Hello everyone,
I too have been lurking for a few weeks and am very interested in the
thread on Ornish. I
started the Ornish diet about three months ago and, as someone has
already mentioned, it is amazing how soon one begins to feel
better...took me about a week to really notice a big difference. And
feeling so much better is a powerful motivation for continuing with the
program. I think it is well worth the effort (and it does take some
work and planning) to just go "cold turkey" if you'll excuse the
expression. :-)
I used to be a smoker, tried quitting many times, and the only way I
could quit for good
was just to stop, no tapering off. I have been on a bazillion different
diets in my life, both for
weight loss and for health, and the Ornish diet is by far the easiest I
have found to stay on. Not really easy to start, but once you learn how
to make or buy a few good meals it's really pretty easy to stick to it.
There is SO much good information out now about lowfat vegetarian diets
and cooking, and I am really enjoying learning and developing a new
lifestyle.
Someone asked what a typical food day is for an Ornisher. In the
beginning, I only used a
few basic foods which I found to be quick and easy, but I am now working
more variety into my food plans. Here's a typical day for me, and I
would be very interested in reading some other folks' menus too:
Breakfast: Orange juice, oatmeal with Craisins and maple syrup, and
tea. Or cold cereal
and soy milk (I like Soy Good, found at Trader Joe's).
Lunch: Bean burrito (fat-free tortilla, vegetarian refried beans,
fat-free shredded cheese, tomato, onion, and sliced jalapenos) with
seltzer water and lime. Spread beans and cheese on flat tortilla, run
under the broiler for a minute or so, then roll up with veggies inside.
Yum! I recently found fat-free tortillas from La Tortilla Factory, at
Andronico's Market. They are
fantastic...way better than any of the low-fat tortillas I have tried so
far.
Dinner: This is my most varied meal. I almost always make a big green
salad, though, to
go with whatever else. My favorite meal lately is stir-"fried"
vegetables and marinated tofu over rice. I really like Lundberg Wild
Blend rice, which I buy at Safeway. It is a mixture of several types of
brown rice, including wild rice, which is very tasty. Another favorite
dinner is chile non-carne (chili made from beans) and cornbread.
Thanks to all of you for all the great ideas you share with the list.
You have given me a lot of
practical information and a great deal of motivation already. I know
I'll continue to learn a lot.
Karolyn in Sunnyvale, California
---
Yesterday is History,
Tomorrow is a Mystery,
Today is all we have, and it is a gift from God...that's why we call it
the Present.