Engine 2 Diet graduation

I graduated!

My 28-day test of the Engine 2 Diet Challenge wrapped up Sunday, and on Wednesday we received diplomas. To celebrate, we feasted on spring rolls and pasta with mushroom sauce. No meat, dairy or oil in sight.

In all, about a dozen of us went through the program, shunning fats and ramping up our consumption of vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fruits. We wanted to know if we could lower our cholesterol naturally, through diet.

Rip Esselstyn, an Austin firefighter and former professional triathlete, guided us through the experiment. His book, “The Engine 2 Diet,” goes on sale Feb. 25.

So, how did it go?

Fantastic. During the month-long experiment, my total cholesterol dropped 40 points, to 168. My LDL, or lethal cholesterol, sank to 71. (My HDL, or healthy cholesterol, actually dropped more than 20 points. But that’s OK, it’s still super high, at 75.)

I feel strong and healthy. I’ve got plenty of energy.

Some of the other study participants said they had more mental clarity while eating this way. I wish I could say the same, but my mind is as muddled as ever.

On the upside, I am as regular, as Esselstyn would say, as a German commuter train. A high-fiber diet will do amazing things to your digestive system.

It wasn’t easy to eat this way all the time.

Oddly, losing meat and dairy wasn’t all that hard. It was cutting oil out that was challenging.

I craved popcorn cooked in a pot with a little oil. I got tired of having to search for bread or beans or crackers that didn’t have any oil in them. Practically everything, folks, has oil in it, unless you make it yourself. And it’s hard, hard, hard to go to restaurants and find something that’s legal.

I may not stick to this plan 100 percent, but I will take a lot away from it.

No more sauteeing in oil, for one thing. I’ll saute in a little veggie broth instead.

And I now know how to make my own hummus, by tossing chick peas, a little low-sodium soy sauce and lemon juice into the food processor. I’ll put that in sandwiches instead of (gasp!) pimento cheese.

Leafy greens are my friend! I love leafy greens! All of them! Mustard greens! Swiss chard! Spinach! Yay!

As much as I thought I would die without cheese, I didn’t. I can definitely cut back on my queso consumption.

I can make a mean sweet potato/spinach lasagna. And awesome vegeterian curry.

I didn’t eat much meat before, so that’s not much of an issue.

Another thing this has taught me? People are too quick to accept the fact that they have high cholesterol because, as they say, “it’s in their genes.” They’re too quick to try to solve the problem with a pill, too.

But why take statins if you can lower your cholesterol by eating better?

Americans eat way too much processed food. We slather everything with butter. Our food is swimming in cream sauce. Everything takes a swim in the deep fryer.

Eat that way at your own peril.

To participate in an Engine 2 Diet group with Rip himself, send inquiries to info@theengine2diet.com.

Above: That’s my husband Chris, right, receiving his diploma from Rip Esselstyn.


Source: austin360.com