The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (19 page)

Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette (page
265
)

Mixed Berry Cheesecake (page
192
) or Coffee Fudge Brownies (page
181
)

9

Becoming a Superhero

Superhero:
(noun)
a hero possessing extraordinary, often magical powers

So you wanna be a Superhero . . . great! This is one of the most exciting and life-changing opportunities you will ever have. By eating whole, natural foods, your body will cleanse itself from the inside out. You will feel reborn as you tap into the deepest energy of your being.

The Superhero plan is loosely based on the macrobiotic diet, which takes its principles from the diets of traditional cultures throughout the world—essentially fresh whole foods, grown locally and in season. In creating the Superhero plan, I have taken lots of what I love about macrobiotics—its amazing foods and its spirit of balance—and laid it gently atop my vegan foundation. Although the macrobiotic diet is not always 100 percent vegan (fish is an occasional food for some people), following it without any animal food works very well for me and many, many others.

These days, I live mostly in the Superhero plan because it makes me feel my best, but when the pressure is off or I just want to indulge in something slightly naughty, I reach into the regular Vegan recipes and make one of my favorites, like the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, because even Superheroes need a day off. If I had to calculate, I would say I follow the Superhero plan about 80 percent of the time and Vegan the rest.

The Superhero diet begins with selecting whole foods that grow in your region. By eating foods that grow in the climate in which we live, our bodies adapt easily to the changes going on around us, changes in weather, season, and temperature. This adaptability is fundamental to good health.

The Superhero diet revolves around whole grains, vegetables, beans, and lots of other good things. Everything should be as as fresh as possible and organic whenever that’s an option. White sugar, white flour, and processed, chemical-laden garbage are to be avoided entirely. Basically, it’s a return to clean, nourishing, delicious food.
Real
food.

Being a Superhero will teach you how to use food to bring the body back home when you go a little wonky. You’re probably doing this already without knowing it; balancing the drowsiness of the bagel with the shot of espresso, balancing the acid stomach of the burger with the antacid pill, balancing the red wine headache with an aspirin. The problem with this balancing act is that it invites chronic problems—colds, weakness, insomnia, depression, or worse. By eating whole, natural foods, you’ll find that you feel better and need fewer external aids, and you will be able to use foods to bring you home to balance when you’re feeling out of sorts.

No one knows you like you know yourself, so you can become your own expert—in the field of
you
! Think about the last time you had a really bad cold. Did you visit a doctor or treat it aggressively with over-the-counter medications? Instead of throwing drugs at it, why not consider that cold an opportunity to reflect and ask yourself how you contributed to its arrival? Maybe you got run down, ate sugar or dairy. By stopping the behavior that caused the imbalance and applying a food-based remedy, you will make friends with your body, learning how to bring yourself back to balance naturally again and again.

And this responsibility means power. I love knowing that I am responsible for myself! When I have a headache, instead of asking, “Where’s the aspirin?” I ask, “What caused this headache? Ah, the sugar in last night’s chocolate cake. Maybe a little umeboshi tea will bring me back to balance and make me feel better.” The Kind Diet is about waking up to what your body’s telling you because it’s your ultimate authority.

Finally, the Superhero diet is not about being restricted—on the contrary, it’s learning how to play happily in a healthier world. I love eating. I always have. And I haven’t given up
any
of my eating pleasure by following either the Vegan or Superhero diets. If anything, my pleasure has increased as I’ve become stronger and healthier, and I’m enjoying my life more than ever. It’s great to know that I can take care of myself, giving my body and the planet the TLC we deserve.

Being a Superhero is really about trusting nature, which is magical and transformative. You are healthier, more powerful, and more intuitive than you know, but lousy foods have kept you stuck and weak. By embracing all the Superhero foods and letting go of everything that holds you back, you allow nature to scrub you clean to reveal your natural superpowers. It may not feel great at the beginning, but your mind will be absolutely blown as you stick with it.

The Superhero plan distinguishes itself from the Vegan plan in the following ways:

Whole grains are emphasized even more:
I know I’ve mentioned whole grains a lot, but the Superhero plan really puts them squarely at the center of the diet. Eat whole grains at most meals, and consider bread and other flour products “fun” foods for occasional consumption.

Processed foods are reduced even further:
Because the Superhero plan is about harmonizing with nature, processed foods (even vegan ones) aren’t a big part of the picture. To experience the maximum Superhero buzz, cut them out altogether.

Nightshade vegetables are minimized:
A handful of vegetables—namely potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers—are generally to be avoided because they are high in substances called alkaloids, which can cause inflammation in the joints. These plants are members of a family called “nightshades” and have long been associated with arthritis.

My policy with nightshades is to keep them out of my kitchen most of the time, but I’ll eat them for a treat at a restaurant. In the middle of the summer, I will definitely enjoy some heirloom tomatoes because they are one of life’s great pleasures, and I want to give a shout-out to the amazing potato, which I indulge in about once a month; but as a part of my daily diet, I recognize that these veggies are not good for me. Sure, they contain lots of nutrients when broken down in a science lab, but their overall alkaloid content is too high for daily consumption, and there are definitely easier ways to get those same nutrients. By the way, although sweet potatoes are cousins to the potato, they are not nightshades. Thank goodness!

Magic foods play a bigger role:
Eating miso soup, some pickles here and there, and the regular consumption of sea vegetables (one arame or hijiki dish per week, others used in cooking) are important ways to maintain Superhero powers.

Soy milk is phased out:
If you want to be a Superhero, consider soy milk a treat. I use it for baking or when a recipe calls for it, but not as an everyday food. Soy milk can cause gas, is extremely processed, and is high in fat and plant-based estrogens. This is not a Superhero food, my friends! I keep soy milk in the house, but digestion-wise, I find that my body prefers rice milk. That said, I don’t lean on any product as a milk substitute, to be used on a regular basis, other than the occasional bowl of granola. The whole idea of needing to drink a glass of “milk” of any kind is simply off my radar. Of course, plant-based milks are a million times better than cow’s milk, but we really don’t
need
either of them—especially Superheroes! FYI: Tofu is much less processed than soy milk, so it’s an excellent, nutritious choice a couple of times a week.

Maple syrup and other strong sweeteners are used in very limited quantities:
I consider maple syrup a super fun, sexy, and tasty friend, but she takes me on quite a ride, so I don’t hang out with her every day. Ditto agave syrup. They are all very concentrated substances, delivering strong sweetness, and are therefore difficult to balance effectively. For example, when I eat any raw maple syrup before bed, I have a hard time sleeping and find myself waking up like a crazy person. To avoid this little drama, I stick to rice syrup and barley malt for my regular Superhero sweetening.

Fruit is an occasional treat:
For your regular day-to-day eating, try to eat fruit that is grown in your climate. Fruits from the tropics are not appropriate for a body experiencing snow and sleet—they cool it off too much. Yes, on a really hot, humid Manhattan day, a slice of pineapple is amazing, but no fruit from a climate that is the opposite of yours is good for everyday consumption. Make them treats. In fact, because too much fruit is believed to weaken the blood, the ideal Superhero diet includes much less fruit than you might be used to, about one piece of fruit a day. That amount is fine, but don’t feel like you
have
to have even that much; instead, focus on getting plenty of healthy greens.

Herbs and spices are used in moderation:
Spices like cayenne and curries are powerful and have a strong effect on the body. If we want our bodies to come to a centered, relaxed place, it’s important to use simple food—at least for a while. Many Superheroes use herbs and spices here and there to create variety, but don’t get into a habit of putting them in every dish. To the Superhero tongue, simple food tastes fantastic.

Nuts are also eaten in moderation:
Don’t go nuts on nuts or nut butters. They’re really high in fat. About a cup a week is perfect.

Salt is used with care:
Excess salt can make you cranky, withdrawn, and craving sweets. It also can trigger cravings for fat or binges. Here are some good rules of thumb when it comes to salt:

• Always cook salt into dishes completely. No salt or soy sauce should be added to food at the table. Sea salt needs to be cooked into a dish for 10 minutes, and shoyu needs 5 minutes to incorporate fully.
  
• Develop a light touch with salt. Dishes should never taste salty—salt is there to bring the natural tastes of the food forward, not to cover them.
  
• If you feel like you’re getting too salty (if you have a salty taste in your mouth, have dark circles under your eyes, or are always thirsty), reduce your salt intake and drink a healing broth made by simmering a dried shiitake mushroom in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes. This will help your body release the excess salt. A hot bath works, too.
  

YOUR SUPERHERO PANTRY

Below is a list of the foods used on the Superhero diet. Not everything here is absolutely essential, but let this be a guide, and always choose organic when available. Don’t feel you need to buy everything all at once. Pick up the ingredients for some Superhero recipes (Chapter
15
) that appeal to you, and cook those dishes. Next time choose different recipes that use a few other ingredients. After you’ve done this several times, your pantry will be nicely rounded out.

• Whole grains:
  brown rice (short grain, medium grain, long grain), brown basmati, millet, quinoa, barley, oats, wild rice, and any other grain that strikes your fancy
  
• Grain products:
  mochi, whole wheat, udon and soba noodles, whole wheat sourdough bread (unyeasted is best), couscous, polenta
  
• Beans:
  azuki beans, green lentils, chickpeas, black beans, red lentils, pinto, kidney, black-eyed peas, and any other beans that turn you on
  
• Vegetables:
  leafy greens (collards, kale, bok choy, napa cabbage), root vegetables (carrots, daikon, burdock), and many others: onions, broccoli, cabbage, snow peas, celery, winter squash, summer squash, cucumbers, scallions, leeks
  
• Magic foods:
  unpasteurized miso (aged 2 years), umeboshi plums, dried shiitake mushrooms, sea vegetables (kombu, arame, hijiki, nori, wakame, and agar agar)
  
• Seasonings:
  shoyu, sea salt, umeboshi vinegar, brown rice vinegar, mirin (rice cooking wine)
  
• Oils:
  olive, safflower (or sunflower), and sesame oil
  
• Sweeteners:
  brown rice syrup and maple syrup
  
• Fruit:
  local, seasonal fresh fruit; dried fruit like raisins and apricots
  
• Beverages:
  kukicha and barley teas, amazake, apple and carrot juice (best made fresh)
  
• Nuts and seeds:
  almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, tahini, and nut butters
  
• Extras:
  Sweet Rice rice candies, Eden rice crackers, popcorn