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December 23, 2012

One-Year Anniversary Giveaway!!!

As I approach one whole year of being plant-based, I am in absolute awe at how easy it has been and how my cravings for meat and dairy have disappeared. I started this journey on December 31, 2011 and although I am not a perfect Herbie by any means, I am proud of the changes I have made in my life in 12 short months. When I started this journey, my intention was to try it for 3 months. Every book I read, every website I perused, told me that it if I lasted 3 short months, I wouldn't got back to the Standard American Diet. I guess they all knew what they were talking about :)

In 12 months, I've lost 21 lbs! I was aiming for 30 but I couldn't get past 21 lbs, no matter how hard I tried. No sweat ... because my total cholesterol numbers (when I checked it on November 30, 2012) was 160 mg/dL. Not quite to where Dr. Esselstyn recommends (< 150 mg/dL) .. but I know I'll get there soon!!!

Before & After - 12 Months later!
An old friend that I recently connected with on Facebook asked me about my journey and how I managed to stick with it. She asked me what recommendations/suggestions I might have for someone like her who has lived so far on the Standard American Diet, has tried before and failed for various reasons in completing the transition and sticking with a plant-based lifestyle. I responded to her in a private message, but I figured I should share some of what I have learnt this past year with everyone.

First of all ... A Whole-Foods, Plant-Based, Oil-Free plate ... looks & tastes amazing!! These are all pictures of foods I've made and enjoyed over the past year. It is truly amazing how much more variety I have in my diet now that I am eating plants ... and of his own accord, my Meat and Potatoes husband is now on a WFPB diet and he doubts he'll ever go back to the SAD (Standard American Diet). If he can do it ... so can you!   


I wrote a blog post called "Why I'm Vegetarian .." on my one-month anniversary. Most of the knowledge I had imparted at the time was, and still is, available widely on the internet.  Animal products, meat and dairy aren't meant for human consumption. Cows milk is intended to fatten a calf ... guess what it does to us? Animal products have cholesterol. Human bodies are capable of making all the cholesterol they need, so why pump ourselves with more of an ingredient which we have enough of, can make enough of, and know that excess can only be harmful.

The benefits of a whole-foods plant-based diet are immense with the most important benefit being your health.  Give it a try - Give up meat and dairy because you're so worth it!
  • Just do it! Give it up Cold Tofu! I did it - So can you! Challenge yourself for 28 days or 6 weeks, or whatever floats your boat. See how you feel and then decide how you want to go on with your life. 
  • If you're unsure Give it up - One thing at a time - try Meatless Mondays. Then slowly add another day and then another! 
  • Focus on one meal at a time. Prepare, enjoy, take a few pictures, share those on Twitter and Facebook (we love to see food pics!!). When that's done - think of the next meal!
  • Have a leafy green salad before every meal - It fills you up so you eat less of the meat and fatty foods!
  • Drink lots and lots of water to keep you feeling full, your kidneys working and your body cleansed. 
  • LOVE your carbohydrates! Eat bananas, carrots, apples, oranges, peaches, pears, cucumbers, celery, radishes, corn, potatoes ... LOVE your potatoes.  The term "Low Carb" is the biggest marketing strategy of our times. Our bodies run on carbs - not protein.  
  • Don't focus on what you're cutting from your diet - focus on what you're adding in. Try new foods, grains, fruits and veggies - check out the Wikipedia List of Culinary Vegetables - you'll be shocked at how few you've tried! I challenged myself to eat new plant-based foods this past year and as of today, I've tried 62 New Veggies and Plant-Based products. 
  • If you slip-up - don't fret - don't beat yourself up - and don't give up on your entire diet because you slipped-up on a piece of cake or a cookie. Make amends at the next meal ..!
  • Even after one whole year, my downfall are desserts and sweet treats - the ones where added dairy and animal products (i.e. eggs) aren't immediately apparent. Know that it is not sugar that's bad for you - it's the added oil and fat and cholesterol in desserts. Try some of the awesome fat-less, dairy-free desserts made by Happy Herbivore and Chef AJ and others. Recipes are widely available online.
  • Love your kitchen. Even if you hate to cook, you can always make a salad. As you experiment more, you'll become more and more comfortable in the kitchen. Pamper your kitchen. Let your first purchase be a good set of Chef's knives. 
  • Add spices and herbs to your pantry and to your diet. Not only do they add flavor and variety, they provide essential oils and medicinal properties. If you've never used anything other than Pepper and Basil, experiment. Buy small quantities until you find the ones you like. Ethnic stores and Dollar stores are great places to pick up spices on the cheap.  
  • Buy the "Happy Cow" and "VeganXpress" apps for your smart phone for when you're eating out. 
Here are some links to some websites, books and movies which I read and researched as I began my journey, and which I continue to go back to for motivation and advice.
  1. Unprocessed - Chef AJ
  2. Food Rules - Michael Pollan
  3. Eat to Live - Dr. Joel Furhman
  4. Forks Over Knives - The Movie. 
  5. The Engine 2 Diet - Rip Esselstyn
  6. The China Study - Dr. T. Colin Campbell
  7. The Starch Solution - Dr. John A. McDougall
  8. Appetite for Reduction - Isa Chandra Moskowitz
  9. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease - Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn
  10. The Happy Herbivore Website and Cookbooks - Lindsay S. Nixon

To commemorate my First Anniversary as a Herbie i.e. a fan of Happy Herbivore, and a person who eats a whole-foods, plant-based, no-added-fat diet, but does not identify oneself as a vegan (here's why!) ... I'm having a Giveaway. The lucky winner will receive a copy of the newest coolest cookbook on bookshelves this December - Happy Herbivore Abroad by Lindsay S. Nixon.  In January of 2012, I accidentally came across The Happy Herbivore website while searching for a recipe for Butternut Squash. I found her page on Facebook and asked her a question about the recipe. She wrote back in just a few short hours. And that was it ... I was a fan!! Lindsay made it seem so easy and so doable. I bought both her cookbooks that same month. I have enjoyed her first 2 books immensely and that's the reason I'm offering her newest cookbook as a prize to the lucky winner. I recently had the opportunity to e-interview this lovely, very-humble, lady. Check out the interview here if you haven't seen it yet. 

Since my audience is international, this giveaway is international as well. I will ship it to the Lucky winner, anywhere on Planet Earth :) !!! Of course, if you're not in the US or Canada, you will experience some delay in receiving your book as I will be sending it by standard mail (yes, I'm cheap! and I have teenagers to feed!).

Leave a comment below. Tell me if in the last 12 months, you have tried any new plant-based foods? And if so, what was your favorite New Veggie, and why? Then, follow the link below to enter to win a free copy!! The giveaway opens tonight and ends on my one-year anniversary - December 31, 2012. I will announce the winner on this blog post, as well as on my Facebook Page.  

As Chef AJ always signs off ... Love & Kale!!!

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

22 comments:

  1. I went plant based April 2012 and have lost 70lbs. I had never eaten Quinoa before and I love how versatile it is to use. Fresh ginger and Tumeric have become a staple for me as well.

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    1. Awesome 70lbs Lindsay!!! We love Quinoa too :) so versatile!

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  2. I've been mainly plant-based since June. I've tried a lot of new (to me) plant-based foods and my favorite is red lentils. I love the texture and how easy it is to make soups and stews. My favorite new veggie is probably baby bok choy. It is so easy to stir fry!

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  3. I always "thought" I was eating a healthy diet but until I watched the movie Forks over Knives I had no idea that the healthy foods I was eating were not giving me the nutrients that I thought I was getting. I have been fully plant based since October 2012 and have never been more excited about anything like it!!! My husband is also on board with me and we feel so lucky to have discovered these food health facts and the food is SOOO yummy, it blows your mind!! I am looking forward to a life time of a plant based diet!! Thanks to all of you who offer this important health information and provide these delicious recipes so we can have strong healthy disease free bodies!

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    1. Thank you Judy! My husband started in October 2012 too. He has been quite pleasantly surprised to discover how flavorful his food is too .. and how good he feels ... !!! Enjoy!!

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  4. I've been plant based since August 1st..and my fave new veggie is definitely KALE! I get excited when I see a nice fresh bunch in the grocery store...waiting just for me. ;)I love to add it to soups, smoothies, potatoes...or just steam with lemon juice and fresh garlic. There are sooo many recipes out there for us. I really don't see how anyone could get bored with this way of eating. I'm having fun...while losing weight and getting healthy!

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    1. I'm still learning to love Kale. I love it in soups and in lentil stews and wilted with garlic. I cannot get myself to eat it raw yet. Have you tried it raw yet?

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  5. Mark and I don't eat a plant based diet every day, but we are trying to eat a broader variety of food and we have a few "plant based days" a week. :) This year, we have tried eggplant (cooked it completely wrong the first time, but after a few tries, we really like it), spaghetti squash, quinoa, miso, a variety of peppers, and kale (took years to convince Mark that kale was not exclusively rabbit food). So far so good. I got a pressure cooker for Christmas and I'm looking forward to experimenting some more :D I love to cook and this journey has been a lot of fun. Here's to an even healthier 2013.

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    1. Sarah .. working with bunnies like we all have ... it is quite normal to consider kale exclusively rabbit food (everyone in DART now offers me a leaf or two as I walk in!!). You've tried quite a few new things this year!! Here's to a healthier 2013 for sure!!!!

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  6. I too went plant based in January of this year. I have lost 32 pounds and feel great! I have tried many new foods like eggplant and kale in the last 12 months. I love being plant based! Love your blog and facebook page!
    Jennifer

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  7. I began this wonderful diet October 2011. I've tried lots of new veggies. My new favorite is baby squash.

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    1. ooh baby squash sounds good. I'll have to find some.

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  8. I went plant based for lent last year I loved how I felt - but as life was filled with craziness and a constantly sick baby I went back to the SAD diet - I must say at first I was sick eating the SAD way after being plant based and loving it. I have set a challenge for myself on Jan 1 to return to a plant based life style. I teach Kindergarten and have two young daughters so I will need to plan carefully and prep in advance but I am ready. I see and know all of the benefits. This year I learned to love Kale - I put it is smoothies, salads and soups - and I even grow it in my back yard. Congratulations on your success I hope to post a similiar blog in a year. :-)

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    1. Good luck Maria. With a little bit of advance planning, its easy!! You can do it :)

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  9. My partner and I decided in 9/11 that we would try this "diet" out cold turkey just to see what would happen. I was 29 with HBP and freaked out to keep having to fork out money for meds for something that I caused to myself with my SAD. So...15 months later I am down 82lbs, no meds and feeling better than ever. (Now this is for sure our lifestyle and not just another Diet!!) I think one of the veggies that I maybe didn't try newly but rather repurpose was the potato! Before I honestly could say I would eat only french fries or Buttery Baked pot or Mashed! I now love potatoes in so many things but one of my favorite is baked topped with pinto beans, salsa, guacamole and HH Quick Queso!! MMM Thanks for the blog and giveaway!!

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  10. Congrats on your journey so far! I love most veggies, but have discovered that back to basics simplicity can be delicious. In these colder months I am a potato girl. Love a baked potato with almond parm and nut. yeast on it or a baked sweet potato smothered in black beans or baked beans. Yum!!!!

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  11. I had tried to go plant based in August. I last 3 weeks. My goal this year is to make longer than 3 weeks. Going to focus on the HH way again :-)

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    1. Mary-Lynn,
      You can do it. Just focus on the benefits ... !!! Its not hard. try to last 28 days and you won't go back (slips and falls will happen!)

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