WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #194: Create a Plant Powered Menu

Don’t forget! The extended free Lifetime benefits requirements are still waived until the end of November BUT you will have to weigh in once between Nov 1st and 30th to receive your continued benefits.

If you are in East Tennessee we now have Wellness Check-Ins in Maryville, Oak Ridge, Powell, and at the Cedar Bluff main location.

And of course, don’t forget to use our special 10% from Simple Living Products! Go to simplelivingproducts.com, choose the air fryer you’d like, and enter code EGG10 at checkout.

Last week’s Chat #193: A Good Night’s Sleep seems to have hit a note with many of you. In the second half of our chat we talked about caregivers and caregiving and how important it is to find a way to rest. My father in law is in the ICU for day 13 today because he hid my mother in law’s level of Alzheimers and did not ask for (or would accept!) any help from us. Sleep deprivation is serious…why do you think armies around the world have used it for centuries to get people to talk, betray their families and literally crumble. Please don’t take this topic lightly!

Your homework this week was to identify some of those sleep roadblocks that are keeping you from going to or staying asleep. Once you know what they are it’s easier to knock them down! Let’s see how you did:

Barbara’s roadblocks are her phone and iPad. She’s been setting them aside when it’s time for bed diffusing lavender oil to get relaxed and ready for quality sleep.
Katy’s roadblock is her phone. This week she’s put it away when she gets home and makes sure she’s in bed by 11:45. She even tried the alphabet trick one morning when her cat woke her up early and it worked like a charm!
Suzy says that hot flashes wake her up at night. Her plan for busting through this roadblock is opening her Calm app and listening to a sleep story. She’s been practicing this all week and has been successful in getting more sleep!

Bravo ladies, you nailed it!

This Week’s Topic: Create a Plant Powered Menu

This week in your WW Weekly, we explore the world of plants and how they can give you and your weight loss plan power! My mom used a vegan diet to not only prove her doctors wrong, but reversed many health issues that were a result of smoking, diabetes and an unhealthy lifestyle. In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar orders young men without any physical defect, that were handsome, and showed an aptitude for learning to be given a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. Daniel (along with Rack, Shack and Benny if you are a VeggieTales fan!) were chosen but Daniel refused to partake in the rich food and wine because it would defile his body. He talked the official into letting them consume nothing but vegetables and water for 10 days, and boy was the king’s employee nervous! At the end of the 10 days not only were they healthier than the others they even looked better! Now I’m not saying that we all have to become vegan (or even vegetarian) but I can tell you from personal experience that packing your diet with more plants will make a difference in your gut, your weight and even your skin.

So how do you build a meal or snack around plants? Check out your WW Weekly for these great ideas to get started!

Chicks + peas: high in protein and extremely versatile, chickpeas are not just for chicks any more
Black Bean swaps: if you’ve wrinkled up your nose at a brownie recipe that leads with “black beans” you may want to put your mouth where your plant based money is
Lentils Schmentils: these tiny plant powerhouses boast 9 grams of protein in just a ½ cup serving!
Mushrooms, they’re what’s for dinner: grinding up some mushrooms to bulk up hamburgers or meatloaf, or even using a portobello as the meat!
Talented Tofu: you wouldn’t just eat a raw egg, tofu is no different. WW is right on when they call it a blank canvas…it really is!

This Week’s Homework: #plantbasedpower

If you are brave enough to make an entire day out of Plant Based eating let’s see it! But for your homework come up with one meal where plants are the stars of the food show. Post it and tag me for your homework AND to earn your next super cool badge!

Don’t forget to do your homework #plantbasedpower and tag me when you share on social media!

Instagram tag @ifyouhaveanegg
Facebook Page tag @ifyouhaveanegg
Facebook Group tag @Kelly Green Milligan
WW Connect tag @scrapnstamp2

Extra Credit: Plant Based Food Power

If you missed the true tale of Daniel and his band of merry veggie men you’ll have to go back and watch (or read) the first half of tonight’s chat. For the rest of you, let’s talk veggie time!

Whether you are making one plant based meal, trying to fit some plants into your diet, or you’ve decided to jump onto the plant based produce wagon, stay tuned. My mom did a TON of research before she became vegan and we spent more of our Saturday nights finding out we really didn’t know anything and needed to keep learning more!

What is a plant and what makes something plant based? That may seem like a stupid question but plants are not just vegetables. Many times when I say vegetarian or plant based people think “oh great, you only eat vegetables and tofu”. Not true!

While it is true that veggies are plants, the inclusion of fruits, beans, legumes, nuts and anything else that started life as a “whole” food that grew (usually from the ground although some plants can grow from other mediums)
While plants may be an ingredient in another food, plant based usually refers to things that are not altered or manipulated in such a way as to devalue the original plant
If you can readily identify what the plant is/was its power is even more!

Does plant based mean I’m vegan?

Absolutely not. Many vegans eat things that are not “whole” plants like oreos or french fries. Plant based focuses more on the whole or minimally processed plant.
Someone focusing on plant based eating may choose to do that for a meal, a day, a lifetime but they may still include minimal amounts of dairy or meat. Vegan living means nothing that came from, is part of, or was created from an animal including things like honey.
While choosing a vegan lifestyle may benefit your health, a plant based diet is all about gaining power and becoming healthier!

A plant based diet is lower in WW My Way Smart Points:

Hold up there a minute vegheads… not necessarily. My mom and I figured out real quick that you can still pack in calories, good fats, and sometimes weight with a plant based diet (remember Daniel? He looked BETTER and definitely did not lose any weight)
Some plant based foods are considered high abuse foods and therefore hold a higher point value. While things like nuts and avocado are very good for you, it’s also difficult to stop eating them once you get started
But there are hundreds of plant based options that are no or low points on all three plans!

Plants can’t provide enough protein or other vitamins and nutrients:

That was a huge concern for me with my mom. It absolutely was not an issue until her final illness and that was because she just wasn’t eating not because it was vegan. Protein was the major concern and is an important part of so many processes in your body. I have included a chart here from Women’s Health that will help you determine how many grams of protein a day you should eat.

Some of the best sources of plant based protein are:
- - Edamame – 18 grams per cup
  - Tempeh – 16 grams per 3 oz
  - Tofu – 8 to 15 grams per 3 oz
  - Lentils – 9 grams per ½ cup
  - Black Beans – 7.6 grams per ½ cup
  - Lima Beans – 7.3 grams per ½ cup
  - Peanuts – 7 grams per ¼ cup
  - Wild Rice – 6.5 grams per cup
  - Chickpeas – 6 grams per ½ cup
  - Almonds – 6 grams per ¼ cup
  - Chia Seeds – 6 grams per 2 Tbsp
  - Spinach – 3 grams per ½ cup cooked
  - Avocado – 2 grams per ½ item
  - Soy Milk – 8 grams per cup
  - Powdered Peanut or Almond Butter – 6 grams per 2 Tbsp
  - Nutritional Yeast – 5 grams per 1 Tbsp
There are 7 vitamins and nutrients not found in plants: B12 can only be acquired through a supplement or foods that have been fortified with it. Creatine is only found in animal sources but can be found in supplements. Carnosine is important but considered non essential because your body can produce it. Vitamin D is a critically important one that may have to be supplemented through sunlight or fortified foods. DHA is important for brain function and mental health but mainly found in fatty fish and fish oil unless you take a supplement. Heme Iron which is different from NonHeme Iron and can cause anemia (which I have!) but can be affected by supplements and some fortified foods. Taurine is considered non-essential but can be found in supplements
With the exception of extreme situations where the food choices are narrow or supplements are not available, a plant based diet or even occasional meal or two can power your weight loss and health!

To finish off our chat, we’re going to whip up the recipe from this week’s WW Weekly. Pumpkin Pie Butter is a perfect way to minimally alter pure pureed pumpkin for a fabulous flavor that your whole family will enjoy. Plant based, vegetarian, vegan… this recipe is even gluten and dairy free! The WW Recipe is shown here but be sure and log in to your WW account for this and more great ideas!