Plant Strong eating: it's not about what you take away, it's about what you ADD!

This is the first post where I'm going to get a little more revealing about some of the reasons I'm vegan/plant-strong. You've been such good readers, it's time we get to know each other a little more closely :)

For me, it all comes down to health. And by health, I don't mean my weight. I don't mean my jean size, I don't mean if I look as good as my friends (p.s. that is a sure recipe for I'm-never-going-to-be-happy!) I'm interested in sleeping well, waking up refreshed and energized, not feeling sleepy at 4PM, not being constipated, not having skin problems, not having to feel like a victim of my genetics because I have heart disease on both sides (hi Mom and Dad!) and not depending on my family Dr. to give me medicine to make me feel good. I mean, does my family Dr. even know me? Hardly!

I also don't want to live a life where I'm counting calories, thinking about diets, beating myself up on a Monday because of poor eating choices. I've opted out! I want to live a life free from that.


I'm passionate about wellness and know I am in charge of my own health. Isn't that a wonderful thing? You really can dramatically change the way you feel (and look, which is a nice side effect) by what you eat. Rather than find that fact to be daunting, I think it's incredibly exciting and empowering, don't you?

This is not about being on a "diet" ... to hell with that. What eating plant-strong enables you to feel is happy about eating good food, the way nature intended it.

I absolutely love Whole Foods' pillars of health from their "Health Starts Here" initiative because it's so sensible and simple:

Eat Whole Foods (the real stuff: vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, whole grains)
Eat Plant Strong Foods (vegan)
Eat Nutrient Dense Foods (the most nutritional bang for your buck!)
Healthy Fats (nuts, avocados, seeds)

If someone came up to you today and said, "I can tell you a way to eat that will influence your overall well being more than anything else? More than genetics, more than exercise habits and more than any medication," what would you say? You'd be pretty intrigued at the least, right? What if they told you it's as simple (and complicated) as what you eat? I'm no expert, but I know there really is something to it.

Simple in that it's true, complicated in that we live in a world in which we are bombarded by daily advertisements (especially on food packaging) claiming health.

This is where my blog (hopefully!) comes into play. Use this site as a way to stay connected to a different way of looking at food! This is a site that focuses on the joy and passion in eating, feeling good and being whole. We're complicated people but our health shouldn't have to be so complicated.

Thank you and congratulations for your interest in your health! What a good thing you're doing for yourself.

Super simple Kale Avocado Lime salad

We all know by now that kale is one of THE most nutritious leafy greens on the planet, but might also agree we need new ways to serve it if we're supposed to be eating it weekly :) You remember my recent post about meeting Rip Esselstyn of the Engine 2 Diet?


I made this recipe right after watching Rip's Engine 2 Diet video and I love it. The one thing I added, simply because I already had some peeled and cut was some jicama. Otherwise, it's very similar to Rip's recipe:

My version:
Chopped kale
One avocado
One lime (Rip uses lemon)
Peeled and chopped jicama
Sprinkle of sea salt

Put the chopped kale in a bowl. Then, add one ripe avocado and the lime juice and (with clean hands!) smash it all up together until the kale starts to relax and the avocado and lime make an awesome dressing! That's pretty much all there is to it. Any recipe this easy needs attention drawn to it, so have fun with it and spread the word!

Meeting firefighter Rip of "Engine 2 Diet" fame!

If you've been following me here on veganmama for some time you know I'm a fan of Rip Esselstyn, the ex-firefighter, triathlete who wrote "The Engine 2 Diet." I first learned about Rip when I had just finished reading his father's book, "Prevent and Reserve Heart Disease." (note: you actually CAN do both by following a strict plant-based diet! I was skeptical, but after reading the book know it's possible) I saw Rip's book at my local Whole Foods and recognized his last name. I now couldn't imagine a morning without eating his cereal concoction, "Rip's Big Bowl!"

Rip's Big Bowl

oats (raw, old-fashioned) - 2 ounces grape nuts (or Ezekiel brand equivalent) - 2 ounces shredded wheat (bite-size) - 2 ounces uncle sam's - 2 ounces flaxseed meal (ground) - 1 ounces raisins - 1 ounces walnuts - 2 ounces grapefruit - 1 whole (veganmama uses red grapes cut in half instead) milk substitute (of choice) - 6 ounces banana - 8 ounces kiwi - 4 ounces

DIRECTIONS

Toss all ingredients except the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl. After cutting the grapefruit in half, use a small, sharp knife to remove the segments. Add the segments to the top of the bowl and squeeze in the juice. Top the bowl with milk substitute.

Rip recently came to Providence to give a talk about his lifestyle (our lifestyle :) and my father and I were lucky enough to attend.

Rip spoke to a full room, some of whom had taken his "28-day" challenge from his book, which spells out exactly how to jump into a plant-strong way of life. One of my favorite parts of the night was when people walked to the front of the room to share their proud stories. Stories not only weight loss, but of a new approach to food. THAT is really what it's all about, right? Feeling good about yourself and good about your choices. That goodness is contagious and exciting to see. And that's exactly what I try to do here at veganmama.



Go Veganmama go? I love this guy.



Rip stuck around for a book signing and shared some of his chocolate chip cookies with the group, baked by one of the women from the local Whole Foods. What an informative and inspiring night. Thank you, Rip!

The Engine 2 Diet DVD

You all know I'm a fan of Rip Esselstyn's "The Engine 2 Diet" book, which is the source of all things PLANT STRONG!

My father (go Dad!) brought this hour long movie to my attention, and I'm excited to say it's now available to watch (along with Forks Over Knives) right now, streaming on Netflix! I just watched it, and although I know a lot of what was covered, it served as a great reminder that I'm on the right track.

Vegan: It's not what you take away, it's what you ADD.

As you probably know by now, the "plant strong" lifestyle is something I've been living since August 2011. About two weeks into it, I realized it would be a journey that would last a lifetime. Once you get a taste of how great you can feel (both physically and mentally!) you realize that a big part of good health is maintaining that balance between body and soul. And when you find that balance, it feels rather DIVINE. I'm not saying I've got it all figured out, but I'm on the right path.


As a veganmama one of the questions I get a lot is, "Don't you miss [fill in the blank: ice cream, coffee with cream, butter on bread, cheese]?" My honest answer: no. The only food I don't think I could ever live without is chocolate, and since 70% and darker is vegan, I'm all set! The reason I don't feel deprivation? I'm giving my body what it needs, and going vegan has re-wired some of my taste buds. Seriously :) Artificially sweetened things now taste...artificial. Overly salty things no longer appeal to me. Once you've really enjoyed a raw nut you realize what a nut is really supposed to taste like. And you know what? They are delicious just the way they are!

The whole point of all this plant strong stuff is to gradually replace nutrient deficient foods with nutrient dense foods. What does that mean? Let me give you a couple of examples. Instead of reaching for a piece of white bread (which has very little to offer your nutrient-hungry body), reach for a piece of organic whole grain bread. And remember, the word "whole" should be the first word in the list of ingredients! Instead of grabbing a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast one morning, reach for a hearty and tasty bowl of oats topped with fruit, nuts, chia seeds. Not only will you feel great, you'll be regular (hey, that's important you know!) and you will NOT be hungry at 10AM!


And think about how good you would feel if you replaced processed snacks with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds? Trust me, you wouldn't feel hungry. You also wouldn't feel that craziness you feel when you just can't stop eating processed salty snacks (chips, white flour pretzels, etc.). I'm not trying to say that there is anything inherently WRONG with these foods. What I'm pointing out is that they are not nutrient dense ;)

So as you're reaching for a snack or a meal or even something to drink, ask yourself, "is it nutrient dense?" How about a smoothie instead of a mocha latte? How about beans and brown rice topped with salsa and avocado instead of a tuna sandwich smothered in mayo?

There are so many ways to take good care of yourself. Remember nutrient density while you're out shopping and your body will thank you!