6 Million S.E.E.D.S. (Students Educated in Environment, Diet, and Sustainability) Have you had the chance to look at the state of child nutrition recently? We have. The fact is that, in general, kids’ food is pretty dismal everywhere we look. It doesn’t seem to matter where the family is from, or what language they speak; no matter the race or ethnicity. Layer School food quality on top of that, and it just gets more complicated.
I started my whole food plant-based journey about two years ago, after a stretch of paleo style eating that included eggs and very few other animal products. What turned the tide for me? I had a major health scare that included brain surgery and clear messaging from my neurosurgeon that I needed to eliminate animal products, oils, and chemicals from my diet if I wanted a chance at healing my brain.
...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.
As a cardiovascular nurse in a hospital, I see day in and day out what a devastating impact the Standard American Diet (SAD) has on people’s lives. Along with the SAD comes a dramatically increased risk of standard American chronic diseases and disease risk factors
PBNM proudly hosted presentations by and discussions with Dr. Soham Patel and Dr. Ashwani Garg regarding several chronic diseases that plague many of us, but are particularly endemic in the Asian/Pacific communities. View entire presentation on YouTube here!
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.
Challenge Yourself to Eat a Healthy Vegan Diet for a Week (or two or three). If you’re lacking energy and feeling less than healthy, it’s likely that your diet has been less than spectacular lately. You may not have thought of it this way, but food is medicine. One great way to slingshot your way back to feeling vital is with a healthier diet.
So much is written today about our gut microbiome, yet the gut remains quite mysterious to us. I equate it with our knowledge of outer space. We gaze in the sky and see stars, galaxies, and planets. We have made great strides in space discoveries - we have sent men to the moon, rovers to Mars, and multiple satellites are continually collecting new data.
This month I have been studying the 7 dimensions of wellness. Again. They are: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Social, Spiritual, Environmental, Occupational. I go back to these often, especially when it is time to write an article or start a new endeavor.
