My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

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“My Beef With Meat” an Interview with Rip Esselstyn & Engine 2 Recipes

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My Beef with Meat comes out today! I haven’t read it yet but I can hardly wait to. Engine 2 is a trusted brand for whole, plant-based nutrition and education.

I discovered Engine 2 at the beginning of my plant-based journey. After seeing Rip on Forks Over Knives I went into a Barnes & Noble and parked myself in a comfy seat and started reading The Engine 2 Diet. It was such an easy and informative read. My Beef with Meat is said to be a definitive guide to convincing everyone that plant-based eating is the way to go. I will be buying it!

August 2011
August 2011

When we first transitioned to a plant-based diet we had no idea what we were doing. I’m sure you can relate too. We wanted to eat food that would nourish and fuel our bodies. We didn’t know how to shop or cook for health. As we searched we were bombarded with vegan foods that were far from healthy. Engine 2 was an easy to understand, reliable source of information. Rip’s Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue was eye opening; goodbye Earth Balance, you’ll be missed.

Our Journey

Me and my sweetheart Feb 2012
After February 2012

Since changing our diet I found relief from chronic bladder problems including a possible interstitial cystitis diagnosis and lost weight, you can read more about my story here. My husband’s story is truly inspirational. He has lost over 50 pounds and no longer needs medication for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, acid reflux, and seasonal allergies.

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Let’s chat with Rip

Why did you write this book?

I’ve discovered that there is a HUGE disconnect between what people think is healthy and what
medical science knows to be healthy; for example, people have been bamboozled into believing
that olive oil, Greek yogurt, chicken, and fish are healthy. Many people think the diet of the day
is salmon, low fat dairy, and olive oil, washed down with a glass of red wine and a Lipitor pill for
good measure. This is how confused, distracted, and off-course we have gotten–because this is
NOT a good diet!

This book explains to plant eaters and meat eaters alike why a whole food, plant-strong diet
rocks on a jillion different levels, hence the subtitle: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a
Plant-Strong Diet. The primary driving force behind the book was to delve deeper into the major
myths that keep surfacing about eating plants, such as: “You won’t get enough protein”, “You
won’t get enough calcium”, “Eating plants is too expensive”, “Real men (and women) eat
meat”, “Olive oil is heart-healthy”, and “Moderation in everything.”
The book shows how wrong each of these myths is. It gives the reader real science, not fad-diet
talk. One of the titles we thought about was “How to Win an Argument with a Meat-eater” and
believe me, after reading this book, you will never lose another argument with a carnivore
again.

By the way, once you’ve won the argument, you can start cooking up any one of the 140 lipsmacking,
rib-sticking outrageously good recipes to prove your point with food as well as with
words.

There are some controversial things you tackle in this book, like The Paleo Diet. Why did you decide to address that specific diet?

The two big dueling diets right now are paleo and planteo. I believe that the paleo diet is just a
good gimmick. The paleo people have taken the South Beach/Atkins diets and put a little spin
on it. There are some positives with paleo, such as no refined or processed foods, and no dairy
products. But any diet that promotes animal products with saturated fats, and animal protein
isn’t promoting health. The consensus among the researchers who have studied the diets of
humans in paleo times have said that at least 80 percent of their food was plant-based. Yes,
they ate some animals, but we’ve evolved since then, we’re smarter; we do not need, want, or
get healthy from animal products. Back in the day, you would do anything you could to get
calories into your body–it was a matter of survival. But in this day and age, you can go down
the street to any grocery store and get all that you need without resorting to animal flesh.
An interesting article in US News & World Report in 2011 reviewed many different popular diets
and decided that the one people should avoid is the paleo diet.
What about the people who say that they get results from a paleo diet? That’s because the
Standard American Diet (SAD) is such an abomination you will get good results when switching to
any diet that is even remotely healthier. If you want to get to the next step, cut out the meat!

Do your kids like eating this way?

My kids, Kole and Sophie, do not like eating this way–they LOVE eating this way! They have no interest in eating anything from animals. If they find out that cake and ice-cream offered to them has things like eggs, butter or milk they politely decline. Kole and Sophie love mangoes, grapefruit, brown rice, baked tofu, peanut butter on whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, cheese-less whole grain pizza and banana ice-cream. Kole was hungry, and I told him I’d give him anything he wanted. Guess what he asked for…. he asked for broccoli!

What else do you have a beef with?

The huge disconnect with what people think is healthy and what we actually know to be healthy. This creates confusion and distraction. The answer is so incredibly simple. Eat more whole plant-based foods!

I have a beef with dairy.

I have a beef with processed/refined foods.

I have a beef with the Mediterranean diet.

I have a beef with drinking your calories.

I have a beef with olive oil and ALL other extracted oils.

I have a beef with supplements.

I have a beef with the belief that carbs are the devil.

I have a beef with the myth that soy is evil.

I have a beef with “everything in moderation.”

But — I have no beef with plants!

– – –

Engine 2 was kind enough to include a couple of recipes!

photo courtesy of Engine 2 Diet

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla

¾ cup natural chunky peanut butter

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 cups old fashioned oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

½ cup non-dairy chocolate chips or raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper

3. Mix bananas, vanilla, peanut butter and maple syrup into a creamy consistency in a large bowl

4. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until they are well combined -the batter should be slightly sticky. 

6. Fold in the chocolate chips or raisins

7. Place rounded, heaping tablespoon-sized balls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet

8. Bake for 15-18 minutes

9. Gobble these up while they are still warm

©Engine2Diet

– – –

Photo courtesy of Engine 2 Diet

Polenta Pizza

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3-4 cups water (depending on your brand of polenta)

1 cup polenta

16 oz. E2 approved tomato sauce

2 cups fresh spinach

3 large tomatoes, sliced

1 cup pineapple, cubed

½ cup roasted red peppers

2 cloves garlic, crushed

(Other favorite pizza toppings: mushrooms, arugala, asparagus, or olives)

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Prepare pizza stone by sprinkling with corn meal or lining a pan with parchment paper

3. To boiling water, add polenta and whisk until mixture thickens and there are no clumps

(instructions for preparing polenta vary from brand to brand -check the specific preparation

instructions for your type of polenta)

4. Pour polenta mixture onto pizza stone or pan and flatten into desired crust shapes: round pizza,

square pizza, mini-pizzas, elephant pizza, fire-hydrant pizza

5. Precook the polenta crusts for 10 minutes

6. Remove crusts from oven, add sauce, toppings and sprinkle with nutritional yeast

7. Return to oven and cook in oven for 10 minutes

8. Slice into generous portions and serve warm.

©Engine2Diet

Interview with Danny Collier

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I can’t share many details of the contest yet but I can share this interview with Danny Collier.

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Danny is a Plant-Based Nutrition Coach, Personal Trainer, Creator of Simplicity Fitness, speaker and model. You can find out more about him at his website Simplicity Fitness or follow him on Facebook.

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Your website says you are a “Holistic Health and Fitness Coach” but what does that mean?

When most people think about fitness, they think about working out and exercising the body.  I focus on the whole person – body, mind and heart and I’ve developed a health and fitness program called Simplicity Fitness around that philosophy.  The guiding principles of Simplicity Fitness are as follows:

Clean Nutrition – Whole foods that promote alkalinity and decrease inflammation.

Functional Fitness –  An integrated approach to maximizing your fitness capabilities emphasizing balance, flexibility and strength in all planes of motion to achieve a lean, fit body in a minimal amount of time.

Wellness – A strong, centered heart and mind attained through conscious, meditation practice and acts of service.

How long have you been plant-based/vegan and how did this come about?

It will be six years in September.  My dad was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2007.  A few months prior to his diagnosis I read the China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell.  If you haven’t read the book, it documents 24 years of research in China examining the relationship between the consumption of animal based food and chronic western diseases (diabetes, cancer and heart disease).  The study concluded that the counties in China with the highest consumption of animal based foods had much higher death rates from western diseases than the counties that ate more plant-based foods and very little animal products.

So I decided on the day my dad was diagnosed to go completely vegan and I’ve never looked back.

What drives you to live this way?

When I first decided to live this way, it was completely about personal health reasons.  However, over time it’s become about so much more than that.

First off, by living a plant-based lifestyle I’m being consistent with my values.  I’ve always loved and admired the beauty of animals and after doing some research on the factory farming industry and learning more about the mistreatment of animals during the process, it didn’t sit right with me.  Factory farming also has a negative effect on our planet as well.  In fact, according to the FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

I’ve also found that a plant-based diet is the best way to improve sports/athletic performance.  In fact, more and more professional athletes are turning to a plant based diet.  One of the main reasons the diet is so effective for athletes is because whole plant foods are highly alkaline and help your body to recover quickly after exercise/workouts.  Obviously, when you recover quicker you’re able to train harder and more often. 

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What do you typically eat in a day?

I’ll usually start my day with a big smoothie:

  • 1 Banana
  • 1 cup of mixed Berries
  • ½ Beet
  • 1 handful of spinach or kale
  • 1 TBS of raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 scoop of VegaONE
  • 1 cup of water
  • ½ cup of almond milk

I’ll have a mid-morning snack of some kind around 10:30am; raw trail mix, an apple, a raw food bar, or a small bowl of whole grain cereal with almond milk.

Lunch can be anything from a big salad to a black bean and avocado burrito.  I’ll usually have another snack in the afternoon and finish with a big healthy dinner.  One of my favorite meals is a veggie salad super food wrap.

Put in Large bowl and cut up finely:

  •  4 large handfuls of spring mix (or baby spinach)
  •  2 handfuls of broccoli slaw
  •  3/4 cup cooked but chilled quinoa
  •  1/4 cup cooked but chilled buckwheat
  •  1 to 1 1/2 sliced avocado
  •  1/2 red pepper (finely diced)
  •  1 apple (finely diced)
  •  1/2 tomato (optional)
  •  1/2 cucumber (thinly sliced – optional)
  •  1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  •  1 tsp oregano
  •  1 tsp basil
  •  1 tsp turmeric
  •  1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  •  1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  •  1/2 cup raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  •  Braggs Liquid Aminos (salad dressing alternative) as needed (moderate amount)
  •  Very moderate amount of olive oil (optional)

Spread hummus on Ezekiel wrap and put salad on top. 

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What does your workout routine look like?

It varies.  I love being outside in the sun, so I try to get in a couple hikes or jogs a week.  Lately I’ve been doing yoga every morning, which is great for the whole self (body, mind and heart).  I try to keep things pretty simple; limited fitness equipment/machines and mostly body weight and plyometric types of exercises moving naturally in all planes of motion.

I really like the TRX Suspension Trainer.  It’s just a simple strap that allows you to utilize your own bodyweight to do hundreds of full body exercises and stretches.  It’s particular great for the core, as virtually all the exercises require being in a plank position.  It’s effective for all fitness levels and is super versatile as you can train with it just about anywhere; your home, the park, the gym, etc.

Can you share a success story about one of your clients?

I have two clients (Darren and Jordan) that I’ve been working with for about the past 6 months.  Darren is a 24 year old professional golfer who came to me wanting to lose some weight, decrease his body fat percentage and improve his golf game.  He was very dedicated and open to doing to whatever to meet his fitness goals.  So I put him on a plant-based meal plan and began training him 3 days a week.  As of last week Darren is down 25 lbs. and has dropped 9% of his body fat.  His driving distance has also increased as well.

Jordan is a 23 year old woman whose goal was to lose some weight and a few inches off her waist size.  Though she wasn’t as open as Darren to jumping totally into the plant-based lifestyle, I’ve worked with her on making changes in her diet and she’s began attending my monthly plant-based potlucks.  I also started training her two nights a week mostly with the TRX and plyometric exercises with limited rest time in between exercises.

As of last week, Jordan is down 18 lbs. and has dropped 2 pant sizes.

What advice can you give someone who is just beginning to transition to a plant-based diet?

Lean into the lifestyle and take your time to do the research and educate yourself as much as possible on healthy eating and nutrition.  Try out new recipes, and work with a nutrition coach who can offer you guidance on your journey.

Do you have advice for someone who has been plant-based for a while but not seeing the results they want?

Some people have this perception that all they need to do is exclude animal products from their diet and they’ll reap all the proclaimed health benefits that a whole food plant-diet has to offer.  The truth is, if you’re replacing the animal products with nothing but processed junk food, you’re health won’t improve and most likely you’ll feel more sluggish and lethargic than before.  This is precisely why I tell people to lean into the lifestyle and learn as much as possible about the variety of foods you should be eating on a daily basis and where to get certain nutrients from, etc.

Is there anything else you want to mention?

Thanks Holly for doing what you’re doing.  Keep up the great work!

Please check out my website Simplicity Fitness and sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Facebook.  I offer several personal training and nutrition coaching programs and I currently host a free plant-based potluck on the last Tuesday of each month.

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Thanks Danny! If you live in the Mesa area and would like to attend Healthy Cravings and meet Danny email me at myplantbasedfamily@gmail.com.

Giveaway & Interview with author Sid Garza-Hillman

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Approaching the Natural: A Healthy Manifesto

A few weeks ago Sid Garza-Hillman, a Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Coach and the Programs Director at the Mendocino Center for Living Well at the Stanford Inn Eco-Resort in Northern California asked if I was interested in reviewing his book, Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto. My first thought was, “Heck Yeah!”  which was quickly followed with an overwhelming sense of responsibility to accurately portray the book to my readers. While I recommend books often I’ve never given a formal review.

I really enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it. First I want to tell you my impressions of the author. Sid, yes we are on a first name basis now (he may not know that though), makes you feel like you have known him for years and probably got in trouble in math class together in high school. Well, maybe not but he seems familiar, like an old friend and explains confusing concepts with easy to understand imagery and humor that will keep you engaged. His passion for life, his family, health and the earth are infectious.

In some ways I felt like he let me, “off the hook” and in other ways I felt extremely challenged and empowered to rise to the occasion and get moving. There is much more to your health than just the food you eat or the amount of exercise you fit into your day. He doesn’t give you a magic formula to follow for success; he simply encourages you to approach the natural and explains how to do that in every area of your life. The book discusses nutrition but it is so much more than a “health” book; it is more of a “this is how you were designed to live” book.

“Approach the natural by taking the smallest steps necessary to at least get you to take steps in the first place.” He explains that you can make huge changes overnight but it is often the small incremental changes that are easiest to make and keep. Basically you don’t have to give up all your vices, sell everything you own, and frolic naked in the forest; health and happiness can be found by choosing to make better food choices, eliminate unnecessary stress, and move your body among other things.

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I also had the opportunity to ask Sid a few questions about his book, his philosophy and of course food.

1. Explain “Approaching the Natural”.

“Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto” is a philosophy of health and happiness book. I argue that when we act in line with our natural design, both mentally and physically, we thrive individually and as a species. I believe it isn’t only healthy body, healthy mind, but also healthy mind, healthy body.  The reason why it’s “Approaching the Natural” and not “All the way to the Natural” is that I advocate taking small steps toward a more natural existence until you get to a place that works for you. In writing the book, I wanted to create a super accessible, fun (and hopefully funny!) read that would be easy for anyone, no matter how busy, to pick up and use as an everyday guide (it literally fits in a back pocket!). I am a father of 3, and my wife and I both work….However, we still live very healthy and happy lives using the very tools I lay out in the book.

2. What obstacles stand in the way of approaching the natural for most people?

First, I would say that most people may not even frame health or happiness in terms of what is natural to us, so one obstacle is that they haven’t explored that way of looking at it. For instance, many people want to lose weight so try and figure out a way to do it. Yet, I see weight loss as just one side-effect of health – a healthy body will be at a healthy weight. Understanding that what we do in our lives (both what we eat and how we interact with others and the world) is either in line with or in conflict with our natural design can put things into perspective a little better. Being thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy or happy…Give your body and mind the tools they need to thrive and you’ll increase your chances for both.

Second, quick-fix solutions to our problems are obstacles in that they aren’t solutions at all. To lose weight, we try 7 day cleanses, 21 day meal plans or any number of diets only to return to our old ways of eating. We join expensive gyms and sign up for classes, only to burn out 2 months later. We simply take on too much too soon and don’t approach a more natural existence at all. To truly become healthy and happy we first need to learn to live as healthy and happy human beings. This takes time — I believe incorporating small, manageable steps will yield life-long change.

3. Why does your philosophy work?

Because people don’t have to turn their lives upside down to start living better. With some of my clients I start really, really small. For instance, if someone comes to me having never exercised, I might see if they can manage walking across the room and back once a day. If that’s something they can handle and do every single day, then very quickly they become ‘someone who exercises.’ Sure it’s not enough exercise to yield any substantial weight loss, but it’s a foundation from which to build. They have learned a new behavior, which is the act of taking care of themselves. At that point it’s just a matter of teaching them how to increase the amount of exercise over time until they’re at a place that works for them.

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4. Tell us how this works in a busy family.

Same thing goes for a busy family. As I wrote before, my wife and I have three kids – a 9 year old, and 4 year old twins. We both work and trust me, we’re busy (understatement of the year). But we are constantly mindful of the way we want to live. We value time with each other and with our kids. We value treating our own bodies well (through the food we eat, and how we move) and living that example for our children so that they might grow up feeling both good about themselves and worthy of health and happiness. No matter how busy you are as a family, you can take a few moments to consider what is important, and do whatever you can in the context of your lives. If it means only 5 minutes each day with your children to step outside and talk to them about their day, then that’s better than nothing. We too often think it’s an all or nothing proposition – either a 1 ½ hour family dinner every night or nothing at all. I think there is a lot of room in between that can be extremely beneficial. During the first couple years with the twins we barely had time to socialize with other families even though being with our friends is very important to us. But we believe that socializing is natural to humans (we are tribal in nature) and plays a very real part in our health and happiness, so we did what we could even if it meant literally 20 minutes with friends here and there. Recently we have been able to increase that time significantly as the kids are becoming a little easier.

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5. Since this is a food blog can you share one of your family’s favorite meals with us?

We make an awesome plant-based lasagna with brown rice pasta, tofu ricotta, shiitake mushrooms, a gluten-free béchamel, and spinach….I’m getting hungry just writing about it!

6. Any last words for my readers?

Please understand this: that taking steps toward increased health and happiness is a gift. It’s not giving up anything at all. Because it involves a transition, it’s essential to take however small steps as necessary to actually get you on the path to real life-long change. In the end, though, every step you take is worth it. Humans have an innate and unique capacity and drive to think, create, and love. Acting in ways that facilitate (and are not in conflict with) these by how we feed our bodies and minds will benefit ourselves, our families, and the world as a whole.

You can contact Sid Garza-Hillman through his website www.transitioningtohealth.net or follow him on twitter: @sidgarzahillman. His book can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powells.

I’m giving away 1 copy of Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto to one lucky reader. Click here to enter the giveaway. This contest is open to people living in the US. A winner will be drawn Saturday and notified by email.

FTC Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book to review and a copy to giveaway but I was in no way compensated or asked to give a favorable review. All opinions are mine.

This giveaway is over, Susan won! I have emailed her. If I don’t hear from her in 1 week I’ll draw a new winner.