"Vegetarians in Paradise Diet" Appears
After 30 Years of Extensive Research
Updated January 2021
Tons of diet books make their debut at the beginning of the year because publishers know the inevitable---so many people have added pounds during the year-end festivities. Most diet books promise a new, slimmed-down you that will be the envy of all your friends. The number of people staying on these diet plans for any length of time is amazingly low, yet not surprising. Most of these diets fail because people feel deprived by the limited calories and smaller portions that leave them hungry and unsatisfied. So, we at Vegetarians in Paradise have decided to enter the diet battle with our own "Vegetarians in Paradise Diet." Actually, it's not really a diet at all but more of a lifestyle--our plant-based lifestyle and our delightful, everyday relationship with food. Don't look for the book. There ain't none. Just keep reading.
How it all began
But, let's back up and give you a bit of history. About thirty years ago we were both overweight. Zel's five-foot-tall body had amassed a weight of 130 pounds. Her bulging bottom was clothed in size 14 jeans. Her cholesterol was in the 225 range. Her body mass index (BMI) was 25.4, putting her into the overweight category.
Zel's challenges
Zel was so miserable she was ready to try almost anything. After giving up dairy products for one week, she began feeling complete relief from the troublesome stomach distress that bothered her after eating. Although she was so much better, her excess weight and plump appearance troubled her. Zel then turned to an alternative health practitioner who suggested she might improve her health and lose a few pounds by going vegan. During this time, Reuben's weight had climbed to the high 160s on his 5-foot-7-inch frame. His cholesterol was also in the 220s. His size 34-inch pants were getting tight. His 167 pounds threw him into a BMI of 26.2, also in the overweight column, but not in the obese category that starts at 30.
Doing it gradually
Since Zel did the cooking, Reuben found it easy to go along with her food choices. After leaving dairy products behind, giving up red meat was next. We didn't find it difficult because Zel began experimenting with tempeh, tofu, beans, and grains as main dishes on the dinner plate. Fortunately, she knew how to make these new foods taste really delicious. We had plenty to eat and didn't feel the least bit deprived by eliminating meat. Poultry disappeared from the table next. Reading articles in national magazines about salmonella and feces in chicken made the decision easy. We continue to read about salmonella outbreaks in the newspapers and are happy to leave those concerns behind.
No need to be egged on
The last category to go was fish. This final step meant that, thankfully, we were no longer ingesting mercury, PCBs, DDT, dioxins and other toxic contaminants found in these sea creatures. While the animal-based categories had disappeared from our everyday routine, we kept adding new foods to our diet to replace the ones we left behind. Our daily regimen now consisted of delicious, whole, plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Though this dietary plan seemed extremely limited to many of our family members and friends, we were actually enjoying a much wider variety of flavorful whole foods than our non-vegan friends and feeling so much more energetic on these lighter foods. Some of our relatives imagined we were eating cardboard and wood fiber with a few leaves of lettuce for color. We chuckled and assured them we were using the same herbs. spices, and condiments to liven up our veggie dishes as we did for seasoning meat, so the flavors were just as vibrant and tantalizing. It didn't take long before we recognized there were fewer dinner invitations. We totally understood they simply had no idea what to prepare for us and took steps to invite them over to enjoy a delicious vegan meal.
Our comfortable weight loss
On our vegan regimen, Reuben's weight began dropping to the low 140s. Recently his waist size was 30 or 31. His last cholesterol reading was 125, and his BMI of 22.7 was in the normal range. Throughout the years, we've been able to maintain our weight within a pound or two and have kept up our daily walks of 2 to 4 miles. We supplement our diet with a daily vitamin D (125mcg) and one vitamin B12 (2500mcg) twice a week.
So, what's the "Vegetarians in Paradise Diet?"
We encourage people to hydrate by drinking plenty of water daily. In our regimen, we drink mostly water and herbal tea (hot or iced). We also enjoy sparkling water and include a daily cup of green tea with breakfast. We rarely drink juices, because they're just liquid calories that raise blood sugar. Consider that a cup of apple juice has 113 calories, a cup of orange juice totals about 110, and neither contains the level of fiber found in a piece of whole fruit. We consider it important to have three wholesome meals every day. There's no need for between-meal snacks, because our nutrient-rich, high-fiber meals are so satisfying and carry us through to the next meal. Because our bedtime is late in the evening, we do enjoy a nighttime snack like a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a baked sweet potato.
Say goodbye to Tums and Metamucil
While some people fear the carbs and starches, we love them--the wholesome, nutrient-dense, high-fiber kind, that is. That includes potatoes with the skin, sweet potatoes, whole grains, mostly whole-grain and legume-based pasta, and starchy vegetables like winter squashes, peas, carrots, parsnips, beets, and corn in addition to our vast array of non-starchy foods.
BREAKFAST
There are no Kellogg's, General Mills, Posts, or other dry cereals in our cupboard. When reading those labels to find out whether the item is vegan, notice the shocking amount of sugar. It may be surprising to learn that every 4 grams of cereal equals one teaspoon of sugar. Here are some of the tasty choices we enjoy in the morning: Sometimes we'll have a tofu scramble with sautéed peppers, onions, and other veggies. We'll include a piece of whole-grain toast and fresh fruit. Another quick breakfast is simply plain, unsweetened and unsalted almond or peanut butter on whole-grain toast, whole wheat English muffin, or whole wheat sandwich thins along the fresh fruit. On another morning we'll spread hummus on a piece of whole-grain toast. Then we'll top it with a thick slice of tomato and sweet onion. Occasionally, we'll add a slice of vegan cheese on top and melt it in the oven. Since this "breakfast melt "has many more calories than our other breakfasts, we don't indulge too often. Beans on toast for breakfast is also a fun beginning. We'll sauté chopped tomatoes and onions and add that to the warmed beans, making this a delightful winter morning meal.
LUNCH
Sometimes, when we're in hurry, we'll warm a vegan instant soup. We'll accompany the soup or salad with a hummus or tofu spread on a tortilla, a slice of whole-grain bread, or some rice crackers that just happen to be gluten-free. Fortunately, we do not suffer from gluten intolerance, but those rice crackers add delightful variety. We love a lunch salad and take pleasure in heaping two or more lettuce varieties with tasty seasonal veggies. We'll often include our homegrown vegetables as well. Salad is a great way to incorporate leftover grains and cooked veggies from the previous night's dinner. This same array of leftovers can be packed into a container for lunch at work. Be sure to pack your dressing into a separate container to avoid soggy lettuce. A piece of fresh fruit becomes our dessert for lunch, while a cup of herbal tea or water usually rounds out the meal.
DINNER
Sometimes, the salad IS the meal. That's when we add beans or lentils to the bowl of greens, along with cooked whole grains and steamed and raw vegetables. For a salad meal, we'll plan ahead and pickle some carrots, cucumbers, turnips, cauliflower florets, or practically anything firm and hearty. We might enhance the salad with a handful of olives and toasted nuts or sunflower seeds. The finishing touch is a splash of salad dressing, chosen from one of Zel's delicious, homemade dressings. Most of her dressings are oil-free and very tasty. We're not averse to the occasional oil-based dressing, though we've cut back on oil because it's a great way to eliminate excess fat and calories. Most people don't realize that each tablespoon of oil packs 120 calories, along with 14 grams of fat, even olive oil. If you add a generous measure of oil, those calories really add up. Dinner may feature one of Zel's tasty main dishes, such as a bean-based pasta infused with an array of sautéed vegetables and a homemade tomato sauce. Perhaps, we'll have a bean and veggie stew, hearty stuffed eggplant, or a robust, main-dish lentil and vegetable soup. Zel likes to season her foods with a vast array of herbs and spices, fresh as well as dried. There might be one of Zel's tasty chilis (Barn Burner, Sicilian, or Old-Fashioned) found in the Vegetarians in Paradise Chili Bash that includes a banquet of chili recipes from guest contributors. Lentil Stuffed Potatoes, Zesty Black Bean Patties, Almond Nutloaf, or Spanish Sloppy Joes are other tasty dishes we enjoy and are all found in the Recipe Index on this website. The Recipe Index also includes a mountain of recipes for Vegetables, Bean Dishes, Grain Dishes, etc. Also found here are a number of tasty side dishes like Golden Squash Concerto, Orange-Ginger Glazed Carrots, Red Cabbage Stir-Fry, or Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower.
No dessert with dinner
Our late-night treat might be a fresh, young coconut during the summer months. After cracking the coconut open, we drink the sweet juice, and thoroughly enjoy scooping out the delicious flesh. Frequently we'll enjoy seasonal fruits like apples, pears, persimmons, kiwis, stone fruits, cherries, or grapes for nighttime nibbling. Sometimes we munch on a bowl of air-popped popcorn. We've come to enjoy the natural flavor of the popcorn without adding the calories from butter, margarine, or oil plus the sodium from added salt. We often bake a few sweet potatoes and relish their simple, natural sweetness. We find the addition of maple syrup or brown sugar makes them much too sweet. During the fall and winter, we might roast a kabocha or butternut squash for our nighttime snacking. Those we also enjoy without added sweeteners. By now, you've probably discovered that our vegan lifestyle, is very easy and fully satisfying. We feast on simple wholesome ingredients, enhanced with herbs and spices and a touch of salt and pepper--that's all:
For birthday celebrations and family holiday gatherings we enjoy meals that are a bit fussier because we want them to be very, very special. Yet, those exceptional times still feature healthy recipes that may take a few extra minutes to prepare. The rewarding smiles, hugs, and thank yous make it all worth it. You may want to give our zesty lifestyle a try. Let us know how you're doing. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to help. We're right here. Just send us an email us at Vegetarians in Paradise.
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