Plant Galley Lifestyle Change As the body ages, problems develop that produce progressive symptoms from years of unhealthy abuse that eventually require attention. Media outlets bombard us with all kinds of information about health/disease and their solutions to our perceived problems. Much of this information is not based on research but is presented as facts. It is our job as the owner of this once-in-a-lifetime body to take control of the gift we have been given. It is important to be an active partner with your doctor to ensure the best possible outcome. Mass media makes access to primary research within the reach of anyone who makes an effort to find it. To understand a whole food, plant based lifestyle change; it is necessary to identify the ultimate goal that is desired. The basic question that must be kept in mind is: Do you want to treat symptoms with medicine and procedures OR do you want to prevent and reverse disease? Most doctors have been educated and trained to identify symptoms and treat them with medicine and procedures. These skills are needed when an emergency presents itself. There is a time for medicine/drugs and procedures/surgery. The individual should determine if and when it will be used. On the other hand, peer reviewed research currently shows that a number of diseases can be prevented and reversed by a whole food, plant based lifestyle. Health organizations are beginning to change their guidelines to come closer to this style of eating. It appears to be an exciting beginning of a food revolution to put health at the forefront ahead of subsidized agriculture and factory farms. Some doctors are beginning to rethink the role food plays in the management of health and disease. There are doctors who have taken classes in plant-based nutrition and are beginning to use this information with their patients. The problem is that there is no money for doctors when patients are healthy! Life is best lived with a goal in mind! This is where we go back to the basic question that determines your road to the future. Do you want to treat symptoms with medicine and procedures OR do you want to prevent and reverse disease? Treating symptoms with medicine and procedures along with side effects is a never-ending lifetime process that manages the problem but does not show significant improvement for the problem. It does nothing for the underlying cause of the problem. It is an expensive route to follow without significant progress. Following the route for preventing and reversing disease is also a never-ending lifetime process but significant improvement can be seen in a very short period of time. The money spent on food produces lifetime benefits because it is changing the underlying cause of the problem. There is a simple explanation: The food you eat determines the goal you reach! It is your body and the decision is up to you. As a result of heart problems, we decided to follow a lifestyle change promoted by several well-known authorities: Neal D. Barnard, M.D., T. Colin Campbell, PhD., Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., John A. McDougall, M.D., John Robbins, Jeffrey S. Novick, M.S., R.D., L.D., L.N., among others who have done peer reviewed research. They don't all agree on every detail, but the majority of what they promote is the same. There may be a few minor things that you have to decide which way you feel is best for you. We do not call it a "diet" because most diets are temporary solutions of eating sparingly! This lifestyle change is not temporary and it is not eating sparingly! We plan to continue this approach to eating for the rest of our lives. When you lose aches and pains, lose weight, regain energy, etc. there is no way that you want to go back to your old habits! After seeing DVDs that explain how meat is processed, what is in many processed foods, etc., it is easy to see that it is not good for your body. It is important to realize that the USDA, the dairy industry, the pharmaceutical industry, etc. are working for their own benefit -- not your benefit! Basically our lifestyle is plant-based, low fat eating with minimal processed foods. No animal products, which means no dairy, no cheese, no meat, no eggs, etc. No added fats of any kind, which means no vegetable oil (olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.), no butter, no shortening, etc. No refined white flour, white sugar, white rice because whole grain flours and brown rice are used in this cooking for their nutrients. No artificial sweeteners are used. Some of the authorities say that agave is "nature's high fructose corn syrup!" Dates are sometimes used in recipes for sweetening because they are a whole food. We do not eat processed chips, crackers, or other snacks. In an effort to keep the fat and salt low, we do not eat nuts, olives, avocados, coconut, pickles or any kind of purchased pickled vegetables. Sliced cucumber on a sandwich is better for you than pickles! Hummus or mustard is much better than mayonnaise! No exceptions should be the rule! Making exceptions leads to a derailed path. Most people who choose to eat plant based, whole foods need to supplement it with vitamins D and B12. We also use a tablespoon of flaxseed meal in our morning serving of oatmeal. We eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The taste of fresh fruits and vegetables, even prepared in a very simple manner, is delicious because unnecessary additives do not mask the taste. We have found that we prefer to eat at home most of the time. It is hard to find restaurants that support this type of eating. High fructose corn syrup is put in a lot of breads and rolls. Most prepared foods have a high amount of sodium. Food coloring and preservatives add chemicals to the food. Why would you want to eat something that you can't pronounce when you see it listed in the ingredients? The consumer cannot control what is put before him in a restaurant. It is a surprise that is usually not worth risking your health. There are a lot of plant-based recipes available and with some practice it doesn't take very long to prepare nutritious food! Extra food can be frozen for quick meals in the future. This is a good quote by Ann Wigmore: "The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." The grocery store is full of healthy and unhealthy choices. You get to decide whether your money goes to food that can prevent and reverse disease or junk food, doctor visits and medications. The cost of this eating plan is not a factor. You have to buy food to live. The decision should be based on the quality of life factor. Fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen fruits and vegetables are much more healthy than canned. They also do not have the sodium and preservatives that are found in the canned varieties. It's fun to visit the farmers market and enjoy produce that is grown locally. Although there are differences of opinion about the health benefits of organic produce, it probably is better for certain produce. Pesticides do not contribute to healthy food. Check the country of origin that is posted in the grocery store or on the label. Food coming from outside the USA is more likely to have dangerous pesticides since some countries do not have very good regulations on pesticides. Produce in season is more likely to come from the USA while produce out of season is coming from other countries. Check the Internet to learn the seasons for different produce. Cheaper prices and better quality are usually found when produce is in season. Also look for food that is "non GMO" for health benefits. We always purchase "no salt added" beans and tomato products in cans with "BPA" free lining. Since some non-stick cookware as well as some parchment paper has been criticized for being unhealthy, we use silicone baking cups, a silicone loaf pan, a silicone baking mat and unbleached parchment paper. A stainless steel large skillet and several sizes of saucepans (which are not non-stick) can be used for most recipes since sauteing vegetables is done with a little cooking liquid (broth or water) instead of oil. A hot air popcorn popper is good for a snack without oil! A blender or food processor is good for some soup recipes. A small 2-cup mini-prep food processor is good for making hummus recipes. A slow cooker (Crockpot) is good to start in the morning and have a hot meal ready when you come home at night! As we travel this new food journey, our pantry has changed. There are whole areas in the grocery store that we never peruse any more! It is possible to cook healthy food with common products found in most grocery stores. Look for the word "whole" with the word "grain." A "wheat tortilla" could have white flour in it! Learn to read labels to see exactly what is in the item. For example, raisins are sometimes packed with oil. Remove immediately any food item in your home that is not on your food plan! This prevents temptation that results in guilt! It is important to settle on a food plan and stick with it. Jumping around does not promote progress! Learning a new style of eating is fun! Although most other people are not going to understand why you would do such a thing, you will be the healthy one down the road when you are giving up medications, eliminating pain, losing weight, and gaining energy that you thought would never be possible. There are pros and cons to all of life's decisions. It is more difficult to eat out or to eat at a public function. However, there are usually green salads without dressing, dry baked potatoes or fresh vegetable and fruit trays without dips. We feel that the benefits of this lifestyle change far outweigh the problems. It does take a little while to get used to this way of eating. Anything worthwhile takes time! It takes a little change in your thoughts. When I see certain foods now, my mind thinks about the bad qualities of the food and I don't feel bad about not eating it. I actually feel sorry for the people who for whatever reason are choosing to eat it!!! When you are eating a variety of things you will not be hungry. Calories still count and serving size is important but fresh fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense, usually not calorie dense. You would have to eat a whole lot to overeat. They usually say that you don't see overweight whole foods, plant based eaters. They are satisfied without overeating. People overeat because their body is seeking something that it has not gotten. Artificial vitamins and minerals do not satisfy like the real thing from vegetables and fruits. I am surprised that I don't get very hungry following this plan. You do not feel deprived. Tastes will change over time as your body adjusts to whole unprocessed foods without preservatives and additives. It is good to have as many colors as possible on your plate because that means that you are getting a variety of nutrients. It is like eating the rainbow! A meal should include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. There is no need for meat as a protein source. Legumes provide excellent plant protein. We do not buy edamame beans or tofu since there has been concerns about the high fat in these soy items. Americans eat more protein than their bodies can handle. An easy meal that meets this guideline would be a soup that includes vegetables, tomatoes (which are technically fruit), beans, and whole-wheat pasta. You could add other fruit for dessert. There is no law that says that you can only have three meals a day! Have a mid-morning snack and a mid-afternoon snack. Fruit makes a good quick snack. It just takes a little while to think about foods to come up with good healthy choices. It is possible to make choices that will have lasting benefits for your quality of life down the road. It is also good to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This keeps you hydrated. Sometimes people think that they are hungry when they really need some water. We also drink iced tea and hot tea and occasionally coffee. It is probably good to limit caffeine. No sugar drinks or diet sodas are included. Carbonated water with some fresh lemon, lime or orange juice makes a great soda occasionally. Exercise is not strongly promoted in the basic program since they want you to not feel overwhelmed with details. However, exercise of any kind is good for a person. We walk four to six times a week at a local mall. Our route gets a little over 2.5 miles in just under an hour each time. Start with a shorter walk and build up the length. It needs to be something that you enjoy and will continue to do -- not a chore that you dread. You can never get aerobic steps from daily household and job walking! It takes long continuous walking to get the heart rate up for aerobic steps. This mall is small and quiet with a smooth walking surface unlike some outdoor sidewalks that are uneven and present walking hazards. To be motivated when you start this eating plan, you might want to put a star sticker on the calendar each day you follow the plan. It is exciting to see a calendar page full of stars! You could also put a symbol on the calendar for each day that you exercise. It is good to keep track of your blood pressure. There are blood pressure machines at WalMart and CVS pharmacy that you can use. Putting your numbers on the calendar will also give you a record of your blood pressure. Checking your weight once a week the first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything may be useful. This number could also be recorded on the calendar. A good calendar with big blocks for record keeping is available for purchase at: www.flylady.net When you go to the doctor, you can take your calendar with your record of food, exercise, blood pressure, and weight. This gives a more accurate picture of your progress than one weight and blood pressure reading in the doctor's office. This is part of being a partner with your doctor for your health care. We feel that we have undertaken an exciting journey on the road to a good quality of life! No one (not even a doctor) can make a person understand this. It has to come from within. I am not able to completely express the difference I feel in my body since starting this method of eating. I know that I will never want to go back to my old habits! Speaking of the basic question: Do you want to treat symptoms with medicine and procedures OR do you want to prevent and reverse disease? I am reminded of one of my favorite poems. Robert Frost gave the perfect answer to the question when he said, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." REMEMBER... This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. The goal is optimum health -- not weight loss! The weight loss is a natural outcome of the lifestyle change. You are in it for life's journey. Your health did not get in this shape overnight and it will not be corrected overnight. All things worthwhile take time! Remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare! Quality of life is more important than length of life. Most people would not choose drugs and machines to give them a long life. You are never too old to learn something new and improve yourself. There is a difference in treating symptoms and preventing or reversing a disease. Unfortunately, most doctors are trained in treating symptoms. Use the Internet and check out what some of the well-known authorities listed above say about preventing and reversing certain diseases. Eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) in moderation does not work over the long haul. Doing the same old thing gets the same old results. Avoiding extremes just prolongs the problems. Quality of life comes from changing the underlying cause of the problem. We have to learn to live with change on a daily basis. Conclusions of scientific research conducted by professionals change over time as new discoveries and information become available. What was believed to be true in regard to health and nutrition 50 years ago is not necessarily believed to be true today. There is a lot of scientific research published within the last 10 years that goes against what people have been told growing up. It is important for an individual to be aware of what current scientific research is saying about health and nutrition and then make an informed decision about individual health care. There is no one-size-fits-all decision. The human body is unique and health and nutrition must be managed individually. Choices are a part of life. Informed decisions are better than random decisions. It is an exciting journey to manage your health as an informed partner with your doctor! It takes a strong person to make a lifestyle change because well-meaning uninformed people think that you are making a mistake. Stay positive -- help could be only a plate of food away! The food you eat determines the goal you reach! ------------------------------------------------------------ Updated 12-MAY-2017 10:56:27