Posts Tagged ‘process of change’

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San’Dera Prude Finds a New Caramel Popcorn

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

This Forks Over Knives Patient Shares Her Journey From Junk Food to Whole Food

With her warm smile, San'Dera Prude invites you to share her story in the film Forks Over Knives

The film Forks Over Knives colorfully illustrates critical nutritional facts about a whole foods, plant-based diet. This eating plan can help you reverse just about any chronic illness, from diabetes to heart disease and even cancer. Yet it’s the patients in the film who bring these facts to life and give the movie its emotional impact and power to change lives. Their stories leave you cheering.

San’Dera Prude’s warm smile, articulate sharing, and heartfelt honesty moved me each of the three times I’ve seen Forks Over Knives. I wanted to find out how she became part of the film and learn more about her current success. San’Dera spoke with me recently and generously shared more about how she achieved and continues her new healthy life. (Note: since Forks Over Knives was made, San’Dera has celebrated her marriage and has her new last name of Prude instead of Nation.)

Before she met Dr. Esselstyn, San’Dera’s diabetes and hypertension were fueled by fast food three times a day. She would grab a fast food breakfast if she was running late in the morning. At work, everyone was (more…)

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Posted in Health | 1 Comment »

How To Lose 80 Pounds On A Diet You Love

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Meridith Hayden now, trim and in vibrant health.

Meridith Hayden Shares Her Journey To Size 6 And Healthy Iron Levels – All On a Diet She Rates Off-the-Scale Wonderful

Meridith Hayden always had thoughtful comments on my Facebook posts. We “met” on this networking site, and Meridith shared her odyssey of losing 80 pounds and numerous health problems simply through an enjoyable change in her diet. In her twenties, she had already experienced chest pains, shortness of breath, and low iron levels when she was consuming a typical American diet. But that all changed for her in 2007.

Meridith’s story exemplifies how wonderful whole foods, plant-based diets are and how pervasive food myths keep people eating dangerous foods. This young woman lives in Indianapolis, where she works as a librarian and serves as an enthusiastic spokeswoman for health through better food choices. Here she answers some questions I sent her so everyone can benefit from her success.

What kinds of foods did you grow up eating?

Lots of fast food and meals from boxes. My mom was a working single parent and she did cook regularly but there was a lot of convenience food.  Much to my disdain, my mom would try to get me (more…)

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Posted in weight loss | 2 Comments »

2,068 Vegans Tell All

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

New Survey Shows Vegans are Happy and Thriving

In our over-stressed and rushed world, is there a simple secret to inner peace? Amid the wasteland of fast food and supermarkets crammed with thousands of processed choices, is there a straight line to health? Surrounded by pavement and parking lots, how can you feel a direct connection to the majesty of nature?

2,068 vegans took a moment to share the answers in the survey Vegan From the Inside. Respondents completed questions on what it’s like for them to be (more…)

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Posted in Plant-based nutrition | 4 Comments »

Neglected Ideals on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

This easy-to-miss sign marks one end of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade in San Diego. A similar sign marks the other end. Most seem to rush by without noticing.

The MLK Promenade in San Diego Is the Path of Inspiration

Visiting the major tourist spots in San Diego costs money, sometimes hundreds of dollars for a family. Yet right across from the San Diego Convention Center, lining a walkway next to the trolley tracks, is the most inspirational area attraction. Cost is zero. For the serious walker, it taps into another dimension, the internal vision of our best selves.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade stretches for a 30 minute easy stroll from the entrance to the Gaslamp Quarter to a small park across from Seaport Village. Dozens of plaques with MLK quotes line both sides of the path.

If you stop and read every quotation, you may find yourself roused, uplifted, and ready to keep struggling for what you believe in. My daughter Angela and I found that emotional charge today, in honor of MLK Day tomorrow.

His galvanizing quotes transform the English language into an instrument of change. Dr. King repeatedly centers on themes of nonviolence, justice, equality, tenacity, and a visionary future to be accomplished by courageous struggle. What would he have thought of the tensions ripping the nation today? Imagine his sadness over the shootings in Tucson.

As we absorbed Dr. King’s energy on the Promenade, Angela and I were disturbed at the neglect of (more…)

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Posted in Quotes | 1 Comment »

Ten Strategies To Diet and Exercise Success

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

The American Heart Association Analyzes Which Lifestyle Programs Work

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes over one third of deaths in the US, killing an American every 37 seconds. Want to live an extra seven years? That would be the average increase in life expectancy if CVD was totally vanquished.

The American Heart Association wants physicians to be able to recognize and recommend effective ways to lose weight and exercise more.

To combat CVD, the American Heart Association (AHA) put dozens of researchers to work reviewing hundreds of studies on lifestyle change programs. The goal of this project was to identify the interventions that help people exercise more, lose weight, and eat healthier. The AHA summarized their findings in a 37 page scientific statement published July 12, 2010.

The AHA reinforced the role of activity, weight, and eating in preventing CVD. Their statement points out that black and Hispanic immigrants are initially at lower risk for this condition than US-born citizens in the same ethnic groups. However, as the immigrants adopt an American diet and sedentary lifestyle, CVD becomes a harsh reality for them. Since cardiovascular disease is so closely related to lifestyle and obesity, better habits could help prevent illness and death for everyone.

The AHA statement distilled ten strategies that can effectively change the way people think, act, and (more…)

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Linking Nutrition and Health: 25 Expert Tips

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Useful News from the Vital Signs Workshop

Five pioneering researchers with one critical message shared their knowledge at the Vital Signs workshop on April 10, 2010. This event, put together by the awesome nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) was packed with compelling new information in nutrition and health.

A food as simple and tasty as oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and dairy-free milk will set you strong on the road to health

A food as simple and tasty as oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and dairy-free milk will set you strong on the road to health

Here are highlights of five useful tips from each of the five presenters. If you missed the workshop and want to learn more, PCRM has generously posted the slides.

Lawrence H. Kushi, Sc.D. summarized the findings of thousands of studies.

1. The American Cancer Society emphasizes whole plant foods (including five or more servings daily of fruits and vegetables), exercise, and a healthy weight to prevent cancer.

2. The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research report reinforces the importance of a varied whole foods, plant-based diet, physical activity, and lean weight in preventing and fighting cancer.

3. This report also recommends avoiding red meat, processed meat, alcohol, and salty foods.

4. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps prevent obesity and weight gain.

5. It’s silly to put meat and beans in the same food group. You are best off just eating the beans. We (more…)

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Posted in Plant-based nutrition | 12 Comments »

Science-Based Nutrition and Health

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

The Perfect Formula Diet and Why It Works

Your body operates according to biological laws you can’t simply wish away. All the food plates and pyramids, diet books, and media outlets in the world cannot change the fact that you are meant to thrive on a whole foods, plant-based diet. Good nutrition is simple, just the way nature meant it to be.

Burritos andbrown rice are great whole foods on the Perfect Formula Diet. Enjoy.

Burritos andbrown rice are great whole foods on the Perfect Formula Diet. Enjoy.

Every trip to the supermarket or restaurant gives you three choices. You can select animal foods, manufactured foods, or Perfect Foods.

  • Animal foods are the muscles, organs, reproductive materials, and secretions of animals
  • Manufactured foods are factory products made by processing or genetically modifying plants. Some manufactured foods skip the plants altogether and are simply chemicals
  • Perfect foods are whole plant foods in their natural form or else cooked and combined in someones kitchen

The Perfect Formula Diet gives you a specific method to combine six kinds of whole foods to assure (more…)

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Posted in Plant-based nutrition | 26 Comments »

Every Bite of Food Pushes Greenhouse Gases Up or Down

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

Bill McKibben and 350.org Can Magnify and Speed Their Impact

Bill McKibben, leading the international climate campaign 350.org, urged an attentive audience at Natural Products Expo West to make a difference for the future of the planet. Over 5200 demonstrations, which circled the globe in 181 countries on October 24, 2009, show grassroots understanding of the need to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide to no more than 350 parts per million. The current level of 390 parts per million, rising with no end in sight, spells catastrophe for life on earth as we know it.

The most significant part of the talk was McKibben’s answer to an audience question. One woman asked why 350.org does not include a truly sustainable diet as a critical action item in the campaign. She pointed out that a recent analysis by Worldwatch Institute demonstrates that 51% of greenhouse gases are directly traceable to raising animals for food.

The effect of these native ruminants, in an intact ecosystem, on greenhouse gases is in no way like the impact of cows

The effect of these native ruminants, in an intact ecosystem, on greenhouse gases is in no way like the impact of cows

The obvious solution to getting at least halfway to the goal of stopping climate change is simple, rapid, and no cost – eat a plant-based diet.

In his response, McKibben acknowledged that factory farming animals is a huge cause of climate change. However, he was not advocating immediate action to change diet. Instead, he advanced the idea that a carbon tax, once enacted, would make factory farmed animals so expensive that meat would be priced out of the range of most people. This would happen because people in the animal foods business would have to pay the “true cost” of their carbon impact.

McKibben also theorized that “grass fed cattle” could actually be helpful in reducing greenhouse gases. The theory is that, as large animals roam and trample vegetation into the soil, the ground itself stores carbon and keeps it from (more…)

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Posted in Climate change | 12 Comments »

Whole Foods for Health and Weight Loss Make All the Difference

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Kathy’s Weight Loss Success Can Be Yours Too

At age 65, Kathy Keller is more active than many people half her age. Although recently retired, she rarely takes time to pause. Her pursuits include chasing after her energetic 3 year old granddaughter, overseeing a major remodeling project, frequent travel, and almost daily volunteer commitments.

Kathy describes the typical foods she grew up with as “the standard American diet of the Midwest.” Her childhood staples included white bread, whole milk, meat, fried chicken, eggs, Velveeta, canned fish, ice cream, and pies. She also developed a taste for some

Kathy is an inspiration for the power of commitment

Kathy is an inspiration for the power of commitment

healthy foods, though, in peanut butter, home grown vegetables, and salad.

In the late 1980s, Kathy’s teenage son became vegetarian, and she decided that was the food path for her to follow as well. Six years ago, she discovered macrobiotics and became “more rigorous” about a whole foods diet based on organic, locally grown food and including miso, umeboshi plums, and sea vegetables. Here, in Kathy’s words, is how lifestyle choices impacted her health and weight.

“My health has been generally good since becoming vegetarian 22 years ago. However, having a sedentary/high stress lifestyle while I worked (retired 2007), over-indulging my sweet tooth, continuing to eat fish and dairy foods, not getting enough exercise, and aging all contributed to a 30 to 35 pound weight gain over the last five years. The Perfect Formula Diet has been instrumental in reversing this negative trend. I lost 10 pounds in my first three weeks of following this diet scrupulously… With The Perfect Formula Diet, I’ve lost weight that I needed to lose; I enjoy what I eat and am more satisfied after eating; I no longer get ravenously hungry between meals; I take pleasure in cooking for myself and others; and I feel good about the food choices that I make.”

Commitment has been absolutely critical to Kathy’s success. She makes sure she always has whole plant foods available and charts her success to maintain her resolve.

Kathy’s caring for others shows up in her food choices as much as in her service in a soup kitchen for the homeless. “Our small planet is burdened in so many ways: lower yield per acre than is optimal to feed an ever-growing population; environmental damage from (more…)

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Commitment Is the Engine of Weight Loss

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Easy Tips to Strengthen Your Commitment to a Whole Foods Diet

A whole foods diet is the vehicle that will deliver permanent, hunger-free weight loss. Commitment is the engine that makes this vehicle move. Knowledge of the weight and health benefits of unprocessed plant foods will make you comfortable with this top-of-the line diet. But facts alone are static and are not likely to get you to your goals.

Commitment is a drive that you consciously build. At first, this can require much effort. Later, commitment becomes more of a habit and worldview, reinforcing itself every time you make a positive choice.

Willpower is different, and necessarily short term. When you rely on willpower, you force yourself to do something you really don’t want to do. For example, if you don’t like your job, it takes enormous willpower to show up every day. Taking the unwanted, even

Commitment makes choosing whole foods this easy and fun

Commitment makes choosing whole foods this easy and fun

dreaded, action becomes harder each time you do it.

In contrast, commitment becomes easier over time. Eventually your choices are as effortless as floating in a refreshing pool on a hot summer day.

Commitment will keep you consistently on track to take actions you desire, but which may be drowned out by other choices if you don’t stay focused. Consider moving toward a whole foods diet as one example. You actually want to eat healthy food and learn to build your taste for crunchy vegetables, sweet fruits, and whole grain breads. To get there, you need to break old habits, overcome lazy inertia, and retrain your appetite. So commitment moves you from longing to success.

Many strategies enhance the dedication that real commitment requires. One of the most effective methods is to focus on a cause outside your own self-centered concerns. The power of caring is enormous. If weight loss is your goal and a whole foods diet is your method, choose the cause that has the most emotional impact to keep you on track. You can focus on slowing climate change through a sustainable diet, ending animal suffering, or feeding hungry people with grain otherwise destined to become animal feed.

The more methods you use to foster commitment, the sooner and more completely you will succeed. Visualization is a readily (more…)

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