September | 2011 | Tracy Krulik

Recipe: Mexican Corn and Quinoa with Chipotle Beans and Pickled Onions

September 29, 2011 8:13 am \ Tracy Krulik

Decided to try a new cookbook this week, and the first recipe I made was a home run. (Sorry Red Sox and Braves fans if my baseball reference brings back bad memories of last night.)

While I had a number of bowls and pots to clean up afterward, the Mexican Corn and Quinoa recipe from Robin Asbell’s New Vegetarian cookbook was pretty easy to make, absolutely delicious, and extremely healthy. Let me know how you like it.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cold-pressed corn oil (I just used canola oil BTW.)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 large red fresno chiles chopped (Couldn’t find em. I used 1 jalapeño.)
1 clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup thinly shaved red onion
1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1/2 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes

In a 2-quart pot, over medium-high heat, heat the oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the chiles and garlic, stir for 1 minute, then add the quinoa, vegetable stock, and the thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Add the corn and simmer until cooked. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
In a small bowl, stir the vinegar and sugar, then toss with red onion slices. Let stand.
In a small saucepan, heat the beans, cumin, chipotle, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the tomatoes, stirring and mashing a few of the beans to thicken the mixture.
Ladle a cup of the corn soup into a wide bowl, then scoop 1/2 cup of the black bean mixture into the center. Top with a third of the pickled onion and serve.

Posted in: Recipes \ Tagged: plant-based, recipe, vegan

On Writing for KevinMD

September 28, 2011 8:28 am \ Tracy Krulik

Yesterday KevinMD.com posted an article I wrote on the nine long years it took the medical community to find the tumor on my pancreas, and I was very nervous to see how it would be received.

You see, as much as I think my story is interesting to hear and important to tell, I’m always nervous about what other doctors will think of it. Months ago I asked a doc who is also a published author if he’d read an early draft of my book and give me his honest feedback. Part of me was terrified that even after changing the names of the doctors in my story, other doctors would think of me as a problem patient and not want to treat me if my book got published. My beta-reader doc told me instead that after reading about all that I’d been through, he felt that I deserved the best medical care around, and he couldn’t imagine any doctor who wouldn’t want to treat me. “Even trial lawyers get treated by doctors!” he said.

Well, it seems that there are many good docs out there who understand when I ask detailed questions about my health and follow up questions about reports that I’m an advocate for my health — not a problem patient. I received a lot of great feedback yesterday after the article hit, including a number of emails from doctors.

When I encounter old-school, holier-than-thou docs nowadays, I thank them for the time and then find a better doctor to “care” for me. I always joke that I’m the “CEO of my health,” and four years after my cancer diagnosis, I still have to work just as hard to make sure my doctors are seeking root causes of problems rather than treating symptoms, as well as treating me with respect.

It’s hard work, but there’s no one better qualified to look out for my health than me.

Posted in: As I See It, My Story, Nutrition and Health \ Tagged: cancer, health care

Survived My First Jog

September 27, 2011 8:49 am \ Tracy Krulik

In my mission to get back into running shape (injury-free), I set out on my first jog yesterday. Rather than use the Galloway method and alternate running with walking, I prefer to set a 5k course, jog as far as I can and then walk the rest. This is how I trained up to 5k years back when I was so head-cased about running I thought I couldn’t even survive a block. It worked. Within about a month I could jog a 5k without stopping.

Yesterday I was able to jog 1.5 miles before needing to stop to walk. I think I would have made it much further had there not been a huge hill at 1.3 miles out. Guess jogging up hills is as mentally challenging as riding a bike up them. Next time I go out for my jog, I’m going to remind myself that my breathing will level out again once I get passed the hill and see if I can’t make it to at least 1.75 miles out.

After my jog, I immediately grabbed my foam roller and rolled out my IT bands, my back, my glutes, and my hamstrings. Then I did a ton of stretching, and today I feel great. To be safe, I’m going to do more foam rolling today to treat my always tight and inflamed IT bands.

I know it’s only been one day, but I’m feeling really good about my ability to complete the running portion of a triathlon. I’ve been sidelined for too long — not being able to run — and I’m over it.

Man I hate limitations. Eff you, Cancer, and eff you, Running Injuries!

Posted in: As I See It, Exercise and Fitness \ Tagged: running, triathlon

New Goal: Triathlon

September 26, 2011 8:14 am \ Tracy Krulik

As the cycling season is beginning to wind down, Tommie and I have decided to look for something new to do in 2012. Our new goal: complete a triathlon. I’m thinking sprint triathlon, but we’ll see how the training goes. We know that Tommie and I can do any distance on our bikes, and having grown up in South Florida with pools everywhere, I’m not worried about swimming. But running?

I trained for the Dublin Marathon back around 1996 using the Galloway training method: alternating running and walking and opting to run for 5 minutes and walk for 1. I was living in Miami at the time, so our group would get up earlier and earlier each Saturday for our long runs to beat the heat. Some mornings we started as early as 4 a.m.

Everything was fine until the day we went 18 miles. This was to be our farthest run prior to the marathon, and then we’d taper down a bit for the final month of training. It all seemed to go well until I woke up the next morning — putting any weight on my left knee was excruciating. Turns out that I developed a nasty case of bursitis due to inflammation and tightness of my IT Band.

I tried cross training, icing, resting, and stretching, but nothing got rid of the pain, and so I wasn’t able to run my marathon. Since that time I’ve had problems with both of my IT Bands.

Tommie and I have taken some Chi Running workshops, and I’m hoping that by mastering that technique I can get my running mojo back. With Pilates, weight-training, and tons of stretching and foam rolling, I can keep my IT Band bearable to do a 5K, but I’d like to get beyond “bearable” and make running pain free and fun again. I’ll keep you posted on the training and will share any useful tips and techniques that I encounter along the way.

Oh, and for our cyclist friends: not to worry. Tommie and I still plan on riding in the Austin Livestrong Challenge next year. A triathlon will be our warm-up for those crazy Texas hills.

Posted in: As I See It, Exercise and Fitness \ Tagged: cycling, exercise, fitness, foam roller, running, swimming, triathlon

Support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act

September 23, 2011 7:48 am \ Tracy Krulik

Fact: In 2009, 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. went to farm animals. How? In most cases, the drugs were added to the food and drinking water of dairy and/or meat-producing cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys, and fish.

Why is this important? By constantly exposing bacteria to non-lethal doses of antibiotics, they become resistant to the drugs. This means that when we, humans, pick up a foodborne illness, we are less able to fight it off.

According to a report by PCRM:

Nine out of ten staphylococcal infections in the U.S. are now resistant to penicillin.
From 1999 to 2006, cases of MRSA increased by more than 90 percent among patients seeking hospital medical attention.
A U.S. study found a new strain of MRSA to be five times deadlier than all known strains, killing 50 percent of its victims within 30 days. It is also showing greater resistance to vancomycin, the one potent antibiotic that has been effective in treating MRSA.

If this information doesn’t scare you, it should, and organizations like the American Medical Association and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association agree.

So what can we do to help? Support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 965/S. 1211). Like I’ve already done, click here to ask your members of Congress to support the bipartisan bill.

Posted in: As I See It, Nutrition and Health \ Tagged: health care, legislation

Best. Cookbook. Ever.

September 22, 2011 7:19 am \ Tracy Krulik

Have I mentioned that I love Jack Bishop’s cookbook A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen?

As you can see from the picture, I use this cookbook all the time. In fact, it’s time to pay Jack a little more money and buy a second book, because this one is falling apart. I gave up on the jacket years ago, as it was just battered, but now the pages are also falling out. That’s not poor binding; that’s pure love.

Yesterday the Washington Post featured Jack and his brilliant cookbook in an article on cooking tofu. (Thank you, Tommie, for pointing the article out to me. I was so excited to read reviews of The Biggest Loser yesterday morning that I forgot to read the Food Section.) Brilliant move WaPo. You’ve finally stumbled upon the Best. Cookbook. Ever.

You can find a few of Jack’s recipes in the WaPo article, and I’ve also posted a few here, here, and here.

Posted in: As I See It, Recipes \ Tagged: A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Jack Bishop, plant-based, recipe

Biggest Loser is Back!

September 21, 2011 7:28 am \ Tracy Krulik

I’m feeling good about this season of “The Biggest Loser,” which premiered last night. The show lost its way a bit a couple seasons ago, focusing way too much on scenes that can be summed up by counting the number of times Bob says, “This is what ‘The Biggest Loser’ is all about.” Too much sap; not enough action.

Last night’s episode flew by though — interesting challenge, great gym scenes, and even Debbie going full-on bitch towards Bonnie!

Beyond it’s entertainment value, I love “The Biggest Loser” because I believe that it is changing lives. There ought to be a “Kids: Don’t try this at home!” disclaimer before every show, though.

On the food/drink front, I think the show does an excellent job giving safe and useful information. But on the exercise front? The training and the challenges are way too intense for people that out of shape.

We very rarely get to see even glimpses of the medical assistance these guys are receiving behind the scenes, but I’ve got to think they are getting tons of aid in the form of wraps, ice baths, physical therapy, and undoubtedly, cortisone injections. I’d develop big-time injuries working out at that level of intensity, and I’m fit. If you are new to exercise, and are inspired by the show, please seek out a trainer to help you find an appropriate level of intensity for you.

Putting the dangerous gym stuff aside, let’s get back to why “The Biggest Loser” is changing lives. I liken the show to time-lapse photography. Over the course of the season, we get to see people go from obese and plagued with afflictions like diabetes, gout, and heart disease to fit and medication-free. We get to see them go from sad, weak, and whiny to beyond thrilled that they have the energy and strength to play with their children.

Can an obese person on their own lose thirty pounds in one week? Maybe so, but I’d question how safe it is. So this time-lapse photography aspect of the show is incredibly inspiring, but it is not realistic. If you are looking to get healthy, use “The Biggest Loser” as inspiration to see that you will be better off at the end of your weight-loss journey, but it’s going to take some time.

Still, the message is important: eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, and you can live a fuller, happier, and healthier life.

Nice.

Posted in: As I See It, Exercise and Fitness \ Tagged: diet, exercise, fitness

Our Generation’s Greatest Killer: Noncommunicable Diseases

September 20, 2011 8:16 am \ Tracy Krulik

Yesterday the United Nations launched a two-day, high level general assembly meeting to tackle our greatest health threat: not AIDS, not malaria, not the Ebola virus, not anything that you can prevent with a vaccine. The greatest threat to our physical and economic health is “noncommunicable diseases” (NCDs). We’re talking about diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

The consensus among the world’s scientific community is that rather than die before we are 60 from a heart-attack or complications from diabetes, by making the right lifestyle choices (read: no smoking, cut fat, cut sugars, limit alcohol, exercise, eat more plant-based foods) we can delay the inevitable and live long and healthy lives.

NCDs were once thought of as “diseases of affluence,” but our poor lifestyle choices have spread across the globe and are now affecting even poor nations. Here’s the really sad part: as Americans, the majority of us can afford to combat lung cancer when our cigarette habit turns into malignant tumors; people living in poverty cannot.

I read one article that said the biggest challenge to combating NCDs is “fatalism,” and I think that’s right. How many times have I heard someone say that they are not going to eat a healthier diet or exercise, because no matter what they do they are going to die. So why not enjoy every meal and every minute on the couch?

Why not? Because when you face your own mortality, I promise you that you are going to wish you had more time.

The only way to combat NCDs is through campaigning and regulation. Do you really need the government to tell you to eat more vegetables and fruits and less wings and fries?

Posted in: As I See It, Nutrition and Health \ Tagged: diet, NCD, nutrition

Hi. I’m Tracy. And I’m a Moron.

September 19, 2011 7:45 am \ Tracy Krulik

Warning: Kids, don’t try this at home.

Thursday night I felt a massive knot in my neck, so while watching TV I tried rubbing it out. I worked that knot for something like an hour — really digging in. I pinched it and pressed it and rubbed it and moved it and rubbed it some more and… you get the idea.

When I got up to get ready for bed, I couldn’t move my left arm. Picture me washing my face: Right arm works fine, but I had to use all my strength to will my left arm up high enough to get water to splash on my face. My nightshirt was soaked.

Four days later I’d say I’m 50% better. That’s good enough to keep me off of the MRI table for now, but if it’s not better in a couple of days that’s where I’m heading. The theory is that I’ve given myself a massive muscle spasm, and it just needs some time to calm down. Let’s hope that’s all the damage I’ve caused.

In the meantime I can’t ride my bike, because my neck muscles are needed to hold my head up, and the ones on the left seem to have gone on strike.

File this one under “the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

Posted in: As I See It

Canes Get the Win Over Ohio State… Finally!

September 18, 2011 8:53 am \ Tracy Krulik

The first final score of the 2002 Fiesta Bowl.

In 2002 my mom stood up on the bench at the Fiesta Bowl to snap a picture of the clock at 0:00 with the Miami Hurricanes the victor over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Confetti flew, players, fans and coaches hugged, some players made it back to the locker room, and then an official threw a flag. We stood in amazement as the officials called the kids back out onto the field and added time back on the clock. None of us had ever seen anything like it before.

During one of the overtime drives that played out after the game was revived, our quarterback Ken Dorsey got nailed in a tackle and had to leave the field. Eventually, Ohio State “won” the game.

Am I still bitter? You bet your ass I am. I’m fuming as I type this.

But last night, in our home-opener under new coach Al Golden, the Canes not only got the win, but they shut down the Ohio State offense. The Buckeyes only completed 4 of 18 passes with a total of 35 yards. Bam! And we ran all over their defense. Lamar Miller alone ran a career-high of 184 yards.

I saw a sign the other day nicknaming the game “Tats vs ‘Tutes” and had to laugh. We really knew nothing about what to expect from either team going in given that both schools lost key players (and in OSU’s case, their head coach) due to NCAA violations, but we know now.

The Miami Hurricanes not only have swagger, but we also have heart. And we finally have our win over Ohio State.

Go Canes!