Tofu Eggs

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1 (16-ounce) block firm tofu, drained

1 tablespoon vegetable broth

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and ground black pepper

Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes. (Place paper towel on cutting board with tofu atop towel. Place towel on top of tofu. Press down with another cutting board and use a cookbook or other book to press down top board. Can use plates instead.)

In skillet heat the broth over medium heat. Crumble the pressed tofu into the pan with your hands.

Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the tofu with your spatula to get a scrambled egg texture for 5 to 7 minutes until the moisture is gone.

Reduce the heat to low and add the nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic, powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until all moisture is absorbed. Remove from heat.

My Insight on the Nutritarian Diet

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In here I’m going to write about my take on the Fridge Love author’s stance.

The fact is it appears people who *need to* lose weight have been successful in doing this using the Nutritarian Diet. On this strict diet you limit your salt intake to 1,000 mg per day. You cut out using any oil–even don’t use olive oil.

Limiting sodium to 1,000 mg per day sounds OK. Though I take with a grain of salt the author’s advice about “meal-prepping” for hours on a Sunday everything you’re going to eat in the coming week.

Doesn’t chilling out sound better than overworking yourself over the stove in your limited free weekend time. I’d like to talk about “workarounds” for those of us with a low energy level or who are otherwise unable to make our own soup from scratch every week.

The canned soup I buy has salt and sometimes cane sugar. I use the Amy’s Organic varieties that are free of safflower or sunflower oil: split-pea, low-in-sodium lentil, tomato bisque, quinoa red lentil and kale, French country vegetable, and porcini mushroom.

The other Amy’s soups list safflower or sunflower oil as an ingredient. Those are unhealthy fats. Dr. Frank Lipman, MD in his book How to be Healthy advises readers to steer clear of these oils as well as to not use corn, canola oil, cottonseed, and vegetable oil too.

Sadly, the Amy’s Organic Soups used to cost $3.29. They are now $4.99 each. Still a “time savings”: when you don’t have the energy to make your own soup.

As a one-person household I spend 30 minutes each evening cooking dinner for 5 days a week. Some of us have the energy and love cooking elaborate recipes with 8 or more ingredients. I dare submit that this is not real-life for most of us.

The Fridge Love author to her credit cites mushrooms as a super food. For years now I’ve scrambled organic shitake mushrooms with organic eggs for breakfast. She is against using eggs.

Eight ounces of tofu has 18 grams of protein–more than two eggs. I’ll give you here the one Fridge Love recipe soon that I’ll be using: Tofu Eggs. It requires only three or so ingredients.

Sadly too, it’s hard to qualify for SNAP benefits or food stamps when your income is too high. I recommend using a food pantry. Even though a person might be too proud to want to do this it’s worth considering.

Lastly: I’ll end here with a sage idea: “Take what works and leave the rest” when another person–even a so-called expert–gives you advice.

I accept that I can’t adhere to the nutritarian diet. (I’m Italian–I’m going to have a pastry once or twice a month!)

What I have done is reorganize my fridge and freezer according to Kristen Hong’s guidelines as to where to store food items inside. I’m also buying the Anchor Hocking glass True Seal containers to store food in.

My New Year’s resolution is to focus on health. Coming up a few new recipes that are easy to make.

Fridge Love

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I found this book on Amazon where I search for new books. Then checked it out of the library for free. I recommend buying the book.

Qualifying “buy the book” with the caveat: The author uses only nutritarian recipes at the end. Perfect for you if you’re an all-in vegan with a strict adherence to what’s allegedly the healthiest diet.

I’ll only use a couple recipes like the “unfried” rice and tofu eggs. That’s because a significant number of the recipes require at least 8 or more ingredients. Food like coconut aminos (I have no idea why they’re healthy) and chia seeds.

The recipes turned me off because I lived in the 1970s. I can remember that then there were TV commercials advertising the Chi-Chi Chia Pet. You could buy a terracotta planter, insert chia seeds in it, and water the seeds. Presto–a head of green sprouts would bud, and you had your own “pet.”

Owing to the unfortunate association of chia seeds with the Chia Pet I won’t be eating chia seeds in my lifetime : )

Other than my not liking these recipes the front of the book has intrinsic value thus my “buy the book” stance. For one the detailed information on types of refrigerators, how and where to store food in each type, and how and when to clean inside the fridge is golden.

The other better part of the book was the alphabetical list of produce and how to wash and how and where to store these items in the fridge.

So–I’m going to buy this book as a reference guide. It’s in paperback so is cheaper.

Author Kristen Hong’s Instagram account is hellonutritarian.

2023 Early Winter Lower Body Routine

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1.Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing 10-15 pounds 3 sets x 12 times each side

2.Kettlebell Squat (stand directly over kettlebell and hold – then push up to standing – keep chest up) 20 pounds 3×12

3.Lunges with back foot on platform with only one riser on each side) put back foot up and lunge 12 times each side – hold 5 pound DB in each hand 5 pounds 3×12

4.Romanian / Hamstring Deadlift (1 DB in each hand – keep legs straight and reach forward to feel stretch) 8-10 pounds 3×12

4.Calf Raises (DB in each hand – on platform no risers) 10 pounds 3×15

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Butt Kicks (30 seconds)

+

Plank on Forearms (as long as possible)

Squat Jumps 10 reps

+

Crunches on Floor (only lift shoulders to squeeze stomach) 3×15

2023 Early Winter Upper Body Routine

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1.Dumbbell Press (lying on floor – lay flat on floor – legs bent or straight – arms diagonal) – push DB to ceiling one side at a time 8-10 pounds 3×12

2.Dumbbell Row (knees bent and lean over – DB in each hand) one side at a time 8-10 pounds 3×12

3.Dumbbell Shoulder Press (hold dumbbells touching each other in front) push straight up to ceiling 5-8 pounds 3×12

4.Dumbbell curl (hold DBs in front of body and touching each other – curl up to the top then all the way back down) 5-8 pounds 3×12

5.Tricep kickback (1 dumbbell in each hand – lean forward) pull elbow up to side straighten arm then bend 5-8 pounds 3×12

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High Knees (30 seconds)

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Straight Leg Raises 15 reps

Ball Slams (From high up slammed in floor) 20 reps

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Plank tucks (Plank on hands and tuck legs) 20 reps

Spring Cleaning in the Fall

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I realized I had written that I would talk about my disenchantment with chasing material goods and mainstream acclaim to feel good.

At the height of COVID I started to fill up donation bags with shoes clothes belts and pocketbooks to donate to the Salvation Army.

In reality 90 percent of what’s donated to this charity a reseller in Africa buys. The items ultimately wind up in a landfill in Accra.

Instead I’ve found a local thrift shop I can donate my like new items to that gives me a tax receipt too.

Since March 2021–over 3 years–I’ve donated a total of 30 bags to charities.

The truth is clear: mindless scrolling on websites can cause us to shop online impulsively. I’ve stopped doing this.

After my tidying spree I have one bag to donate this fall. That should be all. It’s liberating when the only clothes in your closets and drawers are the ones you wear every week.

Gone are the sweaters and other items that I bought because they caught my eye in a store. Today I have strict criteria for what I will buy and when.

This fall I bought two throw pillows and an ivory table runner to spruce up the dining table decor. That’s all.

Who needs 5 different sets of dinnerware? Three complete dinnerware sets were on the chopping block this March.

It can be overwhelming to need to take out and rearrange unused stuff to get to the one thing you need to find. Giving what remains breathing room frees our mind. Clear space clear mind is what I’ve always thought.

As a person who practices Feng Shui I’m convinced that keeping unused items in the same place for years and years causes stagnation.

The year is ending. Spring cleaning year-round is the foolproof way to spark joy.

2023 Fall Lower Body Routine

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1.DB squat w/ DB facing front & held with both hands between legs 8-10 pounds 3×12 reps

2.Lunges stepping forward (holding DB in each hand – 10 on one side then 10 on the other) 5 pounds 3×10 reps

3.Single leg bridge (lying on floor – put 1 leg up & push hips up to ceiling with other leg) 3×10 each side

4.Wall sit (squat against wall & sit for as long as you can)

5.Squat w/ shoulder press (squat while holding DBs at shoulders & press DBS toward ceiling) 5 pounds 3×12 reps

Jumping Jacks x30

+

Plank Up on Hands (as long as possible)

Mountain Climbers x30

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Ab Tucks (lying on floor – tuck legs back toward you and squeeze stomach) x15

2023 Fall Upper Body Routine

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  1. Push-ups on knees (As many as possible)
  2. DB chest press from floor (lying flat on floor elbows touching floor – press DBs up to ceiling) 8-10 pounds 3×12 reps
  3. Bent over DB row (leaning over holding DB in each hand – pull elbows back & squeeze sides) 8-10 pounds 3×12 reps
  4. DB shoulder raise (palms facing in & DB raised out to the side up to shoulder height) 5 pounds 3×12 reps
  5. Single DB tricep extension (holding 1 DB with both hands bend back behind head & extend up to ceiling 8-10 pounds 3×12

Squat Jumps x10

+

Russian Twists with 5 pound DB 3×15 reps

Ball Slams left to right (Raise high before slamming ball down) x20

+Alternating Leg Raises 3×15 reps

Flexing Our Muscle at Any Age

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The book above received a ton of one- and two-star reviews on Amazon.

To be honest I checked the book out of the library and didn’t buy it. I thought it was an OK book and will read it again in my spare time to get inspired.

The reviewers who trashed Flex Your Age didn’t like that the guide offered no exercise routines and no eating plans.

In my humble blog here I’ve been reposting my workout routines for readers to use if you want.

What impressed me about Joan MacDonald the author is that she didn’t start lifting weights until she turned 70. By 71 she was lifting 175 pounds with a fully loaded barbell.

And I thought it was remarkable that I didn’t start lifting weights until I was 46. 3 years later I could lift 205 pounds with the trap bar at the gym.

Joan has me beat! Though this is not a competition. Nor should the two of us and what we’ve done intimidate readers or make you feel poorly if you can’t do these things.

The point to our stories is that change is possible at any age. Incremental change is always better to effect if you ask me.

Soon I will post my 2023 Fall Upper Body and Lower Body routines.

Shrimp Pepper Salt

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A friend I helped start a job as a Cooking Coach I paid to come over and teach me this recipe.

His novel idea was to use a stockpot not a frying pan for the shrimp.

This recipe and the mac-and-cheese recipe are quick and easy to cook.

Fall Dinner Part Two:

Shrimp Pepper Salt

12 cleaned deveined large raw shrimp

Salt and Pepper

Set-up:

Defrost shrimp in hot water in a big bowl. This is a quicker way to defrost the shrimp.

Devein shrimp.

Remove tails from shrimp. The right way to do this my friend showed me:

Not to pull the tail off from the end. Break the tail at the side hold shrimp and pull the tail off sideways.

Pour enough olive oil in stockpot. Add shrimp. Sprinkle salt and pepper on shrimp to your taste.

Keep stirring the shrimp for three minutes on one side.
Turn and keep stirring for three minutes on other side.

Shrimp should be dark pink.

Serve with the really cheesy mac-and-cheese.