PEOPLE DESERVE TO HEAR THE TRUTH....

I believe we really have to stop sugar-coating nutrition.  There absolutely is a way to achieve excellent health through nutrition without taking all kinds of pills, supplements, and whatever the latest and greatest "concoction" happens to be on the market promising us all kinds of nonsense.  Many mainstream nutritionists and dietitians tell us things that will NOT benefit us in any way.  For example:

1. There is no such thing as junk food/bad foods.  This is CRAZY!  We all know what foods are "junk foods" and we really should not be eating them....they have nothing but empty calories....calories that are making us fat and sick.  If someone is eating a candy bar everyday at 3:00 for their afternoon snack, this is not a healthy choice.  We know this, but we LOVE to hear that it's OK....It's NOT OK!  Just because there may be someone out there that can eat a candy bar everyday and lose weight, doesn't mean that it's healthy.  Let's face it, weight loss can be achieved on an unhealthy diet.  Junk food makes people feel fatigued and tired...soda and cookies are not going to give you anything but more fat on your waistline.  Or, how about an Egg McMuffin...that choice must be good because you can get protein from the egg and calcium from the cheese....Ever look up what's REALLY in an Egg McMuffin???
2. Everything in Moderation.  If I don't hear these words everyday of my life, I would eat my hat!  In my mind, this is just a way to rationalize what you're eating.  If this were true, that would mean Pop-Tarts, soda, chips, candy, lentils and apples should all be approached the same way.  This is CRAZY!  Eating three cups of greens are not the same thing as three cups of ice cream.  A large Coolatta should not be consumed with the same frequency as green tea.  Of course, the fast-food industry just loves "moderation" because it means their super-sized portions can be part of a "balanced diet".  REALLY??? And we wonder why the American public is in the shape it's in....
3. Healthy eater=extreme.  At least one person a day will tell me that eating a "vegan" diet is just too extreme.  Cutting out all animal products is just not "normal" and certainly cannot be "good" for anyone.  Again, take a look around!  People following the Standard American Diet, (SAD), are most likely lacking fiber, vitamins and several minerals including magnesium.  The majority of Americans eat a highly processed diet with little nutritional value...in my mind this is extremely dangerous for anyone's health.  
4. "You have to be realistic".  I hear this from many health care professionals...many of whom think that the average person will just not adhere to a "strict diet".  So by going to a fast-food chain and ordering a "smaller sized meal" is a "healthy choice" because it's not the super-sized meal.  Well, yes, it will be less calories, BUT, the hundreds of calories this person will be consuming will be of little nutritional value, and most likely loaded with saturated fats and cholesterol.  This is not healthy eating.  I've learned that I should not feel badly by "challenging" people.  Just because it's the "norm" to get takeout a few times a week or microwave some kind of frozen concoction doesn't mean health professionals should encourage this.  

The American public deserves to hear the TRUTH...but, the food industries, (fast-food, meat and dairy), will do everything in their power to keep us eating all their products.  They will continue to come up with all kinds of brilliant marketing campaigns ensuring the money continuously flows into their pockets without any concern for what their foods are doing to our health.  If people will buy it, they will continue to make it....it is as simple as that.  However, people that choose to eat this way are missing out on true HEALTH.  

I have been eating a Whole Food Plant Based diet now for going four years, (it will be 5 years in January).  As many people know, I work in a physician's office where we treat SEVERAL SICK people everyday...not only people with heart disease, diabetes, cancers, arthritis, etc., but people who come in with colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, etc.  I can tell you with complete honesty that I have not been sick in 4 years....not even so much as the sniffles!  Now, I'm not saying that it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to catch a cold or anything else...what I'm saying is, since I've been living this lifestyle, I have had excellent health.  As a matter of fact, the flu went through my household last year...I was the ONLY person that was completely unaffected by it!  Remember, I come in contact with sick people EVERYDAY...this is not coincidental.  

Anyone can follow a WFPB diet....it is not "hard", it's just a different way of eating.  When you begin eating loads of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole-grains, and eliminate all the processed foods and animal products, your taste buds will CHANGE!!!  The "cravings" for the artificial foods, meat and dairy will disappear....I promise.  It will NOT happen overnight, after all, most people have been eating this way their whole lives, but IT WILL HAPPEN.  

In order to achieve EXCELLENT HEALTH, (which is achievable for anyone that wants it), most people have to make "drastic" changes to their current diets.  I say "drastic" because it really does mean NOT EATING artificial, processed foods, or animal products.  In my mind this really isn't "drastic", but to many people it is.  Drastic to me is having my chest split open by a surgeon in order to perform bypass surgery on my heart...now that's DRASTIC.

Here's a recipe I am going to try this weekend:

IRISH WHITE BEAN STEW
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
1-1 1/2 pounds of potatoes, diced
1/3 cup of barley
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme
1/2 t caraway seeds
1/2 t rosemary, crushed
1/2 t black pepper
6-8 cups of vegetable broth
3 cups of Great Northern Beans
1  14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 T chopped parsley
salt to taste

1. Place vegetables, seasonings, barley and broth in a large stockpot.
2. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, check seasonings and add more herbs if necessary.  Simmer uncovered for at least 15 minutes.