Positive Changes Within a Day, Week and Month - Being Plant-Based!

 

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

Positive changes begin within a day, a week, and a month when you eat a plant-based diet. Within a day, you'll be more satisfied, you’ll feel fuller sooner and stay fuller longer, thanks to the fiber in the vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and fruit you are eating. Less than 5% of Americans eat enough fiber, even though it’s protective against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  Remember, all plants have fiber, and ONLY plants have fiber.  Within a week, you’ll be in a better mood and have more energy. Whole food, plant-based diets are linked with healthier moods and higher productivity—and the more of them you eat, the happier, less depressed and stressed, and the more satisfied you are. Whole foods are easier to digest and keep you fuller and longer, which keeps your energy levels higher throughout the day.  It's Meatless Monday so GO FOR IT and see how good you'll feel with a bean burger instead of a beef burger with your plantified plates! 

Studies show many benefits to being plant-based in your eating.  You'll have better blood sugar levels, plant-based eaters have a 34% reduced risk of having type 2 diabetes, and that’s probably because studies show a plant-based diet helps control blood sugar three times more effectively than a traditional diabetes diet. Your digestion will also improve within a week.  Eating a whole, plant-based diet and avoiding overly processed foods can support a healthy metabolism, lower body fat, better blood sugar control, and good cardiovascular health.  On this terrific Tuesday, go for that plant slant to live longer and live stronger! 

Within a month of starting a plant-based diet, your cholesterol will improve, sometimes by 15%-30%. Additionally, researchers have found that eating a mainly plant-based diet, or even just adding more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet can improve blood pressure resulting in a 14% reduction in strokes, a 9% reduction in heart attacks, and a 7% reduction in overall mortality. Eating a plant-based diet can support your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and helps you to sleep better. Finally, by eating more plant-based foods you’ll crowd out the unhealthy foods in your diet. In studies that lasted at least 4 weeks, participants eating a plant-based diet lost an average of 4.4 pounds more than their non-plant-based-eating counterparts.  It's a wonderful Wednesday to go shopping for more plant-based foods to add some health to your shelf! 

Not only do teens suffer from blemishes and acne, but adults can also as well.  Dairy products are associated with acne, and studies show excess calories, added sugars, and processed meats can also worsen it. On the flip side, fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and micronutrients and have a low-glycemic index, which can help decrease inflammation and support clearer skin.  So many reasons to shift from animal to plant products, but it may be hard to know where to start.  Go to NutrtionFacts.org to get a free step-by-step guide!  

It's Fix-it Friday and how about black bean and sweet potato quesadillas?!  

BLACK BEAN & SWEET POTATO QUESADILLAS 

Ingredients:

1 large, sweet potato

1 cup brown rice, cooked.

8 ounces vegetarian, no added oil, refried beans

1 cup of salsa

1 cup fresh spinach

8 ounces of black beans drained and rinsed.

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 jalapeño pepper, diced (optional)

¼ cup unsweetened almond, soy, cashew, or rice milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Sea salt, to taste.

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

7 fresh jalapeño chiles, halved lengthwise and seeded (keep stems attached) 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place sweet potato pieces in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water just below the steamer basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, for about 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are very tender. Transfer sweet potatoes to a bowl. Let cool and mash.  In a small saucepan whisk together milk, yeast, vinegar, and turmeric. Bring to boiling. Cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens. 

Transfer the milk mixture and mashed sweet potatoes to a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into jalapeño halves. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.  Serve hot and enjoy this party in your mouth! 

And LAST year: 

There are many foods that are good for our brain function, but if the experts had to pick the best ones to prevent Alzheimer's there are two classifications that are the winners:  greens and beans!  Greens are so incredibly nutritious that they can even blunt the effects of terrible foods like bacon and donuts (not that we would ever recommend either :). Beans not only are a great source of clean protein and complex carbohydrates, but these resistant starches regulate blood sugar and fiber and can help reduce cholesterol, two very important functions for brain health.  On this marvelous meatless Monday, load up on greens like spinach, arugula, and collard greens, and ALL kinds of beans to improve your brain power! 

One of the most well-known researchers who has spent more than 2 decades studying the science of nutrition is physician Joel Fuhrman.  In his practice, he takes a food-based approach to obesity and chronic disease, showing that a plant-slant, nutrient-dense diet can reverse signs of aging even after years of eating our bad Standard American Diet (SAD).  His most recent book is

called, "Fast Food Genocide:  How Processed Food is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It."  He was asked, "If I've eaten all the wrong foods most of my life, is it too late for me to change now?"  He responded that heart attacks and strokes are the leading cause of death, killing more of us than all cancers added together.  But by making changes now, he shares that you can "almost guarantee this never happens."  Let's learn more this week about Dr. Fuhrman’s G-BOMBS - stay tuned to learn what THAT stands for and have a terrific Tuesday, everyone! 

Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a physician who has written more than a dozen books on nutrition and disease reversal.  He refers to foods with the most scientific evidence to prevent cancer as "G-BOMBS".  They are Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds, and recommends we eat them every day.  He goes on to say that "nutritional excellence" can do what drugs can't do when it comes to heart disease - that drugs lower risk by 10 to 15 percent, while superior nutrition has the potential to lower risk significantly more.  He has cared for thousands of individuals with heart disease, many of them with advanced heart disease, and has seen miraculous healing occur.  How exciting is that!   He presents medical evidence showing dramatic reduction in weight, cholesterol levels, and cardiac risk that simply can't be accomplished through medications.  He has several books that include the words "Eat to Live" and focus on heart disease, diabetes, or other health.  Check them out and add G-BOMBS to plantify your plates on this wonderful Wednesday! 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a report that classifies processed meat as a "Group 1 carcinogen” which is the highest level of certainty - meaning that according to the best evidence, the consumption of processed meat causes cancer.   Processed meats are bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, lunch meat, and turkey deli slices.  Specifically, it has a high correlation with causing colon cancer, which is striking younger and younger Americans.  Please note that the IARC is simply a research organization that evaluates evidence on the causes of cancer.  When asked how much meat is safe to eat, the IARC replied that they don't yet know whether a safe level exists.  So, live longer and live stronger by eating less meat, particularly processed meats everyone! 

Researchers have found that eating blueberries acutely improves arterial function, and eating a lot of them is most beneficial - like one to two cups.  Eating blueberries over time gives us long-term benefits of reducing artery stiffness and boosting natural killer cells that defend against viral infections and cancer!  The compounds that cause the blue pigment in the berries are extremely potent.  Blueberries are natural probiotics, so when we eat them, we're also feeding our gut with good bacteria.  Improve your health on the shelf by buying blueberries!