I Have Some Really Exciting News for Us!

About a week and a half ago I went to a lecture given by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and his wife Ann. To say that this couple provided me with inspiration and motivation would be an understatement. They got me fired up and really ready to give a mostly vegan diet a try. So when I heard that their son Rip Esselstyn, who authored the book The Engine 2 Diet, would be speaking at a local university (sponsored by Whole Foods; http://www.jcu.edu/landing/index.php/2010/04/john-carroll-university-and-whole-foods-market-welcome-rip-esselstyn-to-campus/ ) I just knew that I had to be at this event. I even brought my 10 year old daughter with me.

The auditorium was packed, which is a really great sign that the plant based diet message is breaking through into the mainstream. It was a really fun presentation and well, with me, he was preaching to the choir. Rip's message is the same as Dr. Fuhrman's and of course, his father's, which is that a plant based diet will not only keep you from  being overweight, but that it will prevent most heart disease, cancer and diabetes. And who wants heart disease, cancer or diabetes anyway?

I wasn't shy about approaching and talking to Ann Esselstyn (she wrote all of the recipes in Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Dr. Esselstyn, Rip and Rip's sister Jane. So here is the great news: both Ann Esselstyn and Rip agreed that I could publish their recipes right here on Healthy Girl's Kitchen. That means that when I prepare and photograph their incredibly healthy recipes, I can post them here for you to see straight away.  How awesome is that? And if you try their recipes and like them, well, you just may want to order their books for your own stash of healthy cookbooks.

And if that isn't cool enough, Dr. Esselstyn's daughter Jane has been known to give private vegan cooking classes. I'm hoping to take one really soon and report back to you all some great tips and strategies for healthy cooking. Jane has three gorgeous children, so I think I can get many of my questions answered about how to incorporate a mostly plant based  diet into my children's lives.  I absolutely know that's on many of my readers' minds, too.

Lastly, it was mentioned at the lecture that the University Heights, OH Whole Foods is doing a 28 day vegan challenge starting in two weeks. Sounds like a blast! My daughter and I signed up for it together. Anyone reading this want to join us? Come on, it will be fun! I'll keep you posted!