The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
Alicia Silverstone
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 1609611357
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In The Kind Diet, actress, activist, and committed conservationist Alicia Silverstone shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin, off-the-chart energy, and smooth digestion. She explains how meat, fish, milk, and cheese―the very foods we've been taught to regard as the cornerstone of good nutrition―are actually the culprits behind escalating rates of disease and the cause of dire, potentially permanent damage to our ecology.
Yet going meat- and dairy-free doesn't mean suffering deprivation; to the contrary, The Kind Diet introduces irresistibly delicious food that satisfies on every level―it even includes amazing desserts to keep the most stubborn sweet tooth happy. Alicia also addresses the nutritional concerns faced by many who are new to a plant-based diet, and shows how to cover every nutritional base, from protein to calcium and beyond.
Alicia knows that changing life-long dietary habits is a process, and that each person progresses at a different pace. For that reason, The Kind Diet encompasses 3 separate levels, from Flirting to Superhero. Flirts learn to dip a toe into the vegan pool, reducing their meat-eating and swapping out a few key foods for plant-based substitutes to see quickly how even small changes can reap big results. Vegans get to experience the life-altering effects of forgoing animal-products entirely, while still enjoying many convenience foods and meat substitutes in addition to the wonderful grains, vegetables and fruits that form the core of that diet. True enlightenment comes with the Superhero program, based on the principles of macrobiotics and built on a foundation of whole grains, vegetables, and other yummy foods that Alicia describes in detail.
Whether your goal is to drop a few pounds, boost your energy and metabolism, or simply save the world, Alicia provides the encouragement, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering.
Maybe it’s time to ask the question: Is consuming all this pain and terror hurting us on levels we can’t perceive? Is it cutting us off from the compassion deep within us? By not only condoning cruelty but literally consuming it, have we become desensitized to violence—against not only animals but ourselves and one another? KICKING MEAT When I gave up meat, I was so committed to the cause of protecting animals that I really didn’t pay much attention to any physical or emotional discomfort I may
our gardens and the water wasn’t purified with chemicals, the bacteria that synthesized B12 was available to us through the soil and water. So B12 deficiencies in vegans are not caused by the diet itself but by the hypersanitization of our modern world. Personally, I’m not a super-clean freak, so I don’t scrub the vegetables from my garden like crazy, and I know that the little bits of soil that remain contain B12. Yay, nature! To be safe, I also take a supplement—a low dose either under my
but either way, if you give it some thought before you’re in the thick of things, you can make decent choices. Every day is different; sometimes I’m at home for lunch, sometimes I’m having a meeting at a restaurant. Either way, by thinking ahead, I can make plans that ensure I make the best choices possible. When I don’t plan (and sometimes I don’t), I find that my choices are made in haste, out of stress or hunger, and they tend to be less than stellar. Often, eating healthy food is not so much
time. I know you have a million excuses for not taking care of yourself. It’s easy to feel pulled down by the ball-and-chain of the to-do list. But if you don’t stay centered by doing the basic things, everything and everyone in your life will pay for it. I know it may feel naughty to acknowledge (even to yourself) that you are putting yourself first, but think of it this way: A mother must eat good food to produce good milk for her baby. There are no shortcuts there. So be a good mother to all
large pot until the onions are soft or translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, and sauté for 5 minutes longer, until lightly browned and softened. Sometimes the eggplant will absorb a lot of oil, so you might need to add more to prevent sticking. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and chili. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. It will get watery, but then reduce to a thick, stewy chana masala. Add more spices to taste. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve. Sweet Potato–Lentil Stew Served