http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article6732043.eceFrom The Sunday Times August 2, 2009The 'vegan before dinner time' diet
Mark Bittman's Food Matters has created a Hollywood craze that helps you lose weight and help the planet(Sandro Hyams/Camera Press)
Ruth Tierney
There was a time, not so very long ago, when vegans avoided meat merely because they couldn’t stomach an animal on their plate. They sacrificed steak and passed on parmesan for the love of all living creatures and the greater good of the planet (the UN says meat production is responsible for nearly one-fifth of greenhouse gases). The ensuing svelteness was nothing but a fortuitous by-product. But those glamorous vegan skinnies — notably Natalie Portman and Stella McCartney — didn’t escape our attention. Now more and more of us are jumping on the gravy train in the search for inch loss: the meat-free, or “conscious eating”, market is predicted to grow by 19% in the next five years.
A low-fat vegan diet leads to a weight loss of about 1lb a week, and that’s without exercise or limiting calories and portion size, according to US researchers at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The scientists also found that unlimited wholegrain and veg curb hunger. In 2007, the former model Kim Barnouin and model agent Rory Freedman got wise to this and wrote the tough-talking vegan diet book Skinny Bitch. Victoria Beckham is said to have read it from cover to cover, but for many, the authors’ total abhorrence of animal products was hard to swallow — have a meat-munching lapse and the duo labelled you a “moron”.
This may explain why part-time veganism has evolved. Ardent animal-lovers cover your ears, but it seems adopting an 80/20 attitude to eating meat and dairy (which means mostly avoiding it yet indulging occasionally) can make a plant-based diet manageable. This sort of “agnostic veganism” is the way forward, according to Jody Turner, a trend forecaster with the American agency Culture of Future. “Eating vegan and raw is the quickest way to health, and it has really hit mass stride in Hollywood with stars who are more concerned with glowing health than going green. It gives the body what it wants: a rest from heavy and slow digestion and a chance to release and rebuild. In California, it’s easy to be vegetarian, vegan or one of the many hybrids in between — you can even hire someone to design you a bespoke vegan detox diet.”
With this trend in mind, the New York Times columnist and bestselling author Mark Bittman has written Food Matters, in which he introduces a “vegan before dinner time” plan that is causing a stir across the Atlantic. “You don’t eat any, or much, in the way of animal products or processed food during the day. At night you eat what you want,” he explains. “In some ways it’s stricter than veganism in that there’s no junk allowed. In others it’s easier — milk in coffee is acceptable, and breaking the rules occasionally is okay. The basic line is this: no matter how you do it, you [and the planet] will benefit if you eat a higher proportion of plants and a lower proportion of everything else.”
It certainly works for Bittman, who has lost 35lb following his own advice. Bittman’s diet is flexible. “My ‘vegan before 6pm’ approach is just one way of doing it. Indeed, the opposite schedule — eating your heaviest meal of the day for lunch or breakfast — may make more sense to you. You can opt out of two servings of meat a week. You can start the day with oatmeal instead of bacon and eggs. My guess is that 70% of my calories now come from non-animal sources. A shift of 50% would be significant for anyone.”
Genevieve Wallace, a 24-year-old waitress at Saf, the raw restaurant in London, shares Bittman’s ethos. “I’m vegan 70% of the time. I have irritable bowel syndrome, so cutting out dairy eases my stomach pains. But for the other 30%, I let myself eat cheese, fish and meat, either because I’m craving it, or for convenience. I want to be healthy, but I also want to enjoy life. If I’m having dinner at a friend’s and say I’m vegan, they panic. if I’m holidaying somewhere like France, my options are too restricted. When you deprive yourself, you feel resentful, which defeats the purpose of a healthy diet. I want to be good to my body and mind.”
The pleasure principle is intrinsic to the success of partial veganism. “Going full-time vegan works from every perspective but the hedonistic one,” says Bittman. “I would never argue for a plan that totally eliminates anything. Such a diet arouses our rebellious streak. Eating some calorie-dense food — whether that’s meat, cake or cheese — allows you to reach satiety more quickly and easily.”
Lisa Gore, a 21-year-old student from Manchester, has lost 3st since going vegan-lite a year ago. “The tipping point came when I couldn’t fit into a size-18 dress in Primark. I was a meat-and-potato kind of girl before that, but the promise of weight loss drew me in. I cut out all meat and dairy, but found it incredibly tough. There’s milk powder in so many things, and I began to crave chocolate. So I loosened up and allowed myself to go partially vegan. I now eat eggs, and try to substitute dairy with soy products where possible. I’ve gone from 13st to 10st, and am a size 12.”
If you want a grander endorsement, check out the conspiracies flooding the internet about President Obama’s vegan credentials. In response to a meat-free campaigner’s question about his views on farming, Obama admitted that the health of Americans would benefit from a change in diet to include less meat. Though he did say: “I like a steak once in a while.”
THE RULES
Mark Bittman offers the following advice on going vegan before dinner time in his book Food Matters (Simon & Schuster £16.80)
Eat fewer animal products “Have an average of 1lb of meat, or, at most, 2lb, a week, or a small serving daily. Eat correspondingly small amounts of eggs and dairy, and think of these as treats, not staples. Milk on your cereal or in coffee is fine.” And try to have these after 6pm.
Eat all the plants you can manage “Gorge on them. Salads, cooked veg, raw veg, whole fruits and dried.”
Make legumes part of your life “Whenever you eat beans instead of animal products, everyone wins.”
Eat grains over carbs “You shouldn’t eat unlimited amounts of grains, but having them several times a day is acceptable. For example, you can have wholewheat cereal and a wholegrain sandwich.” Snack on nuts, seeds and olives — a couple of handfuls a day is enough.
Listen to your body “Are you losing weight and feeling good? Keep it up. Not getting the results you want? Cut back on treats and eat more plants. Treats include alcohol, snack food and refined carbs.”
Take a vitamin B12 supplement You can only obtain this nutrient from animal sources, so take a daily supplement.
MEAL PLAN 1
Breakfast Granola with fresh fruit and nondairy milk.
Lunch Carrot soup (shop-bought, or make your own: throw in onion, ginger, potato and parsley alongside the carrots).
Snack Baked tortilla crisps with tomato salsa.
Dinner Grilled vegetable and meat shish kebabs with tabbouleh.
Dessert Chocolate fondue with fresh fruit.
MEAL PLAN 2
Breakfast Blueberry smoothie (made with 3 cups berries, ½ banana, 1 cup nondairy milk, ½ cup apple juice, honey to taste). Wholegrain toast.
Lunch Hummus with wholegrain pitta bread and salad.
Snack A handful of mixed nuts.
Dinner Stir-fried vegetables with grilled salmon and brown rice.
Dessert Rice pudding with fresh mango.
VEGAN EATING TIPS
Be warned, calorie-dense food must be kept to a minimum — vegans, part-time or otherwise, are not immune to fat thighs. “I’ve been vegan for eight years, but I’m still a size 14, probably because I love nothing more than a chip sandwich,” says Karin Ridgers, 38, from Billericay. “There’s plenty of vegan junk food around, such as fried bread, chips and veggie sausages. Avoid the ‘free-from’ cakes and biscuits, and snack on seeds and fruit.” Sandra Hood, an NHS dietician who works with the Vegan Society, agrees: “People come unstuck because nuts are fattening, and granary bread has more calories than white. Tucking into peanut-butter sandwiches and veggie bacon isn’t the way to go. Move to raw, unprocessed food instead.”
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