Food As Medicine

"Let food be thy medicine. Let medicine be thy food." – Hippocrates ​
    One of the biggest scientific discoveries of the last 30 years is that food isn’t just energy, it’s information. It provides instructions for everything that’s going on in your body. You can change your gut flora, your hormones, your gene expression, your immune system, and so much more. It has a direct effect on every function, either for the good or for the bad, depending on what you’re eating. 

Top 4 Reasons to Switch to a Plant-based Diet:

1. Prevent and Even Reverse Chronic Illness
     The vast majority of diseases can be prevented and even reversed with a plant based diet. A study by the national cancer institute compared a meat-free diet of vegetables, grains, beans, fruits and nuts compared to the conventional diabetic diet. Though they were made to eat the same number of calories, the veg group lost more weight, waist, cholesterol, more subQ fat, and more belly fat. 

​     The Nutrition Journal published a study showing these results after only 7 days on a plant-based diet:

• Average weight loss was 3.1 pounds while eating unrestricted amounts of food
• Average cholesterol reduction was 22 mg/dL
• An average decrease of 18/11 mmHg in blood pressure in patients with hypertension (140/90 or greater)
• Nearly 90% of patients were able to get off blood pressure and diabetic medications

   
​     We can optimize our immune systems and expedite recovery from induced stress, maximizing our physical and mental performance. For example, blueberries have the anthocyanins for memory; tomatoes are rich in the red pigment lycopene, which targets heart disease and cancer; ginger has gingerols for hypertension; pomegranates have some totally unique phytonutrients.

70% of Americans are overweight and heart disease is our #1 killer. How can we be the most prosperous nation on earth, yet be the most unhealthy?

​2. Water and Land Conservation
     More than half of all water consumed in the US is used for animal agriculture.
In fact, the meat and dairy industry uses a full third of the entire planet’s fresh water. 
​Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of the Amazon deforestation.
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     ​In fact, 1-2 acres of rain forest are cleared every minute for grazing and growing feed for livestock. We are depleting our planet of the trees that pump oxygen into our atmosphere so that we can raise more cattle.​ Livestock covers 45% of the earth's total land.

3. Alleviate World Hunger
     The U.S. alone could feed 800 million people with the grain used to feed livestock. Hunger isn't an issue of scarcity, it's an issue of allocation and distribution. We grow enough food to feed 10 billion people.
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4. Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
     Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions.  A plant-based diet can cut your carbon footprint by a full 50%.
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     Our planetary problems are perilous and profound. Our country is becoming more and more unhealthy. We have power over our longevity. Once you realize that, it changes your relationship to food. It’s the most powerful thing we can do, for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our planet. 
​Health happens in our kitchen.

I love www.onegreenplanet.org for great recipes and snack ideas.