The Kind Diet

szimba

Anyone read Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet? I found it to be a very easy read. I'm not sure if I agree with a full on vegan or "superhero" diet, however I wouldn't mind "flirting" with one.

Thoughts? Opinions?

JossFit

Being vegan or vegetarian is a very personal choice. Why would anyone else's opinion matter? Give it a shot and see if it works for your lifestyle.

CJisinShape

No, I haven't read it yet. I'm not against vegetarianism and it seems like people making these sacrifices for animals would feel kind. In America, we have a fondness for pets that extend towards animals in general. But what of human beings? I would hope that in our quest to be kind, the first extension of kindness would be to our neighbor. Bullying is rampant, moms judging moms is "a thing," and unkind words between family members are common. I've seen how some, in their quest to be kind to animals end up harshly treating and speaking about those that do not share their ideas. I would rather a person be kind to other people.

mfp2014mfp

I was a vegetarian for 23 years. I have recently started eating both fish and chicken. Trust me being a vego doesnt really mean you will be skinnier its still all cals in vs cals out. If you agree with being a vego for ethical reasons go ahead, if youre going to use it as a weightloss tool, I wouldnt bother :flowerforyou:

szimba

I wasn't necessarily looking into it as a weight loss tool. More so for benefits in overall health and mental wellbeing.

futurejedi

I tried being a vegan for a day then realized I like eating animals to much

cadaver0usb0nes

I haven't read the book but I might look into it. I am a pescetarian (like a vegetarian but you eat fish) There are a lot of health benefits to cutting out meats. Especially red meats. I would say though meat in moderation (and if you get it from a local humane farm) is okay to have. I would suggest shopping at a local co-op grocery store or health foods store, also I believe whole foods will carry local products if you have one in your area.

szimba

I don't think I would ever fully label myself as a veg*n but I do believe that I would benefit by following a mostly veg*n diet. I think cutting out dairy alone will help with some of my bloating issues, along with some joint pain. That's my main goal i believe.

Kymmu

I used to eat animals and their products, then I realised how much agony and torture they are subjected to just so I could have a few minutes of a certain taste.
So I decided not to fund it any more.
2 years on the idea of eating dead things actually repulses me.
I did it for my own ethical reasons. Everyone sees it differently. I don't condemn others, I was like them once.
Also I love growing my own produce and I also love cooking - particularly curries and Asian food with the depth of herbs and spices YUM! I have become a better cook.

SunofaBeach14

I wasn't necessarily looking into it as a weight loss tool. More so for benefits in overall health and mental wellbeing.

If that is why, don't. Cutting out meat only makes it harder to get your protein and B-12, it isn't going to improve your health.

FlaxMilk

I really wanted to get into this book and for some reason couldn't. From what I remember, a lot of her ingredients were not ones I could see myself affording or keeping around, but it has been awhile so my memory might be off.

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

Anyone read Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet? I found it to be a very easy read. I'm not sure if I agree with a full on vegan or "superhero" diet, however I wouldn't mind "flirting" with one.

Thoughts? Opinions?

"Flirting" is a terrific idea. You could say that that's what I have been doing for the last couple of years. I found that I was so committed for the first year that I put in the time to learn some really yummy plant-based meals. During the times that I ate no animal products at all, I did bake seitan every weekend and always had tofu marinating and a large supply of curries and chili in the fridge. It required lots of cooking because, for some reason, I wasn't into buying meat substitutes at that time.

Vegans do need to supplement with vitamin B12 but it's not difficult if you are aware that it's necessary. We only need 2.4 micrograms of B12 a day. B12 is fortified in many vegan friendly foods such as orange juice, cereal, soy-based products, and rice or almond milk. I eat about 1 1/2 tbs of nutritional yeast on popcorn, in seitan, with rice or chilli etc. and this alone is about twice the daily value of B12 I need. We can store B12 for 1 to 3 years so missing a day isn't a biggie either. An example of how easy it is: 1 cup of all bran cereal gives us 300% of our daily value.

The hardest thing for me was getting 80 - 100 grams of protein a day without all the prep I did on the weekends. Another consideration, i would think, would be to keep an eye on iron levels. I have never had issues with anemia but I know many women (who are meat eaters!) who do. I got out of the habit of my weekend cooking last year after a surgery and started to rely on cheese, Greek yogurt, eggs, and soy based meatless products to meet the amount of protein I wished to consume.

Today I think I have a balance that works for me: I still really enjoy my favourite seitan, chilli, tofu and curry recipes, I eat fish and dairy often and occasionally I will eat meat.

At the end of the day, I consume 99% less animal products today, than I used to. I don't really belong in any group, or have a neat label for my diet, but that's ok, it feels right for me:)

evileen99

I wouldn't be making a lifestyle change based on what some nutty celebrity thinks. Here's a quote from a science blogger about her book:

"She doesn't even require her kids to chew food, so they can focus on being awesome. She chews it for them, (and, what, spits it into their mouths?), which is such a kooky kind of naturalistic fallacy (if birds do it, it must be better for you) that I almost circle all the way back around and find it endearing. And everything else she recommends is just as evidence-based. She claims her health tips will make women more fertile and give them a flawless pregnancy. And that's just getting started."

She has no science/nutrition education whatsoever.

kirili3

I challenged myself to eat only vegan food for a month and it's really helped me pick food generally. I'm not vegan now, though I'd like to get into it again because it really does feel good.

Anyway, it's a good thing to do for a while. It just makes you focus and research on non-meat, non-dairy options. I also tried raw food for a bit, but eventually fell into a vat of spaghetti aglio e olio. Anyway, all of that really helped because I had to find ways to eat something without relying on old staples and I found some great recipes that I still use today, as well as a taste for veggies I never really explored before.

There are some great vegan recipes, from simple but brilliant like spaghetti aglio e olio, to cool raw food ones like red pepper + onion + garlic + cashew nuts, which combine to make the most delicious of dips.

rivka_m

IIRC she's also macrobiotic which is separate from vegan. I read the book a while back and got two decent recipes from it - the sweet potato and lentil stew is delicious (and tip: you can cut the oil listed in the recipe in half or less and it's fine). I also do remember there being a lot of expensive ingredients listed as FlaxMilk mentions.

If you're going to eat vegan for a good portion of your meals (which is what I do, I'm not 100% vegan or even 100% vegetarian but I do eat a lot of vegan meals) read up on vegan nutrition - try Ginny Messina, Jack Norris or Brenda Davis, all RDs. Just to make sure you're covering all your bases.