Staying on Track

How do you stay on track with a Whole foods, Plant Based Diet in an environment with foods that are filled with oil, dairy, meat and processed foods? Having just returned from traveling in France and India for two weeks, it has been difficult to stay on track.  After all, France in particular, is the land of Cheese, Pastry, and Oil filled french cooking.  Here is what I do:

Make a commitment to know the truth about foods.  Resources like The China Study by T. Colin Campbell help me understand the down side of dairy, and its cancer promoting proteins.  Eat to Live. by Dr. Joel Fuhrman gives a wonderful overview of the research related to the Standard American Diet and animal protein.   Also, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn gives one of the clearest explanations of what a diet laden with fat, process foods, and animal products does to the coronary arteries.
In short, I find it helpful to occasionally review these resources.  I go back and reread key part of these books.  I also try to stay abreast of the research and read new books on the market, like How Not to Die, by Dr. Michael Gregor.  Also check out his website: Nutritionfacts.org.

Try to stay on top of the latest and greatest vegan recipes.  Through staying in touch with great vegan recipe developers you resource yourself with wonderful alternatives to grease, dairy and animal laden foods.  Follow some of them on instagram.

Here is a dozen or so I follow on @instagram:
@kristi.keating
@fruitandveggies4life.
@littlebitesofbeauty
@deliciouslyella
@engine2diet
@plantpurechef
@avitualvegan
@mrsplantintexas
@plantbasedseattle
@plantbasedchef
@veronicathevegan
@veggiesdontbite

There are thousands more available; all quality @instagram accounts.

Stay in touch with the reasons you are vegan!  Understand the deception we have been "fed."
Stay in touch with the literature!  Research is not that confusing.
Grow in your understanding of really good vegan alternative recipes!  Eating vegan is awesome!
Stay on course for your health.  Stay on course for the environment.  Stay on course for the animals.

Stevemattis@instagram.com
Steven Jay Mattis @FB

Osteoporosis: The most important contributors to this disease.

Osteoporosis continues to be one of the great needs that an aging population faces in America and other  Westernized countries.  Of course, dairy products are held in very high esteem in these countries.  Everyone knows that without sufficient calcium we would not have strong bones.  Is this actually true or have we been misled by years of misinformation and advertising?

There have been numerous studies that have found that milk consumption has a high statistical association with higher rates of hip fractures.  These studies do not suggest that dairy products cause Osteoporosis.  However, it does suggest that dairy products are not protecting us from osteoporosis as we have been indoctrinated to believe.

Osteoporosis has a complex etiology that involves many factors including what is termed the "acid-alkaline balance."  Dr. Campbell, head of nutritional research for the China Project, reported, "Ironically, osteoporosis tends to occur in countries where calcium intake is highest and most of it comes from protein-rich dairy products.  The Chinese data indicate that people need less calcium than we think and can get adequate amounts from vegetable source plant food."  He reported to the New York Times that there was basically no osteoporosis in China.

THE NEGATIVE CALCIUM BALANCE
Let's say you consume about 1,000 mg of calcium a day.  About a third of the calcium ingested gets absorbed.  So if you absorb about 300mg, the remaining 700 mg remains in the digestive tract and passes out of the body.  Now, if in this same twenty-four-hour period, you excreted 350mg of calcium in your urine, would you be in a negative or a positive calcium balance?
(Ingested 1000, absorbed 300, excreted 350 = retained -50)

A negative calcium balance means more calcium is excreted in the urine than is absorbed through digestion.  Therefore to answer this riddle one must know what happens in the body.  Animal-protein ingestion results in a heavy acid load in the blood.  This sets off a series of reactions whereby calcium is released from the bones to neutralize the acid.  Because the sulfur-based amino acids in animal products contribute significanly to urinary acid production and the resulting calcium loss.

BOTTOM LINE 
The six most acid producing substances are here listed in the order of their acidity.
1.  Animal protein (meat and dairy)
2.  Salt
3.  Caffeine
4.  Refined sugar
5.  Alcohol
6.  Nicotine

BEST SOURCES FOR CALCIUM? (for strong bones)
LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Green vegetables, beans, tofu, sesame seeds, and even oranges contain lots of usable calcium, without the problems associated with dairy and meat.

What diet is best for strong bones?  The Whole Food, Plant Based Diet ranks at the top!
_________________________
FB Steven Jay Mattis
Food Diary: SteveMattis@instagram

Warning: The Standard American Diet (SAD) will kill you!

I used to be pretty nonchalant about my diet.  I loved meat, dairy products and processed foods.  I was addicted and sick!  Unfortunately, this apathetic lifestyle has caught up with me. For that, I am so thankful!  In fact, it catches up with everybody! However, unfortunately for some, without warning with grave consequences.  Some things you can run from (denial); but you can't hide from ultimately (reality).

The Standard American Diet seems pretty good to most of us.  In fact, I have discovered that many people think they eat pretty healthfully.   And I guess compared to "old so and so" next door, perhaps you do eat quite a bit more healthfully than most.  However, when you begin to examine your diet from the perspective of a percentage of total calories consumed, things might look a little different.

If you're able to study the attached pie chart, you will begin to understand many things about the American Obesity and Disease epidemic.

Remember Heart Disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in America.  Followed by Cancer and the other "diseases of affluence."

You might be interested to know that not just overweight people suffer from Heart Disease.  I know people who have taken steps to find out the condition of their heart and arteries, even though they were "normal weight," only to discover that the ravages of their diet over time has produced a diseased heart and associated arterial trunk.  In plain English, they were suffering from heart disease - the #1 American silent killer!

So what should a "healthy diet" look like?
If your diet looks like the pie chart above, so that you're only consuming in the range of about 10% plant based foods, you might not like what I'm about to say, but you are sowing the seeds in your life for all the American Diseases to express themselves in you.  Consider the Plant-Based Pyramid below:

 
This "Pyramid" isn't perfect, but it is light years ahead of what we have been "sold" through the misinformation campaigns of the USDA and the NIH.

Truth really can set you free!

Tired of dieting?  Tired of measuring?  Tired of being hungry all the time and losing very little weight?  Fad diets don't work in the long run; they are totally unsustainable!  Only a lifestyle change works in the long run.  Making you disease proof, and heart attack proof!  You don't hear much about those terms do you?

I am so grateful that I have been given the chance to change my lifestyle and Eat to Live!
Join the revolution!  Whole Foods, Plant Based, (and if you have CAD), No Oil.  Choose Life!
____________________________
Food diary on instagram@stevemattis
FB: Steven Jay Mattis

Why Protein Deficiency is virtually Impossible!

People always ask me, "since you eat only a vegan diet, where do you get your protein?"  We have been absolutely brainwashed into thinking that all protein comes only from Milk and Animal Muscle.  The Meat and Dairy industry have certainly done their job in marketing their products to the American public.  The results are also clear and stunning:  Coronary Artery Disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in America!  Followed by Cancer, Stoke, Hypertension and Diabetes.  These Diseases of Affluence are the direct result of eating our Standard American Diet; made up of processed foods (filled with sugar, fat and salt) and animal foods (Meat and Dairy products.)  So then, the question still remains, if one stops eating our Standard American Diet, where do we get our protein to sustain life?

THE SHORT ANSWER
Experimental studies carried out in the 1940's and '50's showed that people require about 2.5 percent of their total calories from protein.  In order to provide a definitely safe level - to cover situations such as chronic infections and injuries - the World Health Organization (WHO) DOUBLED these figures.

Since 1974, the WHO has recommended that men, women, and children consume about 5% of their calories from protein.  Pregnant women should consume about 6.5% of their calories from protein, and lactating women 7% of their calories from protein.

Nature designed her foods to be complete long before they arrived on the dinner table.  Think about it!
There is sufficient protein in plants to grow elephants, horses, and hippos, so there ought to be enough to grow human beings. The most rapid time of growth in a person's life is during infancy.  We double in size in the first two years of life.  No one would contest that the ideal food for a baby is human breast milk, which is only 5% protein.  Commonly consumed starches and vegetables contain from 6 to 45 percent of their calories as protein and therefore are more than sufficient to supply the protein needs of children and adults, who grow at a much slower rate than babies.

FINALLY CONSIDER - PROTEIN IS PLENTIFUL

RICE-----------------------------------@8%PROTEIN
POTATOES--------------------------@11% PROTEIN
CORN----------------------------------@12% PROTEIN
SPAGHETTI-------------------------@14% PROTEIN
WHOLE GRAIN BREADS------@16% PROTEIN
BEANS--------------------------------@26% PROTEIN
PEAS-----------------------------------@28% PROTEIN

The starchy foods above are part of a Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet.  Eat lots of Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Beans and Legumes, some nuts and seeds (unless you suffer from CAD) then eliminate most of the nuts and seeds.

A protein deficient diet is virtually impossible!  However, too high amounts of animal protein from meat and dairy, has specifically be shown to generate the Diseases of Affluence that are killing us!
-----------------------------------------
Comment adapted from Dr. John and Mary McDougall.
Food Diary at instagram@stevemattis

Heart Disease: Good News, Bad News.

Atherosclerosis is the disease that destroys the arteries of millions of Americans every year.  In fact, it is the number one killer of men and women.  Atherosclerosis leads to heart attacks, strokes, hearing loss, kidney failure, impotence, disability, immobility and leg and back pain.

How does atherosclerosis get started?
The disease process begins when the inside linings of the arteries are injured by oxidized cholesterol, a by-product of antibody reactions started by eating meat and dairy products.  Slivers of cholesterol and globs of fat leak under the inside lining of the arteries (The Endothelium).  These slivers of cholesterol and fat cause festering sores known as atherosclerotic plaques.  Unfortunately, our arteries do not contain nerve endings so we don't know to take action until a tragedy strikes such as a heart attack or stroke!  The tragedy of complete artery closure begins with the rupture of a tiny overstuffed plaque bulge.  When this happens, the content of the plaque (a fatty liquid) drains into the bloodstream and immediately a clot is formed, causing the artery to close off.  The blood clot is called a thrombus and a heart attack has just occurred, called a coronary thrombosis.  Obviously, this is very bad news to the one having the heart attack or stroke and to their loved ones.

How do you treat the cause of Atherosclerosis?
There is good news for those suffering from atherosclerosis (Coronary Artery Disease or CAD).  It has been discovered and proven that CAD is not only preventable but also can be halted and even reversed!

The rather simple solution to Atherosclerosis is to begin a life-style change including a dietary make over.  The disease is defeated by following a Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet.  The attached photo is  an actual angiogram of a Left Anterior Descending Artery. Courtesy of Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn from the Cleveland Clinic.

On the far left, the lack of blood flow is clearly visible due to blockage.  After treatment with nutrition alone, the artery on the right, is clear and has normal blood flow restored.

So what causes Heart Disease: Eating the Standard American Diet! (Meat, Dairy, Processed Foods and Oil).  The choice is clear.  The solution is actually doable; eating a wonderful diet of quantities of VEGETABLES, FRUITS, WHOLE GRAINS, BEAN AND LEGUMES.

Compare the arteries and chose life!


Comments adapted from Dr. John A. McDouball, M.D.
Food Diary/Instagram@stevemattis

Defusing the "time-bomb" of Cholesterol

Almost every adult living in an industrialized nation develops some degree of atherosclerosis.  This is where arteries harden because of fatty streaks, leading to plaque build up and ultimately blockages in the coronary arteries.  Atherosclerosis leads to stroke, heart attacks and many other serious health problems.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.

Can food choices affect one's cholesterol level and lead to promoting or reducing overall cholesterol levels?  Every animal cell, both human and nonhumans, contains cholesterol.  Cholesterol is important in some cell functions.  However, the liver produces all the cholesterol the body needs.  There is no need to consume any in ones diet.

Cholesterol and fats move through the body in protein packages call lipoproteins.  Low density lipoproteins (LDL's) carry cholesterol to the organs through the arteries.  The LDL's deposit their loads through the inner walls of the arteries.  The process encourages the growth of deposits, called plaques, on the artery walls which narrow the artery and obstruct the flow of blood.  If the blood flow to the heart is blocked, a heart attack has occurred.  If the flood flow to the brain is blocked, a stroke has occurred.  Since LDL's promote atherosclerosis, they are know as "bad Cholesterol." The higher the LDL level, the higher the risk of heart problems.

SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS EVIL LDL CHOLESTEROL?
Cholesterol in foods we eat increases the levels of LDL's in our blood.  Cholesterol is found only in animal products!  Meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs all contain cholesterol, while plant products do not.  Choosing lean cuts of meat is not enough; the cholesterol is mainly in the lean portion.  Many people are surprised to learn that chicken contains as much cholesterol as beef.  Every four-ounce serving of beef or chicken contains 100 milligrams of cholesterol.  Most shell fish are very high in cholesterol.  There is no "good cholesterol" in any food.  Cholesterol in foods raise the cholesterol level in one's blood.  The best thing to do is to keep one's fat intake very low and to avoid all animal products.

THE VEGAN DIET
As suggested above, basing one's diet on plant foods - Grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits is the best way to keep saturated fat intake low and to avoid cholesterol completely.  A vegan diet is free of all animal products and yields the lowest risk of heart disease.  One study showed that people who adopt a vegetarian diet reduce their saturated fat intake by 26 percent and achieve a significant drop in cholesterol levels in just six weeks. (Masarei JR. Vegetarian diet, lipids and cardiovascular risk. Aust NZ J. Med. 1984.)  Besides the very low levels of fat eaten in a typical vegetarian diet, vegetable protein also helps decrease risk for heart disease.  Studies have shown that replacing animal protein with plant based protein reduces blood cholesterol levels dramatically.

BOTTOM LINE TO DEFUSE THE "TIMEBOMB" OF CHOLESTEROL.
A Whole foods, Plant Based Diet is the most powerful way to reduce blood cholesterol.
A Plant Based Diet is the fastest and most healthful way to reduce overall body weight.
A low-fat, vegetarian diet coupled with exercise is the best way to lower one's cholesterol levels and can even reverse heart disease for many people.

Instagram Food Diary @stevemattis

Why smoothies may not be the best way to get your nutrition.

I recently attended the Plant-Based Prevention of Disease  (P-POD) Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the campus of NC State.  One of the key note speakers at the conference was Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. from the Institute of Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic.  I have been with him on two occasions and each time I have heard him say that Smoothies may not be the best way to get your nutrition.  I remember from my first visit with him the first reason, but this time I learned the second critical reason.

1.  When you process greens and fruit together in a high speed blender, you liberate the sugars from the fiber making the sugars too easily available and quickly absorbed into the body.  That seems like a good thing, but it causes the blood sugar to "spike" and "skyrocket."  This is much like drinking a very sugary drink.

2.  The second reason was even more intriguing to me.  When you choose to drink your green vegetables rather than chew them, you skip a vital step in the biochemical process.  It was explained this way:  Chewing greens is the first step in adding necessary enzymes to the nitrogen found in the green vegetables. The by-product of this chewing process changes the nitrogen, through enzymatic action, into Nitrates.  When the nitrates are then swallowed the second enzymatic process changes the nitrates into "nitrites."  These nitrites are then quickly converted into "nitric oxide," the chemical that is quickly released through the "endothelium" in the coronary arteries.  It is this release of "nitric oxide" through the lining of the coronary arteries (the endothelium) that keeps the blood "slippery" and keeps it from sticking to the artery lining, causing plaque buildup and eventually blockages.

So there you have it.  The recommendation is to eat 5-6 servings of Greens every day.  Chew them carefully in order to properly release the enzymes.  In so doing, you will bath your endothelium in an abundant supply of nitric oxide and keep your coronary arteries clear of further plaque buildup.  This is one of the vital steps in halting and reversing coronary artery disease.
------------------------------
Personal Food Diary: instagram@stevemattis

Why are we so slow to change?

Why are people so slow to change?  Anyone who has adopted a plant-based diet becomes quickly astonished at what other people are still putting on their plates.  Although the research is clear and compelling, whether you consider the animal suffering, the cost to the environment, or the toll in human suffering through illness, an animal based diet makes no sense.  Certainly, more people than ever have taken animals off the menu.  But if the issues are so obvious, why doesn't everyone change?  The answer is multi-faceted.  But, simply stated, logic does not direct human behavior for the most part.

Like it or not, herd mentality is hard-wired into our brains.  Logic is slow and deliberate; herd instinct is instantaneous.  So why doesn't everyone change?  Because the rest of the herd, so to speak, is eating less-than-healthy fare.  We are comforted in the thought that what most people are doing ought to be best for us, too.  Meanwhile, Americans remain the most unhealthy of all people on the earth.  We spend the most on healthcare and are 38th in our ranking of health, (at the bottom) when compared with other nations.

The federal government has so far shirked its responsibility.  Loyal to agribusiness and surprisingly indifferent to health, the government gives only garbled hints about the risks of meat-based diets.  The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans follow the familiar pattern.  They are clear about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, but careful not to overtly criticize meat or dairy products.  Instead, they couch any cautionary language in biochemical terms, like "saturated fats" and "cholesterol," which are only loosely tied to specific foods in most people's minds.  The government's policies are careful not to disrupt the herd mentality that keeps American beef, chicken, and cheese in grocery carts and on American differ tables.

So what will it take to redirect the American headlong plunge into the disasters of obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other health problems?  Probably, only personal health crises!  But, things are beginning to change.  People are becoming informed about the positive health benefits of vegetarian and vegan dietary lifestyle changes.
__________________________
Comments adapted from Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.  President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Food Log: Instagram@stevemattis

Plant-Based Prevention of Disease

This Saturday morning (September 11th) I will drive to Raleigh, North Carolina, to NC State University, to attend a portion of the second annual conference of P-POD.  Plant-Based Prevention of Disease.  This national conference is yet another indication of the revolution happening in America related to nutrition and the diseases of affluence.

Some of the learning objectives for the conference include:
1.  Identify dietary risk factors associated with development of progression of major chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

2.  Describe evidence for specific protective mechanisms and health benefits that may be provided at cellular, individual and global levels via plant-based nutrition.

3.  Discuss how nutritional advisement emphasizing plant-based approaches may be integrated into clinical practice, thus facilitating positive, measurable and cost effective clinical outcomes for various preventable chronic diseases.

4.  Identify factors that influence dietary choices or discourage behavior change, as well as strategies and techniques from promoting sustainable nutritional advancement in individuals and communities.

Some of the speakers will be:
Thomas M. Campbell II, MD Co-author of The China Study. Cornell University
Diet and Autoimmune Disease: Alternative Fringe or "Real" Medicine?

Hope Ferdowsian, MD, Georgetown U. Med. Center
Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet for Women

Robert Ostfeld, MD, Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Wellness Center
Your Heart on Plants.

Gordon Saxe, MD, University of Calif. San Diego.
Whole-Food Plant-based diets in the Prevention or Control of Cancer.

Milton Mills, MD, Inova Fairfax Hospital
How Plant-based Diets improve the interaction between the Gut Microbiome and Human Immune Function, Physiology and Psychology.

Ted Barnett, MD, Unity Health system, Rochester, NY
Dietary Guidelines: Politics and Practice

Amy Lanou, PhD, University of North Carolina, Asheville
Nutrition and Bone Health Update, and Strategies for Getting off the Dairy-Go-Round.

Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.  Cleveland Clinic, Wellness Institute.
The Nutritional Reversal of Cardiovascular Disease: Fact or Fiction?

I will be sure to report back what this slate of all stars bring to the conversation of plant-based lifestyle and the prevention and reversal of diseases.  Join the revolution for yourself, your family and the world!
______________________
Food Diary:
Instagram@stevemattis
FaceBook @stevenjaymattis

Ten Tips for staying on track!

A number of people have asked me about transitioning to a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet.  Here a ten tips that will help you make the transition.

1.  Remember the salad is the main dish: eat it first at lunch and dinner.  You have a tendency to eat more of whatever you eat first because you are the hungriest.  Raw foods have high transit times; they fill you up and encourage weight loss.  You can't overeat on them.  Successful, long-term weight control and health are linked to your consumption of raw greens.  Simply, they are the healthiest foods in the world.

2.  Eat at least four pieces of whole fresh fruit daily.  Eat as much fruit as you would like with your meals.  Four fruits are about 250 calories, but here it is okay to splurge, particularly if you have a "sweet tooth."  Finish lunch or dinner with watermelon, a whole cantaloupe, or a box of blueberries or strawberries.  The very best dessert is fresh fruit or blended frozen fruit.

3.  Eat a variety of greens every day.  Variety is not merely the spice of life, it makes a valuable contribution to your health.  You will never have to be concerned about overeating raw vegetables, salads, or cooked greens.  Think creatively about salads.  Remember: lettuce is romaine, bib, Boston, red leaf, green ice, arugula, radicchio, endive, frisee, watercress, spinach etc.  Load your salads up with cut fresh vegetables too.

4.  Beware of too many starchy vegetables.  Limit high-starch grains and vegetables to one cup a day.  One cup of a high-starch vegetable would be one corn on the cob, one small to medium size baked potato, or one cup of brown rice or sweet potato.  All whole grains should be considered high starch foods.  If you eat bread, a thin slice  of whole wheat pita is a good choice for sandwiches.

5.  Eat beans or legumes every day.  Beans are a dieter's best friend.  Eat an entire cup of beans daily; you may have more than one cup if you choose.  Beans are a powerhouse of superior nutrition.  The reduce cholesterol and blood sugar.  They have a high nutrient-per-calorie profile and help prevent food cravings.

6.  Eliminate animal and dairy products.  Not just animal fat but also animal protein from meat and dairy have been shown to enhance the growth of cancers and coronary artery disease in addition to other diseases of affluence.  This is an established reality that has been carefully masked or conveniently overlooks or perhaps deliberately reinterpreted by some of the powers that be.

7.  Consume 1 or 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds everyday.  This will give you those hard to find omega-3 fats that protect against diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  The body can manufacture EPA and DHA from these omega-3 fats for those of us who do not consume fish.  An additional source of omega-3 fat might be a few walnuts, soybeans or edamame.

8.  Consume nuts and seeds in limited amounts, and never more that one ounce per day.  A pound of nuts and seeds is approximately 2,800 calories/lbs.  They contain a load of oil and are calorie dense.

9.  Eat lots of mushrooms all the time.  Mushrooms make a great chewy replacement for meat.  Exploring their variety is a gray way to add interesting flavors and textures to dishes.  Try adding them to beans, seasoned with herbs, spices and lemon juice.  I love eggplant and mushrooms diced, tossed in nutritional yeast and baked for about 20 minutes then and added to my homemade tomato sauce for pasta dishes.

10.  Keep eating simple.  You do not have to prepare fancy recipes all the time.  If you're going to be out for a while, just grab some leftover vegetables, lettuce and tomato on whole grain bread or stuffed into a whole wheat pita pocket and a few pieces of fruit.
_________________

These tips were adapted from Joel Fuhrman's book, Eat To Live.  P.287f
Follow my food log on instagram@stevemattis

Lose weight by filling up on Nutrient-Rich foods!

Limiting high-calorie foods by measuring or weighting out portion size is not the only way to lose weight (this is called dieting).  It is important to limit high-calorie foods, but it is equally important to fill up on nutrient dense foods. We need foods with adequate nutrients so we don't need to consume excess "empty" calories to reach our nutritional requirements.

Eating foods that are rich in nutrients and fiber, and low in calories, "fills us up," thus preventing us from overeating.  A complicated system of chemoreceptors in the nerves lining the digestive tract carefully monitor the calorie and nutrient density of every mouthful and send such information to the hypothalamus in the brain, which controls dietary drive.  There are stretch receptors in the stomach to signal when you are satisfied by detecting volume.  If you are not filled up with nutrients and fiber, the brain will send out signals telling you to eat more food or overeat!

If you consume sufficient nutrients and fiber, you will become biochemically filled with nutrients and mechanically filled with fiber, then your desire to consume calories will be blunted or turn down.  A key factor that determines whether you will overeat is your failure to consume sufficient fiber and foods with a high nutrient value. 

Liquid calories (from juicing) without the fiber present in the whole food have little effect in blunting our caloric drive.  Studies show that fruit juice and other sweet beverages lead to obesity in children as well.  If you are serious about losing weight, don't drink your fruit - eat it!  Too much fiber and nutrients are removed during juicing.  There is no substitute to eating those fresh fruits and vegetables!  There is no substitute for natural whole foods.

There are no magic Pills, Potions or Powders when it comes to weight loss. We live in a universe governed by natural law and order; by cause and effect.  If you want optimal health and longevity, you must engage the cause!  And if you want to lose fat weight safely, you must eat a diet of predominantly unrefined whole foods that are nutrient and fiber rich.  The best diet lifestyle to accomplish this is the Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet.  Join the revolution in health!
Comments adapted from Joel Fuhrman, Eat To Live. P.36f
----------------------------------------------
Follow my food log on instagram@stevemattis

Nutrient Density or Calorie Density?

Nutrient-density scores are based on identified phytochemicals, antioxidant activity, and total vitamin and mineral content.  Foods with a high nutrient density score 100 points, while foods with a low nutrient density score lower.  Let's look at the nutrient density of foods:
______________________
Dark green leafy vegetables like kale, mustard greens, collard greens, Swiss chard, watercress, spinach and arugula all score 100!

Other green vegetables like Romaine, boo chou, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, string beans, snow peas, green peas score 95!

Non-green vegetables like beets, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, radishes, bean sprouts, red and yellow bell peppers, radicchio, cauliflower, tomatoes, artichokes, raw carrots score about 50!

Fresh fruits, strawberries, blueberries, other berries, plums, oranges, melons, kiwifruit, apples, cherries, pineapple, peaches, pears, grapes and bananas score 45!

Beans, Lentils, kidney, gray northern, adzuki, black, pinto, split peas, edamame, chickpeas score 40!

Raw nuts, seeds, sunflower, pumplin, sesame, flaxseeds, almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts score about 30.

Colorful starchy vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, corn and turnips score 25

Whole grains, potatoes, old-fashioned oats, barley, brown and wild rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, bulgur, whole grain bread score about 20.

Fish - 18, Dairy and eggs - 15, Wild meat and fowl - 15,  Red meat - 6,  Refined grains - 6,  Cheese - 3,
All oils - 1, Refined sweets (cookies, cakes, candy, soda - 0
_______________________

Clearly, the higher the nutrient density of foods, the better it is for you. Eating foods above 20 is the key.  Join the revolution of of "high nutrient" eating - you'll be glad you did.  High nutrient foods:

• Cause you to lose weight permanently.  
• Promotes longevity.
• Derails hunger and food cravings.
• Increases immune function and disease resistance.
• Has therapeutic effects to reverse disease.
• Protects against heart disease, stroke, and dementia.
• Fuels cellular repair mechanisms protecting against cancer. 

Follow my food log at instagram@stevemattis or Facebook at StevenJayMattis.

Conquering Diseases of Affluence

A look around the world provides you with incontrovertible evidence of the cause of common diseases.  Obesity is common in wealthy countries; Americans and Western Europeans suffer from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, and breast, prostate, and colon cancers.  These diseases have been refuted to by T. Colin Campbell as the Diseases of Affluence. (The China Study)  Ever wonder what an artery looks like that is plugged up with plaque?  The one on the Left is in need of multiple stints (too many to receive them).  The same artery on the right after a number of months on a whole foods, plant based diet.  Disease Reversal through nutrition!

The above phone is from Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

In the under-developed countries of Africa and Asia, people are trim and avoid these chronic diseases.  They live on diets centered around plants and starches, like rice, corn, potatoes, beans and fruits and vegetables.  Meat and dairy products are a very small part of their diet, if at all.  But things are changing.  To find a "better life" millions of people are migrating to the wealthy nations in North America and Europe.  After they move, they usually change their diets, becoming fatter and sicker.  We are now exporting our fast food "all you can eat" styles of living to the rest of the world, and as a result their health is declining.

Sciences has conquered most of the diseases common to people of underdeveloped countries by advances in sanitation, immunization, and medicine.  You can enjoy the benefits of modern living, personal wealth, and technology without suffering the health problems they can bring by eating the diet humans were designed to thrive on - a whole foods, plant based diet of vegetables and fruits.

Comments adapted from The McDougall Cookbook: Quick and Easy.

Five Researchers you need to know related to Genetics and Diseases.

For several decades, genetics have been blamed for the likelihood that we will contract a particular disease, but it's actually our diet and lifestyle that determines whether those genes are switched on.
Just because we have a family history of illness doesn't mean that we have to experience that disease also.  A change in our family eating patterns may just do the trick.  There are foods that promote health and there are foods that diminish health.  Every bite you take is either going to add to your quality of life or diminish it.  Keep this in mind when shopping, eating out, and planning meals.

Plant foods contain disease fighting fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, which you just won't find in animal derived products.  Fiber is famous for getting our systems moving.  Foods that contain fiber provide other health benefits as well, like lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease and preventing certain cancers.

Plant foods also contain incredible amounts of disease fighting phytonutrients.  Also known as phytochemicals, these battle ready compounds are part of a plant's immune system.  They help the plant world stand their ground against environmental challenges like disease, injury, insects drought, climate variation, UV rays and environmental poisons and pollutants.

Popular doctors who advocate a Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet. 

Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine.  Dr. Barnard has been reversing type 2 diabetes in his patients for years using a whole foods, plans based diet.  You can learn more a Nealbarnard.org.

T. Colin Campbell, PhD is a Cornell professor and author of the famous China Study.  He advocates a whole foods, plant based diet is the most effective way to prevent and even reverse, many cancers, as well as heart disease and other chronic illnesses.  His decades of research identify animal protein as a powerful cancer-causing agent.  Learn more at TheChinaStudy.com.

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. reversed atherosclerosis in end stage heart disease patients using a low fat, whole foods, plant based diet.  All of his compliant patients are thriving 20 years later.  Learn more at DrEsselstyn.com.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman specializes in preventing and reversing disease through plant powered nutritional methods.  His "nutritarian"diet recommends eating more nutrient dense calories, therapeutically, for longevity and to maximize nutrients per calorie.  Rather than calorie counting, he strives for nutritional excellence in the overweight to remove cravings and food addiction and to maintain favorable weight.  Learn more at DrFuhrman.com.

Dr. Dean Ornish is the founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, and has conducted scientific research studies demonstrating that even progression of severe coronary disease can be reversed by a plant based diet and lifestyle changes.  Learn more at OrnishSpectrum.com.
__________________
Food log at instagram@stevemattis

Healing the Heart of Coronary Artery Disease.

I talk to a lot of people these days about healing the heart.  People like Nutritionist, Dietitians, Cardiologists and General Practitioners.  When I ask the questions of how to heal the heart from CAD, I usually get a blank stare or a standard answer that has to do with medications, surgical interventions and perhaps a modest reduction of dietary fat and some exercise.  There certainly is a place for medications, and even surgeries but rarely do I get a thorough answer that includes the most researched and proven therapy for halting and reversing CAD.  The Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet.

Coronary Artery Disease is a disease that will kill more Americans this year than any other disease.  It is a disease that is born of consuming the foods that Americans like to eat: Animal foods, Dairy foods and Process foods (foods stripped of their nutritional value and that contain quantities of salt, fat and sugar).  The results of eating this diet is to have a coronary trunk that has vast deposits of fatty plaques and inflammation lining the arteries.

This is an actual CT Calcium Score of my Coronary Artery Trunk.  What you see at the places of black along the trunk is actual plaque build up that can be seen in the CT Scan.

The only problem with the CT Calcium Score is that it does not show "soft plaque" that has not yet calcified.  In other words, you could have the CT Score that is low but still have "soft plaque" that the CT does not see.  So you think you don't have CAD but you still could have lots of plaque.



The most exciting news that I have turned up in my own personal research is that Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) can actually be "halted and reversed" by simply eating a whole foods, plant based diet with little or no oil.  Thats it!  Having traveled to the Cleveland Clinic and studied with Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. the head of the Nutritional Institute in Cleveland, I have discovered that eating exclusively, plant foods has a profound effect on existing CAD.

Maybe its time you did your own research.  Here are a couple of books that you can use to begin your research:
Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live.
Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
T. Colin Campbell, The China Study.
Forks Over Knives, The Documentary on Netflix.
_______________
Food log available on instagram@stevemattis

Unrefined Carbohydrates help you lose weight.

There are only three macronutrients: Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates.  Our bodies need carbohydrates more than any other substance.  Our muscles cells and brains are designed to run on carbohydrates.  Carbohydrate rich foods, when consumed in their natural state, are low in calories and high in fiber compared with fatty foods, processed foods, or animal products.

The high fiber content of unrefined carbohydrate-rich foods is another crucial reason you will feel more satisfied and not crave more food when you make unrefined carbohydrates the main source of calories in your diet.  All plant foods are a mixture of protein, fat, and carbohydrate.  Even a banana contains about 3.5 percent protein, almost the same as mother's milk.  Fruit and starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, corn and butternut squash, are predominately carbohydrate but also contain some fat and protein.  Green vegetables are about half protein, a quarter carbohydrate, and quarter fat.

If you eat healthy foods, you will automatically get enough of all three macronutrients as long as you do not consume too many calories from white flour, sugar and oil.  So don't fear eating foods rich in carbohydrate and don't be afraid of eating fruit because it contains sugar.  As long as they are unrefined, they should not be excluded from your diet.  In fact, it is impossible to glean all the nutrients needed for optimal health if your diet does not contain lots of carbohydrate-rich food.  

Fresh fruits, beans, and legumes, whole grains, and root vegetables are all examples of foods whose calories come mainly from carbohydrate.  It is the nutrient-per-calorie ratio of these foods that determines their food value.  There is nothing wrong with carbohydrates; it is the empty-calorie, or refined, carbohydrates that are responsible for the bad reputation of "carbs."

________________________________

Comments adapted from Joel Fuhrman's book, Eat to Life. P. 150f

Instagram food log @stevemattis

Four things to know about Cancer.

Fruits and vegetables are the two foods with the best correlation with longevity in human populations.  Raw, fresh fruits and vegetables show the most powerful correlation with lower cancer rates.  The National Cancer Institute recently reported on 337 different studies that all showed the same basic informations:

1.  Vegetables and fruits protect against all types of cancers if consumed in large enough quantities.  Hundreds of scientific studies document this profound effect!

2.  Raw vegetables have the most powerful anti-cancer properties of all foods!  Eat Raw!

3.  Studies on the cancer-reducing effects of vitamin pills containing various nutrients such as folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E, give mixed reviews; sometimes they show a slight benefit, but most show no benefit.  Occasionally studies show that taking isolated nutrients is harmful.

4.  Beans in general not just soy, have additional anti-canter benefits against reproductive cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer.

Most Americans would prefer to take a pill so they could continue to eat what they are accustomed to.
The Standard American Diet is extremely toxic!

Bottomline:  Consume high levels of fruits , green vegetables, and beans.  This is the key to both weight loss and a better, healthier life.  Cancer is a Fruit and Vegetable - Deficiency Disease.
__________________
Adapted from Joel Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live. P 117f
Food log and journal at Instagram@stevemattis

Sushi from Collard Greens!

I was recently asked to repost and include the recipe for Sushi made from Collard Greens.  I am more than happy to comply.  These are easy to make and absolutely delicious.  A whole foods, Plant based diet is fun and flavorful.  The more veggies you eat, the more weight you will lose (if you need to).

Select a nice bunch to large collard greens.  The bigger leaves are the better ones to use for obvious reasons.  If you don't have a bamboo rolling mat get one.  They are available from Whole Foods or other markets.

Put about a half inch of water in the bottom of a large skillet.  Bring it to a boil.  Place the collard greens in the skillet, cover and steam for about 30 seconds to a minute.  They will come out nicely supple and easy to roll.  The picture above was taken with my iPhone.

Cook about 2 cups of short grain brown rice; set aside.  It will become sticky (much more than long grain brown rice.)  Next cook your veggies.  Your choice.  Cucumber sliced length wise with the seeds removed can be used raw.  Cook lengths of carrots, avocado red pepper, asparagus, etc. Add avocado  (if you don't have CAD).   Roll them up and slice with a very sharp knife.  Serve with Wasabi and soy sauce.  Enjoy!
____________________________________________

This recipe was adapted from the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cook Book by Ann Esselstyn.

Follow my food lag on instagram@stevemattis
www.facebook/stevenjaymattis

MILK DOES THE BODY GOOD! REALLY??

Attacks on and dismissals of the findings related to dairy have been vicious and unrelenting.  This is partly due to the research threatening the reigning research and medical paradigms.  Research has produced answers that are outside the rigid mental boundaries that small-minded science enforces.

RESEARCH RELATED TO DAIRY?

• It has been discovered that cow's milk protein at reasonable levels of intake markedly promotes experimental cancer growth, which is outside of the nutritional paradigm.
• It has been proven that experimental cancer growth can be turned on and off by altering practical levels of nutrient intake, and can be treated by nutritional means, which is outside of the cancer treatment paradigm.
• It was observed that these effects are driven by multiple mechanisms acting in concert, which is outside of the medical paradigm.
• It was found that cancer growth is controlled far more by nutrition than by genes, which is outside of the scientific paradigm.
• It was shown that the nutrient composition of foods is more a determinant of cancer occurrence than chemical carcinogens, which is outside of the cancer - testing and regulatory agency paradigms.
• Finally, it was found that saturated fat and for that matter, total fat and cholesterol is not the chief cause of heart disease, (There is animal - based proteins as well) which is outside of the cardiology paradigm.

It seems that deciding whether an observation is or is not heretical has real consequences.  In the medical research world, unexpected observations are oftentimes ignored.  Researchers dismiss them, saying something like, "That can't be right." 

__________________

* For a thorough treatment of the subject, see T. Colin Campbells book, The China Study or Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition.

The most powerful drug ever discovered.

Suppose there was a large pharmaceutical company holding a press conference to unveil a new pill.  The new pill was given a classy name and then published a huge list of scientifically proven effects.
The list would include:

BENEFITS:

• Prevent 95 percent of all cancers, including those "caused" by environmental toxins.
• Prevent even severe heart disease.
• Reverses even severe heart disease.
• Prevents and reverses Type 2 diabetes so quickly and profoundly that after three days on this drug, it's dangerous for users to continue to use insulin.

SIDE EFFETS:

• Gets you to your ideal weight in a healthy and sustainable fashion.
• Eliminates most migraines, acne, colds, flu chronic pain and intestinal distress.
• Improves energy.
• Cures erectile dysfunction.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:

• Slows and possibly reverses global warming.
• Reduces groundwater contamination.
• Ends the need for deforestation.
• Shuts down factory farms.
• Reduces malnutrition and dislocation among the world's poorest citizens.

Unfortunately there is not such a pill, however, there is the Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet!

It is hard to imagine anything healthier or anything more effective at addressing our biggest health issues.  Not only is the WFPB diet the healthiest way of eating that has ever been studied, but it's far more effective in promoting health and preventing disease than prescription drugs, surgery, vitamin and herbal supplementation, and genetic manipulation.

Since this lifestyle isn't a pill, no market forces conspire to advocate for it.  No mass media campaign promotes it.  No insurance coverage pays for it.  Since it isn't a pill, and nobody has figured out how to get hugely wealthy by showing people how to eat it, the truth has been buried by half-truths, unverified claims, and downright lies.  The concerted effort of many powerful interests to ignore, discredit, and hide the truth has worked so far!

TheVeganHeart.

---------------------------

T. Colin Campbell.  Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition. p. 7

Follow my instagram food log: instagram@stevemattis

WWW.facebook/stevenjaymattis

Diet or Lifestyle Change: Five things I bet you didn't know about your diet.

The United States spends more money per capita on "health" care than any country on earth, yet when the quality of our health care in compared with other industrialized nations we rank near the bottom.
(We are number one in spending and #38 in quality!)

As a nation, we are sicker than ever.  The rate of chronic diseases have increased over time, and based on health biomarkers like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, they may be headed for further increases.  The prevalence of obese individuals increased from 13 % of the U.S. population in 1962 to a staggering 34% in 2008 - according to the The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS!
We don't need medical breakthroughs or genetic manipulation to achieve, maintain, and restore vibrant health.  Over 50 years of research (obscured by our system) has demonstrated the FIVE things that can transform our statistics and transform our lives!

1.  What you eat every day is a far more powerful determinant of your health than your DNA or most of the nasty chemicals lurking in your environment.

2.  The foods you consume can heal you faster and more profoundly than the most expensive prescription drugs, and more dramatically than the most extreme surgical interventions, with only positive side effects!  (Try that with therapy!)

3.  Those food choices can prevent Cancer, Heart Disease, Type II diabetes, Stroke, Macular degeneration, Migraines, Erectile Dysfunction, and Arthritis,  and that is only the short list!

4.  It is never too late to change the way you eat!  And, only you can transform your health for the better.

5.  The bottom line:  Change the way you eat and you can transform your health for the better.  Pure and simple!

THE IDEAL HUMAN DIET:
Consume plant-based foods in forms as close to their natural state as possible.  (Whole foods)  Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole grains.  Avoid heavily processed foods and animal products.  Stay away from added salt, oil and sugar.  Aim to get 80 percent of your calories from Carbohydrates, 10 percent from fat, and 10 percent from protein.

The word "diet" implies a heroic and temporary effort rather than a sustainable and joyful way of eating!  Transform your Lifestyle!

Some of the thoughts stated above were taken from, Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition.  By T Colin Campbell.

Follow my Food Blog on instagram@stevemattis
Face Book/Steven Jay Mattis

The Mediterranean Diet and the Myth of Heart Healthy Oils.

Americans are drowning in a sea of misinformation about nutrition!  When I talk to "experts" on the subject, there is often a betrayal of this misinformation that surfaces in the discussion.

Nutrient Deficiency is rampent in America because of this misinformation.  Americans eat near 90% of their total calories from Refined or Processed Foods and Animal Products.  We eat about 10% of our total calories from Unrefined plant foods. (Vegetables, Fruits, Unrefined grains, Beans, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds.)  Of the 10% Unrefined Plant foods we do eat, @ 4% is made up of Potatoes, eaten in the form of French fries and potato chips.  Americans are nutrient deficient because we do not eat a sufficient quantity or variety of fresh produce and whole foods!

The message most Americans are getting today is that you don't have to go on a low fat diet to be healthy, you just need to replace "bad fats" (saturated fats from animal sources) with "good fats" like olive oil.  The Myth of Heart Healthy Oils is born!

The Mediterranean Diet 
In the 1950's, people in the Mediterranean region of the world were lean and virtually free of heart disease.  40% of their caloric intake came from olive oil.  Their diet consisted mostly of fruits, vegetables, beans and some fish.  Saturated fat was less than 6% of their total fat intake.  Their lifestyle was exceptionally healthy; they worked hard in the fields all day.  They walked on average about 9 miles each day.  They did lots of manual labor.  However, Americans didn't take the message to eat loads of vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains and get lots of exercise.  The media promoted and we accepted the message that olive oil is a healthy food!

Today the people of the Mediterranean area are "fat" just like Americans.  They still eat a lot of olive oil but their consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans etc. is way down.  Today they eat Meat, Cheese and Fish and their activity level is way down too.  Today heart disease has skyrocketed.  More than half of the population is considered overweight.  Mediterranean people of the 1950's were not healthy because of olive oil, they were healthy in spite of it.  Oil of all kinds adds to your already plump waist.  This heightens the risk of diseases like, Diabetes (type II), Hypertension and Heart Disease.

What can we do about this?

1.  Eat at least two large salads everyday.  A minimum of a pound of raw vegetables.

2.  Eat at least 3-4 raw fruits each day.  Don't drink fruit juice.  Eat the fruit in its original, natural container.

3.  Eat at least one cup of beans or legumes each day.

4.  Eat at least a pound of cooked vegetables each day.  (lightly steamed and still a dente!)

5.  Eat one serving of whole grains each day.

6.  Living Oil free has been shown to heal the bodies "endothelium."  The lining of the coronary arteries designed to emit Nitric Oxide, the substance that keeps your blood slippery inside the arteries.

As the amount of raw fruits and vegetables are increased in your diet, weight loss and blood pressure are usually lowered effortlessly.  That is a good thing!  

Confronting Our (American's) Love Affair with Animal Protein.

I've become a student and a follower of a highly respected but somewhat controversial researcher by the name of T. Colin Campbell.  He is a PhD in biochemistry.  He presently runs the Nutritional Institute at Cornell University.  He is the author of The China Study and Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition to name only a couple of his books.   His groundbreaking research in the causes of Cancer and Nutrition have been stellar and provocative.  He is one of the researchers featured on the shocking documentary, Forks Over Knives, available on Netflix.

Campbell set up extensive labs for years at both Virginia Tech and Cornell, to investigate the role of nutrition in preventing or causing cancer.  His chief focus was on the biochemical connection between proteins, enzymes and cancerous cell development.  His research was demonstrating "beyond any doubt, that not just excess dietary protein, but a particular type of excess dietary protein, promoted cancer formation and growth.  And these results, seen in our experiments with rats, were consistent with human populations and case-control studies that showed impressive associations between animal-based protein consumption and cancer rates."  P. 31, Whole.

So, when we think of protein, what kind of foods do you think of?  Meat, Dairy products and Eggs!  Did you know that calorie for calorie, Spinach and Kale have about twice as much protein, per calorie, as a lean cut of beef!  Campbell says, "can you image our shock when animal protein, but not vegetable protein, was the culprit in turning on cancer in our studies?"

He further found, "clearer than expected, that animal protein intake determined cancer development far more than the dose of the chemical carcinogen."

When addressing a large audience at a convention of the World Congress of Nutrition in Seoul, South Korea, a well -known advocate of consuming more, not less, animal protein arose and lamented, "Colin, you"re talking about good food!  Don't take it away from us!" You see, He was not questioning the validity of the research results; he was concerned that, "I was trying to undermine his personal love for animal protein!"  A few take aways!

• Even rational, data-driven scientists could be sent into prolonged states of hysteria when presented with evidence that their favorite foods might be killing them!
• It is interesting that "My questioner has since traveled to greener pastures, at an age much too young.  He suffered from a kind of heart problem that is promoted by animal-based proteins!"
• So called, "high quality" protein (animal protein) might not be as high quality as always thought.
• Associating a valued nutrient like animal protein with increased growth of a feared disease like cancer was heresy squared.  No wonder the health industry resists the data against animal protein.
• Our most revered nutrient (animal source protein) actually promoted our most feared disease! (Cancer)

For information on the research:  The China Study, chapter 3,  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, chapter 4

Follow my food log on instagram: @stevemattis

Why we cannot manage the Standard American Diet!

Almost one year ago I began my journey into understanding the "Standard American Diet" and the negative or toxic effect it was having on my life.  Since then, a number of things have become increasingly clear to me.  Calorie Density is one of the keys to knowing why the American Diet is so bad for us.  It is also the key for breakthrough health and weight loss.  Here is why!

In the chart below is a brief portrayal of the amount of calories in given foods.  Notice that vegetables are a mere 100 calories/pound.  Fruit is 300 calories/pound. Unprocessed carbohydrates 500 calories/pound. Legumes and Beans about 600 calories/pound.  Then things really ramp up.  Animal products (Meats and Dairy) are 1000 calories/pound. Process Carbohydrates are 1,400 calories/pound. Junk foods are 2,300 calories/pound.  Nuts and Seeds are 2,800 calories/pound and Oil is 4,000 calories/pound.

The diet I had been taught to eat all my life and the one I enjoyed most, was rich is the five (5) categories on the right side of the chart.  (Animal products, processed foods, junk foods, nuts and oils)  Trying to manage a diet from the right side is extremely difficult.  Measure, limit, weigh and starve yourself seems to be the name of the game!  We call this strategy: dieting.  Anyone who has tried this approach usually realizes pretty quickly that this is a wrong approach.  Because the problem is that managing the (SAD) diet cannot be sustained longterm.  Deprivation just doesn't work!  Ever heard of "Yoyoing?"

I am told Americans eat almost 90% of their diet from the High Caloric Density Foods (the ones on the right).  That is about 65% from Refined and Processed foods. 25% from Animal and Dairy products and less than 10% of our diet is from Unrefined Plant Foods (Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Beans and Seeds.)

I have discovered that if I ate primarily from the Left Side of the chart (Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Beans and Legumes) and restricted or completely stayed away from the Right Side of the chart, a whole cascade of positive benefits were experienced:

1.  Weight loss was actually rather easy.  (I have lost 55 pounds using their strategy)

2.  I was never hungry.  I actually ate more than ever before!  I just ate low calorie dense foods (from      the Left side of the chart)

3.  My total Blood Cholesterol dropped over 95 points without "Statins." Cholesterol lowering meds.

4.  My BMI (Body Mass Index) dropped from 30 (obese) to 23 (normal weight) for my height.

5.  The health benefits of this vegan lifestyle are tremendous.  This is not a diet; it is a lifestyle change!

6.  The vegan lifestyle is the only lifestyle that is truly healthy and heals the human heart.

Transitioning to a Fully Vegan Lifestyle


It has been almost a full year since I made the deliberate decision to become a fully committed vegan.  This is a very unlikely shift in point of view for one who is an avid outdoorsman.  I love to hunt, shoot, camp, fish, kayak and backpack; all those outdoor activities I enjoyed as a young boy growing up in Southwestern Ohio.  My father had a quadruple bypass surgery at age 65 and my only brother died of a heart related issue after his triple bypass surgery at 58.  I knew that the genetic predisposition toward CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) existed in my family line.  So, in August of last year, I asked my family doctor for a recommendation to have the CT Calcium Score done on my heart.  This is a very simple and quick test that takes a series of CT pictures of your coronary vessels.  The conclusion of this test yielded a very high score of 900!  A score of 400 shows significant and serious CAD in the form of plaque buildup that has calcified.  Unfortunately, those who have a low score could still be at risk, in that the CT cannot "see" the soft un-calcified plaque that still could be present.  And by the way, it is usually the soft plaque that ruptures and causes a heart attack.  My score of 900 suggested a 20% statistical possibility of having a "coronary event" in the following 12 months.  25% of people who have coronary events simply drop dead without any prior warning. 

I immediately began my learning curve into the field of cardiology.  The very first book that came up on my search was by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  His book, Eat to Live is an easy to access book that he methodically researched.  He showed me the dark side of eating the "Standard American Diet" and just how Westerners are killing themselves with their forks and knives.  One chapter into his book and I poured my "half and half" down the kitchen drawn.  What followed was getting rid of all meat, all dairy, all processed foods and all oil.  The journey had begun!  Shortly after beginning this book, my son recommended that I view a documentary called Forks Over Knives.  In this documentary, two researchers were highlighted, Caldwell B. Esselstyne Jr. from the Cleveland Clinic and T. Colin Campbell from Cornell University.  Both men were researchers who demonstrated the clear link between nutrition and what came to be known as the "diseases of affluence." 

Caldwell B. Esselstyn's book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease was a clear portrayal of the cardio vascular dilemma of most Americans and what must be done in order to HALT AND REVERSE the disease. I had never heard anyone ever say anything about "halting and reversing" CAD.  But as I began to do the research, I soon realized that there was a clear polemic between standard forms of cardiology, as it is practiced by most of American doctors, and what was being said and demonstrated by a very impressive body of research on the subject.

A subsequent trip to the Cleveland Clinic (in February no less!) to meet and study with Dr. Esselstyn and his wife Ann clearly showed that Coronary Artery Disease could not only be halted but many times reversed.  This is only accomplished through eating a "Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet."  Me becoming a vegan? Not just for a short period of time but for the rest of my life!  This was serious lifestyle transition.

So, as I begin to approach my one year anniversary of living as fully committed vegan for health reasons, here are some of my highlights and take aways?

• Most of us are bound by food addictions that we're not aware of and these addictions are killing us.  (addictions to animal protein, fat, dairy and processed foods)
• Although the cure seems radical i.e., eating a vegan diet, it is not as radical as having your chest split open and veins from your legs grafted around your clogged arteries of the heart.  And by the way, this procedure only treats the symptoms and does not address the cure!
• Eating a vegan diet can be appetizing and attractive.  It just takes some creativity and relearning how to cook.
• Ones tastes actually change such that the real taste of whole foods and plants begin to actually taste good.
• I have become a vegan foodie!  I am challenged by creating and preparing tasty plant based dishes and helping others learn how to do it.
• Finally, I am a committed vegan for life.  I am gratefully vegan and am becoming rather proud of it, in the best sense of the word.
• Follow me on instagram@stevemattis or Face Book recipes at Steven Jay Mattis.