.
Side effects while transitioning to a plant based whole food diet
Switching to a plant-based whole food (PBWF) diet, particularly one that incorporates green smoothies or juices, may lead to some stomach issues. These issues often depend on your previous diet and lifestyle. For instance, if your diet lacked fiber, you might notice changes in your bowel movements. Here are some signs and symptoms that might indicate you're increasing your fiber intake too rapidly.
Read Full ArticleArtificial sweetener: Friend or foe?
(These findings (2008 San Antonio Heart Study) raise the question of whether artificial sweetener use might be fueling—rather than fighting—our escalating obesity epidemic.)-Dr. Sharon Fowler -In last week’s blog, we learned about the harmful effects of sugar so a natural question that comes to mind is why not use artificial sweeteners. In today’s blog, we will explore this subject.
Read Full ArticleSugar: The bitter truth
(The last 50 years of nutrition information in America is a big fraud and that is why diabetes has continued to increase. - Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF) Dr. Robert Lustig, who taught medical students at the University of California, San Francisco has made it a mission in his life to expose the sugar industry. He highlights the impact of refined sugar on coronary heart diseases (CHD), the leading cause of death worldwide. Dr. Lustig’s YouTube video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” released in 2011, went viral with over 24 million views to date. In 2014 he collaborated with Katie Couric, a well known American journalist, to create the documentary “Fed Up” which I strongly recommend.
Read Full ArticleWhat about eggs?
A frequently asked question is about eating eggs. Many vegetarians eat eggs because they are not fertilized, meaning no harm is caused to any animal. I initially mentioned that there are various reasons for adopting a Plant-Based Whole Food (PBWF) diet, one being the religious principle of Ahimsa, which promotes non-violence towards animals. Although this is not my primary reason for this group, I encourage you all to watch documentaries showing the conditions in poultry farms. After seeing them, you might reconsider eating eggs or chicken. However, in this post, I will focus solely on the health aspects.
Read Full ArticleHow much water should you really drink?
Social media is awash with advice on water consumption—recommending specific amounts to drink daily, detailing when and how to drink it, and even touting it as a cure for numerous ailments. My aim with this blog is to address these topics and clarify the confusion created by such claims. The renowned Mayo Clinic suggests a daily water intake of 2.7 liters for women and 3.7 liters for men. While it’s true that dehydration can lead to health issues, many of the claims about water curing illnesses are exaggerated and lack evidence.
Read Full ArticleFats? Yes. But no Oil
In a plant-based whole food (PBWF) diet and lifestyle, the use of oil is discouraged. Instead, it is recommended to consume butters made from nuts and seeds. Humans evolved over millions of years consuming natural foods, which our bodies adapted to digest and absorb efficiently. Processing and refining these foods alters their composition, forcing the body to adjust and compensate, often leading to chronic illnesses.
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Miscellaneous
Eating fresh, tree-ripened fruits and vegetables is generally the best choice. However, the issue isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. Fresh produce is often harvested before it has fully ripened, to accommodate shipping durations. In contrast, frozen foods are picked at their nutritional peak and immediately frozen. When fresh produce isn’t available, frozen options are a satisfactory alternative.
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Gluten, soy & salt
"The belief that gluten is unhealthy has been debunked by numerous plant-based whole food (PBWF) doctors. This myth, along with the misconception that carbohydrates are detrimental to health and contribute to diabetes, has persisted in various forms for decades. The media, including bestsellers like *Wheat Belly* and *Grain Brain*, and articles in Indian media predicting the obsolescence of chapatis, have fueled this narrative. However, one might wonder why wheat, a staple for over 10,000 years, has suddenly been deemed unhealthy."
Read Full ArticlePills-1 Food: Green juicing
"Based on my experience in various health groups, I’d like to share four key insights: 1. Ease of Adoption: Some health advice is easier said than done. For example, consuming green leafy vegetables without using oil or ghee is challenging in Indian cuisine, where saag is a common preparation requiring these fats. 2. Dietary Changes: It is often hard to give up our favorite foods even when we know they are unhealthy. However, introducing tasty, healthy options can naturally displace less healthy choices. 3. Impact of Changes: Gradual changes often yield less noticeable improvements which can lead to a loss of confidence. Making a few dramatic changes can keep these efforts top of mind and encourage persistence."
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Meal plans
Many people request daily meal plans due to confusion about what to eat. As outlined in my guidelines from last week, our diet program offers complete freedom in choosing foods, provided they are plant-based whole foods (PBWF) and consumed within a narrow daytime eating window of 8-10 hours. Starting your day with green juice, fruits, nuts, and seeds for breakfast covers three of the five essential food groups, giving you flexibility for lunch and dinner. Here are some guidelines for a daily PBWF meal plan, assuming your eating window is from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Adjustments can be made for different eating windows.
Read Full ArticleFirst pillar of health: Food
The most important of the five pillars of health is food. However, it’s not just about what we eat; it also matters when we eat, how we eat, and what we do to our food before eating. My experience with 200,000 members has shown that a plant-based whole-food (PBWF) diet is optimal for humans. As we discuss the diet and lifestyle changes needed to treat chronic diseases, we must prioritize the bigger picture. Our goal is to significantly improve one’s health from its current state and to ideally eliminate the need for medications related to lifestyle diseases. My focus is on providing instructions that are simple and easy to remember. Here are my dietary recommendations:
Read Full ArticleFive pillars of health
"and lifestyle myths that often lead us astray. We’ve also touched on the essentials of human physiology and nutrition. Today, we embark on a series about what I term the “five pillars of health,” key components that bolster our well-being and aid in preventing and reversing many lifestyle-related diseases. The advent of the light bulb and the discovery of antibiotics a century ago marked a societal shift, leading us to normalize disease as an inevitable aspect of aging. The light bulb disrupted our circadian rhythms, spawning numerous chronic health issues, while the triumph of penicillin over infectious diseases fostered a belief that a pill could be the panacea for all ailments."
Read Full ArticleBasics of nutrition
"Having discussed the basics of physiology, describing how nutrients are ingested and distributed throughout the body and waste is collected and excreted, we will now delve into the types of nutrients and their role in bodily functions. Nutrients are categorized into three groups: 1. Macronutrients: Provide energy. 2. Micronutrients: Provide essential nutrients without energy. 3. Other Nutrients 1.0 MACRO NUTRIENTS Macronutrients are energy-providing nutrients, measured in kilocalories but often referred to as calories. The three macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats."
Read Full ArticleBasics of Physiology: Blood circulatory system
"In our past two sessions, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract and the Respiratory System, which provide the nutrients and oxygen necessary for survival. Once absorbed, these nutrients need to be transported to every part of the human body, a task accomplished by the blood circulatory system. This system is comprised of a heart that acts as a pump and approximately 70,000 miles of blood vessels, evenly split between arteries (which carry blood from the heart to all body parts) and veins (which return the blood to the heart). At the site where the blood is delivered, these vessels narrow into thin capillaries."
Read Full ArticleBasics of nutrition: Respiratory system
Last week, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract, which provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to sustain themselves. These nutrients require oxygen to metabolize and produce energy. The respiratory system is crucial in delivering fresh oxygen to the body and expelling carbon dioxide. While the respiratory system is also involved in sound production and the sense of smell, our focus here will be on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Read Full ArticleBasics of Physiology
"After exploring various myths about diet and lifestyle, we will now delve into the fundamentals of human physiology and nutrition. Every living organism, from single cells to primates, has two primary objectives: (1) survival and (2) propagation. For survival, two elements are crucial, which in Vedanta are termed PRANA and APANA. Prana represents the life-giving force, including food and air (oxygen) for energy, while Apana refers to the elimination of waste produced by metabolism, driven by Prana. In this and the next three blog posts, we will examine the four basic systems of human physiology: 1. Gastrointestinal Tract: It ingests and processes food. 2. Respiratory System: It inhales fresh air and exchanges oxygen for carbon dioxide. 3. Blood Circulatory System: It distributes nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. 4. Lymphatic System: It acts like a janitorial system, removing waste from all body parts due to metabolic processes."
Read Full ArticleSupplements myth
Growing up, our eating patterns are largely influenced by family habits, leading to a limited diet that may cause nutrient deficiencies. Unlike handling excess nutrients, our bodies struggle with deficiencies. Relying on inorganic or organic supplements to address these deficiencies can disrupt our body’s balance.
Read Full ArticleMyth: A calorie is a calorie
The belief that all calories are equal is a widespread myth, even among the well-educated segments of our society. This notion is heavily promoted by the processed food industry to justify the increasing presence of ultra-processed foods in our diets. The argument posits that the source of calories—whether from protein, fat, carbohydrates, or whether the food is whole or refined, cooked or raw—is irrelevant. What matters, according to this myth, is the balance between calories consumed and expended, with any excess supposedly stored as fat in our bodies.
Read Full ArticleDairy Myth
A long-standing, prevalent belief champions dairy as the perfect food. While it may indeed be ideal for calves it is not the case for humans. The perfect food for humans is human milk, and that too only during infancy. Humans are unique in two respects: (1) they continue milk consumption beyond infancy and (2) they consume the milk of another species. The origins of this practice are murky but it may have begun thousands of years ago during a famine. In desperate times consumption of cow’s milk, which led to survival, may have sparked the widespread domestication of cows."
Read Full ArticleProtein myth
There are many myths related to protein in our society propagated, knowingly or unknowingly, by many in the food and healthcare industries. These myths include the belief that The human body needs a lot of protein. Protein is hard to find in food Plant protein is somehow inferior to animal protein and doesn’t contain all amino acids. Even the United State’s Food & Drug Administration (FDA), in its MyPlate guidelines, suggests the need for special foods to consume protein, as implied in their recommendations below.
Read Full ArticleMyth: Better safe than sorry
Most people believe it is safer to continue taking certain medications rather than risk slightly elevated blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol levels. But what if the opposite is true.In recent years, many senior doctors have realized that we’ve swung too far towards medicating lifestyle diseases. Studies from the past two decades suggest that excessive medication can often be more harmful than no medication at all.
Read Full ArticleMyths about diet and health (3)
It’s been commonly assumed in medical research that all humans are similar, and therefore, findings from a small group can be generalized across the population, aside from racial and socioeconomic variations. Humans are indeed genetically similar, which underpins the belief that clinical studies on one group are applicable to others if they share racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some of the recent studies have shattered this myth beyond doubt beginning with Human Genome Project.
Read Full ArticleMyths about diet and health (2)
These are “words of wisdom” often uttered by many respectable people including our elders and doctors. The problem with this advice is that when we consume everything in moderation, we also get diseases in moderation. This myth is so pervasive in our society that we have come to expect old age diseases as normal part of aging. What if we are wrong? In fact, we are wrong and it was proven 24 years ago when National Geographic commissioned a study with Dan Buettner, widely known as the Blue Zone Study.
Read Full ArticleMyths About Diet and Health
Humans evolved as primates about 65 million years ago. Then, around 7 million years ago, we separated from Chimpanzees to Homonins with large brains and smaller teeth and bipedality. Homosapiens evolved about 2 million years ago. As humans evolved, most lived in temperate climates where there was an abundance of fresh produce throughout the year. .
Read Full ArticleFive pillars of health: A blueprint for wellbeing
The blog begins with a clear disclaimer, establishing the author's role as a diet and lifestyle coach, not a medical doctor, and emphasizing that the content is for informational purposes only. It sets the stage by asserting that the root cauLast week, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract, which provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to sustain themselves. These nutrients require oxygen to metabolize and produce energy. The respiratory system is crucial in delivering fresh oxygen to the body and expelling carbon dioxide. While the respiratory system is also involved in sound production and the sense of smell, our focus here will be on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.se of most lifestyle diseases lies in diet and lifestyle choices, with corrective measures often leading to healing and reversal of these conditions. The narrative shifts to the idea of the human body as a self-healing organism, advocating for a focus on addressing underlying issues rather than merely suppressing symptoms with medications. The author shares a personal anecdote from their college days, highlighting how flawed information about diet and lifestyle choices led to health issues, emphasizing the importance of accurate knowledge.
Read Full ArticleSide effects while transitioning to a plant based whole food diet
Switching to a plant-based whole food (PBWF) diet, particularly one that incorporates green smoothies or juices, may lead to some stomach issues. These issues often depend on your previous diet and lifestyle. For instance, if your diet lacked fiber, you might notice changes in your bowel movements. Here are some signs and symptoms that might indicate you’re increasing your fiber intake too rapidly.
Read Full ArticleArtificial sweetener: Friend or foe?
(These findings (2008 San Antonio Heart Study) raise the question of whether artificial sweetener use might be fueling-rather than fighting—our escalating obesity epidemic.)-Dr. Sharon Fowler -In last week’s blog, we learned about the harmful effects of sugar so a natural question that comes to mind is why not use artificial sweeteners. In today’s blog, we will explore this subject.
Read Full ArticleSugar: The bitter truth
Â
The last 50 years of nutrition information in America is a big fraud and that is why diabetes has continued to increase.” – Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF Dr. Robert Lustig, who taught medical students at the University of California, San Francisco has made it a mission in his life to expose the sugar industry. He highlights the impact of refined sugar on coronary heart diseases (CHD), the leading cause of death worldwide. Dr. Lustig’s YouTube video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” released in 2011, went viral with over 24 million views to date. In 2014 he collaborated with Katie Couric, a well known American journalist, to create the documentary “Fed Up” which I strongly recommend. Read Full ArticleWhat about eggs?
A frequently asked question is about eating eggs. Many vegetarians eat eggs because they are not fertilized, meaning no harm is caused to any animal. I initially mentioned that there are various reasons for adopting a Plant-Based Whole Food (PBWF) diet, one being the religious principle of Ahimsa, which promotes non-violence towards animals. Although this is not my primary reason for this group, I encourage you all to watch documentaries showing the conditions in poultry farms. After seeing them, you might reconsider eating eggs or chicken. However, in this post, I will focus solely on the health aspects.
Read Full ArticleHow much water should you really drink?
Social media is awash with advice on water consumption—recommending specific amounts to drink daily, detailing when and how to drink it, and even touting it as a cure for numerous ailments. My aim with this blog is to address these topics and clarify the confusion created by such claims.The renowned Mayo Clinic suggests a daily water intake of 2.7 liters for women and 3.7 liters for men. While it’s true that dehydration can lead to health issues, many of the claims about water curing illnesses are exaggerated and lack evidence
Read Full ArticleFats? Yes. But no Oil
In a plant-based whole food (PBWF) diet and lifestyle, the use of oil is discouraged. Instead, it is recommended to consume butters made from nuts and seeds. Humans evolved over millions of years consuming natural foods, which our bodies adapted to digest and absorb efficiently. Processing and refining these foods alters their composition, forcing the body to adjust and compensate, often leading to chronic illnesses.
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Miacellaneous
Eating fresh, tree-ripened fruits and vegetables is generally the best choice. However, the issue isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. Fresh produce is often harvested before it has fully ripened, to accommodate shipping durations. In contrast, frozen foods are picked at their nutritional peak and immediately frozen. When fresh produce isn’t available, frozen options are a satisfactory alternative.
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Gluten, soy & salt
""The belief that gluten is unhealthy has been debunked by numerous plant-based whole food (PBWF) doctors. This myth, along with the misconception that carbohydrates are detrimental to health and contribute to diabetes, has persisted in various forms for decades. The media, including bestsellers like *Wheat Belly* and *Grain Brain*, and articles in Indian media predicting the obsolescence of chapatis, have fueled this narrative. However, one might wonder why wheat, a staple for over 10,000 years, has suddenly been deemed unhealthy."
Read Full ArticlePillar-1 Food: Meal plans
Many people request daily meal plans due to confusion about what to eat. As outlined in my guidelines from last week, our diet program offers complete freedom in choosing foods, provided they are plant-based whole foods (PBWF) and consumed within a narrow daytime eating window of 8-10 hours. Starting your day with green juice, fruits, nuts, and seeds for breakfast covers three of the five essential food groups, giving you flexibility for lunch and dinner. Here are some guidelines for a daily PBWF meal plan, assuming your eating window is from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Adjustments can be made for different eating windows.
Read Full ArticleFirst pillar of health: Food
The most important of the five pillars of health is food. However, it’s not just about what we eat; it also matters when we eat, how we eat, and what we do to our food before eating. My experience with 200,000 members has shown that a plant-based whole-food (PBWF) diet is optimal for humans. As we discuss the diet and lifestyle changes needed to treat chronic diseases, we must prioritize the bigger picture. Our goal is to significantly improve one’s health from its current state and to ideally eliminate the need for medications related to lifestyle diseases. My focus is on providing instructions that are simple and easy to remember. Here are my dietary recommendations:
Read Full ArticleFive pillars of health
"and lifestyle myths that often lead us astray. We’ve also touched on the essentials of human physiology and nutrition. Today, we embark on a series about what I term the “five pillars of health,” key components that bolster our well-being and aid in preventing and reversing many lifestyle-related diseases. The advent of the light bulb and the discovery of antibiotics a century ago marked a societal shift, leading us to normalize disease as an inevitable aspect of aging. The light bulb disrupted our circadian rhythms, spawning numerous chronic health issues, while the triumph of penicillin over infectious diseases fostered a belief that a pill could be the panacea for all ailments."
Read Full ArticleBasics of nutrition
"Having discussed the basics of physiology, describing how nutrients are ingested and distributed throughout the body and waste is collected and excreted, we will now delve into the types of nutrients and their role in bodily functions. Nutrients are categorized into three groups: 1. Macronutrients: Provide energy. 2. Micronutrients: Provide essential nutrients without energy. 3. Other Nutrients 1.0 MACRO NUTRIENTS Macronutrients are energy-providing nutrients, measured in kilocalories but often referred to as calories. The three macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats."
Read Full ArticleBasics of Physiology: Blood circulatory system
In our past two sessions, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract and the Respiratory System, which provide the nutrients and oxygen necessary for survival. Once absorbed, these nutrients need to be transported to every part of the human body, a task accomplished by the blood circulatory system. This system is comprised of a heart that acts as a pump and approximately 70,000 miles of blood vessels, evenly split between arteries (which carry blood from the heart to all body parts) and veins (which return the blood to the heart). At the site where the blood is delivered, these vessels narrow into thin capillaries
Read Full ArticleBasics of nutrition: Respiratory system
Last week, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract, which provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to sustain themselves. These nutrients require oxygen to metabolize and produce energy. The respiratory system is crucial in delivering fresh oxygen to the body and expelling carbon dioxide. While the respiratory system is also involved in sound production and the sense of smell, our focus here will be on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Read Full ArticleBasics of Physiology
"After exploring various myths about diet and lifestyle, we will now delve into the fundamentals of human physiology and nutrition. Every living organism, from single cells to primates, has two primary objectives: (1) survival and (2) propagation. For survival, two elements are crucial, which in Vedanta are termed PRANA and APANA. Prana represents the life-giving force, including food and air (oxygen) for energy, while Apana refers to the elimination of waste produced by metabolism, driven by Prana. In this and the next three blog posts, we will examine the four basic systems of human physiology: 1. Gastrointestinal Tract: It ingests and processes food. 2. Respiratory System: It inhales fresh air and exchanges oxygen for carbon dioxide. 3. Blood Circulatory System: It distributes nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. 4. Lymphatic System: It acts like a janitorial system, removing waste from all body parts due to metabolic processes."
Read Full ArticleSupplements myth
Growing up, our eating patterns are largely influenced by family habits, leading to a limited diet that may cause nutrient deficiencies. Unlike handling excess nutrients, our bodies struggle with deficiencies. Relying on inorganic or organic supplements to address these deficiencies can disrupt our body’s balance.
Read Full ArticleMyth: A calorie is a calorie
The belief that all calories are equal is a widespread myth, even among the well-educated segments of our society. This notion is heavily promoted by the processed food industry to justify the increasing presence of ultra-processed foods in our diets. The argument posits that the source of calories—whether from protein, fat, carbohydrates, or whether the food is whole or refined, cooked or raw—is irrelevant. What matters, according to this myth, is the balance between calories consumed and expended, with any excess supposedly stored as fat in our bodies.
Read Full ArticleDairy Myth
"A long-standing, prevalent belief champions dairy as the perfect food. While it may indeed be ideal for calves it is not the case for humans. The perfect food for humans is human milk, and that too only during infancy. Humans are unique in two respects: (1) they continue milk consumption beyond infancy and (2) they consume the milk of another species. The origins of this practice are murky but it may have begun thousands of years ago during a famine. In desperate times consumption of cow’s milk, which led to survival, may have sparked the widespread domestication of cows."
Read Full ArticleProtein myth
"There are many myths related to protein in our society propagated, knowingly or unknowingly, by many in the food and healthcare industries. These myths include the belief that The human body needs a lot of protein. Protein is hard to find in food Plant protein is somehow inferior to animal protein and doesn’t contain all amino acids. Even the United State’s Food & Drug Administration (FDA), in its MyPlate guidelines, suggests the need for special foods to consume protein, as implied in their recommendations below."
Read Full ArticleMyth: Better safe than sorry
"Most people believe it is safer to continue taking certain medications rather than risk slightly elevated blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol levels. But what if the opposite is true. In recent years, many senior doctors have realized that we’ve swung too far towards medicating lifestyle diseases. Studies from the past two decades suggest that excessive medication can often be more harmful than no medication at all."
Read Full ArticleMyths about diet and health (3)
It’s been commonly assumed in medical research that all humans are similar, and therefore, findings from a small group can be generalized across the population, aside from racial and socioeconomic variations. Humans are indeed genetically similar, which underpins the belief that clinical studies on one group are applicable to others if they share racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some of the recent studies have shattered this myth beyond doubt beginning with Human Genome Project.
Read Full ArticleMyths about diet and health (2)
These are “words of wisdom” often uttered by many respectable people including our elders and doctors. The problem with this advice is that when we consume everything in moderation, we also get diseases in moderation. This myth is so pervasive in our society that we have come to expect old age diseases as normal part of aging. What if we are wrong? In fact, we are wrong and it was proven 24 years ago when National Geographic commissioned a study with Dan Buettner, widely known as the Blue Zone Study.
Read Full ArticleMyths About Diet and Health
Â
Humans evolved as primates about 65 million years ago. Then, around 7 million years ago, we separated from Chimpanzees to Homonins with large brains and smaller teeth and bipedality. Homosapiens evolved about 2 million years ago. As humans evolved, most lived in temperate climates where there was an abundance of fresh produce throughout the year. Read Full ArticleMyths About Diet and Health
The blog begins with a clear disclaimer, establishing the author's role as a diet and lifestyle coach, not a medical doctor, and emphasizing that the content is for informational purposes only. It sets the stage by asserting that the root cauLast week, we discussed the Gastrointestinal Tract, which provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to sustain themselves. These nutrients require oxygen to metabolize and produce energy. The respiratory system is crucial in delivering fresh oxygen to the body and expelling carbon dioxide. While the respiratory system is also involved in sound production and the sense of smell, our focus here will be on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.se of most lifestyle diseases lies in diet and lifestyle choices, with corrective measures often leading to healing and reversal of these conditions. The narrative shifts to the idea of the human body as a self-healing organism, advocating for a focus on addressing underlying issues rather than merely suppressing symptoms with medications. The author shares a personal anecdote from their college days, highlighting how flawed information about diet and lifestyle choices led to health issues, emphasizing the importance of accurate knowledge.
Read Full Article
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