Let's start with the basics:
what is a VEGAN? A vegan (pronounced VEE-gun) is someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals.
Pretty extreme for you meat eaters, I know. But listen to my logic.
Most of us, me especially, have eaten our way through the last 3 months.
October: Candy and junk food. Pizza, burgers, chocolate, caramel, lollipops, brownies, chips
November: Roast Turkey, cornbread stuffing, buttered potatoes, macaroni and cheese
December: Ham, hoppin john, rice, pies and cakes, cookies, ice cream, hot cocoa, antipasto, bacon, lamb
I've even broken my no ham/turkey/red meat/dairy rule, just for the holiday. Its so easy to just get out of bed and eat a piece of bacon with breakfast then have a club sandwich for lunch then have a cheesy casserole for dinner then get back into bed. I've also noticed that this is easier considering I don't have to go to work on top of all this heavy food. Cutting those things out of my diet gave me more energy to get up and go, but since I'm not going anywhere I'm digesting everything just fine.
But then after a week of eating non-stop, following a three month food binge, your bikini body is less bikini and more body. For those people who like the voluptuousness of two sides of fat on each hip, by all means continue to eat heavy into the new year. I'm not suggesting you give it all up. On the contrary I, as always, think you should eat till your hearts content. But be mindful of what you put into your body, and the rate at which it comes back out.
All the holiday foods are high in fat and choletarol, things that cause gout, gallstones, kidney stones, bladder infections, constipation and other uncomfortable health issues that could compound upon the ones you already have. One way to purify your body, aside from chewing a lot of fiber, is to do cleanse diets.
I am not now going to go into a long blog about vinegar and cayenne pepper. I don't feel that fully liquid diets work, I think they're quick fixes for people trying to drop a lot of weight too quickly (insert picture of 50 cent) and it's not a healthy way to clean your system. I suggest you wait until you've gotten through ALL the leftovers, that way you won't be tempted but the side of bacon in the back of the fridge, or have to watch your kids eat the last candy cane in bliss.
So lets start with the basics of Veganism.
Substitutions
Breakfast and Baking:
I've been playing with these alternatives for a bit and these are my suggestions. If you don't like banana, don't sub it. If you don't like that powdered egg taste, don't use it. If you don't much like tofu, don't use it. I'd stick with the flavorless odorless starches in your baked goods just to be safe. And unless you have a high protein diet because you're gaining weight, just skip the eggs altogether.
FOR REPLACING EGGS, there are several options, depending on what they are needed for. You may want to experiment. Here are some possibilities (each quantity is equivalent to 1 egg):
Just about every food has some vegan/vegetarian substitute that you can go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market or some other health food store to get. I don't feel you need to purchase these usually expensive supermarket finds just for this cleanse. But if you do this in phases, I promise you won't miss anything.
Phase 1 - Just planted.
Everything you eat in phase 1 has to be out of the ground. This includes any and every fruit, vegetable, herb, and spice known to you side whatever state you live in. This phase does not include starches and carbs. No bread, no butter, no cereal, no beans, no grains, no cookies, no breakfast bars. YOU CAN COOK! This is not a raw diet, just veggie friendly.
No SODA! (Sugar)
No Alcohol! (Carbs)
I know, I know...harsh!
But think about it, these things are almost entirely made of water, so you can make smoothies and soups for days, perfect for after holiday colds and on the go style meals. The key to this is prep. Think of all the veggies and fruits you actually like to eat. Put those in front of you at all times. I love carrot sticks and celery and tomatoes. So that's what I eat for my snacks. I'll make a salad for dinner or stir fry. But remember, no tofu, no cheese, no sauces, no pickles, no preservatives, no jarred foods (like marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil are okay), no dips, no dressings!
Simple salad dressing:
2stp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh herbs
PINCH of salt
pepper
Remember that Salt doesn't make things taste better. Yes it seasons, but if you put two teaspoons of salt on everything, you're just going to run up your blood pressure.
The great thing about this phase, you can eat as much of it as you want.
I suggest you make this a 1 week diet. 7 days. You can do it. And your food will taste better when you add them back.
Phase 2 - Stiff not bored.
Now you can add starches. But don't go running out for 6 cups of white rice. Add oats, wheat, complex grains that are good for your heart and digestion. Try not to add your creamy grits and your soupy oatmeal, most of these recipes include dairy, and we haven't added that back yet! Brown rice, whole grain pastas, couscous even. BUT, only 2 servings per meal. That's 6 servings per day.
14 days. 2 weeks. Yes, you can do this.
Phase 3 - Swim with this fishes and only the white meat
Now we add some lively protein to your diet. Fish, the kind with fins no the kind with shells. No clams, no shrimp, no crabs, no crawfish, no oysters, just fin-fish. And here you can add chicken and turkey, but only the white meat. AND, you have to pick one. Either you're having fish, or you're having chicken. Once you've chosen your meat for the day you can't switch. No fatty foul. No duck, no goose, no turduken, no livers, no gizzards, no innards. Just the white meat. Only red meat allowed, salmon.
3 weeks. 21 days.
Week 4- you only have fish at dinner
Week 5 - you only have a meat (poultry or fish) at dinner
Week 6 - you have a meat at dinner and lunch
Phase 4 - Sugar
Have a drink. Get a glass of wine, a cocktail, a coke-a-cola if you want! Choose wisely. Because you only get one! 2 days a week only.
1 serving of sweets. read the back of the packaging carefully, some servings, like girl scout cookies, have a 2 cookie serving. No ice cream, no frozen yogurt, no cheesecake.
Week 7 - 1 drink, 2 days, for the whole week, for the rest of the diet
Week 8 - 1 sweet every other day, for the rest of the diet
Phase 5 - Okay Dairy
Milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, tofu. Tofu is not a dairy product, but I add it here because many times tofu is a substitute ingredient for dairy products. The food pyramid says 2-3 servings a day. I'll probably skip the milk and cheese and simply add eggs back. But feel free to add it all, just keep it within the daily servings.
Week 9 - 2-3 servings a day.
Phase 6 - Meat Me
If you are itching for meat, this is your week. Pork, beef, lamb, dark meat poultry, bacon, liver, shellfish, whatever. Add 1 serving of meat to your dinner or lunch. But only one per day. Ease your body back into meat, you may find that you don't want a big steak, but might settle for a pork chop instead.
Week 10 - 1 serving at one meal per day.
Phase 7 - Heaven
You can have whatever you want. You're diet is officially over. You can go back to eating the way you did for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Eat a pint of icecream. Have a big bowl of Fruity Loops. Get a 6-pack and sit in front of the tv. Buy a box of oreos and a can of whipped cream. Take a trip to McDonald's if you must.
Right about now you system has been cleaned, and weened off of some of the worst foods for your body. You can go back to eating the transfat and bad carbs, or you can keep a few of the practices around for the future. You're choice.
As always, no one is perfect, so don't knock your head against the wall for eating a bowl of cereal on week 3. Depending on when you start your diet, you could be sitting at your valentine's dinner with your sweetie unable to pick up your fork at the filet mignon stuffed with lobster and parmesean cheese. Followed by a Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and a glass of red wine.
My advice....EAT IT! Treat yourself well, indulge, don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of eating in good company. When the big meal and the great day is over, go back to your diet. You could start over, or not. Who's to know? I won't!
Always Eat Well!
what is a VEGAN? A vegan (pronounced VEE-gun) is someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals.
Pretty extreme for you meat eaters, I know. But listen to my logic.
Most of us, me especially, have eaten our way through the last 3 months.
October: Candy and junk food. Pizza, burgers, chocolate, caramel, lollipops, brownies, chips
November: Roast Turkey, cornbread stuffing, buttered potatoes, macaroni and cheese
December: Ham, hoppin john, rice, pies and cakes, cookies, ice cream, hot cocoa, antipasto, bacon, lamb
I've even broken my no ham/turkey/red meat/dairy rule, just for the holiday. Its so easy to just get out of bed and eat a piece of bacon with breakfast then have a club sandwich for lunch then have a cheesy casserole for dinner then get back into bed. I've also noticed that this is easier considering I don't have to go to work on top of all this heavy food. Cutting those things out of my diet gave me more energy to get up and go, but since I'm not going anywhere I'm digesting everything just fine.
But then after a week of eating non-stop, following a three month food binge, your bikini body is less bikini and more body. For those people who like the voluptuousness of two sides of fat on each hip, by all means continue to eat heavy into the new year. I'm not suggesting you give it all up. On the contrary I, as always, think you should eat till your hearts content. But be mindful of what you put into your body, and the rate at which it comes back out.
All the holiday foods are high in fat and choletarol, things that cause gout, gallstones, kidney stones, bladder infections, constipation and other uncomfortable health issues that could compound upon the ones you already have. One way to purify your body, aside from chewing a lot of fiber, is to do cleanse diets.
I am not now going to go into a long blog about vinegar and cayenne pepper. I don't feel that fully liquid diets work, I think they're quick fixes for people trying to drop a lot of weight too quickly (insert picture of 50 cent) and it's not a healthy way to clean your system. I suggest you wait until you've gotten through ALL the leftovers, that way you won't be tempted but the side of bacon in the back of the fridge, or have to watch your kids eat the last candy cane in bliss.
So lets start with the basics of Veganism.
- No meat, at all, what so ever.
- No Dairy, at all what so ever.
- No meat or dairy byproducts, at all, what so ever.
- No shellfish or seafood, at all, what so ever.
Substitutions
Breakfast and Baking:
I've been playing with these alternatives for a bit and these are my suggestions. If you don't like banana, don't sub it. If you don't like that powdered egg taste, don't use it. If you don't much like tofu, don't use it. I'd stick with the flavorless odorless starches in your baked goods just to be safe. And unless you have a high protein diet because you're gaining weight, just skip the eggs altogether.
FOR REPLACING EGGS, there are several options, depending on what they are needed for. You may want to experiment. Here are some possibilities (each quantity is equivalent to 1 egg):
| • | Ener-G Egg Replacer (follow directions on box) |
| • | 1 banana (for cake recipies) |
| • | 2 Tbsp corn starch |
| • | 2 Tbsp arrowroot flour |
| • | 2 Tbsp potato starch |
| • | 2 Tbsp soy milk powder & 2 Tbsp water |
| • | 2 Tbsp mashed silken tofu |
Just about every food has some vegan/vegetarian substitute that you can go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market or some other health food store to get. I don't feel you need to purchase these usually expensive supermarket finds just for this cleanse. But if you do this in phases, I promise you won't miss anything.
Phase 1 - Just planted.
Everything you eat in phase 1 has to be out of the ground. This includes any and every fruit, vegetable, herb, and spice known to you side whatever state you live in. This phase does not include starches and carbs. No bread, no butter, no cereal, no beans, no grains, no cookies, no breakfast bars. YOU CAN COOK! This is not a raw diet, just veggie friendly.
No SODA! (Sugar)
No Alcohol! (Carbs)
I know, I know...harsh!
But think about it, these things are almost entirely made of water, so you can make smoothies and soups for days, perfect for after holiday colds and on the go style meals. The key to this is prep. Think of all the veggies and fruits you actually like to eat. Put those in front of you at all times. I love carrot sticks and celery and tomatoes. So that's what I eat for my snacks. I'll make a salad for dinner or stir fry. But remember, no tofu, no cheese, no sauces, no pickles, no preservatives, no jarred foods (like marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil are okay), no dips, no dressings!
Simple salad dressing:
2stp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh herbs
PINCH of salt
pepper
Remember that Salt doesn't make things taste better. Yes it seasons, but if you put two teaspoons of salt on everything, you're just going to run up your blood pressure.
The great thing about this phase, you can eat as much of it as you want.
I suggest you make this a 1 week diet. 7 days. You can do it. And your food will taste better when you add them back.
Phase 2 - Stiff not bored.
Now you can add starches. But don't go running out for 6 cups of white rice. Add oats, wheat, complex grains that are good for your heart and digestion. Try not to add your creamy grits and your soupy oatmeal, most of these recipes include dairy, and we haven't added that back yet! Brown rice, whole grain pastas, couscous even. BUT, only 2 servings per meal. That's 6 servings per day.
Grains, Beans, and Starchy Vegetables (6 or more servings)
- Choose whole-grain foods such as whole-grain bread or crackers, tortillas, bran cereal, brown rice, or bulgar. They're nutritious and high in fiber.
- Choose beans as a good source of fiber.
- Use whole-wheat or other whole-grain flours in cooking and baking.
- Eat more low-fat breads such as wheat bagels, tortillas, and pita bread.
- For snacks, try pretzels or wheat crackers.
A serving can be:
- 1 slice bread
- 1/2 small bagel, English muffin, or pita bread
- 1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
- 1 6-inch tortilla
- 4 to 6 crackers
- 1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta, or bulgur
- 1/3 cup cooked rice
- 3/4 cup dry cereal
- 1/2 cup cooked beans, lentils, peas, or corn
- 1 small potato
- 1 cup winter squash
- 1/2 cup sweet potato or yam
14 days. 2 weeks. Yes, you can do this.
Phase 3 - Swim with this fishes and only the white meat
Now we add some lively protein to your diet. Fish, the kind with fins no the kind with shells. No clams, no shrimp, no crabs, no crawfish, no oysters, just fin-fish. And here you can add chicken and turkey, but only the white meat. AND, you have to pick one. Either you're having fish, or you're having chicken. Once you've chosen your meat for the day you can't switch. No fatty foul. No duck, no goose, no turduken, no livers, no gizzards, no innards. Just the white meat. Only red meat allowed, salmon.
3 weeks. 21 days.
Week 4- you only have fish at dinner
Week 5 - you only have a meat (poultry or fish) at dinner
Week 6 - you have a meat at dinner and lunch
Phase 4 - Sugar
Have a drink. Get a glass of wine, a cocktail, a coke-a-cola if you want! Choose wisely. Because you only get one! 2 days a week only.
1 serving of sweets. read the back of the packaging carefully, some servings, like girl scout cookies, have a 2 cookie serving. No ice cream, no frozen yogurt, no cheesecake.
Week 7 - 1 drink, 2 days, for the whole week, for the rest of the diet
Week 8 - 1 sweet every other day, for the rest of the diet
Phase 5 - Okay Dairy
Milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, tofu. Tofu is not a dairy product, but I add it here because many times tofu is a substitute ingredient for dairy products. The food pyramid says 2-3 servings a day. I'll probably skip the milk and cheese and simply add eggs back. But feel free to add it all, just keep it within the daily servings.
Week 9 - 2-3 servings a day.
Phase 6 - Meat Me
If you are itching for meat, this is your week. Pork, beef, lamb, dark meat poultry, bacon, liver, shellfish, whatever. Add 1 serving of meat to your dinner or lunch. But only one per day. Ease your body back into meat, you may find that you don't want a big steak, but might settle for a pork chop instead.
Week 10 - 1 serving at one meal per day.
Phase 7 - Heaven
You can have whatever you want. You're diet is officially over. You can go back to eating the way you did for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Eat a pint of icecream. Have a big bowl of Fruity Loops. Get a 6-pack and sit in front of the tv. Buy a box of oreos and a can of whipped cream. Take a trip to McDonald's if you must.
Right about now you system has been cleaned, and weened off of some of the worst foods for your body. You can go back to eating the transfat and bad carbs, or you can keep a few of the practices around for the future. You're choice.
As always, no one is perfect, so don't knock your head against the wall for eating a bowl of cereal on week 3. Depending on when you start your diet, you could be sitting at your valentine's dinner with your sweetie unable to pick up your fork at the filet mignon stuffed with lobster and parmesean cheese. Followed by a Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and a glass of red wine.
My advice....EAT IT! Treat yourself well, indulge, don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of eating in good company. When the big meal and the great day is over, go back to your diet. You could start over, or not. Who's to know? I won't!
Always Eat Well!
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