If you could live an extra ten years in life and be healthier by changing your diet, would you?
That is the question posed due to the results of a recent Loma Linda University study of 96,000 Seventh Day Adventists. Their ten-year study found that Adventists, who live a lifestyle that promotes vegetarianism, live 9.5 years longer if they are male and 6.1 years longer if they are female. They also found that Adventists/vegetarians are on average thirty pounds lighter than their meat eating counterparts.
Dr. Michael Greger used this study as the impedance to exploring the top killers of humans. Heart disease which is the leading killer was higher in meat eaters than vegetarians as proven in a 35 year follow-up study by the Harvard Nurses Health Study. The study showed how something as simple as eating a cup of oatmeal had the same beneficial results as jogging for four hours a week. Dr. Dean Ornish also showed how plaque in arteries could be reversed with a vegan diet. People with other health problems such as diabetes, cancers and Alzheimer’s all benefitted from a plant-based diet.
Does this mean that you must go ‘cold turkey’ on meat? Not necessarily. It does point out that we humans need a balanced diet rich in plant-based foods. Some plants are better than others due to high nutrient levels and phytochemicals. Foods like broccoli, spinach, kale, pumpkin, tomatoes, bananas, pineapples and sweet potatoes count. Beets, peanuts, beans, whole grains, berries and even dark chocolate are also great sources of nutrients that protect the body from an assortment of ailments. With any of these foods, choose organic as many fruits and vegetables are irradiated – another source of health ailments in humans.
No matter what you eat, stay well hydrated, exercise and rest to live happier, healthier and longer. www.ShareKitchen.org
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