In my quest to find out everything I can about cancer prevention, I have researched many, many websites, watched several documentaries, and have read countless articles and a couple of books. The one common denominator that all of these resources have is that americans eat way too many animal based products. This information comes from all different backgrounds - cancer research, vegetarians, and doctors. I purposely researched in this way, so as not to have a bias opinion from one specific type of group. Did you know that heart disease, the number one killer in America, can be arrested, and in some cases reversed just by going to a plant based diet? Now before you think I've fallen off of my rocker, I'm not suggesting that you suddenly give up all of your meat, dairy, & eggs. Remember what I said last time...baby steps! Some of the healthiest cultures in the world eat little to no meat. Rather than have their sides revolve around their main course of meat, they use very little meat to season a particular dish. Since going to a plant based diet in June I have listened to people comment that I won't be healthy due to my protein intake or that my meals won't be balanced. Often, these people have not educated themselves about diets around the world and which diets rank healthiest. (By diet, I mean lifestyle diet, not weightloss). Several cultures do not include any meat at all and this has been their tradition for hundreds of years. Interestingly enough, they have some of the healthiest populations on earth. Cutting back on your animal in take is not as hard as you may think. Every little bit helps, so start small.
Last week I gave three tips to get on the road to a healthier you. Here are three things to help you build on that foundation:
1. Eat two pieces of fruit per day. This is an easy one. Grab a banana in the morning for breakfast and have a different type of fruit in the evening for dessert or have a fruit salad with your dinner. Fruit is loaded with vitamins & antioxidants that will support your overall health.
2. Replace your dairy milk with a non-dairy milk. Although I've drank almond milk for a long time, my favorite is a relatively new product made by Silk. It's called Silk Almond Milk. In my opinion, it has a better consistency than other almond milks that I have tried. Also, it's really easy to find because most mainstream grocery stores carry it.
3. Try making one vegetarian dish per week. I found that the easiest one to start with is an asian stir fry. You can pick out the veggies that you like to stir fry. Then add a sauce, such as teriyaki sauce to give it some flavor. My family really like this because the sauce gave it a "meat flare" without actually having meat. I also added some udon or chow mein noodles (not the fried ones, the ones that are like traditional pasta). If you really want to be fancy, you can also add some baked egg rolls to the menu. They are super easy to make and bake in just a few minutes. You can find the egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. (This is where you would find the noodles as well.)
That's it for this week. Remember, each step contributes to a healthier you, so sit back, relax, and enjoy your body transformation! Good luck and God bless!
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