She now has a face!
The Plant-Based Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide for Transitioning to a Healthy Lifestyle and Achieving Your Ideal Weight now officially has a front cover, six months to the day from release.
This week also marks the last few days that I can make any changes in the manuscript.
I’ll just have to resist my urge to pile in more content – as it is I had to trim 10,000 words from the original! So much to talk about, bring to light, and share with you about this wonderful way to live.
The Promise of Living Plant-Based
Plant-based living carries more than just the promise of easily achieving your ideal weight – as in the title of Journey.
It also has to do with healthy living – also in the title – on multiple levels. There is a harmony of living, a match with the sense of integrity that comes when you are doing your best to make the world a better place by eating low on the food chain, curtailing environmental degradation and avoiding the messy set of circumstances that comes with eating animal products.
It can seem difficult to make a difference when it comes to these issues. But this one, simple thing you can do – eat a plant-based diet – is also the biggest impact you can make on all of them. And it’s easy and delicious to achieve. And that, of course is what Journey is all about.
It’s Mbegu’s Birthday, too!
As it so happens, today also marks the first birthday of the first orphaned elephant we fostered, sweet Mbegu – who we were able to meet and spend time with when on safari in Kenya last summer.
A favorite in our plant-based posse, I’m so enamored of Mbegu’s charms – and so deeply concerned about the plight of the elephants – one of my recipes in Plant-Based Journey is named after her: Mbegu’s Spicy African Peanut Sauce. 
Endorsements for The Plant-Based Journey
I can’t help but think Mbegu would put the full stamp of approval on Journey! Especially as she has been on a difficult journey of her own.
Though she can’t speak up and say so, there are some who have come forward with endorsements for Journey that I can’t wait to share with you. The Esselstyn’s (both Dr. Caldwell and Rip), John and Mary McDougall, Gene Baur, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Dr. Joel Kahn, Suzy Amis Cameron, Richard Oppenlander, and more.
These I cherish! I’ll be sharing them with you as we move forward toward official book release.
Plant-Based Journey Advance Team
And speaking of cherish – the Plant-Based Journey Advance Team has me honored and humbled with the enthusiasm with which they have jumped into the project. This growing team of people – including registered dietitian, cooking instructors, and plant-based living coaches – are pre-ordering multiple copies of Journey for utilizing as teaching tool and instructional guide for Nutrition Courses and campus and community clubs.
If you are interested in being on the Advance Team, you can find out more about it here: Plant-Based Journey Advance Team details.
For now, I’ll leave you with an invitation to share your thoughts about the book cover in comments below – along with a couple of the endorsements that have come in for Journey.
Lani covers the plant based journey thoroughly, creatively and with the exceptional knowledge gained from her years of teaching. When you finish The Plant Based Journey not only will you be inspired to eat plant based, but you will have the wisdom how to cook the food you enjoy.
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., Author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Micro changes, restaurant tips, plantify your pantry….and so much more. We want the vitality, weight control, and energy that plant based nutrition offers but don’t always know how to implement the plan. Lani scores a bullseye in The Plant Based Journey by making the process so clear cut and reachable. This is a must read manual for life.
Joel Kahn MD, Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Author, The Whole Heart Solution
See why I’m so excited? More for you soon.
Here’s to happy trails – and the joy of being on this journey with you!
Love, love, love the cover, Lani! I’m so glad to be part of the Plant-Based Journey Advance Team and can’t wait to share your extensive compilation of knowledge with seasoned plantbased fit-for-lifers and vegCurious alike!!
Hi Julianne! I’m thrilled that you are so enthused, lke the cover, and are on the Team! What an ambassadress we have in you!
Lani
Gorgeous! I loved it the minute it loaded onto the page.
It really makes you want to grab the book and dive in. Splendid!
I just went to Amazon and pre-ordered 2 copies, but now I think I might just jump into the Advance Team plan. Is it OK if I add on extras so it’s not all in one order?
I think it’s great too that this is the same day as your elephant b-day.
Janette
Janette, instant like sounds good to me! Thanks for the feedback AND thanks for jumping in at Amazon too!
And absolutely YES you can add on more for the Team. Just be sure to forward your receipts to me so that I can be sure you get your goodies!
Lani
Congratulations! Looks great! I hope they didn’t make you take out too much information! Even in plant-based circles/blogs/websites/Facebook pages there seems to be mixed information, so I am looking forward to reading your book, as I know I can trust what you write.
Barb,
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see your comment today! No worries, plenty IN the book and actually the editor always really helps. Love having objective eyes on my work. I always tell my editor to be brutal! I am glad to say she loved the book from the start and was a dream to work with. And some of the content that we had to trim will be available as bonus gifts for people who pre-order early! Winwin!
Thanks for stopping in and I so appreciate you.
Lani
Hi Lani,
I also think the cover design is fantastic! I’m looking forward to getting the book and starting my own journey. Any suggestions of what to do now would be helpful. Thank you.
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your feedback on the cover and for telling me a little bit about yourself. What to do now? Start where you are. That means become aware of where you are, and then decide what your intentions are, or where you want to go. Then identify the microchanges that you would need to make to move in that direction, and start practicing them. So if, for example, you want to eat less animal products and more whole plant foods, go through your regular eats and note which are already plant-based or close to, and what you might be able to easily switch out one thing for another. That way it builds on things that you like that are familiar. Bulgur can become the crumbly meat in spaghetti sauce or chili, veggie burgers can replace animal burgers. And here’s an easy one – start by swapping out any milk or yogurt with plant milk and plant yogurt. You can start adding more vegetables and greens to other dishes, reducing and eliminating animal products and bring yourself along. SPecific strategies like this can be easily built upon. Wish I could hand you a copy of the book today!
How did our paths cross?
Lani
I love the “face” on the book. The cover is so inviting.The colors with the fruit and vegetables are wonderful. I cannot wait to get a copy. Even though I have followed plant-based eating almost 5 years (my beginning was April 4, 2010!)I am always trying to do it better! I cannot wait.
Kathy, I have so much appreciation for your enthusiasm and wish I could hand you a copy today! Hey, we’re all always trying to do it better and once we see it that way there’s a shift that makes anything possible.
Be sure to hang onto your receipts when you pre-order – we are putting together some simple gifts as thank yous for pre-ordering 1, 2-3, 5, and on up categories. Something for everyone in addition to the book.
Talk soon,
Lani
You have a plantiversary coming up soon! Congratulations!
The cover is great! So excited about reading it! Thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful information with us! You are a true inspiration! Thank you for all of your hard work and encouragement!! I appreciate you Lani!!
Lisa, your words are music to my ears – if I can be of encouragement and inspiration, well, I couldn’t ask for anything more. Your stopping by to tell me this means more than you know. Thank you Lisa!
Lani
The cover is fantastic! Congratulations. This is going to be such a fantastic resource for everyone. It’s great to hear that the book has received so many positive endorsements from other prominent plant-based nutrition experts (and from Mbegu!) – a true testament to your hard work and knowledge. Can’t wait.
Hi Emma,
What a treat to read your comments! And you even got Mbegu in there! I am humbled and honored by those endorsements – they mean the world to me. We’ll be doing a blog tour and giveaways – what about PlantPlate to make a connection? Let me know!
Lani
I would love to make a connection! I am not sure if you ever got my email? Let me know if you did and what we can do. Many thanks,
Emma