Happy Herbivore Blog

Meet our Herbie of the Week, Dustin. Thanks to a plant-based diet, Dustin lost weight (156 lbs.!!), no longer has high blood pressure, and his lipids and blood sugars are normal!

HH: Give us a little history. What was your health like before?

As for my health, I had almost every weight-related issue you could have. High blood pressure, high triglycerides, sleep apnea, umbilical hernia — you name it. I also had all of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, I just wouldn't go to the Dr. to confirm it.

HH: What motivated you to make a change?

I had been interested in doing something to get my weight under control forever. I finally decided to do something after I got pneumonia in February of 2012. While not the most life-threatening of things, it made me realize how bad I was letting my health get. I literally got it out of the blue; it wasn't like I had just walked across Antarctica or anything. So it scared me a bit. I began to think, "what's next?"

HH: How did you find your way to a plant-based diet?

Well, I have a small obsession with documentaries and had seen Forks over Knives. The first time I saw it, I thought to myself, "none of those people look like me!" Let's be honest, I was over 400 lbs. — it's tough to take the advice of people who don't look like you or, at the very least, had looked like you at one time. So although I found everything about a plant-based diet sensible, I went about with business as usual. Until I got sick. 

HH: Sick? What happened?

While I was sleeping sitting upright in a chair from pneumonia, I thought maybe I should watch that again and take a closer look at it.

HH: What benefits have you experienced since switching to a plant-based diet?

The benefits have been amazing. I really want people to know that by making this pretty simple change, you really can take control of your weight and health. I no longer have high blood pressure, my lipids are great, and I have normal blood sugar. I have tons of energy. I am 41 years old, and my libido is like I am 18 again. Sorry if that last one is T.M.I., but I think for men this is something that worries us. But the biggest thing of all is that I no longer have any fear of ever getting to 400 lbs again. It just can't happen. I know how to eat.

HH: Anything else you'd like to add?

I feel very blessed that I have adopted this lifestyle. The food possibilities are just as endless as an omnivore's diet. Cooking is no more complex. You won't go bankrupt. You don't have to live in a health food store. I had every excuse for why this could be too hard, too tough, too expensive. We have 3 children ages 5, 11, and 13. Our middle son has autism and, as a result, has a feeding tube in his stomach and some crazy food issues. This has meant that while we would cook for us, we would also have to cook completely differently for him. So if it was too hard, too expensive, took too long, didn't taste good, or any of that — I wouldn't be 156 lbs lighter and healthier than I have been in decades.

HH: Thank you, Dustin, for sharing your story with us!

UPDATE (3/27): "When I started, I weighed 415 lbs.; now I am down to 255. My waist size was 56, now a 38, and my shirt size was 6X, now XL :-). I broke my foot running and even though I was basically down and out, there was no weight gain due to being plant-strong. On another note, we just started trying to make our son with autism plant-strong. He has severe eating issues and has a feeding tube, so we are juicing veggies and giving it through his tube. We are only a couple of weeks in, but so far, he seems more attentive and pees a lot more, lol. We will see how it goes. My 13-year-old daughter has been getting more involved in picking meals lately, and she is surprising us with some of her choices. Overall, I just can't say enough great things about going plant-strong. I have lost all of my insecurities over food and weight issues, and I am SO excited about the future."

The meal plans are Springing Forward! Light and seasonal meals ahead! Strawberry-Mango Parfait (both plans), Thai Basil Delight (both plans), Spring Portobello Mushrooms (both plans), Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (family), Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Black Bean Burrito (family) — PLUS returning favorites like Lemon Biscuits, Skyline Spaghetti Squash and Purple Power Smoothies! Put extra "spring" in your step with the meal plans! 

Individual Highlights

• Fiesta Burrito Bowl
• Thai Basil Delight (NEW!)
• Mac n' Cheese
• Cool Noodle Bowl
• Strawberry-Mango Parfait (NEW!)
• Breakfast Roll-Up
• Quick Black Bean Soup
• Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (NEW!)
• Sweet Potato Pilaf

Get this meal plan now.

Family Highlights

• Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Black Bean Burrito (NEW!)
  
• Broccoli Mac n' Cheese
• Thai Basil Delight (NEW!)
• Purple Power Smoothie
• Cool Noodle Bowl
• Strawberry-Mango Parfait (NEW!)
• Mexican Cabbage
• Spring Portobello Mushrooms (NEW!)
• Lemon Biscuits
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (NEW!)
  

Get this meal plan now.

Testimonials

"The meal plans are a Godsend for me. I'm a home schooling Mom and this takes one more thing off my plate, menu planning. We are also trying to go plant-based. Thank You for your hard work in putting the menus together!" — Zoraida R.

"I can't recommend the meal plans enough. I've been following them for 5 weeks and have lost 20 pounds"  — Michelle D.

Get the current meal plan now.

BIG NEWS first! 

Allow me to introduce you to my latest cookbook: Happy Herbivore Light & Fit.

I've been DYING to tell you about my new book and I'll give details (and recipe previews!) in the coming months — but for now, here's the cover!!!

Reserve your copy now (and read more about it on Amazon).

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming: 

Spring is here and that means Farmers' Markets are back in full swing. I'm like a kid in a candy store at a Farmers' Market (or in the produce section of Whole Foods!) All that vibrant color is my candy! And like a kid, I want (and often buy) it all.

But then a sad thing always happens: by week's end, much of the remaining produce has lost its luster. It becomes limp, shriveled, or otherwise is not looking as alive as it did when I bought it earlier in the week. #sadface

Over time, I've found creative ways for "salvaging" my produce like making my Greens Quiche, which utilizes wilting greens or vegetable broth made from leftover veggies and scraps.

Still, I started to wonder if there was something more I could do. Were there "storage" techniques I didn't know about? Big fat YES.

Friends and Foes
Turns out that some fruits and vegetables don't play well with others — or each other. Those that give off high levels of ethylene gas (a ripening agent) will speed the decay of ethylene-sensitive foods. Now, if you buy something that's very under-ripe, this could be a good thing, but most of the time you don't want you're foods racing to the "finish line" — so you'll want to keep them separated. 

For example, if your peaches are really under-ripe, put them in a paper bag with a banana. On the other hand, if you store kale in your crisper with peaches or apples, your greens will be limp and yellow in a couple of days. It's all about separation!

Apples, apricots, cantaloupe, figs and honeydew are gassy. Store them in the fridge, but only with each other.

Avocados, bananas (unripe), nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes are also gassy, but they don't like the fridge. Bananas (ripe), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, leafy greens, herbs, peas, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, and watermelons are gas-sensitive, so keep them far away from the gassy fruits and vegetables!

You can also buy commercial products to help preserve freshness, such as the E.G.G. and produce bags.

Temperature
Cold-sensitive fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, onions, garlic, and winter squash lose flavor and moisture at cold temperatures. Therefore, keep these guys in your pantry, not your fridge. They like a cool, dry, dark place — just don't store onion and potatoes together or your potatoes will have eyeballs in no time.

Keep it Whole
Although I'm a fan of bulk prep, turns out once you start pulling fruits and vegetables apart — even something as "innocent" as removing the stem from an apple — you speed up the decay process. Bummer.

Let it Breathe
The worst thing you can do to produce is shove it into an air-tight bag. Don't suffocate your produce — it speeds up decay.

Even under optimal conditions, fragile raspberries will never last as long as thick-skinned oranges. Eat more perishable items first. And if you still find yourself with a bushel of ripe produce and a business trip around the bend —improvise. Make a fruit pie, a potful of soup, or a great big vat of tomato sauce, and throw it in the freezer. You’ll relish your foresight when you get home.

Spoil Speeds
Some fruits and vegetables also spoil faster than others. The first to go (eat early in the week): artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cherries, corn, fresh herbs, green beans, mushrooms, leafy greens, and strawberries. Next are cucumber, eggplant, grapes, salad mixes, lime, pineapple and zucchini. Then bell peppers, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, grapefruit, leeks, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, and watermelons.

Finally, these guys will stick around for several weeks (upwards of a month) if stored properly: apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, potatoes, and winter squash.

This website also has a great storage list in alphabetical order.

(Source: Vegetarian Times)