Kathy Freston 2013-05-20T16:57:07-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=kathy-freston Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Kathy Freston Good old fashioned elbow grease. Part-Time Vegan tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3202934 2013-05-04T10:20:37-04:00 2013-05-04T10:25:32-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ don't read the comments. This has been especially true for me because I'm a fan of "leaning in" to change. So when I write about moving away from meat consumption, the pro-meat side is upset by any change at all, and the anti-meat side thinks that incremental change is not good enough. Fortunately, as we all know, the comments tend to reflect only the views at the extreme.

Enter the concept of the "part-time vegan," as brilliantly articulated in Mark Bittman's new book, Vegan Before Six (VB6). The book is likely to infuriate the meat industry (it encourages people to slash their meat intake!?!) and more than a few ethical vegans (it only encourages people to slash their meat intake!?!), but I suspect that for many Americans, it will represent a perfect happy medium.

Two caveats: First, VB6 is not just a diet book -- it's a manual for a lifestyle change; you don't need a book to follow the simple concept of eating vegan before 6:00 (and Bittman has already converted many people to this way of eating). Second, VB6 is not a cookbook, though it is packed with amazing recipes and a complete (and delectable) 28-day plan for getting started.

What VB6 really is, it seems to me, is the beginning of a conversation about what matters to readers and what we can do to live in better alignment with our values. And then Bittman adds to that the benefits that we get when we make the change, as well as how to do it.

Most Americans care about the environment, and yet, as Bittman rightly notes, "of all the changes you can make to your diet, eating fewer animal products has the most dramatic impact on the health of the planet" because eating meat is a top cause of global warming, depletes "land, water, energy, [and] mineral resources," requires 80 percent of all antibiotics produced in the U.S., and more. To live more environmentally, he argues, we should be cutting back on our meat intake.

Similarly, almost all Americans care about animal welfare: 97 percent of us, according to Gallup. And yet as Bittman notes, "Animals grown in factory farms live in horrific conditions ... They're drugged, mutilated, and denied the opportunity to fulfill every natural instinct." So eating less meat (and boycotting factory-farmed meat entirely) also allows us to live out our universally shared opposition to factory farms, which treat animals "as if they were widgets, with little to no care for their welfare."

Bittman is most convincing, though, when he's talking about the health benefits of his diet, and when he walks us through a step-by-step "how to" for implementing the VB6 program in our lives.

He should be convincing on the health front: Until he starting eating vegan before six, he was overweight, pre-diabetic, suffered from sleep apnea, and sported a cholesterol level that clocked in over 240; basically, he was a heart attack waiting to happen. Within four months of adopting the VB6 eating-pattern, he lost more than 35 pounds and was sleeping through the night for the first time in 30 years. Perhaps most critically, the diet brought his cholesterol down to below 180 -- 60 points in four months, without drugs!

Six years, later, he's maintained the weight loss, the sleeping habits, and the healthy cholesterol level.

Bittman was not alone, of course: He reminds us that two-thirds of Americans are overweight and that more than one-third are obese. Obesity rates for adults have doubled since 1980 and (frighteningly) have almost tripled for children.

Why? This will be controversial, because some people continue to promote the myth that our national fat consumption has fallen -- in fact, VB6 shows statistics that since 1980, fat consumption has skyrocketed by one-third, from 57 to 79 pounds per year. And the vast majority of that added fat comes to us from animal foods. Conservative figures for the cost to our economy from the obesity epidemic: $150 billion annually.

In addition to the "why to," Bittman also convincingly explains both how nutrition works and why the VB6 diet will work for you (in part because it's not based in deprivation or impossible eating patterns). He also offers a step-by-step plan, complete with fantastic recipes (I mean FANTASTIC RECIPES -- this is Mark Bittman, after all), for four full weeks of the VB6 program.

Like many vegans, I would love to see the world stop eating animal products full stop; I'm convinced that a vegan diet is the best diet for our environment, our health, and animals. So it disconcerts me a bit to be so enthusiastic about a book that suggests eating whatever you want after 6 p.m. If vegan is better for animals and the environment before 6, surely it's also better after 6.

But as I ponder my feelings on this, I come to two conclusions: First, many people are simply not going to consider a completely vegan diet, but they will consider changing the way they eat so that they're eating much less meat. VB6 is a great way for them to move in that direction -- with significant positive consequences for our environment, animals, and our health.

Second, as people eat less meat before 6, they come to want less meat after 6 too; it's a process wherein meat is not consumed for most of the day, and after 6, it moves from the center of the plate to the side of the plate. I don't know for sure, but I would bet that a lot of people will start with VB6 and end up completely vegan.

Regardless, VB6 is a massive step in the right direction, with huge positive ramifications as more and more Americans eat this way. Truly, Bittman is offering a way of eating that could be transformational: Readers will lose weight (if they have weight to lose), have more energy, and suffer much lower risk for diabetes and heart disease. And animals and the earth will be better off.

Happy Eating!

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on diet and nutrition, click here.]]> Anti-Breast Cancer: The 'Three Strikes' Carcinogen to Avoid tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2506072 2013-02-01T08:30:41-05:00 2013-04-03T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ You may have heard a lot recently about how a chemical that is formed from cooking meat is carcinogenic (cancer-causing), but recent studies show that the scope of what's bad for you in terms of meat is actually expanding.



We've known since 1939 that there were "cancer-producing substances" in roasted meat. Scientists have since identified the compounds as heterocyclic amines. I know... what the? Well, they're described by the National Cancer Institute as "chemicals formed when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, and poultry, is cooked using high-temperature methods, such as pan frying or grilling..." Historically, studies on rodents downplayed the risk, suggesting 99 percent of these chemicals can be removed by the liver, but it turns out we're not rats! Humans are 50 times less able to detoxify these carcinogens, which may explain why studies done on Long Island and around the world have shown that women eating more broiled, grilled, fried, barbecued, and smoked meats appear to have up to 400 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer. (I think of all the chicken I broiled or grilled through the years so as not to get too much fat on my plate!)



According to one study:

More than 85 percent of breast cancers are sporadic and attributable to long-term exposure to environmental carcinogens, such as those in the diet, through a multistep disease process progressing from non-cancerous to premalignant and malignant stages.


Most cancer-causing agents are involved in either the initiation stage of cancer, triggering the initial DNA mutation (like radiation), or the promotion stage of cancer, promoting the growth of the tumor (certain hormones like IGF-1). But heterocyclic amines like one called PhIP found in cooked meat have been called "three strikes" carcinogens because they cause DNA mutations (strike one), and they promote cancer growth (strike two), and they also increase its metastatic potential by increasing cancer invasiveness (strike three).



By asking women undergoing breast reduction surgery (one way to look at breast tissue from a wide variety of women) about their meat cooking methods, researchers were able to directly correlate the number of DNA mutations found in breast tissue with the estimated dietary intake of cooked meat carcinogens. The DNA-damaging effects of these carcinogens have been known for over a decade. What surprised scientists and doctors was that not only may these meat chemicals trigger the original cancer-causing mutation, they may also then promote and spread the growth of the tumor, as PhIP was subsequently found to activate estrogen receptors on human breast cancer cells almost as powerfully as pure estrogen! Even at very low doses, the cooked meat chemical PhIP appears to drive the growth and spread of breast cancer, strikes two and three.



Putting it all together, researchers recently demonstrated for the first time that normal breast cells could be transformed completely into breast cancer just by dripping PhIP (at the levels found in cooked meats) on normal human breast cells. That's all it took, and Jekyll becomes Hyde.



PhIP is also found in cigarette smoke, diesel fumes, and incinerator ash, but the highest levels in food are found in fried bacon, fish, and chicken. Even just baking chicken at around 350 degrees for 15 minutes leads to significant production of PhIP. If you are like me and thought that it was just those blackened bits of meat from the grill that were the problem, this might come as a rude awakening.



Granted, these were breast cells in a petri dish. How do we know these carcinogens make it not only into the breast after you eat cooked meat, but into the breast ducts, where most breast cancers arise -- so-called ductal carcinoma? Researchers didn't know for sure, until a study out of Canada measured the levels of PhIP in the breast milk formed in those ducts of nonsmoking women. The average concentration of the "three strikes carcinogen" they found in the breast milk of meat-eating women corresponded to significant cancer growth activation. One of the women was vegetarian, though, and interestingly none was detected in her breast milk. None.



Toxicologists lament that: "Exposure to PhIP is difficult to avoid because of its presence in many commonly consumed cooked meats, particularly chicken, beef and fish." But if you're able to somehow dodge those meats (and don't suck on a cigarette, tailpipe, or incinerator smokestack) maybe it's not so difficult to avoid after all. Just move away from the Standard American Diet of meat/chicken/fish as the centerpiece of your meal and lean toward whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, fruits, and veggies.



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on breast cancer, click here.]]> A Vegan Diet (Hugely) Helpful Against Cancer tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2250052 2012-12-09T11:00:52-05:00 2013-02-08T05:12:01-05:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/
A 2012 analysis of all the best studies done to date concluded vegetarians have significantly lower cancer rates. For example, the largest forward-looking study on diet and cancer ever performed concluded that "the incidence of all cancers combined is lower among vegetarians."

That's good news, yes. But what if we're looking for great news? If vegetarians fare so much better than meat-eaters, what about vegans? Is that an even better way to eat? We didn't know for sure until now.

A new study just out of Loma Linda University funded by the National Cancer Institute reported that vegans have lower rates of cancer than both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Vegan women, for example, had 34 percent lower rates of female-specific cancers such as breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer. And this was compared to a group of healthy omnivores who ate substantially less meat than the general population (two servings a week or more), as well as after controlling for non-dietary factors such as smoking, alcohol, and a family history of cancer.

Why do vegans have such lower cancer risk? This is fascinating stuff: An elegant series of experiments was performed in which people were placed on different diets and their blood was then dripped on human cancer cells growing in a petri dish to see whose diet kicked more cancer butt. Women placed on plant-based diets for just two weeks, for example, were found to suppress the growth of three different types of breast cancer (see images of the cancer clearance). The same blood coursing through these womens' bodies gained the power to significantly slow down and stop breast cancer cell growth thanks to just two weeks of eating a healthy plant-based diet! (Two weeks! Imagine what's going on in your body after a year!) Similar results were found for men against prostate cancer (as well as against prostate enlargement).

How may a simple dietary change make one's bloodstream so inhospitable to cancer in just a matter of days? The dramatic improvement in cancer defenses after two weeks of eating healthier is thought to be due to changes in the level of a cancer-promoting growth hormone in the body called IGF-1. Animal protein intake increases the levels of IGF-1 in our body, but within two weeks of switching to a plant-based diet, IGF-1 levels in the bloodstream drop sufficiently to help slow the growth of cancer cells.

How plant-based do we need to eat? Studies comparing levels of IGF-1 in meat-eaters vs. vegetarians vs. vegans suggest that we should lean toward eliminating animal products from our diets altogether. This is supported by the new study in which the thousands of American vegans studied not only had lower rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, but significantly lower cancer risk as well.

This makes sense when you consider the research done by Drs. Dean Ornish and Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn; they found that a vegan diet caused more than 500 genes to change in only three months, turning on genes that prevent disease and turning off genes that cause breast cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer, and other illnesses. This is empowering news, given that most people think they are a victim of their genes, helpless to stave off some of the most dreaded diseases. We aren't helpless at all; in fact, the power is largely in our hands. It's on our forks, actually.

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on diet and nutrition, click here.]]> Why Do Vegetarians Live Longer? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1981838 2012-10-26T20:00:24-04:00 2012-12-26T05:12:01-05:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/
According to a recent report on the largest study of vegetarians and vegans to date, those eating plant-based diets appear to have a significantly longer life expectancy. Vegetarians live on average almost eight years longer than the general population, which is similar to the gap between smokers and nonsmokers. This is not surprising, given the reasons most of us are dying. In an online video, "Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death," Michael Greger, M.D. explores the role a healthy diet can play in preventing, treating, and even reversing the top 15 killers in the United States. Let's take a closer look at what the good doctor has pulled together...

Heart disease is our leading cause of death. The 35-year follow-up of the Harvard Nurses Health Study was recently published, now the most definitive long-term study on older women's health. Dietary cholesterol intake -- only found in animal foods -- was associated with living a significantly shorter life and fiber intake -- only found in plant foods -- was associated with living a significantly longer life. Consuming the amount of cholesterol found in just a single egg a day may cut a woman's life short as much as smoking five cigarettes daily for 15 years, whereas eating a daily cup of oatmeal's worth of fiber appears to extend a woman's life as much as four hours of jogging a week. (But there's no reason we can't do both!)

What if your cholesterol's normal, though? I hear that a lot. But here's the thing: having a "normal" cholesterol in a society where it's "normal" to drop dead of a heart attack is not necessarily a good thing. According to the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology, "For the build-up of plaque in our arteries to cease, it appears that the serum total cholesterol needs to be lowered to the 150 area. In other words the serum total cholesterol must be lowered to that of the average pure vegetarian."

More than 20 years ago, Dr. Dean Ornish showed that heart disease could not just be stopped but actually reversed with a vegan diet, arteries opened up without drugs or surgery. Since this lifestyle cure was discovered, hundreds of thousands have died unnecessary deaths. What more does one have to know about a diet that reverses our deadliest disease?

Cancer is killer number two. Ah, the dreaded "C" word -- but look at this hopeful science. According to the largest forward-looking study on diet and cancer so far performed, "the incidence of all cancers combined is lower among vegetarians." The link between meat and cancer is such that even a paper published in the journal Meat Science recently asked, "Should we become vegetarians, or can we make meat safer?" There are a bunch of additives under investigation to suppress the toxic effects the blood-based "heme" iron, for example, which could provide what they called an "acceptable" way to prevent cancer. Why not just reduce meat consumption? The meat science researchers noted that if such public health guidance were adhered to, "Cancer incidence may be reduced, but farmers and [the] meat industry would suffer important economical problems..." Hmmm, so Big Ag chooses profit over health; what a surprise.

After Dr. Ornish's team showed that the bloodstreams of men eating vegan for a year had nearly eight times the cancer-stopping power, a series of elegant experiments showed that women could boost their defenses against breast cancer after just two weeks on a plant-based diet. See the before and after here. If you or anyone you know has ever had a cancer scare, this research will make your heart soar. Because there is real, true hope -- something you can do to stave off "the big C."

So, the top three leading causes of death used to be heart disease, cancer, then stroke, but the latest CDC stats place COPD third -- lung diseases such as emphysema. Surprisingly, COPD can be prevented with the help of a plant-based diet, and can even be treated with plants. Of course, the tobacco industry viewed these landmark findings a little differently. Instead of adding plants to one's diet to prevent emphysema, wouldn't it be simpler to just add them to the cigarettes? Hence the study "Addition of Açaí [Berries] to Cigarettes Has a Protective Effect Against Emphysema in [Smoking] Mice." Seriously.

The meat industry tried the same tack. Putting fruit extracts in burgers was not without its glitches, though. The blackberries "literally dyed burger patties with a distinct purplish color," and though it was possible to improve the nutritional profile of frankfurters with powdered grape seeds, there were complaints that the grape seed "particles became visible" in the final product. And if there's one thing we know about hot dog eaters, it's that they're picky about what goes in their food!

Onward to strokes: The key to preventing strokes may be to eat potassium-rich foods. Though Chiquita may have had a good PR firm, bananas don't even make the top 50 sources. The leading whole food sources include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, and dates. We eat so few plants that 98 percent of Americans don't even reach the recommended minimum daily intake of potassium. And if you look at killer number five -- accidents -- bananas (and their peels) could be downright dangerous!

Alzheimer's disease is now our sixth leading killer. We've known for nearly 20 years now that those who eat meat -- including chicken and fish -- appear three times more likely to become demented compared to long-term vegetarians. Exciting new research suggests one can treat Alzheimer's using natural plant products such as the spice saffron, which beat out placebo and worked as well as a leading Alzheimer's drug.

Diabetes is next on the kick-the-bucket list. Plant-based diets help prevent, treat, and even reverse Type 2 diabetes. Since vegans are, on average, about 30 pounds skinnier than meat-eaters, this comes as no surprise; but researchers found that vegans appear to have just a fraction of the diabetes risk, even after controlling for their slimmer figures.

Kidney failure, our eighth leading cause of death, may also be prevented and treated with a plant-based diet. The three dietary risk factors Harvard researchers found for declining kidney function were animal protein, animal fat, and cholesterol, all of which are only found in animal products.

Leading killer number nine is respiratory infections. With flu shot season upon us, it's good to know that fruit and vegetable consumption can significantly boost one's protective immune response to vaccination. Check out the short video "Kale and the Immune System," and you'll see there's not much kale can't do.

Suicide is number 10. Oh yes, vegan food even has something good to offer on this one! Cross-sectional studies have shown that the moods of those on plant-based diets tend to be superior, but taken in just a snapshot in time one can't tease out cause-and-effect. Maybe happier people end up eating healthier and not the other way around. But this year an interventional trial was published in which all meat, poultry, fish, and eggs were removed from people's diets and a significant improvement in mood scores was found after just two weeks. It can take drugs like Prozac a month or more to take effect. So you may be able to get happier faster by cutting out animal foods than by using drugs.

Drugs can help with the other conditions as well, but instead of taking one drug for cholesterol every day for the rest of your life, maybe a few for high blood pressure or diabetes, the same diet appears to work across the board without the risk of drug side-effects. One study found that prescription medications kill an estimated 106,000 Americans every year. That's not from errors or overdose, but from adverse drug reactions, arguably making doctors the sixth leading cause of death.

Based on a study of 15,000 American vegetarians, those that eat meat have about twice the odds of being on antacids, aspirin, blood pressure medications, insulin, laxatives, painkillers, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers. So plant-based diets are great for those that don't like taking drugs, paying for drugs, or risking adverse side effects.

Imagine if, like President Clinton, our nation embraced a plant-based diet. Imagine if we just significantly cut back on animal products. There is one country that tried. After World War II, Finland joined us in packing on the meat, eggs, and dairy. By the 1970s, the mortality rate from heart disease of Finnish men was the highest in the world, and so they initiated a country-wide program to decrease their saturated fat intake. Farmers were encouraged to switch from dairies to berries. Towns were pitted against each other in friendly cholesterol-lowering competitions. Their efforts resulted in an 80 percent drop in cardiac mortality across the entire country.

Conflicts of interest on the U.S. dietary guidelines committee may have prevented similar action from our own government, but with our health-care crisis deepening, our obesity epidemic widening, and the health of our nation's children in decline, we may need to take it upon our selves, families, and communities to embrace Food Day ideals of healthy, affordable, sustainable foods by moving towards a more plant-centered diet. If we do, we may be afforded added years to enjoy the harvest.

For a plan on how to eat this way, check out The Lean!

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on diet and nutrition, click here.

Also on HuffPost:

We asked two experts in plant-based eating -- Amy Lanou, Ph.D., an associate professor of health and wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville, and Vandana Sheth, R.D., C.D.E, a Los Angeles-based dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics -- for their advice for people who are just starting out on a vegan diet.

]]> There's Poop in Our Chicken Meat! tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1655170 2012-07-17T08:41:52-04:00 2012-09-16T05:12:12-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ an April article in the New York Times showed that almost half of the chicken in grocery stores is contaminated by E coli, which researchers say is an indicator of fecal contamination. In other words, there is poop in our chicken meat! Just to be clear, E coli comes from colons... So that means the bacteria either came from a human colon, or more likely chicken colon(s).

The study indicates that millions of Americans are exposing themselves not just to the bacteria from a chicken's intestinal tract, but to everything else that comes in chicken feces. So it makes sense that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends extreme caution and care when handling raw chicken, which includes meticulously cleaning and sterilizing kitchen surfaces that are exposed to the meat.

And WebMD makes it clear what we're risking: E. Coli O157:H7 will cause most people to suffer cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Some people won't notice symptoms, but will spread the disease to loved ones. Others will experience "severe blood and kidney problems," which can lead to death for those with compromised immune systems.

I've often wondered why we would want to eat something that is so potentially toxic in the first place.

Anyway, I Tweeted the article, to huge response. Lots of people are appropriately appalled that there is poop in their chicken. Then I got two replies from @chickencouncil -- the Twitter account of the National Chicken Council (NCC) -- defending the meat; here's what they said:

@kathyfreston To clarify, E. coli presence in chicken is NOT a guaranteed indicator of fecal contamination. Most strains are harmless.

@kathyfreston We understand E. coli can sound alarming but we hope we are able to reassure you about chicken's safety.

So I decided to go to the study's source and ask Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, for an explanation. Here's how our conversation went:

KF: So is the E. coli from chicken poop or isn't it?

NB: First, the testing criteria PCRM used are the same that the USDA uses to assess fecal contamination on chickens. This E. coli testing reflects fecal contamination, and these E. coli are highly unlikely to have come from any other source. Fecal contamination on chicken meat is surprisingly common and also extremely variable. USDA requires chicken producers to inspect only one in every 22,000 carcasses, so consumers really have no way to know what they are buying and eating. We found that this sort of contamination is very, very common. If you eat chicken, you are eating chicken feces much of the time.

KF: Fecal contamination is poop, yes? Does that make us sick if we touch it or eat it? The NCC says we shouldn't be alarmed.

NB: PCRM was not necessarily suggesting that these E. coli strains cause disease. Rather, they are a sign of feces on or in the meat. We wanted people to understand that, when they buy chicken, they are buying, chewing, and swallowing feces in about half the cases.

KF: Dare I ask, can there be anything worse than E. coli in our meat?

NB: Well, yes. You're eating dung. Chicken feces may also contain roundworms, hair worms, tapeworms, insect larvae, fecally-excreted drugs and other chemicals, as well as the more normal constituents of feces -- bile, undigested food, etc.

KF: That's pretty gross. Is there a way around this, like shopping at better stores, or buying organic?

NB: USDA does not report contamination at the local level or store-by-store. Consumers might imagine that their favorite store or brand is hygienic and safe, or that "organic" or skinless products are safer. PCRM's test results indicate these assumptions have no basis. The so-called "organic" brands were tainted with feces, too, and skinless chicken breast was slightly worse than skin-on brands. Fecal soiling occurs in all brands and all stores at surprisingly high levels.

KF: But the NCC says most strains of E.coli are harmless; is that the case? If someone is exposed but doesn't develop any symptoms, are they in the clear and can assume that the maybe contaminated chicken didn't do any harm?

NB: First of all, I should say that we have been trying for years to help consumers understand that chicken cholesterol and fat are in far higher quantities than most people appreciate. And if it's the feces that finally convince people to stop eating it, that's all to the good.

As to the health effects of fecal bacteria, people may not even realize they are being affected. Some of the problems caused by fecal contamination are quite unexpected, as evidenced by this recent report, which suggested that chicken feces are a primary reservoir for the pathogens causing common urinary tract infections:

What we are getting at is that if you buy chicken and bring it into your home, you can easily contaminate your hands, knives, cutting boards, and kitchen surfaces and very soon you end up infecting yourself with these persistent germs.

KF: Can you please explain how the poop got in and on the chicken in the first place?

NB: Chickens are typically raised in crowded conditions, so it is easy for feces to spread from one bird to the next. In the transport boxes that carry them to the slaughterhouse, they spread feces even more. And in the slaughter line, the intestinal tract is mechanically ripped out of the body. It is asking quite a lot to not have chicken dung splattering around, contaminating the equipment, the workers' hands, and everything else.

And then, right after slaughter, there's the water bath. In my book, The Power of Your Plate, I included an interview with Carol Tucker Foreman, the former Undersecretary of Agriculture. She describes contamination in chickens in some detail, but the part about the water bath is particularly eye-opening:

"Chickens are very absorbent animals. When you put them into the water bath to chill them, they gain a little weight. Since chicken is sold by the pound, over a period of time it's a substantial financial difference to the company. The average broiler is about four pounds. If you can add a quarter of a pound or an eighth of a pound in water pick-up, that's very important to the economics of the industry. This "water" that Ms. Foreman was referring to is the chill bath they go into after eviscerated. It is sometimes referred to as "fecal soup."


KF: So, in layman's terms, the chickens are dipped in water that is full of poop? And the poop is in the water because when the chickens are disemboweled, it lands in the very water that's supposed to clean them? And that poopy water is absorbed into their flesh?

NB: Cheerful, isn't it? And that is why slaughterhouses will not let you look at their operation. You can tour a strawberry patch or a bread factory, but the chicken industry is based on the assumption that you will never see what happened to the bird you are eating. You would have a very hard time stomaching it.

KF: Got it. A black bean burrito or some veggie sausage is sounding really good right about now!

NB: Here's the point: chicken adds cholesterol, fat, and other undesirables to the diet. Consumers seem to be inured to those problems, and if the understanding that they are eating cooked feces in about half the chickens they buy is a bit off-putting, then that will help them make healthier choices.

Dr. Neal Barnard discusses chicken contamination:



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more healthy living health news, click here.]]> Animal Welfare Supports Public Health: New Book Lays Out the Science tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1628749 2012-06-27T14:26:17-04:00 2012-08-27T05:12:06-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/
Now there's an intriguing new book that extends my thesis of holistic well-being beyond food and into a variety of other areas of human interaction with animals.

In Animals and Public Health: Why Treating Animals Better is Critical to Human Welfare, Dr. Aysha Akhtar, a public health specialist, neurologist from the FDA's Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats, and HuffPost blogger, looks at the interlocking animal and human health issues involved in domestic violence, animal fighting, animal attacks, the wildlife trade, factory farming, climate change, and drug development.

For example, the wildlife trade section discusses the acquisition process for exotic pets, furs, and animals used for petting farms, zoos, and circuses. Dr. Akhtar takes us through the lives of animals captured or bred for this trade and shows how the trade led to the emergence and spread of HIV, Ebola, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), monkeypox and other serious infectious diseases.

In perhaps the most immediately-harrowing section, the book explores how violence is related to animal abuse. The strongest connection between violence toward animals and people is in domestic violence, but there is also increasing evidence of a link between school bullying and animal abuse. Notorious killers Jeffrey Dahmer, "The Boston Strangler," Dennis Rader, Carroll Cole, "The Moors Murderers," and Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had allegedly all tortured and killed animals before turning on people.

In the section on animal experimentation, Dr. Akhtar makes a compelling case for focusing our scientific resources on human-based testing methods, because differences in the physiology between species leads to different results. The book also shows how the daily distress and anxiety that animals experience in laboratories can lead to radically-misleading results. For example, the book discusses cases where clinical trial participants were made seriously ill because of misleading results in animals and also how misleading results in animals may have caused pharmaceutical companies to abandon countless therapies that "may have worked spectacularly in humans."

The book also shows how bird flu is directly related to factory farming. By confining billions of animals on factory farms, Dr. Akhtar says, we are spurring the evolution of the influenza virus in ways that can lead to serious pandemics. In fact, she shows how factory farms are among the most important contributors to the emergence of infectious diseases. Although I found all of her science to be solid and convincing, I did pay even closer attention to this section, since Dr. Akhtar works as a scientist in the FDA's Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats.

Dr. Akhtar concludes by arguing for a real shift in how we view our health and our relationship with animals. Rather than seeing our health in isolation, Dr. Akhtar suggests, we need to recognize how our health is affected by our interactions with animals. Otherwise, we will never successfully be able to tackle some of our most urgent health issues.

In other words, we need to treat animals better -- not just for their sake, but also for ours. It's all connected. (Isn't everything?)]]> 3 Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1594441 2012-06-14T07:16:57-04:00 2012-08-14T05:12:09-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/
The Three Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working:

  1. You are miserable while dieting. Most diets would have you cutting things out from your diet; they are about denial and discipline. You love pizza? No more of that. Pasta? Forget it. Dessert? Erase the word from your vocabulary. So you white-knuckle your way through some crazy diet of deprivation, and you're miserable. If you are fed up with too many restrictions and you are missing the simple joys of your old life, you simply won't keep up the effort. And why should you? Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed -- and that includes enjoying your food.


  2. You are doing the high-protein thing. You are most likely doing a high-protein, low-carb (HPLC) diet, which has been the popular diet since the last century. Yes, you do lose weight on a HPLC diet. But the weight loss comes partly from losing a lot of water in the beginning of the diet. When you stop eating carbohydrates, your body rapidly loses water. In the first few days of a low-carb diet, you'll be in the bathroom surprisingly often, and the first few pounds of "weight loss" are not fat loss at all. They are temporary water loss. This happens because the body, starving for glucose normally found in carbs, is using up stored glycogen which holds a lot of water -- one pound of glycogen holds three pounds of water; the first bit of weight loss you see on the low-carb diet is just water loss from losing your natural glycogen, and as soon as you allow a little bit of carbs back in, your water weight comes right back.

    The weight loss from a HPLC diet also comes from eating fewer calories, because you are knocking out so much of what you normally would consume -- because these days, eliminating carbs means doing away with calorie-dense, highly processed foods, most of which contain high-fructose corn sweetener. Of course you lose weight when you give up cookies and cakes and doughnuts, which erroneously get lumped together with good carbs like those from brown rice and quinoa.

    But eating a HPLC doesn't work long-term. Your body needs GOOD carbs, and will crave them voraciously if you don't pony up a steady, healthy supply of them. Whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, and beans like lentils, chickpeas, and black beans supply the body with the much-needed slow and steady supply of glucose. Glucose is not a bad thing; it's the source of fuel for the brain and body and it's not negotiable that we get it. Which is why the cravings for carbs become so irresistible that you end up caving: it's your brilliant body telling you to stop starving yourself of what you need!

    The trick, of course, is to stick with the good carbs (whole grains, beans), not the bad, refined, junky carbs (white bread, chips, cakes, cookies).

    Whole foods like grains and beans release their sugar very, very slowly because of the fiber in them, and they don't give you a sugar rush. They feed your cells as needed, and as a result, you have loads of stable energy that powers you through the day. Not so with meat, dairy and eggs (they have no fiber in them, but more on that soon), which are the centerpiece of the HPLC diet.

    And why else is your HPLC diet not working? Let's not forget the obvious: Meat and dairy are concentrated sources of fat and calories. Fat and calories make you fat. Period. Even a lean breast of skinless chicken -- certainly the leanest of all the meats -- has 20 percent of its calories in fat, 29 percent of which is saturated. So, that's a problem when it comes to weight loss and health.


  3. You aren't getting enough fiber. In medical literature, the one dietary component that has been most highly and consistently associated with long-term weight loss is fiber consumption. It controls your weight because it adds volume to foods without a lot of calories, so it fills you up and makes you feel satiated, thus turning off the hunger signals. It helps to slow down the release of glucose, therefore stabilizing your blood sugar -- which means the rollercoaster of cravings is finally brought to a halt. Fiber also acts like an internal scrub brush, too, cleaning out the fat and gunk. Animal-based foods have no fiber -- zero, zilch. Plant-based foods are chock full of fiber.


So now you know why your diet probably wasn't working. Now here's what you do to change things:

Upgrade

You can still have that beloved burger or pizza or pasta; just make them healthier by opting for a veggie burger, or pizza with nondairy cheese and soy sausage, or pasta that's made from brown rice rather than white flour. Have all the foods you grew up loving, but just have better versions of them. Eventually, lean even further toward simple nutrient-dense plant-based foods like whole grains, legumes, nuts, veggies and fruits.

Add in Good Stuff

Fill up on some good stuff by incorporating new little habits into your daily routine. Things like adding two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds to a soup or smoothie, or adding in an apple a day to pump up your fiber intake will go far in changing your body's chemistry. You can do something as simple as drinking two cups of water before a meal to fill your belly a bit so that you don't overeat, or change up your cheese from dairy to nondairy.

When you ADD things in to your daily routine rather than parsing out calories and counting grams of protein, you don't feel deprived or hungry. It's called "crowding out," and it's a whole different approach to the old "cutting out" method of dieting. You won't be white-knuckling your way through some crazy deprivation diet that makes you miserable. You don't need to stick to tough rules or overnight changes; you need not rely on hardcore discipline that makes you hate your life. You need only focus on progress, not perfection. Lean in to the process of losing weight, and it will happen easily. And it will last. At last!

For more tips and a simple 30 day plan for losing weight and keeping it off, please check out The Lean!

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Could Chicken Be Contributing to the Obesity Epidemic? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1497856 2012-05-11T08:09:36-04:00 2012-07-11T05:12:13-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ The Lean about overweight chickens bred on factory farms that may be passing their weight problems on to us. It turns out chicken at the grocery can have far more fat than protein!

Here's the skinny (well, not really): Virtually all commercially-available chickens now have what many call the "obese gene," which makes birds gain weight quickly to speed up production from birth to slaughter. That, combined with no exercise and a constant supply of high-energy (caloric) food, makes today's chicken the opposite of lean: The amount of fat in modern chicken may be five or even 10 times what it used to be, according to a UK-based study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. So if you serve a whole chicken to your family like grandma did, you may be serving them 10 times as much fat than the days of yesteryear. That's a whole lotta fat, and big trouble for the waistline.

The nonprofit Farm Forward explains that this is another consequence of inhumane factory farming.

"This type of chicken husbandry needs to be reviewed with regard to its implications for animal welfare and human nutrition," wrote lead researcher Dr. Yiqun Wang. "The cocktail of gene selection for fast weight gain, lack of exercise and high-energy food available 24 hours a day, is a simple and well-understood recipe for obesity."

Farm Forward is on to something important, and they are taking the research even further. They teamed up with Kansas State University to compare the fat and protein content of heritage birds to commercial ones found in the grocery store. KSU professor Dr. Liz Boyle started the research in February with heritage chickens from Frank Reese Jr. of Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch in central Kansas. Heritage birds are the genetic breeds that existed before the days of industrialized meat. Reese's chickens take at least 120 days to mature. Most all chickens available at the grocery store take about 40.

Fast-growing chickens go right alongside chicken welfare problems, explains Farm Forward, so the worse the conditions they are raised in (cramped and barely able to move or support their unnatural weight), the fatter (and more fattening) the chicken meat is. For chickens raised in factory farms (99 percent of the meat at market is from factory farms), their pitiless fate seems to be accompanied by a drastic rise in fat grams. "The fat went from less than 2 grams to 23 grams of animal fat per serving, twice as much fat than ice cream," says physician and author Dr. Michael Greger, who has his own interesting commentary on Dr. Wang's study. "So now chicken has 10 times more fat and ten times more calories, so that could explain why chicken has been tied to human abdominal girth."

Ten times more fat and 10 times more calories can be related to a fat belly, that's for sure. It makes sense that our crisis of obesity might very well be closely tied to the daily consumption of chicken by many millions of Americans.

Farm Forward and KSU plan on conducting more studies when this one is complete. "The consequences of disregarding animal welfare go far beyond the question of cruelty," Dr. Aaron Gross of the University of San Diego and CEO of Farm Forward explained to me. "What we are discovering more and more is that many of the environmental and public health problems with meat are intimately connected with animal welfare." So basically, what's bad for the chickens is bad for us; it's all related.

We've all seen chicken portrayed as the low-fat, heart-healthy alternative to red meat for years, but it no longer adds up. You might want to lean away from eating birds and lean toward more plant-based options of protein like black beans, lentils, tofu, chickpeas and whole grains. No cruelty, far less fat, zero cholesterol. It's a sensible swap for the waistline and good news for the birds!

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on diet and nutrition, click here.]]> Day 5: Put a Little Flax on it tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432764 2012-04-20T20:00:47-04:00 2012-06-20T05:12:02-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Today's Lean will take just a moment or two and yield significant rewards. All I want you to do is add in two tablespoons of ground flaxseed somewhere in your day. Add them to any foods you like (as long as they end up in your mouth). Flax has a sweet, nutty flavor, so it goes down easily!



Visit my page of badges to share the step you're on!



You can sprinkle ground flax over your breakfast rice or oatmeal, add it to a smoothie, mix it into your salad, or stir it into a soup or veggie stew or casserole. There are as many uses for ground flax as your imagination will allow. And it is a huge boost to any weight loss plan.



Why?



It's bulk, baby! Fabulous fiber yet again. You'd have to look high and low to get a food that's this high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber just means that it absorbs water, expands and forms a gel-like substance, which takes up more room in your stomach and delays the time it takes for food to digest. To be more precise, the fiber slows down the passage of food across the valve that sends signals from the small intestines to the large intestines. Your body then receives appetite-suppressing signals that tell you you're full. See, your body is actually being reprogrammed! And because everything is slowed down, your blood sugar remains stable and you stay feeling full or sated for longer.



Insoluble fiber is more like what your parents called "roughage." It doesn't really break down, but it pushes things through the digestive system. One ounce of flaxseed provides 32 percent of your daily dose of fiber, so it's an excellent assurance that you'll eat fewer calories while feeling more energetic throughout the day. It's yet another way to crowd out the hunger beast! But that's not all that flax has to offer.



Flaxseeds are low in carbs, high in most of the B vitamins, and are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of omega 6. Flax is also the most concentrated dietary source of lignans, which the good bacteria in our gut turn into the powerful cancer-fighting compounds that not only significantly lower breast cancer risk in the first place but may double the survival rates of breast cancer patients. The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project estimated that the quantity of lignans women average daily from their entire diet is about 6 milligrams. That's how many lignans are found in just a single teaspoon of flaxseeds. So adding even just a teaspoon of ground flaxseeds to your diet may double your entire intake for the day.



Flaxseeds have also been shown to lower bad cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure, control hot flashes in women, and work just as well as the leading drug for enlarged prostate symptoms in men -- but with only good side effects. Flax was often used to heal digestive troubles in the times of the Roman Empire, and Hippocrates (the father of medicine) apparently used it as one of his valued "medicines." Mahatma Gandhi famously said, "Wherever flaxseed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health."



You can buy flaxseeds already ground, and they can last for six weeks in the fridge in an airtight container. Or you can buy them whole and grind them yourself -- I always keep a bag of flaxseeds in my fridge, and I grind up about 6 tablespoons (three days' worth) at a time in a coffee grinder that I don't use for coffee (lest the taste cross over). If they aren't ground, the seeds will pass through your system whole, and you won't get all the nutritional benefits from them.



You can take your 2 tablespoons all at once, or split up your dose throughout the day, making each meal more fulfilling and guarding you against the munchies. Easy peasy, short and sweet!



What to Do Today:


- Eat a Hearty Breakfast

- Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products

- Eat a Super Food

- Trade Up the Milk and Butter

- Put a Little Flax On It




What You'll Need for Tomorrow:



6-8 ounces water or coconut water



Scoop of protein powder made from soy, rice, hemp, and/or pea



1 cup blueberries



5 frozen broccoli florets



Stevia or agave to taste (only if needed)



"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Day 4: Trade Your Milk and Butter for Plant-Based Versions tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432765 2012-04-19T20:00:24-04:00 2012-06-19T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Today we're going to switch up milk and butter for their nondairy counterparts. And I'm going to point you to the yummiest ones.



Why this switch? Well, for starters, a lot of milk has added hormones in it -- and these additives are no good for our waistlines. In fact, they're not good for the cows that produce the milk, let alone the humans who drink it! These hormones are injected into cows to make them produce more milk (which creates more profit). But even organic, grass-fed, and chemical-free milk is full of naturally-occurring cow hormones that aren't necessarily good for people, whether the milk is whole, 2 percent, or skim.



Think of how milk happens: It's created by a lactating cow in order to feed her little calf so it will get really big, really quickly. By nature's brilliant design, this milk contains naturally-occurring growth hormones in order to make a little one grow.



But we don't want to be fat, docile, and slow like cows. No sir. We want to be slim and quick on our feet. By the time we are in kindergarten, we're not drinking our mama's milk to make us bigger anymore, and we definitely don't need it from a cow, whose milk is designed to put a hefty 1,000 pounds on her baby!



Cow's milk is the perfect nutrition for building a calf into a cow, but definitely not for a human -- especially a human who would like to be slim. And to go even further, casein -- the main protein in milk -- is serious trouble for the human body. Casein is good for a nursing calf, because it helps her grow fast, and it's designed by nature to keep her bonded to mama. But when humans take in casein from the cow... oh, not good.



The casein in dairy is downright addictive. During the process of dairy digestion, the casein breaks apart into a host of opioids called casomorphins. Note the "morphin(e)" in there? Well, sure enough, when you ingest dairy, you get sort of addicted, as you might to morphine. Why so? Because nature designed cow's milk to have a drug-like effect on the calf's brain, to ensure that the little one stays bonded to the mom. It's nature's way of making sure the little one continues to get all the nutrients he or she needs. And by the way, just as opiates tend to be constipating, so can dairy products constipate you (especially cheese). So just know it's not for nothing that people say they are addicted to dairy -- there's a reason! But that's why we are switching you to something better in such a way that you'll hardly miss a beat.



Let's get back to the nutritional issues. Might I mention that most of the fat in milk is saturated butterfat, which clogs your arteries and is bad for your heart? And according to T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University and author of the groundbreaking book The China Study, that casein we were just talking about actually promotes cancer. In fact, he says casein is one of the most significant cancer promoters ever discovered. In layperson's terms: Milk protein can fertilize cancer cells. (You can read more on this in my book Veganist.)



Trade your milk for nondairy versions and your stomach is likely to settle down real quickly. Not only that, the pounds will drop, too.



Putting the problem of casein aside for a moment, let's talk about skim milk.



In a fascinating twist on expectation, a 2011 Harvard study of 12,829 children showed that skim milk may make you fatter than whole milk. That wouldn't surprise farmers; when they want to fatten up a pig, they feed it skim milk.



The reason? Milk sugar.



When you remove the fat from milk, what's left is lactose -- milk sugar. The end product is an unbalanced, sugary-like drink that leads to weight gain.



So skip the nonfat and low-fat stuff and go for a yummy nondairy milk instead -- preferably one that is unsweetened (although there are some nondairy milks that are sweetened with stevia; more on stevia in a couple of days).



I prefer the unsweetened nondairy milks so I can sweeten them, if I need to, to my own taste. Usually all it takes is a smidge of agave or stevia, but it's always better to see how much sugary stuff you're using and try to cool it wherever possible.



These days there are so many wonderful milk alternatives. You can find soy, almond, rice, hemp, or coconut milk just about anywhere, even at your favorite coffee place.



You'll feel extra good about making this switch when I tell you that the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services just released their Dietary Guidelines for Americans in January 2011, in which they provide advice on how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases. The guidelines emphasize a plant-based diet! Most people think that plant-based foods are just fruits and vegetables, but they include whole grains, nuts, legumes, and soy foods like soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk.



Plant-based foods are associated with lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes because they tend to be high in nutrients and low in calories and saturated fat. Research has also shown that plant-based foods can help reduce the risk of chronic disease. For example, most plant-based foods are much lower in saturated fat than animal foods, making them a better choice for maintaining heart health. Also, since plant-based foods contain no cholesterol, using them to replace animal foods can be an effective way to lower overall cholesterol intake.



One "nutrient of concern" noted by the new Dietary Guidelines is calcium. Since consumers do not get enough of this vital nutrient, many makers of soy, almond, and coconut milks have recently increased the calcium level in their products to equal that of conventional dairy milk, or they even surpass it by 50 percent! Fifty percent more calcium than milk -- well, you can't beat that!



Butter



Now to everyone's favorite fat: butter. Butter makes everything taste better. Okay, agreed. But butter is nearly all fat -- much of it saturated fat -- and it's calorie-dense. One tablespoon of butter has 102 calories. Compare that to hummus, which has only 25 calories for the same tablespoon. If you're looking for a spread for your toast or cracker, try using hummus or some other bean spread. You can even smear a little avocado where you would have used butter. If you are sautéing something, try using a little spray olive oil, and when I say a little, I mean like a super-quick spritz.



And if you consider the taste of butter an absolute must-have every once in a while, try Earth Balance buttery spread. It's delicious and substitutes perfectly anywhere you'd use butter.



If you've heard nasty things about margarine -- and they're likely true -- don't worry: Earth Balance is not margarine.



Visit my page of badges to share the step you're on!



Here's a bonus recipe for you from my book:



BEST BEEFLESS BURGER IN TOWN



This recipe is one of the many delicious recipes created by Dayna McLeod specially for The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss.



Mmmm, burgers. They're not just for meat lovers anymore! So fire up your grill, and get ready for one of these thick, juicy homemade burgers. They are sure to be a hit at your next cookout!



Serves 2
Active time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 20 minutes



Ingredients



1⁄3 cup tamari soy sauce



2 tablespoons olive oil



2 Gardein Beefless Burgers, frozen



2 tablespoons light vegan mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise)



1 tablespoon ketchup



1 tablespoon sweet relish



Garlic powder to taste



2 slices vegan Cheddar cheese, sliced



2 multigrain sandwich thins, toasted



4 lettuce leaves



1 tomato, sliced



½ small red onion, slices



½ small avocado, slices



1. Combine the soy sauce and olive oil and marinate the patties in a small ziplock bag for 5 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. In the meantime, make the dressing. Combine the Vegenaise, ketchup, and relish in a small bowl and mix well.

3. Sprinkle each frozen patty with a light, even coat of garlic powder.

4. Preheat the grill to medium heat.

5. Grill the burgers for 4 minutes per side, or until each patty is nice and brown.

6. Top with a slice of Cheddar cheese in the last minute of cooking, and cover to melt.

7. Toast the sandwich thins for 1-2 minutes on the grill.


What to Do Today:


- Eat a Hearty Breakfast

- Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products

- Eat a Super Food

- Trade Up the Milk and Butter




What You'll Need for Tomorrow:

Ground Flax seed (you can buy it whole and grind it yourself in a coffee grinder or you can buy it already ground.)



"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Day 3: 5 Supernutritious Superfoods tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432766 2012-04-19T11:47:39-04:00 2012-06-19T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Today we're going to look at superfoods, which are not only super-nutritious but also super for helping you get in shape, lose weight, and feel vigorous.



I like the word superfood. Sounds kind of like a superhero of foods, doesn't it? Well, that's pretty much the case. Superfoods are extremely potent, nutrient-dense foods that can increase the vital force in your body so that you can detoxify, get your immune system to function optimally, and start feeling balanced and energized. They are super-concentrated with disease-fighting phytochemicals and are naturally low in calories. And as tasty and all-around satisfying as they are, they act like medicine in the body, healing you at deep levels and in multiple ways.



The more you work these superheroes into your diet, the more you will simply lose interest in the unhealthier foods you are used to. All of which means your digestion will improve, you'll have the energy to be more active, your cravings will subside, and the weight will continue to come off.



Here's the thing: Being deficient in vitamins and minerals can create food cravings -- the body knows it hasn't gotten what it needs and sends you out for more. By feeding your body nutrient-dense foods, you curb cravings that would otherwise tempt you. So that's the mission today: to discover foods that are brimming with nutrients and medicinal antioxidants. Let's look at a few of my favorites so that you can choose which one to work into your plan today.



Visit my page of badges to share the step you're on!



Goji Berries



  • Goji berries are a sweet red fruit that has a taste somewhere between a cherry and a cranberry.


  • They have been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine to increase strength, bring about longevity, and enhance sexual energy.


  • They contain super high levels of antioxidants -- aka cancer and disease preventatives!


  • An excellent snack to keep you feeling balanced and your energy high since they are low on the glycemic index and high on fiber.


  • Goji berries also have lots of chromium, a mineral that assists the weight loss process.


Chocolate



  • Chocolate is actually good for you! It's loaded with flavanoids, which is good for the circulation to your heart and brain.


  • It has tons of antioxidants, which protect you from cell degeneration and disease.


  • Cocoa is a great source of magnesium, which is good for building strong bones, increasing flexibility, relaxing muscles, and assisting in healthy bowel movements.


  • Chocolate encourages your brain to produce feel-good endorphins because it has the same chemical, phenylethylamine (PEA), that your body produces when you are falling in love.


  • If you choose to eat chocolate, which is highly recommended, just make sure it's at least 70 percent cocoa and that it's dairy-free. Two or three squares of it ought to do the trick!



Chia Seeds



  • Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and a good source of protein.


  • Along with a good amount of fiber (fiber fills the belly, cuts cravings, cleans you out!), the seeds have a good amount of calcium, manganese, thiamine, and phosphorus -- vitamins and minerals you might be lacking in your regular diet.


  • Chia seeds absorb seven times their weight in water, thereby making you feel full with smaller amounts of food and leaving no room for the fattening stuff.


  • To get the greatest health benefits, consume chia seeds in their whole state.


  • As with any nuts or seeds, chias are calorie dense, so stick to around a tablespoon.



Blueberries



  • Blueberries are full of antioxidants -- more than most other fruits and vegetables -- to combat inflammation, disease, and aging.


  • They have multiple phytonutrients and phytoflavanoids, which are supportive to the nervous system, brain, cardiovascular system, and contain a good amount of vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, manganese, and fiber.


  • Studies show that the anthocyanin pigments in the berries may actually halt cancer in the critical stages of promotion and proliferation.


  • Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse without a lot of calories.


  • They have no fat or cholesterol, and are excellent for your digestion and for avoiding constipation.


Kale



  • Kale is said to be an excellent anti-cancer food, protecting against breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, and bladder cancer, specifically.


  • It's extremely rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K, calcium, folic acid, as well as all those miraculous antioxidants.


  • Kale is high in fiber and will go far to fill you up and keep you feeling full.


  • If I had to pick the most powerful superfood that does the most good in the body, kale would be it.


So there you have it. A short list of superfoods to choose from. Make sure you have at least one of these today and every day you are on the Lean plan. The more you tuck into these nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods, the less you will have a hankering for burgers and fries. These superfoods act like medicine in your body, helping to detox years of bad choices.



What to Do Today:


- Eat a Hearty Breakfast

- Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products

- Eat a Super Food



(Optional) What You'll Need for Tomorrow's Bonus Recipe:

1/3 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Gardein Beefless Burgers, frozen
2 tablespoons light vegan mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet relish
Garlic powder to taste
2 slices vegan Cheddar cheese, sliced
2 multigrain sandwich thins, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
1 tomato, sliced
½ small red onion, slices
½ small avocado, slices



"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Day 2: Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432561 2012-04-17T20:00:06-04:00 2012-06-17T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Meatless means no flesh from an animal, so that includes pork, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, and fish. I know you might rely on turkey and Swiss sandwiches or chicken salad or beef burritos. They're the lunches you grew up with and they may be the only foods available near your office, right? You might be wondering what the heck you're going to put on your plate if it's not meat or dairy. Please know that this is indeed a big lean, but the payoff is quite extraordinary in terms of your weight and your health -- which of course are inextricably linked.



Here's the thing: The word revolution, as defined in the dictionary, means "outside or beyond the established procedure, principles, etc." Well, the established diet of choice for the past few decades has been one full of animal protein and low on carbs, and if you look around, the population hasn't been getting any slimmer. No, in fact, we've become alarmingly obese. And if you've been swept up in this craze, or simply tried one or more of the popular diets touting success through eating anything that flies, swims, or walks, you've most likely not enjoyed great and lasting success in your weight loss endeavors.



And it's not at all your fault. Yes, you will probably lose weight on a high-protein, low-carb diet. But the weight loss comes partly from eating fewer calories because you are knocking out so much of what you normally would consume, and partly because these days eliminating carbohydrates means doing away with calorie-dense, highly-processed foods (most of which contain HFCS). Of course you lose weight when you give up cookies and cakes and doughnuts, which erroneously get lumped together, even in "good" diets like Weight Watchers, with good carbs like those from brown rice and quinoa. But eating a high-protein, low-carb diet doesn't work long term. Not only that, it wreaks serious damage to your precious body by putting a lot of stress on your kidneys; your heart also takes a beating with all that cholesterol and saturated fat.



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Below is a great recipe for a meatless lunch!



ULTIMATE BLT SANDWICH



This recipe is one of the many delicious recipes created by Dayna McLeod specially for The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss.



What takes this sandwich from unflavored to ultimate is the addition of the nutrient-dense avocado. This heavenly fruit has 20 essential nutrients and is a rich source of fiber. Not only does it taste wonderful, you'll be satisfied for hours.



Serves 2

Active time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes



Ingredients



1 tablespoon olive oil

6 pieces tempeh bacon

4 slices sprouted-grain bread, toasted lightly

4 romaine lettuce leaves

4 slices tomatoes

6 slices ripe avocado

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons light vegan mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise)



1. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil and cook the bacon according to the package directions. Be sure to watch the bacon closely, as it can burn quickly. Place the cooked strips onto a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside to cool.

2. Lightly toast the bread and spread two slices with the Vegenaise.

3. Assemble as you would a BLT, adding avocado on top.

4. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.



*Variation* I like to omit the vegan mayonnaise and instead spread yummy hummus on my bread.



What to Do Today:


- Eat a Hearty Breakfast

- Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products



What You'll Need for Tomorrow:

Pick at least ONE from:

Goji Berries
Chocolate (over 70 percent Cocoa, dairy free)
Chia Seeds
Blueberries
Kale

"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Day 6: Blend Up a Power Smoothie tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432753 2012-04-17T17:24:54-04:00 2012-06-17T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Well, today I'm going to go easy on you. I'm going to introduce you to my delish Power Smoothie.



It's one of my favorite ways to get some protein, a superfood, and... wait for it... a veggie! Yep, you heard that right, a veggie. In a smoothie. You'll get all the benefits of eating something green and wholesome, and you'll never even know it's there.



Get out your blender. Add 6 to 8 ounces of ice-cold coconut water or plain water. I like coconut water because it's fat-free, super low in sugar (be sure to get one without added sugar, by the way), and it restores your electrolytes better than the sugary, chemical waters you find on your grocer's shelves. And check this out: Coconut water is so close in composition to our own blood plasma that it can be used intravenously in an emergency! I'm not talking about the milk, mind you, but rather coconut water. You can also use plain old water if you want to skip the coconut and save a little money.



Toss in a few cubes of ice. Add a scoop of protein powder; I like Vega Sport, Life's Basics, Sun Warrior Raw Protein, and Solaray Soytein because they are not sweetened with anything that will spike your blood sugar. You can find generic brands online or made by your favorite health food store. You want to look for pea, hemp, brown rice, and/or soy; steer clear of whey and casein protein, as they are dairy and not part of the Lean plan.



Next, add in a cup or so of fresh or frozen blueberries. If you need a little sweetener, add some stevia or agave. And here's the kicker: Toss in five or six frozen broccoli florets. I promise you won't even taste the broccoli (but definitely use frozen, because you'll taste it if it's raw and fresh), and the purple color from the blueberries will mask the green.



Blend until smooth.



Have this delicious smoothie as one of your snacks, preferably right after exercise. Why then? Because if you feed your body protein within 30 minutes of exercising (the sooner the better, actually), especially strength training, you will help along the process of your muscles' recovery and the building of new muscle mass. The better the muscle mass, the better the calorie burn.



A very common mistake people make when they are trying to lose weight is to skip food after a workout, thinking that fat burning will continue at a higher rate because their appetite is depressed. In reality, it's better to ingest some plant protein immediately after exercise, especially if it's a prolonged or high-intensity workout. A lack of protein will result in unbalanced blood sugar levels, and you'll feel the hunger.



You read all about blueberries when we talked about superfoods; they're loaded with nutrients and obviously they add great taste. But why the broccoli? Because broccoli's a great cleansing food. It's a member of the cruciferous vegetable group; it creates a phytochemical called sulforaphane, which stimulates enzymes in the liver that detoxify carcinogens before they can damage cells. Broccoli is also a great source of potassium (good for your nervous system and brain function, and it promotes muscle growth), iron, calcium and magnesium, and of course, vitamin C (great for the immune system!). Most exciting about the humble broccoli is that it contains something called indole-3-carbinol, a powerful antioxidant that thwarts the growth of breast, prostate, and cervical cancer.



And as for weight loss, broccoli is high in fiber and helps maintain stable blood sugar, which will stave off the hunger beast.



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Here, again, your Power Smoothie recipe:



  • 6-8 ounces water or coconut water

  • Few cubes of ice

  • Scoop of protein powder made from soy, rice, hemp, and/or pea

  • 1 cup blueberries

  • 5 frozen broccoli florets

  • Stevia or agave to taste (only if needed)



What to Do Today:

✓ Eat a Hearty Breakfast

✓ Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products

✓ Eat a Super Food

✓ Trade Up the Milk and Butter

✓ Put a Little On It

✓ Blend Up a Power Smoothie



(Optional) What You'll Need For Tomorrow Bonus Recipe:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion

½ cup green onions

2 cloves garlic

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 jalapeño pepper

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

¾ cup vegetable stock

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans

1 ripe plantain (or banana)

1 ripe mango

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons shredded coconut for garnish



"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> Day 7: Eat Lower on the Glycemic Index tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1432748 2012-04-17T17:21:38-04:00 2012-06-17T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/ Today is the last day of this seven-day challenge. Look how far you've come! I hope you have enjoyed yourself, and more so I hope you continue to explore the rest of the steps in The Lean. Give yourself a hoot and a holler, because really, you are doing some seriously good work, and I'm more than thrilled you stuck with me. You've gone a great distance in crowding out unhealthy, fattening foods in favor of healthier, slimming ones. Well done, indeed!



The process of "leaning in" is about gradually refining your habits little by little so that you get used to better ways of eating in a relaxed manner, with no pressure and no drastic changes that might tempt you to give up and go back to old ways. Now today, toward the end of our seven-day Challenge, we are going to refine your choices a bit more, so that you can decide what to eat, knowing the effects each food you consider will have on your body.



Weight loss is most definitely chemistry: Certain foods speed up your metabolism while others slow it down; fatty foods clog you up and make you sluggish, while nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods keep you feeling energetic and light; and habits like staying hydrated and chewing your food well keep the machine of your body working optimally. To take it a step further, choosing foods according to their ranking on the glycemic index will improve your progress in shedding pounds.



Remember, the glycemic index is simply a scale that indicates a food's ability to raise blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within two hours after digestion. The GI scale ranks foods from 0 to 110; foods with a rank of 55 or lower have a low GI; foods ranked from 56 to 69 have a medium GI; and foods that are scored as 70 or higher have a high glycemic index. For weight loss, it's best to choose from the low- to medium-GI range, and only eat high-GI foods occasionally, in moderation. Low-GI foods cause a gradual change in blood sugar.



Rather than being an ironclad rule, this index helps us balance our diets. Using the GI to help choose foods doesn't mean that you never eat foods that are in the high range; it simply means that you should eat high-GI foods only in moderation. And because we are always mixing different things into a meal -- you might have something low-GI such as a black bean soup (see recipe below) and high-GI such as white bread toast -- the GI of the meal is actually the average of these two, so it would be moderate. If you had a few pieces of white bread toast and just a bit of black bean soup, the meal would be more of a high-GI one.



So it's not a matter of eating strictly on the low side, but rather thinking of how the overall meal will sit with your body's chemistry. The more you lean toward low GI, the more energy you will have for longer and the less hunger you will feel.



And eating low on the GI is not only good for weight loss, but because it keeps your blood sugar stable, it will also help keep your mood steady and your emotions at an even keel. And being emotionally steady will help you continue to make better food choices. See how the momentum of health and wellness builds as you lean in?



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Foods and Their GI Values



The following list is not meant to be complete, but represents where common foods fall along the glycemic index:



Quick Glycemic Guide:

High GI (avoid or eat only occasionally)

White or wheat bread



Most cold cereals



Watermelon



Pineapple



Baking potatoes



Sugar




Low GI (enjoy)

Pumpernickel or rye bread



Oats, bran cereals, Grape-Nuts



Most fruits



Sweet potatoes



Pasta



Rice, barley, couscous



Beans, peas, lentils



Most vegetables



Source: pcrm.org



You can find a complete list of the GI ratings of everyday foods online, but I'd rather you not get too obsessed with being perfect. Although you might assume animal products are low-GI foods, steer clear of them as there are too many problems with fat and calories. The idea is to choose as many whole, plant-based foods in their original state (i.e., white bread and most commercial wheat breads are pretty processed, and therefore break down quickly in the body, giving you a jolt of sugar in your bloodstream), and opt for things that don't taste too sweet. It's actually quite intuitive: Watermelon tastes super sweet, while apples taste less sweet. Opt for the latter if you can.



TROPICAL BEAN STEW

This recipe is one of the many delicious recipes created by Dayna McLeod specially for The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss.



This black bean stew recipe is very appetizing and very filling. I love the fruitiness of the mango against the rich black beans and the mild blend of spices.



Serves 4

Active time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 35 minutes



Ingredients



1 tablespoon olive oil



1 medium onion, chopped



½ cup green onions, chopped



2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed



1 green pepper, cut into ½-inch dice



1 red pepper, cut into ½-inch dice



1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced



2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice



1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained



¾ cup vegetable stock



2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained



1 ripe plantain (or banana), sliced ½ inch thick



1 ripe mango, peeled and diced



½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves



2 tablespoons shredded coconut for garnish



1. Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the onion and green onions and sauté for 5-7 min- utes, or until tender. Add the garlic for an additional minute and stir until fragrant.


2. Mix the peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and stock into the pot, and bring to a boil.


3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.You want the sweet potatoes to still be firm.


4. Add the beans and continue to simmer, uncovered. Cook for 5 minutes. The beans should be heated through.


5. Stir in the plantain, mango, and half of the cilantro, and gently stir until everything is heated through.


6. Sprinkle the coconut and remaining cilantro over the beans to garnish.



*Helpful Hint* To pick a plantain that is ripe, look for one that is yellow and black in color. The more black it has on the skin, the sweeter it will taste. A healthy way to prepare a plantain is to steam it. With the skin on, cut off the top and the bottom ends of the plantain, and make a long slit down the entire length of the fruit. Next cut the plantain into 3 equal pieces, and put in a steamer basket over hot water. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fruit is bright yellow and soft. A well-ripened plantain will cook faster, so time accordingly.



*Did You Know* What is the difference between a banana and a plantain, you might ask. Plantains tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content then bananas. Both fruits are a great source of potassium and dietary fiber, but they are consumed a bit differently. Bananas are almost always eaten raw, while plantains tend to be steamed, boiled, grilled, baked, or fried.



What to Do Today:

✓ Eat a Hearty Breakfast

✓ Make Your Lunch Without Animal Products

✓ Eat a Super Food

✓ Trade Up the Milk and Butter

✓ Put a Little Flax On It

✓ Blend Up a Power Smoothie

✓ Eat Lower on the Glycemic Index



"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."



For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.]]> The 7-Day Lean Challenge, Day 1: Have a Hearty Breakfast tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1429719 2012-04-17T08:14:00-04:00 2012-06-17T05:12:01-04:00 Kathy Freston http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/
To some this may sound counterintuitive. Doesn't skipping breakfast cut down on calories?

Short answer? No.

You actually need the calories first thing in the morning to jumpstart your metabolism. Skipping them will do you no good, as you will only be hungrier and eat more later. Hunger and self-control do not go hand in hand.

Here's why: When you skip food for a long period of time, your body goes into starvation mode. Your blood sugar drops, you get cranky, and you can't think straight. Your body doesn't know what's going on or when it will get food, so it slows down the metabolism -- by as much as 40 percent -- in order to hold on to what it does have. You don't want that! What you want is to rev up your metabolism so that you are burning fat and calories, not preserving fat and calories. Not eating breakfast leads to overeating later on in the day. In fact, research shows that a common characteristic of obese people is that they tend to skip breakfast.

Since the one dietary component most highly and consistently associated with long-term weight loss is fiber consumption, make sure you opt for something loaded with it! There is zero fiber in eggs and bacon, so choose a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, whole grain toast with peanut or almond butter, brown rice, quinoa, or any kind of whole grain (cold cereals are not optimal, but if you choose one, make sure it has low to no sugar and is as close to nature as possible). You could also have scrambled tofu or nondairy yogurt with nuts if you prefer.

Personally, I enjoy a bowl of brown rice for breakfast most of the time. I make a big pot of it (I actually use a rice cooker, which is super easy and involves practically no cleanup) twice a week and keep it in the fridge. I scoop out about 2 cooked cups worth of rice, chop up some apples or dried apricots and walnuts, sprinkle some cinnamon, and pour on some heated unsweetened almond, soy, or rice milk with a tad of agave nectar to sweeten it a bit. It's delicious and it keeps me satisfied and energized for hours as the unrefined carbohydrates slowly break down in my system.

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Another favorite breakfast that I often enjoy is the following Breakfast Quinoa recipe.

Breakfast Quinoa

This recipe is one of the many delicious recipes created by Dayna McLeod specially for The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss.

This breakfast quinoa recipe is so delicious it can double as a dessert. Quinoa is naturally loaded with protein and fiber, so it provides long-lasting energy throughout your day. A perfect way to start your morning out right.

Serves 2
Active time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
½ cup water
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon Earth Balance spread
1 medium apple, diced, with peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon agave nectar

1. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa, milk, water, and salt to a boil for 2 minutes.

2. Reduce, heat to low and cover for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt the Earth Balance spread. Add the apple, stir together until evenly coated, and saute for 1 minute. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft.

4. Add the cinnamon and walnuts and cook for 1 additional minute.

5. Stir in the apple mixture with the quinoa, and divide between two bowls.

6. Drizzle the agave nectar on top and enjoy!

*Helpful Hint* Quinoa is a South American grain that needs to be rinsed well before cooking. Quinoa has a natural coating that can make the cooked grains bitter and mushy if they are not washed first.

*Variations* For a simple change, cook the quinoa as directed above, but omit the apple and Earth Balance spread. Gently fold blackberries and cinnamon into the quinoa, and top with walnuts, agave nectar, and shredded coconut.

What to Do Today:

- Eat a Hearty Breakfast

What You'll Need for Tomorrow (optional recipe):

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 pieces tempeh bacon
4 slices sprouted-grain bread, toasted lightly
4 romaine lettuce leaves
4 slices tomatoes
6 slices ripe avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons light vegan mayonnaise (such as Vegenaise)

"Thanks for taking The 7-Day Lean Challenge with me! The Lean is a 30-day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss. It's designed to help you crowd out bad habits and replace them with new healthier ones. I'd love for you to join me for the whole 30-day plan. Please visit http://www.kathyfreston.com/the_lean_badges.html to preview more steps! The Lean is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound."

For more by Kathy Freston, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.
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