The Eating Plan Principles
The basics of eating vegan healthfully are easy. You simply eat everything in the vegetable and fruit kingdom, nuts and seeds (that includes the 'grain' seeds like quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and others), and grains, whole and unprocessed (though cooked).
Whole grains means that you don't turn them into flour, or use flour products. Whole wheat (or wholemeal) flour is not an unprocessed food, though it is nutritionally better for you than white flour. The use of this type of product in your food menu will cause the insulin levels to go up and that means you will deposit any left over as fat. In mid life that means around the middle, just where you don't want it!
A lot of people who love their meat and cheese, or who have been brainwashed into thinking they need to include them in their diets feel that to cut these two food groups will make them feel deprived and nutritionally deficient. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just read "The China Study" by Colin Campbell. Or read anything by Dr John McDougall, Dr Neil Barnard, Dr Dean Ornish (though strictly speaking his diet is not vegan). They've done the research and due diligence. I've read the research and will not be talking about that. I'm more a practical down to earth sort of person and I want the empirical evidence of my own body.
To see the new food pyramid go here. If you click on the pictures it will bring up more information and recipes.
Whole grains means that you don't turn them into flour, or use flour products. Whole wheat (or wholemeal) flour is not an unprocessed food, though it is nutritionally better for you than white flour. The use of this type of product in your food menu will cause the insulin levels to go up and that means you will deposit any left over as fat. In mid life that means around the middle, just where you don't want it!
A lot of people who love their meat and cheese, or who have been brainwashed into thinking they need to include them in their diets feel that to cut these two food groups will make them feel deprived and nutritionally deficient. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just read "The China Study" by Colin Campbell. Or read anything by Dr John McDougall, Dr Neil Barnard, Dr Dean Ornish (though strictly speaking his diet is not vegan). They've done the research and due diligence. I've read the research and will not be talking about that. I'm more a practical down to earth sort of person and I want the empirical evidence of my own body.
To see the new food pyramid go here. If you click on the pictures it will bring up more information and recipes.
The Eat to Live Plan
This is the Eat to Live plan from Dr Fuhrman's book of the same name. If you want more details, read the book.
Keep it simple
Breakfast - fresh fruit
Lunch - salad, beans on top, more fruit
Dinner; salad and 2 cooked veg (1 lb); fruit dessert
Unlimited:
Eat as much as you want of:
Limited:
Tips:
1. Salad is the main dish; eat it first at lunch and dinner.
2. Eat as much fruit as you want but at least four fresh fruits daily
3. Eat a variety especially greens : lettuce (all), watercress, celery, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onions, radishes, kohlrabi, mangetout, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, sprouts.
4. Cooked : broccoli, kale, collard, mustard, turnip greens, string beans, artichokes. Brussels sprouts, bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage, peas, asparagus, okra, courgettes. Good with mushrooms, onions, garlic, stewed tomatoes.
5. Beware of the starchy veg - limit to one a day:
a. 1 cup high-starch veg i.e.
1 corn on the cob
1 small to medium baked potato
1 cup brown rice or sweet potato
b. Starchy veg are preferred over the grains:
Butternut squash, sweetcorn, turnips, parsnips, swede, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes
6. Eat beans/legumes every day - goal 1 cup daily or more
a. Aubergine and beans, mushroom and beans, greens and beans for main dishes; with salad; in soup;
7. Have a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds every day
8. Eat lots of mushrooms all the time
9. Onions add fast flavor to foods, including leeks, dried onion, etc.
FINALLY - if it's not on the list above, don't eat it!!!
Keep it simple
Breakfast - fresh fruit
Lunch - salad, beans on top, more fruit
Dinner; salad and 2 cooked veg (1 lb); fruit dessert
Unlimited:
Eat as much as you want of:
- All raw vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily)
- Cooked green vegetables (goal: 1 lb daily)
- Non-green nutrient rich cooked vegetables i.e. aubergine, m ushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower
- Beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (goal: 1 cup daily)
- Fresh fruit (at least 4 daily)
Limited:
- Cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains i.e.
- Raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. max per day) - can be used in dressings
- Avocado (2 oz. max per day)
- Dried fruit (2 tablespoons per day)
- Ground flaxseeds (1 tablespoon per day)
- Avoid salt and read labels of condiments like ketchup and mustard
Tips:
1. Salad is the main dish; eat it first at lunch and dinner.
2. Eat as much fruit as you want but at least four fresh fruits daily
3. Eat a variety especially greens : lettuce (all), watercress, celery, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, onions, radishes, kohlrabi, mangetout, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, sprouts.
4. Cooked : broccoli, kale, collard, mustard, turnip greens, string beans, artichokes. Brussels sprouts, bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage, peas, asparagus, okra, courgettes. Good with mushrooms, onions, garlic, stewed tomatoes.
5. Beware of the starchy veg - limit to one a day:
a. 1 cup high-starch veg i.e.
1 corn on the cob
1 small to medium baked potato
1 cup brown rice or sweet potato
b. Starchy veg are preferred over the grains:
Butternut squash, sweetcorn, turnips, parsnips, swede, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes
6. Eat beans/legumes every day - goal 1 cup daily or more
a. Aubergine and beans, mushroom and beans, greens and beans for main dishes; with salad; in soup;
7. Have a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds every day
8. Eat lots of mushrooms all the time
9. Onions add fast flavor to foods, including leeks, dried onion, etc.
FINALLY - if it's not on the list above, don't eat it!!!
The McDougall Menu Plan
This is based on the McDougall weight loss plan dietary plan. This is working for me. The one thing I had to remove from my diet was all 'processed' grains. I consider any grain that has been ground up processed. It affects the insulin cycle. Dr McDougall's book* explains more. That means no bread, no wraps, no tortillas, etc. Rice cakes are allowed because they are only puffed whole rice.
Breakfast:
Only eat until you are nearly full. Watch your portion sizes. You don't need to overeat at any meal as you will be eating another meal in 2 to 3 hours.
The reason why there are six smaller meals is that it helps to balance your blood sugar so there are no surges, and you don't put your body into famine mode that puts stress on your body and which stimulates the cortisol cycle. You never want to get to the point where you feel you are starving. This is not a DIET, but a new way of eating. I love it!
Ref: *The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss by Dr John McDougall, M.D.
Breakfast:
- Potatoes i.e. hash browns (no oil) or
- Cooked grains i.e. millet, oatmeal, rice, couscous and you can add a plant milk and fruit with this if you like
- Salad
- Raw vegetables with salsa or dip or
- Rice cakes either on their own or with dip or
- Leftover soup or salad
- Vegetable Soup or
- Vegetables with or without potatoes or rice, barley, other grains or
- Salad with potatoes
- Rice cakes with leftover salad or soup or
- Vegetables with Bean dip or salsa
- Vegetable salad with Entree or
- Bean salad with potatoes, rice dish or
- Salad and Soup (a filling one) or
- Salad and vegetable entree or casserole
- Rice cakes and leftover salad or soup or
- Potato salad or
- Vegetables and dip or salsa or
- Leftover soup and salad
Only eat until you are nearly full. Watch your portion sizes. You don't need to overeat at any meal as you will be eating another meal in 2 to 3 hours.
The reason why there are six smaller meals is that it helps to balance your blood sugar so there are no surges, and you don't put your body into famine mode that puts stress on your body and which stimulates the cortisol cycle. You never want to get to the point where you feel you are starving. This is not a DIET, but a new way of eating. I love it!
Ref: *The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss by Dr John McDougall, M.D.