Long Time, No Write …

How in the blue blazes has it come to be December already?? I cannot believe that my last blog was in July! We were eating peaches and getting our skin scorched in the sun and now, we’re watching the Christmas tree glittering in front of the fireplace. What a crazy idea, the passing of time?!

But passes it does, and it’s not asking us any for permission either …

And I don't even have a good reason for my long absence other than ... life. Life happens, you know, and lucky we are that and when it does! 

It’s been a busy year, personally, and for that I am grateful. It has also been a healthy year (or should I say, as I always do, “healthy for me”), and for that I am doubly grateful. We have travelled a little here and there, even went on a cruise in November. I only traveled for work one more time since I wrote here last. Travel is still one of the things I enjoy the most, and one of my more challenging things. I have the most trouble finding things to eat when I am away from home, because everything has to be vegan but not very green. The world still thinks that vegan means “a plate full of greens”, so it’s a bit challenging. I also have trouble sleeping and really getting comfortable. When I travel for work it’s always at very high altitude and I can hardly breathe and I tire even easier there. But I am so much in awe that I can still do it and live to tell the tale.

In October, my husband and I were lucky enough to be able to go to the FH Summit in Atlanta, GA. This was our first time although this has been happening every year for seven years now. The FH Foundation surely knows how to throw an educational event! We have learned so many new things, we have seen how much more people know about FH and how much more educated people (including doctors) are about this disease now. This Foundation has truly been doing a labor of love! We have learned about how doctors screen better nowadays for it, what therapies are out there in research or even approved but maybe not as well-known. I was the most pleasantly surprised at how incredibly approachable the doctors were at this conference, and how willing they were to learn from us, the patients, about what it means to live with this condition. If you or someone you know has FH, I would recommend attending, if you can, at least once. It will open your eyes and your hearts!

Besides the travel which is always draining for my heart especially, we have had a challenging year emotionally, too. My mother has still been battling lung cancer; my dad just had a stroke (more about this in a future post, I promise!), our last living kitty died while we were away on our cruise and my husband left a job and just started a new one which was a bit of a roller coaster, as well. Through and for it all, we are beyond grateful that we’re (almost) all still here and alive and managing our health the best we can. ‘Cause if you don’t have health how in the world can you do all the other commitments life throws at you?

Lately, I have had new symptoms of dizziness and light-headedness, low blood pressures and high, too. My INR nurse has noticed that around the holidays and when I travel I have a hard time keeping my INR in range (I still fight with this ONE number!). I mean, I have accepted that my cholesterol will always be high, but the INR cannot make up its mind! One day it’s 1.4, a week later it’s 2.9! Go figure! But this is what “normal” is for me now.

I wish I had more time for naps, as I feel drained almost always, but not really sure how to make time for that. The simple act of living for people like us means constant effort and awareness. I was telling my husband (as if he didn’t know quite well!) that there is not one thing that I put in my mouth that I don’t question: “oh, could it have butter? What about eggs? Could they have boiled this in chicken broth? Or since we’re in the South, could they have fried this in bacon?” I love eating at Oriental places because they never sneak in cheese into anything and they always steam their rice! At least that! There is no hour in the day that doesn’t pass without asking “oh, did I take my morning drugs? Is it time for Coumadin yet?” Or any week that I don’t think “is this Wednesday time for my bi-weekly Praluent shot?”

But we all, no matter who we are and what we’re up against, have a cross to bear one way or another.  We all have our own journeys. I am sure thousands of you have kids you worry about, parents you want to see living to an olden, ripe age. Jobs you hate and which stress you and yours out every hour of every day, houses you want to get out of or dying to get into … All I have this sick ol’ heart and my cholesterol. And this is OK, in the scheme of things, I guess. This … is manageable.

I promise to return much, much sooner with more updates about recent blood tests and heart and aortic tests, and also about what unfortunately happens as a complication of FH (will update you on my dad’s stroke). I promise I won’t be “on vacation” for months again.

Happy December to all till then! And never forget: make time for yourselves before you help others.

An Accidental Weekend, Some Cravings and a Leftover Aside

I sometimes worry I won't be able to find anything to eat when I go out, especially with company. You always have to "explain" yourself (because they ask, not because you volunteer) and you can hear the eye rolls as you go over the way you eat. But you know what?! Even in Godforsaken Utah, things are much, much easier anymore. And plus, you need to stay a little bit creative, too ...

I had a "team activity" at work on Friday, where they took us out to get cooking lessons. The way it works: we cook the food, after some instructions from a chef, and then, we eat it. On the menu?! A full menu called "Mediterranean madness": chicken kebabs, tabbouleh salad, tzatziki sauce, pita bread and baklava. I cooked the tabbouleh and the rest of my team cooked various other dishes, and then we all shared what we cooked.  I had a pita bread stuffed with tabbouleh and that was more than plenty.

What goes into tabbouleh: bulgur (a grain), tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, a bit of olive oil. The pita bread was made from wheat flour, and no dairy, eggs or soy products. I definitely recommend the wheat flour over the regular white for the pita, because the nuttiness of the wheat gives extra flavor to your dish.

Tabbouleh salad stuffed pita bread.

On Saturday, my husband and I went to one of the local chain sandwich places, one of those joints that makes a big deal out of using all organic and local ingredients. I was still a little nervous that something might be contaminated by some food that might make me sick, break out, and feel guilty about what I am eating (because of the fats). I ordered a minestrone soup, which was loaded with mushrooms, oddly enough, and it was delicious. In Italian tradition, though, it did have a bit too much olive oil floating on the top, though.

Then, I ordered the hummus plate, which was plenty delicious! I did not eat all of the pita, as it, too, had some extra fat I could taste. What can you do?! You win some, you lose some, right?!     
                                            

Hummus plate and minestrone soup at Blue Lemon

 
For Sunday, I was craving two things (I guess, continuing with my Mediterranean theme from Friday): pasta and baba ghanoush. So, I roasted an eggplant in the oven, and after draining it, I threw it in the food processor with some white onions, salt, pepper and just a teaspoon and a half of vegan mayo (Earth Balance brand, which I can only find at Whole Foods around here), and made this delicious spread. My husband had made some vegan bread, and the combo between the smoky eggplant and the fresh bread was amazingly tasty. Just what the craving asked for!

Baba ghanoush and fresh home made bread

 
For the pasta, I made a creamy tomato sauce, using rice milk, fresh cherry heirloom tomatoes and lots of garlic, fresh parsley, onion and dill, simmered on low for about an hour. I mixed the sauce with the cooked rotinis, fresh sweet peppers and frozen sweet peas and threw everything in the oven for about an hour. That was our dinner. 

                                  
                                    Baked pasta, veggies and creamy tomato sauce 
 
One little "leftover" note I forgot to blog about: we had lots of leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner. And I usually love to re-invent the leftovers into some other dish, so we won't eat the same ol', same ol' dish all over again. My favorite re-invention this year was also the easiest one to make and so delicious: with the leftover mashed potatoes, I dumped some canned mushrooms into a Pyrex dish with the potatoes, mixed in some vegan cheddar cheese and lots of crushed garlic, and put it in the oven for the mixture to "get happy" for about 45 minutes. I just ate it with home made bread, just for extra comfort starchiness. 

 

Mashed potatoes and mushrooms casserole

American vs British Eateries

“All in all, I think the British actually hate food, otherwise they couldn’t possibly abuse it so badly. Americans, on the other hand, love food but seldom care what it tastes like.”
(Bill Marsano)

Since I have been on this almost 100% vegan diet, it’s been hard, if not almost impossible, to eat out and stay loyal to the diet. My husband and I eat out, I would say, more than your average middle class American couple, although we both cook and we cook well. But we also love food, and one gets tired of one’s own flavors.

Last month, we traveled to London, UK, for our anniversary. We spent about 5 days in the city, walking (a lot!) and taking pictures, re-learning history and visiting landmarks. We also ate. A lot! Everyone had told us not to get our hopes up about English food, as it is B-O-R-I-N-G, or at best “fair”. But I have to tell you: to us, it could not have been further from either of those words. They know how and what to do with a piece of meat and some potatoes, for sure! And every dish tasted like the ingredients, not like sugar or excessive salt, or heavy oils, or heavy buttermilk batters, like American dishes do. There was a purity to the British tastes that I have yet to find in our own country.

I have mentioned here before that it is close to impossible to get PLAIN, un-buttered toast in America. Even when you specifically ask for that, they cook it on the greasy grill, not in a regular toaster, and you get fat on it, regardless of what you ask. In Britain, toast is …well, toast: just a slice of bread of your choice, popped in the toaster, slightly dried out and on the plate. With butter on the side, if you wish to add. Some places in the UK get more creative about the spread on the toast, too: not only do they have all sorts of jams and preserves, but they have roasted pepper, avocado, olive spreads as well.

Soups are not heavy with cheese, either. In America it’s impossible to go to a mainstream lunch place and get a vegetarian (I don’t dare hope for vegan) soup where milk, buttermilk or cheese has not been added to the broth! Not so in London: I ordered this tomato soup one night which was delicious, and the freshly grated cheese (and plenty of it), came on the side. The soup was freshly roasted pureed tomatoes with a hint of basil in it. So fresh! 

 

My breakfast one morning: left side was roasted pepper spread with mushrooms, right side was avocado garlic and herb spread with grilled tomatoes. The "potato patty" on the side was deep fried and cheesy, but it was on a separate plate and it did not "contaminate" the rest of my food. 

 

This is the tomato soup I got one night: cheese on the side. And you cannot see this, but there was another dish with croutons, on the side as well. 

 

My favorite, very, very plain and no frills breakfast: naked bread, a cup of fruit and three jam options (top right of the picture). These are the most enormous pieces of nine grain bread I have ever seen. Not sure if you can tell, but they were longer than my silverware!

 

The only dish that "broke" the rules: vegetarian bangers and mash! How cool is that, though?! The bangers did have soy in them (which I knew they probably did and which I cannot have, either), and the mash had cheese in it - I only ate some of them.  

It is very hard to travel, for business or pleasure in The States – travelling is the ultimate eating out experience, as you really have no other options. I am pretty sure all the sautéed veggies are either cooked in butter or chicken (or beef) broth, which I cannot do on my no meat and no animal products diet. 

And back to the US: I went out the other week and ordered a salad. All salad, with fruit on top and raspberry vinaigrette. I am not sure if you can tell, but the vinaigrette was creamy, definitely not all vinegar and fruit, but something else to make it creamy.

I still have no idea what this food intolerance is, 4 doctors later and counting! But I do know I feel better when I stay vegan. It’s like playing Russian roulette every time I eat out, though – and it’s not fun. I don’t live in a super-cosmopolitan town, to be sure, but even when we travel to more “worldly” places within the US, I struggle to find something that is honestly “clean”. Yet another challenge I have to live with, I suppose, and as we know: no one lives in a bubble!

Is the Truth Really in the Numbers?

And so it goes, on another wild goose chase, of sorts.

Since around December, I have drastically changed what I eat and for the most part my entire daily routine. The drive for the change was my latest echo-cardiogram that showed a “not quite yet operable”, degrading aortic valve that has been regressing into bad and worse over the years.

I eat no meat, or animal products (no dairy, eggs), about 95% of the time. I eat cooked veggies only at home, because you see, in the restaurants they cook everything in butter. Even ‘unbuttered toast’ is absolutely impossible to order in the US of A!

I eat salads out, almost exclusively, except when I travel, when I indulge in bread or fish. I do eat fish about once or twice a week on an average (some weeks, I eat more). To top that, I have had allergies to foods, and the list there has grown every day, it seems. So, I am staying away from soy, too, and because of the fat content, I eat very little nuts, avocadoes, or any oils too. So, yeah, my list of foods is shrinking and shrinking. People ask for labels nowadays, so they ask me all the time if I am vegetarian. I hate labels, but for sake of simplicity I call myself “soy free vegan”, and it’s mostly accurate, except for the days when I eat fish and (very rarely) a piece of turkey (as close to 99% fat free as I find).

And just last week, I went in for the repeat blood tests. I am still allergic “to something”, but even after months of seeing doctors and trying to figure out “what” that something is, we still cannot tell for sure. But all my cholesterol values have dropped unbelievably since September:

Test	September Value	March Value	Difference	Regular Range
Cholesterol	410	284	-126	100-199
HDL Chol	40	31	-9	40-59
LDL Chol	344	225	-119	0-130
Triglycerides	133	142	9	48-149
Chol/HDL ratio	10.3	9.2	-1.1	0-3.1
LDL/HDL ratio	8.6	7.2	-1.4	0

 

I can tell you that this diet is agreeing with my level of energy, too. I wake up earlier, I snooze less and I work 12 hour days most days. I feel horrible in my stomach for the most part, because I still think something, somewhere is wrong with my digestive tract, but I feel great anywhere else. My one wish is still to exercise more, to make my heart stronger.

I still won’t know for sure whether the diet changes will slow down the valve’s degradation, till the following echo-cardiogram in December, but here’s hoping.

One puzzling thought I do still have is my increasing triglycerides: they were hardly ever elevated before, and they typically tell you that if your diet is healthy, they should be low. Well, mine went up! The only fat fraction that did so. Again: am I ever easy to figure out?!

One Day … ahem… Dish at a Time

If you remember, right before Christmas, I got the news that my aortic valve is shrinking as we speak, faster than I thought or even ever realized. When I saw that picture(linked to the above blog) of what my valve could be looking like, something went off, or on, in my brain, not sure which. And the way I eat had to change. I have loved food all my life and have indulged plenty, but at the end of that December something just snapped inside and I just have to keep fats away from my arteries! I will just have to do my very best, this time!

As a result, I have been looking for and trying on plenty of vegan recipes, and I have eaten mostly meat and dairy free. Egg whites are about the only animal product I’ve eaten lately. I don’t use oil in my sautéing, either, or cheese or even butter. I use a vegetal butter in my grits, but it’s not fat free – that is, so far, my biggest challenge at home: trying to make mashed potatoes and grits with fat free vegan butter. It doesn’t exist: you either get the fat free (with milk) or you get the vegetal butter (with fat). Who knew that someone raised in Romania, with a carnivore family and meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner growing up can actually pull this off?!

Here are some examples of dinners I have made lately. They were all incredibly delicious and so filling. I am not missing meat yet. I know it will happen, and I even wonder which meat I’ll crave first. But for now, I am looking forward to my next tasteful and fatless meal! 

 

Gimme Lean vegan sausage with garlic and fresh herbs, over mashed potatoes mashed with Earth Balance butter and light soy milk. My husband made the bread - no milk, eggs or butter in it. 

 

 

Curried Brussels sprouts with potatoes, tomatoes, onions and herbs, over dirty jasmine rice

 

Teriyaki vegetable stirfry (broccoli, bell peppers, yellow squash and mushrooms) with Lightlife vegan "chicken" strips, over rice noodles

 

Bean soup (cannellini beans, potatoes, bell peppers, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes) with herbs and chilli seasoning.

The biggest challenge is eating out. The only "safe" food I can find is salads - and that is a bit old after a while. And with a full week of being on the road for work coming up, the stakes are about to get very high.