Elimination diets can be tricky and the Whole30 program in particular is not for the faint of heart (dairy, grains and sugar are all off-limits). For this reason, its good to be prepared before you commit to nixing foods that you previously never thought twice about eating. Salads, for example, are always a diet-approved dish, right? Well, if youre doing Whole30, the answer to that question has to do with not just the toppings you use but also how you dress them. For this reason, we suggest you check out our roundup of Whole30 salad dressings before you bust out the lettuce and start making lunch. Bonus: These dressings are all homemade, so you wont have to spend an eternity poring over ingredient lists at the grocery store.

RELATED: 30 Whole30 Meals You Can Make in 30 Minutes

Given its popularity, theres a good chance youve heard about Whole30 before and wondered what its all about. Although the Whole30 diet program sounds revolutionarythe website says it delivers stunning, life-changing resultsthe reality is that the diet looks a lot like the elimination diets that doctors have been recommending for a long time to patients suffering from digestive problems and potential food sensitivities that are otherwise hard to pinpoint. The premise is that many of the common foods in our diet cause inflammation in the body, which can contribute to a whole host of health complaintsand this is especially true for people who have undiagnosed food sensitivities.

To address this issue, the Whole30 program seeks to cleanse the body of potential culprits and give your system a reset. After 30 days of complete abstinence from certain foods, participants can slowly reintroduce them into their dieta process that allows individuals to identify which, if any, of the foods had been causing problems for them. But many participants actually choose to adopt a new way of eating indefinitely.

So which ingredients are off the menu? Dairy (including milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, kefir), grains (anything with gluten, along with rice, oats, corn and pseudo-grains like quinoa or buckwheat), legumes (like beans, soy, chickpeas and lentils), sugar and alcohol (sorry).

Salad dressings might seem like theyd be a non-issue, but thats not necessarily the case when it comes to the Whole30 diet. Since the Whole30 program doesnt permit added sugar (real or artificial), a surprising number of salad dressingsstore-bought and homemadeare off-limits. When selecting a salad dressing recipe or a bottle of the ready-made stuff, look out for ingredients like honey, maple syrup and sweeteners of any kind. And dressings that include soy sauce, dairy or gluten are also out. Fortunately, you still have Whole30-approved options when it comes to making your greens a little more appealing. Here are ten of our favorite Whole30 salad dressings to get you started.

Italian dressing is an obvious choice when it comes to perking up a salad. However, the store bought kind is unlikely to meet the Whole30 criteria. Dont despair, though, just DIY. Creamy, decadent and completely compliant with the Whole30 meal plan, this homemade Italian salad dressing is scrumptious enough to get you genuinely excited about a bowlful of greens. Best of all, the homemade mayo it calls for is a cinch to makemuch easier than studying the labels of the store bought stuff.

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The natural sweetness of tropical fruit is spiked with red pepper and a touch of vinegar in this dressing. The end result? A palate-pleasing combination of flavors that will make you want to eat more of whatever you drizzle it on. In other words, you can just as easily use this one for a veggie bowl you haphazardly threw together for your working lunch, and then bust it out in the evening as a protein garnish (think fish, chicken or pork) for a romantic stay-in dinner.

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Champagne is sadly off-limits if youre doing the Whole30 thingchampagne vinegar, however, is not. This particular type of vinegar boasts a milder and more nuanced flavor profile than some others, and thats precisely why it works wonders in this recipe for a delicious, well-balanced vinaigrette that goes well with just about everything and comes together in the blink of an eye. Cheers.

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This creamy buffalo ranch is dairy-free and absolutely delicious. Whip up this boldly flavored dressing whenever youre craving a more substantial sauce for your plate of greens. Not in the mood for salad? No problemyou can also serve this one as a dip alongside crudit platters, veggie fritters and finger foods of all sorts. Who doesnt love a dressing that does double duty?

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Balsamic vinegar is a specialty item that boasts a rich sweetness, uncommon to other vinegars. Its also the star ingredient in balsamic vinaigrette, a salad's best friend. When whipping up this drinkable dressing, bear in mind that the better the balsamic you use then the better the finished product will be. That said, it will certainly be a whole lot better than the vinaigrette you find in the store and the (dairy-free) creaminess here is downright luxurious.

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If youve been known to go to town on a protein-packed salad (raises hand), then you might just find your salad dressing soulmate in this chimichurri sauce. Seriously, hear us out: Its clean, full of personality, but never offensive, and always tastes fresh. Try this one on a salad that features steak, grilled chicken or shrimp and youll fall in love.

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Health Starts in the Kitchen

The strong and earthy aromatics of fresh oregano harmonize beautifully with zingy citrus, both sweet and sour. The end result is an invigorating combination of flavors that will perk up a pork chop and salad alike. Note: Much like chimichurri sauce, this recipe is particularly well-suited for meaty salads, but might prove overpowering when used on lettuce alone.

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Sorry, hummus lovers, but youre going to have to wait a month before enjoying this tasty snack again, because legumes like chickpeas are not Whole30 compliant. However, tahinithe secret ingredient that distinguishes quality hummus from salty chickpea sludgeis still fair game. This complex condiment, a paste made from sesame seeds, does a lot more than just add interest to one of our all-time favorite dips. Case in point: This silky salad dressing that pairs the nutty flavor of tahini with savory garlic to great effect.

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This three-ingredient salad dressing couldnt be easier to makejust add a peeled peer, lemon juice and olive oil to your blender and give it a whirl. The result is a subtly sweet and refreshingly tangy sauce that youll want to drizzle on salad and just about everything else. Bonus: Youll get a serving of both fruits and veggies in one fell swoop.

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We use garlic in almost everything we cook, so garlic dressing is an easy sell. This recipe offers up an invigorating blend of pungent garlic, zesty citrus and spicy mustard that promises to wake up your palate and whatever is on your plate. Before you make this one though, double check the label on your mustard to make sure it doesnt contain ingredients like cornstarch or maltodextrin, and be aware that some brands of Dijon use white wine, which is not Whole30 compliant.

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RELATED: How to Eat Whole30 for Every Meal This Week

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10 Whole30 Salad Dressings That Will Actually Make You Want to Eat Your Greens - PureWow

American dieters have a bad case of one-thing-itis.

Every diet that has gotten traction in my lifetime, an unconscionably long time, has boiled weight loss down to one thing. Sure, the thing changes, but the oneness doesnt. You know the litany. Fat, carbs, sugar, meat, gluten.

There are two problems with one-thing-itis. Ones obvious, and the other, not so much.

First, the obvious one: Its not an effective weight-loss strategy. Decades of research shows failure after failure. People lose weight in the first six months, or maybe the first year or two, and then they stop. And then they regain.

The proof of the failure of these diets is all around us, in obesity rates that just wont quit. If any one thing actually was the answer for everyone whos trying to be thinner, we would have reversed the trend already. (There are, of course, health implications that arent weight-related, a column for another day.)

Yet the media particularly social media is filled with people shouting from the rooftops that the diet that worked for them is the One True Diet, the answer to our prayers. Which brings me to the less obvious problem with one-thing-ness, which I will let Dr. Seuss explain.

Remember the Sneetches?

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches

Had bellies with stars.

The Plain-Belly Sneetches

Had none upon thars.

The starred Sneetches decide theyre the better Sneetches and want nothing to do with the Plain-Bellies. Enter entrepreneur Sylvester McMonkey McBean, with a machine to put stars on bellies. The Plain-Bellies pay to get stars upon thars, to the horror of the Star-Bellies, who then pay McBean to get their stars taken off. And so on.

If youre on Twitter, perhaps youve noticed people who identify themselves by their diet. Sometimes, its right there in their profile. Sometimes, its even in their name a little C (for carnivore) or V (for vegan) in a circle.

Sound familiar?

I am not unsympathetic to this. I have lost weight, and kept it off, and its a very compelling experience. The tendency to believe that the thing that worked for you will work for others is strong, and I understand wanting to shout it from the rooftops. Ive done it!

But making your diet part of your identity has unfortunate repercussions: Its bad for discourse, and its bad for you. Unfortunately, were hard-wired to do it.

Katherine Kinzler is a University of Chicago psychology professor and the author of How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do And What It Says About You. She studies why Sneetches care about the stars on the bellies er, I mean in-group and out-group thinking by studying children and infants.

Human infants have to learn about what to eat, she told me, and a lot of what we learn is through social modeling. If each of us had to learn what was safe by trial and error, we would be in big trouble. Youre not trying all the foods, youre mimicking other people.

Which raises the question: Which other people?

From early in life, kids are thinking about the social nature of food, Kinzler told me. Given the choice, she said, babies prefer a food theyve seen a native speaker eat over a food eaten by a nonnative speaker.

We associate food with us and them from a very early age. From there, its just a hop, skip and jump to putting little letters after your name on Twitter.

And its downhill from there. As Yale psychology associate professor Yarrow Dunham wrote to me in an email, groups become more acrimonious when they are defined in opposition to one another, a framing that often leads in-group favoritism to also blossom into out-group derogation.

Spend some time on diet-related social media and youll see what he means. Its very dispiriting when people call each other vile names because they disagree about meats impact on LDL cholesterol. Or some other one thing.

Of course, the fight isnt just about the one thing. Its about us. And also them. Because thats how humans divide people up. Once you have a category and imbue that category with meaning, Kinzler explained, you end up with a kind of categorization mission creep. Its not just that people are making different choices. The underlying essence is different, and thats what produces the surface-level differences. This tendency, she said, takes root in a way that you cant observe, but feels deep and real.

So vegans arent just people who dont eat animal products. Theyre the kind of [fill-in-the-blank] person who makes that choice. And that makes them so much easier to insult!

We all read Lord of the Flies in junior high school, so we know all about our tendency to divide ourselves into essentially arbitrary groups and then build a hill so we can die on it. Social media just makes it easier.

Thats not the worst of it. Sure, elevating diet to be part of your identity is bad for discourse. But the reason its bad for discourse is that its bad for people engaging in the discourse; once you define yourself by your diet, it gets much harder to see evidence clearly.

Were seeing that dynamic play out in our response to COVID-19. You wouldnt think that your political affiliation would affect your ideas about virus transmission, but sure enough, a recent poll found that 32% of people with Republican stars on their bellies, but only 3% of those with Democratic stars, believe masks dont help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Once a particular belief gets associated with something you consider essential about yourself your values, your affiliations, your identity confirmation bias kicks into high gear, and your chance of figuring out if your one thing is wrong plummets.

Diet preferences arent quite as arbitrary as Sneetch stars, of course, Theyre also personal. It doesnt matter if a diet doesnt outperform others in trials if it works for you. And if youve found one that works, Im delighted for you! Weight loss is really hard, and congratulations on your success. I get that you want to spread the word, and Im not asking you not to.

Heres what Im asking, not for the first time: civility. The public conversation is so much better without name-calling and sneering and smug superiority. We might have a fighting chance, together, of figuring out whats actually true, if were good to one another. But the biggest reason I try to be civil in public and if you look, I guarantee you will find instances where Ive failed is that it leaves the door open for me to change my mind. Meanness digs you in.

The Sneetches learned the lesson the hard way. They paid Sylvester McMonkey McBean to take stars off and then put them back on until the money ran out. But, by then, they had lost track of who was who, and they all just went back to being Sneetches. Broke Sneetches, but still. And they started being nice to one another.

Next month: the green eggs and ham diet.

Tamar Haspel writes about food and science and farms oysters on Cape Cod.

Original post:
Why making your diet part of your identity is bad for your health - and society - The Durango Herald

Two-time Tony Award-winner, star of TV Land's Younger, and proud mama of a (very cute!) 3-year-old lil' girl, the incredibly talented Sutton Foster knows that doing it ALL (and doing it well) requires plenty of energy, which means healthy, well-rounded eats are a must.

At 45-years-old, Sutton knows what works for herand, usually, that means no strict rules.

"My food philosophy is everything in moderation; I have found that restriction doesnt work for me," Sutton tells Women's Health. "As soon as I tell myself that I cant eat something, I just want it more."

Plus, Sutton has been cooking up a storm. She's obsessed with creating delicious, health-oriented meals that she actually *wants* to eat.

"I dont believe in the word diet. I think its more about having a healthy lifestyle, so I like being conscious and not restrictive," she explains. For Sutton, maintaining that healthy lifestyle is pretty easy, because she loves to cook up delicious, healthful meals that get her *excited* to eat. "I cook things that I crave," she says.

Here's the full breakdown of what this balanced, small-screen queen eats in a typical day. Get ready to feel inspired to spend more time in the kitchen; I know I am.

When it comes to her first meal of the day, Sutton prefers a true classic: cereal and milk. "I love real milk," Sutton says. "I grew up drinking milk, but I have a dairy sensitivity, so we drink Lactaid, which is real milk but doesnt have lactose so it doesn't upset my stomach."

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And as for her cereal? Sutton prefers something crunchy topped with a little fruit. "Theres a gluten-free granola that I like," she says. "Im not gluten-free, I just like it because its really crunchy." Yum!

Come lunchtime, Sutton is down for everything from a turkey sandwich to a smoothie. "Ill do half a turkey sandwich that Ill share with my husband," she says. "I also do smoothies with peanut butter, bananas, strawberries, and more Lactaid."

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She's also a big fan of soup. In fact, she does a regular soup swap with one of her fellow New York friends. "We each make a batch of soup and then meet and do a soup swap, so that we each have two soups for the week." Cute, right?

Though the theatre star says she isn't all that big on snacking since she tends to eat pretty sufficient meals, Sutton is all about variety when she does need a pick-me-up.

"If I snack, Ill grab a banana or clementines," she says. "Theres something about the citrus that satisfies. Im also a sucker for pistachios, and my husband makes really good popcorn. Several times a week well watch a movie and Im always texting him the popcorn emoji so hell start making it."

Another one of Sutton's favorite snacks? Chocolate. "We always have little squares of chocolate in a bowl," she says. "I have a square or two of chocolate and then Im good." Sweet tooth, satisfied.

Roasted & Salted Pistachios

$16.98

Whole White Popcorn

$22.62

Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Granola

$26.94

2% Reduced Fat Milk

Lactaidamazon.com

When dinnertime rolls around, Sutton cooks up a storm in the kitchen. "One of my proudest achievements is that I make homemade tomato sauce with tomatoes I grow from my garden," she explains. "I made a homemade bolognese sauce that sits on the stove all day. I serve it over spaghetti and it's delicious." Talk about a mouth-watering home-cooked meal.

Since Sutton also happens to be a regular baker of cookies and brownies, she never skips out on dessert. "Theres also a skillet cookie I love. Its a giant chocolate chip cookie that I cut up into pie pieces. It's delicious," she says. "I also just recently made an apple cider donut loaf cake."

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The main reason Sutton is always experimenting with new dessert recipes, is that it means more quality time for her and her daughter. "My daughter loves to help me in the kitchen, so we do a lot of those things together," she explains. Now how's that for sweet?

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What Broadway And TV Star Sutton Foster Eats In A Day To Feel Youthful At 45 - Women's Health

An improved park at West Melvina and North 29th streets is among the projects outlined in a new city plan for part of Milwaukee's north side.(Photo: City of Milwaukee)

An upgraded park, a new public trail and safer streets for bicyclistsand pedestriansare in the works for part of Milwaukee's north side under a new city plan.

The Connecting the Corridor Strategic Action Plan includes some projects that are set for2021. Other projects arestill seeking federal grants and other funds.

The plan was recommended for approval Monday by the Plan Commission. It will be reviewed by the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee at its Oct. 27 meeting.

It was created to better coordinate and spur public improvements in Milwaukee's North 30th Street Corridor.

That area includes such major redevelopments as Century City Business Park, which has largely stalled; Community Within The Corridor, a mix of affordable apartments, commercial space and community space that is about to begin construction, and additional affordable housing near Garden Homes Park.

The public improvements envisioned in the new plan include more park space and trails two things generally lacking in the area, said Amy Oeth, a city planner.

Adding those amenities would improve the health of people living in the neighborhood, she told commission members.

Upgrading a city-owned park, at West Melvina and North 29th streets, is among the projects scheduled for 2021.

Those plans include a dog park, community garden, children's play area, rebuilt basketball courts, green space and a stage,said Yvonne McCaskill, coordinator of the Century City Triangle Neighborhood Association.

"We want this to be a destination," McCaskill told commission members.

A new walking and biking trail is to be created by the end of 2024 along North 20th Street between Meaux Park and theWilliam Ira Gore Park play area, 1970 W. Olive St., Oeth said.

There arelong-terms plans for a possible conversion of a former rail right-of-way to a trail between Havenwoods State Park and the Hank Aaron State Trail.

Also, "road diets" are planned for 2021 on portions of North 27th and North 35th streets, Oeth said.

Road diets, which have been done on other city streets, paint new lanes to reduce lanes for cars while creating separate lanes for bikes. The improvements will include high-visibility crosswalks for pedestrians, she said.

The plan's longer term safety improvements include similar "traffic calming" work on West Villard Avenue, between North Sherman Boulevard and Lincoln Memorial Parkway, as well as North Hopkins Street between West Capitol Drive and North 15th Street.

The plan also envisions similar work along West Capitol Drive a street known for its "scary" reckless driving, Oeth said.

Other projects include continued development of storm water basins that also create green space.

That includes Green Tech Station, which features an environmental education center for school field trips, at 4101 N. 35th St.

Its pavilion to provide outdoor class space will be completed in 2021, said Sarah Bregant, of Northwest Side Community Development Corp.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.comand followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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An upgraded park and safer streets for bicyclists and pedestrians are in the works for part of Milwaukee's north side - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

There's a lot going on right now that is causing uncertainty, but if there's one thing that is for certain, it's that people who like Diet Coke are people I can get along with. Diet Coke is one of the most universally beloved beverages out there and if there's someone in your life who deserves a pick-me-up, you can now nominate them online to win a year's supply of the stuff.

The promotion is in celebration of National Boss's Day, which takes place every October 16. Since this year has many people working from home and fulfilling different roles in their households, Diet Coke believes everyone is a boss this year, meaning everyone deserves to be nominated. If there is someone special who comes to mind for you, you can head over to DietCoke.com to nominate them.

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Nominations can be submitted through November 16, and the winners will be announced by December (some good news ahead of the new year!). There will be three grand prize winners who will win a free supply of Diet Coke for an entire year. The first shipment will reach the winners in January of 2021 and will include a mini fridge so a refreshingly cold can of Diet Coke will always be within reach.

The nomination form is quick and easy to fill out; all it requires is a little description about your nominee and why you think they deserve the grand prize and all the Diet Coke their heart could desire. So go ahead, brag a little, and cross your fingers that your boss gets chosen for the big prize.

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Diet Coke Is Giving Out A Years Supply Of The Beverage As Well As A Mini Fridge - Delish

JeaniceSkousen, a clinical dietitian withNortheast Georgia Medical Center Braselton,works with cancer patients and their families focusing on diet and nutrition.

I work with mainly on referrals or patients who are at risk while theyre receiving radiation, such as those who are getting treated in an area that affect how they are able to eat, she said.

Patients may experience problems chewing or swallowing or may have appetite loss during treatment.

I usually work with all the patients with head and neck cancer, as well the abdominal region, Skousen said.

Generally, our primary goal of nutrition care is to prevent nutrition deficiencies, achieve and maintain a healthy weight and preserve their lean body mass, she said.

Johnson said special care must be taken for patients undergoing chemotherapy that may increase risk of infectionand increase chances for heartburnand nausea.

We advise those patients to avoid things like raw meats and wash vegetables, he said.They should eat more of a bland diet, avoiding anything tomato-based.

Also, drinking lots of water is important to help clear some of the medications out of the body, Johnson said.

Eating healthier benefits any of the cancers, Battle said.

That means eating fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes same as what people should be consuming to prevent cancer.

But a healthy diet is not enough, Battle said.

Its not just nutrition. Its a healthy lifestyle of exercise, not smoking, not drinking and keeping yourself at a healthy weight, she said.

How much of a role nutrition plays in preventing or causing cancer, versus other factors, such as a heredity or the environment, is hard to say, Johnsonsaid. Certainly, smoking is the highest-risk thing that you can do.

Smith started her journey back to wellness with diet and nutrition, but she got stronger afterrecovering fromadouble mastectomy. She began by walking more, and that led to running and participating in races.

I started setting goals and I still do (races) to this day, she said. Ive scheduled two half-marathonswithin the next year.

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What your diet should look like to prevent and fight cancer - Gainesville Times

Vegetables

Vegetables are an important part to maintaining a balanced diet and whilst a lot of vegetables are high in carbs, non-starchy veg are very low in calories.

Keto friendly vegetables including asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, lettuce, tomatoes, courgette and spinach.

These foods are high in many nutrients including vitamin C and fibre which will help slimmers stay full for longer.

Cauliflower can also be used to mimic rice or mashed potato and courgette can be used to create noodles.

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Meat

Meat and poultry items are considered to be staple foods for those following the diet.

This is because they do not contain carbs and are high in fats.

Meat is also a great source of protein, an essential nutrient that slimmers must should into their daily diet.

Organic and grass-fed meat may be healthier but any type of meat is considered keto friendly. Those foods include bacon, beef, lamb and pork.

One large egg contains less than one gram of carbs and around six grams of protein, making them ideal for a ketogenic lifestyle.

They are also incredibly versatile, meaning you can cook them in several different ways so that meals stay interesting and tasty.

Eggs for breakfast have been shown to cause up to 65 percent greater weight loss over eight weeks, with some noticing results in just two weeks.

Berries

Berries like raspberries and blackberries are some of the best fruits for the keto diet.

They can satisfy a sweet tooth craving as well as being loaded with antioxidants to help reduce inflammation.

Fruit is also full of fibre, known to help slimmers stay fuller for longer and added to Greek yoghurt can create the perfect filling healthy breakfast option.

Blueberries can also help to regulate fat burning and storage and help to reduce abdominal fat.

However, blueberries should be consumed in small amounts because of their carbohydrate content.

See more here:
Keto diet: Best foods to eat to burn belly fat without calorie counting - Express

COKE IS GIVING A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF DIET COKE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS HANDLED 2020 LIKE A "TRUE BOSS."

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Coke is giving a years supply of Diet Coke to someone who has handled 2020 like a true boss.

(CNN) National bosss day was last Friday.

If you missed it; Coke may just have a way to get you out of the dog house.

The company is giving away a years supply of Diet Coke, complete with a mini-fridge.

You have until November 17th to nominate your boss at dietcoke.com/bossday.

The good news is you dont have to report directly to your nominee.

The only requirement is it has to be someone who has gone beyond the call of duty to take on all that 2020 has entailed like a true boss.

Theres also some bad news; you cant nominate yourself.

Hopefully someone else thinks youre as great as you do.

As for the big question, whats a years supply of diet coke?

Well, Coke defines it as 365 cans.

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Your Boss Could Win A Year Supply Of Diet Coke - WLTZ 38 NBC

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Letter to the editor: Plant-based diet can help with covid-19 - TribLIVE

Industrial farming is having a catastrophic impact on the planetand our health. It's tough to separate the two given how dependent we are on the environment for survival. While author and farming industry executive Philip Lymbery strikes an apocalyptic tone, his message is not overstated.

"Every day there is a new confirmation of how destructive, inefficient, wasteful, cruel and unhealthy the industrial agriculture machine is. We need a total rethink of our food and farming systems before it's too late."

Earth is not resource-infinite. We're destroying entire ecosystems to feed our destructive food habits. Nutrition isn't the only concern. One of the major culprits of deforestation is palm oil, which is widely used in skincare products as well. Everywhere we turn, we're decimating ecosystems and species for personal gain.

While a plant-based diet isn't the solution to every problem, it can certainly help. Whether you're concerned about your own health or that of the planet, transitioning to a plant-based diet isn't impossible. In fact, it can be quite delicious. Below are six strategies to help the process along.

Quarantine offered an entire world the opportunity to get into the kitchen and put on a chef's apron. Complaints about "not enough time" are the biggest barriers to preparing home-cooked meals. Of course, pandemic fatigue has resulted in a number of recent chefs ordering out more. That said, this is the perfect time to try your hand at new dishes. With infection rates increasing across the country, stocking up on seasonal vegetables is a great idea.

Simple seasonal ways to begin your plant-based exploration include roasted kabocha squash, Bombay potatoes, and no-chop pumpkin soup. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, Masoor Dal Tadka will keep you warm into the winter months. A delicious sweet potato salad will never fail you. This round-up of 25 vegetarian recipes will keep you busy for a few months (or a month if you're ambitious).

Education is essential for beginning any endeavor. Weeding through propaganda and bunk science to find credible evidence of any diet is difficult, though many experts agree that for individual and societal health, a plant-based diet is key.

Even vegetarianism has its pitfalls. For example, one-fifth of all calories consumed by Americans come from nutritionally-worthless white flour. If you're eating processed bread every day, you're missing out on the benefits of a rich and varied diet.

Many of the "diseases of affluence," such as cardiovascular and obesity-related ailments, originate with a poor diet (and lack of exercise). Meat has been an essential component of the human diet throughout our evolution. Today, we eat too much of itand too much of it is produced in factory farms. Transitioning to a plant-based diet could help cut down on carbon emissions and the aforementioned diseases.

Plants are full of valuable phytochemicals and antioxidants that support a strong immune system. A (non-processed) plant-based diet reduces inflammation and offers plenty of fiber. It has been shown to reduce your risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. Those are all great reasons to transition.

Going cold turkey rarely works for addicts. The same is true of diets. If you're interested in a plant-based diet, try to eat veg every other day for a few weeks. Notice how your body reacts on days you eat this way compared to other days. Gradually phase out meat products. Attempt meat-free weekdays and see if your craving for meat persists on the weekend. Try using meat as a garnish instead of the main course.

More importantly, have a replacement plan. Dropping all meat products to consume frozen dinners isn't the best course of action. Filling your cart with bags of foods you've never eaten before will overwhelm you. Prepare meals as you taper off of meat; arm yourself with a broad knowledge of healthy plants and vegetables. At some point, you might forget what you've been missing.

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The good news is that you likely have a number of plant-based side and main dishes that you love. Transitioning into a new diet requires a certain level of enjoyment. Otherwise, you're going to loathe eating, and eating should bring some level of satisfaction.

Try a one-to-one ratio to begin. On one night, cook a meal you love. Then try something completely new the next night. Follow that up with old faithful. This way, you constantly have new dishes to look forward to yet don't get stuck in thinking you have to be creative every single day. You'll likely find some winners and decide not to repeat other dishes. Regardless, you'll have a broader menu to work from.

The produce section of your grocery store provides almost everything you need to survive. You can likely pronounce every ingredient in this section. There's a vast difference between food and foodstuffs. Plenty of plant-based companies offer too much of the latter. Potato chips are technically vegetarian, and some use simple ingredients, yet it's easy to fill your cart with foodstuffs. The health benefits of this are not only negligible but potentially dangerous.

Qi Sun, an assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explains. "If you eat a vegan diet, but eat a lot of french fries, refined carbs like white bread, white rice, that's not healthy." He suggests "emphasizing fruits and vegetables. Not fruit juice but whole food. And nuts."

There's a lot of terrible adviceand worse, propagandaon the internet. While you likely don't want to eat eggs every day, they're not "toxic," as one popular documentary claims. Eggs are one of the best low-cost, high-value foods around.

Read websites like Everyday Health, which uses clear language, like "may improve" and "may decrease," with links to credible studies. This way you follow the going science without becoming fanatical about a particular diet or being disappointed if it turns out the research doesn't hold up. Good science evolves with evidence. And right now, the evidence points to more vegetables in our diets.

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Stay in touch with Derek on Twitter and Facebook. His new book is "Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."

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