Tag Archives | Eat to Live

Review: Dr. Furhman’s One-Day Immersion in Chicago

March 11, 2013

by Nikki Horvath

NicoleHorvathGrowing up with a vegan mother makes for an interesting adolescence in the kitchen, especially when the rest of the family eats the Standard American Diet. I was always open to my mom’s “crazy” ways. I also thought it was cool that she was different from the other moms—despite not understanding all of her lifestyle choices. Then one day the flood gates opened.

I watched some documentary films I found around the house (The Witness and Mad Cowboy). If you’ve seen them you may relate to the overwhelming sense of emotions that followed: grief, confusion, anger, compassion and betrayal. This is where it all started—my inevitable exposure to animal cruelty in the meat and dairy industries. I couldn’t deny what I was seeing. But for me, making what seemed like such a big change from everything I thought I knew seemed like it was going to be an impossible task—even with having my own mother available with knowledge and open arms. Like many who embark on this journey I had a difficult time connecting the suffering of these poor, beautiful creatures from what was on my plate. I needed to cross that bridge at my own pace.

From introduction to intrigue I threw myself into the nutritional aspect of plant-based eating and veganism. While immersed in books, films, published studies, articles, lectures and the like, I came across one stand-out source of information—Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Many of the foremost experts on plant-based nutrition had an impact on me, such as Dr. Colin Campbell, Dr. Michael Gregor, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Alan Goldhamer, and enthusiasts like cowboy and former cattle rancher, Howard Lyman, and actress Alicia Silverstone.

While most, if not all plant-based doctors, nutritionists and health practitioners agree on 90% of what the others are teaching, there was something about that 10% difference of Dr. Fuhrman’s approach that screamed “YES!” to me. So needless to say when I found out he was coming to Chicago for a one-day health immersion, I jumped at the chance to attend and I was not disappointed.

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Make a Healthy Meal in Minutes

October 5, 2012

From time-to-time, I rerun posts I consider classics from It’s Easy Being Vegan. This is one of them. Eating vegan and healthy can be quite simple.

A Christine Salad: It’s a meal.

It’s a myth that all veg-heads live on salads alone, but salads make a hearty and healthy meal when done right.

Best of all, you can prepare about five days worth of ingredients in about an hour, making a salad an easy go-to meal when you don’t have much time. Get your veggies ready on Sunday and you’re all set for the week. Then all you have to do is throw a salad together each day and a meal is made. Easy.

Salads are a staple of my diet. It makes me feel good mentally and physically to eat healthy. I never beat myself up mentally after I eat a salad, but I sure do after I eat a bunch of crap. My goal is to eat one salad a day to fuel my nutrient-dense diet* and salads are a good way to do that.

Suggested Salad Fixin’s

  • Greens (obviously). Use different types of lettuces each week to maximize your nutrient intake.
  • Grape or cherry tomatoes. Wash and dry. Nothing else to do but drop a few in your salad.
  • Brown rice or quinoa. Adding a grain to your salad will make it more like a meal.
  • Tofu. Baked tofu works great. Plain will do.
  • Beans. Try a new type each week. Again to maximize your nutrient intake. Drain a can of bean and store in a seal-tight container. They will last about a week.
  • Peppers: red, green, yellow or orange
  • Onions. Any type will do.
  • Olives
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, pecans or sunflower seeds
  • Dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries

Top off your salad with a simple dressing. Buy it in a bottle or make this quick and easy recipe:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 balsamic or white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp mustard (Dijon is best)
  • Drizzle of agave or maple syrup, if desired
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • Store in glass bottle in the fridge

Store everything in tightly sealed containers, and you’ll have at least five meals ready to go in about five minutes.

*If you haven’t read Eat for Health by Dr. Fuhrman, consider reading it. Learn about the importance of nutrient-dense food and your health. To learn more about weight-loss, I recommend reading Eat to Live.

Read about my Eat to Live experience:

 

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Tasty Vegan Ranch Dressing

June 13, 2012

Book 2 of the Set

This is a repost from 2009. I recently made this recipe and it’s a good one worth sharing again. Easy vegan tip: Double the recipe to use on salads all week. Making the dressing in advance not only saves you time but money as well. While you’re in the kitchen, be sure to chop your salad fixings for the week too. Now you have an easy vegan meal ready to eat in about five minutes. Enjoy!

Several people have also asked for the vegan ranch dressing recipe I have used on the Eat to Live plan. This is my adaptation of the Tofu Ranch Dressing/Dip recipe found in Eat for Health (Book 2, page 163). I switched up the spices in favor of my taste buds. If you keep the base of tofu, dates, and water, you can change-up the spices to your liking too.

Vegan Ranch Dressing
Serves 4

  • 6 oz. silken tofu
  • 3 dates, pitted
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 c. chopped green onions
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 2 tbsp. fresh squeeze lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1-2 tbsp. fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. dill
  • 2 tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (found at Whole Foods and other natural food stores; substitute with low-sodium soy sauce if not available)
  • 1 tsp. cayenne or other hot pepper spice (This may be too spicy for some. A pinch may be better.)

Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. This dressing only has about 2 grams of fat per serving.

About fat and salads — Yesterday I stopped by VeganMania to hear Dr. Greger speak. (Dr. Greger reads about 5,000 nutritional studies a year. He knows his stuff when it comes to nutrition.) He mentioned that you need fat in your salad to help with digestion, so low-fat or fat-free dressings are not always a good idea unless you add nuts, seeds, or avocados to your salad. I typically have nuts on my salad, so using a low-fat dressing is fine. What ‘s important to remember is fat is good if it’s in moderation and the good kind of fat, i.e. from nuts, seeds, or avocados.

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Making Vegan Easy Week 23 Round-Up

June 11, 2012

Vision Board Snapshot

Seven more tips for living an easy vegan life. Enjoy!

Tip #155: Practice 5-minute activism.

Your voice counts. Do it now.

Tip #156: Eat to Live.

Dr. Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, was on the Dr. Oz show last week. His guidelines for losing weight work. Plus, you will eat healthier than ever if you follow his plan.

Tip #157: Share your recipes with others.

If you often cook with local ingredients and have a recipe of your own that rocks, then enter this contest ASAP. Sunday at the farmer’s market I noticed that the longest lines were for bread, cheese and meat. This contest is an excellent opportunity to get people focused on veggies.

Laptop with a Message

Tip #158: Spread the word.

Use message stickers and wear t-shirts to raise awareness for veganism. Here is my newly decorated laptop.

Tip #159: Get the “Eat to Live” Cliff Notes version here.

Read the rules of Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live program without reading the book plus you will find a bunch of eat-to-live-worthy recipes.

Tip #160: Summer’s here.

Learn how to grill vegan-style.

Tip #161: Give gifts that keep on giving.

A vegan cookbook would make a great graduation gift. I also think John Robbins’ Healthy at 100 is a nice, inspiring option.

Hey friends, have you shared these tips with your family and friends yet? If not, do it today. Join me on Facebook to read these tips daily and to learn more about what’s going on in the vegan world.

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Tofu Ranch Dressing

October 11, 2009

Book 2 of the Set

Several people have also asked for the vegan ranch dressing recipe I have used on the Eat to Live plan. This is my adaptation of the Tofu Ranch Dressing/Dip recipe found in Eat for Health (Book 2, page 163). I switched up the spices in favor of my taste buds. If you keep the base of tofu, dates, and water, you can change-up the spices to your liking too.

Vegan Ranch Dressing
Serves 4

  • 6 oz. silken tofu
  • 3 dates, pitted
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 c. chopped green onions
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 2 tbsp. fresh squeeze lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1-2 tbsp. fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. dill
  • 2 tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (found at Whole Foods and other natural food stores; substitute with low-sodium soy sauce if not available)
  • 1 tsp. cayenne or other hot pepper spice (This may be too spicy for some. A pinch may be better.)

Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. This dressing only has about 2 grams of fat per serving.

About fat and salads – Yesterday I stopped by VeganMania to hear Dr. Greger speak. (Dr. Greger reads about 5,000 nutritional studies a year. He knows his stuff when it comes to nutrition.) He mentioned that you need fat in your salad to help with digestion, so low-fat or fat-free dressings are not always a good idea unless you add nuts, seeds, or avocados to your salad. I typically have nuts on my salad, so using a low-fat dressing is fine. What ‘s important to remember is fat is good if it’s in moderation and the good kind of fat, i.e. from nuts, seeds, or avocados.

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