Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Health At Every Size's LiveJournal:

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Friday, October 23rd, 2009
11:58 am [nellorat]	Vegan Pumpkin Bars It's the season for pumpkin goodies, and I love them. I'm willing to overlook a certain amount of eggs or butter in occasional treats, but long-term & frequent desire for that pumpkin-spicy goodness drove me to come up with my own recipe: NELLORAT'S PUMPKIN TREAT LOAF In a large bowl, mix 1 c. flour 1/3 c. Splenda 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 heaping tsp cinnamon 1/2 flat tsp mace Then thoroughly blend with 1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin 1/3 cup silken tofu Finally stir in, until evenly distributed, 1/2 c. chopped walnuts Microwave in a glass loaf pan for 6 to 7 minutes. Let cool a bit, cut into bars. The result is closer to a very dense, very moist bread than anything else. Oddly, it does not stick to the glass pan when microwaved. I think one could add more Splenda for a more candy-like effect, but I don't know how that would effect the cooking. I have no nutmeg in the house, hence the mace; but I like the taste. Do NOT overdo the mace. X-posted to my LJ Mood: om nom nom (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
12:34 pm [sarahmichigan]	A couple size-positive links... 1. I'm a "Kids in the Hall" fan, and I noticed the other day that they'd posted a short video interview with Paul Bellini, the silent character from their skits who walks around in nothing but a towel. He talks about being a fat kid and how he got somewhat liberated from body woes by being repeatedly taped in nothing but a towel.... 2. I'm doing some research on the Detroit Derby Girls because I will likely end up interviewing them for a newspaper story soon. I ran across a slideshow (I can't find the exact one now) that showed them in action, and I was happy that they include a pretty wide range of body types from thin to chunky, all looking strong and fierce. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
12:46 pm [sarahmichigan]	Adventures with napa cabbage and thoughts on activity I love that my farm share has challenged me to eat and cook with vegetables I had no (or little) experience with before. So far, the following are veggies that are either brand new to me or which I've eaten before but not cooked at home: -eggplant, purple and white (never cooked at home before this summer) -kale -kohlrabi -patty pan squash -lemon cucumbers -bok choy (had eaten but never cooked it) -napa cabbage -beets (eaten but never cooked at home) I've been having fun trying to figure out what to do with napa cabbage this week. When we got it before, I just made regular coleslaw with it, and it was fine. I've also seen some recipes for "Asian Coleslaw" online, and they looked interesting, so I may try those at some point. However, my most recent easy-and-tasty napa cabbage recipe is to add it to ramen noodles. I just took an 18 cent package of ramen noodles and dumped a bunch of coarsley chopped napa cabbage into the cooking water for the last one minute of boil time for the noodles. that's enough to make it wilt but not kill the crunch. Add the seasoning package, and it's good to go. The packets are pretty high in sodium, so you could, theoretically, make this but discard the packet and then make your own seasoning. I think spicy peanut or ginger-garlic would go well. However, if you folks have other recipe ideas for napa cabbage, I'm all ears! And, on the topic of activity. A while back, I posted a weekly challenge to try a new activity. I think the "eat a new fruit or veg" was much more popular. I think activity might be harder for many than trying new healthy foods. I suspect that-- like one person in another community I read put it-- we sometimes see exercise as a "punishment" - either for eating too much or just for being fat. I try to combat this by being careful in what words I use. I tend not to use "exercise" but use "activity" instead. I also know some people who like to think of it as "play time"- even better! I also have to periodically remind myself why I exercise. It's not to be skinny, because exercising doesnt' make me lose weight. I do it because it helps me feel looser and less achy and because it's a great stress-buster. Still, even though I feel I have a pretty healthy relationship with the concept of HAES-friendly activity, I haven't done the "try a new activity" challenge either. One reason is that I'm in a job transition and I haven't made going to the gym a priority. But, also there's comfort in routine for me, and I like doing the same activities over and over- largely lifting weights at the gym, biking or walking around my home, or doing one of my yoga DVDs. How's the activity challenge going for you? what are the mental or physical barriers that keep you from being active in a health-for-you way? What strategies do you use to get yourself moving? And, also, feel free to suggest size-friendly DVDs you enjoy in the comments (I already have "Yoga- Just My Size" with Megan Garcia). (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
10:35 am [bunnybutt]	So I'm guessing we've all heard about this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/17/petas-new-save-the-whales_n_261134.html I called PETA this morning, because as someone who was vegan for many years I found their message insulting. I discussed with their representative that the 10-20 lbs less a vegetarian statistically weighs than a meat eater isn't actively reflected in a billboard about "whales", and that while I might weigh 20lbs less than my meat eating fat friends, that is not the same as being thin, and that all "whale" perceptions still apply. They apologized for offending me. Isn't that nice of them. No more of my money or support, after this. Feh. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, August 17th, 2009
8:35 pm [finocchio]	rooting for rutabaga I had never tried rutabaga before but I'm adventurous. I washed, peeled and cubed it, put in water with salt, brought to a boil then simmered for @25 minutes until it was tender. (At about 15 minutes I threw in several fresh garlic cloves.) I then drained it, and put some butter and milk in the bottom of the pan, put the rutabaga back in, and mashed like mashed potatoes. You could season to taste with salt and pepper and eat it right there but I wanted to go further. But wait! There's more! A couple of tablespoons of fresh grated pecorino romano, salt and pepper to taste, and into a casserole dish it went. Another quick sprinkle of cheese and some Italian bread crumbs on top, then the dish went onto the grill where I already had pork steaks and sweet potatoes cooking. I imagine it'd be easy enough to bake it in the oven at a relatively high temp until golden brown and crunchy on top. I put it on the grill because as hot as it is today here I was not turning the oven on. It was fabulous! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
5:23 pm [bunnybutt]	Challenge of the week.... two months ago So I would probably be better with a "challenge of the month" here, but I wanted to report back on my Adventures with Brussel Sprouts. That's right, brussel sprouts. A vegetable I have studiously avoided and mocked and refused outright to taste before now. Just the smell of boiled brussel sprouts, eeww. Then a friend roasted some while I was at her house one day, and got me to try one. And she didn't get to have any of them, after that. And I've been making them at least once a week ever since (ok, only 2 months, but still!). Here's how she prepared them (and I copy her) preheat oven to 450, move rack to top of oven. chop the ends off the sprouts, and cut them in halves - quarters if they're huge. Toss them in enough olive oil to coat, and grind some pepper over them. Roast them on the top rack of the oven for 25-40 minutes (you just have to watch them, I'm afraid. I've had some burn at 30 and be undercooked at 40, so, keep an eye out for how done you want them. I like mine pretty done). Remove from oven, sprinkle with good quality salt, and enjoy. Nom nom nom. The loose leaves will get all dark and crunchy. The cut sides will get all caramelized. They don't taste anything like the brussel sprouts you may remember, they are delicious! Next, friend has promised to make me like cauliflower. I will report back. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, August 3rd, 2009
8:00 am [juliebean]	Getting new food and exercise ideas without going crazy. Anyone? I've been having a hard time with beliefs and obsessions lately.  And I hope some of you have gone through something similar enough to give me advice. I will state right now that so far, I only have read the Fat Acceptance/HAES stuff that's available online.  (Kate Harding, Junk Food Science) I have a list of reading (HAES and Fat!So? and several others) that I check for regularly at Half Price Bookstores.  The only one I've gotten so far is "The Diet Myth" and I haven't yet finished it. I firmly believe that I should not be dieting.  I believe that diets have caused any possible health problems that I have at this time.  ( Cut for possible triggering diet talk, but if you're able to read it, you might really help me. Thanks. ) My question is:  How do you guys find new recipes or think of new things to eat or cook - without triggering diet fantasies or negative self imaging?  How do you incorporate the idea being healthy without tying it to a diet? If nothing else, can you recommend some cookbooks that I could look for while I continue to search for some FA/HAES literature? Current Mood: aggravated Current Music: No Diggity by Blackstreet (37 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 31st, 2009
8:02 am [floraspond]	HAES at Work This is my first post here! I've been reading about HAES and intuitive eating in various forms for some time. After reading Linda Bacon's book, I'm back on track with it. I truly believe it's how I need to care for myself. Here's the rub: I'm a teacher and when I'm off during the summer, I get more in tune with myself, can manage to eat what and when I want and can do things that really feed my soul. In September, I'm back to the grind of school and the pressure of being immersed in a culture that doesn't support me. Here's some of my issues: At school, I have a schedule that does not allow me to eat when I want. My lunch is scheduled at a certain time and I can't eat when there are students in my room. I also only have 30 minutes for lunch. There's no place to go out, so I either have to eat cafeteria food (yuck!) or bring my own. The teachers in the lunchroom talk about food constantly and not in a way I feel affirming to me. I'd avoid eating there altogether, but it's my only contact with grown-ups all day! I do not want to have conversations about HAES with them, because they're very invested in their own culture. They're not really my friends, just colleagues. I'm thinking I should be sure to bring a yummy lunch, eat in my room where I can have a few moments to myself and be able to eat with awareness, then go to the lunchroom occasionally after I eat for conversation. How do you deal with eating at work? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 24th, 2009
12:50 pm [sarahmichigan]	Challenge update: try a new activity! About the "try a new fruit or veg" challenge: I did get Kohlrabi in this week's farm share, as well as beets, and I'm planning to use some of the ideas posted in previous comments on this community for cooking both veggies. I have only had pickled beets in Greek Salad before and have never tried to cook with them, so both the kohlrabi and the beets will be a new experience for me! Thanks for the great comments on the challenge posts. New challenge: Try a new activity and, if you're so inclined, post to the community about what you liked and didn't like, how "size friendly" you think it is, any modifications for larger bodies you'd suggest, etc. This can be taking a new class, trying a new solo exercise or buying a new fitness DVD. My fitness center offers all kinds of classes at no additional charge when you're a member, and I keep wanting to try more but haven't gotten around to it recently. I've done water aerobics before, but not in years, and tai chi is also on the "maybe to try" list. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
9:15 am [sarahmichigan]	Challenge: new veg So, we bought a share in a local farm, and got our first delivery on the 16th. we didn't get the expected kohlrabi, but we did get lots and lots of kale. I didn't really know what to do with it. I've probably had it before at a restaurant but have never cooked with it. I chopped some raw and added it to a salad, and that was OK.Then, yesterday, I read up for some recipes and decided to try it in a baked egg dish- sort of like a frittata, but not really. I sauteed it in a pan with canola oil along with garlic, dill, sage, thyme, salt & pepper as well as some chopped green onion and a bit of chopped zucchini and minced fresh garlic. I think it would have been great as a side dish right out of the pan like that, and may try that again sometime. But this time, it went into a 7x11 casserole pan, and then I whisked four eggs and about 4 ounces of shredded reduced fat (2 percent) sharp cheddar cheese and a bit of half-and-half , along with salt and pepper and poured it over the kale. I baked at 400 degrees for 17 minutes. It was pretty good, sort of souffle-like, sort of omelet-like. I think I could have used two more eggs as the final result was a bit thinner/shallower than I'd meant. The kale was wonderful- I liked the texture and the taste with eggs. One negative:I read that you could use the stems, but I think I'd throw them away in the future. They were tough and fibrous and I wasn't thrilled with the texture even after several minutes of sauteeing plus 17 minutes of baking. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 12th, 2009
8:58 am [nellorat]	Hearts of Palm I'm sorry I'm too late to join the weekly challenge, but to make up for it, let me jump in with one of my fave foods: hearts of palm. Nutritionally, it's not a wonder food, but it's very good, except for being high in sodium. Most of all, it's high in fiber and very satisfying. I like it because it combines the ease of a salad ingredient (just dump in the salad or even eat as is) with the texture of a cooked vegetable. Hence it's a great snack and a great side-dish to a meal when I'm feeling very, very lazy. You can put salad dressing on chunks or dip long pieces, but you don't even have to. My spouse supergee dislikes the smell, but I like the smell and love the taste: light green-vegetable flavor but a bit tangy. (I did once drink some of the can's juice by mistake--don't ask--and that was bad.) It's not cheap, but it's not hugely expensive like caviar. There are some environmental concerns, and if you get a brand that is from palms grown for that purpose (instead of natural growth), you'll be helping out. Mentioning this as my fave snack surprised even a foodie friend of mine, so I thought it was worth mentioning in terms of the challenge for new foods. Actually, I discovered it when I was doing highly-themed Valentine's Day parties, which I felt should serve hearts of palm. Mood: waking up for work; right now, fave food is CAFFEINE (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
6:23 pm [juliebean]	Parsnip So to answer the challenge of trying a new fruit or vegetable...  I decided to try parsnips.  I've never cooked or eaten them at all.  So I used this recipe for roasted parsnips with horseradish butter. I can't say for sure that it was terribly healthy, since it was tossed in butter, but I did try something new. So - about parsnips in general:  I liked them.  To me, they tasted somewhat like a cross between a carrot and a potato.  I don't like cooked carrots usually but I did like this. About the recipe, I liked it also.  I followed the recipe fairly closely except that I only had dried chives and I didn't have regular horseradish so I used Wasabi.  (I love Wasabi.)  I thought the slight spiciness balanced the sweetness of the parsnip. I bought some leeks also.  I've eaten them but never cooked them, so they probably don't fall under the challenge but I figured it would be good to try something else new anyway. Current Mood: full (22 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
1:27 pm [sarahmichigan]	Challenge: try a new fruit or veg A while back, when I made a "why are you here" post, bluestocking said she thought a "weekly challenge" would be fun. I think it's a fun idea, too, and intend to post them occasionally. Feel free to post your own challenges to the community as well. THEY ARE ALWAYS VOLUNTARY AND OPT-IN. Nobody should feel pressured to do any challenge posted if you don't feel like it or can't afford it or if thinking about it makes you feel bad, etc. Challenge #1: My challenge to you: Summer is a great time for fresh produce. In the next two or three weeks, I challenge you to try a new (new to you) fruit or veggie & feel free to report back in the comments here or in a new post. I'm signed up for a share through a farm share/CSA arrangement, and I know they're going to be including several fruits and veggies that I've never tried before. Incidentally, what do you do with kohlrabi? I have no idea.... (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
10:23 pm [nellorat]	PT, Recumbent Bike Today I had my first physical-therapy session for arthritis-related pain in my shoulder and knees, and it went very well. I'll be going three times a week for four weeks; my shoulder hurts a bit more from the exercises, but they do extend my range of motion, and with the NSAID (Arthrotec) it's no big deal. And I used a recumbent exercycle for the first time & am falling in love: most of the exercise of walking, none of the knee pain! I say "most" because I do like the whole-body swaying when I treadmill to DVDs of music videos, but pain is obviously a huge disincentive to exercise. At the recommendation of someone on my own LJ, I may get a short-time gym membership and try out other non-impact machines, such as the elliptical trainer; down the road, we may buy some kind of non-impact machine. To my amazement, neither my orthopedist nor the PT guy has ever said anything about my weight. I was all set to argue down my ortho, only to find he not only isn't being an asshole but didn't mention my weight at all. I know from friends that this is unusual. Still, I urge anyone with joint pain to at least get it checked medically instead of just living with it. If you have health insurance and/or the money! :-( Tomorrow I see YogaJane for my weekly session, a more pleasant and whole-body workout. On the negative side, my blood sugar has been a bit high today, and I have no idea why. Still within OK ranges, but--dispiriting. Oh well, such are the mysteries of diabetes. Mood: settled, happy, ready to read in bed (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
9:45 pm [aurorastar420]	Diabetic-friendly sangria...can I pull it off? To all the diabetics and those who are more knowledgeable about food than I-- I'm having a baby shower for my best friend this Saturday. She was just diagnosed with gestational diabetes last week, but prior to that diagnosis, I had promised her a great big punch bowl full of sangria at her shower, since she's allowed a glass of red wine per day. Given that the sangria is one of the menu items she was most looking forward to, I really don't want to scrap it entirely. I'm thinking about using no-sugar-added, or preferably, reduced sugar juices, and fruits like apples and berries that are high in fiber but lower on the GI scale. Does this sound like a viable plan, or should I just serve red wine and a fruit tray, and make her some sangria after the baby is born? I want her to have an awesome day, and that includes NOT making her sick! Also, has anyone tried any sugar-free cake or icing mixes? If they don't have 'em at the grocery store, where else could I check? I don't have time to order online, given that the shower is 2 days from now. What's yummy, and what tastes like cardboard? Alternately, any good recipes I should know about? I was going to bake the cupcakes tonight, but now there's a huge storm that I don't feel like driving in. Boo. As to how this is HAES-related, I'm hypoglycemic, and since I cook for my BFF quite frequently, I think it would be awesome to have yummy sweet and alcoholic treats that won't send our blood sugar skyward in my repertoire for the both of us. Current Mood: hungry (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
7:04 pm [nellorat]	Arthritis; Diabetic Control ARTHRITIS: Today I finally got some action from my orthopedist, after the right MRIs had not been sent two weeks in a row. After my health insurance has approved both (*sigh*), I'll get (1) shots to lubricate my knee joints, and (2) physical therapy for my shoulder. Since working with my yoga instructor already noticeably reduced my shoulder pain and increased the range of motion there, I have some hope for physical therapy. DIABETES: My blood glucose readings are very good-- In fact, I'm back to maybe eating too little and sometimes going hypoglycemic in the middle of the night. Perhaps when I add in more regular exercise, I'll be able to go off the p.m. glyburide (or morning actos?); for now, I'm kind-of in-between but can't really skip the p.m. dose. (I take glyburide 2x/day, Janumet 2x/day, and actos 1x/day in a.m.). ( About food choices for diabetic control--NOT Weight Loss--But May Be Triggery ) I know diabetic control is a big issue for many of us, and I'm happy to be discussing it here. Mood: relaxed, chatty (16 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
6:10 pm [nellorat]	Bariatric Surgery Effects This medical article documents doubled risk of bone fractures in patients after bariatric surgery. Makes osteo-arthritis, even if that may be made worse by fat/weight*, look MUCH better by comparison, eh? *Which I think is true, though I know others differ. Mood: informative (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
12:16 pm [sarahmichigan]	why are you here? There was a discussion in the comments a few weeks back about why people are here, what's appropriate and not appropriate to discuss, etc. While I feel, as a maintainer and as a member, that obviously we don't want a lot of body-hate talk or pro-weight-loss talk, that the forum and topic are kind of open. Razzle originally started this comm as a place to post scholarly articles about HAES and related topics, and it's evolved into more of a participatory forum for talking about health from a body-positive, all-sizes-welcome perspective. I and the other maintainers haven't sat down and talked about what's allowed and what isn't, and frankly, I'd really just like to see people "play nice" without having to spell out a lot of rules. That's just my 2 cents off the top of my head, not a Pronouncement from The Moderator. So, anyway, why are you here at the HAES community? What do you get out of it? What would you LIKE to get out of it? What kind of things do you prefer NOT to see here? Please comment. Also, if you have suggestions for updates to the community info, please leave those in the comments, too. With the permission of the other maintainers, I'd like to update that soon, since it doesn't really reflect how the community has been used in the last year or two. Thanks in advance! (17 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
9:14 am [thedarbycrash]	Combat Blog Howdy! I've got something to say! I used to like reading the Vegan Lunch Box blog until I found the author posted to another blog the slightly infamous "This Is Why You're Thin" I say that STINKS! I would like to start a blog called "This is Why You're Fat" and have fat people posting about things like healthy foods (with pictures) or activities/exercising they've been doing. I want to focus on fat people and posting photos so if you took a stroll on the beach post a picture of the beach. If you had the best vegan pizza ever, include a picture of it (or at least the empty plate... I don't want us to take ourselves too seriously) The thing is I liked some of the foods and activities the posters on TIWYT talked about but I want to make a fat/body positive space for us to do this. I want to read about a great food or something without diet or weightloss talk. We deserve it too! Anybody out there interested in helping out? Should we make it LiveJournal or Blogger? I had once a week (or more if anyone wants to) posting in mind. Leave a comment and let me know! Feel free to spread the word to anyone who might be interested! Current Mood: kickass Current Music: Big Women- GBH (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
7:06 pm [l_lyons_bailey]	OMG, I just found this! This group is so cool! I'm 41, and I weigh about 214 lbs, down from an all time high of 225.  I have GERD, creaky knees, and high cholesterol problems, and have been a raw foodist for about a year and a half. I'd love to follow the posts on what you all are doing to stay healthy!  Raw Vegan Recipe of the Day: Banana Ice Cream Peel a banana, wrap it in saran wrap, and put it in the freezer.  Once it is frozen, take it out and put it through the food processor. I just tried this.  Seriously, it's just like ice cream! (10 Comments |Comment on this)