The Challenge: Two Months Going Vegan

Three of my good non-vegan friends will be going vegan for two months to get their body back on track. Conveniently, they will begin the day after Cinco de Mayo because this is Miami and they will tell you that any reason to celebrate without guilt is reason enough. Their desire to get back into the healthy groove is mirrored by many who are swallowed up by the American culture where all types of foods (the good and the bad) are easily accessible. There are many people these days beginning to make the switch to eating more vegetarian or vegan and I get asked often if I enjoy eating this way and what I eat to replace certain comfort foods. There are plenty alternatives to the foods you love and grew up eating, from vegan hot dogs (yes, tofu dogs are actually good), cheeses, dressings, deli lunch slices (lunch"meat"), and delightful dishes like this made from wheat gluten called seitan that you can make at home straight from the kitchen. It has the consistency of meat and takes on the flavors you contribute to it, just like tofu. Fascinating.

Some of the greatest perks about eating vegan are the endless lists of health benefits like, lower blood pressure, more energy, reduced risk of disease, conscious eating and balance, less bloat and inflammation, lower body weight, healthy skin and hair. In addition to these absolute perks, there is quite the adventure aspect. The ability to take plant-based foods and turn them into amazing meals that have more dynamic flavors and freshness. I think of it as utopia for my mouth and stomach. Check out this guide to getting there.

Vegan Meat Products

Here are links to brands that make vegan meat products that will help you with the transition:

• Lightlife -- hotdogs, sausages, frozen entrees, deli slices, ground beef, tempeh, chicken, burgers, breakfast
• Vyes -- seafood, hotdogs, brats, ground beef, deli slices, burgers, chicken
• Tofurkey -- chorizo, deli slices, ground beef, sausage links, hotdogs, pizza, tempeh
• Gardein -- cutlets/breasts/filets, BBQ, meatballs, chicken patties, burgers, sliders, sloppy joes, riblets, chicken
• Boca Burgers
• WTF is Vegan Meat? -- additional tips on ways to replace meat with vegan meat

*Read the ingredients on all products because some of the food items may use eggs or dairy as binders or emulsifiers.

Vegan Dairy Products

Always read ingredients and also make sure products are casein-free.

• Plant-based milks: almond, soy, rice, hemp, coconut, oat, hazelnut
• Vegan cheese brands: Daiya, Vegan Veggie Slices, Vegan Gourmet, Wayfare (also make ice cream, pudding, bacon bits, and sour cream)
• Butter: Earth Balance
• Alfredo sauce
• Dressings
• Sour cream
• Cream cheese: Galaxy, homemade, Tofutti
• Ice cream: Coconut Bliss, So Delicious, Dream Brand, Tofutti (also make cheeses, ravioli, pizza)
• Homemade: cheese, milk

Egg Substitutes

Here are a few links to some egg replacer products, as well as some tips on knowing what to use depending on the dish. Each equate to 1 egg.

• Ener-G Egg Replacer
• Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
• 1/2 a banana
• 1/4 C. apple sauce
• 1/4 C. silken tofu, blended smooth
• More clever substitutes from PETA.org (<-- along with tips):
• 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• Egg white substitute: 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again
• For quiche lovers.
• Mayonaise

Tips to Ward Off Cravings

• Satisfying the savory. Also known as "umami" (Japanese, うま味) and refers to foods that have a pleasant savory taste. Satisfy this craving with: 
• Nuts (especially walnuts or pecans)
• Add dried seaweed to soups
• Use Bragg's Liquid Aminos in the place of high salt soy sauce
• Use nutritional yeast as a parmesan cheese replacement over pasta
• Roasting mushrooms in the oven or sautéing over the stove
• Drinking black or green tea
• Adding these foods to your dishes: ripe tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery
• Satisfying the sweet.
• Naturally sweet, sweet tea (not the southern kind). These teas have naturally sweet properties like rose hips, cardamon, or licorice root to name a few. Check these out at your local supermarket.
• Prunes. Prunes are so good with regulating digestion and keeping blood sugar balanced. I think they are even good at satisfying umami cravings. They are good antioxidants, have necessary potassium, help lower cholesterol, fight against cancers, and help absorb iron--which is something very important for vegetarians and vegans, especially for women going through menstruation. Not to mention they help get your bowels moving, which shouldn't be much of a problem on a plant-based diet, anyway.
• Dried fruit or fruit leather (no sugar added)
• Fresh fruit. Always have fruit on hand. A piece or two can help curb hunger cravings on your way home from work, to a workout, or before meeting friends for dinner.
• Dark chocolate, in moderation. Check ingredients to make sure it is dairy-free. Try NuGo Dark to satisfy that chocolate craving as well as gain fiber, protein, and vitamins that help keep you full and healthy.
• Satisfy the salty.
• Make your own chips.
• Pickles, in moderation.
• Feng Shui snacks. I love rice snacks, but maybe this is because I lived in and miss Japan. You can find many of these products to be both savory, sweet and salty. Crunchiness in general is a satisfying sensation, and to help curb consumption, try the hot wasabi peas.
• Spice it up. Spices have been used for thousands of years for healing and wellness. There are many health benefits to adding spices to your dishes, plus they really can make a meal grand. If you use them enough, you can also buy in bulk. Here is a list of my staple spices:
• Cardamon
• Cinnamon
• Coriander
• Chinese Five Spice (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, sichuan, pepper, fennel)
• Nutmeg
• All Spice
• Turmeric
• Curry Powder
• Poultry Seasoning
• Gram Marsala
• Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Parsely, Bay Leaf, Marjoram
• Saffron
• Orange Peel
• Cayenne, Cumin, Chili Powder

Other goals to focus on:

• Increasing activity. These guys all mountain bike on a regular basis, but with a better diet, it'll be easier to shed and shred all around. It is still a must to incorporate other cardiovascular exercise into your week, even if it's just casual riding around the town. Exercising to intensity will become easier the longer you maintain a whole foods diet. Your blood pressure will be at optimum levels and your pulse recovery time after activity will be almost instantaneous. Try incorporating walking, jogging, running, and/or swimming into your week. Treadmill and elliptical work in the gym is good, too, especially weight training. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. This is because building muscle tissue burns more calories. Listen to your body and work it towards your true potential.
• Cutting back on processed grains and starches. Processed breads/bagels, crackers, pretzels, rice, pastas, flour tortillas, corn products, chips, and white potatoes. Alternate grains can be couscous, pearled barley, amaranth, tabouli, and more gingerly, quinoa (see article, "Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?"). Work them into your salads, into stews, soups, or as additions.
• Cutting out sweets. If you need a sweet fix, eat more fruit, drink naturally sweet steeped teas, add dried cranberries or a little honey or agave to your salads or healthy grains; eat prunes, juice, make smoothies with fresh or frozen fruits.
• Eat more whole foods. Whole foods are unprocessed or unrefined foods (or processed/refined as little as possible). Your body most efficiently processes foods in its natural, simplest form. This method has worked just fine for us for hundreds of thousands of years. What do you think processed foods do to our gut? Why do you think there are so many food allergies now and gastric disorders?--See inflammation.
• Balance is key. You are always better off not eating the same sorts of foods all the time. The most important thing is that you are eating high nutrient dense foods that can supply you all or most of the daily vitamin and mineral nutrition needed for your body to perform its most vital chemical functions. Know how to get your iron, B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, protein, fats without being reliant on animal products. It's easy and only takes a slight amount of research on your part, or a trip to the whole body section at Whole Foods. If all else fails, take a vegetable-based multivitamin that has as little synthetically created vitamins/minerals as possible. Make sure you take your vitamin with a fat source and break it in half so that your body doesn't have to work so hard to break it down (I cannot stress these two things enough). It's always best to receive your nutrition from the foods you eat first; supplement later.
• Avoid temptation. And by this I mean stop being such a pushover. You know what foods are your no. 1 enemy, so it's best to avoid them. Find things you like better that are healthy and take pride in your initiative. Many people will say that they could never do what you are doing, but that's because they haven't discovered happiness within their diet or lifestyle choices.
• Limit Alcohol. Alcohol is a non-alkaline balancing food and should, at the very minimum be limited during the work week. Though, if you're going to drink, it's better to do so moderately no matter when you do it. Think 2 beers. Make them really good beers, then this won't be a problem.
• Treat yourself. For me, it's having a really good, dark beer. It may also be making myself a really special dinner or getting a vegan biscuit at Whole Foods. Or chocolate in the form of these amazing creations. Splurges like this are okay in moderation (i.e. maybe once a week and in reasonable portion sizes--don't go crazy). If you treat yourself enough, you won't have any problems with not breaking rules later.

I wish my friends all the best. Believing in what awards them in the end is their motivation, and if done proper can easily be accomplished through eating well and exercise. Once they break through the hard stuff (bad food cravings, finding their new favorite health foods and recipes, increasing their energy levels) the rest is just a cake walk. I can promise you that. And the greatest part is, we all have each other to do it together and show support. Whether eating vegan is maintained in the future, much knowledge will be gained in knowing the ability of ones self and the sense of accomplishment and control over one's own body and mind.  Best of luck!