"The Kind Diet"

It seems fitting to me to start this health and happiness blogging off with a shout out to the book that inspired it all.
"The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone has truly changed my vision of what it is to be a vegan and a human-heck it's changed my life. It's so good, so profound, that I stayed up all night hungrily reading it the first day I bought it...and I do mean hungrily, the recipes in this book are ridiculous!

In a nutshell the book explains in depth all the philosophical, statistical, nutritional and delectable reasons to exchange our standard american diet of heavily processed foods, meats and cheeses for a plant-based diet. But, it's anything but a lecture. It's kind. It's written from the heart of someone who's only intention is to share what she deeply believes will bring more joy and healing into the readers life. It's fun and enlightening, very practical and non-judgmental.

It's broken up into sections. First, there is a thorough examination of the truth behind the food that we are taught to believe is good for us and how, frankly, it's destroying our bodies, our planet and our hope for a healthy, harmonious future. For me, even though I have been a vegan for years, I was surprised by some of the things that I was learning. The truth behind the amount of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, mass production, destruction of the planet, links to diseases and lies driven by greed was quite appalling. It felt so good to finally have this information though, and after having it a change in diet seemed the only logical and ethical decision, for me that is. Depressing much? No! The book doesn't stop there! It continues on in a very gentle and inspired way to go into detail about the amazing healing powers of an organic plant-based diet: veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, legumes and whole grains. It's broken up into 3 chapters to help gradually move a person into flirting with the idea of adding more healthy foods to their diet. And it ends with a load of delicious and decadent recipes! Food! My favorite part!

Just a Few Food Facts...
*Number of acres of U.S. forest which have been cleared to create cropland to produce a meat- centered diet: 260,000,000
*Amount of trees spared per year by each individual who switches to a pure vegetarian diet: 1 acre
*Risk of death from heart attack for the average American man: 50%
*Risk of death from heart attack for the average American man who consumes no meat, dairy products or eggs: 4%
*Percentage of total antibiotics used in U.S. fed routinely to livestock: 55
*Sea vegetables have 26X calcium as cows milk
*Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on 1 acre of land: 20,000
*Pounds of beef that can be produced on 1 acre of land: 165
*How frequently a child dies of starvation: Every 2.3 seconds

Although I was pretty healthy when I read the book I was still very much in the dark about a lot of things. I was eating a lot of processed foods, ignoring my need for whole grains, loading up on the salt, obsessing over a need for excess protein (a myth debunked in the book along with many others, like milk being the only place to get calcium) and just in a funk with my boring broccoli and almond diet. My diet has been transformed. Loads of whole grains, sea vegetables and just more balanced meals have blossomed out of the understanding and knowledge that I gained from the book. I wasn't looking to for sure, but since the adoption of a kinder diet I've lost 5 pounds, just sorta fell off. But more importantly I feel amazing body and mind! You can too!

I highly recommend the book for anyone who is toying with the idea of making a few changes in their diet. It's, like I said, very non-judgemental and just plain good. I mean really good! How about some chocolate peanut-butter cups, pizza, cookies-all for your health??

More to come soon! Happiness and health to you and your lovely bones!

Heres a recipe I can't wait to try from The Kind Diet:

Moroccan Couscous



SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4” to 1/2” cubes
2 cups yellow onion, large dice
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1/4” to 1/2” cubes
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into 3/4” cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

STEPS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.
Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl, and add the couscous.
Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.

Voila!