SAGE VEGAN BISTRO-CULVER CITY, CA

Dinner!

Top left buckwheat crust pizza with heirloom tomatoes and cashew cream, jack fruit tacos , pierogi with soy ginger reduction.

SHOP AT SPECIALTY MARKETS

Try shopping at specialty markets such as Korean, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian etc.  Not only do they have some of the best looking and most exotic produce, there prices are amazing when compared to your neighborhood grocery store.  All of the Shiitake mushrooms shown above were about $2.32 US.  When you buy them dried, which is usually the only way you can get them at the grocery stores, they are about $8.50 for approx 6 mushrooms.  BIG SAVINGS!

Shop the sauces and spice sections as well as you can find tons of things to experiment with to add that extra zip to your dishes.  Don't know what something is, a quick google of the item or write it in the notes section of your phone and look it up later along with recipes using the item.  Have fun on your journey.

KNOW YOUR BMI - HOW NOT TO DIE REVIEW

This Article comes from the book How Not to Die written by Michael Greger, M.D. (founder of one of my favorite and very informative web-sites NutritionFacts.org) and written with Gene Stone. He talks about how to figure out your BMI (Body Mass Index) which is your weight in pounds vs. your height in inches.  Many say that it's not a fair assessment because people that are in shape with lean muscle may have a higher BMI due to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat.  He addresses that as well.

From the book:

"To study body weight, we usually rely on body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight that also takes height into account.  For adults, a BMI over 30 is considered obese.  Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered "ideal weight."  In the medical profession, we used to call a BMI of under 25 "normal weight."  Sadly, that's no longer normal."

He goes on to give an easy way to calculate you BMI which I will give a version of here.

With a calculator:

Using a person 5'11" or 71 inches and weighing in at 200 lbs. we'll break it down
Multiply your weight X 703  (200 X 703 = 104,600)
Divide that answer by 71 and then that answer by 71 also  (104,600 ÷ 71 = 1980.2816)
(1980.2816 ÷ 71 = 27.89)
Your body mass would be 27.9 which is considered significantly over weight

If you want to figure it out another way if you don't like these results and think you're in great shape, try the Weight to Height Ratio (WHtR)

Grab a measuring tape
Stand up Straight and take a deep breath, exhale and let your stomach hang out
The circumference of your belly (halfway between the top of your hip bones and the  bottom of your rib cage) should be half your height - ideally less.

What do we learn from all of this?  If you don't like the results of either test, look in the mirror and recognize that it's time to take your health into your hands and start making better choices.

I highly recommend Dr. Greger's book and please feel free to look information up on his website.  His videos are great.   He is a straight talker and wants everyone to be the healthiest they can be and believes that what you eat is the number one indicator of your current and future health..