The perfect ideology about health can be summed up by the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates, when he said: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. I propose that the ultimate epitome of medicinal consumption is a whole food, plant-based diet. What is plant-based nutrition? It is a diet that creates health; prevents and even reverses disease; assists with weight loss; and enhances energy, endurance, beauty and strength. It is a diet based on whole foods that come direct from nature.
There is currently a vast enormity of scientific data that confirms and substantiates the fact that a whole food, plant-based diet creates health. There is decades of evidence showing that the Standard American Diet (SAD; high-fat, high-protein, low nutrient) is the cause of the growing incidence of heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases. Ultimately, no matter what your genetic destiny, these diseases can be prevented and reversed and it all depends on what is at the end of your fork…
There are two components to eating for health…what you choose not to eat and what you should eat. The worst products to put into your body includes animal protein, fat, processed “foods”, artificial colors/flavors, preservatives, and chemicals. On the other hand, what your body and immune system need to thrive and protect itself is a variety of plants, namely: grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit…the new four food groups.
Research demonstrates the fact that animal protein itself (including that from eggs, dairy, fish, fowl, red meat, and pork) can turn on and off carcinogenesis (cancer formation). Additionally, the further you get from nature (meaning, the more processed the food), the closer you get to disease formation.
Conversely, plant-based, whole foods are full of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are nutrient-dense and flood the body with usable compounds to build immunity, fight disease, re-build, detoxify and maintain health. The more of these nutrients you consume, the stronger your immune system will be.
With respect to the Earth, the number one greatest thing you can do decrease your carbon footprint (and to thereby minimize your effect on Global Warming) is to eat plants and not eat animal products. The World Health Organization came to the conclusion in their 2006 report that livestock production was the number one cause of greenhouse emissions. They determined that eating animal products was responsible for more damage than all transportation combined. In other words, a vegan driving a Hummer is less harmful to the environment than a meat-eater driving a Prius!
A final reason to put plants on your fork and to just say no to meat is the horrific treatment of animals in Factory Farms and in the Slaughterhouses. Cows, chickens, pigs and other animals are abused, tortured, and live a terrifying, miserable life before they get violently killed for consumption. Because there is such a demand for animal products, farmers are forced to utilize extreme measures to meet that demand. Thus, the less animal products people buy, the less terror reigns on the animals.
Overall, there is no better decision you can make to save your health, heal the environment, and stop the abuse of animals than what you put on the end of your fork. It all begins with one meal.
To learn more about how to make these changes, check out my website: www.PlantBasedDietitian.com
Saturday, December 26, 2009
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TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, ALL UNITED STATES SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES:
Together you have the power and worldwide influence to save the lives of billions of animals, subsequently creating a multitude of everlasting monumental benefits for humans, the earth, and the earth’s atmosphere.
The livestock industry is responsible for emitting more carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide than any other industry which is the number one cause of global warming.
Removing animal flesh from the food chain may be the only realistic, viable, manageable, enforceable, and effective government solution needed to slow global warming, and to ultimately play the largest role in stopping it.
Otherwise the following monumental cataclysmic disasters are going to continue happening.
A constant escalation of heat waves, violent torrential storms, hurricanes, catastrophic flooding, cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, uncontrolled wild fires, droughts, famines, diseases, and starvation, causing massive destruction to the Earth and countless deaths to humans and non-human animals.
10 to 20 years from now or sooner much of “the quintessence, and grandeur of the once majestic life supporting earth” could very possibly look like a dilapidated, barren, polluted wasteland occupied by millions of vulnerable homeless defenseless humans and non-human animals trying to escape the deadly consequences of global warming.
Hordes of tired, helpless, weak, listless, and lethargic adults and children crammed together in dark, dreary, windowless structures located throughout the world.
Unimaginable suffering with the frightening prospect of no way out, no one to rescue them, and no where to go.
Desperation spawned by the strong likelihood of an agonizing and painful premature death caused by starvation, disease, fire, or drowning.
Imagine within the next several years many of the cities along the coastlines of the United States and many other countries severely flooding, paralyzing and destroying infrastructures.
By removing animal flesh from the food chain and eating a vegetarian based diet, the number one cause of global warming, as well as the following illnesses, diseases, and worldwide destructive problems will be greatly reduced creating a much healthier, kinder, safer, and more peaceful society.
Strokes, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, Kidney Stones, Colon Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Breast Cancer, Hypoglycemia, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, Peptic Ulcers, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Hiatal Hernias, Diverticulosis, Obesity, Gallstones, Hypertension, Asthma, Salmonellosis, Trichinosis, Irritable Colon Syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (the human variant of Mad Cow Disease), Smallpox, Smithfield’s Swine Flu Virus (Influenza), Tuberculosis, Malaria, Aids, Bubonic Plague, Measles, Cholera, AIDS, Global Warming, Factory Farming’s Cruelty and Pollution, Starvation/World Hunger, School Shootings, and War.
“Imagine” reading headlines and news flashes like the ones that follow that would shock and impress the world “like never before.”
NEWS FLASH: UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ANNNOUNCES TO THE WORLD THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY HAVE STOPPED EATING ANIMAL FLESH!!
SUMMARY: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, ALL UNITED STATES SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES:
When you finally make “the inevitable decision” to support kindness and life for all animals you will collectively have the power and influence to create a worldwide society that will undergo a remarkable positive transformation ultimately resulting in the removal of all animal flesh from the food chain.
The choice is yours. Kindness and life or completely unnecessary cruelty and premature death to countless numbers of animals, humans, and the earth.
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