Jon’s Note:  This is a guest blog from Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, The Plant-Based Dietitian.  I met Julieanna by pure luck, in that she lives about 10 houses away from us!  What an unbelievable coincidence, as we are on similar wavelengths.  Although I am not a true Vegan (yet), I am leaning more and more in that direction toward a Plant-Based lifestyle.  I’ve seen firsthand the positive effects of adopting this lifestyle and I have nothing whatsoever to say that is derogatory toward this lifestyle.

I asked Julieanna to write a guest blog to introduce my readers to this way of life.  You will be seeing more of her and I working together to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle, possibly even a Plant-Based lifestyle.  Enjoy!   

What is Plant-Based Nutrition?
The perfect ideology about eating can be summed up by the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates, when he said: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”.  I propose that the ultimate epitome of medicinal consumption is a whole food, plant-based diet.  What is plant-based nutrition?  It sounds like a vegan diet.  It also may seem like a diet where the participant grazes on grass all day long, similar to a cow.  However, there is a beautiful synergy between all of these terms and it all winds down to a perfect way of eating…one that creates health; prevents and even reverses disease; assists with weight loss; and enhances energy, endurance, beauty and strength.

There is currently a vast enormity of scientific data that confirms and substantiates the fact that a whole food, plant-based diet creates health.  There is decades of evidence showing that the Standard American Diet (SAD; high-fat, high-protein, low nutrient) is the cause of the growing incidence of heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases.  Ultimately, no matter what your genetic destiny, these diseases can be prevented and reversed and it all depends on what is at the end of your fork…

There are two components to eating for health…what you choose not to eat and what you should eat.  The worst products to put into your body includes animal protein, fat, processed “foods”, artificial colors/flavors, preservatives, and chemicals. On the other hand, what your body and immune system need to thrive and protect itself is a variety of plants, namely: grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit…the new four food groups.

Research demonstrates the fact that animal protein itself (including that from eggs, dairy, fish, fowl, red meat, and pork) can turn on and off carcinogenesis (cancer formation).  Additionally, the further you get from nature (meaning, the more processed the food), the closer you get to disease formation. 

Conversely, plant-based, whole foods are full of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  They are nutrient-dense and flood the body with usable compounds to build immunity, fight disease, re-build, detoxify and maintain health.  The more of these nutrients you consume, the stronger your immune system will be.

To learn more, check out my websites: www.PlantBasedDietitian.com and http://ToYourHealthNutrition.blogspot.com.