't seem to breathe in the water, and my hard-practiced form goes to crap. But, it still ends up that swimming is my best event of the three -- go figure.

Anyway, my wise coach Mary told me to get in the water before the start and get acclimated. Great advice, as this was personally my calmest swim ever. I didn't panic nearly as much as I usually do, and I think I did well.

The bike was good too. The course was flat, which is good because I'm not very good at hills.

Then there was the run. It felt hot, and there was absolutely no shade on the course. I started strong, but as time went on, I was really feeling the heat, and I know I slowed down a lot. I kept looking at my watch, wondering why it was taking me 40 minutes to run a 5k, or 3.5 miles, or whatever, but somehow there weren't a lot of other women passing me. Just now, I looked at the web site -- it was a 4 mile run. Whoops!

As usual, I cheer everyone on. I even cheered on a guy who wasn't even competing!

Ok, all in all, I think I did ok. I eagerly await the official results.....

Pre-Race Dinner

Whole wheat pasta, Whole Foods marinara sauce, Whole Foods vegan meatballs, and sauteed portobello mushrooms.

Tapering, Carb-Loading, and Salt-Loading

Tomorrow is my first triathlon since moving to Boston, the Lowell Mill City Triathlon. I feel very ready for it. This week was a "taper" which means that I don't work out nearly as hard as I usually do, in order to get ready for the big event.

Also, it's HOT in New England this weekend!!! Thank goodness I got my workout for the day out of the way at 7 am today, when it was cooler out. In order to prepare for the heat, Mary says to eat lots of salt and drink plenty of water so that you "pee clear". I've done that over the past 2 days.

I'm ready!!!!

Seitan Stir Fry

I made this stir fry from a packaged Asian Vegetable Stir Fry from Whole Foods. I stir-fried them in my wok with some sesame oil and Bragg's, along with seitan stir-fry strips. This went really well with some mushroom-flavored couscous.

And, most importantly, I made this in about 15 minutes. Enough time to run home between sheath pulls. I love living 200 feet from work :)

"And this is the men's weight area..."

This is an actual comment from a YMCA employee as she gave me a tour before I joined. She pointed to the free weight room.

"Oh really? Are women not allowed in here?" I asked.

"No, women are allowed, but it's usually all men. And women don't go in here, because it's.... you know..."

"Too much testosterone?"

Uncomfortable laugh. "Yes. They like using these rooms," she replies as she points to the small rooms to the side with outdated Nautilus-type equipment.

I weight train, about once a week during triathlon season, and twice a week off-season. I notice that weights keep me looking toned and help my overall fitness. In fact, back in Rochester I had a personal trainer, not because I don't know how to lift, but because it was extra incentive to push myself. Back then, I had the time and the money, but Boston is a little more expensive to live in. I sure do miss my trainer Will "Do as I say not as I do" from The Iron Butterfly.

I prefer using free weights as opposed to machines. In other words, I like the stuff in the "men's weight room". And, oddly enough, every time I've been in there, I'm the only woman. I use the free weights, but I also incorporate other items that the macho men wouldn't be caught dead using, like a stability ball or mat.

And I'm sure not going to be intimidated into just using the "Women's weight area".

Coconut Milk Soy Drink

After my 5 1/2 mile morning run on the Esplanade, I stopped off at the local Chinese grocer around the corner and picked this up -- some sort of soy coconut milk drink. It was delicious, and completely hit the spot.

Overheard on the Cath Lab Table

Patients say some crazy stuff sometimes.

This guy is in the midst of a heart attack. We're in the process of opening his clogged artery. He asks us, "What time is it? The Red Sox are on at 12:45."

Ummm.... I think his priorities are a bit mixed up.

TJ Scallywaggles

TJ Scallywaggles, a hole-in-the-wall pizza place type of joint, is ALL VEGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a spinoccoli calzone for dinner and baklava for dessert. The calzone was made with the Follow Your Heart cheese which I thought might be kinda funky, but was terrific. I wolfed down the whole huge calzone.

The folks there are very friendly. Recently, they went from being a pizza place with a vegan menu to all vegan. Apparently, with the change, business has actually picked up. They've removed the fryer in an effort to be more health-conscious. Not that I'll delude myself into thinking the calzone was healthy, other than the presence of green vegetables.

I'll definitely be going back.

Tahini and Flax Seed Dip

Mix one cup of tahini, one tablespoon of maple syrup, and one tablespoon of ground flax seeds. It's a great dip for veggies or bread. I tried a version of this at Whole Foods, but with almond butter instead of tahini and that was really good too.

Polenta

The last time I enjoyed polenta was on my frightening trip to the churrascura. I sauteed some onions, diced peppers, roma tomatoes, and portobellos in a lemon olive oil and seasoned with salt, basil, and oregano. The polenta was baked in the oven with a little olive oil for 15 minutes. Easy enough dinner.

The polenta is definitely store-bought. Sorry, don't have the kind of time to be making my own.

Toto, We're Not in Rochester Any More!

Today was my first day on the new job as an Interventional Cardiology Fellow.

Things are done very differently here. The cath lab environment here is a huge change for me. They use tools that I've never used in my life, like this thing called a manifold. They use different types of equipment than I am accustomed to. And the staff in the lab are very nice and helpful, but I keep forgetting their names.

I did one case today. My attending, fortunately, was quite patient. There is the assumption when you're new that you know nothing. I like that assumption. And, I do know a bit more than I let on, but for now, I would hate to pretend I know and make a mistake.

Being new isn't as anxiety-provoking as, say, when I was an intern fresh out of medical school seven years ago. Back then, I smiled a lot and was extra-nice to everyone. I even baked cookies for the nurses and patient staff! Because, when you're nice, people tend to be more forgiving, especially when you're a 23-year-old who looks way too young to be anyone's doctor. So, I was that nice new intern who bakes cookies, and that got me far during my first month rotation.

So, lots to learn about how to do cardiac interventions, and lots to learn about the system. I still smile a lot and am friendly. We'll see how things go -- I may be baking some chocolate chip cookies very soon.

Wrap

Lunch today is a whole wheat flatbread wrap with baby spinach, tofurky, avocado, ketchup, and Nayonaise. It's the same bread that I used for yesterday's quesadilla.

Quesadilla

Here's a whole wheat quesadilla with pinto beans, mixed peppers, salsa, and avocado.
It tasted good but did fall apart somewhat -- probably would have worked better with refried beans.

I've learned something very important today: You can't just "run out" to Whole Foods to "pick up a few things". Because, you have to retrieve your car, weave through irritating Boston traffic even though it's only two miles away, park in the garage (first of course getting lost on a few one-way streets when you know the entrance is but ten feet away), shop, pay, validate your parking, pull back around to the front of the store, retrieve groceries, drive on back to the apartment, put the blinkers on while you run your groceries upstairs, retrieve the car and put it in the garage 4 blocks away, and then walk back to the apartment.

If Lisa weren't busy pushing a baby out right now, she'd likely be proud that this time at least I didn't drive to Framingham.

I miss my suburbs. Next time maybe I'll just have my groceries delivered.

Break Before Work Starts

The new interventional cardiology fellowship starts on Wednesday, officially. In the meantime, I'm in Michigan visiting the family on the lake, doing some quality shopping with Mom, and visiting friends I haven't seen in a while.

Last night, called friends who have an almost 2-year-old girl, said I had to get a 30-minute run in, but would be there around 9. Unfortunately, that would be after the girl would be sleeping, so he said, "Why don't you just run here, and we'll drive you home later??" AWESOME!!!!!! I always love a destination run, and in perfect Michigan summer evening weather, it couldn't have been any better.

More posting next week..........

Could this be any easier?

Whole Foods has the veggies packaged, washed, and pre-cut -- squash, snow peas, cabbage, peppers, and so forth. They're $4.99/pound. All I had to do was throw them in my wok with a little garlic sesame sauce and a few meatballs (why not?) and almost instant dinner!

And then off to Fenway for my first Red Sox experience. They beat the Mets 10-2. These fans sure are devoted.

I Now Understand the Garbage Plate

This is a Vegan Trash Plate from Two Paisans. It's based on the Garbage Plate, a creation of restaurant Nick Tahou's. This has french fries, macaroni salad (made with Vegenaise), and crumbled veggie burger, all topped with hot sauce, ketchup, onions, and mustard. I used to roll my eyes at this creation and the following that it has in Rochester, but now I understand -- it is quite yummy! This version is a bit healthier, though it would be a stretch to call it "heart healthy".


And, for the nice people who helped me load my moving truck (Dad, Mom, Rick, Karlyn, Mark, Mike, Rosie, and Ben -- you guys rock; and Kevin who extended his work trip to help me, I couldn't imagine carrying a couch up three flights of stairs with anyone else), I ordered pizza, also from Two Paisans. This is topped with spinach, broccoli, roasted red peppers, and vegan cheese.

For those of you in Rochester, please patronize the vegan menu at Two Paisans. It's nice to have so many vegan options at a place like this.

Hazards of Biking in the City

In Rochester, I'd roll my bike out the driveway, ride through about two miles of light traffic subdivisions, and then I'd be in farmland on nice roads with minimal traffic to bike on.

Not here.

It took me over ten minutes of stop and go and riding on the wrong way of a one-way street to get to the path along the Charles River. And, as this was a 40-minute ride, I practically had to turn right back around.

I think I'm going to need to ride earlier in the day, say 6 am, when there's less road traffic to contend with.

Huge thanks to Jody from Vegchic for the link on biking in Boston.

Learning My Way Around Town

I've always found that the best way to learn my way around a new town is to run it or bike it. So, I'm incorporating my running and biking into figuring out this wacky town.

The runs are like this: I run where I feel like running. If I see other runners, I run in their direction. If traffic is clear in another direction, that's the way I run. And there are a lot of runners in this town, very good runners, who leave an amateur like me in the dust.

Biking has had its hazards so far. I took my bike out this morning early, like 7:45 am, but unfortunately the traffic was already out. Then I headed out to the Charles River, where lots of people were out. Too many people. Then as I hit the end of the path in Cambridge, I had no choice but to cross the river, and then got lost in CONSTRUCTION!!!!! I need to find some better bike routes in Boston.

As for swimming, I joined the YMCA across the street. On days when I'm in a happy mood, I love to swim. When I'm not, like today when I was full of nerves, it wasn't a good swim. In a pool, I'm a prisoner of my thoughts. There's no music and no change in scenery.

Okay.... tomorrow I'll have my computer hooked up to the internet, and I'll post some actual vegan food!!! Today I made a tahini dip with maple syrup and ground flax seeds. Sounds funky but tasted really good. More on that tomorrow.

In Beantown.... Finally!!

I am officially Chinatown's newest resident :)
Once I'm a bit more unpacked, I'll start posting pictures and cooking stuff.
Now if only I could figure out where to ride my road bike....

Go Read This

Geoff Brown, Attorney Extraordinaire, shares his bizarre take on preventive medicine.

Training and Chaos... and more soon, I swear!

Mary put together 8 or so hours of training for the week. It's not working out so well, with all this packing.

Tomorrow I plan to swim and then do my bike workout by riding my bike to pick up my 15 foot moving truck. And then have all the energy I need to load up my stuff.

Crazy? I'm not sure. I'm going to try.

Next post will be from my new hometown -- Boston!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Confessions of a Former Cheerleader

Lisa asked me, over e-mail, not wanting to "out" me as a former cheerleader:

Just wondering, now that you're into athletic competition, how you feel about those years when gym class was a nightmare. I'm referring, of course, to the choice of cheerleading as your sport. :-) Do you ever think back and wish you'd done things differently?

First off, I'm not embarrassed by my former life as a nerdy, somewhat uncoordinated, high school cheerleader. Cheerleading was fun, gave me much needed confidence, helped me become more coordinated, and though you may not believe it, the halftime dance routines and cheers required quite a bit of endurance.

As for the triathlon sports, I'm content to have fallen on them as an adult. I did some running as an 8 to 10 year-old, but even though I'd place second, third, or fourth in races regularly, I never did come in first. And, with all the pressure from others around me at the time, I never could really be proud of myself, even though I was a good runner. Then when I broke my leg at age 11, I found a convenient excuse to stop running.

So, I'm perfectly content to have fallen on running, biking, swimming, and triathlons as an adult. I'm not training or competing for anyone but myself. I'm content to say that I can swim half a mile in open water, then bike 13 miles and run 3 miles. I'm thrilled that I have actual muscles. That I can drop and do 15 "male" pushups. That I have all the energy I need to get me through my day. That I can fit into the same clothes I wore in college. That when I went through some of the most challenging moments of my life over the past six months, I had an outlet to channel my various emotions into. And, that I can compete in a local triathlon amongst talented athletes and actually do okay compared to them.

I'm proud of all those things that I've accomplished and wouldn't change a thing about the path that I took to get here.

Yellow Lentil Dal

There isn't much left in my kitchen. This recipe used canola oil, mustard seeds, an onion, mung beans soaked overnight, half a can of stewed tomatoes, and the usual variety of spices that I like to use for my versions of Indian food -- turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder, paprika, ground pepper, and sea salt.

Accompanying the dal was a slice of whole grain bread covered in Earth Balance.

Training on a Hot Day

It was 95 degrees today.

In order to get started with the training for the week, I swam for 45 minutes this morning in the pool. That actually felt good. Then, in the afternoon, I rode my bike for about an hour, at a leisurely 13 miles/hr pace, along the path of the Genessee River, and then on the Erie Canal out to the west side of town. My ice water at the beginning of the ride was lukewarm at the end.

I'm tired out.

Training Anxiety

I just looked at what Mary, my coach, has come up with for me this week.

Oh no!!!!

This week is chaos. I'm packing up the house and the big moving day is Saturday, with a six hour drive to Boston. And then unloading. And somehow that day I'm supposed to do a "brick"-- 40 minute bike followed by a 40 minute run????

Yeah, not going to happen.

With weeks like this, I need to do some creative planning. I may start the week of workouts a day early, tomorrow. That should help decompress the week. And then I'll juggle around the workouts to get as many in as possible.

Best Veg in Rochester

As I leave for Boston in one week, here are the seven best veg-friendly places in Rochester. If you are a Rochester native, or have ever driven through Rochester, let me know what you think:

Organic Alley -- Great organic food and many vegan options. Try the Zen Delight. Mmmmm.
The King and I and Pattaya Thai -- Thai food in Henrietta and Penfield respectively. Each has a full page vegetarian (and I believe also all vegan) menu.
Thali of India -- I will definitely miss Friday nights at Thali with my friends Alison and Adam, our favorite waiter Bruno, and guitar by Ryan and Jack. Many items on their long list of vegetarian menu items are vegan, and others can be made vegan. I recommend the Channa Palak made vegan.
Two Paisans -- A pizza and wing place with a full vegan menu. Try a pizza with seitan on it -- it's quite good. I have yet to try their vegan trash plate, but it is on my "to do" list before I leave this town.
Mex -- On trendy Alexander Street, Mex is nouveau Mexican cuisine. The Adobo Tofu is very good, and they have fajitas that can be made of tofu, seitan, or vegetables.
Aladdin's -- Middle Eastern food, with many healthier options. I love their vegetarian chili. They also have a veggie combo plate for which you can choose several different sides to make for a filling dinner.

Sometimes Patients Pleasantly Surprise You

I've got this patient -- 43 year-old guy, overweight, but lifts weights at my gym sporadically. Unfortunately he doesn't do any cardiovascular exercise.

Initially I saw him because he came into the emergency room with atypical chest pain that was probably acid reflux. The pain went away when he belched. Someone nonetheless decided to do a stress test on him, which showed an abnormality.

So he guy sees me in the office. I tell him he probably has some coronary artery disease, but that this pain isn't this heart. He needs to lose weight and exercise by doing some cardio, not just lifting weights.

He tries to lose weight, without much success. He doesn't do the cardio because it tires him out -- guess what, if you're not exercising, yes it's going to be tiring. And, the pain continues.

Finally, to set the issue to rest, I send him for a heart catheterization. I expected some minor abnormalities in his coronary arteries. Instead, his arteries look perfectly clean. The stress test was wrong, and his pain is definitely not his heart.

I see him at the gym still. The pain is much better -- I really think it's acid reflux. And, I saw him on a stairmaster for at least 30 minutes!!!!!! I walked up to him (it's always a little weird running into patients when I'm sweating at the gym myself), gave him a thumbs up and told him to keep up the good work.

Small things make me happy. I hope he keeps it up.

Emptying out the Cabinets

I'm packing up to move in a week and a half. I have lots of stuff to use up or else it gets thrown out. Hence dinner. I had a jar of Indian onion cooking sauce, Morningstar Farm burger crumbles, frozen peas, and a can of corn. The veggies that I had hoped to use have all rotted in my fridge. I sauteed it all in my wok. And on top of it all, some yellow raisins for flavor. Easy, and somewhat healthy.

Once I'm settled in in Boston, I'll be back to some real cooking.

Jaded About Raw Food

I attended a talk that was supposed to be about raw foods. I came in with an open mind -- I will admit that I know little about the advantages of not heating foods, and don't find much appealing about eating raw.

The first hour of the talk had nothing to do with raw foods! It was statistic after statistic about how Americans are fat and unhealthy and how our health care system kills people. Thrown in were a few statements that were either false or overstated. One slide had a picture of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, professor of nutrition at Cornell University, and the statement, "Diet can reverse cancer", which I don't think he's ever said. I know he purports that diet can prevent most cancers, but I don't think he's ever said diet reverses cancer. She also made some sort of statement to the effect of curing heart disease through diet.

The doctor bashing, statistics ad nauseum, and overall lack of content got to be too much. I left after an hour and 15 minutes of this nonsense.

I was hoping to come away knowing something about the benefits of a raw diet, and perhaps some convincing that a raw diet is palatable. She mentioned enzymes being destroyed by heat, but are not those same enzymes destroyed by stomach acid? I'm not sold at all.

She had a great opportunity to sell a vegetarian crowd on the benefits of raw foods. She failed miserably.

I Can't Believe It!

Today I looked up the results for yesterday's Keuka Lake Triathlon. I was third place in my age group out of nine people!!!!!!!!!!!

I find this so exciting because I really don't consider myself an athlete. I'm just someone who trains to be her own best. This is also the only athletic award that I have won as an adult.

Champagne Mango

This is a champagne mango. It's a little more tart and less stringy than a regular mango.

Vegan Find of the Day -- Ricemellow Creme

Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme was featured today as a sample at Wegman's -- on multigrain bread with nut butter. Finally, a vegan version of Marshmallow Fluff! Suzanne's version, though, seems a little more wholesome, with its only ingredients being brown rice syrup, soy protein, natural gums, and natural flavors. Mmmmmm!

Triathlon Accomplished!

I was a little worried about my ugly toe injury, but I was able to do the triathlon today. All I had to do was find a good waterproof bandage to keep the wound from getting infected, and all was good!

It was a very cold morning -- about 53 degrees when we started. The water was absolutely frigid! But, once we got moving, the water felt okay. I was more worried about getting kicked in the head and seeing where I was going in the water!

The bike was okay. I think I was pretty slow there because a lot of people passed me. The one woman who passed me on the right (which is a big no-no), her bike broke down on the course. Talk about karma! And the run, I was hyper by then. I was cheering everyone on... "Way to go, girls! You're doing great!" But truthfully, I'd rather have fun than be a serious competitor, and since I'm not a super-talented athlete, why not have a good time?

I've done two triathlons on back to back weekends. I'll be taking a break now for about 5 weeks, and my next triathlon will be once I'm moved in to Boston!

I've Been Interviewed!

Go to The Vegan Club and read my interview. And check out the site for some great recipes.

On the Disabled List?

I was out tonight, as as I was getting up from a chair, I proceeded to knock it over onto my foot. It landed squarely on my right foot second toe. Oww!

The toe definitely isn't broken, but the chair took off a nice chunk of skin. It looks pretty gross. I went home and washed and bandaged my ugly toe.

It hurt a lot. It's not quite as bad, but I still feel it. But, I'm not sure if I'll be able to run on this foot on Sunday, less than 2 days from now, for the Keuka Triathlon. I'll see how my bike/run workout tomorrow goes.

To make myself feel better, I made chocolate chip cookies. I ate one cookie and licked the bowl. (By the way, when you're vegan you can lick the bowl and not worry about Salmonella -- no eggs!)

Oatmeal

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast -- cereal and soy milk. But, today there's no cereal, so I've decided to have oatmeal. I put this in the microwave on high for 2 minutes with soy milk and a little maple syrup. Yum!

And, oatmeal is good for you. It is low in fat, has plenty of soluble fiber, and can help lower cholesterol.

A Weighty Issue

For most of us, it's hard to keep the pounds from creeping on.

When I underwent my transformation from lacto-ovo vegetarian to vegan, I swore I'd lose weight. No more cookies and brownies from the drug reps. No more ice cream. No more fatty cheese and eggs. It would be easy, the pounds would melt off.

I was so wrong. My weight stayed about the same, which I think is a testament to how much good vegan food is out there. Also, I quickly found vegan ice cream, cookies, brownies, and all that junk food that I love.

Regardless of your diet, weight depends on two things: calories in and calories out. In other words, how much you eat and how much energy you expend. It seems simple, but in practice it is not.

Granted, I'm not a stick, but I've maintained a consistent weight for the past ten years. Here are a few important factors to keeping the pounds from piling on.
1) Be happy. Healthful choices are more appealing when you feel good about yourself. Conversely, stress and sadness predispose to poor eating choices.
2) Don't keep junk food in the house. I no longer keep Fig Newmans in my cabinets, because I am adept at eating them by the stack.
3) Stay active. When bored, it's easy to snack.
4) Exercise regularly. Make it an every day habit, so that the days that you don't exercise are the exception.
5) Weigh in daily. I know some people will disagree, but I've found that it's a quick way to see that the pounds are creeping on after a few days of slacking.
6) Eat foods that are closest to their natural form, and fewer processed foods.

Any other suggestions or tips? As you can see, with my upcoming move I'm not doing a lot of cooking.

Salad and Sandwich

I don't like salads. At least not the traditional variety -- I don't like cucumbers, carrots, or tomatoes, and the traditional salad dressings never really did much for me. However, I'm all for an interesting salad with nontraditional ingredients. This one has some mixed field greens, kidney beans, golden raisins. I've topped it with my "homemade" Thousand Island salad dressing, which is a mixture of Vegenaise and Heinz ketchup.

For the sandwich, I've used Montana Mills whole wheat bread. Inside is Tofurky, hummus, and avocado.

Salad and sandwich. A little unconventional. But done my way.

Graduation!

To culminate this crazy weekend, tonight was my cardiology fellowship graduation dinner. And, I've learned that you never know who reads these blogs.

Our program director normally gives a little speech about each of us that is graduating. I wasn't sure what he'd say about me, but I knew there'd be something in there about me being the vegan. Not only did he talk of me as the most health conscious of the cardiology fellows, but he also said that he's been reading my blog! He said he was looking for some "rants about the department", which he didn't find, but instead he "learned a lot about what to do with tofu and peppers." Too funny!

So yes, I think I've now graduated from cardiology fellowship, even though I still have four more official weeks of work. I guess they can't flunk me..... or I'd have to do something pretty horrific to not get to move on.

First Triathlon of the Season

Today was my first triathlon of the season and my second one ever. It was cold, rainy, and yucky, but I felt great. The swim was in a pool and the bike was on a hilly course. The run was tough because my legs felt so tired, so even though I felt like my lungs would have let me go faster, I just couldn't do it, and was a lot slower than I had wanted to be. Preliminary results say I was 7th out of 26 women in my age category, but I have a feeling that will change because we were all staggered at the start. So, we'll see. Nonetheless, I'm happy. My goal is to do my best and not to be DFL (Dead f.....ing last).

That pic is from the triathlon I did last year. Yes I know I look goofy.

Helping Animals 101

Yesterday, I attended a seminar called Helping Animals 101. We heard about all types of animal cruelty, from circuses to puppy mills to the way our food is raised, and then how best to advocate for the animals.

Chase Corporate Challenge

I ran my 3.5 miles in 31:39. Whoo hoo!

And that is a turkey I met at Farm Sanctuary. He has nothing to do with my running, he's just cute.

People can surprise you....

This weekend, I was moonlighting at a small town hospital. The people in the area are for the most part simple folks; many live on farms, or have been in that community for generations.

I admitted an 83 year-old man who'd had a stroke. He hadn't seen a doctor in probably ten years, so in addition to treating his stroke I diagnosed him with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. He asked what he should be eating.

When I give diet advice, usually I don't use the word vegetarian, let alone vegan. "Lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Stay away from animal products, like meat, eggs, or dairy."

His response: "Oh, vegetarian! My daughter is a vegetarian!"

"Yes," I said. "You should definitely have her help you out."

Never in a million years would I think this man or his family would have any concept of what a vegetarian is. I was pleasantly surprised.

Carb Loading

Tomorrow I am running the Chase Corporate Challenge in Rochester. It's a packed race of 3.5 miles, with over 9,000 participants, many of whom are walkers. So, anyone who runs at all can feel like they're fast.

Dinner tonight was angel hair pasta, baby bellas, yellow peppers, Morningstar burger crumbles, and Enrico pasta sauce. The pasta sauce was a departure for me, because I'm so used to Prego, which is loaded with added sugar.

Now I am carb loaded and ready to run!

Training Progress

Whew it's been a hot few days! Yesterday, I was up at 6:30 am to do a 45-minute run before it got hot out. Today I swam indoors and then went for a 2-hour bike ride with the Bettys, a local group of women who ride on Tuesday evenings from the local bike shop. I like when I can do my workouts with other people; it makes things more interesting.

It's going well. Each week I'm biking about 45 miles, running about 15 miles, and spending one dreaded afternoon swimming about 1300 meters in the pool. I don't really like swimming in a pool -- I feel like a rat on a wheel.

My coach Mary puts together a training plan for me. At first I thought it was a bit ambitious, with me working out every day, and with about 8-9 hours of training each week. But, I'm doing it. And if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be pushing myself this hard.

My first triathlon is on Sunday. We'll see if it all pays off.

Cold Food for a Hot Day

It was hot today -- over 90 degrees! I was in no mood to fire up the oven.

The hummus is supposedly California Pizza Kitchen's recipe. It's probably the best hummus that I've ever made in my kitchen. I also made my version of a spinach dip. Most recipes for vegan spinach dip call for a lot of Vegenaise and vegan sour cream. I use a pound of spinach, about a tablespoon and a half of Vegenaise, and then add water chestnuts and soup mix to give it flavor so you don't miss the extra fat.

Farm Sanctuary

This weekend, I was on call for a small town hospital. I had some free time on Sunday, so I drove the 35 miles to Farm Sanctuary!

I've visited before, but it's always so much fun to see the animals and hear their stories. The animals are absolutely beautiful. It's a reminder that a vegan diet is the most compassionate diet for the animals.

Coconut Curry

I have had a can of lite coconut milk sitting in my cabinet forever and decided to put it to use.

I sauteed orange and yellow peppers and cauliflower in a little canola oil. Then I poured in the can of coconut milk, added sliced organic sweet potatoes and extra-firm tofu, salt and pepper, Bragg's sauce, and some spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, and chili powder. I covered and cooked this for about 30 minutes.

This dish went well with Indian roti bread.

Ouch!

I love being in the cardiac cath lab, but the job has its inherent hazards. One day this week, while removing the sharps from our cath table, I was stuck with a sharp needle.

Fortunately, the needle was only used to draw up medications and had never touched our patient. But what if it had? The small wound in my hand is healing well, and my risk of contracting anything is exceedingly low.

From now on, I'm going to be much more careful.

Organic Alley

Organic Alley has been open for five months. My first visit was on Monday evening after a run along the Erie Canal with a couple of friends. I had the Zen Delight, which had tofu marinated in teriyaki, onions, peppers, and greens -- Yum!

They also have a yoga studio and a small grocery store with organic items.

I'm thrilled that Rochester can support an organic place. I'll be visiting them often!

Stir Frying

My favorite kitchen toy by far is my wok. Woks are great because stir frys come out so well and the vegetables stay so crisp.

Here, I used about a tablespoon of canola oil, an organic cooking onion, red and orange hydroponic peppers, organic baby bella mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli. The cauliflower and broccoli were blanched in hot water for about five minutes before I added them to the stir fry. At the end I added Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips.

For flavor, I used Bragg's sauce, but found the taste weak, so then added my standard sesame garlic sauce to the recipe.

My Letter to the Editor