The Kind Diet: General Review
I completely devoured Alicia’s Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop! And it’s a non-fiction cookbook! I think that says a lot about how much it spoke to me.
Today, I would like to give you my general review of Part I and II of the book. I am not going to review Part III, the recipe section, because I have not tried any recipes yet! I would also like to do a mini-series on topics that really spoke to me from the book and deserve a blog post all their own. So expect to see those in the upcoming weeks/months. And if you are a blogger reading this book as well (Anna, Gelareh and Paige) please leave your input or give me a link to your review post so I can share it!
The Kind Diet is organized into three parts: Kind versus Nasty, Living the Kind Life, and The Recipes. I will give a synopsis of the first two parts, and my review afterward.
Part I: Kind versus Nasty
Part I is split into six chapters: What’s So Kind About Dieting?, Nasty Food #1: Meat, Nasty Food #2: Dairy, More Nasty Food: White Sugar and Processed Foods, Kind Foods, and Nutritional FAQs
- What’s So Kind About Dieting? – Sliverstone immediately dispels any myth that this book is promoting what we currently think of as a “diet.” She asks us to go back to the 1600s definition of the word diet: a way of living, or thinking, a day’s journey. Now, how does that sound compared to what we think of when we hear the word “diet” today? She talks about how the “Kind Diet” is not just a way of looking your best, but feeling your best as well. She shares her interesting story about becoming vegetarian – how she was rescuing dogs, but still eating meat. Then it dawned on her – how was eating meat much different than eating her dog? I found this part interesting, because Steven made this realization when we rescued Data, then became vegetarian.
- Nasty Food #1: Meat – Silverstone talks about some of the damaging effects meat can have on the human body as well as the environment. She briefly touches on slaughter practices, maybe in two paragraphs, but is really focusing on how meat makes you feel. This is an interesting approach to encouraging veganism. She is all about animal welfare, but wants the reader to think about their welfare as well.
- Nasty Food #2: Milk – Again, Silverstone discusses milk’s effect on the human body and environment. She brought up some interesting facts that I did not know about milk, and of course, mentions how cruel the dairy industry is. (Notice she does not have a chapter on eggs? She includes some egg facts in the meat and milk chapters.)
- More Nasty Food: White Sugar and Processed Foods – I was afraid to read this chapter. I try to avoid processed foods and sugar, but of course, do not entirely. Silverstone mentioned some symptoms she feels after eating sugar: headaches, weight gain, rushes followed by crashes, slight depression, more sugar cravings… oh yes, I could relate. She recommends cutting out white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, organic evaporated cane juice, and honey, and replacing them with brown rice sugar, barely malt, agave syrup, molasses and FRUIT. Remember how I gave up sweets last year for Lent? Well, I lost a lot of weight and felt great. This IS something I need to work on! Step by step of course…
- Kind Foods – In this section, Silverstone reviews some of the “Kind Foods” – foods that are kind to your body, animals, and the environment. These foods are whole grains, “new” proteins (new as in not meat, but beans), vegetables, and vegan desserts. Surprisingly, the five favorite vegetables she lists – kabocha squash, leeks, leafy greens (not including spinach), daikon and burdock – are things I have NEVER eaten. Oops. She also goes over amino acids and encourages eating organic produce.
- Nutritional FAQs – Here, Silverstone discusses how to get enough iron, calcium, Omega-3s, and B12 (she discussed protein in the previous chapter).
Part II: Living the Kind Life
Part II is split into seven chapters: Flirting, Going Vegan, Becoming a Superhero, The Kind Kitchen, Kind Away from Home, Getting Fit, Inside and Out, and We Are All Activists
- Flirting, Going Vegan and Becoming a Superhero – Silverstone presents the Kind Diet in 3 plans. Flirting is a low-pressure plan where you cut out meat and try some new foods. In the Vegan plan, you abstain from animal products entirely. And in the Superhero plan, you loosely follow a macrobiotic diet – eating fresh whole foods, grown locally, and in season, cutting out processed foods. Silverstone recommends starting with the Flirt diet for 30 days, then moving on to Vegan if you feel comfortable, then on to Superhero. Each chapter gives meal ideas and a guide on what kinds of food to buy. She recommends being kind to yourself throughout the journey – the Kind Diet is not about perfection.
- The Kind Kitchen – This chapter is about reconnecting with eating through cooking and planning ahead. Silverstone gives cooking tips, recommends tools for the kitchen, advises on how to engage other family members in the Kind Diet, and gives ideas for quick meals.
- Kind Away from Home – Here, Silverstone gives tips on eating out – finding a good place, checking out the menu, calling ahead, and ordering as complete of a meal as possible (grain, vegetable and protein). I was surprised she advised on “letting it go” if you eat homemade pastas with egg in them at an Italian restaurant – it’s easy to ask and avoid this (I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, since she goes on to say that once in a blue moon she has one piece of fish sushi – this just reiterates that she is mostly doing this for health reasons). She also advises on eating in airports, and entertaining at home.
- Getting Fit, Inside and Out – Silverstone advises against exercising “mechanically,” or just doing it because it’s part of your regimen. She advises on listening to your body and giving it the exercise it really wants. Yeah. That sounds easier than it is, Silverstone. Some of us have to force ourselves to exercise before we learn to like it! I feel like I have gotten better at this, but still have some work cut out for me. Silverstone also recommends inner exercises like journaling and meditation. Can I count this blog?
- We Are All Activists – This is a section of tips on how small lifestyle changes you make, like reusing things, buying secondhand and using natural materials, do make a difference in the long run. Remember, we vote with our actions! Every small change does make a difference.
Wow. That was a LONG overview. Can you imagine if I talked about EVERYTHING this book made me think about? WHOA!
My Review
So, I really enjoyed the first two parts of the book. The Kind Diet is written very casually, like you are talking to a friend. And I love how Silverstone uses words like “sexy” to describe certain foods. At one point, she even advises to buy “any beans that turn you on.” So cute.
Silverstone has done a lot of research and includes facts, but it doesn’t feel like you are reading a textbook. And I think it is a great idea to include nutritional information inside of a cookbook. I like how neat little tips are mentioned throughout the book (I will write about these later!).
Even though following the Vegan and Superhero diets would require significant alterations to most diets, Silverstone presents it in a way that makes it seem attainable (except for going down to one piece of fruit a day on the Superhero diet… that would be a struggle for me). Sometimes, when I am reading healthy lifestyle ideas, I feel so overwhelmed that I don’t know where to start. You know, you can’t change EVERYTHING all at once. That would be too stressful! If you start with the Flirt diet, then move on to Vegan, it is an easy and smooth transition. You slowly swap out foods, releasing your body of toxins as you do so. As you add in “kinder” foods you begin to notice how much healthier your body feels (or so Silverstone says).
And I really like the whole theory behind the Kind Diet – it is all about reconnecting with what your body wants, food-wise. It is about being kind to yourself, animals, and the environment. It’s about purposefully living your life in a manner that makes YOU feel your best, in mind, body and spirit. Wouldn’t that be great?
I think this is a great book for someone considering vegetarianism, or just looking for ideas on how to live healthier. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes!
Would you like to read The Kind Diet? Do you feel like you could follow this lifestyle?
Has a book ever spoken to you so much that your head was just filled with ideas?
Let me know if you would like to read more about the meat and dairy chapters (or any other chapters). I did not include many details, because I am not trying to preach veganism to you, and know a lot of you probably don’t want to read it.
Themocracy
GREAT review, Kim! Haha, now I don’t need to post one– I’ll just link to yours! 😉
You touched on some really interesting points about the book. I’ll admit, when I was reading the part where she talked about having one piece of sushi or some cheese at a party every once in a while, I thought, “Hmmmm, I wonder what some other vegans might have to say about that.”
But yes, overall, I thought the tone of the book was very friendly and accessible, and I also liked the fact that there were different “levels.” I’m not ready for level two or three, but flirting, I think I can do 🙂
Aww, I hope I still get to read your thoughts!
You know, she is an animal rights activist, but she is so lenient and, well, kind, about her diet. I think this is good, for her and for encouraging other people to try it. The flirt diet sounded great!
Wonderful review. I had not heard of this book before – it sounds like she is recomending some really solid strategies for weight loss and health. I don’t think I’m going to go vegan, but would like to hear what she has to say if you want to review it!
[…] Also, you might recall that over Christmas, I was reading The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone. I really, really enjoyed it, but have yet to sit down to write a review. Luckily, another blogger has picked up where I slacked off—read Kim’s comprehensive review here. […]
Sounds like a good book, even though I’m not vegan. (Thank you for not including the anti-meat and anti-dairy parts!) I like her holistic approach and what she has to say about avoiding sugar, planning in the kitchen, etc.
I agree with you that “listening to your body” is not an effective exercise strategy for most of us. I am listening to my body when it tells me to sack out on the couch in front of the TV, too! And I think this blog definitely counts as “inner exercise,” Kim! It’s your space to be reflective.
I love leeks! You should try them in potato leek soup – very simple and good 🙂 I don’t know if I could get to down to eating just 1 fruit a day – especially if I were cutting out other sweets!
Did you have a potato leek recipe on your blog awhile ago? Or am I losing my mind?
OMG this is an excellent review, thank you for taking the time to do this! I have heard really good things from a raw friend who has been raw for a decade and she is actually being helped by Alicia’s book/sentiments, about respecting your body and the season/climate you live in, and raw is not always right or easy, etc. I totally agree and want to pick up the book, after her thoughts and yours. thank you!
comments on blogger blogs…it’s annoying how many people use word verifcation. I feel like THAT’s half the battle, both time and glitchy-wise. ugh.
Thank you, Averie 🙂
I was really interested by the concept of eating in season, for your climate! I had heard of this before, but it never really clicked with me until I read it here. I hope to write more about it later!
Word verification drives me batty!
I’d love to hear more about eating in season.
I share your frustration with the word verification thing. Agh! Makes me wanna scream.
Thanks for visiting. I have been posting a series about The Kind Diet and eating in season is one of the next things I plan to blog about! 🙂 The one piece of fruit a day thing really threw me off too. Not sure if I could ever do that!
Great Review Kim, I really enjoyed it. I’ve been wondering about her book alot. I think I will buy it and read it for next month. I’ve been wanting to hear a readers review.
Let me know what you think! 🙂
As a vegetarian for 24 years, I can certainly appreciate the health benefits of not eating meat. I went from having numerous allergies and being sick all the time to finally feeling my best. And, while I have cut a lot of dairy and high fructose corn syrup out of my diet, I don’t want to give them up entirely. I feel that eating foods I enjoy in moderation IS being kind to myself. If I can’t flirt with a cheese pizza and a Coke from time to time, then I’m not living life to its fullest! 🙂
Silverstone talks about that quite a bit – how meat and dairy eff up your system, making you have allergies and colds. I didn’t realize that! She also talks about how much more energy it takes to process meat, and how it leaves you with a heavy feeling. Interesting ideas!
I think it is important to include those special treats in your diet in moderation! She mentions that quite a bit, and admits she is not perfect!
I really want to read this book! I love Alicia Silverstone and a (mostly) vegetarian I need inspiration to go completely veg. Thanks for the great review!
what a great review! it sounds interesting to read! when i tried to go vegan for a day all i could think about what what i COULDN’t eat. i’d like to try it again armed with better assortment of foods ( i had tofu. for EVERY MEAL). and with a better understanding of the diet.
i feel the “no sugar, processed crud” tho.
Hey- sorry about the virus situation. =(
You should try being vegan for a day, or even a week or month, again! If you plan it out, you get to try lots of great new dishes! 🙂
Nice review! It’s weird to think that Alicia Silverstone is notorious for playing a ditsy blonde but then goes on to write a well-thought out, researched book. I would love to read her book (and I already follow her lifestyle!)
I thought the same thing when I first heard about the book! 🙂
Thank you for this review, Kim. My family is all reading it and I’ve been thinking I wanted to pick up a copy.
First of all, that is a big bummer about the comments thing! I’ll miss you!
Thanks for the book review – I wasn’t planning to buy the book as I have already been “converted” but it is always nice to see where other people are coming from – everyone seems to come to veganism through one of the three major convictions (animal welfare, environment or own health). I was so amazed when I read Eating Animals when Safran Foer at one point says flat out that he doesn’t think health is a valid reason for becoming a vegetarian/vegan! That is exactly the reason I started and the other reasons grew on me in time… I was surprised he would dismiss this so easily because to me this is a huge consideration, especially when I basically have dragged my three kids along for the ride (for meals at home anyway) – for me the benefits to our health are very important in motivating me to cook and eat this way.
Don’t worry, Amy! I will still be reading and sending you emails!
I was surprised when I read that too – Silverstone is kind of taking the opposite approach. She wants everyone to feel great – us AND the animals, but us first.
This sounds like a good book. I would like to read it just for the ideas I think I could get out of it. I will never become vegan or a vegetarian, but I rarely eat meat. So new ideas are ALWAYS welcome!!
Why one piece of fruit a day? Seems weird. Other than that, though, I think it sounds like an interesting book. I’m not vegetarian but I do flirt.
Kim! So when I read the part about diary at grandmas.. I was very shocked , I thought it was just me that dairy doesn’t go over good with but then by reading that us as humans arn’t suppost to drink dairy after mother milk it made me feel much better about my choice in not drinking dairy ..Also I thought it was cool how she brings the whole being a vegan in very somewhat slow and shows how it’s not a hard as some people think it is.. .. I would love to read it all not just one chapter 🙂
I think you should definitely read more of it! I knew that humans lose the ability to digest milk after about 4 or 5 years, but I didn’t realize all the other funky stuff it does to our bodies. Plus, we are the only species to drink another species milk. Ha ha.
I am very curious about her research. Does she cite sources? I am not trying to be critical, I have heard both sides of the debate on whether or not humans are biologically built to eat meat so I am just very curious where she gathered her information!
She cited a lot of studies in the index (maybe 10 pages?). Of course, with any study, I think the outcome can be twisted any which way! A lot of what she was talking about was what meat and milk do to your body, rather than whether or not we are “built” to eat it. You know, the whole canine teeth argument? She mentions that briefly, but really focuses on some of the effects of eating meat and milk.
I browsed that book last week and I loved how lax she was about her recipes. She is certainly a role model. I didn;t know tat you gave up sweets for lent??? Good for you sister! Would love to hear more about that.
I like how lax she is too.
Last year for Lent, I gave up sweets, except a few granola bars, for the entire 40 days (and then some, after). It was hard at first, but then I liked it. It was so easy to turn sweets down. And it made me realize a lot of my cravings were for sweet things (of course, I still ate fruit!) so when I got that sort of craving, I had to stop and ask myself what I really wanted, since I wasn’t eating sweets. I may do a similar detox again 🙂 I felt great doing it.
Kim,
First of all, I LOVE what you have done with your blog.. I really enjoyed going through your photos.. specially your wedding photos.. 🙂
I have bookmarked this (actually skipped through your review) because I want to finish the book before I read your review.. you are quick in reading it.. or I am slow… I have had a crazy few days.. but hopefully will get through it soon
Oh this is a really great review Kim! 😀 Even though I’m not vegan, the message she seems to be sending out is one that I try to live by which is listening to my body and providing it with what it wants and needs. Wants, not craves because cravings are driven by stress, hormones, and other things. By wants, I mean knowing what my body thrives on and what it doesn’t. It sounds really interesting!
Thank you so much for that great review! I thought about getting the book for some time now but your post makes me want to order the book as soon as possible now. 🙂
Wonderful review.! Thanks for taking the time to outline the book. I have been wanting to get that book for a while now. You gave me more of reason to do so.
When I read Srong Women Eat Well years ago it really spoke to me, moved me and jump started my 60 lb weigh loss journey. Sadly, that weight came back over the last 7 years. Working on it again though, so it’s all good. Maybe I should read that book again 😉
I love how concise this is. It really makes me want to go get the book. Not sure I agree with everything she says (just one piece of fruit a day?!), but i like it in general. 🙂
[…] Vegetarians list after all). The book ended up on my endless wish list. It wasn’t until I read Kim’s review that I wanted to order this book. Her review is really fantastic and basically covers everything […]
Thanks for the review! I actually read the Kind Diet and I loved it. It definitely spoke to me. I love Alicia’s writing style and that she doesn’t come off as preachy. She isn’t judgemental of other peoples decisions. I don’t know if I could ever follow her full superhero plan, because I also wouldn’t want to limit myself to one fruit a day, among other things. However, there is a lot of useful information in the book. Thanks for sharing!
I definitely agree that when you work outside MOST people will turn their head to look at you. You cannot argue that. I always am excited when I see people working out though, no matter what they look like. I think “good for them!”