Vegetarians in Paradise

Vegetarians in Paradise Diet

"Vegetarians in Paradise Diet" Appears
After 30 Years of Extensive Research

Updated January 2021


January is the month we often hear the distressing mantra, "Darn, I've gained weight over the holidays. Maybe, I need to go on a diet!"

Tons of diet books make their debut at the beginning of the year because publishers know the inevitable---so many people have added pounds during the year-end festivities. Most diet books promise a new, slimmed-down you that will be the envy of all your friends.

Vegan Symbol The number of people staying on these diet plans for any length of time is amazingly low, yet not surprising. Most of these diets fail because people feel deprived by the limited calories and smaller portions that leave them hungry and unsatisfied.

So, we at Vegetarians in Paradise have decided to enter the diet battle with our own "Vegetarians in Paradise Diet." Actually, it's not really a diet at all but more of a lifestyle--our plant-based lifestyle and our delightful, everyday relationship with food. Don't look for the book. There ain't none. Just keep reading.

How it all began
About 30 years ago, we decided to explore the vegan lifestyle. We gave this a try mainly for our health, but soon learned there were so many more reasons to choose this path. We could clearly see that sparing the lives of many farm animals, leaving a smaller, less damaging footprint on the planet, experiencing increased energy, and enjoying a healthier, more vibrant life were very appealing rewards.

But, let's back up and give you a bit of history. About thirty years ago we were both overweight. Zel's five-foot-tall body had amassed a weight of 130 pounds. Her bulging bottom was clothed in size 14 jeans. Her cholesterol was in the 225 range. Her body mass index (BMI) was 25.4, putting her into the overweight category. Body Mass Index

Zel's challenges
She was not feeling well because she was suffering with an undetected lactose intolerance. Her doctor never mentioned that dairy products might be causing her digestive distress. He scheduled her for upper and lower GI tract tests and found nothing. She was awaiting a dreaded endoscopy appointment when a friend suggested she might be lactose intolerant and might try eliminating dairy products for a week.

Cholesterol Zel was so miserable she was ready to try almost anything. After giving up dairy products for one week, she began feeling complete relief from the troublesome stomach distress that bothered her after eating. Although she was so much better, her excess weight and plump appearance troubled her.

Zel then turned to an alternative health practitioner who suggested she might improve her health and lose a few pounds by going vegan.

During this time, Reuben's weight had climbed to the high 160s on his 5-foot-7-inch frame. His cholesterol was also in the 220s. His size 34-inch pants were getting tight. His 167 pounds threw him into a BMI of 26.2, also in the overweight column, but not in the obese category that starts at 30.

Doing it gradually
We did not go vegan all at once but took a gradual approach, learning about healthier, plant-based alternatives every step of the way. Of course, Zel eliminated the dairy immediately. Reuben took a step-by-step approach, but began by shunning milk with his oatmeal. He soon noticed he had less of the annoying, chronic mucous and congestion he had lived with for many years.

Since Zel did the cooking, Reuben found it easy to go along with her food choices. After leaving dairy products behind, giving up red meat was next. We didn't find it difficult because Zel began experimenting with tempeh, tofu, beans, and grains as main dishes on the dinner plate. Fortunately, she knew how to make these new foods taste really delicious. We had plenty to eat and didn't feel the least bit deprived by eliminating meat.

Fried Egg Poultry disappeared from the table next. Reading articles in national magazines about salmonella and feces in chicken made the decision easy. We continue to read about salmonella outbreaks in the newspapers and are happy to leave those concerns behind.

No need to be egged on
Since an egg has over 200 milligrams of cholesterol, we both decided it would be wise to avoid that fried omelet in the morning. With eggs, dairy, meat, and chicken gone from our usual regimen, we recognized we were shedding pounds. We were also not gorging on desserts like cakes, cookies, and ice cream, foods that contained eggs and dairy products, so those unhealthy calories went by the wayside, too.

Fish The last category to go was fish. This final step meant that, thankfully, we were no longer ingesting mercury, PCBs, DDT, dioxins and other toxic contaminants found in these sea creatures.

While the animal-based categories had disappeared from our everyday routine, we kept adding new foods to our diet to replace the ones we left behind. Our daily regimen now consisted of delicious, whole, plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Though this dietary plan seemed extremely limited to many of our family members and friends, we were actually enjoying a much wider variety of flavorful whole foods than our non-vegan friends and feeling so much more energetic on these lighter foods.

Some of our relatives imagined we were eating cardboard and wood fiber with a few leaves of lettuce for color. We chuckled and assured them we were using the same herbs. spices, and condiments to liven up our veggie dishes as we did for seasoning meat, so the flavors were just as vibrant and tantalizing. It didn't take long before we recognized there were fewer dinner invitations. We totally understood they simply had no idea what to prepare for us and took steps to invite them over to enjoy a delicious vegan meal.

Our comfortable weight loss
We began to notice that without counting calories or feeling hungry between meals, we were happily losing excess pounds. Zel's weight dropped to slightly under 100 pounds. She donated her size 14 jeans to a charitable organization and was now buying size 4. Her cholesterol was in the mid-160 range. In her recent Kaiser Permanente health assessment her body mass index was in the normal range.

Vitamin B12 On our vegan regimen, Reuben's weight began dropping to the low 140s. Recently his waist size was 30 or 31. His last cholesterol reading was 125, and his BMI of 22.7 was in the normal range. Throughout the years, we've been able to maintain our weight within a pound or two and have kept up our daily walks of 2 to 4 miles. We supplement our diet with a daily vitamin D (125mcg) and one vitamin B12 (2500mcg) twice a week.

So, what's the "Vegetarians in Paradise Diet?"
People often ask us where paradise is. With a great big smile, we respond, "Paradise is anywhere you can enjoy the fruits of the earth." Living in California, we feel blessed to have fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Our "VIP Diet" is very simple and is easy-to-follow:

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
  • Don't count calories. Eat until you are comfortably full.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • And don't forget to set aside time for daily exercise and a good night's rest.

We encourage people to hydrate by drinking plenty of water daily. In our regimen, we drink mostly water and herbal tea (hot or iced). We also enjoy sparkling water and include a daily cup of green tea with breakfast. We rarely drink juices, because they're just liquid calories that raise blood sugar. Consider that a cup of apple juice has 113 calories, a cup of orange juice totals about 110, and neither contains the level of fiber found in a piece of whole fruit.

We consider it important to have three wholesome meals every day. There's no need for between-meal snacks, because our nutrient-rich, high-fiber meals are so satisfying and carry us through to the next meal. Because our bedtime is late in the evening, we do enjoy a nighttime snack like a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or a baked sweet potato.

Say goodbye to Tums and Metamucil
There's no need for turning to anything like Metamucil, because our daily choices are loaded with foods naturally high in fiber. We don't need Tums or Prilosec to relieve an acid stomach because our diet naturally leans to the alkaline side.

While some people fear the carbs and starches, we love them--the wholesome, nutrient-dense, high-fiber kind, that is. That includes potatoes with the skin, sweet potatoes, whole grains, mostly whole-grain and legume-based pasta, and starchy vegetables like winter squashes, peas, carrots, parsnips, beets, and corn in addition to our vast array of non-starchy foods.

 Maple Dream Muffins  Banana Pecan Pancakes

BREAKFAST
Our most frequent breakfast choice is good old-fashioned oatmeal, not those instant, sweetened packages that are highly processed and lacking sufficient fiber. Our oatmeal is accompanied with plant-based milk, a hearty mixture of chopped seasonal fruits, and ground flaxseed meal or hemp seeds. Some mornings we might have a different cooked grain like teff, quinoa, or Bob's Red Mill Muesli eaten hot or cold with chopped fruits.

Cooked Cereal with Chopped Fruit There are no Kellogg's, General Mills, Posts, or other dry cereals in our cupboard. When reading those labels to find out whether the item is vegan, notice the shocking amount of sugar. It may be surprising to learn that every 4 grams of cereal equals one teaspoon of sugar.

Here are some of the tasty choices we enjoy in the morning: Sometimes we'll have a tofu scramble with sautéed peppers, onions, and other veggies. We'll include a piece of whole-grain toast and fresh fruit.

Another quick breakfast is simply plain, unsweetened and unsalted almond or peanut butter on whole-grain toast, whole wheat English muffin, or whole wheat sandwich thins along the fresh fruit.

On another morning we'll spread hummus on a piece of whole-grain toast. Then we'll top it with a thick slice of tomato and sweet onion. Occasionally, we'll add a slice of vegan cheese on top and melt it in the oven. Since this "breakfast melt "has many more calories than our other breakfasts, we don't indulge too often. Beans on toast for breakfast is also a fun beginning. We'll sauté chopped tomatoes and onions and add that to the warmed beans, making this a delightful winter morning meal.

Tofu Sticks Funky Quessadilla

LUNCH
Lunch often features a soup or salad. The soup usually incorporates a few leftovers from the previous night's dinner and features whole grains or beans, along with fresh vegetables, herbs and spices. If you take a daily lunch to enjoy at work, it's easy to pack this same combo into a container and warm it in the lunchroom microwave.

Peanut Soup Sometimes, when we're in hurry, we'll warm a vegan instant soup. We'll accompany the soup or salad with a hummus or tofu spread on a tortilla, a slice of whole-grain bread, or some rice crackers that just happen to be gluten-free. Fortunately, we do not suffer from gluten intolerance, but those rice crackers add delightful variety.

We love a lunch salad and take pleasure in heaping two or more lettuce varieties with tasty seasonal veggies. We'll often include our homegrown vegetables as well. Salad is a great way to incorporate leftover grains and cooked veggies from the previous night's dinner.

This same array of leftovers can be packed into a container for lunch at work. Be sure to pack your dressing into a separate container to avoid soggy lettuce.

A piece of fresh fruit becomes our dessert for lunch, while a cup of herbal tea or water usually rounds out the meal.

Bacon Stuffed Rouladen Chiles en Nogada

DINNER
Because we don't eat between meals, we look forward to dinnertime with enthusiasm. Almost always we begin with a giant salad loaded with mixed lettuces and plenty of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and occasionally a touch of chopped fruit. Spinach or kale tossed with fun choices of fruits and vegetables offer a pleasing diversity from the familiar base of lettuce. Still more choices include adding fresh herbs like mint leaves, basil, thyme, or tarragon to the big salad bowl.

Sometimes, the salad IS the meal. That's when we add beans or lentils to the bowl of greens, along with cooked whole grains and steamed and raw vegetables. For a salad meal, we'll plan ahead and pickle some carrots, cucumbers, turnips, cauliflower florets, or practically anything firm and hearty. We might enhance the salad with a handful of olives and toasted nuts or sunflower seeds.

Lentil Stew The finishing touch is a splash of salad dressing, chosen from one of Zel's delicious, homemade dressings. Most of her dressings are oil-free and very tasty. We're not averse to the occasional oil-based dressing, though we've cut back on oil because it's a great way to eliminate excess fat and calories. Most people don't realize that each tablespoon of oil packs 120 calories, along with 14 grams of fat, even olive oil. If you add a generous measure of oil, those calories really add up.

Dinner may feature one of Zel's tasty main dishes, such as a bean-based pasta infused with an array of sautéed vegetables and a homemade tomato sauce. Perhaps, we'll have a bean and veggie stew, hearty stuffed eggplant, or a robust, main-dish lentil and vegetable soup. Zel likes to season her foods with a vast array of herbs and spices, fresh as well as dried.

There might be one of Zel's tasty chilis (Barn Burner, Sicilian, or Old-Fashioned) found in the Vegetarians in Paradise Chili Bash that includes a banquet of chili recipes from guest contributors. Lentil Stuffed Potatoes, Zesty Black Bean Patties, Almond Nutloaf, or Spanish Sloppy Joes are other tasty dishes we enjoy and are all found in the Recipe Index on this website. The Recipe Index also includes a mountain of recipes for Vegetables, Bean Dishes, Grain Dishes, etc.

Also found here are a number of tasty side dishes like Golden Squash Concerto, Orange-Ginger Glazed Carrots, Red Cabbage Stir-Fry, or Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower.

No dessert with dinner
We don't have dessert with dinner. We're simply too full. Our only snack of the day comes a few hours after dinner when we're watching a movie on TV or on DVD. We don't snack between meals during the day because our wholesome meals are so enjoyable and satisfying.

Coconuts Our late-night treat might be a fresh, young coconut during the summer months. After cracking the coconut open, we drink the sweet juice, and thoroughly enjoy scooping out the delicious flesh.

Frequently we'll enjoy seasonal fruits like apples, pears, persimmons, kiwis, stone fruits, cherries, or grapes for nighttime nibbling. Sometimes we munch on a bowl of air-popped popcorn. We've come to enjoy the natural flavor of the popcorn without adding the calories from butter, margarine, or oil plus the sodium from added salt.

We often bake a few sweet potatoes and relish their simple, natural sweetness. We find the addition of maple syrup or brown sugar makes them much too sweet. During the fall and winter, we might roast a kabocha or butternut squash for our nighttime snacking. Those we also enjoy without added sweeteners.

By now, you've probably discovered that our vegan lifestyle, is very easy and fully satisfying. We feast on simple wholesome ingredients, enhanced with herbs and spices and a touch of salt and pepper--that's all:

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
  • Don't count calories. Eat until you are comfortably full.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • And don't forget to set aside time for daily exercise and a good night's rest.

For birthday celebrations and family holiday gatherings we enjoy meals that are a bit fussier because we want them to be very, very special. Yet, those exceptional times still feature healthy recipes that may take a few extra minutes to prepare. The rewarding smiles, hugs, and thank yous make it all worth it.

You may want to give our zesty lifestyle a try. Let us know how you're doing. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to help. We're right here. Just send us an email us at Vegetarians in Paradise.


Click here for Recipe Index


Vegetarians in Paradise