“I live full-time in the world of omnivores, and I’ve
never wanted to leave. But the Standard American Diet (yes,
it’s SAD) got to me as it gets to almost everyone in this
country.”
Six years ago, an overweight,
pre-diabetic Mark Bittman faced a medical directive: adopt a
vegan diet or go on medication. He was no fan of a lifelong
regimen of pills, but as a food writer he lived—and
worked—to eat. So neither choice was appealing.
His
solution was a deal with himself. He would become a
“flexitarian.” He adopted a diet heavy in vegetables,
fruits, and grains by following a healthy vegan diet (no
meat, dairy, or processed foods) all day. After 6:00 p.m.
he’d eat however he wanted, though mostly in moderation.
Beyond that, his plan involved no gimmicks, scales, calorie
counting, or point systems. And there were no so-called
forbidden foods—he ate mostly home-cooked meals that were as
varied and satisfying as they were delicious, but he dealt
with the realities of the office and travel and life on the
run as best he could.
He called this plan Vegan
Before 6:00 (VB6 for short), and the results were swift and
impressive. Best of all, they proved to be lasting and
sustainable over the long haul. Bittman lost 35 pounds and
saw all of his blood numbers move in the right
direction.
Using extensive scientific evidence to
support his plan, the acclaimed cookbook author and food
policy columnist shows why his VB6 approach succeeds when so
many other regimens not only fail, but can actually lead to
unwanted weight gain.
He then provides all the
necessary tools for making the switch to a flexitarian diet:
lists for stocking the pantry, strategies for eating away
from home in a variety of situations, pointers for making
cooking on a daily basis both convenient and enjoyable, and
a complete 28-day eating plan showing VB6 in action.
Finally, Bittman provides more than 60 recipes for vegan
breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, as well as non-vegan
dinners that embrace the spirit of a vegetable- and
grain-forward diet.
If you’re one of the millions
who have thought of trying a vegan diet but fear it’s too
monotonous or unfamiliar, or simply don’t want to give up
the foods you love to eat, VB6 will introduce a new,
flexible, and quite simply better way of eating you can
really live with . . . for life.