Minimize Your Health Risks with a Plant Based Diet

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. and also the leading cause of death worldwide. More than half of the deaths that occur as a result of heart disease are in men.

Not only has heart disease become a common occurrence, so has diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, and many other issues that used to be a rarity.

I remember when my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in the early 70’s. It was incredibly uncommon back then compared to today.

Now, rather than saying, “If I get cancer, heart disease, diabetes or whatever other disease can literally stop us in our tracks, we often say, when I get….”

Food has been undeniably linked to many diseases. Despite the overwhelming evidence that a change in diet, mindset, exercise and attitude, (with diet at the top) can reverse or prevent disease, many people are not willing to change their eating protocols.

I Would Rather Die than Give Up Meat

Preferring to eat in a way that is literally killing them, many would rather ridicule, question and mock those who are making positive changes.

“I would rather die than give up meat,” one family member told her doctor when he sternly advised her to go meat free. “Who does he think he is to take away my food choices?” she told me with a high level of indignation.

“Is it that important for you to eat meat?” I questioned.

“It’s one of my pleasures in life!” she quickly responded. She is overweight and her husband is morbidly obese. Yet, she was not willing to change the very thing that caused her multiple health issues.

She is a great example of someone who simply isn’t willing to have a better quality of life in trade for the short-term pleasure of what she eats.

Digging Your Heals In

Amazingly, when someone changes from a meat, dairy, poultry and fish protocol to one that is plant based, their taste buds change.

So why is it that people prefer to continue behaviors that not only put their health at risk, but minimize their quality of life?

That’s a question only they can answer. Some common answers are:

“I like meat, and no one is going to take it away from me.”

“It’s my right to eat however I want.”

“I would rather die than give up meat.”

“There’s not enough proof that what we eat impacts our health.” (Really?!?!)

“What difference does one person make in the big scheme of things?”

“If I don’t know what’s really going on, I don’t have to deal with it.”

“I only consume happy cows and happy chickens. Most have a great life and one bad day.”

“I won’t get enough protein.” (This is NOT true. When done right, you get more than enough protein)

“It’s too hard. There won’t be enough choices.”

“We have to eat meat to keep the animal population under control.” (This is so far removed from reality. The animals ARE bred for food. If the demand goes down, the way animals are bred would change.

Proof Is in What We Eat

There is plenty of proof that what we eat directly impacts our health. Two books that more than explain this are, Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman and The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell.

Both are excellent additions to your personal library of books that can literally change the way you view what you eat forever.

The bottom line is this we DO have more control over our health than many people admit. And, in making positive changes, there will be those who ridicule and mock us for our choices.

Only you can decide what you will do. It’s a matter of the day