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People frequently ask us why we adopted a plant-based lifestyle. We did it for health reasons after reading of lot of data and evidence touting a whole foods plant-based diet as the way to better health, reversing heart disease and avoiding or greatly reducing the chances of developing a number of chronic diseases and cancers.
The first book we read was Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn MD and it changed how we looked at food and health forever. Since then we have read and studied many of the pioneers in this field: T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, Neal Barnard, MD, Joel Fuhrmann, MD, and more.
We have learned a lot and much of what we have learned is not well understood by the medical community at large, the nutrition community or the general public. That is part of why we began Plantivores–to help make a plant-based lifestyle (or a Plantivore lifestyle) more convenient, accessible and sustainable.
Keep in mind you can be vegan by eating a diet of soda, chips and Oreos. That is not what we’d call a healthy lifestyle. 🙂 That is why we are committed to a plant-based whole foods lifestyle. What that means to us is eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes and avoiding as much as we possibly can processed foods and all oils.
Read this article published in The Atlantic earlier this year that touts the evidence for a vegan diet:
Quinoa and veggies
“There’s plenty of science to justify a plant-based diet. According to one study, “vegetarian and vegan diets are effective in treating and preventing several chronic diseases.” The adaptation of a low-fat vegan diet can substantially mitigate the impacts of type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. Veganism reduces the risk of colon cancer. Vegans have a better “antioxidant status” than non-vegans. Veganism is more effective at combating obesity than other prescribed diets, such as that promoted by the National Cholesterol Education Program. Veganism has been shown to lower risk factors associated with cardiac disease. As Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health for the Humane Society of the United States, explains, “A plant-based diet is like a one-stop shop against chronic diseases.
The evidence is great, but the stories of personal transformation—curing diabetes, losing 100 pounds, living an active lifestyle—make the biggest impression, […]”
Click here to read the entire article at www.theatlantic.com
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In August 2013, I realized I was having some heart problems and went to my doctor. After an angiogram discovered I had a 90% and 99% blockage in my LAD, I had a stent and angioplasty. I wish I would have read Esselstyn’s book before I had the angioplasty. Since then I have switched to a totally plant-based diet. My total cholesterol went from 199 down to 111, my LDL dived from 134 to 42. I find I very seldom have angina, and feel wonderful. This was a wonderful testimony of benefits of aplant-based food diet.
It is blogs like yours that makes it easy stay on the diet.
Hi Charleen, thanks so much for taking the time to write about your experience on a plant-based diet. You numbers are wonderful!! People like you are exactly why we are doing what we are doing. Thank you for your support and keep up the good work.