Most diets would have you cutting things out from your diet; they are about denial and discipline.

I think that food ties us to our community and our traditions, and it's the thing that makes us feel good and connected.

Most diets would have you cutting things out from your diet; they are about denial and discipline.

I was weaned on chicken-fried steak and hominy grits with goopy gravy all over. I loved meat and wore fur.

Personally, I enjoy a bowl of brown rice for breakfast most of the time.

I missed a tuna-fish sandwich with mayo on toasted wheat bread more than anything. Six months after I went vegan, I snuck into a deli and took one home. And, of course, it wasn't nearly as good as I fantasized. It tasted, well, fishy.

Whole foods like grains and beans release their sugar very, very slowly because of the fiber in them, and they don't give you a sugar rush. They feed your cells as needed, and as a result, you have loads of stable energy that powers you through the day.