1: Quick Start Lesson. Learn to stock your kitchen right and double the life of fresh veggies. Find out which staple foods – and kitchen utensils – you’ll want on hand for future lessons.
2: How to maintain a healthy Ph balance. When there’s a large acid load in your diet, your body neutralizes these acids by leaching alkaline minerals (calcium and magnesium) from your teeth, bones, and muscles. So it’s crucial to minimize acid foods and emphasize alkaline foods. Includes a chart listing which foods are alkaline vs. acid, and suggestions for balancing your daily diet.
3: How to absorb more calcium from your meals. Sadly, calcium-rich foods like spinach, Swiss chard, and almonds contain oxalates that inhibit the absorption of calcium. Likewise, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes contain phytic acid. It too interferes with calcium absorption. Discover how to release these acids, so you can absorb the calcium in your meals. Plus, find out which foods, condiments, and medications that inhibit calcium absorption. Includes yummy recipes.
4: Vegan versions of popular comfort foods. Learn to make vegan French toast, pancakes, brownies, chocolate pudding, cornbread, “ice cream”, and al fredo sauce so authentic and yummy, your dairy-loving spouse and kids will crowd around you for first dibs.
4.5: Eggs (for ovo-lacto students). Should eggs be kept in the fridge or not? Can we eat them raw? Does cooking them oxidize the cholesterol? How should we cook them to get the most nutrition? How do farm conditions affect the Vitamin D in eggs? Find out in this lesson.
5: How to convert ALA (the plant-based Omega 3) into EPA and DHA. Many vegans and vegetarians have lower blood levels of EPA and DHA than meat-eaters. Why? Plant foods only contain ALA, the pre-cursor to the other Omega 3s. Your body can convert ALA to EPA, but only if circumstances are optimal. Discover which foods and oils interfere with your body’s ability to make DHA and EPA, and which help the conversion process. Includes a table you can print out for easy reference.
6: How to make “meaty” meals that your carnivorous spouse and kids will love. Give braised tofu, tempeh, wheat gluten, Portabello and oyster mushrooms a texture and taste so savory, your spouse and kids will rush to your side, gladly surrendering their hamburgers and chicken wings.
7: How to absorb more iron from your meals. Unlike the “heme” iron in flesh foods, only 10% – 20% of the non-heme iron in plant foods gets absorbed by your body. This lesson reveals a “magic” food combination that multiplies the amount you absorb. Also: which foods and beverages interfere with iron absorption, and which food prep methods release iron-blockers from whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Includes delicious recipes that employ the “magic combination”.
8: How to end indigestion with proper food combining. Fats, starches, and proteins…. find out which of these three groups combines poorly with the other two and why. Also discover why people have indigestion when combining fruit with other foods. Learn which foods are compatible with each other, and receive sample meals to make it even easier. Includes a food combining chart.
9: The truth about Vitamin B-12. Do fermented soy products, amesake rice, or umeboshi prunes provide significant B12? What about the soil on unwashed veggies? Many foods reported as good B-12 sources are tested with methods that measure B-12 analogues (which block the absorption of active B-12, thereby causing B12 deficiency). Those methods misrepresent true B-12 content. Get definitive answers in this lesson.
10: Amazing substitutes for eggs, butter, condensed milk, and mayonnaise. Baking without eggs can seem impossible — until you discover these 5 vegan substitutes that bind, leaven, and give structure to baked goods… and which are best for cakes vs. brownies vs. muffins. Plus, discover whole food substitutes for butter, condensed milk, and buttermilk that have NO fillers, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils. Includes recipes.
11: The truth about Vitamin D. Scientists now realize that the sun’s power to produce Vitamin D is not enough for most humans. Many staple foods are fortified with Vitamin D. But the Vitamin D added to orange juice and breakfast cereals can come from the hides of pigs or cows. Find out which foods are fortified with plant-based Vitamin D, why the US government’s RDA is outdated, and how much Vitamin D you really need.
12: Wholesome snacks that’ll make your mouth water. Discover five underlying reasons for cravings, and how to address the root causes. Plus, recipes for wholesome brownies, ice cream, fudge, chocolate pudding, fruit bars, granola, savory popcorn, ginger oatmeal cookies, rice crispy bars (from puffed brown rice), and kale chips (similar to potato chips but super nutritious). These snacks will gratify your taste buds, and end your cravings for junk food and empty carbs.
13: How to convert more beta carotene into active Vitamin A. Plant foods don’t contain active Vitamin A. They only contain beta-carotene, its pre-cursor (which is only 1/12 as potent as Vitamin A). Discover the “magic” food combination that multiplies the conversion of beta-carotene into active Vitamin A. Plus, the three groups of produce that are rich in beta carotene, and food prep secrets that make the beta carotene in vegetables easier to absorb. Includes recipes that employ this life-saving food combination.
14: Six ways to get plenty of protein. How much protein do you really need? What if you’re athletic? What are the dangers of eating too much protein? Do you need to eat complementary proteins in the same meal? Which plant foods contain large amounts of all eight essential amino acids? And how can you “transform” beans so they never cause gas, bloating, or indigestion? Includes recipes for high-protein, soy-free burgers, soups, and Faux salmon.
15: Tasty “cheeses” and “creams” you can make from cashews and almonds. From a simple cashew cream that literally takes 1 minute to prepare, to a mouth watering herbed cheese spread, these recipes will satiate your taste buds — without the fillers, oils, and preservatives found in commercial soy cheeses and creams.
15.5: The Truth About Raw Milk. (For ovo-lacto students.) Why did the American dairy industry start pasteurizing milk in the late 1800’s? What are the potential dangers of drinking raw milk? Who is at greatest risk? Which peoples drink fermented raw milk today, and are typically healthy and fit at the age of 100? How do farm conditions affect the safety or raw milk? Where can you buy it?
16: Foods you eat now that are aging you. Discover three harmful ingredients that show up in many breads, cookies, crackers, muffins, breakfast cereals, pies, cakes, French fries, potato chips, soy cheeses, soy ice creams, and vegetarian “meats”. These ingredients stiffen your arteries, damage your chromosomes, injure your nerve cells, increase oxidative damage in your tissues, raise your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. Discover healthy substitutions that will help slow down the aging process.
17: How green vegetable juice supercharges your cells. Many green vegetables contain oxalates, which keep you from absorbing the calcium (and other minerals) they contain. Juicing them makes these minerals much easier to absorb; that’s just one of the four benefits you’ll discover. You’ll also find out what’s wrong with drinking too much carrot, apple, and beet juice. Includes juice recipes and juicer recommendations.
18: How to save money on health food and organic produce. Find out how to get pesticide-free fruit, leftover deli and restaurant food, and organic packaged foods like cereals and tomato sauce all for FREE, and before their “expiration dates”. Plus, learn to save 25% on organic grains and beans, and 33% – 67% at Farmer’s markets. Finally, discover a non-profit that serves fresh hot vegan meals in over 1,000 cities around the world. Over the next 12 months, this Lesson alone will save you more money than the entire cost of this program.
19: How to build muscle and turn heads. In this lesson on sports nutrition, you’ll learn how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet, stay hydrated during exercise, and what to eat before and afterwards. The food you eat, supplements you take, and ensuing rest you get all help in the recovery process that builds you back up bigger and stronger.
20: How to skyrocket the nutrition in nuts, seeds, grains, and beans. Sprouts have far more nutrition than their adult counterparts. For example, 1-week old broccoli sprouts have 50-100 times more nutrients than mature broccoli! Discover how to sprout in only one minute of watering per day. No soil and no green thumb required. Includes a comprehensive chart showing how to sprout 34 types of seeds, beans, and grains. Plus, where to get sprouting supplies, and how to avoid mold and mildew.
21: How to gracefully overcome social challenges. Learn to gracefully turn down food in someone’s home and get your needs met at social gatherings, without overburdening the host with special requests. Learn to disarm and educate people who challenge or criticize your diet. This lesson combines wisdom from many of our contributing writers, as well as my own.
22: How to replace flour with sprouted grains. If you’re sensitive to gluten (but not highly allergic), you may be able to eat breads and crackers made from sprouted grains. Why? The proteins that make up gluten break down when sprouted. Learn to make Onion Rye bread, coconut cookies, “peanut butter” cookies, and Essene crackers from wheat berries, kamut, spelt, or rye. Find out how long to sprout your grains, how long the “shoot” should be, how to grind the sprouts, how long to bake the “sprout dough”, and how to know when the bread is done. Plus, how slow baking compares to dehydration, and which breads at health food stores are made from sprouted whole grains.
23: Best oils for frying, baking, and dressings. Does heating oil change its chemical composition? When are unrefined cold-pressed oils NOT the best choice? What about saturated fats, like coconut oil and ghee? Get definitive answers to these questions and more.
24: How to eat well while traveling (with no refrigeration). Whether it’s an airport, a road trip, or a hotel room with no fridge, eating well can be a struggle. With this life-saving advice, you can eat like a King or Queen — without resorting to processed snack bars and fast food restaurants.
25: What vegan chefs eat in a typical day. Peek inside the daily food journals of eight healthy chefs, including cookbook authors, Holistic Health Counselors, Registered Dietitians, raw food chefs, and yours truly. Plus, discover the common denominators, such as what time of the day we eat fruit, salads, and soy products. Never again wonder what to eat!
26: The Truth About Soy. How much soy is safe? Which mineral deficiency is made worse by soy? When it comes to breast cancer, thyroid function, brain function, heart health and reproduction, is soy good or bad for you? After peeling away the hype, what does the science say?
27: Secrets To Preventing Osteoporosis. Besides calcium, which other nutrients are critical to strong bones? Which foods put your bones at risk? Which exercises keep your bones strong and which don’t? When are x-rays and bone density tests deceptive? Does fluoridated water strengthen your bones or deteriorate them? Do dairy products protect you from osteoporosis, or put you at greater risk?
28: 12 Ways To Make Leafy Greens Delicious Without Drenching Them In Oil. Too much fat in your diet can put you at risk for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Well guess what… oil is 100% fat! Discover three ways to dress salads without oil, four yummy ways to sneak greens into your daily meals, how to make “wrap” sandwiches using collard greens instead of flat breads, and much more.
29: The Real Deal On Fruit. Discover four ways to slow down blood sugar spikes from fruit. Find out which fruits have the most pesticide residues and which cause tooth decay. Learn how to avoid indigestion and speed up (or slow down) the ripening of your fruit.
30: Incredible Benefits Of Fermented Soy. Why are tempeh, miso, tamari, and soy yogurt easier to digest than regular soy? Why are their isoflavones more bioavailable? How do these foods calm down hot flashes, enhance your intestinal flora, correct digestive imbalances, slow down atherosclerosis, and even reduce cholesterol and the risk of cancer? Plus, learn seven ways to sneak miso into your daily meals.
31: Which Foods Are More Nutritious Raw vs. Cooked? Some foods are always healthier raw… but not all. Which vitamin is absorbed better from cooked vegetables? When is protein better absorbed from cooked foods? Are antioxidants destroyed or enhanced by heat? How do juicing, mashing, and pureeing affect the digestibility of different foods?
32: Delicious Oil-Free Salad Dressings Made From Whole Foods. Most salads dressings are made with oil. What’s wrong with that? Oil isn’t a whole food. It has no fiber, and far fewer vitamins and minerals than the food it comes from. The recipes in this lesson get their creamy texture from ingredients like avocados, almond butter, tahini, and tofu. And two of the dressings don’t require any fatty ingredients!
33: Say Goodbye To Blood Sugar Spikes (The Glycemic Index Demystified) Find out which carbs cause blood sugar spikes and put you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and breast cancer. Discover three ingredients you can combine with these carbs to slow down the rise in your blood sugar. Learn how cooking, mashing, ripeness, and fiber content all affect a food’s G.I. score, and its impact on your blood sugar levels.
34: Natural Sweetener Showdown. Get the lowdown on 19 different sweeteners, ranging from maple and brown rice syrups to Xylitol, stevia, and coconut palm sugar. Find out which sweeteners are questionable or downright dangerous. Learn to turn dried fruits into syrups and pastes. Discover which fruits best complement chocolate desserts vs. cookies vs. graham cracker crusts. Includes glycemic index ratings and a detailed expose on agave nectar.
35: Amazing Benefits Of Sea Vegetable. How do sea vegetables (aka “seaweeds”) increase your longevity and lower your breast cancer risk? Which ones unleash the minerals in tofu, beans, and grains? Which can be used as a thickener, in place of gelatin? Get the lowdown on six seaweeds… their nutritional profiles, strong points, and popular uses. And learn to sneak them into your daily meals.
36: How To Turn Kids Into Vegetable Lovers. How to use collaboration, games, and challenges to entice your kids to eat veggies. How to “yummify” any vegetable with healthy fats, sauces, and sprinkles. How to use nori rolls, “kabobs” on skewers, and other serving strategies to make veggies more exciting. How to puree greens into your sauces and mix them into the dishes your kids already love… And finally, how to raise your kids’ consciousness when they complain or challenge you.
37: Secrets To Cooking With Healthy Sweeteners. When you replace sugar with a healthy sweetener or fruit, what’s the ratio? When using a liquid sweetener, how do you adjust the other ingredients – and baking time – so the final product isn’t too runny? How do you offset the change in texture? Which flavors and recipes are complimented by bananas vs. other fruits?
38: Secrets To Low Fat, Low Temperature Baking. Do you want to avoid acrylamides (discussed in Lesson 16)? Learn to adjust baking times when baking at 245 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, learn to reduce the fat in baked goods by replacing all or part of the usual oil with applesauce or blended fruit. Discover the magic ingredient in fruit that keeps baked goods firm, and which recipes are most successful when you substitute fruit for fat.
39: Making Healthy Food Fun And Delicious For Kids. Discover two secrets that affect a child’s willingness to eat new foods. Learn to use colors, stories, cookie cutters, and spiral slicers to turn “boring” foods into visually exciting treats. Learn to give foods exciting new kid-friendly names, make scrumptious pizzas with healthy ingredients, and more.
40: Enjoy Inner Balance Through Macrobiotic Wisdom. What are the staples of a macrobiotic diet? How does balancing “yin and yang” improve your health? Which foods fall in each category? How much of each food group do Macrobiotics eat each day? Includes a sample 1-day menu, complete with mouth-watering macrobiotic recipes.
41. Turbocharge Your Digestion With Lacto Fermentation. Fermenting vegetables begins the pre-digestion process and multiplies enzyme content. Find out how these stellar enzymes offset the lost enzymes in cooked food. Discover how the beneficial microflora in fermented veggies enhance your digestion. Learn to ferment sauerkraut, kimchee, and pickled fennel at home and enjoy better digestion for the rest of your life.
42: Whip Up A Week’s Worth Of Meals In One Day. Would you like to spend less time in the kitchen? Are you a single person who dreads making meals from scratch and cleaning it all up by yourself? If so, this lesson will be a Godsend. It reveals the closely-guarded time-saving secrets of Jo Stepaniak, Jill Nussinow, Nomi Shannon, and Lara Adler.
43: Slash Your Cooking Time With A Pressure Cooker. Learn to cook casseroles, stews, curries and chili in the time it takes to set the table. Find out which pressure cookers have stationary pressure regulators instead of removable jiggle-tops. (This eliminates rattle, hiss, and the chance of an explosion!) Plus, what size pressure cooker do you need for the size of your household?
44: Renew Yourself Through Cleansing or Fasting. Discover 8 tips to a successful water fast, and how to break your fast without shocking your system. Plus, when do you need supervision? Who should not fast? How do you prepare for a fast? If you fast on juice instead, find out which juices to drink. Plus: the five keys to a successful juice fast, how to colon-cleanse, and how to break your fast.
45: How To Eat A Balanced Raw Food Diet. Vegetables are very low in calories. So where should raw fooders get their calories? From fruits? Or from avocados, nuts, seeds, and coconuts? How much fat can you include without jeopardizing your health? Does too much fruit lead to diabetes or dental problems? Includes answers to these questions, three daily menu plans, and a shocking chart comparing the mineral content of fruit vs. vegetables vs. raw fats.
46: What To Eat Before/After Cardio Exercise. Should you eat right before exercising or not? How can you get an energy boost without feeling heavy or tired? Includes recipes for delicious “instant fuel” juices and smoothies.
47: Secrets To Dental Health. Find out how your teeth are affected by the pH of your body and the fatty foods you eat. Discover five nutrients essential for strong teeth, and how to get plenty of them. Find out how the acids in oranges, grapefruits and pineapples (and their juices) can decalcify your teeth, making them vulnerable to erosion, crumbling, or bacteria.
48: Secrets To Savory Soups. Discover eight remarkable ways to stop beans from giving you flatulence. Learn to add instant flavor to a bland soup. Plus, tips for freezing soups, what containers to use, and the best garnishings for adding color and flavor. Includes hearty, mouth watering soup recipes your whole family will rave about.
49: Fruit vs. Complex Carbs. When is eating fruit smarter than eating grains or root veggies? What nutrients are hard to obtain if you don’t eat grains? Why do some high GI foods have little effect on blood sugar? Do high GI foods increase your risk for Type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease? Can you prevent or cure yeast infections by limiting refined flour, sugar, and fruit?
50: Putting It All Together. Get your completion certificate, and a refresher on the important food combinations that help you absorb more iron, calcium, beta carotene, Omega 3s, etc. Get a list of links to all of the recipes in our program.
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