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Back in April, while strolling through Whole Foods, sampling some cheeses they had on display, my wife took notice of a book called Eat to Live, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Inside, Dr. Fuhrman lays out a 6 week diet plan in which you eat pretty much nothing but fruits, vegetables, and limited amounts of nuts and grain. Dr. Fuhrman promises that not only will you lose a lot of weight, but also any chronic illnesses you suffer from will disappear. My wife, who has been suffering from serious sinus problems decided we should embark on this journey.
Now, we've done all of the crazy fad diets. Atkins. South Beach. Alli. None of them work because they are not sustainable. We are both foodies. I take great pleasure in eating great tasting food. I also have no tolerance to count calories and write down everything I eat. If I want to eat a Whopper, I'm going to do it, and writing it down isn't going to make me feel guilty about it.
But for some reason this radical idea of eating whole, natural foods somehow made sense. So, the first Friday in May, we had our "last supper" - a caloric feast at Olive Garden. Breadsteaks. Creamy sauce. Meat. Dessert. I wanted to purposely stuff myself to the point I was sick in order to make myself not miss meat, cheese, and all the other good stuff I've grown used to eating.
The following morning I weighed in at 235 pounds, which at 5'10 with a BMI over 30 is considered obese. I also suffer from mild sleep apnea and acid reflux disease. So, I've known all along that I need to eat better. But in our world of constantly being on the go, who has time for wholesome meals when you can just nuke a whole frozen dinner in under 3 minutes.
We realized quickly that the nutritarian plan laid out by Dr. Fuhrman was going to be too tough for us. I mean, he doesn't even allow the use of olive oil for stir-fry and despite what he says, water is NOT a suitable replacement unless you like mushy vegetables - which I don't.
So, we decided to switch to just a normal vegan diet. No animal products. No ingredients that a child can't pronounce. Just whole foods.
As part of the routine, I start each day with a smoothie for breakfast that includes at least 2 cups of spinach. You can't even taste it when you mix in other fruits and top off with some natural sweeteners like agave.
We've made a lot of delicious meals, many of which can be prepared in under 30 minutes (which is awesome when you have 2 active children in tow). I've lost 11 pounds in 2 weeks and I feel great. But best of all, I feel that this is a lifestyle that is actually sustainable. I actually could care less if I ever eat a cheeseburger again. I am hoping to get under 200 pounds which I haven't seen since high school.
So, because I am so thrilled with the results I am seeing, I decided to start this blog in order to share some of the recipes I've come up with each morning. Hopefully you will like them as I much as I do.
Cheers!
Rob
