My Fruitive Challenge: Day 106 — The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue

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 I’m enjoying watching Forks Over Knives Presents The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn. It’s helpful to see him consult with couples in their homes. He goes through their fridge and cupboards to explain which products are optimal for a heart healthy diet, then shops with them to replenish what’s been removed with a whole-foods, nutrient-rich, plant-based items. Then he cooks an amazing meal with them. I appreciate the tips and advice he gives throughout the program, like the following:

  • Portabello mushrooms are great substitutes for hamburger 
  • Animal products don’t contain fiber which is why Americans struggle to be regular 
  • If there’s less than half a gram of fat per serving, manufacturers are allowed to label their products “fat free”
  • Whole Grain is the label to look for, not merely Wheat
  • Get recipes from engine2diet.com: He makes lasagna, sweet potato fries, and kale salad with the first couple 
  • Keep the sodium to calories ratio 1:1 or less
  • Old Fashioned Oats, not Quick Oats; they're the scrub brushes of the food world to get rid of bad cholesterol
  • Ground your flax seeds so they don't go undigested
  • Peanut butter with peanuts as the only ingredient, no added sugar
  • Walnuts for omega-3
  • Just because it’s labeled “healthy” or “vegan” doesn’t mean it’s actually healthy. Always read the nutrition label to confirm the content per serving: especially note the percentage of fat to the percentage of total calories, the sugar content (4.3 grams equals 1tsp of sugar, the sodium to calories ratio below or equal to 1:1, that fat is not listed in the top three ingredients (because the ingredients are listed in order of weight), 
  • I’ll add for myself that there are no more than five ingredients, and that the ingredients should be items that I could find individually in my kitchen (not hard to pronounce chemicals!)

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