I've been at this get healthy routine for about a year and a half, and things are going pretty well. The holiday season, however, is a real test of one's willpower to eat well and to find the time to get out and exercise.
My food choices now include oatmeal, beans, ground flaxseed, kale, quinoa, a wider variety of vegetables and herbs, nuts, avocados and Greek yogurt. I''ve cut out all sugars, almost all red meat and simple carbs, and I use a minimal of dressing and sauces.
So where does this leave me? Is food for sustenance, pleasure, or medicine?
I believe that you can look at your food choices as ranging from toxic, foie gras, to healthy comfort foods, to a strict vegan diet or any mix, it all up to you and your personal goals. For me, I'm at a crossroad now between what I believe is a reasonable approach and pushing the limits towards an ultra healthy, food as medicine, concept.
If you look at food on a continuum, at one end there is the fast food, junk food, and highly proceeded packaged stuff . They're all full of saturated fats, salt, sugar, and artificial ingredients, but they are also cheap, readily accessible, and taste good. Unfortunately, the poor are disproportionately victimized by this toxic food group, and they pay a heavy price in chronic illness and early death rates. If you've never seen the movie "Supersize Me", you should and compare it to "Forks Over Knives".
A little closer to the center I'll kick in the Atkins - high protein, eat all the bacon and eggs you want philosophy. It unbelievable to me that there are many well educated people who still believe that a high fat, high protein, very low carb diet is a valid option to heart health and longevity. I believe that it's a way to non sustainable rapid weight lose that will make you sick.
In the middle is a well balanced diet of mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with less meat and fatty dairy products. Limiting your sugars and salt, with no trans fats, very few saturated fats, and adding some Omega 3s is a great start. Try not to eat at fast food places and limit your portion sizes especially when eating out. At home stay with healthier cooking methods, leaner meats, and fewer snacks, and with very little effort you can greatly improve your health.
For many years Dean Ornish MD has been the face and an outspoken advocated for a vegetarian, stress reduction lifestyle. His life's work has been to help people become healthier and even reverse heart disease. There are very few who criticize his science and work but some would say that it is too difficult for the average person to stick with his plan. Lee Fulkerson's 2011 documentary "Forks Over Knives" has brought to light a body of research on the effects of diet on heart health and cancer and makes a very strong argument in favor of a plant based diet. Not only does their research show the detrimental effects of animal based foods, but they show how a plant based diet can repair injured blood vessels and reverse heart disease. For me, I believe them.
Pushing the envelope into what I would consider food as medicine is "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman, MD. Fuhrman advocates a vegan and weight loose plan which includes eating 1 pound of raw and 1 pound of cooked vegetables every day. I don't dispute his science but it seems like a little too much of a sacrifice to me.
So where does this leave me? How long do I want to live anyway? and at what price? So far I'm doing okay, but I'm alway opened to new ideas and willing to try new things.
Don T.
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