Weight Loss & Diet Plans

The Kind Diet

The Kind Diet: How It Works continued...

Anecdotes, cooking advice, eating-out strategies, and motivational tips encourage readers to stick with their chosen plan for four weeks before moving on to the next phase.  

"No counting calories, no deprivation is my mantra, and if you follow the plan you can lose weight," says Silverstone. For quick weight loss, dieters are encouraged to follow the superhero plan (which adds up to about 1,600 daily calories) six days a week.

"I lost about 15-18 pounds on the plan and even as early as two weeks into the diet, I felt a huge lift," says Silverstone. "My skin was glowing, my nails were stronger, and my body was operating at peak performance because I cleaned out all the junk in my diet." ”

Based on her personal experiences and philosophy, Silverstone also claims the vegan lifestyle will lead to clearer skin, higher energy levels, mental clarity, and smoother digestive function.

 As for exercise, The Kind Diet recommends going outside for walks, playing games or sports with friends, practicing yoga, or engaging in fun exercises three to five times a week. Silverstone prefers activities that allow you to commune with nature to the rigors of the gym.

The Kind Diet: What the Experts Say

There is no question about the healthfulness of a vegetarian lifestyle. 

An American Dietetic Association position paper says that a vegan or vegetarian diet, if properly planned, can be safe. It notes that a meat-free meal plan may lower rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Studies show that vegetarians not only eat less saturated fat and cholesterol but also get more of certain nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fiber.

"The power of plant foods is amazing, and food really can be your medicine," says Kate Geagan, RD, author of Go Green, Get Lean.  "Vegans tend to live longer, have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and weigh less than meat eaters.

"If we could encourage Americans to cut back on animal products, we can improve their diets by reducing the amount of artery-clogging saturated fat that comes from high-fat meats and cheeses -- and also reduce our carbon footprint."

Indeed, a study in the May 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a non-vegetarian diet required 2.9 times more water, 2.5 times more primary energy, 13 times more fertilizer and 1.4 times more pesticides than a vegetarian diet.

Geagan says you can lose weight and eat healthier following The Kind Diet, but the other benefits ascribed to it, such as clearer skin, are anecdotal. 

"At the end of the day, a vegan diet is a super-healthy, lower-fat and -calorie diet with some nutrient limitations that can be corrected as long as you are aware of getting enough calcium, vitamins D and B12."  (She suggests taking a daily multivitamin for nutritional insurance.)

One thing Geagan would have liked to see added to the book: A nutrient analysis of each recipe. She says that readers might be more encouraged to try new foods by seeing how high in protein and fiber - and low in fat, sodium and calories -- they can be.