Wantagh Wellness Project

Post swim/row brunch. Ezekiel bread toast. Sweet potato mash. Blueberries and h**p seeds. Apple and peanut butter on the side.

We started baking our own sourdough bread (thanks for the starter kit ). It’s really good and easy to make. Avocado toast on sourdough. Tomato. Homegrown sprouts. Cashew cream and hot sauce on top 🔥. Anyone else making their own bread?

Anyone been to Cava? Went to Cava in Melville for lunch today. It was really good. Where do you like to go for a local healthy meal? Have you tried Green Street Eatery in Levittown - so good! Recently had awesome veggie fajitas at Mateos Cantina in Wantagh and a delicious cauliflower rice bowl at Bongo Burrito in Seaford.

Breakfast/brunch. Tofu scramble with salsa. Steamed greens. Banana. Coffee w unsweetened soy milk. Tofu scramble is super easy. Crumble up a block of tofu, add some turmeric, and heat on a skillet. (Add some pepper to enhance anti inflammatory effect of turmeric.) That’s it. Eat more plants 🤙

Greens for breakfast. Making an effort to eat more greens. Green smoothie bowl. Blended - Spinach, banana, frozen mango, water. Steel cut oats, seeds (chia, flax, h**p), walnuts, banana, blueberries. Peanut butter. 10 different plants. Eat real food, mostly plants, variety is important!

Man, that was really hard. Definitely the toughest physical feat I have ever finished. About mile 13 my legs started cramping - not sure why. For the first half - my pace, nutrition, and hydration felt good…I think it was the hills. I definitely underestimated the hills. But despite my legs giving out and being forced to take frequent walk breaks, I kept going. The race took way longer than expected, but I’m proud to say I remained positive and enjoyed every minute.

The energy, support, and positivity from the crowd is hard to put into words. Millions of people of all ages, races, religions, and nationalities lined the streets. Everyone was smiling, laughing, dancing, cheering and holding up the most creative signs. The love and support I felt from complete strangers was unreal. I am grateful to have witnessed the very best of humanity. It was an experience I will never forget.

Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me. I love you guys. Thank to all of you that donated to my charity. You made this possible. Thank you to team Northwell for this opportunity. And a special shout-out to New York Road Runners, law enforcement, and all the volunteers for putting on such an epic event.

Stay positive. Keep going. Spread love.

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.

Post run snack. 🥑 toast. Dave’s killer bread. Avocado. roasted red pepper. Sprouts (broccoli and alfalfa). Cashew cream (cashews and water blended together). TJs South African Smoke Seasoning 🔥.

Good day for veggie chili. Pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, spinach, spices, veggie broth. That’s a lot of plants!!!! Make a huge batch. Freeze the leftovers. 🌱 💪

Less than a month to the NYC marathon! Currently, I am about 1/3 of the way to my fundraising goal. Thank you to those who have donated so far. I really appreciate it. I do not like asking people for money, but your donation goes to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, allowing them to provide the best care to the sick kids in our community. Link in bio. Here’s the site www.northwellkids.org/participant/Kyle-Lennon

Chickpea ‘tuna’ salad.
Chickpea ‘tuna’ is really easy to make. Mash up some chickpeas (I use a potato masher, but a fork works), add red onion, celery, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. That’s it. Makes a great sandwich, wrap, or put it on a salad. Spinach, tomato, sprouts, chickpea ‘tuna’, and some tahini on top.

Whole grain breakfast bowl. Usually my daily breakfast is steel cut oats, but I do like to use different grains occasionally. Every different plant has different fiber and nutrients. So variety is important. I bought these small bags of whole grains at Whole Foods. They’re great because they cook in 10-12 min. Add banana, berries, seeds (chia, h**p, ground flax), and some unsweetened plant based milk. A great way to start the day. 🌱 💪

Dinner the other night. Quinoa, broccoli, zucchini, chickpeas. Dressing tahini, lemon, garlic, water.
Make healthy bowls! Choose a grain, a bean, and add some veggies - it’s pretty simple.

Post run recovery meal. Steamed purple sweet potatoes topped with beans. Cashew cream on top (Cashews and water in the blender). Steamed greens on the side. Ingredients all found at Trader Joe’s. These pinto beans are pretty tasty.

Mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, homegrown alfalfa and broccoli sprouts. Dressing - tahini and Dijon mustard thinned with a little water.

Find joy in movement. Moving your body is a privilege. The surf has been good lately, so I’ve been surfing a lot! Surfing is one of my favorite things to do and it’s also a great workout. When the ocean is flat, I like to run, bike, hike, swim, take orange theory classes, and play sports with my boys. Exercise is something I look forward to. Start slow. Find activities you enjoy. Bonus - move in nature and move with friends. What’s your favorite way to move?

One more long run down. Post run oatmeal/fruit bowl. Steel cut oats, flax/chia/h**p seeds, walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, banana, mango, peanut butter, almond milk. Coffee with unsweetened soy milk.

Simple lunch. Dave’s Killer toast. Hummus. Home grown tomato. Red onion. Everything but the bagel on top. Homegrown tomatoes - so good 😋.

Dinner in 10 minutes. Frozen veggies - carrots, broccoli, green beans, red pepper, onion, mushrooms. Organic brown rice from Trader Joe’s (microwave for only 3 min!). Steamed edamame. Sauce - low sodium soy sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic powder. Sesame seeds on top.

Hey everyone. I’m signed up to run the NYC marathon this November. I am super excited to run this iconic race for the first time. As a member of Northwell’s NYC Marathon Team, I am raising money for Cohen Children's Medical Center. Your donation helps me accomplish my goal, but more importantly it helps Cohen’s remain at the forefront of pediatric medical care. You can donate on my website - https://www.northwellkids.org/participant/Kyle-Lennon (link in bio). Thank you so much for your support. I’ve already started my training since the marathon is less than 12 weeks away. If you’re interested, I’m am going to share some of this journey on social media. I will be posting about nutrition, workouts, recovery etc. Let’s go!!!!! Kyle

15 years ago, on Memorial Day weekend, I married my best friend. It’s the best decision I have ever made.

So grateful for our marriage. Looking forward to growing old with you!

Healthy relationships are one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine:

1. Whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern
2. physical activity
3. restorative sleep
4. stress management
5. avoidance of risky substances
6. positive social connections

Broccoli and alfalfa sprouts mixed with hummus and avocado on nori seaweed wrap.

Step up your micronutrient game by eating sprouts. Growing your own sprouts is fun and so simple!

Here’s the jar we use. Now foods (on amazon)

We buy our seeds from true leaf market.

Follow the sprout guru

Greens & Beans

Post run lunch

Steamed broccoli, chickpeas, dressing (scoop of Dijon mustard, scoop of tahini, water, and a little turmeric), pepper on top

Making healthy meals doesn’t have to take long.

Eat real food, mostly plants - that’s what the healthiest people in the world do!

Start your day 🌱 strong! Whole grain bowl, plant milk, with fruit, nuts, and seeds……..usually we make steel cut oatmeal bowls for breakfast….but occasionally we mix it up with different whole grains…..each different plant/grain has different fiber and nutrients….eating a wide variety of plants can help optimize your health and gut microbiome. These whole grain packs are great and cook in only 10-12min! You can buy them at Whole Foods…….here are some tips - 1. Try different plant milks - we usually use oat milk for our bowls. 2. We don’t cook our oats. If your oats soak in plant milk for a few hours, they are good to go! 3. Cut the banana into lots of really small pieces, so you get some banana in each bite 4. use frozen fruit - just let the fruit thaw out for a few hours. 5. Mix chia, h**p, and ground flax seeds in one container and store in your fridge.

10 min healthy meal. 1 pan. Easy cleanup. Trader Joe’s Asian Vegetable Stir fry in pan for 10 minutes with soy sauce, garlic and a little ginger. TJ organic brown rice - 3 min in microwave 🔥. Cubed tofu…………….To eat healthy, you have to cook, but it doesn’t need to take long. This meal took 10 min. 15 different plants. Eat real food, mostly plants.

Last week, I went to Glen Cove hospital to talk to their family medicine residents about the importance of lifestyle medicine. The vast majority of heart disease, diabetes, and strokes are preventable! Our “health care” system is really a “sick care” system. Instead of only treating these diseases with pills and procedures - shouldn’t we also focus on preventing them! In my lecture, I discussed the importance of eating an unprocessed plant-based diet and how to manage stress in healthy ways. I hope these young physicians will incorporate lifestyle medicine into their future practices. If you have a class or a group that you think would benefit from a lecture like this, please let me know!!!

Plant Based Charcuterie Board

As we approach the holiday season, it’s difficult to eat healthy. People are busy and stressed, and there are a lot of parties.

10 years ago, when I was a stressed out ER doc (eating the standard American diet), I used to gain about 10 pounds from thanksgiving to new years. It’s so easy. Stress + parties (appetizers, processed foods, sweets, alcohol) = weight gain, bloating, fatigue, and acid reflux. I’ve been there. (Remember, stressed = desserts backwards)

This holiday season, do your best to to stay present. Mindfulness and meditation are great ways to manage stress.

Also, when you get invited to a party, Bring some healthy food. That way, you know there will be something nutritious to eat.

Here’s a good option: plant based charcuterie board. Hummus, baba ganoush, veggies and fruit. (We brought this to a recent ‘Friendsgiving’.)

Process > Result

Ilene and I ran the LI half marathon last Sunday. It was Ilene’s first official half marathon (super proud of her)!

It always feels good to accomplish a goal, but the process is more important than the result.

It’s the everyday decisions you make and your habits that make a difference.

If you want to feel better and lower your risk of chronic disease, learn to enjoy the process of healthy living.

Find joy in preparing healthy plant-based meals. Find time to move your body. Prioritize sleep. Practice stress management techniques. Spend time with friends and family.

Don’t just focus on the result - like a weight loss or fitness goal. Instead, stay present and enjoy the process.

Healthy Food & Gratitude

Dropped off 2 trays of tofu scramble this morning for the Wantagh Elementary School staff appreciation breakfast.

We are grateful to live in a community with an amazing school district. Thank you to all of the staff! We appreciate your kindness, hard work, and dedication.

Brunch after long run this morning.

Chickpea flour “omelette”

Combine Chickpea flour and water to create a batter. Then, cook like a regular omelette.

Topped with leftovers - riced cauliflower and sweet potato, peppers, onions, corn, black beans

Salsa, cashew “sour cream” (cashews and water blended in Vitamix), cilantro

Steamed greens

Why eat a whole-food plant-based diet?
1. Maintain a healthy weight - plant foods are less calorie dense and contain fiber. So you get full with less calories.
2. Antioxidants, phytonutrients
3. Decrease your risk of chronic disease - hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, autoimmune illness
4. It’s better for the environment.
5. It’s a more compassionate way to eat. Most animals consumed in this country are raised in factory farms 😞.
6. The healthiest populations in the world eat an unprocessed plant-based diet. ( )
7. Lower inflammation.
8. It’s evidence based.

Brunch today

Scrambled tempeh - Crumbled up tempeh heated in skillet with onion and tomato and turmeric. Salsa on top.

Steamed greens.

Potatoes with cashew cream (blended cashews and water).