Ok I’ve got to admit it: I’m a bit sceptical when a celebrity writes a book. It seems to me that it’s yet an other way to cash in.
When I first heard of “The Kind Diet” I was intrigued. I love vegetarian/vegan books after all and knew that Alicia Silverstone was a passionate vegan (she often ends up in PETA’s Sexiest 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 there has to be said about the book (you should definitely go and read it) but I’ll give you a quick review anyway.
First though I’ve got to mention that I had to wait for my copy for quite a bit. I always seem to order books at my bookstore that they don’t seem to have in stock 
. Funny enough I got to pick it up on Saturday which was actually after I (secretly) decided to focus more on a plant-based diet.
So the book has three parts, beginning with:
First, Alicia introduces the reader to the kind diet and explains why she is a vegan and what she’s experienced on her way of becoming one. This was the first time I was pleasantly surprised. Her writing is so refreshing and “real” that it amazed me. It was also easily comprehensible why she became a vegan. After reading the introduction I was hooked. I couldn’t stop reading.
After the first part she writes about the “nasty foods”… namely meat, dairy (and eggs) and sugar. I was surprised to see that sugar made the list since it’s not something you’d usually find in a vegan book. The sugar chapter made clear that this simply wasn’t a vegan book but rather a book about being healthy. I think that some vegan books don’t focus enough on a healthy diet but somehow want to prove the world that you don’t have to feel deprived while being on a vegan diet (alas, eating “bad stuff” too). Maybe I haven’t read enough vegan books but I was thrilled with that fact. (I have read Skinny Bitch though and I’m clearly not referring to that book)
The following part is about “kind foods” – basically everything that you should eat. Alicia also writes about something that we veggies get asked a lot: “so where do you get your protein from??”. This part also touches all the subjects that someone would want to know about a healthy vegan diet (vegetables, grains, desserts and oh la la.. magic foods). Oh god, the umeboshi plum is apparently a magic food. (Damn! I’ve got to start liking it now..) 
This part was very informative but I knew a lot of these facts already. However, it was nice to freshen everything up.
The final point of the first part is titled “Nutritional FAQ” which is a great Q&A about things that might worry people (calcium, vitamin B12, salt, omega 3…). It’s also something that might be interesting for meat eaters too because it’s a quick overview and not a 39842 pages long description of how people can make sure to get enough vitamin B12 without animal products.
Now here comes the action. It encourages people who eat meat or who are vegetarians to “flirt” with the kind diet. There’s also a nice list of vegan products that come in handy (which we of course don’t have over here..).
The next step is becoming a vegan and all there is to do (like getting started, buying groceries, building a meal..) but it also mentions the importance of chewing (chew every mouthful for 30 times – who knew??) and that you should be kind to yourself if you “fail”. There’s a meal plan at the end of this part.
Next up we get introduced to the superhero diet which is basically an improved vegan diet which is loosely based on the macrobiotic diet (hence all the Japanese food ). Alicia Silverstone really believes in it (and explains why) but also admits that she needs normal vegan days too. The part focuses a lot on the difference between the vegan and superhero diet and how you can make the transition. There’s a meal plan at the end as well.
The following parts are about various tips that might come in handy (for example: prepping food on Sundays, tools and equipments, stocking the kitchen, cooking tips, leftovers.. just to name a few). It also has some good tips about how to be on the kind diet while being away from home – meaning while travelling, eating out or being at a friend’s.
Almost at the end of the second part she mentions the importance of exercise (I loved that she kept it short. It was good that she pointed it out but this isn’t a fitness book).
She finishes the part with a reminder that we’re all activists and can do something to change the world.
Ok, this gets an easy description: There are vegan recipes and there are superhero recipes. Both with their grains, proteins, salads, soups, desserts, breakfasts and teas recipes(plus some party food for the vegan diet). So far I’ve tried the cornbread and rustic pasta which I both really liked. My dad and I will cook dinner on Sunday night and whip up some recipes of this book (though I’m not sure which ones yet).
To sum it up: I immensely enjoyed reading this book (I got it on Saturday and finished it on Wednesday: That’s proof enough considering my busy schedule!). For some reasons we seem to be on some sort of same wave and I really like Alicia’s writing style. It’s witty, smart and full of true passion. No one who would read this book would think that Alicia wasn’t truly passionate about being kind to people, animals and the planet. What I also liked about “The Kind Diet” was that it clearly pointed out that she’s passionate about her vegan diet (duh) but also that she doesn’t judge people who eat meat, eggs or dairy. This seems like the perfect “teaching by example” book and doesn’t make you feel like you’re the worst person on earth if you aren’t vegan or don’t wear Birkenstocks. Some pamphlets or books seem to be a bit too extreme for me and do more damage than good (in my opinion) and “The Kind Diet” was far from being like that.
I think I’ve changed my opinion about actors who write books now.
Ps: Check out Alicia’s Homepage The Kind Life. There are also some recipes that are featured in the book!
Sorry, this review is pretty long, even though I thought I could keep things tight.. Yeah.. Not so much. Sleep tight! I think I’ll grab a cornbread now as I haven’t had any dinner (had to work til 8:30pm) and wait for the boyfriend.
