The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone
Authors: Alicia Silverstone
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develop a protein deficiency. (The clinical term for the disease of protein deficiency is kwashiorkor —ever heard of it? Me neither! Doesn’t that tell you something?)
Not only does the plant kingdom supply us with abundant amounts of protein (and not just in beans—almost every plant contains it), turns out we can get too much of the stuff because the body doesn’t store it. And when there’s too much, the liver and kidneys get overworked trying to eliminate it. Your liver and kidneys are the major detoxifying organs of the body, so overtaxing them just isn’t a good idea. The truth is we Westerners suffer from diseases caused by excess protein, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis . . . the list goes on.
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More Bean Benefits
Beans are slimming: Because they absorb water, beans continue to expand in your stomach, keeping you feeling full. Beans are also low in fat and calories.
Abundant variety: There are more than 1,000 varieties of beans, and they all have distinct qualities. Lentils are different from garbanzos, which are a world apart from lima beans.
Beans are versatile: Beans are great for soups, dips, spreads, in burritos, tacos, and casseroles. They are elegant alone or in a salad and are the perfect food for every season.
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Many people don’t need protein more than once a day, but others crave more. It depends on your level of activity and muscle mass. Especially when you’re adjusting to a plant-based diet, I recommend you have a bean or some kind of protein product every day.
OTHER BEAN PRODUCTS
Tofu: Probably the most popular and well-known soybean food, tofu’s origins are debated, but we know it’s been around for at least 2,000 years. Tofu is minimally processed without chemicals. Tofu has the amazing ability to pick up whatever flavors surround it, so it’s the most versatile food I know.
Tempeh is made from slighty fermented soybeans and originally comes from Indonesia. I know it sounds a little weird, but tempeh is delicious ! It has a nutty, meaty, satisfying yumminess and is super high in protein. Sometimes tempeh makers combine the soybeans with other ingredients to make different styles and flavors.
Be sure to always buy organic beans, tofu, and tempeh to ensure you’re not getting genetically modified soybeans. For more on GMOs, see page 65 .
So explore beans thoroughly. They will support you on every level. Beans provide incredible and varied culinary possibilities and have a history as rich as whole grains’. Make sure you get to know them well.
One other protein food worth mentioning, though it is not made from beans, is seitan.
Seitan (pronounced say-tan ): Seitan is made from the gluten of whole wheat, but it’s almost pure protein. Amazing as a meat substitute because of its texture, seitan is great in a stroganoff or ground up like hamburger! Both seitan and tempeh lend themselves nicely to heartier dishes.
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The Great Soy Debate
These days, many people giving up dairy are making a wholesale substitution of soy products for dairy products, eating soy milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and tofu throughout the day. Plus, almost every processed food on the market contains soy or soy byproducts, so add them to the mix and the soy meter shatters.
But why is that a problem? Isn’t soy good?
Yes, but too much of even a good thing is still too much. You see, one of soy’s amazing qualities is that it contains plant-based estrogens called phytoestrogens . In small quantities, phytoestrogens have a positive effect; studies show that they are protective against breast cancer and are helpful for postmenopausal women. In moderate amounts, phytoestrogens are also fine for men. However, there is speculation that an excessive amount of plant-based estrogens may affect fertility in both men and women, interfere with reproductive development in boys, and exacerbate thyroid problems.
Before getting all crazy, keep in mind that Asian cultures have used soybeans or
Not only does the plant kingdom supply us with abundant amounts of protein (and not just in beans—almost every plant contains it), turns out we can get too much of the stuff because the body doesn’t store it. And when there’s too much, the liver and kidneys get overworked trying to eliminate it. Your liver and kidneys are the major detoxifying organs of the body, so overtaxing them just isn’t a good idea. The truth is we Westerners suffer from diseases caused by excess protein, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis . . . the list goes on.
----
More Bean Benefits
Beans are slimming: Because they absorb water, beans continue to expand in your stomach, keeping you feeling full. Beans are also low in fat and calories.
Abundant variety: There are more than 1,000 varieties of beans, and they all have distinct qualities. Lentils are different from garbanzos, which are a world apart from lima beans.
Beans are versatile: Beans are great for soups, dips, spreads, in burritos, tacos, and casseroles. They are elegant alone or in a salad and are the perfect food for every season.
----
Many people don’t need protein more than once a day, but others crave more. It depends on your level of activity and muscle mass. Especially when you’re adjusting to a plant-based diet, I recommend you have a bean or some kind of protein product every day.
OTHER BEAN PRODUCTS
Tofu: Probably the most popular and well-known soybean food, tofu’s origins are debated, but we know it’s been around for at least 2,000 years. Tofu is minimally processed without chemicals. Tofu has the amazing ability to pick up whatever flavors surround it, so it’s the most versatile food I know.
Tempeh is made from slighty fermented soybeans and originally comes from Indonesia. I know it sounds a little weird, but tempeh is delicious ! It has a nutty, meaty, satisfying yumminess and is super high in protein. Sometimes tempeh makers combine the soybeans with other ingredients to make different styles and flavors.
Be sure to always buy organic beans, tofu, and tempeh to ensure you’re not getting genetically modified soybeans. For more on GMOs, see page 65 .
So explore beans thoroughly. They will support you on every level. Beans provide incredible and varied culinary possibilities and have a history as rich as whole grains’. Make sure you get to know them well.
One other protein food worth mentioning, though it is not made from beans, is seitan.
Seitan (pronounced say-tan ): Seitan is made from the gluten of whole wheat, but it’s almost pure protein. Amazing as a meat substitute because of its texture, seitan is great in a stroganoff or ground up like hamburger! Both seitan and tempeh lend themselves nicely to heartier dishes.
----
The Great Soy Debate
These days, many people giving up dairy are making a wholesale substitution of soy products for dairy products, eating soy milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and tofu throughout the day. Plus, almost every processed food on the market contains soy or soy byproducts, so add them to the mix and the soy meter shatters.
But why is that a problem? Isn’t soy good?
Yes, but too much of even a good thing is still too much. You see, one of soy’s amazing qualities is that it contains plant-based estrogens called phytoestrogens . In small quantities, phytoestrogens have a positive effect; studies show that they are protective against breast cancer and are helpful for postmenopausal women. In moderate amounts, phytoestrogens are also fine for men. However, there is speculation that an excessive amount of plant-based estrogens may affect fertility in both men and women, interfere with reproductive development in boys, and exacerbate thyroid problems.
Before getting all crazy, keep in mind that Asian cultures have used soybeans or
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