Reasons to sign-up for Trisha's "7 Day Healthy Eating Challenge--Plant-Based Style" from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics releases an evidence-based position paper about vegetarian diets every few years.  Today I share a few exciting statements from The Academy regarding plant-based eating from their 2009 position paper (1).  

Here's what you'll learn from watching today's video...

• what chronic diseases vegetarian diets have shown to improve or reduce the risk of according to the evidence compared to meat-based diets.  
• if you have to complement proteins if you're not eating meat.  
• if vegan eaters do better or worse in certain health and nutrient outcomes compared to vegetarians and omnivores.

Watch the video to learn what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics thinks about eating plant-based.  Once you've watched the video, be sure to answer today's Take Control Question below.  

Here's a few quotes from The Academy's position paper on vegetarian diets...

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

The authors continue...

"Vegetarian diets are often associated with a number of health advantages, including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels, and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals."

What does the Academy have to say about protein and plant-based, vegan diets?.....

"Protein Plant protein can meet protein requirements when a variety of plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all essential amino acids... thus, complementary proteins do not need to be consumed at the same meal."

The paper also stated that "a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease" and that one study found that "the incidence of ischemic heart disease was estimated to be 24% lower in lifelong vegetarians and 57% lower in lifelong vegans compared to meat eaters."

If you think you'd like to try eating a healthy, plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diet but aren't sure how to get started or just need a restart to get back on track, considering joining my free "7 Day Healthy Eating Challenge -- Plant-Based Style."  Here's what you'll get for joining...

• 35 free recipes,
• a meal plan,
• two free webinars where you can ask me, Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN anything about eating a healthy, plant-based diet and
• 7 days of tips and inspirational emails.  

Sign-up at www.THTchallenge.com and once you do, please ask 3 friends to do it with you.  Email them the sign-up link www.THTchallenge.com

Now I'd love to hear from you.  Answer today's Take Control Now Question and click 'comment' below to share your thoughts.

Take Control Now Question

What stereotypes or negative thoughts do you or did you have about eating vegetarian that may prevent you from trying to eat healthier?

Sources:

1. Craig, WJ. and Mangels, AR. 2009. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Association, Jul:109(7):1266-82. 

How USC professor lost 17 lbs in 8 weeks without eating less. An inspirational interview.

Have you ever struggled with your weight?  If so, I want you to keep reading.  And if you haven't, I still want you to keep reading because this is just that good.  

About 8 weeks ago, I had the honor of helping someone who was just diagnosed with type II diabetes.  At age 44.  She has a loving husband, an 8 year old daughter McCullough and a 9 year old son, Thompson.  She has a very successful and rewarding career in academia.  Case in point -- she has a lot to lose and is way too young for diabetes.

Swann Adams, PhD, the Assistant Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the University of South Carolina, is this amazing person.  She's an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and the School of Public Health.  She's been published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, The American Journal of Public Health, Women's Health Issues and many more (like I said, successful.  This woman is like a super hero).   

But if you asked Swann, there was always one area of her life where she felt like a failure. Her health and more specifically, her weight.  Until now.

Swann had been on and off Weight Watchers for 20 years.  She was even prescribed amphetamines from her doctor to help her with her weight.  After no success, Swann accepted her body and her weight.  She thought this was just her body type.  Wrong.  

When Swann came to see me, she wasn't trying to lose weight (she was confident there was no way she could).  Her concern -- improving or reversing her diabetes diagnosis.  

Seven weeks later, where is she?

Swann has lost about 18 pounds in 7 weeks without eating less.  No carb counting, no calorie counting.  And, her blood sugars are now in the pre-diabetic range.

Swann had this to say celebrating her son Thompson's 9th birthday a few weeks ago...

“For the first time in forever, I felt confident walking around in my bathing suit. I still have a long way to go but just the 15 pounds gone, and how easy it was, makes me believe for the first time that it’s possible to change my appearance. I almost got tears in my eyes I felt so good and positive.”

Today, I'm thrilled to share with you my very first Take Control Tuesday interview (above)... a very personal interview with Swann (and oh yes, we had a blast too.  And we have bloopers at the end of the video to prove it). 

Swann shares some pretty amazing insights (and advice for you) that you won't want to miss....

“This is a way to stop the critical voice in your head that tells you it’s your fault that you’re so fat. It gives you the tools to be able to be in control, take the shame away and to be happy.”

Swann is happy for many reasons, but one of them (and I am right there with her!), is because improved health and weight loss are possible without eating less food.  It's simply replacing foods that promote weight gain and disease, with those that promote health and weight loss that are filling.

For example, here's one of Swann's health promoting and weight-loss promoting meals, a "cheesy meatball" sub.   

The meatballs are made using oats, brown rice, lentils instead of beef and added it to are a bunch of different herbs and spices that have a similar taste and texture as regular meatballs.  It's topped with an onion and pepper marinara sauce, and the whole wheat buns (yes, it's okay to eat wheat and gluten) are lined with mustard and relish.  And the cheese!?  This is one of Swann's favorite recipes.  And I've made it.  It's SO good.  It's a cheese sauce made from cauliflower! Swann also loves it on her whole grain grits in the morning.  Check out this recipe...

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Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce

Source: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (all of her recipes are great!)
Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 heaping cups small cauliflower florets
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon mellow white miso or soy-free chickpea miso or a little salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt to taste

Instructions

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cauliflower, onion powder, garlic, paprika, mustard, and turmeric. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to very low. Simmer until the cauliflower is so tender that it easily comes apart when poked with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.

Carefully transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and blend, starting on low and increasing the speed until you’re at the highest setting. (Be careful–hot foods can “erupt.”) Blend until you have a completely smooth sauce.

Pour the sauce back into the saucepan, add salt to taste if you like, and heat until it begins to bubble, stirring occasionally. Allow it to cook and thicken for at least another 2 minutes. Serve hot.

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Swann and I have a Take Control Now challenge for you, to help you implement what you learned on the blog.  Here's what we want you to do...

1.  Try the above cheesy cauliflower recipe.  What day will you make it?  Once you've made it, report back.  What did you think!?

2.  Share some encouragement with Swann.  Tell us what you learned from her story or any other insights from listening to our interview.

Click "comments" below to share your voice.

Love and Leafy Greens,

Trish

P.S. The audio and video quality of today's video is not the best.  But, we did the best with what we have.  And, the content is just that good that it's not worth passing up.