The Stash Plan: Your 21-Day Guide to Shed Weight, Feel Great, and Take Charge of Your Health

by Laura Prepon, Elizabeth Troy

From Laura Prepon, star of Orange Is the New Black, and integrative nutritionist Elizabeth Troy comes an exciting 21-day plan combining the latest in food science with ancient dietary wisdom, to shed stubborn weight for good and achieve overall wellness.

Despite her glowing on-screen presence as the star of That 70's Show and Orange Is the New Black, Laura Prepon has always struggled with weight issues, digestive issues, bloating, and low energy. After years of starving herself with crazy diets and punishing herself with tortuous workouts, Prepon met integrative nutritionist Elizabeth Troy, who combines Eastern holistic medicine and food science in her practice. Troy "unstuck" Prepon's malfunctioning organs and metabolism through targeted eating and stretching that finally allowed her to lose those stubborn pounds and thrive.

Wanting to share this life-changing success, Prepon joined with Troy to create The Stash Plan, a 21-day plan and lifestyle guide that combines modern nutritional science with Chinese Meridian Theory (CMT) to detoxify the body and burn fat. In The Stash Plan, you'll learn what to cook and how to create a combinable "stash" of meals - proteins, carbs, and vegetables - and nutritional bone broths to eat throughout the week. With twice-weekly cooking sessions as the basis of the plan, Prepon and Troy will show you how to make healthy, budget-friendly meals that are easy and ideal for a busy, on-the-go lifestyle. The Stash Plan gives you the key to heal yourself from the inside out and start living the life you've always wanted.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Health, Food, Cooking, Nutrition, Unfinished

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Laura Helene Prepon was born on March 7, 1980, in Watchung, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Marjorie (Coll) and Michael Prepon. Her father died in 1993, when she was 13 years old. Laura is the youngest of five children--she has a brother named Brad and three sisters: Danielle, Jocelyn, and Stephanie. She attended Watchung Hills Regional High School. She studied at the Total Theater Lab in New York City, where she appeared in a number of theatrical productions.

Before acting became her profession, Laura was a model, working in Paris, Milan, and elsewhere in Europe. She began acting at the young age of 15 as well as dancing--ballet, jazz, and modern. She also played soccer and other sports. Laura loves vintage clothes. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, horseback riding, playing piano, and dancing. Her favorite book is 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien. Laura resides in New York when not filming in Los Angeles.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ryan McIntosh

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. There's a ton of health information at the beginning, which was a little surprising to me, as I thought this was mostly going to be a book of recipes I could "stash" (I'm always looking for new ideas to make my meals on the weekend and then very little work to do during the week). The recipes don't actually start until about 150 pages in.

The recipes I did try (the chicken broth and the almond bread) were both fabulous. I took the chicken off the bone (as recommended for the chicken salad recipe) while cooking the broth and it was delicious also.

That being said, I will probably try making some of the other broths, but none of the other recipes really sounded like anything I would like to eat on a regular basis, and some of the recipes are a bit annoying, as it is unclear how large your cooking vessel should be, how much a recipe is really going to make, etc.

Overall, I'm glad I tried the recipes, but I'm also glad I checked this book out from the library and didn't purchase it!

[Alli · Rating 1 out of 5]

IT'S MEAL PLANNING AND YOGA, PEOPLE.

They spend 200 pages jizzing themselves over how awesome they are for coming up with such a revolutionary idea. Maybe if you've completely cut yourself off from the health and wellness media world for the past three years this would be revolutionary. If not, look elsewhere.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear oh dear, the clean eating bandwagon is getting even worse. My bullshit alarm was set off from the first page I randomly flipped to, which was all about how stretching will help to magically heal your gall bladder: "these aren't typical stretches - they unblock your qi and untangle your fascia"

The recipes are fine but nothing I would be thrilled to cook - a lot of turkey mince a whole chapter of "broth" recipes, and of course avo toast. I guess they are healthy (in a pretty boring way) so if you do manage to stick to the plan I guess you'll lose weight, if that's your main concern. But I'm not sure your qi will be any less tangled...

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
*half of the book is nutritional science about the gallbladder and liver
*"broth is the new juice" -- I totally agree but this book has no uses for it except infusing your rice with a little of it. I guess you just drink it straight up?? I mean, no soups or anything.
*recommends raw milk, raw butter, raw eggs and organ meats but no recipes use them.
*recipes are super basic and repetitive -- beef patties in all sizes, roasted veggies with oil and garlic, and basic rice/quinoa/noodles. Also pot roast, poached fish, roast chicken -- not really things you need a cookbook for
*maybe helpful for a beginner cook?
*all recipes are to serve one person for several meals over the course of three days
*stretches use opposition and resistance and feel really good -- I'll keep using those but the rest of the book is not that helpful unless you don't mind eating the same thing over and over and over

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read up to page 75. It was informative and easy to read, but I kept cringing when words like "qi" were used. Feels like a fad diet.

[Angie Niles · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative and helpful with building a healthy lifestyle

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, as one reviewer said, this book is about "meal planning and yoga" to a large extent, HOWEVER, even the most seasoned "health nut" will find new valuable information here. At least that's been my experience with most "health books" - even if not groundbreaking overall, there is always at least one seed of helpful NEW information. With this book in particular, it was interesting to learn that not all forms of exercise are optimal for one's health goals, and also to get a new take on familiar broth recipes. Moreover, I enjoyed the insights that support the much healthier dietary traditions of my Eastern European childhood and take me back to it. :) Overall, 4 stars from me - great book!

[Richard Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eat better, no GMOs and exercises. Cook cook cook. First three chapters are informative and rest you can cherrypick for ideas.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I hate to admit it but I’m a fad diet junkie, more so in knowledge than practice, meaning I like to read about fad diets and the science/theory behind them then decide if I buy that theory and want to give it a try. Once I read Laura’s story at the beginning of the book I was hooked as it is eerily similar to my own. I’m not a famous actress with a crazy production schedule, but her experience with inconsistent body image, difficult metabolism, constant obsession with fad diets that end up unsuccessful and/or dangerous, confusing and contradictory advice from doctors and nutritionists, and the resulting hopelessness, sadness, and self blame is all me. She and Elizabeth both present their stories in such a down to earth and relatable way, and that’s what made the book so easy to get through.

As for the diet itself the book stresses organic non-GMO fruits, vegetables, the healthy parts of grass-fed meat, portioning (they portion without even mentioning that they’re portioning, which is pretty brilliant), cooking for the sake of busy schedules, making “boring” food delicious with tons of flavor additions, and high-level stretching instead of seven body breaking HIIT workouts per week. I’ve never heard of any of those things being unhealthy. There is some Chinese medicine/meridian theory sprinkled throughout that might turn off skeptics, but they don’t hit you over the head with that. I personally enjoyed learning about it.

The only con for me was that the shopping list seems overwhelming and really expensive. I briefly read through the shopping lists and can’t believe I have to buy all that stuff twice a week. I’m still going to try it, but I’m bracing my bank account for it. On a positive note the plan itself is only 21 days, and from there you have corrected your palate and cravings (which will change when you move from processed foods to real ones) so you are free to make some great new recipes you learned from this book in your daily life after that.

Most of the bad reviews that I read here are from people who clearly did not read the book preview to see what it was actually about before purchasing, and many of them speak like they are highly educated in nutrition while I highly doubt they are. Even assuming they are, there are hundreds of theories on diet and nutrition, so all we can do as humans is to research as much as possible and choose what sounds right for our bodies and our daily lives. You know, like fruits, vegetables, healthy meats, portion control, and moving our bodies.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Laura Prepon, so I picked this up. It's an interesting read, though I'm not sure I'm completely behind the science (basically, the idea is that the liver and gallbladder are critical organs, and most people eat in a way that is injurious to those organs). But these are important organs, and even if you aren't with the philosophy behind the plan, the food is very healthy and a lot of the key points in the plan (whole grains, avoid GMOs, eat organic) are obviously healthy.

The plan seems kind of rigid in the sense that you have two big cooking periods each week, then eat from that 'stash' for three days. They give a lot of sample weeks, and you can mix and match the foods as you like, but it still seems kind of limiting. I don't like to cook like that, and bringing your own food places isn't always practical. The recipes were easy to follow, but I don't think this is for me.

A few other books I read have talked about bone broth; this book goes into that in more depth and sheds some light on that trend.

This is an interesting book, and if you like to read different types of nutritional theories this is worth checking out.

[Andrea Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on day 1 of the Stash Plan and so far I really love the philosophy behind this. Making stashes of food make it easy and convenient for the subsequent days. The ingredients are clean and whole. It is very meat heavy and I am transitioning into incorporating grass-fed organic meat into my diet, after years of pescatarian eating. This book says it is easily adjustable for vegetarians, but the majority of meal plans are meat heavy and it doesn't suggest alternatives. It also doesn't tell you how to continue this eating after the 21 days, although I'm confident that I'll figure that out using the 21 days as a template. The science in the book is informative and I love that it focuses on healing the gall bladder and liver.

[Wishbear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure about all the claims about live and gallbladder and stretching. and I certainly don't buy into all GMOs are bad and one should ONLY buy organic. however the recipes look solid, easy and delicious. the meal plan doesn't look like one would go hungry and with a little adaptation, batch cooking should only need to happen I've a week instead of twice. the food ideas and menu plan is what I am looking for to compliment my eating. hopefully it tastes as good as it looks.

[Tracy Decresie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I am totally reading ALL food labels now! And I better understand how in sync my gall bladder and Liver need to be. I found this very informative book written in a very relatable and easy manner. No fancy talk....no trying to sell me anything else. Just educating me about foods in relation to these organs in a way I can understand and a plan that seems "doable."

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Points for giving me some new information and clever ideas! (My health shelf on goodreads has 93 titles and that's not counting all the ones I've touched and skimmed-too many!) Thanks for the book recommendation Michelle.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the nutrition information and will be referencing this often. Also, broth!

[Elien · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cleanse your liver and galbladder by doing meal prep with whole non gmo food, drink bone broth and do stretching. 80% whole food, 20% whatever you want. This shouldn´t take up an entire book.

[Samani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredibly insightful book. It amazed me how many science backed studies had been done. It really opened my eyes. Can’t wait to see the results

[Stephany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The authors highlight the importance of eating organic produce, grass-fed meats and preservative/hormone free products. Laura and Elizabeth focus on detoxifying the gallbladder and the liver through healthy eating and through a form of target stretching using "The Meridian Method". The goal is to restore proper energy flow to the gallbladder and liver with the promise that in doing so you will lose weight, balance hormones, clear mental fatigue and feel great overall. The book has some really delicious recipes as well as a meal plan to follow (grocery list included) to achieve a healthy balanced lifestyle. The main food focus is the addition of homemade broths to an everyday diet. The recipes are simple to make and the plan is easy to follow and great if you're into bulk meal prepping. I'm enjoying the flexibility of the plan and how tasty the recipes are! This book is a great tool to get started into meal-prepping and healthy eating.

[Amy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not getting enough publicity! It is really simple--cook protein, whole grains, and veggies in triple batches twice a week. When you are hungry, go to the fridge and make a bowl with a scoop of each! Oh, also add organic chicken/beef/veggie broth and do stretches for 20 minutes a day that stimulate your lymphatic system and help cleanse your liver. The author also has a Youtube channel that shows her favorite meals/meal preps. Some of the recipes are not for me, but I learned a lot about liver/kidney health. I like that it focuses on whole foods without being super restrictive.

[Svenja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is down to earth, easy to understand, extremely informative and funny! I never expected to learn so much about the crucial importance organs have on weight loss/gain but I did learn a bunch by reading this book!

I've noticed how Laura's body has changed throughout the last seasons of Orange is the New Black and I certainly cannot wait to start stashing, trying the broths and start stretching!

[Tina Stillabower · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of good information about how preservatives and farming chemicals affect the body. It really made me think about being more choosy when I grocery shop. However, the Stash Plan foods are probably not something I could stick to on a regular basis. The exercises are very similar to Pilates or Yoga exercises - I don't know if they free up the gallbladder and liver, but they are good stretching poses.

[Rosy Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure the science in the book is valid. It seems to be a little flaky. Meal prep is not new but it’s fine here. The recipes themselves just don’t appeal to me. The almond bread is fabulous and I also like the turmeric turkey, but that’s about it. Broth is good but her method is not my favorite. I’m sure the recipes would appeal to a lot of people though. I’d recommend checking this out before buying it.

[Isabel Hinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels like just another "this one organ in your body is the most important and if you do x, y, and z, you will never have another health problem again!" book. I like the idea of bone broth but that's the only takeaway I got from this. Everyone's body is different, which means this actress (who I never heard of before reading this) shouldn't claim that this specific diet will work for everyone else. I don't believe everyone's liver and gallbladder are THE ONE AND ONLY "key" to health.

[Ashely Lanouette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I really enjoyed the recipes in this book, as a person who is diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions; the scientific backbone of this bordered too much along the line of "woo". Pseudo science wrapped up in words that common folks don't entirely understand.

[Brittany Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one and picked up a few tips. None of the food information was new to me including the "stash" aka meal prep concept. I actually got the most out of the stretches/yoga poses included in the book and continue to do them almost daily.

[Jenn. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another eat all organic, nonGMO and you will fix all your problems book. Oh and did you know Moncanto is destroying the food supply...if not you will if you read this because they repeat it over and over and over and did I say over again.

[Amanda Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, made me want to make broth right away to eat better. Most of the recipes I could see making. Some of the stretches were a little out there.. couldn't see myself doing. All in all I thought it was a pretty good book, and will continue to go back and look at it often!

[Sumayyah Tsabitah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Laura's story about her struggles over the year is what kept me reading this.
But like other reviewers say, it gets too long until they finally reach to what stash plan really is.

I definitely want to try the recipe and feed myself more real food

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was only semi-useful to me. There are some really good looking recipes that I will take away from this book, but that's about it.

[Bobbie Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.