Environmentalists and the Elephant in the Room

Did you know that raising of livestock for food produces more greenhouse gas than all of the automobiles in the world?

Or, did you know that in order to produce one pound of steak requires the amount of water that you would use to shower over an entire year?

So, it would make sense that organizations that care about the environment would encourage people to go vegetarian, or at least decrease their meat consumption. But they don't.

Environmental organizations like to camp out in the Back Bay area of Boston to recruit new members. Somehow, if I'm walking by with a Trader Joe's bag (but not if I'm empty-handed... go figure?), I look like an ideal target. And I ask -- what do you know about meat consumption and the environment? Most stare at me blankly, though one activist who says he once was a vegetarian gave me a good answer.

I care about the environment -- I recycle literally everything I can. I minimize the amount of driving I do. I use as little electricity as possible. I minimize the number of useless goods that I consume. And I'm a vegan, which comparatively may be the biggest thing I do for the environment.

But, in good conscience, I can't join an environmental organization that completely ignores livestock production, one of the greatest toxins to the environment, in order to pacify its members and potential members.

From My Empty Fridge

I am back from Cancun! It was a great time with lots of relaxation by the pool and ocean. The training was taken down a few notches too -- I did pool aerobics and beach volleyball, and only a little bit of running and spinning on the stationary bike.

Food in Cancun was no problem, but that's because we were staying at Club Med, which is all-inclusive, and is kind enough to list the ingredients of all their foods. There was tofu at every lunch and pasta and salads at every meal. I had some yummy refried beans, lentils, and sesame tofu.
This is tonight's dinner. My fridge is empty since I haven't had time to grocery shop since my return and I'm absolutely exhausted!!! So, I scrambled some tofu with frozen peas and broccoli, with a generous pinch of spices, including paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, and Bac'uns (that's fake/vegan bacon bits). On the side is a sweet potato with a little Earth Balance margarine.

And finally, here is an impulse purchase: Skittles at the duty-free store in the Cancun airport. Skittles in the USA have gelatin while Skittles purchased elsewhere have hydrogenated vegetable fat. I'm not going to pretend they're healthy, but they do not contain animal collagen or bones.

A Vegan in Cancun

Since going vegan, I haven't traveled much. I was in Israel a year ago, where following a vegan diet was surprisingly easy. However, Mexico will likely be more challenging.

Soy vehetariana = I am a vegetarian.
Sin carne = Without meat. But, to most doesn't exclude lard, chicken, pork, meat broth, etc.
Es sin carne, pollo y pescado? = Is it without meat, chicken, and fish?
Es sin caldo de pollo o manteca de puerco? = Is it without chicken broth or pork lard?

I'm a little nervous about this aspect of the trip... I'll let you all know how it goes!

Physician Blogger

I walk a fine line as a physician with a blog.

I can tell you in general my thoughts about medicine. However, I can't tell you about my patients or coworkers. In this blog, I need to present myself well as a physician for any patient, coworker, or associate who may read it.

While my identity and photo aren't blazed all over this blog (I'm not about self-promotion, and heck, the picture is of the back of my head! But if you care, my picture is in a few places here), it's easy enough to figure out who I am. Even those physicians who have kept themselves anonymous have been discovered via tracing their IP addresses. Fat Doctor had a great blog, and now it's gone after an office member disclosed her identity. A physician friend with a blog was forced to change her blog settings to private because she was being harrassed. In a worst case scenario type of situation, Flea, a pediatrician, got himself into trouble detailing his experiences in going through a malpractice suit.

In the year and a half that this blog has been up, I've made many changes. I've gone back and deleted and changed posts that may not have represented me as the confident and caring physician that I want to be seen as. I've even changed the name of the blog to project a more professional image of myself.

I've thought about deleting the blog completely, for fear of professional repercussions. But, I enjoy having this creative medium. Further, as a physician, a vegan, and competitive athlete (I use that phrase quite loosely), I feel that I bring a unique perspective to the blogosphere.

Dr. Wes has some interesting thoughts on physician bloggers. Someone has even come up with a Medical Blogger Code of Conduct.

I think I can reach a happy medium, and hope to continue blogging as I continue on into practice.

I'm a mess

There are two voices in my head. One tells me to push myself. The Other One says to relax, not overexert myself.

At 5:30 am, when the alarm goes off on Monday morning, one voice reminds me to get to the gym by 6:30 for master swim. The Other voice suggests sleeping in a couple hours.

On Tuesday at 6:30 am, one voice pushed me out the door for a speed running workout. Six repeats of 400 meters on the esplanade. The Other voice reminded me of all the pain I had in my hip on Sunday evening after my attempted six-mile long run, which was cut to four miles because of the pain, and then the hours of icing, stretching, and rolling after that. Shut up, you big wuss, I said to the Other voice. And out the door I went.

One 400-meter sprint made my hip sore. And my back was sore too, which I had strained while riding 21 miles outside on the evening before. The Other voice said cut it out, jog home. I pushed on. After the second 400-meter sprint, I was in awful pain. Back and hip pain. I stretched by a tree. Not much relief. I jogged home, in pain. I iced my hip for a little while. Then got up -- OWWWW! Everything hurt more.

Luckily, later this week, the hip is better. I've been able to run a couple times since then, with much less discomfort.

I got a massage at my gym this evening too. He basically told me I'm a mess -- my IT band is sore, my lower back hurts, and I pulled something in my neck when kickboxing on Sunday. Oh yeah, and then there's the plantar fasciitis that just chronically waxes and wanes. After 50 minutes, things felt better, but he implied that there is much work to be done.

Moderation is something I need to do better when it comes to training.

First Outdoor Bike of the Season

I barely made it in time to meet the WOW (Women on Wheels) group at Landry's Bicycles. In fact, as I sat in traffic in Kenmore Square, I ended up putting on my bike shorts inside out -- guess it serves me right for trying to get dressed in the car!

In spite of these little snafus, it was a great ride. We rode for 21 miles through Brookline and Newton. It wasn't a very fast pace -- I would have gone faster on my own -- but the camraderie was nice.

I was a little nervous about this ride. I haven't been on my bike since last September, and instead have been doing spinning classes at my gym two times a week. It seems to have paid off -- I feel much stronger riding up hills.

"Steak" and "Chicken" Strips

This is my dinner from last night -- a steak strip and broccoli stir-fry in Soy Vay sauce.

Morningstar Farms makes "steak" and "chik'n" strips that are absolutely delicious! Of course they're not real meat, but they are made from textured soy protein and have a "meaty" texture. Nutritionally, they're quite good -- A serving of twelve strips has 140 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, no trans fats, and 23 grams of protein.

If you're looking to consume less meat, or eliminate meat from your diet, Morningstar Farms steak and chik'n strips are perfect substitutes for where you would typically use meat in a meal.

Dairy Council Ends Misleading Ads

The Federal Trade Commission has announced that the advertising campaign associating dairy with weight loss will be stopped because research does not support the claim.

Here is the New York Times article on this new development.

I am very pleased to see science win over false advertising.

Vegan Parents Starve Child

This story caught my eye on CNN -- because of a vegan diet, a six-week old infant starved to death.

There's more to it. The Atlanta Journal Constitution's article describes how the six week-old infant was fed apple juice and soy milk, with limited (if any) breast milk or formula.

Soy milk containers clearly state that they are not a substitute for infant formula. The apple juice acted as a diuretic, which futher dehydrated the baby. The child was born in an apartment bathtub and had never received medical care because the parents were fearful of hospital germs.

At the trial, a vegan diet expert even testified that a vegan diet can be healthy at any age.

A vegan diet didn't kill this child. These were parents who used bad judgement.

Let Them Eat Cake

This is not a foodie blog. But sometimes I cook. Less often than I used to. And I rarely bake. I have three desserts that I do well: chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and fudge brownies. This is the carrot cake, out of Dr. Pete's Eating For A Healthy Heart by Dr. Pierre "Pete" Aoukar, which I baked for the occasion of one of our nurses who is leaving our cath lab.

Pete is a cardiology fellow in Seattle and is also a vegan. He wrote this book when he was in medical school. Not only does it have great recipes, but it also has great advice on how to stay heart-healthy. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to get healthy and wants some healthier cooking and baking ideas.

It's a little healthier than a standard carrot cake might be. It is made from real carrots, flour, and sugar. The frosting is a mixture of Tofutti better than cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Nutritional information: 1 slice (1/16 of cake), 375 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g protein.

Training with the Group

I'm part of a triathlon club. It's mostly women, and I'd say I'm the least experienced and least athletic of the group. And I'm no slacker.

This morning at master swim, we were doing sets of 4 x 25 meters on 30 seconds. By the end of each of those sets, I was seriously sucking wind, and everyone else looked happy and content. That's ok, though, they're all faster swimmers than I am. If I'm pushing to finish 25 meters in 23 seconds, then 7 seconds just isn't enough rest. By the last time we did this, I lengthened the time to 35 seconds, so I'd have a little over ten seconds rest. Still tiring, but at least no one would have to pull my body out of the pool.

I wonder, as the least talented amongst this group of triathletes, should I feel like a loser? I don't. I train with them, and even if I'm not as fast, I know I'm getting stronger. Being around talented people really motivates me, and I'm going to use that motivation to do as well as I can in my first triathlon on June 9.

Running in May

May is my favorite month for running. Here in the northeast, it's the month when we finally get some nice weather after a blustery winter. The trees are in bloom, the weather is mild, not too hot, not too cold, perfect for running.

Today was my first speed workout in over four months -- now that I can consistently do three running workouts in a week, each at a distance of 3 to 5 miles, I decided it was time to try to get in some speed. I ran four two-minute pickups, or running at a faster than comfortable pace for two minutes, with two minutes of rest between each. Two of us ran together, and the girl I was with was a little faster than me, which pushed me a bit.

Quackery

Did you know that you can make just about any claim about a supplement and get away with it? As long as you don't say it's medicine, you can say ANYTHING!

I see a table with juice samples at my local Whole Foods, and wander on up for a sample. It is a supplement mixed in juice, with vitamins and amino acids, which are intended to boost energy. As I am a huge fan of free samples, I try some.

"This will boost your energy, if you take it with our vitamin B complex," the woman tells me.

No one expects that a woman with long hair wearing a tie-dye shirt, blue jeans, and big sunglasses wandering her local Whole Foods at 4 pm on a weekday is a cardiologist (we were done for the day in the cath lab, and I was out early). So, I ask: "Do you have proof?"

Her: "It has amino acids."

Me: "Okay, but do you have any scientific data that shows that ingesting amino acids will increase energy?" I know that the answer is no, but I'd love to hear what they have to say.

Her: "They're amino acids. The building blocks to proteins."

I'm realizing, not surprisingly, that this woman has no idea what she's talking about. Me: "What I am asking is, do you know of any trials from the scientific literature that prove that taking this supplement will provide more energy?"

Her (looking uncomfortable): "Ummm... no, I'm sorry, I don't think we have any of that here."

Her boss or co-worker overhears the exchange and offers me a brochure entitled "Energy", written by a physician who has written and researched on chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. I'm offered brochures on chronic fatigue syndrome and on stress, but decline.

This brochure is interestingly done -- it talks about what various vitamins do, in a chart form that I've seen in a few medical textbooks, and the heading above the "what it does" column is changed to "effect on vitality and energy". Very fancy. The physician then claims that "most Americans are chronically dehydrated", which is completely untrue, and while he has over 100 references, not one to support that claim of chronic dehydration.

Another doozy: He talks about how stress will "...exhaust the adrenal reserve" and that "...it is important to supplement your adrenals with a glandular therapy regimen to ensure healthy cortisol levels and adrenal function." He has two references for his claim: one is his book, the other a study on sodium deficiency in guinea pigs!

The problem is, people actually believe this nonsense. A man with an "MD" after his name prints it. And even though most of his references are to books (as opposed to actual studies), including frequently his own "From Fatigued to Fantastic" book, it all looks quite scientific to the lay person.

All in all, this is a very expensive multivitamin. A multivitamin is okay to take, because we don't get everything every day in our diet in spite of our best efforts. This one is no better than any other one. Oh, and the amino acids? You get plenty of those in a balanced, varied diet. And if you want more energy, do more, exercise, push yourself.

Bottom line: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor before you spend lots of money on a seemingly magical cure to your ailments.

Animal-Friendly Accessories

The Today Show had a feature on eco-friendly accessories, featuring vegan accessories!

It's nice to see a mainstream media outlet talking about vegan products. If only they would discuss the cruelty involved in producing leather and fur, but this is a good start.

I was a little surprised at the mention of bboheme.com, which is a site based out of the UK, when there are plenty of companies here in the US that offer vegan accessories, such as Alternative Outfitters and MooShoes.

What I've Learned Since Going Vegan

-- It took me 16 years in life to go vegetarian, and another 13 to go vegan. As passionate as I am about veganism, I'm not going to convince anyone overnight.

-- When people say, "I could never be a vegetarian", it means the gears in their brain are churning.

-- As years pass, you'll find that friends and coworkers become vegetarian, and you can be proud that you were an influence in their decision.

-- Just because that 450-calorie chocolate chip cookie is vegan, that doesn't mean I have to eat it.

-- So many foods are vegan, including Oreos, Laffy Taffy, Cracker Jacks, Twizzlers, potato chips, and soda pop.

-- Simply being a vegan doesn't mean that I am healthy.

-- It's best to just eat the bread that might have a trace of egg or whey, rather than annoy the waiter with endless vegan questions. That trace amount won't harm me, barely harms even one hundredth of an animal, and the waiter and other diners won't think of veganism as insanely complicated.

-- Make it look easy to follow a vegan diet, even the few times when it's not.

-- Over dinner, when asked "So why are you a vegan?", it's best to avoid details of cholesterol-laden arteries, tethered veal cows, and unanesthetized branding and castration. A simple answer like, "I learned what the animals go through, and I was very disturbed and don't want to be part of that. And, it's much healthier and better for the environment," will suffice. A reference to look at later, like meat.org, will help them understand.

-- It's best to just laugh at questions about whether plants have feelings too.

-- I still don't have the perfect answer to, "Do you mind if I eat this steak in front of you?" My best response: "It's an omnivore's world, I'm just living in it."

How's the Training?

It's good. I'm swimming with a masters swim group 1-2 mornings per week, spinning 2 times per week, running when I can, and doing a little weight training and an occasional kickboxing class.

Running is a challenge right now, because every so often my iliotibial band gets inflamed -- that's the injury I've been dealing with since December. I'd love to do speed workouts, but our running coach says I should take it easy, and I think she's right.

Another bonus of getting back into training is that I'm finally taking off the 12 or so pounds I gained during the cold weather. I always gain weight in the fall and lose in the spring. It's not a good habit, I know.

My first triathlon is June 9, the Hyannis Sprint Triathlon. I think a couple of coworkers will be doing it too, which will be fun.

Spinach

This is my own version of the indian dish palak paneer, but without the cream or cheese. Sautee spinach in a little canola oil, with mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, paprika, and a little Earth Balance margarine. Toward the end of cooking, add cubes of firm tofu. I ate this with Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips.

Marathon City

The Boston Marathon is on Monday. As a result, Boston is full of tourists this weekend, carrying their orange marathon bags or wearing their blue marathon jackets. It's exciting, yet a little bittersweet -- I had a marathon number through a charity and had to give it up because of an iliotibial band injury, which still intermittently nags me.

I attended a conference for work this week at the Hynes Convention Center, which conveniently is also where the marathon Expo is taking place. During breaks, I sneaked down to the expo, had my running gait analyzed, saw Katherine Switzer (the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon), got free socks, and sampled many goodies.

It's all so exciting. If things are quiet at work on Monday, I might try to sneak out for a bit to watch the runners finish.

Tomato Matza Farfel with Veggies

Whole wheat matza farfel (crumbled up matzah into small pieces) cooked in tomato sauce, topped with fresh broccoli and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Passover Pancakes

The pre-mix box of Passover pancakes has always been a big hit for my family. While the mix itself is vegan, the recipe on the box calls for a cup of milk and one egg to be added to one cup of mix.
I made these pancakes with one cup of mix, one cup of applesauce, one tablespoon of oil, and three tablespoons of water. Mmmm.... pancakes for breakfast....

Passover Seder, Vegan Style!!

I visited my family this weekend for Passover and contributed a few vegan dishes for our seder, the festive dinner where we tell the story of Passover. The recipes are all from Roberta Kalechofsky's The Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook.

This is the Sweet Potato Orange Pudding, which was good but I found to be too sweet.


This is a Vegetable Nut Loaf. It's time-consuming, with lots of vegetable chopping and peeling, but quite filling. It's a bit dry, like most Passover foods, as real flour can't be used, but it goes well with an apricot marinade.

And now for the best of the three: Multi-National Potato Casserole. It's a dish with a layer of mashed potatoes on the bottom and top, and in the middle a layer of sauteed onions and portobello mushrooms. This came out quite good. The pictures are staggered to show you the different layers.




Finally, what's a meal without dessert? And, better yet, a Passover dessert that doesn't have twelve eggs in it? Can it be done? The answer is a resounding YES! This is the No Bake Chocolate Matzoh Roll. Kind of an interesting concept -- melted chocolate, a little bit of coffee, sugar, margarine, and moist matzah, rolled up with chocolate glaze and strawberries on top. My 92 year-old grandmother, the ultimate food critic, enjoyed it, and I thought it was pretty decent too.
So, that was seder. Proof that you can be vegan and eat well on Passover.

I'm Back...

....and some food posts are coming. I cooked some stuff for Passover. Some of it was good, some of it was so-so, but all of it was edible. That is an accomplishment for Passover.

In the meantime, here's a little humor.

Staying Busy

There are no recent posts because things have been very busy. This past weekend, I was at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans, learning about new trials, innovative ways to intervene on coronary arteries, and of course having a little bit of fun -- can't give you any bull about that!

So, with two busy days in the cath lab behind me, I am off to spend the holiday of Passover with my family.

Saving the Environment, One Burping Cow at a Time

This is about the most absurd thing I've heard in a while: A pill to decrease methane production from livestock cows.

Yet more evidence that a plant-based diet is better for the environment.

Calcium and Vegan Diets

There's new data about calcium, fractures, and vegan diets. This study showed that vegans overall are 30% more likely to have a bone fracture than lacto-ovo vegetarians, fish-eaters, or meat-eaters:

Appleby P et al. Comparative fracture risk in vegetarians and nonvegetarians in EPIC-Oxford. Eur J Clin Nutr, Feb 7, 2007.

Jack Norris of Vegan Outreach has an excellent discussion of the results.

However, those vegans who consumed over 525 mg/day of calcium had the same risk of fracture as the other populations in the study.

When calcium is consumed with large amounts of protein, such as in milk, calcium excretion in the urine increases. Therefore, it has been suggested that vegans have lower dietary calcium requirements.

I think that this study suggests that perhaps we do need to be more diligent with our calcium consumption. Most people need 1000 mg/day of calcium; pregnant women, the elderly, and children may have higher requirements.

Also, be mindful of getting enough Vitamin D, which regulates calcium absorption. Fifteen minutes of sunlight a day will give you enough. But, if you are in a northern climate or do not get that much sunlight, make sure you are consuming either a multivitamin with Vitamin D or Vitamin-D fortified soy or rice milk.

My Talk at Boston Vegetarian Society

I gave my talk on "Vegetarian Diets and Heart Disease" to the Boston Vegetarian Society yesterday. The feedback that I've gotten is good. It's a good thing I did some reading in advance because there were some very challenging questions from the audience.

So, thanks for the suggestions of things you would want to hear about -- I did incorporate some ideas into the talk.

Back in the Pool

Master Swim is at 6:30 am. And I am not a morning person. So when the alarm went off at 5:30, I almost slammed it down, until I remembered that I had packed everything the night before.

I found a spot in the slowest lane, me and two other women. Having not swam in 2 months, I was apprehensive. The first 200 meters were tough; I wanted to just die about 150 meters into the warm-up. But then, somehow, it all came back. I think I swam about 1600 meters in an hour.

I was halfway through any given set, and I'd look over and the other lane swimmers were done, eagerly standing at the edge of the pool ready to do the next set. And here I'd have another 100 meters or so to swim.

I like our coach. She has lots of good feedback, even for us in the slow lane. For me, I guess I keep my arms straight under the water. I'll work on fixing that.

Tri training has begun.... Hyannis Sprint in June, here I come!

Rollerblading and the Law

It was a beautiful New England day, partly sunny and in the high 60's. Not typical for mid-March. I felt the urge to rollerblade.

So, I grabbed my bag with my rollerblades and pads and walked the mile or so up to the Esplanade, the paths that run along the Charles River. I put on my rollerblades and padding and headed down the path, leaving my bag with my shoes and other rollerblade equipment behind a tree.

A half an hour and an awesome workout later, I return to see that my bag is gone. There is a State Trooper vehicle parked nearby, with my bag sitting on top of it. I rollerblade over, and the trooper gets out of the car.

Trooper: Is this your bag?
Me: Yes.
Trooper: You know, you shouldn't be leaving bags out here.
Me: There's nothing valuable. It's just shoes...
Trooper: We don't know what's in it. What if it was stolen? You'd be calling us up. In fact, I could be calling out the bomb squad.

Oh my... a big deal over a bag! Next time I'll just have to carry my blades and tuck my shoes behind a tree, without a bag of course.

But seriously, I hate to be equated to the guys who paralyzed the city with their Cartoon Network advertisement devices. After all, there is real crime in this city to be fought too. People are getting stabbed on the orange line, among other things.

Leave me alone. Go fight crime, and let me rollerblade.

Getting Serious about Training

It's time to start triathlon training again......

I've taken the first step by joining the triathlon club at my gym. It's serious business -- there's a coach for each discipline, several group workouts a week, and they come up with a tailored workout plan toward our individual goals.

I have a ways to go. The iliotibial band is getting better, but isn't 100%. I can run 15 minutes at a time pain-free. I haven't swam in over a month, because I just don't like swimming by myself. It's the whole rat on a wheel feeling of swimming laps in a pool without external stimulation. However, I've been training my weakness, which is biking, by doing a few spin classes each week.

It's going to be tough, but I'm ready. I need the structure, and I'm excited for the challenge.

Advice for Doctors

My friend Dr. Krupali Tejura, a radiation oncology resident, submitted a question to Leroy Sievers, an NPR journalist who blogs about his fight against cancer. She asks what patients want from their doctors. The answers she gets are interesting. Read on.

It's great food for thought. If you don't know the answer to a question, you can always look it up. But personal interaction can't be replaced.

Spinach and Potstickers

Sometimes it's all about convenience... tonight's one of those nights. We just finished a complicated case in the lab, and I'm hungry and tired.

So, I sauteed some frozen spinach in olive oil, with sea salt, ground pepper, garam masala, garlic, and a little chili powder. The potstickers are Ling Ling brand, and easily heated in boiling water. The whole thing took ten minutes. Easy, filling, and delicious.

Bold Ideas for NYC Restaurants

The New York City Department of Health has made two recent proposals. The first is to eliminate trans fats from all NYC restaurants. Second, restaurants would be required to list the number of calories in each meun item clearly on the menu next to each item.

I think these are great ideas. Trans fats are more atherogenic, in other words are more likely to lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. I'm especially excited about listing calorie content of menu items -- I think that even the simplest of consumers would be wary of a menu item with 1,500 calories. Or, those who think they're having a "light dinner" by ordering an appetizer with 2,500 calories might think again.

Last night I was at a dinner with a few interventional cardiology fellows, and we were discussing this topic. One was particularly adamant that Americans could care less about the calorie content of what they're eating and would make no changes based on that information.

I disagree -- I think that with this information, people for the most part would make wiser choices. As a result, restaurants would have to think twice about how they're preparing food and consider changing their menues to include healthier items.

What if....

....a vegan cardiologist was coming to your local vegetarian society to give a talk. What would you want to hear about?

I am revamping my talk that I've given in the past. I have some great ideas, but would love to hear yours.

Tune in March 18 at Grasshopper in Allston. I'll be speaking to the Boston Vegetarian Society.

Hamantashen from Grandma

My grandmother sent these to me for the Jewish holiday of Purim. They are called hamantashen, to commemorate Haman, the bad guy who wanted to kill the Jews, but who was hanged instead. The cookies are in the shape of his three-point hat. And yes, Grandma made them vegan.

Grandma is 92 years old and still bakes. She's the healthiest 92 year-old I know. In fact, she walks on a treadmill for half an hour a day. People where she lives are in awe of her, and every so often she has "pupils" who join her to exercise. I can only hope I'm that healthy when I get to be her age.

Fitness Rituals

My weekend mornings are about working out. When I was actively running, one of those mornings was always a long run. As I've been recovering from my IT band issues, I've created new rituals.

Saturday morning is one and a half to two hours at the gym. There are two spinning classes, 9 am and 10 am, and I go to one of those, whichever I wake up in time for. Then I do some weights and abs for 30-45 minutes.

Sunday morning is kickboxing! There's a great 10:30-11:30 class at my gym, and lots of punching and kicking. I almost skipped kickboxing this morning to do my taxes, but I'm so glad I went -- I feel so energized!

Once I start running again, these rituals will change. But for now, they keep me charged up for my weekends.

Eggplant Stir Fry

Eggplant and Lightlife Chik'n Strips stir fried in Soy Vay, on whole wheat couscous.

Don't Fear Tofurky, Fear the Slaughterhouse

My friend GarbanzoBean drew my attention to this with a post on her blog. Men's Health Magazine presents a list of the top 15 things that scare men. It's a funny list, but I'm a little peeved by #3: Tofurky.

What we should fear and abhor is the slaughterhouse, the process by which animals go from the farm to our table, neatly packaged and ready to be cooked, sliced and eaten. In our society of prepared foods, we're so insulated from the cruelty and gore that is inherent in factory farming.

Learn more: www.meat.org

I Love/Hate Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows, not for the fact that it has anything to do with medicine, but that it's got funny and interesting plot lines. However, I hope that those of you who aren't in the medical field don't get the impression that Grey's Anatomy resembles any sort of medical reality.

Surgical interns don't scrub into surgeries. They spend their time on the "floors", taking care of pre- and post-surgical patients, doing the "scut" work. They don't date their supervising physicians, let alone socialize with them. Saying things like, "I'd like to get a chem panel, CBC, and CT of the head" doesn't make you look smart in the real world. And since when do orthopedic surgeons and obstetricians supervise surgical interns? They don't.

The most recent plot line pushes reality even further. The surgical interns are sent out to a mass casualty in Seattle. One intern finds a man crushed by a car, and without any tools, she's asked to save his life. Conveniently, she has the head of the department of surgery on speed dial on her cell phone, who talks her through the process of drilling holes into the man's skull in order to reduce the pressure in his brain. I would have preferred seeing her stand by as he dies. That's reality -- interns don't drill Burr holes in brains.

Another subplot is that intern Meredith Grey, the main character, falls into the river. She's eventually pulled out of the water by her boyfriend McDreamy. Having been under water for at least several minutes, if not longer, she is in cardiac arrest. CPR is performed for what seems like an inappropriately long period of time. She is pronounced dead. Then in previews for next week's episode, you see one of her co-interns insist that CPR is continued, that not everything has truly been done.

Let's just put it this way -- after prolonged CPR, the odds of coming back are exceedingly slim. This sends an awful message to the lay public, that you're not really dead, that you can't give up on CPR ever. A message that will take away from the dignity of dying patients everywhere.

Medical shows are fiction. But writers need to realize the impact of their scripts on how people perceive medicine.

!!!!!!!

I'm going to start running again this week!

After a couple minutes on a treadmill this morning, I was completely pain-free in my right hip.

My trainer at the gym and I had a joke, that when I was ready to start running again, I'd send him an e-mail with the subject line "!!!!!!!!", just from the excitement of being able to run again.

In the meantime, I think I've maintained my level of fitness well, with spinning classes, kickboxing, and the elliptical trainer.

The timing is good -- I can look forward to an early season triathlon, maybe???

Veggie-Bean Burritos with Creamy Avocado Cashew Sauce

I made the Chipotle Veggie-Bean Burritos with Creamy Avocado Cashew Sauce from Dreena Burton's Vive le Vegan! Other than chopping some green peppers, celery, and red onion, this was pretty easy to prepare. The burrito is topped with some Follow Your Heart cheddar cheese and the Creamy Avocado Cashew Sauce.

Debunking the Dairy Myth

There's a new magazine, from the publishers of Runner's World and Men's Health, called Women's Health. What a great idea for a magazine!

The lead headline on the cover reads:

Your Most Stubborn BELLY FAT GONE! The Secret? Eat This Food To Lose 81 Percent More Belly Fat.

Really? I have some stubborn belly fat. Don't many of us? Do tell me more!

Women who added this food to their daily diet lost 61 percent more body fat and 81 percent more stomach fat than people who ignored it!! ... A University of Tennessee study found that people who ate three servings of yogurt a day lost astounding amounts of body fat when compared to those who didn't eat any.

I think the trial they're talking about is this:
Zemel MB. et al. Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in African-American adults. Obesity Research. 13(7):1218-25, 2005 Jul.

First off, this isn't new information -- it's from almost two years ago!! It was also, as you can see from the title, a study of African-Americans. Most importantly, no other researcher has published a study corroborating that consuming dairy leads to weight loss.

I wrote a letter to the editor:

To the Editor:

I am a physician and a subscriber to Runner's World. My interest was piqued by the glossy sample of your new magazine, Women's Health. However, I was very disappointed by the suggestion to your readers to consume three servings of yogurt daily to lose weight.

Three studies, all by one researcher, Dr. Michael Zemel, and including fewer than a combined total of seventy patients, show any link between dairy and weight loss. No other study has found a link between dairy and weight loss; in fact, no researcher has corroborated Dr. Zemel's findings. In fact, Dr. Zemel's research is funded by the dairy industry and he has patented the claim of consuming dairy to lose weight.

I provide you the following references that would contradict your statement that women should have three servings of yogurt per day:

Thompson WG. Rostad Holdman N. Janzow DJ. Slezak JM. Morris KL. Zemel MB. Effect of energy-reduced diets high in dairy products and fiber on weight loss in obese adults. Obesity Research. 13(8):1344-53, 2005 Aug.

Bowen J. Noakes M. Clifton PM. Effect of calcium and dairy foods in high protein, energy-restricted diets on weight loss and metabolic parameters in overweight adults. International Journal of Obesity. 29(8):957-65, 2005 Aug.

Harvey-Berino J. Gold BC. Lauber R. Starinski A. The impact of calcium and dairy product consumption on weight loss. Obesity Research. 13(10):1720-6, 2005 Oct.

Lanou AJ. Data do not support recommending dairy products for weight loss. Obesity Research. 13(1):191, 2005 Jan

I would also suggest you go to http://www.cspinet.org/nah/09_05/milking.pdf, from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

This story reflects one of two possibilities: First, your writer may not have done his or her research on the topic beyond the claims of the dairy industry. Or, worse yet, the editorial influence of certain researchers or organizations such as the dairy industry are greatly biasing the content of your magazine. Either way, this is not the type of magazine that I would wish to read, nor would I recommend it to my patients.

Sincerely,

Very Easy Chili

This is incredibly easy to make and preserves well in the fridge.

Drain and rinse one can of chick peas and one can of kidney beans. Sautee in a small amount of canola oil. Add about one haf of a cup of frozen or canned corn. Then add Lightlife Smart Ground and a bottle of barbeque sauce -- I like Donna's Certified Organic BBQ Sauce.

It keeps well in the fridge, freezes well, and is quite filling for a quick healthy lunch.

Oh and get yourself a coupon for $1 off Lightlife products!

Getting Better. Slowly.

I'm making some progress, or so I'm told by the folks at physical therapy. I tried running yesterday on my treadmill, and my hip is better, but still uncomfortable enough that I know I shouldn't be doing it.

Emotionally it's hard to get over an injury. Right now I really don't feel like talking about my injury, or even about running.

I'm focusing on the things I CAN do -- like biking, swimming, elliptical, and weights.

More food posts coming soon.

Do Vegetarians Live Longer?

One reader asks: Where's the proof that vegetarians live longer? Where's the proof that vegans live longer?

The literature is mixed on this subject of longevity. Some studies say that vegetarians and vegans live longer, and others show no difference. While vegetarians and vegans will be more healthy and youthful in their younger years, the difference shrinks as people get into their eighth and ninth decades of life.

Keep in mind, though, that the standard American diet is a major cause of many illnesses, including but not limited to coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or cancer. It is known that vegetarians and vegans are much less likely to suffer from these diseases.

These illnesses, which can be avoided by diet, can be debilitating. Take the example of one man, with hypertension and diabetes. He has a heart attack at age 50. He has a stent put in. Then, as his diabetes progresses, his vision becomes worse. He develops disease in the arteries of his legs. He has bypass surgery on his legs, but this does not work and eventually he requires an amputation, confining him to a wheelchair. Then, his kidneys fail as a result of years of diabetes and hypertension, and he requires three hours of dialysis each day in order to survive. At age 70, he dies of another heart attack.

While this person lived a relatively normal life span, his quality of life was clearly impacted by his burden of disease. It is very plausible that he could have lived a much healthier life had his diet been different. He could have had better control of his diabetes. In fact, Dr. Neal Barnard's most recent work shows that a vegan diet has a powerful impact in reversing diabetes (Diabetes Care. 29(8):1777-83, 2006 Aug).

There is some evidence that people who follow a plant-based diet live longer. But, the bottom line is that a plant-based diet reduces the risk of many illnesses, and leads to a far better quality of health throughout most of life.

Why Vegan?

A reader asks:

Please explain, how is it natural to be vegan? I don't see how being vegan promotes a healthier lifestyle than if one were have a healthy diet that consisted of meat. If everyone were vegan, I wonder how things would work in the large scheme of things. Would love your insight...

Vegetarian diets are lower in saturated fat and are free of cholesterol, with more fruits, vegetables, and fiber. And, some studies suggest that vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians. A longer, more detailed explanation is offered here.

If everyone were vegan, the impact on the planet would be very positive. At present, factory farming pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. Vegan Outreach provides an excellent explanation.

Entertaining

I love to entertain! This evening, I hosted a Happy Hour at my apartment for some of the people I work with. I made a few appetizers. The first one is called Texas Caviar. It's a mixture of black beans, pinto beans, red and orange peppers, jalapeno, cumin, cilantro, corn, onion, diced tomatoes, and edamame. Next is a spinach dip, which is a favorite that I've made for parties before. Since then, I use less Vegenaise and Tofutti vegan sour cream. With the leftovers, I add another pound of frozen spinach, and it's a lower in fat version that I can eat for lunch!

I'm Out

I am disappointed beyond words.

The hip isn't appreciably better.

I haven't run in over 3 weeks. Just trotting a few steps is painful.

There's no way I can run the Boston Marathon.

I need a new goal: a spring olympic distance triathlon?

My Boston Marathon Dream May Be Over

I can't tell you how badly I wanted to run the Boston Marathon.

But my right hip is injured. I've done two weeks of physical therapy. My diagnosis is a combination of iliotibial band syndrome and muscle imbalance, with my hamstrings being too strong compared to my quads.

I have not run in three weeks. I have maintained my level of fitness as best possible by running in the pool, swimming, spinning, and using the elliptical trainer.

My registration is due this Wednesday. There are twelve weeks and two days until the Boston Marathon. If I started running again in the next week, I can do it. It wouldn't be the greatest performance ever, but I'd finish. Any later than that, then I think it will be a lost cause.

So, I'm coming to terms with the reality of the situation. To be positive about it, I can say that I've started training for triathlon season, which is in the spring. Were I not injured, I wouldn't be swimming or biking.

Salad with Faux Rost Turkey

Salad with shredded Lightlife Roast Turkey Style slices, craisins, and dressing. Very filling.

Professionalism

I still remember the first day of medical school orientation, almost twelve years ago. Henry Pohl MD, the dean of Albany Medical College, walked out to greet us wearing a rock band t-shirt and a condom hat.

His point? No matter what you do, you'll always be viewed as The Doctor.

I don't always see myself that way. I'm just the girl who goes running in the morning before work, wears blue jeans and a sweatshirt to the grocery store, and watches American Idol. I see myself as an ordinary person.

But, I am a physician, which gives me credibility on topics of diet and heart health. Through this blog, as The Doctor, I have power to help people change what they eat and how they treat their bodies.

Hence, the name change. Welcome to VeganHeartDoc.blogspot.com!

Tofu Scramble

I love a good tofu scramble. You can make it on a griddle, after making pancakes, or in a frying pan. I saw a similar version made in the cooking demonstration after Dr. Barnard's talk, but I prefer mine with veggies.

Take one pound of extra firm tofu and remove as much water as possible. A new trick I learned is to squeeze the tofu between two plates. Heat some onion and garlic in a little oil or margarine (or even water if you want to go really low fat). Then add the crumbled tofu, along with some paprika, tumeric, salt, pepper, and Bragg's liquid amino acids or soy sauce.

You can add any veggies you want. Because I had kale sitting in the fridge from the soup that I made yesterday, I used that. I also added some Whole Foods frozen organic mushrooms and roma tomato. In the past, I've used spinach, broccoli, edamame, or sweet potato too.

I liked how it came out, flavorful with a bit of bite from the onion, garlic, and spices.

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Soup

Neal Barnard, the president of Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine, came to Boston and presented a talk about his new book, Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. I had the chance to meet him and have him autograph a copy of his book.

After the talk, there was a cooking demonstration, including this soup. I made it for lunch for my parents, who are visiting. It was a good use for Gimme Lean Sausage from Lightlife. Look at the post below on how you can get coupons!!!!

Coupons!!! and Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage

Here's some Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage, fried in a little canola oil. I cut them up into smaller pieces and added them to the Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Soup.

For a coupon for $1 off Lightlife products, click here.

Passed my boards!

I just found out today... I'm certified. As in a Board Certified Cardiologist!!!!!!

When in Doubt, Bake Cookies

I think this is an important rule in life. And that's why it's important to have a good, easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Here is mine. It is based on a recipe I saw on VegWeb, but I've modified it enough that I think I can safely call it my own, including cutting the amount of margarine in half:

1 cup flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup vegan margarine, like Earth Balance

6 T sugar

6 T brown sugar

vegan egg replacer equivalent to one egg (I use Ener-g Egg Replacer)

1/2 t vanilla

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In one bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixing bowl combine the margarine, both sugars, vanilla, soy milk, and egg replacer. Beat well with mixer.

Add the dry ingredients and beat again.

Add chocolate chips.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 10 minutes.

Serves: about 18 cookies.

Pool Running and Other Forms of Water Torture

Today I ran in the pool for an hour. I got some strange looks. I glared back.

I'd rather run outside, especially with this gorgeous weather we've been having in Boston, but with my hip being all screwed up, I can't.

With 13 weeks until the marathon, I need to think realistically. It's altogether possible that I won't be able to run, depending on how serious this injury is. Then again, Diddy ran NYC with only 9 weeks of training.

It's kind of a bummer. But I'm going to keep at it. My trainer has suggested to me 40 minutes of cardio each day, either spinning, cycling at 100rpm or faster, or pool running/swimming, with one "long day" where I do 40 minutes of two of the above. At least I'll be able to maintain some sort of fitness base.

In the meantime, I'm going to bake cookies.

Chocolate Creme Pie

I found this recipe for Silken Chocolate Tofu Pie. But I made it my own, mostly because I didn't have enough vanilla or chocolate chips. I melted about 2/3 of a bag of chocolate chips and put in the blender with 1 package of Mori-Nu silken tofu, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 4 tablespoons of Better'n Peanut Butter (real peanut butter would likely work too). I poured the mix into a pre-made graham cracker pie crust by Arrowhead Mills.

Put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours, and serve!

My New Favorite Salad Dressing

Creamy and delicious -- can make just about any salad taste great!

Bringing Vegan Treats

It's always been interesting to me how people react to vegan treats.

I baked some vegan brownies (no pics because my camera is MIA -- I think it's in California with Kevin and Mary Ruth) and brought them to work on Friday. I walked into our break room, said, "Have some brownies" to the two people who were there, and set them on the table and walked away.

I don't like to make a big deal of the vegan thing. But, since everyone knows I'm a vegan, most of them are going to put two and two together and figure out that the brownies are probably vegan too. The only person whom I pointed out the "vegan brownies" to was another vegan who crosses through the cath lab every so often.

Brave or more worldly omnivores will try a brownie and enjoy. And, of course those people who have no idea that they're vegan will see brownies and try one. I don't EVER bring mediocre vegan food -- I hate to give vegans a bad name.

Those who are less experienced might laugh and stay away from the vegan brownies out of fear that they're going to taste funny. They might "dare" someone else to try one. Then that person will try one, say "mmmm that's good!" and get laughed at -- "Ha ha ha you ate vegan brownies!"

All in all, though, I like bringing treats to work. I love baking, and I love eating, but if I didn't share, I'd eat the whole tray of brownies myself. On top of that, people learn that you don't need animal products to have a tasty sinful snack.

Vegan Restaurants and Fake Meat

I love a vegan restaurant, but I have a pet peeve about most of them: Their menus are filled with fake meats!

For example, many asian cuisine vegan restaurants will serve curries with a choice of "soy chicken" or "vegi-beef"' and so forth. I find them quite tasty, don't get me wrong.

But, the problem that I have is that these menu descriptions play into the typical omnivore's belief that a meal is not a meal unless there's meat in it. So, they would believe, as we don't eat meat, we have to eat "fake meat" to replace it.

I'm all for veggie burgers and Tofurky and fake meat options at the grocery store. I think they're great choices for people who are deciding to go vegetarian and don't quite know yet what to replace meat with.

However, in a vegetarian restaurant, can't we be a bit more creative? Perhaps broaden peoples' perspectives of what a healthy, plant-based diet is? How about descriptions of our protein choices as, say, textured soy protein? Or better yet, how about dishes that don't rely on fake meat at all?

Can a vegetarian or vegan eating establishment thrive without fake meat???

Vegan House in Los Angeles

Greetings from California!

Vegan House, on West Sunset Blvd and Benton Way, opened two months ago. It's healthy vegan food with a taste of Thai. The menu has everything from burgers to curries to sushi and hash browns. Mom and I had the fish burger and chicken burger respectively with french fries. Both were awesome. The food didn't taste greasy at all.

I would definitely go back and try some of their curries or appetizers.

Tonight's dinner: California Vegan!!!!!

What was I THINKING???

I feel like a total dufus.

I could go back and delete today's earlier post. You know, the stuff about toughing it out and running on a sprained ankle.

Bad idea. REALLY bad idea.

Now I know that I should have stopped, come home immediately and iced and elevated my ankle. Instead, I did a little ice, took a nap, and then went to Faneuil Hall where I stood around for an hour, and then walked from Faneuil Hall to my apartment in Chinatown.

Tonight I came to my senses, and am elevating and icing my ankle. No running tomorrow. Maybe a spinning class, minus the jumps.

Sprained My Ankle and then Ran Up Heartbreak Hill

Today was my first long run with members of the team. It ended up being me and two girls, and both run a bit faster than I do. But, I kept up with them, for the most part, and we ran 6.68 miles at a 10:15/mile pace.

About three miles in, I landed on the outside of my right ankle and then fell to the ground. Owww it hurt a LOT! I knew I sprained my ankle. I sat down, and the two girls I was with said they'd run ahead and get me some ice. As they took off, I got up, took a few steps, which weren't so bad. Then I started jogging again. Minimal pain. So I yelled, "I'm ok, I'm going to keep running."

"Are you sure?"

Of course I'm sure. I'm tough as nails. Not gonna let some silly ankle sprain keep me from finishing my run. We ran four more miles, including Heartbreak Hill. It was a good run, but as soon as I stopped running, the pain in the right ankle came back.

I've definitely sprained my ankle, but I don't think it's too bad. Hopefully, some ice and stretching should be sufficient to keep me running.

Why I Don't Play Poker

I'm sitting at a nursing station, looking at a patient chart. Some patient's family member has his own web site for archery equipment. A physician's assistant is looking at the web site, with the family member standing behind him, holding his young, maybe 4 year-old, son.

On the screen appears this small child smiling with a dead deer. Dad says proudly, "That's his first kill!"

I look up, and I guess I got a pretty horrified look on my face, as the Dad puts his hand on my shoulder, "I take it you don't like hunting."

I didn't say a word. I just smiled uncomfortably.

Vegan Pizza

With great toppings, who needs cheese? Seriously!

Whole Foods pizza dough (from the freezer section), Whole Foods organic pasta sauce, frozen spinach, frozen mushrooms, and leftover Lightlife burger crumbles. Baked in the oven for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. I should have baked it longer, as it came out a bit doughey, but it tasted great.

Nachos!!!

The ultimate comfort food and a great use for leftovers (see the Bean and Cheese Burrito below).

I put Guiltless Gourmet chips, leftover vegetarian refried beans, Lightlife burger crumbles (no my blogger friends they haven't sent me anything yet, I just happened to have this in my fridge), and leftover cheese sauce, and microwaved for 1 minute. Then, I added some Whole Foods mild salsa.

It's like Taco Bell.... minus the meat and the e. coli!

Pumpkin Pancakes and Scrambled Tofu

The pancakes were made with Bisquick light mix. Instead of the 1 1/4 cups of milk that are called for, I used 1 cup of soy milk and 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin mix. And, instead of the egg, I used the equivalent of one egg in the form of Ener-G Egg Replacer.

The scrambled tofu is a mix of lots of things, whatever I felt like throwing in -- onion, garlic, mashed firm tofu, spinach, edamame, nutritional yeast, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Bean and Cheese Burrito

I've never been crazy about the nutritional yeast-based "cheese" sauces. This one, Easy Cheezy Sauce, from How it all Vegan, is decent. I put it in a burrito with refried beans, salsa, and spinach, which made for a good combo.

Dedicated or Crazy?

I'm not sure which I am.

On Saturday morning, I was up at 7 am to do a long run of about 6 miles on my treadmill in my spare bedroom. With 22 degrees fahrenheit and plenty of wind, there was no way I was going to run outside.

I did it and I'm proud of myself. My running pace this week has been incredibly slow, probably due to a significant increase in distance over last week, a few temporary injuries (the IT band is totally better, thanks Deb), and a transition to strictly treadmill running because it's been so friggin cold out.

Tomorrow it'll be in the 50's, and I look forward to running a few 800's on the Esplanade. Woo hoooo!

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Mmmmm! I haven't baked cornbread in a long time. It is soooo good! I got this recipe from How it All Vegan. Since I have no willpower, I'll be sharing my sweet potato cornbread with the cath lab tomorrow.

If it's not one thing....

.... it's gotta be something else.

The plantar fasciitis is all gone. Completely. No foot pain whatsoever.

BUT, now I've got iliotibial band pain. Ack! After my run today, I rolled out that part of my leg on the floor on a roller, and hopefully that will do the trick.

I'd like to motor ahead and do all that my trainer has said for me to do this week, but I know from past experience that I have to listen to my body and not be stubborn. My goal for this week is to run 250 minutes. I may be a bit short of this. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm doing my first real cooking since Thanksgiving. Once the cornbread is out of the oven, a beautiful picture of it will be going up!

Bad Restaurant Experience

I went out to dinner tonight with some vegetarian friends. We had a great time. I was looking forward to taking pictures and featuring the restaurant on this blog, because I love to help a vegetarian restaurant, and I know that most people who visit this blog do so via a search engine.

I won't name the restaurant, because I don't want to give them negative publicity. But the service was terrible! The waitress wouldn't let us order unless we gave the "number" of the dish -- in order, I couldn't say, "I want pad thai", I would have to say "I want number 38". She kept trying to clear off the extra placemat, even though we kept telling her that we were waiting on one more person. Then, one of our friends who didn't get soup, asked that her entree be brought out with the soups because she was hungry. Not only was it not brought out with soup, but it was the absolute last dish to come out! Food items were just dropped on the table, rather than them asking who it belonged to and walking around our table of five people and delivering the food. Entrees didn't come out together, but were haphazardly dropped off over a period of fifteen minutes. And, finally, the avocado coconut milkshake was not good at all. It was all so impersonal.

We were all quite disappointed. I'd like to find some way to provide feedback to the restaurant, in a constructive manner. After all, I'd like to see a vegetarian restaurant do well and stay in business, especially in Boston where we only have 5 or 6 veg restaurants.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I graduated from medical school in 1999. Since then, with the exception of a year that I worked as a hospitalist, I have been in training. First internal medicine residency, then cardiology fellowship, and now interventional cardiology fellowship. I am a PGY-7 -- a trainee in post-graduate year 7.

Some say that medicine is a delayed adolescence. Or, as Dr. Callie Torres from "Grey's Anatomy" said, we're "children with scalpels".

This year, I will be finishing my training. I now know what I want to do and where I want to go. It's been a long journey to figure it out.

I'm Back!

After a two week hiatus from running, I ran this morning. My plantar fasciitis caused only a mild ache in my right foot, and was totally bearable.

Now I plan on easing back into my running. Maybe 15 miles this week. Nothing stupid -- I don't want to jeopardize my ability to run Boston in April.

Thanksgiving Dinner Vegan Style

I prepared my first Thanksgiving dinner ever!!!

We started with a salad with greens, mango slices, and dried cranberries. One of my guests brought samosas, and another brought grape leaves, which served as appetizers. For the main course, we had a Tofurky, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, and an amazing yam and portobello dish with truffled olive oil that was prepared by another guest. Dessert was a vegan pumpkin pie from Whole Foods and Soy Dream vanilla ice cream.

I'm Running Boston!!!!!

I got a number for the Boston Marathon through Combined Jewish Philanthropies. As a member of Team CJP, I'll be raising $3,000. This is awesome news, that I can run Boston as a legitimate participant, even though I have never come anywhere near a qualifying time.

HOWEVER.... I'm still on the disabled list! I have not run in a week and a half because of my plantar fasciitis. Finally it is getting better. A week ago I was waking up and my first few steps out of bed were just absolute excruciating pain, as was standing in the cath lab for long cases. Now, I know it's there, but it's not awful. So I will continue to squash the inner voice that's screaming "I wanna run!!!!" and continue to bond with my friends the elliptical trainer and spinning bike.

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving Extravaganza at my apartment..... the guest list continues to grow. I can't wait to cook up some amazing vegan food. It's been far too long since I've thrown a dinner party.

Speaking of Diet and Heart Disease....

I gave a 30-minute presentation this morning for the cardiology department at my hospital on vegetarian diets and heart disease. I've given similar talks before, but to lay people, not to cardiologists.

An important point was brought up, and it's a source of frustration for me as well: There are hundreds of randomized controlled trials of various drugs and devices for heart disease, but there isn't a single large, randomized controlled trial on vegetarian diets and heart disease.

There's evidence that a plant-based diet is good for the heart, including a small randomized controlled trial by Dean Ornish (published in Lancet in 1990) and a small observational study by Caldwell Esselstyn (Journal of Family Practice, 1995) that showed that patients on a low-fat vegetarian diet have fewer repeat cardiac events. Epidemiologic studies demonstrate that cultures with plant-based diets have very low rates of coronary disease.

But, no one is going to do a large, randomized trial of vegetarian diet and heart disease. It isn't profitable -- what pharmaceutical company would sponsor it? And even though the data that is out there strongly supports a vegetarian diet for prevention of heart disease and cancers, there will still be skepticism for lack of a large randomized-controlled trial.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Actually, this is Spaghetti Squash with Boca Burger Crumbles and pasta sauce.

Spaghetti squash is simple to prepare. Cut a spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place the cut end in a dish with about 1 inch of water. Microwave on high for nine minutes. Let it cool a bit, then scrape it with a fork to remove the squash, which has a spaghetti strand-like consistency.

Then, top it like you would top regular spaghetti. Here, I microwaved some Boca Burger crumbles and Whole Foods pasta sauce.

Making Veganism Seem Easy

I've shared my philosophy on veganism before. I believe that first and foremost, we need to make veganism look easy, which really it is. That way, people who want to help animals see our way of living as attainable. On the other hand, when we focus on little details, like whether the bread at a restaurant has soy or animal lecithin, or if some small amount of animal ingredient is in a veggie burger, we turn people off.

Bruce Friedrich of PETA makes a great case for this. I heard him speak at Helping Animals 101 in Rochester back in June, and it really changed the way I approach veganism and advocating for the animals.

Broccoli and Tofu Stir Fry

Did I ever mention that I love my wok?

I heated some canola oil in my wok, about a tablespoon, then added chopped onion. Sauteed them for about 5 minutes, until they were brown. Then added eggplant. Then added my absolute favorite stir fry sauce, Starport Foods Sesame Garlic Sauce, and then a pound of chopped firm tofu. Cooked it for another 7 or 8 minutes covered, and that was dinnner.

I swear, the Starport Foods people aren't paying me to say this, but I swear by the Sesame Garlic Sauce. I used to buy it at Wegman's when I lived in Rochester. Unfortunately, they don't sell it in any store in Boston, so I ordered a half gallon jug of it by mail! It's that good, I swear!

Tofurky Day

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

In my family of mostly vegetarians, we have a Tofurky and a lasagna (for the Tofurky-haters), along with all the usualy trimmings. That is, of course, after the Detroit Lions manage to choke on national television.

This year, the family isn't gathering until the weekend after Thanksgiving. So, I have the opportunity to make a Thanksgiving dinner!!!!

There will be Tofurky, some kind of pasta, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, and I don't know what else. For dessert, I'm going to find a vegan pumpkin pie.

If you know me and you live in Boston and are looking for somewhere to go for Thanksgiving, drop a comment and let me know :) the more the merrier!!!!!!!!

Hiatus from Running

The plantar fasciitis has gotten really bad. In spite of my efforts to heat/ice/roll/stretch/take ibuprofen, I've had some painful runs. Standing in the cath lab doesn't help either.

So I made the decision to stop running for a week. This is probably a decision that I should have made weeks ago, but I hate to stop because in some ways it's what keeps me sane.

My trainer pointed out that Joan Benoit stopped running for 3 months and then went on to win the Olympic Marathon. While I am no Joan Benoit by any stretch, I guess we all need to take a break sometimes.

This week I'll be bonding with my friend the elliptical macine, doing some spinning, and maybe I'll actually get in the pool for the first time in over 2 months.

Falafel Pita

This was my lunch today -- a falafel pita. I made the falafel from a Fantastic Foods box mix using the broiling directions, as opposed to frying. Also, instead of coating the falafel with olive oil, I used an olive oil cooking spray.

Inside the whole wheat pita, I put two falafels, lettuce, roma tomato slices, and store-bought tahini sauce.

Also, the falafel can be made in advance. It stores well in a fridge.

Spinach and Mushrooms

This was dinner -- I heated one tablespoon of olive oil and some crushed garlic, then added a package of gourmet mushrooms, sauteed them for a minute. Added a mix of Bragg's sauce and a little bit of tamari (Bragg's because it gives flavor but has less sodium), and then added frozen spinach, and sauteed for about 7 minutes.

A friend suggested that I post recipes of food that I cook. Thing is, I just throw stuff together in the kitchen. I don't measure ingredients. My goal is to show you easy and healthy vegan food to prepare in no more than 30 minutes. And to me, measuring makes things less easy. So let me know, do you want more details on how I prepare stuff?

Oww owwww owwww!

I went out for a run, to do some speedwork this morning. My right foot was hurting, and also thanks to my overcompensating by running on the lateral aspect of my foot, my ankle is stiff, painful, and overall screwed up. I had to bail out of part of my run this morning. I was even running with a limp!

I think I forgot to take my ibuprofen and that's what did me in. Nothing makes me madder than not being able to finish a run.

As we speak, I have a bag of frozen spinach under my foot and a bag of frozen broccoli on top. It feels better.

Broccoli, Mushrooms, Tofu, and Soy Ginger Sauce

I had intended to stir fry this and bring it to an omnivorous potluck. As things turned out, I didn't make it. So I fired up the wok and made it for myself. Phillips Gourmet has a great collection of fresh mushrooms, sold at Whole Foods. The broccoli is fresh, boiled for 4 minutes, drained and then with cold water poured on it. I used 365 brand (Whole Foods store brand) Soy Ginger Sauce. I didn't use a lot of it because it's spicy and I definitely have white girl taste buds.

My omnivore potluck rule: Don't make weird vegan stuff. Make it something simple, a dish that people can look at and say, hey I could make that myself and that would be a meal!

How's the diet? I'm eating less but the scale says I GAINED TWO POUNDS! I don't believe it. My total calories are less, but I'm eating far more fruit to fill me up. I'm also eating more sodium, as Au Bon Pain soups make for good low-calorie vegan meals. Perhaps I should curb my neurotic habit of getting on the scale every morning?

Brunch After a Long Run

I ran 10.6 miles this morning, burning about 1800 calories. At the end of my run, I was hungry!

The spinach is frozen spinach sauteed in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. On the right is leftover mock egg salad. I have two organic waffles from Whole Foods, topped with Earth Balance margarine and maple syrup. With it, I have a bowl of strawberries and raspberries and a glass of orange juice.

The Plight of Horses

Willie Nelson wrote an excellent piece for CNN.com on horse slaughter in this country. Read it -- it's good.

Mock Egg Salad Wrap

Dinner was a mock egg salad wrap and salad with ginger miso dressing.

Mock egg salad is easy to make. Squeeze the excess water out of some extra-firm tofu, mash it, and add chopped celery, Vegenaise, paprika, turmeric, and black pepper.

Cardiology boards are OVER!!! But let's not talk about them. I just hope I passed.

One Year of Blogging

I've had this blog for a little over a year now. It started as an anonymous experiment to find out what a blog really is. I talked about my life and the challenges that I was facing. Most of those posts have since been deleted, but a few remain.

Then, while reading Jennifershmoo's Vegan Lunch Box blog, I figured out what to do with my own blog: Show what it's like to be a real-life vegan with a job who tries (ok.... sometimes not so much, as you see in the post below this) to eat healthy. Then I added some of my triathlon and running adventures. And then I added some medical anecdotes. As far as I know, I'm still the only vegan/running/cardiologist blogger out there.

Many things have changed in the past year, more than I'd ever have imagined. So thanks for reading. And to my good friends and family, thanks for your support.

Grocery Shopping and Destressing

These are all vegan!!!

Today was the first day of the cardiology boards. Let's not talk about them. They were tough.

Grocery shopping is one way that I destress (in addition to running, of course). Whole Foods was on my way home. A few naughty items, see above, landed themselves in my cart and I *had* to buy them because, after all, they're vegan.

I'll save the cookie for a special day. The truffles will work for an occasion where I need to bring something to share at the last minute. I can't wait to try them.