Happy Healthy Gut (26 page)

In early 2012, the University of California went public with a study that they feel warrants the taxation of sugar.
²⁵⁰
My husband
and I watched this story unfold on the news together, and he thought that the notion was ridiculous, because people are intelligent, and should be able to make up their own minds and know when enough sugar is enough, without another intrusive, government tax.

While I do agree with my husband’s opinion, I also forecast that we are going to see a lot more of these broad accusations and conclusions on single nutrients aimed towards developing better nutrition for the general population in the next decade or so. When governments accepted that tobacco smoke was indeed deadly, they taxed tobacco to over double the former price per pack in order to deter people from buying and smoking cigarettes. When studies began bubbling to the surface about the harmful effects of food being stored in plastic containers, and the use of the chemical BPA, we ditched them for old-school glass ones. Now that organic food is becoming more available and mainstream, and more information is being provided about it, we have slowly come to accept that the alternative to eating organic is buy food that has been genetically modified and grown using harmful chemicals.

That’s a gut-wrenching alternative!

I believe, without a single doubt, that eventually we will all have to admit that sugar is terrible for us, and we will have to pay a higher price to consume it, but it is my most sincere hope that in the very near future, we will collectively begin to understand that mainstream, factory-farmed animal products, genetically modified foods, and foods that are riddled with chemical additives are not helping us in any way, either. I am very optimistic that when enough noise is created about the disease-provoking effects that these foods have on our bodies, the devastating results that factory farming has on the environment, and the undeniably frustrating outcome of grain being diverted to livestock instead of being shared with fellow human beings, that we can all finally admit that a plant-based diet is the only viable and sustainable solution to these substantial and growing problems.

Our western diet is awful, and it’s the largest contributor to our digestion being awful, too. It contains far too much animal meat, dairy, processed food, and chemical additives, while encouraging the consumption of far too few whole grains, raw vegetables, and just plain nourishment. We also rely too heavily on medications and surgeries to repair our ailments, instead of looking to what we literally need in order to live and prosper, which is simply good, fresh, whole, and healing food.

We really are what we eat. If we consume fresh produce and whole grains, we will feel young, vibrant and be whole. If we fill our bodies with chemicals, animal proteins, and fast food, we will become toxic, overweight, and proceed to get sick at an alarming rate.

“Food shouldn’t need to be irradiated to be safe. Animals shouldn’t need to be pumped full of antibiotics. We shouldn’t be ingesting food that is making us sick and depressed. We shouldn’t be living on cocktails of drugs or weight-loss pills. Animals shouldn’t be bred to grow so big so fast that their joints can’t support their weight. And we shouldn’t have people suffering from malnutrition in this land of plenty.”
²⁵¹

—Gene Baur,
Farm Sanctuary

We know change is forthcoming because of the growing demand for organic food and naturally-raised animals, and people all over are beginning to pay attention to these more readily available products, and learning about the health benefits that they offer. It’s a giant learning curve, but we are all going to get there. Why not give yourself a more substantial chance at success on the digestive front, and start now? You don’t have to be in pain anymore—don’t accept a mediocre life. You deserve better, so start treating yourself as if you do. Start thinking food-forward! Will that lunch you ordered help or hinder your body? How will eating it make you feel after? These questions matter, because your happiness matters. Your life matters. Don’t waste time feeling sub-par!

We have to open our eyes and ears and be morally at peace with the decisions that we make in regards to an issue we face several times every day: what to eat. You are your own best advocate for change, and you deserve to experience wellness that you may have long ago given up on. There are so many reasons to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet. Pick one, or three, or all, and go for it! Borrowing John Robbins’ words of wisdom:

“If you eat consciously, exercise regularly, and seek to enjoy every precious moment of your life, you won’t be another one of the people who end up lamenting, ‘If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself’.”
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Here’s the bottom line: there are millions of people out there living every single day in digestive unease. For some, it’s completely debilitating and for others it’s merely annoying. No matter where you lie in regards to this spectrum, it’s treatable, and treatable by
you
. We rely too heavily on medical doctors who are not adequately trained on nutrition to give us advice that is largely trial and error, and little of it addresses the root of the problem: food. We need to quit masking our symptoms and start treating the actual issue. By empowering ourselves to holistically and simply repair our digestive dysfunction from the inside out (ironically by altering that from which the outside gets in), we can take back control of our lives in a way that leaves no room for side-effects, expensive treatments, surgeries, consultations, or wasted time or money in any fashion.

You picked up this book for a reason. You are either thinking of making a major dietary change, or you already have and you need some further encouragement. Although digestive disease runs in my family, I don’t feel that anyone has to play the genetic lottery. Genetics only account for a very small percentage of your risk of these diseases, which means you can overcome the odds through lifestyle; mainly diet. Whatever your reason for investigating a plant-based diet, I can assure you that eating plants and forgoing meat will
help you feel light, lose weight, clear your skin, ease your pains, help the planet, feed the hungry, and save some animals. What you’re about to embark upon will make you happy, from the inside, out. Own it. Love it. This is the start of an even more amazing you, and a healthier, longer life for everyone who decides that a whole food, plant-based diet just makes the most sense.

Cheers to fabulous health!

Question:
Are you ready for a happy, healthy gut?

A
dopting a new way to prepare and think about food is going to be fabulous, and you’re going to be amazed. Experiment with cooking something new, and definitely invest in a few fabulous vegetarian or vegan recipe books. They can be awesome and inspiring and very helpful in the task of breathing new life into your old food habits. I provide the names of my favorite recipe books in the References section at the end of this book.

This is a lifestyle make-over, and that includes improving your whole mind, body, and soul. Attend a yoga class. Go get some organic aromatherapy oil, or lavender scented soy candles. Breathe them in! You’re going to love being free of stomach pain. You will naturally rehydrate, lose weight, and clear up your skin. People will notice and ask you for your secret. Share it! We need to pass on this message of encouragement to one another. Digestive problems are terrible to live with—I know you know. Adopting this type of
plan also means ridding yourself of the common “western diet,” which in turn means that you are going to lower your risk of developing any of the chronic diseases in that category, including diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers (colon cancer, certainly), obesity and more. I’m so excited for you!

You’ve made it to this point! Now it will get easier. This is a comprehensive review of what you need to do to begin your days in Digestive Bliss Town:

• Decide that you want to feel awesome. (Page 137)
  
• Clean out your pantry. (Page 204)
  
• Make a meal plan for the week, every week. Follow it. (Page 190)
  
• Shop for foods that will help you stick to your meal plan. Use the list of foods in the “pantry prerequisite” section. (Page 184)
  
• Make sure you read the ingredients on what you buy. Try and purchase foods that possess only a few ingredients. (Page 134)
  
• Remember to stick to the perimeter of the store, for the most part. (Page 135)
  
• Drink more water, and make sure it’s filtered. (Page 127)
  
• Buy organic food as much as possible. (Page 135)
  
• Know your superfoods. (Page 141)
  
• Eat the rainbow. (Page 143)
  
• Discover if food combining works for you. (Page 148)
  
• Buy foods that are locally grown. (Page 151)
  
• Ferment, sprout, and juice. (Pages 151-157)
  
• Invest in some new kitchenware to help motivate you to start cooking. (Page 157)
  
• Reduce
  stress. (Page 162)
  
• Know how to react to a flare-up. (Page 163)
  
• Consider taking natural supplements. (Page 164)
  
• Make sure you are moving your bowels. (Page 170)
  
• Slow down and relax. (Page 162)
  
• Try Yoga. (Page 166)
  
• Begin taking Vitamin B12 if you plan on going completely vegan. (Page 181)
  
• Invest in some new, inspiring recipe books. (Page 239)
  

Try and Avoid:

• Animal products. (A common running theme–no page number necessary!)
  
• Irradiated food. (Page 92)
  
• GMOs. (Page 94)
  
• Chemicals. (Page 111)
  
• Processed food. (Page 105)
  
• Sugar. (Page 120)
  
• Caffeine and alcohol. (Page 175)
  

Use the meal plan on the following page to provide yourself with an example on how to structure your new eating schedule. Feel free to change it completely, or follow it exactly. It’s your choice; the guide is just an easy reference to get you started. It’s also been created in such a way as to make it easy to follow, even if you are working a nine-to-five kind of stint. Everything from Monday to Friday can easily be prepared ahead of time and brought to work, while the weekend meals are a little more creative and better suited for having access to your own kitchen. Remember that aside from the meals listed on the next few pages, you need to make sure that you are drinking lots of filtered water throughout the day. Include two or three cups of herbal tea, and try and aim for a total of sixty-four ounces of clear fluids a day.

Monday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Beginner Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: 1 cup “Om” Oatmeal. (See recipe on page 216) 10am: Apple with 1 tbsp. almond butter, herbal tea.

12pm: Whole wheat wrap with raw veggies and hummus, (see recipe on page 224) carrot sticks. Add fermented veggies to the wrap if you feel brave.

3pm: 6 green olives, herbal tea.

6pm: Superfood Salad. (See recipe on page 217) 8pm:
Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Tuesday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, anti-inflammatory juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: Superfood Smoothie. (See recipe on page 213) 10am: ½ cup soy yogurt, 4 strawberries, herbal tea, vitamin B12 capsule.

12pm: Garden salad, ¼ cup mixed and raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dressing of choice.

3pm: Apple, herbal tea.

6pm: Love Soup. (See recipe on page 218) 8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Wednesday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Breakfast Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: 1 slice sprouted grain bread, 1 tbsp. almond butter, 1 pear.

10am: 2 celery stalks, 1 tbsp. tahini, herbal tea.

12pm: Leftover soup.

3pm: 10 raw almonds, herbal tea.

6pm: Quinoa Salad. (See recipe on page 217) 8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Thursday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Green Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: Blonde Muesli. (See recipe on page 216) 10am: ½ cup soy yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, herbal tea, vitamin B12 capsule.

12pm: Greek Pita. (See recipe on page 216) 3pm: Raw carrot sticks, 1 tbsp. tahini, herbal tea.

6pm: Vegalicious Chili. (See recipe on page 219) 8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Friday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Intermediate Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie, ¼ cup raw almonds. (See recipe on page 212) 10am: Pear, 1 tbsp. almond butter, herbal tea.

12pm: Leftover chili.

3pm: ½ avocado topped with Fresh Salsa, herbal tea. (See recipe on page 214) 6pm: ½ cup brown rice, 1 cup steamed veggies, 2 ounces tofu (organic and firm), 1 tbsp. tamari.

8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Saturday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Beginner Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: ½ cup cooked quinoa, 1 banana sliced on top, splash of unsweetened almond milk.

10am: Small bowl of fruit salad, 6-8 pecans, herbal tea, vitamin B12 capsule.

12pm: Rainbow Chard and Beet Salad. (See recipe on page 217) 3pm:
Kale chips (full bunch), herbal tea. (See recipe on page 217) 6pm: Super Easy Vegan Tacos. (See recipe on page 220) 8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

Sunday

7am: Stretch, probiotics, Anti-Inflammatory Juice. (See recipe on page 156) 8am: Leftover fruit salad, 10 raw walnuts, dollop of soy yogurt, 1 tbsp. chia seeds.

10am: 1 slice sprouted grain bread, 1 tbsp. hummus, handful of assorted sprouts, herbal tea.

12pm: Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup (whole can).

3pm: Pear, herbal tea.

6pm: 2 Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms. (See recipe on page 218) 8pm: Herbal tea, 10 minutes of stretching and quiet, conscious breathing.

The following recipes include those for the One-Week Recalibration Meal Plan, and more. Feel free to make them to your heart’s content!