especially alicia

glad it's time for the live chat but not sure how to follow along...

Alicia, your book and your site bring me great inspiration...August 1st will be my vegannersary...one year...youppie...I am so happy and well grounded since changing my vegetarian lifestyle to a vegan lifestyle and I thank you....What I would love from you is a log of what you eat...for example if you have the time you could log in all of your meals for each day for a week...I would be very grateful to be able to follow your superhero plan with you. I'm already trying to be superhero most of the time and I'm realising that when I am not superhero or raw..I feel sick..for example if I eat too much bread or processed vegan food...I feel bloated and I have trouble digesting my meals, the next day I go completely superhero including of course a miso bouillon...I then feel centered and on the right track...more and more my body is telling me to go clean and to keep it simple...Thank you for your wisdom and your support.

chantale

Oh also... have you thought about putting out another book? We could all, I am sure, use some more of your DELICIOUS recipes...

or how about a book of foods for the little ones. There doesn't seem to be anything out there that is very informative about bringing up a healthy vegan baby, with yummy whole foods. I think you and your team would make a fantastic book about this!

sandra I don't know about any camps or retreats but you could check out the PCRM 21 day kickstart program, it's an online program wit videos, menus and recipes plus lots of nutritional info...the next kickstart is in the fall but most of the info and support you need is always available on their website... also, if you live near a Whole Foods Supermarket they have cooking and nutriton classes that are either free or $5 and they promote a vegan program called "Health Starts Here" which is based on the book, Engine 2 Diet, good luck hope these ideas help get you started finding support

Dan, What a great input from your discussion. I TOO have problems with family memebers about my "Healthy" eating habbits. I became a vegaterian back in the mid 1980's because of family health(History). High blood pressure,diabetes,heart problems etc. and I was told I was in the wrong by becoming a vegaterian. It was OK by them to eat my vegies and other healthy stuff like that, but to go completly without meat??? OMG!! what an out rage. I did away with meats,dairy( that freaked them out) all sugar iteams like candy icecream etc. I lost wight, FELT 100% better and now and ONLY now by showing my example of eating healthy does most of my family see how more active I am and I'm never sick (they come down with colds often and some are still over wight). YES I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU !!! what ever diet you choose my NOT BE for everyone and might not work for them but by setting an example you might be able to help someone eat alittle healthier.

Oh, I missed it! Hopefully I'll have more luck next time. That's the problem living in a different time zone.

Hi Erika Maltby,

Leafy greens, especially kale, collards, and chard are high in protein, iron, and calcium. Dr. Joel Fuhrman went so far as to advise people to eat as much as a pound per day in cooked or raw form.

I'm disgusted with the bad dietary advice given by the respected establishment.

Hi VeganGirl,

I think your question is a good one. The consensus reality of our society has been influenced by media, educational institutions, and corporate PR efforts. Most of us have been taught cherished nutritional myths created in the early 20th century to benefit profitable food industries. Today, we are faced with belief systems that are intractable.

I face daily challenges from my wife, family, friends, and work associates. They all think they know what's healthy, and it usually doesn't match up with the superhero diet. The strongest persuasive argument is to talk about your own experience as an "experiment." Let's be honest, despite all of the science supporting the superhero-like diets, no one can be absolutely certain what's ideal for oneself or anyone else.

My family also suffers from vascular disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and other diet related diseases. Most instances of these diseases can be avoided (Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. John McDougall). However, it takes years of patient assertiveness to influence others. You can prove the diet to others by being a good example.

I've made some progress with my work associates. They are more aware of the importance of a wide variety of whole plant based foods to fulfill our human phytochemical requirements. Sadly, some of the people I most care about, still think that cow milk products are required for a healthy body.

My advice to you is that you not become too attached to a specific outcome. Instead, talk to everyone about the importance of your "experiment" with a plant-based diet. Be open to other people's ideas and listen to them. Explain the specific diseases that you hope to overcome. One disease that scares everyone is a failure of sexual function. The clogging of small arteries is often the culprit. Another motivation is mental clarity. A healthier vascular system also improves memory and cognative function.

I stongly encourage your to pursue a healthy lifestyle and allow others to learn from your example in their own time. Many people will never be influenced. but occasionally, a person will make a life-changing decision to choose a healthy lifestyle. You can be there to provide the accurate information that our business driven culture has failed to provide.

I've spent 3 years as a vegetarian-almost vegan (I found living without an occasional slice of Wisconsin cheese unbearable!) and training for one race or another. Almost a year ago, I started feeling incredible fatigue. A few dozen blood-draws and specialist visits later, the only answer I've gotten from the medical establishment is "Your protein and iron intake is insufficient. Start eating meat." That's not going to happen. What I really want is to feel more energetic on my plant-based diet, so I'm leaning towards superhero. The problem is, many of the foods included in the superhero diet are not readily available year round. How do I get around that teensy obstacle? Thanks for any suggestions you can provide!

Thank you Alicia for taking time to explain what an optimally healthy diet is. The science is overwhelmingly in favor of the superhero diet.

One peron on the forum described the superhero diet as a macrobiotic diet without the fish. (Given the pollutants and negative health effects of consuming animal proteins, I'm glad the fish is excluted.) As I understand it, the superhero diet includes brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet (non-gluten unprocessed), leafy greens, vegetables, legumes, and other whole foods. It is similar to a "whole plant based diet" as described by Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., John McDougall, Joel Fuhrman, T. Colin Campbell, and Neal Barnard. Of course, sources of Vitamin B12, D, and Omega-3 fatty acids are required.

It excludes minimizes or eliminates animal based products, salt, sugar, processed oil, fat, MSG, aspartame, alcohol, caffeine, and other unhealthy processed ingredients. Dr. Blaylock pointed out the how the increased consumption of MSG in processed foods is correlated with obesity in America. MSG also makes laboratory mice sick and obese. Many people will choose other legumes (beans, peas, or lentils) instead of the controversial tofu products which are cheap and omnipresent in processed vegan food like products. Sugar and other substances are often added to soy products to improve the flavor.

I lost 90 pounds on what amounts to a superhero diet without feeling hungry or deprived. I feel better and I'm objectively healthier and more vigorous. Weight loss is more complex than most people realize and for me the real success came when I changed my food choices. Portion control and calorie restricted diets simply fail for the vast majority of people over a period of 3 to 5 years. (Gina Kolata "Rethinking Thin")