The notes from this presentation by Dr. Irminne Van Dyken were taken at Dr. John McDougall’s Advanced Study Weekend. In her presentation, Dr. Van Dyken describes how you can adopt a Plant Based diet to help avoid the scalpel. You learn about the links between nutrition and some of the most common cancers that are […]
Maple Vanilla Hot Cereal (Low fat, vegan)
I love hot cereal. I never thought I would, either. After going low fat whole foods plant based (as opposed to “just” whole foods plant based), I gave up my beloved nut-butters on whole grain toast… and felt a bit lost. But it didn’t last too long after I hauled out the hot cereal (and […]
Does sugar feed cancer cells? (Or: why I eat low fat whole food vegan!)
One of the main reasons I am following a plant based diet is due to my father’s death from pancreatic cancer. For many years I searched for a healthful diet, and finally landed on a plant based diet. I also wanted to eliminate sugar, because I believed it fed cancer. Well, two big changes happened […]
We are switching specifically to a low fat plant based diet, no oil
I made the complete switch to a whole food plant based diet about a year ago, however I wasn’t specifically low fat until this weekend. We eat entirely plant based, relatively whole food, and not too much fat except special treats… but I can’t say I counted fat grams for many of the whole foods […]
McDougall Advanced Study Weekend Articles
NOTE: This page is being updated as I finish cleaning up the notes and adding links. I have about 10 or so sessions in total, so follow this page/site in order to be notified when new sessions are added. Thanks! The following articles are my notes from the McDougall Program Advanced Study Weekend. The weekend […]
How can I eat a plant based diet on a budget? It’s too expensive!
Starting a new diet based on health can be daunting. Not only do you need to adjust what you cook, but your monthly expenses also change as a result of a different grocery list. Many people think that starting a plant based diet is expensive, and therefore unrealistic considering their budget. However, it is certainly […]
Creamy Ginger Vanilla Oatmeal: a filling vegan breakfast
This plant-based ginger vanilla oatmeal is a hearty breakfast that is filled with nutrients. You can even add your favorite nutrient-rich toppings to increase nutrition even more. Nut-based or your favorite plant-based milk makes this oatmeal creamy while keeping the recipe plant-based and vegan-friendly. Two of my favorite wintertime spices are used: ginger, and vanilla. […]
New vegan bacon at Whole Foods Market – 300 store roll-out
Three-hundred Whole Foods locations will soon have a new plant-based bacon product in its stores. Hooray Foods bacon product, which is made primarily from oil, rice flour, and starch. Note: The featured image is of vegan bacon, but not this new product from Hooray Foods. See their product in the video below! This vegan bacon […]
Swedish store Felix pricing food products based on climate impact
All food products have an impact on the environment, and they are responsible for about 1/4 of worldwide carbon emissions. However, in almost all cases animal agriculture and other animal products have a larger impact on the environment than plant-based ones. A grocery store in Sweden is now pricing its products to reflect that impact. […]
Plant Based Diet Definition: What being “plant based” means according to leading experts and organizations
There is a lot of confusion about what a plant based diet is, and what food it includes. People ask: is a “plant based diet” primarily plants and some animal proteins, or all plants. There isn’t a centralized page or official organization to find a definition; therefore, we have to look to where and how […]
Chipotle Lime Mayo / Spread / Aioli recipe (Oil free, Vegan, SOS free option)
Burritos are a staple at our house. We have a bunch of variations on the standard burrito (a few recipes are on this site already, and more are to come), but this chipotle spread is tasty on every variety we’ve eaten so far. The smoky chipotle flavor combines perfectly with the hint of tangy lime […]
Three favorite spreads to use as potato toppings (Vegan, no oil)
Potatoes are a staple in my diet. They are not fattening, healthy, and provide a lot of energy (I teach cardio classes at the gym, in addition to attending a lot of intense classes – need that energy!) I also noticed that my cravings for fat and sugar declined after increasing the amount of starch […]
Role of Nutrition and the Microbiome in heart disease prevention (Dr Monica Aggarwal)
Since I started learning about plant-based health, learning about the microbiome and gut health has been one of the most fascinating and influential topics I have come across. I started my journey into healthy eating (as opposed to dieting to lose weight) after losing my dad to an aggressive cancer. I think that’s why learning […]
A plant-based diet, diabetes, and fat (Dr. John McDougall)
This presentation by Dr. John McDougall MD was about the relationship between fat and type 2 diabetes (T2D). He discusses both the dangers of conventional western treatments for T2D, and how a low-fat plant-based diet can be both preventative and a cure for those with the T2D condition. A video of this presentation is embedded […]