Dr. Preeti Kulkarni, N.D.

“The most important thing a patient can do is to want to live.”

Welcome to a very special show! I have a guest today, Dr. Preeti Kulkarni, the naturopathic doctor who helped me on my personal journey to health. After I visited many other doctors, Dr. Preeti is the one who told me to adopt a dog, which changed my life! Her program is about using foods in their natural forms, along with other components of holistic health, and not about selling a program or a product. Listen to this podcast to hear the doctor who I credit with saving my life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Your exercise program should be enjoyable, include socialization, and be sustainable for the long term.
• Learn about the differences between medical doctors and naturopathic doctors.
• Naturopathy includes clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, pharmacology, homeopathy, and Chinese medicine.
• Naturopathic medicine: Help the body heal itself and get to the root cause!
• Eric discusses his experiences with medical doctors versus his experience with Dr. Preeti.
• Dr. Preeti focuses on mental, physical, emotional, and social health.
• Nutrition is the foundation of naturopathic medicine.
• Conventional medicine: Diagnose, then prescribe to alleviate the symptom.
• Conventional medicine often ignores the disease-formation process.
• Naturopaths dig deep into the patient’s lifestyle, the causes of their problems, and their motivation to get healthy.
• Exercise should make you feel energized and not tired.
• Balance is the key!
• Many patients think it’s normal to feel abnormal! Find your healthy normal!
• Food is fuel!
• Change your diet, change your health!
• Correct deficiencies then maintain health.
• Weekly visits foster commitment and accountability.
• Strategies for trying new vegetables!
• Processed foods change your palate.
• SPICE up your food and your life!
• Changing what you eat is much easier than beating an addiction, like smoking.
• The first 2-3 months are the hardest.
• 21 days to a new habit.
• Never backslide to the old ways!
• The important role that a dog can play in rehabilitation and health.
• The little things can motivate you.
• Dr. Preeti’s Healthy Weight Strategy Plan (and what it includes)
• Counting calories is NOT the answer!
• Enjoy the shopping and the cooking!
• If you find yourself traveling down the wrong road, it’s never too late to turn around!

Resources:

Dr. Preeti practices in Cupertino, California.  Her website:  www.coreintegrative.com

To request a consultation with Dr. Preeti, please call and leave a voicemail at 408-724-1486.

Shmulik working up a blur at the gym!

“I smile because I have hope and know that I can do this!”

Welcome to week 7 of our reality podcast! Eric O’Grey in Spokane, Washington coaching Shmulik Shwartz in Lehavim, Israel to lose 140 pounds in 10 months so the two can run the Jerusalem marathon together in March 2017! Shmulik’s weight, which began at 332 pounds on May 23, has dropped to 295 pounds on July 11. That’s a loss of 37 pounds in seven weeks! Listen in for our happiest and most upbeat podcast episode to date!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik lost only 3 pounds lost last week – is he starting to plateau, is his progress slowing down? Eric explains that the slope of Shmulik’s weight loss will decrease as his total weight loss increases, but he is still in the initial stages where a loss of 5 pounds per week is feasible.  But to achieve that accelerated weight loss, Shmulik needs to either decrease calories or increase exercise.
• Shmulik agrees to decrease his consumption of bread to just one slice per day for now, and to increase his consumption of of unprocessed foods to feel full, such as potatoes, rice, and legumes, rather than bread and flour-laden foods.
• Shmulik’s joint aches and pains have prevented him from walking on some days.
• Eric agrees that it is a great idea for Shmulik to use the stationary bike at the gym to provide rest and recovery for his legs, feet and ankles, and for Shmulik to use the gym bike in the morning, and walk 5 km in the evening.
• Shumilik talks about experimenting with new foods and delicious new tastes, courtesy of his friend Avigail.
• Shmulik loves acorn squash, baked in the oven with a little salt and pepper.
• Eric’s recipe for perfect beans is posted on the notes for Podcast Episode 6 – check it out and give it a try!
• Shmulik has plans for Eric when he travels to Israel: lectures, Q&A’s, and other ways to help people get healthy and lose weight with a plant based diet.
• Eric encourages Shmulik to visualize himself as a thin person, at his high school weight!
• Shmulik and Eric discuss why support and encouragement are so important for achieving goals!
• Shmulik’s talks about his new endeavor: dog-mushing with carts.
• Shmulik explains why every dog needs a job, and why dogs may find a destructive job unless they are given a positive one.
• Eric and Shmulik discuss plans for upcoming shows and two exciting guests!
• www.ishimkelev.co.il  (Shmulik’s new website about his work)

Shmulik is Finally Ready to Run!

Shmulik has now been walking on his program for 7 weeks, and it’s finally time to begin running to train for our upcoming marathon. He will  start slowly.  The first week, on 3 days, he will walk 1 km, then slowly jog 1 km, then walk 2 km, and finish by jogging 1 km.  And by the end of 9 weeks, Shmulik will be able to run 5 km non-stop! Are you ready to begin running also?  Join us!

Shmulik returning from a bike ride.

“I was one foot out of this world when I started this journey”

Welcome to week 6 of our reality podcast, with Eric O’Grey in Spokane, Washington coaching Shmulik Shwartz in Lehavim, Israel to lose 140 pounds in 10 months and running the Jerusalem marathon together in March 2017! It’s time for our weekly check-in with Shmulik. His weight, which began at 332 lbs. on May 23, is now 297.9 lbs. (135.4 kg). That’s an incredible weight loss of over 34 pounds in six weeks! Now let’s see what’s new with Shmulik!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik is feeling good, except for some general aches and pains.
• Eric and Shmulik discuss his walking route and “mixing it up a bit.”
• Shmulik prefers walking on a regular route and meeting and greeting others he meets on this route.
• Eric suggests that Shmulik’s running training will begin soon, starting with 1/2 mile in the next few weeks.
• Eric encourages Shmulik to add some steeper hills to his walking route.
• Shmulik remains hopeful and encouraged about his accomplishments!
• Shmulik describes breaking up a fight between two of his dogs, who instigated and lost, and is now wearing a cast.
• Shmulik’s newest kitchen creations include mushroom burgers and broccoli in a tomato/garlic Sauce over rice noodles.
• Finally, Shmulik has lost his cravings for meat!
• Shmulik is on summer break from his dog therapy work in the schools.
• Shmulik describes his dream: to open a large facility where kids can come to learn dog therapy, where people can volunteer and care for dogs, and where overweight children can come for help.
• What does Shmulik need to achieve his dream? Support and partnership from local politicians.
• Eric and Schmulik agree to strategize and continue this discussion about Shmulik’s dream, and also discuss current events in Israel this week.

Eric’s Perfect Beans and Rice Recipe – Less than $1 Per Serving!

I’ve made beans and rice hundreds of times since transitioning to my whole food, plant based diet six years ago. My favorite thing about beans and rice is that they provide excellent nutrition and high protein, including the full spectrum of amino acids.  Prepared from scratch, beans and rice offer the lowest cost per serving of just about any food, and once you learn how to cook them properly, they make a filling and satisfying meal you can eat several times each week.  I always make as much as I can eat in a week each time, since they keep so well refrigerated.

As described in this recent New York Times article, there are many different types of beans, and many delicious ways to prepare them.  After years of trial and error, I believe I’ve come up with the best simple and delicious recipe for beans from scratch.  For perfect beans, I use a slow cooker so that all beans come out with perfect consistency.  You can use a pressure cooker to cook unsoaked beans from scratch in just 25-30 minutes versus than the longer process I describe in this recipe, but experience has shown me that beans will come out less consistently using a faster method, with some beans in the same batch over cooked and some under cooked.    I think the slow cooker difference is worth it.  Feel free to garnish with pico de gallo and serve with tortillas!  Please give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Shmulik enjoying a relaxing moment with his dogs in Lehavim, Israel.

“The fat guy who brought me to this point has raised his ugly head.”

Welcome to the 5th episode of our reality podcast! Across the world and against all odds, Eric O’Grey in Spokane, Washington is coaching Shmulik Shwartz in Lehavim, Israel to lose 140 pounds in 10 months and then run the Jerusalem marathon together in March 2017! Join us as we check in with Shmulik and hear about his progress!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Starting from 332.2 pounds on May 23 2016, Shmulik has dropped to 302.5 pounds as of June 27, a remarkable 29.7 pound weight loss in just five weeks!
• This Shmulik’s worst week yet, with difficulties, pain, and discouraging thoughts.
• Eric coaches Shmulik that sticking with the whole food plant based nutrition plan is critical, he has come too far to quit!
• Shmulik is still discouraged by the ankle and joint pain he is experiencing because of his weight.
• After riding his bike last week, Shmulik is back to walking 5 kilometers each morning and evening.
• Shmulik’s ankle pain has improved, but the goal is to be totally pain-free. Eric counsels Shmulik to alternate walking and bike riding to give his ankle rest and allow it to recover.
• Shmulik prefers walking over bike riding, because it’s enjoyable and he can take his dogs with him.
• Eric tells Shmulik that running training will begin in 2-3 weeks, with an initial plan to alternate running/walking 1 km at a time.
• Shmulik continues to prepare all his meals from only whole plants, and talks about how much he is enjoying meals of beans, rice, vegetables, and salads with tahini, and discusses his new mindset about food.
• Shmulik shares his new recipe for Baked Lentil Cutlets, which Eric will post to the website soon!
• Eric coaches Shmulik to visualize himself as a thin person, and promises that it will happen!
• Shmulik goal is to practice karate again, which he had to give up due to his extreme weight.
• Shmulik felt hungry this week, but liked the feeling. It’s a feeling he hasn’t experienced in a long time because he was eating non-stop, all the time!
• Shmulik says that he tried tofu and didn’t like it.  Eric tells Shmulik the reason he doesn’t like tofu is because he hasn’t tasted it properly prepared, and promises to post a recipe about to prepare it correctly.
• Shmulik has now adapted to wearing his new walking shoes:  Brooks model DYAD 8.  Eric is pleased with this, explains that different brands and models work for different people, and that he wears New Balance 2E and Merrill brand shoes because of their wide width models.
• Shmulik talks about current happenings in Israel this week and an award he recently received for his work with Down Syndrome kids.
• Eric’s challenge for the week: True happiness can not be experienced with money and possessions, but only by doing nice things for others without the expectation of any reward or benefit.  So what can you do to help someone else and feel true happiness this week?

Shmulik’s progress to date and weight loss spoiler for next week!

Like Spaghetti and Meatballs?  Try Spaghetti and Tofu!

I often encounter people who say that they hate tofu.  When I ask why, I find that they have only tried tofu once or twice, usually at an Asian restaurant served in slimy white chunks, without special preparation.  The truth is, I don’t like uncooked tofu either, but after much experimentation, I have found why millions of people around the world eat tofu every day, as a complete source of protein and delicious meat replacement.

The secret is, tofu is a chameleon food. Unprepared, it has no flavor of its own, and is a slimy white product.  But properly prepared, it will absorb and mimic the flavors of what it is prepared with.  By browning or blackening tofu to a firm and rubbery consistency before adding it to a tomato sauce and allowing it to simmer in the sauce for a time, the tofu will re-hydrate and develop the taste and mouth feel of pork.  And as shown in the recipe below, this can be done without any added oil!  Or by coating the tofu with arrowroot or cornstarch, and most any flour, tofu chunks can be steam fried golden brown and prepared with an orange or lemon sauce, for example, for an Asian dish.

P.S.:  Anticipating common objections about soy and tofu, I can report that claims of tofu being unhealthy or causing heightened levels of estrogen have been conclusively refuted in peer reviewed medical studies.  Think about it:  if tofu increased estrogen levels in men, one billion Asian men would be wearing bras.