Not what we think

3.24

I have a co-worker who is super-healthy and vegan. He understands the value of nutrient-dense foods and a plant-based diet, and we have frequent conversations about what's new (to us) in healthy choices and recipes.

The other day he sent me several articles about protein and how much misinformation is out there about needing lots of protein in our diet. The research was gathered and supported by Gatorade and focused a lot on how even committed athletes don't need nearly the amount of protein that conventional wisdom indicates.

This misinformation is systemic in our western culture, and it doesn't look like it will get better anytime soon. The truth is, a plant-based diet rich in veggies, fruits, healthy grains, nuts and seeds will far outpace a protein-rich diet focused on dairy and animal proteins.

I often say that if we lived on the plains of Kansas in the 1800's we'd be incredibly grateful for a cow and her milk, some chickens and their eggs, and maybe a couple of pigs if we were really blessed. At least with a small barn yard, we would have some calorie-dense meats that would nourish our family consistently. And some fresh grains and produce thrown in, and we might even prosper.

But we don't live in the 1800's, and we have so many options for healthy food buying and eating, we have no excuse to get this wrong. The bigger issue is changing the message. We still have an archaic centralized government message telling us that dairy is essential to our health (especially brainwashing our kids in public school) and supporting big meat industry messages and sales volumes to a willing public.

I get that there is nothing more savory than the smell and taste of grilled meat. Throw in some salt and garlic, and hey, how can something that tastes this good be bad for you?! In small, occasional amounts and meals? No problem. But at the exorbitant rate that western culture eats meat protein, we write our own prescription for disease and untimely demise.

If you aren't convinced, do your own research. Check out Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Dean Ornish, and web resources like MindBodyGreen. We live with food-abundance like never before, and with extensive information available, we have no excuse for living with food-related poor health. What we will hear and learn from government and conventional media is full of half-truths and lobbyist-fed industry pandering. The truth on healthful foods is not what we think.

By the Way

If you really want to update your perspective on plant-based eating and healthful choices, check out these valuable documentaries (available on Netflix, or at their websites):
Fork Over Knives
Food Matters
Hungry for Change

These are all exceptionally eye-opening. Here's to upgrading what we know about our food choices and making healthful choices.

Doctors in the House

2.7
I'm a big fan of Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his seminal book on nutritional excellence, Eat to Live. We're adding folks to the Power Pantry rolls weekly, and if you've joined us recently, reading and following the powerful guidance in Eat to Live is a perfect place to start. You'll find solid, easy-to-understand concepts of how nutrient density and following a whole-food diet is the way to optimal physical health.

Here is tremendous guidance from a recent email blast of Dr. Fuhrman's:

The benefits of following the Nutritarian diet are numerous and life-changing. By following the Nutritarian diet, it is possible to:

• Achieve your ideal weight
• Improve your overall health
• Prevent and reverse heart disease and type 2 diabetes
• Protect yourself from cancer and dementia
• Reduce or eliminate your need for medication
• Avoid any unnecessary and potentially harmful medical interventions
• Raise heathy children and safeguard their future health
• Slow down the aging process
• Push the boundaries of human longevity

That's quite a list of benefits! I can attest that simple improvements in what I eat have brought me to a level of physical health that I haven't enjoyed since I was a kid. As I go into my fifth year of intentional lifestyle wellness, I'm still fascinated at how simple it is to achieve significantly improved physical health.

There's another doctor I'm quite impressed with, and I've benefited greatly from his guidance. Dr. Dean Ornish is a veteran of over 35 years of wellness research and oversees the Preventative Medicine Research Institutes (PMRI - click for their website). The basis of Dr. Ornish's work is what he refers to as The Ornish Spectrum. He has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that improvements in four simple areas of life will restore health and vitality to even the sickest patients. The four areas of Dr. Ornish's Spectrum are:

• what you eat
• how you respond to stress
• how much activity you have
• how much love and support you have.

With decades of proof, the improved lives of his patients stand as a testament to his good work. There is a wealth of tremendous research available from the PMRI research page on their website:
PMRI Research Highlights

Achieving your lifestyle wellness goals is simple, even though it may not be easy. If you're on the path, stick to it, and if you're just starting, welcome aboard!

By the Way

Dr. Ornish has a number of TED Talks where he reviews the great research his work has generated. It is incredible to me that he was spreading this guidance over 10 years ago; I'm thankful that it is becoming a part of the fabric and dialog of our American lifestyle... Here is his talk from 2004, and it's well worth the time to watch it:
Dr. Ornish - Healing Through Diet