About Me
Hi! I’m Lindsay, more commonly known in the blogsphere as the Happy Herbivore. I live in Los Angeles with my husband, Scott and our vegan pugs, Quaid and Lily Bean. I’ve lived in six states but call New York City “home” - viva la Manhattan!
I was living in Boston and attending law school when I went vegan. Boston restaurants are not usually vegan friendly or healthy, so I stumbled into the kitchen and hoped for the best. To my surprise, I not only love cooking healthfully, I’m pretty good at it! After a couple of nudges and several words of encouragement, my blog readers and friends talked me into writing a cookbook filled with healthy, wholesome, fat free vegan recipes. Since my first e-cookbook was successful (woohoo!) I’m still cooking, blogging and creating recipes…
frequently asked questions:
If you’re looking for tips on losing weight, exercise, nutrition advice, how much I weigh, what I eat, sample meal plans, how long it took to get flat abs, what I eat and don’t eat (pretty much anything food-nutrition-body-exercise related, try here) or email me.
Why don’t you include nutritional information? - NEW!
I’m not that good at math nor do I have the time… but I am looking into those programs that do it for me. I appreciate labels are a valueable tool when grocery shopping, but since I cook healthfully, I never much obsess about the nutritional information in my recipes because I know its all good for me. However, I get enough requests for this feature that I see its needed.
You list ingredients I’ve never heard of. What is it and where can I get it? - NEW!
I suppose this is where my lack of culinary school training shows. I’m convinced that certain brands make or break a dish. I feel particularly strong about nutritional yeast. Red Star or bust I say! (List coming soon)
Can I make substitutions to your recipes? - NEW!
If you’re adding or substracting a spice ot using gluten-free flour instead of whole whaet flour, you shouldn’t run into problems. Likewise you can usually substitute any non-dairy milk for soy milk and swap around egg replacers as you see fit (though whatever I list is what I found works best). However, I do warn against trying to use cow’s milk instead as it is completely differently chemically and who knows, maybe it would curdle or sour! If you don’t have egg replacer, its better to omit it rather than using an actual egg. Using an egg not only adds fat and cholesterol but it may make my baked good too heavy or dense. As for oil, I love using applesauce and I haven’t had any success using prune puree, but if you have, feel to swap it out if you think it will work. I also suppose you could use oil or margerine instead of applesauce, but why not give healthy, wholesome vegan food a chance first?
Can I contact you?
If you’re into the online community thing, you can follow me on twitter, friend me on myspace or facebook and check out my photos on flickr.
You can also email me: happyherbivore at gmail dot com with questions about health, veganism or kind suggestions how I can make my blog better.
How long have you been a vegan?
I was a vegetarian for most of my life but went vegan in December 2006.
Why did you go vegetarian and later vegan?
After a stint with cancer when I was 22, I started looking for ways to get healthy. I thought being a vegetarian would help me make better food choices. It did! I lost weight (I went from a size 12 to a 6 and eventually a 4 after going vegan), felt good about my food choices and had more energy. I eventually decided to go vegan for the animals, for the environment and for my health.
I see veganism as a choice of consciousness. I am no-longer an oblivious, mindless eater - I am aware of what is going into my body as well as what it went through to get there. For me its not just about the animals - it’s also about my health and my future.
What kind of diet do you eat and promote?
An Organic, Vegan, Whole Foods, Low Fat Diet. It sounds like a mouthful but its actually a quite simple approach! My diet is 90% produce and the grains I eat are always whole. I eat very littlefaux meats and “vegan meat” like tofu. I also never add oil or margerine to my food - how I keep it “low fat.”
What do you mean by “whole foods”?
Whole foods are foods containing all of their nutrients naturally provided by Mother Nature. Whole foods have not been processed or refined and they do not contain synthetic, artificial or lab created ingredients. Nothing abnormal has been added to them either.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains (such as brown rice or oatmeal), nuts and legumes are great examples of whole foods.
What is an example of a processed food?
Fast foods, prepackaged foods such as frozen dinners and canned soups, while bread, white pasta, oils, anything with trans fats or high fructose corn syrup, junk food, artificial sweeteners, sodas, most “diet” foods like weight watchers bars and snackwell’s cookies, store bought juices, pretty much anything in a “supermarket”… etc.
I don’t even consider this stuff “food” I prefer to refer to it as a “food-like substance.”
This website says its “no fat” but sometimes nuts and avocados are in recipes?
The body needs some fat to survive, its just better for your heath to get the necessary fat from natural, unprocessed sources such as seeds, nuts, nut butters (i.e. peanut butter), avocados, olives, tofu and non-dairy milks. For this reason, I do occasionally include those “fatty” items in my recipes.
Are there any books that support or promote your lifestyle?
Skinny Bitch, Diet for a New America, The China Study, The Thrive Diet, Eat to Live, The McDougall Program, The Maximum Weightloss Program, The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention, The Food Revolution, Healthy at 100, Reclaiming Our Health, The Omnivore’s Dilemma* (see my explanation in comments), Mindless Eating, Volumetrics, The Great American Detox, In Defense of Food
Can I add you to my blogroll?
Yes please do so… and let me know… I’m still trying to figure out how to add more than 10 people to mine!
I love the new site! Just so you know, The Omnivore’s Dilemma does not promote a vegan lifestyle. As suggested by the title, it promotes an omnivorous diet.
Sara, Thanks! I have Omnivore’s Dilemma up there because when I read it, it reinforced my veganism and made me all the more proud of my lifestyle. Perhaps that is not what Pollan intended with his book, although when writing it he became a vegetarian, spoke of the vegetarian movement and stated that there was no reason to eat meat as it is no longer essential for survival. Of course he went back to eating meat because he killed a chicken, but at the end of the day, reading his book made me proudly scream “I’m a vegetarian” from the rooftops and while I know the book seemingly promotes “meat eating” I know many omni’s who after reading that book, were so horrified they went vegan… I hope that makes sense.
I certainly don’t think The Omnivore’s Dilemma either promotes or discourages an omnivorous diet. It’s a very open-minded account of exactly what the title says: the dilemma of food choices facing the biological omnivore. Pollan certainly doesn’t discourage the choice of veg*nism and does do a lot to explore and ultimately praise the philosophies behind vegetarianism.
Hi Lindsay, can I ask you some questions? It’s about textured vegetable(soy) protein and maltitol. Are they safe for daily consumption at all? Maltitol is a type of sugar by the way… sorry for bothering you, I know you are busy. Thank you so much for your reply :0)
Hi Cecilia,
I’m going to send you a more indepth email, but I’ll leave a quick reply here as well for readers.
TVP is highly processed and an isolated soy protein. I would only recommend using it sparingly and less if you consume other soy products regularly such as soy milk, tofu, soy cheese and boca burgers. If you’re allergic to soy, avoid it altogether. I typically only use TVP in small doses… usually as a bread crumbs substitute to make mock meat “meatier.”
As for maltitol, its an alcohol based sugar substitute - its not actually a type of “sugar” and its no better than other artifical sweeteners. I would never use maltitol. It causes diarrhea and other digestive problems.
To answer your question directly my answer would be “No.” I suggest only using TVP sparingly (if you like it, if you’re looking for ways to eat protein, TVP is not the best souce by a long shot) and I would recommend completely abstaining from maltitol.
Here are two excellent articles from non-biased sources that discuss the problems with maltitol:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/maltitol.htm
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/wholebody/ingredients/maltitol.html
Also check out my article on soy protein: http://happyherbivore.com/2008/01/is-soy-safe/
and my article on splenda (it touches on all artifical sweeteners generally)
http://happyherbivore.com/2008/01/how-splendid-is-splenda/
& Also do your own Internet research - at the end of the day its all about personal preferences. I believe lab creations and highly processed foods are harmful for the body so I don’t use them or eat them, but there are 1000s of people who do.
Hi Cecilia,
I just wrote an indepth article on TVP, isolated soy proteins and processed foods.
Visit
http://happyherbivore.com/2008/01/tvp/
I have read your blog often and just started reading through the about page. You approach food very similar to the way I do. It is so nice to see someone else that things the way I do about food and fitness! I appreciate you saying all that you did and I will definitely put you on my list of blogs! I think it is great information and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes…soon!
hi.. running marathons is not healthy–unless you are highly fit–you are young and probably heading towards joint pain/knee problems etc.. esp since i saw that you ran the marathon with 10+ minute miles.. walk fast.. bike.. you are probably setting yourself up for alot of injuries..
“Healthy Person”, It’s all about injury prevention which is true of any sport, not just marathons. With the proper footware and training you can run a marathon. Like any indurance sport, you have to build and prepare your body, physically and mentally, for a marathon which is what most marathoners due. Myself included.
I wouldn’t recommend running a marathon to every person but there is nothing UNhealthy about running a marathon. Yes, marathons are challenging and grueling but so is water polo and rugby. I’ve met marathoners that are older than me and younger with me - many who have ran over 50 marathons. I met a woman at the Cape Cod marathon, who was in her 60s and that was her 100th marathon! You can run marathons or shorters races for a lifetime without knee injury, ankle injury or any other kinds of injury - you just have to be smart, safe and listen to your body. Injury prevention is key!
Also, you do not have to be “highly fit” to run a marathon. Not every person that runs a marathon looks or performs like an Olympian. There are people that take 8 to 10 hours to finish a marathon but they still finish. There are people that are “over weight” that train hard and complete marathons (PBS did a great documentary on a group of overwight individuals that ran the Boston Marathon - you should check it out, its inspiring — most of them took 6 hrs) and then there are skinny people, like actress Katie Holmes, that take over 5 hours to run a flat marathon. Hell, Oprah ran a marathon! As have many other celebrities.
I was “fit” and “in shape” when I decided to run a marathon and of course over the 24 weeks of training I only improved but that isn’t to say someone who WANTS to can’t. I recommend the experience to anyone who has the desire!!!
Lastly, walking is no better, its just a slow version of running. That is a misconception. The only truly “knee-friendly” cardi exercise is swimming and some select cardio machines found in gyms.
I get a lot of comments and emails asking me about getting a flat stomach and if you do 400 crunches for a month like I did, will that = abs. Here is a more in-depth answer to what is listed above:
300+ crunches for 30 days certainly helped me attain the abs I wanted but there were other factors that helped me get my abs.
For instance, during that 30 day period, I also ate very heathfully - mostly veggies and fruits, no sweets or treats, no refined sugar, limited amounts of salt, limited amounts of “breads” (must also be sprouted or whole wheat) and I was also working out the rest of my body every single day for approx. 1 hour.
Basically, it was a self-inflicted “bootcamp” to kinda push me out of the rut and placebo I was at. I was also very active/eating healthy before I dove into it, which I think is necessary for success. If you haven’t been exercising or eating right, it is unlikey even with the best disciple that you will come out super fit with a 6pack in 30 days. I’m not saying it can’t be done because I’m sure it has, I just don’t want anyone to think all they need to do is a bunch of situps. Unfortunately, there are many other factors that can’t be cheated.
HOWEVER, I’m not trying to discourage anyone, because I think sexy abs are attainable and faily easy to achieve. I just want to be clear that doing a certain # of crunches for 30 days, even on a slim person, will not necessarily = 6 pack.
For a tight, flat, firm stomach you have to eat right every day (an occassional “treat” is okay), exercise your entire body regularly via cardio and weight training, avoid salty food and using salt (salt causes bloat), eat a low fat diet, make sure more calories go out than come in and workout your abs like mad.
Sadly, there is no short cut, miracle exercise or pill that will get you a flat stomach, despite what TV and magazines say. Multiple factors are at work (including genes, which can be quite stingy!)
However, the good news is, when you do work hard to get a hot midsection, you’ll see results in other places beside your abs too! so its a win-win. Do it!
I also recommend a 30 day boot camp! It helped me get over the last hurdle.. now I just have to maintain it… (which is not nearly as hard) However, if If I overeat (sometimes I just cant put fruit down), eat something salty or processed (i.e. boca burger) or I skip on doing ab work for a few days, it SHOWS. Usually after a few days “back on track” I’m good to go but if I get lazy, my abs suffer.
As for body fat, you do have to reduce overall body fat for abs to show, but don’t get caught up in the numbers. I was about 17% body fat at the time I went on my 30 day bootcamp (pictures of my journey on flickr.com/happyherbivore) but 17% fat looks different on every body and people carry fat in different places. I’ve never carried fat in my stomach (I carry it in my thighs and on my back) so while I still have some softness on my legs, I can still manage to have a firm stomach… If you carry all your fat in your stomach, its going to be harder for you to get “Abs”, just like its harder for me to get firm legs.
I guess what I’m saying is, 300-400 crunches for a month is not a recipe for a guaranteed sixpack, but doing that combined with my healthy lifestlye, helped me get the stomach I wanted.
Hi, I am new to your blog so I apologize if this is obvious to long time reader, but is Scott a vegan as well? I ask because starting on Monday, my boyfriend and I are going meatless for thirty days. I will definitely use your recipe page as a resource during this time, but was also wondering if you have any specific suggestions for us. If so, please check out our new blog and leave us a note.
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Heather
Hi Lindsay,
I was wondering what the name of your upcoming book is and when can we expect to see it in stores?
I have been enjoying reading and trying your recipes.
We became vegan about a year ago and are truly interested in the low fat aspect of it. Your recipes really address this.
Thanks,
Leslie
Leslie,
It’s great to hear that you’re a vegan and interested in eating low fat! Fantastic! & also thanks for reminding me that I need to publish a post with an update on the cookbook’s progress! I will be releasing a sneak peek preview of 15 recipes by Labor Day (it will only be sold online through my website/paypal) and I’m hoping to have the actual hardcover cookbook on shelves this December.
Thanks for the support!
Oh & I plan to call it “The FAT FREE Whole Foods Cookbook: 100 (?) fat free, animal-free and cholesterol free recipes.”
I’ll also have many sugar free, soy free and gluten free recipes!
[...] is power,” and I quickly started eating a whole foods diet. With each book I read (see FAQ) my diet has become a little more healthier. In the middle of this journey, I met Kristi - my [...]
Heather,
Scott prefers to refer to himself as a “vegetarian” but he will not eat eggs and 99% of the time he does not consume dairy products. He has a slice of pizza about once or twice a year, although we’ve had some fun making vegan pizza and mozz at home that I think he’ll eventually feel he can call himself a vegan.
He’s also a very healthy eater and makes good food choices even when I’m not around. I’m so proud of him - he loves vegetables and tries to eat right. He really loves faux meats and tofu! He includes one or the other in at least one meal a day. His favorite cuisine is Mexican with Thai a close second.
I also feel its important to note he lost considerable weight when he gave up meat and that was a motivator for him to eat a vegan diet 99% of the time (plus my house is vegan - no animal products allowed, even our pugs are vegan). He went vegetarian for health and environmenal reasons, but he loves animals and is glad his lifestlye helps them too. He was completely supportive when I went vegetarian and later vegan (although swore he’d be an omnivore for life). He decided to go veg on his own, after doing some research, months after I had gone vegan. When he told me he wa a vegetarian (and had been for 30 days!), it was one of the happiest days in my life. He has really experienced an improved qualitiy of life - we both have.
He’s also a big fan of soy cheese substitutes, tofutti cream cheese and soy delicious icecream.
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