SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
WHY THIS BOOK? 3
WHY ME? 6
SIMPLE IS THE SECRET 11
WHAT EATING STYLE IS BEST? 13
PLANT-BASED VS. VEGAN 17
MOTIVATION TO BECOME PLANT-BASED 19
TRANSITION 21
CHANGE IS UNCOMFORTABLE 21
TRANSITION 22
PROCESSED VEGAN FOOD 23
COST OF BECOMING VEGAN 25
2,500-CALORIE COST EXAMPLE 29
HOW TO KEEP THE COST LOW 31
REAL LIFE COST EXAMPLE 32
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD FOR HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE 35
REAL LIFE CHOLESTEROL EXPERIMENT 37
IS THIS LIFESTYLE FOR EVERYONE? 39
SECTION 2: BASIC NUTRIENTS AND FOODS YOU CAN EAT
PROTEIN 43
HOW DOES EXCESS PROTEIN CREATE DISEASE? 45
PROTEIN AND ELITE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE 47
PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS 49
DAIRY MISCONCEPTIONS 52
DAIRY SUBSTITUTES 53
CARBOHYDRATES 55
GLYCEMIC INDEX 55
ATHLETES AND GLYCEMIC INDEX 56
CARBOHYDRATES AND ELITE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE 56
GRAINS 58
WHEAT AND GLUTEN 60
GLUTEN-FREE DIET 62
FAT 64
NUTS AND SEEDS 65
OILS 66
FOODS TO AVOID AND THEIR SUBSTITUTES 69
THE AMAZING FOODS YOU CAN EAT 75
FRUITS 76
VEGETABLES 77
LEGUMES 77
WHOLE GRAINS 78
NUTS AND SEEDS 78
UNREFINED FLOUR 78
EGG-FREE PASTAS AND ORIENTAL NOODLES 79
SPICES AND SEASONINGS 80
SEASONING COMBINATIONS 81
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SPICES 82
SUPPLEMENTS 84
VITAMIN B12 86
CALCIUM 88
OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS 89
TAURINE 91
ORGANIC OR CONVENTIONAL 93
PLANT-BASED RESTAURANT EATING 95
SECTION 3: EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON THE BODY
MODERATION 99
LOSING WEIGHT 101
LOSING WEIGHT TOO FAST 102
GAINING WEIGHT 104
PHYTOCHEMICALS AND ANTI-NUTRIENTS 106
HORMESIS AND DETOX 108
HORMESIS 108
HORMESIS AND PLANTS 110
CRAVINGS AND MICROBES 111
CRAVINGS 111
MICROBES’ ROLE IN CRAVINGS 112
TASTE IS ACQUIRED 113
MAINTAINING AN ALKALINE BODY 115
WHY IT MATTERS 115
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 116
THE RIGHT BALANCE AND TREATING YOUR WATER 119
THE BLACK SHEEP: THE ACIDIC PLANTS IN THE ALKALINE PLANT WORLD 120
SECTION 4: FOOD PREPARATION
MICROWAVE OVENS: TO USE OR NOT USE? 125
COOKWARE 128
JUICING 131
REASONS TO JUICE 132
WHAT KIND OF JUICER? 133
CREATIVE AND HEALTHY USES OF THE JUICE PULP 135
TWO NEGATIVES OF JUICING 136
SMOOTHIES 137
BENEFITS OF SMOOTHIES 138
DEHYDRATING OF FOODS 140
DEHYDRATING TEMPERATURE IS CRUCIAL 141
SPROUTING 143
RAW FOOD 146
BECOMING RAW 148
WHAT TO EAT? 150
SECTION 5: IMPORTANT NON-FOOD TOPICS
HYDRATION 155
CHOOSE WATER TO HYDRATE 155
FLUID REQUIREMENTS 156
SLEEP 158
MELATONIN—YOUR FRIEND 158
TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP 159
SLEEP AND STRESS 161
MEDITATION 162
HOW TO MEDITATE 163
BE GRACEFUL WITH OTHERS 166
APPENDIX: NON-RECIPES AKA RECIPE BLUEPRINTS
SMOOTHIE BLUEPRINT 171
STIR-FRY, STEW, OR SOUP BLUEPRINT 173
RAW CHOWDER BLUEPRINT 175
JUICE COMBINATIONS 176
RAW JAM BLUEPRINT 177
NON-DAIRY MILK OR YOGURT 178
NON-DAIRY MAYONNAISE 179
FLAX-EGGS FOR BAKING 180
PROTEIN COOKIES AND ENERGY BARS BLUEPRINT 181
RAW PROTEIN COOKIES AND ENERGY BARS 184
EXAMPLE: QUICK AND EASY RAW PROTEIN BAR 184
EXAMPLE: RAW BANANA NUT BAR 185
EXAMPLE: RAW LOW-CARB PROTEIN NUT COOKIE 186
RAW CONFECTIONS BLUEPRINT 187
EXAMPLE: SIMPLE COCONUT BALLS DELIGHT 187
SIMPLE CABBAGE DELIGHT 188
PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD 188
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 189
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 191
RESOURCES 193
BOOKS 193
COOKBOOKS 194
MOVIES AND DOCUMENTARIES 195
EDUCATION 195
WEBSITES 195
REFERENCES 197