Since I've been considering to go vegan, more for skin reasons (because I love my meat and dairy), I've been spotting vegan books all over the place! I just came across "The Kind Diet", by Alicia Silverstone, which won't be released until October 13.

I figure if anyone knows their stuff, it's Alicia Silverstone. The actress, activist, and committed conservationist has been vegan for about twelve years. In a past article I found from Glamour.com's blog, Alicia said if you don't want beans to give you gas (which yes, I'm afraid of!) this what you should do:

soak the beans overnight, and then cook with a small piece of kombu, a Japanese seaweed. When you bring the beans to a boil, remove all the white foam at the top--that should remove all the gas

Brilliant! And for those know-it-alls, who already knew how to do that (well good for you), but I'm a simpleton when it comes to cooking - so any adice is great advice!

The Kind Diet introduces irresistibly delicious food that satisfies on every level, it even includes amazing desserts to keep the most stubborn sweet tooth happy. Alicia also addresses the nutritional concerns faced by many who are new to a plant-based diet, and shows how to cover every nutritional base, from protein to calcium and beyond.

And I feel like "The Kind Diet" is more my speed, especially because I'm a beginner. The book offers 3 levels, from Flirting to Superhero. Flirts learn to dip a toe into the vegan pool, reducing their meat-eating and swapping out a few key foods for plant-based substitutes to see quickly how even small changes can reap big results. Vegans get to experience the life-altering effects of forgoing animal-products entirely, while still enjoying many convenience foods and meat substitutes in addition to the wonderful grains, vegetables and fruits thatform the core of that diet. True enlightenment comes with the Superhero program, based on the principles of macrobiotics and built on a foundation of whole grains, vegetables, and other yummy foods that Alicia describes in detail.

Whether your goal is to drop a few pounds, boost your energy and metabolism, or simply save the world, Alicia provides the encouragement, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering.