How to Achieve Overall Wellbeing with Whole Foods

Nourishing Your Body and Mind: A Guide to Overall Wellbeing with Whole Foods

In a world saturated with processed foods and quick fixes, the path to genuine wellbeing can feel obscured. Yet, the answer might be simpler than we think: a focus on whole, plant-based foods. This blog post will explore how embracing a diet centered around unrefined plants can revolutionize your health, impacting not only your physical body but also your mental and emotional state.

The Power of Whole, Plant-Based Foods

A whole-food, plant-based diet is more than just a trend; it's a powerful way to nourish your body and achieve optimal health. This approach emphasizes the consumption of unrefined plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, while minimizing or eliminating meat, dairy, eggs, and processed items. The benefits of this dietary shift are profound and far-reaching.

Longevity and Disease Prevention:

• Increased lifespan: Studies have shown that meat consumption is associated with a decreased life expectancy, while plant-based diets, rich in antioxidants, can promote a longer, healthier life.

• Reduced risk of chronic diseases: A diet rich in whole, unprocessed plant foods is associated with a lower risk of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides. Plant-based diets have been shown to help prevent, treat, or even reverse the fifteen leading causes of death in the United States. This includes reducing the risk of stroke, where those getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night have the lowest risk, and heart disease, where those who drink five or more glasses of water a day have half the risk of dying compared to those who drink two or less.

• Cancer prevention and treatment: Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of various cancers, including breast and prostate cancers. For example, consuming more plant protein and less animal protein may cut the risk of cancer. A daily serving of cruciferous vegetables may cut the risk of cancer progression by more than half.

• Telomere Lengthening: Plant-based diets can boost telomerase activity, which helps lengthen telomeres, structures that can slow cellular aging.

Specific Health Benefits:

• Heart Health: Plant-based diets are shown to lower cholesterol just as effectively as statin drugs, but without the risks. It is also possible to reverse heart disease with a plant-based diet. Patients have experienced a significant reduction in angina attacks within weeks of starting a plant-based diet. Additionally, consuming citrus fruits may help reduce the risk of stroke.

• Diabetes Management and Reversal: Plant-based diets can help to reverse diabetes by allowing the muscles, liver, and pancreas to function normally again. Even at the same body weight, individuals on a plant-based diet have lower blood sugars. Additionally, these diets can improve blood sugar control, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and reverse nerve damage associated with diabetes.

• Weight Management: People on plant-based diets may lose more body fat over time. These diets can lead to weight loss without restricting portions or counting calories. This is because plant-based foods tend to be higher in volume and fiber, which can help you feel full longer. Even with an additional 340 calories a day, people eating fruit-and-nut bars did not gain weight. On the other hand, the consumption of meat is associated with significant weight gain even after adjusting for calories.

• Improved Mood: Plant-based diets can improve mood states. Individuals eating plant-based diets have reported fewer negative emotions and more "vigor". Studies have shown that eating more fruits and vegetables can make you happier, calmer, and more energetic on a day-to-day basis.

• Kidney Health: Plant-based diets are associated with superior kidney function, as they reduce the acid load on the kidneys. They can also lower blood phosphorus levels. Additionally, a diet that is high in animal protein, such as the typical American diet, can cause damage to the kidneys over time.

Nutritional Advantages of Plant-Based Foods:

• Antioxidants: Plant foods are packed with antioxidants, which help to neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. On average, plant foods contain sixty-four times more antioxidants than animal foods. Even less healthy plant foods such as iceberg lettuce contains more antioxidants than animal products such as salmon, chicken, and milk.

• Fiber: Plant-based diets are rich in fiber, which is essential for digestive health, weight management, and blood sugar control.

• Phosphorus Absorption: The phosphorus in plant foods is absorbed less readily into the bloodstream than the phosphate in animal products, which is beneficial for kidney and heart health.

Practical Steps for a Whole-Foods Transformation

Embracing a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here are some practical tips to get you started:

• Focus on Whole Foods: The most crucial step is to prioritize whole, unrefined plant foods. This means choosing fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds in their natural state, rather than processed versions. Even those following a vegetarian diet can have poor health outcomes if they consume a lot of processed foods.

• The "Daily Dozen": Dr. Greger recommends incorporating a "Daily Dozen" of foods to ensure you get a variety of essential nutrients: beans, berries, other fruits, cruciferous vegetables, greens, other vegetables, flaxseeds, nuts, whole grains, beverages, exercise, and vitamin B12.

  • Beans: Aim for at least three servings of legumes each day, which can include lentils, chickpeas, or beans.

  • Berries: A serving of berries a day is great for your health. They contain phytonutrients that naturally inhibit monoamine oxidase, which has been shown to help with depression.

  • Cruciferous Vegetables: These are important to eat daily for their unique nutrients, such as sulforaphane.

  • Greens: Try to incorporate greens such as spinach, kale or collard greens into your daily diet.

  • Whole Grains: Include at least three servings of whole grains each day. Oatmeal is a great way to start the day.

  • Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds contain anticancer lignan compounds that are not found in abundance elsewhere.

  • Nuts and Seeds: A daily dose of nuts and seeds adds a healthy source of fats and other beneficial nutrients.

  • Other Fruits and Vegetables: Vary your choices and eat a rainbow of colors of fruits and vegetables every day to maximize nutrient intake.

• Plant-Based Does Not Equal Vegan: While some people eliminate animal products for ethical or religious reasons, the most important aspect of a plant-based diet is the consumption of whole, unrefined plants. A diet that is 96% plant-based may be superior to a 100% vegan diet. Any move towards more plants and fewer animal products can improve health.

• Sodium Intake: Focus on purchasing foods with fewer milligrams of sodium than there are grams in the serving size.

• Cooking without Oil: Experiment with cooking methods that don't rely on oil. Foods can be sautéed in wine, sherry, broth, vinegar, or water, and baking can be achieved using mashed bananas, avocado, soaked prunes, or canned pumpkin.

• Hydration: Drink at least five glasses of water a day, in addition to the water you get from food. Those who drink five or more glasses of water a day have half the risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who drink two glasses or less.

• Exercise: Aim for 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 40 minutes of vigorous activity daily.

• Be Flexible: What you eat day in and day out is more important than what you eat on special occasions. Don't be too obsessive about the Daily Dozen. If you eat poorly one day, just try to eat better the next.

Important Considerations:

• Vitamin B12: Those on a plant-based diet need to ensure they get a reliable source of vitamin B12, through supplementation if necessary.

• Medication Adjustments: A plant-based diet can be so effective that individuals may need to have their medications adjusted or eliminated by their physician.

• Processed Foods: Processed meats such as bacon, bologna, ham, and hot dogs are blamed for the deaths of more than eight hundred thousand people every year. In most countries, processed foods account for about half of people's sodium intake but in the United States, the consumption of processed foods is so high that even if people stop adding salt at home, it will only reduce their sodium intake by a small fraction.

• Animal-to-Plant Protein Ratio: It is beneficial to monitor your animal-to-plant protein ratio in general. A 3% increase in animal protein consumption is associated with a 15% increased risk of bladder cancer, and a 2% increase in plant protein is associated with a 23% decreased cancer risk. A 1:1 ratio of animal to plant protein may slow down cancer growth, but the ideal ratio may be closer to 0 to 1.

• Sleep: Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep a night to reduce the risk of stroke.

• Omega-3s: Consider taking 250 mg of pollutant-free long-chain omega-3s daily.

• Fiber: Most Americans do not get enough fiber. Aim to be the one in a thousand who does it right.

A Journey to Holistic Wellbeing

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet is not just about what you eat; it's about embracing a lifestyle that supports your overall wellbeing. By prioritizing nutrient-dense, unrefined plant foods, you can nourish your body from the inside out, enhancing your physical health, mental clarity, and emotional resilience. This dietary approach is a journey, not a destination. Start by making small, sustainable changes, and gradually work towards incorporating more whole plant foods into your daily meals. Remember, every step you take towards a plant-based diet is a step towards a healthier, happier you.

Take responsibility for your health and start your journey toward overall wellbeing today.

Reference 

Greger, M., & Stone, G. (2015). How not to die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. Flatiron Books.