Eat As If Your Life Depends On It

There’s only so long people can go on denying what is becoming more and more evident every day -- food can be our best medicine, strengthening our bodies, preventing and reversing disease, and optimizing our health in ways that add years to our lives and life to our years, or it can be a slow poison, bringing to our bodies excess weight and chronic diseases such as cancer, Type II diabetes and heart disease.

Sadly, it seems that despite the overwhelming scientific evidence proving that what you put on the end of your fork matters most, majority of us would rather take our chances on the Standard American Diet and see where we land. “You have to die from something.” (That’s an actual quote from someone I know.)

Consider these staggering statistics from Dr. Mark Hyman:

• In 1900, only 2 percent of meals were eaten outside of the home. Today that number is more than 50 percent.
• By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 20.7 percent in Colorado (our healthiest state) to 34.9 percent in Mississippi in 2011. In 1987, no state had an obesity rate more than 20 percent.
• Today, one in two Americans has either pre-diabetes or diabetes.
• Thirty-seven percent of kids at a normal weight have one or more cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar.

I must have read those stats at least 25 times, becoming more and more alarmed as the information sank in.

We are a nation suffering from illness not because of genetics but because of our lifestyle choices. Let me say that again -- because of our lifestyle choices -- the choices we make in the supermarket and off menus, and when we're deciding where we eat and how often we dine out. As Dr. Mehmet Oz brilliantly said, "Genetics loads the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger." We need to buck up and take accountability for that.

We are in the middle of the biggest health crisis of our generation. But we can fix it -- by eating like our lives depend on it.

Just say NO to processed food -- all of it! If you’re craving a snack, make it yourself, or choose something very minimally processed like Larabars (made with just dates and nuts) or popcorn (no butter, no salt!)

Trade in your over-processed white and wheat bread for breads like Ezekiel and Rudy’s. Throw processed meats like bacon, sausage and deli meat in the garbage. Say buh-bye to added sugar and anything that’s been genetically modified. You will not believe how your body rewards you!

There are so many resources online and in bookstores and libraries to help make this transition easy that it’s no longer acceptable to say, “I don’t know how or I don’t know where to begin.” Use Google to start making changes that lead to length of life and one that’s free of doctors' visits and prescription medication.

Eat like your life depends on it.

Begin incorporating plant-bash dishes into your weekly menus. There isn’t a doctor on the planet who would argue away the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. There are hundreds of thousands of delicious and healthful recipes waiting to be discovered by YOU.

Eat like your life depends on it.

If you’re a meat eater, start buying from your local farms. Now some of you may be thinking, “But Kellie, it’s so expensive, we can’t afford it.” If you can’t afford it, eat less of it. That’s exactly the point. Were we really ever supposed to be a country that eats meat 2-3 servings per day? Until the government began subsidizing meat people couldn’t afford to eat it often. Meat was actually a luxury.

Commit to no longer eating any meat that’s been injected with growth hormones and antibiotics -- that goes for dairy too. What animals eat or are injected with goes right into our bodies and the bodies of our children. Thinking about that makes me physically ill.

Regardless of how often you eat meat, don’t make it the star of your plate. Double up on the good stuff -- vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, etc.) and salad and eat those items first.

Eat like your life depends on it.

I watched a presentation with Dr. Michael Klaper. He said when he’s asked by friends where they should go to eat, he replies, “Hmmm … do I want Italian salt, sugar and oil; Indian salt, sugar and oil; or Thai salt, sugar and oil?” That’s an honest way of looking at it because that’s pretty much what we’re getting in most restaurants -- something needs to make the food taste so good that we crave our next visit.

Eat home more, dine out less. Easy, peasy and you’ll save money for your next visit to your local farm -- a win/win. Cooking at home allows us to control what goes into our food -- we can eliminate or reduce significantly the bad stuff. When you do have plans to dine out, eat a salad beforehand or have a piece of fruit -- something healthful so that you eat less. And, of course, make whole-food menu choices.

Eat like your life depends on it.

A video trending on Facebook recently asked, What will your last 10 years look like? It was created by the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation to raise awareness about the five controllable behaviors that will determine how we spend our final years: poor nutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol, smoking and stress.

What will YOUR last 10 years look like?

Are the choices you’re making today setting you up for a life plagued by pills, hospital stays and doctors' appointments? Or are you really loving your body so that it’s ready to run a 10K, hike across Europe and frolic on the beaches of Bermuda with your grandchildren -- all at the young age of 80!

For Matt and me, we're shooting for the latter. How about you?

Learn more about whole-food, plant-strong living. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.