Looking to try the Plant Based Diet? Receive a simple, 7-day, vegan, Plant-Based Guide with recipes to help nourish and energize the body, rev up the metabolism, and shed unwanted weight. Yours free when you subscribe to the blog!
Whether you are just looking for a week of healthy plant-based eating to give your body a break, are participating in Plant-Based January, or are wanting to make the switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet, here is a PLANT-BASED Recipe Guide to help you on your journey.
A little back story: For several years, I have watched my own metabolism slow down and my weight slowly creep up. Growing up, I was naturally slim and it wasn’t really until my forties that I noticed weight gain that was harder to shed.
When I was young, losing a few pounds used to be fairly easy. Not anymore! Although I’ve never considered myself to be overweight, I gained fat around my middle that made me feel sluggish and unhealthy that I couldn’t seem to lose. I tried many different diet fads. Nothing really seemed to work.
So I tried something different. I started listening and paying attention to what my body was actually telling me. In the beginning, I just started noticing what and when I was eating and why. I noticed that much of the time I ate when I was not actually hungry. I did a lot of mindless eating… eating whatever was sitting on the counter as I walked past regardless if I was hungry. Being a caterer, there was always food in front of me, which inevitably ended up in my mouth! I noticed if the “healthy” nuts were out, and I had just one, even though I wasn’t hungry, I’d enviably eat the entire bowl. The salt! The fat! I loved it!
I started paying attention to how my body felt – acknowledging the foods left me feeling energized, satiated and deeply nourished. And this is different for each of us. We are genetically different and no one diet is right for all of us. And the interesting thing is most diets actually “work” if they align with your genetics and lifestyle. Meaning, most diets – vegan, keto, paleo, low-fat, low-carb, pescatarian, etc, can all work to help people lose weight. The issue is, which one is the best for you? Keto works for many folks, like my husband. But if your body is a slow metabolizer of fat (like mine) it just won’t work the same way. I feel much better eating a “clean” Mediterranean diet. Perhaps the best thing for our bodies is just simply to mix things up – eat more variety, consume a diverse array of veggies and fruit, and eat with the seasons.
I noticed how there were foods that actually caused me to feel ravenous and overeat. These were processed foods. Most of us can agree, that processed foods, even so-called “healthy” ones, create inflammation, cravings, and rev up our appetites even more, making them incredibly easy to overeat. Most processed foods, contain inflammation-causing “seed” oils (polyunsaturated fats, aka PUFA’s)- canola oil, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, corn oil, and soybean oil- which were introduced to our diet not too long ago. They seem to cause inflammation, lower immunity, are near impossible to burn off. They can “hijack” our fat cells and actually turn our “satiated signals” off, making us crave even more inflammatory foods. When was the last time you tried to eat just one tortilla chip? It’s impossible.
Some doctors believe that if you just changed this one thing, and eliminated seeds oils, your health would improve greatly. Some are even prioritizing this over eliminating sugar and smoking. Seriously.
The problem is, these Polyunsaterated seed oils (or PUFAS) are in practically everything. Even “healthy” things! Vegan burger patties, organic, store-bought hummus, nut milk, vegan cheeses, vegan mayo, store-bought salad dressings, sauces, even healthy “organic”, “non-GMO” products. Check the labels friends- it’s concerning!
So the week of “clean-eating” begins with cutting out all these processed foods (even vegan ones!) for a period of time, allowing our bodies a break, and help reset our taste buds. Eating plant-based meals, with lots of healthy fruits and veggies, slow metabolizing carbs, plant-based proteins, healthy fats, allows our bodies to do what it naturally does… balance and heal itself.
This diet feeds our healthy gut bacteria which is key to immune healthy. It energizes us and keeps us healthy.
So, though I am not technically vegan, I do a week of plant-powered eating every month or so. In January, I do it for the whole month. It’s a nice practice and I know my body feels the benefits, and I just wanted to share it.
9 Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet:
- lowers cholesterol
- boosts immunity
- heals the gut
- helps heal diabetes
- lowers inflammation,
- lowers blood pressure,
- reduces cancer risk,
- lowers heart disease
- Is the least taxing diet on the environment.
There is even research out there that states that eating vegan for a 3 month period can actually affect our DNA! Studies by Dean Ornish and others show how a plant-based diet affects the length of our telomeres, and ultimately slow the aging process. Don’t take my word for it, please do your own research and see for yourself.
And while we take this “break” our bodies become better able to absorb all the good clean nutrients we are putting into them. Fresh fruits and veggies are full of prebiotics! Slow-metabolizing carbs like beans and whole grains feed our healthy gut bacteria which helps support our immune system. I find that in the process, I start to actually crave these whole plant-based foods because I feel better, sleep better and have way more energy.
So this is what I try to do every couple months: For 7 days, I’ll cut out all processed foods, meat, dairy, refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol. I make all meals from scratch, cooking only a few very simple meals that I eat throughout the week. I keep it very simple. This is KEY. (Now, of course, you can transition into the whole food, plant-based vegan diet full time. It need not be a “cleanse”, but rather a lifestyle change if you so choose.)
On an ongoing daily basis, I try to practice intermittent fasting most days, adopting a 16/8 fasting schedule (eating just 2 meals a day within an 8 hour period, with no snacking-allowing my body to rest for 16 hours). This helps moderate insulin spikes and promotes autophagy. For more information on the benefits of fasting or intermittent fasting, read this recent article from Harvard Medical School and this Wikipedia article. If you struggle with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, I highly recommend that you research and consider this.
And yes, occasionally I splurge because I really don’t believe in depriving one’s self of all life’s pleasures. For example, I really love ice-cream… but I realized I made a habit of it, eating it every night after dinner. Did I really need to eat it every single night?! I decided I would eat it, only when I really really wanted it, which ended up being far less than I thought. I changed the habit of eating it. And I also changed the habit of constantly snacking when I wasn’t hungry- substituting this tea, or this apple cider vinegar drink called a switchel. This was huge for me.
Slowly but surely, I lost weight for the first time in years. At first, I didn’t actually notice the weight loss, it was that slow. But I felt more energy during the day and slept better at night. After several months, I weighed myself and was astounded. My cholesterol also went down (which is important to me personally, because both of my parents had heart bypass surgery). I’m not promising miracles here, but I think if you give it a try, you may be pleasantly surprised- like I was.
In the free, 7 DAY Plant-Based Guide I lay out a list of things to begin your journey. Please don’t feel like you have to do ALL these things in the first week (unless you really want to jumpstart your body). I’ve found that lasting success comes from gradually and gently incorporating these changes into your lifestyle so they become a more lasting habit. This is key.
Weight will come off a little more slowly, but this is a good thing, and this way it will most likely last. So go ahead and start with just one or two things this week. Then next week add another, and then another the following week so it’s not so overwhelming or dramatic. This is not intended to be a “diet”, but rather a lifestyle change for increased energy, vibrancy and gradual weight loss, with a “jumpstart” option if you are so inclined.
For the record, I am not a dietitian and I can’t say that the PLANT-BASED Diet is right for everyone. Please don’t take my word for it, do your own research, listen to your body and make sure this is a good fit for you. We are all so different, and I don’t believe in “one size fits all”. But this is what has worked for me- and I just wanted to share it! (By the way, the guide is totally FREE, just for subscribing to the blog. )
*I’m not here to try to convince you to become vegan, (I don’t believe the vegan diet is right for everyone long term) but rather show you simple ways to include more nutritious, veggie-focused, home-cooked meals into your life, and try to help wean you off of processed foods.
There are many paths to health, and my hope is to inspire and motivate you to find your own. Take inventory of how you feel and start taking responsibility for your health. This is not your doctor’s job- this is your job. We only get one body while we are here… and our food choices do affect our health.
Not only does the guide contain helpful tips and tricks to make the transition easier- it contains delicious Vegan Recipes that will keep you feeling vibrant, energized and satisfied! A week without processed foods does wonders for the body. Just imagine what a month would do! Now imagine a whole year!
Here are a few of my favorite resources that have inspired the PLANT-BASED Guide.
- The Longevity Diet
- The Obesity Code
- Wildatarian Diet
- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- Fat Burn Fix-great info on seed oils
- The Blue Zones
- Delay Don’t Deny
- Eat to Live
- Mastering Diabetes
Subscribe to the blog and get my free 7-DAY, PLANT-BASED RECIPE GUIDE and make some simple changes starting today! Once you sign up you’ll receive the list of things you can start implementing into your daily routine, along with some simple delicious recipes!
No strings attached, ever. 🙂
PLANT-BASED Diet
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Northwest
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple, vegan, 7-DAY, PLANT-BASED Diet with step by step guide and Vegan Recipes! Heal your body, increase your energy, rev up your metabolism and shed weight! Free!
Ingredients
- fruits
- vegetables
- plant-based protein and fat
- whole grains
Instructions
Read the Plant-Based guide.
Clean out your fridge. Clean out your pantry. Round up all your snacks and processed foods and put them out of site (basement, garage,or give away).
Take inventory of what you have that fits in with the guide- and use these things! Grains, beans, produce, etc.
Pick out a few vegan recipes, make a shopping list and prep a few things ahead for the week.
The key is keeping things simple, using what you have on hand -and incorporating fresh produce.
Cook from scratch! It won’t be hard or complicated.
Fill your self up with fresh vibrant food and you won’t be hungry for the processed stuff.
You can do this. 🙂
Keywords: vegan diet, vegan diet plan, how to become vegan, plant based diet, plant based, vegan recipes, vegan dinners, vegan lifestyle, how to go vegan, how to be vegan, vegetable diet, clean eating diet, clean eating guide
Hey Silvia,
Thank you so much for this with Your and My friendly neighbors named Mark Grace and Steve etc. I am to try cookbooks everyday of the month!😁🧑🍳🧑🍳👨🌾🧑🌾👩🌾
Sincerely your new Bay plant based diet friend
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Thanks Oliver!
I do not know what is the problem. I could not download the recipes.
Try to print, then instead save as a pdf?
I’m commenting and rating the free recipe guide I received for subscribing to your blog. I absolutely loved all the wonderful information you had to share. My family did the arbonne cleanse for 30 days. We couldn’t believe how great we felt and lost a little weight. It was a plant based cleanse with recipes. When we finished it we decided we were going plant based lifestyle. It made us feel so good our moods are better we don’t get hungry as we used to be all the time and we have more energy. When we were done we were a little lost because we didn’t have many vegan recipes and had no idea where to get them. My husband and I are so happy we found your website! We have made a few recipe and have loved every single one of them. You have such amazing recipes! I have shared your website with my son and daughter-in-law since raving about how good your recipes are and have so many to choose from. I just want to thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience and most of all your recipes. I think more people want to go plant based but are really not sure how. You ideas and suggestions are such a great way to start this lifestyle change for the better. I truly can tell that your heart is into helping people live a better healthy life. Thank you so much!!
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Thanks so much Diana- so happy the guide helped you both and that you are enjoying the plant-based recipes. Appreciate this so much and thank you for sharing- means so much! Yes, my heart is in this- glad you can “feel” this through the screen. All the best to you on your healthy journey and thanks for being here.
Hi Sylvia,
I love the simplicity and wholesomeness of your recipes, we are mainly vegetarian, your website is my preferred resource for recipes And I also refer my patients to your website.love everything you do. Would love to see kids lunch box ideas with vegetarian options.
Thank you
Thanks so much Suneetha. Will start thinking about this!
I am vegetarian on gluten-free diet for my autoimmune disease and esp Rheumatoid arthritis. Already doing intermittent fasting. Would love to learn more in order to enjoy good health
★★★★★
Welcome to the blog! Glad you found your way here. 🙂
Informative blog, lot of key aspects covered. Thank you!
Just subscribed..cant wait to try your recipes..especially for our son with MS
Thanks Ester!
Looking forward to starting my vegan 7 day plant based journey.
Please let us know how it goes!
I am excited to learn more. I have been wanting to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my family’s diet. I have not been very successful because I can’t seem to find a good variety of recipes that are both filling and to my family’s taste. Will your guide help in this area?
I think it will. 🙂 You could also just pick one- two days a week where you eat plant-based and start from there.
Trying to find a meal plan that would help me lose belly fat and detox my liver, I found and downloaded the pdf of your “Simple, 7-day, plant-based Clean-Eating Guide” several days ago, and then had a conversation two days ago with a friend about intermittent fasting (2 days/week @ 600 kcal). I started my first 600-kcal day yesterday to kick off my new eating habits based on your suggestions. I’m looking forward to the outcome and will share my results. I used to teach nutrition, so I’m 1,000% on board with your meal and food suggestions. I’ve always felt better, “lighter” when meat is not the feature of my meals, and I already cook all my meals from scratch, so this should be an easy refocus of my food priorities. Thank you for your suggestions.
Thanks Emily- keep me posted. Make sure to include lots of plant-based protein, it will help with satiety.
I just subscribed to your website. Can’t wait to try your recipes.
Awww…. thanks so much Gina! Happy you are here!
Help! I subscribed and received plan, but can’t seem to access it any longer.
Hi Jan it is linked at the top of each Saturday email. 🙂
Thank you for sharing both receipts (which I’ve loved this far) and inspiration towards a plant based diet.
Just what I needed!
Best to you – April
★★★★★
thanks April!
Hi Sylvia
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes. I spent my day preparing 3 soups and 2 drinks, namely the minestrone, the lentil soup and another recipe of mine which is just leeks, zucchini, miso, vegetable stock and pepper; Ayurvedic turmeric detox tea and the Switchel.
Each recipe tastes delicious and my hubby said he kept smelling these delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. So happy! I’ll be trying the vegetable spring rolls for lunches next. I’m thinking of varying the ingredients to make a range of combos such as 1. tomatoes, red onion, olives or olive tapenade, capers (I love these tiny flavour bombs); 2. Tomato, edamame, avocado and cucumber. Hopefully these flavours will marry well enough together!
With regard to the Switchel drink, how much of the recipe should I be drinking every day for it to be effective …I made around 32 fluid oz (940ml).
Keep well and regards
Rosina
Rosina, Glad you are enjoying the process. Studies show that drinking 2 tablespoons of AC vinegar a day can help to lower weight if that is what you are after. I’m not sure how strong you made the switchel?
Hi Sylvia, I put in 2 tablespoons so that means I need to drink it all in one day. Thanks again for your help.
Ok great! I guess you could always make it stronger if you want to drink less?
Hi Sylvia, I discovered your blog today and am most excited to give it all a go. I note that in the drinks section, the Switchel recipe hyperlink takes you to the masala chai recipe instead. I tried searching for Switchel but got no result. I am very interested in an apple cider drink to have first thing in the morning. Would you have a recipe for such a drink available please? I look forward to hearing from you.
Sorry about that! Type “apple cider” in the search bar, it should come up.
Thank you for your prompt response. Got it, all good.
I subscribed to the blog but I can’t see where to access the Plant Based Guide
Did you get any emails? Do you get the weekly email?
I printed one of your recipes and it included nutrition information, but I tried others and the nutrition was not included in the printed version. Please make nutrition information available in all of your printable recipes, it it very important to have it and writing it on the copy should not have to be done.
Hi Arlene, sorry about that- some of the older recipes don’t have the nutritional info. I am slowly going through and adding, but there 900+ recipes on the blog and so it is taking me some time. If there ever any specific ones you want, just leave a comment on that recipe, and I will get to it within 24 hours.
I am trying to cook vegetarian meals at least 3 or4 times a week. I need to learn how to prepare and cook the huge variety of peas beans and lentil most of which I have never used before and don’t know the names of.
Good for you-it can be fun exploring new ingredients!
Hello Sylvia, I’m just starting plant base life style. I was wondering if you are able to suggest to me a good plant base cookbook?
There are so many! Have you heard of Green Kitchen Stories- I believe they have a few cookbooks!
Hi Sylvia! It is the first time in years i ever leave a comment in any blog. But yours is just outstanding and deserve a massive congratulations and thank you. Your recipes are super. Every day i try one dish and it is always a success. I really don t like cooking but I get excited in executing anything you post!
Thanks again
Thanks so much-very appreciated!
I really enjoyed this blog in so many ways. Very interesting insights and while having the upper most respect for the study and work of dieticians, sometimes not being one, gives you a small advantage. You are able to still keep an open mind to alternative schools of thought and ideas that have not been written down in the text books. One of which as you very clearly emphasize is the importance of stopping and listening to what our own body is trying to tell us.
I sometimes think that our gut feelings originate from our genes that contain the sum total experiences of our forefathers. We should never underestimate ourselves; we know a lot more than we realise!
I agree. 🙂
Feastingathome is the BEST BLOG about weight loss, I read it practically every day. I am also happy that I was able to find because it not only allowed me to lose weight, but also to maintain a great figure, I hope it will help others!
★★★★★
thanks Andre- glad the recipes are helping on your weight loss journey!
Where have you been all my life?! I am enjoying your recipes so much!!! The recipes are creative, the instructions are easy to follow and the pictures are not just beautiful but very helpful in helping me achieve the final product. Thank you so much for the work you do and please continue to create more culinary wonders. I am so grateful!
★★★★★
thanks Lyn, glad you are enjoying!
Hello Sylvia, I love the your recipes and I have cooked about half of these listed under the 40 mouthwatering vegan recipes. Being a vegan, whenever I get stuck for ideas I always remember to visit your website and I am immediately refreshed again. I was wondering, do you have a cookbook coming out? If you did, I would totally order this!
Thank you again
Kind regards,
Kathryn
Awww thanks Kathryn- no cookbook yet. 😉
I love your blog!! I would love to know what you think is a good quality probiotic to take in the morning like you recommend!
Taylor- I try to mix it up and switched to taking it at night. Right now I’m loving Trader’s Joes Women’s Blend.
Your recipes are inspiring! I didn’t think I could go plant based. Have started to lose weight, gain energy, and lower my cholesterol. This has saved my life!
Thank you so much!.
There are so many great recipes I can’t wait to try them all!.
Awwwww… thanks and glad it is working for you.
Thank you so much for your inspiration. I am ready to start treating my body like a temple and have found this article wonderful and encouraging.
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Love it!
Great information & recipes. Thanks so much!
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I recently came across your recipes and signed up right away. I have to thank you for posting these incredible recipes in addition to all the great information you provide. My husband is a huge meatasaur but has been trying more and more whole foods recipes I’ve been making. when I show him the photos, he says, yes that looks really good.
This is exactly what I was looking for in my never ending search to eat better.
With so much gratitude
★★★★★
Love it Mimi- glad the blog is helping!
wow wow and just wow! Thanks so much for your inspiration, dedication and sharing your recipes.
★★★★★
Thanks so much!!!
Hi and happy new year!
I am interested in the 7-day cleanse. Could you share please?
When you sign up for emails, it will automatically come to you.