2011-02-21&02-23 素食与养生健康（在线收听）

I have been looking forward to this. Our next guest inspired another than Oprah, and more than 300 of her staff are to go on a vegan diet for a week. That means no animal products, no meat, eggs or dairy. In her new best-selling book, I read it over the weekend, Veganist, Kathy Freston explains that it’s not about what you give up, it’s what you gain.

Exactly!

Good to see you.

Good to see you.

Tell people, Veganist, what you mean by that?

Well, a veganist is someone who doesn’t eat anything from an animal, so like you said, no dairy, no eggs, no meat, no fish. But they are eating things that grew in the ground or on trees, so whole grains, beans, veggies, potatoes, nuts and seeds, all kinds of fruits. And you’re gonna eat delicious things that are good for your health, because even the American Dietetic Association says people eating a vegan diet have lower rates of heart disease, lower rates of blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, so it’s so good for your health, you lose weight really easily, and it’s delicious.

You discussed that all in your book, and what, I really appreciate it, is that you help us lean into it, it’s not going cold vegan turkey, as you like to say.

Absolutely. Yeah, you just, take out eating one animal at a time and replace it with a vegan meal that looks like your traditional favorite foods, and just lean into it. You don’t have to make the change overnight but just gradually move toward vegan food.

But you know what a lot people say, they’re always thinking incorrectly like where I’m gonna get

protein if I’m not eating meat, but there are so many other ways you can get it.

Oh, my gosh, there are so much protein in whole grains, in beans, in legumes, like chickpeas, black beans, lentils, tofu, seitan, all kinds of high protein meat alternatives, so protein is definitely not a problem.

All right, the proof is in the putting so to speak, so what do we have here? I’m really gonna to taste this.

Yes. Well, these are foods that were my traditionally favorite foods, all American foods that I really didn’t want to give up. So this is a pasta Bolognese and so it’s made with meatless meat crumble, so it tastes and looks like the traditionally favorite food, but there is nothing from an animal in it. So it tastes really good.

Meatless crumble, what did you say?

They’re meatless meat crumble, so you can find it in your grocer’s freezer or refrigerator, and you just stir it up just like you with ground beef, and you pour it over the pasta, and it tastes just like your spaghetti Bolognese.

That’s good.

Good. Excellent.

That’s good.

And you know the pasta…the pasta doesn’t have eggs in it, a lot of people think that pasta has eggs in it, but only fresh pasta has eggs. So if you buy box pasta, you are fine, you are eating vegan food.

They get no meat in this.

No. Nothing. So you’re not gonna feel like you’re missing out on your favorite traditional food.

Great. What do we have here? What is it? This is chicken parmesan? Wow, not chicken…

No. This is like the classic American dinner that I ate all the time, which is chicken parmesan, mashed potatoes and green beans. So what I use here is a product called Gardein, and that’s a high protein meat alternative, you can find it in the freezer or refrigerator at your grocer’s anywhere.

OK.

It’s loaded with protein, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and it looks and tastes like chicken soup. Anything you would make with chicken, you can make with Gardein. It’s really really good.

Oh, come on.

I know, right? It’s really like anything you would have with chicken, you can make this. So I love, love, love this product. And the mashed potatoes are, see your mouth is full…the mashed potatoes are made with soymilk and nondairy butter, so it’s nothing from an animal but still tastes like your classic mashed potatoes.

Kids, you can’t get kids to go vegan, it’s very difficult to get them to.

Well, here is the thing--don’t tell them.

OK.

But you are gonna have your hotdogs and hamburgers; but they are veggie dogs and veggie burgers. So it looks and tastes like the things that they are eating with their friends, but there’s nothing from an animal. And here is again, one of my favorite products despite Gardein, it’s a crispy seven-grain tenders, and it’s just like chicken fingers, and they will love it, you just put the dipping sauce down, and it’s good.

We have just a few seconds left, we gotta have dessert.

Gotta have dessert. These are two of my favorites—Purely Decadent, Cherry Nirvana is my favorite flavor.

Is this one?

Yes, and there’s no milk or dairy in there. And this one is made from coconut milk and it is so smooth and creamy. Right? You don’t miss anything.

George, wait a minute, George, this is some good stuff.

I’ll try some.

This is some really good stuff.

Try it!

So we’re saying… right here.

Here we go. This one? (yeah.) Mind your shot?

No, no.

Kathy, thank you because it is healthy for us. It’s sometimes difficult for us to do and you really kind of walk us through it.

Just lean into it because there are so many great benefits in that.

Oh, that is great.

We’re leaning into the diary’s rocker, I’m sorry. I have to go so fast but Kathy thank you so much. You can read an excerpt from her book, get answers of most common questions following a vegan diet at our website abcnew.com/GMA.