Happy Herbivore Blog

You've got questions...

Q: I was wondering if you have any advice or resources or books about food addiction or binge eating. I think I am addicted to peanut butter and cereal. After dinner, I will eat so much of both even when I am stuffed.  I can't get them out of the house because they are staples in my husband's diet and he has no problem with portions. I have tried cold turkey but that hasn't worked. Do you have any advice?

Here are some blog posts:

Food Cravings and Food Addictions

Dealing with Food Cravings


Also, I highly recommend reading The Pleasure Trap and Breaking the Food Seduction.

You might also want to see if there is an Overeaters Anonymous group in your area. I know a lot of people who have found help in those groups.

Perhaps your husband can give up these foods for you, so they are not in the house anymore??

I'm allergic to broccoli, and my husband gave it up for me. Similarly, he cannot help himself around bread products and nut butters, so I gave those up for him :)

Q: I am an ultrarunner and have switched to a vegan AND no flour/no sugar/no wheat diet.  I can find recipes for vegan "Clif Bars" and such online, but I was wondering if you have an awesome energy bar recipe that you can share.

I just eat dates. Keep it simple!

Q: Any info you could give me on the vegan diet and how it can help with autoimmune diseases? Thanks!

Here is an articles that might help:

Milk Causes Autoimmune Disease

Q: On your meal plans , do you provide all the nutrition information on the meals or just the calories? I'm on Weight Watchers and need the fat, fiber, carbs & protein on their program. Thanks!

A: Yes, we have many users who are also on WW.

Q: I'm a new vegan (2 weeks or so) and I feel great, better than I have in a long time. My only doubts about being vegan comes from this whole B12 deficiency. If its something your body NEEDS, then is that a sign that we should be eating SOME meat?

No, see this article about B12 by Dr. McDougall

We all know that brown rice is a healthier choice than white rice — but why must it take 40 minutes to cook?

This became my ongoing problem. I love brown rice, but when I came home after a long day, I just wanted to whip up one of my recipes in 15-20 minutes... not wait 40 for my rice (my rice!) to cook!!

So, I bought a fancy rice cooker — one that has a special "brown rice" setting as well as a timer, so I could combine rice + water together, and tell it when to be ready... can you guess how many mornings I forgot to set the timer before leaving for work?

Yeah.

I love my rice cooker — don't get me wrong. It makes perfect brown rice, and I use it frequently, especially in the hot summer when I don't want to turn on my gas stove. (The cooker also "does" quinoa on the "white rice" setting.)

The problem is, I just use it when I'm at home. I can't seem to remember to set the timer before bed, or before work, so I'll have hot rice ready at 6:00 p.m. No matter how many sticky notes I leave myself. Scott remembered twice and it was amazing to come home from work to rice that was just cooked, hot and fresh... but all the other times, walking in the door resulted in arms waving, feet stomping and a cartoon bubble with #$!%#!#!$! popping up over my head in a flashy editorial fashion... because I'd forgot to set it. Again.

I thought my problems were solved when I started seeing "instant" and "precooked" brown rice at the supermarket. Unfortunately, all the brands contained oil, so there went that...

My dilemma continued until I discovered frozen brown rice in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. (Note: I find most supermarkets are also carrying frozen brown rice now). The ingredients? Just rice. No oil! YESS!!



I quickly filled my freezer with frozen rice. What a dream! I could reheat it in the microwave in a minute — or on the stove top in a pot in a few extra minutes. It was a miracle! My (food) prayers had been answered!!

(I'm ashamed to admit just how many meals were canned beans, frozen rice, bag of greens (cooked) and some fruit-flavored salsa, like pineapple salsa. I got all kinds of lazy!!).

But the honeymoon was eventually over — I realized while easy and convenient, the frozen brown rice was driving up my grocery bill. The frozen brown rice itself wasn't horrendously expensive or anything — but I was buying so much of it. Compared to the cost of dry brown rice in bulk, I was paying a lot.

I knew we needed to cut corners and save money... but could I really give up my frozen brown rice?

That's when I wondered if I could make it myself. Could I cook a big batch of brown rice,  measure out portions, and freeze them? Then reheat in the microwave (or on the stovetop) like I did with TJ's rice?

YES!

A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

And it's just as good — if not better!!!

So for the past several weeks, I've been cooking brown rice, letting it cool, measuring out 1 to 2 cup amounts, storing them in a Ziploc, Tupperware, or whatever I've got, and freezing it.

Then when I need rice, I pluck it from the freezer, place the frozen rice on a microwave-safe plate or bowl and heat for about a minute. (For the stove top, add a splash of water or broth and cook in a pot for about 2-3 minutes, stirring to break it up).

I'll never have to wait 40 minutes for brown rice again — or overpay for a convenience that's not all that much more convenient!

Here's a quick video (below) of how I cook my grains ahead, freeze them and reheat. I even include a side-by-side comparison of freshly cooked vs. "recooked" so you can see. It's just as good — if not better!!



Do you cook your grains ahead?

In response to Kevin's interview as part of our Herbie of the Week series, David sent me a quick email about the wonderful changes he too has experienced thanks to his new plant-based diet... and in just a few weeks to boot! Amazing how fast plants can work.



HH: So David, tell us a little bit about your background and history.

Hey there, I am David Blair. I live in Southaven, Mississippi. I have been taking high blood pressure medicine for almost 8 years, and never really got serious about getting off of it. I got tired of feeling sluggish and all my clothes being tight — I just didn't feel good about myself.

HH: What changed?

I became determined to eat healthy and get off the medicine. I started doing a lot of research, and I am really appalled at how bad the food supply is. The FDA is a joke.

My wife and I decided to regulate our food, and eat unprocessed.  I decided no salt, no alcohol, no sugar, no caffeine, no processed food. I found Dr Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live, and website and started eating veggies. Raw and cooked.

Then I started on the Insanity workout with Sean T.

HH: And now? Any changes?

I have been eating truly healthy for about 9 weeks, and about 7 weeks on Insanity. I am 50 years old, 5 ft. 10 in. I started at 203 — and now am at 172, and I feel great.

I have been off the blood pressure meds for 3 week and my pressure is lower than when I took the meds.

HH: That's incredible!! What about your lovely wife? Has she experienced any benefits?

My wife (46) has lost about 18 lbs. and feels great — no more stomach problems.

Anyway, just wanted to share a little and let people know they can change and make a better life. :) :)

HH:Thanks for sharing your story with us, David! I wish you and your wife continued success on your plant-based journey!!

UPDATE (3/21): "We have maintained. I stay around 168, and she has lost another 5 lbs."