The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease Review

I meant to write this sooner to when I actually finished the book, but I recently read “The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease” by Daniel E. Lieberman. I have read extensively and widely on topics relating to humans, health, and nutrition and this book explained things relating to those topics better than any other title I've read.

Lieberman is a paleoanthropologist at Harvard University and the beginning of the book is a slightly dry and technical look at the species along the chain of human evolution. He uses a lot of illustrations to highlight his key points. This information was interesting to me but was much harder to get through than the latter part of the book. Once you get through to Part II “Farming and the Industrial Revolution” the book picks up speed and becomes more interesting (at least to the type of people who probably read this blog!).

Lieberman explains everything in a way that is easy to grasp and is grounded in evolutionary science. I love the way he talks about macronutrients and dispels many of the myths held in our culture like fat makes you fat and protein is the only thing that builds muscle. He doesn't advocate for any particular diet or lifestyle, but makes the point that our bodies were designed to crave sugar/salt/fat and were also designed to move for most of the day. He talks about how this design is a mismatch with our current environment and how that mismatch leads to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other health issues.

I snapped one screen shot of my eBook that I have to share here because it beautifully sums up the major premises of the book:

I hope you will all take the time to read this gem. Check your local library to see if they have a free print/eBook copy!

Orlando Day Trip: Wekiwa Springs Kayaking + Vitality Bistro

Orlando is known for it's attractions and theme parks. It's also about an hour from the beach. Many people don't realize that Orlando is also close to some wonderful state parks and outdoor recreation areas. One of the most popular is the Wekiwa Springs State Park.

From their website: "just one hour from most central Florida attractions, Wekiwa Springs offers visitors the opportunity to relax in a natural setting, enjoy a picnic, or take a swim in the cool spring. Canoeists and kayakers can paddle along the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run. Thirteen miles of trails provide opportunities for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding."

There is a small concession area at the park where you can rent canoes and kayaks. The prices are very reasonable and the springs are easy to navigate by boat, even for newbies. You would be hard pressed to not see any wildlife. On our recent trip we saw our first wild alligators, birds of all types, hundreds of turtles doing yoga, and OTTERS.

It's $6 per car to get into the park, and we paid $23 for a double kayak for 2 hours. 2 hours was a great length of time for us, but it's only $3 per hour more after that! There are other places in and around the Wekiwa area to rent boats, but this is the best deal. There's also a large spring for swimming right by the concessions area. 

After kayaking we explored the town Mt. Dora since we were already halfway there. At the Central Florida Veg Fest in October I got a plate of raw ravioli from a restaurant called Vitality Bistro. It's completely organic & raw, and they sell some of their popular products like onion bread and crackers to go. They serve organic beer and wine, and have great desserts (we took a raw brownie to go). You should definitely check them out if you're in the area!

Appetizer: fruit and cheese plate. This was amazing! The cheeses were shallot & olive and sundried tomato. 

The daily special: spaghetti and meat sauce. That was an edible flower, which I quite liked.

The VB signature sandwich with a side of kale chips.

Eat, Drink, Vote Review

I try to make sure that I read, listen to, observe, etc. information from non-plant based thinkers whenever possible. Sometimes I feel like I’m drinking the vegan Kool-aid and need to check in with the mainstream nutrition research when I can. That’s not to say that I think mainstream is better (I’d say it’s not), but I want to make sure to get a less biased perspective. One of my favorite non-plant based authors is the exceptional Marion Nestle. Taken from the About page on her website “Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health (the department she chaired from 1988-2003) and Professor of Sociology at New York University. Her degrees include a Ph.D. in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley.”

The first book I read by Nestle was “Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics”, though I've read/heard her work referenced in countless sources. I think I first heard about her through Michael Pollan, another favorite non-plant based source of information. Nestle has a new book that came out in September 2013 titled “Eat, Drink, Vote” and I was lucky to read a copy from Net Galley.

Let me start with this: I love this book. I read it quickly, it’s short and it’s fun. If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me go further. The book uses political cartoons from The Cartoonist Group syndicate to illustrate a variety of salient points about the US food system. Each page is a mix of cartoons and/or text. It’s amazing how cartoons can convey so much in such a small place. I read a lot of nutrition books and articles, and this one was unique in presentation but didn't give up anything in the way of hard knowledge.

I think it’s so important to use humor to express sensitive issues because it allows us to examine them in a way that’s not threatening, and we often have a more visceral response to images than to blocks of text. This book is a nice primer on the US food system and covers topics such as: agriculture, politics, food marketing, hunger, international relations, government intervention, obesity, nutrition research, cultural values, and more. I’m so impressed by it that I’m going to order it for my library. It’s a good example of how to use media to support scientific information, and touches on many different disciplines. Do yourself a favor and read this book. It’s easy to get through, will elicit a few laughs, and will quickly educate you on the most important topics in food politics.

No Meat Athlete

I’m a librarian and I take research seriously. When I was flirting with the idea of becoming a vegetarian in January 2012 I didn't make the commitment until I made sure that I could support my athletic pursuits and general nutritional needs on a vegetarian diet. I found some research studies in our medical databases, but I wanted some more real life stories, support, and examples. I’ll let you in on a librarian secret, the best way to search (anywhere) is to first use the right words or terms. During my library searching I realized that the word athlete was giving me the best results in looking for research on how plant based diets support active people. When I took my search out to Google one of the first websites I found was No Meat Athlete.

This website, more than anything else in my initial searching, convinced me that I could not only survive but thrive on a plant based diet. Matt Frazier is the athlete behind the site which is built upon blogs/articles written by Frazier and others. The beauty of the site is that reading the articles is like sitting down with a friend. They are very approachable, not preachy, and cover the important points of different issues without getting bogged down in minutiae. I also listen to the No Meat Athlete podcasts and was excited to hear that Frazier was publishing a book. I was especially excited to find out it would include a half marathon plan, because I was considering buying No Meat Athlete’s virtual “Half Marathon Roadmap” for awhile and saw this as a good option.

I also appreciate the quality of No Meat Athlete’s free content and wanted to do my part to support the site. I pre-ordered the book, which came with some cool perks like extra content and webinars, and received it a few weeks ago. I actually read (most) of it cover to cover even though I was familiar with a majority of the content. Just like the blogs/articles, the book is written in a highly readable style. It’s most impressive for its handling of the main topics of the book: plant based diets and running. Frazier discusses the benefits of a plant based diet without making the reader feel guilty for not being ready to commit to it yet. He covers the health, environmental and moral benefits comprehensively without being overbearing. I would give this book to anyone considering a plant based diet, and I’ll probably give it to a few important people in my life for Christmas.

The second half is about running. As mentioned in my last post, I've started falling in love with running so this section was fun for me. It really makes you feel like anyone can become not just a runner but a successful runner who can accomplish any goal they set. I had already started my half marathon training when I got the book, but have modified the way I do my interval runs based on Frazier’s plan. The book has plans for a 5K, 10K, and half marathon that are very easy to follow. I should mention that there is a large recipe section. I have been scouring plant based books/blogs for almost 2 years now and I still found recipes that I’m excited to try like Momo Granola Bars, Buffalo Hummus, Chopzilla! Salad and Black Bean Brownies.

In short, this book is good for anyone who is:

1. Already plant based
2. Plant curious
3. A runner
4. Run curious
5. Into health & wellness

Go check it out!

Thrive

I've been meaning to write this post for about a year now. In January of 2013 Brendan Brazier launched a free online program called “Thrive Forward”. At that time I’d been plant based for just less than six months and wasn't familiar with Brendan, but I kept seeing his name and the program popping up on blogs. The program is a series of videos, articles, and recipes that outline Brendan’s version of plant based eating. Over the last year it has expanded, and they've added a Sports Edition and now a bonus Thrive Kitchen section. I quickly decided to buy two of Brendan’s books to dig deeper into his food philosophy.

I learned a lot about nutrition in general from doing the program and it helped me make the shift from what I like to call a “substitute” vegan to being a plant based eater. “Substitute” vegans are the ones who like to substitute their favorite meat/dairy foods with vegan versions (ex. A pizza with seitan pepperoni and vegan shredded cheese). There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but my aim has always been to be as healthy as possible and I don’t think that’s the right way to do it. I do think that substituting is essential for anyone transitioning to a plant based diet because it’s hard to get over the messages we've been ingrained with and the food traditions to which we are attached.

I love the Thrive program because it’s all about being as healthy as possible and is super focused on whole foods. It also emphasizes mindful eating principles and not counting calories. This was the hardest thing for me to adjust to about the Thrive program because I was convinced that I needed to do that to maintain my weight. I put my trust in what Brendan had to say and stopped counting calories. I’m happy to report that as of my latest check up last week I weigh 148 pounds, 2 less than I was expecting! I don’t only use Thrive recipes, but the general program has become a part of my routine.

My “smoothie for breakfast, salad for lunch” philosophy stems directly from Thrive. I always have a batch of homemade energy bars in the freezer based on Brendan’s formula. I try to follow his principles about how to use nutrition to refuel after a workout, and the bars are my go to in the morning after my shower before my commute. I was lucky enough during the initial Thrive program to win an amazing Vega prize pack with (among other things) 4 giant tubs of protein powder and a case of coconut water. I am still making my way through the last of the powder, and in case you’re curious my favorite flavor Is Vanilla Chai. I use the powder in my smoothies, my bars, other baked goods, and oatmeal.

In terms of recipes, I've used his burgers and pizzas a lot. I’m recently trying to limit my gluten intake and many of his recipes do the same. I don’t eat quite as much fat as he uses in his recipes because I’m still not convinced that a super high or super low fat diet is ideal. In terms of athletic performance, I learned a lot from his books and the online program. His “Thrive Fitness” book has training logs and a specific workout plan that I followed when we were still in NC and I had gym access. It taught me a lot about using my workout time wisely/effectively and about keeping track of my workouts to monitor gains and/or problem areas. I am certain that my strength and cardiovascular endurance were both improved significantly because of his program.

I cannot make it any more clear that Thrive is an amazing free resource for anyone on a plant based diet, anyone who is plant curious, anyone who is an athlete, and anyone who wants to learn more about nutrition from a non-mainstream (aka non-shady funded) source. And in case you’re curious, I wrote this review/post solely of my own volition because I think it’s awesome!

Isa Does It

If you have ever looked into vegan cooking or cookbooks before you've probably heard of Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her website Post Punk Kitchen is hugely popular. She wrote several of my favorite cookbooks like “Veganomicon”, “Appetite for Reduction”, and “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”. She has a new cookbook coming out on October 22 called “Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week” and I was lucky enough to view a preview copy through Net Galley (librarian perk!).

As I mentioned before, I love several of Isa’s other books. This one is no exception! It’s incredibly visually appealing and there are some gorgeous food photos in here. The first section of the book has really helpful cooking/pantry basics, along with my favorite section “Vegan Butchery” which shows you how to make all sorts of shapes with your vegan proteins. She also includes tips on making things easier, and includes a guide to substitutions for various allergies.

The recipe chapters are: Soups; Salads; Handheld; Pasta & Risotto; Stews, Chilis & Curries; Stir-fries and Sautes; Bowls (& a few plates); Sunday Night Suppers; A Few Basic Proteins; Breakfast, Brunch & Bakes for the Morning; and Desserts. As evidenced by the sections, there is something in here for everyone. I like Isa’s books because they provide a nice balance between healthy and indulgent recipes that should suit the taste of people like me who eat a very clean diet, or people that get down on pies and cookies. Also, she has recipes that are quick and easy mixed with recipes good for special occasions.

Her recipes are very accessible and don’t have too many weird or hard to find ingredients. I've been eating plant based for just under two years, and have scoured blogs and cookbooks for recipes the entire time. I still found plenty of new dishes in this book that I can’t wait to try. First on my list is Shiitake Banh Mis, followed closely by Sweet & Sour Brown Rice Salad and Olive-Lentil Burgers. I’m also intrigued by the Pizza Bowls because I love vegan pizza but have been trying to cut down the gluten in my diet. Hopefully you’ll be seeing some of my re-creations of these recipes on my What I Ate Wednesday posts soon! This book will be a great addition to any kitchen, regardless of what food philosophy you subscribe to.