Healthy Hollywood: Wellness Wednesday – 21 Days On A Vegan Diet!

It is week two of Healthy Hollywood’s quest to go vegan for 21 days. I, Terri MacLeod, have to admit the first seven days were a breeze. I had plenty of tasty and filling meals of grains and veggies, thanks to my vegan guru Brendan Brazier. An authority on eating clean and author the Thrive book series, Brendan generously got me started with a complimentary five day meal plan on his vegan home delivery service, Thrive Foods Direct. The menu offered dishes like sweet potato and vegetable quinoa to Mediterranean lasagna to an Asian black bean and vegetable stir-fry. Big thumbs up on taste and satisfaction!

But, Healthy Hollywood has to admit I got off the vegan track the last few days when I had to go out of town on a location shoot for NBC’s “The Revolution.” But, as Brendan told me it’s all about progress not immediate perfection. And, I did survive the first week without any cravings for meat or sugar and was told repeatedly by friends that my skin looked incredible. Brendan told me a clear complexion is definitely a benefit of eating clean. So, I’m still game!

If you read the vegan diet headlines and take a listen to the first-hand accounts of folks like Ellen DeGeneres, Alicia Silverstone and President Clinton – they all claim eating clean increases overall health.

This week, Healthy Hollywood is on its own preparing meals and I don’t want to chow down on just salad greens. “Make sure you don’t rely on high-calorie refined foods, such as peanut butter, a common mistake and avoid refined carbs, such as pasta, white rice and traditional breads and pastries. Rather, make sure you load up on nutrient-dense foods, such as greens, vegetables, chia, hemp, flax, quinoa etc… Fruit is also a great source of clean-burning carbs for people who are active. Raw nuts and seeds are good, as well,” advises Brendan.

A vegan diet can have lots of variety. It’s really about staying away from any meat-related products and simply making sure your plate is filled with lots of nutrient-dense foods. “You absolutely can get all the nutrients you need on a vegan diet. Remember, animals are really just a conduit for the nutrients that are in the soil – that have been drawn into the plants – and then eaten by the animals. So, you can skip that step and simply eat the plants,” states Brendan.

For more information on Brendan’s eat clean plan, check out www.thrivefoodsdirect.com

— Terri MacLeod

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