Ingredients -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• 1 cup low-fat vegan mayo
• 1/4 cup almond milk, or other plant-based milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sweetener, I used sucanat
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon chives
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt (gives unique flavor), regular salt will work too

Instructions ====================================================

• Begin by making the Low-Fat Vegan Mayonnaise. It is very simple to make in a blender in 5-minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk the mayo and all other ingredients together until smooth. Serve over greens as a salad dressing, or as a dip for endless veggie options.

“One farmer says to me, ‘You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;’ and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle.” —Henry David Thoreau

15 Best Vegan Documentaries

Game Changers is what finally set me on the path from Vegan Junk to whole food plant based. If these elite athletes don't need any of this junk then either does my lazy butt. Who only walks 5k steps a day and works out for 30-45 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week.

Hooray it works well and it is effortless, if you can stick with mostly eating plant foods. I did 20-45 minutes of cardio or HIIT type training 3 of 4 days a week. Not to increase the rate of weight loss but just to start moving again and building muscle. Light weights and high reps because I am starting again at beginner levels.

Diet: Mostly WFPB-SOS all the time. Had 3 meals during this time that didn't follow guidelines but immediately got back on track with the next meal.

Bad News... This is me losing the same weight I have lost before.

2016 I went mostly vegan and mostly junk food vegan. Gained 50+ pounds until 2019 and went WFPB. After losing 80 pounds I decided I could limit myself and slowly allow Vegan Junk back in..... and that was a mistake. That once a month treat turned into every 14 days, weekly, twice a week, daily, 3 times a day. And before I knew it, I had spiraled back out of control and was eating anything and everything. One excuse turned into 5 and I just stopped worrying about it for another 2 years and gained all the weight back.

This time I am trying much harder to limit sugar, salt, oil, and other processed foods because they ultimately are what allows me to "cheat" and I am only cheating myself and my progress. The food and the side effects are never worth it and I end up being sick and bloated and angry at myself.

Share your story. Struggles and successes and everything else!

Not everything "has" to be organic but it is best to buy these 12 foods organic when possible. They are listed as the dirtiest foods with the highest levels of pesticides.

Always clean your fruit and veg, organic or not.

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, Collard & mustard greens
4. Peaches
5. Pears
6. Nectarines
7. Apples
8. Grapes
9. Bell & Hot peppers
10. Cherries
11. Blueberries
12. Green beans

Source: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

for the cleanest 15 foods see this site: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

Share your favorite recipes from any whole food plant based source.

Plant-Based 101 ======================================== What do I eat?

Keep it simple—eat whole, unprocessed foods derived from plants.

Why? --------------------------------------------------------------------- The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are enormous. When you adopt a WFPB lifestyle, you can increase the odds that you will:

1. Lower risk of prostate, breast, and other cancers
2. Prevent, even reverse, heart disease
3. Prevent and treat diabetes
4. Achieve a healthy body weight and increase your energy levels
5. Live longer
6. And much more!

The price? Simply changing your diet. You can achieve profound health benefits by including more whole plant-based foods on your plate.

Let’s break it down into what should and shouldn’t be on your plate...

Whole Food, Plant-Based Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes! Eat these in abundance**

Enjoy a wide range of whole, unrefined plants. You can eat when you’re hungry and eat until you’re full. Strive for diversity in your meals, and include fiber-rich foods that capture all the colors of the nutrition rainbow.

The following list contains many suggestions, but it is not exhaustive. Some items on this list may be inaccessible where you live due to climate or cultural relevance. We encourage you to use these suggestions as a starting point, but explore other foods in the following food groups! Also, choose organic when possible. For produce, please visit the Environmental Working Group’s website to locate their list of the dirty dozen and clean fifteen foods.

Whole Grains & Ancient Grains --------------------------------------------------------------------- amaranth, barley, brown rice, bulgur, farro, millet, quinoa, sorghum, steel cut and rolled oats, teff, wheat berries, whole wheat, wild rice ________________________________________ Legumes --------------------------------------------------------------------- (dried or canned with minimal salt) --------------------------------------------------------------------- adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, fava beans, green beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, peas, pinto beans, soybeans ________________________________________ Greens (fresh or frozen) --------------------------------------------------------------------- arugula, bok choy, chards, cilantro, collards, kale, lettuces, parsley, spinach ________________________________________ Roots --------------------------------------------------------------------- beets, carrots, daikon, garlic, ginger, leeks, onions, potatoes (all colors), radishes, turnips ________________________________________ Other Veggies --------------------------------------------------------------------- asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, peppers, sea vegetables, squash, tomatoes, zucchini ________________________________________ Fruit (fresh or frozen) --------------------------------------------------------------------- apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cherries, grapes, kiwi, mangoes, melons, papayas, pineapple, plums ________________________________________ Omega-3-Rich Seeds --------------------------------------------------------------------- chia seeds, flaxseed ________________________________________ **Organic Whole Soy Products --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Recommend limiting soy to 2–3 servings per day) edamame, miso, tempeh, tofu. ________________________________________ Spices --------------------------------------------------------------------- all spices ________________________________________ Beverages --------------------------------------------------------------------- decaffeinated coffee, green tea, herbal teas, unsweetened plant-based milk substitutes, water

Should I take vitamin B12? --------------------------------------------------------------------- This essential nutrient is not made by animals or plants. B12 is made by microbes, bacteria that blanket the earth. These bacteria are common in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and so animal foods can be sources of B12. Few plants actually contain vitamin B12: two varieties of edible algae, some varieties of mushrooms, plants grown in experimental settings with B12-enriched soils or water, and some foods made with certain fermentation processes have small amounts of active B12.

Occasionally. Eat these sparingly. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Many of the following foods are healthy. For example, nuts, seeds, and avocados have many valuable, health-promoting nutrients. But these foods are also very calorie dense because of their naturally high fat content. It is also easy to eat these foods excessively without realizing it. Enjoy them in moderation.

Nuts --------------------------------------------------------------------- almonds, cashews, nut butters, pistachios, walnuts ________________________________________ Coconut --------------------------------------------------------------------- low-fat coconut milk, raw coconut, unsweetened shreds or chips ________________________________________ Avocado --------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________ Seeds (except omega-3 sources) --------------------------------------------------------------------- pumpkin, sesame, sunflower ________________________________________ Dried Fruit --------------------------------------------------------------------- organic and without added sugars or oils ________________________________________ Natural Added Sweeteners --------------------------------------------------------------------- date syrup, maple syrup, molasses ________________________________________ Beverages --------------------------------------------------------------------- caffeinated coffee and high-caffeine tea (without added sugar) If purchasing a pre-packaged food product, carefully read what is on the package, box, or can. Note that product ingredients are listed in descending order, with the greatest amount by weight listed first. Purchase plant-based products with only a few ingredients, which may be a good way to tell if it is less processed. Aim for foods high in fiber and low in sodium and added sugars.

No. Avoid these foods. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The standard American diet (SAD), or the Western diet, is heavy on meat, dairy, and refined and ultra-processed foods. It is very high in added sugar, sodium, and cholesterol and deficient in health-promoting nutrients, fiber, and phytonutrients. Consequently, we face epidemics of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle-related diseases; staggering health care costs; and lower quality of life.

Meat --------------------------------------------------------------------- fish, lamb, pork, poultry, processed meat, red meat, seafood ________________________________________ Dairy --------------------------------------------------------------------- butter, buttermilk, cheese, cream, half and half, ice cream, milk, yogurt ________________________________________ Eggs --------------------------------------------------------------------- chicken, duck, ostrich, quail ________________________________________ Processed Plant Fragments --------------------------------------------------------------------- (these are often found in vegan replacement foods)

Added and Hydrogenated Fats --------------------------------------------------------------------- Margarine, oils (including olive oil and coconut oil)

even the finest olive oils are 100% fat, meaning calorically-dense and nutrient-poor. Oil injures the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. Especially for those with known heart disease, adding even a little oil can negatively impact heart health.

Refined Sugar --------------------------------------------------------------------- barley malt, beet sugar, brown sugar, cane juice crystals, confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), corn syrup, fructose, white sugar ________________________________________ Refined Grains --------------------------------------------------------------------- white flour (including in pastas, bread, snack foods), white rice ________________________________________ Protein Isolates --------------------------------------------------------------------- isolated soy protein or soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate ________________________________________ Ultra-Processed Foods --------------------------------------------------------------------- Foods with additives, artificial colors, stabilizers These are often packaged and drastically modified from their original state (think Twinkies, Oreos, potato chips, and other “junk foods”).

If you’re not sure whether you are eating an ultra-processed food, read the label and ask yourself whether you recognize the ingredients. Are they whole foods or only fragments of the original foods?

Beverages --------------------------------------------------------------------- energy drinks, fruit juice (even 100% fruit juice), soda, sports drinks

Source: https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/

Come join us and talk about ways to incorporate eating more whole foods and less processed and animal based foods.

Romanesco Broccoli is my favorite vegetable. I could eat in a soup everyday and never get tired of it.

What are your favorites? OR foods that you can't stand?