Whole Food, Plant-Based Living: For Good Health & Good Stewardship
I converted to a whole food (food in its natural state), plant-based lifestyle because my physical, mental, and emotional health were under siege. Chronic health concerns, long-term cancer and heart attack survivor-ship, and a new diagnosis of bladder cancer were, admittedly, the main reasons for this lifestyle change. I have my own ideas about the sentient animals with whom we share this planet and the real need to preserve them, but preaching about these ideas accomplishes little. What I will say is that since adopting this lifestyle (it's a true way of living, not just a "diet"), the arthritis that plagued my hands, neck, and knees has subsided, I've lost unwanted pounds, and the discomfort within my bladder is easing. As a 34-year cancer treatment survivor--that is, one fortunate enough to have lived through radical surgery and weapons-grade chemotherapy--not only am I not a good candidate for such treatment again, I have no interest in them because I am convinced that the future of cancer treatment lies in more humane, reasonable modalities. Only time will tell what effect this manner of eating will have on my disease, but I would rather live this way with whatever time I have left than suffer with my previous disease-producing habits.
As a person of Cherokee descent, I strive to focus on the healthier foods (which served as their majority fare) that my ancestors ate: greens, beans, wild potatoes, corn, squash, nuts, and seeds. These are starchy, life-giving foods. No meat, no dairy, no eggs. "If it had a face or a mother, look for another."
Further, a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet has been demonstrated to halt and reverse heart disease, as well as a number of other acute and chronic conditions, and studies of its effects on various types of cancer are ongoing. And it is the one thing we as patients can do to exercise personal control of our health. T. Colin Campbell's work with The China Study is something I highly recommend. This and info from the links below will help you get started. They are just a few of the many resources available. A WFPB lifestyle is one of the best things a person can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint on the planet. Animal consumption is the number one agricultural problem in existence (see Game Changers and Cowspiracy, currently on Netflix, for the stats). It is the 21st century. If we want our descendants to make it in good health to the 22nd, the game needs to change. If you are a game changer with powerful story, I would love to hear from you! Remember: Eating vegan is not extreme; having elective open-heart surgery is.
My thanks to Dr. Joanne Kong for permitting me to share my story.
Forks Over Knives
Game Changers
Cowspiracy
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.
Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr. Joanne Kong
Dr. Neal Barnard
I converted to a whole food (food in its natural state), plant-based lifestyle because my physical, mental, and emotional health were under siege. Chronic health concerns, long-term cancer and heart attack survivor-ship, and a new diagnosis of bladder cancer were, admittedly, the main reasons for this lifestyle change. I have my own ideas about the sentient animals with whom we share this planet and the real need to preserve them, but preaching about these ideas accomplishes little. What I will say is that since adopting this lifestyle (it's a true way of living, not just a "diet"), the arthritis that plagued my hands, neck, and knees has subsided, I've lost unwanted pounds, and the discomfort within my bladder is easing. As a 34-year cancer treatment survivor--that is, one fortunate enough to have lived through radical surgery and weapons-grade chemotherapy--not only am I not a good candidate for such treatment again, I have no interest in them because I am convinced that the future of cancer treatment lies in more humane, reasonable modalities. Only time will tell what effect this manner of eating will have on my disease, but I would rather live this way with whatever time I have left than suffer with my previous disease-producing habits.
As a person of Cherokee descent, I strive to focus on the healthier foods (which served as their majority fare) that my ancestors ate: greens, beans, wild potatoes, corn, squash, nuts, and seeds. These are starchy, life-giving foods. No meat, no dairy, no eggs. "If it had a face or a mother, look for another."
Further, a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet has been demonstrated to halt and reverse heart disease, as well as a number of other acute and chronic conditions, and studies of its effects on various types of cancer are ongoing. And it is the one thing we as patients can do to exercise personal control of our health. T. Colin Campbell's work with The China Study is something I highly recommend. This and info from the links below will help you get started. They are just a few of the many resources available. A WFPB lifestyle is one of the best things a person can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint on the planet. Animal consumption is the number one agricultural problem in existence (see Game Changers and Cowspiracy, currently on Netflix, for the stats). It is the 21st century. If we want our descendants to make it in good health to the 22nd, the game needs to change. If you are a game changer with powerful story, I would love to hear from you! Remember: Eating vegan is not extreme; having elective open-heart surgery is.
My thanks to Dr. Joanne Kong for permitting me to share my story.
Forks Over Knives
Game Changers
Cowspiracy
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.
Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr. Joanne Kong
Dr. Neal Barnard
