Dr. Michael Greger on Causes of Death

This fantastic one-hour video by Dr. Greger outlines the top 15 causes of death in the US and the scientific research behind his contention that a strict plant-based diet prevents 14 of the 15.

This video is so complete and worth watching that it requires no further commentary or explanation from little old me, except to say that everyone who is interested in preventing their own life-threatening diseases and achieving greater longevity should watch this video AND stop consuming all meat (including chicken), fish, dairy products and eggs.

Double-Blinded by Science?

There is no question there are many opinions and points-of-view on the question of THE healthiest way to choose what you put into your body as food. And, there are many motivations by many groups with divergent agendas touting this and that diet as THE best choice for optimal human nutrition.

But, here’s the thing. I went to public school in the 1950s and 60s when math and science were taken for granted as THE best descriptions of reality and THE best way to understand the myriad diversity of the universe. So, to me, science remains kinda like a roadmap by which one can most judiciously discern the safest path through life by making choices based upon quality, peer reviewed, proven research - not wishful thinking, not based upon only conjecture but founded on repeatable, double-blind, highly scrutinized science.

I am of the opinion, which has borne out to be true, in my case at least, that prayer (or blind religious faith, as I call it) won’t prevent one from having a heart attack at age 60 if one eats a diet slathered in saturated fat and cholesterol (animal food products). Maybe it’s just me but haven't most health experts been harping on that issue for decades now? Remember the term “a double-blind study”? That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Anyway, before this post turns into one of my typical rants about the benefits of eating plants and the exclusion of meat, eggs and dairy products, I have decided to let the scientists have the stage on this one.

So, here it is in black and white - the science behind (and somewhat in front of) the healthy plant-based way of eating.

If you’ll have a typically SAD (Standard American Diet) lunch today of double cheese burger, large fries, and a soda pop, read it and weep, my friend. But, for too few of the others (eating a combination of healthy whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies) I say pass the heart healthy, no-cholesterol, low-fat, high-fiber kale chips, please!

http://plantbasedresearch.org/

http://www.livescience.com/37102-vegetarians-live-longer.html

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/why-power-plate

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2013/01/07/plant-based-diets-a-primer

http://omchef.com/blog/science-research/

The Permanente Journal Update on Plant-Based Diets

In the recent 2013 Spring edition of The Permanente Journal, published by Permanente Press, a peer-reviewed journal of medical science, social science, and medical humanities, an article appeared entitled Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets.  With the lofty objective of presenting doctors with cost-effective interventions to improve health outcomes by becoming more involved in helping their patients adopt healthier lifestyles, the article boldly states that "Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients (italics mine), especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity".

Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans, serving more than 9.1 million members. With headquarters in Oakland, California, it comprises: Kaiser Permanente, made up of three distinct groups of entities: the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and its regional operating subsidiaries; Kaiser Foundation Hospitals; and the autonomous regional Permanente Medical Groups.

The fact that such a large health-care provider with over 17,000 physicians in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, California, Oregon, Washington and Ohio would advise their doctors to consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients through their Permanente Journal (with the stated mission of advancing knowledge in scientific research, clinical medicine, and innovative health care delivery) is a very big deal indeed.
Remembering that Kaiser Permanente's goal is to reduce health care costs, the good health of their subscribers is certainly in their own best financial interests.

Please, do yourself a favor. Read this article, and consider giving up meat, dairy, eggs, refined oil products, and processed foods. Then, eat only fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and a few nuts. You won't be sorry and you'll see beneficial changes in the quality of your health almost immediately, an affect to which I can personally attest.

The Permanente Journal, 2013 Spring

Making, as some would call it, a radical change in their normal Standard American Diet (SAD) of bacon-double cheese burgers, steaks, seafood, mozzarella, yogurt, eggs, and so-called "healthy" oils might seems a lot to ask from people. But, I can tell you from my own experience that the quick but lasting health benefits of a plant diet far outweigh cravings for the food additions I had amassed over my life time. So, in the interest of providing practical, easy-to-understand information about eating plants to those interested in taking ultimate responsibility for their own health, here are some useful links to a few of the research scientists and doctors referenced in the Permanente article.

T Colin Campbell, author of The China Study

Caldwell B Esselstyn, Jr, MD.  author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

Dr. John McDougall, MD, author of The Starch Solution and The New McDougall Cookbook

Living on a plant-based diet does take a little work (as in personal research, reading labels, and asking questions at restaurants) so most folks would rather just go for the quick fix in dealing with health problems, like expecting a doctor to counter our bad eating habits and popping pills as a remedy for every ailment. But, the Permanente article points the way to a better lifestyle with optimum health through a more sensible approach to eating. And, they have the scientific proofs to back up their claims.