| November 2007 |
Rice Paper |
|
"No illness that can be treated by diet should be treated by any other means." -Maimonides- |
Oct. '07 |
Sept. '07 |
Aug. '07 |
July '07 |
Jan. '07
March '05 | Aug. '04 | May '04 | April '04 | Winter '99
Inside this Issue
- Reunion Update
- Wedding Bells
- Lesley's Success Story
- Recipe: Tropical Tsimmis
- Rice Diet Cookbook Available
Reunion Update
Staff and participants came together to celebrate the
3rd Rice Diet Reunion the weekend of October 26th,
2007. One very well attended activity was the "Patient
Panel" with five previous patients who have either
successfully maintained or continued to lose more
weight at home sharing their tip for success. Lesley,
one of the Rice Diet winners, shares her story
below.
Look for more on the reunion in next month's
newsletter.
Wedding Bells
Our congratulations go out to Susan Blech, who got
married the man of her dreams on August
26th.
Susan, a true Ricer success story has maintained her
250 lb weight loss for more than three years. In 2006,
Susan was featured in First, Woman's
World and
People Magazine with her amazing story. Look
for her
follow-up story in People's January 4, 2008
issue.
Her book "Confessions of A Carb Queen" hits the
bookstands in late December. You can keep up with
Susan's book signings and contact her directly at
susanblech.com.
Lesley's Success Story
Why did you come to the Rice
Diet?
In 2006, I found myself in the hospital being treated for
pneumonia and high blood sugar. I had gone to my
doctor for a check-up, but he sent me straight to the
hospital via ambulance to start treatment immediately.
A few days after getting out of the hospital, my dad ran
into one of the nurses at the Center for Living. He told
her about my hospital stay, and she told him about
working part-time at the Rice Diet Program, offering to
talk with me about it if I were interested. I did, and went
by the Clinic as well for more information. I
remembered a friend from college having great
success on the Rice Diet. Between those things and
the shock over the state of my health and being on
insulin, (4 shots of insulin a day, for a total of 245
units!), I decided the Rice Diet was a must-do.
Was the Program what you expected?
The day I visited Rice House, I already had the week
off from work and was planning to go to the beach. On
the spot, I changed my mind and spent my vacation
week there instead. I remember taking the cooking
class and thinking, "I could do this at home."
I've been in the program continuously since August
2006. Since I live near Rice House, I live at home
while participating in the Program. I wake up at 5:30
a.m. every morning and do an hour of cardio
exercises. I then go to Rice House for breakfast and a
medical check-in. Rice House packs a lunch, which I
take to work. My co-workers say, "Wow, that smells
great, what is it?" At the end of the day, I return to Rice
House for dinner, to learn what's going on at the
House, and for friendship. I feel so fortunate to be able
to live so close to the Rice House and to be able to
prioritize this -- before, I'd stay late at work until I was
hungry and on the way home grab some fast food.
Now I want to get to Rice House for dinner.
The Program has been different than I expected; there
are lots more food choices than I thought there would
be. I've even invented my own rice dish with
condiments that Ricers and kitchen staff have dubbed
the Lesley Concoction!
What changes happened while you were at
the Rice House?
I've come off of blood pressure and all diabetes
medications! Remember the 245 units of daily insulin
I took when I was discharged from the hospital? All
gone! And my weight? I've lost 100 pounds so far! I've
come down several clothes sizes and am fitting into
clothes in the teen sizes for the first time in many
years. Even my boyfriend, just by watching me on the
Rice Diet and changing his diet, has lost 50 pounds!
One of my co-workers told me she could see my eyes
better, and that's one of the best compliments I've
received.
How has the Rice Diet Program experience
impacted your life overall?
I'd gotten to the point where I never thought I'd
be "skinny" again, so the Rice Diet has helped me
have a different perspective on my body, as well as my
health. I have more energy for things like taking the
stairs, or keeping up with others while shopping or
most other physical activities. I sleep better. I used to
get up 2-3 times in the night to go to the bathroom,
probably from all the caffeinated soft drinks I used to
drink every day. I can fit into booths and seats (at the
theater, for example) better. Also, I feel like I have
more control of my health. Sure, things I can't control
may come up health-wise, but seeing how diet and
exercise have controlled my diabetes and blood
pressure has given me a lot of confidence that I'm in
better control of my health overall.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I recently ran into a colleague I hadn't seen in a long
time. "You look 20 years younger!" she said. That kind
of summed it up for me. I feel as if I've added years to
my life, and certainly quality. I feel better, more
energetic, more alert, more alive. It kind of made me
speechless; I almost looked over my shoulder to see
who she was talking to. It was me!
To read more Rice Diet success stories, click here.
Recipe: Tropical Tsimmis
This tasty side dish was just cooked up this week at a
Rice Diet Cooking Class. Using pineapple, prunes
and raisins is a wonderfully healthy way to skip the
added sugar and create a tasty casserole for any
holiday. The complexity of flavors will make this a
staple on your holiday menu.
- 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice (1 6 oz. can)
- 2 cups pitted prunes
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 pound large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch
rounds
- 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2
inch rounds
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger or candied
ginger
- 3 strips lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey
Combine the cider, water, and pineapple juice in a
large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the
pan from the heat and add the prunes and raisins. Let
steep for 15 minutes. Stir in the carrots, sweet
potatoes, pineapple, ginger, lemon zest and juice,
cinnamon sticks, honey, brown sugar, and salt and
bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to
medium and simmer the tsimmis, covered, for 10
minutes.
Uncover the tsimmis and continue cooking until the
carrots and sweet potatoes are tender and the pan
juices have reduced to a thick, rich-flavored sauce, 10
to 20 minutes longer. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
Correct the seasoning, adding lemon juice to taste.
The tsimmis should be somewhat sweet (but not
sugary), with just a hint of tartness. Serve hot or at
room temperature. Gets better with each day.
This recipe yields 12 servings.
Each serving contains approximately: Calories: 190,
Fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 46g, Fiber: 4g, Sodium:
50mg, Protein: 2g.
Check out more Rice Diet Recipes.
Rice Diet Cookbook Available
The latest Rice Diet book is now available! It is full of easy recipes from the Rice Diet kitchen, cooking classes, participants and staff.
This book also contains more inspirational stories -- some from Rice Diet Program participants and others from those who read and followed the Rice Diet Solution at home.
Pick up a copy of the cookbook at the Rice Diet Store or your local bookseller.
Buy the cookbook at the Rice Diet Store
Contact Information
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