The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone Page A
Authors: Alicia Silverstone
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tofu in moderation for millennia without exhibiting these problems. In fact, their breast cancer rates and problems with menopause are much, much lower than ours. And let’s not forget that soybeans lower cholesterol, help to prevent osteoporosis, and can alleviate problems associated with diabetes.
The answer, as in so many things, is moderation. It’s good to eat tofu and tempeh a couple of times a week; and miso and good-quality soy sauce, in small amounts, are great as well. As you transition to a plant-based diet, feel free to indulge in processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, and soy ice cream for a while. But as you embrace whole, unrefined foods, and your body gets cleaner and more balanced, it’s best to regard processed soy products as occasional treats.
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KIND FOOD #3: VEGETABLES
Vegetables got a bad rap when we started packing them in cans—or freezing them in bricks to zap in the microwave! For such delicate, beautiful gifts of nature, it was cruel treatment, and for our taste buds, a modern tragedy. But when you get your hands on fresh vegetables, grown in your area, maybe even harvested that very day, you will be amazed by how good they taste. For vibrant health, tons of energy, beautiful skin, and many other bennies, vegetables need to make it to your plate every day—ideally at every meal.
Vegetables are ridiculously kind to your body. Here’s why:
They are full of complex carbs: Vegetables are composed primarily of complex carbohydrates, so they deliver good-quality sugar to the blood and energy to your body.
Vegetables have tons of fiber: Not just your ticket in and out of the loo, fiber gives protection against heart disease and diabetes. Fiber also binds with excess hormones (implicated in reproductive and breast cancers), carrying them out of the body.
Veggies are alkalizing: Your blood needs to stay alkaline. That’s its deal. If it becomes acidic, you get sick. Vegetables are generally alkalizing, so when you eat them, your body doesn’t need to go through any acrobatics to remain alkaline. Vegetables are pure happiness for your bloodstream.
They have antioxidants: As your body goes about its daily business, cells break down and create free radicals, which are basically rogue electrons. These free radicals do damage linked to aging, cancer, and many other diseases. Luckily, Mother Nature has an amazing clean-up system in place: Vegetables and fruits contain antioxidant substances like vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, which clean up all the nasty free radicals. Another reason veggie-eaters are healthier.
MY TOP FIVE VEGETABLES
Kabocha squash: To most people, squash brings to mind zucchini or maybe a winter squash like butternut or acorn squash. They’re good, but for me none of these can touch kabocha squash. It’s just so rich and sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. Steamed, roasted, added to a soup, or as a pureed soup itself, it’s my favorite.
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Superhero: Brendan Brazier
Brendan Brazier runs. And bikes. And swims. A lot. As a professional ultramarathoner and triathlete, he needs tons of good-quality, long-lasting energy; and he gets it . . . you guessed it . . . from a 100-percent plant-based diet. When not winning or placing in ultramarathons (at 50 km, he has won the Canadian Ultramarathon Championships twice), Brendan promotes his book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, addresses Congress about vegan nutrition, and has even developed a line of energy supplement powders and bars for athletes or those of us who simply need some vegan training wheels.
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Leeks: Let’s take a moment to appreciate the amazing leek. Although it’s a member of the onion family, it’s really different from your average onion. Leeks are long and elegant, with a white bottom and dark green leaves, which grow in a beautiful symmetrical fan shape. So sexy. So fancy. The French use them all the time, and they’re not messin’ around when it
The answer, as in so many things, is moderation. It’s good to eat tofu and tempeh a couple of times a week; and miso and good-quality soy sauce, in small amounts, are great as well. As you transition to a plant-based diet, feel free to indulge in processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, and soy ice cream for a while. But as you embrace whole, unrefined foods, and your body gets cleaner and more balanced, it’s best to regard processed soy products as occasional treats.
----
KIND FOOD #3: VEGETABLES
Vegetables got a bad rap when we started packing them in cans—or freezing them in bricks to zap in the microwave! For such delicate, beautiful gifts of nature, it was cruel treatment, and for our taste buds, a modern tragedy. But when you get your hands on fresh vegetables, grown in your area, maybe even harvested that very day, you will be amazed by how good they taste. For vibrant health, tons of energy, beautiful skin, and many other bennies, vegetables need to make it to your plate every day—ideally at every meal.
Vegetables are ridiculously kind to your body. Here’s why:
They are full of complex carbs: Vegetables are composed primarily of complex carbohydrates, so they deliver good-quality sugar to the blood and energy to your body.
Vegetables have tons of fiber: Not just your ticket in and out of the loo, fiber gives protection against heart disease and diabetes. Fiber also binds with excess hormones (implicated in reproductive and breast cancers), carrying them out of the body.
Veggies are alkalizing: Your blood needs to stay alkaline. That’s its deal. If it becomes acidic, you get sick. Vegetables are generally alkalizing, so when you eat them, your body doesn’t need to go through any acrobatics to remain alkaline. Vegetables are pure happiness for your bloodstream.
They have antioxidants: As your body goes about its daily business, cells break down and create free radicals, which are basically rogue electrons. These free radicals do damage linked to aging, cancer, and many other diseases. Luckily, Mother Nature has an amazing clean-up system in place: Vegetables and fruits contain antioxidant substances like vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, which clean up all the nasty free radicals. Another reason veggie-eaters are healthier.
MY TOP FIVE VEGETABLES
Kabocha squash: To most people, squash brings to mind zucchini or maybe a winter squash like butternut or acorn squash. They’re good, but for me none of these can touch kabocha squash. It’s just so rich and sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. Steamed, roasted, added to a soup, or as a pureed soup itself, it’s my favorite.
----
Superhero: Brendan Brazier
Brendan Brazier runs. And bikes. And swims. A lot. As a professional ultramarathoner and triathlete, he needs tons of good-quality, long-lasting energy; and he gets it . . . you guessed it . . . from a 100-percent plant-based diet. When not winning or placing in ultramarathons (at 50 km, he has won the Canadian Ultramarathon Championships twice), Brendan promotes his book Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, addresses Congress about vegan nutrition, and has even developed a line of energy supplement powders and bars for athletes or those of us who simply need some vegan training wheels.
----
Leeks: Let’s take a moment to appreciate the amazing leek. Although it’s a member of the onion family, it’s really different from your average onion. Leeks are long and elegant, with a white bottom and dark green leaves, which grow in a beautiful symmetrical fan shape. So sexy. So fancy. The French use them all the time, and they’re not messin’ around when it
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