Earlier this week, I promised you a review of Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet, which I purchased and devoured last weekend.

Alicia’s veganism is well-documented in Hollywood; a few years ago she was named PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian. This book explains journey from carnivore to vegetarian to vegan, and why it was the right choice for her (and might be the right choice for everyone). Not only is her plan kinder to farm animals, but she claims that it helps the planet, improves your complexion and can help you drop unwanted pounds. Not a bad deal!

The first few chapters deal with so-called “nasty” foods: meat, dairy and sugar/refined carbs. She discusses, in detail, the horrors of the meat and dairy industry, in terms of what happens to the animals, the planet and our bodies when we consume these products. She also talks about why refined sugar is damaging to our bodies, both internally and externally.

Alicia then discusses “kind foods” and how to integrate them into one’s life. She breaks it down into “flirting” (experimenting with vegan meals a few times a week), “vegan” (eating an all-vegan diet) and “superhero” (which discusses the principles of macrobiotics). These varying plans make the lifestyle very accessible for everyone, depending on your level of commitment.

She mentions a lot of brands and products to try (including a handy chart of her recommended brands for everything from soda to jerky to veggie sausage), and there is an entire portion dedicated to vegan and macrobiotic recipes (the vegan hot chocolate is great!). Alicia also created a website, The Kind Life, to provide support materials for the book and create a community for like-minded individuals.

Overall, this is a very thorough, compelling book, and I definitely recommend it. I’ve already been working towards veganism, and now I’m also interested in exploring macrobiotics, although the distinctly Japanese nature of macrobiotic foods is a little scary for me! I’ll probably have to start with the Clean, Mean Burritos.

Need some motivation to get you started? How about some vegan chocolate peanut butter cups?