...at no time in my life have I received more questions, concerns, anger, confusion, and frustration from other people about what I eat than after declaring myself a vegan. Students frequently share with me how others chastise, debate, or downright become hostile as they share their new lifestyle with friends and loved ones.

In last month's Food For Thought, we touched on the subject of how Big Food grooms us for consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD).   We know that SAD marketing is deep, wide, and robust. Training to want food-like substances starts very young. Big Food designs food-like products to be craveable, with the goal being skyrocketing sales and massive returns on investment.

Nutrition is arguably one of the most controversial and charged subjects in lifestyle medicine. Food plays such an integral role in our lives—not only physically, but socially, emotionally, and even spiritually for some. Regardless of an individual’s particular situation, however, there is consistent and compelling evidence to support healthy eating patterns that are whole food, plant-based (WFPB) for preventing, halting, and often even reversing disease.