Authors Rory Freeman and Kim Barnouin come from the glittery world of Los Angeles modeling and film. They have a best seller in their smart-mouthed book, Skinny Bitch, which takes a radical approach to dieting and staying slim. Their advice is to quit making excuses as to why you are “a fat pig,” stop your self-loathing, stop eating “crap,” give up cigarettes and “liquid Satan” (alcohol), and become a vegan skinny bitch. “It’s time to strut your skinny ass down the street like you’re in an episode of Charlie’s Angels with some really cool song playing in the background,” they write. “It’s time to prance around in a thong like you rule the world. It’s time to get skinny.”
Barnouin, who holds a master’s degree in holistic nutrition, and Freeman, a former agent for Ford Models, come down hard on allowing yourself to eat any food that is not totally natural, organic, pesticide-free, and unprocessed. They rule out meat, dairy products, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, flavorings, and sugar. They want you to select certain brands from certain companies and provide a long list of acceptable choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. For example, two acceptable breakfast cereals are Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 and Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Spoonfuls; an acceptable bakery choice is Rudi’s Organic white hot dog rolls; one acceptable cheese is Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet alternative. Their diet includes only vegan protein alternatives made from tofu or soy.
Some of their writing is vulgar, graphic, and no doubt offensive to certain readers, particularly the chapter on “pooping” and the ones about the meat industry’s cruelty to animals. The authors provide details of cows screaming during slaughter, chickens being tortured, and other alleged meat industry practices.
The Skinny Bitch Diet begins with a juice fast. During the first weeks, you can expect to feel uncomfortable as you eliminate cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, sweets, salty snacks, and other junk foods from your system. The authors are adamant that these are true addictions: “Alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and food are all addictive, physically and psychologically. Chances are, even after thirty days, if you indulge in a vice item, you might go off the deep end. … It is very easy to obliterate all your progress with one bite, sip or puff.”
After the initial “bodily purification,” you begin your vegan lifestyle. The book provides four weeks of menus, cookbook suggestions, and recipes as well as information on vitamins and supplements. The authors do not emphasize specific exercises, but they advise you to work out every day, especially with yoga.
See:Freedman, Rory and Kim Barnouin. Skinny Bitch (Philadelphia: Running Press) 2005.
Created:
Categories:
Vegan
Website:
Meetings:
No
Books:
Yes
Expert Review:
They tell you to quit all processed foods than have you eating "fake" meats. This type of diet can be very risky for some people - eating a ton of cantaloupe for breakfast is not balanced. Many people would feel very shaky on the diet, particularly if you are sensitive to sugar, as it is very high in carbohydrates. Many vegans compromise their health with too many dietary restrictions. It is common for them to have B12 and other deficiencies. The diet is extremely risky for expectant mothers and children who have broader nutritional requirements for growth and proper brain development. Many people who practice veganism do not follow it in a way that will ensure that a child's full nutritional are met on a daily basis.
Advocates of the vegan lifestyle often have a religious fervor about their way of eating, which can be a real problem if it blinds them to any health issues that may occur.
The most compelling evidence about risks to children? A study published in the January 2008 issue of Diabetologia, Vitamin B12 and folate concentrations during pregnancy and insulin resistance in the offspring: the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study, which highlights the profound effect on the offspring of women consuming an habitual vegetarian diet. They might appear "small" but are actually have more adipose (fat) tissue, and have a higher incidence of diabetes. In fact, India, a largely vegetarian culture, has the highest rate of Type 2 Diabetes in the world.
Sample Menu:
Recipes offered: Vegan
Day One
BREAKFAST
A “sh*tload” of cantaloupe
LUNCH
Fake deli meats on whole-grain bread with lettuce and tomato, a side of Asian cole slaw made with shredded carrots, red and green cabbage, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds
DINNER
Fake meatloaf with corn on the cob, peas, and sautéed spinach and garlic
Day Two
BREAKFAST
Fresh squeezed OJ, toaster waffles with sliced strawberries, bananas, and peaches
LUNCH
Vegan Caesar salad with fake chicken chunks
DINNER
Brown rice and lentils with steamed broccoli and red cabbage