Tuesday Miscellany: Plant-Based Eating & More

Eating For Health

I like to think I have a pretty healthy diet. I dont eat much processed food, fried food, or sweets, avoid sugary drinks, and limit red meat. I watch my intake overall, and especially carbs. But still, my cholesterol has crept up over the last few years, and last years blood tests indicated my sugar levels have inched just into pre-diabetic territory.

So over the last few months Ive added more beans, legumes, and oatmeal to my diet. At first my weight crept up a couple of pounds but has seemed to stabilize. Ive decided to take it a step further, and greatly reduce my consumption of animal products.

Ive been doing a lot of reading (on both sides of the argument) especially as it relates to cholesterol and blood sugar levels. For the last few days Ive been eating a plant-based diet almost exclusively. And I feelpretty good! I definitely have more energy and am less tired. My system is still adjusting to the change, but the side effects (bloating, gas) have diminished in the last couple of days.

I have my annual physical in February, so am using the next few weeks as a test period to see if theres any impact on my numbers. I was quite wary about the effect of more carbs in my diet (though am still avoiding processed carbs), but so far havent gained more weight. At this point, Ive decided to prioritize health over shedding pounds. Ill update periodically.

Recipe: Easy Roasted Potatoes

Easy recipe for roasted baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Ive been making these roasted potatoes fairly regularly. Family loves them, and you can cut up the leftovers and add a few cold to salads. I started with the Food Network recipe for Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, halved the amount of potatoes, reduced the garlic a little bit, and added more rosemary and thyme (because I have lots of it growing in my garden right now). This recipe also works with full-sized potatoes cut into large chunks.

Ingredients:

1 lb fingerling or baby potatoes (any variety)

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

1-2 sprigs fresh sage

2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, + 1 tsp to coat baking sheet

Preheat oven to 500F, place baking sheet inside to heat. (Recommend using baking sheet with a lip.)

If potatoes vary in size, cut larger ones in half. Add potatoes, seasonings to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle oil over top and toss to coat potatoes.

Reduce heat to 425F, pour potatoes out onto baking sheet with garlic and herbs. Just spread out a evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender. If you want to be fancy, you can put in a serving dish and add another fresh sprig of rosemary on top as garnish.

Have you adopted plant-based eating or made other dietary changes for your health? Did it have an impact?