That's Fit

Oprah finished her 21-day vegan cleanse last Sunday. She reports she's been enlightened by the diet recommended by Kathy Freston in her new book, Quantum Wellness. No animal products, sugar, caffeine, alcohol or gluten. Try that for a day!

After you radically change your dietary habits for three weeks and become 'awakened', what's next? I think Oprah gave us a big clue when blogging that she nearly blew her 21st day with a craving for Bordeaux 82. Twenty days of vegan eating and she had an urge for wine. I know what you mean, Oprah, I impulse-purchased a chocolate bar with almonds last night and it's speaking to me through the kitchen cabinet right now.

Perhaps Oprah will enjoy more vegan fare in her future. Perhaps she'll stay away from certain foods more than before. Maybe enlightenment simply means being conscious from whence it came -- as the steak knife slides into a bacon-wrapped filet mignon. At a minimum, her experiment and vegan blog awakened Oprah's audience to the world of vegan.

Conscious eater -- these two words from Kathy Freston's new book Quantum Wellness piqued Oprah's curiosity and has her jumping into a 21-day vegan cleanse. If Oprah's on board, Preston is about to sell a whole lot of books. The Cattlemen and Dairymen must not be pleased.

Oprah describes in her blog how she always thought being a conscious eater meant not eating to ease an anxiety-ridden day, chewing slowly, picking a healthier alternative instead of a handful of chocolate-covered raisins. I know the unconscious eating Oprah is referring to -- if there's a box of Mike And Ikes lying around during a high-stress moment, I've been known to grab handfuls. But Freston's consciousness is framed differently -- it speaks to "spiritual integrity" -- she says eating most meat sold in this country means eating meat from animals that have been treated inhumanely. Also, raising animals for slaughter carries a serious environmental toll.

Veganism is a mysterious word to most people, but it shouldn't be and it won't be for millions after Oprah is through with her cleanse. Hanging out with vegans and vegetarians opens your palate to a host of new flavors and healthy, wholesome foods. Oprah fans will learn all about dishes 'those strange vegans' enjoy. More people will be trying chunky mushroom soup with wild rice and pecans -- Oprah had that for lunch last Sunday. In the spirit of Oprah's vegan cleanse, here is a gallery of vegan dishes to try, compliments of the popular vegan recipe section at VegWeb.

Gallery: Vegan dishes to try