As a vegetarian, I know that it’s important to include lots of beans in my diet, to make sure I get appropriate levels of protein and fiber. As a picky eater, I pretty much avoid beans. Oh sure, I’ll eat green beans now and then, and I’ve had baked beans in the past, but I’m not much of a cook, so I don’t really explore new foods very often.

But I recently checked out The Daily Bean, by Suzanne Caciola White. Filled in 175 recipes for black, white, red, and garbanzo beans, plus lentils, this book is pretty interesting. The standard fare is there: burritos, salads, soups, pastas…but she also makes bean pancakes, pies, and puddings. Right now, I’m considering a fairly simple-looking black bean salad; we’ll see how it goes.

Once the weather turns colder, I might turn my attention to soup. (I’m also not much of a soup eater, to the consternation of pretty much everyone I know). I like pumpkin and Rachael Ray, and I found a recipe of hers that looks pretty tasty and easy: pumpkin black-bean soup. I actually have this particular recipe on a DVD, so I’ve seen it in action, and it looks very simple to make. I can’t find an online version of the video, but I did find someone else’s version of the soup on youtube, so I thought I’d share it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wx1Kt2suzOY

If anyone tries either of these recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know how the soup turned out!

Now that the 4th of July has passed, it feels like summer is really in effect. It hits in the upper 80s every day, stays light until 9:00, and every public building is freezing because the air conditioners are all on full blast. It’s the best time of year to focus on your health, too: the weather in conducive to swimming and outdoor workouts, and the grocery stores are bursting with yummy fresh produce. I’ve been working out with a trainer once a week, and I’ve been trying to squeeze in a few workouts on my own between sessions, so I thought I’d share my 2008 summer exercise playlist.

Post graduate degree? Check.
Sunny, positive outlook? Check.
Cute hair? Check.
Fun fashion sense? Check.
Healthy body and food outlook? Check.
Cute car and pets? Check.

I’m pretty much aspiring to be Bridget Marquardt from The Girls Next Door. I’ve mentioned the show before, and it’s still one of my favorites. And I can’t help noticing that Bridget is basically the embodiment of what I want to be. She is bubbly, friendly, and never says anything negative. She’s focused on school work, has a realistically cute body, and wears adorable clothes. She even has precious pets. I might not aspire to date Hugh Hefner, but I do want to be more like Bridget. Just as soon as my hair grows out!

This week I’ve been reading The South Beach Diet Supercharged, by Dr. Arthur Agatston. The follow up to 2003’s The South Beach Diet, Supercharged reintroduces Agatston’s eating recommendations, and also includes exercise suggestions and tips that make it a lifestyle plan instead of a diet.

When I picked it up, I was expecting it to be an Atkins-style low carb diet, but it’s more than that. It focuses on eating healthy, whole foods, and eliminating sugary, processed ones. The plan is divided into 3 phases. The first, which lasts two weeks, is designed to quickly shed weight and reduce cravings, so it is very restricted. There are no fruits or whole grains in this phase; you are pretty much limited to most vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy and beans. Phase 2 gradually reintroduces some fruits and whole grains, and Phase 3 is the maintenance phase once you’ve met your goals.

I really like the emphasis on eating healthfully, but I’m not sure that I’m willing to give up fruits or whole grains, even for two weeks. Also, the book claims that this plan is easy for vegetarians to adapt, but there are very few vegetarian suggestions. Almost all the recipes include meat, and virtually every breakfast in Phase 1 is egg-based. Apparently, if you subscribe to the website, there is an entire section on vegetarian meals, but this comes at an additional cost. I wish more of these recipes had been included in the book, since I’ve already paid for that.

Another issue: Agatston is very focused on eliminating sugar and sugar cravings, so he does recommend sugar substitutes and diet sodas as part of the plan. In my opinion, these are not healthy choices.

I do like his emphasis on working out smart; his suggestion of doing walking intervals is practical and available to anyone on the plan, regardless of fitness level or gym membership.

So I think this is an interesting, worthwhile read, but if I decide to try the plan, I’ll probably modify it a bit to suit my needs.