FOR YOUR HEALTH
FOR YOUR HEALTH
HEART DISEASE: Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, killing about 610,000 people every year. According to the CDC in 2015 there were 28.4 million adults (11.7% of adults) diagnosed with heart disease. Heart disease costs the United States about $207 billion a year. (CDC Heart Disease Fact Sheet) Heart disease is largely preventable. A whole food plant based diet has been shown to prevent and even reverse heart disease. Doctors have created plant based programs to help people with heart disease. By putting patients with advanced heart disease on a plant based diet and including lifestyle modifications (such as meditation & exercise) they have seen amazing results. Heart disease stops progressing and starts reversing! Check out these links for more information:
TYPE 2 DIABETES: Type 2 diabetes is another serious disease that can be prevented with diet and lifestyle choices. According to CDC statistics in 2014 there were 29.1 million Americans living with Type 2 diabetes (that is over 9.3% of the population). Diabetes can affect many parts of the body and is associated with serious complications, such as heart disease and stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-limb amputation. (CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014)
Watch these videos from nutritionfacts.org for an explanation as to the cause of diabetes and how to prevent the disease altogether:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-insulin-resistance/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-diabetes/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-not-to-die-from-diabetes/
OTHER DISEASES: In addition to preventing heart disease and diabetes, a whole food plant based diet has been shown to reverse the risk of stroke, some cancers and even help with Alzheimers. Go to nutritionfacts.org for more information on how a plant based diet can help.
Below are recommendations for optimum nutrition form Dr. Michael Gregor M.D. FACLM of NutritionFacts.org.
Dr. Gregor has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, testified before Congress, appeared on The Dr. Oz Show and The Colbert Report, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial.
Optimum Nutrition Recommendations
Written By: Michael Gregor M.D. FACLM on September 12, 2011 (updated 2/4/16)
The balance of scientific evidence suggests that the healthiest way to eat is a vitamin B12-fortified diet of whole plant foods. For optimum nutrition, we should be sure to include in our daily diet not only an array of whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruit, and as many vegetables as we can eat, but also specifically dark green leafy vegetables, berries, and white (or green) tea. I go into specifics of the “Daily Dozen” foods I recommend in my latest book How Not to Die.
Attention should also be paid to these nutrients:
Vitamin B12 (see also Which type of vitamin B12 is best)
- At least 2,500 mcg (µg) cyanocobalamin once each week, ideally as a chewable, sublingual, or liquid supplement taken on an empty stomach
- or at least 250 mcg daily of supplemental cyanocobalamin (you needn’t worry about taking too much)
- or servings of B12-fortified foods three times a day, each containing at least 25% U.S. “Daily Value” on its label
Those over 65 years of age should take at least 1,000 mcg (µg) cyanocobalamin every day.
Tip: If experiencing deficiency symptoms, the best test is a urine MMA (not serum B12 level)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- 250 mg daily of pollutant free (yeast- or algae-derived) long-chain omega-3’s (EPA/DHA)
Vitamin D (daily recommendations for those in the Northern Hemisphere; D3 from animal or plant sources may be preferable to the D2 sourced from fungi)
- Below approximately 30°latitude (south of Los Angeles/Dallas/Atlanta/Cairo)
- 15-30 minutes of midday sun (15 for those with lighter skin; 30 for those with darker skin)
- or 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
- Between 30° latitude (sample cities above) & 40°latitude (Portland/Chicago/Boston/Rome/Beijing)
From February through November
- 15-30 minutes of midday sun (15 for those with lighter skin; 30 for those with darker skin)
or 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
From December through January
- 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
- Between 40° latitude (sample cities above) & 50°latitude (Edmonton/London/Berlin/Moscow)
From March through October
- 15-30 minutes of midday sun (15 for those with lighter skin; 30 for those with darker skin)
or 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
From November through February
- 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
- Above approximately 50°latitude (north of Edmonton/London/Berlin/Moscow)
From April through September (or even briefer above 60°latitude (Anchorage/Stockholm))
- 15-30 minutes of midday sun (15 for those with lighter skin; 30 for those with darker skin)
or 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
From October through March (or even longer above 60°latitude (Anchorage/Stockholm))
- 2,000 IU supplemental vitamin D
Calcium
- At least 600 mg daily via calcium-rich plant foods—preferably low-oxalate dark green leafy vegetables, which includes all greens except spinach, chard, and beet greens (all very healthy foods, but not good calcium sources due to their oxalate content).
Iodine
- For those who don’t eat seaweed or use iodized salt, a 150 mcg daily supplement
- The sea vegetable hijiki (hiziki) should not be eaten due to high arsenic levels
- Kelp should be avoided as it tends to have too much iodine
Iron
- All menstruating women should increase their absorption by combining foods rich in iron and vitamin C at meals and should get checked for iron-deficiency anemia every few years
- Men should be checked for an iron overload disease before any attempt to increase intake
Selenium
- Northern Europeans may need to take a supplement or eat a daily Brazil nut
Vegan....because the only life that belongs to me is my own.
