I seem to have started eating for the holidays sometime back in September. Though I had spent much of the early part of the year watching what I ate, exercising regularly, and losing around 25 pounds, a sinus infection in late August coupled with a quick trip to Portland (vegan Mecca) threw me off balance. Maybe I thought I needed comfort food, maybe I was just looking for an excuse. Whatever. Today I sit here having regained 5 of those hard-lost pounds and, even more troubling, a couple of food addictions I thought I’d put behind me–sugar and its partner in crime, flour. Both drive me crazy with cravings but make me feel bloated, lethargic, and queasy when I give in to them; of course, by the time the cravings hit again, I’ve managed to forget the effects indulging will have on me, so the cycle repeats.
I know from experience that the only way for me to get control over my eating is the tough love approach. Like any addiction, a compulsive desire to eat sugar and starch won’t go away if I string it along with small doses. For me it’s all or nothing. But just as important as getting rid of the anti-nutrients (which is what I consider sugar and flour to be) is filling my body with nutritious plant foods. I’m talking vegetables, beans, and fruit. A few raw nuts. A couple servings of whole grains. Simple whole foods.
Changing What You Crave
I know that at this time of year, a lot of people are taking stock of their health and committing (or recommitting) to healthy eating plans. Some are doing cleanses or detoxes, which, for the record, I don’t believe in. I think that you should start in the way you hope to continue, and short-term, stringent detoxes, which often are downright dangerous, don’t do the body any long-term good or lead to healthy eating practices. My goals are to make vegetables the center of my diet, loosen the grip that sugary foods have on me, and change my habits so that I’m not reaching for a gooey granola bar or bowl of vegan ice cream every night after dinner. I know from experience that with time and effort I can change what I crave. It’s been a long time since I’ve really craved a big honkin’ salad, but I will get back there!
This is not about weight loss, though I could stand to lose quite a few pounds and expect that I will. It’s about eating the way I know is healthiest for me. It’s about feeling better, more energetic, more focused, more alive.
I would love for you to join me on this journey, even if you just try it for a week or two. But I have to point out that I have absolutely no nutritional training (B.A. in English, M.A. in English, and 1/2 of a Ph.D. in–you guessed it–English). If you have health issues and decide to follow my plan, please okay it with your doctor or at least let her know so she can monitor your need for medication. If you’re coming to this from the Standard American Diet and are taking medication for blood pressure, cholesterol, or high blood sugar, your need for it may decrease after you start eating this way, so get check-ups at regular intervals.
Keep It Simple, Soups and Salads
I have a tendency to make things overly complex, so while I was figuring out exactly what my healthy meal plan would be and what I wanted to say to you about it, I kept telling myself, “Keep It Simple, Soups and Salads.” Abbreviated, that’s KISSAS, which I shortened to KISSS because, well, think about it.
My plan looks a lot like Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live 6-Week plan, and I’ve adopted his mantra, “The salad is the Main Dish,” though I often stretch my definition of salads to include cooked ones. I’m a little less rigid about amounts and tend to eat more grains and starchy vegetables and fewer nuts and seeds than he advocates, but overall, if you’re strictly following the 6-week plan, you’re basically doing what I’m doing. I also tend to view salt as a necessary evil–a little bit helps me enjoy my meals so much more than without it, helping me stick to my vegetable-centric diet–though hard-core ETLers would tell me (and you) to cut it out.
I concentrate on soups and stews, in addition to the salads, because it’s possible to pack a lot of vegetables into a soup, eliminating the need for vegetable side dishes. When the soup contains plenty of veggies, all I need to add is a starter salad and perhaps a serving of whole grain or potato to have a filling dinner.
So Here are the Details
(Click “Print” to print this section.)
Do Eat
- at least 4 fruits per day
- At least 1 huge and 1 regular salad per day (containing fresh greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage)
- As many cooked, non-starchy vegetables as you can (broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, carrots, kale, peppers, zucchini, etc.)
- At least one cup of cooked beans/legumes/lentils
- 1-2 tablespoons of raw nuts or seeds (try to have walnuts and ground flax seeds daily—good sprinkled on salad)
- About 1 cup of cooked whole grains or potato
Don’t Eat
- Meat (including poultry or fish), dairy, or eggs, of course!
- Oil, including olive and coconut oil and margarine
- Sugar, including agave nectar, maple syrup, Sucanat, date syrup, dried fruits (including dates)
- Flour or flour products (bread, pasta, etc.)
- Alcohol
Meal Plan
I find that getting into the habit of eating the same basic breakfast and lunch every day helps me stay on-track. Where I shake it up is at dinner because I’m one of those people who don’t like to eat the same thing two nights in a row. I tend to eat fruit for breakfast, but not everyone feels satisfied with that, so I’m including some other options.
Breakfast
- Fruit
- Or 1 bowl bean/veg soup plus fruit
- Or 1 cup cooked oatmeal plus fruit
- Or 1 serving Chickpea Omelets
- Or fruit or green smoothie
Lunch
- Mega-huge salad with beans and dressing (plus 1 tablespoon nuts if dressing is fat-free). Consider Taco Salad or Hummus Salad.
- Or bean and vegetable soup
- Or soup and salad
Dinner
- Starter salad
- Vegetable and bean soup or stew
- Whole grain, potato, sweet potato, or winter squash, if desired
Snacks
I try to stick to fruit for snacks, but I’ve listed some other options to include only if you don’t feel satisfied after eating your fruit. Eat your fruit first! After that, if you’re still hungry, have more of anything on the “Do Eat” list.
- Fruit, including frozen all-fruit desserts.
- Raw vegetables and fat-free or nut-based dressing, hummus, or baba ganoush
- Air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast
- Roasted chickpeas, homemade potato chips, or kale chips
Soups and Stews for the Week
Having a nutritious meal already made can mean the difference between staying on-track and reaching for some processed junk. I usually start every week by making a big pot of my “Dirty Little Secret Soup,” which I keep on-hand for lunch when I don’t feel like a salad or for dinner when my family is eating something else. I always plan for at least 4 different dinners during the week and count on a combination of leftovers and the secret soup to feed us the other nights.
Here are my dinner soups and stews for this week:
- Spicy Collards and Black-eyed Pea Soup (for New Year’s Day) served over brown rice
- Eat the Rainbow Black Bean Soup with a sweet potato
- Ridiculously Easy Lentil Stew
- Curried Split-Pea Soup with Cauliflower (delicious served over a baked sweet potato)
For lots of choices for soups and stews, check my recipe index pages.
Eat a bigger lunch salad than the one in this photo!
About the Salads
Eating a big enough salad is essential to both feeling full and taking in enough nutrients on this plan. When I talk about Mega-Huge, ginormous, or big honkin’salads, I mean a salad that fills a serving bowl. Start with greens–lettuce and spinach are my base–and add tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli slaw (basically shredded broccoli stems, which you can make or buy), and any other vegetables you like. Toss it with an oil-free dressing (I have a new ranch dressing that I will be sharing soon), add a heaping serving of beans (hot or cold) or hummus and, if your dressing doesn’t contain nuts, a tablespoon of raw walnuts or other nuts. (Walnuts have the most Omega 3’s, so I tend to stick with them.) Add some ground flax seeds if your dressing doesn’t contain any. Even this small amount of nuts and seeds helps the absorption of nutrients, provides essential fatty acids, and makes us feel full longer.
My two favorite salads are Taco Salad (made with canned chili beans for the sake of time) and Hummus Salad. Other times I top my salad with my vegan buttermilk dressing along with chickpeas and slices of apple or pear. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your salads and your salad dressings. See this post for some tips on removing the oil from your favorite dressing recipes.
More Resources
If you decide to join me, I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments below. Feel free to post here or on my Facebook wall and tell me how you’re doing.
If you need more support, please join my Facebook Group or Eat-2-Live Yahoogroup, two great groups of people who love to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.
For much more nutritional information than I can supply, be sure to read Eat to Live.
For more recipes, be sure to check out my Eat to Live archives both here and on the website.
A few other sites that support this way of eating (though possibly more or less strict in some of the details) are
- The Engine 2 Diet
- Healthy Girl’s Kitchen
- Happy Healthy Long Life
- Chef AJ UNPROCESSED
- Dr. Fuhrman’s Holiday Challenge
- Dr. McDougall
- Forks Over Knives
- Vegan Hope
- 21-Day Vegan Kickstart
Happy, Healthy New Year!
Sue
January 2, 2012 at 2:43 pmI just finished reading Eat to Live and am excited to see how your plan is aligned to Dr. Fuhrman’s program. I am trying to change our diet over to this plan since my husband’s heart attack in November. Having others working toward the same goal is encouraging. I look forward to following your blog!
Vickie
January 2, 2012 at 5:05 pmJust made your Spicy Collards and Black-eyed Pea Soup, delicious! My husband said this is definitely a keeper. The spice was great . We’ve made the eat the Rainbow Black Bean Soup also, another keeper. Thank you for all the tasty recipes you post.
Mark
January 2, 2012 at 6:04 pmSure hope this works out for you, it seems like a reasonable and healthy diet, although personally, I’d have trouble doing no grains! I’m also a “generally fruit” in the morning person and try to have a major salad with raw veggies every couple of days.
I’ve lost some 22 lbs. over the past few months. First 7 from stress in July over my cookbook, the next 15 from using a treadmill periodically.
Finally broke down and bought one (weather get’s pretty bad here so walking isn’t always a viable option). I don’t run on it, but I do a brisk walk and have it setup so I can watch stuff on TeeVee or one of my computers while I work out.
Side benefit is that it does help reduce some stress.
Hang in there! As always, best regards…. Mark
Susan Voisin
January 2, 2012 at 6:08 pmThanks, Mark! I’m not doing without grains, though. My body likes its daily servings of rice and quinoa.
Good luck with the book. I can’t wait to see it!
Marie
January 2, 2012 at 8:57 pmHi! I am new to your site and thoroughly enjoy it and thank you for all it contains. I have used it for recipe ideas. I have been doing fat free plant based nutrition now for a year , not good on consistent cooking as I live by myself, but have been getting some good ideas from your content and posts. Just appreciate the work this must be for you!!!
Janet H
January 2, 2012 at 11:35 pmI’m in. Love eating this way!!!
neca
January 3, 2012 at 9:09 amAwesome ideas and a great way to jog my memory on some of the terrific recipes on your site!
Jan T
January 3, 2012 at 10:54 amHi Susan,
First, thanks for doing all the experimenting for me…lol. I love to cook, tweak recipes and have been following Esselstyn’s plan for the better part of the last year.
Regarding your struggle with salt: I sub with the sea vegie Dulse (tremendous iodine supplement ) and sometimes No Salt when I need larger amounts such as in stews etc. Have you tried either?
Also….I use Stevia for all baking and sweetening in general…can’t remember the last time I used real sugar!
Thanks again for your great blog (and photos)…it’s inspired some great meals that help to satisfy my stubborn ominvore partner!
Mandy
January 3, 2012 at 11:27 amI like eat to live a lot, and while I don’t follow it exactly, most of my meals do. But I think dates are actually allowed. You shouldn’t go crazy on them, but Dr. Furhman uses them in the recipes in his book.
Bill Kranker
January 3, 2012 at 11:55 amSusan,
I saw many of the posts that requested some good salad dressing recipes. I recently purchased an e-book that had many healthy salad dressing recipes in it. It was from Frederic Patenaude who is big in the low fat raw food movement. the site is at: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/HealthySaladDressings.html
They looked pretty good and were mostly very low in fat.
Also, I really love beans but have given them up as they have been causing me some digestive problems. I ran across this article from Swayze Foster that explains why:
Beans, beans, avoid them for good!
Beans and other legumes are usually viewed as a “good for
you” food.
Kidney beans, black beans pinto beans, lima beans, lentils,
chickpeas, split peas, black-eyed peas and other legumes are
praised for being good sources of protein, low in fat and
calories, and cholesterol-free.
But…all of these foods are eaten cooked, usually baked or
boiled.
So then what about RAW beans? Can they be consumed when raw?
Should they be?
————————–
Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit
—————————
There are many versions of this schoolyard rhyme, but
here’s the one I remember…
“Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat your beans with every meal!”
Poetry. Sheer poetry!
In all seriousness, this silly song speaks the toot…I
mean, truth. 😉
Back when I ate a cooked vegan diet high in grains and
legumes (hummus and falafel were two of my favorite snacks),
I was pootin’ and tootin’ up a storm. And it definitely
wasn’t music to my ears nor did it smell like roses!
But the big question is why? Why do beans and other legumes
make us so gassy?
Many legumes contain oligosaccharides, a complex sugar.
Because humans do not posses the enzymes necessary to break
down this sugar, these large molecules are able to pass
through your digestive system mostly intact.
Once the sugars reach your large intestine, they ferment in
the presence of bacteria there and cause gas.
Another reason beans are associated with tummy upset is
actually not because of the beans themselves. Since beans
are so bland and unappealing on their own, they are
typically accompanied by condiments, oils, and other foods
to add flavor and texture.
For instance, chili, hummus, and falafel all contain beans,
but they are also high in fat (e.g. oils, meat, and cheese).
In addition, these foods are typically consumed with high
carbohydrate foods like bread, corn chips, crackers, etc.
This meal of cooked fat and sugar makes for a very poor food
combination that will likely cause gas and bloating.
Finally, the presence of lectins in legumes results in
serious intestinal upset. But we’ll get to that in a
minute…
——————————————————–
Phytohemagglutinin, Linamarin, and Hydrocyanic Acid! Oh My!
——————————————————–
In addition to being difficult to digest, beans and many
other legumes are also quite toxic.
For instance, kidney beans (particularly the red variety)
contain phytohemagglutinin (PHA). PHA is an incredibly
harmful lectin, a class of proteins that bind to certain
sugars. Like all lectins, PHA is a naturally-occurring
pesticide that protects the seed of the plant (i.e. the
bean) from being eaten by predators.
So what does PHA do to you? It damages the lining of the
intestinal tract. Your body’s response? Prolonged vomiting
and diarrhea.
Yikes!
As a result, kidney beans MUST be boiled (which reduces the
level of PHA they contain) to make them edible. And
actually, many other commonly consumed beans also contain
this lectin, just in smaller amounts. Green beans and fava
beans are two examples.
Lima beans, especially the darker varieties, are another
particularly poisonous legume. They contain linamarin, a
cyanogenic glucoside.
So what’s so bad about this cyanogenic
whatever-you-call-it? According to Wikipedia:
“Upon exposure to enzymes and gut flora in the human
intestine, linamarin and its methylated relative
lotaustralin can decompose to the toxic chemical hydrogen
cyanide”
What’s hydrogen cyanide? It’s an extremely poisonous
chemical compound!
Finally, ALL legumes (like grains) contain lots of lectin.
While not all lectins are as harmful as PHA, they do bind to
the lining of your intestines and cause intestinal damage
when consumed in high amounts.
This results in compromised absorption of any and all
nutrients that pass through your intestines and can even
lead to leaky gut syndrome.
——————————-
Beans, Beans, They’re Yucky to Boot!
——————————-
Imagine, if you will, a plate of cooked kidney beans.
That’s it, just beans. No salt. No spices. Nothing but
beans.
Um, eww?
There’s a reason no one sits down to a bowl of beans. Just
like grains, beans are bland and unappetizing unless mixed
with condiments or other flavorful foods.
And what about raw beans? Even worse, right?! Not only are
they bland, but they’re tough and virtually impossible to
digest when raw.
There’s a reason that the few raw foodists who do consume
raw beans only do so after soaking them for several hours in
water.
———————-
The Bottom Line on Beans
———————-
Raw beans are not a health food. They are hard to digest,
toxic, and completely unpleasant in their whole, raw state.
The simple fact that beans and other legumes must be soaked,
cooked, and covered in condiments to be enjoyed is a sure
sign that they are not an optimal food for humans.
Go raw and be bean-less,
Swayze
Barb
January 3, 2012 at 12:23 pmI’m in! I’ve been sidelined with a bone bruise on my foot, and being unable to exercise has allowed that sneaky holiday weight gain to, well… sneak up on me. This will be my way of fighting back!
Darby
January 3, 2012 at 8:42 pmAwsome – Late to the game, but count me in ! Been vegan since November 1, 2011 and it has made all the difference. This is for me – for life. Peace to all.
Carolyn Burnoski
January 4, 2012 at 12:24 pmI am so grateful for your website! I have been to the McDougall program and am grateful that there are so many more recipes and cookbooks. I have , however also gained weight and love the idea of as much support as I can get. Love the addition of other websites. I do have a problem though–menu planning. Any suggestions? I put together a menu, buy the stuff (which is not cheap) and then I’m out or get home late etc, etc, etc. A lot goes to waste. Help!!!
liz
January 4, 2012 at 8:42 pmthank you, thank you, thank you for posting this! I have complete faith in the ETL approach, but it can be difficult to maintain without support. i appreciate all the recipes, salad ideas, etc. it’s go time!
Deborah Harvey
January 4, 2012 at 11:07 pmI’ve been looking for some great recipes, and your do look great, so I can’t wait to them. I have changed my eating habits over the last 4 years and have lost 70 lbs., but I’ve been stuck at the same weight for about a year now, and I need to lose 50 more lbs. My husband and I just watched Forks Over Knives, and we are now convinced to rid our diet entirely of animal foods. The people in the video lost weight and improved their health in such a short amount of time–it is really inspiring. Thanks for the recipes to help us get started!
Randy
January 5, 2012 at 6:22 amGreat vegan blog!
Jess
January 5, 2012 at 2:01 pmSuper excited to start eating gigantic salads! Can’t wait for the new ranch dressing you’ll be putting out soon–hint, hint 🙂
Katrina
January 5, 2012 at 3:38 pmI’m starting a modified Eat 2 Live 6 week plan for the new year. (I’m keeping salt and one cup of coffee a day.) So, I’m totally going to do this with you!
Lex
January 6, 2012 at 12:56 amYour blog is my favorite in the world, but our brain, most organs, all muscles only run on starch and any attempt to limit is the vegan atkins diet and it never works long term. Cravings for sugar/vegan ice cream after meals means our body’s hunger receptors were never switched off by starch. Try to overeat a plain bowl of rice or baked potatoes to witness it firsthand.
Michèle
January 7, 2012 at 7:20 pmLex,
I totally agree with you. I love Susan’s blog, recipes and plan for the New Year but as a true McDougaller I am convinced that starch must be part of our diet if we are to be successful . Susan’s plan helped me to refocus on having big salads everyday with no oil dressing. I always cook vegetables with dinner but in the past I got lazy about making a salad every day. The stress on salads is what I needed to make 2012 my healthiest year by having the right balance between starch, raw and cooked foods.Wishing you, Susan and all the readers success in improving our health in the new year.
Orsolya
January 6, 2012 at 10:19 amGreat post Susan! I believe in this plan and am joining you in eating for better health. I have the same sugar/flour addiction as you mention and have tried so many things to get over it. I am hoping this plan will help change what I crave the most:) Thanks!
Mia J
January 6, 2012 at 12:26 pmI hope this means more soup recipes. I can never have too many soup recipes 😉 Loved the post, I’m going to try KISSS for sure!
Me
January 6, 2012 at 1:09 pmHmmm…It says Get Healthy but it seem like a waste of vital nutrients. Most of it sounded good then I got to the No oils. I’m not eating salad without olive oil.
Consider this:
“A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of nutrients from fruits and vegetables. In the study, people who consumed salads with fat-free salad dressing absorbed far less of the helpful phytonutrients and vitamins from spinach, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots than those who consumed their salads with a salad dressing containing fat.”
Susan Voisin
January 6, 2012 at 1:27 pmI would comment, but you obviously didn’t read the post.
Izzy
January 7, 2012 at 1:46 pmThis cracked me up.
js
January 15, 2012 at 9:02 pmMe too. 🙂
SherryM
January 6, 2012 at 3:55 pmThank you so much Susan! I am definitely going to give this a try and I have loved every single one of your recipes I have cooked for my family. Any thoughts on how to deal with bread cravings?
Susan Voisin
January 6, 2012 at 4:05 pmBread cravings are tough, as I’m finding. My best suggestion is to keep any bread out of sight. Whenever I see it, it sets off my cravings, but so far I’ve managed to stay on-track by grabbing a piece of fruit or a bowl of seasoned chickpeas.
Teresa Shields
January 6, 2012 at 8:18 pmDear Susan,
Just love your site and have used many of your recipes the last 6 weeks. My husband and I started following Dr. Esselstyn’s vegan eating plan just after Thanksgiving and we both are loving the vegan life style.
Many people think that this way of eating is such a restriction but to me it is a freedom and the door is open to the most wonderful and delicious foods imaginable.
For us it was all or nothing and when we started this we went through our fridge and cupboards and gave everything away and started fresh. We do not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy, oils or nuts except a few walnuts occasionally. Your site I found when searching for vegan soups and I so appreciate your creativity… Thank you and I look forward to a new year with healthy and happy eating… Sincerely, Teresa Shields
Julee
January 8, 2012 at 11:31 amI tried the Hummus Salad last night…so good! I can’t believe I didn’t think of putting Hummus on my salads a long time ago! I’m going to try the Black Bean Pineapple Soup this week…that sounds really good to me!
Danielle
January 8, 2012 at 12:20 pmOh Susan!! How on earth did you know exactly what I needed! I too struggle with a sugar and flour addiction and have finally decided that I need to stop giving in and get it under control (again). I’m about a week late in joining the party, but I think following along will help me out tremendously rather than just telling myself I need to juice more (which, I do regardless). Looking forward to this adventure with you!
wen
January 8, 2012 at 3:03 pmno dates??? how to prepare dessert???
Susan Voisin
January 8, 2012 at 3:08 pmI’m eating only unsweetened fruit for dessert during this first 6 weeks. Later, there will be dates. 🙂
Joyce
January 8, 2012 at 4:10 pmI have been eating fat-free vegan for months, until my son came home from college for Christmas break and just HAD to go to all of his favorite restaurants. I completely fell off the wagon and feel so much worse — physically; I’m trying very hard not to get into a guilt spiral as well — that I plan on following the plan you laid out to help me get back on track.
A question about bread: this is not a deal-breaker for me, thank goodness, but what about breads and tortillas made with sprouted grains?
Susan Voisin
January 8, 2012 at 4:53 pmSprouted grain products are definitely a better choice than regular ones. I think that if they don’t cause cravings or overeating, they should be fine. Good luck!
Nora
January 8, 2012 at 4:56 pmSusan,
Sorry if this is long, but I had two questions for you. I’m starting again on E2L after a brief fast and wondered if you usually use the boxed veg broth b/c of the high sodium content, or if it would be better to just slowly cook some raw veggies (carrot/onion/celery, etc) in spring water, then immersion blend them up and let that suffice for the broth? I personally love how the packaged organic broth enhances veg/bean soups, but feel guilty about the salt :*) Should I?
Secondly, while fasting and changing my cravings more toward healthier foods I am absolutely obsessed with finding a healthy, E2L-friendly version of Thai Fresh Spring Rolls and a healthy dipping sauce. Would those even work b/c of the rice paper used? Or is that still too processed? I love the idea of having a portable salad with these, but would need them to be sugar, salt, fat, and gluten-free. Impossible? Any ideas? Thanks so much for your help. I LOVE your blog and all the work you’ve done. Be blessed!
Susan Voisin
January 8, 2012 at 5:11 pmNora, I think that making your own broth is always a healthier option. The reason those broths in boxes taste so good is that they’re loaded with salt and sometimes even MSG. Now, having said that, I do still use them and veggie bouillon at times. It’s one of the compromises that I make to get dinner on the table every night of a busy life. 🙂
The rice paper is processed, but to me it’s not an unhealthy food, especially since you can fill it with lots of fresh veggies. I would just count them into your daily grain/starch allowance and not rely on them too often. I have a recipe for some on the blog that isn’t salt or sugar-free, but you could use it as a base to make your own: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/03/miang-kum-rolls.html . Good luck!
js
January 15, 2012 at 9:03 pmI have found a couple of brands of salt-free vegan broth cubes that I always keep in my cabinet for emergencies of the I-have-to-make-soup-out-of-whatever-the-heck-is-in-the-fridge variety.
Pam Fulton
January 8, 2012 at 7:50 pmSusan….I’m in!! I am going to start this tomorrow!! We also will start walking too. Love your site…thanks for the recipes.
LaShanna B
January 9, 2012 at 9:09 amHello
My husband and I want to start this plan today.
I’m wondering if this is written more towards women? Should I double some of the amounts for my husband such as amounts of nuts and beans? It just seems a little light for a man.
Thanks!
LaShanna
Susan Voisin
January 9, 2012 at 9:17 amThe beans amount is just a minimum, so everyone, men and women, should eat as much as needed to satisfy hunger. A man could probably double the amount of nuts and seeds, and could go even higher than that if he doesn’t need to lose weight and doesn’t have heart problems.
patti
January 10, 2012 at 12:49 pmI have been reading your blog and using your recipies for a few years now and love it. I have gotten off track the last 3 months and am ready to get back on. I have felt a huge difference in my energy and overall general health. Looking forward to new recipies and a healthy 2012! Thanks for all the great tips 🙂
jls43
January 10, 2012 at 7:58 pmMissed this post first time, but it came along just in time to get me back on the bandwagon. I only gained 2 lbs over the holiday (after losing almost 12) but they are not coming off as easily as I would like. I am also straying a bit from what I know what works – lowfat vegan – so this is just what I need. Time to get cooking again!!
Juanita
January 12, 2012 at 1:47 pmJust wanted you to know we have thoroughly enjoyed your Hidden Cashew Valley Ranch. I put chili powder, cumin and red pepper chili flakes for a southwest flair and we put it on our hamburger buns with your fantastic Red Bean burgers. Can’t rave enough about how satisfying this was.
Thank you!
Annie
January 17, 2012 at 12:48 amI just want to tell you that I love what you write and I love the recipes you share. I’m with you all the way on eating KISSS. I really appreciate your leadership.
Robin Reagler
January 17, 2012 at 4:31 pmI’m trying this with you. Also just wanted to say thank you. Your blog is wonderful. I’ve been following for years and never showed my appreciation. I kinda think of you as a supportive friend! Robin
vittoria
January 22, 2012 at 3:45 amI like this post, thank you!!!
Linda Ross
January 22, 2012 at 7:04 pmMy husband and I just started this health journey after prostate cancer. Thank you for this web sight.
Holly @ My Plant Based Family
January 23, 2012 at 10:11 amI’m not following the KISS plan but I am eating a vegan diet that excludes a lot of the same things. I just posted my Meal Plan for the week. Like I said not KISS approved but maybe some ideas.