The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (23 page)

WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY PETS?

First things first: God didn’t create some special, different, dried food just for animals to be dropped down from Heaven in big bags. Conventional pet food is basically junk food, only worse: It’s chockfull of animal byproducts (intestines, bones, brains, and other lovelies), preservatives, chemicals, and fillers. Is it any wonder
pets
these days routinely die of nasty conditions like cancer and kidney failure? The only thing sadder than that collection of ingredients is the fact that your furry friend can’t yell, “Stop!”

Your animals deserve real and fresh vittles—just like you—so please consider giving them a kinder diet. You guessed it: grains, beans, and vegetables! You see, a vegan diet works really well because pet dogs don’t live in the wild; let’s face it, they’re sorta couch potatoes. They take a walk every day, maybe follow their humans around a little, and not a lot more, so a plant-based diet is just fine for most dogs’ energy requirements.

All the members of Christopher’s and my doggie pack are between 12 and 17 years old, weigh about 75 pounds each, and every one of them eats a 100 percent plant-based diet. I feed them Dr. Harvey’s organic dog food, plus all our leftovers, so there’s no waste of food or money. Because some vegan dog food, including Dr. Harvey’s, doesn’t have them, it’s crucial to add L-carnitine and taurine supplements. Their favorite snacks? Carrots and corn cobs. Since starting to eat this way, they’ve stopped getting fleas, hot spots, and their coats look great. People always think they’re younger than they are, so they’re getting a little vain!

There are even happy, healthy, vegan cats. Check out
www.vegansociety.com/animals/care/cats/
for more details.

11

Kind Away from Home

I eat out two or three times a week, so I consider myself an
expert
in this area. I love the adventure and the social aspect of eating out—it’s a great opportunity to spend time with my husband, catch up with a friend, or have a business meeting. I also find that the convenience, luxury, and variety of eating out keep me healthy and happy.

I consider every meal potentially the best one ever, so I enjoy the quest for the world’s greatest restaurant. You, like me, may choose to do in-depth research and pepper your server with detailed questions. But if that’s not your thing, fear not. You can be as diligent or as relaxed as you like because these days, decent plant-based meals can be made just about anywhere. Even a steakhouse will usually carry a collection of side dishes that will generously fill you up, so there’s no excuse to let your new veggie life keep you from celebrating with your friends or family.

Here are my suggestions on how to dine out well. Bon appétit!

Find a place:
If you’re in a new city or aren’t familiar with the good health-conscious places in your area, go to
www.thekindlife.com
. It has listings of vegetarian restaurants all over the world, with ratings and reviews, phone numbers, and price points for each one. I tried it out in Paris and found there were so many veg places—whodda thunk? I had the best orange-chocolate cake ever! Yes, it probably had sugar in it, but it was vegan and I was in Paris, so leave me alone!

If you already eat out a lot, there may be veggie choices you’ve never noticed before on your favorite menus. Check the fare of all the restaurants you frequent near home or work—it may be easier to get brown rice than you think.

Check the menu online:
No point wasting your time showing up somewhere that’s gonna feed you nasty foods. An online menu can give you a sense of the place: the variety of its dishes, the creativity of the chefs, the overall vibe of the restaurant. I always look for dishes that sound exciting—if there’s a delicious-sounding salad with chanterelle mushrooms and champagne vinaigrette, I’m there. But I also check the side dishes to make sure there’s enough to put together a good meal. Remember, the days of getting stuck with a big plate of steamed vegetables are over. Make sure the restaurant can meet your needs happily and deliciously.

Call ahead:
Once you’ve checked the menu and gotten some information, don’t be afraid to call if you have more questions. Ask if they are interested in accommodating your needs. Sometimes I just check the vibe of the person answering the phone to see how friendly the place is. I’ll ask them, “What’s your favorite veggie dish there?” or “Would the chef be inspired to make something new?” Just remember they are providing a service that you will pay for. If they don’t want to help in a friendly manner, then hey, find a place that does because—thank goodness—a lot of places do.

Ordering:
When I look at a menu, the first thing I do is determine where my grain is coming from. Do they have rice, noodles, couscous? After that’s chosen, I look for a yummy protein (although I can also skip it) and finally fill out the meal with an array of vegetables. I often check out what comes with all the meat entrées. Sometimes there are amazing side dishes that aren’t listed elsewhere on the menu, like roasted beets, and they are happy to let me order them à la carte. Sometimes I’ll find a vegetarian dish that includes all of the above elements, and sometimes I piece them together. Either way, I find what I need for a satisfying, balanced meal. It’s easy and works every time.

Here are some of the different cuisines I like that offer good, plant-based options for vegans:

Japanese:
My favorite! I love sushi, tempura, noodles, and soups, and there are also yummy vegetable nori rolls, vegetable dumplings, house salads with carrot/ginger dressing, amazing seaweed salads, and that spinach dish with sesame sauce . . . mmmm. However, not all Japanese dishes are the Superhero foods they seem. For instance sushi rice almost always has sugar in it. You can ask for your sushi to be made with “kitchen rice” (without sugar), but if they can’t accommodate my request, I eat it anyway. You can also ask if the tempura batter has egg in it—sometimes it does, although some places use other methods to bind the batter.

Many sushi chefs will be happy to make this awesome roll that includes avocado and a piece of asparagus tempura, or sweet potato tempura. It’s delicious.

Mexican:
I’m not a big Mexican food fan, but my man loves it. He lives on burritos, which you can get almost anywhere these days. Of course, picking a place that uses fresher, more organic ingredients is best, but worst-case scenario, a no-lard bean burrito without cheese or sour cream is a pretty decent vegan meal. Some places these days even offer soy cheese and tofu sour cream. Chips, salsa, guac, and a big salad round out the meal.

Italian:
White pasta may not be the healthiest choice in the world, but it’s a delicious, fun dish that’s not too hard on your body and it’s vegan. Yes, there’s probably a bit of sugar in the tomato sauce, and most homemade pastas—like those used to make ravioli—are made with eggs. If so, I just let it go. Life’s too short to get agitated about everything. That being said, there are tons of great Italian dishes to eat: Pasta Arrabiata or Puttanesca, risotto (ask for no cheese or chicken stock), fresh salads, and soups! Add some bruschetta and you have a great meal.

Other great choices:
Thai, Chinese, Indian, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern cuisines all feature a variety of dishes that are vegan friendly; just try to avoid sugar and MSG. Many places will make the dishes without them, so ask. I also love French food and find that I can put together a lovely vegan meal at willing establishments. If it’s your first time at a particular restaurant, call ahead of time to make sure you can get something yummy and healthy.

TEMPTATION

It’s not always easy to make great choices when eating out—especially when the people around you are eating nasty foods. Believe me, I understand. I experience little hiccups myself, and it’s usually when I’m eating out. For instance, I
love
sushi. As a kid, I used to ride my bike to the store and spend my weekly allowance on sushi. Not candy. Not comics. Raw fish on rice.

So what’s my strategy for going out with friends for sushi? First of all, I order all the vegetable rolls and other veggie dishes that look exciting. Most of the time, when I’m done with all that food, I’m stuffed and feel very satisfied. But, every once in a very long while, if I’m still tempted by the fish, I nick a piece of sushi off a friend’s plate right at the end of the meal. Yes, it tastes amazing, but if I’m really honest with myself, no better than anything else I’ve eaten. Sometimes I just have to scratch that itch. I wrestle with guilt about eating a fishy friend, but that’s my way of living in a sushi world. I hope my strategy works for you, too.

P.S. Living in a butterscotch pudding world can be hard, too! I just take one (or two) bites of a friend’s pudding when it feels impossible to pass up, but then I remember, like I did with the sushi, that it’s no better than the desserts on pages
180
–
195
, and I can eat those every day!

FOR SUPERHEROES

Eating out as a Superhero may seem a little trickier, but it’s really not. The biggest difference may be that as your body becomes really clean and supersensitive to extreme foods, you run a little risk of feeling pooey after eating at a restaurant, depending on where you go. Just choose carefully and come home prepared to make a little Cure-All Tea (page
290
), if you think you’ve eaten something that your body is reacting to.

TRAVEL TIPS

Whether you are a world-weary globetrotter or simply getting away for the weekend, eating kindly while you
travel
can take a little effort, but it’s always worth it. Here are some tips for staying balanced on the road:

Airplanes:
When you’re taking a long flight, try to avoid baked flour, coffee, alcohol, and strong sweets the day before and during the flight—it’s even good if you can go without them the day you arrive. All these things can dehydrate you and stress your body, and both of these effects are exacerbated at 35,000 feet. If you stay hydrated and relaxed, you will arrive at your destination feeling much better and will adjust more readily.

Order a vegan or vegetarian meal for the plane. You can often do this on travel Web sites if you book your own ticket or mention it to an agent on the phone. To make sure you get your meal, call the airline 2 days before you fly to confirm. That way, you’ll have something somewhat healthy on the plane. It also tells the airline that more people want healthy options these days. Plus, it puts one less dead animal on the plane that will only end up wasted (there are so many leftovers it’s insane!).

Always bring your own snacks on the plane. Even if you get a vegetarian meal, airplane food is not known for its gourmet qualities, so don’t depend on it.

Do a hot body scrub (see page
128
) when you arrive at your destination. It will open your pores, increase circulation, and make you feel very energized. All of this helps with jet lag. If you can find a patch of grass at your destination, take off your shoes and walk barefoot on it. This helps your body adjust to the new environment.

For Students

• If you live in a dorm, ask your parents if they’ll spring for a little refrigerator (some colleges will rent them to you), a rice cooker, and a toaster oven. Between those three things, you will have lots of flexibility. Just don’t fill the whole fridge with beer!
  
• Take extra fruit and other good foods from the cafeteria for snacks.
  
• If your room gets decent sunlight, consider growing some herbs (legal ones!) in a window box. Basil, cilantro, parsley, and chives are good ones to start with. If you have a little space for gardening, tomatoes and lettuce are really easy to grow, too!
  
• Is there a vegetarian group on campus? Consider finding them to get some support and community. Have potlucks or get together for dinner at a local restaurant. There’s no reason to do this alone.
  

Walk as much as possible when traveling. It’s good for you and helps your body acclimate better.

If jet lag is a problem for you, go to
www.thekindlife.com
and enter the keyword
No Jet Lag
to try this homeopathic remedy. I used to have really bad jet lag until I found this product and used it.

If your hotel offers them, ask for a small fridge or have the staff empty the mini bar for your use and stock up with smart breakfast and snack options. This makes life much easier, especially on long trips. If it’s a really long trip, get a room with a kitchenette.

Superhero Items for the Road